I still want to work on this a bit, but I like it…
Trees in snow
EDIT:I think this image needs to be BIG!! The web doesn’t do it justice…
Another photo from today…
Latest
Snow Day
This morning I got out to Goldstream to take some photos. I was intrigued by ice patterns. This is one of the images I created…
Abstract Ice
Nothing is automatic
I have a plug-in for my website that is supposed to automatically repost everything I write to facebook, twitter, etc. It works great most of the time. In fact it works damn close to 100% with everything except facebook. With facebook it is kind of hit and miss, hence the reason for this post.
If you are reading this on facebook (or you came to my site via facebook) things are working (for now)…
Improvising
The difference between a pro and an amateur is how well they can improvise.
I am working on a series of portraits of Entrepreneurs over 50. Part of the exercise is impromptu location work. In other words, I am not bringing them into the studio, but shooting them on location. For the portrait below, Michael did not want to shoot at his home, yet he wanted a clean, “friendly” look[1]. I brought my portable, battery powered lights[2] to a small empty apartment my landlady let us use. The only blank wall gave me a couple of metres of working distance, so we had to concentrate on head and shoulder images. Building rapport is the most important skill a photographer must have in order to capture good portraits, but the ability to walk into an environment, size it up, and create a photo friendly environment is a close second for a working pro.
This is the result…
PS. I seem to like black and white for portraits. They have more dignity, or maybe they just have less distractions…
Footnotes (↵ returns to text)
- I am still not sure if I got a friendly look, but I did capture a part of his personality.↵
- I have a bunch of standard flashes I use with Wireless Flash Triggers
and Soft Boxes
. I may have to write an equipment post one of these days…↵
Film Photography
I don’t get it. I see many articles on the joy and advantages of film photography. LONG LIVE FILM, ANALOGUE UBER ALLES…[1]
I embraced Digital Photography quite early, and I would never go back to film. In my very unscientific research (ie, what I have read on-line) there seem to be two ends of a spectrum of photographers.
At one end there are the people who love the process of creating a photograph. These people love to spend time in the darkroom, or in front of the computer, experimenting with new processes and techniques just to see how they work.These people tend to appreciate film. FWIW (For What It’s Worth), because these people are so process oriented, they tend to make good instructors. A Famous example of this type of photographer might be Ansel Adams. He was a genius in the darkroom, and he created a whole methodology for creating fine prints.
I live closer to the other end of the spectrum. For me, the final result is what counts. I only learn a new technique if it helps me get to my goal, or helps me get to my goal more quickly. I don’t care if a photo was taken with film or digital, nor do I care about the techniques the artist used.[2] Maybe that is why I have such a tough time naming my photos. I want the viewer to take in the image without being biased by titles or explanations.
In a related vein, I prefer to control my final image. I want my photography to say what I want it to say. For this reason, among others, I have never been attracted to the “Holga” or Instagram movements. This may seem at odds with my landscape work. Isn’t the goal just to find an existing image and copy that onto film/sensor? Yes and no. I look for a scene that “speaks to me”. I try to figure out the story the image could say. Then I visualize how I will capture, process, and present the image so that this story is told to the best of my ability. Then I compose and take the photo. Of course, most of the time this doesn’t work, and sometimes the message changes as I am working on an image, but I still want the image to stand on its own.
So what is the moral of this story? None, really. I understand my tendencies and biases. In fact I try to see past them and push my limits. I continually try street photography because it is a lot less controlled than I am comfortable with. Maybe one of these days I will have to get a Holga just to push myself even more…
Footnotes (↵ returns to text)
- Disclaimer, Warning, and other small print. This is my opinion. I am not stating that ONE WAY is better than any other, I am simply exploring some thoughts I have had…↵
- Of course it is not quite so cut and dried. I like to know a photographers technique if I like the final result, and I am not sure how I could achieve a similar effect.↵
What to do on a date
What do a couple of artists do on a date? We ended up hanging out in a graveyard taking photos[1]…
This image was taken at the Mechosin graveyard. We were both intrigued by the relationship between the branches of the oak trees and the stone of the grave markers. I used a wide angel lens (20mm) to emphasize the shapes. I got close to the grave stone and close to the ground to exaggerate perspective.
To keep the story clear, I changed the image to black and white. The coloured fall leaves (and green bucket in the background) were distracting. The overcast light was soft and even, but I still did a little dodging and burning along with selective sharpening and micro-contrast adjustment.
Overall I am happy with the image, and I hope Rebecca likes it too…
Footnotes (↵ returns to text)
- Actually we started at the Mechosin Art Gallery, and ended up at the graveyard. And for anyone who cares, we did have a great date, but decided not to pursue it further…↵
Portrait retouching
Last night I had a get together with a number of photographer friends, and we got talking about retouching shine on skin.
I came across this method somewhere on the internet and created an action. I apologize for not remembering the person who told me…
The action below contains a couple of useful actions, but the colour-detail split is most useful for removing glare on detailed surfaces like skin or wood.
The action flattens the image, then creates a number of new layers:
- The colour layer by itself looks (and in fact is) a blurry version of the original image. I have set the blur layer for my camera[1]
- The detail layer will probably not need to be touched.
- The retouch layer is a handy layer for burning and dodging. The advantage of this layer is fine tuning and “undoability”.
How to Use:
First do any cloning or healing that needs to be done, such as birthmarks, cold sores, etc. While these can be removed after splitting, it is generally easier beforehand. Of course judgement and experience will teach you what items are better removed with the clone tool, which need the colour (or detail) layers, and which like the retouch layer.
run the action
To retouch a shine area, for example, choose the colour layer. You can also use the eyedropper tool to select a colour close to the shine area, but it is probably faster to choose the brush tool (b) and “alt+click”[2] on the area you want to choose. Use a low opacity (between 10% and 50%) and slowly paint in colour. Remember, you are just adjusting colour, so you don’t have to exactly stay inside the lines… Turning the colour layer visibility on or off will give you an idea of before and after[3]
You can do burning and dodging without affecting colour by painting with black or white on the retouch layer[4] Again, using a low opacity and building up the effect is a bit more controllable and is less obvious. for example, you can paint out individual freckles, or even varicose veins by painting with white on this retouch layer.
give it a try and let me know what you think…
Footnotes (↵ returns to text)
- Nikon D600 full frame at 24 MP. The
blurcolour level should be fine for most cameras between 18 and 36 MP, but of course you can change the level if needed.↵ - I use a lot of keyboard shortcuts. Some people find it a bit harder to learn this way, but it is much faster once you get it.↵
- the contrast will increase a little bit when you turn off the colour layer. You can get a more accurate before and after by alt+clicking on the eyeball on the background layer. This background layer is the image before you applied the colour split. Alt+clicking turns all the other layers off or back on again↵
- the “d” key will set your colours to default, black foreground and white background. “x” will exchange the colours. So select the retouch layer, press b (to choose the brush) then d. You can darken areas. press x and you can lighten.↵
new image
My daughter and I were playing with one of her photos and, after a lot of experimentation, came up with this…
a very manipulated photo
What are your opinions?
Beautiful West Coast
One thing I like about the west coast is that even the “ugly” stuff is photogenic. This beach detritus makes an interesting tapestry.
Years ago, an artist friend told me that I taught her to look all around. Sometimes you see an image in a different direction than you expect. Looking up, down, and backwards can reveal much more than many people miss. I actually learned this as a kid exploring the wilderness. A path can look completely different when you are coming back. Stop every once in a while and turn around to see what the path will look like on your way home. This was when I first started to understand the direction of light.
Exploring in the wilderness of BC also taught me to pay attention to details. Noticing a mushroom, or an interesting rock formation can be a good marker to find your way back. As I looked harder, I noticed these details were interesting in their own right. I also found out that not everyone notices these details. Photography is a great way to share these discoveries. The hard part is to do them justice visually…
AANV
AANV (Always A New Version)
This is the syndrome where you buy something, typically something expensive that you have been saving up for, and the manufacturer comes out with a newer better version at the same or lower price. You wish you would have waited just a little longer…
However, this doesn’t take into account the fact that you have used the camera, car, or whatever for a while before the “replacement” came out…
Case in point, I bought a D600
Some people are upset. They feel their fairly new D600 is now worth a lot less than if Nikon would not have released the D610, especially at a lower price.
My take is that I have been using my camera for almost 10 months already, and I did not buy it as an investment.[1] I would not have been able to take (and sell) some of the photos I did. I also would not have had the last while to get to know all the quirks of the camera.
And of course, to top it all off, Nikon (or someone) will probably be coming out with an even better version, for even less money…
TL;DR[2] Use the tools you have now rather than covet what may be coming in the future.
Galleries
