Went to a photography showing and talk yesterday evening by Andy Chen at Kellar Mahaney Gallery in Zionsville, IN. Andy’s exhibit is titled “City Squared”. Approximately a dozen stark, moody images taken with his camera phone.
I find it amazing the quality you can get from camera phones even in large format prints. Compliments of Lightroom and Photoshop, and of course a skilled photographer.
I met Andy at other showings previously, and he was a guest judge at the Indianapolis Photo Venture Camera Club meeting this month. He has a good eye and skills as a photographer. I like his ability to skillfully critique an image as well.
His talk was Q&A format, and jumped around a number of photography, workflow & technique questions. He reemphasized and referred to several similar comments I wrote in an earlier blog post. One of the questions I found interesting was “what is fine art photography”. It was an interesting discussion and honestly, I don’t think we came away with an answer, not that I think there really is one. Another question I was interested in was, “does a photograph’s print size matter”. I asked this because I enjoy “larger scale” images. He said they did, which to be honest surprised me.
Overall, it was a nice casual discussion at the gallery.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Photographer’s Mind by Michael Freeman
I’m reading a really good book about the concept behind what makes good photography including the physiology of how the mind interprets an image. It’s all good stuff. The nice thing about the book is that it takes for granted you know “how” to take a photograph technically, and instead focuses on “how” to make a great photography.
The book starts off on what makes a good photograph. I thought I would share these principles as I personally feel they are spot on. I quote:
The book starts off on what makes a good photograph. I thought I would share these principles as I personally feel they are spot on. I quote:
- Understands what generally satisfies. Even if an image flouts technical and esthetic basics, it really does need to be in the context of knowing these.
- Stimulates and provokes. If a photograph does not excite or catch interest, then it is merely competent, no more.
- Is multi-layered. An image that works on more than one level, such as surface graphics plus deeper meaning, works better. As viewer, we like to discover.
- Fits the cultural context. Photography is so much a part of everyone’s visual diet that it is by nature contemporary. Most people like it that way, dealing with the here and now.
- Contains an idea. Any work of art has some depth of thought that went into it. An image needs to catch the viewer’s imagination as well as simply attract the eye.
- Is true to the medium. This is a long-held view in art criticism, that each medium should explore and exploit what it is good at, and not mimic other artforms, at least not without irony.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
The PVCC Club
Indianapolis has a very active photography club that meets regularly, the Photo Venture Camera Club. It’s has 100+ members that meet every Thursday at the Indianapolis Arts Center in Broad Ripple. Anywhere between 25-50 of the members come out to the weekly meetings.
One highlight of the PVCC club meetings is a monthly theme-based contest. A nice component of these meetings is the club brings in professional photographer to judge the entries and provide their insight, critiques, and select the winners (1st through 3rd both on and off topic). What I like about this monthly event is the pros are good at telling what they like and what in their opinion how an image can be improved. I personally like constructive critique.
This month the topic was Zen Landscaping and the featured judge was local professional photographer, Andy Chen. Andy is a feature in the photo scene in Indianapolis and has a studio in the Stutz Arts Building. His site is http://www.whatandysaw.com/. Andy describes himself as a “fine arts” photographer.
Andy shared some of his professional advice on photography I’ll highlight:
- In fine arts photography world everything is “project” based versus random photos,
- A project is something you are interested in (“curious about”), a theme, that you can go back over and over again over time,
- In a project, or when presenting a project, the sequence on how photographs are presented is important,
- Your photos need to be of interest others as well as yourself (common sense),
- Your image needs to be something “worth paying attention to”, something that “draws you into the photo”,
- Create a sense of expectation,
- Within your photo does everything work together?
- With your image’s composition, everything must fit into the story, or the “intent” of your image,
- With post processing be careful about your cropping (crop out anything that doesn’t fit the “intent” of your image, and don’t over sharpen,
- If you are going to present your photo in a printed format, make sure your print is of high quality. Your mounting or framing must work with the image. It’s a total package,
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Catacombs Under Indianapolis - Who Knew?
I bet few people know there is a city block-sized catacomb under the streets of downtown Indianapolis. Who knew? A group of local photographers, members of a high end camera club in Indianapolis, the Photo Venture Camera Club, got to use the catacombs as a photoshoot backdrop. Very uber.
About 20 photographers met early Saturday morning at the Indianapolis City Market and were escorted to an underground fantasy land of carved arches, brickwork, Indiana limestone, dirt floors, dripping ceilings, etc. No one really knows what it was built for over 100 years ago, but it’s locked away and unused (great place for a club!).
Luckily, we got to use if for a photowalk / shoot. A couple of us, myself included, brought models and lighting, and used the catacombs as a backdrop. It was really an amazing background, but a bit challenging because it was so dark. Lighting from only with a few strings of industrial work lights. Most of the back rooms and corners were pitch black. Made it hard for several people’s autofocus to work. I simply turned on my auto-focus assist light (which I rarely use) or used a flash light to assist in autofocus a few times.
Most people took shots of the structure itself using their trusty tripod. Myself and another local portrait photographer, Paul D’Andrea, brought in the models. I used a 2 flash unit setup including LumiQuest SoftBox III’s to diffuse the flashes. Because I had the units behind pillars most of the time I triggered them with Elinchrom Universal triggers. All flashes were set on manual. Worked perfectly, but I experimented with many shots to get the right settings on the flash.
Because the ambient lighting was so low I used one flash unit as a key light normally set up behind me, or at a 45 degree & high to the model. The second flash was used as a fill light to get shadowing or accent light with gels. Ambient lighting was limited at best. It probably would have worked best if I had another flash unit. All my shots were on my Nikon D300s in manual mode.
Overall a great time. Spent about 5 hours underground in an area I’ve never been before and from the looks of it few have.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Underground Catacomb Photoshoot
Had the opportunity to join a number of local Indianapolis based photographers and visit the Catacombs under the City Market this past weekend. About 1/2 a city block of dark, arches, brick walls, dirt floors, and general creepiness. Loved it.
I brought a local model with me, and did my strobist thing. Used 2 Nikon SB-600s triggered with an Elinchrom Universal trigger sets, and LumiQuest SoftBox III's for maximum portability. All of the shots were on Manual setting: ISO 400, F/5.6 and speed between 1/125 to 1/200 of a second. Spent most of the time just working on different lighting positions. All shots were with a Nikkor 24-70mm F/2.8. A good time.
The only thing I've noticed in post processing is that most of the images are noisey in the shadows, so next time I'll drop the ISO to 200.
I brought a local model with me, and did my strobist thing. Used 2 Nikon SB-600s triggered with an Elinchrom Universal trigger sets, and LumiQuest SoftBox III's for maximum portability. All of the shots were on Manual setting: ISO 400, F/5.6 and speed between 1/125 to 1/200 of a second. Spent most of the time just working on different lighting positions. All shots were with a Nikkor 24-70mm F/2.8. A good time.
The only thing I've noticed in post processing is that most of the images are noisey in the shadows, so next time I'll drop the ISO to 200.
Monday, April 18, 2011
What Type of Photographer Are You
Occasionally, a friend or business colleague will ask me what type of camera they should buy or what accessory they should invest in. This is a good question that I could talk on all day. I always tell them, a) I’m a Nikon shooter, so my answers are bias, b) I’m not a professional, so you get the advice you pay for, and c) “What type of photographer are you”?
The last point is absolutely the most important component to consider. Knowing what type of photographer you are, or more importantly, what do you want to do with your photography will HIGHLY influence your buying decision. I have found there are 4 types of photographers, which will influence the type of kit they should consider. Here we go!
The Social Mediaite – OK, I made that up, but this photographer is mainly focused on capturing the moment. This may be a photo of a friend during a dinner out, a party, a bar scene, etc. A social mediaite is not particularly interested in composition, perfect lighting, or general post processing. This type of photographer is more interested in keeping a record of an event or moment to share or post online whether on Facebook, Twitter, on a blog or sending it via email.
For this type of photographer a good smartphone camera is the way to go. Many smartphones have good cameras, and they are complimented with a large array of camera apps. Except for your phone and apps no additional accessories are required. Bottomline, get a great smartphone camera. Personally, I use my IPhone when I take this type of photo.
The Casual Shooter – This type of photographer is interested in taking a wide range of images, and generally wants good output. Whether it is a photo of their pet, a vacation, family, an event, etc. the concept of quality starts kicking in. However, there is no intention of spending lots of money or getting over their head with features or accessories they will never use. This type of photographer also wants something they can carry in their pocket, purse, backpack, etc. For this type of photographer a point-and-shoot camera is the way to go. Today there are some GREAT point-and-shoot cameras in all price ranges with a wide range of features including video. I find the choices are crazy and there are many different manufactures from the 2 big, Nikon & Canon to Panasonic, Sony, etc. etc. A great feature with P&S cameras is that you can use full auto or start to experiment in scene settings or settings such as aperture priority, speed priority, and other camera options.
The main difference in a casual shooter versus the social mediaite is you need to start considering post processing or at minimum an off camera storage. Most people simply dump their images into their computer and use either the computer’s supplied post processing software or a freebie like Google’s Picasa. At this stage be careful, don’t overbuy. Get yourself a good point and shoot and fire away.
Photography Is Becoming an Obsession – type shooter. Like many hobbies or pursuits, photography can become addicting. And once she has you hooked she can be a bitch. We are now talking about someone who wants to take photographs for the art itself, or wants to take their basic photography to the next level. This type shooter is interested in photography and is willing in learning or knows about the principles of photography. They either know or will learn about composition, lighting, shadows, color caste, etc. They either had a camera before, have a P&S, or want to upgrade what they currently have. This level covers everything from those just making the move into an obsession all the way to advance amateurs.
We are now entering the realm of the digital single lens reflex camera. The DSLR. The kings in the realm are Nikon & Canon. There are several other brands of DSLR, but most photographers I know use either a Nikon or Canon. As I mentioned I am a Nikon shooter.
The advantage of the DSLR is flexibility & options available. Flexibility in controls, accessories and most importantly lenses (which can be the most expensive component of the DSLR stage). I’ve found that once you get serious about photography you need to get serious about your kit. Ultimately a great photographer can take a great shot with a low end camera, but for most of us the flexibility of the DSLR gives us the freedom to expand our photos.
From my experience there are 5 disadvantages to DSLR’s for those just advancing to this level. They are: 1) getting more camera / lenses than what you really need, 2) the cost ($1,000 minimum on average), 3) not as portable, 4) getting locked into one camera system, and 5) post processing is a key ingredient. You need to take all 5 of these into consideration BEFORE you make the move to DSLR’s.
Bottomline, if photography is or is becoming an obsession then the DSLR is the only way to go.
Finally, The Pro. Note: if you are a pro you wouldn’t be the type of person asking for my advice. However, for the rest of us Pros are photographers that do it for a living, or partial living. DSLRs rule supreme for pros, although they all carry a point and shoot or camera phone as well for immediacy. Some might even be seen with medium format cameras! In almost all cases a professional photographer is aware of their skills, knows about the factors that make a good image, know their market and have the kit. Lots of photographers think simply because they have a DSLR, fancy lenses and accessories that they are pros, but don’t fool yourself. Simply having a DSLR doesn’t make a photographer a pro.
In my experience the professional photographers that I know have extremely good equipment, is the knowledge of what the client wants, a good sense of business, excellent workflow, and a track record. Bottomline, in I think a good professional photographer is as good on the business side as they are on the photography side.
Bottomline, whatever type of photographer you are, just get out there and shoot. Before you know it, you’ll be hooked.
The last point is absolutely the most important component to consider. Knowing what type of photographer you are, or more importantly, what do you want to do with your photography will HIGHLY influence your buying decision. I have found there are 4 types of photographers, which will influence the type of kit they should consider. Here we go!
The Social Mediaite – OK, I made that up, but this photographer is mainly focused on capturing the moment. This may be a photo of a friend during a dinner out, a party, a bar scene, etc. A social mediaite is not particularly interested in composition, perfect lighting, or general post processing. This type of photographer is more interested in keeping a record of an event or moment to share or post online whether on Facebook, Twitter, on a blog or sending it via email.
For this type of photographer a good smartphone camera is the way to go. Many smartphones have good cameras, and they are complimented with a large array of camera apps. Except for your phone and apps no additional accessories are required. Bottomline, get a great smartphone camera. Personally, I use my IPhone when I take this type of photo.
The Casual Shooter – This type of photographer is interested in taking a wide range of images, and generally wants good output. Whether it is a photo of their pet, a vacation, family, an event, etc. the concept of quality starts kicking in. However, there is no intention of spending lots of money or getting over their head with features or accessories they will never use. This type of photographer also wants something they can carry in their pocket, purse, backpack, etc. For this type of photographer a point-and-shoot camera is the way to go. Today there are some GREAT point-and-shoot cameras in all price ranges with a wide range of features including video. I find the choices are crazy and there are many different manufactures from the 2 big, Nikon & Canon to Panasonic, Sony, etc. etc. A great feature with P&S cameras is that you can use full auto or start to experiment in scene settings or settings such as aperture priority, speed priority, and other camera options.
The main difference in a casual shooter versus the social mediaite is you need to start considering post processing or at minimum an off camera storage. Most people simply dump their images into their computer and use either the computer’s supplied post processing software or a freebie like Google’s Picasa. At this stage be careful, don’t overbuy. Get yourself a good point and shoot and fire away.
Photography Is Becoming an Obsession – type shooter. Like many hobbies or pursuits, photography can become addicting. And once she has you hooked she can be a bitch. We are now talking about someone who wants to take photographs for the art itself, or wants to take their basic photography to the next level. This type shooter is interested in photography and is willing in learning or knows about the principles of photography. They either know or will learn about composition, lighting, shadows, color caste, etc. They either had a camera before, have a P&S, or want to upgrade what they currently have. This level covers everything from those just making the move into an obsession all the way to advance amateurs.
We are now entering the realm of the digital single lens reflex camera. The DSLR. The kings in the realm are Nikon & Canon. There are several other brands of DSLR, but most photographers I know use either a Nikon or Canon. As I mentioned I am a Nikon shooter.
The advantage of the DSLR is flexibility & options available. Flexibility in controls, accessories and most importantly lenses (which can be the most expensive component of the DSLR stage). I’ve found that once you get serious about photography you need to get serious about your kit. Ultimately a great photographer can take a great shot with a low end camera, but for most of us the flexibility of the DSLR gives us the freedom to expand our photos.
From my experience there are 5 disadvantages to DSLR’s for those just advancing to this level. They are: 1) getting more camera / lenses than what you really need, 2) the cost ($1,000 minimum on average), 3) not as portable, 4) getting locked into one camera system, and 5) post processing is a key ingredient. You need to take all 5 of these into consideration BEFORE you make the move to DSLR’s.
Bottomline, if photography is or is becoming an obsession then the DSLR is the only way to go.
Finally, The Pro. Note: if you are a pro you wouldn’t be the type of person asking for my advice. However, for the rest of us Pros are photographers that do it for a living, or partial living. DSLRs rule supreme for pros, although they all carry a point and shoot or camera phone as well for immediacy. Some might even be seen with medium format cameras! In almost all cases a professional photographer is aware of their skills, knows about the factors that make a good image, know their market and have the kit. Lots of photographers think simply because they have a DSLR, fancy lenses and accessories that they are pros, but don’t fool yourself. Simply having a DSLR doesn’t make a photographer a pro.
In my experience the professional photographers that I know have extremely good equipment, is the knowledge of what the client wants, a good sense of business, excellent workflow, and a track record. Bottomline, in I think a good professional photographer is as good on the business side as they are on the photography side.
Bottomline, whatever type of photographer you are, just get out there and shoot. Before you know it, you’ll be hooked.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Hobby & McNally Flash Bus Tour 2011
Just got back from the 2011 David Hobby & Joe McNally "Flash Bus Tour" event that passed through Indianapolis. It was held at the newly expanded Indianapolis Convention Center in downtown Indy. A really great event that was attended by 400-500 avid photographers. More on the event in later posts, but needless to say it was a learning experience. These guys can do some amazing portrait photography with fairly basic flash units, light modifiers, & accessories both in manual and TTL mode. Well worth the $99 and a day off from the grind. I even had a chance to shoot some photos afterwards.
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