Archive for the ‘Philosophy’ Category

The Chief

Golden Retreiver

"Old Barn"

All of us remember our first kiss, our first real car, maybe even our first camera, but do you remember the very first image that spoke to you as a photographer?  Not like, “hey, you photographer shoot me” but more like “hey, I’m really enjoying this!  I think this is something I could really get into.”   I was looking through my old photos recently trying to locate the four images that I vividly remember changing my path as a photographer.  Not because they were great, but because they spoke to me.  They truly made me want to become a better photographer. I was only successful in locating three of the four photos….yes, the story of my life    Two of the photos were of an old barn and a fence post.  I remember taking these photos and  thinking this just rocks.  To be honest,  any image I was able to make a decent print of  at the time simply rocked when I was 14.    Another photo  I vividly recall was a of the local Culligan guy’s golden retriever.  Wherever this guy was, his dog was in tow, so I took a few photos one day when he was delivering salt to our house.  The owner  was so thrilled with how they turned out  he insisted on making a large print for his office. And at the ripe old age of 15 I felt as though I had won the lottery.  Lastly, some 12 years later while traveling to Zimbabwe I came across a gentlemen that simply described himself as the “Village Chief.” While I was photographing him and listening to his story, I remember thinking to myself, “ I could do this for the rest of my life.”   I still enjoy, shooting old buildings, dogs (I live with a pack of 4) and people.  It’s funny how your  style might change, your quality improves (hopefully), but at the end of the day you still  shoot what you enjoy.  So my question for all of you is, “What images do you remember directing or fueling your photographic journey?

Original Snowy Pier DNG file

Snowy Pier (1/250th at f/14, 16mm at ISO 200)

If you missed yesterday’s blog I suggest clicking HERE so today’s blog makes a little more sense to ya’.   Yesterday’s blog was focused on selecting of an image and the process I go about to actually take the image.  Today’s blog  is all about what goes into my processing.  As I mentioned yesterday, I took roughly 40 images of the “Snowy Pier.”  Selecting a final image to work with has a lot to do with composition, exposure and feel.  Most importantly I like to select images that will require the least amount of post processing to reach the desired effect.

I shoot all my images in RAW and always covert them to DNG files during the import process.    Once converted to DNG I look over my images using the Library Module in Lightroom.  I typically look through my library once very quickly and reject images that obviously won’t work either due to blur, poor exposure, excessive dust, etc.  In this case most of my images were pretty consistent with the exception of dust/snow on the lens.   Step two- it’s all about the composition, exposure, feel.  I try to look over my images and narrow down which images seem to nail the mood at the time of the capture.  I always assign a star rating of five to my strongest images (in Lightroom all you need to do is hit the number 5 to assign this rating).  It doesn’t matter what tagging scheme you use, but identifying your strongest images will make your life easier when you need to do side by side comparisons.

Here’s an example of the exact same images shot in AEB mode:

+1

BASELINE 0

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The next step is all about comparing my five star rated image and trying to select the one image I plan on working on.  In cases such as today’s image where I’ve taken multiple images that appear nearly identical, I focus on clarity.  I’ll increase my magnification to 100%  or greater to weed out any images that have camera shake or other abnormalities.

Side note:  Increasing the magnification and looking over your images can be crucial.  Especially if you ever plan on printing your images to a larger size.  Earlier this year I printed an image at 24X36.  I had previewed the images on my monitor and all looked good but, I had never gone over it with an increased magnification.  I had even gone as far as printing a  13X19 to do a proof of my Epson R2400.  I sent the image of to Mpix to be printed.  Once I received the image back and was getting ready to frame it, I noticed what appeared to be a two inch long shadow in my image.  Now, most people wouldn’t have caught it, but it was starring right at me saying “Yeah, stupid you missed me…. didn’t you.  You should have done a better job with your dust removal.  Hey next time try a 200% magnification before you decide to make a gigantic print…IDIOT!)  So my point is don’t rush this step… take your time…I’ve rushed this step way too many times in the past.

Once I’ve selected the RAW/DNG file I want to use from the five star rated images, I immediately work at establishing the correct exposure (if required) and  removing dust or in this case water spots from the image.  The one thing I do find myself doing quite often is adding black back into my image and then proceeding down to the tone curve for some basic adjustments.  I try to do all my cropping in camera, but this particular crop wasn’t something I could achieve on site, so I cropped the image vertically prior to exporting.

I knew all along I had intentions of opening today’s image in an external editor (EfexPro)  to apply one of my favorite bleach bypass effects.  Efex Pro was the first real plug-in I ever bought—it’s packed with 52 filters and  250 effects, simple to use and just plain fun.   If you’re like me and you want to streamline your workflow, get some cool effects and don’t have time to get a PhD in Photoshop, then I strongly suggest looking into plug-ins.   When it comes to exporting an image out of Lightroom into an external editor (e.g. Photoshop, Efex Pro or Photomatix Pro ) I almost ALWAYS export a COPY with Lightroom  adjustments and stack it with my original.   The reason I do this is to avoid losing the adjustments I’ve made in Lightroom upon exporting the image.

After I’ve worked the exported image in the Efex plug in I  save the image back into Lightroom and focused on the finishing touches.  Keep in mind  90% of my work is usually done in Lightroom, it’s only when the feel an image needs a little extra care that I take it out of Lightroom for further developing.  I really wanted to create a stark feeling with this image, so I it was important to work on creating a stronger contrast. I decided to burn in  the clouds, the left/right corners of the of the water and the black poles in the center of the image.  I did this simply by using the adjustment brush in Lightroom.   Once that was done I decided to brighten the snow using the adjustment brush once and bumping up the brightness/exposure a tad. Most of the time I have the auto mask turned on so that I have a little bit more control over the areas I’m working on.  If I end up going outside of an intended area I simply click the erase adjustment brush and remove the mistake.    Now, since I realize not everyone will know what I’m talking about here, I’ve included a very helpful link that will explain this process further…simply click HERE.

I was feeling pretty good about the way the image was looking so I decided to put it through one of my last steps— the Lights out mode (no I don’t turn the lights out in my room although that can help) but instead I use the the “Lights out” feature in Lightroom (click the letter “L” once to dim, twice to turn the “lights out” third time to get back to the original view).  I find that by  isolating  the image it allows me to sit back and review it one last time.   I ended up tweaking today’s image a bit  more after viewing it in “lights out” mode by playing with the tone curves to darken the image a tad.

After this final  adjustment was made I once again went back to the lights out mode to review the image.   Once I’m totally satisfied with the image I give it the official “GREEN” label (keyboard shortcut is the 8 key).  You can use any color you wish in Lightroom but to me  the green label means, “good to go” so it’s easy for me to remember.   All of my final images have one thing in common, a star rating of five and a green label.

There you have it folks.  Let me know if you have any questions.

If you found this helpful consider subscribing to my blog HERE or checking out one of my workshops HERE.

Museum (1/80th at f/3.2, 16mm at ISO 800)

A few days ago I found myself visiting The Art Institute of Chicago.  No, it wasn’t the result of some sort of bet.   It has been a while since I visited the museum and, as always, it was very enjoyable.  It’s taken me many years to truly understand the phrase “art is in the eye of the beholder.”   I think being a photographer has not only helped me tolerate, but more importantly, appreciate and accept many different forms of art.    Whether it be a Jackson Pollock painting or a Pete Turner print, I find myself appreciating the effort and vision put forth by the artist.   I don’t shoot a ton of macro photography.   That’s not to say I don’t like it;  it’s just not something I seek out.  However, with that said, I truly can appreciate the effort and  attention to detail that’s required to nail a good macro shot.   I think a lot of people that don’t like a particular piece of art simply say “I don’t like it!” without giving it much more thought.    I think the real reward and personal growth comes in the form of identifying,  what you can appreciate about a piece of artwork that just doesn’t float your boat.    To me it’s all about keeping an open mind, being non judgmental, and looking for techniques I can apply to my own work.   Sometimes, you just have to dig a little deeper.

(1/125 at f/2.8, 50mm at ISO 400)

Have you ever had things change up on you during a shoot? A few years back I needed a makeshift studio with good natural light on the fly.  I was out shooting some portraits in the park for an assignment when we decided it would be nice to get some fun “high key” shots.  Well, with no studio in sight and a lack of gear, I was racking my brain for a solution.  It took me a few minutes but we located a nearby ATM vestibule with large windows, white walls and great natural light. It worked beautifully! In fact, it made the shoot fun because it was a spur of the moment decision in a fairly silly setting.  We threw in a winter hat for a prop and we were good to go for the shoot. The ability to troubleshoot and improvise are every bit as important to a photographer as his or her equipment. So, when you’re going on a shoot always try to plan.  Try to think of your shots in advance and plan accordingly. Keep in mind, though, no matter how much pre-planning is involved, things can still change, so our ability to adapt and improvise are just as  important if not more important than our ability to push the shutter button. I feel a cheesy ending is required to wrap this up, so let’s quote the late, great, Bruce Lee (I know, I’m a big kid), “Be water my Friend.”

Osaka Sumo, Kajsa Stolberg (1/25s@f/5.6, 80mm, ISO 400)

Hey all, Kajsa here.   I’m looking at last week’s poll results and understanding that, yep, e.v.e.r.y.o.n.e. voted that they would take photos even if no one ever saw them.  So, why do you take photos?  I still carry my camera around for the same reason I signed up for my first photography class: it forces me to get off my butt and see more.  My favorite pictures come from trips because I always have files and files of memories stored away that each picture helps me retrieve.  Pictures of Washington D.C. always remind me of when I drove eleven hours to watch my brother run the Army 10-miler, and my un-caffeinated mom dodged her own son to get in line at Starbucks faster.  Or pictures of Buddhas in Thailand remind me of the time my three friends and I all got food poisoning while sleeping on a raft in the Thai countryside.  The memories aren’t always that dramatic, but I have to keep your attention with shiny objects and whistles.  The point is, I take pictures because it gets me moving, living.  And now it’s your turn:  Why do you take photographs?

Sunsets and Sailboats, adjusted using Lightroom preset

Kajsa here, and I’ve got a question for you all.  I’ve been helping John with his blog for a few weeks now, and it’s about time I get a better sense for the crowd that follows him.  I’ve seen the polls and responses that he’s posted before, so I’m going to post one of my own.  Today I want to ask how important your viewer’s reaction is to your work:

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87 Year-old Iva is a Fourth Generation Straw Weaver

Iva making one of her famous baskets

Iva and her sister Rose support their family with sales from their weaving

A  few days ago I touched on the subject of using a photograph to tell a story.  I’m a big believer that a well crafted photo can tell a story in a single frame. However,  in many cases it’s a series of well framed photographs that come together to communicate our vision of the story at hand. Often times when I’m photographing  people it becomes obvious that the story is as much about them as it is about how I relate to them.   My emotions – or lack thereof – have the ability to affect the subject in such a way that might influence the final outcome of the photos.  In general,  I have a very keen interest in understanding human dynamics and our relationship to one another,  so my approach is often born out of genuine curiosity. I find that when I’m sincere it provokes the most honest of human emotions.   My goal isn’t simply to get the shot, but to  connect on some level  with the subject in order to get the most genuine of responses. When I’m photographing for a story I typically think of creating a triptych with a beginning, middle and ending. This form helps me establish some basic guidelines. But keep in mind not all stories lend themselves to this form.  A wedding photographer might be able to boil down a wedding into three photos, but my guess is they would have some unhappy clients.  When it comes time to select your photos keep in mind what story you’re trying to convey.  Pick photos that make a connection and are purposeful.  Don’t be too clever.  A photograph should be obvious on some levels.  Remember to take notes and jot down people’s names, places…etc.  Most importantly, be true to your story. A sincere portrayal always stands the test of time – it’s a never-ending story.

The Backroads

When I was much younger one of my favorite things to do with my family was taking Sunday drives.  We would load up in the station wagon and head out on some aimless cross county (yes, not country…county)  trip in Northern Michigan.  I would sit in the back seat harassing my sister, chatting with my family or I would find myself staring aimlessly into the woods allowing my mind to wander.  I think it was in those moments of mental solitude that I would drift off and dream of my future and all the wonderful things yet to come.   This past weekend,  I found myself on those same country roads I use to travel as a youngster, but this time as an adult with my significant other and daughter in the car.  All of us were having a great time, just chatting, smiling and laughing.  It’s tough to beat Northern Michigan in the summer. And I always get a little pensive when I drive. I must admit I found it slightly ironic with all the changes that have taken place in my life, to bring me back to this same spot in the road some 30 years later. But so is life.  I read an interesting article by David duChemin ( a brilliant writer and photographer) a few days ago regarding vision.  Can it be taught or is it part of your DNA?  I think “vision”  is an ever changing expression of OUR lives, or lives as we see them.   The old road we use to traverse when we were kids in the back of the station wagon really hadn’t changed much in all these years.   What had changed was the kids in the back seat were now grown up with families of their own.  My vision of the future is much different today than it was 30 years ago. But at the end of the day, no matter how much my vision has matured, it still is “my vision”.   I think all of us are born with “vision” and those people that have learned to communicate their visions well with others tend to be labeled as “gifted”.  I suspect we are all “gifted” on some level – it’s just finding our unique voice that’s the trick! How has your past shaped your vision today – and how does it manifest itself in your photography?