Archive for the ‘Thoughts for the weekend’ Category

Badland's Wash (1/125 at f/5.0, 16mm, ISO 200)

Here’s my  weekend project list.  Maybe something will resonate with you.

Enter a photo contest (I know of one….wink, wink).   Back up my photos.   Freshen up the portfolio (it’s time to add a few and delete a few).   Spend some time on the net searching for inspiration.   Spend some time learning about photography that I have ZERO interest in, with hopes of broadening my vision.   Go back through my library of photos and find some lost gems and work on them.   Optimize my Lightroom database.   Play with the beta version of Lightroom 3.   Go out and practice my panning photography.   And, finally make my bed..;)

Remember,  the black and white photo contest ends this Sunday so make sure to get your entry uploaded to Facebook.   Plus, this weekend we have Kajsa blogging about what steps you need to take to begin a blog….so make sure to drop by and leave some good questions for her.

Have a great weekend…John

Team Batdorff

Father’s Day shopping can be rough business. Especially if your pop has everything he already needs.  Now, I know my Dad is much like myself. We don’t need materialistic things to complete our holiday.  No, we just need a quality hug and “I love you”.  BUT, I realize Father’s Day is just a little over a week away and some kids (not mine I’m sure) feel compelled to go beyond the hug.  Yes, some of us feel obligated to dig deep into our hard earned cash to surprise our fathers with that special gift that says YOU are the world’s number one dad.   So today’s blog is for you folks who find it necessary to go against our wishes and still shower us with gifts of appreciation.  So here’s my list. I mean “the” list of suggestions.   A new iphone 3G (so I can take video of course), Epson R2880 (my r2400 is tired and old like me),  Phase One 645 (Hasselblad would be asking WAY too much) or two hours with Scott Kelby (because this Photoshop thing gets confusing). If those suggestions are too much for your budget, here are a few others that might work as well.  A Benro monopod, Gorilla pod, Streetwalker camera bag, Black Rapids double strap (for the commando photographer) and if all else fails a year subscription to any of my favorite photography magazines.   Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do  the right thing.  We dads will love you no matter what. But the truth is, sometimes a tie stinks!  I didn’t  just say  that. So babe, if your reading this, and you must buy a tie, you know dad looks great in black and green…;)

I’m heading off to Kalamazoo, Michigan today to pump a few palms, sell a few prints and promote my photography. Things have truly come full circle. John Liberty, a reporter from the Kalamazoo Gazette called me for a few quotes regarding my photography. He did a wonderful job and you can read a little bit more about it here if you are interested. This weekend I’ll be surrounded by a ton of very talented people, so it’s a great opportunity (as a photographer) to gain a little insight and to take a few pictures too. My parents used to drag my sister and me to all these little art fairs when I was growing up. I hated it. Boring! Now, I enjoy visiting local communities and meeting local artists. And yes, now I’m dragging my little girl along…;) I think artistic vision is a slow maturation process that requires a great deal of nurturing. So check your local community calendars and get out and visit some local art fairs. You don’t have to love someone else’s work in order to appreciate it. I like to think of it this way. Light exposure is the critical ingredient to developing an image in a camera (digital or film). Creative exposure is the key ingredient to developing a strong personal vision. Weekend “work” can be a blast.

The biggest mistake I made when I first started out taking photos professionally was simply quitting too early and not taking enough photos. I would think to myself, “I’ve got the shot I want” and I would put my camera down, only to find myself missing out on even better shots. A good photographer knows when to put the camera down and when to keep shooting. Patience is paramount. Some photographers even have a sixth sense that tells them to get their camera ready as something is about to happen. I’ve found that “when in doubt, simply keep it out!” Many years ago I would have taken 100 photos to get the one good shot. That’s one lousy percent. But folks when you’re starting out the laws of diminishing returns simply do not apply…it’s all about volume baby! The more photos you take, the more options you have. Now keep in mind I’m not telling you to keep shooting from the same vantage point or even with the same aperture. You have to mix it up. What I am saying is the more shots you take the more likely you are to get the shot you wanted. Experienced photographers become more efficient over time by understanding their gear and learning to listen to their instincts. Local community events are great places to practice shooting such as a 5K race, a parade, school events, soccer games, just to name a few. Have fun and don’t lift your finger off that trigger until your memory cards blinks “full”..;)

On occasion it has been said I wear too many hats. But what’s a mult-tasker to do, right?  It’s hard to stop doing all things you love, so I’ve decided this weekend I’m going to focus on the one thing I need to improve – my street photography.   I mean Chicago is a big city. It has a few streets. I should be able to stumble upon a few candid shots if I put my mind to it…or so I would hope.  The bottom line is I don’t shoot a lot of Chicago people, probably because I live here and I take it for granted. So this weekend I’m making an effort because, as Stuart Smalley use to say, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”)   So, my point is don’t worry about what kind of photographer you need to be, or want to be right now, and instead focus on the things you know you need to improve upon….at some point in your career it will all intersect.