Professional Photography : photography

The Myth of Photographic Reality

Eileen Fritsch — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:45:00 GMT

I recently wrote a review of Photoshop Elements 8 that covers most of the new features in this program. The review had almost immediate feedback from a few people deploring the ability to modify photographs with the recompose tool, with one person saying it reminded them of the Soviet propaganda techniques and George Orwell of 1984 fame. To hear these people, you’d think that photography became invalid with the advent of digital imaging.

Evidently there is a large body of people who believe a photograph should contain the truth and nothing but the truth, with no room for artistic freedom or expression. While I agree that photojournalism needs to be held to this type of standard (anyone remember National Geographic moving the pyramids to suit the cover?), most people just want a good photo that has some meaning to them.

Those of you reading these blog posts here at the HP Pro site aren’t in the majority – your skills are probably beyond what 99% of the photo-taking population can claim, and being able to improve a snapshot into something that is worth printing and framing is a welcome option.

For those of us that are interested in fine art or expressive photography, reality isn’t always what interests us. Take the two different images shown below. The first, an old farm truck and barn in Eastern Oregon, is a rather plain and uncompelling image—if you saw the straight shot on a wall you most likely wouldn’t even pause. By doing some HDR tone mapping though, the image is much more eye catching. While I haven’t added anything to the image, it isn’t something you’d ever be likely to see with your eyes, so the reality-purists would decry this as a phony.

The second image is an ancient bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of California. I think this one can stand on its own as shot. It has good color, nice detail, and represents a true look at the scene. But, I prefer the black-and-white version below it. Once again, there’s nothing here that isn’t in the actual scene. But I’ve stripped the shot of color, making it something you’d never see in real life. Is this also a fake, manipulated image that is not to be trusted?

Photography has always been an expressive form for many people. As the person capturing the image, you should be able to control the final product just as an artist with paint and brushes can, or the sculptor with his chisel and marble.

Yes, photojournalism needs to have an accurate representation of what it is reporting on, but does a landscape, or fine art image need this? In my mind, the person that says yes is the one living in the Orwellian world.

I’d love to hear your take on this. Am I living in my own fantasy world?

An iPhone Assistant

Eileen Fritsch — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:18:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

Professional photographers often have one or more assistants. And for very good reason: They are a real help. But not all of us can either afford one or do the sort of photography where an assistant is billable to the client. Now there is a substitute for an assistant—an iPhone.

Having avoided the smart phone trend for some years I finally gave in and obtained an iPhone 3Gs in the 16GB version. The result has been pure joy and bliss, especially now that I have discovered that the iPhone can make a great photography assistant.

The flexible thing about the iPhone (and I suspect other smart phones, such as the new Google OS models) is the ability to add applications to the device. There are already a fair number of apps related specifically to photography plus a number of others that are very applicable to photographers. So let’s have a look at what I am using and how.

First, the iPhone comes with some highly effective standard apps. The email and web browser work well and allow me to function efficiently when in the field. A built-in Google Maps app has been very helpful. I am primarily a landscape photographer for my own personal work. Google Maps provides much of the functionality of Google Earth, which means I now can easily find exactly where I am when I wander off the beaten track. The ability to just follow roads and tracks that look promising without worrying about tracking my location on a map has made for more spontaneous exploration. Furthermore, the ability to overlap satellite views on the maps is wonderful for scouting out possible shooting locations. I made sure I connected to a network that offered great rural cell coverage. A bit of fiddling and using Google Calendar allows me to keep my appointment calendars updated on my phone and office computer. The built-in Notes and Voice Notes apps are good for capturing ideas when on location.

The first photography app I bought was Simple DOF. This handy little app will calculate the hyperfocal distance for you for any lens and camera body combination at any aperture you like. It also calculates the exact depth of field limits for a given point of focus and aperture. I tend to use this little app in two ways. For landscape work I often use the hyperfocal distance calculation, while with interiors, tabletop and macro I use the exact DOF calculation.

Another simple app, Phases, gives me the moon phase plus the moonrise and sunrise/sunset times locked to my GPS determined location.

myPantone is a stunning application. Basically it links in with the Pantone color system and can suggest harmonious color schemes from chosen color patches or by extracting colors from a photograph. I’ve already used this tool on one client website design. The app quickly allowed me to pull together a color palette my client liked from a picture of some of their favorite things.

Trails is a GPS app that will track your location and save it to a file. This location data can then be transferred to your computer and (with other software), matched to your images to GPS tag them. Again, this is absolutely brilliant for a landscape photographer who does not have GPS built into his cameras. The only downside of this app is that since the iPhone cannot multi-task, you have to have this app running as the main app while it is tracking. Thankfully the iPod and phone functions still work while it is active.

Evernote is a fantastic note making application that keeps your notes on a central server so they are easily synced to various devices. I use this all the time for shot lists, ideas, etc.

The last non-specifically photographic app is Things, a fantastic to-do list app that will sync with the Mac version of Things. Windows users can just use it on the iPhone, or find one of the similar applications for Windows and iPhone. Things allows for complex, multi-step to-do lists, with due dates, alarms and much more.

I’ve just skimmed the surface of apps for the iPhone, but these all meet my present needs. I do also run StarMapPro to help me predict night sky shots and identify what I can see in the sky.

Assistants are great, but an iPhone assistant can provide convenient and cost effective assistance for those of us without a human one. Give it a try.

Photography Is Not a Separate Activity

Eileen Fritsch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:21:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

A lot of rapid progress can come in your photography when you integrate it with the other things you do in life.

Photography can seem to be a very distinct activity in our lives. We shoot on social occasions, vacation, and on deliberate photo trips (such as my long trips into the country to shoot landscapes) or for work as a portrait or event photographer. But it is rare to find someone who only has one thing as their entire life focus or as their only ability.

Many of us have hobbies in other areas than photography. We may be into model trains, wargaming, historical recreation, quilting, sewing, gardening, cooking, cars, spiritual practices, social work, model making or whatever.

Any other activity we are involved in, either for hobby or work, can not only provide subject matter for our photography but may also bring talents that can be applied in our photography. Let’s have a look at some people doing just this.

David Leventhal has moved from shooting toy soldiers, cowboy and Indian figurines, religious statues and sports models to adult toys. Using shallow depth of field and a large-format Polaroid camera, he creates dioramas that explore American culture. The result is a strong body of work that has achieved great success.

David Lambert mixes a passion for the landscape and environmental concerns with an ability to create model landscapes in a series of works with a strong conceptual basis and great visuals.

Edward Weston’s Pepper image from 1930 should inspire any photographer with an interest in cooking or vegetable gardening to start shooting some of their vegetables before, while, or after they are in the pot.

Anyone who has burned a lot of incense will have seen the amazing patterns the smoke makes in the air. Why not try photographing this, as Mehmet Ozgur did.

Ron Von Dongen and Karl Blossfeldt both produced great portfolios of flower photography. In the case of Karl Blossfeldt it was all he photographed throughout his life.

Albert Koetsier translated a job as an x-ray technician into stunning x-ray art photography. Likewise, Dr. Dain L.Tasker, a radiologist, did the same. Another is retired Professor Bert Myers.

I hope you are starting to get the idea. No matter what your other interests, professional or hobby, you can apply them to photography.

If you are a passionate computer game player, set up the camera pointing at the screen, set a long exposure, and capture the movement as dynamic blurs.

A skateboarder could tape on a suitable camera to their board, set to take a picture every five seconds and shoot while in action. Similarly an amateur rally driver or off-roader could affix a camera securely to the car and capture action shots.

Someone with great people-handling skills, such as a psychologist or sales person, could persuade people to pose in unusual ways or in challenging situations.

A lab technician or scientist could take great images of equipment setups in the lab.

A mother could choose to document suburban life, do abstract shots in the supermarket, or serve as an event photographer at their kid’s activities.

A student could create great images of other students or abstracts of study materials or even books in the library.

It is when you draw diverse things together that you have the opportunity to make some unique creative choices. While lots of people shoot landscapes, how many shoot model landscapes seriously? There are many who shoot flowers, how many shoot flowers with bugs from their bug collection? While many shoot insect macros, how many do so using the endoscopy equipment that doctors use?

When you combine very different areas you limit your competition, making it more likely for you to get noticed. You also end up seeing images in situations that no one else does, thus sharing your unique vision with the world.

So try combining your interests. Your life will be easier when you can share time on several passions and your work will have a unique quality.

The DIY Urge is Alive and Well in Photography

Eileen Fritsch — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:16:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

Because modern photographic equipment is so technological, many assume there is little you can do yourself to solve problems, and that every “solution” must be bought. But this is not the case.

On Digital ImageMaker, I recently wrote about the GigaPan Epic, a motorized camera platform for shooting panoramas and creating gigapixel-resolution images by stitching. That got me thinking about the do-it-yourself (DIY) mentality in general.

The Epic motorized platform is designed to enable people to mount compact point-and-shoot digital cameras on the platform and shoot huge panoramas. It does this brilliantly. For Digital ImageMaker, I reviewed the base model for point-and-shoots. But the company that makes GigaPan Epic also offers a more expensive model, with an adjustment that lets you mount a somewhat larger camera, including some compact DSLRs.

When I looked more closely at the basic model for point-and-shoots, I saw that it would be quite easy to adapt the unit so it could hold a larger camera. After a little bit of thinking, it took me about a half an hour to solve the problem. I simply used a $3 piece of aluminum, a hand electric drill and a device to tap a thread in a hole. Click here to see the solution I devised. This adjustment allowed me to mount a Canon 350D which I had converted to shoot infrared. Thus, I was able to use the Gigapan to do infrared panoramas, such as the one shown here.

But the DIY mentality doesn’t end with shooting. For my inkjet printer, I’ve built a small angled platform that allows me to readily feed sheets of aluminum that I’ve pre-treated with an inkjet-receptive coating.

Other devices I have built include a small-but-useful macro light that I assembled from some batteries, a couple of bright white LEDs and a switch.

Being willing to try building things myself has solved a number of photographic problems without requiring me to spend a lot of extra money on new accessories.

On the Internet, an active DIY community exists within photographic circles. One I have found fascinating is the active community of camera software hackers. It turns out that some Canon digital cameras have firmware (the software built into the camera that controls its processor) that can be modified. These modifications can open up new functions that Canon never intended for that model, such as RAW file capability, intervalvometer functions (setting the camera to take an image every so often), and much more. The CHDK software acts as an add-on to the existing firmware.

One can only imagine what wonderful things would result if camera manufacturers would open up their cameras to add-on software in the same manner as your computer or iPhone. It would be even more wonderful if they would make it easy to add this new software.

YouTube has wonderful videos on all sorts of DIY endeavors. For example, one clip I found amazing showed a Japanese photographer who has modified a scanner to act as a camera. Click here to see the YouTube video of the resulting scanner-cam. The resulting images have been posted on Flickr. There are in fact many people actively converting scanners into cameras.

Other creative do-it-yourselfers have experimented with inkjet-receptive coatings and inkjet-transfer films to create stunning works of art on different types of metals, marble, wood, and fresco materials. The best known in this field is the trio of great artists: Dorothy Simpson Krause, Bonny Lhotka, and Karin Schminke, who form the Digital Atelier. Bonny has even created her own inkjet-receptive coating that she shows how to use in the DVD training courses she sells on her Digital Art Studio Seminars website.

Certain areas of photography seem more DIY-oriented than others. Areas such as astro-photography and macrophotography have a long tradition of DIY solutions to various problems.

Studio lighting is also an active area for DIY projects, with people making their own lighting rigs and light-modification screens, etc.

Panorama photographers have often made their own rigs. But perhaps the biggest single area of DIY activity is pinhole photography. Many of us have done something in the area, either by drilling a hole in a DSLR body cap and mounting a piece of aluminum foil or by making a whole pinhole film camera.

Indeed many companies that now provide digital-imaging products started as DIYers working at home in their basements or garages. When they found out there was a small market for their inventions, they went from there. Indeed, many companies start out in the garage, including corporate giants such as Hewlett Packard and Apple.

The reward that comes from doing it yourself is not just that of saving a bit of money. When you do things yourself, it makes your photography different from everyone else’s, either because you can do something they can’t, or you are doing it in a different way.

Another benefit is the opportunity to recycle items that might otherwise end up in a landfill.

Plus, there is the satisfaction that comes from making something with your own hands. This is important to those of us who spend a lot of our time working on the computer each day.

Personally, I get a huge sense of satisfaction from identifying a problem, finding the solution and making it work.

If you are a DIY-oriented person, don’t let the technological sophistication of modern devices intimidate you and stop you from trying a project or two. You don’t necessarily have to get engaged with the electronics or software to make meaningful improvements that can help your photography as well as other people’s work. Give it a go.

Tips for Better Landscape Photography, Part Two

Eileen Fritsch — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:59:00 GMT

By David Saffir

In my first post on shooting landscape photography last month, I shared a few tips for increasing your odds of going home with tack-sharp images. In this post, I’ll dig deeper into the details of making the most of your landscape photo opportunities. This list is based in many ways on the minor, and sometimes not so minor, hiccups I’ve had in my own work.

1. Before you leave your home or studio, make a checklist of the things you’ll need. I’ve learned the hard way to carry extra batteries, camera cards, and a spare card reader. Take the camera manual with you. An extra battery charger can be a life-saver. Most of us carry only one, and if it is damaged by a faulty wall outlet, or other problem, it can become a “game over” situation. It happened to me while I was in Israel; you won’t believe what it cost to have one sent by FedEx from New York.

2. Test your camera and each lens you plan to take before you set off on your trip. If you use zoom lenses, test the lens at the short and long end of its range. Check the lens for autofocus function, too.

3. Once you’ve chosen a spot from which to shoot (or even better, before that), ask yourself these questions:

Do I need to format or change camera cards?
Is the ISO setting correct? (Generally, landscape photographers should use the lowest available ISO setting – usually 50, 100, or 200 ISO.)
Is the white balance set to the conditions (daylight, cloudy, etc)? (Please don’t use AUTO white balance; this makes batch processing difficult, if not impossible.)
Is the camera set to record in Adobe 98 RGB (if available)?
Can the camera shoot in RAW? (If so, this is your best option.

4. Make sure you’ve chosen a safe place. If you think light will be low, take a flashlight and look around carefully. You’ll sometimes find a surprise (nice skunk!) And, if you are shooting near the ocean, never, ever turn your back on the water. It’s possible to lose a camera, or yourself, to an unexpected wave. On windy days, stay close to your camera and tripod, for obvious reasons. I’ve seen them go down more than once

5. Choose the right lenses. In 35mm format, a 14mm prime will do the job (Canon and Nikon both make very good ones). Some of the lenses in the 21-24mm range are good, but check the reviews before you rent or buy. There’s quite a bit of variation in performance among this group. The perspective control lenses (marked PC) made by both Nikon and Canon are very good, because you can expand the width of your frame to near-panorama proportions. You may also wish to consider a medium telephoto, such as a 200mm or 300mm lens. These give you the opportunity to isolate parts of a landscape, making for some interesting shots such as the image below.

6. Think about how you will see the screen on top of the camera that shows camera adjustment settings. If you are working on a tall tripod, you might have to bring something to stand on to see the panel, or change the camera position to bring it into view. I carry a small plastic dental mirror in my camera bag, and use it to see the top of the camera without moving it. This saves a lot of time, and sometimes prevents a missed shot.

7. Take extra care when using slower shutter speeds. If the wind is blowing, try to wait until for a quiet (or quieter) moment to take your shot. Try to remember not to rest a hand on the tripod or camera when shooting. Keep those fingers where they belong when you are shooting – away from the camera.

8. Set your in-camera exposure meter for center-weighted exposure, or spot exposure. Generally, my Nikon and Hasselblad cameras seem to do best with center weighted exposure. Full-frame metering usually results in an underexposed image in landscape work.

9. Make sure that your meter is accurate, and compare your meter to another one. Generally, incident-light exposure metering is more accurate than reflected-light, in-camera metering. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a handheld meter. For example, the Sekonic 358 handheld meter is a very good, rugged meter. Its cost is moderate, and used ones can be found with a bit of digging. Mine seems indestructible.

10. If you are shooting with HDR developing in mind, remember that the camera must stay exactly in place while you are capturing multiple frames. If the frames don’t match up (register) it will be difficult, perhaps impossible, to make the image work back in the studio. If you bump your tripod, just start that sequence over again.

11. Check the weather and the sunset/sunrise and moonset/moonrise times every day if possible. This is particularly important in mountainous areas, where the weather is very changeable. Here in California, I’ve been snowed in during June! Keep a sheet of flexible plastic in your bag, or even a small trash bag, to use as an improvised cover in bad weather.

12. Take a small notebook. Jot down the place, time of day, conditions, camera settings, the serial numbers of your first and last frames, and your personal thoughts. You’ll find these to be a real treasure when you come back to an image at a later date. Consider a GPS gadget for tagging your image files.

I took this surrealistic-looking image of the Colorado State Capitol Building from the rooftop of the Colorado History Museum. The Capitol was reflected in multiple windows on the side of a building across the street. The image was captured around 4 pm, using a tripod-mounted Hasselblad H-series camera, digital back, 100mm lens, ISO 50, f/5 @ 1/90 sec. There was a mix of clouds and sun that day, so I had to wait until the Capitol was well-lit to bring up the contrast in the shot. I did some Photoshop editing for contrast and perspective correction.

Photographing Food

Eileen Fritsch — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:39:00 GMT

By Marc Aguilera

I have an obsession with shooting the food I consume. There is something marvelous about food composition that lends itself to grabbing the camera and hitting the shutter. Food shots also have a documentary quality about them that stimulates pleasant memories of when and where the food was consumed.

I usually shoot the image right when the food arrives if I am at a restaurant. If I prepare the food myself, I shoot once the food is ready to consume. I particularly like to shoot images of the food I consume while traveling.Typically, I don't really move anything around for the image with the exception of the position of the camera. Light however is very important. The better the light the better the image

Here are a six examples of some of my favorite food shots.

This first shot is from The Mission Cafe in San Diego near my house. Over the last 10 years I have been here at least 200 times and it never gets old. Scrambled egg whites, black beans, and sausage with salsa and tortillas are a wonderful way to start the day. Images like this one just makes me feel warm and energized.

Looking at the food images I selected for this post, it seems as if I have something of an obsession with breakfast food. This is a meal I made for my family on a special Sunday. French toast and bacon is sure to make any carnivore happy.The French toast was made from raisin bread from Bread and Cie, a local San Diego Bakery, and the bacon is Nueskes Applewood Smoked Bacon.

I took this food shot during a recent camping trip in the High Sierras. What I like best about this shot is that each object represents the process of making the food--from the French-pressed coffee to the tortilla warmed on the camp stove.

This shot is of a memorable sandwich I ate while working in Stockholm, Sweden. I wandered around Old Town Stockholm in an area called Gamla Stan. I found an outdoor cafe and sat down to enjoy this wonderfully prepared sandwich.

While on vacation in Washington, we visited Bud Bay in Olympia. The Bud Bay Cafe is Olympia's favorite waterfront restaurant. The day was beautiful and the food was delicious. I shot this image wide open so the depth-of-field was minimal.

I will leave you with the final image which is from my BlackBerry Pearl camera phone. I like it because it's so simple in its composition. Coffee and coffee cake is a favorite at this San Diego cafe called the Big Kitchen. I even love the chipped plate. This coffee cake is so good, you'll order it every time you visit.

If you shoot food for a living you know the importance of lighting,mood, and emotion. The image has to make you want to eat the food – to seek it out, order the dish, and consume gleefully. There should be a significance with the moment.

Whether you're shooting images for a commercial client or simply to document the details of your daily life or travels, the best food photography can convey a real sense of authenticity. If you haven't yet experimented with it, give it a try!

Photography Is a Social Activity

Eileen Fritsch — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:29:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

The common image of the lone photographer out with a camera working in isolation isn’t always accurate.

My wife, a painter, recently became involved with art groups that provide highly social and creatively rewarding, collaborative working environments. Her experiences with these groups got me thinking about photography.

On the surface, my photographic life seems to have been mainly solitary. I haven’t run a studio with assistants around. Nor have I worked in wedding or portrait photography, which are inherently people-oriented disciplines. When I shoot, I do so mainly for myself or to illustrate articles I am working on, so I mainly shoot alone. Yet this is only on the surface.

I actually do not always shoot alone. My 11-year old daughter is often with me, because I am teaching her photography. This is rewarding, not only in terms of strengthening family bonds, but also to my own photography because I get to see things through new eyes.

Occasionally, I shoot with other photographers who I have met online. I am very active online in photography discussions and discussions with my own readers, here and on my own site www.dimagemaker.com. Some of my online relationships with other photographers and digital artists go back many years. Many of these relationships are quite rich and deep, with ongoing discussions of our work, methods and aesthetics in general. I also teach photography, now mainly through workshops, and enjoy rich interactions with my students.

And I interact with other photographers more distantly by seeing their work at exhibitions, in books and magazines, and online. Not only is this type of relationship more remote, but it is really a three-way relationship between me, the other photographer and his or her work.

Plus, I talk to other photographers at various meetings, exhibitions (both mine and others’) and conferences.

There are definitely great rewards in working alone. For example, you get to develop uninfluenced by others and more easily gain the meditative benefits of photography. But there are many benefits from social interactions, too. Some of these benefits include:

· Exposure to new ideas, ways of working, and interpretations;

· The ability to work through photographic problems by asking others for suggestions;

· Relaxation and stress release;

· The discovery of new shooting locations;

· The ability to try out equipment before buying it;

· The opportunity to give and receive criticism of photographs;

· Training;

· Introductions to other people who can help;

· The opportunity to learn through teaching and assisting others;

· Multiple opportunities to join exhibitions, publication, and new work.

The number of ways to broaden your photographic social network is huge. Some of these are:

· Posting online portfolios and discussing the images on sites such as flickr;

· Participating in online discussion groups and forums;

· Joining camera clubs;

· Attending or teaching workshops and courses;

· Interacting with fellow attendees at exhibitions;

· Exhibiting your own work and getting feedback from viewers;

· Using networking sites such as meetup.com to find and join face-to-face get-togethers of photographers;

· Getting acquainted with painters and other visual artists;

· Joining professional associations, either general photography groups, or those that specialize in your area of photography;

· Attending conferences and trade shows.

People are fundamentally social creatures, so it’s not surprising that there are myriad ways to interact socially even in what seems to be a solitary avocation.

We all can become staid and stagnant sometimes. Thus, it can be beneficial to shake up the status quo from time and time and try doing something new.

Even if you already have an extensive network of photographic contacts, keep in mind that those contacts can also become stagnant. Just as a trip to a new country can stimulate the creative juices, so can bringing new people into your life.

Why don’t you reach out tomorrow?

How Bill Jay's Book Occam's Razor Influenced My Photography

Eileen Fritsch — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:04:00 GMT

By Marc Aguilera

Reading Bill Jay is a must for anyone interested in contemporary photography. He is one of the major authors in our field. There are reasons why we love to photograph and Jay examines many of these reasons in the collection of essays and articles published in his book Occam's Razor: An Outside-In View of Contemporary Photography.

Occam's Razor was published in 1992 and in many ways has influenced me more than any written word on photography.

In the introduction, Jay discusses the origin of Occam's Razor as a concept. Its roots lie in the life of William of Occam, a logician and Franciscan friar who lived in England in the 14th Century. William argued that reality exists solely in individual things, and that universals are merely abstract signs. The Occam's Razor concept contends that all scientific and philosophical inquiry variables should not be multiplied unnecessarily and that the simplest of competing theories is to be preferred to the more complex.

What does this have to do with photography? Essentially, Jay uses the philosophy to suggest that it is preferable to adopt an "anti-intellectual" approach to photography. I agree.

Keep It Simple is a wise motto. I have written about this in previous blog posts and my consulting philosophy also follows this motto. As Jay states, "Photography is, at heart a very simple act, but exceedingly difficult to do well...It is a visual response to an emotional confrontation with the subject."

The essays in Occam's Razor cover a range of topics--from the effect a photographer's personality has on his or her images to the nature of being a critic of photography.

My favorite essay is entitled, The Thing Itself: The Fundamental Principle of Photography in which Jay writes about the primary function of photography. Simply stated, "Photography performs one function supremely well; it shows what something or somebody looked like, under a particular set of conditions at a particular moment of time." This is photography in its purest form.

Jay goes on to state,"What a photograph depicts has generally taken precedence over what a photograph means."

I also really appreciate Jay’s take on being a photographer, when he writes that "you cannot be a photographer by aspiring to be one, or by learning everything there is to be known about photography. Photographers produce photographs. And many of them. Like every other skill, photography is leaned by continuous and dedicated practice."

He goes on further to say that "in order to photograph with any degree of continuous passion, you must have a fascination for the subject” and “what you photograph is usually more important than how you photograph it."

The essay continues by examining the role the individual personality of the photographer ultimately has on its subject and why young photographers ultimately aim to develop a "photographic conscience." What Jay means by this is "If the subject of the photograph is the vehicle for profounder issues, then it's the photographer's responsibility to think and feel more deeply about those issues." He says it starts like self-expression, with a concentration and focus on the subject matter.

I especially like this passage:"In this sense photographers are photographers one hundred percent of the time, even when washing dishes. The ultimate aim is an oscillation between self and subject, with the image being a physical manifestation of this super-charged interface between the spirit and the world."

I highly recommend the book Occam’s Razor to anyone who loves photography. I promise it will affect the way you see the world and what you photograph. I was lucky enough to be given my signed copy by one of my best friends, who is a photographer.

You can get this book at Amazon. If you are interested in learning more about contemporary photography, you will be glad you did.

Submit Your Images to Online Photography Magazines

Eileen Fritsch — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:36:00 GMT

By Marc Aguilera

A growing number of online photography magazines and websites publish images from emerging photographers (both amateur and professional). Sites are often themed toward a particular vision and welcome unexpected or unconventional images. Here are a few sites that have caught my eye.

Flak Photo
The Flak Photo site features diverse work from a worldwide community of contributors and promotes a distinctive visual approach to seeing the world through photography. The site is produced by Andy Adams and features work from new photo essays, book projects and gallery exhibitions from both established and emerging photographers. Flak is updated frequently and open to submissions from the general public.

FILE Magazine
File describes its site as "A Collection of Unexpected Photography." According to the website "The purpose of FILE is to collect and display photographs that treat subjects in unexpected ways. Alternate takes, odd angles, unconventional observations—these are some of the ways photographs collected in FILE reinterpret traditional genres. We leave the Kodak Moments to the family album, the glossy fashion spreads to Vogue, and the photo finishes to ESPN. Rather than taking the well-trod paths, we veer off to get a different perspective. Confused? Browse The Collection. The photos say it better than we can." All amateur and professional photographers are encouraged to submit and can submit as often as they like.

F-STOP Magazine
F-STOP magazine is "an online photography magazine featuring contemporary photography from established and emerging photographers from around the world. Each issue has a theme or an idea that unites the photographs to create a dynamic dialog among the artists." F-Stop is published bi-monthly.

Lens Culture
Lens Culture is an online magazine celebrating international contemporary photography, art, media, and world cultures. At Lens Culture you can read essays, analysis and criticism about photography and culture and listen to audio interviews with photographers. There are also reviews of exhibitions and photo books as well a way to buy very cool 21^st Century photography via an online store. They also update via twitter @lensculture

SeeSaw Magazine
Established in 2004, SeeSaw is an "online photography magazine dedicated to work that successfully captures, represents, and encourages acute observation, via the photographic medium." SeeSaw is unique in that it presents found photographs of anonymous photographers.

Foam Magazine
Foam Magazine is an international photography magazine published quarterly by Foam_Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam and Vandejong Communications. It is a distinctive and highly appreciated publication. Foam Magazine serves as an exhibition space that embraces every aspect of photography: from documentary to fashion, from contemporary to historical, from world-famous photographers to young talent. Each issue features a specific theme that unites six diverse 16-page portfolios.

There are many more than six sites to which you can submit your images but these sites are my favorites. If you have any favorite online magazines you’d like to share, please let us know.

The point really is to just submit your best images and see what happens. The pool of work is quite amazing and growing every day.

Working a Subject or Location to Get More Shots

Eileen Fritsch — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:28:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

When you are shooting, no matter what your subject, it is important to make the most of what you have. You should strive to get as many different types of images as possible while you have the time and opportunity to work in a given location or with a particular subject.

Whatever your type of photography, you will have a subject. That subject could be:

a person or a group of people if you’re a portrait or wedding photographer
an object or set of objects if you’re a food, still life or commercial photographer
a building or interior if you’re an architectural photographer,
a location if you’re a landscape or travel photographer

And whether you’re a full-time photographer, semi-pro, or amateur, there are always limits on your time. So it makes sense, purely from a time perspective, to make the most of any shooting that you do. Beyond your time, there is also the time of your subject or client to consider.

Plus, you must take into account all of the possible ways the images you shoot today might be used in the future. It can be very frustrating to discover, long after a shoot, that you do not have the right image.A big difference between amateur and professional photographers is the number of images they shoot. Typically, a pro will take many more images of a given subject. No matter what your subject, do you take as many images as you could?

Let’s look at some ways to vary what you are doing so you have more images to work with.

Use more than one lens.
Different focal lengths provide different perspectives and allow you to get closer to or further away from the subject. They also give you other things, such as close focusing with a macro or tilt and shift with a TS lens or a Lensbaby. But do you always make use of all the possibilities? This is where several camera bodies come in handy. You can switch lenses quickly just by grabbing a different body. This is particularly true in situations in which there is changing light or a lot of movement.

Vary the lighting.
When possible, do you vary the lighting? This could be shooting with and without reflectors, fill light, changing the angle of the light, modifying its qualities with scrim or such. Or, you can move around the subject so that you explore not only how the subject itself looks from different angles, but how the subject responds to light from different angles. In some cases you can return at different times of day or even times of the year. Don’t forget shooting at night.

Use your camera controls.
You can vary the depth of field, choice of focus point, or shutter speed to remove, reduce or enhance motion effects and much more. How does the subject respond to different amounts of image noise by varying the sensitivity? Would bracketing be useful? Are there any special capabilities of your cameras that you could try?

Go multi-spectral.
Digital cameras, and film cameras with the right film, can do more than just capture the visible spectrum. You can shoot ultra-violet and infrared. You can use filters or later processing to remove or modify parts of the visible spectrum. Some subjects respond extremely well to such treatment. I shoot most of my landscapes in infrared.

Vary the point of view.
The point of view is where you shoot from. You can shoot from ground level, up high, above, below (with some ingenuity) or anywhere in between. Often we just shoot the world from eye level, but this is so limiting. Force yourself to try different positions and see what the result is.

Expand the subject.
Even if you have a definite idea of what the subject is, shoot around it. Expand the scene by shooting what is going on further afield. For example, instead of just shooting an interior, shoot the view out the windows. Shoot the environment of a portrait subject especially if you’re shooting outside of the studio and in the subject’s office or home. Look for reflections of the subject in other surfaces.

All the above are just some examples of different ways of working the subject. The reality is that there are an infinite number of images that could be shot, so you will never get them all. The goal is to get more than you do now.

But why is having more better? Here are some reasons:

Future uses, especially collages and montages, may need a particular type of shot;
Changing ideas may mean you need a different image than you thought, even now;
Your creativity will improve the more you work a scene, leading you to see new possibilities;
A client will really feel they are getting their money’s worth;
It is better to do it now rather than reshoot later.

It is far better to have more images from which to choose than later wishing you had shot something you did not. This is especially true in the digital age when the cost of capturing an image is so low and the range of possible uses so high.

Shoot more.

Remembering Film

Eileen Fritsch — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:08:00 GMT

By Marc Aguilera

If you've been shooting digital for awhile (or if that is all you've ever known), try shooting some film while it's still available. There is something different about shooting film that you miss if you're totally absorbed in digital.

Although film may no longer be the predominant method of image capture, the glory days of shooting and scanning film aren't that far behind us. Those of us who started out shooting film still have lots and lots of negatives and transparencies that we regard as integral parts of our archives.

I have many images on film that I would never be able to recreate digitally. One of the best characteristics of film is the texture and grain of the emulsion - how an image records on a particular brand of film. I was always partial to Ilford Pan F and Kodak Tri-X Black and White Negative Film (which happily I can still buy).

I learned about all of the subtle characteristics of different films when I worked in a pro camera shop in my younger days. We sold everything photographic, for both amateurs and professionals. Our store even sold used camera and darkroom equipment. So, I had access to many types of film and some great gear, including large-format cameras and lenses I could never afford at the time. I even shot the BW slide film from Agfa called Scala. I loved that film.

When digital imaging entered the scene, I got involved in the new process of scanning film. I worked with expensive drum scanners such as the Scanview Scanmate and the Crossfield Magnascan. Over time the prices of high-powered scanners have fallen so much that I now have my own 4800-ppi scanner that scans everything from 35 mm negs and transparencies to 8 x 10 negs and transparencies as well as flat artwork. You would think that my scanner would sit idle but actually it gets lots of use. Now that I co-own a design agency there is always a need to scan something.

When shooting film you have no instant verification of either the exposure or the composition. (I suppose you could use a Polaroid back, but it's never the same thing.) When I shot Ilford Pan F I had no idea what the neg would look like or if the capture was even in focus. Plus my beloved camera was mostly manual (I shot the rugged Nikon FM2 – a lifelong favorite) with a built in light meter that told me if the exposure was right on or over/under exposed by giving me a red led +,O, or -sign.

There was always a bit of mystery until I developed the film and printed a proof sheet. Watching the images appear in the darkroom was a magical process that I really enjoyed. Now, I am so grateful to have had "my time in the darkroom." Looking through my proof sheets today I feel a real sense of nostalgia that I miss with digital images. There is something about the material aspect of a proof sheet that I like.

All of the images shown below were shot on black-and-white negative film then scanned on my desktop scanner. Of course, I have used Nik Software to do some tonal editing, but we'll leave that for another post.

For now, if it's been awhile since you've shot film, I urge you to go ahead, buy some film, unpack that old film SLR (or borrow one!) and start shooting! You will be glad you did. (Let me know how it goes. I would be interested to hear more about your experiences!)

A Few Good Photography Sites to Follow on Twitter

Eileen Fritsch — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:33:00 GMT

By Marc Aguilera

Are you on Twitter? If so we want to hear from you. Our user name is @encompus and we would love more followers. If you don't know all about the Twitter craze, just read David Pogue’s tips for beginners in the NY Times, Jessica Guynn’s story in the LA Times, or even watch a Charlie Rose interview with Evan Williams, CEO and Founder of Twitter.

However, since this blog is about photography I started thinking how photographers could use Twitter and which users were the best to "follow." My list is short right now, but as Twitter continues to grow as a social media site, more and more photographers and photo-related companies will undoubtedly start using this technology.

If you have heard that all people "tweet" about is what they ate for dinner and if they are drinking too much coffee that morning you are mistaken. Sure, those tweets still populate but not everyone uses Twitter for their daily digestible activity.

Industry trade shows such as PMA and Photo Plus Expo are using Twitter to let attendees know about product announcements as well as information regarding the show. Manufacturers such as HP and Kodak have substantial Twitter followings and communicate directly to their followers in the form of announcements and "meetups."

Lesser known but growing Twitter updates from Photojojo and DP Review are also very popular. Here is a list of a few I have taken notice and am currently following.

Photo Marketing Association: @pma2009

Photo Plus Expo: @photoplusexpo.

HP Imaging and Printing Group: @hp_ipg. Anyone who uses HP print technology like we do at encompus will get up-to-date news and information regarding all things HP imaging and print.

Kodak: @kodakCB. This is run by Kodak's Chief Blogger Jennifer Cisney. At the time of this post she had 3,400 followers and 1,600 updates. Her updates range from announcing "tweetups" at industry events to updates on the latest products. She also tweets about other users who influence the imaging industry.

Photojojo: @photojojo. This is run by employees of the very popular photo newsletter service (250,000+ subscribers) based in San Francisco. Photojojo is worth following because it gives you conventional photography ideas and reminders of where to find the best deals on equipment. It has over 6,800 followers and 656 updates.

Digital Photography Review: @dpreview. This is updated by the popular website of the same name. Its tweets usually consist of announcements of product reviews. I like it because it keeps me updated as new reviews are written and I can search tweets via Twitter Search for relevant keywords.

Mac Group: @macgroup. This is a source for photographic tools such as Toyo, Tenba, Sekonic, Mamiya, Profoto, PocketWizard, Iduro, Eizo, and X-Rite. Tweets consists of links to blog posts on equipment and training as well as industry reviews.

Magnum Photos: @magnumphotos. This cooperative photography agency with offices in London, Paris, Tokyo and New York was founded in 1947 by Henri Cartier Bresson. Mangum provides photographs to the press, publishers, advertising, television, galleries and museums across the world.

Photocritic: @photocritic. This is all about learning more about photography, from the incredibly insightful to the mundane via just about everything in between.

JPG Magazine: @jpgmag. This leads you where 202,475 photo enthusiasts share their photos and stories and vote for the best in various themes. The best work could be published in JPG Magazine!

phototweets: @phototweets. This is run by Darren Rowse and is associated with the Digital Photography School which provides useful tips for photographers of all levels.

photonews: @photonews. Here you’ll find links to news articles from all over the web relating to photography.

If you know of any other interesting photography-related Twitter users please share. Photographers like to be in the loop on everything related to photography and technology and the use of Twitter is growing daily. And if you want to follow me, I’m @colorcritical.

Pre-visualization or Experimentation? Which Way Do You Work?

Eileen Fritsch — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:47:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

Do most of your images start with pre-visualization? Or experimentation? Do you only work only one way or the other? Or do you swing both ways, photographically speaking?

Pre-visualization is big in the arts. In your mind, you see beforehand what you want to show, capture or create and then you set out to do so. Pre-visualization can occur in a momentary flash of inspiration or slowly develop over a long period of time. (The image on the right was created through previsualization.)

Experimentation is a sophisticated term for play. Photographically, it means simply doing for the sake of doing, and then seeing what the results are later. Play can be deeply focused, totally absorbing your attention for awhile. Or, play can be sporadic and interrupted. Whatever form experimentation takes, it’s still play.

Pre-visualization is a result-oriented approach. You envision the end result and then set out to make your vision real.

Experimentation is process oriented. You are absorbed in the process and care little for the end result because the result is essentially a byproduct of the process. (The image shown below was created through experimentation.)

Some of us work exclusively one way, some of us the other. Still others of us mix and match our methods depending on the situation.

Despite what some photographers might tell you, there is no right or wrong way. It depends partly on your personality and how you think. Some personality types are best suited to only one way of working and thinking. Others will be able to choose or change how they work depending on their moods or circumstances.

Personally, I think it is good if you can work both ways. So if you have a strong tendency to only pre-visualize or only to experiment, try to develop the other way too. The value comes from the fact that the two different ways of working are not really that far apart. Pre-visualization can be regarded as experimentation ‘in the head.’ When you experiment (play), you try different things, examine the results, and choose what worked best for you. In pre-visualization all this still happens, but it happens in your mind before you go near the camera, computer or darkroom.

Here are some tips to get you started:

Experimentation: Let go of any expectations about future results. Allow yourself to become totally absorbed in the moment. Shoot with different settings, lenses, and angles just for the sake of the trying it, not for what you hope to get. This in-the-moment thinking can be difficult because results-oriented thinking has become so ingrained in us as business people. So, expect to keep pulling yourself back from considering future results and quieting that internal evaluative voice.

Pre-visualization: Develop the final image in your head before you even pick up your camera. This process may be so quick that you are not conscious of all the stages that occur. But there are still stages. It usually starts with a brainstorming period during which you generate a number of ideas. During the evaluative stage that follows you consider the results of brainstorming stage, editing and eliminating some ideas. A development process of fine-tuning can follow the idea-evaluation stage. In the end, you have a pretty clear picture in your mind of the image your want to create. The issue then becomes a matter of using your photography and image-editing skills to translate the image in your head into an image or print.

Give both methods of working a go and you will find that there is a time and place for both in your photography. Both can be extremely productive and creative and either can be the key to getting yourself to that next level of creative output.

My Top Eight Criteria for Evaluating Image Quality

Eileen Fritsch — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:33:00 GMT

By David Saffir

Photographers who want to display and/or sell more of their images need to think carefully about how their images will be viewed. As much as you might personally love a particular shot, the photograph might not immediately have the same type of appeal to others.

The most important questions to ask are: Does this image help open the viewer’s eyes to new thoughts and emotions? Does this photograph help viewers see the world in a way they may not have seen it before? If you believe the answers to those questions are “yes!,” then you’re ready for the next step.

It can be useful to output prints of your favorite images, hang them on the wall for a few days or weeks, and try to evaluate your images as objectively as possible. I’ve found that an image that appeals after repeated viewing will likely stand the test of time in the outside world. You also might want to consider using some of the same critieria that are typically used to judge print competitions.

You can find dozens of articles and books on image quality. And at some trade shows, you can have a portfolio of your work professionally critiqued. In my opinion, here are the top eight criteria for evaluating the quality of photographic images:

Visual Impact: Does the image have the “Wow!” factor? How effectively does the image capture and hold the viewer’s attention? Is there a readily identifiable center of interest? Is the subject immediately apparent?

Emotional Impact: What message does the photo convey? Does it evoke a sense of wonder? Awe? Joy? Sadness? Anger? Confusion? Intrigue? How powerful is the emotional impact? And is the impact present for a majority of viewers?

Composition: Does the photograph follow conventional standards of strong design, such as the rule of thirds, simplicity, clean backgrounds, and the use of leading lines to guide the viewer’s eye? Does the image include distracting elements?

Color: The effective use of color helps determine the overall mood of an image. A photograph with rich, saturated colors will convey a different feeling than one with delicately shaded tones – and, of course, black and white has its own palette of tones and textures.

Contrast: Certain areas of the image may appear too bright or too dark. Similarly, loss of highlight or shadow detail will drag a good image down. In black-and-white images, high contrast with rich detail can be visually powerful.

Technical Execution: Are there any serious, unintended flaws? Is the main subject in focus? Is the image over- or underexposed? Have important elements been unintentionally cut off at the borders? Will the viewer perceive color and tones as being natural (i.e., what one’s eye might actually see)?

Use of Light: How creatively is lighting exploited or used to enhance the overall mood and visual impact of the image? Are there any distracting “hot spots” caused by excessive illumination?

Originality: Is the image similar to others, or does it have its own personality and vision? Another good photograph of Mount Rushmore will likely bore the judges of a print competition.

Once you have satisfied yourself that you are headed in the right direction, put together a condensed set of prints and show them to a few individuals who you feel will give you a no-nonsense critique. My sister, for example, is a take-no-prisoners critic. She has helped me focus on the keepers, fix up the images with hidden potential, and weed out the images that just don’t make the grade.

Testing your selections in print competition is a great way to get feedback on your images. Try a local competition first, and then if you wish move up to regional or national-level organizations. Professional Photographers of America, and WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) are good places to start.

And remember – pick a good title for each image that helps tell the story!

Photography Equipment: It Doesn't All Have To Be High Tech

Eileen Fritsch — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:14:00 GMT

By Wayne Cosshall

Even though we work in a digital photography mode, that doesn’t mean that we have to rely entirely on high technology. Although it can be tempting to rely on high technology for everything, it may not always be best.

For example: My real passion is landscape photography—particularly infrared landscape photography. Because of this I spend a lot of time (or at least as much time as my other commitments allow) out in the country. At a recent workshop I conducted in the country several participants were late because they relied on GPS navigation systems to get them there. It didn’t work. They only arrived after falling back on the old ways: using a good map and asking directions.

Now, GPS can be really handy for location information (latitude and longitude). But because I am mostly still working from roads, I find that I can simply rely on maps to keep track of where I am.

Sometimes, I use Google Earth before each trip. This is a great tool because it allows me to scout possible locations from which to shoot before I get there. But Google Earth is not the complete answer.Because of issues of wireless Internet coverage, Google Earth is not something I can rely on in the field. So what I prefer using on site is a good set of topographic maps and a compass. With practice, you can get almost as good an idea of the terrain and what you will confront as you get with Google Earth.

There is another major benefit of carrying the maps with me: If I decide to wander off into a different area than I have researched, I am still covered. The best of both worlds is when I compare the Google Earth view with the same area on the map. I can then annotate the map with likely shooting locations.

Another tool I rely on is a good pair of binoculars. I often take two: one larger pair and a compact folding pair that stays in my camera jacket pocket. With these I can scout the terrain further ahead when I am on a rise or hill and look for places I wish to explore more closely.

The combination of pre-trip preparation on the computer with good maps and binoculars in the field gives me good information plus the freedom and flexibility to go wherever else I may feel like going. This flexibility is important, because sometimes the weather will push me to head in a certain direction or to give up on where I am for another time and try somewhere, anywhere, different.

Other simple, low-tech items can also help you get great shots. The tripod is as old as photography. And although it may be made of newer materials, a tripod is fundamentally no different today than yesterday. Paired with the tripod is the cable release. Sure, today’s versions may be electronic rather than purely mechanical, but a cable release is still so simple and continues to be a key tool in great photography.

In an era when all the emphasis in photography publications seems to be on acquiring the latest digital photographic technology, it is worth remembering that simple, low-technology equipment is still important.