Mobile Blogger

Testing testing. I just downloaded the iPhone app for Blogger and thought I'd give it a try. If this works you just might see me posting more often. After all, like everyone I'm often waiting somewhere killing time and random thoughts hit me.

Warning. There may be a sudden increase of hipstamatic photos.

I just finished reading an article on Reuters about the FBI opening up investigations into the ongoing Olympus scandal. I'd link to it but I don't know how on this device. Olympus has really got to open up their books. With more than a 50% drop in stock value in the last week or two they are opening themselves up to some serious lack of investor confidence. Or maybe that ship has already sailed.

The longer the silence, the more it seems likely that the Board may have embezzled millions from the company. And of course new accusations of Japanese mafia involvement just makes me wonder if this will one day be a feature film plot.

Anyway. I'll try an keep these iPhone blog posts short.

The World's Worst Landscape Photographer

Fuji 400 colour film, about 1999, unknown camera

It's just possible that I'm the world's worst landscape photographer.  I'd like to get better, but it doesn't seem to be happening.  I put up a photo here that I came across while continuing my seemingly endless project of scanning old film negatives.  Taken in about 1999 at Hells Gate (or somewhere around there) in British Columbia with film it shows a decided lack of inspiration for the otherwise beautiful scene.  OK, so I didn't have photoshop, and this was before I even knew I liked photography like I love, live and breath it now.   It's a snapshot.  But honestly, I'm not much better now.  Maybe even worse because I just don't see a good landscape and I try too hard to make the magic whereas back then I just shut up and took the shot.  Give me a person to put in a landscape and I'm good.  But ask me to compose a shot of a river like this and I'm a bit lost.  I have no vision.

And I think it all comes down to 'seeing' a photo.  I can put something of myself in a portrait.  I can envision what I want as an end product and I can feel the emotion in a portrait, but a landscape eludes me.  Now I recognize a great landscape when I see one.  And I think I've been lucky and pulled off a few 'good' if not 'great' landscapes in my past.  But I really believe that to be a great photographer in any particular area you need to be able to see.  You need to have a vision for your subject, and a passion for it.  That is why the best photographers in the world specialize, whether they be Ansel Adams, Chase Jarvis, or Arnold Newman.  It's too diverse of a craft and art to be the best at everything.  So if you are photographing weddings and you find yourself feeling like it's a job, and your work is about as inspiring as the shot above, then maybe you need to stick to what moves you. Wildlife?  Birds?  Cars?  Pets?  I'm just sayin'.  That's all.

This was my giant segue into talking about wedding photography as a specialty.  It seems like so many people today call themselves wedding photographers.  And they open up wedding photography businesses.  All on the strength of a really good shot of a bear, a bird or a plane at an air show.   I kind of don't get it.  Wedding photography is hard.  It's specialized and it takes single minded determination and love to do it even reasonably well.  Owning a camera and being a closet bird photographer does not qualify you, nor should it.  Why does everyone go to weddings to make money?  Is it really a service to the Brides of the world?

I'm not saying you can't be a good landscape photographer and a good wedding photographer.  In fact to be a really good wedding photographer you have to be good at action, portraits, photo-journalism, landscapes, architecture and fashion.  You have to be able to use artificial lighting and natural light, shoot in low light (or virtually no light), you have to be good with people, make them laugh, help solve problems and be a shoulder for a nervous Bride or Groom (or mother-in-law).  But if weddings aren't your passion.  If you don't have an eye for them, then please, for the love of all things good, for the love of your craft, please find some other type of photography to sell.  If you aren't sure if I'm talking about you, if your website contains photos of bears, birds and Brides all at the same time, I just might be talking about you.  At the very least, have two separate websites!

In the meantime, I'm going to be working on my landscapes.  I owe it to my Brides.  And I'm going to keep scanning film.  I'm sure some photos I took 12 years ago are good right?

Thanks for popping by the blog!

A Visit From The Most Inconsistent Blogger Ever

Well I will say that as my excuse I have been busy.  And that's all I have, my only excuse.  But at least I can say that I haven't been cooking the books like Olympus appears to have been!  I've been busy with actual photography.  Now if Olympus didn't already have enough problems with a money losing camera division, the firing of their whistle blowing CEO seems to be a huge nail in the coffin.  If you haven't dumped your stock yet,  you might want to consider it now.

Canon 5D mkII with 85mm f1.8 lens.  ISO 100 f3.2 1/100 of a second

And it's too bad really because as you know I'm a bit of a fan.  I love my Olympus cameras.  The E5 has been wonderful and my new 35-100 f2.0 lens is a mighty superb partner to it.  I'll be shooting with it a lot over the next couple of weeks so I'm sure samples will follow.

In other camera news, Canon's new flagship camera the 1DX looks downright amazing.  The autofocus appears to have received a lot of attention which is always welcome to those of us Canon users that remain frustrated with their seeming lack of any reliable autofocus.  Also the megapixel restraint on a flagship camera was a breath of fresh air.  18 mp is plenty.  I'd love to own the camera, but I probably won't as $6800 isn't in the budget anytime soon.  But it did make my eye wander over to the 1DmkIV which is already only $4300 and should see a price drop soon.  I'd love to replace my 7D with that.  I'd love it a lot.

Olympus E5

Since I last blogged I have finished a book by Robin Muir called "Norman Parkinson; Portraits in Fashion."  In all honesty before I picked up the book I had never heard of him.  And after reading the book I certainly don't hold him in as high esteem as say Arnold Newman or Annie Leibovitz.  But this guy definitely had guts, charm and the will to survive a work life in an exploding fashion industry from the 1930's right up until his death in 1990.  Some of his images were really inspiring.  His fascination with women and how they move and interact with light and their environment (and him) was really amazing.  Other photos I just couldn't stop feeling were a lot like Flickr photos I've passed over many times.  But then again, he was doing it before Photoshop Actions wasn't he?  If you have any interest in the history of fashion photography and especially how it moved from static studio to environmental images where people actually moved in their photos you would very likely love this book.  I've put a link to it on the top right of the blog.

I'm going to keep it short tonight except to talk about a couple of photo sessions I've done recently using single light sources.  I decided before each session that I was going to stick to one lighting setup and force myself to be creative with it.  After all it is my fall/winter season and with weddings wrapping up for the year it's time to push myself to be creative and develop new tools, habits and practices for next season.

Olympus E5 with Leica Summilux 25mm f1.4 lens.  You can see where the strip box was positioned.

The first session I had in the studio where I used one strip light up high (about 8 feet) and to the model's left (camera right) pointed down at about 45 degrees.  I had her stay close to a fabric background because I wanted to see how the light played off of her and what was behind her.  I wanted to play with angles and fall off of light to shadow.  I've used this light setup before, but never in a paid session, so I figured that it was time to love it or leave it.  And it certainly had drama.

Olympus E5 and Leica lens f2.8 ISO 100 1/250 of a second

The other light setup I did in a local park and just used the Lumopro LP160 flash with a full CTO gel on it triggered by a Pocket Wizard.  The flash was slightly behind the model on it's widest beam spread and angled down roughly at her upper body/head.  I wasn't too particular about it.  Then I just threw my camera on shady or cloudy white balance and used a light meter for the natural light on her face for my exposure.  The flash was set to full power and it was meant to bring that warm glow to the image.  I liked it a lot and plan on bringing this one into my everyday usage as it's easy and fast and brings a nice warm feel to an otherwise cold image.  That surprised me a bit by the way as I typically like my white balance a little colder than most photographers.

Canon 5D mkII with 135mm f2.0 lens.  ISO 100 f2.5 and 1/160 of a second

It's fun to work like this by forcing yourself to a lighting style for a whole session.  It's great to do it with models when there is no pressure to perform for a pay check.  In fact the model above didn't like the last image I have here, but I did and I didn't lose any sleep over her disagreement with me.

And I'll leave on that note.  With your photography if you find that everyone likes it, I'm going to say that you might want to push yourself harder.  Stop aiming for the middle, aim for where your heart really lies and where your photographic taste really is.  If everyone likes everything you do, I propose the idea that you might just be a pretty mediocre photographer.  If you have some lovers and some haters you must be doing something unique, something extraordinary, and it might be time to finally pat yourself on the back.  My wife doesn't get what I see in Richard Avedon's images.  She thinks they are weird and boring.  I think he is about as good as it gets.  I doubt he would care either way.

Thanks again for dropping by my little photography blog.  I appreciate you taking the time to read my words.  Maybe visit me on 500px, friend me on Facebook or add me on Google+.  I'll add you back.