Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Story!

The more interesting photographs to me, especially from a photojournalistic angle, tell a story. They aren’t portraits per se, they aren’t product shots, they aren’t locations, they aren’t landscapes, they aren’t art. They are stories captured in a 2 dimensional format, the script of which is only partially written, often without the beginning or the end—leaving the viewer to write the story or at least with the desire to know more.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Get Closer

One of the primary lessons I've had to learn is to not be afraid to be in the action. Too many shots I took early on just didn't work because I was too far away. They simply were wasted shots. Get comfortable being close and in the action.

When in doubt...get closer.


No—seriously. Get closer. Stop using a zoom, go to a prime lense 30mm or 50mm and take several steps closer.

Don't be intimidated by events and people, do you what you need to do. Your photos will look so much better, you'll be glad you did.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Photography Lesson As .asp

Just for fun I've decided to talk about a simple thing you can do to grow as a photographer but to stir it up a little, I decided to post it as .asp web development code. I know it's quirky but I'm cool with that.

<%
'Variables—these are the things that you need...
DIM Photographer
DIM Camera
DIM NoCamera
DIM Shooting
DIM NotShooting

IF Photographer=Camera THEN
   IF Camera=Shooting THEN
      response.write "Growth Can Happen."
ELSEIF Photographer=Camera THEN
   IF Camera=NotShooting THEN
      response.write "Growth CAN'T Happen."
ELSE Photographer=NoCamera THEN
   response.write "It's hard to call yourself a photographer."
END IF
%>


Basically, you need to have your camera with you first off, and then secondly, you need to be shooting. Study your photos, learn what you like, and shoot some more.


Enjoy :)

Monday, June 20, 2011

Getting the Right Gear—Lenses

For a photographer, gear can be like tools for a mechanic or tradesman. There's almost no end to what you can buy, and certainly no end to the need for upgrades, replacements, etc. It can cost thousands upon thousands to get into the high-end equipment.

The question you have to really ask is, "what am I shooting?" and then determine from there what you actually need. In this quick 10,000 foot view, I'm just going to address lenses and in particular the lenses I use, need, and want.

If you're doing documentary photojournalism for example, you may want three basic categories of lenses. A fast wide, a fast prime, and a fast Telephoto. What those exact specs are, may differ for you. I personally prefer VR or IS type lenses. For a few years I have been shooting primarily with a 24-80mm whenever possible.



Recently I've begun to use a wide angle lens to add more drama in limited instances, and I've found my 55-300mm VR to be a great lens for portraiture. It allows me to be close and get great detail without imposing myself on the subjects. This is allowing me the ability to get more natural candids because the subject isn't always aware that they are being photographed.


Even in the studio the 55-300mm has been really great for doing model shoots and portraits when combined with a strobe (my 55-300mm is still a very slow lens at 4.5). With a faster f2.8 or greater F-stop a telephoto lens could be an amazing field lens if it doesn't get too weighty.


Moving forward, the speed of the lens needs to be considered more heavily. I've done some shooting with a 30mm @ f1.4 and that has been wonderful, when I'm able to get the focus right (it's hard for me to see through the viewfinder and autofocus hasn't been my friend). But the speed of a 1.8 or a 1.4 has been instrumental on more than a few occasions of getting light in low-light situations where a flash and tripod are not an option.

Off camera remote flash can also be used if you have the time for the set up or if you are able, a battery pack strobe can be toted along.

Of course, with all of this, there is also the need to consider the DOF along with the light.

My Recommendations
AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED Telephoto Zoom Lens
AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G Autofocus Lens

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Research for Photojournalism

My first overseas trip to do photograhy was complicated. I'd mostly shot studio photos (product shots) and fine art black and white photos up until that moment and even some low key portraiture.



My assignment was to do some photojournalism while on location in Indonesia. This was my first venture to south east Asia, let alone the first time I had worked in the role of photojournalist. The details of the assignment was for myself and a small team to go, do some interviews of pilots, and take photographs of the missionary aviation service they worked for, shoot photos of their planes, and specifically to take photos of a new aircraft that the mission was receiving that used jet fuel versus avgas.

I really knew nothing about shooting photos of aircraft but in my naivety I didn't see how it could be THAT different. Exposure is exposure and DOF is DOF, etc. I was wrong. Horribly wrong.



About 60% of that assignment was fine but the other 40% could have been much better....

Here are some key things I learned that would have helped the 40%:
1. You need to understand your subject well-before leaving. I didn't really understand issues of shooting aircraft.
Q1. For example, how close will pilots actually fly?
Q2. Will I be required to get in-flight photos?
Q3. What equipment will that require me to have?



A1. I can tell you that it's not very close. Their idea of close is like a mile away.
A2. In-flight photos were required.
A3. I should have brought a 400mm lens with stabilization or vibration reduction. VR for Nikonians.

Q4. What will the weather be like and how will that impact the equipment?
A4. Rain and humidity are not so good for camera equipment but you still have to shoot so bringing rain shrouds, spare bodies, spare lenses is a good thing. Also, being prepared to acclimate your gear to high humidity and temperatures before you need to shoot is a good idea. Moving your bag from A/C to the environment can cause a half hour or more delay while you wait for your lenses and sensors to clear up from the moisture that accumulates. Hot to cold and cold to hot and dry to moist and moist to dry changes impact your equipment.

Q5. Will the culture I'm shooting in be comfortable with me?

A5. Some cultural environments are not excited about outsiders or white people or Americans or all three. They are even less excited about you coming in with large, expensive cameras. Sometimes a smaller, less conspicuous camera is a better choice. 

Also consider that most cultures are made up of sub-cultures and they may not be homogenous in their acceptance or disdain.

Do some research. It'll just be better for you.

marbles 2

marbles 2 by silatjunkie
marbles 2, a photo by silatjunkie on Flickr.

marbles

marbles by silatjunkie
marbles, a photo by silatjunkie on Flickr.

Example of a photo taken while on the Indonesia trip.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The Light

My fine art photography teacher used to say that photography was all about the light. Without it, you can't take a photograph-at least not a good one.

Ray Spicer was his name and he was responsible for shaping my viewpoint on photography, specifically black and white photography. He always said that without beautiful light you cannot have a beautiful photo.

Over the course of the past 20 years I've learned that his statement is only partially true. It is all about the light, but beautiful light is only somewhat relevant and depends more on the mood you are trying to establish within a photograph. Sometimes a less beautiful light can be used to create a more dramatic or gloomy mood.

Normally, I would recommend that the mood of your subject also match the mood of your light but that's not always necessary if you are trying to show a juxtaposition.

The light quality, type, warmth, coolness, brightness, flatness, etc., will absolutely play a part in the mood of your photo. Don't be afraid to try using other types of light, bounce light, fill light, flash lighting or available light to set the mood.