The World’s a Studio

Next., originally uploaded by kamikaze productions.

Ok…so I’m exaggerating but then again I’m not. Whenever I’m asked by a friend to help them with some modeling shots, the first thing I say is you have to understand – 1) I don’t have any sort of studio lighting, and 2) I don’t have proper equipment (backdrops, etc). But I never turn down an opportunity to capture another subject, learn another skill, or just pick up the camera.

My friend Chelsea was in town and asked for a favor, so we tried to navigate my apartment in a way that would give somewhat usable lighting and background. Now here is where the whole anywhere is a studio idea comes in. We made a white wall be the equivalent of a backdrop and propped up lights to help eliminate shadows. Biggest downside – regular lights aren’t white!

But creativity is the important part of the experience. There was no way pictures were going to come out and be worthy of her final portfolio, but the practice and the experience yield returns as well.

One thing I learned – when you get in tight, you can mimic a studio quality image. Now this picture I have edited of course but the point is you can make an ordinary wall be a plain backdrop – I’ve contemplated taking the idea to another level and hanging paper to change a background color as well.

The ultimate lesson is that anything is possible with a camera and an idea. Studios traditionally have the fancy equipment, lighting, etc…but if you follow the mantra “Life’s a stage”…then it won’t be that hard for the photographer like you and me without the fancy stuff to adapt the phrase to say – “Life’s a studio”…just make sure you bring the camera with you when you leave the house.

Lack of Inspiration

Winter Walk, originally uploaded by kamikaze productions.

It was somewhere around 15-22 degrees Fahrenheit that day. I was planning on doing some portraits in Central Park, but my “date” couldn’t make it. I decided because it was such a well lit day to hang out anyway and see if I could catch some good shots.

It had been awhile since I had just tried to capture landscapes and scenary, and I won’t pretend like it was easy. I felt mediocre at best, couldn’t put anything into frame – it was just rough on my ego. Couple that with the frigid temperature, and well inspiration was clearly absent. I may have taken somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 shots, and luckily I did walk away with a few I could be proud of.

The picture above happened when I was really justt rying to capture some depth by focusing on the shrubs with the majority of the frame lending itself to the walkway. However, a group of young people walked onto the ice and started to trek down the path. I snapped about 10 images making sure i blurred the passerbys on purpose. I thought it would add to the effect. And it did – I have a picture that served its purpose – wintery imagery, depth, and a cool feeling reminiscent of the cold climate.

I learned two lessons from this adventure. 1) When you don’t see anything you want to take pictures of – take the pictures anyway. Frame and re-frame just keep taking pictures until your brain kickstarts or you get a lucky moment. 2) Never ever choose to not shoot just because of a cancellation. I was already on location with gear – worse thing I could have done would be do go home after complaining to myself how cold it was. Keep shooting and never cancel on yourself, a sure fire way to come out with at least one photo to smile about.

A Portrait Doesn’t Always Have to Contain a Face

An Inaugural Bow., originally uploaded by kamikaze productions.

Lengthy title, I know. But this is a relatively easy topic. A face must not always be the criteria for a portrait. According to wikipedia.org, a portrait is “a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant.” Well not all rules are made to be broken but this is one definitely is. Or atleast, they can give this type a shot a new title.

Either way, next time you are engaged in a photoshoot, or simply just taking pictures on a photowalk, do me a favor – break your subject down into fractions. Start looking at your subject as a whole and then look at it as the sum of it’s parts. In the picture above, I believe that I have captured the same amount of elegance as would be captured with the full body and face displayed in the frame as well.

Shooting at different angles gives us different perspectives, a choosing alternative subjects within subjects gives us new way of conveying our message without destroying the original intent of the shot. Now, get out there and try that, this should help with any mental blocks giving you a new range of images to capture.

Poetry and Photography: Take #1

No More., originally uploaded by kamikaze productions.

I’ve have decided to start writing again, poetry, prose, whatever moves me when I finish processing a shot. I used to write a lot more, and it only seems write not to abandon the craft…especially when the arts are incredibly interwined and touch the human emotion centers in many of the same ways. Here is my second poem but first blog posting to start 2009:

“No More”

There is a calm before the storm, but a calm follows swiftly in its wake,
The lull of destruction swirls with the unknown reality of limbo…
Will it end, will I move on, what do I do,
Live.

A tongue-tied heart and a teeming kettle of a brain,
an inability to silence the hurt, nor to communicate the joy…
yes, joy — jealousy brought about this pain,
never again and no more — I will not feel like this.

The world may ignore, but I weeped for you,
to have witnessed, was to have felt,
to have listened, was to have fallen with,
and to have recovered was to love…one day they will weep too.

Shooting Sexy

Appeal., originally uploaded by kamikaze productions.

It wasn’t until recently, that I really got into shooting a model in a photograph. Most of the subjects in my work are my friends turned guinea pigs or strangers unaware of the new found celebrity via my lens.

I had a friend that approached me looking for some basic shots to start off her porfolio. It was an extraordinary challenge, given my lack of experience, not to mention the yellowish tint of light and low light at that — throw in no use of flash — in my apartment. So instead of really getting portfolio work done, it became a learning experience in what work and what doesn’t in low light no flash situations, and I found out that you can salvage a shoot if you don’t mind getting artistic.

This photo exudes sexy, classy — sexy. There is one element in this photo that keeps it sexy as opposed to the reaction — “She’s hot!” that you would get from a regular photo on some bikini modeling website. That element is absence of light, the vacuum that creates one of a photographer’s favorite tools – shadows.

Don’t get me wrong, I did use a preset in light room when I processed this shot, but the shadows are what make this photo what it is. There are both subtle shadows and overwhelming shadows. Subtle shadows have their role in a light ballad down the center of the chest, while heavy shadows drench her right side and even medium shadows have some play across her face.

Photography is capturing an image based on lighting…I have several other definitions as well…but regardless, pay attention to how you use the absence of lighting as well as the presence of lighting to capture the context, emotion, and aesthetic that you are looking for when shooting.

Oh the Difference a Crop Can Make

Intent., originally uploaded by kamikaze productions.

I’m back! Sorry for the delay. So I decided to pick something simple to warm myself back up.

The crop. Above is a picture of one of my best friends. As you can see she has a strong but simple intent expression on her face. The framing of the picture is verticle with the subject slightly left with excess space towards the top. Think about how you feel, what the picture conveys to you?…now take a look at this crop:

Now…you how do you feel, what does the picture convey?

I’m not going to describe how you should feel, how I feel, or even try to speak directly on the differences between the photo. Why? Well because this photographer operates largely on experimentation, and I don’t want to rob you of the same liberty. The point is that slight crops can work wonders and change images SIGNIFICANTLY. I feel totally different when I look at the second version of this picture. Moving subjects forward in a frame can add a since of urgency, show ore detail, and answer more mental questions. Moving subjects further away can give you a more abstract approach, more view of the background in the photo, etc. Shifting to the left or right can add a twist, and give you a fresh perspective.

Not to rock the boat too much, but you can also cut significant subject matter out. Whether it be because certain things are a distraction to the central focus or because you find that one area of the photo yields a better feel…you can use crop as loosely or as strict as you’d like. It is a simple tool but an amazing one when used effectively. Good luck using it, and remember to always experiment.

The Silhouette

By the Water, originally uploaded by kamikaze productions.

Hmmm…so I realize it is about time for a blog post, and I decided to tackle the use of silhouettes in photography. Just so happens that Digital Photography School recently showcased “12 Super Silhouette Shots”…so I guess great timing!?

With this post I’d like to describe in layman’s terms how to take a silhouette shot, as well as tell you how I think your collection of photos can benefit from a couple well done silhouettes.

First, let’s understand what a silhouette is:

“A silhouette is a view of some object or scene consisting of the outline and a featureless interior, with the silhouette usually being black.” Source – Wikipedia.org

As you can see in my photo above, the subjects (the people) appear featureless as described, with much of the detail coming from the background (skyline/ horizon). Now, there are definitely variations on this technique, so keep that in mind and make sure you take into account some other examples I will include in this post.

How do you take a silhouette you ask? Or maybe you didn’t, but if you are curious on how to black out the subjects, I will now begin to explain. In this article, I will essentially mirror a bit of Digital Photography School (so here is your credit DPS!) because I mean there really isn’t that many different techniques. I figured it out on my own, but I will blend my process with their explanation.

In the scene above, I was set up behind the subjects I wanted to shoot. This was fine, because I didn’t care too much about capturing their faces or what was going on in their world. The important part about the direction I am facing is that it is in the direction of the light source. This is your number one priority. Shoot with the light source behind your subject. There is a slight catch however – you have to force the camera to meter the light areas of the composition. This, I found, can be done in two ways.

1) You can try the good ‘ole focusing trick where you half press the shutter on the bright spots to adjust the metering and then re-focus on the subject(s) and keep the same metering…snap the picture.

2) This is harder, and probably unnecessary, but…you can focus on the subject first, then with the shutter half pressed, scan to a bright area to get the meter read and come back to the subject, adjust the shutter speed and snap the photo….(stupid huh?….lol)

As an aside, in extreme bright sources, you can meter on just about anything and get the same effect.

The end message is you want to underexpose your subject while correctly exposing the backgroud (i.e. everything else). That’s really it on what I have to say about technique…my biggest piece of advice in all cases is to EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT. You will learn a lot! With that out of the way, some interesting take-aways from the DPS article are:

1.) Choose a strong subject.
2.) Turn off your flash.
5.) Make silhouetted shapes distinct and uncluttered.

Those are three things I didn’t really describe in detail, but you can find the article here: How to Photograph Silhouettes

Above is a photo that I took, but below are some more examples that you can find in the link directly above this sentence:

Make sure you visit the article and find out who the original photographers were…I’m not a fan of stealing content without paying tribute.

Lastly, I think that silhouettes are a great add-in to your portfolio. Why? Well, it showcases the grasp of another technique that can do wonders when executed correctly. On top of that, silhouettes have the ability to express certain things easier than do their regularly exposed counterparts. There is much more mystery and intrigue in a subject which we can’t totally understand due to the lack of details. There is an eloquent simplicity in picturing a story from a blacked out subject and using the background as your setting. I just think there is a wealth of creativity that can spur from this technique, so give it a shot!

Also check out 12 Super Silhouette Shots at DPS as well. I hope this helped…let me know if you have any questions!

Featured Photoblog: Obsidian Eye Photo

I have decided to do my first blog feature. The inspiration for this feature came from contemplating why I got into photography and what reminded of the very essence of the passion. The person I am featuring is actually one of the only photoblogs, so far, that I check on an almost daily basis. When I saw her three most recent posts about her trip to San Diego…it gave me a chill as it sort of touched my photographic soul.

Marlene Hawthrone is a photographer after my own heart. She has an eye that roams wherever she is and finds the geometry, the balance, the appeal, and whatever else you can think of in our world. And if it isn’t quite present at the time, she won’t mind snapping a couple shots as test runs. I actually had the pleasure of going on a photo journey with her and mutual friends, and I can attest to her ability behind the lens. I don’t quite have permission, so I am going to show 3 of her most recent shots from her blog, and post them here as samples (as I cross my fingers):

Just looking at these pictures brings me back to the realm of adventure. Those days where you just grab the camera bag, and start walking the streets. That is the true essence of photography for me, and the reason I’ve decided to feature her. In fact, I challenge every photography to make sure they go on a photo stroll every now in then when they aren’t too busy doing portraiture or paid jobs, etc.

Marlene also does the most stunning engagement and wedding photography, which you can find on her blog and her website. I will be adding her into the links section of this blog, so feel free to look her up anytime. Also, take a look at her photostream by clicking the following:

Flickr.com photostream – http://www.flickr.com/photos/obsidianeye/

Blog – http://obsidianeyephoto.com/blog/

Website/Portfolio – http://obsidianeyephoto.com

And since I am probably not the best person to describe her, I’ll let her describer herself (as copied and pasted from her Flickr profile):

Camera nerd. Soon-to-be student of photography. Shy. Introspective. INFJ. General nerd. Likes shooting weddings.

Enjoy her work.

The Subjectivity of Art/ Photography

At the Intersection of Music & Art, originally uploaded by kamikaze productions.

Subjectivity can work for you and against you. Photography is a passion of mine, love it with all my heart. It releases me, teaches me, helps me appreciate the everyday things many pass by…it does so many things that let’s just leave it at that. And part of this art passion is the ability to share with others.

I have always been a competitive guy. From varsity basketball in high school to pumping weights in the gym…even trying to date girl after girl as a young man in college. One thing about photography is that it has allowed me to be decidedly competitive. By that I mean, when I want to compete, I kick the gears in motion, and when I don’t a state of humility shrouds my mind. Humility has been my natural state for this hobby because I started “late” in the craft, and because hey, skill is relative anyway, why not appreciate the beauty that other people are experiencing through their eyes.

However, none of what I’ve said actually prepares you for all of reality’s twists and turns. Flickr.com, the photo sharing website, has given me a chance to share my art with others, receive feedback, get rated, and discuss techniques and ideas with a multitude of talented photographers around the world. This is a blessing of technology, but it also can present some real challenges.

The picture of above is one I took of a friends tattoo. Using my 50mm f/1.4, I was able to capture the tattoo in great clarity, while blurring the surrounding picture. I got the picture home later for editing, and moved one slider in Adobe Lightroom, and this is the end result. I was instantly happy with the conclusion. It reminded me of an oil painting, illustrating some singer in a jazz night club some decades ago. When I moved that one slider and stopped, all I could think was ART! and I was happy to share this creation with the world.

After adding the photo to Flickr and dropping it in a couple of groups, I awaited feedback and ratings. Unfortunately, the reception was lukewarm. So I was instantly pissed, but not in a bad way…just didn’t understand how some people considered what they considered “Art” and then this piece received the comments it did. “The DoF is too narrow,” “I don’t get it”…etc, you can click the picture and read. I even spelled out my thoughts in the caption, but to know avail I guess.

My point in writing this blog post is not to whine or complain, but to share with the public something that you all probably realize but never think about. It is quite vexing actually…as teens we walk in to a gallery or museum, look at masterpieces and say “What the hell is that, I don’t like it.” Then we turn around as full fledged adults, walk into the same places and stare at a piece for 15 minutes, examining every angle, until we are at least confident enough to understand why people consider something a masterpiece. For the Flickr users out there reading this, there is an embedded message within this paragraph. As practitioners of our craft, we owe it to our fellow artists to think more about what he/she is trying to deliver. Don’t spend 15 minutes analyzing a piece, but also don’t be that teenage kid in the museum speed walking past art that makes you think so you can get to all the undisputed fun stuff at the end of the museum.

We live in a world where there are a lot of things that are indisputable, but those things exist only at the ends of the spectrum…and everything else is debatable. For instance, you know an ultra conservative or a neo liberal candidate, and you end up spending no time on politicians like that. All the debate happens around the candidates in the middle of the spectrum. And this is what subjectivity is made of, stuff that is in the middle of two or more varying viewpoints. Our art form yields millions and billions of new images a year, and of course, a majority of those images will be scattered amongst the middle of the spectrum where we will have fun debating and discussing. But be aware of what you are getting into and always be responsible with how you approach. Different from politics, ART is connected directly to the heart, and you never know when a certain view will hurt a fellow photog…tread lightly. Nevertheless, don’t hold back either because there is always something to learn and ways to be better…this process is just as important individually as it is collectively.

Get in Tight

A Single Tulip (III) v.2, originally uploaded by kamikaze productions.

I’m not sure about the percentages, but I’m pretty sure a lot of people who take pictures (notice I didn’t say photographers) like to fit everything into a shot. Photographers would probably opt to find a pleasant and pleasing composition when greeted with an immense scene, but people who take pictures tend to zoom out or back up. Well here is a message to picture takers and photographers alike – GET IN TIGHT!

I haven’t had a lot of time, due to my moving to NY, so I went back in my Photostream a bit to come up with an idea to blog. I stumbled across this photo and it hit me. People should know that frames and compositions are EVERYWHERE. Taking pictures of giant landscapes or of an entire building or an entire group of people is cool and all…but a photo becomes artistic, unique, and different when you get in close and find what really strikes you the most. With the picture above I did just that. I had the girl and the flower in one big shot, and it did nothing for my mind. It was a good picture but not a great picture. So I got in closer, found a frame that spoke to me and voila! A tighter crop produced a more vocal piece, and that is what it is about.

Here’s a piece of learning advice and a good way to practice – take pictures of a lot of small objects one at a time. If you are sitting at your desk bored, pull out your camera and take shots of your mouse from several angles, your monitor, keyboard, etc…and then see what looks good. If you have a super fast lens, like say – 50mm f/1.4 or something in that maximum aperture range, use it. Try out different bokehs in order to create the perfect amount of blur. Practicing on things around the house will get your eye trained to be anticipatory and ready for opportunities when you see them in the street or on your next photo shoot. So good luck and good shooting!