Film vs Digital – is there really a question?

This post is aimed at those final holdouts for “the good old days” of photography.  When I first got involved with digital photography twelve years ago there was a rousing debate over the question of what was better – film or digital?  While digital cameras were invented many years before, digital photography itself was still very much in its infancy.  Truth be told, at that point in time, film was superior.

By the way, did you know that the first digital camera was built by Kodak 36 years ago – in 1975!  It had a 0.01 megapixel resolution and took 23 seconds to record the image - to tape.  From that point in time it took another 24 years before the first true consumer digital cameras were available that you could use to create prints!

But . . back to the subject.  There were a lot of reasons why film was better back then.  The type, size and quality of digital sensors was nothing like we have today.  Likewise, converters, memory cards and the software to make the whole thing happen either didn’t exist or were incredibly crude compared to anything in today’s cameras.  Digital photography just didn’t capture the image as well as film.

However, regardless of which you chose – film or digital – they both shared a common problem.  If you’ve done much shootiong with film you’ll be familiar with the “graniness” that can occur when shooting in low light conditions and at high ISO’s.  Digital cameras had – and to some degree today still have – a similar problem in low light conditions.  It’s called “noise” and it was a major drawback to digital photography.  You may not know what noise is – but if you’ve ever looked into the dark areas of your digital images [especially if you enlarge it] you may see little colored pixels of red, blue or green.  That’s where the camera couldn’t properly process the light data and improperly assigned colored pixels to it instead of a darkening shade of a color or gray or black.  When you enlarge the image it looks terrible.  While this is still a problem for the smaller, cheaper and older cameras out there today, most of the new digital cameras now significantly reduce noise.  The even better news is that the newer, professional quality cameras out there today eliminate it.

Of course, the debate wasn’t just about capturing the picture.  Equally important was the processing.  As far as film afficionados were concerned – who wouldn’t want to be in a small dark room, breathing smelly, toxic chemicals with permanently stained hands?  While I say this rather “tongue in cheek” it was the darkroom that was held up as the “sanctus sanctorum”, the temple of creative art.  It was all about making the final print.  Unfortunately, for us digital buffs – back then digital cameras not only didn’t capture as good an image – but the editing software, not to mention the quality of photographic printer paper, was nowhere as good as what film had to offer.

However –  just as with the advances in digital cameras and digital capture – both digital editing software and high quality digital print paper have now come into their own.  My first digital editing software was Photoshop 5.  As good as I thought it was then – it offered, at best, rudimentary editing capabilities.  It would take several more years before we had editing software that would give us the ability to create images more easily and effectively than what we could do in the darkroom – but it happened!  Today, I can create everything that can be done in the darkroom and more in a matter of minutes, not hours.  If I don’t like it I can throw it out and start fresh all over again – or better yet, take the same image and make multiple, different variations in a matter of minutes.  Here is an area that digital is not only got as good as film – but surpassed it in every way!

The same is true for paper.  It used to be that photo-printer paper was very limited – shiny or matte.  Really not much to choose from.  Now, the choices are incredibly varied with literally dozens of types and styles of paper.  If you don’t want paper, you can even print on canvas – or even metal.

As I started with in this post, there are those out there who still long for the “good old days” .  They still shoot and process their film – though they probably use software to edit and/or make the final prints.  If you’re one of them . . . God bless ya . . . but I think it’s time to finally make that change to total digital.  There is no longer any question to debate.  Digital isn’t only just as good as film – it’s better!  Best – Bill.

Gray Scale vs Black and White Images – or why you should always shoot in color.

I know the title of this post must sound a little odd, but I promise that it will all make sense in the end.  First, let’s talk about gray scale vs black & white images.  If you talk to any photographer they will always use the term “black and white”.  If you talk to a designer, they will usually refer to these same images as “gray scale” [or if you're British, "grey scale"] images.  So what’s the difference between the two?  Actually, there is no difference.  OK, so far I haven’t really helped to clear anything up – BUT – what I want to accomplish here is to have you think in terms of “gray scale” whenever you want to end up with a black and white image.  

Before I go on any more about “gray scale” let’s talk about the options you have available for creating black & white images. First, a lot of digital cameras these days have presets that allow you to capture any picture as a black & white image.  While it seems an easy way to go if you want black & white images – there are some significant problems with doing this.   The first, and most obvious, is if you shoot in “black & white mode” you lose all the original color informtion.  It’s discarded and there’s no way to get it back.  That’s a big loss if you’re thinking in “gray scale” for doing your color conversions.  It’s also important to keep the color information since I often render an image in both color and black & white. The other problem inherent with this is that the camera does all the interpreting of what makes a good black & white image – not you! 

Now, some newer cameras offer a potential way around this dilema of shooting color or black & white.  They can create large, RAW color files and also a smaller black & white jpg file at the same time.  While this is handy, it takes up more space on your card, therefore less images. This can be a big drawback – especially if you’re traveling.   Also, just like I said earlier, we’re back to the old problem that the camera is creating the black & white file, not you.  It can give you an indication of what the file looks like in black & white – but so what?  It probably won’t look like the final image anyway.  You need to determine that when you’re doing your editing.

Everything I’ve said so far has been to, hopefully, convince you to do all your shooting in color.  Now comes the reason why you should be thinking in “gray scale” in lieu of “black & white”.  When you’re editing your images you need to keep in mind that every color has a value that can be interpreted as a shade of gray – hence “gray scale”.  Not only that, but any color can be interpreted in many shades of gray – from white to black!  Sounds crazy, but it’s true.  By using your editing software to interpret each color’s value into a specific shade of grey you can significantly alter the final image and make it look just like you want it – not the camera’s interpretation of what it thinks looks good. Let me show you a few examples.  Below are a series of gray scale images made from one color image.  While it looks as if I’ve changed the brightness or contrast in several – the only change has been to adjust the percent of a single, specific color – changing its value – or the shade of gray if you will.  If you have Photoshop CS 3, 4 or 5 or Photoshop Elements 7, 8 or 9, it’s as simple as moving a slider to the right or left to make the changes. In each of those software applications – after the black & white auto-conversion is made – they allow you to make adjustments by “tweaking” the value of each color by moving those sliders.

 So, let’s look at what a difference these “tweaks” make to the image.  The first gray scale image [under the color one] shows an automatic B&W conversion, letting the software do it for you.  It does an OK job – though you’ll note that it’s sort of flat, with not a lot of contrast.  The next converson shows where the color yellow has been adjusted.  Because the flowers are predominantly yellow – by increasing the percent of yellow it makes them brighter, almost white.  A similar effect is shown when the green percent is increased.  Note that the mans’ green sweatshirt becomes lighter – setting it apart from the background.

The next conversion shows what happens when just the red is adjusted.  The differences here are a little more subtle.  You’ll see the differences in two areas.  First, look at the mans face and hand.  Because there is a bit of red in his skin, it becomes brighter by moving the red color slider to the right and increasing the amount.  If you look closely, you’ll also notice that the red coat on the woman in the background has also become lighter.

The most significant change took place when the blue and cyan are both reduced in percentage [moving the slider to the left] which darkens them and creates a much more contrasty image.  Now the man and the flowers really stand out from the background.

The last image on the far right shows when all the changes are applied to the B&W auto conversion.  Is it better?  I think so.  The flowers have been emphasized.  The man stands out because his skin has a lighter value and his sweatshirt is now a more distinct value from the flowers.  Of course the dark background now makes the picture pop.

So there you have it.  All of the above was to show you why it’s so important to save your color data and use it to make your black and white – or if you prefer - gray scale images.  I hope you’ll give this a try and play around with the many options you’ll see as you move the various sliders.  Your final image will probably look different than the one I might create – but it will be all yours.  Best – Bill

 

 

 

 

Blog Burnout

Well . . . I guess the only thing I can say is – I’M BACK! 

It’s amazing how someone – me in this case – can be so caught up in something – be so enthusiastic – and then just burn out.  I’d heard about “writers block” and “burnout” but I never thought it would happen to me.  I was writing the blog every week for many, many months.  I was driven to make sure that I would post a new issue of the blog each and every Sunday.

Then one Sunday . . . it just happened. . . . or in this case, it didn’t happen  During the week before I found it hard to focus. It felt wierd, because I loved writing the blog -  sharing ideas and information – hopefully of being of help to someone else.  All of a sudden – out of the blue – it just didn’t hold that same feeling for me.  So there I was . . . I found that I was a victim of “Blog Burnout”!

So, what’s changed?  Why am I back?  I guess if boils down to a couple of things.  One is a refocusing of priorities this year.  By this I don’t mean a “New Year’s Resolution” – rather it’s a change of lifestyle to improve myself both physically and mentally - to put things in proper priority.  Another reason is the people that I’ve “met” through the blog.  Fellow photographers – both professional and amateur, teachers and others who have shared their their own ideas and experiences as well as their  love of photography through their responses. 

All of  this brings me back to where I am right now and where am I going?  I’m committed to picking up the blog and going forward.  It won’t be as frequent - maybe once or twice a month – but it will be an ongoing dialogue on what I hope will be subjects of interest to those who love photography as much as I do.  I’m working on the next installment right now.  The title alone should make it worth reading – “Gray Scale vs Black & White Images - or why you should always shoot in color”.   It should be posted within the next couple of weeks. 

For those of you have visited the blog in the past, I hope you will continue as well as to share your ideas and thoughts.  Best – Bill.

The “Seven Saving Graces” of Dealing With Digital Files

We’ve all of heard of the “Seven Deadly Sins” – those seven terrible things that we should never do.  Well, I started thinking about how this could be turned around to create “Seven Saving Graces” – especially as it applies to seven things we should do when it comes to digital files.  You may not agree with all of these – but I’ve found them to be very useful for me.

1. Always shoot as large a file [highest resolution] that you can – Whether it’s in JPG or RAW, go for the quality of the image, not the quantity. It will reduce the number of images on your memory card, but they will be much better images overall.  If you’re going to do serious editing, you want to maximize the available data for editing to wind up with a better final product.
2. Never shoot until the camera tells you that the “Card is Full” – Both your camera and memory cards are like mini-computers.  They work together each time you take an image to move files around on the card to maximize the number of images recorded.  If you have just taken a final image that fills [or exceeds the cards memory]  there is the potential for the memory card to become “confused” and cause the card to corrupt the final image – or possibly the entire card – causing the loss of everything you’ve just shot.  I know this can happen – because it happened to me just last week.  The best thing to do is to stop shooting when you have 4 or 5 images left on the card – then change to a new memory card.
3. Don’t use too big of a memory card – The salesman at the camera store would probably disagree with this one – but remember they’re there to sell you something.  There are two very practical reasons for this.  First, people tend to download images only when their cards are getting full.  With the new high capacity memory cards you can literally have hundreds and hundreds of images on a card - especially if you’re shooting JPG files.  Nothing can be more boring than downloading, looking at, and editing 400 or 500+ images at one time.  The second potential problem related to this is the potential for corruption.  Let’s say, you’ve just been on vacation for a week or two.  You’ve visited several places and have recorded some great shots at every place you’ve visitied.  Now, let’s say that the card corrupts, with every single image of your vacation gone!  The point here is to keep a little “insurance”.  Divide your images over two or more memory cars to ensure that if one card is lost or damaged or corrupted that you have’t lost the whole thing.
4. Download your images at the first opportunity – Believe me, I know from experience that memory cards can get lost or damaged.  Just ask my high-energy golden retreiver.  I left one of my memory cards right on the edge of my workstation in my studio for several days.  I had “better” things to do and didn’t get around to downloading it.  Baylee – my golden retreiver – has a tail that can clean off any surface that’s nearby.  The best I can come up with is that her tail swept the card off the edge of the work station and – unfortunately, then to her mouth.  By the time I got to it – as you can imagine - there was nothing that could be saved.  Had I saved the data to my hard drive when I had the opportunity this wouldn’t have happened.  A second reason to download in a timely manner is that [if you're like me] your memory cards start to stack up.  Just like above, it gets really boring to be dealing wifh hundreds of images to edit and catalogue.
5. When downloading images from your camera, memory card, or other storage device – copy – don’t move them – Remember, your camera, memory card and other storage devices are little mini-computers themselves.  All of the images were stored using certain algorithms in software particular to that device.  There is less chance of corrupting these devices – and your files – if you copy them in lieu of moving them which will, in effect, erase them from the original device.
6. When finished downloading, don’t let the computer do the work of erasing your memory card – put the memory card back in the camera and let the camera do the work – Just like the admonition “copy – don’t move” above you should use the same softward that created the files to delete them.  Doing otherwise has the small – but very real potential – to corrupt the original file or device.  This “saving grace” is tied to the last one below.
7. When you clean off your memory cards – don’t erase – format the card – Every digital images is made up of millions of individual pixels – each with a little bit of information about that particular image.  Erasing – while doing an OK job of removing the image – has the potential to leave stray pixels on the memory card.  They in turn have the potential of creating corruption problems when you re-record new images on the card.  To eliminate this problem – format the card every time you’re done downloading – don’t just erase the images.  This will give you an absolutely clean memory card, with no potential for corruption due to random, “leftover” pixels.

Unlike the “Seven Deadly Sins”, these “Seven Saving Graces” have nothing to do with saving your soul – but I can guarantee you they may well “save your bacon” some day.  Best – Bill

Skies “R” Us – pretty-up your pictures with blue skies & clouds

Living in Oregon means one thing you can always count on – plenty of rain.  Of course, you can’t have rain without clouds – so, many times, even if it’s not raining, you’re going to have overcast skies.  However, if you’re like most people, you’d like to see pictures with some blue sky and pretty clouds in them.  Now, let me state for the record – we do have beautiful blue skies with puffy white clouds in Oregon – just not as often as we’d like, especially outside of Summer.

However, all is not lost!  There’s actually a couple of easy ways to go about fixing your sky.  The first way, is to use Photoshop’s Filter>Render>Clouds function.  Here’s what you do:

• First add a blank layer above your background layer. 
• Make sure that your color picker is set to a shade of sky blue on the top and white on the bottom. 
• Take your lasso tool and [with the blank layer activated] draw areas in the sky where you would like to see some blue sky and clouds.
• Then go to Select>Feather>and set a very soft edge – around 70.
• Next, go to Filter>Render>Clouds>and click OK 
• It will probably look too bright – so,while the cloud layer is active, lower the opacity of the layer until you like what you see.
• If you want to you can also take your brush tool and add a little more sky or clouds and/or blur the cloud layer a little

Overall this gives a pretty good sky feeling.  Give it a try and see what you think.

There’s also another way that takes a little more work to blend in – but I guarantee you that if you didn’t think the first approach looked good enough, you’ll love this one.  Over the years I’ve taken some odd pictures.  My wife will attest to the fact that I will often just point my camera up and take a picture of the sky.  I then mutter something like “nice clouds” and then she never sees the picture again – she thinks.  I actually keep a folder of “sky/cloud” images that I use to add to other pictures.  Here’s how I go about it:

• After I’ve opened up the background image [the one that I'm going to add the sky to] I open up one of my sky images.
• I then click and drag the sky image over the background image and lower its opacity so I can see the background image under it.
• The next thing is to blend in the top image over the background image. 
• You can use a soft-edged eraser on the edges to blend your sky in with what’s underneath.
• Another way is to add a Layer Mask to the sky layer.  You then set your colors to default [black & white] and using a soft brush, paint the sky in or out.  This way is actually easier – since by creating a layer mask, you can correct mistakes by going back and forth.
• I also usually try to overlap the sky layer over a hard edge like a roofline or building – then take my Polygonal Lasso Tool and make a hard edge, then hit Erase to delete the sky.  This makes for a nice clean, realistic edge and the sky looks as if it’s really behind the building.

So, there you have two ways to add blue sky and clouds to your images.  Give each a try and see what works best for you.  Best – Bill

Emphasizing your subject – the use of light, focus and color

In an ealier post I discussed how you can use selective focus as a way to draw the viewers eye to your subject.  I’d like to expand on this with a broader approach that I teach in my editing classes.  There, we use not only slective focus but also light and color to draw the viewers eye to the subject.  This goes along with my belief  that it’s just fine to remove distractions from an image or use other editing tricks to emphasize the subject. 

Let’s look at one simple example of how you can apply this approach.  In the first picture of the forest path [to the right], the tree in the upper-left portion is in the “sweet spot”.  Unfortunately, as I looked at the image, I found that my eye wasn’t easily drawn there like I wanted.  The problem is – how to make the viewers eye enter the image and move through it to where you want it to go?  I decided to select the path with a lasso tool, then soften the edge of the selection a bit.  I then applied a Brightness-Contrast level to that portion of the image – and voila!  Now your eye is drawn from the bottom-right corner all the way down to path to the tree.  It not only added more depth, but also direction to the entire image.

That first one was an easier example – so I decided to take one very busy picture and see how we could emphasize the subject using all three parameters of light, color and focus individually to make the subject stand out.  The first picture here shows a cute little girl with a balloon, waiting expectantly for the parade.  Unfortunately, the scene is so busy around her that she tends to blend in with everything else.  What to do?

In this case I took the magnetic lasso and selected the girl and her balloon.  You could use other selection tools if you’d like.  I then put her on her own separate layer.  To do this in Photoshop, while the selection is still active press Control and the letter J at the same time.  She will appear in your levels as a separate level all by herself.

The first way I decided to make her stand out was to brighten her – while at the same time making everything else  less bright and more dull.   In each case I used a Brightness/Contrast level to get the job done.

The second way was to use selective focus which we talked about in an earlier post.  The color intensity of the background is the same – just out of focus.  I also brightened the layer of the little girl at the same time – just to make her standout a little more.

The last way - and the one I like the best – was to keep the little girl in color – while the background is turned into a black & white image. While all are effective in emphasizing the subject and make her stand out from a very busy scene – I prefer this since it tells a simpler story visually.

The goal in each of these examples of the little girl was to emphasize her.  I could have just taken her and put her in another background, but my goal was to tell a story about that moment in time.  To do that it was necessary to keep her in the context of her surroundings – but, at the same time, have her stand out.  I think each of the three examples does it quite well.  It also gives you a unique image that will make you stand out from other shooters.  Try something like this the next time you’re out shooting and see for yourself.  I think you’ll like using these tricks and I guaranatee, your work will stand out from others.  Best – Bill

Healthcare Reform Legislation – it may affect the way you run your photography business!

I’ve mentioned ASMP [the Amerian Society of Media Photographers] in earlier posts.  They are a membership organization that looks out for, and works to protect, the rights of professional photographers.  An email that I received from them this week was to warn its members of new IRS filing requirements that are going to affect all photographers who are small businesses.

Many of us have bought and sold cameras, lens’s and other photography equipment from individuals or from sites like Craigslist and others.  Typically, these aren’t credit card transactions.  Usually it means a check or, more likely, cash changing hands.  In addition, many professional photographers have to pay for goods and services related to a shoot that, more likely than not,  requires writing a check to an individual/small business.  So, what’s all the foregoing got to do with Healthcare Reform Legislation?  If your photography has grown so that you are now a small business, there are changes created by this legislation that will significantly affect you!  

Here’s what is coming down from this new legislation.  As of now, starting next year, if you pay any person or company more than $600 [by cash or check] for goods or services you will have to fill out a Form 1099 and report it to the IRS when you file your income tax returns.  It will include not only the information regarding your purchase – but also information regarding the person or company that you paid.  So, let’s say you buy a camera or lens on Craigslist or from another photographer that you know, and you pay that person $600 or more for the goods.  You’re then going to have to ask them for their Tax ID number or Social Security Number and other identifying information for your Form 1099 filing.

What do you think are the odds that, under these conditions, anyone selling you something is going to give you the information!  What if you’re the person selling a used camera for $600+ and using the money to buy a new one?  Would you care to have a Form 1099 filled out on you?  I think the answers to these questions are “slim to none” and “no”.

From a small business perspective this requirement will impose a laborious record keeping and reporting workload.  While I understand that the IRS is trying to get a better handle on cash transactions, the net result of this new requirement will create for us, small business people, a significantly increased burden.

Fortunatley, there is one exemption to this new rule – and that’s if you pay by credit card.  Another bit of good news is that the IRS is asking for public comment regarding this new rule.  If you’re a photographer who has finally gotten enough clients/gallery work/card or calendar sales - just plain income – to be a small business you need to speak up and let the IRS know what you think of this new rule.  You can give your input by sending an email to  Notice.Comments@irscounsel.treas.gov

The bottom line here is if you are a small photography business you need to let the IRS know what you think about this new requirement.  You might also want to share this with other small business people you know – since it affects every small business in America, not just photographers.  Best – Bill

When Shooting RAW – Overexpose for better pictures

You’ve always heard that you should carefully set your exposure to get the best picture.  Those dreaded results of underexposure or overexposure were to be avoided as much as possible.  If they were looking at a histogram everyone seemed to be trying for that beautiful bell curve.  If you’re shooting JPG files, that’s still the rule to follow – but when shooting RAW files you might want to consider consciously overexposing your shots –  just a little bit.

In an earlier post I discussed how RAW files capture so much more light and data than JPG – including in the white and black areas of the image.  In addition, a digital camera interprets brightness far differently than does the human eye. If you’re looking at a histogram, it’s the right-most 14% of the histogram that contains 50% of the brightness levels captured by the camera.  So, when you’re setting up a shot, check your histogram and see if you have a lot of space to the right.  If you do,  you might want to think of increasing your exposure a half stop or so and taking a few more shots.  As long as the histogram isn’t stacked up to the right side – you’ve captured more data without blowing out your whites.  Just to be doubly sure you don’t blow out the whites, you can always turn on the camera’s highlight warning to alert you to any potential trouble spots.   

The other significant part of doing this is that by slightly overexposing the entire image, you will lighten up your darker areas and reduce some of the “noise”.  When you begin editing the file in Camera RAW you can put your highlights back in balance and still keep the advantage of lightening some of the darker areas with less “noise”.   I’ve tried this and the results have been a much improved image capture – with a better final image as an outcome.  You might want to play with this and see how it works for you in different situations.  Best – Bill

An Update on Security – yours that is!

In early February of this year I posted some thoughts titled “Be Careful Out There – You Could be Taken for a Terrorist!”.  It had to do with the new, heightened security measures being taken by police departments and other agencies in regards to photographers taking pictures. 

Since then it seems things have gone from bad to worse.  In a recent PD News article, “Round up the Usual Suspects” by David Walker [August, 2010, pdn - Photo District News] he gives several examples of excesses by police and the courts regarding photographers.  He points out that it’s now become much more commonplace for photographers to – not just be hassled – but to be arrested and prosecuted, have equipment confiscated and even have warrants executed to to take control of their unpublished photographs. Unfortunately, to make matters worse, most of the examples given were right here in the good old US of A. 

Now, you might might be thinking to yourself  that maybe these folks shouldn’t have been in certain areas or they were being part of a problem that they were photographing.  The examples cited in the article indicate just the opposite.  These were profesional photographers, appropriately credentialed, doing their jobs.  It seems that their “crime” was that their presence at certain times and places just wasn’t wanted by the authorities.   It’s even gone so far that New York City tried to make taking photographs on the their subway system a crime.  This was later overturned on constitutional grounds.   A similar story arose in Miami FL, where a photographer was threatened with arrest by a private security guard [backed up by one of Miam's finest police officers] for photographing a Metro Station.  Here again, potential “terrorism” was given as the reason.  This has now gone way too far - beyond regular law enforcement – to include other government officials,  companies and even private citizens who walk up to a photographer and tell them to stop taking photographs.  Police have now begun to more routinely threaten arrest or have the photographer delete their digital image files!  Now we’re not talking about a professional photographer on a shoot – we’re talking about everyday folks who are out taking pictures!  People are now taking it upon themselves to keep an eye on everybody else and to enforce the “law” as they see it.  Shades of Big Brother and 1984!

In most all cases are these threats and actions against photographers legal- NO.  However, do you feel like being arrested, going to jail, having your camera confiscated or getting into a ruckus just to prove your point?   Like most people the answer is probably no.  Yet, as the author points out, he feels the best way to overcome these absurdities is not to stop taking pictures – but to take more!  He suggests we continue to use our cameras - cell phones - and video cameras to take those pictures and make a stand for our right to do so.  I never thought of myself as a martyr, but he’s right!  A little backbone wouldn’t hurt any of us . . . me included.  Best – Bill

Editorial Photography Part Deux – a missed opportunity, or why you should always have your camera with you.

In last weeks post I showed four different examples of editorial photography.  The first three were the result of pure serendipity.  By that, I mean I just happened to come upon an image that just cried out to be recorded.  The same thing happened to me this week.  Let me tell you about it.

This past week I was driving down a McMinnville side street when a police cruiser, because it was parked the wrong way, on the opposite side of the street, caught my eye.  As I passed by I noticed, at the back of a carport, an officer was handcuffing a man.  While an interesting and unfortunate image – it wasn’t something that really struck me as an editorial image.  If you remember last weeks post, I mentioned that a good editorial image should show a dichotomy – a comparison of opposites, if you will.  However, as my gaze took in the whole scene I began to realize the potential of an fantastic editorial image that I was never going to record.  Why?  I didn’t have my camera with me.

So what made this unfortunate scene a truly great editorial image?  The really poignant part of this scene – the part that showed a true dichotomy –  involved the officers’ partner.  As my gaze left the first officer I noticed that, standing towards the front of the carport was a woman and a little girl – she was maybe 5 or 6 years old.  Here, the other officer was squatting down in front of the little girl, talking to her.  I couldn’t hear what was said as I drove by but what was very evident was that the officer cared and was trying to help this little girl deal with a situation that I’m sure was both frightening and confusing for her. 

What this scene brought home to me was the tremendous responsibility we put on our police officers.  They are there not just to enforce the law and protect the citizens –  but to also serve their community and to help – even its youngest citizens.  I’ll never know who these two officers were, but they stand out in my mind as the perfect example of  the opposite demands we make upon our police.  They are challenged “To Protect and to Serve” - something that isn’t always an easy balance to achieve.  This brief scene – that lasted less than 5 seconds – spoke volumes about these opposite demands – that dichotomy. 

I missed a tremendous opportunity but I felt strongly enough about what I saw that I wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper.  While I couldn’t record the image of that event – at least I could share it with the community at large.

There are two things that I hope you will take away from all this.  The first is in regards to the potential of finding editorial images.  After the last post you may have said to yourself  “Oh sure, like they’re that easy to come by”.  What I hope this example shows is that they are all around us, every day.  We just have to keep your eyes open and maybe – with a little luck - be at the right place at the right time.  The second thing that I hope you’ll take away from this post is to always keep your @#%$ camera with you.  I sure wish I had.  Best – Bill

Editorial Photography – an opportunity to show your opinion

Have you ever wanted to be a Crusading Editor – a firebrand  fighting injustice and righting wrongs.  As a photographer, you have the potential to do just that by using your creative, interpretive eye to create editorial images that make people think.  However, be forewarned that you’re about to embark on a very challenging aspect of photography.  It involves a lot more than just making pretty pictures – though I do believe that creating effective editorial images is truly an art in itself.  So – what does it take? 

First, do you really have to be a crusader?  I don’t think so.  I believe, however, that it does take a couple of things.  One is the ability to recognize dichotomies in our society.  What is a dichotomy?  Webster has several definitions – but the one I’m talking about here is “division of a class into two opposed subclasses” like: wealth vs. poverty; committment vs distrust; life vs. death.  It also takes a simple recognition of those things in our world that are unjust, unfair or sometimes just ridiculous.  Along with this I think you should also try to:

• Make a statement through your images.
• Evoke an emotion or strong reaction from the viewer.
• At times, use extremes to emphasize the point you’re trying to make.  Try to stay out of the “middle ground” – not too much controversy there.
• Don’t be afraid to shock the viewer.

Let’s look at a few.  I took this first image in Los Angeles several years ago.  The box stating “LA’s Best Jobs” and the homeless man sleeping in the doorway was just too stong an image to pass up.  Unfortunately, this image is just as timely today as it was then.  I actually titled this image “dichotomy”

The second image is one I used in another post about the use of light.  It was taken in the Jewish cemetery in Prague.  The way the jumbled tombstones are crowded together - with multiple burials, one on top of the other – the obvious lack of care – and the harsh light - led me to title this image “remember us”.  In my minds eye this image is a reflection of what we’re told never to forget – the holocaust.

This third image is something I just fell into at our local county courthouse.  I was walking by one of the rooms when this sign caught my eye.  Seems that there’s one thing in this county that you can’t write a check for – a wedding license.  When I asked the clerk “Why the sign?” – she said that I wouldn’t believe the number of checks written for a wedding license that bounce.  So much for committment and trust!

The fourth example of these images says a lot on several different levels – though I love it just for its shock value.  This is the one and only time that one of my images has been censored.  The gallery owner felt so strongly about it that I had to withdraw it from my gallery show.  Seems that in some conservative communities you can’t show a picture of a sign with the word “condom” on it  - much less “lust”!

I wanted to show you something a little different with this last image.  The others weren’t staged – I was just lucky enough to be there to shoot them.  This one is using my own creativity to literally create the final image.  A few years back in Oregon there was a Measure 36 up for vote that would define marriage as between only a man and a woman.  I was against it and was looking for something visually that would emphasize what I thought was the unjustness of the measure.  While walking down a hallway I noticed the drinking fountains and the thought popped into my mind of the drinking fouintains in the segregated south which were labeled “For White’s Only” or “For Colored’s Only”.  Why not take that same concept and apply it to what I viewed as a similar attempt to create a “second class” of citizens?  What you see here is the original photography followed by the final product.  I think it got the idea across very well of how I viewed Measure 36.

So, does creating edtorial images mean that sometimes you may step over that proverbial “line” people talk about.  Yes.  You may even catch a little heat over it – but the idea was never to create a milquetoast image.  By their very nature, editorial images are meant to be controversial.   The real payback is when one of your images stop the viewer in their tracks and make them reflect on – or maybe even laugh – about a subject or situation.  Go out and change the world Don Quixote!  Best – Bill

So You’re Buying a New Digital SLR – keep some money aside for the “extras”

I’ve spoken to several people lately who have decided to take the plunge and buy a more expensive SLR style digital camera.  Once the decision has been made it seems that everybody wants to buy the most camera for the money they have available.  Unfortunately, after spending anywhere from $800 to $1,800 they find out that what they’ve purchased is just the “basic bones” of what they need.  What do I mean by that?  Well, let’s look at what you also need to purchase - in addition to your camera and lens - before you leave the store.

First, you’re going to need at least one extra battery.  Nothing is worse than to be out shooting – press the shutter and nothing happens – and to look down and to see the “battery” symbol flashing.  We all know what that means – you’re battery just died on you.  While batteries have improved, digital cameras are famous for being “battery hogs”.  The most common reason for this is if you use the viewscreen on the back of the camera, rather than the viewfinder to set up your shots.  Using the viewscreen draws your battery down much faster,  Another reason why they’re “battery hogs” is when you’re shooting in very cold [30 degree or less] weather.  A battery that may have lasted you for a week of shooting in warmer weather, can be totally depleted after just a few hours when it’s very cold outside.  Whatever the reason, you don’t want to find yourself out somewhere – with the perfect picture staring you in the face – and not be able to press that shutter.  Talk about frustrating!

Just like running out of battery juice – you don’t want to find yourself running out of memory when you’re shooting.  Here though, you need to purchase at least two memory cards.  Digital SLR’s usually don’t come with much – if anything – in memory cards.  So, you’re going to have to purchase the initial card and, if you’re smart, at least one additional, backup memory card as well.  Just like the battery scenario – I can guarantee you that you’re going to be out shooting – look down and see that you’re out of memory.  What then?  Well, unless you have another memory card you have to either start erasing earlier files [not much fun] or go home.

In addition to the common sense aspects of batteries and memory cards, they’re are also some things that you MUST purchase to protect your camera and lens.  The first of these is a haze or neutral density filter that screws right on to the front of your lens.  If you have more than one lens – make sure that you have one for each lens.  Why?  You can have the best camera in world – but if you scratch or break your lens it’s all over.  A haze or neutral density filter doesn’t change the way your camera will see things – it’s just there to protect ther front glass of your lens.  I’d much rather scratch or crack the filter than the lens.  If that happens – I can pretty much guarantee you that [unless you have another lens to put on right then and there] it’s pretty much a game stopper.

Along with the lens filter I also recommend that you buy a lens hood.  That’s that funny bit of black plastic that attaches to and sticks out a couple of inches in front of your lens.  Why is this so important – you’ve already protected your lens with a filter?  There are two reasons.  The first is that the lens hood does offer a bit of an advantage is shielding the lens from direct light on it and stopping some glare.  It can make a significant difference on bright, sunny days.  The second reason is, again, one of safety.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t count the number of times I’ve had the camera swung over my shoulder – gone through a doorway, or past some obstacle - and banged the lens on the frame or whatever.  Every time, the lens hood has taken the hit and deflected the shock of the contact.

There are two other things that I think you should purchase when you get your camera.  Pro-sumer digital SLR cameras usually have a built-in flash.  They also have a “hot shoe” on the top where you can also attach a flash unit.  If you’re serious about shooting you should think about getting a flash unit that attaches to that “hot shoe”.  While built-in flashes are OK for rudimentary use – you’re going to eventually need the versatility and control that a good flash unit will offer.

The last – though not least – item you should purchase is editing software.  I’ve written before that the best bang for the buck in image editing software is Adobe Elements 8.  It’s as near to the Adobe professional CS5 that you can purchase and at only one-seventh the price.

So – what does all this mean to your pocket book?  It does add up to a few bucks.

• Extra battery – $60. – $90.
• Two memory cards – $80. – $160.
• Haze or neutral density filter – $30. – $50. [per lens]
• Lens hood – $40.
• Flash unit – $350.
• Editing software – $100.

The total for all this [without the flash] unit will run you anywhere from $310 to $440.  Add a good flash unit to the total and your looking at an additional $660. – $790. in cost.

Is it worth it?  Definitely.  While you may not purchase the flash unit or software immediatley, it’s still going to mean some extra – probably unexpected – money out of your pocket.  This is just a “heads-up” – make sure that you’re prepared for those ”extras”.  Best – Bill

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Building a Portfolio – less is often more

If you’re a professional and are out looking for work you create a resume’.  It’s what potential employers use to initially screen applicants.  A good resume’ will show your education, experience, and skills in their best light.  A well drafted resume’ will get you through that initial paper screening and on to the next step in the interview process.

That’s exactly what a portfolio is for a photographer.  Like a lot of other endeavors, the 80:20 rule applies in photography as to who gets the business.  Twenty percent of photographers are going to get 80% of the business.  To break into the market, and get some of that business, you have to be more than just another photographer.  Your work has to be – if not better – different, unique, something that will catch the decision makers eye and make them stop to take another look at it.

Sounds easy right?  Unfortunately, the answer is it’s not.  The reason why it’s not so easy is that we’re often our own worst enemy when it comes to building a portfolio.  You’ve probably been shooting for a long time and have many, many, too many images that you feel are just fantastic!  they’re all so great that you want to show them all!  Besides, why not – you’ve only got this one opportunity, so get it all out there! 

This is where you need to change your perspective to that of the person who’s going to be looking at your work.  Let me suggest some ideas for building your portfolio:

• Choose ONLY your best-of-the-best work.  Don’t put anything less in the portfolio just to increase the number of images.  If this means having only 10 images, so be it.  It’s better than showing something less than your very best.
• Along this same line of thinking - keep the number of images in your portfolio to no more than 20.  There’s a couple of reasons for this.  The first is that the viewer doesn’t have all day to look at just your work – no matter how great you think it is.  Second – and don’t be offended by this one – if you can’t show your style and/or the quality of your work in 20 images, maybe it’s not there.
• As you build your portfolio, keep in mind that there will probably be more than one.  Like a resume’, portfolios are often individualized for a specific viewer.  If you want to work for an architect, the portfolio had better include architectural shots [interios and exteriors - detail and design work].  They’re not going to be interested in your latest and best nature images.
• Sometimies the purpose of the portfolio is to showcase your unique style.  Now here is where you may well have a mixture of subject matter – as long as the defining purpose is to emphasize your style.
• There are a lot of ways to present your portfolio.  With the internet being everywhere today you might be told to submit it electonically.  While much easier and less costly, what the viewer sees will depend on the quality of their screen.  It’s not really the best way to show off your best work.  I don’t recommend this unless you have no other choice.
• You may remember the old portfolio books [with the glassene pages] that you flip through.  Again, it’s fairly easy to put together, but it also makes it too easy for the viewer to just flip through and not study your work.    
• The standard – and still most professional – format for portfolios is a black print box with individual high quality prints of your images inside.  There are certain advantages to this.  The first is that the viewer has print quality examples in their hands to see just what the image might look like when published.  An additional advantage tied to this is that certain prints look best on certain paper – you can control showing off each image in its best finished state.  There’s also a tactile advantage to having individual prints.  It gives the viewer the chance to hold, compare and sort them – to play with them.  When they get involved like this they will spend more time looking at your work – and that’s a good thing.

As you can see, it takes a lot of work to select, review and winnow down the images you need for a portfolio.  It also means that you’re going to have to be especially critical of your work – something that we all find very hard to do.  Even with all this, putting together an effective portfolio is a great way to build awareness of your photography and – who knows- potentially create new business for yourself.  Best – Bill

Using “Blur” to make everything more clear

This is going to be a longer post – but I think you’ll like learning about this editing technique.  A recent article in Digital Photo magazine - ”The Art of Selective Focus” by Tom Bol – discusses how to use selective focus  to keep a specific subject in focus – and keep the rest of the image to some degree out of focus.  The goal is to use selective focus to draw attention to the subject.  That’s why the title of this post refers to using blur to make something else more clear.  It’s a technique that I’ve used for some time – just didnt have a name for it.  Now, you may be thinking – “This is nothing new – I can change my depth of field to do this” but we’re really not talking about the same thing here.  The examples that I’ll show you in this post will help to explain. 

Many years ago a photographer might have smeared parts of his front filter with petroleum jelly to create a similar effect.  It worked, but what a mess that got all over everything and was a major pain to clean up.  Today, as the article points out, it can be achieved by using one of the larger view cameras or more easily with a 35mm tilt shift lense or the new lenses by Lensbaby .  He then goes on to discuss how he uses these to create this effect. 

A little further on in the article, he brings up the point that you may not always shoot something with this lens effect in mind.  It may be only later when you’re editing that the idea comes to you that selective focus might really work for a specific image.  Fortunately, it’s not too late.  Here is where Photoshop can save the day!  Mr. Bol then talks about how he handles it with his software.  Here are two ways I use that will create this same affect.  The first applies to all Photoshop software from Photoshop 7  up to today’s new Photoshop CS5. 

1. First, open your image and then duplicate the background layer. 
2. With the duplicate layer active, go to Filter>Blur>Gausian Blur [the article uses Lens Blur] and set it for whatever degree of blur you like.  This will take some playing around till you find the right degree of blur for your needs.  I often start with Gaussian Blur set at 10%
3. With the duplicate [blurred] layer active, click on > Add a Layer Mask.
4. Make sure that your Foreground/Background colors are set to default – black and white
5. We’re now going to paint out any blur we don’t like.  Always remember that with Layer Mask , black removes and white puts it back.
6. Take a fairly large, soft edged brush and set the flow to 50%.  As you paint over selected areas you’ll notice that the blur begins to disappear.  Paint over it again and it’s all gone. 
7. If you don’t like what you did, toggle your background color to white and just paint over the image.  The blur will return.
8. You can do this as often as you like until you get just the affect you’re looking for

The first set of images you see here show how  this technique can be used to not only emphasize the subject – but also add a mood to the image.  The picture of the father and son captures a fleeting moment in time. While it is somewhat interesting, it’s a very busy image with all the textures from the water plants and grass that pull your gaze away from the real subject of the father and son.  By using selective focus your eye is drawn to the important part of the image – with the out-of-focus portion adding a bit of a dream-like effect.

Using Layer Masks isn’t the only way to get this effect.  In my editing classes I teach with Photoshop Elements because it has a lot to offer at a very low price.  The one disadvantage is that Elements doesn’t have a true Layer Mask function.  Regardless, you can still get just about the same affect – it will just take you a little bit longer.

1. The first thing you do is to follow steps #1 and #2 just like above.
2. Now, instead of using Layer Mask go to your tools pallate and select > Eraser Tool.
3. Make it relatiavely large, with a soft edge [just like the brush mentioned above] and set the flow to 50%
4. Now, begin to erase the the blur from the image.  Each time you erase 50% will be removed.  Do it a second time and all will be gone.
5. Because you have a soft edge to the eraser, there will be a slight fade around the edges when you erase.  If you want a harder, more precise, edge – just set the hardness of the eraser tool.
6. Try it and see what you get.  Unlike the use of Layer Masks, you can’t put the blur back by painting over – but you can go to your history pallette and click back in time to remove some of the eraser’s effect and start again.
7. This takes a little longer – but the end result can be just as good.

This second set of images is a much tighter shot of a boy holding a salamander.  It was a quick shot and I didn’t think ahead about using depth of field to enhance the salamander.  By using my software to mimic selective focus I got the shot I wanted – emphasizing the salamander – but at the same time a feel for the boy’s hands tentatively in wait of a sudden move.

So, what do you think of selective focus?  If you’re like me, you probably don’t have the view camera or special lenses to get this effect, but by using your editing software it will  to give you a creative and powerful way to edit your images for more visual impact.  You won’t use this on every image you make, but knowing how to apply it will give you a tool to create greater interest in your pictures.  Best – Bill

In Photography, Light = Mood = Emotion

I think all of us have looked at certain photographs that created a feeling, an emotion, that we didn’t have before we viewed the image.  It may have been an image from the master photographer Ansel Adams, or maybe it was just a picture of a young child that pulled on your heartstrings.  Whatever image it was, we all know that  feeling of a ”difference” in us that we felt by just having seen it.

Have you ever thought about just what was it in a photographic image that created a particular emotion in you?  The first thing that comes to mind is probably the most obvious – the subject - of the image.  There are certain subjects – weddings, kids, animals, war, poverty, death, who – by their very presence – can create strong feelings in us.  The interesting thing here is that they aren’t universal.  Some folks don’t like dogs or kids.  These images don’t create any strong emotion.  More likely, at most, just disinterest.

Interestingly enough, the one thing that I believe is the most important factor in creating and imparting emotion is something that beginning photographers tend to overlook.  In addition to capturing what they think is an interesting subject, they’re usually more interested in composition – direction – movement.  While these are important to the overall image, I believe that the most important factor in creating and imparting emotion in an image is light.  By light, I mean the use of light/shadow/contrast/its direction/ and its color.  This isn’t something new in photography or art in general.  When you read about the dutch masters what is the most important element in their works – light.  When people speak of the impressioninsts, what do they always refer to – their use of light.  In photography – especially with the work of Ansel Adams.  It’s all about his use of light.  Even if you think about the word photography itself -  Photo [light] graphy [to write or draw]. To draw with light.  Throughout this post you will see several of my images that emphasize the importance of light.

First, let’s look at an image of the Jewish cemetery in Prague.  Here light doesn’t need to have color to be effective.  This image was purposely created using [and emphasizing] a very harsh, high contrast light.  By doing this you’ll notice that it also brings out textures and a more gritty feel to the image.  All of this adds to the somber mood and the emotion that this image was meant to convey. 

On the other side of the spectrum, the color of light and its properties when it is diffused through mist can also have an impact on both mood and emotion.  This image of the bay at Newkowin and the sunken forest leaves us with a chilly, almost mystical feelling for this beautiful, secluded beach.

To emphasize the importanace of light with and without color I’ve also added two of the same image, one in color and the other converted to black and white.  The black & white conversion was done without any changes to the values so you can see how important light is to each.  The light in both images comes only from the candles and a small window above the woman.  In this case shadow [the absence of light] plays as big a role in creating the contemplative mood of the scene and how that emotion is conveyed.

I put in this last image of the tulips to emphasize the importance of the direction of light.  Lighting from behind adds a vibrance – an energy to the  image that is unique.  When we view images like these our emotions become more heightened, in expectation of what will come next – even though we know that this is a still image and won’t change.  That’s the impact that back lighting can have on our emotional perception of an image

While others may disagree about the importance of light in creating a mood and conveying an emotion I believe it is the most important element.  All I ask is that when you’re out shooting, keep in mind the available light and try to use it to its greatest potential in your final image.  Best – Bill