Stay, Negative

Looks like candy. Definitely doesn't taste like it.

Things being the way they are (i.e., I don’t own a digital camera), new negatives are kind of  a big deal to me, particularly in the winter when it’s too cold to go out shooting. So just imagine my surprise when I discovered a roll of Kodak Kodachrome 64 hidden behind a stack of books in my room. I shot this roll over the summer in Namibia but sadly discovered upon my return that nobody develops Kodachrome anymore. Think about that for a second- nobody in the entire continental US develops a Kodak film (my film days are definitely numbered.) But then I was delighted to discover that there is, alas, ONE place that still develops the film: Dwayne’s Photo in Parsons, Kansas. I forgive you, Kansas, for your backwards views on evolution. You can thank Dwayne’s.

A week and a half after shipping, I received the slides. Overall, not a great roll, but a couple of gems on there. Check it:

Shhh...giraffe in the picture.

This got me thinking about my negative books, and what gems might be hidden there. I’ve found that when I have a surplus of new negatives (like immediately after a big trip), I skip over a lots of quality pictures because I’m so excited about what I think are the real winners. So I started wading through the thousands of negatives I have and was so very pleasantly surprised at some of the images I found. Imagine this shot, just sitting quietly in a negative book in my closet:

They're little futbals!

And then there’s this one:

These are ready to hit icon status. Any day now.

So the lesson here? We’ve all got buried treasure. Get diggin’!

Posture(ing)

No, I'm not flexing. Like I would do that for 8 straight seconds.

So I’m posting this picture for two reasons. Firstly, I’ve worked my ass off and I’m in good shape and clearly I just want to show off by taking a picture that’s supposed to look candid but everyone knows is staged. Secondly, the timer went off early and the face I’m making right here perfectly encapsulates the terrible hangover I was experiencing. I felt as terrible as I looked in the picture. Good times.

Also, I’d like to point out that getting myself in focus using my super-fast 1.4 lens (which was wide open, by the way) was no easy feat. There was a tape measure involved. Let’s just leave it at that. I’ve not been writing on this blog at all, and for that I apologize. To both of my readers.

A Little “Me” Time

Bowie's in spa-a-hace...

In light of the fact that this blog is clearly a massive extension of my ego, I thought I would take time out to highlight some of the photos that have been largely ignored on my various websites but just happen to be some of my favorites. My goal is to convince you- by the end of this blog- how stupid you are and how I know more about the subjectivity of art than you do. Ready? Let’s begin…

The above shot, called (cleverly) “Lunar”, was taken on the indescribably beautiful plain of the Salar de Uyuni on the Alto Plano of Bolivia which, as you can see, somewhat resembles the moon. This is, without question, my favorite travel spot on earth. It’s probably to do with the fact that it’s absolutely hellish getting there, no matter your route or means of transport, and, thus, never mobbed with travelers. I sat on a bus for 14 hours from La Paz and- this is absolutely not hyperbole- it was the coldest I’ve ever been in my life. I’m serious. I possibly incurred irreversible nerve damage. But it was worth it. You stay in the town of Uyuni and travel the 20 or so miles out to the salt flats during the day. The exposure here is particularly tricky as the salt is blinding. But (pause while I sniff derisively), I got it. By the way: it should be required that all people sit in a tightly packed ATV and cruise across these truly vast plains while listening to The Dead Texan‘s self-titled album and staring wistfully off into the distance at least once in their lives. I mean, talk about poignancy…

I'll never forget this. *wink*

When my tour group finally rolled into Etosha National Park in Namibia, I’d had just about enough of the ruminants. I was ready for some pachydermic action. Elephants are such fascinating animals and impressive to see up close. Now, it’s well known that I do not admire nature photography (close ups of animals = kind of boring)- it really does nothing for me. So it got me thinking, “How can I approach this differently and still get compelling pictures?” And so I decided to take some long exposures of the elephants grazing (the technique of which can be found here), having no idea what the final product would look like. To further complicate things, I had to wedge the camera against the seats and windows and hold them steady in a rocking vehicle. If you know anything about long exposures, you would know that attempting them without a tripod is something of a fool’s errand. And believe me, the roll was filled with unusable shots. But this one turned out well, I think. I especially like the vignetting that occurs with long day exposures. Nice job, me.

I think this picture is worth a thousand and ONE words.

Another incredibly beautiful spot, this is the surreal Spitzkoppe in Namibia. We got here about an hour before sunset, and the light was just perfect. I slept in the open plains that night, and I can only describe it as National Geographicesque. It was like stepping into one of those documentaries. And let me give myself a bit of a shout here- the exposure was fairly tough on this. So high five to me. Noticing a trend?

More to come tomorrow. It’s late. And I’m tired.

A Very Serious Man

Stoicism: it's the new black.

Taking a self portrait (with a film camera) was way more challenging than I thought it would be. After looking in the mirror and seeing that my hair (I’m being absolutely serious here) was in the zone, I grabbed my camera and headed for the roof. Overcast skies give perfect light for black and white pictures, if you didn’t already know. But I quickly realized that getting myself in focus would be difficult, particularly since my aperture was wide open and my camera is fully manual. So I had to use a broom for a focal point and then guesstimated where I needed to be. Remember that an effective portrait needs to have the eyes in focus. And I got it done. And my hair looks fabulous. Fin.

Photoshoplifting (Or: How Much Is Too Much?)

I mean, they're oKAY...

There was, just recently, a very interesting article in October’s Outside Magazine devoted entirely to photo fakery. What made it so fascinating was not the fact that it was happening at the professional level, but, rather, the very casual attitude some of the biggest offenders were maintaining. When photographer Ed Freeman was outed for falsifying a picture for a contest, his response was absolutely unapologetic. As reported by Outside Magazine: “I’m an artist,” he told [the interviewer]. “I’m interested in creating great pictures, not documentary images. I couldn’t care less if they’re ‘real’ or not.”

I must say, that made me think quite a bit. I can’t say I’ve been in photography long enough to have a stake in it’s direction (and I certainly haven’t contributed much to it!), but if that’s the way it’s going, then count me out. It’s possible that I briefly wanted to be a professional travel or portrait photographer, but after dipping a toe in that world via classes at the International Center for Photography, I was cured of all ambition to shoot for a living. What I learned in the Fashion Photographer course was that it’s not about following your artistic totems, but instead, following the whims of the culture and styles which change seemingly daily. Personal projects are only afforded by the successful. As the prosecuting attorney at Pink’s trial said to the Hon. Worm: “This will not do.”

(A personal aside: there was a gentleman at ICP taking classes who always walked around with a Hasselblad around his neck. I mean, like, always. This is not some SLR that you could arguably walk around with all the time and honestly say you weren’t TOO uncomfortable, no- this is a heavy and cumbersome piece of (expensive) equipment. “Try harder, sir!”, I wanted to scream. It would be less obvious to wear a sandwich board saying: “I’m a photographer, and I’m serious about it! My camera is heavy and expensive, thus is my skill level greater than yours. Just give up now. If you were at all serious about photography, you’d be carrying a really nice camera around your neck. I hate you and your pictures suck.” It would be a large sandwich board.)

I belong to DeviantArt, as many others do. Some of the photos that people publish are just amazing. But a lot of them are photoshopped to death. Now, who am I to say what’s right and wrong about what you do to your pictures? But it leaves me with an overall sour taste. I can honestly say that I try to photoshop as little as possible, although a little is absolutely necessary as I scan all my negatives and they get dusty as bejesus. Take the above picture, for example. It’s a long exposure on film through a Infrared filter. That’s what the sky actually looks like on the negative. And I’m proud of that. Another I’m quite proud of:

This will be a classic some day, I'm sure of it.

This was the biggest pain in the ass to get. The camera I used is freaking ancient, and there are like 10 steps you have to go through just to shoot one exposure. But I bought this camera specifically for its ability to achieve the tilt-shift effect. So does this make me a better photographer? Absolutely not. Am I a better person than you are? Yeah, probably. Another (this is, after all, a forum for my pictures):

Tell me this doesn't look like LEGOs.

So who’s right? It’s hard to say. If you look at my gallery, it’s pretty dull compared to some of the others on there, probably resulting from my lack of photoshoppery. There aren’t many jaw-dropping images in my gallery, but there are some that might make you say “Hmm” in a non-commital manner. Regardless, I won’t give in to the photoshop hype. Mediocre or not!

And now, I’d like to bring attention to some other hard-working artists. If you like my stuff at all, you’ll love theirs’.

First up: Mike Vorrasi. He’s a hard-working photographer, but he just really loves to take pictures, even when the economy is draining the work-pool. And most important: he loves photography for the sake of it. And even though he’s better and more experienced, he loves talking to me about it and he gives me honest appraisal of my work. Very different from what you can sometimes find in the Art world.

And then there’s Diana Pappas. Skillful and talented, she’s the hardest-working photographer I know.

And then, of course, there’s Melanie McCabe, the genius who works with my brother. In the last year, she not only surpassed me in skill, she’s been steadily getting better ever since. It’s kind of annoying, but she’s so cool it’s hard for my ego to care.

Until next time!

Contestual

Nostalgia, in picture form.

I’ve entered the above photo in JPG magazine‘s Nostalgia Theme Contest, hoping to garner some more attention, since I just feed off the stuff. That, and the picture will actually be published, so… If you would so kind as to go and vote for this picture, I will pay you a thousand dollars or an equivalently valued compliment. You can vote by going here and then clicking “Yeah!”. Many thanks!

Quiet Observers Part II

Those little specks? People.

Last time I left you with some of my most insightful tricks for getting good travel photographs. And why should you listen to me? Because. That’s why. (By the way, the above photo was featured in the Editor’s Picks of the New York Times “Why We Travel” Photo Contest. The New York Times. That’s right. You can see it here.) Let’s continue:

Yes, really.

Tip #5: Be sensitive. It’s very easy to travel, but often difficult to be a good traveler. Personally, I aim to be as unobtrusive as possible, and I really make an effort to respect local custom. Just as we might be shocked by a Muslim suddenly kneeling for prayer on the streets of New York, it would be unthinkable to interrupt someone praying in their homeland. And so a healthy dose of tact is needed to capture the truly unique moments. I asked the man in the above picture if it was OK for me to take his picture while he was praying. He agreed, but I thought later about how awkward it would have been if I were to just shoot and have him round on me suddenly. I would have been sheepish. Deeply sheepish. It’s definitely best to be sensitive, even if you miss that great shot.

You should have been there...

Tip #6: Sleep when you’re dead. Shot present themselves whenever they feel like it. We have all been driving a car, eating dinner, or working when the light suddenly becomes perfect and you feel the overwhelming urge to drop what you’re doing, grab your gear and run outside. Well, you should. The above shot was taken at 2am, in freezing cold of Colonia, Uruguay. I knew I had to have the shot, and although I seriously considered going to bed, I remembered what Ben Franklin said: “Plough deep while sluggard sleep.” This roughly translates into one of my favorite sayings: I’ll sleep when I’m dead. And you will, too.

The salt flats of Uyuni. Otherworldy, for sure.

Tip #7: Embrace Mother Nature. Yeah, we get it. It’s freezing. It’s wet. It’s beyond hot. But who cares? All that really matters is that you got the picture. Nobody really wants to know about what you went through to get it, regardless of how much you think they should. If anything, you got a wonderful picture and built some character in the process. Get used to the unglamour. And always bring gloves.

More to come!

Quiet Observers Part I

I think they liked me!

I travel. A lot. And although a good photographer should probably be able to take good pictures anywhere, there’s something about the foreign experience that makes the eye sharper than it normally would be. Personally, I like to capture people in the everyday without being obtrusive. As you can see from the above picture, however, it doesn’t always work out that way. But that being said, let me (finally!) reveal my travel photo tips. And since I’ve never had any work published, you’ll really want to pay attention here.

Tri-X never lets me down.

Tip #1: Get Close. I really think good portraits are all in the approach. I have watched many a camera-laden westerner approach a local enthusiastically, only to be rebuffed. They don’t want to be someone’s entertainment any more than you yourself would want to be for someone else. So, a healthy dose of humility and respect- and often some cash- will often get you some really meaningful pictures. I then like to get in close to show the details of the face as much as I can. The eyes must always be in focus, even if the rest of the face is not. And I like a spontaneous pose. Usually, they’ll give you a very candid gaze, which, I think, is quite revealing.

Yes! Give me monastic!

Tip #2: Tell a Story. What is more intriguing than a snapshot of some strange event or odd ritual? I think it gives a photo some heft. Who knows what was going on in this picture, but it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that the mind will begin asking questions: Who are these people? Where was this taken? Why does one of them have a red robe? And so on.

What a poser.

Tip #3: The Kids Are All Right. At some point in our development into adults, we learn to hate getting our picture taken. Kids, however, love it. They must be bribed, of course, with candies or some such delight, and then they are happy to be in your pictures. I think they reflect the essence of different cultures better than adults, even if, ironically, they act like kids everywhere else.

Your guess is as good as mine.

Tip #4: Throw in a Little Gravitas. Quiet moments of dignity are hard to photograph. So when you see one- and it’s appropriate- snap away. I like this picture because who knows what the story is. Is that the grandmother? The mother? Surrogate? No se.

More to come.

Digitalk (kind of)

If you don't love this photo, there is something wrong with you.

I routinely get 200,000 to 300,000 hits a week (this is a complete lie), and yet I talk only about film and it’s applications. “But what about digital?”, the masses scream. Well, it so happens that today’s topic- long exposures in color- is directly applicable for those with digital cameras. Happy?

First, some background. Continuing from my last post, I left off at the point at which I figured out how to shoot (moderately) successful long exposures during the day on black and white film. I was getting great results. But, again, I wondered- how I could take this concept further? And then- what if I could do these shots in color? Yes, that was it. That was definitely something I had not seen done before. And once I had the idea, that was that.

So clearly, I couldn’t use the IR filter for color film, as the results would be beyond bizarre. Not my milieu. So I knew it had to be an ND filter of some sort. A Neutral Density (ND) filter is a filter that is significantly opaque to white light, and so the shutter speed must thus be increased (sometimes drastically) to compensate. If you’ve ever seen a picture of a waterfall or stream in which the water looks all silky, like here, then you’ve seen the ND in action. Because the light takes longer to get through, the rushing water creates this very smooth look. Observe:

Brooklyn...zuh!!

But, you may be saying to yourself, this is in the middle of the day and yet the water is smooth and the clouds in the sky are moving fast! Explain! Obviously, I didn’t use a standard ND filter, which will only add 1.5-2 stops to your shutter speed. I did a little research, and finally found the Hoya ND x400. This is an ND filter, but one that’s significantly more opaque than any standard filter. In fact, it is so much so that you have to compose your shot before you put the filter on the camera. So here’s what I figured out: when I paired a polarizer (I always use a polarizer, by the way- it makes the clouds and skies pop) with the ND x400, I could add an astounding 11 stops to the shutter speed- during the day! So, when shooting with Fuji Velvia 50 film, I would use my handy Sekonic light meter to find the correct (unfiltered) exposure, and then add 11 stops to it. So for example, if I metered a scene at f-5.6 at 1/250 seconds, I would simply increase exposure by 11 stops which would be 4 seconds. No need to worry about reciprocity failure (at least not with Velvia), the shots always come back perfect. In fact, it’s so accurate that I never have to bracket. Check it:

The sea was not angry that day, my friends.

So what does this have to do with digital, you may ask? Well, film and digital are similar in this particular exposure situation. If you own a nice digital and you want to attempt these types of shots, all you need is a polarizer, a ND x400 filter, a tripod, and a cable release. And a smile, of course. Get out there, be different, and try something new. As always (or from now on), I leave you with a parting shot:

Tempus fugit.

Yeah, I know some Latin.

Me Luv You, Long Exposure (B&W)

Faster than a speeding cloud!

In my last post (which was just epic), I mused on the values of night photography as a teaching tool for learning proper exposure. But I soon tired of shooting at night- too much alone time. I yearned to be back with the day people, so I began to wonder how I could take some of the concepts of nocturnal shooting and apply them to daytime situations. I liked experimental photography. I wanted to be different. But how?

Around this time, I happen to see the work of Denis Olivier, a French photographer. It’s really quite stunning and it impacted me greatly. He was doing a lot of interesting things, most notably (for me, anyway) long exposures during the day. So it could be done! I promptly wrote to him and asked how this was done. He was very tight-lipped, gave me very little information and was, overall, of very little help to me. He’s French, after all. This irked me considerably. Why would someone purposely guard their techniques? Are they afraid of competition? A diminishment of their own work, perhaps? Whatever the reason, I do not share in this attitude, and I am happy to tell people how I get some of the pictures I get.

I then wrote to the aforementioned Richard Rothman to ask about development times. I got a surprisingly terse reply from him as well. I decided that I was destined to do this all alone. And it was probably better this way, as the trial and error really shaped my understanding of the process. And so, after many, many failures, I finally got this picture:

Perseverance? Priceless.

For these shots, you obviously need some serious filterage. I’ll spare you the long trial-and-error story and just tell you, the combination I came up with was a polarizer and an Infrared filter, the Hoya R72. Don’t ask me how I figured it out, I just did. I would first meter the darkest area of the scene in which I wanted detail, and overexpose by 12-14 stops. You read that right. So if you metered a dark spot and it said 1/250 seconds at f-4, you would take three exposures: 16 seconds (+12 stops); 32 seconds (+13 stops); and 64 seconds (+14 stops). You would then have to cut development back big time to bring the highlights down to a manageable level. I settled on Kodak Microdol-X diluted at 1:3 at 75 degrees Fahrenheit for 11 minutes and 36 seconds. There- I just saved you hundreds of hours of trial and error. You’re welcome.

I leave you with two favorites:

It's exactly what I think Pillowland would look like.

and:

Yes, you're looking at New Jersey. Sorry about that.

Don’t be a technique-miser! Spread the wealth! Good day.