Warm up Photos

In my last post I mentioned a warm up photo. I would like to explain.
Whenever I start a photo shoot, whether it be in the studio, or walking through a park, it seems to take a few shots to "get in the zone". The first few shots rarely are my best.
Today I noticed I made a conscious effort to turn off the "business" side of my brain, to stop doing profit and loss calculations in my head, so the "artistic" or visual side could take over. Mind you I was distracted with the battery issue, but it was interesting in an introspective sort of way.
The right-brain left-brain descriptions seem to apply very well to me. When I am my most visually cognizant, my arithmetic skills are very poor. For me, it takes a little while to switch modes of thought. Like an athlete's warm up, I need to stretch my visual muscles.
There used to be a school of thought that during a portrait setting, you should shoot the first "roll of film" with the camera empty, to relax the subject in front of the camera. I think a part of this is also to relax the photographer. As I visually explore, I often have to get the obvious shots out of the way so I can look for the deeper meaning. Photography is very much a process. One shot leads to another approach, and another interpretation of the subject.
It has been said many times before, but that is one of the real strengths of digital photography. This warm up is free. There is no cost of film and no cost of a lost image because there is no film in the camera.
This warm up can also happen faster with digital because you can easily see the image you just took and use this as a starting point for the next image.
If I was to give advice to other photographers, I would say to shoot the same subject repeatedly, but with a different approach each time. Shoot until you have no idea how to shoot it again, then take one more...

Flamingo at a "tourist trap"

Three sets of Batteries

I went out this morning to take some photos. I got up early, grabbed my camera bag, and drove to a local park to shoot some spring flowers.
As I got out of the car in the parking lot, I realized I forgot my extra set of freshly charged batteries at home. Damn.
Oh well, I should be able to use the set in the camera. And in any case I have my emergency set in my photo-vest.
I saw a good warm up shot, so I set up my tripod, framed the shot, pressed the shutter button ....
BEEP, BEEP Dead batteries. Ok, lets put the emergency backup set in.... nothing. Double Damn...
Luckily, my camera takes AA's, the same as my flash, and for some reason, I packed a flash in case I needed some fill. Pull the batteries out, put them in the camera. They are not full, but I should be able to get a few shots out of them...
It really reminded me of the old film days. I remember times when I was down to my last sheet of 4x5 film. I really looked at every possible scene to see if it was worthy of this last exposure.
Back to my trip today, was went exploring, shooting very sparingly if at all. (sort of the antithesis of digital)
But I really wanted a good image.
I came to a pond with some skunk cabbage, but they were all kind of ordinary, no great lighting. Maybe I should just turn back... Ok, lets just look around this tree.
There, in a small pond was a solitary skunk cabbage, backlit by a shaft of sunlight through the trees. I set up the camera took a shot, and as the batteries died. As a last resort I put the first set of batteries, and now they have lots of power. Enough to let me shoot a good half dozen shots at least.
The moral of this story? Never give up. There is always an answer. If you are determined enough, you will get what you want.
Either that, or never forget your extra set of batteries.

Those we influence

I was reading TOP about a missed opportunity to travel with some amazing people. I wonder if the clown knows how much he influenced this casual acquaintance.
Today at work was the senior managers last day. I didn't really work with Maggie too much, but she really helped me at a time when I needed some direction. I am not sure if she realizes how much I appreciate her opening the door for me.
All this got me wondering how much I have influenced those around me. When I help out a customer, even the small jobs, I hope I have made someones life better, or easier in some small way.
What does this have to do with photography?
We each see the world through our own eyes. Often the small details, or even the larger picture is not noticed or appreciated by the mass population (whatever that is). Often we wear blinders, so we can focus on a task, or so we don't get overwhelmed, or even because we don't understand. We don't always see what is around us.
In my photography I try to take these blinders off. To show others what I have noticed, what I have seen, and what has struck me as noteworthy.
Some photographers show us the grand landscape, others show us where we, as human beings, need to improve. But photographers, and artists in general, wish, at maybe a subconscious level, to influence others. to have people remember who we are, and what we have to say.

All in all a very humbling day.

"New" Photos

I was out the other day and found this photo.



















I like it, but is it really my image? An unknown artist left this image under a bridge for all to see. I would like to credit him/her, but the very nature of graffiti art* is anonymous. Great artists have photographed graffiti for ages, often abstracting it. but this image is one I found, and it is making me think of photography as an art.
I have copied artwork, but for some reason, this seems more...
I found the painting above, but I also "found" this image on the same walk.



and it is just as much a recording of what I saw in front of me, but maybe because it was not created by someone else it is fair game?
so what about an image from my archives...



This is a photograph of artwork created by another person. but it is a bit more "arty". Maybe it is the Black & White treatment? But I arguably manipulated this image less than the original graffiti art. (lots of levels, curves and colour correction)
and this image I shot for a calendar...



It is again just a copy of someone else's artwork, a carved Buddha head. When does it become more than (or at least different from) the original? This last image was a studio shot with very controlled lighting, angle of view and background. Does the amount of work put into an image make it? I have some images I have put a lot of work into, that just don't cut it. I can't say I have too many images I have not put a fair bit of work into that work though...

So back to my original conundrum. Is it art? Is the original?
I have no idea, but I like it.


*by graffiti art I am separating skilled painters who wish to express themselves from vandals who just want to mark their territory.

PS. The more I look at the original graffiti, the more I think it is just a recording of a good piece of artwork, but I still think the line linking original art and copied art is quite interesting.

Time

Time....
Mike Johnson at The Online Photographer has some interesting thoughts on our busy lives.
but I gotta run now...

Try explaining technology

I am trying to keep this blog about photography and art, but sometimes I just have to share tangential info.
I read John Nack's views from adobe, and he found this video. I am sure I can sound like that too when explaining photography, or graphic design.
I think one of the skills of the really talented is to be able to see through this kind of talk when someone else is trying to justify themselves.
I am working with Linguacard on their up and coming product, and one of the subcontractors is, shall we say, reluctant to fulfil his end of a contract. He tends to try the technospeak to get himself out of his corner. I don't buy it...
Too bad, as I know these cards are going to be a hit. And it has been a real challenge to learn how to lay out multiple languages...

PS...

Oh, and if you want to get me a birthday present...

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my birthday. WooHoo...
Actually, once you turn 21 (which happened to me a little while ago - cough - ) birthdays dont matter as much. But I am sure I will still have a whale of a time. (sorry, I thought it was a cool site, so I had to figure a way to link to it...)

You may not know that I have been playing with linux for a while, specifically Ubuntu for my desktop, and SME for my server. While I really like a lot of things about the way linux works, such as multiple desktops, NO VIRUSES, etc. I have not been able to find a way to edit photos. I just can't seem to get my head around the Gimp, and every other program I tried seems worse, or at least limiting.

While reading some photo websites, I came across Lightzone. This program really seems to have promise. and to make things even better, there is a free linux version. But the windows/mac version is very reasonable too.

I have just started working with this program, but I will give my thoughts as soon as I have any...

Ok, enough with the bad jokes already, yesterday was April Fools day...