by successfulbob | landscape photography, Lumix GH4, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography education
“I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now…” Judy Collins Play this while you read the post for some ambiance…
Popcorn Cloud formation.
During monsoon season here in Arizona we get cloud formations to beat all… The three images that accompany today’s post were all photographed during one morning hike… and I probably could have gotten more cloud combinations it I tried a little harder but I was out for the exercise after all.
Wispy cloud formation.
Why cloud photos? I shoot them for the files to create artwork. The right set of clouds can make or break a scene when you are working on images as art pieces. I have a pretty large collection of cloud images that convey all kinds of emotion. Angry clouds. Popcorn clouds. Soft wispy clouds. Colorful sunset clouds. Ominous clouds. You get the idea.
Full sky of combination clouds.
You need to think about clouds quite a bit when adding them to photos. A good selection along the horizon is imperative. A bad selection screams “DROPPED IN CLOUDS!”. If you want to make sure they are believable you need to have the clouds fit the scene. The light on the clouds needs to be from the same direction as the foreground scene. Lighting needs to be correct in the scene. If you are working on a sunset scene and drop in some clouds that are firing off in oranges and magentas you will need to add some of that color to your scene as the color of the landscape will reflect the color of the light on the clouds. As you drive around study the clouds and grab photos but also study the effect of the clouds on the landscape so you can recreate a believable look.
Now if you are trying to create an image of discordance you can throw most of the information above in reverse. Just know what you are creating and that it conveys the mood you are trying to create.
Images captured with Panasonic Lumix GH4 and 12-35mm f2.8 Lumix Vario Lens.
Yours in Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | graphic design, Lumix Lounge, marketing, photography
My wife has bee driving a Prius for the last three years and while I really like the gas mileage she’s been getting (about 54 MPG) That model didn’t have enough room for hauling photo gear. Also wasn’t real pleased about the visibility with some of the blind spots created in the design of the body.
Enter the Prius V (for Versatile) and I am a happy camper. It has a much bigger body, roomier design and visibility is just about perfect with large windshield and a clear view through a large back window. The gas mileage isn’t quite as good as my honey’s car but 40-44 MPG is nothing to sneeze at either.
The new BCP photo car.
This time I opted for the magnetic signage instead of the more permanent decals. (boy was that a pain to remove!) I am often asked if I worry about marking my car as a photographer’s vehicle. I always answered no but being able to remove the signage at any time can be an answer to those who might be nervous having their car in a certain area and not wish to be advertising the fact that it may have photo gear inside. I believe the signage to be of great help in marketing my business especially as I’m in a small town. If you live in a large metropolitan area it might be less effective… Or maybe more as the possibility for more impressions is there.
Note that the graphic design of the signage is very clean and simple making it easy to read. Logo, web site and phone number. Easy ways for people to contact me… Also kept the Lumix G Changing Photography sign. A word to the wise, As you are planning your signage make sure that where you intend to hang your sign is metal. Car bumpers, and some bodies are no longer metal and other places you might have thought were metal are now molded plastic.
Yours in Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | architectural photography, black & white, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography education
Sometimes it takes more than one image to tell a story… So here are three that speak of an unusual intersection in Chicago during a photo walk at the Out of Chicago Conference…
A strong dark slight diagonal of the signal pole with signage shouts the beginning the story.
The crosswalk with with strong leading lines to a possible destination across the way… Lots of shapes and line to wander around in the image.
And the reason you might want to be sure to wait for the signal!
Images created with the Lumix GX7 and 12-35mm f2.8 Vario lens. Exposure 14mm f4 ISO 3200 1/50th sec. Camera set to Illustrative Art Mode pushed to black and white.
Think about creating stories in series with your image making… I could see these photos presented as a triptych.
Yours in Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | photographer profile, photography education
Genuine.
Warm.
Friendly to the point of knowing no strangers, only friends he has not met.
I’d like to introduce you to Levi Sim of S Designs Photography. He is a truly wonderful human being. But, I’ll let Levi tell you a bit about himself from his web page…
“I’m the Levi who is a Photographer in Lake Oswego, Oregon, previously of Logan, Utah. I’m the Levi who wears hats. I’m the Levi who makes Steve Jobs tribute portraits after the style of Albert Watson. I’m the Levi who grew up in Colorado Springs. I’m the Levi who was a park ranger, soda jerk, lab assistant, curator, adventure guide, foreign English teacher, Taiwan missionary, wood shop manager, buffalo meat company manager, wireline hand, electronics engineer, and world traveler. Did I mention I’m a photographer?”
I have attended a couple photography related events with Levi and I’m always impressed and inspired by my time with him. Here’s a photo I call Levi squared… Story to follow.
Levi Squared!
We were leading some of the Out of Chicago Conference attendees on a photo walk. Levi is the absolute best person at walking up to strangers on a street and in moments having them pose for his camera. He has such a genuine way about him that people just open up tell their stories and allow him to make their images. While on the street photographing people this man came up to Levi and said, “What’s your name?” When Levi replied he ran down the street, came back with his ID in his hand and said, “I’m Levi too! Can I hug you? Can I put my head on your shoulder?” And of course the photo tells the story… and tells you a lot about Levi.
Want to learn to get over your shyness in asking people you find interesting to pose for your camera. Take a photo walk with Levi. I’m not exactly shy around people but Levi makes me look like a wallflower! He would have people doing almost anything he asked. Many of the people who were on the photo walk said adamantly that they would never feel comfortable approaching a stranger to ask about making a photograph… and most proved themselves wrong and jumped some pretty high hurdles by making it happen.
Total stranger posing on a motorcycle, in traffic, and maneuvering his bike for the background Levi wanted to have behind him. By the time he was done the guy was inviting us to join him at dinner down the street.
Levi workin’ it…
If you ever get the chance to attend a seminar or workshop with Levi you won’t regret it. He also coaches and runs Customized Workshops and speaks at conventions. If you are in charge of photo education for your group Levi is available…
And he gives back, his words again ’cause I can’t say it better.
“Guest Speaking opportunities are also lots of fun for me and my audience. I’d be happy to speak to your school class, or Boy Scout group, or church group, or quilting circle. Call me and we’ll make an appointment–it’s a small way for me to do a little giving back.”
Levi is a photographer to follow and I hope you will give his work a look it’s definitely worth it. https://www.facebook.com/levi.sim on twitter @photolevi
Yours in Photography, Bob
PS – Waking up on my last day at the Out of Chicago Conference I found an envelope from Levi with a note about working together over the weekend… Who writes handwritten ‘Thank You’ notes anymore? That would be Levi…
by successfulbob | photography - art quote, photography education
“That’s not really photography!”
“You cheat!”
“I never crop I only show what was in the frame originally.”
“I show exactly what was captured by the camera…”
Today’s Photo/Art quote has a lot to do with vision. What does the final image look like? Does it really matter how it arrived in it’s final form? I don’t think so…
“Those doing digital manipulation of their own photos deserve the respect to be viewed for whatever their final product is – not the process.” – Julie Rodriguez Jones (more quotes from Julie)
If you follow my work you know that I am an anything goes kind of guy when creating my artwork. I use multiple layers, textures, blend modes, masks, hue saturation layers and anything else I can think of to get the vision in my head out into the world.
When working on my commercial images I have no problem creating different exposures of the same scene and blending them together with masks to give a better rendition, closer to what the eye will see in that scene, than any one single exposure might.
To those who believe that any photography is “pure photography” I wish for you to think hard about it. All thoughtful photography is art and is very subjective to the maker even if there is no ‘visible’ manipulation.
Many things factor into a photographic image. Lens choice. Choosing what to leave in – or out – of the frame at time of capture. Exposure. ISO. Format choice. Time of day. Add light? Block light? Focus. Depth of field. Black & white, sepia tone or color? High angle or low? When prepping to print – Retouching. Dodging and burning. Choice of medium to print on. The artistic choices are endless…
I don’t feel that someone who has taken an image further via digital methods should be penalized for their choice of tools. Now do some digital images not appeal to you? Maybe not. Or ‘straight’ prints not appeal to you? OK, fine… Please don’t judge how an image was created. Judge the effect the final image has on you regardless of the creation methods.
Ansel Adams is often put forth as one of the great ‘straight’ photographers. But an in-depth study of his work and understanding of how Adams manipulated his medium of film and printing will tell you that his images stand out not because of being straight with his photography but pushing the limits of the tools he had available at the time. He did special exposure and development of his film. He choose the grade of paper on which to print. He spent days manipulating the final image from a negative by dodging and burning a print until it was what he wished it to be.
In 1984 when his autobiography came out he said, “I wish I could be around in 20 years to see what people could get from my negatives via electronic means. It would not be the machine that would be responsible for the final print, but the operator of it. While the images would not necessarily look like mine I believe they would be able to get much more information from the negative than through traditional means.”
Celebrate great imagery no matter how it is created…
Yours in Photography, Bob
