The AZPPA put on a wonderful event in which I was one of the presenters thanks to Panasonic and the Lumix Camera line. There were five different instructors and the participants were broken down into small groups and rotated through all the education stations. AZPPA through Bruce Roscoe and Alyanya Photography got access to a western town. They added actors ten actors in period costume and a grand time was had by all.
The ‘Shoot-out at OK Corral’ walk through town.
Not to be outdone our female actors commandeered the weapons for a photo OP of their own!
Jerry poses during my class showing Lumix camera gear and Wescott LED lighting equipment.
Old west sheriff.
I used the Lumix GH4 and 12-35mm f2.8 Lens for the top images and the 35-100mm f2.8 for the portraits. Lighting was provided by FJ Wescott. The Skylux LED lights with soft box and strip lights were used for the portrait images. Working with continuous lighting is a great way to know what you are getting. The LEDS were bright enough to work with even in their soft boxes. A little bump in ISO made them perfect for portraiture.
Here’s one of the radio shows I do monthly on KAZM Radio with Mike Taback. We’re talking teaching photography and how people learn about photography, how I teach and two new Lumix cameras GX8 and the G7.
Got a chance to work with my buddy Jack Hillman of Hillman Design Group on another shoot with Sky Ranch Lodge in Sedona, Arizona this past week and we dodged rain and wind to traverse between the eight rooms we needed to photograph for the web site and marketing.
Had a chance to work with LED lighting instead of my traditional flash units to supplement the lighting in the rooms and I like it. Because I had more powerful LED lights from FJ Wescott I was able to see the final image a bit better as I was working. Kicking a little light here and there and seeing the effect immediately was a great way to work.
This is a double queen room. The daylight balance lights made it relatively easy to balance with the light entering the room from outside the window.
Sky Ranch Lodge fireplace and table detail. Simple rooms but very neat & comfortable.
Lamp detail. I enjoy when I get the tell the story of a property in detail images like this. Over the years many properties have tried to show everything in a room in one photo and the message of how wonderful the property actually is can get lost.
The lights I was working with are Skylux LED lights that are designed for studio video work. I pushed them into location lighting for the resort I was photographing. All images were captured with my workhorse Lumix GH4 camera body. ANd the most used lens was the 12-35mm f2.8 Lumix Vario with an assist from the stunning 42.5mm f1.2 Nocticron.
Vinnie has the photo art quote to start the conversation today on Successful-Photographer…
I can’t be sure that this is what he was talking about in his quote but I will take the ball and run with it the way I read it.
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” ~Vincent van Gogh
I take this to mean that you don’t start at the top… but you have to start! Place the brush on the canvas and make the first stroke. Add another. And another. Don’t expect to wave a magic wand and immediately have a masterpiece.
Let’s bring this a little closer to home for photographers. As I coach and teach fellow photographers I often encounter a frustration from them that they aren’t being creative enough. Or things just aren’t happening fast enough. We live in a very “now’ society and often feel that success should come quickly because we have such fabulous tools to work with… There still needs to be basic practice followed by study of the attempt. Practice again. Try new techniques. Blend ideas that have come your way. Practice again. Squeeze the shutter one more time. Practice the techniques until they become second nature so vision can begin to fill some of the time formerly spent on trying to figure out the correct settings on the camera or figuring exactly out how to do exactly what you are trying to do…
I ask you this. What small thing are you working n that will allow you to head toward Great Things?
One refrain I hear from many photographers is that, ‘I’m burned out.’ or ‘I just don’t have it.’ or ‘I can’t seem to come up with anything.’
I call bullshit!
OK that’s a bit rough but I wanted to get your attention, especially if you’ve ever used any of the above phrases or any derivative thereof. Why? Because it usually means you aren’t trying. Not trying anything new. Or you are afraid to fail or even make a mistake.
To be creative means to work. To try. To fail sometimes. Often many times before even the seed of an idea can be discovered for exploration. Which brings us to today’s Photo/Art Quote from a very wise woman…
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou
So, may I make a recommendation? The next time you are feeling like you are in the dumps about creativity grab your camera and lens you haven’t used for a while and go shoot. Pick a new or ‘different for you’ subject and go shoot. Lay down on the ground for the next ten photographs while you go shoot. Give yourself a persona project and, you guessed it, go shoot.
You can’t be creative and do new things if you don’t push the envelope.
Oh did I mention… Get out there and shoot. Even when you aren’t necessarily ‘feeling it’.
For infrared conversion of my cameras I use LifePixel. Infrared allows you to put an older camera to use and opens up a new time time of day for productive image creation.
Learn Photoshop in a fun environment. Aaron Nace applies the right amount of fun with easy to understand and follow tutorials. Actions and brushes are included with lessons!
Lightning, waterdroplets, sound, time-lapse, HDR sequences, smiles and much more control for your camera!
Cameras Get Smarter -
A High Speed Smart Camera Remote
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Platypod has become a great resource for being creative in getting your camera gear easily into unusual places. As an Platypod Pro I get to work/play with the gear even before it comes out. Head over to Platypod, subscribe to the newsletter and you will get special discounts reserved only for subscribers.
