by successfulbob | black & white, landscape photography, Lumix GX7, photography, photography education
There’s a small lurch as the wheels slowly begin to turn and the view out the window begins to change. Traveling on a train is great entertainment especially when rolling through Sycamore Canyon on board the Verde Canyon Railroad. Red rocks slide by as do glimpses of water flowing gently through the winding creek bed.
Verde Valley Railroad train. Illustrative Art setting pushed to black and white with the white balance setting.
And best yet, I get to play with more settings on my Lumix GX7 as we squeal and clatter along the rails to Perkinsville and back. The more I play with this computer, and yes it is a powerful computer in my mind, the more I like it. Didn’t realize I would enjoy the soft… or the dynamic black and white. I already know I like the in-camera panoramic stitching. (but I don’t use it on this trip because it’s hard to stitch while on a moving platform… or is it?? something I’ll have to experiment with in the future!)
The semi-abandoned train station in Perkinsville.
Because I have this time to mess about with picture settings and play the ‘Let’s see what happens if I do this’ game. I’m finding new looks that I want to program in the camera. It is becoming an another tool in my artistic arsenal to share images. I encourage you, no matter what camera you own to go in and play with the settings so you can find and learn the full capabilities at your disposal.
Pushing and playing to learn new ways to artistic expression with the Lumix camera.
by successfulbob | architectural photography, black & white, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge
I kept on walking in spite of the chill night. My black Adobe fleece wrapped tight. Hands alternating buried in the kangaroo pouch on the front trying to keep warm yet continue to have the camera at the ready. Still I walked because scenes like the ones below kept crying out to be immortalized in ones and zeros.
OK maybe a little over-dramatic but when the brain goes into creative mode you start to see beauty in the mundane things you pass every day. Photos captured with the Panasonic Lumix GX7
Light raking down from above add shadows from the peeling paint. Shadows create form and depth. From above it’s a bit like a horror show or impending doom coming your way. Any how it adds interest for me.
LUMIX G VARIO 35-100/F2.8
I liked the juxtaposition of the New Yorker sign tied together with the top of the iconic Empire State Building.
LUMIX G VARIO 35-100/F2.8
Sometime you just gotta look down and fire the camera even if you think it was a mistake. Was it??
LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
by successfulbob | architectural photography, black & white, fine art photography, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, panorama, photography
The air had a tinge of exhaust. People were hustling up and down the street like they had somewhere to go. The street was gritty with the remnants of the millions of feet hat had passed this way and that over the years.
And to a small town guy like me, it was almost sensory overload. I guess that’s why I made a lot of my images in high contrast black and white. To capture the scene yet simplify. It just felt right…. Here are a few images. Let me now what you think.
Panoramic image of fellow Lumix Luminary Suzette Allen on the deck behind Javitts Convention Center New York City made with in camera stitching.. Images on this page created with the Lumix GX7.
Almost everywhere you turn there are great combinations of beautiful lines, forms and tones when simplified to Black and White
Traffic zooming by. You can almost feel the breeze of the taxis going by. Listen… Did she yell, “TAXI !!“??
by successfulbob | architectural photography, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography - art quote, photography education
Pablo Picasso jumped out at me when I was poking through my quotes files when looking for a subject to chat about today… And note that it is being released on time and not a day late. Seems that you want your Sunday photo/art quote on Sundays.
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Pablo Picasso
Pablo brings up a very interesting point of view and I agree 100%. Now I don’t necessarily like all of Picasso’s creations, but he does make me see things in a different light. Which brings me to the idea your camera doesn’t see as your eye does. The pupil expands and contracts when viewing shadows or bright areas in a scene. It happens so fast and automatically most are not even aware of it. Why does this matter? Well our job as a photographers is to translate a three dimensional scene with luminance values that can’t fit on the paper we are printing into a two dimensional space… and make it look as our eye sees it. That’s why it’s important to know how the camera sees and be the translator.
Many photographers say, “I only shoot natural light!” or I would never put a filter on my lens, that’s cheating!” I actually remember saying similar things when I was first creating images – before I really started to understand a camera and lens’s limitations in reproducing the scene in front of me. Until you understand that supplemental light helps to tame the dynamic range of a scene or that filters were created to answer challenges of being able to ‘fit’ all the light into a finite printing space you will have difficulty creating images that share what you see.
HDR photography, when done properly, is one of the ultimate ways of taming the dynamic range of a scene. There are some images that have the ‘look’ that makes you say, “That’s an HDR.” Those aren’t the images I’m talking about. I’m talking about the images that you go, “WOW!” Because the scene is presented so realistically you can’t believe how beautiful it is.
The next time you come across a scene you believe will make a wonderful image think it through and make sure others see your vision and not just what a camera may happen to capture.
Do you see what I do? My excitement came from the juxtaposition of the four different architectural styles and nature all in one place at one time… Or do you see something else?
Panasonic Lumix GX7 Lumix G Vario 35-100 f2.8 51mm 102 35mm equivalent 1/50 sec. F13 ISO 500
Image © Bob Coates Photography
by successfulbob | Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography education, photography gear
Since I moved to the micro 4/3rds format I’ve been looking high and low for the right bag for my gear and finally found it in the form of a Think Tank Photo Bag. The one I choose is called the Mirrorless Mover 20 and is pretty close to perfect for my needs. It has a strong build with solid material and stitching. I even like the handle on the top for when the bag is not attached to my belt.
So here’s my kit these days for most outings. Lumix GX7 camera with Lumix Vario lenses of 7-14mm f4.0, 12-35mm f2.8, 35-70mm f2.8 and either a 25mm f1.4 or 45mm macro. The camera goes on my shoulder and the three other lenses and assorted gear go into the Think Tank bag on my belt. (the bag comes with a shoulder strap too if you prefer) If I’m changing lenses a lot a nice feature is the magnetic closure on the flap. When you need to really secure everything it’s time to use the zipper to close the compartment.
The bag will hold three lenses, extra SD cards, spare battery, battery charger, card reader, small flashlight and a tripod. (“A tripod you say??” Yes I do. See the ‘splainin’ at the bottom of the post) The bag also comes with its own raincoat rolled up inside in case you get caught in inclement weather conditions.
Never have I traveled so light with this range of lenses. Gotta tell you I’m one happy camper!
This is my travel kit. All gear is on the camera or in the Think Tank Photo bag.
Note the little tripod. It may not look like much but this tripod has helped to hold the camera steady in cathedrals in Europe and the woods in America. You can set this on the floor. Hold it against a wall. Put it on a chair or table. Once you think about it a bit you see it’s a great way to get support for your camera when you are traveling and need to go light sans big tripod or mono-pod.
by successfulbob | architectural photography, black & white, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography education
Having attended the PhotoPlus Expo in New York I had a chance to wander around the city making photos and seeing what my Lumix GX7 can do. The Impressive Art setting with the color balance set to black and white adds a purely graphic feel to the captured images. I’m not sure why, but it is a look that I am really enjoying. The high contrast, slight ghosting works well for me and it’s hard to replicate the out of camera look in post production. Let me know what you think…
Photographed with a single light coming down from the ceiling. One of the dancers from the Bar-Top Bandits was the model for this. The costume, the light and the art setting all work together. 1/25 sec; f/2.8; ISO 3200 LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8 lens
This was the view out my hotel window. I like all the shapes and forms from the architecture. 1/80 sec; f/2.8; ISO 200 LUMIX G VARIO 35-100/F2.8 at 35mm
In the Javitts Convention Center looking up. Very graphic! 1/500 sec; f/5.6; ISO 200 LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8 at 12mm 
Using a slightly different art setting in camera to distinguish the difference between the old and new. Brick buildings in the foreground and the Empire State Building in the background. 1/500 sec; f/5.6; ISO 200 LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8 12mm Impressive Art setting with the color WB cranked all the way up. This has a illustrative feel.
