When I first started photography I never put a filter on my lens cause I thought it would be ‘cheating’.
When I started using a darkroom it was to create ‘realistic’ photos.
Enter Photoshop and it was just another way to get ‘real’ photos.
Now that I’ve been photographing for thirty-plus years with twenty-plus of them as a pro I listen in wonderment as some photographers belittle newer cameras or Photoshop techniques when creating images as ‘cheating’.
All of the things mentioned here are just tools. The tools help a photographer attain his or her vision to put a final image on a receptor for show. Whether that receptor is a print or a screen doesn’t matter. It is the final image not the journey to it that matters.
Many folks trot our Ansel Adams as the quintessential ‘straight photographer’. He couldn’t have been further from it than the distance between here and the moon. The Zone System, changing exposure, development times, ISO ratings, paper grade choices, enlarger bulb choices and many more techniques went into the final images created by Adams.
Today’s quote is from Pete Turner a wonderful photographer known for his rich ‘in your face’ color images.
“I am steadily surprised that there are so many photographers that reject manipulating reality, as if that was wrong. Change reality! if you don’t find it, invent it!” Pete Turner
Turner used all the tools available to push his images to an art realm. Pushing color to it’s limits. Sharp focus? Not necessarily! Check out his work for some inspiration to be freer with your camera captures and how you see and share your world through photography.
Nowadays I don’t give a rats butt about how I get the image. Camera, Photoshop, computer are all tools I use. Working hard to share the vision that only I have.
What’s in your head that you’ve been afraid, or unable, to let the world see because you didn’t use the tools available to their full capabilities?
A couple days ago I shared some images from working with Pash Galbavy when she was doing a model posing for a life drawing class. She was posing in the Butoh style, something I had never heard of before documenting this class. See the post here.
One of the great features of the Lumix cameras that doesn’t get spoken about too often is the ability to shoot time lapse sequences. I mounted the Lumix FZ-1000 on a tripod and set it to capture an image every 30 seconds. I was looking to tell the story of the life drawing class and how this particular session of Butoh posing was done.
Pash and the artists at work in the Life Drawing Class over a couple hour period.
These images were given a quick process to control color and contrast and saved to 600 pixel jpegs. For the time lapse 94 images were used at 7 frames a second giving a 13 second film output as an H.264 codec which produces a .MOV file. They were assembled using Time Lapse Assembler a free program for MAC or PC. One thing to remember when creating a time lapse movie that a normal playback speed is using 24 frames per second. which means you often need to capture images about every 1-3 seconds over a long period of time to have a longer final film.
Pretty amazing what we get to learn as photographers…
I was asked by a model friend, Pash Galbavy, (see her site and work with other artists here) to help document a life drawing modeling session she was doing utilizing Butoh posing.
Butoh posing?? What the heck is that? And the continuing education of this photographer goes on…
Butohis a form of Japanese dance theatre that encompasses a diverse range of activities, techniques and motivations for dance, performance, or movement. Following World War II, butoh arose in 1959 through collaborations between its two key founders Hijikata Tatsumi and Ohno Kazuo. The art form is known to “resist fixity” and be difficult to define. If you’d like to learn more check Wikipedia here.
Pash Galbavy of Sedona at Elephantine in an art rendition using textures and colors photographed at the same time.
Pash wore clay and twined straw into her hair to enhance the Butoh look.
Pash is absolutely amazing as a model. She’s able to hold poses for a long period of time with no motion
yet still able to bring emotion forward.
Images were captured with the Lumix GH4 and the Lumix Vario 35-100mm f2.8 lens. ISO’s were from 1600 to 3200…
Images were then taken into Adobe Photoshop where I added layers of color textures from photos and used Blend Modes, Selections and Masks to create the final artwork. In working this way I have numerous renditions with different amounts of color. or lack thereof for each of these images. This is the technique I’ve dubbed ‘Photo-Synthesis’.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – If you are ever in the Sedona, Arizona area and need a life model who is incredibly talented make sure you see if Pash is available. She’s truly a work of art in her own right with her posing ability.
Two free education days surrounded by workshops and seminars by some wonderful photographers. I’m presenting a Keynote along with a two day workshop on my Photo-Synthesis techniques to create painterly type images from your photographs. It’s not too late to sign up…
Sedona Arts Center Photofest – including yours truly
If you are a photographer trying to sell your artwork and use Fine Art America to sell or want to sell your artwork I’ve got some information that will be extremely helpful for you if you aren’t already aware…
Fine Art America has a wonderful system that allows you to display your images in galleries, as individual pieces and even more important show what your images would look like in various treatments like framed, framed and matted, on canvas, as gallery wrap, acrylics, cards etc. You can keyword your entries and of course they have the shopping cart and fulfillment of your orders. If you were to try and build this kind of web site for yourself as a stand alone I would think it would be around $10,000 if not more. A bit out of reach for the average artist photographer. The problem is you are lumped in with over 100,000 artists selling their work. If you drive traffic to this site you are also competing with all these other artists whose pricing may be quite a bit less than yours…
My personal page on Fine Art America. Note the branding is for Bob Coates Photography not FAA.
You can have all the features available at Fine Art America in your own PERSONAL web space. Why is this important? If you drive traffic to your personal FAA web page ONLY YOUR IMAGES are available. For example, when you do a search for black and white images or use the navigation search bars on the side on my FAA site see the different results below.
Result from search on main FAA web site page. Note branding and results are from everyone on FAA.
As you can see Fine Art American now has the ability to allow you to have your own personal web space so when you drive traffic to the site it is to see your, and only your images. This takes away a problem I had with Fine Art America in the past. Here is the Admin page and the place to set up your own web site within FAA. You will still be seen on the main side with searches but people who come to this particular address where you have driven traffic will be your alone.
Look for the ‘Your Own Website’ option in your FAA Admin page.
This is your very own website. Take a look! It’s an extremely powerful promotional tool for your artwork. You’ve got all of the features of Fine Art America packed into your very own, fully-customizable website. You can login to your website here using your Fine Art America username and password.
It’s the Sedona PhotoFest May 2nd-5th hosted by the Sedona Arts Center… and I’ll be a part of the education.
First up I’ll be one of the Keynote Speakers thanks to Panasonic and the Lumix line of camera gear on Sunday May third. I’ll be sharing information on one of my favorite subjects, Photo-Synthesis, which is using multiple images to create a more artistic or painterly type final image using multiple texture layers in Adobe Photoshop.
Also on the calendar for giving presentations and workshops – Joyce Tenneson, Seth Casteel and Brad Buckman, Kelli Klymenko, Tracey Frugoli, Scott Stuhlberg. Sedona PhotoFest includes technical and artistic insights across a wide spectrum of interests including Portrait Photography, Underwater Dogs, iPhoneography, Fashion Photography and more!
The free days will be followed by my two day in-depth Photo-Synthesis workshop on May fourth and fifth where we’ll be hands-on taking photos including textures and then heading into the world of computers putting the images to use under my guidance. I’ve found this to be a great way to really start to make the Photo-Synthesis process your own. Two full days of photography and Photoshop instruction for only $250. I recommend that you are fairly proficient with your camera and have a decent grasp of Adobe’s Photoshop.
“Hi Bob,
I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your seminar this last weekend.
I thought you were a great presenter; humorous without being too flamboyant; knowledgeable; energetic; articulate with a fluid speaking style; and well prepared in your presentation. I was very impressed – which is usually hard to do. Bill came along with me, showing only a little interest, but was so excited after the first day, decided to sit in on the second day. The fact that you were able to keep him interested speaks volumes too.
Another thing that really impressed me was your ability to work with all the various levels of PS experience and juggle all the people in the group. I think everyone felt like they got something out of the workshop and everyone who needed it got some personal attention.” Sandy Miller Cookeville, TN
Interview with Frederick Van Johnson from TWiP (This Week in Photo) from the PPA
(Professional Photographers of America) International convention this past January talkin’ about photo art.
“Hello Bob,
Thanks for the resources! They will be useful.
I attended the Saturday workshop in Chattanooga. I enjoyed your slide show so much! And, I appreciated your sense of humor. Things weren’t going exactly as you would have liked during the morning session. The program just wouldn’t allow you to “step/repeat.’ You didn’t let it get you ‘rattled.’ You kept smiling! And, you know, that very thing HAS happened to all of us!
BUT…..most of all, I was delighted to know there are Professional Photographers out ‘there’ who shoot with a Panasonic Lumix Camera! Who knew? My colleagues in our camera club are primarily (make that exclusively) Nikon and/or Canon shooters! I own a Lumix G-3. I am still at the “Rookie Level.” But, I do love this camera! Take care, and thanks again,” Barb Conard
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.
Fotopro tripods are well worth checking out. You can learn about the ones I use and recommend by clicking on the Fotopro Tripods link at the top of this page. If you want to see what other tripods might fit your needs check out the Fotopro.com website. Check back with me before you buy as a Fotopro Ambassador I’m able to get you discounted pricing including complementary continental USA shipping for my followers that you won’t find through retail outlets.
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
Best embroidery ever. Give Queensboro a try, get a $20 instant credit to get started by clicking on the logo! They specialize in great quality custom logo apparel and promotional products with the best customer service.
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.
