Peter Gowland was a glamour portrait photographer and author who left us in 2010. He was credited with creating over a thousand magazine covers ranging from Rolling Stone to Modern Photography. In addition, Peter made his own photo gear. The quote that brings him to the pages of Successful-Photographer is one that has to do with light. We often talk about ‘Painting with Light’ in photography and here are some descriptive words I feel we should think upon.
“Light is an interpretive tool in the hands of a photographer. He can make it harsh or soft, revealing or concealing, flattering or libellous. The more he knows about the versatility of light, the easier it is to cope with any picture-taking situation he encounters.”—Peter Gowland
The language of light is one That requires study. After twenty-plus years as a photographer, I’m still finding new ways to express my thoughts on lighting. As I read these words the ones that captured my attention the most were the descrptors, flattering or libellous. I’m finding that being able to think with a deeper vocabulary makes it possible, no more probable, to create lighting situations that I would like to enhance the subjects before my camera.
Maybe I’m a slow learner, but I find as I study photography, light and color more in-depth there is so much more to learn. It is why photography has held my interest and attention over all this time. I believe that I will never totally master photography. The day that I feel I know it all it will be time for the next adventure.
Lessons from a Personal Photo Project – Strawberry Lesson
“You can’t always get what you want, But if you try sometimes, you get what you need!” Rolling Stones
I am always trying new things for art, for practice or just to see if I can do it to add to my photo skill set. Yesterday I found (what I thought was) a beautiful looking strawberry and decided to see if I could create some art with it.
I was not successful in creating art.
I learned several things, so I consider the shoot a success!
Strawberry image after a little play in Adobe Photoshop to clean up some of the bruises that presented themselves as the shoot progressed.
Image created with Lumix GH4 and the 45mm Macro Elmerit Lens
I placed the light behind and camera left which created the highlight. The camera right side of the strawberry was lit with a reflection of my hand curved into a cup to wrap the light around the top of the fruit. (note the slightly warmer color because of the skin tone)
• When photographing food with a macro lens any, and I mean any imperfections will be revealed. Lesson learned for future – when photographing food, especially perishables examination of the object should be carried out with a magnifying glass. Even if you think you have the hero make sure there is plenty of other possibilities cause as the set heats up with lights the fruit will reveal more and more imperfections from picking, packaging and handling.
• In a low light situation, I learned that my hand could be used as a shaped reflector.
• Playing with the white balance on the camera and the Fiilex P100 (AKA the Brick) color adjustable LED light can lead to some very interesting different rendering of the subject.
I now have more information about photographing food in case that comes my way.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – As I was writing this post I think I may have found a way to process this strawberry into some art… Back to Photoshop for some more PLAY!
Tuesday’s on Successful-Photographer, now dedicated to the art of converting images beyond that of a photograph and converting the image in a more Painterly/Artistic direction. We’ll be taking to look at the artist/photographers who are forging their way forward in creating a new art form with photography at its base.
Thom is one of my heroes!
I have been a fan of Thom’s work ever since seeing the first image in a PPA Loan Collection Book. Thom has a fresh and unique style that is unlike any other photo/art work I have seen. Every chance I get to see Thom share his thoughts through a program I’m right down there in the front row.
Interested in seeing or hearing more from Thom? Thom Rouse lectures and teaches regularly at PPA affiliates and schools. He also holds private small group workshops around the country. Email [email protected] or through his website:thomrouse.com
Here are a few of his works of art.
Gravity’s Consent
Lilith
Symbol Tree
Andromeda
I asked Thom to share some ideas about creating art. Here are some words that are as poignant as his images.
“Art has its own DNA. We don’t create art in a vacuum; we create art based on 40.000 years of human creativity that has preceded us. The same themes and visual concepts bounce around not only decades but centuries and millennia. The more visual experience we gather from viewing art, the better informed and inspired our creations will be. Inspiration provides the fuel for our creative engines. We need to steal the color palette of one artist, the composition of another, the subject and themes from others and transmute them and make them our own. We need to take inspiration from everyone and compare ourselves to no one. We need to both meet the expectations of our viewers and simultaneously subvert them. Art works best when it’s something that you know and something you don’t know.” – Thom Rouse
Rouse’s book ‘After the Camera’ is scheduled for release on June seventh on Amazon. I’ve already ordered my copy and can’t wait until I can immerse myself in his words and imagery.
Sunday Photo/Art Quote from Sir Herkomer on Magic & Light
I’m always on the lookout for creative photography quotes & this week’s selection comes courtesy of Michael Colin Campbell. He’s a fabulous photographer and maintains an excellent photography FaceBook Group called On Photography. (check out On Photography here) Michael is a historian of photography as well, and I get great enjoyment from following his posts there. I recommend you drop by and check it out and become part of the conversation.
“It is by the management of light that we touch the true magic of our art.” Sir Hubert von Herkomer
This quote grabbed me because of its simplicity as most wonderful quotes do. It brought to mind that what we as photographers do when we do it well, is capture magic. While Herkomer is a painter, I feel many other arts inform our photography if we are open to it. When an image is created with well-executed lighting, it can bring out strong emotion in the viewer. Which leads me to the craft of what we do. Have you attempted to master your lighting skills? Do you practice and experiment pushing the boundaries of your knowledge of light? Or, are you a ‘Natural Light Photographer’?
Please don’t get me wrong. I can appreciate being able to find and see the fabulous light in any situation. But I believe we need to be able to use ‘available light’. And by that, I mean any and all lighting that is available which includes light from whatever source we can get our hands on to create the proper shadows that will make our images sing.
As if by Magic…
Here is an example of the stunning light and depth Herkomer has created.
Eventide: A Scene in the Westminster Union (workhouse), 1878
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – I’ve been at this as a pro for over twenty years. Maybe I’m a slow learner, but I’m still working on learning and experimenting with light. I don’t think I’ll ever master photography & lighting, but I sure enjoy trying!
Find Solid Lighting for Your Photography Portraits
To find a beautiful natural light for your portrait subjects I recommend looking for shadows. Shadows are the hallmark of depth and dimension in two-dimensional renditions of our subject.
First, look for porches or overhangs that will remove the overhead light. Ideally, you’ll have a bright surface like concrete or sand or bright building reflecting the overhead light into the shadowed area. This situation works well because the larger the light source, the softer the shadow edge transitions will be. There is a magical place just under the portico that will yield very flattering light patterns. One way to discover the right spot is to hold up and examine the back of your hand and examine the shadows as you move your hand through the scene. This method allows you to see how the shadow-edge transitions will play out. If you have beautiful smooth hands with no ridges and alternative is to bend the middle finger down and watch the shadow as it falls on your palm.
Fondly referred to as the reverse salute, the middle finger can show you how the shadows will look.
Once you have decided on the proper place for your subject, you then have the opportunity to set the lighting pattern by changing her angle to the light. By rotating your subject you have the ability to create the most flattering light whether that be broad light, split light or short light. Most times I will opt for short lighting as I feel that adds the most depth and interest to a portrait.
Note The light on camera right side is less wide than the shadow camera left
Note the light and shadow are just about even in this image
In this image, most of the mask of the face is lit with just a soft shadow camera left. Note the slight ‘kicker light’ on her face on the camera left side.
This particular space was a bonus in that it was more of a tunnel with an opening on the other side which added a subtle separation light which adds more dimension to the photograph.
I was photographing this session as part of a job for the Sedona Meditation Center, which is now under the guidance of Ichibuko Todd (my fabulous model!) who has relocated here from Hawaii.
Images captured with the Lumix GH4 with 35-100mm f2.8 Vario Lens. Settings ISO 200 1/400th sec. f3.5 47mm (94mm in 35mm)
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – If you want to have higher contrast with harder shadow edge transitions move your subject further away from the main light source.
Once a month I get to chat with Mike on the air. We talk about trends & new technology in photography and new camera equipment & features. This month we talk about my travels, coaching, teaching, photo/art, Panasonic Lumix cameras and more. Listen here, about 20 minutes.
Tech Talk with Mike Tabback
Mike Tabback (left) & I having a chat at the radio station live on air. Taken by traffic manager and production coordinator Josh with my Lumix FZ1000
Had an online session with Carol. We worked with Photoshop and my ‘Photo-Synthesis’ and Step & Repeat technique a couple days ago. I received this in my email inbox.
“Bob,
I just wanted to thank you for our individual class session via Hangout today. This is certainly the start that I needed to understanding how to create artistic images in many layers from one or two selected images. From the techniques for creating a clean accurate selection and the variations of that original selection, to the ability to manipulate the selection on layers with a variety of sizes, directions and overlays, was exactly what I needed.
A personalized class allowed us to proceed at a speed that fit my abilities and let me ask questions at any time. It was a wonderful way to learn so much more information than I would have gotten in a large class. Being able to schedule the session to fit our time worked out perfectly.
One on one classes are recorded live via Google Hangouts and YouTube. You & I are able to work together on project specific lessons that you choose. The recordings are available for review at any time in the future.
This came through my Facebook feed. Nothing gets me more excited than to know I have helped someone in some way. It makes teaching extremely worthwhile!
Always enjoy getting feedback from students especially when they follow through and complete a project.
This is an awesome example of follow-through. While the final project is not photography specific, creativity in any form helps us move forward and see possibilities. I’m excited for Alisa. You can see her photography work here.
I have read about the creation of coloring books for adults as a way of relieving stress. Hare’s a link to an article on what’s happening inside your brain when you color.
From Medical Daily – “Coloring used to be reserved for children and the occasional adult who got to babysit them, but recently, the activity has found a different demographic. What started as a niche hobby has now turned into an international trend, as adult coloring books find themselves on more and more bestsellers’ lists throughout the world. However, while this trend may be a fun way to pass the time, it’s the books’ therapeutic properties that really have them…” continue reading
Check out Alisa’s 70’s inspired coloring book!
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – What’s your personal project? Photography or otherwise? I have an inquiring mind!
Tuesday’s on Successful-Photographer, now dedicated to the art of converting images beyond that of a photograph and converting the image in a more Painterly/Artistic direction. We’ll be taking to look at the artist/photographers who are forging their way forward in creating a new art form with photography at its base.
Today’s artist is photographer Richard Ramsey.
I met Richard through a Mastermind group of which I was a part. I got to see him move forward and develop this technique until I recognized him as an absolute master His work is very painterly in the traditional sense and looks much more like a painting than a photograph sometimes entirely swapping out the background for a different look.
Let’s take a look at some of Ramsey’s work…
This painting was created from an IPhone capture.
A combination of two source photos was the start of this painting.
Corel’s Painter software program is Richard’s toolset of choice. He has become so good at Painter, he has taught other photographers in the past and created DVD tutorials on Painter 10. As I understand, Richard is working on a new DVD of tutorials to help get photographers on track to creating their own masterpieces. (but like many photographers he’s a bit of a procrastinator) If you want to learn how to use Painter you might check into Richard’s dvds. Richard is in a transition period where he doesn’t have a website with the DVDs on it. For now, send him an email and he will return a flyer showing the DVDs offered. [email protected]
To see more of his Painter work for clients check this website – ramseyphotography.com
As far as learning Painter on your own, Richard says, “Just be persistent and don’t get in a hurry. Creating a painting is not that complicated. When looking at any program, it can be overwhelming. Hundreds of brushes and controls to deal with but you only need to use a few to create a beautiful painting.”
If you are into learning Painter, get in there and dig around. Use the advice I give my Photoshop students, “Play, play, and play some more!!” (ed.)
So, if you are into learning Painter, get in there and dig around. Use the advice I give my Photoshop students, “Play, play, and play some more!!” I have decided, after trying a few times and taking some classes, that Painter is not for me. If you find that is the case for you but want to offer this kind of legacy product to your clients, hire Richard to make the painting for you. Here’s his email for questions about the Painting program or hiring him to paint for you. [email protected]
Notice when Richard creates his paintings the entire image is transformed. I’ve noticed during my judging that many photographers new at this leave too much photo realism in the finished piece.
Note Richard’s use of color that is carried throughout his paintings.Couldn’t resist sharing one more!
While the weather during the time I was on a family visit was less than stellar I thought I’d give you an overview of the scene from my mother-in-laws backyard. Photos of some of the wildlife from another post.
These two panoramic photos were captured with the Lumix GX8 and the Vario 12-35mm f2.8 lens. Very lucky to have this area as a playground when visiting.
View from the front. Panoramic Mode with the camera oriented vertically. Settings 1/1000 sec f4.0 ISO 800 18mm (36mm in 35mm equivalent)
View from one side. There’s a similar view on the other side with even less evidence of man in the view. Settings 1/2000 sec f4.0 ISO 800 35mm (70mm in 35mm equivalent)
The in-camera stitching on the GX8 is pretty amazing. In straightforward situations it makes a great pano. If you have highly complex subject matter like trees and/or patterns you might want to take two or three passes and check the details before moving on. If it is something very important I will make the in-camera panoramic and the I will also shoot the individual images in RAW for later stitching if I want super high quality. Many times I’ve been pleasantly surprised that I didn’t need to use the RAWs but I always like to back myself up.
Take the time to think about today’s photo/art quote…
I have noticed a lot of photographs as beautiful subjects that don’t quite make it in my book as a beautiful photograph. Why because the maker didn’t wait for a fantastic lighting situation to push the shutter. Photography is ‘painting with light’ and many today are in too much of a hurry to work a scene to it’s fullest potential.
I believe this has a lot to do with many things. Our electronic age, the instant gratification of digital cameras and the instant display of images via social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter among others.
Ansel Adams was happy if he felt he created one solid image a month and I talk to photographers who are disappointed with their work if they haven’t produced a wonderful image today… on a regular basis.
“Patience is the essence of clicking great photographs!!” Abhijeet Sawant
If you would like to create memorable images may I suggest you take a deep breath, slow down and smell the roses, so-to-speak with your image capture and your post-processing.
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.
“Light is an interpretive tool in the hands of a photographer. He can make it harsh or soft, revealing or concealing, flattering or libellous. The more he knows about the versatility of light, the easier it is to cope with any picture-taking situation he encounters.”—Peter Gowland
Rouse’s book ‘After the Camera’ is scheduled for release on June seventh on Amazon. I’ve already ordered my copy and can’t wait until I can immerse myself in his words and imagery.
