What excites you?
Have you made, or at least tried, to make an image from it?
Today’s Photo/Art quote comes from Edward Weston…
“Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual.” Edward Weston
Even more important can you make the commonplace unusual? Who knew a green pepper could look so sexy?
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
Ocotillo.
That’s not a word you hear everyday… Even if you live in the Southwest where these very interesting cactus reside. Ocotillo are long stalks that most of the year look like they are a bit worse for wear and have moved on past the living stage.
BUT, when nature’s green paint brush, AKA rain, moves through the area at the right time of year these seemingly greyish brown sticks with thorns turn green and put on a show with bright crimson blooms.
Kinda gives you hope when you see this process. And that’s where a phrase you hear even less, the name of this post, Dance of the Ocotillo. Which I think is easier to say than Dance of the Fouquieria splendens which is it’s binomial name.
My model friend Pash Galbavy said she really enjoys these plants and wanted to be photographed with them when in bloom. “Was I game to get up and hike into the wild before the sun chose to make an appearance?” “Sure,” I said. “Always up for a challenge and creating some art.”
Pash made individual dance moves around the cactus. Camera was mounted on a tripod and multiple exposures were blended together using Layers and Masks in Adobe’s Photoshop.
This is an alternate version I enjoy even more created using multiple NIK filters. Included in the mix were Pro Contrast, Glamour Glow, Sepia Toning, Edge Efx and Film Noise.
I used the Lumix GH4 with the Vario 12-35mm f2.8 lens mounted on a tripod. I wanted to capture motion on each movement but I couldn’t get the shutter speed slow enough without some extra help. Camera settings 19mm, 2 sec, f22 ISO 200 manual mode.
Getting the shutter speed this slow required the help of a 2 stop neutral density filter. I had just received a set of very inexpensive filters from Neewer because I wanted to experiment with them for water effects. The kit is less than 25 bucks and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. I just happened to throw them in my kit before this shoot… Who knew??
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – If you want to talk about someone dedicated to her art here is a photo of Pash dressed in clothing more appropriate to the per-dawn temperature!
Pash dressed for the 47 degree pre-dawn temps we were working in.
PPS – Making purchases on Amazon and through other links helps support the education on the Successful-Photographer web site… TIA.
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.
Front page from Pete’s web page of images. © Pete Turner
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?
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
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.
Search window for Black and White images http://1-bob-coates.artistwebsites.com Note branding & all images are from Bob Coates Photography
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.
Here is the text from Your Own Website.
Arizona PPA had it’s convention this past weekend. Of course it included the annual imaging competition and as usual I entered images for feedback on new work I am creating. I am always trying to create new artistic looks and it’s good to get feedback from my peers in a formal setting like imaging competition.
My results were favorable. I was awarded the Emil Eger Photographer of the Year Award, first place in the Masters Commercial, Portrait and Illustrative categories. The American Society Of Photographers award was also presented given for having the highest scoring image by an ASP member. This was the 15th time being named to the AZPPA Top Ten in 16 years.
While receiving awards is good for the ego (and sending press releases) the real value is in receiving opinions of fellow photographers to find flaws that were not apparent when working up the images. I found some things to tweak as a result of hearing the challenges between the jurors during judging…
I’ll share my entries here. Wouldn’t mind some feedback from you too…
‘Awakening’ scored 86
‘Catrina – Day of the Dead’ scored 83
‘Old World Juniper’ scored 81
‘Last Stand’ scored 83
‘Sandhill Cranes’ scored 88
‘Sarasota Polo Magazine Comps’ scored 84
I always recommend getting your images into competition for review. Remember it’s not a competition against the other photographers… It’s against yourself and the opportunity to grow your skills.
Yours in creative Photography, Bob
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!
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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.
