sometimes, guy photographers like a good mental push-up that tickles the frontal cortex in a visual iphone kind of way. for inspiration, chase jarvis did his part. kevin von qualenthen pushed it one step further and came up with the idea of a “guys’ lunch mobile (iphone) photo contest.” the premise was simple: we judge each other’s work. and in the event of a tie, the waitstaff at a local lodo’s shall offer their input. nothing like a peer-to-peer review to rev up the creative juices.
we all submitted our favorite, unaltered, cell phone photo by email to be printed and then anonymously voted. the bounty? the owner of the photo with the most votes receives their photo printed on a 16 x 20 gallery wrap, courtesy of moi). eligible voters were all boys’ lunch invitees that submit a photo, and the waitstaff.
photos were printed sized 5 x 7 at target one-hour photo to level the playing field on print quality. keep in mind, less can still be more.
rules:
1. the contest was only open to all boys’ lunch invitees, present or not. boys lunch invitees that submitted a photo but not in attendance, were email the photos to submit their vote electronically. winner was announced after all eligible votes are received.
2. one email submission was allowed per person, no prints accepted.
3. all submissions were received over email.
3. image had to be taken by the photographer with a cell phone camera, and the image must be straight from camera phone…no photoshop, no iphone editing apps.
4. image could NOT be a screen grab taken from a movie file
6. you couldn’t vote if you did not submit a photo.
7. you couldn’t NOT vote for your own photo.
8. if any of the rules are broken, the violator had pick up the beer tab, and disqualified.
henceforth lies my three iphone photo possibilities, with the first being my contest entry (decided after two glasses of wine).
1. snapped at a colorado rockies game. i liked the juxtaposition between the beer holder (should have had a foaming beer in there for effect), the lights, the rails, and the lines of the grass, and the player. i liked how the lines of the grass and fence aligned with the corners of the frame… a happy mistake, i admit.
2. the squirrel was shot candid.the vertical plane with the spider-man squirrel contrasted nicely with the “normal” background.
3. digital bloom makes me curious.shot this straight into the sun just to see how the camera would meter and expose. turns out the lighting effect from the sun creates a “digital bloom” effect in house the light in recorded on the camera sensor. even high-end digital hasselblads do this, so it was no surprise that my iphone wouldn’t do the same. the image was taken from the patio of our old condo looking toward a church tower.
i’d be curious to hear read votes and reasons on YOUR favorite images & why.
fast forward a few days… the result came in and, alas, i didn’t win. te winner in between a three-way tie was determined by the waitress serving the cold, frothy beverages. i take losing graciously, and extend a “kudos” to matt walker for winning image. matt’s 16 x 20 gallery canvas wrap is on the way, as i type.
this creative exercise re-affirmed three things that has been bouncing around in my head lately:
1. the best camera is the one that is with you. a hasselblad or a nikon d3x is useless if left at home. that’s the beauty of the iphone. 2. the photographer makes the image, not the camera. keep in mind the images were judged by 5×7 at target one-hour photo, there is only a slight, slight difference at this size between a 2 megapixel camera and a 24-megapixel camera. megapixels really don’t matter.
3. creatives do well to motivate other creatives. nothing like a little peer pressure and trash-talking to up the ante in fostering the courage to create. everyone who had the courage to submit an image was a winner in my book. competitors included: andrew schaefer, chris humphreys, bryan rowe, james christianson, eric bakken, gino siller, jason grubb, matt walker, and jared wilson.
if you are interested in joining the group, give me a shout out. also, be sure to check out the group on mile high photographers.
live outside denver? reach out to our photographer friends and encourage each other to create more with less. it’ll be worth it in more ways than you can count.
while dash has been at doggie day-care, nicole has been hard at work at home in denver, i’ve been tramping about in blackfeet nation in montana on an exciting project with the blackfeet nation and the bureau of indian affairs, a stone’s throw from glacier national park. i savored by free evenings and wanted to share with you a sampling of my visual diary from the week.
east glacier, mt, is a railroad stop. i love trains.
… and i’m a sucker for antique cars, especially restored ones with hybrid energy.
the view of the best “expensive dust” hotel i’ve every stayed at, the glacier park lodge.
at 6 am, this was the view outside my hotel window. i ate a juicy peach while savoring the view. the view was better.
“take one step closer” is a paradigm of choice when shooting nature. this time, i chose my trust 14-24 f/2.8 lens to bring me that much closer to this little waterfall (about 2 inches high), near two medicine lake in glacier national park.
moonrise on two medicine lake, glacier national park.
a meadow near “many glacier” in glacier np.
waterton lakes national park is on my list to return to along with family & friends. and here i am:
yup, that’s me.
i can see where chaco got some inspiration.
sunset in waterton lakes national park, canada. i forgot my passport, so getting back into the usa took about 6 minutes longer than expected, but was rather stress free since i remember the last four digits for my social security number, how many passports i’ve had in my life, my reason of travel, and if i had a pleasant evening, (all of which were asked of me by the border security agents).
an outtake, note the mud, a slight hazard to the job.
views of vimy peak as seen from waterton park, waterton lakes national park, canada.
on the way back home from browning, i opted for the scenic route away from i-15 and savored small-town america and natural roadside attractions. some “single flash, multilple exposure” action:
100% straight out of camera (resized and sharpened for web):
my nightly reading & inspiration has come from a book called “within the frame: the journey of photographic vision” by david duchemin, a worthy purchase. if you have any questions about locations, camera settings, or additional info, leave a comment and i’ll respond with further details.
Celebrity wedding photographer, Joe Buissink, spoke at the Denver PUG meeting last night. Events like these are among the reasons we use Pictage. Joe Buissink uses pictage for his clients, which include Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey, among many others. Joe’s work is published regularly in publications like Grace Ormonde Wedding Style and InStyle Weddings. Joe is a legend in the wedding photographer world, to say the least.
During the presentation, I scribbled eight pages of notes and devoured heaps of golden-nugget information Joe shared with a packed room of 100+ Denver photographers. His talk reminded me of a favorite college class taught by a uber-cool professor, in which all I learned transcended classroom walls and applied directly to the “real-world,” the perfect balance between inspiring and informing. Here’s his stage:
Joe placed less emphasis in his presentation on “how-to” and more about the “why” of being a photographer. Kudos, kudos, Joe,… these are the type of presentation that really “stick” in my mind and don’t make me feel like I’m drinking water from a fire hose. Listed below are 10 things I took away from his session:
1. Know who you are. Looking inside is the only way to find “your style.” Joe emphasized the most important thing about photography is “who you are.” Stand out from the crowd and be different. Be you. Understanding “who we are” as a photographer has huge impact on how our images are read by others, especially clients. Every time you take a picture, you leave a piece of you in every picture. Shooting from the heart has many rewards, including happy clients and a happy self.
2. Follow your passion. This key ingredient is pivotal in avoiding burnout and making your efforts feel more like a typical 9-5 job. It shouldn’t be. Your work suffers as a result. Passion fuels our work. Joe calls himself a “full-time second shooter,” which helps to relieve much of the potential stress characteristic with weddings. Essential to this “marriage in heaven,” Joe hires, and pays well, a “primary” shooter to shoot formals, table shots, image requests by family, etc. often, guests at weddings do not even know he is the “big cheese.”
3. Play. Feelings of uncomfortableness and willingness of trying something different helps to fuel creative energy. ”Being able to play” can something as simple as trying out a different type of film technique. Some of Joe’s recent “play” work employs capturing just blacks and just whites in an image, no grey tones.
4. Prompt & create moments. Ask the bride “How are you feeling in this moment” to elicit emotion. “Works every time,” Joe says. ”Moment between moments” can reveal the essence of emotion, like the anticipation of a punchline of a joke. These moments become crystalized in time and in 20 years, such lucid memories will be remembered ‘like yesterday.’ Joe’s forthcoming book, “Wedding Photography from the Heart: Creative Techniques to Capture the Moments that Matter ” (due 10.27.09), should provide great insight on the topic. Below, Joe holds an advanced copy of the book while he talks about the cover image projected on the screen behind him.
5. Trust in your equipment. ”M” on the camera means “master” and “P” means professional, not manual and program mode. Trust in the technology of your equipment, such as metering difficult light, yet know it’s limitations. Don’t be afraid to shoot in auto WB & program mode. Just know when that “sometimes” is.
6. Nurture relationships. Continue to nurture client relationship after the wedding. Special surprises, such as a signed 8×10 print or bottle of wine goes a long way. You can’t give buy good will, only give it. Chances are it will come back.
7. Sign your work. Joe never calls himself an artist, but he signs his work. Perceived value and pride go a long way. More of a “signature-style” comes from the actual person behind the lens than the resulting image. Clients hire a photographer as a person who is a coordinator, friend, honest companion, and not just someone who create images. Client emotion remains in the photograph. Being “yourself” goes a long way into leaving a slice of “you” in the image, an ingredient in a “signature-style.”
8. Train yourself. Moments happen quickly. you have to be ready to anticipate and capture them. This is a physical, learned behavior which can be practiced sans camera. See an emotion? Gesture with your hands or say “BAAMM!” (not outloud) to reinforce the physical process of seeing the moment and reacting. When you have a camera, you’ll be that much quicker at seizing the moment in-camera. To become an expert, do this every day wherever you are.
10. Show the work you love. When clients hire you, you are free to create the work that you like, which further energizes creativity.
Joe is an inspiration to me, and meeting him was one of my 101 photo goals in 1,001 days. I remember reading a Nikon advertisement a few years ago in which he spoke about his favorite lens, the legendary Nikon 85mm f/1.4. I researched the lens, tried it out, and was hooked. The lens has been a staple lens in our gear bag and has helped to create a look which has grown to become a signature kern-photo style. The above shot was taken with a Nikon d-700, at 85mm, ISO 3200, 1/60 second, f1.4 and “pushed” in photoshop the equivalent of three extra stops. Pushing the limits of light is something Joe does masterfully. To me, the above portrait encapsulates the seriousness in which he shared his vision, art, and heart that evening.
I look forward to spending more time with Joe Bussink at Partnercon 2009. Here we are (photo by Dusty Volkel):
Tech note: ”Joe, why, oh, why did you switch from Canon to Nikon (the dark side)?” His answer (paraphrased): At the time, he was shooting the Nikon d2 and needed a system to allowed for cleaner images at higher ISOs, thus the switch. Joe still has all his own Nikon equipment, including his F3. And that 85mm f/1.4? It’s still a favorite lens in his bag.
two lucky pooches won a portrait session from a silent auction fundraiser to benefit the costa rican humanitarian foundation, an organization nicole has supported in two recent trips for her medical work. introducing molly, 11, and cider, 13, at home in denver’s city park last night:
goose (poop) fois grais tastes good.
one important concept we share with our wedding & portrait clients is the notion that one doesn’t have to smile and look at the camera to create a good photo. when it comes to kids & pets, the same is true. cider wanted to roll in the good stuff and indulge. so, we let it happen:
catch the floating treat, mid-frame, totally missed from the drop.
who says a camera lens can’t make an old dog look like a puppy again? the distortion is one of the hallmark traits of wide-angle lens, a trait that works well in making cute does even cuter without the need for reindeer antlers.
when i got home from this shoot, dash (our viszla) sniffled my leg veeeery peculiar like i had been playing with other dogs, licked my face, and then grabbed a toy, a sure sign of approval of cider & molly.
photo-geek alert: image taken with a nikon d700 and nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 af-s at f3.3, 1/2000, iso 400. this wide-angle lens/camera combo suits my style of shooting well, forcing me to take one step closer to fill the frame, an important concept i learned back when i was working for national geographic. when looking at the work of many great photojournalists, notice many get really close to subjects, especially in dangerous areas like bloody warzones and political debates. however, no real harm getting too close to a friendly pooch, other than a slobbery lens and occasional kiss.
