Stop taking pictures of your kids...seriously

OK, don't actually stop taking pictures of your kids, they're only young once, just stop using them as models for class.  Get out of your comfort zone!  I know it sounds terrifying, right?  It is.  I'm not even going to try to convince you that it isn't.  I mean that's why it's called the comfort zone... because that is where we feel most comfortable.  It's different for each of us.  I prefer to shoot portraits, lit with strobes either in studio or on location.  Natural light?  Forget it.  Out of my comfort zone.  Still life...out of my comfort zone.  See the pattern?  We all do it to some degree and we need to stop if we are going to grow as photographers.

When I first started classes I had no idea what I wanted to shoot when I grow up.  And there are days where I still don't know for sure what I want to shoot.  I have, however, been exposed to so many things that I never considered 3 years ago.  One of my first classes was "Drawing - ART 1010" or something like that.  I hated it.  With a passion, I mean seriously, I use a camera for a reason.  But now, 3 years later I understand that it wasn't about becoming the next DaVinci, it was about learning something new.  In the case of that class, it was light and shadow and as a side benefit, now that I use a Wacom Intuos Tablet when editing, some of those drawing techniques really come in handy now.  The point is, I was forced out of my comfort zone and I am a better student and photographer because of it.

I have been in classes with plenty of other people that pitch a fit in the classroom... "well, I'm a nature photographer so I don't do well with people" and "I'm a natural light photographer so I don't really need to learn how to use these lights" and so on.  Guess what, those people did not do very well in those classes or assignments and it showed in their final projects.  The people that were not afraid to go out and learn something new, even do something that made them uncomfortable, without making excuses really did the best in my opinion.

Speaking of going out of comfort zones, when I took Time Based Media, I was not looking forward to it. Not one bit.  Create a 90 second video?  Storyboard it?  Work with audio?  You gotta be kidding me?  I tried my best to go into it with an open mind and I was very pleased with the results.  And it opened my eyes to a whole new world of opportunities for me.  (And yes that means I have a short film brewing in the back of my brain somewhere).

Bottom line, be open minded and get out of your comfort zone!



Athlete Profile: Eric Dasher from Mike Krogemann on Vimeo.

Inclement Weather...It is an Opportunity!

Hello every one and welcome back to another Terrific Tuesday!

Last week I was doing some on location photography for one of my classes, the day was sunny and hot and not a cloud in the sky.  About one hour into the shooting, some clouds appeared and lo and behold, it started to rain.  My first reaction was to close shop and tell my model to come back another day, to my surprise before I had the chance to say anything she said; “Lets’ take some pictures in the rain!”  I was like: “Ok, but your makeup and dress are going to be a mess”, to which she quickly replied with a “no problem”.  For the next 1 ½ hours I followed her through the park getting images of her with different backgrounds that included some great cumulus clouds, rain in front and behind her, rain splashing in the creek and pond, etc…

Don’t go wondering what is the point, it is simple; inclement weather is an opportunity, not a hindrance.

You might be thinking that you need to be prepared for it, well sometimes you need to be, but that is a quick fix.  Always have some type of protection for your camera, simple!  Some of you might also be thinking that photography is all about light, which is true, but that light don’t always have to be with a strobe, the sun, tungsten lights, continuous lights or hot shoe flash.  Sometimes the challenge might be using clouds as a filter, rain as part of the background, catch that lighting coming down, there are many different challenges to think about when dealing with inclement weather.  Let’s see some of the challenges that you might face.

1.    Your mind set might be that everything has to be sunny and bright for great images.  Your comfort zone is too comfortable to expand out of it?  Nothing wrong with that but consider that sometimes going outside of your comfort zone might improve you as a photographer.

2.    You like to plan ahead and never had a thought about planning for pictures when inclement weather is forecasted.  Well, not you can think about it and plan ahead some shooting, you don’t have to be out there, do it from your porch, window or patio.  Whatever you do, NEVER put yourself in danger around inclement weather!!!

3.    Planning a shooting that require some moody concept or theme?  Dark clouds and somber atmosphere is helpful, so besides some studio scenario, plan ahead and use the weather to set the mood.

4.    Be prepared for it.  Yes, you have a notion of what you want to shoot and how to shoot it and you have planned for your vision, however, sometimes a little change here and there can make your vision more like a revelation!

So, there you go, you see clouds coming your way why not think “I wonder what great opportunities that will bring my way!”  And above all have fun and be safe!  Want to read more about the topic, then follow this link for an article about inclement weather:

http://digital-photography-school.com/the-6-challenges-for-photographers-to-making-the-best-of-bad-weather

Take a look at the pictures in this blog, they were all taken either after a big storm or during the actual rain, let me know if you like them!

Have some comments or questions about what I have shared?  Drop me a line, we can all win by sharing our experiences and opinions.  Until then, see you around cyberspace!

Tuesday Ambassador

Who's on First?

Hi All!  Sorry this is late, my family and I are on vacation with no modern technology.  But I have something really important I want to share with you so I am getting creative.

WHO’s on First?  

     Growing up during my teenage years I used to argue with my dad about a couple things (well, probably more than a couple if I am really honest).  My mom passed away when my twin sister and I were only 13 so poor Dad was left for all the “fun” growing up stuff.  Anyway, I digress.   Dad always said we do not grow up until we are 25 (I argued with him until I was about 28 and a parent myself).  He also said a good part of life is about WHO you know, not WHAT you know.  Being a strong willed, task oriented perfectionist I adamantly refused to believe that.

     Over the years since then (25+) I have experienced truth in my dad’s comment about WHO you know being important.  In fact, I am in the midst of one of these experiences right now.  Let me explain.

     During Portfolio Exploration one of the assignments is to interview someone that uses a portfolio (preferably someone in your chosen field of photography).  At this point I was honestly still a little confused as to exactly what direction I wanted to go.  Well not so much wanted but what direction was practical.  I called a friend whose father has been in the photography business for MANY years (studio, portrait, events, etc) and through this conversation I told her that I am really interested in documentary/editorial photography and maybe photojournalism.  She told me she has a friend at the Des Moines Register that is a photojournalist.  At 11:30pm (sometimes we work odd hours) I received a forwarded text from my friend saying the PJ would be happy to talk me, his phone number and a time to call.

Sometimes it DOES matter WHO you know!

     I took my list of interview questions and within 60 seconds of the phone call he broke the “formality ice” with a joke and the rest of the conversation/interview was a ton of fun and a wealth of information.  We ended up talking about what equipment we used and he encouraged me to apply for an opening photojournalist position at the Resister and told me to keep his contact information.  WOW!

Sometimes it is WHO you know.

 

  

 And the story does not end there.  Every year the Register sponsors RAGBRAI (the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) and this year it passed through my town.  I planned to photograph the event for my own purposes and as I was photographing the oldest RABGBRAI participant (Betty turns 90 on Wednesday) I noticed someone in a Des Moines Register t-shirt doing the same.  LIGHT BULB moment!  I sent PJ a text asking if he was in town and we could meet.  He said, “Sure,” and we made arrangements.

     Not only did we meet, but for TWO HOURS, I shot photos WITH PJ! 

I saw things through the eyes of a real Photojournalist. 

We ended up on the ROOF of a BANK ......

..... and the top of the largest working windmill in the United States .....

        to get the best vantage points for street shots! 

Another thing my dad always said, “It never hurts to ask, the worst that can happen is you get told ‘No,’ and then you are no worse off than if you had never asked.”  I would add the best that can happen is they say, “Yes!”

Who’s on first?  It DOES matter!

It has been a Manic Monday…..

Monday Ambassador

Photo credits:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKP7jEIzQCFt0mnOO_UDnRwS_GwRJWl5TFnTWebjrScSKTw5XTmuQYvd0xfiVvKuMpxzY85_6RgBazxNQrwYbbR4OAvzsBZUdQEk05T0BzI8Sq2aAAkuKl0FeqNok9cVH-QwA2ly8acqs/s1600/A+%26+c.jpg

Lisa K. Morgan Photography (lisakayimages.zenfolio.com)

Lighting Class

Happy Sunday Everyone!!  I hope you enjoyed the past week. Today I wanted to talk a little about lighting. In the past I was always afraid to use studio lighting, I found it intimidating and difficult to do. Over the years I have tried and tried to figure out studio lighting. I just never seemed to be able to get it right. So when I saw what my next class was that was coming up I was really excited. The class was PH136 Lighting class.  As I went through the course outline, I looked to see who my instructor was going to be. I found out that my instructor was Reuben Njaa, so I did what we all do nowadays, I “Googled” him. What I found was someone who was amazing with painting with light, and he appeared to have so much knowledge and this really excited me. I looked over his personal website http://www.reubennjaaphotography.com/ for hours, looking at all of his amazing work.

When shooting portraits remember that there are many different types of lighting. Each will give you a different result.(Hurter)

Split Lighting – is used when the key light illuminates only half the face. It is an ideal slimming light. It can be used to narrow a wide face or nose.(Hurter)

Rembrandt Lighting - is characterized by a small, triangular highlight on the shadowed cheek of the subject. This type of lighting is dramatic.(Hurter)

Butterfly Lighting - lighting pattern that produces a symmetrical, butterfly-like shadow beneath the subject’s nose. It tends to emphasize high cheekbones and good skin.(Hurter)

Rim Lighting - is used when the subject’s head is turned 90 degrees from the camera lens. It is a dramatic style of lighting used to accent elegant features. It is used less frequently now than in the past, but it still produces a stylish portrait.(Hurter)

Loop Lighting - This is one of the more commonly used lighting setups and is ideal for people with average, oval-shaped faces.  (Hurter)

One of the things that I remember that stands out the most is one of my first interactions with him. Our first assignment we had to post a Bio, and as the comments flowed, I had told him” I want to be just as good as you are!” His reply not only surprised me but has to this day inspired me. Reuben Njaa said this” Don’t try to be as good as me, try to be better than me”.  I keep that in the back of my head each and every time I shoot.  Thanks Reuben you have been a true inspiration.

Below are a few of the photographs I took during PH136 with Reuben Njaa

 Photos by Wayne Salat

  Photos by Wayne Salat

  Photos by Wayne Salat

  Photos by Wayne Salat

 Photos by Wayne Salat

Enjoy Your Sunday and Photograph Something Everyday!

Sunday Ambassador~ Wayne

Hurter, Bill. "The Five Basic Portrait-Lighting Setups." Sekonic Control Light. Sekonic, n.d. Web. 23 Jul 2013. <http://www.sekonic.com/whatisyourspecialty/photographer/articles/the-five-basic-portrait-lighting-setups.asp&xgt;.

Pay Attention! This Is Important...

Saturday Ambassador

I like to believe that most human beings are basically decent and won’t harm you or steal from you and will treat you and your property with due respect. However, I am 43 years old and I’ve been around the block a time or two. Over the years, I’ve developed a rather cynical attitude; I’ve worked in professions, such as law enforcement and the transportation industry, that have brought me into contact with some of the less desirable aspects of the human species.

For the past thirteen years, I’ve been an OTR (over-the-road) truck driver, delivering freight across the nation via eighteen wheels. I carry the tools of the photographic trade with me in the truck, in lieu of the ubiquitous television and other normal trucker paraphernalia. My sleeper is studio, production set, digital darkroom and library. The equipment I traditionally carry includes cameras, lenses, lighting gear, sound apparatus, two laptop computers and a portable generator. The value of these items totals well over $10,000 and, as a student, I would find any of this equipment very difficult to replace. If I was injured in an accident and the vehicle towed, it is very likely that many these valuable items would simply “disappear”. Far too many people have access to such an event and not everyone is scrupulously honest.

Photographic Equipment, Deva Mayorga-Malone, 2013, HDR Composite

 

I have been on vacation for the past couple weeks, and my truck has been sitting in an unsecured tractor-trailer lot in a major metropolitan area. When I returned, I found that my truck had been ransacked and tools, CB radio, et cetera were gone. Fortunately, I had removed most of my valuables and all of my photographic paraphernalia from the vehicle, yet it is certainly vulnerable when I am working.

Door Damage 1,  Deva Mayorga-Malone, 2013, Digital Cell Phone Image

 

Though few students probably travel as much as I do, you must transport your equipment from time to time to complete assignments on-location. Here are some tips for keeping your equipment safe:

      Lock your car! I know that sounds basic, but it is vitally important even if you are in a rural area and know everyone.

 

      Don’t invite theft. Don’t leave items in the car where they are visible – place them in the trunk, cover them with a blanket, whatever it takes. This stuff is far too valuable to lose to a thief.

 

      Don’t talk about the equipment that is in your vehicle. The less people know, the safer your belongings will be.

 

      If you don’t have an alarm, get a fake: A box with a flashing red LED that sits on the dashboard is a very good deterrent. Thieves look for easy prey.

 

      Park in well-lit areas where others can see your car and don’t leave your loaded vehicle unattended for long if you can help it.

 

      If a theft occurs and you discover the scene, don’t touch anything. Let the police collect evidence before you inventory your loss.

 

      Keep your receipts and make a list of equipment serial numbers. This is how the police will track your equipment if it is stolen.

 

      Perhaps most important of all, insure your equipment. Many insurance companies will write a provision for equipment that is not business-owned on a homeowners’ or renters’ insurance policy. If you do have a photography business, you should insure your equipment as a matter of course as a prudent business owner.

 

These are the tools by which you will perform your craft as a photographer. Protect your investment!

~Saturday Ambassador

How to Photograph Your Lunch...

I must be joking right?

Yup.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't post that simply delectable five star dining experience you had, but I am saying you probably don't need to show us your favorite quiche and coffee every morning.

What should be said is this: your iPhone is a real camera.

Just like most good cameras, the photos will be good if you shoot well.

With that said let's look at some reminders that we all could use when stepping out from behind the lens, and move behind the touch-screen.

• Keep it level. It's really easy to get a crooked shot on a smartphone due to the distance between the screen and the eye, so be sure to square things up. If you want it crooked, make sure it looks intentional. 

• Get closer! There isn't much depth of field in the iPhone camera, so it's important to use what you got. If there's an object you want in focus, it needs to be within a foot or less from the camera.

• Light it up. Or darken it. Either way, just be extra aware of light sources. I sometimes end up with dim photos because I didn't realize just how little light there really is. It's easy to underestimate how sensitive the exposure is on the iPhone.

• If you use any camera app (and before you buy one) check the output resolution. Many of them are surprisingly small, some smaller than the default camera app. It's a huge letdown to realize you'll only get 5x7's of your precious photos. The same goes for post-production apps.

Oh, I almost forgot: skip the food shots today and see what else you can shoot while enjoying that fabulous quiche ;)

Happy friday guys.

With love and a cup o' tea,

-Friday

Photos by Keith Kelley, 2013

Down to the Wire!

It is a beautiful Thursday in Michigan! It is 57° instead of 97° this morning. What a difference a week can make!

What do you do when your assignment is due in six hours and you don’t understand a concept? This can even happen for seasoned students…like myself…so first thing, DON’T PANIC.

Last week I had an assignment that I totally thought I understood. I went out and shot my images for the assignment (it was creating a planar panorama in photoshop or like software), sat down to process it, and it didn’t work. There were several choices to make in the process and I tried them all, and nothing worked. Now what? Professors don’t really like calls at the last hour when assignments are due. They really do have a life outside our classrooms.

Here are some options:

·         Check Skype and see if the professor happens to be online. If so, ask your question.

·         The internet can often be a great place to find solutions. Google the exact info you need help with. Often you will find your answer or enough information to get you past the obstacle that has you stumped.

·         Call a friend. Develop relationships with other classmates so that you can call on each other in times of trouble. I have a couple fellow students that I’ve developed friendships with whom we’ve shared phone numbers, and feel comfortable enough to call at late night hours J. A lot of times two heads are better than one. You will find that your classmates track along the same class schedule as yourself, so you will be learning together for the next three or so years.

·         If you don’t get your answers through any of the previous suggestions, turn in everything you have tried with explanations of how you did things and ask what went wrong. At least you will get partial credit, AND the professor will know how to help you.

The last option is actually what I did on my planar panorama problem and I got a 90% on it. So it didn’t harm my overall grade, the professor was able to work me through the problem and now I know what to do to create planar panoramas. (By the way linear panoramas are a lot easier to create. Hmmm…I think I feel another blog coming on.)

Planar Panorama (It takes a flat surface to shoot against.)

 Linear Panorama

Do you have any other suggestions for those last-hours-before-an-assignment-is-due problems? Please share them with us.

Have a great day!

Your Thursday Student Ambassador

Auto Giga 6.2 Review. Northlight Images. 2013. 24 Jul 2013. http://www.northlight-

     images.co.uk/reviews/software/autopano-giga_2-6.html

My Top 5 Sources of Inspiration

One of the hardest things I have found as I have navigated my way through the Art Institute Online Division curriculum is constantly finding new subjects to photograph.  I love the assignments that are so specific that all I have to do is follow the instructions, but at the end of the day those aren't really satisfying.  The further along in my studies that I get, the more and more creative control I have over the shooting assignments... but where do I get ideas and inspiration from?  Well here's my Top 5 List of places I look for inspiration:

1. TV 

Breaking Bad

I am an avid binge watching TV addict.  I cut the cord to cable a couple of years back so it's nothing but Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and iTunes for this ambassador.  And as you would expect with that comes binge watching.  I noticed in the past year or so as I watch TV that pay more attention to composition, lighting, mood, etc.. in my favorite shows.  It also helps me think of new angles and types of shots that I can create for my own projects.



2. Movies

Much like TV shows, movies have been a big part of my life for many years, and again I watch movies differently now than I did a year ago.  I think both forms of media (TV/Movies) are great sources of inspiration for project ideas.


3.  Comic Books/Graphic Novels

In the same way that Hollywood has embraced the comic book world for story lines and intellectual properties, I think photographers can find inspiration in the art of comic books/graphic novels.  I think the artists in tis medium create portraits with fantastic lines and composition and it is fun to incorporate that into some of my own images.

4. Books



The Artist

Admittedly I don't read for fun nearly as much as I should anymore, but there are still many books that I have read in the past in which I was able to paint a vivid mental picture that still holds water today.

5.  Other Photographers

Were you wondering if I was going to include this one?  Of course.  Learning from those who came before you is a great way to kick-start your creative juices.  No matter what genre of Photography you are into, there is bound to be someone that you admire that shoots in the same genre.  Study their work and see how you can improve/bend it to suit your style.


What are your inspirations?  Are they the same as mine?  Leave a comment and let me know.

Works Cited

Gilligan, Vince, dir. "Pilot." Episode #101. Breaking Bad. A+E. 20 Jan. 2008. Netflix. Web. 23 July 2013. <http://netflix.com>.

Hazanavicius, Michel, dir. The Artist. Studio 37, 2011. Netflix. Web. 23 July 2013. <http://netflix.com>.

Are we going fast or slow in this course?

Hello everyone and welcome to another Terrific Tuesday!

If you started classes at about the same time I started blogging (is that a word!) then you should be in your week five or so, looking ahead toward the end of the class… so you can start all over again with the next on most of the time the next day!  People have asked me before “how do you do it?” after all I am working full time, working part time and going to school full time.  My answer is simple: stamina and perseverance!

When I first started with the classes it seemed that everything was going at such a fast pace that I felt that I had to run from day one just to catch up with the fear of being left behind.  After three years, now it feels like time has stopped moving as fast and that everything is where it is supposed to be.

By this time you might be saying: “who is he kidding, I can barely keep up with the course!”

Others might be saying: “this guy is crazy, we will never be able to perceive that classes are that slow!”

I am here to tell you that someday you will look back at this blog and say that I was right!  If you are wondering how I got where I am today, I will tell you that there are three things that helped me through the hard times in this race to the finish line, also known as graduation with a diploma.

The first one is time management, be sure that you keep track of everything that is going on in the classes you are taking and plan ahead accordingly.  If Monday is day one of the week and you have a shooting assignment due on Saturday, don’t wait until that day to start shooting, more often than not there will be some problems that need to be dealt with before you get to the shooting.  If you have a paper for another class due on the same day, start your research as soon as possible.  Also, remember that the last week is a short one and some classes have final projects that need to be turned in before the course ends.  Once you know what is going on during that week, plan your time to get everything done taking into consideration everything you learned in your previous classes.

My second area that helped me during my studies is patience.  Don’t laugh, you need to have patience to deal with everything that is thrown your way and perseverance to get everything done.

The last thing is developing a strong will and foresight of everything you are going to do in the future, that way you can plan ahead and use your time management skills accordingly.  Some classes are required in order to tackle the next ones, go into the library and see all the courses that are required for your degree.  You can actually open the information for each one of them and see the topical outlines for each class, so you can prepare yourself for what is coming your way!

That is all I got, do you agree?  Do you have any secrets that assist you throughout the studies that you might want to share with others?  Go ahead and write them down and share them here.

Until later then, I leave you with some humor to keep your spirits and your tickle bone tuned!

Have a great Tuesday!

Tuesday Ambassador.

Drat - I Missed It!

Driving home Saturday after a long, hot day of watching soccer games, I was coming up on a big corner when I noticed a lot of flashing lights in the West bound lands and I wondered what was up.  As I got closer, I slowed down a bit and saw two fire trucks spraying water, two or three police/sheriff vehicles (rural area), and a very black, very charred SUV.  There was no ambulance and no sense of urgency.  My guess is that somehow the engine blew and the SUV went up in flames.  It was not until five minutes later that I went, “DRAT!”  I had my camera with me, but I missed what could have been some good shots.

Last Fall my oldest son was slated to be the All State Running back, had a goal of rushing for 2000 yards and was just as amazing on the defensive side of the ball.  He is our #2 child out of 10, so I also had a nursing 2 month old at the time.  I had the privilege of photographing from the sidelines all the games and at halftime I would nurse the baby.  It was a pretty good arrangement. 

It was game 4, our team was kicking the opponent’s butts and my son was rocking their socks off.  A few people caught me at the beginning of halftime to chat so I did not get settled in the nurse the baby right away.  The second half started and I was sitting along the track nursing the baby, anxious to get back to the sidelines with camera in hand.  Mid-way through the third quarter, my son was suddenly down.  Way across the field so we could not see what was going on.  He had gone down with leg cramps before so we all were hoping that was it.  But there was a different feel in the air.  When the head coach and the Orthopedic Surgeon are the ones helping your son off the field, you know it is different. 

A trip to the ER and numerous x-rays revealed a an ankle that was not only broken, but would require surgery.  212 yards he had already in that game.  Nearly 1000 yards already on the season. He was being recruited by some pretty exciting D1 schools.  It was a season ending break.  And it was his senior year. 

I photograph the good the bad and the ugly, because it takes all parts to make the story.  I “assumed” by nursing the baby into the third quarter, I would only miss a few shots and we had half a season ahead then play offs and hopefully a state title (we were favored going into the season).  I missed all the action of his injury.  There was not another photo of him making a great play in his senior season.  At that time I was in “mom” mode and that was the mode I was most needed in (but I still wish I had those shots).

The only shots you miss are the ones you do not take. 

Drop me a line about a shot you might have missed or a question you have.  We are here to help any time!

It’s just another Manic Monday…..

Monday Ambassador