When serendipity strikes you grab it and run. Sometimes the things you don't plan for work out pretty well if you remain open to the possibilities. Briana in the leaves on Flickr

When serendipity strikes you grab it and run. Sometimes the things you don't plan for work out pretty well if you remain open to the possibilities. Briana in the leaves on Flickr
Originally uploaded by Wizwow

I love my job. But then I think I have mentioned that before.

Robert Wright on Making Pictures

Read this. It is simply a great post.

robertwrightphoto.com: "I think the corollary is that you make projects out of pictures, not out of ideas. In other words, it is the pictures first. It seems to me that that is essential, the pictures should tell you what you are doing. Ok, you do have to have an idea of where to show up. Or what to show up for. But none of that is going to create good work on it’s own, in this case, “showing up” is not enough. Perhaps showing up long enough to find out what it is you are really doing is another way to look at it:"

Oscar Peterson: We will miss you.

"There Will never Be Another You"
No, there wont. Oscar Peterson's mark on history, America, Jazz and Jazz piano are unmistakable and deep. So on this day of quiet reflection, take a moment to listen to an icon with imagination, wit and style.

Sunday Concert for a busy, busy Sunday (2)

A Photo Editor wishes you a Merry Christmas...

And does a bang up job of cementing where his/her heart lies. I offer without comment:

A Photo Editor - National Magazine Photo Editor: "In the holiday spirit I have a prediction to make about photography in the future. Magazines and Newspapers can squeeze the life out of their contributors all they want, but mark my words from the soon to be smoldering crater of the publishing industry will rise all the original content creators (not the content packagers? doh!) and photographers will prove once and for all, that they are superior, to all other means of communication. Is there any doubt that photography has always trumped words for immediacy and video for introspection? Because, as much as I want to blather on about this and that and the other thing, drowning in the gray space or leaning inches from my screen to stare at a tiny video box with a crappy jumpy picture of some shit-bag getting hit in the nutz with a skateboard what really gets me cranked is amazing photographs that sing off the screen. I think computers were made for photography (editors always bemoan photos printed in the magazine never look as good as they did on the screen) and blogs without photographs suck and those sucky blogs that are currently making money will be trumped by blogs with photographs and those blogs will be trumped by blogs with killer photographs and so forth."

Please read the whole thing.

Shooting Cheyenne

Special thanks to Patrick who video taped in between assisting me, and of course to the lovely Cheyenne for being so fun to work with. It ain't a movie, it is just a fun little video of me, uh, working. Heh.

Damn that Video

One of the reasons I carry my Flip everywhere is that it can allow me to video tape in an instant those things that I want to preserve. A location, or cool lighting setup, or the models just hanging and being silly.

There is another reason too. To catch people doing things and then lying about them later. Like this piece today.

Look... and get this straight... I don't care if you like or not Fred Thompson, the piece as written is a lie. It is at least a gross distortion of what really happened. And that in journalism is a lie. Video should be in your pocket too. When security guards start fkn with you or you see something going on that shouldn't be. I love my little pocket video Flip.

But at the end of the day, a journalist who lies to you is more of a problem than a store clerk lying to you. They ask for our trust, no... they actually demand it, and then they lie.

Roger Simon is a liar. Remember that every time you read an article by him. Every time. Liar. And if you think it is because I am sticking up for Thompson, you missed the point. Stand up for the truth.

Or welcome lies and distortions into your life and read this hack Simon. You will have fun trying to figure out if he has lied to you or told you what really happened. As far as I am concerned, that speculating is over.

Riehl World View: What Is Roger Simon's Problem?: "Journalist Roger Simon wrote a scathing article about Fred Thompson today at The Politico. Thanks to CBS, we have some video from the same day. Compare the text from the story below describing the scene I've uploaded to You Tube."

Leica M8 - Sweeet

I have always loved the way certain cameras felt in my hands. I think they change the shot. I left square format a long time ago and went to the 6x7 preferring the vertical and horizontal image. It was almost instantly that I desired the square again. Not because of the mechanics, but how the square makes me think about an image differently. I have lots of landscape cameras, so having a square made me look at the edges differently.

I think, and preach, that it is a great creativity booster to grab another camera and go make images with it. Make images you don't usually make with a format you don't usually shoot. It is fun and it is stimulating. I do like stepping back and working with a slower acting image machine. Like my RB's, or view cameras.

Leica M8 Revisited: "On all the forums everybody is busting each other’s b***’s trying to prove their Mark 7 dslr is just as good as the L-99 digital back, or vice versa.

That’s fine for camera salesman and camera reps who have an honest agenda to move product, but my goal is not to sell cameras, it’s photography.

There is a difference in how a camera or a camera/back allows you to work and they all have their place, though how we feel about our tools is just as important as how we interact with a subject.

Digital has changed the way we work and the expense of the systems has changed the way we invest in our cameras. It seems everyone wants a do it all system, probably because Canon came out so good, so fast with a digital camera and in so many ways the Canons and the New Nikons cover a lot of territory. You can see medium format going the same way. Some of this is good, but nothing is better than options."

Passion and Photography

Robert picks up from APE, and it is really one great thread.

I have experienced a real rebirth of interest in art photography as of late. I spent so much time in the treacherous, but tedious realm of commercial, that I had lost the edge I had when I started. I played it safe, made the images the client wanted and would move on to the next image. I had the craft, and I had the vision, but I lacked the heart after nearly 4 decades.

I am getting that back now though. Really loving it.

Problem is the collaboration, stimulation really, that is lacking on the ubiquitous computer. Flickr doesn't help. Posting a photograph there gets some "Hey,that's cool," to "she's hottttt," to an occasional comment from someone who obviously has no idea what you are trying to do because they haven't seen your work in context. (In fairness, I do have some wonderful commentors who keep the discussion lively, pro or con.) But the heart isn't in it. Photo.net people are just too off the wall for me. The bitter anger that passes for passion on that forum is beyond my capacity for tolerating morons.

I would love to do what Robert recalls in his early days with group editing and the defending of an image, or even the creation of a defense of an image. To discuss photography is exciting, remarkable, extraordinary. Images are that powerful. But they are also easy to do, and the fact that everyone has the ability to take a picture - even with their phone - has made too many lazy.

Intellectual laziness leads to stunted growth, a loss of passion and no simple way to define anything. Weston's daybooks were so fascinating to me that I read them time and time again. Szarkowski's book should be required reading. No, you don't have to agree with him, but you need to hear what he has to say so you know whether or not you agree. That means taking the time to learn the craft, and the heart of photography.

Anyone can push a button. It takes no decision making skills. Just hold it up and 'snap.' But the heart of photography is what the snap is of. Why that image? Why that light? Why that angle? Why that time of day? Why that film. Why b&w, why not color? Why?

Every one of those and dozens more can be asked. Can they be answered by someone who doesn't have their heart in the game? Their passion? Passion is the reason for photography. It is the thing that drives people to spend a lifetime to capture a few minutes of their life in a still image. Passion is what makes us say in effect... "Hey, look and see what I saw." Passion is what makes so many keep doing it long after the money stops coming in or age slows the process. Passion.

robertwrightphoto.com: "So you really want old-timey, read the Daybooks of Edward Weston! He bitterly complains about the retouching he has to do to make the old rich hags happy with their portrait commissions, and gleefully talks about the drunken debauchery he gets into with Tina Modotti and Manuel Alvarez Bravo. You get the feeling he is a bit of louche and prig at the same time, he doesn’t seem too too concerned he left his wife and four children back in Glendale."

Heh...

No Comment.

Old Guys Rule© || Official Website || T-Shirts for The Old Guys || Old Guys Rule T-Shirts ||: "There comes a time in your life when comfort meets substance. When all your hard work seems to have paid dividends, and the world is at your command. All the things you hoped you could do someday, you're doing. The toils of youth are now your experiences... no longer the student, but the teacher."

Ahh, Dan... We'll miss you.

I never knew how he did it. Wrote the songs of my life. Our lives really. But he did.

I met him in a steakhouse in Eugene a lifetime ago. We spent a few hours looking for girls and drinkin'. Mostly drinkin' He was hidin' out from the world and I was looking for a reason to care about the world. I don't know if I found what I was looking for, but hanging with Dan for a few hours, and hearing about being on the road and such... wow. That was cool.

A few years later he was famous and I was still on the hunt. I never saw him again.

He is free now... RIP, Dan. You brought so much joy to so many people who loved your music, wit and laughter.

Disheartening, but it could represent quite a possiblity as well

I love my online apps, can't wait for even more.

Majority Of Americans On Google Docs: “What You Talkin Bout Willis?”: "A new survey by NPD has found that the 73% of Americans have never heard of Google Docs and other online office applications, but perhaps worst still only 0.5% of respondents have abandoned desktop office applications for an online alternative. 94% of Americans have never tried a web based productivity suite."

A Photo Editor asks - "Are You A Dick?"

Well, the APE is blunt. And right in so many ways. Oh man, I like this post.

A Photo Editor - Copyright And Photography On The Internet: "Dude, are you drunk? Content is king. People who steal work to mash it up and don’t attribute or pay their sources are dicks."

Sunday Concert for a busy, busy Sunday

Sunday MUsic:
Scouting locations this morning, then back with enough time to shoot a choir downtown, then a shoot with ice skaters and finish the day processing images for a shoot I did Thursday. On Sunday.
Sheesh...

But I have been feeling, well...


Gladys... oh Gladys, what a voice.



And 20 years earlier...



Johny Mathis and Gladys... (Gawd I wanted to be a Pip...)

Well, this is kinda cool.

Or you could simply click this and see them a bit bigger.
Just create a set at Flickr and you have your own mini portfolio.
That is cool, don't you think?

Mesmerizing.

This set of photos, and indeed all of her work, is quite captivating. I have no idea if she is fine art only or mixing in a little commercial, but wow. Simply mesmerizing images.

The little book that could : Heatherington Publishes

I am looking forward to this book. Andrew's work, his attitude about photography, life, art... all make me like the guy. Oh, yeah, I like his pictures too. A lot.

I make his blog a read every time I see a post. Even the ones about all the cool things going on in NY, all the while reminding me of where I live. Oh, well, it's still fun to read and feel a part of. If you aren't familiar with Andrew's work, you should check it all out.

And to the folks who tell me they are too busy to put their book together and finally get it published... bah. This guy is really busy and he got his done.

whats the jackanory ?: The little book that could . . . .:
"So over the summer, for the first time since I started I began to assemble the pictures and I have to say I was quite pleased with the results of all my endeavours. Now time to try and figure out what I was going to do with them. As with anything like this there are a number of usage factors to consider. I want an end result I can use as a promotional piece for existing and potential clients foremost, maybe this has some fine art implications, how can I market it and myself for maximum impact. So I decided to self publish a book, greatly helped of course by the advances in desk top publishing since the ibook came on the scene. I do not have the resources to go and do my own proper print run and to be honest I didn't want to have a finished non adjustable piece after all this is a living project that is still going and being constantly added to. I thought I was done but seeing all the work together I have decided to keep on going to see where all this ends up. So instead I opted to use Blurb to print the book and although there are sacrifices to be made in terms of quality the fact that this book will literally be growing and can grow intrigued me."

Albert Oviedo: Photographer

Another wonderful set of images. I like his work on so many levels. Lighting, classic composition and a wonderful use of directness. The people work is right at you, putting you in the scene and yet making the image feel somehow more special with warm light, or wrapping highlights. Take a look, I'm sure you will like what y0u see. Web site (alas it is all Flash...) jumps right to it with images and a small bio page. Very easy to see everything and it is well presented. Albert Oviedo.

Feelin' a Little Down?

Here you go. Sometimes we all seem to dwell on the little things that get in the way. Imagine if you were a ballet dancer who lost an arm... or a leg. Imagine that you had wanted to dance your whole life and now... a missing limb.

You could easily just curl up and quit. Or get a job as an accountant... or something other than what you dreamed you wanted to do.

Or...


YOU COULD JUST DO IT.

Need a Great Little Travel PC?

For under $300? These are becoming all the rage, you know. Like shooting million dollar campaigns on $400 P&S cameras. They are quite powerful, and with all the available online apps (google, zoho and more) what else could you ask for.

Everex - The Alternative PC: "Zonbu: The Green, Hassle-Free Notebook Surf, shop, burn music, trade stocks, write letters, crop photos, calculate profits, watch videos or talk to friends. Zonbu comes with all the software you need to work hard and play harder. There's nothing to buy, configure or troubleshoot - the world-class OS and 20 open source applications come installed and ready to go. When the latest application upgrade is released, have it automatically and transparently installed, keeping you up-to-date, without lifting a finger."

Well, maybe one of these for in your bag.

Get the power of a full-sized laptop in the ultra-compact ASUS Eee PC 4G, which offers a full QWERTY keyboard, 7-inch screen, and preinstalled Linux operating system. (This laptop is also compatible with the Microsoft Windows XP operating system.) You'll be able to stay connected to email and the Internet easily thanks to the Wi-Fi LAN (802.11b/g), and communicate via video chat and VoIP with the Webcam integrated into the display's bezel. Because it uses flash memory instead of a hard drive (with 4 GB of storage), the Eee PC is optimal for weathering rough handling and sharing space in overstuffed bags.

T-Bone . . . . Big pimpin

I guess if you know who Terry Richardson is, this is cool. I just wonder if he has really reached the point where the folks who would be the target of this campaign would know. And if you know who he is, would you get the insider's. Flannel, P&S camera?

Oh well, I guess the people in charge have done enough research to make sure that it will fly. They did do that research... didn't they?

whats the jackanory ?: T-Bone . . . . Big pimpin:
"...he has added his signature to the print campaign and then also brought himself, a trademark flannel shirt, his T4 and Vincent Gallo to the self directed TV spot, above. Now thats money well spent on luxury reborn ! I am sure Katy negotiated a fine package for the multi talented El Tel and his cohorts. As if the regular punter actually has a clue who Terry is and gives a monkeys anyways but someone thought he was worth bank."

Time takes its toll... Battery charging...

Music is amazing. I have been in love with music since I can remember. All kinds. But sometimes your life gets reflected in a song or two and then the love of music takes on a whole different experience. These two tunes are an example. Simple songs, but they mean so much now. Three years from now will I remember the tune, or will I remember what the tune meant to me? Music.

My friend Jeanne told me about this band a while ago. This song is amazingly personal to me at this time. I love it. It has been in the 'spiritual' rotation for a while. It also makes me want to shoot stills based on the words and the melody. Maybe I will. Soon.


Ahhh... and this one too. I am such a romantic asshole. Heh.


Oh Hell, gotta go with this one too. Damn, Garth... how do you do that?


But missing it is the thing, isn't it.

Getting Ready for the New Year

Lighting Essentials is going to be a definite new thing next year. I will be doing a weekly tutorial and assignment as well as setting up places for groups to mentor each other. The goal is to help photographers help themselves and build the best books they can. It will be a definite time tasker, but I am welcoming it so there is quite a bit of excitement too.

More soon.

99 Remarkable Photographer’s Portfolios

Here's a fun list that will keep you busy for a while.

99 Remarkable Photographer’s Portfolios: "There are many many thousands of photographers showing their work online - but those, which stand out with high quality against the masses are only a few in number."

Robert Wright... When he is right, he's right...

I just caught this on APE's site. As you know, APE is and editor, and would be considered a 'them', but that doesn't mean he has no concern about where things are going. Pop on over and read what he has to say about it as well. It's good.

Look, if editorial photography is being threatened in a time where the local Barnes and Noble actually expanded their magazine racks for all the new titles that are coming out, then there is a real problem... a disconnect. Where it started, I don't know... as well as who started the slide. I can tell you there is more than enough blame to go around, and photogs have their share to handle. I think this is a very cogent, and powerful set of articles for all of us to think about.

Think hard. The clock is ticking.

robertwrightphoto.com » Blog Archive » US vs. THEM…or flogging a dead horse:
"So I know that position on rights is blasphemy, I have just farted in the darkroom, but I am not advocating work for hire, I am just saying give the magazines the rights they want because, they’re gonna take’em anyway folks! Conde Nast is going to reprint all those nice interior photos of beautiful apartments from HG and recipes from Gourmet over the last 30 years as a coffee table book, the Grey Lady is going to make calendars and mugs available, they are going to put the entire archive online (pity the writers too) for free and there is not a damn thing we can do about it…

But-

What if there was a way, a way unexplored, a kind of ju-jitsu way of using the strength of the publishing monster against itself? A shining third path? I have been thinking along these lines lately, and I have come up with some “moves” that might be useful."

This very informative post is quickly followed up by this second post with more information, ideas, and fairly powerful shit. I am hoping that photographers who are feeling this pinch will read this and be aware... very aware... of where it could lead. While photographers are facing more and more expenses, the people that hire us are simply seeing lower and lower fees and reimbursements. And that makes no business sense. After all, it's a business. Isn't it?

"To reiterate, have the travel office book all travel, including hotel and car. It is in their interest to negotiate corporate rates for this stuff, which will save them money in the long run. Next, get an advance for the rest of the expenses. You should be very adept at firing off an estimate the moment you get off the phone, the costs are pretty known once you do this enough, you should be able to get into the ballpark for meals, transport, tips, overweight luggage, etc and while you are at it, add the assistant in there too. The Goal is that when you submit your final invoice, it is fees-only. Plus, even if the advance does not arrive in time before you leave, your advance invoice is “on the stack” of invoices to get approved and get paid. The more regularly you get paid the better. What is the best business in the world-a cash business, daily."

Another Amazing Photographer: Mark Tucker

Damn this guys images rock! I sat and looked through them several times. He does that amazing thing where he shows you something you've seen a thousand times... but it in a way that you have never seen. A unique view of something or someone that surprises and delights your senses. I can't say enough about this work. I would hire this guy in a NY minute. Mark Tucker. Remember that name.

Photography: Just shoot it and fix it in Photoshop

That must be the mantra of these celebrity shooting photogs. And I don't care to hear about time restraints or all that crap... some of these are poorly lit and exposed images. If you can make a good image... whether on film or digital, it shows. Most of these stinkers are really crap. A few are good images made better. I wonder what would have happened if they shot film and had to deliver chromes to the art director and had bad lighting, suckass makeup, and 1/2 stop underexposed images... Gimmee a break. My workshop students are putting out better images before Photoshop than this drivel.

Celebrities Before And After Photoshop: "An interesting look at celebrities photos before and after photoshop. These are mostly used in magazines, posters and given the photoshop treatment from their original source. 26 more pics after the jump."

I say it again... gimme a break.

Personism: Frank O'Hara Today...

This writing is as evocative as an image. I wish we wrote like this more. But alas...

Personism » Meditations in an Emergency: "St. Serapion, I wrap myself in the robes of your whiteness which is like midnight in Dostoevsky. How I am to become a legend, my dear? I’ve tried love, but that holds you in the bosom of another and I’m always springing forth from it like the lotus–the ecstasy of always bursting forth! (but one must not be distracted by it!) or like a hyacinth, “to keep the filth of life away,” yes, even in the heart, where the filth is pumped in and slanders and pollutes and determines. I will my will, though I may become famous for a mysterious vacancy in that department, that greenhouse. Destroy yourself, if you don’t know!"

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World...

Of course it is all a matter of perspective. I was watching White Christmas this evening and was reminded of how beautiful Rosemary Clooney was. My, my. But the woman that has always charmed me was Vera Ellen. Gorgeous, talented, dancer, singer, actress and choreographer, Vera Ellen was simply stunning. I was so in love with her when I was a kid. She would have been the much older woman, but that is the magic of the movies. And of still photography.

It is one of the things that I just love about photography. It can capture time and hold it. A photograph can transcend time and space and distance and memory. It is an exquisite medium when done well, and simply alright when done poorly.

But back to Vera Ellen. Was there ever a more gorgeous woman?

Well, there's one. But that's a story all into itself, and will probably never be told.

DIYPhotography.net Features Lighting-Essentials

Here is a great little blog for photographers starting out and those doing it full time. Udi finds amazing things all over the net and gives you a front row seat. If you love shooting, check out his blog regularly.

DIYPhotography.net | Photography and Studio Lighting: "Usually on this site I describe ways to deal with shadows in pictures. This is because shadows can distract the viewer from the main subject. Shadows also often create high contrast that gives the sensor some hard time. In past articles I've shown how to eliminate the shadows, minimize them, diffuse them and even bounce to get rid of them."

Great Photographers: Mark Holthusen

I want to feature some image makers that I have run across. These photographers define, for me, what modern photography is all about. This gentleman's work just kills. I love it. Take a look at some incredible images. Color is rich, compositions are classic and pull you in. It is simply fun and exciting imagery.

BTW, I will be posting a lot more of these in the coming days. There are some amazing photographers out there.

A Picture is Worth 10,000, uh... uh...

Sometimes you just gotta wonder what happens to people this stupid. Managerial training perhaps?

Seth's Blog: Ham for Channukah:
"Sometimes, a little knowledge isn't such a good thing."

Trolls and other Ugly Fuckrs

I posted a video on YouTube to show a friend of mine a quick way to make his shot better. The point was that it was a quick and dirty Photoshop move and I stated as such in the Video. I awoke the next morning to some guy's dozen comments ripping this and ripping that. I will not allow comments from this time forward. I simply removed his comments, choosing to go on with my day instead of debating him point by point. Today I got this from the little troll.

Everyone who comments on you Romantic Approach tutorial will from now on get a message from me telling them that you couldn't handle my critical remarks and in an immature action decided to delete them. I will also tell them that you did this either because your cildish or trying to protect your commercial web site.

To the same message I will add all comments I made to your video and point out in which other areas you also failed. I also will have no problem to convince people why your methods are wrong, because they ARE wrong and I will make sure people understaqnd WHY they are wrong. This is not a matter of just doing things differently, what you teach simply leads to less flexibility (=>losing time=>losing money) and in some cases less quality (like the eyes).

Bye loser, all I need to do is simply copy/paste the content of one document to ruin the impression people have about your video, I migth consider doing it to the other ones too.
tango4903

So I am the childish one? He takes this much time to angrily make threats against me because I simply removed his unwanted, unsolicited and simply wrong comments. Sometimes I wonder where all this will lead. I love the freedom, but some putzy freaks think they have all the rights. What a fukr.

Is Photography Dead? Newsweek postulates

This is bound to get some discussions going. Big time. Read it all. It has a lot for us to think about.

Is Photography Dead? | Newsweek Entertainment | Newsweek.com:
"In the late 1970s, however, the concept of fiction in photography reared its little postmodern head. 'The big change in attitude from realist photography,' says Lawrence Miller, who owns a prominent photography gallery in New York, 'was when Metro Pictures [one of the hippest galleries in SoHo] showed Cindy Sherman in 1980.' Sherman's fictional self-portraits—fake 'film stills' with the artist posed as a negligeed blonde on a bed, or a dark-haired femme fatale in a chic apartment—weren't photography's first turn away from the straight, nonfiction reportage most people think of as great photography. But her pictures represented something new in the way that photography was considered as art. It wasn't just for reportage anymore. The Talbotian esthetic door was now fully opened for photographers to make photographs just as well as to take them. The advent of digital technology only exacerbated photography's flight into fable."

Dan Heller on Stock Photography Today

This is a very well written insight into the stock photo biz. This is so much better than the one that was published. You must read this.

Dan Heller's Photography Business Blog:
"PDN Interview: the complete story

In October 2007's issue of Photo District News (PDN), I was interviewed by David Walker for an hour about my thoughts on the state of the stock photography market. You can read the official interview as it was published here.

The article had to be edited to a bare minimum for print use, and though I felt the edits were fair, it was largely incomplete, and failed to really impart the breadth of the scope of the industry, especially as it pertains to future growth and opportunities. So I thought I would print the complete interview here. I have also added material here to include reference information, links, and extended analysis for clarity.

PDN: Why do you think the $2 billion figure underestimates the size of the stock photo market?

DH: Because it's just an aggregate of the sales of what are perceived to be traditional stock buyers and sellers. There are a lot of other people who are selling images, and there are many more types of buyers than before, too. It would be like trying to measure the size of the advertising industry by only looking at ads placed in mainstream media outlets, and not taking into account ads placed on web sites that were never traditional players in the industry."

uh... read the whole damn thing. Twice.

December Gift: Photoshop DVD included free with the "Lighting Essentials 1" DVD

For the month of December, and actually for the last 20 orders in November, we are shipping the Photoshop DVD as a holiday gift with every "Lighting Essentials 1" DVD. The "Lighting Essentials Photoshop" DVD has 26 photoshop movies that run the gamut from mild work to advanced Photoshop manipulation. The movies are large and easy to follow. So is you are thinking about the Lighting DVD, this may be a good time to get the Photoshop DVD.

WeCreate Professional Looking Lighting for Under $100, a DVD lighting course by Don Giannatti: "The purpose of this DVD is to help photographers understand that high quality lighting can be done with inexpensive tools. Sure it's nice to have the latest and greatest, but all too often photographers think that it is the tools that give them the quality image and not their own talent."

As usual, we are still shipping free to most anywhere in the world. We start charging a $3 shipping for both on January 1, 2008.

Jan Klier's Photo Journey: Model Shots & Lighting Essentials

Thanks Jan!
Jan attended yesterdays workshop (Dec1, 2008). He was very knowledgable already, but I was able to show him and everyone there, some simple, yet fun tools to really take their knowledge, and images, to a new level. Jan, it was good to meet you, and thanks for the blog post. Cheers!

Jan Klier's Photo Journey: Photos: Model Shots & Lighting Essentials: "We worked on several lighting techniques: one umbrella with fill card and scrim, two umbrellas in clam-shell formation, with softbox and fill card, and in front of softbox with grid spot. On location we used a variety of small flash, umbrellas, and reflector cards.

There were also a few smaller tips & tricks I picked up at the workshop. For example I had usually skipped the modeling lights, not realizing that without them the model's pupils will be wide open and adjusted the darker ambient, making for a much inferior portrait and contributing to a deer in the headlight effect. These are the type of things that you don't necessarily find in a book, but that come from working with other photographers."

On Style: Photoshop is an Extension of My Image Creation, not an Add-On

I was asked about why I do what I do with my images. The inference was that I use Photoshop too much. I have no idea what that means. Too much Photoshop. Too much Tri-X. Too much Selenium Toner. Too much Velvia, or push processed or strobe or bounced light or... to me it is simply a tool that helps me create the images I see in my head. The poster was taking the point that it is not a real photograph because it was 'over processed.

I replied. This is an edited form of that response.

Style is what we are in essence. It is the essence of our work. I prefer a style that is illustrative. Poetry is far more interesting than Newsweek. Opera more interesting than Rap. Jazz more interesting than formulaic pop. It is their style that sets them apart. Makes them more powerful. At least to me.

Because it is that style that I love. And my work is illustrative of the style that moves me. I can make an image 'straight'. I've done it for nearly 40 years. I don't have any problem with those who do just that. Just don't tell me it is the only way. I hate that. Please, please, please feel free to make images any way you want. Don't ever expect me to tell you that it is wrong.

The people I admire in the industry all have styles that deliver their work, and their essence, with powerful pride. Dave Hill has tons of Photoshop... probably more than I would ever do. Same with Tadder. In this months issue of Elle, (US) there are a wide range of styles... some with blown out skin and some with dark, very muddy skin and a heck of a lot in between. I choose to use Photoshop to create what I see in my minds eye... not to conform to anyone else's style... to mine. Different clients will hire you for different things. Jill Greenberg has amazing amounts of digital correction on her portraits... and I love her work... but probably don't shoot a lot like her. It isn't my style.

I want my work to stand out. That means I must create images that stand apart. Anything that stands apart from the norm is by nature going to offend or put off someone else. Only natural and to be expected. I welcome it. As long as a group of people like what I do, and they encourage me and hire me, then those with whom I have no stylistic relationship will probably have to not expect me to do work for them. I want to do my work for people who like my work... and by extension do not share my taste and style.

That's OK.

In the end, it is a matter of personal style and taste. My style runs toward illustrative images... stories. Mini operas in my mind. So the use of Photoshop to create the image that I want to show instead of the image that simply 'was' is an important part of my vision.

I can certainly understand an editor for a business mag not wanting this style - and that is fine with me. I choose the clients that like my work.

I use Photoshop to stylize those things that I did not do in the camera. Or as an extension of the camera created image. In other words, Photoshop IS part of my photographic work in many cases. It is planned before the lights go up. It is part of the vision of the image that I have before I even book the model. Or sometimes it comes after a moment's presentation of an image on the screen. Something says do this or that... I don't know where it comes from but I like it. And I like the ideas that come from it.

I could not do those things... but why? Those things are what give my work the look that it has... it makes the images stylized. The portrait you refer to (Megan) has a bit of Photoshop work that takes it from a straight portrait to an illustrative photograph. Without it, it would be a lovely portrait of Megan. With it, it transcends the camera and becomes a more personal construct.

There are many things one can do to set oneself apart. Some times those things create controversy. I welcome the controversy and would rather remain a shooter with a style that a few love, a lot like, than a shooter who delivers what 'most' do. My clients tell me that they can spot my work in a book, mag or model portfolio... It is that recognition that is borne from a style. Believe me, it is difficult to have that kind of recognition in a market that is as flooded as photography. I crave it and it is most important to developing my base of clients.

I encourage photographers to create a vision that is unique. Digital is ubiquitous. Images are 10,000 for a nickle. Style remains. It is the only thing that we can control.

Saturday's Workshop...

Went so well! Despite the amazing weather.

We had 5 attendees and they ranged from a very busy corporate shooter to a photo lover just starting out with her first camera. Both had a great time and took amazing shots.

We started as usual in the studio with basic one and two light setups, then got kind of wild with some direct flash and a very cool over/under (sort of clamshell) light that drew a lot of excitement. Lunch was at a great little mexican food restaurant in Tempe with great conversation. As we entered the restaurant we were in the rain and upon leaving the sun was bright and shining.

That didn't last long. Luckily the location we chose had several wonderful porches and coverings so we actually did some shots with the portable strobes through 2 squalls. The sun would peek out for a moment, and we would scramble to get a few shots in. Then it would go away and we would be again presented with rain and wind. No lost strobes or equipment (but Dan did lose an umbrella to a gust of wind - even with the heavy weighted bags on the stand.)

Our models, Briana, Megan and David were great. And David put up with me calling him Steve half the time. I apologize David... really have no idea how that happened.

We headed back to the studio where we tried a few esoteric things with GridSpots and a Ringflash that Jan brought with him all the way from Seattle. It was a long, hard day, but the excitement was palpable and no one really wanted it to end. We had to get Jan back to the airport though, and said our goodbyes.

I enjoy doing these workshops more than I can even explain. I get to see accomplished shooters like Dan learn a thing or two that he hadn't thought of, and beginning shooters like Stella get to do something early in her career to get her started on the right road.

I am hoping to do more than 12 next year. I am planning a big one in Palm Springs and maybe one or two in Europe (Spain?....) If you are interested in one of the fastest paced, most instructive and fun workshops around, check my lighting-essentials workshop out. I think you will like it there.

Sunday Concert

And today it is Barber's Violin Concerto. It has been featured here before, and today is a good day for it again. Enjoy. Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three: