2012 – Year of the Zeiss
Capturing Atmosphere | CZ 2/100
OK, so the Chinese call this the Year of the Dragon. But for me, this is the Year of the Zeiss. And it is my goal to push it to the limits in form of creativity. I've shown again and again that the Zeiss glass is absolutely stunning with landscape work as well as portrait work. Now I am looking to change up my style to explore these subjects further; not only with occasional strobe work and cross-processing techniques, but also in terms of mood, atmosphere and points of view. I have been looking at a more minimalist approach lately, heavily inspired by the likes of Benoit Paillé, Ibán Ramón, Edward James, Raphael Guarino, Martin Waldbauer, Caras Ionut,Rolland András, Yana Bondareva, Rosie Hardy and more than a handful of others I am sure I didn't mention here.
Chinatown Alley | Minimalistic | CZ 100mm
Style Changes
I do not wish to duplicate the techniques of those I mentioned, rather I am inspired by their unique view to their photography. The clarity, use of tones and hues, the subtle to extreme processing... it is really a direction that I enjoy looking at - and in many cases I love that they break all "photography rules" and do their own thing. And what better wat to explore this than through some sexy-assed Zeiss glass?
I think it is really healthy for a photographer to get out of their comfort zone and push techniques that challenge their skills. It also helps keep your eye sharp - looking for these new challenges to shoot. And once you've gotten the shot - the challenge continues on how you want your final work of art to look. This goes beyond SOOC shooting.
If you notice, a good portion of my latest work employs my cross-process techniques that I outlined earlier. But I have begun to go much more subtle with it. This is something I am exploring quite a bit more right now to give a more dramatic atmosphere to my work. I don't want it ruling the photo - just adding a subtle "something" to them.
Get Off My Lawn | CZ 100
Have you Challenged Yourself Lately?
This is a question I have been asking myself lately. And it's gotten me shooting stuff like this. A sign in the middle of a field that most wouldn't take notice of. I love the challenge of, "How can I make this interesting?" But another part of the challenge is finding something worth while to have as a subject. I can't tell you how many hours I have been hiking and driving the past month, looking for something unique and different to shoot. I have these fantastic ideas in my head - but the locations just don't seem to exist in my town - or those surrounding me. Time to branch out again...perhaps to NYC again.
Like I said, a good challenge can keep your photography fresh and interesting. I think I have my full compliment of Zeiss glass now. The 35 and 100 are getting all the play though. And I have a decent full-frame camera - so there's no excuse to not get my ass out there. The only problem has been sitting on my ass, to be honest. So for the past month, I have been making it a point to grab my camera and take it for a drive. I haven't been shooting much of anything, but I am at least giving it an effort again.
If you aren't out there shooting - what's your excuse?
Dueling Flash for 2012
SB700 & SB600
Flash Work Update
Here is my end of year update for you. As you know from my last post, I am on a kick to learn flash this year (2012). I've only been screwing around a few weeks, but already added a ton of gear to my plan. As I stated last week, I was only playing with the Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash
Westcott 43" Optical White Satin Collapsible Umbrella
Carl Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 2/100
The New Baby
But the biggest addition this month is not all that flash. Not by a long shot. No, the biggest addition is the Carl Zeiss 100mm f/2.0 Makro Planar ZF.2 (Review)! Man, this thing is a freaking work horse. The photo above was taken with it (obviously, in conjunction with the new flash). The image to the right here was taken with the 2/100 in Chinatown, Boston, MA a couple weeks ago. Love how this came out - the lens does some fantastic things in regards to light capture and sharpness. Also like this minimal feel to the image - something else I am working on in 2012. You can see more by searching this tag on my Flickr stream. The deal I got on this was incredible. One of my close contacts at Carl Zeiss let me know that it came back refurbished because of a scratched hood. Yeah - big deal, right? I got almost $800 off the list price because of that - and it shoots like a dream.
New Galleries
My Muse
Speaking of Flickr, I also added another site to showcase work this year. 500px. Holy crap do I love this site. It's a much different feel than Flickr. Less social, but some amazing photographers to watch. If you didn't check it out yet, I suggest you do. Like Flickr, you can upload a limited amount of photos for free. After that, it becomes pay. I also like their voting system. You can like/fav images that give them a rating. Once you get around 60% of likeness - your image appears on an upcoming stream. And that's with no effort. After 90% or so, you end up in the popular stream. Most of my images have hit the upcoming stream - and about 1/3 have been in the popular. Think of it like Flickr's front page, but more accurate and easy to hit. One more nice thing is that all pictures are placed in one category - making searching for like-photos a snap. Very smart.
One last site that I joined this year was Model Mayhem. This is where I met up with the beautiful models I have been shooting this year. If you are looking to start to practice with people, this is a great resource. There are thousands of beautiful women out here willing to work in trade for your time. I have worked with so many beautiful women this year and have learned SO much doing so. From models that have it all from looks to personality and knowing what to do in front of the lens to brand new models that need 100% direction from me. Was an awsome challenge to learn portraits in 2011. And I still have a long ways to go.
Well, that's all I have for 2011. Thanks to all those that follow this blog and keep in touch with me! Looking forward to 2012 with you!
Happy New Year!
Screaming in Cool Light (Single Flash)
Experiment in Minimalism (100mm)
Flash Progress
Prisoner to the Light - Flash camera top 1/8 power
I've always stated that I was very anti-artificial light - that the only thing I wanted my Zeiss glass to see was nature and models bathed in nothing but naked, natural light. I may have to change my stance on that... dammit, flip-flopping like a politician.
Scary Movies - Flash Camera left at 9:00
I've been playing with flash a few weeks now (off an on) and have to say that I am slowly getting addicted. I am reading tons and tons of information on how to use speedlights and gathering tips and tricks from the best out there (I thank all my contacts here and on Flickr for the great feedback so far). One of the best resources I have found so far is the Strobist blog and the Strobist group on Flickr. Oh, and I can't forget to mention Fro Knows Photo either - always great tips and videos.
If you're brand new to this like me, this is a fantastic starting place: Lighting 101 by Strobist.com. By reading and playing with the tips, I am really learning about placement of my flash. Luckily, I have a patient and tolerant daughter that allows me the time to adjust on the fly and keep trying until it looks right. Power and distance all effect the light on your subject, obviously, but I was amazed to find how much minor adjustments can change a scene.
Manfrotto 1052BAC Alu Air Cushioned Compact Stand
For my project so far, I've found that I like 1/2 to 1/8 power when shooting at dusk (and depending on the location of the sun) - with the flash about 5' from my subject. Indoors, I've played with everything from full power to 1/64 for some pretty dramatic changes in the scene.
I was originally mounting my speedlight to a second tripod, but quickly found that I couldn't get it high enough for the angles I wanted. So, I purchased a nice Manfrotto air-cushioned light stand. I did look at less expensive ones, but I had the cash and loved the reviews of this. Have to say, it's quite lightweight and sets up really fast.
More Light
Nikon SB-900
I plan to add an SB-900 in the next few weeks to the mix. Like I said, I am addicted. But I am quickly finding that I want a second light to erase shadows or do some creative back lighting and rim lighting. I can tell, this is going to become expensive pretty quickly. I decided on the SB900 from a ton of research and conversations with other Nikon CLS users. It's powerful and not much different from the new SB-910 but about $100 cheaper! That's my kind of flash.
Once I get the SB-900, I'll give you a review with a side-by-side comparison versus the SB-600.
I've barely scratched the surface so far with flash. I haven't played with flash zoom yet nor have I fully grasped the shutter speed in regards to flash. Screwing around with it really can keep the subject in the same light while dramatically darkening or brightening (that doesn't seem like a word?) the background. Once I get a good handle on it, I'll be able to update this post with better information that just blurting out what the hell I think is going on.
Also, I'll keep posting more photos as I figure this out a little more. Stay tuned and please, point me to any people or sites you think may help!
The Teen - Flash camera left 1/4 power
Trying to Capture the Light - Flash Camera right at 1/16 power
Operation Flash
Single Strobe - SB-600
I know, it has been eons since I've posted anything out here. I have felt lately like I have been in an ass-dragging photo-rut, shooting a lot of the same stuff, the same way all the time. So, I figured it time to pull myself (and my ass) out and get a new challenge going. Not another micro-mini challenge - but a big one. In September, I did the alphabet mini-challenge which was OK, but nothing mind-blowing spectacular. And I am also currently doing another mini "In Your Shoes" challenge - all about shooting all walks of life, but just from the knees down. Again, it's something different, but not nearly as much a photographic challenge as it is one in social awkwardness and overcoming cotton-mouth with strangers. So what I wanted was a style challenge. Something to get me out of the same old routine and learning a new technical aspect of photography.
Last year at this time, I challenged myself to a year of portraits - which I think I did a fair job of. I hooked up with several models from Model Mayhem (well, not 'hooked up' in the collegiate term of the word) and did a ton of portrait work - all in natural light. I really stepped outside my comfort zone (working with people rather than lakes, trees, mountains and wombats) and learned that there is so much yet to learn... But now is the time to once again step outside my comfort zone.
Enter: Flash
Flash, I suck with. I have no flipping idea what I am doing when it comes to flash. And that's the #1 reason I am a natural light photographer. Honestly. I never wanted to take the time to figure out how to use my flash effectively - so I have frowned on the use of this light source. But I have realized that to grow as a photographer, I need to begin a mission of conquering the areas that I am weak in - and more frankly, the ones I totally suck in. Meh, flash...
For the next 12 months, I plan to use flash here and there and really jump outside my cozy comfort box. How will I do it? No freaking idea. But that's part of the challenge.
For the record, at the start of this project (in case I end up increasing my gear) I am starting with a single Nikon SB-600 Speedlight
I hope you'll join me on this journey into the mind-boggling unknown and help by giving any tips, tricks or guidance you can think of. And feel free to be harsh with me, how else will I learn?
Ending of the Alphabet
F is for Fender
Today I complete my Alphabet Project. It was interesting to do, as with each picture, I tried to also experiment with a different style, lighting (lightbox, window, natural), location, subject or post process. This ranged from playing with depth of field images in my backyard and with vertorama's at a lake, high-key images at a state landmark, dark spooky textures in the garage and using editors like qtpfsgui to edit a cityscape and CS5 to do selective coloring, to things I never heard of, like the Brenizer Method - involving 10's to 100's of images stitched together. But best of all, this project really got me out there, playing in all sorts of locations I would otherwise not really end up in (like standing 25 yards in front of a marathon at the start of the race). Even threw in a selfie, a nude, and a family portrait, just to mix things up. Check out the entire series on Flickr.
I will also be starting a new project this week entitled, "In Your Shoes" so stay tuned!