D63: A Closed Mind is Open to Nothing

I've recently covered a few midnight-releases of various video games, mainly because I was a donor for their giveaway prizes.

I'll be completely honest. I don't like 90% of the "gamer" community that I have met. They have been comprised of people with poor hygiene and severely lacking social skills. I'm a pretty open & accepting person, but for some reason I can't stand this crowd.

The other 10% are your standard jocks & husbands. Normal guys, normal lives, just normal.

Needless to say, I'm not very apt to strike up a conversation with a stranger at one of these events. I find it amusing, and just a little sad, that the employees had to spray the entire store with air freshener halfway through the evening.

I was there and let me tell you, it was absolutely necessary.

A customer asked me what type of lens I was using, and I felt a slight annoyance as I replied. I assumed that he didn't really know anything about cameras, and he drifted away after that.

Later that evening he came back by, asking about my development process with my images. We started talking and it turns out he runs one of the local photo labs. We had a 20 minute conversation that was very rewarding. In fact, I hope that we can collaborate on future photo projects.

All of this was possible when I discarded my snooty attitude and opened my mind.

I still don't like most gamers, though.

Manual: Page 61 - Choosing Custom Image Optimization Options
Same junk as the last few days. I really need to set aside an entire day to play with these settings. Maybe they do have a little merit after all.

Images: Dawn Davis
The Davis' shoot some awesome weddings. Check 'em out.


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D62: Pay It Forward

I recently started a blog for the business side of my photography, separate from this blog. With no budget for advertising, I decided to try something new. Some friends of mine just had a baby, and I just bought a new 50mm lens. I've never shot newborn pics before, so I offered to do the job for free to gain some experience.

The images turned out better than I had hoped, and the parents were thrilled. They wrote about it on their facebook page and included a link to my blog. As you can see, the views to my page skyrocketed overnight. I've already had some people show interest in future bookings, so this might just work out!

Manual: Page 60 - Controlling Vividness: Saturation
I might play with these settings a bit, but I've never had any problems.

Images: Melanie Alvarez
Melanie does primarily family portraits. I really like some of them.


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D61: Fluffy Goodness

Marshmallows are one of the best creations in the sugar world.

Smores, anyone?


Manual: Page 59 - Suiting Colors to a Workflow: Color Mode
Hmmm... I was completely unaware of this.

Images: Gabriel Ryan
Gabriel does pj-style wedding photography. I really like his work. the end.


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D60: What Will They Inherit?

Most of us have heard the old phrase "kids have it too easy these days...", but I worry that this phrase may be loosing its relevance.

As we are all too aware in today's world, the "Golden Age" of America is long gone. We, as Americans, have gotten ourselves into a pickle. Too many people learned to live on credit, instead of living within their means. My grandmother always talks about the fact that there were no credit cards when she started a family. If you wanted something you worked for it, you didn't put in on a credit card and pay 23% interest.

For many, the future seems very uncertain right now. When we finally pull out of our current recession, it will be interesting to see if we learn from our mistakes.

Manual: Page 56 - Optimizing Images
I've never changed this setting, and I'm thinking an experiment is in order to determine the differences.

Images: Jeff Lewis
I really like Jeff's night cityscapes, as I've never been good at these. I don't think we have the best settings for these types of shots where I live, but I'm determined to make it work. Someday.


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D59: I Looked Out the Window and What Did I See?

A sunset that I was about to miss. Sorry, I don't own an apricot tree.


Manual: Page 50 - Fine-Tuning White Balance
I need to spend more time with white balance. Eighty percent of my post processing is white balance corrections.

Images: Jean Labelle
I specifically looked through some amazing images Jean did of a special little girl. She had terminal cancer, and not much time left. Jean captured this little girl's beauty in a way that I'm sure her parents will cherish for the rest of their lives.

It's got me thinking about doing something along the same lines here in my community.


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D58: Follow the Light

Look at all that refrigerated goodness, just waiting for someone to come by and take it home.

I realize there hasn't been that much quality content in the text of my posts this week. There just hasn't been that much quality content in my head.

Manual: Page 75 - Exposure
Sometimes I don't pay enough attention to metering. Maybe that will be my assignment for tomorrow.

Images: Mike Colon
I really like Mike's PJ work in Brazil, but I had a hell of a time viewing his website. I've come across a few flash sites that seem to have issues. Weird.


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D57: Finding Your Focus

I was walking around downtown tonight looking for ideas to shoot. While I was waiting for some cars to pass by, this "tunnel" down the sidewalks came into focus. I would have never noticed it if I hadn't taken a minute to just chill out and look around.

I need to remember that a little more sometimes when I'm shooting. If you don't see what you want to shoot, just give it a minute and see what happens.

Manual: Page 74 - Manual Focus
I don't spend much time with manual focus, but I think I should get to know it a little better.

Images: Marilyn Sanchez
Marilyn does some amazing boudoir work. She really blends classy with tastefull.


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D56: Sometimes It's the Little Things

I like pudding. Today, it likes me back.


Manual: Page 73 - Getting Good Results with Autofocus

Images: Jessica Claire
Jessica is my hero. She shoots the fun relaxed weddings that I want to focus on, much like Jules Bianchi.


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D55: Limited by Technology

Today was one of those days where I wish we had a camera capable of capturing images as well as our eyes do.

Technology has come a long way, but we are still so far away from replicating what the human eye can achieve. To perfectly replicate the scene from tonight's image would have required multiple shots, exposures, lenses, etc. The world of photography is filled with countless breathtaking images, but we still can't come close to what our own eyes can offer us.'

Maybe one day...

Manual: Page 48 - White Balance
I'm definitely not a purist when it comes to white balance. I think that tweaking the temp of my images can produce some great effects now and then.

Images: David Jay
David's website seems to have some issues, as I tried it in 3 different browsers. What I WAS able to check out was great! Amazing work, and David is an amazing guy.


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D54: Man-Up & Make the Ask

Many photogs I've listened to say that they've stayed away from pj-style street photography for one simple reason.

They don't like asking strangers if they can take their pictures.

Unfortunately, I too suffer from this problem. Too many times I have missed out on a great photo op, simply because I didn't want to bother a stranger and make the ask.

For Halloween night, I wanted to capture some really great images of trick-or-treaters, pumpkins, spooky houses, etc. I found a great house to shoot tonight, but I just felt weird knocking on their door to ask if I could hang out in their front yard for half an hour taking pictures. The worst they could do is say no, so what is this mental block so many togs have?

I need to work on that.

Manual: Page 45 - Memory Card Capacity & Image Size
I think I'm going to pick up (2) 16GB cards this winter, rather than the larger 32GB. I'm starting to have issues w/ one of my current cards, and I'd really like to have some high-capacity back-ups.

Images: Christine Tremoulet
Christine not only captures wonderful images, she also has an awesome deal for a studio-mate! If I was in the Houston area, I would take her up on it in a heartbeat.


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D53: Waking Up With the City

I have a hard time waking up early, but I LOVE being awake early. Go figure.

I got up at 6am today, ready to face the world. Or at least the patrons of my gym.

I know this sounds cliche, but I love the feeling of being outside just before dawn, when anything seems possible. The day is just about to begin, and YOU get to decide how it will unfold.

Will you be productive? Will you choose to be happy? Will you squander your day away on trivial things that add nothing to your life?

Will you guide your day, or let it guide you?

Manual: Page 35 - Taking Photographs: The Details
I love images that capture hidden little details. Personally, I like to add little hidden details that no one know about but me.

Images: Becker
Once again I'm drawn to a tog's wedding work. Truly awesome images. Looking through Becker's portfolio made me realize something. My previous disdain for shooting weddings was primarily due to boring/rigid couples. I have a blast shooting fun, relaxed couples. My goal is going to be to attract more of these couples, and refer the "boring" couples to other togs in the area.


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D52: Road to Nowhere?

With the clouds hanging low over the surrounding mountains, the snow-covered road in the middle seems to disappear into the clouds.

You can clearly see the road ahead, but you have no idea where it is headed. How often do you feel the same way in your life?

I'm a firm believer that everything in our lives is meant to be a lesson of some sort, good or bad. I think that our path in life is guided by our experiences, which also means our path is continually making course-corrections.

Manual: Page 43 - Image Size
I've talked about this topic before, and I still feel the same. I've only ever found a reason to shoot at a lower resolution ONCE. I was doing a job for a client that needed <1mp images for an intranet-based catalog. Other than that, I shoot in RAW, or at least full-res. Any other sizes can easily be done in post.

But that's just my opinion.

Images: David Bergman
David did the Obama Inauguration Gigapan. Some pretty cool work in his portfolio.


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D51: Underrated

Reese's Pieces are seriously underrated, in my opinion. They seem to be an endless supply of peanut-buttery goodness, when compared to candy bars.

I rarely buy candy, mainly because I will eat it. All.

BUT, on the rare occasions that I do buy some cavities in a wrapper, Reese's Pieces is at the top of my list.

Reese's Pieces hit the scene in 1978, and became the favored candy of E.T. in 1982. Soon after, I followed the trend.

Besides, Halloween is Saturday, and the Reese's color scheme is very fallish/halloweenish.

Manual: Page 39 - Using Camera Menus
Early on this was a great resource. By default, all of the menus in my camera were set to the shorter "simple" setting. As this inhibits your customization, I quickly looked up how to change this to the advanced setting.

Images: Rich Legg
I've looked through Rich's work before, but I focused this time on his stock work. The world of stock photography is quite interesting to me. I am specifically interested in finding out what the average stock shooter, such as Rich, pulls in on a yearly basis. For a talented stock tog, I imagine this could be a nice supplement.


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D50: When Life Hands You Lemons

When you do something in a hurry, you will likely get hurried results.

I didn't really make time for pictures today, so I tried to fit a few shots into my schedule. When I got home to review what I had captured, I found that I had captured a bunch of crap.

I decided this would be a good challenge to see if I could come up with an image I was happy with. The result is tonight's image, and I would say I'm fairly happy with it. Quite a bit of post, but sometimes that's what it takes.

Manual: Page 35 - Taking Photographs: The Details
Ha! The title page.

Images: Ilan Bresler
I just became a fan of his street photography work.


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D49: Solutions That Cause Problems

Following a knee injury in my early 20's, I developed a slight pill-addiction. Not anything like Oxycontin, just your run of the mill over-the-counter meds. Every day I took a cocktail of pain killers, caffeine, and a few others just to start my day. In fact, I didn't feel like I could even start my day without them.

Luckily, I was able to easily "kick the habit" when a friend of mine pointed it out to me. I honestly don't even think they were doing ANYTHING, I just thought they were helping me. There was nothing inherently addictive about any of them, so it was a fairly easy transition "quitting".

I was cleaning out my gym bag today and found some Excedrin & Vicodin. I decided to play painkiller-legos in my office tonight when I got bored, so I snapped this shot of my handy work.

Manual: Page 31 - Basic Playback
Honestly, I need to get through these basic pages in my manual. I'm learning NOTHING new.

Images: Mark Halper
Tonight I decided to google "photographer" and go with the 1st link that was an actual photographer's website. Mark didn't show up until the 3rd page.

Great images, and some creepy pictures he calls "interludes". They're basically a small flash movie that looks like a portrait, until the subject moves. Kind of a Harry Potter moving-portraits idea.


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D48: She's A Super-Freak

Somehow this little angel managed to stay healthy & happy when her entire family had the flu. I'm sure there's some medical explanation for this, but I thought it was quite amusing.

I'm currently waiting to hear back from a client about doing some newborn pics. I've never done newborn pics before so I'm quite excited to give it a try!

Manual: Page 23 - Tutorial: Basic Photography and Playback
So what, I'm getting some easy pages out of the way!

Images: Leigh Caraccioli
I looked at Leigh's senior & family galleries, and she does some great work.


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D47: The One Who Ruled Them All

Doesn't she look intimidating? Like she's going to walk into your meeting and tell you that 20% of your office is being laid off? That's the funny thing to me about this picture. She is completely the opposite.

Say hello to Vicki. Vicki is my staff partner for Relay, and she was the driving force behind our regional summit this weekend. Vicki led the planning committee and helped to ensure that all of the participants would come away with a valuable learning experience.

Manual: Page 18 - Attaching lenses
Nothing to report, again.

Images: Unnamed wedding photographer
Perhaps it was just their website design, but the images seemed so... mediocre. There is nothing wrong with that, as photographers we are always evolving our craft. However, if you're images are not jaw-dropping, why are you teaching a seminar??? I would have no problem dropping over a grand for a seminar with Bambi Cantrell, because her work is amazing. But really, how do you expect people to pay that much when your on-line galleries are pretty lackluster?



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D46: It's Gonna Be A Long Night

Don't get me wrong, I love to volunteer for the American Cancer Society. However, it's not all fun and games. Tonight is one of the not-so-fun nights.

Script read-through with tomorrow's presenters lasted until 9:30 tonight, and I still have hours of work to do before I get to bed.

In the end it's totally worth it. Few things are better than the feeling you get when you're part of something that touches so many lives in such a positive way.

Tomorrow is the day that committee members from all over the region show up, eager to learn and share with others. If I do my job right, they will have no idea who I am, or what I was there to do. That is the role of logistics.

Manual: Page 16 - Basic Setup
Nothing to report here.

Images: Junshien
Once again, awesome wedding images.


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D45: Are You Driving With the Brakes On?

Are you the #1 obstacle on the path to your own success? What are you doing to challenge yourself on a daily basis?

In 2006, I had the opportunity to listen to Mike Rayburn speak at a business conference. He is an amazing keynote speaker, and I was recently reminded of one of his main philosophies.

Mike taught us that we need to start asking better questions in life. If you want to unlock your potential, use these two questions on a daily basis:

What if? Why not?

"What if I had the most successful photography studio in the state? What would that be like?"

This 1st part gets us to quit thinking about why it can't happen, and puts us on the path of how to make it happen.

"Why not? What is in my way?"

The 2nd part helps us identify our obstacles, which is an important step in overcoming them.

So the next time you think about a goal that seems unobtainable. Remember those two simple questions. What if? Why not?

Personally, I blame staying home for 99% of my creative blocks. The moment that I venture out into the world, I see great photo opportunities. My biggest problem with seeing a photo opportunity, is stopping to take advantage of the situation.

Today was an exception.

I'm working on a concept for a custom soft-box to use with my Nikon speedlights. After a trip to the fabric store, I took a route home that I've never driven before. It took me through the back-entrance to our county fairgrounds. Normally I would have just driven by, but today I decided to stop and get out of the car.

Let me start by saying that empty fairgrounds are incredibly creepy on a late fall afternoon. Not a soul was to be seen, other than a few feral cats. I captured a few decent images, but my favorite was on my walk back to the car. There was just something in the air when I saw this tree, so I decided to try and capture the moment.

Manual: Page 58 - Adjusting Contrast: Tone Comp.
How many of you let your camera do the work for you, versus tweaking the colors in post?

Images: Marc Climie
Marc has me thinking that destination weddings must be the most fun to shoot of all weddings.


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D44: I'm Dreaming of a Warm Sandy Christmas

It would appear that this dream will have to stay just that. A dream.

This winter would be the 3rd year in a row that I've gone to visit my fam in Hawaii. It does not appear to be in the cards.

Things have slowed down quite a bit on the photography side, convincing me to find a 9-5 until Spring. Finding a decent paying 9-5 right now is kind of like asking Jules Bianchi out for dinner. Slim to none. However, I'm going to do my best to keep an optimistic outlook. I have an underlying feeling that things will start to look up!

Manual: Page 14 - Inserting Batteries
I'm a firm believer in sticking with name brand batteries. Years ago I opted to buy a generic battery as a backup for one of my Nikons. It was about half the cost of an actual Nikon battery. It worked great, for about 3 months. Then it wouldn't hold a charge and was tossed. My ORIGINAL battery for my D70s is over 3 years old and still runs like a champ.

Images: Ira Lippke
I took a look at Ira's wedding work. When I look at a photographer's portfolio, I always gravitate towards their wedding work. As much as I've tried to stay away from weddings, maybe I should be shooting more of them?


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D43: In Search of Land

"The captain of a small dingy continues his search for land, with critical supplies quickly running out. At times, he feels like he may be lost at sea forever. Too many glimpses of land have turned out to be mirages."

Have you ever felt like this? I'm in a bit of a search myself, and the clock is ticking. I'm optimistic that I'll find land before my ship starts taking on water.

Manual: Page 13 - First Steps
Talks about attaching your camera strap and monitor cover. I've noticed that a few newer "prosumer" models are equipped for a monitor cover. Lame. I think they are much better than those film screen protectors.

Images: Rich Legg
Rich captures some really great images, and I hope I have the chance to meet him next month @ Pictureline!


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D42: The Hills Have Eyes

Ventured into the hills with 2 friends today to propel small bits of copper & lead towards some targets. We found this skull on the hillside of a creepy canyon, also containing a few dilapidated wood shacks.


Manual: Page 10 - The Mode Dial
That pretty much sums it up.

Images: Adam Elmakias
Adam does a lot of work for the entertainment industry, and has some really great images.


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D41: So Many Choices

Every day we are faced with choices that will shape our future. Some choices are small, others are huge. No matter their size, every choice we make influences the future. For me, it can sometimes be easy to get lost in the here-and-now, losing focus of what's down the road.

Think of this in terms of bokeh.

Some people live their lives locked in f/1.4, only able to focus on one thing at a time. There are times when these people lose sight of the future because they can't see past what is right in front of them, and vice-versa.

On the other hand, there are people that seem to be locked in f/22. These people spend so much time focusing on every little detail of EVERYTHING, that they never take the time to stop and smell the roses.

I've been trying to take a more balanced approach, implementing a "variable ISO" if you will. I think it is very important to keep the future in sight, but you need to know when to narrow your focus.

As photographers, we use DOF to convey importance. My challenge to all of you, is to make sure you are focusing on the things that are not only important now, but will be important 20 years from now.

Manual: Page 23 - Tutorial: Basic Photography and Playback
Not really anything to write about a title page. :-)

Images: Caralee Case
Among her many talents, Caralee takes some amazing child portraits. I think she's going to be the person that I refer parents to for studio shots of their little ones.


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D40: The Marks We Leave Behind

Our time on this Earth is precious and limited. When your number is up and move on to whatever existence you believe in, what are you going to leave behind? What are people going to say about you?

Today was a b-e-a-utiful day, sunny & warm on a late October afternoon. People seemed to flock to the mountains in droves today, hoping to catch what could be the last warm weekend until spring. A gentleman on a 4-wheeler stopped and chatted with me about our unseasonably nice weather. He came up to enjoy the mountain air one last time before he put his toys away for the winter.

That got me thinking. How many of you strike while the iron is hot, making the most of every opportunity? How many of you play it safe, missing out on a potentially great experience? I think I have fallen into both of these categories on numerous occasions, but I'm trying my damnedest to fall into the 1st.

"Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone." -Pablo Picasso

Manual: Page 111 - Two-Button Reset
Ouch, I hope I never need to do this. I'd hate to lose all of the tweaking I've done.

Images: Celina Gomez
Celina takes some amazing wedding photos is Dallas. She appears to have a wonderful attitude, which really shows in her work!


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D39: Shape Your Experience

Not happy with the way things are? CHANGE THEM!

I wanted to change the way I looked at my photography, so here I sit 39 days into this adventure. Tonight I experimented with shaped bokeh.

Pretty interesting, lots of ideas for Christmas pics. I'm curious to find out how intricate I can make these shapes. Time for the big tough photographer to spend some time at the scrap booking store.

Manual: Page 152 - Custom Setting 20: Flash Sign
You know the little lightning symbol that pops up when your camera thinks you should be using a flash? Well, you can turn that off. I don't really see why, as it has never bothered me.

Images: Tasra 365 Flickr Group
Some great pics from some fellow 365'ers. It's really fun to see how everyone else is doing. It will be really interesting to see who makes it through the full year. I hope I do!


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D38: Unnoticed Surroundings

How often do you explore the very city you live in?

Today I decided to turn down a road unfamiliar to me, hoping to find something interesting. What I found was something that is all-too-common in today's society.

Litter. Lot's of litter.

I think I could have filled up a large garbage bag by walking this fence line for less than 100 yards. Like so many others, I had somewhere I needed to be, so there the litter remains.

Manual: Page 102 - Flash Exposure Compensation
One of the many things I should use more, but never seem to do.

Images: Jason Hooker
No, not me, ANOTHER Jason Hooker that is a photographer. Son of a bitch has my name, AND my passion! It's not really a surprise to find that he has some great work, and some really nice HDR shots. What are the odds?


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D37: Amber Waves of Grain

Storm clouds rolled into the valley this afternoon, but they seemed hesitant to cover the whole city. The north end of town was filled with beautiful skies, and a warm afternoon sun. I was actually getting warm with my fleece jacket on.

For some reason, I really like the contrast and colors in this image. It felt good to get out & shoot today. I picked a place that people drive by every day, but rarely stop to enjoy. Most of the northern edge of our city is bordered by farmland, most of it quite beautiful on a day like today.

Perhaps this will pull me out of my funk.

Manual: Page 36 - When to Use Shooting Options
A nice little flowchart to correct your most common problems. Where was this page when I 1st bought this camera?

Images: Studio 563 - Austin, Texas
I love their take on senior portraits. They gave me some GREAT ideas if I can only find some outlandish old furniture here in town.


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D36: Comfort & Familiarity

I walk up these stairs nearly every week. At the top I find good friends, entertainment, and the occasional awesome feast.

Over the last 10 years, many of my friends have gotten married & are having kids. Such is the natural progression of time. This image is from the home of one of my oldest and closest friends. He has a wonderful wife who is an amazing cook, and she has also become a great friend. More of a sister really. They have two awesome kids, and it's always an adventure when they're are around.

We try to get together once a week to hang out & watch one of our favorite TV shows. Sometimes we have a great dinner. Other times we attack a case of beer. EVERY time we quite enjoy the evening.

It has been said that friends are the family you choose. This could not be more true in my case. My closest friends are most definitely my extended family. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Manual: Page 88 - Exposure & Flash Bracketing
I've recently started playing with these settings a little more.

Images: Nikon
I felt it appropriate to spend part of the day on Nikon's website browsing through their hype over the new D3s. It is a DECENT update to the D3, especially if you do a lot of low-light work. It is not, however, a game-changer. I, along with many others in the photographic community, were dissapointed with Nikon. They finally added HD video to their high-end model, but only 720p! All-in-all it's a good camera, it just didn't live up to the hype.

There are some great images on the site from the pre-production models of the D3s, taken by a few different togs. I'm sorry, but I'm just a wee bit too tire to go looking for all the names.


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D35: Cabin Fever

I shouldn't have cabin fever, since I don't "have" to stay home. However, I've been staying home a lot more due to logistics. I have a few more weeks to figure out what the winter will hold for me, and it's looking like a 9 to 5 will be in order until spring.

In anticipation of this unfortunate reality, I've tried to be quite frugal the last few weeks. This leads to a lack of fun, and the aforementioned cabin fever. Cabin fever apparently also leads to photographer's block.

Manual: Page 66 - Focus Area Selection
Good info to know, I feel I'm pretty versed in this area. HOWEVER, I've never even paid attention to the focus selector lock! EVER! Now I know.

Images: Lauren Hillary
Very cool work, definitely some good inspiration for some upcoming shoots.


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D34:

I'm stuck in a creative block.

Manual: Page 8 - Viewfinder Display

Images: Michael James
Real estate photography. Great lighting techniques.

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D33: People Watching

I was pretty excited to attend the local "rail jam" today, thinking I might get some great shots.

Not quite.

The venue could have been setup much better, as there was nearly NO place to stand and watch. It was actually more interesting to watch the crowd, hence today's image.



Manual: Page 4 - Camera Body Continued

Images: Ben Drucker
I think it's interesting to compare a photog's personal images w/ their professional images. Some photogs are shooting what they love. Others make it plain to see that their true passion comes when they "clock out" for the day.


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D32: A New Toy

In my quest for knowledge over the last few months, I realized that I have been a fool. My ignorance kept me from buying a prime lens, thinking that I didn't want to be pinned down by a lack of zoom.

Luckily, over the last 6 weeks, I saw the light.

Earlier today UPS delivered my new toy, courtesy of Pictureline. A fun little Nikon 50mm f/1.8! I'm a little embarrassed that I never took the time to correct my ignorance over the last 6 years. I love this lens and I took it with me to the pool hall last night to meet some friends. On Monday I'm going to play with some "shaped bokeh" techniques. More to follow on that.

Tomorrow I'm going to check out a ski/snowboard "rail jam" that is going on in town. I'm real curious to see how it all works out, with no snow AND it's being held in a parking lot. Interesting.

Manual: Page 3 - Getting To Know the Camera
I decided to get some of these simple pages out of the way over the next week. Hopefully that will let me focus on other endeavors.

Images: Amy Rose King - Amy was my inspiration for next week's shaped bokeh project. She has some really cool images.


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D31: It's Not Perfect, And That's OK!

Today completes month #1 for my challenge!

It hasn't been a perfect month, nor was today's shot perfect. I didn't have a zoom lens with me, and I left my ISO on 800! I ALWAYS do something like that.

Despite these things, it has been an incredible month, and I have learned so much from my new found photog friends across the country.

Blah, I'm still a little hot under the collar about last night's soapbox rant.

Ok, enough of that for now...

I've listened to so many photographers talk about how they got their start. There are a few that said they came to a literal make-or-break moment. That is the precipice that I am currently standing on. In the next 4 weeks I will either have to dramatically increase fall bookings, or retreat back to the corporate world for at least the winter. Obviously I'd like to stay shooting, as I feel 10 years in the corporate world has bleached much of my creativity.

Time to get moving!

Manual: Page 2 - Overview
Very basic, touches on the importance of reading your manual. We DO have to read every page over the next year, so I don't really think this is cheating.

Images: Dane Sanders - Dane, you ROCK! Your wedding photography makes me want to shoot weddings spring through fall. Your commitment to your clients is absolutely awesome.


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D30: The Road Ahead

The last six weeks have definitely been a journey. I've made tremendous strides in my photography on the quality side, and now I'm working to translate that to the financial side. I've had the chance to interact with some industry-leaders, and that has made a huge impact on my work.

It's really incredible to think of the technological advances since I first started in digital photography, just over 6 years ago. Point & shoot cameras were quite expensive, and there really wasn't a good place for photographers to come together on the internet.

With pro-level DSLR's becoming affordable to the hobbyist, many people outside of the photographic industry feel that the professional photographer's days are numbered. I could not possibly disagree more; in fact, I think that professional photographers are more important than ever. Sure, the average Joe can go down to his local camera shop and pick up a D300 w/ a kit lens for under $2K, but that doesn't make him a pro. I have a laptop with Microsoft Word, but that DOES NOT make me a novelist.

Too many people see a video of a Photographer taking a picture, and they think "I could do that, it looks easy to me." What people don't see, are the years upon years of work that have honed that photographers skills. Composition, lighting, exposure. These things cannot be mastered overnight. Not to mention the pre-production that goes into so many shoots.

A friend once looked at a photo on my wall and said "I know where that was taken, I could do that EASY!"

I just kept my mouth shut, as I tend to do in situations like that. I didn't feel like explaining the hours upon hours of pre-production that went into that shot. It's sad, but almost humorous, how many people today think that photography is all about the equipment.

Okay, I'm going to step down from my soapbox for the night. Time to sleep.

Manual: Page 1 - Introduction
Appropriate page, especially after my little soapbox rant. Getting to know your equipment is one the most important 1st steps.

"The day you stop learning is the day you fall behind."

Images: Mike Larson - Mike has a very innovative shot that involves throwing his camera UP IN THE AIR! The shots are great, along with an already impressive portfolio. Inspiration achieved.


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D29: The Daunting Task Ahead

About a year ago I decided to take on a project that's very close to my heart:. converting ALL of our family photos from the last 35 years, to digital files. I have a pretty decent setup in my office for reproductions like this, as I've done similar things before on a much smaller scale. Once I completed the initial 500 photo-scans, I quickly realized what was ahead of me. I estimate there are approximately 6,000 photos scattered through boxes upon boxes. Yay me.

On a different note, there is a new movie in the works. "Waiting For Robert Capa" has secured Michael Mann to direct! GET OUT! I can't wait. I'm really interested to see how this project turns out.

In yet another disjointed topic this evening, I figured out what I'm shooting Saturday. As I walked out of my gym this afternoon I noticed a poster hanging on the wall. There is a "rail jam" going on this weekend in the parking lot of one of our local outdoor-sports stores. I'm going to talk with them tomorrow to get more details, and to find out if there are any photographers already planning on shooting. Sounds exciting!

Manual: Page 32 - Digital Vari-Programs
This covered all the little auto-variations that you can shoot with. I've spent so much time shooting in manual, I don't even have an opinion on these modes. Maybe I should play around with them this weekend!

Images: Joe McNally - Another amazing photographer. There's not much more to say.

I read a very interesting article today about the evolution of photography, and video. Just 10 years ago film was the standard, and digital photography was not only expensive, it also had a pretty horrible work-flow. Today, film has become an endangered species and high-end DSLR equipment is becoming more easily accessible every day. The theory is that in just 5 years photography will be hand-in-hand with videography, and those too stubborn to adapt will fall by the wayside. I have even heard people go so far as to say photography's days are numbered.

Personally I don't see the art of photography EVER going away. Will it evolve into something we can't even imagine? Absolutely. I think that one day in the not-to-distant future, you will walk into the average photographer's studio, and the wall will be covered in LARGE digital picture frames. Even more interesting will be the day when we have entire "digital walls", allowing us to not only change the pictures, but the color of the wall.

Who knows if or when this will happen. I'm still waiting on my hover-board from "Back to the Future".


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D28: I Have Seen the Light

In fact, I see it every time I get frustrated as I sit at my desk, longing for new ideas. What you are seeing is my view as a lean back in my chair and stare at the ceiling, provided that you have a lensbaby strapped to your head.

Not much inspiration the last few days, hence the short posts.

Maybe more tomorrow.

Manual: Page 185 - Picture Angle and Focal Length
Something I was aware of. I've been thinking that my next camera should be a full-sensor.

Images: Vincent Laforet - I took a look at Vincent's coverage of Hurricane Katrina. Photojournalists do an amazing job at bringing the world to your home. I agree with Vincent's current view about not wanting to be on call 24/7 as a photojournalist. I think I'll stick to portrait work for now. :)


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D:27 "You're going to make a great housewife someday"

I have a few lady-friends that tell me this on a fairly regular basis. Today was no exception. Went to the gym, cleaned the house, baked bread & cookies, cooked dinner, laundry almost done.

That was my day today.

I believe in doing my best at being a balanced individual. Sure I can take pictures, but I am always trying to expand my toolbox of talents.

The night was capped off by watching my Steelers beat the Chargers 38-28. It started out as a blowout but the Chargers made a great near-comeback in the 4th quarter.

Overall a good weekend.

Manual: Page 183 - Lenses for the D70S
Interesting to see there are a few current lenses that are not compatible with this camera. Luckily none that I'm looking to buy. I've been wanting to upgrade my camera body for about a year now, but I haven't been able to make up my mind. Now there are a lot of rumors floating around about new cameras being announced this winter. I think I'll hold off until spring. That leaves me the winter to buy some more lenses!

Images: Kevin Kubota - Tonight I took a look at Kevin's wedding photography. B-E-A-UTIFUL. I'm not a huge fan of shooting weddings, but Kevin's work makes me want to shoot more of them.


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D:26 Rule #1: Cardio

Tonight was a great end to the week. Today's title is a quote from the movie "Zombieland" I went to see with friends tonight. Epic.

It also coincides with the fact that this was my 1st week back into my gym routine. It's been a challenge getting into the gym on a regular basis the last few months, mainly because I haven't made time. Feels great to be back!

Manual: Page 178 - Printing Selected Photographs
Once again this is a feature that I've never had a use for. However, I have been toying with the idea of doing a photo booth at our local Spring fair. I think it would come in handy at an event like this, provided that you're not doing any post-processing.

Images: Robert Capa - I think it's important to study photography's legends to fully understand the craft. What an amazing life he led. I can't even imagine being on the beaches of Normandy on D-day, with a CAMERA! I definitely don't have the stones for that!


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D25: Cleaning Out the Garage

That sounds like a metaphor, and in some ways, it is. I drove to my dad's tonight & helped him clean out his garage. This used to be the most organized garage in town, but it's care has suffered the last 2 years. In a lot of ways, the condition of the garage accurately represents the state of things between the 4 of us(brother, sister, dad, me) since we became "4".

A lot has changed over the last 2 years, and I'd like to think that it's been more good than bad. Some days it's hard to tell. Some days it feels like we're 4 electrons flying around wildly because we've lost our nucleus.

In the end we got the garage pretty clean, and there was a great sense of accomplishment. I only hope this accomplishment can extend past the garage in the coming year.

Right about now I could go for a cold beer and some good company.

At least I have cold beer!

Manual: Page 156 - Folders
I've never had a reason to create additional folders, but I feel it's good to know how. Who knows, the day may come! I sometimes wonder why the numbers on the file names only go to 9999. One of my cameras will likely eclipse 10,000 images in the next 2 months.

Images: Joey Lawrence - Wow. This kid is crazy talented, and he's only 19! Looking through his portfolio is awe-inspiring. Seriously.


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D24: Saving Me From Myself

I LOVE CANDY! For that very reason I refuse to buy it. Out of sight, out of mind.

Well, almost.

A few weeks ago I bought a bag of Halloween candy for clients & friends that come to visit. The sugary goodness sits in a tall vase on my desk, staring at me whenever I'm working.

Pssst, over here, take one...

One turns into a dozen VERY quickly. I was forced to come up with a solution. See, I like Dum Dums, but not as much as Smarties & Tootsie Rolls. The solution was simple. Rearrange the candy so that the suckers created a punji pit, preventing me from reaching the Smarties. You have to be really hard-up for sugar to dump the entire vase out for some Smarties.

Manual: Page 142 - Customer Setting 5: ISO Auto
I'm personally not a fan of this setting. If I want noise in my images, I will purposely put it there. Again, it's a control thing. Maybe I need counseling. Is anyone else like this?

I had a thought about what to do when we run out of manual pages to read every day. What about choosing a different mode(auto, manual, shutter-priority, etc) and shooting ONLY in that mode for a week? Obviously this wouldn't apply to your professional workload, just for your personal shooting. I'm leaning towards this idea.

Images: Richard Nickel - It's interesting to read about the impact his work continues to have to the preservation of historic landmarks in Chicago, now more than 35 years since his death. Looking through his work, it's clear that he's been the inspiration of many famous modern-day architectural photographers.

I find it interesting that I came across his work the day after I decided to start a project cataloging local historical architecture.


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D23: The Past That Hides Above Us

I was downtown taking pictures for a Photoshop project, and I noticed and old rooftop sign for "Hotel Yellowstone". A long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, this building was a famous hotel. It now sits partially vacant, and the ground floor is home to a new sports bar.

This photo got me thinking about all of the other history of our town that is hidden in plain sight. There are many buildings downtown that still have remnants of the old billboard ads that were painted directly onto the side of buildings. I think it would be quite interesting if someone were to photograph these. Hmmm...

It was a cold overcast rainy day, with snow covering the mountain tops around the valley. It felt like we skipped fall, heading directly into winter. Last week the leaves weren't even in full color-change mode. What the hell is going on here? Oh yeah, that's what happens when you live in Idaho. If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes. Shorts & a t-shirt on Monday, pants & a coat on Wednesday!

But I digress. Today was really about trying my hand at HDR photography. I'm pretty happy with it, what do you think?

Manual: Page 12 - Navigating the Menus - The Shutter Release Button
Kind of feels like cheating, nothing was really learned here today. It's like those college classes where half your grade is just showing up.

Images: Richard Shultz - Just love his work! Such a talented artist.


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D:22 Is That a Pen-D?

During my teenage years my grandfather from Hawaii would give me old cameras, just little souvenirs before I flew home. Most were in varied states of disrepair. One old Nikon worked very well and produced excellent images. Unfortunately after over a decade of moves, the trusty old Nikon has vanished. I still get a little sad thinking about it.

I still have many of his old cameras, most of which are just decorations on bookshelves. I pulled one off of the shelf tonight to try some new lighting techniques.

As I looked through my shots in Lightroom, I realized that this camera was an Olympus Pen-D, manufactured around 1962. I've had these cameras for so long that I've never spent any amount of time to learn anything about them. It's interesting what you can learn about things around you when you just take the time to look.

Manual: Page 82 - M: Manual (Exposure)
I usually shoot in manual mode. It's just something I've grown used to.

Images: Jim Goldstein - Another awesome landscape photographer. I actually had a chance to talk briefly with Jim on-line today. I have an idea for a new copyright logo inspired by his. I'm awaiting approval to go ahead with my design. How do you protect your images?


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D21: My Saving Grace

I'm sure we've all been on a shoot where we looked at a picture and thought "I'll just fix it in post". As many of us have been trained to NEVER EVER EVER say that. Life can be so much easier if we just get it right in-camera.

But what about those times we don't?

What about those times that we're in a rush, and it looks good in that tiny monitor on the back of our camera? Have you ever returned to your office, only to find that your eyes lied to you, and you didn't get the shot you wanted? This use to happen to me a lot in the early years. It is more of a rarity now, but it still happens occasionally. Yesterday is a great example.

Due to his hectic work schedule that day, my brother called to ask if I could let his dog outside for a bit. With a busy schedule of my own, I agreed, although I would have to make this a fast trip.

As I let Duke run around in the backyard, I decided to try and get a few shots of him for today's post. I tried a few different techniques, and it appeared that I achieved what I wanted. Upon my return home I quickly discovered my eyes had betrayed me. The lighting was off, the colors weren't great, and I felt like I had wasted my time. I decided that I would see what I could salvage in Lightroom.

Lightroom turned out to be my savior. Within a few minutes I had an image I felt I could use. How many times has this happened to you? Were you as lucky as me in salvaging something from your shots?

Manual: Page 41 - Image Quality and Size
I still have trouble understanding how it literally took me YEARS to start shooting in RAW. In my defense I started shooting RAW once I got serious about pursuing this as a career. There is no excuse for this and I wish I could go back and re-shoot those early years in RAW. Nevertheless, life goes on.

There is only one example in which I purposely shot in "basic" mode. It was a large project for a national sporting goods chain, and I was on a tight deadline. They were building a merchandising catalog for their managers to access on the company's intranet. Basically, they needed a tight shot of each specific section on every aisle & wall. It didn't need to reflect intricate product detail, only the general layout of the merchandise. Hours of different setups each day, and hundreds of final images later, the project was complete.

Images: Travis Gugelman - Travis shoots many senior portraits, and he does a fantastic job. He has carved out a niche in his local market, and he has inspired me to follow his lead.


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D:20 Listen to Your Friends

It can be hard to look at the world around you with a fresh perspective. Driving down the interstate, on a stretch of blacktop that has been familiar for over 25 years, has a way of doing that to a person. Especially me.

The same high-desert landscapes. The same rest areas. The same farm silos.

"Hey, those silo's would look cool in black & white."

My longtime friend and driver of this road-trip, Dan, possessed that much-needed perspective that was escaping me. Time was of the essence so I quickly pulled out my camera and started shooting. I had little time to make adjustments, and then the silos faded into the horizon behind us. As our weekend was drawing to close, Dan provided me with a fresh set of eyes, and today's image.

I went back & forth between today's image and the one at the bottom of the post. I couldn't decide if I wanted to show the shot as I took it, or really focus on the silos. In the end I decided to stay with my original instinct. Which image do you prefer?

Manual: Page 175 - Printing Photographs
I've never used this feature and I can't really say that I ever plan to. I have become so accustomed to checking everything on the computer before sending anything to print. I do see many situations where this would be beneficial, just none that I would utilize. Plus, you can't print RAW that way.

Images: Gary Crabbe - I've looked at his work before, but I can't get over his landscape shots. Absolutely a-mazing. I tried at landscape shot at dawn over the weekend, but I just couldn't get it. I can't pinpoint what was missing, I just didn't get the same feeling as when I look at Gary's work. That definitely gives me something to reach for.




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D:19 Never Lose That Sense of Wonder

"Jason, less go catch a peetot!"

At only two and a half years old, she was determined to catch a peacock on her grandfather's ranch this morning. We tried to sneak up on them, but they proved to be a little too stealthy for a small child that hasn't mastered the art of whispering.

When we came around the corner she stopped at the fence, scanning the property for these elusive creatures. When asked if she was ready to go inside for breakfast, she politely replied "no tanks, imma get a peetot..." Every time she caught a glimpse of a "peetot", her eyes lit up with excitement.

When was the last time you got that excited about something? More importantly, when was the last time you got that excited about photography? I think it's important to remember that, as it's easy to get complacent in our day-to-day lives. I challenge each of you to keep that awe and wonder alive in your photos!

Manual: Page 116 - Photo Information
As I read this, I wondered how many times I get home after a shoot, only to find that I have a few unsalvageable images. How many of these could I have fixed in the field, if I had only paid more attention to the technical data? Have you ever ran into this problem?

Images: Lisa Dillon - I checked out Lisa's senior portrait work in hopes of coming up with some new ideas for my own. Lisa seems to do a good job in keeping her shoots fun. I think that's very important in our business. Have you ever felt that you were boring your clients, just in an effort to get that technically perfect picture? I personally feel that the best picture is the one that captures true emotion, even if it breaks a rule or two!


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D:18 On The Road Again

I got an invitation from a friend this week to join his family on a weekend trip. They were going to visit family, and there was to be a pig roast.

How could I possibly turn him down?

So here we are, barreling down the interstate as I write today's post. As the sun started to set, it seemed to light the sky on fire. This provided a perfect backdrop for the little farms dotting the countryside. Setting up the tripod would have perfectly captured this moment, but we were on a deadline. Instead, I cranked up the ISO and opened the aperture wide. It didn't quite turn out perfect, but neither do most road-trips. We're sure to encounter our share of bumps along the way, and that's part of what makes it memorable.

Manual: Page 200 - Advanced Menus
There are so many custom features in most of today's DSLR's, it's almost a waste not to learn them. I guess there will always be hobbyists out there that spend thousands of dollars on equipment, yet never take it out of 'auto' mode.

Images: David Bean - He does a lot of advertising/lifestyle work, and his images are incredibly rich in color & contrast. Every new photographer that I come across makes me yearn for more lenses. They're coming. Soon.


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D:17 Giving Back

Yes, I realize that tonight's image is very similar in composition to last night's image. Once again, I had something completely different planned for today. Someone once said, "Life is what happens while you're making plans.." and it couldn't have been more true today.

I received a phone call from a friend that needed some help - just a simple errand really. As I went out to my truck to pick him up, one of my neighbors flagged me down. She has been quite sick lately and has been confined to her house for the last year. She felt good enough today to get out for some fresh air, but quickly learned that her car battery was dead. I hopped on over and got her taken care of, feeling quite good about it!

After I was done helping everyone that had called me, I ran into some friends that I haven't seen in months. I was in a hurry, and it would have been easy to just wave and keep walking; however, I felt the need to stop and say hi. After we played catch-up, I noticed that I had lost my light for the day and I drove home. Well wouldn't you know it, the moon was just hanging around, waiting for me to get home! I quickly ran inside to get my tripod & gear, and captured this image after about a dozen attempts.

It's funny how things work out sometimes. Today's chain of events led me directly to this photo. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

Manual: Page 24 - Basic Photography
How many of you forget the very basics every now & then? I do! Who knows how many times I've left my lens cap on, or left my memory card in my bag.

Images: Gary Crabbe - Gary does landscape/travel photography, and a LOT. He has some absolutely b-e-a-utiful images. I'm thinking I'm going to have to start traveling more if I'm going to expand my outdoor skills.


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D:16 A Little Luck Never Hurt

Check your settings, and check them often.

There is an insurance company that is headquartered in my town, and they have a beautiful building. A great combination of glass, brick and stainless steel. I captured a few good images and headed home to check them out. I had left the ISO on 1600 from the night before. Way too much noise. Fail.

After my little failure, I decided it was a great night to try my hand at low-key shots. Don't ask me why I've never tried them before, because I don't have an answer.

I decided to make the subject of my shoot a little Buddha that a friend gave me. He picked it up in Hawaii in the 70's, and he thought I might benefit from some good luck. After some trial and error, today's post is what I came up with.

This is not my favorite shot, nor is it my worst. It was my 1st attempt at something new and I was satisfied with the outcome. After all, isn't that what this whole challenge is all about? Without pushing the limits of our creativity, how will we ever grow as artists?

As I picked up my manual tonight, I realized that it has less than 365 pages. So what do I do with the rest of the year? What are you planning to do when you run out of new pages? Perhaps pick a page in the morning, and apply that topic to the day's photo?

I asked Tasra Dawson the same question on Facebook, and the strangest thing happened.

We had a short conversation.

Why is this strange you ask?

I'll tell you why. Because in my world, Tasra is a celebrity, and I got to talk to her. My personal "celebrities" are professional photographers who also seem to be amazing people. I would much rather have lunch with someone like Tasra than any movie star. Social media has completely changed the way we interact with the world. Just 20 years ago aspiring photographers like myself could never have interacted so easily with a professional photographer across the country. I think sometimes we forget how amazing technology can be.

Manual: Page 52 - Preset White Balance
I've always used on of the presets for WB, but tomorrow I'm going to give this a shot. Maybe starting out with a custom WB will eliminate a small step in post-processing for me.

Images: I stumbled across Robert Frank's work as I searched for some examples of street photography. This is yet another avenue that I have never tried. I'm not generally comfortable with walking up to someone on the street and asking if I can take their picture. I hope to try it soon!


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D:15 A Lesson Learned

I was recently asked by a local game store for a donation. They were doing a big release for the new game "Halo 3: ODST", and they were looking for giveaway prizes. I didn't imagine that the majority of the "gamer" crowd would be looking for portraits, but it was an inexpensive way to try tapping into a new market.

I decided to attend the midnight release, hoping to get a good shot of the crowd. What I learned was that these gamers are incredibly dedicated to their craft. There was a trivia contest involving everything Halo, and the detailed knowledge of these people was amazing. Hours before the game could even be purchased, these warriors of the game consoles showed up in droves. With a line running outside and around the building, they waited. It's a unique community of folks, to say the least.

It got me thinking about how we photographers approach our craft. What if we all approached photography like these gamers? Some of us already do, absorbing every bit of information we can get our hands on. Others just pick up the camera every now & then, never really pushing the boundaries of creativity.

I challenge each and every one of you to approach something in your life with the same level of passion. Dive into it, wrap it around you like a warm blanket on a cool Fall night. See where it takes you.

Manual: Page 150 - Custom Setting 19: Flash Mode
I have been wanting to try some low-key photos lately, so I decided to brush up on my flash modes. I guess we'll find out in the next week what comes of it!

Images: Scott Kelby - What a master of lighting! He gives me the inspiration to experiment with different lighting techniques for hours on end.


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