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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