Overdoing It

There is a certain habit that we can get caught up in as a photographer, or in any profession really.  We can learn this one technique and get great results but then over use that technique just to use it, even when its unnecessary or uncalled for.  I remember this happening to me when I learned HDR.

I started right off the bat with HDR when I started photography.  I got pretty good at it and people loved it, but then I started over using it.  I would even use it on portraiture subjects, which is something that you really ought not do.  The same thing has been happening to me with using off-camera lighting.  I find myself starting to use the lights even when its not necessary.  I remember before I got my strobist kit that I would take pictures and they would come out good without the use of spare lights.  Now it seems that I want to use it all the time.

We especially do this on photos that we think are sub-par.  We get this mentality that although this picture stinks, we can make it cooler by making it an HDR or converting it to black and white.  A girl I liked came up to me and showed me a picture and she was excited about it and wanted to know what I thought.  I told her it would look better in black and white.  Usually that means the photo isn't all that great.  Before you judge me, you cant tell me that you havent done that yourself, or something similar.  But yeah, usually we make something black and white to give it a punch because "everything looks good in black and white."

Well, I caught myself and I stopped doing this.  We can get so caught up in our equipment that we stop seeing the picture as it is.  We can go crazy buying new lenses and new this and that, but is it necessary?  Where and how do we learn that sober use of what we have?  I guess the best advice is to never lose sight of the fact that your equipment is just another set of tools to get the job done.  Dont lose the vision, thats what makes a photographer special.

Well, Im not big on New Years Resolutions, but I propose that in this day and age that we don't get lazy because we have all this technology around us.  I say we use it to our advantage and take photography to the next level.  No promises or anything like that, but I want to learn a new technique every single day this year and I will post it if I think it can help you out.  BTW, Im going based on the day that I moved out to California last year, which was January 4th.  So I will start tomorrow (from the date that this blog is posted)

So for now, I will just post some photos from my trip to Michigan, which I just got back from.

A really cool idea to spruce up your shots.

Ok I finally had a Sunday off last month and I was able to get to go out with Redeye, an organization for reaching out to different creative types like you and I.  Anyways, they had a white sheet set up as a wall and I dont know what they were going to use it for.  However, I had an idea that would make for a fun experience with the camera.

You can do this for very little money actually.  Buy any white sheet from somewhere and buy some PVC piping to make a wall.  Build the frame with the PVC pipe and stretch the sheet to make your wall.  Its really simple and cheap too.

It will end up looking like this which may or may not excite you all that much due to it not being all that fancy and pretty.

Ok, so after that, set up your strobe behind it with your wireless sync.  I was using my trust Cybersync system from paul c buff, attached to my trust Canon 430EX II.  Use the wall as a shoot through umbrella type setup.  This will allow you to get some really nice diffused light on your subjects.

Pretty nifty eh?  It gives you really nice broad light that isn't harsh and will cover a whole group of people.

Also whats fun, is using it as a silhouette wall, which turned out to be a big hit.  People will love getting in front to have their picture taken.

See what I mean?  

Then all you have to do is convert your image to black and white, do a crop and maybe a curves adjustment.  

Ok, so now you have a little something extra to maybe include in your next event shoot or maybe something to put into your studio.  This will definitely allow you to stick out more as a photographer and people are going to remember you much easier because you did something unique and fun.

When Free is Bad.

Being a photographer or any artist is difficult, mostly due to the high availability of cheap equipment that anyone can afford.  It seems that any and everyone is a photographer these days.  

This is a discussion that is common among forum threads on photography websites.  It wasnt too long ago that photographers made really good money at their craft, that was until digital cameras showed up.

Usually in market places, the pro's would still do well because everyone knows good quality and thats what they want.  That is something that is quickly becoming untrue.  Clients will accept sub-par photos for the sake of meeting deadlines.

Another thing that has been true for decades is that doing free work when you start out helps boost your portfolio and gives you necessary skills which leads to great paying gigs in the future.  Skim through the creative gigs section in Craigslist and you will quickly see many potential clients looking for work but for free.  Usually its not simple work, its work that requires many hours at the computer to fit their high demands.  I know, because I have been there.

What does free work lead to these days?  More free work! YAY!!!!

However, free is not all that bad.  It has its place and its use in our society.  If it werent for free information then I wouldnt have been where I am today.  I have found that if you know how to find what you are looking for, then honestly why pay someone else to do it?  I am not a web-developer by any means, but I have built my own website from flash and HTML from just information I found on the internet.  I have pretty much learned everything I know about photography from various places and people on the internet (besides my own experimenting with the camera of course)

So is free all bad?  No I would say not at all.  In fact, I have had a change of heart and decided to start contributing and start helping people out that need it.  Your gut reaction is to ask for a fee to help someone with knowledge or experience that was forged in your own hard work.  However, when you get something for free, your usual reaction is to be more charitable, after all, freely you received so freely you should give right?  Yes, unless you are just a dick and dont want to share anything.

I have also discovered that the free exchange of ideas and speech propels our society like none other.  It creates a breeding ground for brilliant ideas to surface.

But what does that have to do with photography and doing free work?  Well, not much to be honest.  Its just the simple concept to help change your perspective perhaps.  Selfishness and greed will definitely not get you where you want to go, and you cant get where you are going all by yourself.