Only a Year Late (So being a guitar player in another lifetime I pulled out my trusty Fender Strat…)

1/125 sec at f/2.8 ISO 100 70mm
Nicole Gallagher, makeup by Jasmine Benton

It has taken me well over a year to complete this “behind the scenes” video of a shoot I did with model Nicole Gallagher. Why? Because I am stubborn and when I want something to be a certain way… well I want it that way. Childish? Maybe. So the problem was… ok so here is where you can laugh, smack my head and call me crazy. I couldn’t get the music right. I wanted a certain piece of music, I wanted Santana/Everlast “Put Your Lights On” and while I have that version done, it was done two days after the shoot, I could not get it uploaded. And rightfully (pardon the pun) so because Youtube, Vimeo and Facebook all threatened to ban my accounts if I tried to upload it again. What a bitch and I really can’t complain because I know the copyright laws very well when it comes to intellectual property, after all I’m the guy that makes everybody sign a model release to protect my images.

But then I had an idea… ahhh… what if I record the song myself. All I wanted was the music and not the vocals. So being a guitar player in another life time I pulled out my trusty Fender Strat and fires up my GK amp and laid down a fairly decent instrumental version of  “Put Your Lights On” and edited it using Adobe Audition CC (which by the way I love Audition CC). But still no luck, YouTube slammed me with even nastier emails. …oh well I tried.

So then I got discussed and I set the project aside. I revisited the project no less than 8 times since June of 2014 and to no avail. So my last attempt was the other day and like all the other attempts I crashed & burned after an 2 hours of sifting through clip after clip of “royalty free” music. However tonight I hit on a song that I liked and the video has been uploaded. Did I win?.. hell no, but I do like the song “Hey Girl” and it seems to work. Check it out and hit “Like” if you would please, you can also subscribe to the Channel too.

 

Sights, Sounds & Smells of Autumn (leaves blowing and rustling as people walk on them, the corn stalks chattering as the wind…)

 

Pumpkins On A Wall 1/125 sec at f/9 ISO 800 115mm

It is October 3rd and we are entering that blissful time of year here in the Western New Jersey USA. The days are getting shorter and Fall is in the air… literally. This morning as I stepped out of the house at 5:15am it was dark and foggy, but not too cool. Most of all I could smell the aroma of damp fallen leaves and that smell, although not very pleasant, is the smell that just gives me the vibe of autumn. There are other aromas as well, like corn fields as the dry and the smell fills the air as the sun warms the deadened corn stalks. Sounds too, leaves blowing and rustling as people walk on them, the corn stalks chattering as the wind gives them a voice. These are just a few of the sights, smells and sounds that brings the autumn season into my heart.

Below is a link to the “Backstory” of the image above. A few years back I had done a weekly series of backstory videos on some of my most favorite images.

As a side note or more of a personal story: Autumn is my most favorite season of the year. The colors are so beautiful and there is this feeling of bliss (at least for me) in the air, but there is also a feeling of urgency as I know it will not last. And when it is all gone… the colors the feeling, we are left with looking forward to the “The Holiday” season and winter. While the holiday season is filled with lights, parties, gifts, prayers and food, it is not visual. Yes I know there are lights and decorations, but it is all man-made, autumn is nature and nature is a wondrous beauty.  Nature can wreak havoc beyond one’s imagination too, with storms, earthquakes, Tsunamis and so much more. But Autumn is beauty. It was the Autumn of 1984 that I was recovering from a devastating car wreck. I would spend the days sitting in my grandmother’s lawn swing that was located in a small grove of dogwood trees to the side of the driveway. After my grandmother headed off to work, me with my casts, neck brace and crutches I would perform the epic task to move from the house to the swing by myself. I would drag my guitar case slowly behind me with a bathrobe belt as I made the trek. The pain and the danger of falling were the big obstacles, so once in the swing I would remain there most of the day. In my pocket a few small cigars and I would wait for my father’s cousin Carol to come by, she would bring me something from the house to snack on and a big glass of water. Then she would head off to check on my great-grandmother next door as she did everyday. Carol’s visit was the pinnacle of the time spent in the swing and on shopping day she would ask me what I wanted from the store. She said “I’ll get you anything you want, just no booze or cigarettes.” I usually asked for a bag of pretzels and a bottle of soda. Her and Bill came to see me in the hospital right after the accident, they sat and prayed with me. I had so few visitors, just a few family members and one friend, so when Carol & Bill came to see me… I knew it was heartfelt.

So sitting in that swing day after day during the autumn of 84, strumming my guitar, writing songs and a little poetry, smoking a Swisher Sweet cigar and taking in life was a feeling and a memory I’ll never forget. So when autumn arrives I think of all of that and I think of Carol… rest her soul.

Sinister Clown Project Shoot (As far as looks Nicole is everything Pennywise is not. )

I am just a week away from my most planned out project shoot of 2016. I had set a goal at the beginning of the year to “create images with impact” and unlike the typical new year’s resolutions that fall by the wayside a few weeks into the year, my goal still haunts me. It has been a struggle; however I have created a few images that are portfolio worthy. When it comes to my portfolio it is like a game, there are self-imposed rules. First rule is that there are a certain number of images in the portfolio and in order to add an image I must take an image out. So essentially the new image has to dethrone another… and that is the hard part, deciding what goes and what stays and what new images are worthy to add. So this first rule really does dictate most everything.

With all that said I started the year off pretty good with the close distorted facial shot of Nixlot Dameus, it was different, it was creative and it was planned. I hit my mark and I was happy. I could also say the same with the “Ice Princess” look I did with Kendall. Although the shoot was cut short due to time spent on makeup I was able to get an image that was worthy of making a composite that was then worthy of portfolio contention. Then came Ryan McNally and his shoot while being more of a test shoot, it still yielded a good image worthy of gracing the portfolio pages. Many times people helping me with a shoot such as an assistant or even the model are often surprised to hear me say “well… if we come away with five good images today I’ll be happy.” They usually look at me like “he’s got to be kidding” or “he must be a horrible photographer,” when in reality I’m totally serious. Hell if creating portfolio worthy images was that easy, life would be no fun.

So this leads us to the present day turmoil of the “Sinister Clown” shoot. I spoke about it in my latest video update on the YouTube channel, but I will elaborate a little more here.

So to recap; Stephen King wrote a short novel of 1156 pages called “It” and there was a movie or rather a TV mini-series created in 1990. The book is impeccable and King is at his best. The movie was not so great. In my opinion the movie started off great but it started to falter about midway through. In all fairness putting King’s writing into a visual form like a movie is extremely hard to do. So when I see the new revamped images of Pennywise the dancing clown that will appear in the remake of “It” due to be released in 2017, I was really taken back and became very interested. So much so that I decided to use those images as an inspiration for a detailed project photo shoot. Pennywise is one of the many forms that “It” takes on while in our universe and he feed on the flesh and fear of young children. …I know …King is a master at this kind of stuff. So I called the shoot the “Sinister Clown” shoot and proceeded. Now truth be told I had already had an idea for a clown shoot and my original idea was very much the same although not as intense.

So there were many things to plan. Who would be the model, who will do make up and where the hell can I get decent wardrobe. After all I want this to be… as makeup artist say “an HD look” meaning “high definition.” “HD” is the big buzz word these days in the makeup and FX world. We used to say “movie quality” and now it is HD… Whatever!

So I asked a cosplay model who dresses up as a clown often and she was all in. Well until her personal life took a turn and she was relocating. So here we go we are hitting barriers before the race even starts.

I put a casting call out on Model Mayhem. Well let me tell you there is a reason why it is called “Model Mayhem” and that Mayhem part is a wild ride. I specifically asked for models that had experience in “cosplay” and it resulted in getting hits from models who clearly can’t read.

Then I get one model that looks valid and appears to be creative, says “yes” and she can do her own makeup and I tell her what the inspiration is for the shoot. She agrees and then starts adding her own inspiration that is not in the same direction as mine. Essentially what turns me on about the new Pennywise is that he does not look like a standard clown. In the 1990 movie the clown was very standard Claribel-ish or Ronald McDonald-ish. The new Pennywise scares me… and I’m not afraid of clowns at all. So this model wanted to go in a different direction AND… after all that she tells me she will be free in a few weeks. Hello…

Here again it is hard to convey your passion, inspiration and importance to others. So when you do find that special person that clicks it is like being in love, two creatives on the same level is rare and amazing all at the same time. I have to stop and say that every one of my project shoots gets treated as if it is a paid shoot. That my friend is how you learn and how you get better. My projects have deadlines and must meet my expectations to be considered a success in the end. Sure it creates stress, but I always say “no stress, no success” and that is how I roll. Now I don’t always transfer that stress to a model because I want him/her to be relaxed and natural. All the while I’m the one stressing over the shoot.

So two years ago a young lady by the name of Jade left a really nice heartfelt comment on my Mayhem page after viewing my work. I reached out to her and thanked her. We had a wonderful phone conversation and I got the feeling she was a true creative person. I ran off to Thailand a few weeks later and we lost touch. But I remembered her and I found her again. I presented the idea to her and she was down with it, so I commissioned her to do the Sinister Clown look. She has given me a hope of confidence that she can create an HD look.

So now for the model… Oh the model? So I changed direction and went 180 degrees the opposite direction. This cannot be a Time For Print model, this has to be someone who can take direction, someone I can trust to show up and someone I like to work with. So I asked Nicole Gallagher the beautiful face you see on the opening page of my website. As far as looks Nicole is everything Pennywise is not. She is pretty, elegant, female and just a really sweet person to work with. Pennywise on the other hand… well is an evil rotten clown with fangs. But Nicole holds all the qualities to make for a great shoot. On time, takes direction well and is a cool person to work with. So I asked and she said yes, yes to sitting for 2 plus hours while Jade applies the FX makeup that will be composed of a special prosthetic head-piece that Jade will custom make.

Now we have a model and a makeup artist, all we need is wardrobe. So I got an idea to shoot the Sinister Clown in a “Renaissance” context. I had seen it done with Batman, Robin, The Joker, and The Cat Woman and so on. This then entailed many hours of searching on the internet and those hours turned to days and finally I found a rental place in Oregon that had something that I hope will work.

And lastly I will say that I am currently working on lighting diagrams for all the different shots. So yes this shoot is complexed. Will it turn out great images? Time will tell. And as a side project I hope to shoot a time-lapse of the makeup application as well as behind the scenes video.

Please stay tuned and I will be talking more about this project in the coming days & weeks.

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Life… A Series of Problems. (But somewhere between the written words of some wise sage and our actual daily existence…)

 

 

 

Shantae Taylor 1/125 sec at f/16 ISO 50 70mm

It started off as a photo shoot to update headshots in a studio and it ended as classic car shoot outdoors. But aside from the strange twist from how it started to how it ended, the really amazing part was being able to work with model Shantae Taylor. I had not worked with Shantae for just over two years and although we stay connected through Instagram I knew the day would come… and it did. Finished with school and carving her way into a broadcasting career it is amazing to follow a person as they make that journey to follow a dream. Sure it sounds easy and fantasy like when you write about it or as you are reading about it. But we all know the true reality is that life is not easy and things never come fast. It has been said that “life is nothing more than just a series of problem and our job is to solve the problems.” That statement when read makes life just seem “so easy,” and the statement could not be any truer, life “is” a series of problems. But somewhere between the written words of some wise sage and our actual daily existence this so-called “series of problems” is really nothing more than a murky abyss. A place where you cannot see through to the other side, a place where some days you can’t see your hand in front of your face, a place where moments of clarity appear and happiness abounds, but never stays. A place where sometimes nothing seems real and yet in the blink of an eye it can all becomes so real it hurts or even kills.

Maybe this blog post seems a little off pace for a photographer who just had an amazing shoot with an amazing person. We talked about all kinds of things, her career path, creativity, jobs, and life and so on… But all the while I’m working with her my mind drifts back to a mere 24 hours earlier where I sat with a wonderful and courageous friend who was recovering from a horrible motorcycle accident that was no fault of his, in which he sustained massive injuries and worst of all he lost his wife. A problem that came into his life with no wrong doing of his own. While my friend is on a long road to getting life back to a somewhat normal state it was a drastic contrast to my conversation with Shantae. She is young and full of energy and focused… As we finished up our shoot and she departed, I just sat there thinking… “Life… just a series of problems… all we have to do is solve the problems.” I wish her the best.

Shantae Taylor posing in a 1957 Chevy 1/25 sec at f/7.1 ISO 200 85mm

Good But Not What I Wanted (realizing you have written nothing but drivel and ripping the half written page from the typewriter)

I would like to talk a little about this image that I recently created… well maybe talk a lot about it and what it really is. Ok so the truth be told it is not at all what I wanted to create. What you see here is the “second draft” so-to-speak, but there were four of five more versions and I tossed them all out of frustration. It was like back in the day when a writer would sit at a typewriter trying to make something happen and half way through the page realizing you have written nothing but drivel and ripping the half written page from the typewriter, crushing and crumpling and tossing it into garbage can in the corner. The garbage can that is overflowing with dozens of other half written pages. I saw something that inspired me and it gave be a vision and an idea for a really cool image… well at least I thought it would be cool. So I headed into my stockpile of images and I knew exactly where to look. But when I found the images I was thinking of, the wardrobe was all wrong. I wanted to create an image of a model with a rather “moonscape” like background, but I wanted her dress to be blowing away in the wind and turning to smoke. Similar to the piece I did back in 2013 called “Shattered” where the motocross racer’s helmet was shattering and blowing away.

I just could not get it to happen and keep it looking like a dress. Why? Because in this particular image the model is not actually wearing a dress, she is wearing a shirt and a skirt. So now after two nights of working I end up going back to the second version that I created in about 30 minutes and I said “done.” Done, but not at all satisfied. While many people love this image and I received good feedback across all platforms of social media, I myself am not satisfied. Not satisfied because I wanted something very different. With all that said… this is a good image. Model Nicole Gallagher is striking a stellar pose as she can so easily do and I have blogged in the past about her eyes and her talent of “posing with her eyes.’ This is a perfect example, I mean all we see here of the model is her arms and her face and her eyes. And for me the eyes say it all in this pose. So to recap, there is nothing wrong with the model or the pose, but the wardrobe is not right to complete my vision. So we know what that means… “project shoot!” If I am going to complete this vision I have in my mind I need to shoot the model correctly with the correct wardrobe. Thanks so much for stopping by and reading.

People with Cameras (“Millennial Digital Era” has spawned a genre of photos and the people who capture them)

Double exposure from an awesome shoot I did last fall with Greg Sampson.

“Everybody is a photographer!” In this day and time of digital photography we hear it all the time. I hear many of my photographer friends say the phrase all the time and most times it is in a venomous tone because they’re angry. I too at one time was guilty of this opinion, but have really learned to just let it go because it truly is a “false” statement.

Sure today cameras are everywhere and everyone has a camera… it’s almost as if the younger generations are born with a mobile device in their hand that has a camera lol. But seriously if in fact “you are a photographer” you are a creative person working with a vision and a set of rules. Rules that you learned, concepts that you have crafted and skills you have honed to a razor’s edge. You know when to follow the rules, when to break the rules and at the end of the day you’re a “photographer.”

So what are the labels are there for all the other humans walking around with these soul capturing devices? Of course this is just my opinion, but let’s looks a little closer; I think it’s safe to say the majority of images on social media are “snapshots” or documentary style; they have no creativity attached to them in any way. Selfies, food shots, the dog or cat, the baby smiling, these are just aiming the camera and snapping the shutter. All the pictures of your vacation just document that you stood on that spot in the world on that day at that time. Now of course I know that statement will make a lot of “selfie” shooters angry because they spend hours perfecting their facial and butt selfies. Perfecting a facial selfie or butt shot is not creativity, all it does is say “hey I’m a millennial, I have an iPhone and a lot of time on my hands… oh an I love my own butt and you should too.” I have seen people in restaurants spending 10 minutes on a food shot of their beautiful meal, all the while the meal is getting cold. More “insane” then a photographer if you ask me. “Yes” I love to take a photo of a meal and share it on social media with family and friends; however I fall short of believing I just captured a work of art. So again, I think it is safe to say “most people are taking snapshots” and that is very similar to what people did in the 70’s with their little Kodak 110 Instamatics, but without the facial and butt shots lol. In the film days we had albums and shoe boxes full of senseless photos that nobody ever seen unless we wanted to torture them. With that said; those images are important on a personal level because they are our memories, but most times mean very little to anyone else.

Now we look at the guy/gal with the DSLR and we can’t be too critical here, because if in-fact you are a photographer you had to start somewhere, we all start somewhere. But there is a big difference here because this new “Millennial Digital Era” (as I like to call it) has spawned a genre of photos and the people who capture them to the likes of something we have never seen. I say “people who capture” rather than use the term “photographer” because this species is anything but a “photographer” although they are not taking snapshots. This species utilizes a DSLR or higher end point & shoot along with various software and social media to create (for lack of a better word) “crap” as in shitty garbage. I have heard Scott Kelby (along with many others) say “Instagram is for photographers” and while that may partially be true, I think it would be more appropriate to say “Instagram is for people want to be photographers.” The very nature of Instagram with its “one click” filters offers a feeling that the person uploading the image actually created something special… ok if you say so lol. Vimeo does a similar thing giving the ability to add effects to uploaded videos.

I think it is really fair to say that when people hear the word “photographer” it gives them a sense of someone who knows how to capture a good likeable image. If they hear the term “professional photographer” it most times conjures up the thought of someone who makes money with a camera. So why then are professional photographers venomous about this genre of “people with cameras?” I think it is because “people with cameras” sometimes steal paid work from the professionals. This is where I stand strong on who I am and my confidence as a photographer. Sure professional photography has changed immensely with the coming of the “digital age” and it has made what was not an easy craft a whole lot harder and that is life. A guy gets into a car accident and loses a leg or arm or both. Terrible situation without a doubt and he is now forced to face major decisions; do I give up on life or do I use what I have to keep going? Kind of a harsh metaphor I know, but life does not come with a guarantee, it never did and it never will. Nobody gave a film photographer back in the day a guarantee that “hey learn this craft, learn it well and things will always be ok.” So to be a successful professional photographer today you need to first make a choice of “is this what I want and if I want it, it will never be easy.” Like all businesses you need to keep up with technology, keep learning, learn to diversify as time changes the world around you and somehow keep it fun. Or go sit in the corner and boo hoo lol.

Thanks for reading.

 

Quarry Office Shoot with Kendall (Lots of windows and wood.)

Kendall at the Quarry House 1/125 sec at f/3.2 ISO 50 105mm

Been awhile since I shot with Kendall, but this shoot wasn’t really planned until the last-minute. I had planned to shoot another model at this location, the shots were all planned out with a mood board, it was to be a “catalog” style shoot with bright high energy shots. At the last-minute the model fell sick (as they always do) and I was left with an empty time slot. So a quick text to Kendall and it was a done deal.

Kendall is amazing and always has been from the day we first met and worked together on that hot summer day in Bethlehem Pa. Everybody sees the images we create, but what you do not see is how professional she is. If I say “two looks” she bring three or four, she is always on time and well prepared. I give her an address and she is there… easy to do when you’re a young teen and you’re being chauffeured by mom and dad, but now Kendall is an adult ad drives herself to the shoots.

When it is a public location as this shoot was I like to arrive early and scout the premises for anything that will be a problem. The location was the Prallsville Mill property although we were shooting in part of the old Quarry Office/House. Lots of windows and wood. So I arrive early, but no chance to scout because Kendall arrives early too and we get right to it. It was hot inside the building, I opened windows, turned on the ceiling fan, but still it was a sweat fest.

The technical: Shooting was done the whole day in manual mode except for a few shots that were natural light. Manual mode because I was using flash. All my indoor shots were made at either 50 or 100 ISO, so I used a manual radio Speedlight to light the room. Most times I bounced the flash off the opposite wall from where the model was located. Or I bounced the light off of the ceiling. At one point I found some brochures that were all white on the back, propped them against a window and placed the Speedlight aiming at them and bounced the light to Kendall. This allowed me to give fairly even light and not reflect off of the glass windows.  In-fact I wanted to see out the windows… it worked.

As for lenses; I used the 70-200mm f/2.8L and a 50mm f/1.4 prime.

The second portion of the shoot was a fitness look and those shots were all done outdoors. For those shots I used a Paul C Buff 640 watt light and a white beauty dish powered by a Vagabond battery. I’ll put a post up from that part of the shoot another time.

So needless to say we had a lot of fun… as we always do.

Thanks for reading.

Dressed for Church (She spoke in a very clear precise and perfectly enunciated voice, her voice matched her outfit…)

1/60 sec at f/3.5 ISO 160 50mm

If you have been following my IG & Facebook you know I shot on location with Kendall Strampel on Sunday. And in Kendall’s true fashion she arrived fully prepared and we were off and running in no time at all, Kendall is a professional and amazing to work with. So as we were finishing up the first look inside of the old Quarry House I felt blessed that we had made it through the whole session without anyone interrupting us. Afterall we are in a public place and people are walking around outside. All of the sudden a white figure in the distance catches my eye. I look out the door and up the walkway I see this beautifully dressed lady coming towards us. She is moving rather quickly for her years and she looked as if she was on a mission. She opens the door and steps in and I greeted her with a smile and a big “good morning.” She stated she was there to look for an envelope that was left for her. I had seen the envelope and had actually been using it to bounce a speedlight flash while shooting Kendall. Once she had the envelope in hand she seemed relieved and I then remarked on her attire and told her she looked “amazing.” She humbly said she was on her way home from church. I immediately asked “would you mind if I took a picture of you?” She smiled and felt rather giddy. She spoke in a very clear precise and perfectly enunciated voice, her voice matched her outfit and it was as if she had stepped out of a classic novel from the 1950’s as an upper crust aristocrat. I almost wanted to laugh, but instead I knew I was in the presence of a really kind and wonderful soul. I asked her name and she straightened her posture and looked me straight in the eye and said in a crisp well spoken voice “Anna P Weinman” she pronounced “Anna” as “On-a.” I was in love she was just so cute. She posed and I fired the shutter with a burst of three and put the camera down.

So now I was in that awkward state of awkwardness… I asked her name then captured her image and now I already forgot her name. I knew I would be writing this post so I needed her name. I asked again “and your name is…” she again straightened her posture and said loudly but comically “Anna P as in Patrice, Weinman, Patrice being my professional name of course and she then smiled and laughed. She then looked at Kendall and back at me and asked if I was a newspaper photographer and I stated “no Kendall is my model and we are doing a shoot.” This then turned into a conversation about the history of the mill and the quarry house of which Anna and I knew so much about. It was so nice to see and meet someone with the same passion for local history as I have. Then I caught myself and I felt bad… Kendall is just standing there looking lost and I ended the conversation because I was being a little rude to the model. So Anna bid us good day and told us to “carry on.” She then whisked away as quick as she came and was gone. I could have talked with her for hours and maybe someday I will have that chance.

As a side note: There are many things a photographer must do to create a successful shoot. I say “create” because a good photo shoot doesn’t  “just happen” you work at it and you create it. Kendall had worked at it before she arrived, she was 100% prepared when she arrived. As a photographer one of the main things you must do is focus on your model whether it be male or female and make the person feel exactly that “a person” and not an object. You need good images that is your ultimate goal and it is your ultimate focus. However it is easy to get lost and lose focus as I did when Anna walked into our shoot. Sure asking to take her photos was ok, but starting up the conversation about the history and leaving the model hanging was wrong, I caught myself and corrected, apologized and moved on.

Thanks for reading and have a great day.

Magic at Lockridge Park ( I try to get out to Lockridge a few times a year…)

Fitness/Fashion model Whan 1.250 sec at f/3.2 ISO 50 95mm

Shooting at Lockridge Park in Alburtis Pa is a photographer’s dream if you like textures and stones. The site of a former iron ore furnace first built there in 1868. All that remains now are these partial stone structures that appear as beautiful ruins and set the stage or rather a backdrop for photo shoots. On any given day you can find a photographer out shooting amongst the ruins. A nice setting for a wedding ceremony or just a fun model shoot, I try to get out to Lockridge a few times a year, once in the summer and again in the autumn season.

It really can be a fun and magical place for model shooting, the juxtaposition of a model’s beauty back dropped with the textures of the stone and cracked cement are a lot of fun for me. In this image we see Whan giving us an awesome fitness look with a classic pose of negative space in the arms and legs, I then edited the image using split tones in Lightroom to enhance the textures of the stone and cement. The sky is bright blue above her so the stone is holding the blues although our human eye cannot see it… until the color is saturated a bit. I love split tone editing as long as it is not over done. In this case I made sure none of the split tones are on the model, just on the textures. Most times when I use split tones I use it very sparingly on my images. However today I wanted to go a lot stronger to give a little surreal or magical feel.

Whan was a lot of fun to work with, she has a classic Thai/Asian fashion look and style and she can shoot fitness to. She’s dedicated to a healthy lifestyle of fitness and exercise as can be seen by her body. Follow her in Instagram https://www.instagram.com/whannasert/

Till next time… and thanks for stopping by and reading.

“Capture the moment” (…there still is a craft to be learned and honed to a finer edge.)

 

1/125 sec at f/5.0 ISO 100 70mm

“Capture the moment” it is so cliché when we hear photographers talk about it. I read blogs and watch vlogs, have sat through countless hours of seminars and classes and I have that statement so many times I want to puke. Some photographers are like chefs in that they feel so passionate about what they do they think there techniques can cure cancer. “It’s a camera everybody has one” or in the case of a chef “its food… and you cook it.”

However with all that said there still is a craft to be learned and honed to a finer edge. This is what will rise you up above the average completion in whatever it is you do. Example; world-renowned photographer Joe McNally has risen to a level of success because he has honed his craft over a lifetime. So Mr. McNally can take a photo of someone changing a lightbulb and it becomes an iconic image. I know you’re thinking “but it is just someone changing any ole lightbulb” it is the red light on the antenna on the very tippy top of the Empire State Building. I guess you just have to be different!

So at the wedding I was photographing the other day I see all these people with their mobile phone camera capturing their images and I’m thinking (as I always do) “there they are all standing in group capturing pretty much the same exact image. Sure each will be a little different given the quality of the device they have and some might even edit their images to look even nicer. Meanwhile they are all in the way of the photographer the bride has hired and they are in the way of each other. While many photographers will complain about the iPhone worms I have learned to live with it and work past it. The biggest thing for me is I know full well I will come away with shots the average camera phone photographer will never be able to capture. Now I know I am no Joe McNally, but I do know that you need to “capture the moment” and you need to be a little different about it.

In the image above we see the bride looking at her groom who is holding his daughter, a very touching moment to say the least. However by using a 70-200mm lens mounted on a camera body with a full crop sensor (which by-the-way costs a tad bit more than even the most expensive iPhone) and standing in a spot where nobody would expect to stand I captured a very wonderful moment, and pretty well I might say.

The wedding was a lot of fun and as always to see two families come together and have so much fun is always an awesome thing.

Till next time… Thanks for reading.