Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Art Exhibit - Summer Nights

Summer Nights

“Holler if you’re ready for some summer nights.” – Rascal Flatts

I am happy to announce that I will have two (2) photographs, Childhood Memory Maker and Splash on the Rocks selected for the Summer Nights exhibit at The Gallery @ Thompson Park. I am even happier to announce that I will be joined by my daughter, Katie, who also will have a photograph in the exhibit. Check out Katie's Facebook page. The show runs June 3^rd to August 10^th, Wednesday to Sunday 12pm-4pm. There will be an Opening Reception on 3 June 2022 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

All artwork is available for sale with 30% of the proceeds going to the gallery to help continue programs like this one. This is my fourth time exhibiting at The Gallery having participated in Into the Woods, The Silence of Winter, and Neon Spring. I will leave links to blogs posts about those exhibits below.

Childhood Memory Maker

Childhood Memory Maker is one of my favorite images and is an example of one of those times that keeping your eyes open pays off. I had stopped at the beach in Spring Lake because I saw one of the jettys covered in sea gulls. I walked over to the jetty and took a number of images of the birds, ocean, and rocks. I came away with a few reasonably good images but as I was walking back to the car I came across the winner!

I learned a long time ago not to put my camera away until I get back to the car. There have been a couple ocassions when I lost a great opportunity because I wasn't ready. I found this child's shovel abandoned in the sand; immediately drawn to it, I set out to find the composition. I knew it had the potential for being a special image but didn't realize how good it would be. The way the shovel is perched at the top of the "wave" of sand, perfectly undisturbed sand surrounding the shovel, and alternating pattern of light and dark sand repeating throughout was almost too good to be true.

I have been asked if I set this shot up and the answer is, "No, this is scene is exactly as I discovered it."

“Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.” - Sarah Kay

A Splash on the Rocks

A Splash on the Rocks is from a series of images I made during sunrise at Ocean Grove. Whenever the ocean is involved (or any constantly changing subject) you never really know what you are getting until after the shutter is tripped. Sunrise at the beach is a special thing to witness and something I don't do nearly enough. While most sunrise/sunset photographs are wide-angle and show as much of the landscape (or in this case, seascape) as possible, I also like to get a bit more intimate with the scene.

Luck was with me this particular morning, the tide was rising and there were plenty of good-sized waves to add interest. After getting my rising sun peeking over the horizon I decided to get closer to the jetty to capture the interaction between the waves and jetty. One of the biggest challenges capturing water is choosing the right shutter speed for the ocassion. A high speed shutter will freeze the water, showing each individual droplet, bubble, and anything caught in the wave. The slower you go, the more "fluid" the water gets, blurring detail while showing motion. I prefer the slower speeds as I feel they have a calming affect to the viewer. There is just enough blur in this image to show motion, yet enough detail to show bubbles in the water and droplets flying away from the splash.

I hope you can get a chance to stop by the exhibit to see my photos up-close-and-personal but also to see the work of so many other talented artists - such as Katie. I also hope you will consider making a purchase while there to help support the arts and local artists.

If you enjoyed this post, please do me a small favor and share it with others. You will find buttons for many of the popular social media platforms at the bottom of this post. Thank you!

Friday, March 25, 2022

Art Exhibit - Neon Spring

Neon Spring

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” - Rainer Maria Rilke

I am happy to announce that my photograph, Elegance has been selected for the Neon Spring exhibit at The Gallery @ Thompson Park. The show runs April 1^st to May 21^st, Wednesday to Sunday 12pm-4pm. There will be an Opening Reception on 1 April 2022 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

All artwork is available for sale. This is my third time exhibiting at The Gallery having participated in Into the Woods and The Silence of Winter. I will leave links to blogs posts about those exhibits below.

Elegance

This may well be my favorite photo of a flower that I have ever made. It dates back to an early spring trip I made to Deep Cut Gardens in 2012. The parking lot used to have a median in which seasonal flowers were planted - I was lucky enough to be there when the tulips were in bloom. I got down low (it was a lot easier back then....), a telephoto lens (135mm/216mm) at f/5.6 gave me a nice, shallow depth of field. I metered the white blossom, causing the background to be dramatically underexposed. When I got home and uploaded the image I noticed the faint red tulip in the background - to me it made a good image even that much better. My only regret is that this was done before I learned of the power of shooting RAW and only have a jpeg to work from. 😔

If you enjoyed this post, please do me a small favor and share it with others. You will find buttons for many of the popular social media platforms at the bottom of this post. Thank you!

Technical information:

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i (crop sensor - 1.6 factor)
Lenses: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Tripod: MeFOTO Roadtrip Classic
ISO 100
All focal lengths are as-recorded - the full-frame equivalent in parenthesis.
Shutter tripped with wired shutter release.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Is It Real or Is It Photoshop? Does It Matter? Part III – Everyone Else

Note: This is the third, and final, installment in a three-part series titled, “Is It Real or Is It Photoshop? Does It Matter?” The other installments are The Purist and Anything Goes.

Image by Alexas_Fotos

The Argument

Is it okay to "Photoshop" your images or is it the ultimate photographic sin?

I have already written about “The Purist” and "The Anything Goes". I conclude the series with “Everyone Else” but before I get into that I want to discuss something I forgot in the first installment; Photojournalism. It is never okay for a photojournalist to manipulate an image - in fact, many (most? all?) news agencies will not allow something as minor as color correction.

Everyone Else

Then we get to the other 99% of us (I am one of you now) who use the computer editing tools to fine-tune our image and make it represent what inspired us to make it. We don't have a problem with adding a touch of magenta to a sunset sky or getting rid of a garbage can in an otherwise beautiful landscape. Yes, I have done both and more. We are the folks

Conclusion

It wasn't until I was having a discussion with a friend (thanks Chris!) that I changed my outlook. He made me look at Photoshop as the digital darkroom that it is. I have come to use the phrase, WWAD - What Would Ansel Do? - to describe my attitude change. Lightroom and Photoshop are nothing more than electronic darkrooms. When I was young and just learning photography I had an old-timer tell me I couldn't call myself a "photographer" until I was able to handle myself in a darkroom. Why does that same mindset now scoff at the electronic equivalent?

In the "Old Days" of analog photography the only "straight from the camera" images were slides (transparencies) and the image was influenced by the film manufacturer and, to some extent, the lab processing the roll. When you shot negatives you had the same influences of the film and the added aspect of interpretation in the printing process. The black & white photographer would dodge and burn his images to get the tonality he wanted - the same for the color photographer but they also had the ability to tweak colors. Then there were the characteristics of the paper used to make the print.

I now shoot in RAW format and edit each of my "keepers"; first in Lightroom and then, if needed, Photoshop. I don't usually go terribly heavy with the edits and very seldom will I remove something from an image. I try to get everything "right" before squeezing the shutter - exposure and composition - but there are times when distractions just cannot be avoided. I don't see any reason why a rogue branch, or other distractions, cannot be removed in post.

While I have no problem with the "Anything Goes" mindset, I have one caveat - if you created something that didn't exist, tell people! Now, I don't mean that you have to explicitly tell people that the collage was "shopped" or anything else that is blatantly obvious. I am talking about when you take two different images and create something - for example, you take an incredible shot of a full moon with an 800mm lens and put it rising behind a shot of the Statue of Liberty. I believe in this instance you should divulge that it is a composite.

I am okay with focus-stacking and exposure blending but some other techniques are a bit more "gray" for me. I have recently heard about "focal length stacking" where you use two different focal lengths and combine to a single image. For instance, if you are hiking thru the mountains and find a peak beautifully framed by trees but it appears a bit small in the composition - you shoot a frame of the peak with a telephoto and the over-all shot with a wider lens - then you composite it in Photoshop. Is this okay to present without explanation? If it is not a dramatic difference, I don't think you have to - what do you think? The same with running water - I have seen photographers take a long exposure to get the silky smooth water but then take a few more at higher shutter speeds to freeze some of the water, and then they combine the images in post. Is this something that should be divulged to your audience? Once again, I think I am okay with presenting the image without explanation.

So, we have come to the end of the series. What do you think? Where do you fall in this spectrum? I would love to hear your thoughts - leave me a comment below.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Is It Real or Is It Photoshop? Does It Matter? Part II - Anything Goes

Note: This is the second installment in a three-part series titled, “Is It Real or Is It Photoshop? Does It Matter?” The first installment, The Purist, can be found here.

The Argument

Image by Alexas_Fotos

Is it okay to "Photoshop" your images or is it the ultimate photographic sin?

I began the series with The Purist and now move on to The "Anything Goes".

Peek-a-Boo Moon
Real or Photoshop?

The "Anything Goes"

This is an interesting, and oft-maligned, category of photographer. There are times when images are processed to the point that you cannot even realize it originated inside a camera. I recently saw an image that was purposely made to look like an oil painting; I, myself, have created some images that people mistook for a painting though on my part it was unintentional over-processing. If you have an image you like but the sky is dull and listless - replace it with one you like! In this realm, there is nothing wrong with that and, if done well, no one would be the wiser. Have you ever wanted to ride a camel? Go to a zoo, get an image of a camel and put yourself on it. Are you carrying a half-keg around your waist and want six-pack abs? I saw a Photoshop tutorial about that once - go ahead! You can even fill your yard with a whole menagerie of wild creatures if you want.

My Thought on "Anything Goes"

I don't have any problem with the anything goes mindset. This group never takes "straight from the camera" as a completed image and can spend hours working on a single image that looks nothing like what the camera saw. They take pride in their editing prowess and how they can create what never existed in the physical world. I am one who thinks that photography is an art form and, through extension, photographers are artists. The job of an artist (in my opinion) is to interpret life and present that interpretation to the audience. We tend to categorize artists by their medium - painter, sculptor, photographer, etc... - but at the end of the day they are all artists. I do think, however, there may be a tipping point from being a photographer creating artistic images and an artist using photography as a medium. Does that make sense? Could it be that the "Anything Goes" photographer is actually always the latter and not the former?

Your Thoughts

Are you an Anything Goes photographer? If so, I would love to hear from you and know why. If not, what are your thoughts on the subject?

I will take on "Everyone Else" in my next blog post.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Is It Real or Is It Photoshop? Does It Matter? Part I - The Purist

Note: This is the first installment in a three-part series titled, “Is It Real or Is It Photoshop? Does It Matter?” In each post I will present an image with the question, "Real or Photoshop?" The answers will come in the last installment.

Image by Alexas_Fotos

The Argument

Is it okay to "Photoshop" your images or is it the ultimate photographic sin?

If you have been around the photography world for any length of time you have undoubtedly heard people "discussing" the use of Photoshop. I'm sure this argument is as old as photography itself but under various guises, such as photo-manipulation, darkroom manipulation, etc.... There are those who consider themselves "purists" and frown upon any editing - many of these photographers brag about "getting it right in the camera" and label their images as "straight from the camera" or some variation. There are others who fall on the side of "anything goes" and all is fair. I believe most people fall somewhere in the middle - I tend to be one. I will discuss each of these schools of thought in a series of posts.

I will begin the discussion with someone I call, The Purist.

Foliage @ Lake Topanemus
Real or Photoshop?

The Purist

It has been my experience that The Purist is the most vocal in this group and, to be fair, counted me as a member at one time. They believe that photography is a representational medium and should only show things as they were at the time the image was made. You can't remove something that you wished wasn't there and, *gasp*, you can never add something that wasn't there. Changing colors, changing hues, adding clouds, removing garbage cans, etc... make veins stick out of the sides of their neck. They don't consider that to be photography. These are also the souls who will argue that you cannot call yourself a photographer unless you shoot manual, but that argument is for another day.

My Thoughts on The Purist

As I mentioned, I used to be a purist. When I first started with digital photography I shunned the idea of processing an image and lived with the jpeg given to me by my camera. To be fair to myself, my first digital camera only allowed for jpeg and my editing suite consisted of whatever Canon gave me with the camera. That said, I was still on the side of only "minor" tweaking such as exposure compensation like you would get from a one-hour photo printer. When I hear someone say, "I like to get it right in the camera." and describe their images as "Straight from the camera." I tend to chuckle a bit. Don't get me wrong - the former is quite important while the latter is not.

It is important to get it right when you squeeze the shutter, if only to reduce the amount of post-processing time. However, it isn't always possible to do that with a single image due to dynamic range and your camera, among other factors. What I take issue with is the "straight from the camera" guy who thinks post-processing is a sin. I argue that you are relinquishing part of your responsibility to the image by allowing the camera to decide what the scene looks like. The jpeg is just an image that was processed based upon the algorithm developed for your particular camera. You let a programmer decide what is important in your image and what it should look like. Imagine that you painstakingly composed your image, manually focused, many set your exposure and then let some software decide what it should look like!

Your Thoughts

Are you a Purist? If so, I would love to hear from you and know why. If not, what are your thoughts on the subject?

I will take on the "Anything Goes" photographer in my next blog post.

Exploring Photography with Joe Valencia

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Art Exhibit - Summer Nights

Summer Nights

Childhood Memory Maker

A Splash on the Rocks

Friday, March 25, 2022

Art Exhibit - Neon Spring

Neon Spring

Elegance

Friday, September 20, 2019

Is It Real or Is It Photoshop? Does It Matter? Part III – Everyone Else

The Argument

Everyone Else

Conclusion

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Is It Real or Is It Photoshop? Does It Matter? Part II - Anything Goes

The Argument

The "Anything Goes"

My Thought on "Anything Goes"

Your Thoughts

Monday, September 16, 2019

Is It Real or Is It Photoshop? Does It Matter? Part I - The Purist

The Argument

The Purist

My Thoughts on The Purist

Your Thoughts

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