Implied Style

After a protracted journey of many photographs, some clarity is coming to me regarding how I shoot photographs. Not necessarily what I shoot, but how I shoot.

It appears that I gauge or shape my shooting of whatever is before me to include implied motion.

Obviously,  not only is content involved but also form of how a shot is framed or constructed.

What I find fascinating is that subconsciously I do this.

I will leave it at that for now.

The posted shot is from Beaver Tail, Jamestown, RI during a tropical storm Jose off the coast. It was shot using a Canon 5 DS, EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM @ 35mm, f/14, 1/250, ISO 500, post processing using DxO Optics Pro 11, Adobe Canon Raw, a gradient map using Photoshop CC (2017), and Nik Color Efex Pro.

New Wave

One aspiration in my recent Hawaii photo shoot was to capture dynamic waves. To a degree I achieved that. The Pacific waters were beautifully multi-shaded blues and there were many large waves, but they were not like the very large ones of Hawaii in the winter months.

Little did I know that in September in Rhode Island I would get my dynamic waves wished for in Hawaii. A tropical storm named Jose passed southeast of the coast but near enough to create abundant wave action with the bonas of very strong winds adding to the dynamism  by clipping off wave tops and creating spray.

I had the pleasant problem of actually having very many good photos to choose from the shoot. I had taken two lenses recently acquired: Canon EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM and Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM. Both lenses responded excellently to the challenges of the coastal storm action.

The currently posted photo was taken with a Canon 5 DS, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 100mm, f/14, 1/250″, ISO 160 processed with Adobe Camera Raw, DxO Optics Pro 11, using Photoshop CC (2017) with a gradient map and Color Efex Pro.

 

Vacation Shooting

In my analysis of what I shoot and where I shoot photographs, it is quite clear that I do, indeed, have a restricted range of times and subjects. This has becomes even painfully obvious to me after meeting with professional and very avid photographic enthisiasts. These latter photographers place a high value in going to places which maximize their chances of some great photographs, e.g., shooting volcanic eruptions from helicopters or from boats at sea, not to mention just taking off at the spur  of a moment (on a flight several hundred miles away) to capture the Northern Lights over a particularly interesting foreground object.

“You must go to interesting places to take interesting photographs,” is what I am told. I do not doubt this, but there is a rebellious element/genie within me which says that there are great and wondrous moments all around oneself if one is open to seeing them. I truly believe this also. However, placing oneself in a propitious place is far easier than searching out the miraculous moment in the ordinary.

Such is the conflicted state I find myself in: Do I devote more time and energy into placing myself in places which will yield good photographs? Or, do I continue to make escapes or vacations to places which may produce opportunities for good shots, or do I go the extra mile to shoot, trying to find the miraculous in the ordinary?

The currently posted shot if of the USS Arizona taken while on vacation to Hawaii. I was lucky to actually get a ticket to travel to the monument, but when I got there it was so crowded that trying to capture the solemnity of the place where so many died was almost impossible. Added to this situation was the fact that I had on a 70-200m lens (because I could not take my other gear because bags were not allowed on the boat to the monument). I was forced to shoot with the canon 70-200mm lens. And then “take out” some visitors peering through the openings along the monument side using Photoshop.

The current shot was taken with a Canon 5 DS, EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM @ 70mm, f/10, 1/60″, -1/3 stop, 200 ISO, using DxO Optics Pro, a gradient map, and Color Efex Pro.

Smell the Roses

While no posts were forthcoming in July, I had been busy going through my 3000+ images from the Hawaii shoot. Admittedly, while I did reach the 1% keeper goal of about 30-40 photos, this process in itself created challenges within me to see things I had not considered or even forgot when I was actually taking the said photo “keepers.”  In other words, so much time and so many different scenes have come in between the actual shots and then the processing of these shots that I had forgotten many of the details. Note: the major ones I remembered, but the nuances to many shots were lost to memory. Even while I was taking these many shots in Hawaii I wish I had a way to record along with the photos themselves (a tag, if you will) what I was actually thinking or trying to do at the time.

That being said, I was forced in hindsight to find another way to accomplish the above. What I decided to do was allow myself to “Be” with the shot (I know this sounds corny and hackneyed); in other words to stop and “smell the roses.” If there was a shot to begin with, then I should be able to recover it within perceptual memory.

Honestly, this is not an easy process, but it does work.

The current photo to this post is of the USS Arizona Memorial looking upward. I’ve always felt a reverence for Pearl Harbor and the lives that were lost. I felt privileged to be able to visit this site, but upon arriving I found that the sheer number of visitors actually detracted from the solemnity of the site. This is not to cast aspersions on anyone about the actual memorial but it was difficult to find peace and reflection with so many visitors coming and going. The positive is that Americans still care and feel deeply about this event.

There was definitely a solemnity to the Harbor and I tried to capture it photographically. One way I did this is to look skyward from where the bombs fell, and I found a unique ceiling to the Memorial, intended or not in it design, I do not know. Nonetheless, it was beautiful and reflected the simplicity of the sacrifice that many men gave for their country.

The posted photo was taken with a Canon 5 DS,  EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM @ 70mm, f/10, 1/500, ISO 400, -1/3 stop compensation, processed  with DxO Optics Pro 11, using a Gradient map, and Color Efex Pro.

 

 

Hawaiian Adventure

A little over a month ago I returned from Hawaii and since then have been processing photos taken there. It was an adventure in the real sense of the word since the State of Hawaii is so unique in many ways. I had signed up to take the Canon Live Learning Workshop and knew it would be challenging simply due to the hours I would be up (early mornings and late nights), but also the conditions (heat, terrain) and distances I would have to travel. Without going into detail, let it suffice to say the first day of the shoot, I was up at 3:30 AM and came back to my hotel room at 1 AM the next day.

The shoot started at Laupahoehoe Point on the Big Island, proceeded to Akaka Falls, then to Punalu’u Black Sand Beach, then finally at Kilauea Volcano in Volcanoes National Park. It was an exhausting day but one which challenged me to think on my feet, meaning that I actually started seriously using manual mode and also playing with the three components of EV (exposure value), namely shutter speed, f-setting, and ISO, in a creative manner. I made many mistakes, and there were lost opportunities, but ultimately I knew when the opportunities were lost.

While I would have liked to have made more creative shots, I can honestly say I grew in my understanding of applied photography despite not making the best shots I could have.

The current shot is of Kilauea Volcano taken in the afternoon of the day before my night shoot of the volcano and Milky Way. My supportive wife was with me and it was my first introduction to Kilauea, my position being right in front of the so-called rangers station some distance from the volcano, simply because the emitting gases would not allow a closer approach.

The shot was taken with a Canon 5 DS, EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @ 105mm, f/8, 1/400, 1600 ISO, manual exposure, and no tripod.

Conditioning

Never did I think that photography would be so demanding, at least if you wanted to take more than just a snapshot, but rather a special moment that immediately grabs and holds one’s vision. In other words, an “Ah” moment. The moment which is special and captures the essence of the vision before you.

One truly must get into physical shape as well as visual (i.e., the art of seeing) shape and technical shape (knowing one’s tools of the trade). It has been a most deplorably wet spring here in New England this year. Instead of being outside and shooting, I have been inside and studying photography. Both are obviously needed, but being outside and shooting is more fun.

I have been preparing for my photo shoot on the Big Island of Hawaii at the end of this month, anticipating what I would need for certain situations, namely, night shooting of the Milky Way with possible inclusions of Mt. Kilauea lava flows, high contrast shots of the oceans and waves, sunrises and sunsets on ocean panoramas,  rain forests and tropical gardens with shadows and probable glare, and last but not least surfers and denizens of the Hawaiian paradise. In this regard, I am bringing along rain gear for me and my camera, and a host of various filters to assist in getting the best shot. I wish I did not need to bring along my MacBook Air, simply because I like to travel light. But I guess there is a price to pay for the perfect shot(s).

The currently posted photo is of white irises around our house. They are abundant this spring and have looked the best they ever have due to the rainy spring. The photo was taken with a Canon 5DS, EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM @ 35mm, f/8.0, 1/50, ISO 100, processed with DxO Optics Pro 11, Adobe Camera Raw, using a Photoshop gradient map, and Color Efex Pro.

Luminosity Masks to the Rescue

In an effort to cover my mistakes when learning the skills of photography, either through down and out errors in not attending to my camera settings for particular shots or just due to being “forced” to take the shot just to get the shot, I have been learning options in post processing with Photoshop. One particularly powerful option which attracted me for some time was luminosity masks. I tried using them in the past but it seemed a chore to use them. However, I finally developed my own action to automate the process. This was a better approach, but it still was a more than simple approach.

Then I discovered Lumenzia by Greg Benz, which is a plugin for Photoshop and is ridiculously inexpensive. In a nutshell, Lumenzia (which is actually a suite of several small programs doing more than luminosity masks) allows the user to try different luminosity masks before committing to a particular one best suited for their needs. It does have a learning curve and one has to know what one is doing, but it’s streamlined approach is such that one can grow into the program (aka plugin).

The current photograph was taken in Key West several years ago in early Spring. It was taken with a Canon 30D, 24-105mm lens (f/4) @ 55mm, f/9, 1/250, ISO 100, processed with DxO Optics Pro, Adobe Camera Raw, Lumenzia, and Color Efex Pro.

Winter Shelter

Again the Spirits of Winter (whether they be called Jack Frost, Old Man Winter, Father Frost, Snow Queen, Calleach Bheur, Frau Holle, or Boreas) have visited this New England Homeland of mine, and considering the times we live in, with the uncertainty of the future cast upon us with the Election of our current President, I have sought relief.

A musical refrain from the Rolling Stones, namely “Give Me Shelter,” has combined with the mood of this Darkest of Winters, to caption this title to this Post.

Luckily, one of the Guardians of my Psyche has provided some Salvation in the form of focusing on Relief. That Relief has taken the form of the New England Patriots whom I have found is a most unusual entity. The team/organization embodies many values which may be considered old-fashion (like work hard, unselfishness, loyalty, community-mindedness) but yet has allowed a team to be formed by a Zen-like coach (Belichick) to produce successful seasons that no other team can match. So, such a positive entity shines out in the gloom of this most dire of seasons. This is a blessings cast upon me which I cannot resist.

How does all of this relate to photography? Very simply. I attended the AFC Conference Championship Game in Foxboro, MA between the Patriots and the Steelers a few days ago. The game was at night in weather conditions which were challenging, to say the least (38°, 20 mph NE wind, drizzle). On top of that, I was located on the third most tier of the stadium. Fortunately, I was favorably angled at the 30-35 yard line.

I contemplated bringing my pro camera (Canon 5DS) but thought it might be rejected by stadium security. So, I relied on my Canon G3X, which, all things considered, proved adequate to the location and conditions.

While the speed of taking shots did not compare to the Canon 5DS, the G3X did respond well. The telephoto range (600mm) was reason enough (and in a compact profile easily carried in the craziness of a game crowd) to have it. But the G3X did provide enough responsiveness, sharpness, and ease of use to make it an essential tool in what may be called a “combat situation.”

The currently posted photo was taken in a series of separate shots with the Canon G3X, f/8 @ 394mm (35mm equivalent), 1/200″,  ISO 1600. Post processing was done with Color Efex Pro 4, Camera Raw, Photoshop CC (Photomerge).

 

Blowing in the Wind

Today I had the opportunity to travel down to Little Compton, RI. This is a rather remote area of a small state, which is deceptive since despite its diminutive status the state has a road system which makes it not easily accessible to certain areas. If you can imagine that Rhode Island is the 13th State, meaning that it’s been around since colonial times, and the roads in all likelihood were build upon old cow paths, as they are won’t to say in these parts._77a3403_dxo11efexpro

In any event, I thought I would take the opportunity to fit some photography in while I was down in this part of Rhode Island. Unfortunately, the elements of tim
e and weather did not fully cooperate, since I was there at around 10 AM and the weather was blustery (25-35 mph winds). Nonetheless, I pushed onward, especially since the area I wanted to shoot in was not visitor friendly. What this means is this: I was interested in shooting Sakonnet Point Light which lies off the southeastern coast of Rhode Island on a little rock jutting out of the sea, whose name is Little Cormorant Rock. Getting a good visual viewpoint of Sakonnet Light is not easy, at least from land. Most of the area is privately owned and very little parking is available to make access easy. In any event, I did manage to find parking (particularly since at this time of year anyone in their right mind under these weather conditions would not be here).

The wind was merciless when I finally set up my tripod on the shore directly in front of the Light. I proceeded quickly since I was freezing (mid 30s temperatures with a wind chill of mid 20s). I captured about 70 shots and felt pretty good about my efforts. Little did I know that although I did everything by the book, with tripod and cable release, my shots were less than sharp simply because of the wind moving my tripod ever so lightly, even though I was about 2 feet off the ground.

The currently posted shot of Sakonnet Light was the only shot I was able to salvage. It was shot with a Canon 5DS, EF24-104mm f/4L IS USM @ 105mm, f/11.0, 30″, ISO 100, using a Heliopan 10 stop ND filter, processed with DxO 11 Optics Pro, Adobe Camera Raw, Photoshop, and Color Efex Pro 4

 

State of the Art

This post will focus on exactly where I am in relation to certain goals set for myself over the last year.

First and f_77a3324_dxo11oremost, I’m taking sharper photos due to improved technique, use of a tripod, and being more aware of my camera settings (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO).  Also, my photos are less noisy due to excellent use of DxO Optics Pro noise reduction. By the way for some reason my camera and lenses remain fairly clean and free of dust; exactly why I do not know.

There still are many goals to achieve. I tend to take high contrast scenes and have been blowing out either foreground or background. So, I recently invested in graduated neutral density filters. Another goal is to improve my intended focus, especially in long focal lengths or panorama shots. In this regard, I have been trying to perfect my estimate of hyperlocal distance based on the focal lengths of my lenses.

The posted blog photo is of Sugarbush Farm in Vermont. It was shot with a Canon 5 DS, EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM @ 40mm, f/13, 1/640, ISO 800. I was aware of trying to capture the hyperlocal distance, and believe I succeeded.