Happy Birthday, mostlyfotos
Birthday Cupcake, mostlyfotos 1st Anniversary – Austin, Texas
Today, February 8th is the 1st anniversary of mostlyfotos, my one photo per day blog. Readers of this blog may not know that I actually have two photo related blogs. Kind of crazy since one blog by itself takes up enough time. I started this one first, back in the summer of 2010. Of course, I had no idea what I was doing back then and maybe after a year and a half of blogging, I ‘m starting to get an idea of where I’m going to take this thing. Like may of my photography friends in Austin, who have their own blogs, I wanted to occasionally post a photo and talk about it. And that is the way I started out. Then as I continued, I started to add more photos per post, my prose increased in length and my blog started to evolve.
But I wasn’t completely satisfied with the way the blog and the accompanying photographs came together. I wanted larger photographs but I didn’t know how to modify this template to make it work for me. Besides, I like this format for longer posts. I add medium size images along with text, and I think it’s nicely structured to tell a story. It would be hard to add another entirely different kind of format, one with large pictures, into this blog. For that reason, I decided to create a second, photo focused blog. I wanted one large photograph per post with a small amount of text underneath. That is how mostlyfotos was born.
Now with the flexibility or pain of having two different kind of blogs, I can focus each one for a specific purpose. The posts on this blog have increased in length. I get to tell stories, share my photographic experience and review the stuff I use. On mostlyfotos, I get to showcase different photographs from around town and my occasional trips away from home. So why do I do all this work? Good question. Sometimes I question myself for spending this much time on blogging. I know that by forcing myself to post an image on mostlyfotos, I forces me, in a good way, to get out there and shoot more often. I need a deep buffer of photographs to be able to put one up every day. And while I don’t necessarily think each image is equally good, I don’t just post any kind of image to satisfy my one per day “requirement”. I believe that each image has some kind of merit, a different look, an interesting scene or a viewpoint that is uniquely mine.
So if you happen to stumble over to this blog and read about my photographic point of view or about the equipment I use, please take a look at the photographs I shoot on mostlyfotos. Good or bad, they are a reflection of who I am. More importantly, if I may be so presumptuous, you may find an image that inspires you. You’ll become interested in photography or in blogging and share your work with others. It is fun to talk about photography, the theories and the tools but I think ultimately, it is all about the images. By shooting constantly, I like to practice what I preach and not just become an equipment review blog. So I would greatly appreciate you taking, what little time you have out of your busy schedule, to take a look at my photographs once in a while. And if a photograph floats your boat, please feel free to share it on Facebook, Tweet it or G+ it by hitting the icons at the bottom of the image on mostlyfotos. After all, there is no better honor for a photographer than to have a large audience.
An alternative view of the Chinese New Year
Fanning the Flames, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration – Austin, Texas
I decided to try something new. An experiment in photographic processing. I had some extra images from the recent Chinese New Year celebration that I blogged about last week. These photos were taken at the closest point to the action. I used my smallish Olympus E-PL1 and stuck it out there almost in between the legs of the dancers to see what I can capture. What resulted was a smokey mess but the images had some potential. Unlike the very colorful photographs from my first Chinese New Year post, I decided to go in an entirely different direction. To recover the most details out of the haze, I decided to lose the color. In found with black and white, I can push the detail recovery a bit more than in color. So as an exercise, I decided to experiment with my Topaz B&W Effects plug-in. The software is designed to create black and white conversions that mimic the old style black and white films. While the software has a large number of presets, I decided to do a custom effect. As I played with the software, I ended up creating images that, in my mind, reminded me of vintage travel photographs from the Far East.
What resulted is something I find interesting. Something certainly different from my norm. If you don’t look closely and you ignore the camera bags and the bits of modernity, I find myself transported back a 100 years to some village in China. To me, these images seem timeless and exotic. So I deem my experiment a success, if only to show an alternate reality of a scene from Austin, Texas in 2012. The photograph at the top of the post is my favorite. I posted the original RAW at the bottom for comparison.
Vintage Lion Dance #1, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Vintage Lion Dance #2, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Vintage Lion Dance #3, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Lion Dancers Unmasked, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
The photographs were taken with my Olympus E-PL1. Please make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image and hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
Here is a sample of my work. I’ve posted them on my one-photo-per-day photo blog, mostlyfotos. There are a lot of images so click the << Previous Photo link to see more. You can also hover over the photos to see the exposure information.
Fanning the Flames, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration (Unprocessed)
Sometimes white balance can make all the difference
Sold Out – Hey Cupcake Trailer – Austin, Texas
Several days ago, I posted Image post-processing, a necessity or cheating? that elicited a very healthy and civil discussion on my blog. The best ever and it is fantastic. I love how people may not agree but can still express their opinions in a constructive way. One of my readers called out this particular photo that I posted in mostlyfotos and was wondering about how I post-processed it. So I took a look back on my Aperture 3 library to see what I did with the image.
Before I get into the particulars, a little background on the image. This Airstream trailer is located on South Congress Avenue (SoCo) which is a hip and trendy area south of downtown Austin. It’s in the same neighborhood as the Heritage Boot image that I used as an example in my above mentioned blog post, thought the trailer image above was taken one week earlier. Ever since I got into urban landscape photography, I’ve been captivated by the blue hour and its contrast to made-made lights. I like the warm yellow glow of the lights contrasting with the blue sky. The challenge is that, at least here in Texas, the “Blue Hour” last about 15 minutes. I talk more about blue hour and my experiences around it in two other blog posts which you can find here and here, if you are interested. I also love these bare lights that are strung around the trailer. I don’t know why but these kind of lights always seem to make me happy. Maybe a reminder of a distant pleasant experience that has imprinted on me but that I have long since forgotten.
The most noticeable post-processing change I made was with the white balance. The RAW image had a color temperature of 4810K (Kelvin), I shifted the white balance to 3736K. I also added a bit of red to the tint so that image would be a touch less green. I wasn’t concerned with the exact white balance values, rather I shifted the slider to what I like aesthetically. Keep in mind that I was not going for color accuracy here. If I did, I would have done a custom white balance or shot with a gray card. I wanted to create an image with a certain feel. I wanted my blue hour sky to be a rich blue but contrast with the warm yellow glow. Next, I added saturation to intensify the colors a bit and brightened the mid-tones somewhat by using levels. Finally, I added some sharpening and definition (micro contrast). While the Olympus E-PL1 generally has satisfactory noise levels up to ISO 800, depending on the exposure, I can get more noise than I want. In this image, the blue areas were more noisy and my manipulations increased the noise level somewhat, but not overly so. I used the Topaz DeNoise plug-in to clean up the digital noise. I used Apple’s Aperture 3 program to post-process everything else, in fact, I solely use Aperture for 95% of my non-HDR images. I fired up a copy of Photoshop Elements 8 so that I can use the Topaz plug-in. This may sound like a lot of post-processing but with Aperture, I can do this quickly. I post-process all my images and most take about 10 – 15 seconds to do. I’m guessing that this one may have taken a few minutes, with the bulk of the time used to launch Photoshop and run the denoise plug-in.
I hope you found this interesting. A bit more detail of the mechanics of what I changed compared to my first post-processing blog entry. The original un-processed image is below for your viewing pleasure. There are things that bug me about the composition. For example, it won’t be the ideal product photograph since the Hey Cupcake! name is blocked by the pole. But I really like the colors and I think it captures the warm glow that I was after. And even though there is nobody in line, rather than looking cold and lonely, I find that there is a warmth and cheerfulness to the image. At least that’s the way I see it. What do you think?
Make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image. Hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
Here is a sample of my work. I’ve posted them on my one-photo-per-day photo blog, mostlyfotos. There are a lot of images so click the << Previous Photo link to see more. You can also hover over the photos to see the exposure information.
Sold Out – Hey Cupcake Trailer – Austin, Texas (Unprocessed)
Freshly Pressed, high volume and other observations
atmtx on Freshly Pressed
I was pleasantly surprised and honored yesterday when I discovered that my blog post on the Chinese New Year Celebration was “Freshly Pressed”. I’m kinda a new to this stuff and best I can tell Freshly Pressed (FP) is WordPress.com’s way of showcasing blogs on their site. To use the Flickr analogy, it seems similar being featured in “Explore”, though FP maybe a bit more exclusive. But for me, getting in the Freshly Pressed section seems more significant. Unlike the game of trying to make Flickr Explore, I really was not familiar with Freshly Pressed and was not trying to get “Pressed”. I decided to blog and keep posting stuff because of peer pressure, wanting to share my experiences and unexpectedly having fun. Peer pressure? Well I was never forced into blogging of course. It’s just that many of my photographer friends here in Austin have their own blogs. While I posted my photographs on Flickr, I really like the personalization and environment one can create in a personal blog. I made the analogy that posting on Flickr is like renting an apartment while creating your own blog is like owning your own house. Your apartment might be in a really nice neighborhood but the downside is you can’t customize the space. With a house, of course, you are free to make changes, paint it and generally make it your own, unless you live in one of those really restrictive neighborhoods. So it is with this sense of “creating my own space” and friendly peer influence that I decided to create this blog on WordPress.com about a year and a half ago. I don’t think I write particularly well or at least I never considered myself to be a writer. My first posts where short and it took me forever to craft them. But what I discovered along the way was that writing, like other things in life, is a skill that gets easier with practice. I’m not sure if I write any better but now at least I can do it a lot quicker. I’ve discovered that I’ve started to enjoying writing. I also enjoy helping people and getting my thoughts out here. There is a lot of change and turmoil in the world particularly with the rapid improvement in digital technologies and world-wide communications. Whole industries are being transformed and destroyed. But the fact remains that for me and individuals, this is an amazing time. Never before has an individual been able to publish their thoughts, artwork and opinions to a world-wide audience for such a low-cost.
I’ve also been able to make new virtual and physical friends around the world through this blog. Kirk Tuck, a local Austin commercial photographer, is one such friend. I have mentioned him from time to time. He has also been nice enough to point his readers to my little blog. Our blogging relationship is completely asymmetric. Kirk’s The Visual Science Lab blog is extremely popular. It’s a bit hard for me to comprehend how many visitors he gets. I once saw his stats, his visitors per minute graphs is larger than my visitors by week graph. I know readership is not necessarily the most important measure of a blog and I’m proud of what I built here but damn it amazing to see how the other half lives. Kind of like watching the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in the blogging world. Here are some interesting observations about blog volume. The “hit” I got when Kirk’s mentioned my blog was a lot larger than being Freshly Pressed. This surprised me a bit. Kind of shows the power of what a targeted recommendation from a popular blogger can do. However, equally interesting is that the viewers that came to my blog from the two sources behave differently. A link from The Visual Science Blog created a very pronounced short-term volume spike but very few people subscribed to my blog or even clicked Like on the post. The Freshly Pressed audience, on the other had, have left more comments, clicked Like a heck of a lot more and greater numbers have subscribed to my blog. It’s almost like Kirk’s blog audience is his audience, only a few people cross over, even though we both talk about photography.
Now, I think I’m realistic enough to know that being Freshly Pressed is a short-lived bit of recognition. My 15 minutes of fame in a small corner of the Internet. But, I have to admit that it makes me happy. Sort of a tacit approval or acknowledgement that my efforts in this blog space has some merit. So thank you to all the new visitors and people who have subscribed to this blog. I hope my future content will entertain and interest you in some way. The blog will remain photography oriented but I will mix the technical content, the equipment reviews and such, with my observations of places and events that I attend along with my views of photography and the photo industry.
Image post-processing, a necessity or cheating?
Heritage Boot, South Congress – Austin, Texas
I just finished reading Kirk Tuck’s blog post Hard work is hard. Everything changes. in which he compares the traditional photojournalist’s, get everything in camera, no post-processing allowed philosophy verses the more recent modifications are good, the more post-processing the better movement. That got me thinking about my views on post-processing images. I don’t have the years of experience that Kirk has in photography. If anything, I’m a newcomer, just getting seriously into photography less than 6 years ago. While I’m certainly old enough to have shot film, I never did any serious photography back in the film days. Back then I shot my point and shoot film camera and mainly took snaps during vacations. It wasn’t until digital that I really got interested in photography.
I must admit, I have a split perspective on this debate over post-processing. While chronologically, I’m now considered in middle age, at least according to Wikipedia, photographically, I’m more like a teenager. I’m old enough to appreciate the old photographic masters and the beautiful black and whites that I remember from my youth, while never actively participating in its creation. I find it very amusing that people younger than me, that grew up with film, wax poetically about how wonderful the film day’s were. I am a digital photographer. I have no true historic context and have no desire to return to the days of film. I am puzzled when people still seem to be stuck in the notion that images should not be post-processed. I see people brag that there was no post-processing done on the image and I think “Why?” you have a wonderful image, it could be so much better with post-processing. Why this hangup with no modifications after the shutter is clicked?
Ok, I’m not completely ignorant. I know there are still valid reasons to do things in camera without any (or much) modification. Photojournalists have a set of ethics that allow only minimal changes, if any, to their images. Their world is tricky because allowing changes is a slippery slope. What can they ethically change that doesn’t compromise their sense of journalistic integrity. While adding additional missiles and smoke trails to war footage certainly crosses the line, isn’t there some post-processing that improves the image and does not distort their message? I understand that high volume commercial photographers and event photographers need to get it right in camera so that they can minimize post-processing time. They run a business and any time spent cleaning an photograph or fixing things in post, takes money away from the bottom line. But how about the others. Artistic photographers, hobbyists and amateurs that have the time to craft each image. Why do some of these people get stuck on the notion that post-processing is no good or somehow is cheating? To me, creating the image starts with the camera and is only finished in post-processing. I feel the image coming out of the camera is still half-baked. Its potential is there but not fully realized.
That said, I see some of my fellow contemporary photographers take post-processing to a whole different level, and not all of it is very good. I understand why Kirk thinks HDR photographs are “Technicolor Vomit”. Yes, there are some truly horrific HDR images out there. And if it isn’t gaudy HDRs, then it’s their close cousins, which feature heavy textures on images, adds grunge and relies on retro cross-processing effects. Adding all this post-processing to a bad image does not improve the image, of course. So why go to extremes. There is a certain level of post-processing that can dramatically improve a good image but one does not have to resort to extreme HDR or other post-processing shenanigans to make an interesting image.
I remember when I first got into digital photography and I saw some spectacular imagery with rich colors that were tastefully done. I was perplexed because none of my images came close to what I saw. My images seem dull and flat in comparison and it wasn’t the lighting. There was something tangibly different. What I discovered and what is usually not talked about as openly (at least back then) was the amount of post-processing that goes into the best images out there. I’m not talking about radical changes or body and face sculpting done in fashion magazines. I’m talking about tasteful but dynamic changes that greatly enhance an image. What some people out there may not realize is that a digital image, particularly when taken in RAW, is purposely dull. It is up to the photographer to alter or post-process the image to bring out its full glory. That would include some sharpening to counteract the built-in blurring filter (the anti-aliasing filter) that purposely designed to make a digital image less sharp. The saturation of the image needs to be increased to bring out the true colors that were locked in the digital negative. So, when people take pride in the fact that their image is SOOC (Straight Out Of the Camera) they are actually short-changing their selves and their image. Color from film is different from digital color, but have you ever seen how vivid an image shot in Fujifilm’s Velvia really is? I was really surprised how dull much of the digital images are in comparison to film. Much of this, I contend, is due to the lack of good post-processing. I not proposing that we need to emulate the exact look of film, but I am saying that we should unleash the potential of digital.
I have improved my post-processing over the years, at least I think so. I know there is a lot more to learn and I’m sure the look of my images will change and evolve over time. But I realize that there is a middle ground between the old-fashioned no post-processing stance and the throw every crazy effect in the book point of view. I enjoy vibrant color but I also don’t want some trendy over-processed, over-hyped image. I realize the line between tasteful and gaudy is not always clear and its interpretation varies with the individual. I know at times, my image may step over that fuzzy line, though sometimes it is on purpose. I am gratified that even Kirk acknowledged that my HDRs weren’t too crazy. The photograph at the top is something that I recently posted on mostlyfotos. It is an example of my most recent post-processing style. Colorful but not crazy. I took a single RAW photograph with my Olympus E-PL1 with no HDR processing. For comparison, the image below is what the untouched original looks like. Life is too short to have dull, unprocessed images.
Make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image. Hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
Here is a sample of my work. I’ve posted them on my one-photo-per-day photo blog, mostlyfotos. There are a lot of images so click the << Previous Photo link to see more. You can also hover over the photos to see the exposure information.
Heritage Boot, South Congress – Austin, Texas (Unprocessed)
2012 Chinese New Year Celebration in Austin
Lion Dance, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration – Austin, Texas
NOTE: I posted an An alternative view of the Chinese New Year for a completely different take on the very colorful images on this post.
In last week’s blog post, I wrote about how I made a mistake and went to a photo event on the wrong day. I made the best of this by getting some interesting and possibly exotic images at a local Asian supermarket. I was also in search for my dragon image that I wanted to post on the Chinese New Year. I headed up to the Chinatown Center again, yesterday, in north Austin for the Chinese New Year’s day festivities. This time, I definitely had the correct day and place. Even at 10:30am the place was jam-packed with cars. I brought the same camera and lens setup as last week, the Canon 7D with the 70-200 F4 and my trusty Olympus E-PL1 with the 20mm lens. If you account for the various crop factors, I had a setup that covered 112mm to 320mm with my Canon and 40mm on the Olympus. Turns out the combo worked out great. From behind the ropes surrounding the performance area, I was able to get closeups with my zoom and use my E-PL1 as a wide-angle. Later on, I also used my Olympus exclusively when I was able to walk up close to the action.
Musical Performance, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Ellen Chang, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Dancing, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Drumming, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
The festivities started at 10:45 am with some traditional Chinese music. The two stringed instruments set the mood and the pace and action continued to increase from the opening performance. The music was followed by dancing and then drumming. Of course, there were the usual martial arts demonstrations.
Martial Arts, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
More Martial Arts, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
I haven’t been to one of these events in a while. Interestingly, many of the performers seem to be from the Austin area, including a large contingent from Summitt Elementary School which is part of the Austin public school system. Back 5 years ago, the performers came in from Houston so it definitely seems like the Asian population is Austin is growing. The dragon and lion dances were the main attractions of the Chinese New Year celebration. After a bit of research I discovered that the participants parade the dragon around on poles. The multicolored costumes worn by two people are the lions.
Dragon Dance, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Dragon Dance Closeup, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Dragon Dance Performers, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Intensity, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Big Head Buddha, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Lee Leffingwell, Austin’s mayor came out as the guest of honor, lighting the fireworks for the finale. The action shifted away from the makeshift stage to the back. The crowds at this point were 5 – 6 levels deep in most places. I somehow was able to escape from the stage and moved over the the backside where the firecrackers were in full force. The smoke and noise were so loud, it started to disperse the onlookers in the back. The people in the know had ear plugs which really is a necessity. Luckily for me, a blog reader suggested that I bring ear protection, something that I definitely would not have thought about — thank you, Jack. I was easily able to slip to the front right, right on top of the small explosions. By this time, I switched exclusively to my Olympus Pen camera. The 40mm lens was perfect for catching the up close action. I probably would have gotten even closer but the lack of eye protection made me hesitate.
Mayor Lee Leffingwell, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Lion Dance and Statues, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Big Head Buddha and Fireworks, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
After the main firecracker lion dance, the performers shifted to several locations around the shopping center. A large firecracker performance occurred in front of the Asian supermarket that I visited last week, intimidating some of the customers. After that, smaller firecracker lion dances erupted in front of the various smaller stores throughout the complex. Between the smoke and fast action, it was a bit of crap shoot to get great images. With all the mini-explosions near me, I didn’t have my usual time to compose the shot. Overall, I was extremely pleased with the performance of the cameras. The lenses I used worked great for me and by having two cameras I didn’t have to change lenses. Certainly a plus in this very smokey environment. Incidentally, my Canon 70-200 f4L and the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 are my two favorite lenses. It was nice to put them through their paces on the same shoot.
I was a bit out of practice carrying the 7D with the 70-200 and the 430EX external flash. This is my heaviest combination and after a while my back started to feel the weight. I guess I need to work out more since my light weight mirrorless setup is making me soft. I may have look a bit strange with 2 cameras, with a dramatic size difference, around my neck, but it worked for me.
Lion Dance and Supermarket, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Three Lions, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Lion Dance in Parking Lot, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
Lion Dance and Fireworks, 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration
I’m not sure how this New Year’s festivity compares to the traditional celebrations in Asia but for a few hours I felt transported to another place. I’ve talked about seeking out other ethic celebrations in your hometown before on this blog. Whether it is the Dia de los Muertos celebration or the Chinese New Year, it is great to be able to shoot a different and diverse slice of American life. For the readers that have such opportunities, I encourage you to go seek out your local celebrations.
The photographs were taken with my Canon 7D and Olympus E-PL1. Please make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image and hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
Some more information on the Lion and Dragon dance teams. Here are links to the Texas dragon/lion dance team and the Summitt Dragon/Lion Dance Team just in case you are interested in the groups or thinking about partaking in new year’s celebrations.
A trip to the supermarket can be exotic
Catfish packed like sardines, Chinatown Center – Austin, Texas
Do you know that Austin, Texas has a Chinatown? Well not exactly. It is a strip mall called Chinatown Center which does contain my Asian stores and restaurants. I headed up there yesterday to see the Chinese New Year celebrations and take some photographs of dancing dragons and such. Except I messed up. It turned out they were going to have the festivities next Sunday. At least I didn’t miss it. The Asian American Cultural Center in Austin was having a New Year’s event on Saturday so I just assumed that the shopping mall was having theirs the next day. Anyway, I decided that since I’m already here, maybe I can find something interesting to photograph.
I brought my big gun out to the event, my Canon 7D with my 70-200mm f4 and even my external flash, just in case it got sunny (a flash is really useful on sunny days, to even out the shadows). Luckily, I also brought my less conspicuous Olympus E-PL1 with my favorite 20mm f1.7 lens. If I’m walking into a supermarket, I was certainly not going to open fire with my Canon 7D. The Canon may be a bit less noticeable that a real gun but it was sure to attract attention just the same. WIth the small Olympus over my shoulder, I decided to go hunting for some dragons. This year is the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese zodiac, a particularly auspicious year I’m told. I wanted a nice dragon photo to put on mostlyfotos, my one photo a day, photo blog.
Stone Dragon, Chinatown Center – Austin, Texas
In the prominent middle building of the Chinatown Center, there is a large Asian supermarket. A sure sign that the Asian population in Austin is growing. There were also a healthy number of non-Asian customers, a cross cultural mix that is one of my favorite things about this country. I didn’t have to go far to find my dragon. Flanking the entrance were two large stone dragons. These imposing carvings would look good at a temple but with the shopping carts in the background, I found it changeling to get a nice composition. I decided a closeup was best to eliminate the background as much as possible. Once inside, I was greeted by a large, red, multi-language banner in English, Vietnamese and Chinese. I wished I had a wide-angle lens with me, the 40mm view didn’t allow for the best composition. I stepped back as far as I could but the image below is about the best that I can do. The rare times when a simple kit zoom would have worked a lot better.
Chinese New Year Banner, Chinatown Center – Austin, Texas
I found more dragons inside. Trinkets found in the gift area. There were comical hanging dragons, colorful dragon statues and even intensely golden dragons. Nothing too exciting photographically but it will give me something to post on mostlyfotos. The image at the top of this page is my favorite. Something a bit different from the norm. These catfish were alive, swimming in a packed tank, ready to be purchased and become someone’s meal. Turns out the most interesting photos I took during this outing were of dragons and fish. I didn’t feel comfortable taking candid people photos inside a private business, unlike an open air public market. The camera I had didn’t attract too much attention but I didn’t want to blatantly go around snapping tons of photographs, most stores tend to frown up this kind of thing. The point I wanted to make is that potentially interesting photos can be captured in all kinds of places, even in a supermarket. Photograph the world from your neighborhood. In the United States, there are enough ethnic festivals and stores to capture a slice of American life that a bit unexpected. Whether it be a Dia de Los Muertos Parade in downtown or a Asian supermarket, there are opportunities abound to see different things.
On the way home, I stopped at a Vietnamese sandwich shop. Did you know the Vietnamese make great French baguettes? Yup, Vietnam was once a French colony and there was certainly a culinary influence. They also make a ham and pork sandwich on a baguette with fresh vegetables that the Vietnamese usually put on their noodle soups. A tasty end to a mix-up that turned into a short Asian tour. Maybe next Sunday, I’ll get to the New Year celebration, which is a bit late since, today January 23rd is the official Lunar New Year.
Happy Chinese New Year!
May the year of the Dragon bring you success in photography and in life.
Lots of dragons and fishes all shot with the Olympus E-PL1 and 20mm f1.7 lens. Please make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image and hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
Hanging Dragon
Dragon Statue
Golden Dragon
Stone Fishes
The Two Olympus Pens in action
Jacklyn and Odessa (20mm) – Austin, Texas
Jacklyn and Odessa (45mm) – Austin, Texas
At the end of the last episode, Kirk, Frank and I were taking about life and photography over coffee at Caffe Medici. We all just happen to run into each other in downtown Austin, all toting our small mirrorless cameras. Coffee time was over and we continued on with our photo excursion. Frank mentioned that Nissan was having a Leaf demo, a look at their newest high-tech all-electric car, a couple of blocks away. With a small group and no line and we quickly got in to see the high-tech displays. I even took a short test drive. The Leaf was certainly futuristic, very quiet and zippy. As cute as the cars were, I was more attracted by a different photo opportunity. Jacklyn and Odessa were part of the demo team at the Nissan display. There were tucked safely behind a barricade so that they would be safe from crazy street photographers. That didn’t stop me of course. I need to take opportunities like these and ask total strangers if I can take their photo. Like many people, I find this to be a challenge but like many things, with practice, things get easier. Kirk is the master of talking to strangers and winning their trust. I experience this skill first hand over a year ago in San Antonio when Kirk lead that he called an anti-workshop. It was then when I made a concerted effort to get better at asking strangers if I can take their photograph. I remember writing about this early on in this blog in a post called Overcoming the Fear of Photo Rejection. After a year or so, it is getting easier but I’m still not up to Kirk’s level of expertise, but I keep on trying.
Odessa (45mm) – Austin, Texas
This was also perfect time to test out my new two camera combo, that I had with me. The first photograph has taken with a Olympus E-PL1 with the 20mm Lumix f1.7 lens. I find the 40mm equivalent lens to make excellent environmental portraits. Not in this case though. There are too many distractions and the surroundings are not exactly inspiring. Luckily, I had the second camera with a lens that works a lot better in these situations. A quick switch to my other, identical Olympus E-PL1 did the trick. This second camera had the new Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens. At a 90mm equivalent, and a big aperture. I was able to get a closeup and blur the displeasing background into a creamy haze. I took both images from about the same vantage point on the other side of the barrier. I felt obliged to test out my new portrait lens so I continued with some headshots. Jacklyn was a bit shy so she oped out but Odessa seemed really happy to stand in as a model.
WIth my two camera test deemed a success we continued west, back to where our cars were parked. In the previous post, I wrote in detail of how I ended up with this two camera setup. After over a year of looking, reading and testing I finally came up with this winning combination. In the next weeks and months, I’ll write some more about how this 2 Olympus combination is working out.
Make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image. Hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
Here is a sample of my work using the Olympus E-PL1. I’ve posted them on my one-photo-per-day photo blog, mostlyfotos. There are a lot of images so click the << Previous Photo link to see more. You can also hover over the photos to see the exposure information.
My New Two Camera Olympus Pen Setup
My two camera setup, Olympus E-PL1 with 45mm and 20mm – Austin, Texas
Introducing my new two camera Olympus Pen setup. For a couple of years, I’ve been looking for a smaller camera alternative to my current DSLR, the Canon 7D. I’ve used a couple of different cameras and did a bunch of research to come up with this setup. At first I used the Sony TX5. While I originally bought if for a beach trip, this tiny waterproof point and shoot has great image quality and a take anywhere size. And, while the image quality is very good for a small point and shoot, I ultimately wanted something better. Then, I got into the Sony NEX-5. After much research, this was the first mirrorless, EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) camera I purchased. I’ve used it extensively and blogged a lot about the camera over the year. If you read my detailed review of the Sony, you know that I’ve had great success with the camera but there were a couple of things that weren’t ideal for me. I continue to use the camera but almost on a lark, this past summer, I found an inexpensive Olympus E-PL1 kit that change my equipment direction which culminated in this new setup.
I admit that I tend to analyze stuff, a lot. It’s in my nature and I have to admit that I enjoy the process. I don’t intensively concentrate on finding the solution per say. Rather, I think about the problem and I keep it in the back of my head. As I come up with a thought, read something on the web or hear something from a friend, I stuff those little nuggets of information somewhere in my brain. Eventually, those nuggets start combining and attach themselves to the problem. It’s almost like white blood cells swarming together to fight a foreign invader — I start getting possible solutions or directions to solve the issue. The problem that’s got me analyzing all this data is “What do I use when I wanted to take highest quality images but with the smallest possible camera?’” DSLRs are excellent general purpose devices that do almost everything well in photography but what If I were to narrow down my requirements so I could “make do” with a device that is more targeted. My desired smaller camera will not have to do action or sports. I did not need extreme telephoto zooms. It didn’t have to be built like a tank or be weather sealed, but the camera didn’t need to be tiny either — it didn’t need to be pocketable. I was perfectly willing to carry this camera in a small bag. I just didn’t want the bulk of the DSLR at times. I’ve been thinking about this issue for a while now. Along the way, I’ve read some great stuff on the web that has influenced my direction. First up is that whole, your camera doesn’t matter it’s the photographer mantra that is so popular on the web. Many have spoken and written about this and within certain parameters, I certainly agree. When I see spectacular images like this from Wilson Tsoi, taken with a low-end Canon PowerShot A80, I feel invigorated to take the small camera challenge myself. Then there is this excellent writeup by professional Danish photographer Thorsten Overgaard. He is a Leica shooter but loves his old, lower end Leica Digilux 2 which was introduced in 2004. I just love his understated images and they are also a source of inspiration for me. Over the years, I have a better understanding of what I like to photograph. I have gravitated towards street photography, candid images of people and city life. I’m taking up the challenge of finding interesting observations in mundane places and documenting them. Sure, its fun to go to some spectacular place to take beautiful scenery but can I make interesting images in the everyday places that I’ve been to many times. I like shooting a lot in lower light conditions, either indoors or in the evening or night. And finally, I’ve really like the quality and simplicity that prime, non zooming, lenses give me. These external inspirations as well as my internal interests have molded together to form the input to the new camera system that I’m looking for.
So how did I end up with this two camera Olympus system when there are so many excellent cameras out there? I talked about the two Sony cameras I’ve personally used. There are great new cameras by Nikon, Panasonic, Fujifilm as well as the famous Leica. I admit that I’m a fairly frugal person. Above all else, price performance is an important consideration. Sure, I appreciate Leica’s legendary image quality and incredible fit and finish but I really can’t justify the $10,000 and up price tag. The $1,200 Fujifilm X100 is an enticing camera and I’ll have to confess that I’ve spent many a night researching and dreaming about the camera. It’s on the upper end of what I was willing to spend but it has some spectacular capabilities . I’ve played with a friend’s X100 and thought about it a lot. I had my inexpensive Olympus E-PL1 with a kit lens at the time but I was willing to switch to the X100 if it made sense. Ultimately, I decided to get the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 lens for my Olympus instead. This lens gives the Olympus a similar angle of view as the Fuji X100, 40mm vs 35mm. And while the Fujifilm has a larger and better low light sensor, I came to the conclusion that the built-in image stabilization of the Olympus generally compensates for the Olympus 4/3 sensor for my type of photography. Based on my friend’s feedback, the Lumix 20mm f1.7 appears to be sharper wide open (at the f1.7 aperture) than the Fujifilm’s f2.0 lens wide open. Indeed, I usually shoot with this lens at f1.7 and at ISO 800 with image stabilization and I can make photographs in most places that I care to. I also believe that focusing with the Olympus is superior to the Fujifiim, especially in low light. The X100 has some strengths over the EPL-1 though, in particularly I love how the Fuji balances flash exposure with ambient light — this is definitely one of the E-PL1′s weaker areas. Panasonic makes some great cameras also in the micro 4/3 format. They seem to be superior for video but I prefer the Olympus color and exposure and the Panasonic cameras lack that all important in-body image stabilization. I can’t overstate how important image stabilization (IS) is for the type of shooting that I do. Sure, IS does not freeze action, but it allows me to get higher quality images for static scenes, so much so that I often get superior results with my small Olympus compared to my big Canon 7D. There are other things I like about the camera and I talk about the good and the bad in my detailed Olympus E-PL1 review. Finally, there is the new Nikon 1 system. There is a lot to like about the new camera but right now there are two things holding me back. First, they don’t have any large aperture prime lenses, I’m sure that this will be remedied in the near future. The camera lacks in body IS which probably means that their future prime lens will also lack IS. This is a concern but we will see what the future brings.
I recently add the Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens to my kit. My initial test confirms that this is a spectacular lens and it gives me the capability to make images that are different from the 20mm f1.7. It creates a shallower depth of field and would also make an excellent portrait lens. I’ve shot quite a bit with just the 20mm and at times, I wish that I have more reach. There is only so much you can do when you zoom with your feet. The 45mm, which is equivalent to 90mm in 35mm terms, gives me that extra reach when it is needed. For a brief time, I actually considered getting the Fujifilm X10, which is the less expensive baby brother to the X100. It has a 28mm – 112mm equivalent fast f2.0 – f2.8 zoom. At $600 it more expensive than the $400 45mm Olympus lens but it would give me more flexibility. In the end I opted to go with the higher quality with the 45mm lens which will give me the range I want but in a somewhat less convenient package. Then, I noticed a deal at Cameta Camera that I found too to good to pass up. Cameta is where I originally purchased my E-PL1 kit and they had a spectacular deal. They had a factory refurbished body only E-PL1 for $179. They go in and out of stock on the refurbed units but the deal is still there as of this writing. You can check out their refurbished Olympus deals here. I figured If I get the second Olympus body, I can have the 45mm lens mounted full time on the new body and have the 20mm on my other. Ever see those photo journalists or wedding photographers that have two DSLRs with them, strapped to their body? They usually have a wide angle zoom on one body and a telephoto zoom on the other. Well, I guess my new two Olympus camera set up is the poor man’s version of this. I’ve taken this two camera setup several times now on my photo walks and its been working great. I get to use two identical bodies so the controls are exactly the same. I also get to quickly switch between a normal 40mm view and the 90mm telephoto view. On a recent conversation with Kirk Tuck, local professional photographer and blogger, he mentioned that the old Leica CL system shipped with two lenses, a 40mm and 90mm. Intrigued, I did some research. It turns out that back in 1973, Leica worked with Minolta to come out with the Leica CL. Here is some background on it, if you are interested. So my two lens setup with a 40mm and 90mm wasn’t a complete fluke. I guess it does make for a decent setup.
So is this the perfect system and am I completely covered? Well no but this setup should cover much of my daily needs. It would be nice to add a wide-angle to the package, like a 24mm. Olympus did recently release a really nice 12mm which is 24mm when you consider the crop factor. It’s a bit pricy at $800 so I won’t be getting it anytime soon. I have the Sony NEX-5 with the 16mm lens which is equivalent to 24mm on that system. So, when I want to shoot wide, I’ll use the NEX-5 in conjunction with the E-PL1. The major weakness I see in the current Olympus E-PL1 is the video. It’s only adequate but not especially great. Video is not a major component of my photography and I’m still looking for the elusive do all video and still image camera. The camera market is rapidly changing right now and until something remarkable comes out, I’m set with the current Olympus system. There are no more equipment excuses. I just need to go out there and continue to practice my photography.
Here is a sample of my work using the Olympus E-PL1. I’ve posted them on my one-photo-per-day photo blog, mostlyfotos. There are a lot of images so click the << Previous Photo link to see more. You can also hover over the photos to see the exposure information.
Coffee with Kirk and Frank, Life’s Good.
Cafe Life, Caffe Medici – Austin, Texas
I had a delightful time at the Caffe Medici last Sunday and I’m not even a coffee drinker. Of course, for me, it’s about the people I’m with and not necessarily about the drink, though serious coffee drinkers may disagree. What makes this special is it was all unplanned. It all came about because I decided to change my usual pattern and do something different. As I mentioned in my previous post, I was dropping my parents at the airport and decided to take a photo detour through downtown.
After I captured some contrasting flora, I headed south toward the train tracks. I’m constantly amazed by the pace of change and the new development in downtown Austin. It’s a trend that I like. Now, parts of downtown actually resembles a real city with the critical mass of buildings, people and businesses to make it a living entity. The train situation is decidedly backwards and depressing. Tucked away at the end of the downtown core is a pathetic, small AMTRAK station. Quite understandable since we probably get one or so trains passing through the city per day. Maybe because I’ve grew up in the East Coast and have visited the great train cities in Europe and Japan, but it just saddens me that such a great and growing city like Austin has such a diminished rail presence. Yes, cars now rule the country and Austin is no exception. Stepping over the rails and shooting the newly rising downtown condos, I hear a familiar voice. Well, if it isn’t my friend Kirk Tuck, commercial photographer and blogger from the very popular Visual Science Lab. He was riding his very cool and sleek Bodhi Electric bike and was on his way to his own photo excursion. He was generous enough to let me tag along and we headed east towards the center of town.
We were busy making our compositions when Kirk remarks, “Is that Frank?”. “You mean, our Frank?”, I responded. Yes, it was Frank, another one of our photo friends. He too was walking along with this camera, practicing his craft. So now, 3 strong, we continue east towards a 2 block area that almost resembled New York City in activity. There were tons of pedestrians, people at outdoor cafes and even a loud siren from a passing fire truck. Of course, what was cooler than the Big Apple was the fact that people could eat outside and stroll around in long sleeve T-shirts in the middle of January. Yes, we suffer through the summers here in Austin, but in winter, we get to enjoy these outdoor café sitting days. Frank had his new Olympus E-P3, while I carried my trusty E-PL1. Ironically, Kirk had his Nikon V1. Ironic because, Kirk, through his blog, had influenced me to get in the Olympus Pen gear and he most likely influenced Frank too. Maybe Frank and I are just a step behind Master Kirk. Maybe in a year or so we too will be sporting the small Nikons. Of course, by then Kirk will be at the forefront of the next big camera trend.
Window Logo, Caffe Medici – Austin, Texas
I knew where we were headed since Kirk and Frank are big coffee drinkers. The Caffe Medici at the base of Austin’s swankiest Condo, the Austonian. And though I didn’t drink the stuff, I knew the company will be interesting and the conversation would be good. Of course we talk about photography, the industry, hardware trends, the photography business as well as about blogging. We shift into other topics, take pictures of the interesting people that surround us and then drift back into conversation. Photography has been a source of creativity and challenge but equally important has been the friends I’ve made along the way. Meeting people face to face during photo walks and the eating and drinking that follows has truly improved my well-being. I’ve greatly expand my circle of friends. I read once that men, unlike women, tend not to have enough friends and social interactions, especially as they grow older. Pre-photography, that was probably true for me too.
Beyond enjoying the photographic craft and making new friends, the quest to make images have gotten me out of my old suburban patterns. You know the one where you get into the hermetically sealed car, open the garage door and drive the suburban loop roads to the industrial park. Very little interaction with real people. Now, I make frequent trips to downtown Austin, where on foot, I get to experience the real life. It is not always pretty or controlled like the suburbs but there is an authenticity that the new simulated pseudo-cities called life-style malls lack. You know these new malls, the ones that are outdoor and have fake town squares in them to give you the impression that they are real urban places. Now I walk the streets of downtown Austin, observing, capturing images and if lucky run into friends and strike-up conversations in cafes — even if I don’t drink the coffee.
Here is Kirk’s post about our chance downtown encounter.
Also, here are a few more images that I shot between our conversation at the Cafe. I used both the 20mm f1.7 lens and the 45mm f1.8 lenses on the Olympus E-PL1. Please make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image and hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
Drinkable Art, Caffe Medici
Preparation, Caffe Medici
Bethel #1, Caffe Medici
Bethel # 2, Caffe Medici
A contrast in Flora with the Olympus 45mm f1.8
Tulips, Whole Foods Market – Austin, Texas
Agave, Whole Foods Market – Austin, Texas
A quick study in contrasts courtesy of the Whole Foods Market and the Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens. I dropped my parents off at the airport yesterday and decided to take a detour though downtown for some personal photography time. After parking in the cavernous underground lot at Whole Foods Market, I emerged ready to make some urban landscapes when I noticed a display of flora. There was a nice collection of spiky Texas type plants like cactus and agave, as well as the more traditional flowers — decidedly much softer. Both types of plants were on sales right next to each other in two separate rows. I pulled out my Olympus E-PL1 with the 45mm f1.8 that I’ve been playing with recently and decided make some images with my usual shallow depth of field. I really love the pointy agaves, they are so structural and architectural. I also like the subtle silver-grey coloration. The colorful red and white tulips, however, made for a nice striking color combination.
Make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image. Hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
I’m still enjoying the E-PL1 with my new 45mm. It definitely takes more concentration and accuracy than my Lumix 20mm f1.7. The depth of field (DOF) is a lot shallower so the focusing has to be a lot more accurate. With the 20mm, I can usually, quickly compose and make the image. With the 45mm, I need to slow down and deliberately go though a mental check list to properly set focus. Because the DOF is so shallow, I move the focus point on the camera to the part of the fame that I want to focus. My usual method of the focus at the center point and recompose, which usually works on the 20mm, leads to softer slightly out of focus images with the 45. This is hardly unique to the Olympus 45mm, I use the same technique on my Canon DSLR with large aperture primes. The slight downside with the E-PL1 is that it takes a bit more fiddling with the controls to set the focus point compared to my Canon 7D. This, however is usually not a problem. Often times, while speed and getting the shot quickly is my objective with the 7D, my Olympus E-PL1 is my leisurely camera. Because of the speed (or lack there of) of the E-PL1, I get a chance to pace myself and think a bit more about each shot. It works particularly well when I’m in relaxation mode on a photowalk.
There in lies the difference between my Canon and Olympus cameras. While there is an obvious size and weight difference, the responsiveness of the camera effects the equation. My Canon 7D is a serious machine, built for responsiveness and speed. When I use it, my pace of photography increases. I look through the viewfinder like a hunter looks down the barrel of the gun. I look at my subjects and fire away like they are targets to hit. I think it is no accident that people refer to taking pictures as shooting pictures. This is a behavior I’ve noticed recently. Whether I’m shooting sports, doing event photography or even model shoots, I look though the “scope” of the 7D, quickly recompose and fire. What I have realized is, in addition to the lighter weight of the Olympus, because I compose using the back LCD screen and the camera is not as responsive, the way I shoot with the E-PL1 completely changes. I’m not in target acquisition or shooting mode, I’m in a more creative let’s think about the composition and see what happens frame of mind. That may be one reason, I really don’t enjoy using the EVF (Electronic View Finder) on these smaller cameras. I love to reposition the camera at odd angles and enjoy seeing what kind of images I can make. For these reasons, when I’m doing my photowalks, these smaller cameras are so enjoyable. Neither camera is better or worse, just different. Each is optimized for a slightly different task. And maybe for the same reason that there is different types of photography, it maybe good to have different types of cameras.
New Year’s Photo Resolutions
New Year’s Baby – Austin, Texas
As a the calendar flips over again to start a new year, I started thinking of what 2012 my bring for my photography and blogging. I’m generally not much into New Year’s resolutions. I figure, why wait for the beginning of the year to start a new habit? If something is worth changing, doesn’t it make sense to change it immediately? I won’t bore you with non-photographic stuff. I did want to discuss observations and changes that have occurred in my photographic realm and my guess at the future direction of these trends.
I talked about some of this in a post called Canon losing the buzz, why I’m not interested but I’ve noticed this year that my interest in using my big Canon SLR has been decreasing. The initial trend started more than a year ago when I got my first mirrorless EVIL camera, the Sony NEX-5. I would carry by NEX-5 and the Canon 7D along on photo walks. I discovered, however, that the small Sony camera gave me a freedom of composition and expression that I didn’t have with the larger camera. Mid-year this year. I purchased the Olympus E-PL1, initially to play with and to get a color and exposure that I wasn’t getting on my Sony. It turned out that the slightly clunky E-PL1 especially with the Lumix 20mm f1.7 lens have become my go to camera for casual shooting. When I want a camera to make snaps of may family, the Olympus is in tow. When I want slightly more “serious” images from my photowalks, I still press the Olympus into service. The 40mm equivalent format is really easy to shoot but it also challenges me to see and make interesting compositions. I no longer, just relay upon super-wide images with HDR enhancements to make interesting shots. I’m hoping to create worthwhile images even with a lens that has a normal view and with a single exposure. I’m not sure if I’m succeeding or not but I’m starting to see changes in my newer images. I also feel more freedom when I’m no longer tendered to a larger camera and a tripod. I can move around easily, unencumbered and really explore alternate compositions. For 2012, I’m going to continue with this style. Less weight, more flexibility and a simpler way of shooting.
I also learned that skills and ability drop quickly. The downside of all this shooting with my small cameras is my loss of familiarity with my Canon DSLR. When I used the 7D all the time, I knew the controls and could make adjustments quickly. Now, when I pickup the camera, I’m sluggish and I need to search through my brain to set the controls. Recently, during my son’s school performance and at the Christmas gift opening, I broke out the good old 7D. I immediately noticed that my handling skills have dropped off and it took me a bit of fiddling to get the shots that I used to get with ease. Bounce flashes off the ceiling weren’t exposed right. I eventually got dialed back in but my hard learned skills were fading quicker than I imagined. While I’m planning to use the smaller cameras more than ever, I must remember to use my Canon and keep my skills refreshed. That, unfortunately, is the downside of having several different cameras — different interfaces. I need to rotate though my cameras to keep their usage parameters fresh in my head.
I’m still looking for the elusive camera/video multi-function camera, maybe 2012 will be the year. When I bought my NEX-5 back in 2010, I thought this might be the camera that combines high quality still images with an easily usable, auto-focusing video camera. As I wrote in The Sony NEX-5 Review and the new NEX-5n there were a few limitations with the NEX-5 that ultimately disappointed. The NEX-5n has addressed much of my frustrations but I’ve decided to wait. There are rumors of a new Fujifilm EVIL camera coming out, there is always a chance that Canon might finally address this high quality mirrorless market. This market is rapidly changing and I’m excited to see what is in store for this coming year. What will the successor to the NEX-5n be like? Will a Olympus E-P4 come out with a better low light sensor and better video? Will Nikon release large aperture primes (at least f2.0 or better) for their Nikon 1 line? Of course, If I do end up getting yet another camera, I exacerbate the issue I talked about in the previous paragraph. I add yet another interface to the array of interfaces that I need to remember.
Shifting gears to social media, I’ve noticed that in 2011, keeping up with my photo friends have increasing been difficult. It used to be simple for me. Everyone I knew was on Flickr. Now people have scattered to the different social medial islands that compete for our attention. Google+ is the new shiny site that has pulled many photographers away from Flickr and Twitter. There is also that large Facebook world and lone island that is personal blogs. I have two blogs, this one which has longer form posts and mostlyfotos which is my daily photoblog. I’ve developed these sites over the last year and a half and put significant effort in to them. And while I like how they are shaping up, concentrating too much on my site isolates me from my online friends. This year, I need to return to my roots, somewhat. I need to post more on Flickr again. When I return there, it feel like I’m back in the neighborhood in which I was born. Some of my old friends are still around and posting just as much. Some of the gang have left for greener pastures and are no longer around. I probably can’t spend as much time as I originally did a couple of years ago but I need to show up more often on Flickr. I’m still unsure of the Google+ world. While I have posted some to G+, I really have not spent the time to make too many new friends. I’ve bumped into people I know from Flickr, which is aways a pleasant surprise. It feels like running into an elementary school friend in the large out-of-state University. Social media seem to be changing quicker than cameras so I know I won’t have this figured out in 2012. I will just have to make adjustments that seem to make sense.
Finally, I’ve learned that writing is a skill like photography. I don’t know if my writing has improved any over the last couple of years but I find that I can craft together posts quicker than before. I also found that I have no shortage of topics and ideas that I can write about. Maybe, if I keep at this, my writing skill will continue to improve and I’ll be able to crank out these posts. Of course, blog post creation time has to complete with photography, photo processing and organizing not to mention all the rest of my life activities, so it is always an uphill battle to find time. I hope 2012 will bring more interesting and useful posts to anyone that my stumble upon my blog and my photography. I hope you all have a great 2012.
Happy New Year
Olympus 45mm f1.8 Lens Test at the Driskill
2011 Driskill Christmas Tree Details #1 – Austin, Texas
I just download some photographs that I took earlier in the week with my new Olympus 45mm f1.8 and I was so excited by the results that I decided to do a quick blog post. In the post, Canon losing the buzz, why I’m not interested that I posted 2 weeks ago, I talked about my quandary about buying either the Olympus 45mm f.8 or the new Fujifilm X10 camera. Well, from this post, you can tell I went with the Olympus lens. I’ll go into the details of why I chose the lens over the camera in a future post but today, I wanted to show you the results I’m getting with this lens. It was the first real lens test I did outside my house in low light.
This past Wednesday, I went downtown with my friend Mike to capture some holiday images and get together for some dinner. I wanted a picture of the Driskill Hotel Christmas tree, which I’ve shot for the last several years. You can see that shot I got, along with some other noteworthy trees in my previous post, Three Christmas Trees for the Holiday Season. I used my Sony NEX-5 for that wide-angle but I also brought along my Olympus E-PL1 with the 45mm f1.8 lens to give it a workout. The results are spectacular and I’m very excited by the first real test results. The nice shallow depth of field and the fantastic bokeh (the quality of the out of focus areas) was what I was hoping for with this lens. So far, I am not disappointed.
I took a bunch more photos with this lens that night but I just wanted to show the images from the Driskill Tree in this posting. All of the images were shot at ISO 800 and wide open at f1.8.
Make sure to click on a photograph to see a larger image. Hover over the photo to see the exposure details.
2011 Driskill Christmas Tree and Glass Dome – Austin, Texas
A 45mm lens on a micro 4/3 camera like the Olympus has an 35mm equivalent of 90mm. You just double the focal length to get the equivalent. At 90mm, you get a fair amount of compression, which you can see above. The distances between objects are “compressed” so they appear close together than you see in reality. This is one of the reasons why a 90mm lens makes for a great portrait lens. It compresses the facial features so that you don’t have noses protruding as much.
2011 Driskill Christmas Tree Details #2
I love this ornament. It seems so personalized for the Driskill. That’s also a picture of the Late President Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, in the background. At f1.8 and at this distance, the depth of field is quite shallow. You can even see that the entire note card is not even in complete focus, with only a slice of sharp focus in the center of the card. The lens appears to be very sharp even at its largest Aperture. Too bad my Canon prime lenses aren’t this sharp.
22011 Driskill Christmas Tree Details #3
2011 Driskill Christmas Tree Details #4
And finally, here is an closeup of the entire tree in portrait orientation.
2011 Driskill Christmas Tree Portrait
Three Christmas Trees for the Holiday Season
Christmas Tree, Hotel del Coronado – Coronado, California
Christmas Tree, LAX American Airlines Terminal – Los Angeles, California
2011 Christmas Tree, Driskill Hotel – Austin, Texas
I wanted to celebrate the holiday season with not one but 3 beautiful Christmas trees. Two of the photos I took a year ago and was waiting for the perfect time to talk about them. The other one has become a tradition. While the fans of mostlyfotos have seen these images over the last few days, I thought this mini-series of Christmas trees will make for an interesting, longer post. Each photo has a back story and a set of decisions about why I used a particular technique or piece of equipment. While the photographs are linked by a common theme, their origins and motivations can be entirely different.
The first one is my favorite. I photographed it a year ago in Coronado, California at the Hotel del Coronado during a winter, family vacation to Southern California. This year, as I sit peacefully at home, with no traveling required, I get to reminisce about the story behind the photograph. As my family settled down in the hotel room in San Diego, I took the short trip over the bridge to Coronado, an upscale community on the other side of San Diego Bay. While most of my photography during this trip was to capture the family moments at Disneyland and other tourist attractions, I also brought my larger, more serious gear for some personal photography. So with my Canon 7D and tripod in tow, I found my way to the large, grand Victorian Hotel hoping to capture some holiday decorations. Mission accomplished! I shot several angles with multiple exposures, so that I could later post-process them using some HDR (High Dynamic Range) goodness. Fast forward to a couple of days ago, and after doing some HDR processing, I decided to go with a single exposure. My HDR processing has always been fairly light and I didn’t see much benefit of HDR in this image. I actually preferred using the middle exposure of my 3 exposure bracket. I like this image the most because of the environment that surrounds the tree. All of the trees in this post are beautiful but this one has the advantage of having some old world, richly ornate wood that surrounds the centerpiece. I love the glow of the lights reflecting off the wood work and the bit of shadows that add mystery to the scene. I think typical HDRs would over-brighten the scene, losing the shadows. The mystery and romance of the image would be lost. When I post-process the image to maintain the shadows, the resulting HDR didn’t look very different from a straight, single exposure. More and more, as I continue my journey in photography, I realize the power of shadows.
Image two was taken at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the American Airlines wing. I took it on the way back from the same family vacation I talked about previously. I had some time to kill before our flight back to Austin, nothing better than some photography, right? Unlike the relatively quiet, dark and old-world feel of the first image, this one feels modern, commercial and busy. I feel hesitant to break open a tripod in a busy place like an airport but I did my best to stay away from the main isles of traffic. Architecture again plays a major role in this tree image. This time I wanted a symmetrical composition between the archways. I placed the tripod low to the ground to capture the reflection off the floor and show the circular skylight above. I also purposely positioned the camera so the black floor pattern would be in the center of the frame and direct the eye to the tree. I used my Canon 7D and with the same super-wide Sigma 10-20mm lens that I used for my Coronado shot. In fact, this Sigma now stays on the camera most of the time. It is my go to lens for wide-angle interior and urban landscapes. I would have preferred to have fewer people in the frame, but this just was not possible. After shooting several long exposures, this one seemed the best. Unlike the first image, I did not plan a HDR for my LAX Christmas tree, just a long exposure to blur out the traffic.
The last image has become sort of a tradition over the last several years. This is the third year in the row that I shot the Christmas Tree at the Driskill Hotel. The Driskill is the grand old hotel in Austin. Because of the positioning of the pillars, I inevitably shoot the tree from the same position every year. You can see the previous two photos in the post I did last year called The Driskill Christmas Tree, One Year Apart. The tree of course looks different from year to year. One year it seems to be skinny. The next year it seems to put on more weight. This year seems to be a bit slender than last year’s. The image processing and composition also changes somewhat from year to year. I used my Sony NEX-5 again, the same as last year, with my 16mm f2.8. It was shot with a small tripod, very close to the floor, in an attempt to capture the sparkling floor reflections. This year’s image is a bit brighter and since I didn’t use HDR I lost a bit of detail from the stained glass. The white balance was tweaked to be a bit less orange than the 2010 version but still retain the warmth. The Driskill is a magnificent hotel but the darkness and shadows of the Coronado hotel lobby really brings out the tree for me. I would certainly love to take yearly photographs at the Hotel del Coronado but alas I think time and budge will make this more challenging. The quick trip to downtown Austin is certainly more accessible and I maybe taking a visit to the Driskill again next year.
Thank you to the readers of this blog for your visit. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and happy and safe holiday season.
Canon losing the buzz, why I’m not interested
Back last month, our local full service camera store, Precision Camera had their 3rd annual Camera Expo. As I explored the vendor booths, tempted by the latest photo gear, I discovered something interesting about my recent camera tastes. I was spending the bulk of the time at two booths, Olympus and Fujifilm. Conveniently, there were located right next to each other. I also did a couple of stops at Nikon and spent some time at Panasonic and Sony. However, one place I didn’t spend any time at all was at the Canon booth. In the past, Canon would have been the first place that I visited. Not this time. What changed? Well, they just didn’t have any compelling things for me to look at and drool over. Maybe I already have most of the Canon lenses I need. Maybe it is because they haven’t introduced any significant still camera products. Or maybe they just seem to be behind the times and do not offer anything in the mirrorless system camera market. All Canon seems to be doing these days is to push their video, of which I have very little interest.
Amber from Olympus shot with 45mm f1.8
My immediate decision point was, do I get a new Olympus lens or get yet another camera, this time from Fujifilm? I’ve been eyeing a really neat $400 lens from Olympus, the 45mm f1.8 that works on my E-PL1. I extensively use my 20mm lens on this camera and the 45mm would make another neat low light lens. It would have a shallower depth of field and it should also be fantastic for portraits. On the other hand, having a high quality point and shoot with a large aperture zoom will really come in handy at times. The new Fujifilm X10 is such a camera. It has a 28mm to 112mm zoom that ranges from f2.0 to f2.8. The camera runs more than the lens at $600 but it could be really handy at times, especially on trips. As much as I love the Olympus E-PL1 and 20mm lens combo, there are times that I can’t zoom with my feet. Having that zoom with a bright lens in a small body would be enticing indeed. There are pros and cons with either decision and I went back and forth testing the lens and the camera to decide where to spend my cash. I guess I was having fun doing the empirical analysis and the weighing it against my gut, emotional feel. I finally made my decision after 2 days of much thought. I’ll talk about that in a future post.
I also visited the Nikon both to check out their new Nikon 1 line of mirrorless cameras. I posted Nikon Creates a Tablet (Nikon 1) but is it an iPad? 2 months ago and I wanted to play with the new camera to see how I like it. I’ve seen the camera in stores but I was able to use different lens combinations at the Camera Expo. Early verdict. The body seems bigger than I expected given the size of the sensor. The longer 30-110mm zoom lens was a lot more compact than I expected. I really love the way this camera shoots video. There are interface features that seem confusing for both novices and experience users. I would be much more excited if Nikon releases some large aperture prime lenses, which they are rumored to do. At that point, I would look at the system more carefully. The current crop of lenses really don’t interest me right now. From a pure, sense of desire point of view, I found the Fujifilm X-10 to be more interesting at this point that than the Nikon 1 series. Time will tell since the Nikon 1 will continue to get better as they build out their system.
I strolled over to the Panasonic both to see some of their latest goodies but was disappointed. Not with their products but the lack of products they had on display. Do you have the new GX1? Nope. Do you have the new Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4? Nope. Well luckily, the Sony both was right next doors. I commented about how it was interesting that the two giant consumer electronics companies, Sony and Panasonic were placed right next to each other. Sony was better prepared. They had the new, spectacular NEX-7 and the premium Zeiss 24mm f1.8 available to use. And though I explain in my previous post, Why I’m not buying the Sony NEX-7 – Revisited, I do think the NEX-7 is a very drool worthy camera — it’s just not for me at this time. I also wanted to do some more testing with the NEX-5n but they only had the NEX-5. The 7′s build quality and interface is fantastic. It is certainly the premium mirrorless camera on the market. Image quality shot in a dull and dark show floor was well, dull and dark. The image lacked the pop of the Olympus or even the Fujifilm X10.
Finally, the title of this post says it all. Though I am a Canon user, currently with a 7D and a slew of lenses, I did a quick walk by the Canon booth. I complimented the Canon video guy on a great presentation and that was about it. I hope that Canon, the last hold out in the new mirrorless race, will come out with something fantastic. If Canon makes the bold move with such a new camera, a move that Nikon did not make, then they can still potentially dominate the next big trend. Sure I would buy new lenses for such a camera system but I also have a bunch of EF lenses that I would love to use. Let’s see what 2012 will bring.
Photograph the world from your neighborhood
Tall Man and Small Dogs, Dia de los Muertos Parade – Austin, Texas
This is a continuation of Dia de los Muertos with the Olympus E-PL1, a post I made a few days ago. This time, rather than talking about equipment, I talk about why I photograph instead of how I photograph.
As I thought about the Dia de los Muertos event that I went to this past weekend, I thought about how neat it is to live in the United States and experience these things. There are certainly may wonderful advantages about living in America but the multicultural aspect is certainly on of them. To experience the food and festivals of the various cultures around the world without leaving the country. Sure, the events, parades and food we have in the US may not by 100% authentic and not all places in the US have a large multicultural population however, it is certainly more convenient traveling maybe few hundred miles and not hopping on a plane to visit another country. Even in Austin, which is a medium size city, we have hispanic cultural events, we have German towns with Oktoberfest, we have Chinese New Year celebrations. Each is an opportunity to photograph. Each is an opportunity to document a world that maybe different from the typical suburban US experience.
Please click on an image to see a larger version
I was listening to a web-based photography seminar this past weekend. The famous photographer talked about how he leads photo tours to Nepal, India, Mongolia, different countries in South America and other photo-enticing world-wide destinations. Exciting, I’m sure and very expensive. By going on these elaborate photo junkets, do you really think this will make you a better photographer? Is going on some expensive and fancy photography seminar on the other side of the planet going to magically transform your photographic eye, allow you to quickly compose and adjust exposures or change your creative vision? Maybe, but I doubt it. It might be fun and it can certainly be a trip of a life time but that’s not the same as practicing the craft of photography. I think constant practice is the key to photography as it is in many other things. Save your money and shoot more often in your own town. Take advantage of the US’s multicultural heritage — closer to home — and shoot more often. Now, I have nothing against traveling abroad. It’s a fantastic way to get to know more people and learn more about their culture. Daily pilgrimages to Little Italy, Chinatown or a Little Tokyo is no substitute for the real thing. But, in terms of photography, practicing often and nearby is going to yield better results.
Consider that if you get really good at capturing events closer to home, imagine how much better you will be if you do finally get to that exotic location. I’m not claiming my photographs are any great shakes but I’m out there often and I practice. And just maybe, If I go out there enough locally, I may even transcend the need to travel to the other side of the world, at least for street and lifestyle photography. Now landscapes, that’s a different story and another blog post.
Here are a bunch more photographs from this event.
Dia de los Muertos Parade – Austin, Texas
Dia de los Muertos with the Olympus E-PL1
Casey and Lisa, Dia de los Muertos Booth – Austin, Texas
One camera, one lens.
I think as a photographer, it is a challenge to use just one lens. I feel like it is a safety net to have more than one lens and sometimes I even bring more than one camera with me. However, to challenge my photographic eye and to travel lighter, I’ve been reducing the amount of equipment that I bring to photo events. Here is a bunch of photographs that I took yesterday at the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) event that happened in downtown Austin, Texas. I took them all with the Olympus E-PL1 and the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 lens. The Lumix is a prime lens so it does not zoom, it only has one focal length at 20mm which on the Olympus it is equivalent to 40mm in the standard 35mm format. The fact that this lens does not zoom, I think, makes it even more challenging, but that is part of the fun.
Please click on an image to see a larger version
The E-PL1 is my newest camera and my current favorite. This small camera takes some fantastic photographs and the 20mm Lumix lens is one of my favorites. I’m working on my Olympus E-PL1 review right now and it should be coming soon. I’m also planning to write more about the Lumix 20mm lens. Until then, here are some photographs that I took with this camera and lens combo. In addition to candid action shots during the parade, I also took some portraits of interesting people who I met during the event. Asking strangers if I can take their photo is another one of the challenges that I currently taking. I wrote about his in a blog post called Overcoming the Fear of Photo Rejection about a year ago. Lately, I’ve been doing this more often as I see interesting subjects during my photographic travels.
The thing with the 20mm lens is that you have to be decently close to make an interesting image. It is considered a normal lens which means it’s neither a wide-angle or a telephoto. This 40mm equivalent lens is similar to what the human eye sees. it would certainly be easier to use a longer lens but I think, if you are willing to get close, the 40mm lens has a really natural look. You don’t get the image compression that a telephoto lens creates. I think it feels like you are right there within the parade. Consequently to get some of these parade shots, I had to “join” the parade and get in the middle of it. I was not standing on the side lines to shoot most of these images. I know I would not be able to do this in every parade however, this one seemed casual enough that I figured I can get away with it.
I hope you enjoy the images and remember, for a photographic challenge, you might consider. 1. bringing only one camera and one lens. Extra credit for using a prime lens instead of a zoom. 2. Get into the action, if the situation permits. 3. Ask people, strangers, if its ok to take their pictures.
Here are a bunch more photographs from this event.
Dia de los Muertos Parade – Austin, Texas
Marcus, Ana and their Chihuahuas, Dia de los Muertos Parade
Regina and Mariana, Dia de los Muertos Parade
Everything is a Photo Opportunity
Hopdoddy Restaurant, Kitchen – Austin, Texas
Last Wednesday, after a downtown photowalk with my friend Mike, we had a late dinner at Hopdoddy. Joining a bunch of restaurants in the trendy SoCo area of Austin, Hopdoddy is an upscale burger bar that also serves beer, wine and mix drinks. Even on a week night at 8:30 the place was packed. I had my current camera of choice, the Olympus E-PL1 with the Lumix 20mm f1.7 lens, all warmed up after a night of photowalking. The camera and lens make a fantastic street photography combination that I’m really enjoying right now. As we sat down to enjoy are delicious burgers, Mike and I talked photography, cameras and the challenges of life. He was sporting his new Fujifilm X100 which I eyed with interest.
Everything is a photo opportunity. When you have a daily photoblog like mostlyfotos you need to take a lot of photographs, all the time, to have ready material to post. Of course, not all photos make the cut so I need to have extra just in case. But my ultimate goal is not necessarily to fill a blog with images but it is to use the chance to practice my passion and craft. I’m hoping that by shooting all the time, I get to fine tune my brain into seeing better. To find interesting things or try to capture a moment in time. It’s the opportunity to overcome shyness and ask strangers if I can take their photograph. I’m not sure I’m getting better at this but I hope I am. Maybe I’m just annoying the people around me or maybe sometimes, in some rare cases, I might come up with an image that makes me happy and brings some enjoyment to others.
Here are some images that I captured at the restaurant. They are not works of art and not all of them will make it into mostlyfotos, however, they do help support this little narrative. I’ll leave my outside photowalk images for another post or you will see them mix in to my stream of photos at a future date. It was a good night. The food was fantastic, it was wonderful to catchup with a good friend and I enjoyed training my brain to see. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a chance to record the mundane, daily life around you because it’s not only the special events that make a photo opportunity. Everything is a photo opportunity.
Katie at Hopdoddy
Katie Shows Off Her T-Shirt
Hopdoddy Restaurant, Tippin’ Suggestion
Hopdoddy Restaurant, Numbers
Hopdoddy Burger and Fries
Hopdoddy Restaurant, Dinning Room
Using a Lens Baby Composer on an Olympus E-PL1
Life Guard #1, Ramsey Pool – Austin, Texas
On this particularly hot summer in Austin, Texas, my son was taking some swimming lessons at an Austin pool. Ramsey park pool is a small public pool in a quiet neighborhood surrounded by small but nicely kept up houses. I grabbed my newest photographic toy, a Olympus E-PL1 camera that I recently purchased along with a Lens Baby I recently receive from a friend. A Lens Baby is a fun, special purpose lens that is designed to create distorted images. There are many models but there is only one that works on the Olympus micro 4/3 standard, the Composer with Tilt Transformer. This model couples a tilting mechanism along with a manual focus system that allows you to interchange many Lens Baby optics. Also, you can remove Lens Baby composer section and mount Nikon lens to the tilting mechanism. The photographs on this post used the standard issue Composer with Tilt transformer which comes with the double glass optic.
Olympus E-PL1 with a Lens Baby Composer
Some photographers really get into the Lens Baby lenses because of their creative control. They produces a very different look, as you can see, from a standard lens. In some ways, you can get a similar funky, out of focus or distorted look that you can get with plastic lens cameras such as the Holgas. I’ve always been curious about these lenses but never had the opportunity to play with them until recently. These lenses are strictly manual focus which is also a big change for me. I’ve been spoiled by fully automatic focusing lenses so this is a bit of a learning curve with the Lens Baby. On a Olympus, the 40mm lens acts like a 80mm when accounting for the 2x crop factor. This is prime lens, not a zoom so you are locked into a 80mm point of view. There are, however, still two 2 rings on the Lens Baby. The black one acts as a manual focusing ring the other silver ring loosens the tilting mechanism. The double glass optic included in the package creates an area of sharp focus surrounded by distorted fuzzy area. The tilting mechanism allows you to move the sweet spot of focus from the center to other parts of the frame. The aperture can also be changed but that involves a bit of effort by changing aperture disks.
Life Guard #2, Ramsey Pool
I use the LCD on the back of the camera to focus but this is only good enough for rough focusing. To fine tune the focus I hit the magnify button (set to 7x magnification). All of the images on this post were taken at an Aperture of f4. However, possibly because of the distortion effects of the lens, I found that even at f4, the depth of field was quite shallow. A precise touch was required to achieve sharp focus. It took me a couple of hours to get the hang of the lens’ tilting and focusing mechanism. A trick that helped me focus better with this lens is to move the zoom box to match the location of the tilt. For example, when the Composer is set straight and perfectly centered, I keep the green zoom box on the center of the LCD. The zoom box, as I call it, is the area that gets magnified when I hit the magnify button. If I tilt the lens baby to the right like I did in the Life Guard #1 photo, I also move the green zoom box to the right to approximately match where I think the sweet spot is located. This will take a bit of experimentation and practice but I’ve gotten the hang of it pretty quickly. With the zoom square set I can hit the magnify button to quickly fine tune focus. I usually zoom out to the standard view after focusing to do some final tweaks to the composition before hitting the shutter. I have, however, also taken some photos in the magnified view if I really needed capture the image quickly.
Life Guard #3, Ramsey Pool
The build quality of the Lens Baby is quite good, better than I expected. All of the components are made with solid metal and plastic parts. The zoom ring is decently smooth, and feels better than the standard Canon lenses that I have. It has a substantial feel especially compared to the very plastic feeling Olympus kit lens. I get the feeling the lens will hold together and give years of reliable service. The only area that feels a bit diminished is the tiling mechanism. The ball joint that moves and tilts is not always smooth and at times binds a bit. It makes fine control and precise movement slightly more difficult. I noticed on the Lens Baby website that there is now a Composer Pro which claims to have an upgraded swivel ball and focus mechanism. Seems like Lens Baby realized there is an opportunity for a high quality “pro” product. Despite the rougher adjustments of the swivel area, the product is very useable. Ultimately, it does not take away from the capability of the product.
While I’m not ready to do a serious portrait session or landscape with this lens, I have to admit it kind of fun. It is a bit like iPhone photography with the various post processing effects — you end up with photographs that differ from the standard look. Unlike the iPhone, however, you set the look when the you click the shutter. The effects are true optical effects so there is no going back like you can in computer based post processing. While you lose the ability to undo the effect, you gain by getting a high quality image.
Life Guard #4, Ramsey Pool
I’m still using a digital camera, but somehow the tilting and distorting lens gives an analog feel. I think it’s a great lens to take along when you just want to have fun and take photography less seriously. It’s also an easy way to achieve a different look and point of view, particularly if you end up taking photos of the same old subjects. The $350 list price seems a bit high and with some online discounts the price falls just below $300. Whether the fun and creative aspects of the Lens Baby are enough to justify its cost is up to you. However, for the price, there are certainly other lenses that I would buy first. I can see bringing this lens on future downtown Austin photo walks to put a new spin on an increasing familiar location — a place that I’ve visited extensively over the last couple of years. And when you are through acquiring all the “practical” must have lenses, you maybe ready for a lens that brings whimsy, playfulness and maybe a bit more creativity to your photographs. Ultimately, if a tool helps to unlock greater creativity, maybe that tool becomes priceless.
About the images
I’ve amped up the color on these photos (excluding the product shot) more than normal. To me the playful distortions seem to look good with the corresponding boost in color. All photographs were taken with the Olympus E-PL1 at ISO 100 with a fast shutter speed since it was bright and sunny. Exposures on Life Guard #1, #2 and #3 were boosted by 1/3 stop. #4 was set with zero exposure compensation. I used the f4 aperture disk in the Lens Baby with the double lens optic. The photographs were post processed with Apple’s Aperture 3 with increases in color saturation and a bit of sharpening.
Note: Please click on the image above to see a larger version.
Strobist + HDR: Ultimate Buzzword Compliant Portrait
Street Fighters, Eight and Fets in an Alleyway – Austin, Texas
In my previous post, I talked about a wide-angle HDR portrait that I created in downtown Austin. For this post, I decide to one up my earlier post by adding yet another trendy photographic buzzword, Strobist, to the already “trendy” HDR photography. This is all in good fun but I’m not doing this just to throw in buzzwords. I really wanted to use these techniques to create an interesting image. I’ve talked a lot about HDR on this blog. Strobist, is something new that I’m starting to dabble in. It refers to a photographic technique which uses small battery-powered strobes (Flashes) to take portraits. The strobist movement, made popular by the strobist blog, has gained a large following since it attempts to eliminate big and bulky studio lights with portable flash units.
I took the photograph above on the same night as the photo that I featured in my previous post. I shot it about 1 hour and 20 minutes later in a different alleyway, 2 blocks away. We had the same cast helping out. Mike was also shooting that night but was assisting with this shot. We have Model Eight and Fets doing the Street Fighter scene. And the wild and colorful makeup was created by Allie. What differed in this photograph was the use of the flashes. We used two of them, radio controlled, on either side of the models, just out of range of the camera’s frame. While the earlier HDR portrait was done purely in existing light (both natural and man-made street lighting), I enhanced this image with the flashes which lit up the models.
The technique used to capture the images as well as the post processing work is exactly the same as described in the blog post: Going beyond the ordinary with HDR Portraits. Because it was a lot darker in this scene, I decided to use the strobes to light up the models. Other than using the flashes, the same considerations and techniques were applied in creating this image. In this case, I photographed the models at ISO 800 at 0.4 second and blended that image into my 3 exposure HDR to create the final look.
I like this image for several reasons. First, because of the way it is framed, both models do not show much wide-angle distortion. They are both kept in the center of the frame and since their arms and legs are also near the center, they don’t have any limbs that are wildly exaggerated in length. I also like this gritty alleyway and the contrast of the old brick walls to the modern skyscrapers in the distance. The tall building, called the Austonian, is the tallest building in Austin. It acts as a visual anchor at the end of the alley. Finally, purely by accident, model Eight’s purple wig nicely matches the purple neon and purple reflections on the walls.
Lets contrast this portrait to the previous. Certainly, the location is not the same but more importantly, the two styles of lighting gives a completely different feel. This image is darker and the flash gives it a sharper, chiseled photographic look. On the other hand, the ambient light of the earlier image has a more subtle, moodier feel, looking almost like a painting. What do you think? Which do you like better?
Note: Please click on the image above to see a larger version.
Going beyond the ordinary with HDR Portraits
Eight and Fets in an Alleyway – Austin, Texas
Readers of this blog will probably know that I use HDR to bring a level of reality or hyper-realty to some of my photographs. Most of the time, I tend to keep the HDR on the subtle side, opting to slightly enhance color, dynamic range or textures. Depending on the subject, I strengthen the HDR effect to enhance certain objects for effect. Usually these objects are shinny which HDR tends to make shinier or old, rusted items which HDR tends to age even more. However, recently, some of my friends and I have thought of using HDR with portraits to create a new and different look.
I can’t claim that combining HDR with portraits is something new. While it’s not common, I know other people have created similar images. Nevertheless, it is something that I have not done before and I thought it would be interesting to try. I’ve done many wide-angle, urban landscape HDRs. Why not combines these gritty urban images with models for different kind of look. My friend, Mike, who I’ve practiced portraits with lately, also seem to be interested in this experiment. Model Eight, as she prefers to be called was also on board. In fact, she was thrilled enough with the idea that she enlisted help from another model, Fets and a makeup artist, Allie.
After running some preliminary tests, I realized that there were certainly challenges to achieve the look I wanted. Creating the HDRs were easy since I’ve done this for a while now, but what would be the best way to add the people into the scene. I wanted an evening shot to catch the nice natural light as well as the man-made urban lighting. Unfortunately, exposures in these conditions are long enough that people tend to come out blurred from movement. Even if the people tried to stay perfectly still, I’ve noticed that shutter speeds longer than about 1/2 second will introduce motion blur. I wanted the models to be crisply shot with the HDR goodness surrounding them. This meant that I would have to shoot my HDR exposures without the models and then blend a separate photo with the models into the scene. Also, with only a few rare exceptions, HDRs of people tend not to look good. HDR tends to give a coal miner look to its subjects, a look most people, especially women I suspect would not appreciate. To make post-processing easier, its preferable to have the exposure of the photograph with the model, look about the same as the middle exposure of a multi-shot HDR. In the photograph above, I shot 3 photographs at -2, 0 and +2 exposure compensation for the HDR. That means, I want to shoot my model at an exposure similar to my 0 exposure compensation HDR image. My HDR photos are usually shot at ISO 100, which made my 0 EV shot 30 seconds long. Of course this is much too long for the models to stay still. I ended up shooting the model shot at ISO 1600 at 1/2 second to roughly approximate my target image. Of course all of this was shot on tripod to keep everything steady and aligned. The HDR processing is more over the top than usual for me, but its was done on purpose. It’s part of creating that wacky hyper-real urban scene that I was looking for.
The other challenge was using a super wide-angle lens. These lens create a lot of distortion, especially around the edges. While it’s one thing to distort buildings, it’s entirely different with people. I’ve generally try to keep the people in the center of the frame, particularly their faces. Distorting limbs, sometimes adds an interesting effect and is definitely preferable (for most people, I imagine) than distorting their face. In the image above, Model Eight’s long arms and legs look even longer than normal. However, because of this type of fun image with her playful makeup, I figured that the distortion adds to the feel of the entire image.
So there you have it. A run down and a quick behind the scenes of my first public HDR portrait. I think there is a real interesting quality to the image and it’s certainly far from the ordinary. The combination of the model’s makeup, the super wide-angle framing, the urban location and the HDR all combine to create a different look. Although it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I had fun creating the photograph and I think it’s essential to break out of the ordinary at times. I will still shoot conventional portraits but for some people, imagery like this maybe something they prefer. What do you think?
Note: Please click on the image above to see a larger version.
A Visit to Seaholm, a Majestic Downtown Power Plant
Seaholm Power Plant Generator Room – Austin, Texas
Driving into downtown Austin on Cesar Chavez Street (first street) from the west, it’s hard not to miss the large power plant by the river. It’s a solid concrete structure and an under utilized landmark. Non-operational since 1989, it has never generated any power during the 20 years that I have lived in Austin. It does have a bright red sign that adorns the side and some blue accents above the entrances — the only signs of life at this deteriorating urban structure. Photographs I’ve seen of the inside have only increased my curiosity of what is hidden within its aging walls. Recently, I’ve had a wonderful opportunity to take a look inside and photograph its interior for a few hours. This opportunity came about as a result of photographing the Holly Street Power Plant a couple of months earlier. A friend of mine, Therese, with connections to the city heard about my trip to the Holly Plant. After showing my Holly Street blog entry and expressing a desire to have a similar access to Seaholm, I was lucky enough to be introduced to Gloria who works for the City of Austin. Gloria was kind enough to allow myself and a few photographer friends access to Seaholm and even took time out of her weekend to open up the place. What follows are some photographs and impressions of this grand concrete structure.
Architecturally, the differences between Holly Street and Seaholm are significant. Holly is a newer more utilitarian facility made primarily of metal. It appears functional like a warehouse or factory and does not have architectural flourishes. It is extensively surrounded by a maze of metal superstructures and pipes that look complex. It reminds me of a densely packed machine with its guts exposed. The generator rooms is barely visible with all the plumbing that surrounds and feeds the beast. The Seaholm Power plant is clearly from a different era, though surprisingly only built 10 years before the start of the Holly plant in 1960. Externally, it looks like a solid art deco office building with giant smoke stacks connected at its rear. A bank windows in the front and side clearly adorn the main building which is the major focal point of the facility. Much of its complexity is hidden somewhere as if care was taken to make a power plant as beautiful as it can be without losing its function. Walking inside the main generator room is like entering a huge temple — a temple to industry and to the modern world. It was clearly built to impress with its towering concrete walls and ceiling and ample clerestory windows. While the outside is nicely designed, the inside is what really shines in my book, as you can see from the photograph above.
The color palate at Seaholm is more muted than at Holly which has a red-painted floor. However, Seaholm’s concrete creates some excellent texture, further enhanced with my use of HDR (high dynamic range) photography. As usual, I leave my HDR processing on the light side, opting in this case to enhance texture and detail and not dynamic range. I softened some shadows but chose to retain enough to keep an interplay between light and dark. For readers unfamiliar with HDR, it is a photographic process were multiple images at different brightness levels are taken and later combined with software to form a single image. I usually use 3 photographs for my HDR but recently have experimented with combining more images, especially in scenes with a large amount of dynamic range.
Photographically, much of the grander remains, though we were slightly disappointed that the main generators have been removed. Holly street was interesting to photograph since the generators and control panels are still in place. It looks as though it was just closed one day and all the power plant equipment was kept in place. Seaholm is different. The city has planned for years to redevelop this property. Much of the large industrial components have been removed long ago. What remains is the impressive concrete shell that some day will be, hopefully, repurposed for some modern function. In fact, Seaholm has been used for parties during the SXSW events and other large gatherings. While my goal at Holly was to document its machinery and plumbing before being torn down, my focus at Seaholm was to celebrate the architecture and photograph its bones before redevelopment commences. The unexpected treasure at Seaholm is the dark underbelly below the main floor. We’ll start the tour on the main level, which I call the generator room. The photograph at the top was taken far end of this room. We entered the building at other end, near the wall with the bank of windows. You can see the giant openings surrounded by safety rails which once housed the generators. These openings lead to an underground world a couple of levels deep, which we will explore later in the blog.
Seaholm Windows
We entered the building near the bank of windows on the east wall. It was a little after 10am when we started the photo tour and I caught the sun streaming in from the east. With and the band of clerestory windows near the ceiling, the windows throughout the building, the space was pleasantly bright. Unlike the Holly Street Plant, Seaholm has a light and airy feel. I really like the ceiling detail of this building and the grooved channels on the ceiling adds a nice pattern that leads the eye through the building.
Click here to see all my images from the Seaholm Power Plant. You can also click on each of the photos to see a larger version.
Ceiling Detail
The Mechanical Side
The mechanical wall, for lack of a better term, is really simple and clean in this building. You can see the grey stairs and repeating metal structures on the left side. I don’t know if a lot of piping and mechanical structures were removed along with the generators but the place has a really simple and organized feel.
Crossing the Concrete Canyon
Go down a flight of stairs and you enter the concrete canyons that once housed the generators. This metal catwalk spanned some nicely textured concrete pillars. I used HDR to enhance the concrete a bit more than usual. I really like the worn texture and though most people might think of concrete as a cold and impersonal material, when enhanced in this way, I think it takes on a bit of a patina and has the feel of weathered wood. The area is well-lit from above but you begin to see the dark recesses that surround the two level below the main floor. The image below is from the lowest level which I’ve brightened a bit. I was attracted to the light and shadows cast from the concrete pillars with the light that is filtering down two levels. I imagine this space was quite a bit darker when the generators were in place.
The Light From Above
Port hole
Here is another image of the same area framed but through a round port-hole. As you can see the wall has some great details and strange insulation or building materials sandwiched within the concrete layers. The foreground wall was quite dark and the HDR techniques really brought out the details of the wall will preserving the view though the circular opening. I think this is an excellent use of this technique and I believe this is an image that would not be possible without using HDR. The last photograph from down below is the stair case with the red glow. Located on the south-east corner, I saw this reddish glow from the other side. In a mostly monochromatic building, this color really stood out and got my curiosity going. It turned out that the neat color was created by light coming down the stairwell bounced off the red colored floor.
Red Glow
Unlike Holly, where the place was dead silent, Seaholm still had life. There was a persistent hum heard through the building. The lower levels with its many dark rooms, long expanses of graffiti covered walls and strange concrete structures looked like something out of a first person shooter video game. I wasn’t sure if a zombie or alien would pop up from behind the wall. The place really wasn’t scary, at least in the daytime but the lower levels did have an interesting feel to them. I wrote in my Holly blog post that I felt a zen stillness there. Seaholm was more of a study in contrasts. The main level seems like a temple to industry filled with light. The lower level seemed more like a post-apocalyptic bunker, with its massive concrete walls that resembled a bomb shelter.
Going back to the light, I walked up to the second floor that overlooks the generator room. These areas look like they used to be offices. On the south-east corner, there was a light filled space with a view of the new downtown skyline. In the image below, I was able to frame the new 360 condominiums with is the second tallest building in Austin. I like the contrast between the old, roughly textured walls with the light, airily and tall building outside. A contrast between the past and the future? Finally, before ending this photo tour, here are some photographs from the outside of the power plant. The backside of the power plant has several smoke stacks with some associated machinery. Almost none of the metal superstructures that surrounds the Holly plant exists here at Seaholm. A solid concrete path along the roof makes for a nice leading line to the Austin skyline.
A Window on the Future
The Proud Stack
Seaholm Roof
Main Entrance
The front of the plant has two similar door ways with the a bold sign that reads City of Austin Power. The final photo shows the potential of this place and while there is some urban decay, the structure remains strong and ready for redevelopment. I am looking forward to see how it all turns out. There are some ambitious plans for retail spaces, condos and hotels on the property. A new central library is going to be built right next door with roads and pedestrian walkways that will connect the future Seaholm site with the library and the rest of the downtown. Time will tell if these were just grand plans on paper or the bold continuation of Austin’s downtown renaissance.
My Thought Process
Image 1: This first photograph gives a nice overview of the grand central space. It was taken from the westside looking east towards the wall of lights. You can see the large opening in the floor that once housed the generators.
Image 2: As we started shooting Seaholm, the sunlight streamed in through the large bank of windows on the east. I wanted to document the “hugeness” of the space and the neat layout of the windows. I also wanted capture the sun rays streaming into the space. HDR really helps in this kind of shot since the dynamic range is so broad. I was able to record the rays of light, the details in the sky as well the interior space in a single photograph.
Image 3: I really love this ceiling. The grooves that run from front to back really pulls my eye down the building. I also like the repeating patterns of the pillars, roof supports and windows. I purposely created an interesting wide-angle distortion by angling the lens upward.
Image 4: As I moved towards the back of the building, the shadows increased. I like that bright distant window and the shadows that are creeping around the staircase and pillars.
Image 5: This catwalk is located one level below the main level. I like the leading lines of the catwalk and the large concrete hole that surrounds the space. I increased the texture and color to emphasize the character on the concrete walls.
Image 6: At the lowest level, the light comes in filtered through the various holes and between the walls and pillars. There is a balance between light and shadow which I wanted to capture. However, I think the shadows are more important here and that is ultimately what makes this image interesting.
Image 7: I found this hole in the wall and love the contrast between the wall texture and the view within the opening. The circle was used to frame the scene but the highly textured frame itself is also interesting. Again, HDR was used to its fullest in this photograph — a scene in which a conventional photograph would not be able to render as effectively.
Image 8: This photograph is all about the red glow. However, I also like the color contrast of the light coming from above the stairs and the purplish color in the room to the right. I attempted the balance the stairs on the right with the pillars on the left.
Image 9: I shot a different downtown view through these windows but as I shifted my position, the 360 Condos came into the frame. I decided to simplify the exterior by centering the building in the window. I’m also attracted to the texture of these walls and the light which is bouncing around in the room.
Image 10: I wanted to capture the smokestack and some of the exterior machinery at the back of the plant. The super wide-angle distorts the lines towards the center, which I think, makes it look even taller.
Image 11: The roof of Seaholm has some great view of downtown Austin. I used the concrete walkway to create leading lines toward the skyline.
Image 12: This photograph is the only one in which I did not use HDR. I increased texture to create a feel similar to the other photographs.
[Note: Make sure to click on the images for a larger version]
Image Details
I took these photographs with the Canon 7D in RAW with the Sigma 10-20mm lens. I used a tripod for maximum stability and ease of HDR processing. I used Photomatix for HDR creation, Pixelmator for layer blending and Aperture 3 for final sharpening, vignetting and burning and dodging effects.
Images 1,3,4,5,6,10,11: f13, 3 exposures, -2, 0, +2 exposure compensation, ISO 100 at 10mm
Image 2: f13, 4 exposures, -4,-2, 0, +2 exposure compensation, ISO 100 at 10mm
Image 7: f8, 4 exposures, -4,-2, 0, +2 exposure compensation, ISO 160 at 10mm
Image 8: f9, 5 exposures, -4,-2, 0, +2,+4 exposure compensation, ISO 100 at 10mm
Image 9: f13, 3 exposures, -2 2/3,-2/3, 0, +1 1/3 exposure compensation, ISO 100 at 10mm
Image 12: f8, 3 exposures, 1/320sec, no exposure compensation, ISO 100 at 10mm
The Extremes of Photography, from Tintypes to HDR
Tintype Photographs Taken by Heather Curiel
I usually go to a couple of photography lectures on a given month. The CapMac Photo SIG (Capitol Macintosh Advanced Photography Special Interest Group) is one lecture that I go to consistently. My friend Alex Suarez runs the SIG and has done an outstanding job getting great photographers to come and share their knowledge. Something that struck me as the March SIG meeting ended is how wide and varied the lectures have been. Between the February lecture on HDR photography and March’s on Tintype Photography, there are 150 years of photo-technology advances that separate the two techniques. Indeed, Alex has helped us to explore the two extremes of photography in a span of just a month. Alex is quite a photographer himself and you can see his work here on his blog.
The February HDR lecture was given by Dave Wilson, an outstanding photographer that has a wonderful and very recognizable look. Whether photographing architecture, cowboy boots or landscapes, Dave manages to bring out a patina and texture that makes his work so outstanding. You can see his work here. While I’m fairly versed in HDR techniques, it’s always nice to pickup a few new pointers or see a different perspective to HDR processing. One such tip is the use of large numbers of exposures to create a HDR. When I say large, I’m talking about 8 – 12 exposures. I, however, have created 99% of HDRs using just 3 exposures. Dave says that when you use a large number of exposures set at 1 stop apart, the HDR software such as Photomatix does a better and more consistent job creating the HDRs. Noise is supposed to be reduced and there is usually less post-processing needed to clean up the image after the image blending. Also, Dave stressed the proper use of histograms during image capture. You should take enough images so that the darkest image should not have any of the histogram cut off on the right side. Conversely, your brightest exposure should not have any of the histogram cut off on the left side. If you use this simple rule, you can automatically know how many images to shoot, all you have to decide is whether you want to use 1 stop or 2 stop increments. In this way, if the scene does not have a wide dynamic range, 3 photographs may be adequate. If you shoot into the Sun, you very well may need 10+ exposures. I’m thinking of how to incorporate some of Dave’s techniques into my HDR processing. I have a bit of a different HDR style so I’m not planning to use the same exact techniques but I think it’s beneficial to use some aspects of what Dave has mentioned. Either way, its clear that Dave has honed his technique and it is working very well for him.
Jump back 150 years to the time of the American Civil War and you get to see the latest in photography technology from that era. This was the topic of the March CapMac presentation. Heather Curiel gave a fascinating presentation on tintype photography. Tintype is a wet plate technique where you coat a piece of flat metal (nowadays Aluminum is used) with some photosensitive chemicals to produce the “film” used to capture the image. Because the chemicals are wet, the plate must be used within minutes before it dries. The photosensitive plate must be created in the dark (with a red colored safe light), in a large box outside, near whatever your were planning to photograph. Once the plate is created, you quickly need to put his plate in a light safe holder and slip it into the camera. With the equivalent ISO value of less than 1, these plates take a long time to expose, even in bright sunlight. Heather said it usually takes several minutes or longer for the plate to be exposed properly. For every image, a new plate must be created, exposed and then developed within a span of 20 minutes all on site. Some years later, a dry plate technique was finally developed so that the plates can be made ahead of time, multiple photographs can be taken and then developed later at a lab. For someone like me that does not even use 35mm film, this ancient wet plate photography was a real eye opener. It had the feeling of being like a science experiment and art combined into one. Tintypes, however, were an advance from the previous technology in which glass plates were used. The interesting thing is, Heather is a young woman who is drawn to this old technique. She says she really likes that look and feel of these tintype images. You can see a sample here on her website. As an older guy that has completely embraced digital, I think it’s great for the younger generation to look back at times past. I’m left wondering if the younger generation, surrounded by all this instant technology, somehow longs for a slower and simpler time.
At the end of Heather’s presentation, she made a comment that I found amusing. She indicated how bummed she is if an image didn’t turn out properly since it takes about 20 minutes to create the image from start to finish. The funny thing is, for many people, to create an HDR with the latest digital technology usually takes longer than 20 minutes of work. Some of my friends take up to an hour of post processing to create a single HDR photograph. Sure, post processing digital files is different from mixing chemicals and exposing a tintype however, I still found it ironic that in the era of modern digital captures and powerful personal computers, the high-tech HDR still may take longer to create than a photograph back 150 years ago. If you are in the Austin area, check out the CapMac Photo SIG, it usually takes place on the 4th Thursday of every month. You can find information about up coming topics here. It a great group of people and I believe it will broaden your photographic horizons. It sure has for me.
HDR is a Process, Not a Specific Look
Control Room #1 by atmtx
The Control Room by Van Sutherland
HDR, High Dynamic Range, photography has especially been popular these last several years. It tends to be a polarizing photography topic or technique that either people seem to like or dislike. Making broad generalizations, I find traditional photographers tend not to like it as much while the general public seems to enjoy it more. The point I wanted to make in this blog post is that HDR, while some equate it with a particular look, it really a process or technique. Some maybe surprised to learn that there isn’t one style or look to HDR but there are many variations. HDR photography is the technique of combining multiple images, usually 3 or more photographs taken at different exposures into a single blended image. This is usually done is post-processing though there are some new cameras and even the iPhone that creates HDRs in camera. How these images get combined is part of the skill and artistry and like anything else there are good example and not so good example of this photography technique.
If you have followed my blog or looked at my gallery, you probably know that I use HDR in a bunch of my photographs. While my HDR blending technique has changed a bit over these last couple of years, in general, I tend to have a light touch. I go for a more natural look that does not have super bright colors or heavy textures. This, of course, is my choice. Some choose to dial-up the HDR process to create an image that looks more fanciful. Neither style is correct or incorrect. This is Art after all and it really is up to the artist to execute in the style that they like. The people can decide what artistic execution they personally like better.
I recently went on a tour of the old Holly Street Power Plant, that I wrote about here. One of my fellow HDR photographer friends, Van Sutherland, and I ended up in the control room and shot the photographs above at the same time. He was standing next to me on my left. Although the angle and framing are slightly different, the lighting conditions where identical — it was very dark. I love how, given almost identical conditions, we came up with very different photographs. Much of the difference is due to the HDR processing. This shows how HDR is not a specific look but really a process that people can use to create a look they have in their head. Van does some spectacular HDR photography and I’ve long admired his work. You can see more examples of his work here, on his blog. He has honed his technique over the years to come up with his style. I have also developed a different style over the years. Two styles, very different, both HDR. So if you are already using HDR techniques yourself or want to get into it, I would encourage you to develop your own style. Remember, HDR is merely a process, a way to develop your own look. People who think all HDR looks the same may have not seen the variety that is out there.
