What kind of Camera did you use?

Well I am sure many of you get the same questions I do, "What kind of camera did you take that picture with?" I know this has been debated on the net since the beginning of the net but I just had to revisit it. There are many views that the camera does not matter, it is the photographer and their vision. The other side of this debate is that the camera does matter as it influences the outcome and many would say in very fundamental ways. More so today this is true than in the days of film when only the lens and the film really mattered.

I am firmly in the camp that the camera is a distant second in making the image. Sure the right camera can make getting the image easier and less work on the photographer but it still takes the person controlling it to make it come together. Even in the days of film and darkrooms the print was always manipulated in ways to achieve the photographers vision and so the work only just starts in the camera. Just because it is digital nothing has changed, images always need work out of the camera to achieve the desired look. If you are really in doubt I would suggest reading Ansel Adam's book's "The Print" and "The Negative" where he goes through the zone method he used to create his famous images and all the manipulations it took to create the final image.

I thought it illustrative to show the image that inspired this post. The first picture is a scene from the pacific north west, lush green and showing new life coming from the old. The web is not capable of showing the full depth of color and range from this image that the print can. It still works to show the end point though.

The second image was the starting point. Straight out of the camera converted in Adobe camera raw: dark and flat. The third with changes for color and tone but it still does not have the final openness and luminosity desired. Finally the last image was processed through a single image HDR work flow after the color and tone was set, opening the mid tones and creating the desired image which gives the same impression as being there that the camera did not capture.


1) Out of the Camera 2)Tone, color and shadows

A second example from a promotional photo shoot I just completed in my studio for an up coming theatrical play shows the sequence from in camera to variations on a theme. The second image shows the original concept with the cardboard box now made of wood (with a little digital help) the background is not so boring and some focus is on the actor. Finally some high pass layering more vignettes and grunging it up a whole lot. Lastly this is a variation without the other back ground changes to just grunge up the actor.
























So which camera did you use? Does it really matter?

Alan Mitchell
www.alanmitchellphotography.com

The Value of Pondering...

"All art should have a certain mystery and should make demands on the spectator. Giving a sculpture or a drawing too explicit a title takes away part of that mystery so that the spectator moves on to the next object, making no effort to ponder the meaning of what he has just seen. Everyone thinks that he or she looks but they don't really, you know."
Henry Moore, sculptor

F-Stop Interviews Antony Crossfield

Happy new year. I came across another interview that you might be interested in over at F-stop. F-stop for those that have not visited before has a great series of interviews with leading photographers. Once a month or so they release a new one covering typically the top commercial photographers but the selection theme is always heavy on individual vision and lots of composited and retouched imagery. Much of advertising illustration today is composited from photos with lots of photoshop. Anyway this interview is with Antony Crossfield who is a fine art photographer and has some amazingly creative imagery. Antony is different in that he only sells his fine art photography and is not a commercial photographer. Like the others though there are lots of composited images and heavy on the retouching and 3D image generation, bringing a painterly classics based approach to a decidedly new medium.

Alan Mitchell
www.alanmitchellphotography.com

Goals versus Resolutions

“If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it!” ~Jonathan Winters

New year, new beginnings, new resolutions.
I, for one, make it a point NOT to make resolutions! I’d just as soon not disappoint myself somewhere during the year when the realization comes that I couldn’t be farther from that list of resolutions. Instead, I create goals and I avoid setting those goals at the start of a new year. Goals, for me are on going. They occur throughout the year.
There is such a difference in the definition of the two: resolution: great determination, a mental pledge, something one intends to do. Goal: an objective. A goal is an observable and measurable end result having one or more objectives to be achieved within a more or less fixed time frame (from www.businessdictionary.com).
One of my on going goals is to take a minimum of one workshop a year to learn something new. I usually get two in. Perhaps try out a new technique. Or two. Or three. No limit, really! I seem to seek out things that require leaving my comfort zone such as putting on a major art show last year. These goals often caused me a good deal of anxiety and stress, but the end result is worthwhile in the achievement itself.
So, what kinds of goals have you set out for this go-around (see, I didn't say, "year")? If you are comfortable with the ‘status quo’ how can you expect to grow? Well, assuming that one would want to grow. But, growth comes with leaving that comfort zone. How often do you do that?
In art school, every single one of my instructors asked that we keep a journal. Journaling that involved written and visual entries. At first, I questioned the value of doing this. I could never think of enough things to write down and resisted complying with the assignment. I now understand the value of writing and its role in the creative process. Since then, as an artist, I’ve tried to do journaling on my own be it a visual one or written one. I can’t tell you how many journals I have started only to abandon it, buy another blank journal, start it and then abandon that one too. The pattern repeated itself for YEARS. I felt like an utter failure. This journaling thing didn't seem to be happening for me.
And then, one day in March 2006, a friend of mine was excited about a blog she started and sent me the link to her blog. Prior to that, I never even heard of a blog. What’s blog? In a nutshell, it’s an on line web journal. But, heck, it really is a LOT more than that! This got me to look at a couple of other blogs by artists and before I knew it, I decided to give it a try. I had no idea what I was doing. I launched my first blog and even though it was baby steps, I felt quite thrilled at being able to do so. For me, blogging gave me the medium I needed to achieve the written and visual journaling process that I had struggled with for so long. Writing is a great way to jump start the creative energy within our right brain, so it compliments the visual creative process. An added bonus is all the other wonderful artists I’ve met through blogging and their willingness to share tips, techniques, experiences within the community. Not to mention the vast source of inspiration! And, all the collaborative projects that are available should you decide to participate. By the way, this blogging community that you have access to is global!
But, I haven’t even scratched the tip of the iceberg as to the benefits of blogging and “why blog”? Since this post is way longer than I would like it to be, check out Jessica’s answer to this question here. Or, Leau’s insight here. Or, Robin Laws answer here (and her call to other artist’s for collaboration).
And last, but not least, let me leave with the link that qualifies as a big finale to this from my friend, Debi Jone’s post in regards to giving yourself “Wings for the New Year”.
I hope that even if you don’t get around anytime too soon in establishing goals for yourself, that you would at least give yourself wings for the New Year to fly on.

2008 Critical Mass Top 50

The very influential folks over at Photolucida and their blog have put out the 2008 Critical Mass Top 50. Coming from me by know you must realize this is about photography and the I guess those of you reading this are asking what is the Critical Mass Top 50. Well I think they best describe themselves.

"The aim of Critical Mass, and all Photolucida programming, is to provide participants with career-building opportunities and to promote the best emerging and mid-career artists working today.

Critical Mass is a program about exposure and community."

While I have not considered myself at this level yet and so alas you will not find my name amongst the ranks the photographers that are part of the list, the ones that are on the list really are the embodiment of the current state of the Photographic Art. I can't say that I am personally moved by all of the works but there are many that I think will at the least be thought provoking. Rather than me submitting yet another list of things for you to look at as my choices, I encourage you to check out the photographers. Even if you are a painter or work in another medium I think you might learn something and while I am in a personal struggle with Post Modernism in Photography you just never know what might come of your own pursuit.

Alan
www.alanmitchellphotography.com

Some Holiday Reading

Happy Holidays Everyone. As many of you know I read a lot of blogs and web sites on photography, creativity and art. I thought I should share with you some of my latest interesting links.

I ran across an excellent post on A Photo Editor (Very interesting blog I check regularly) on Ira Glass and the process of creating a great story. For those of you not familiar with Ira Glass, he is an award winning radio host/journalist whose work is available as pod casts covering a wide variety of topics all of which are highly thought provoking.

Another blog I read almost daily is Burns Auto Parts , funny name but more good things to think about primarily focused on photography but many of the articles have a more general interest. The topic I want to share with you is on What to do over the holidays or when you have slow times. It is a top ten list on ways to stimulate your creativity, skills, and marketing.

Lastly I want to share a new site I found by Molly Gordon who is a professional coach to creative people. Of the many topics she coaches on artist promotion is the one I find most useful to me. The link I would like to share with you is on How to Write an Artist Statement. If you have not written an artist statement yet, it should become a priority. Beyond the simple fact that many galleries, and contests want an artist statement it is a good thing to help you capture what is unique about your work. In itself that can help refine your creative process.

Enjoy!

Alan
www.alanmitchellphotography.com

RRAA January Membership Meeting

The Rio Rancho Art Association will have its first meeting of the year on January 5, 2009 at 6:30pm. We will meet at the Destiny Center located at 4401 Northern Blvd. NE in Rio Rancho.
Our new President, Annette Kornbrekke, will introduce the new committees, programs and venues for 2009. Information on the upcoming Studio Tour will also be discussed. Following will be a social hour hosted by the RRAA board. The public is welcome.