Tuesday: Opinion on the World

The Future of Reading - The NY Times

What is the future of reading?  As students in the 21st century, many of us use the internet for everything from entertainment to research.  So do books have a future in the 21st century?  In my opinion, yes!  I believe that printed material has a future.  The internet will evolve and shape the way we acquire much of our knowledge, but overall I feel that books and other forms of the printed word will continue to exist.  I really can't imagine reading "Fahrenheit 451" on a compute screen.  It is my hope, that as we continue to pursue knowledge, wether it be in pursuit of a degree or for personal knowledge, we do not forget books as a source of this knowledge.

Auto Maker Bankruptcy

Ah, the ink from the almost 1,100 page stimulus bill is still drying and it's already looking like two of the Detroit auto makers want even more loans.  My biggest question, "Why should the taxpayers of our country be responsible for a company that has been driven into the ground by poor management?"  The auto makers in this country have spent many years producing SUVs and large passenger trucks that were lucky to get 15 mpg instead of developing better fuel efficiency.  Now, I'm not the biggest fan of fuel efficiency as the biggest selling point to a car, but it is important.  Over the course of the year I will put several, several thousand miles on my car (a Ford Mustang) and I do wish it had better fuel economy because it would be much easier on my bank account to fuel.  So, if I can figure out that I want better fuel efficiency because of the higher gas prices, can auto maker executives not reach that conclusion?  Could they not begin producing more cars instead of SUVs and trucks?  I say that the industry had a chance to adapt and they failed.  To paraphrase Darwin "Adapt or Die."  GM and Chrysler have not adapted and so I believe they should be on their own.  If they can survive, congratulations to them, I truly wish them the best, but if they cannot make it on their own, without government loans, let them die.

Monday news

Well, I know I said there would be a print evaluation today, but unfortunately school work calls and I haven't been able to have any prints made yet for evaluation purposes.  Once that happens, I'll be sure to update with the results.

So here's a new product release that you might find interesting.  Pocket Wizard, our favorite remote triggering company, has released two new products today.  Presently these products are Canon specific because of their capabilities (wireless TTL).  The on-camera trigger can be found here on the Pocket Wizard site.  The off-camera receiver can be found here on the Pocket Wizard site.  If you would like to check out an in-depth product evaluation go to The Strobist.

Sorry about the short post, hopefully there will be more tomorrow.

My dream lenses

Everyone talks about dream gear and normally it involves super-fast, super-telephoto lenses.  My dreams are not so unrealistic.  In fact my dream lenses are already in existence.  They're just not made for a Canon camera, they're made for a Nikon.  Anyone who follows the Nikon world probably already knows which lenses I'm referring to since they are legendary lenses in their own right.  

1. 200-400mm f/4L IS USM

That's right, my first lens in a zoom telephoto to super-telephoto.  I enjoy shooting wildlife quite a bit, but don't always have the reach I want with a 300mm lens.  (Personal note: You really have to admire a friend who loans you his 300mm f/2.8L lens for an entire weekend.  Thanks Jeremy!)  But if I had a 400mm lens, that would often be too long.  So what I really want is this zoom lens to pair with my reasonably sharp 70-200mm lens.  I know that Canon makes a zoom lens in this range (100-400mm), but from the various reviews I have read it's not an incredibly sharp lens on high resolution cameras and I'm also not a fan of the zoom style of this particular lens.  I prefer lenses, especially long lenses that beg to be taken outside into harsh environments, to be weather sealed as much as possible.  If Canon were to produce a lens that was at least the equal of the Nikon 200-400 f/4 zoom, I would be very happy and would definitely find a way to own one.

2. 14-24mm f/2.8L USM

This is another lens that Nikon users have, that we in the Canon camp are left without.  True, we have the 16-35, which is probably wide enough for almost every application, but I would really like to see a Canon version of this lens.  Every review that has ever been written about the Nikon lens mentions the sharpness and compares the lens to the equivalent primes.  In the Canon world, many reviews talk about the dissatisfaction of the wide angle lenses and from my use of Canon wide-angles, I would concur.  If Canon would produce this lens, I would definitely add it to my bag without hesitation.  

So, some people may ask, "If you want those two lenses, why don't you just switch to Nikon?"  Well, the truth is I like Canon cameras and while they no longer have the highest resolution camera on the market, they do make an incredibly high resolution pro-sumer camera.  Truthfully, the real story is that I've never really used a Nikon camera extensively as I've always used a Canon camera ever since my first SLR.  It's primarily because of that reason that I have stuck with Canon and now I choose to complain about the lenses I wish Canon would make.  I don't really consider these lenses impossible, especially given the fact that there are equivalent lenses currently produced by Nikon.  So here's to continuing to hope for the next Canon lens to be one on my list.  Anyone else have a Canon lens wish list? 

An oddly inspiring piece

There has always been something about Joe McNally that has inspired me to strive to produce the best work possible.  There's something about the way he writes.  He doesn't seem to sugarcoat anything, but he also doesn't come across as, "I'm Joe McNally, the almighty bender and shaper of light."  Instead he comes across as being a very humble person who also happens to be a master at using light, but admits that he makes mistakes in his lighting.  Well, his blog post today seemed to really reach down and grab me when I read it this afternoon.  Even when the economy is going south and the demand for photographers is drying up and there are more and more photogs entering the workforce everyday, McNally is still out there, pushing the envelope.  It is his willingness to continue to take risks that makes me realize that being in photography isn't just about making an image, it's about making "THE image."   "THE image" inspires and creates awe.  "THE image" makes people stop and stare and really think about the matter.  Joe McNally has created several images that fall into "THE image" category.  I have never created anything close, but I keep hoping that one day I will have an image that is worthy of the title, "THE image."  I would recommend checking out McNally's blog, for a source of personal and photographic inspiration.

Portrait Photographers I admire

This post is about the various portrait photographers who I admire.  I'm going to talk a little about their shooting style and why I admire their work.  For my first project in Photo 111, I will be shooting portraits and will be emulating the work of these great photographers.

1. Joe McNally

McNally's work is something that almost everyone has seen with the various magazine covers from Time to National Geographic to Sports Illustrated, Joe has photographed it all and has done a great job.  McNally's work has been an inspiration for me since I first picked up a SLR and began shooting my own subjects.  Recently, Joe McNally published a book titled "The Moment it Clicks."  This book is a great read and gives you a lot of insight into the mind of the master photog that is Mr. McNally.  Of all of the photographers I admire, McNally has, in my opinion, the best mastery of light.  Wether he is on location using small strobes or is firing a dozen or more high powered studio strobes in a Russian space test facility, he uses the light to shape his portraits.  Many of his pieces that I consider my favorites are not what most people would consider a portrait because they are more environmental portraits.  For an example of this, take a look at his photo of an employee changing the bulb at the top of the Empire State Building.  Is that your average, run-of-the-mill portrait? I think not, but that is the work of Joe McNally.

2. David Ziser

David Ziser is a wedding photographer and photographic educator.  I have always admired Ziser's work because of his simple working style.  Ziser appears to be a firm believer in the "less-is-more" attitude that isn't prevalent in today's photographic society.  Mr. Ziser also takes more of an environmental look to his portraits and with the exception of the bridal portraits most of his portraits appear to be posed, yet unposed because of their natural look.  I would also recommend checking our David Ziser's blog, Digital Pro Talk, for advice on shooting and photography business tips.

3. Joey Lawrence

Wow.  That's really all I have to say about the work of Joey Lawrence.  Lawrence is a very gifted photographer who, at the age of 18, is definitely as talented as many photographers who are much older.  In addition to his magazine work, perhaps his most famous work is something most people don't really consider. The "Twilight" movie poster.  Until I discovered Joey Lawrence last week on Scott Kelby's blog, I had never really given any thought to who shot the photos for a movie poster.  So while Lawrence may have created the teen-girl idolized posters, he has also traveled the world and developed an outstanding portfolio of "Portraits Around the World."  Probably the most unique aspect of his work is that most of his photographs are posed, whereas most photogs would choose, as Lawrence calls it, a "drive-by shooting portrait" of a homeless person, he instead engages the person before making the portrait.  I feel that this is important and it emphasizes the importance of connecting with a photo subject.

4. Chris Orwig

Chris Orwig is a photographer and photography instructor at the Brooks Institute of Photography.  While Orwig does not create only portraits, most of his works have a portrait feel to them.  Orwig's portraits are definitely environmental and upon review of his portfolio on his website, it become evident that very few of his portraits could have even been taken in a studio.  Many of his photographs combine a dated look (being captured in grayscale, on film stock, having heavy grain, or having a very film look to them) with a modern subject matter.  Many of his subjects have a connection to Santa Barbara and I believe he is choosing to create his photographs with a timeless look because his subjects are not just present day individuals, but they are people who have shaped his life and his home.

5. Douglas Sonders

Douglas Sonders is photographer based on both coasts of the United States who travels all over the word for his clients, which include various pop-culture magazines, Apple, 3 Doors Down, and other various commercial clients.  Sonders's photography is definitely manipulated in Photoshop.  This really exemplifies his ability to have a great subject in front of his lens that he captures in an outstanding manner.  After the image is finished in post-production, it truly takes on a life of its own as being representative of his subject.  

6. Vincent Versace

Vincent Versace is a master of "Natural Light" photography.  I find his ability to capture photographs using only natural light to be compelling, not only because of his great images, but because of how he is breaking with the mold of current photographers who are using more and more flashes.  While I am a big fan of the work of the likes of Joe McNally, an expert in the use of flash, I find it very relieving to know that an image can be produced without the use of un-natural light.  Versace's approach to portraits appears to be straightforward, making the subject the most dominant feature in the scene.  Instead of placing the subject inside of a scene, Versace instead chooses to almost isolate the subject from his/her surroundings to make the picture.

The above are some of the photographers that I credit as an inspiration for my portrait work.  While I do not shoot portraits with great regularity, I have shot a few and have drawn upon the influences of these great masters.  I am hoping that their inspiration will help to guide me throughout my first photo project and continue to guide me in all of my photographic pursuits.

Tuesday: Opinion on the World

Does everyone remember the "Hope" posters from Barack Obama's presidential campaign last year?  I know that I remember the poster and have even tried to recreate the look in Adobe Illustrator.  Overall I think that it was a great poster design and something that I enjoy recreating for my personal use.  Well, it turns out that the artist, Shepard Fairey, found the photographic inspiration online and used it without consent from the copyright holder.  Fairey is now being sued by the Associated Press.  So, how do I feel about this?  Well, personally I don't feel that Mr. Fairey should have used the image without securing an agreement with the copyright holder.  I think that while he designed a great poster, he did so by possibly violating the law (which he normally does in his display of his artwork) or at the very least, stretching the bounds of "Fair Use."  I feel that as an artist, Mr. Fairey should have respected the photographers own piece and not used it without consent.  

Click here for the original article.

I think that this article about a new process in prosthetics is incredibly interesting.  We are very fortunate to live in a society and in a time where someone who has lost a limb may continue to function with a prosthetic limb that functions similarly to the original limb.  It's amazing that someone, such as the lady in the feature, who has lost her limb in a car accident can now be given the chance to once again use her limb.  This is an amazing feet that we have accomplished and I for one am looking forward to what advances may come in the near future.

Making Prints part 1

In the digital age, it's very uncommon for us to print every image we capture, like we did in the days of film when we would have a lab develop the negatives and have prints or contact sheets made and then decide which prints we wanted in a larger format for display/sale.  With the arrival of digital, we have gained the ability to make only prints of those photos we wish to display/sell in the size we wish to have them in without having to create unwanted evaluation prints.  There are several ways to obtain finished prints.  Over the next few Mondays I will be doing a review of different print options.  These will include various online print companies, local discount/drug stores, and high quality inkjet printers. The idea for this blog came from questions that I have been asked in the past few weeks.  Several people have asked me if I print my own photos or where I get my photographic prints made.  When answering this question, it occurred to me that I don't know where to obtain the absolute best quality, and the best value/quality ratio.  So this blog post is chronicling my search for the best print method for my photographic prints. Sorry for the long post, now on to the first review...Mpix. I order various moderately sized prints for dorm room decoration, so this really isn't discussing the ability of the methods to produce truly large format prints, but instead medium sized prints. In the future, when I decide to test the resolution of my camera, I will make large format prints and report on those results. Keep in mind that these reviews are subjective and only represent my thoughts.
When I opened the package from Mpix, the first thing I noticed was how it was packed. The prints are wrapped in plastic, under a piece of soft foam material for the 13x19 prints and inside of sturdy envelopes for the smaller format prints. The only problem I had with the packaging was that my 13x19 prints were taped to a piece of cardboard. The tape didn't leave a significant amount of residue, but it still left a small amount and I wish there was another way of packaging the print so that tape didn't have to be used. Overall though I was very impressed with the packaging. While on this topic, I feel that I should also address the shipping speed. From the time I ordered, it took 2 days for me to have my prints in hand. I might have had my prints faster if I would have uploaded at an earlier time instead of waiting until the next morning to upload. Mpix advertises, "Shoot today, upload tonight, we ship tomorrow." After my order, I can say that is very true. So talking about the shipping is great, but that's not really the most important thing to consider when evaluating prints. We're really concerned about print quality. So how did the prints compare to what I was seeing on my calibrated display? They were almost exact. The main difference was the red's lacked a little bit of the saturation that I desired, but overall the colors were an exact match. The slight lack of red saturation could be attributed to allowing Mpix to make minute adjustments on the files once they were received by the lab. Overall this was an excellent print rendering.
Happy shooting. More next week on print quality.