Fun Stuff: Critiques

Simple tip for today: take time to evaluate your work and to have someone else evaluate your work.

Okay, so normally the words “fun” and “critique” are not mentioned in the same title or sentence. But, today they are. Last night I completed the first night of the Coalesce Worshop. I talked a little bit about the importance of first of all knowing what makes a great or successful image. There is a lot that goes in to knowing if you have created a successful image. Part of that is simply knowing how to evaluate your images or even someone else’s images. In the Photo I course I teach at the college we learn about the fundamentals of photography, but we also learn about how to evaluate images, which I think is really important. When I was in school studying art, critique day wasn’t something that I really looked forward to. I mean, who really wants to hear that they work isn’t perfect. Who wants to hear that they might have more work to do or that their work isn’t quite as good as they thought it was. My bubble was burst many a time. Now that I am out of school and teaching, I miss having my work critiqued, because now I really see the importance of it. I actually miss having my bubble burst. I still try and find people who I trust that I can receive criticism from because I know it is so beneficial. It’s kind of like having someone peer review a paper you about to turn in. They see so much more than you do.

All that to say, if you are struggling with the imagery you are creating, maybe you aren’t happy with it, or maybe you just don’t know what to think, find someone who you value to give an honest opinion and have them critique your work.

I have a really great resource for you if you are looking to expand your own critique-ing abilities. Zack Arias has been doing these video critiques where people submit their websites and he and his wife will go through and critique the work. I have watched several of them and they are great. They are definitely not holding back. Some people get their bubbles burst, but it’s great stuff. I found myself a little tense when I was watching the videos because I could relate to the work being critiqued almost as if I was being critiqued. Click HERE to check out the critiques. They might hurt a bit. But, honestly, the critiques that I remember most and that helped me the most in school (and out of school) were the ones that hurt.

Will Work for Disney Dollars

I think the last post I did of Bree and Ty I said that Bree would allow me to photograph her for a sucker. Well, we upped it. Inflation has set in and now she is working for dollars to go to her Disney fund. So, Jill (my sister), and her two kiddos came up last weekend. It was time for Ty’s 6 month pictures and we also took in some really great fireworks over the 4th of July and even made a US flag cake. Bree ate the blue berries that were on the cake and not the cake. I really wish I would think like that. Well, we had a good time. Here are a few pics…I’m sure I will show more from our time together in the future:

Here is Bree…bandages and all. One thing I love about Bree is all her faces..good faces, bad faces, funny faces…

The Good Life:

Hanging out with the Hodges

Meet the Hodges. I met them at Wrightsville Beach at their favorite beach hangout for some picture time. What a great family. It seems like I say that a lot about my families. I am fortunate to work with such great people. I had a great time rolling around in the sand, so much that I think I was sandier than the kids. Once again, I am jealous of the blue eyes.

The Crooms

I met up with the Croom family in Wilmington a few weeks ago. It was a hot one, but we had a great time. These kids are just precious. These two fellas just loved the camera and I was loving that! They were such a great family to work with. I just met them, but they were so nice I felt like I had known them longer. So, thanks guys for making it so enjoyable!

Art Prints: From Start to Finish

On June 20th I photographed Tyler and Jessy’s wedding in Wilson, NC. All my wedding packages include an art print. An art print is an image that I created at their wedding with the bride and groom in mind. They often times don’t look like a traditional wedding pictures, which is great, because it gives me a chance to do something unique for each bride and groom. I don’t go by a formula or anything. I do however, give it some thought before hand as to what I want to do. That way I know how to capture the image (film vs. digital, etc.). Tyler and Jessy met at Barton College, and were married in Howard Chapel on campus and had their reception on campus. So, I knew that I wanted to do something Barton-ish. So, I photographed the clock tower which is a new part of Barton’s campus but has become a big part of the campus. I arrived early to the wedding so that I could photograph the clock tower as well as other areas around campus. The cyanotype process came to mind because this process results in a blue print and if you know Barton, blue is the school color. So, it seemed fitting. Of course, I am a process person. I have so much fun just making these prints. But, sometimes it can get in the way because I tend to do too much experimenting and get lost trying to find the final image. So, I thought I would share this process. But first, the final image:

Okay, so here is where it began. This is a digital image, right out of Camera RAW:

Then, I digitally manipulated it. I kind of like this version. So, I almost stopped here, but I decided to keep on going so I could see what the cyanotype would look like:

Here is the cyanotype. It was toned in borax then tannic acid (hence the washed out look):

And of course, the final image. I scanned the toned cyanotype above and then re-introduced the digitally manipulated version. Tyler and Jessy will be getting a matted version of this one:

Connor

Oh my, I love this little guy. His name is Connor and I don’t need to tell you how cute he is. He was such a delight to photograph. I am glad I brought my raggedy chair out to the session because Connor seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. This old chair has been in my family for quite some time and has had many occupants and holds many memories. So, I hope it will help Connor and his family have some great memories too.

My Mother-In-Law told me that it looks like it is time to give the old chair a new seat. I think she’s right!

More from the Design Pile

Just more from the Design Pile:

Connor is featured Collage #19, Collage #21, and Collage Dots:

By, the way, more of this cute little fella to come:

Fun Stuff…The Fundamentals

I have been feeling the need to do a “Fun Stuff” post for a while. Things have been incredibly busy here lately so I thought it might be time for a bit of a sidetrack. It always seems that I need something to sidetrack me to help focus. How weird is that?

As I was thinking about what to do for a Fun Stuff post I was a bit blank, nothing was really sticking out. So, I just tried to think about what has been on my mind lately about this thing called photography.

So, there are times when I get in a bit of a funk. My mind is clouded. I feel like my work could be so much better than it is (which, honestly, I think that ALL the time). I hound myself about trying “this: or doing “that” or why didn’t do “this” or why didn’t I do “that” at a shoot.  I get overwhelmed by the pressures of this business, you know, trying to stand out in market saturated with photographers, or trying desperately to get to that next level where you want to be.

What to do? I have been trying to think about what has worked in the images or photo-session that I felt good about and also what is so great about the images that see by other artists that I feel are exceptional. My thought was this: the fundamentals. Yeah, it’s not anything novel, it’s not groundbreaking, and it’s not a fancy new photography product promised to make you the best photographer ever and it is not a new camera with an Ansel Adams button on it. The fundamentals, that’s it. When I am feeling overwhelmed and bogged down by all the possibilities and pressures out there, the fundamentals of photography are where I find some peace.  What do I mean by the fundamentals? Well, it’s all those things I learned back in Photo I and am now teaching my Photo I students. Things like correct exposure, composition, communication, and clarity/focal points.  And it’s not just the photo techie stuff either. Composition and communication were in that list too. If I can start there in an image and have those things in my mind, I feel like I am off to a better start.

So, now I am thinking these “Cs”: Correct Exposure, Composition, Communication, and Clarity (Focus and Focal Points).

I find that when I have the correct exposure, my images are much better in terms of quality and I spend so much less time in Photoshop (which is great). Details in the highlights, details in the shadows, and most importantly do I have detail (image tone) where detail is needed.

Composition can obviously make an image interesting or make it completely boring. It has to do with vision. How you envision your subject in a particular place is so important. So, just a few quick questions: Is everything in the image supporting my main subject matter? Are there any distracting elements in the image? What is going on in my corners?

Communication is key.  I can’t believe I am admitting this, but I remember when I was a student and wanted just to simply take pictures. I soon learned the difference between taking pictures and making them. Thanks to Philippe Halsmann, every photography teacher in the world has used that line (including myself). It’s about making images, not taking them. Conscious thought…why am I even making this image to begin with, what is the message here, who is it for, and how will the viewer read it?

Does anyone else have a hard time with Clarity/Focus? I’m not scared to admit it. I simply ask myself what are the most important things (focal points) in this image and will they be in focus with the settings I have chosen and of course, just visually speaking, are they in focus?

So, that’s it. Obviously there are other factors out the wazoo that go into making a great image. However, to me, those are the basics, the nitty gritty. I know it would be impossible to sit and ponder about all those things for every image. But, it’s worth a shot.

I know I have a long way to go (huge emphasis on long) and I will never have everything figured out. But, if I can get the basics down, I feel like that will give me the best chance at growing and maturing to the artist that I want to be.

Brian + Jessica

Yeh! I mentioned in an earlier post how much fun these guys are to photograph. They kept me laughing throughout the shoot and then I got to laugh again when I went through and edited them. I love the facial expressions! I am looking forward to their wedding in December! Here are some of my favorites:

Brian’s turn:

Quick Phone Call:

love their faces in this one..it makes me laugh:

Brian + Jessica…just a peak

Last Saturday I met up with Brian + Jessica for an engagement session. They are getting married this December and after doing their e-session I am very much looking forward to the wedding. These guys are a lot of fun. We had fun exploring the woods and defending ourselves from the ticks and spiders out in the great outdoors of NC. I definitely learned that when you plan on doing a shoot in deep woods it is a good idea to use bug spray…the best you can find. It was great fun…these guys were so natural and fun to work with. Thanks guys…more to come.