Describing Photos, NO

There was a big discussion on "The Blind Community" Facebook page about describing photos.  I had no idea this was such a hot topic until after Merritt's wedding.  I posted a photo along with a link to her  Smugmug Gallery.  Basically I was putting it out there that I'm a legally blind photographer.  A lady commented in a snide fashion about this being "The Blind Community" and was I going to describe the photos.  She said other blind people may be intrested but she wasn't.  I responded that the interested people would ask and I skip posts that don't interest me.  In my opinion she simply wanted something to complain about. 

I could have responded, "Bride and groom standing close together in front of the Kansas City, Missouri Temple."  Would this have been enough?  I have no idea.  Do I need to describe the couple's facial features, their attire; if it is a full-length, three-quarter length, or head and chest; the part of the temple that is showing, what?  Merritt had described her dress to me but what I imagined was different from the actual dress.  

Later on still another blindness oriented site someone posted a picture and another person asked for a description.  For some reason the picture posted without the caption.  I decided to exercise my describing abilities.  I described the scend and materials but I don't think I did it justice.  If the person who asked were to go to the place in the picture I wonder if he'd think it had been described well.

Facebook is a place for sharing what we want to share.  If you like it good, go ahead and hit like or leave a comment.  If you don't like it say so in a respectful comment and maybe an interesting discussion can get going.  If you expect regular people with many other things to do to describe in enough detail to make the description worthwhile your expectations are unrealistic.  Captions help tell the story in these posts but don't describe the photo.  Here's and example.

Lessons From The Language Boot Camp For Mormon Missionaries

The Missionary Training Center, which prepares young adults to spread the...

NPR|By NPR Staff

  This is the last photo I will describe unless if's for a stock photography agency.  People may be very interested in what every photo on Facebook (where I got this on) says but I don't believe it.  The photographer is situated above the subjects so the tops of heads can be seen. Ten Mormon missionaries, two of them women, standing in a circle with their heads bowed and arms folded in prayer.  They are in a classroom with the door open.  Desks can be seen behind some of them.  One desk has papers beside it on the floor.  The side wall has a coat rack with 5 black jackets and 1 blue jacket on it.  The back wall has three flags hanging sideways from it; Union Jack, another flag that incorporates the Union Jack, and a flag that looks like the Samoan flag but the star is wrong. 

If I described this picture for a stock photography agency I'd simply say, "Mormon missionaries praying at the MTC." I've had my rant.....moving on.

Available Light Photography

It has been said the photographers who label themselves existing light photographers don't know how to use flash.  I can only speak for myself; they are right.  I don't know enough about flash to use it effectively.  I do know enough to not turn on my built in on-camera flash.  When I had a separate flash for my film camera I knew enough not to point it straight at my subject.  I knew enough to tilt or swivel the flash head but me results were terrible because I didn't know how to adjust the flash output.  Now I know enough to not only buy a flash that tilts and swivels but to also get a stand to put it on, remote, (The remote may be already built into the camera and/or flash unit), and possible a reflector.    Because I don't have the money for all that, and haven't studied how to set it up, and practiced, I'm still an existing light photographer. 

I've been thinking about calling myself an available light photographer.  This came about at this club/bar/restaurant we were in the night before my daughter's wedding.  Between the need to photograph people in low light, and wanting as little noise as possible in the pictures I was momentarily in a quandary.  I started out by using that terrible on-camera flash.  I don't know why, wishful thinking I guess.  As you know, the pictures turned out awful.  I put on my thinking cap.

I remembered YouTube videos where the photographer used a flashlight to "paint" light where needed in night scenes.  "Andrea, turn on your flashlight app," I said. 

"My phone is dead," she answered.

I thought a bit more.  Then it came to me, my magnifyer light.  I dig out my magnifyer and turn it on.  I hold it in one hand and my camera in the other.  Now I'm able to angel the light so it makes their faces look pretty good for a club/bar/restaurant. 

Use substitutions in a pinch.  For the most part shoot in conditions your equipment can handle.  Be an available light photographer when you have to be; it's better than putting your camera away.  

Weddings

Give this video a look 

"People like to take pictures, not have pictures." Constance Merritt

 Recently I had a unique experience at a wedding.  I may step on some toes but I've only calmed down a bit since the wedding.  I had offered to photograph my oldest daughter's wedding as my gift to her and her groom.  How hard could that be?......

My experience as a wedding guest or as the wedding photographer is both limited.  Maybe I should crash some weddings to see what happens at picture taking time.  Times do change, am I not with them? 

When my best friend Shirley got married in 2000 I offered to photograph her wedding.  She had planned a small church wedding but her friends showed up anyway to wish her well.  I wish I had some shots from back then to compaire with my current work.  The shoot was uneventful. 

In 2003 when my sister-in-law got married in her home church, wedding guested gathered behind the photographer in an effort to capture the same shot he was taking.*  He asked everyone to wait until after he had shot each pose, then he'd give them time to get the same pose with their cameras before he moved on to another pose or grouping.  This worked well, he got his shots without people firing off flashes at random times potentially ruining his exposures.  Guests interested in taking pictures heeded his instructions and nobody positioned themselves in front of his tripod on any plane to take a snapshot. 

My neighbor's daughter employed a different tactic at her wedding.  The ceremony and reception were held in a Victorian house converted for weddings and such.  I was the photographer for her wedding so I was aware of her plan.  All the guests were to wait in the dining room until the DJ called their family or group to come to the stairs to take pictures.  This worked well too.  Again, nobody got in front of my tripod's plane to snap off a picture.  Most of her guests stayed in the dining room as requested. 

My daughter's wedding was a photographer's nightmare.  As soon as she and her new husband emerged from the LDS Temple they were bombarded with well wishers wielding smartphones and possible a camera or two.  As soon as I got set up nothing changed.**  The location of my tripod made no difference to these wedding guests; they simply moved in front of me and kept snapping away.  I was told somebody would be taking the video.  If someone was taking video they were shooting in the midst of the smartphone mob.  I'm sorry to say I lost it when two people realized they didn't have any shots with the bride's mother and sister in them and offered to take them for me.  Maybe I should have lost it sooner because they finally backed off and I was able to get some pictures.  I have never seen anything like it and hope never to see anything like it again. 

I had come prepared and with high expectations.  My youngest Daughter was my second shooter.  She has less patience than I and got pictures of the guests huddled together with their phones and cameras snapping pictures. 

We don't mind if you take pictures at events; really we don't.  We do mind if you prevent us from getting pictures.  Stay behind the tripod and make sure the photographer isn't about to press the shutter if you're using a flash.

My daughter's wedding pictures can be seen at http://www.blindaseyelook.com/Clients/Weddings/Merritt-And-Gabriel

*You are not going to get the same shot the photographer gets.  You may be close but it won't be the same.  The photographer or his tripod is covering that spot.  Being a bit to the left or right, higher or lower will change the shot.  Other things determine the look of the shot as well; focal length of lens, exposure with it's permutations of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO; if indoors the white balance settings, post processing, etc.  

**We were a bit late setting up because we had the wrong address. 

Stop Selling Yourself Short.....

I wrote this for The Beazler but think It may fit here as well.  

.....and stop expecting something for nothing.  I see both these trends on Craigslist and it's got to change.  There are so many of us out ther competing for the same dollar that pricing has gotten to be ridiculous.  As independent contractors we've got to stop selling ourselves short.  We need to stick together and educate the public about the worth of our craft.

Go to the Services/Creative section on Craigslist and you'll see what I'm railing against. 

With the digital age of photography and the convenience of having my own studio, I'm offering headshots for only $25. Included is one free 8x10 and high resolution digitally edited copies of the shoot on a CD/DVD at no additional cost. No gimmicks, no crazy sales, nada. Just great pictures at a reasonable price. (Mon - Fri only, sorry.)

For an confusion about this, I'll break it down like this. For $25, you set up an appointment for a 30 minute headshot session at my studio. Bring an outfit change or two if you like because we can take A LOT of photos in just 30 minutes. Once done, we review the photos. You pick five that you like, I edit them immediately, and print one 8x10 while I burn a DVD of the photos. You walk out with an 8x10 print, a DVD of all images of the shoot including the chosen (edited) and unchosen images. All photos are in high resolution large enough for a billboard.

Now lets break this down to see how or if this photographer is making any money.  She will spend more than thirty minutes with this client, especially if the client brings two changes of clothes.  Pouring over the photos to choose five will take another five to ten minutes.  Editing five images will take another half hour or so depending on what needs to be done.  Printing the 8 by 10 and burning the CD will take a few minutes too.  Now comes payment and more pleasantries when the client leaves.  This photographer has invested at least ninety minutes in the photoshoot.

Because she decided to print photographs herself she has the added expense of a quality printer and the right inks.  High quality 8 by 10s take a lot of ink.  (I don't print my own photos because of the high cost to get good looking prints at home.  When I did try home printing in years gone by, the ink took a few minutes to dry.)  The cost of photo paper and CD has to be considered.

She had examples of her work on the Craigslist ad and it is quite good.  This lady is selling herself short in price and getting no residual effects.  She is giving away full resolution images so her client can print them at Heaven know where, put them on Facebook and share them with all his friends, and all the photographer got was $25.  

True, pictures of you aren't like stock images and lots of people will want them, but the client wanted them.  Maybe close loved ones of the client will want some.  But she just gave any potential future business from this client away.  I think she should have put the five edited images on an online gallery so he and/or loved ones could order them from her.  You may think the client will look up this photographer when he needs more pictures taken.  He might, but he won't find her.  She'll be out of business by then.

Another trend is to shoot and give the client all the pictures straight out of the camera.  I don't like to do that because some ordinary images can look amazing with a bit of tweaking.  Do you really want your clients to see your test shots, your bracketed shots, the one with Aunt Millie sneezing, or the one where the sun is glaring off Grandpa's glasses?  Everybody and their brother shows pictures straight out of the camera.  Why would a photographer want to show the same kind of thing.  My new camera over exposes by a full stop.  I've adjusted the settings but I wouldn't want clients to see those images in their unedited state.   

Freelancers of all kinds; lets price our work fairly so we all can make a decent living.

There are also posters on Craigslist that want us to work for free.  They place ads for inturns or for TFP work.  These posters like to say they're starting out and want you to work for free or trade.  They say you can use their gig to build your portfolio.  Yeah right.  I build my portfolia on objects and Andrea.  I shop one wedding for my portfolio  but the bride payed me something.  I've got my portfolia, thank you very much.  If there are no clients there is always stock.

I call posts like this ads with audacity.  Look under Gigs/Creative.

We are a label on the southside of Atlanta looking to build a team of up and coming camera operators, directors, producers and photo and video editors. We are a rising label with clients both major and indie who are looking to work with new talent. THIS IS A NON-PAYING INTERNSHIP however, there are ways to make an honest dollar and gain exposure for your works. You will be assigned to projects and partnered with clients that need our services. If you are serious and interested, then please leave your name, contact number and links to your work. Photoshoppers are welcome and so are students. We are looking for the best of the best so be competitive! **Full studio will be provided for your works**

A new web series is launching in Atlanta.
It will take everyday people and transform the way they live, dress and act in relationships.

We are looking for videographers and cinematographers for this project.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please send us an email and include your equipment (camera type(s), mic(s), lighting, etc.) and years of experience.

This project is unpaid, but your work will gain exposure and will be a great addition to your portfolio.

. 

 

Update To Smugmug

Crass commercialism I know.  How else are you going to know what I've done?  If you don't know, you won't buy.  If you do know, you may buy.

I have changed my Smugmug account status.  Now you can buy prints, digital downloads, photo merchandise, and video clips straight from my Smugmug account.  Choose prints in a variety of finishes and sizes.  Familiar print sizes such as 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14 will always be offered.  you can branch out into long skinny sizes such as 8x24, 10x30, or 12x48.  I've seen some nice square frames out there so I'm offering a few square print sizes.  I even offer metalic prints.  I must admit, I've got to order one of the metallic prints to see how it looks.

Prices for standard sizes are quite reasonable.  Some of the long and skinny ones can get pricy.  Remember not everyone is going to have a 10x40 print on their wall; you'll be unique.

I hope you will find something you can use.  I will be constantly adding to the site.

www.blindaseyelook.com.

First Wedding

On August 31, 2013 I shot my first wedding as a professional photographer.  It was a fun and exciting time for me as well as for the bride and groom.  When I first got the booking I was stressing over the technical aspects of shooting this wedding. 

The couple told me the wedding had been moved from their back yard to a Victorian house.  The time had also been moved, from afternoon to evening.  I worried about the light, or lack thereof.  How light or dark will it be at six in the evening; at ten at night?  The groom said the house has lots of windows and chandeliers and was well lit.  I hadn't seen the venue and wouldn't see it until the wedding. 

I Google the venue and it looked dark.  I needed more light, and cheap.  Amazon let me down this time.  They had cheap light I could put on a tripod but I couldn't get the one I wanted in time for the wedding. I briefly considered using my on camera flash but knew I'd hate the results.  This shoot was for me as well as the bridal couple.  These pictures were also to be for me to use as my portfolio to get bookings for more weddings. 

I'd been kicking around the idea of getting a camera with live view.  That would make it easier for me to compose shots.  Now, I have my excuse/reason to get one.  I didn't use live view as much as I thought I would; it eats battery power like crazy.  I'd use it to check up on my settings now and then.  Good thing I did.  During the reception I left the camera at the table while I called my daughter.  I guess my table mates must have looked at it because the pictures I took right after I got back were all dark.  I checked the settings and they had been moved.  I corrected the settings and everything was okay again. 

My new camera will go up to ISO 6400.  Like someone said on YouTube, "Just because it says it'll go, doesn't mean it should."  I usually shoot at ISO 200 and occasionally 400.  I did go up to 6400 before the night was over.  To me those shots had too much high ISO noise.  I used noise reduction software on them and it works really well.  The biggest drawback is the noise reduction software compresses the files to about a third of a regular JPEG.  I gave the newlyweds all three versions of their pictures so they can decide for themselves which they like best.  They got all the originals just as they came out of the camera.  They got the retouched files, with and without noise reduction.

It's all over now.  they have, and said they liked their pictures.  I'm putting out the words that I can shoot your wedding. 

My Last Camera, or Maybe Not

I look through the viewfinder and what do I see,

Something that's there, or may not be.

I click the shutter and the picture comes up,

Do I say nope or smile cause it's yep?

This hit and miss exercise had gone on long enough.  thank goodness I'm not shooting film.  At least I can delete the sub-par images and be none the less for wear.  The Viewfinder on my Canon Digital Rebel XTi is fine for outdoor shooting.  I found myself having to shoot wide and crop indoors, leading to more computer time.  My video camera has no viewfinder.  It just has a live view screen.  I have trouble shooting outside because I can't see the screen very well in bright sunlight. 

Technology is still helping me keep up my hobby/business.  I decided I needed a DSLR with video and live view.  I didn't have much research to do.  The new camera had to be a Canon.  I have a lot of money invested in Canon lenses.  It couldn't be a full frame because again I already have all these lenses.  So my choices were narrowed to the Canon Rebel T3, T3i, and T5i.  The T3 was out because it's not much of an upgrade from my XTi.  The other two are similar but I choose the T5i comes with a lense that focuses quietly.  No strange noise when shooting video. 

Now I have spare cameras and not at a disadvantage where ever I am.  Andrea is going to be my apprentice so all cameras will be put to use.  I'll use my new camera as a crutch when I need it and my old tried and trues when I don't.