Going Back

When I am out driving I will often see something interesting that I think would make a nice photo. Sadly, though, I have to admit that it tends to occur when I am in a goal oriented situation....have to get to work, have to be on time etc.....and, in these situations, I rarely stop to take the shot, even if I happen to have a camera available.

On one particular occasion a few months ago, it was a foggy morning and I was driving my son to a fencing competition in Harrisburg, PA, which is a fairly rural community. As we were looking for the high school where the competition was to be held, we passed a farmhouse with a large old tree in a field out in front of it. As we were driving by I remember thinking that the tree would really make a nice image in the fog. I did have my camera with me, as I was planning to take some pictures of my son fencing, but I was, again, being very goal oriented and wasn't planning to stop for fear of being late to the competition.

The scene looked eerie enough that it even attracted my son's attention, who, as a teen-ager, is not typically excited by scenery. He said "Dad, that looks really cool, you should get a picture of it". With that said, who could resist? I asked him if he would mind if I dropped him off at the venue, which was about a half-mile away, and let him check in by himself while I came back to take some photographs. "No problem."

So I went back. I didn't have a tripod, so I just took the pictures handheld. As I took the shots, I had in my mind the idea of trying to give the images an 'old fashioned' feel.

Farmhouse Tree
Copyright Howard Grill

I guess this teaches me that there is something satisfying about stopping to take a shot of something that grabs your attention, even if it does sidetrack you for a few minutes. It isn't necessarily always easy....but I am going to try to do it more often.

One thing that often keeps me from being spontaneous is that I frequently notice scenes that would make interesting photographs while driving on the highway, where it would be dangerous to stop to take pctures. In addition, it is often difficult to be certain about out how to get off the main highway and back to the location on smaller roads.

I am curious as to how people that may be reading this deal with seeing something that they feel is worth photographing when they are on the road. Do you typically stop or not? If you do, do you get off the main road or shoot from the shoulder? How much time will you spend when stopping? If the scene would make a better shot closer up do you ever knock on someone's door to ask permission to go on their property? Do these type of unplanned shots that grabbed your attention tend to become 'keepers', or were they just interesting for the moment?

Men Like Me

I like Bill Jay's work and have written about him before. I like his writing, I like listening to him, and I like his photographs. Combine his images together with his writing and you have a book you can sit down with and really enjoy. I am referring to his most recent book entitled "Men Like Me", which I recently purchased from Photo-Eye.




In his adopted beach town, Jay finds a kinship with a relatively unlikely group of people; those that are homeless and down on their luck. The treatment of his subjects is unique in that it is not his goal to make any type of statement about homelessness, rather, he wishes to depict who these people are on a personal level because he senses that he is very much like them. His portraits and anecdotes depict a deep respect for people that truly became his friends and seemingly came to understand him as much as he grew to know them. As he says in his introduction,

"Perhaps it is necessary to state that this is not a documentary project in the sense of 'concerned photography'. I know next to nothing about the homeless; I have not conducted any research or gathered any statistics; I do not interview the men about the reasons for their circumstances; I have no idea whether or not the men I encountered were typical. This is a personal not a political project. I am not advocating anything, nor shedding light on a social ill nor making any social statement. For me, this project had a more important purpose and result: the discovery that these really were men like me.

The book is a relatively short read. But during that timespan you will both want to laugh as well as cry.

These days, many portraits are heavily retouched to give skin and facial features a perfect, sometimes ghostly look. Not so in these portraits. They are sharp, even to the point of exaggerating the human flaws in skin and hair. These are real people.

At the end of the introduction Jay states, "I want them to believe that the images were taken with respect and often with affection. I hope it shows."

Indeed, it does.

What The Duck

Laughter is good for the soul! And what could possibly be funnier than photographic humor? "Sounds great", you say, "but where can one go to get photography related humor? It isn't exactly available as a daily dose on the internet, you know."

Ah, but you see, you would be wrong about that. Well, almost wrong........it is only available on weekdays (everyone deserves a break, right?).

"Where?", you say.

Not where......what!

"Huh?"

It's 'What The Duck'. That's right, the daily (well, almost) cartoon by Aaron Johnson about the world's most famous duck photographer. I could explain what I mean, but wouldn't it be easier for you to just check it out?

"Like I said, where?"

OK, here.

And, by the way, one of my favorite recent episodes can be found here, in the archives. Just click on WTD 233 at the bottom of the page.

Readers even get to submit possible titles for each day's strip, one of which gets chosen as the official title that goes down in What The Duck history.

Don't laugh too hard, you might hurt yourself.

Chihuly!

Last night, I had the opportunity to go to the Chihuly glass sculpture exhibit at Phipps Conservatory, right here in Pittsburgh. It was simply breathtaking. I write this post not as a review (many have done it much better than I possibly could) nor as a display of my photos (they are simply snapshots I took walking the exhibit with my seven year old daughter), but, rather, to give folks a small taste of what was there and to urge anyone that is able to attend the traveling exhibit to do so! You won't regret it.

Even my daughter, who is not yet into visiting formal art displays, loved it and wants to go back. By the way, she was having a great time taking pictures with a point 'n shoot digital herself.

A taste of the Chihuly exhibit at Phipps:

Images Copyright Howard Grill

How Long, Why, And Would I?

Remember the experiment that was done to calculate how long the casual observer spends looking at a photograph? I can't recall which photographer did it....but please chime in by writing a comment if you happen to remember who it was. At any rate, he took his students to a photography gallery where they stood outside and surreptitiously timed how long each person who entered the gallery spent inside before leaving. That time was then divided by the number of images on display in order to determine how long each person spent looking at an individual photograph. Clearly, there was apt to be some error as theoretically the patron might not have attempted to view each and every image on display. Nonetheless, the results were quite revealing........viewers spent mere seconds on each image. This is certainly significantly less than the 30 minutes that Minor White suggested one should spend viewing in order to truly appreciate just a single image!


It really is rather amazing that someone would go to a gallery exhibit and spend only moments to try to take in and appreciate a photo. But then again, what else might one expect in the Bumper Sticker Depth society in which we live (phrase coined by Brooks Jensen in a recent podcast to which the title is linked)?

Now, I am not claiming that I spend 30 minutes with each image. Far from it. On the other hand, I certainly hope that I spend more than a few moments with each photograph in an exhibit. However, when I do find an image that moves me in some way or, for that matter, an image that I don't understand (independent of whether I actually like the image or not) I do often spend ten or fifteen minutes with it to try to appreciate all it's nuances. There are always a multitude of aspects of an image that simply can't be absorbed by osmosis with just a few seconds of viewing; it can take time and effort to tease them out. Time to appreciate subtle aspects of the tonality, time to appreciate details in the image that were initially unnoticed, and time to just 'wrap yourself around' an image to try and understand it, revel in it, and just take it all in.

There is also another aspect of viewing an image that I find myself doing, usually after I have spent the time to try and appreciate it, and particularly if I have found the image to be one that moves me in some way. I find myself trying to go beyond the appreciation stage in order to learn from the photograph; to use the experience of spending time with the image to help me to try and become a better photographer. This aspect of viewing usually starts with the 'Why ?' questions and ends with the 'Would I ?' questions.

Examples of 'Why?'

Why did the photographer frame the image the way they did?
Why include/exclude a specific object/person?
Why focus on a particular component of the image and not another?
Why choose to blur a particular component of the image and not another?
Why expose/print the image with certain tonalities?

And what I find to generally be the most important 'why' question:

Why did the photographer make this image; what was he/she trying to convey?

I find this an important question to ask of images that 'speak to me' and perhaps an even more important question to ask myself for images that I just 'don't get'.


Would I?

These questions take the 'why' one step further. Simply substitute the 'why' with 'would I have'.

Would I have framed the image the same way had I taken the photograph?
Would I have included/excluded a specific object/person had I taken the photograph?
Would I have focused on that particular component of the image?
Would I have used a similar depth of field?
Would I have exposed/printed the image with the same tonalities?

You can be totally honest when you answer....no one else is listening in :>)

Would the way I would have taken the shot made it better or worse, helped or hindered the ability of the image to convey a feeling ? Either way, what can I learn from what I would have done as compared to the way the photographer did it.

No question about it. There is a lot to be said for and a lot to be had from spending time with an image that 'speaks to you'.

The Twin Jewels Project: Icy River

Today, another image from those being considered for inclusion in my so-called Twin Jewels Project. More information on the project itself can be found here.

Before talking about this particular photograph, I did want to say that I do recognize, as has been brought up in prior comments, the importance of a formal artist's statement regarding the project....it just hasn't been written yet (ah, if only there were more time). I do have some ideas about it floating around in my head, but they still need to be put to paper.


The image I am considering is entitled 'Icy River', and is one of the relatively few that I have taken during the dead of winter. I have to say, much as I have difficulty getting myself out to make photographs in the cold, I always come back glad that I did.

So, on to the image:

Icy River
Copyright Howard Grill

There were several issues that presented themselves in either the photographing or printing stages of making this image.


1) Composition

I liked the "S" shaped curve made by the ice on the right side of the river as it receded from front to back. There were several compositions that I made when taking this picture. In this shot, the focal length of the lens accentuated the favorable "S" shape. It also allowed me to frame the image with ice along the bottom edge of the image which, to me, seemed to give it a 'contained' feel.

However, by making the "S" shape that I liked more prominent, I believe I lost something as well. In some ways I think the focal length is too long when viewing the left side of the river. In the best of all possible worlds, I think the solid portion of the ice on the left bank should have been included all the way down to nearly the bottom of the image, similar to the way it is included on the right. The fact that there is so much more floating ice on the left side of the river compared to the right seems to balance this out to a reasonable extent, but I still wish the solid ice extended further to the bottom of the frame. As mentioned, I would have had to use a shorter focal length to do so and would then lose some of the prominence of the "S" shape, so I am not sure how the tradeoff would have worked out.

I should add that I was standing on an overlook and thus there was no option to move closer in or further out.

2) Color Cast

In the image, as it came out of the camera, there was a fairly strong green color cast in the ice and water on the river as a result of the evergreen tree reflections. Though it was 'real', I did not find that it enhanced the image. However, I did not want to simply desaturaute the green as that would have also destaurated the green trees. So I masked out the trees and removed the cast from the water but then found that there was then a stark and unnatural appearance to the monochrome appearing water and ice compared to the background. I therefore re-introduced a touch of blue-green coloration to the dark areas of the water in order to give the image a more natural feel. I then intensified the green/yellow saturation in the trees a bit.

In regards to color, I also like the way the color in the rocks seem to somewhat echo the color in the distant orange trees.

3) Three Dimensional Effect

I wanted the image to pull the viewer in with a three dimensional effect. Obviously, the use of a relatively short focal length sets the stage. This is also the first image on which I have used the Akvis Enhancer plug-in, and I must say that I am very pleased with the result. By enhancing the subtle differences in shades of green, it really allowed the trees take on much more depth. This effect is not so evident with the small image as seen here...however, I have recently discovered a neat new blogger trick. Simple click on the image and a new window with a larger version will appear.

By the way, the same enlarging trick can be used for the Color In Motion image. In the comments section to that post, there was some discussion about how the image might look if seen larger. Now it seems pretty easy to obtain the enlarged view.

So, in short, I think the image conveys the feel of this location in winter very well. However, I think the composition has some trade offs. I would be interested in hearing what others think about how the composition works (or doesn't).


By the way, if anyone is interested, my prior blog essay entitled "Photography and Truth" has been published on Uwe and Bettina Steinmueller's Digital Outback Photo. Though the text is the same as had been posted in this blog, this new version also has photographic illustrations which the original version did not. The illustrated version can be seen here.

Quick Quotes: Albert Einstein

Every so often, I run across interesting quotes that relate to photography or nature in some way and I thought it might be interesting to share them from time to time.

The first quote in this very intermittent series comes from Albert Einstein. We all know a great deal about him, but here is a quote that reveals something of his philosophy that I had not previously realized.



"A human being is part of the whole, called by us the universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty"

Albert Einstein


There is a tremendous amount to think about in that statement. I particularly like the idea of the 'optical delusion of conciousness' and how this delusion effects and influences our actions. What a different place the world would (could) be........

Man-Made Objects

When it comes to nature photography, some people have very strong opinions regarding the inclusion of man-made objects in an image. Personally, although I never used to be as vehement as those that would claim that the inclusion of any man-made object no longer allows the photo to be classified as an image of nature, I did always tend to exclude 'man-mades' from my photographs. Recently, however, I have loosened up in this regard. In fact, I have found that, at times, the inclusion of man-made objects can enhance the message or the effectiveness of an image.

Take, for example, this photo:

Loneliness

Copyright Howard Grill

I was photographing in a small city park and became interested in a field of snow with trees in the background and felt that the scene conveyed a feeling of loneliness. I also found myself intrigued by the fact that there was snow on the ground and yet the trees were still holding on to many of their autumn leaves, which seemed to contrast the seasons. Try as I might, I just couldn't compose a 'nature photograph' that I thought was effective. However, when I allowed myself to include the park bench, I began to come up with compositions that I felt were much more expressive and effective at conveying the feeling of loneliness that I was after.

Some might well say that I haven't 'proven' anything regarding the inclusion or exclusion of man-made objects in nature photographs. In fact, they might say that all I have done is taken a photograph that attempts to convey a certain feeling......but it's not a nature photograph.

Fair enough. But my response is 'who cares'. I believe that, at times, we might be best served by not trying to rigidly classify images or photographic genres. In the past, because I was trying to do 'nature photography', I might have not taken this shot, which I rather like.

Perhaps when going out to photograph nature one would be well served by keeping an open mind about what he or she might be willing to include in a photograph.

Window Shopping

In prior posts, I have mentioned that I find looking for compositions during urban photographing quite similar to composing while doing nature photography. At that time, I was speaking about looking for graphic lines and shapes when making abstract images. Those posts can be seen here and here.

I think other similarities exist as well. One of these similarities is the importance of looking for and being aware of the smaller details; akin to 'the intimate landscape'. For example, as I was walking around town, I began to notice that some of the department store window displays were quite interesting looking and I began taking shots of those that appealed to me. When photographing windows like this, it is a bit of a challenge to get an angle that avoids glare and reflections off the glass, yet still allows for an interesting composition.

I thought this particular display had a rather 'hip' feel to it.

"Summer"
Copyright Howard Grill

So, when walking around town, it's nice to have a camera handy and important to keep an eye on the small stuff as well as the skyscrapers!

Slideshow

Today, I have a bit of a personal note. I will be giving a slideshow presentation on Wednesday, June 6 at the REI store on Pittsburgh's South Side. The topic is nature photography in and around the Pittsburgh area and is sponsored by REI and Venture Outdoors, a great group whose mission statement can be seen here. In association with the talk, I am also taking a group out Sunday, January 10th to Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve for a nature photography field session. Though the program is aimed at beginners, anyone out there who is in the area is certainly welcome to attend.

This is my first attempt at any type of photographic teaching, so I am really looking forward to it. I tend not too be 'big' on public speaking, but am excited about doing this. I just hope that I am able to convey, in some small way, how much I enjoy photographing and how it can really open up a deeper appreciation for and understanding of nature. I hope it goes well, as I think that it might be something that I would really be interested in doing more of.

I'll let everyone know how it goes in a future post!

The Importance Of Unplanning

I recently started reading and enjoying a new photography blog that I ran across entitled "Photographer's Journey" by Christopher Scholl. Recently, Chris had an interesting post entitled 'New Places. New Photographs', in which he discussed carefully planned out vs. spontaneous photography. Chris tends to be spontaneous. I personally fall somewhere in-between the two, generally planning ahead what park or area of the city I might go to, but not commonly planning to the degree of deciding ahead of time exactly where in the park I will go or what building I will photograph. Thinking about that post, I began to ponder the importance of being able to 'unplan'........or, to paraphrase, being able to accept the 'zen of photography'.

What do I man by this? As important as it can be to plan ahead and be at the proper location for sunrise, sunset, low tide etc, it is also important to have a freeness of spirit that will allow for plans to change, if need be. What if one's plan was to make sharp photographs of wildflowers but the wind was blowing, or if the plan was to photograph a waterfall and the day turned out to be bright and sunny etc, etc. You could battle with nature all the way, waiting for the wind to momentarily die down in order to get a sharp wildflower shot or waiting for that single cloud in the sky to pass in front of the sun and tone down the highlights and reflections off of the waterfall......and you might eventually get what you were after. Or you could accept what nature has dealt and be willing to go along with her without putting up a fight. You could decide that the windy day might just be the perfect time to capture impressionistic images of wildflowers in motion. You might decide to photograph shadows on that bright day instead of waiting and waiting for a few overcast moments during which the waterfall could be photographed well.

"Sand Patterns"
When It's Too Bright To Shoot The Beach, Shoot The Sand
Copyright Howard Grill

"Tough Tree"
Taken On A Bright Day With Terrible Light
Copyright Howard Grill

I think the best images are likely to be made when you are going with the flow instead of against it; when you accept what is, appreciate what is, and work along with it instead of fighting. Once you are working with the flow it becomes easier to be a part of what you are trying to photograph and less of an outside observer.

I am certain that it can be just as important to unplan as it is to plan!