To All Our Clients
and Friends
Wishing You
A
Happy Valentines Day!
#valentinesday, #portraitphotography, #formalportrait, #formalportraits, #familyportraits, #headshots, #customportraits, #markgphotography, #not4wood, #theworldthroughmylens
“The photographer must be absorbent–like a blotter, allow himself to be permeated by the poetic moment…. His technique should be like an animal function…he should act automatically.”
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Professional Portrait?
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We are Located in Northeast Queens
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The element of discovery is very important. I don’t repeat myself well. I want and need that stimulus of walking forward from one new world to another. There is something demoralizing about going back to a place to retake pictures. You can no longer see your subjects in a fresh eye; you keep comparing them with the pictures you hold in your memory. [The] world was full of discoveries waiting to be made…(as a photographer) I could share the things I saw and learned…you would react to something all others might walk by.
— Margaret Bourke-White
Portrait of Myself by Margaret Bourke-White
To Previsualize inside our heads of how “you” feel the Photograph will look once it’s actually complete. Too “See” is much more than to just look.
All our personal experience. All of our training adds up as to how we will see a scene inside our heads. That includes all of the reading. All of the classes and workshops. Especially all of the trial and errors that we initially go through till the point in our lives where we can walk around with our cameras confident that whatever will come our way, we will have the capacity to capture in such a way that will make our viewers appreciate the final work.
Something funny came across my newsfeed on Facebook the other day. Since I really don’t have anything of my own to compare it with. But since I don’t have permission from the first person who did the work I can’t share it…
The first image was a very dramatic shot of cloud cover with a beautiful image of the moon. The quote read: What I see!
The second image was of a black image with a small white dot. That quote said:
What my camera sees!!
That my friends in a nutshell is the problem with the tools. The Camera! Whether it be a Smartphone, Point and Shoot, a DSLR or even a Medium Format Digital Camera.
Put it all in perspective. They don’t “See” what we have inside our minds eye!
They see it without the selective focus our eyes do. They see it whether it’s Bright or Dark. Our Human Eye can selectively alter the brightness levels so we can tell whats going on. The camera will see a very bright scene and expose for that. Of course not knowing that the people in front of that bright area are our main subjects.
It is “Our” job to control the proper exposure for that particular scene. Same thing for the reverse. A Very Dark background that dominates the whole image will be the main exposure. Will in return give a Very Bright Subject to give our main subject soo bright we still can’t see any details.
The inherent problem is the “Automatic Setting”. We can control what the camera will be trying to do if we just use a little bit of effort. We see this all the time on the Net. On a smart phone there are other settings to use. Either “Semi-Automatic” or “Gasp” taking it Off of Automatic all together and Using the “Manual” Controls.
Lets get passed that. We “See” a dramatic Sky. Maybe interesting Cloud cover and/or shapes. We grab for our Smart Phone and take a fast shot. Of course that shot looks nothing like we envisioned upon for seeing those interesting clouds. So what do “They” Do?? That post it anyway on Social Media and everyone is now saying “Oh that’s Great”?? Seriously People? Try saying to yourself if I get that shot Printed. Matted and Framed. Would it look Good on my Wall? If you even have to think twice? Then it’s Not Worth the Effort!!
There are those who also say: Oh I only like it natural?? Natural What? To me this means they don’t have a clue about even the slightest understanding about the basics of Darkroom Work. Darkroom Work whether with chemicals in Wet Film Photography or the Digital Darkroom. Depressing the Shutter is where the work starts. People say: Oh Nature is the Best! Yes it is. Can the Camera Capture the Beauty of Nature? Yeah if your extremely lucky! Once captured that Beauty of Nature has to be worked to try to recreate it or help to bring out the beauty we once saw at the moment of capture.
There are two trains of thought on this. The first one is extremely difficult and has to follow a very rigid set of rules and guidelines. “Street Photography”! Capturing the interaction of the subject with “No Editing”. Getting everything from composition to proper exposure correct in camera. No enhancements at all!
That my friends “Out Classes” anyone who says I like it Natural when shooting their poorly exposed images and trying to share that on Social Media!
The other Group is: Minimalist
The main subject has no interference from anything in its surroundings. For example a lone leaf floating on water. Nothing that might distract the viewer from the leaf.
To Create an image for either of these “Highly Skilled Areas” one must be very proficient in the Craft. It’s extremely difficult even for those who are highly skilled.
Do I shoot “Street”? Most of the time my images do Not Fall under the proper Rules so I must say No! Are they “Street” for the rest of us? Yeah but again we are not part of this “Elite” Group…
So think about the Scene in Front of you. Ask yourself what is the main subject? What is it about this scene that makes you want to capture it that might get some kind of reaction from your Viewer? The Viewer is your Audience! You are the creator/artist and your audience is supposed to have some kind of emotional response to looking at your image.
According to the definition of “Art”. Anything that can create some kind of emotional response no matter what that emotion is. Upon looking at your Image or Creation.
Just like you know how to use a Fork or Spoon! Do you consciously think how am I going to pick up that piece of food? NO! You just do it. Why? Because your Fingers or whatever is “Trained” to do what it is supposed to, to get that job done.
Know Your Camera and I don’t care What Kind of Camera your Using.
Know and Understand what and how you can get that “Tool” to do what you want it to do without thinking about it.
Walking around we see something. Something that catches our eye. These are my images. I just asked my brother if I can share them with you. I had shot these a couple of years ago at a pool. His son was not happy. He was called out of the water by his mother so he could eat. He wanted to stay in the water and play.
These are the same images. The color image is what was in front of my camera. The Black & White Image is what I had seen “Inside My Head” at that fleeting moment of time. That precious moment everyone talks about.
Originally shot in the Nikon Raw File Format NEF.
Original Color image was cropped slightly and edited using Photoshop with the Nik Collection and then converted to B&W using the Silver Efex Pro 2 from the Nik Collection.
Any and All Comments and Criticisms are encouraged. What are your thoughts about my Article?
You can use the Reply Area below to leave a comment.
Thank you and have a Great Weekend Everyone!
Mark
Friday Night Photography Quote:
Photography cannot change the world, but it can show the world,
especially when it changes. –– Marc Riboud
Marc Riboud: French Photojournalist
you guys have to search for his name.
He passed away in 2016
In All the Photography Groups on Facebook. Everyone has started to shoot and post images of Flowers and Still Life.
I find this difficult and not my usual creativity. Sometimes setting up a Tripod and watching the Light and Shadows play on the petals reminds me more of “Abstract” than anything else. Once I started to Shoot Flowers while just walking around and being a Witness to the patience and creativity it takes to do this. It has grown on me.
People Are passionate about their Gardens. Being able to shoot these Flowers and things made me appreciate nature a bit more. Usually I’m on the hunt for Wildlife than the Flora and Fauna. But as of late I can’t just walk by if I have my camera with me and miss the opportunity to capture the Beauty.
I originally intended to write and post about Still Life. But as someone who had asked me recently “Where Do You get your Ideas from”?
I pay attention to what’s going on around me. Or try to…
I will start to think of things to say by midweek and don’t start actually putting my words on screen till Thursday or even on Friday. Yeah! I’m sure some of you have noticed I will miss a Friday on occasion. But I will then try to post something on Saturday. Depending on how Life invades the creative process….
So these images reflect both just on the hunt for Flowers and/or being a Witness to something that captures my Attention and awakes my Creativity…
Have a Great Memorial Day Weekend Everyone.
I’m Dedicating these Images to those who Lost their Lives while Serving.
God Bless Their Souls…………………………
This Image is of the American Cemetary
in Normandy, France
My wife and I were there On Our First Trip
to France back in 2010
Walking around makes it hard to breath. No matter what or how you prepare yourself. The fact of all these lives that were cut short because of War is Overwhelming.
Like Always I appreciate All Comments and Criticisms.
Like? Not?
Please leave a Comment to let me know what you feel
about my Blog.
Thank You All
Friday April 13, 2018
To make good photographs, to express something, to contribute something to the world he lives in, and to contribute something to the art of photography besides imitations of the best photographers on the market today, that is basic training, the understanding of self.
–Edward Steichen
First I’d like to again thank the very talented wonderful Artists at PhotoLogo
for my Signature File you see above.
Go here: https://photologo.co
There is a New Group for the PhotoLogo Community on Facebook. Very Talented Photogs are posting their wonderful images. Some people were actually making statements that they were overwhelmed of the talent.
I had an idea to post a technical question to see if I could help others. I asked who uses the BBF? That’s “Back Button Focus” for those who don’t know or not familiar with the term.
If your setting up for your image. You half depress your shutter button to lock on the Focus. Now if you change your position or Recompose your image. You have to half depress the shutter button again. Sometimes Locking on the exact Spot you need takes some time. Like the Eyes for Portrait.
But!! What if you could do this without having to Re Depress the Shutter Button again and now throwing your Locked Focus Point off? We can program the Button thats on the back of the camera right where your Thumb sits when your holding the camera and your finger is on the shutter button. We program this button for Focusing. Now AKA Back Button Focus. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel but this technique will Lock on your subject depending on the Focus Mode you have set on your camera. For Still shots like a Portrait I like to use a Single Point. Actually I like to use a single point for everything. Now we can move that single point to a side for Focusing on lets say the Eyes. Depress the BBF for locking on the focus and we can move the camera slightly to recompose to frame our subject in a better way.
Or if you change your Mode of Focus and now set the Active Servo “S” this BBF will actually make the Focusing Spot Hunt for the subject like a person or wildlife while they are moving. This technique makes the whole process a Lot Easier. Instead of trying to lets say follow a Bird in Flight by half depressing the Shutter Button. Then pressing it for the Shot! We hold down or press once depending on what your doing. The camera will continue to search for the focus if you hold it down. So we press on the BBF once and let the camera Lock on the subject. We follow it along and press the shutter button when we are ready to take the shot.
Very Convenient! Very easy. The overall response to my initial comment on who uses this went absolutely viral.
I will post a few action shots to use an as example. Is this Technique good for Everything? I doubt it. But a Lot of the comments say they use it for Absolutely Everything. There are times I don’t really. But lately I’m pretty much using it all the time. Too Bad my little P&S camera doesn’t have this feature….
Enjoy and have a Great Weekend.
Mark
HARRY CALLAHAN
[1912 – 1999] An American photographer, who is considered one of the great innovators of modern American photographyI wish more people felt that photography was an adventure the same as life itself and felt that their individual feelings were worth expressing. To me, that makes photography more exciting.
— Harry Callahan
I am beyond Honored!
When I was a young kid maybe 20 years old or so. I ended up as an apprentice in a Wedding/Portrait Studio. There was a brand new restaurant opening up down the block. My Mentor who was an excellent Artist by the way. Mentioned that we were hired to go to the New Restaurant to shoot interiors for the owners.
To make a very Long Story Short: the food was wonderful beyond words.
The owners were Warm, Friendly and great cooks! At that time my then girlfriend who became my wife have spent many a night eating the glorious food. Tonight was an exciting time. This was the Celebration of the People of France. Bastille Day!
As we were greeted by the Wife, Lucette. She informed us that her New Book “Behind That Smile” a Memoir printed and delivered. You see they have an occasional theme night at the Restaurant and tonight was no exception. Wonderful Music! Fantastic Food! Mixed with a very attentive and friendly staff. A few weeks ago we were there for another Theme Night, Bouillabaisse.
I was approached by Lucette at Bouillabaisse Night and asked if I had a camera with me. Seems she wrote a book and needed a shot of the front of the Restaurant. This image ended up being the Back Cover of her “Memoir”.
La Baraka French Restaurant
Granted it’s been a long time since I’ve been published. In house brochures, Newspapers and Magazines. I’ve photographed several Author’s through the years.
This is the first Book I’ve been published in.
Spoke to the Author Lucette earlier today. We have an advanced copy of the book.
The Book will be available to purchase on Amazon. When I get the notice that’s the book is up. I will post a Link for everyone that has shown an interest.
Thank you very much.
Mark
There are two kinds of photographers: those who compose pictures and those who take them. The former work in studios. For the latter, the studio is the world…. For them, the ordinary doesn’t exist: every thing in life is a source of nourishment.
— Ernst Haas
If your not familiar with Viewbug I highly recommend going over and checking it out! Click Here: https://www.viewbug.com
There are a Lot of very good Photographers posting wonderful images. It Helps in Uping your Game of Photography. They Host a Lot of Contests and Prizes.
So one day I was Logging in to check to see how my images were holding up in several Contests and I had received an Online Coupon for Nations Photo Lab for One 16×20 to be Printed. Gotta tell ya, my Print came back a lot sooner than I expected.
Very High Quality with the True Colors that I had checked and rechecked in Photoshop. It’s been very busy here but yesterday I found a very nice place to have this print Matted and Framed. Seems this place is also affiliated with several Art Leagues and Photography Groups for Competitions and Shows.
Maybe I’ll have the Opportunity to get involved?
In the meantime here is the Image I’m having Framed…
Pictures, regardless of how they are created and recreated, are intended to be looked at. This brings to the forefront not the technology of imaging, which of course is important, but rather what we might call the eyenology (seeing).
— Henri Cartier-Bresson
Bresson! The Father of Modern Photo Journalism as we know it!
To be able to capture the essence of the image!
A few days ago Google had announced that they were completely turning their backs on one of thee mainstays of the Digital Darkroom! No More Updates for Operating Systems. No more Updates for Newer Versions of Photoshop and/or Lightroom!!
A Complete Meltdown as far as we know it…………….
Google purchased the wonderful Nik Plug-In back in 2012. Those who got to enjoy and use the Nik Software were questioning the motives. We were afraid something like this would happen. Whatever their Motives or reasons. It is a complete disaster for anyone who has gotten to the level of being able to create your own Art!
There is an Online Petition to inform Google of how we feel about this!
Please click on the Link and Sign the Petition to Save the Nik Collection!
https://www.change.org/p/google-inc-save-the-nik-collection
Why did I start with Henri Cartier-Bresson?
Because the “Art” of Photography starts with the Click of the Shutter!
Getting it right In Camera as wonderful as it sounds. Is NOT the End All Be All!!!
That’s ONLY the first stage and the start of the process to bringing the Vision from your Minds Eye to fruition. A lot of people try to make excuses and tell others that are trying to perfect their processing skill. To get it right in Camera! Yeah, getting it right in camera is important. It’s So Important that We All Try to get it right in camera!
It’s Immediately After Getting it right in Camera that comes into Play!
After capturing a spur of the moment once in a lifetime moment. To creating something on paper and then making it happen. We strive to try and getting it right in camera. Then we take this into the Digital Darkroom to help create the Art that we happened to see at “That Decisive Moment in Time” to bring it and create it for all eternity……
Could we do it without the Nik Collection? Yeah………
Is it easy to do this without the Nik Collection? Nope! The Nik Collection makes it a Lot easier and an awful Lot faster than we can it without the Plug-Ins.
Easier! Faster! More Productive if your working on any kind of serious Session.
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a Fantastic Artist. Street Photographer that was able to create emotion from what he saw. He knew the value of getting it right in camera to make it easier when working in the Darkroom!
You see working in the Darkroom or Digital Darkroom is part of creative process and should NOT Be Left Out. I heard a quote the last few days saying it’s trying to drive a Race Car with an engine…
I’ve Rambled enough. Instead of me Posting a Lot of Images. I’m going to Post and Share Just One Image.
Enhancing the Color and the Mood I used the Nik Collection to help me in creating this wonderful Image from Sunrise in Florence Italy.
Have a Great Weekend Everyone!
Like always. If you Like what I say Please! Leave a comment…
Mark
Enjoy
Sunrise Florence, Italy
Happy Mothers Day
MarkG-Photography 