Keeping up, moving forward

Sorry folks, it's been too long since I last blogged. It happens sometime, especially in the summer, but not for the reasons you might think. Yes, it's been very busy and the wedding season is in full swing. More important however, it's the time for education, reflection and growth. Everyone needs those things and photographers maybe more than others.

This year there has been a lot of advancements in technology that require study and practice. Adobe has come out with revolutionary advancements in Photoshop CS-5 and Lightroom 3. These programs are the backbone of a photography business today so if you don't learn anything else you must learn these two. Using the programs for the first time while you're working on a client's job is just not done. They should work fine, but, as a professional, you don't take that chance so time is devoted to learning and experimenting.

Reflection -- quietly sitting and thinking about life and what path you are walking. Taking notes. Working on a plan. Often overlooked in our busy bustling lives, quiet time is really a necessity. To move forward you need a plan. Life without forward motion is not living. Read that in a fortune cookie I think. A good one, three, five and ten year plan will keep you going. But it takes time and effort to work on those. They don't happen overnight.

Growth -- expanding ones world through any one of a number of means. Reading, listening to music, travel, exercise, learning something new or going back to something old. Sometimes the fastest way forward is to step back, shake the dust off and rediscover what's really important in your life. Returning to shooting film has been one of the greatest growth experiences I've had in years. Going backward has catapulted me forward in my vision, style and enjoyment of the craft.

But now it's time to catch up on what's been really happening, the cool couples I've photographed, the exciting projects I've been doing commercially and the press I've recently received!

Stay tuned, it's going to be a fun year!

And for the absolute latest happenings follow me on Facebook!

Film Is Not Dead | Personal projects | Pittsburgh Lifestyle Portraiture

New images from some recent projects flexing my film muscles. The question continues to come up... why shoot film? I continue to answer, why not? There is a different look to film and I like it. And the reaction I've received from people who have actually seen the work in print is 100% positive. So again, I say, why not!

So am I going to stop shooting digital? Of course not, don't be silly. If all I did was personal work or weddings or lifestyle portraiture then maybe I would think about a total conversion, but since the bulk of my work still rests squarely in the commercial realm it's impossible not to shoot digital. Commercial deadlines today are way to short to allow film to come back from my lab on the other side of the country. Heck, in many cases, I barely have time to return to the studio to process the digital files before the clients needs the finals! Nope, we live in a digital age, but that doesn't mean we can't go "back to the future" once in a while.

Besides the look of film, another thing I enjoy is the size of the camera - film bodies, especially Leica M cameras and lenses are smaller thus making it easier to carry around for a long day and allowing me to more easily keep the connection with my (human) subject.

Furthermore, working with film, especially with Leica cameras, requires keen technical prowess. Going old school you don't have autofocus, there is no program mode to set your exposure (heck with the cameras I use there isn't even a built in light meter) and you don't have hundreds of frames on a single card so there's no banging away, hoping one picture works. You have 36 exposures so you have to make them work. Working with film separates the pros from the rest of the pack.

And finally, for me, it's fun. And what's the point if you're not having a great time? Happy photographers produce happy work : )

Peace.

Father and son, window light, red studio wall. Leica M2, 35mm f/2 Summicron, Fuji 400 film. Shot made hand held while looking over top of camera to keep eye contact with subjects.

Cucumber Falls, Ohiopyle, PA with a Leica M3, 21mm f/3.4 Super Angulon, Fuji 400, custom b/w toned conversion. One second exposure with camera mounted on Gitzo tripod.

Cucumber Falls, Ohiopyle, PA with a Leica M3, 21mm f/3.4 Super Angulon, Fuji 400, custom b/w toned conversion. Two second exposure with camera mounted on a Gitzo tripod.

Annual Report Photography in Pittsburgh | Western PA School for Blind Children

For the third year in a row I have had the extreme honor and pleasure to photograph the annual report for the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. What I witness during my time at the school is humbling and uplifting in ways I cannot describe. The staff there are Angles, doing work that is above and beyond words. And most importantly, the children are incredible. These are very special people - staff and students. Here is a tiny glimpse into their world.

Hugs abound at the school.

The Vision Room

Play is important, even if it's with the photographer

One of the highlights each year is Prom night when the kids dress in their finest and dance the night away.

Each year a Prom Queen and King are selected.

Lots of snap shots are made on Prom night.

Ohiopyle PA | Nature Photography

After a long week of intense shooting I needed a little R&R to recharge my internal batteries. Nothing does that better than nature, and specifically, water, so Saturday we took a day trip to Ohiopyle in south west PA. It was beautiful! And of course it made for some wonderful photos, too. And yes, to me making pictures on a "day off" is relaxing : )

Tech notes:

camera: Nikon D300s

lens: Nikon 70-300

ISO: 100

shutter: 1/8 to 1/15 sec

f-stop: 32 to 36 (minimum aperture)

Tripod: Gitzo

SD card: SanDisk 16 Gig

Processing was done in Lightroom. Black and white conversion was a "home brew" Lightroom custom conversion.

Love it when it works so well |Commercial photography Pittsburgh

Some days everything just comes nicely into place. While doing a rapid fire series of portraits of young students the other day, everything just fit. All the children were great and easy to work with. This young man in particular was wonderful - he naturally just learned against the lockers, and did it in good light. What more can you ask, well except for that beautiful expression on his face. Life is good.

Camera Equipment For Sale

Still clearing out my Canon equipment and lots of good stuff remains. If you need a lens or more please give me a shout out. Here is a partial list of gear available:

5D Mark II

5D (two bodies available)

15 mm fisheye

24 mm tilt-shift

24 - 70 f 2.8 L zoom

50 mm f 1.2

85 mm f 1.2

100 EF macro

200 f 2.8 L

300 f 4 L

Canon 580 EX II flash w/Canon external AA battery pack

Canon ST-E2 IR transmitter unit

Chicago Wedding | Lisa and Brian | Chicago Pen Show

May 1st was a day of firsts. It was the "official" first wedding of my 2010 season. It was also my first wedding in the Chicago area. And, it was the first time a couple were ever married at a pen show.

Pen show? Yes, gather several hundred avid collectors of new and vintage writing instruments in one room and you have a pen show. Chicago is one of the oldest and biggest shows in the country. The couple, Lisa and Brian, are collectors who met through the hobby so it was only natural for them to be wed where they met.

Their rings, modeled after Esterbrook pen cap bands.

Lisa and Brian

Brian writing Lisa a note with a very special pen

Lisa reading the note

Mother and son, with daughter in the background

Exchanging the vows, quite literally.

This is the pen set that started the romance. Lisa bought one of the pens from an Ebay seller. Brian, found the other pen, through a private seller. At the time, neither knew the other one had the "missing" half of the set. The odds of two collectors each buying half of an engraved set without the others knowledge must be huge. If so, what are the odds of those same people meeting, falling in love and "discovering" they each had half of a set. Almost chilling when you think about the odds.

West Virginia Engagement Session | West Virginia Wedding Photography

It's late and I've got an early breakfast meeting to start an insane week, but I couldn't wait to share a few pictures from today's awesome engagement session in Morgantown, WV with Staci and Chris. Toni and I had a great time going to a few of their favorite places. And WOW, get a load of those clouds! It was so cool.

Thanks for a wonderful afternoon. I'll be talking with you soon. We can't wait to photograph your wedding!

Location, location, location

Today starts a three week stint of out of town location work. Well, not 100%, but each week I'm going somewhere new shooting something for a few days. Gone are the extended travel assignments of times ago, at least for most of us. Regardless of the length of the trip, the challenges are still there because once you're out of the studio, you're away from most of your arsenal of equipment. So what do I take to keep things running smoothly? Here's a rundown of my travel gear:

• Nikon D700 bodies (two, one with the vertical grip for 8 fps)

• Nikon D300s body

• Nikon 17-35 f2.8 zoom

• Nikon 24-70 f2.8 zoom

• Nikon 70-200 f2.8 zoom

• Nikon 50 f1.4 G

• Nikon 85 f1.4

• Nikon 12-24 f/2 DX

• Nikon 70-300 f3.5

• Nikon TC-14 tele-converter

• Nikon SB-900 flash units (two)

• Nikon SB-26 flash unit (w/built in slave eye)

• Nikon Commander Unit

• Sandisk 16 gig CF cards (10)

• Sandisk 16 gig SDHC cards (2, as emergency back up)

• Sandisk 8 gig CF cards (8)

• Macintosh laptop w/external hard drives for backing up files

Along with this "basic" kit I also pack a Manfrotto mono-pod; Gitzo tripod; Honl flash grids, snoots, gels; Manfrotto light stands; mini softbox; shoot thru umbrellas and a few Cliff bars for on the go energy. Oh, and a couple of boxes of Starbucks instant coffee, too! Can't forget the coffee!!

This may sound like a lot to some people, but for me it's just the basic kit I feel comfortable carrying in order to be ready for anything a client may throw at me at any time. This kit also provides one more important element - back up. With multiple bodies available there is less chance for something going wrong. And by duplicating focal lengths you're covered no matter what happens. As a profession this is the ONLY way to work. The 12-24 lens covers basically the same angle of view as the 17-35. That's an important lens range for me hence the duplication. The 70-300 is my back up for the 70-200 for the same reason.

I carry a D300s as a third body rather than another D700 because the former has a DX sensor, hence all focal lengths are multiplied by a factor of 1.5. This is extremely useful when photographing sports - with the D300s and 70-200 combo I have an automatic 300mm f2.8 lens at a fraction of the weight! Add the 1.4 tele-converter and that makes it a 420 mm f4. Nikon glass will allow me to do this and create razor sharp images, my former system would not.

To transport all this stuff my lighting gear is packed into a Lightware 1440 case. Cameras travel in a ThinkTank roller. On site I'll move most of the camera gear into a shoulder bag for easier transport by my assistant. I'll carry two or three cameras with various lenses to work.

Now all we need is good weather!

Technology Rising

Adobe CS-5 really is an amazing tool.

How amazing? Now you don't need to compose properly. Just fix it with content aware filter. Awkward movements can be corrected using the rubber monkey tool (or whatever it's called). Bad exposure cause bad noise, what noise, it's fixed with a couple of new sliders. No need for HDR software, have that too, and it looks better than the stand alone piece. Didn't do an HDR exposure set? No worries, we have a filter for that now!

I'm not sure I'm happy about all this new technology or saddened. Maybe a little of both. For good photographers there is no doubt this is a great tool. But at the same time, where is craftsmanship headed? Will getting it right at the moment of exposure count for anything? Does it now? Does the "fix it in Photoshop" ideology permeate our vocation so pervasively that a new legion of sloppy image makers will become the next generation of superstars?

But there's a backwash from all this technology - film sales are on the increase. Yes, film. Fuji film reported an increase in film sales last quarter.

Monday afternoon I had a lovely conversation with an old friend, Ken Hansen. Ken and I go way back, 30 some years back, to a time when he was a major photo equipment dealer in New York City and I was a young buck photojournalist set out to change the world. Then, like now, Ken was a well house of information. Ken still sells cameras, albeit at a much smaller scale today. He said he's recently noticed an uptick in film camera sales. "All those guys who went digital are buying back their old film cameras. They're getting fed up with digital."

I don't see a celluloid revolution starting any time soon. We're not going backwards. Hardly. That Jeanie left the bottle a long time ago. But knowing, just for yourself, that you nailed it at the moment of exposure - no need to fix it later - means something. It's satisfying on a very personal level that you got it right straight away. It feels pure. And the workflow is beautiful - unload camera, put film in box, mail to lab, sit down, enjoy life and wait for prints to come.

Several years ago, back in the Photoshop 5.0 days, I was working on an architectural shoot. View camera set, all lines corrected for proper perspective and I'm about to make the series of exposures I stopped. One more job to do first - clean the parking lot in front of the building of paper cups. As soon as I started to pick up the trash the art director stopped me and asked what the heck I was doing, that could all be fixed in Photoshop! I asked him very nicely how much digital retouching this parking lot would cost. "Only $200" he said. "I'll tell you what," I said, "I'll PRE-touch the photo for only $100, saving you half of your RE-touch budget." He looked at me puzzled and asked "what do you mean PRE-touch?" I smiled and said, "I'm going to pick up all these damn cups so I don't have them on film!" The moral of the story - why spend so much time doing post when you can get it right the first time.

Film or digital capture doesn't matter. It's how you shoot that does matter.

For those that want to learn more about Photoshop CS-5 check out the video with Terry White here:
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/photoshop-cs5-feature-tour/terry-whites-top-5-photoshop-cs5-features/

I'll be getting my copy soon.

A day in the life of a family - Russian Orthodox Baptism

Saturday I had the honor of documenting an important moment in a family's life - the Baptism of their son, Geoffrey, at St. Vladimir's Russian Orthodox Church. This is the second Baptism they commissioned me to cover. Three years ago their daughter, Anna, was Baptized.

I love creating picture stories for families. The 'day in the life' type work fits perfectly with my background as a newspaper and magazine photojournalist. I capture moments, emotion and action as it unfolds. In the end it's not just a record of an event, it's a slice of life preserved for generations to look back on and remember. This summer I will do a number of private commissions of this type of work.

Before the actual Baptism took place I set up a portable studio in the Church basement and made a series of formal family portraits. Because everyone came from out of town it was important to this family to have these pictures. They will make a nice section of their book - a formal record of everyone attending.

Thank you everyone for putting your trust in me to capture your very special day. It was an honor and a pleasure to be witness to such a beautiful ceremony. God Bless.

Father Michael giving a final blessing

Mother and son

Father and son

Never have I seen two more serious little boys.

Adobe CS-5 preview

It's not out yet, but the moment it is, I'll be all over this one! Some of the features of this version are game changing. It's amazing when I think back to the humble beginnings of Photoshop. I started out using version 2.0 on a tiny Mac with a small black and white screen way back in the late 80's. Now... well, check this out for yourself... CS-5 Preview

Sunrise is so early

3:30 AM my alarm sounded, shaking me from a deep slumber. Too early for most normal people, but I've never claimed normality.

Sunrise shoot today, time to get up and get ready to flip the creative switch. Sunrise light is beautiful, albeit awful early. Such is our burden as image makers.

Got up, tried not to drown in the shower, swilled down two cups of black coffee strong enough to jump start an Cummins engine. Awake, finally. Cameras in hand I hit the street.

Timing was off. Dang. So on the way to the location I did a bit of early morning shopping. Wal-Mart. Open 24 hours. Yeah. No time to do this during "regular" hours so lucky me. People inside reminded me of a George Romero movie. They looked worse than I felt.

Arrived too early anyway, still dark. Time to scout. In the dark? OK, time to eat a little breakfast. Awake, awake at last!

Morning light is good. Still too early though. Contrails are just crazy cool. A few frames bracket for the HDR and I'm done. Wandered a bit more and shot some other things but nothing struck me as nice as what I pre-visualized in the HDR shot. All in all a good mornings shoot and a well deserved nap this afternoon.

Sunrise is so early

3:30 AM my alarm sounded, shaking me from a deep slumber. Too early for most normal people, but I've never claimed normality.

Sunrise shoot today, time to get up and get ready to flip the creative switch. Sunrise light is beautiful, albeit awful early. Such is our burden as image makers.

Got up, tried not to drown in the shower, swilled down two cups of black coffee strong enough to jump start an Cummins engine. Awake, finally. Cameras in hand I hit the street.

Timing was off. Dang. So on the way to the location I did a bit of early morning shopping. Wal-Mart. Open 24 hours. Yeah. No time to do this during "regular" hours so lucky me. People inside reminded me of a George Romero movie. They looked worse than I felt.

Arrived too early anyway, still dark. Time to scout. In the dark? OK, time to eat a little breakfast. Awake, awake at last!

Morning light is good. Still too early though. Contrails are just crazy cool. A few frames bracket for the HDR and I'm done. Wandered a bit more and shot some other things but nothing struck me as nice as what I pre-visualized in the HDR shot. All in all a good mornings shoot and a well deserved nap this afternoon.

Make a simple picture

When was the last time you simplified your shooting and used only one lens? Not a zoom, either, a regular one focal length lens. How about putting on a regular 50 mm lens and use you mind, eyes and feet to create some images this weekend? Use your mind to pre-visualize the image, your eyes to find the photo and your feet to "zoom" in and out for best composition. Make pictures simply, but don't make simple photos -- work at it, compose, see, stretch and push yourself to see out of the box. The Pittsburgh weather this weekend is suppose to be totally awesome. Take a photo walk, even if it's only in your back yard, and make some fresh images. It's spring, time for life to begin anew. Make it your visual life, too.

New stuff arrived!

I'm SO excited today! My UPS and USPS delivery guys came to my door back to back this morning bringing all kinds of cool stuff.

First is my new 90 mm f/2 Summicron lens for my fast growing Leica system. YEAH!!! This lens ROCKS. It's super small, insanely sharp and will be a pure joy to use. I had an older version years ago and since that time they've improved it many times over. I can't wait to shoot my portrait job this afternoon with it... on FILM!!

The second arrival is a new hard bound portfolio book from my professional lab, White House Color (WHCC). It's a commercial book, not a wedding portfolio, designed for a specific proposal I'm work on. Wish me luck, it could be a great job with a brand new client!!

I can see many possibilities for this book in my wedding work and I'll be getting more samples soon. This book has pages that lay flat and are thicker than run of the mill press printed albums. The color is so rich and the pictures so sharp they literally pop off the page. Very impressive indeed!

What makes a professional photographer?

On a new photography board there has recently been quite an outpouring of emotion regarding the world of wedding photography, and photographers specifically. Some of the discussion and posting has been insightful while others are just plain crude and insulting, often directed a few select individuals. I don't condone finger pointing or calling someone out. It's not my job nor my business to be the truth police. I figure the market will do that all by itself. If they truly are a genius-artist as they seem to claim they will be rewarded, but if they are the charlatan others allege, they will be found out and punished accordingly.

The discussion primarily focuses on the tsunami of inexperienced photographers who make outrageous claims and do major sales (snow) jobs to unknowing and/or unsuspecting people. These folks are blowing things way out of proportion to their relative importance, especially in relation to being named 'best of' this or that or awards from inconsequential sources to become larger than life, or "Rock Stars" as the profession terms them today. Experienced photographers know most of that kind of "notoriety" should be taken with a grain of salt. Some photographers choose to use it in their marketing while others just smile and say thanks.

The most heinous allegation is centered on workshops this legion of inexperience offers (for money) with little actual experience as a professional photographer. So who is to judge how much experience is needed to teach? How much knowledge do you need above your pupils to expound wisdom? But the biggest question is...

So what makes a professional photographer?

In the most base sense, anyone who accepts money for a photograph is technically a "professional" photographer. The more accepted standard is someone who makes 80% of their income from photography. That means a full time job, not someone just working on the weekend or in their off hours. So assuming you're by definition a professional, does that automatically make you qualified to teach?

I remember when I turned "pro" many long years ago. To make a long story short, I photographed a high school football game for my then local daily newspaper. After seeing the results of my efforts the managing editor dug in his wallet, handed me a $5.00 bill and said "Congratulations kid, you're now a professional photographer!" I was 15 and the picture I sold was taken from the second roll of film I had ever shot in my life. It was the beginning of my career. From that day forward I never worked at any other job than photography.

So was I really a pro photographer at that moment? Technically, yes, I was paid for my efforts. But was my effort really professional or just luck? Yes, to both. To be successful in this business I think you always have to have a little of both - luck and skill. Doors open and doors close in life, it's the wise man (or woman) who knows which ones to go through.

Charles R. Elliott, that five buck waving managing editor who started me on my path, opened my first door. Luck? Destiny? Fate? Call it what you like but I was in the right place at the right time. I was a 15 year old geeky kid before being a geek was popular. Prior to finding photography I studied astrophysics and exobiology. Yeah, not just astronomy, the REAL techie stuff.

Chuck wasn't a geek, he was exactly what you imagine an old time editor to be - hard as nails, black coffee drinking, chain smoking, foul mouth cursing, screaming at reporters, stacks of papers everywhere kinda guy. He was a 20 year veteran and had retired as a Senior Master Chief assigned to the US Navy's elite Combat Camera Group just weeks before I walked in his newsroom. In uniform he wore an arm full of gold braid and a chest full of ribbons, but luck was with me because Chuck also had a soft spot for kids - he had five at that time. So rather than hand me my head for bothering him that first day, he offered me an opportunity. Door open.

As my first mentor, Chuck taught me many valuable lessons. Not the least of which was his first lesson - find a mentor because there is always something to learn. His list of advice was this:

1) Find a mentor, then listen to the guidance they give

2) To be a better photographer shut up, put your head down and work hard

3) Awards are nice, but you're only as good as your last picture, so get back to work

4) When you truly have honed your skills and learned your craft, give back to your profession and become a mentor.

5) Be humble. Always.

I've lived by these rules throughout my career, trying to be my best and to honor my dear friend and mentor's memory. Chuck passed away in 1981 at the age of 45, a few months after his sixth child was born.

Over the years I've had several mentors, with each one building on the lessons of the last. Each person was valuable in the advancement of my craft and my self as a person. Without any one of them I would not be who I am today. And I've been fortunate to mentor several others myself, helping, guiding and encouraging them along their own path.

That's what a mentor does.

Nevada Desert

I'm back from Las Vegas and the annual Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) convention. It was a great trip, networked with lots of photographers from around the country, saw many old friends and learned a lot of new techniques, too. Most importantly it was a wonderful opportunity to recharge, refresh and get uber excited about making images!

The first two days of the trip were spent wandering around Red Rock Canyon and the Valley of Fire. Very exciting places to hike and see images. Tried out a few new tricks, too. Fun stuff. Here are a few of my early picks, including one panoramic image. More to come!

Yes, there is a ring around the sun. Probably ice crystals - it was COLD out there!

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer | Hidden Valley Engagement Session | Megan and Mike

Middle of January is not the time most people want an engagement session. Then again, Megan and Mike are not most people. Because they both LOVE winter it was only fitting we made a trip to their snowy retreat in Hidden Valley to create some special images. It was indeed a fun and interesting day! Haven't played (or fallen) in the snow like that in years! As much as we enjoyed our day of play, we're really looking forward to their wedding later this year, when it's a bit warmer!

Thanks again and we'll be seeing you soon!

PS. That hot chocolate was fabulous!

Snow angles!!

Ready...

Aim...

Fire!!!