An Otherwise Empty Room

Sunday, July 14, 2013

The Best Color App You're Not Using Yet

I can't quite remember when I discovered the ChipIt! web app by Sherwin-Williams, but I was hooked. It's a simple idea: upload an image (or direct the app to a web page or web image) and it samples the colors, rendering a list of tones from the image with their corresponding S-W names. I then open this image in Photoshop and sample the colors to get an RGB value to use in some of my design ideas.

I absolutely LOVE the palette it created here

I was showing a colleague how to use this app today when I discovered that they had come out with an even better application, called the ColorSnap for smartphones and tablets. Seriously, I cannot get enough of this app, I'm so hooked.

Picking up color tones from random flowers during an outing

Just plug in the RGB colors and you're ready to go

Ever been out and about and seen a fabulous color and tried to take a picture of it so you can use it later in design? Well, now this app does just that, and provides you with RGB and LRV values. I find that it also works insanely well for color-balancing an image, when I am trying to remember exactly what shade the color was in situ. The app is free, you should download it. You're welcome.

K.A.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Faking Photos Since the Beginning of Photography

There is some (deserved?) hostility towards Photoshop in regards to photography in this modern age; certainly there seem to be more negative feelings towards it rather than positive, cuddly feelings. Its use has been blamed on causing a variety of catastrophes such as raising the incidence of eating disorders in young females to even increasing hostile tensions between unfriendly countries. It has gotten people fired; ruined promising careers. For photojournalists, its an inexcusable form of "artistic cheating."

However we feel about it, the truth is that photo alteration has been around since the beginning of photography, way before the digital age was even imagined. A variety of tricks have been employed over the ages to alter original images. For some of these images, like Dorothea Lange's iconic "Migrant Mother," their sincerity and "purity" are forever asterisked, sort of like Barry Bonds baseball records.

I have many complex feelings about Photoshop, but that is not going to stop me from using it in my personal or commercial work, nor do I feel that photographers should "disclaim" their work when it is being used. People get to have their own opinions: is the camera a "documentary tool" only, or is it an extension of the creative mind of an artist? Can there possibly be a gray area? Check out this great BBC video on the history of photo alteration over the last one-hundred and fifty years:

K.A.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Dramatic Sunset Portraits

The sun is the most powerful lighting tool in our arsenal. It is also one that we have no control over, yet it is also our most predictable one. Learning how to work with the sun is an outdoor photographer's top responsibility.

Back when I was in grad school, I faced a significant timing problem due to the fact that I worked full-time while going to school full-time. In case this doesn't already sound ridiculous to you, take into consideration the fact that my only real "free" hours in the day were around eleven a.m. to one p.m., at the height of the day, and this was in the Deep South. I didn't have time to hit the studio, so I often had no choice but to shoot during this time frame, and outdoors. I bravely fought with the sun for while, using all sorts of shade-producing devices and implements, but to no avail. And, assistants to hold stuff are virtually non-existent when you are a student. So, what I did instead was to learn as much about the sun as I possibly could ("know thy enemy"), and figure out how to work with it, instead of against it. I walked away from the lesson with some of the most beautiful images I have ever created. Ever since then, I have been a fan of utilizing the sun to create dramatic lighting presence in my photos.

The sunset sun can be as harsh as noon-time sun, especially if you are shooting directly into it. It can drown out all of your surroundings, create despicable shadows, and totally break apart your scene. Angling the sun, making use of its unique quirks can produce unusual yet appealing results. Here are a couple of shots from a session I had last week, when the sun felt particularly powerful:

In this above photo, I let the sun make a little jewel of itself, really heightening the sweetness and emotion in this photo. Exploring the different ways the sun can be used aesthetically can render some intriguing results.

In terms of background skies, clouds are a good thing, because they can act like giant diffusers. When the horizon is clean and devoid of clouds, the sun comes in too brightly, blowing out the delicate blues and shining harshly on the foreground. Using this to my advantage creates a strong counter-focal point for my portrait below, where the glare actually acts as a "bounce card," sending your eyes to her face instead of letting you linger too long on the background. I absolutely love all the flares; I know some people hate them, but they are just such a natural part of photography and part of the process of working with glass lenses that I embrace them wholeheartedly. Not to diverge from the topic at hand, but even multi-gagillionaire animated feature studios painstakingly add lens flare to their movies by hand, so why in the world would we photographers want to remove it?

While making small talk with this family during the session, I learned that the mom and dad had always been disappointed by the terrible wedding pictures they'd had taken many years ago. To remedy that, I gave them an ultimate and romantic Maui "honeymoon" shot to celebrate their fifteen years together (and check out that flare!):

Lastly, the magic keeps happening even after the sun sets. From far beyond the horizon, its light shines just enough to create fantastic natural silhouettes that no artificial flash will ever replicate.

K.A.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Smiling Pretty for the Camera

Posing is a big challenge for both the photographer and for the client. The clients are dressed and ready to go, and generally they are just waiting for the command of the photographer. Photographers have long known that they the are not only the "button pushers" in the session, they must also sometimes function as hair and make-up artists, wardrobe stylists, psychologists, marriage counselors, nannies, and confidantes, amongst other roles. Besides "pushing the button," we must be aware of the dynamics occurring between the people in our photograph: is there tension, is there awkwardness, what about physical contact between family members? A successful photograph relies not only on an appropriate exposure, but also in the photographer making sure that the subject is relaxed, confident, and looking attractive (no loose bra straps, for example, or spinach in the teeth). I posted a video late last week about über portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz talking about the role of the "modern photographer." Basically, it is up to us to prove ourselves worthier than Uncle Bob with the new-fangled DSLR he just bought at Costco. And here's the deal: does Uncle Bob know how to photograph you in a way that diminishes that double chin you're sensitive about? Or give you tips on how to make that beer gut look smaller in the photo? Perhaps let you know that your skirt is see-through (and know how to fix it)?

We've all seen the huff-and-puff articles written by angry photographers wanting to educate their clients on what they are actually paying for (other than the photos). I believe, though, that what clients are really paying for is the fact that you are making them look good, in fact, making them look GREAT. Isn't that what we all want, really? Uncle Bob's not going to do that. He's going to set his camera on "P" and let 'er roll. Clients will pay a photographer to make them look better in photos than they usually do. So, when clients ask you why you charge what you do, you can look them in the eye and tell them, "because you'll never look better than I'll make you look, and there's no price you can put on that."

If they disagree, I hear Uncle Bob's got an ad on Craigslist offering free portrait services (he's putting his portfolio together)..

Different clients will have different levels of posing prowess. I always mimic the pose for clients before setting them in front of the camera, giving them a visual of the look that I am looking to create. The minute this young lady hit the pose I was looking for, I knew she was classically trained in either music or performance art. She laughed and told me, "both, I do ballet and violin." Talk about some stage presence!

Teenagers often have long, gawky arms and legs, so I find it important to give them a strong pose to work with that helps tackle the awkwardness of feeling so exposed. Having them tuck in their legs and settle their arms loosely helps tremendously with posture and making it easy for them to smile.

This pose here above is pretty standard in my repertoire. Right off the bat, I always give families one definitive pose to follow and to remember as we move through different locations. Everyone can fall in quickly when I call it out.

Magic happens when you least expect it. This one was a between-take that was powerful in its form. I have discovered many outstanding poses this way, and added them to my repertoire for when I'm looking for a more casual or unusual look.

Don't forget the head! A slight tilt goes a long way. For a stronger effect, have the subject hold the head steady and look straight at the camera, without a smile. When shooting pairs, like in this photo below, a slight head tilt really helps to make the pose more graceful and fluid.

K.A.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Ohana Means Family

Taking family photos is a great thing to do while on vacation. You're relaxed, tanned, and have plenty of time to just take it easy and let the photographer do all the work. Besides, a beach background beats a studio interior any day. Many families take advantage of their family photo op to some alternative shots, like senior photos. This fantastic family from the midwest came ready and prepared for a fabulous shoot, including some fun props. We had such a great time!

K.A.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Smiling for the Camera

Why does it seem like kids loosen up just when you're finishing up the session?

Recently, I photographed a Finnish family that was concerned that their photographs would look "contrived." They told me that, while the completely understood the reasoning behind it, they did not agree with the American tradition of forced smiling in photographs. While showing me photos of their children in their pocketbooks, I noticed all of the photos were taken candidly, and showing exactly the type of smiles and joy in the children's faces that all photographers strive for. Of course, this is nearly impossible to achieve during a scheduled session; because, for example, how do you get four people to laugh candidly during a family photograph at the same time? ("I'm a photographer, Jim, not a clown!")

Adults have long been trained to smile on command, but this can be a bizarre directive to give to a child. They have not yet gained enough experience in their life to understand what a "real" fake smile should look like. Yeah, I know how they feel. When did smiling become the status quo pose of portraits, anyways? I bet that we can nail down the moment almost exactly, probably around the 1950s or '60s, when cameras and film became faster, and we were able to get those candid smiles. But photography sessions are rarely ever un-staged. Imagine, photographers, showing up to a scheduled photo session and telling the family, "alright, I'm gonna stand over here for about an hour, and you guys are gonna run around while I take your photos. Ready? Go."

Usually, what happens during a session is that the kids force their smiles until they just simply can't anymore, and then as soon as they are released they run around laughing freely. I've tried gathering them back in again to capture some of that, but the minute I say "smile," their foreheads furrow, their eyes glaze and their smiles get stony. What to do?

Often times, I'll just let the kids be themselves, and lavish them with compliments. Photographs, we must remember, strongly profit from the confidence level of the subject. If the person in front of the camera feels empowered, their positive emotions will flow through the camera. Good, strong eye contact enhances that feeling. The smile no longer becomes as relevant, because the person has engaged with the viewer. I've noticed that when I do this, it is actually the tone of the session that will set the mood for the photos later on, regardless of how the kids look. During this session, when the whole family was laughing and carrying on, even the "serious" photos come across as mild and light-tempered. This morning, I photographed a challenging young boy whose mother was thoroughly distressed by the session. When she glanced at the photos of the child without a forced smile on his face, she said she didn't enjoy them because the child looked "sad." It was interesting, because these specific photos were ones I had taken after the session had officially ended, and the child asked if he had to smile anymore, and I said no. He promptly told me, "well, can you take a couple more? I feel more relaxed now that I don't have to pretend anymore." His words, not mine.

Food for thought.

K.A.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Annie Liebovitz on Professional Photography Today

From The Guardian on Tuesday, June 18th, 2013:

"Annie Leibovitz discusses the role of the professional photographer in an era dominated by smartphone cameras and image-sharing sites. Speaking at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Leibovitz argues that there is no reason to suppose that there will be any let-up in demand for high-quality stills photography."

Pages

Sunday, July 14, 2013

The Best Color App You're Not Using Yet

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Faking Photos Since the Beginning of Photography

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Dramatic Sunset Portraits

Monday, July 1, 2013

Smiling Pretty for the Camera

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Ohana Means Family

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Smiling for the Camera

Monday, June 24, 2013

Annie Liebovitz on Professional Photography Today