The addition adds 80+ beds to a very much strapped need in the community.
Bright 11am Sun - with an impersonal crowd - so I shot into it, and framed what I could.
Of all - I beleive the shot below is the best of the set - blown out sun - framed lettering in the upper left and the women trying to look small with the head down while hoping to not be captured in the frame adds a bit of tension.
It's tough -- it's tough to be living in this age of incredible information, electronics, and automation. And, it's tough when you have a crazy cool wish list - Mac Book Air's, Yaesu HT's, and camera companies released a new Carrot every few months.
I already have the D3s - soon to be replaced by Nikon's D4, an announcement which should be out any day, yet I'm in the market for something a bit different. Something smaller, as just today a colleague called the D3s Godzilla -- in a twisted way, I liked it.
So - what drives the need for smaller gear - portability - just that simple. July I hauled 20lbs of gear to Michigan only to be trumped by a missing battery - and I was crushed. A useless exercise.
My options are this - a high end point and shoot - Canon S95, Nikon Cool Pics (insert model number here) or a Panasonic LX5 - well - as good as these are, they just arn't good enough. I want image quality and performance very close to what I'm shooting now, and even that's just about impossible I may come close.
Micro 4/3's caught my attention - the Pen PL1, then the newer PL2 - oh wait -- what about the P-2 and then last month's P-3... all good stuff as even outlined by Chase Jarvis' grip in this video.
Panasonic's DMC-GF2 was my choice - with the 20mm f1.7 - But, to make the decisions even more muddied - Rumors developed about Sony's Nex-7. A 24mp, APS-C, built in EVF with some external controls - Money.
I'm not one for a cropped photo - at least when I'm doing it - others, who wish the image to fit the content, I'm more comfortable with.
This image on the other hand screams for a crop - as the content is meant to be interpreted in the square frame.
I converted to B/W with the help of tutorials of George Jardine - of photoshop fame. His blog and commentary is most definately worth a look. And - look up his podcasts where he rountables with Jay Maisel.
This was a tough event - and one of which to learn from.
Fast paced action I am not used too, and this was fast. So fast I shot .jpg - whoa... I have never -- ever -- shot .jpg - and from the results - I'm still not a fan. Why .jgp and not .NEF Nikon's RAW (Nikon Electronic Format) -- well... I needed the buffer. Even with the D3s - the buffer fills up after a few seconds of 9 frames per second. Don't let the Nikon Rep. fancy talk fool you.. it will choke and choke hard.
So --
The Tour of Utah -- fast bikes - 1 p.m. sun - and I've never done this before. That pretty much sums it up.
I shot 3D focus track for a while -- and then I switched to AF Auto Area -- as the 3D wasn't keeping up - and it held it's own...What I should have done is switch back to NEF after switching to AF Auto - but I didn't.
At first I shot the 80-200 AF-s f2.8 -- at around 5.6 from the opposite corner. Then at the second lap I crossed the street and at the corner Apex - I shot the Tamron 17-35mm f2.8-4 at again f5.6.
This was almost a waste as the AF just couldn't react to the closing distance of the racers. The third lap I switched off the AF and picked a point and did my best -- once again.. not good enough. The 4th lap - I crossed the street to my original position with the 80-200mm and filled the frame with Auto AF. After a while everything ended up up looking the same, so I walked up the street to change the scenery.
All in all -- a day of shooting is a blast - what would I have done differently -- I would have rented a 400mm f4 and been a bit farther back - and once again, just filled the frame.
Filling the frame is the most compelling view point - I feel.
Of the 370 photos -- this is what made the cut - and the cut was brutal.
If you are posting on Flickr or 500px or anywhere else for that matter there may come a time when someone will want to purchase/license one of your creative works.
I am by no means an expert here - but the following may help with this inquiry.
Three pieces of information, listed below will be invaluable to the experience.
Email: Hello this is "Name", from "Agency" and we would like to discuss the possibility to license your photo. Please contact me at ....
*************************************************** This is really cool, heady, and big stroke to the Ego, contact the Agency as soon as possible as agencies motivations are time sensitive, and this may mean a sale for you - remember they are coming to you - so get back to them. ***************************************************
Eventually there will be a conversation about price - the tricky part.
1 - Listen to the offer - just listen and don't say a word. Let the offer come to you. Do not volunteer anything which may benefit who you are talking too - just keep listening. (You will probably hear something about "budgets are tight - we don't have a lot for this one - I hope you understand - we always value Photographers...." See this video - VendorClientVideo
2 - Make sure you understand the requested use and time needed for the image. Is it Billboard, Magazine or web, etc.
3 - Hide the fact that you are excited to get this call, tell them you will need to run some numbers for the use request and offer to get back to them. You will be providing them an estimate for work.
Now -- you have some decisions to make - They contacted you because for some reason the image is "speaking" to them to solve their problem. This may be an all or nothing negotiation - or they may have 10 other options right behind you they will entertain, if they don't get their price. Keep this in mind. Pricing is tricy - as some pricing is regional, and sometimes that is hard to determine.
I'm also going to offer this - The pricing dance is different for someone who never purchases photos - take for instance a future bride and groom. They probably have never purchased photo services before so there would be a learning curve for them to understand the industry. But - if you are dealing with an agency, or a Creative Director, well -- they should know or have an idea of what is reasonable. At times you may be able to follow their lead and they may even hold your hand - and the negotiation could be very smooth.
4 - Go read and use the three references above - oh my gosh - I can't emphasise this enough. The two books will describe in detail, specific situations and examples, and the software will allow you to estimate a price for the use.
Lou Lesko, in addition to his book, also produces BlinkBid software which will create invoicing and estimates.
We, I'm assuming, all want to please those who want services from us - but - as in retail, some come in your shop to look, and some buy - and some leave. Your price may be just that - too much, and they may just walk away, or you may walk away.
Here's another thought - what happens if I don't close this deal - my work will not be seen and I will loose that opportunity of exposure. Well, that's something to keep in mind. These are all difficult decisions - and I would assume become easier to decide when there are 20 jobs in the que. If you are small - then - you have fewer options to lose this exposure of your work.
Challenges - never a dull moment when a job presents itself and you really don't know what Condition is.
Task - Condition - Standard.
Task - Photograph an Architectural Model Condition - Unknown Standard - Photographs of Commercial Quality
I packed the usual gear - all my lenses with the exception of the 80-200mm, flashes, stands, and of course the tripod - but - I also included my black backdrop cotton muslin.
With the help of the modeling staff holding the muslin, I set up the tripod, sized up the scene with the 85mm AF f1.4 D and pretended I was a Giant.
Lighting was about perfect as the modeling shop was in a coverted garage - and with the garage door open, daylight flooded from the side.
Post was minimal - as with everything - I warmed it up a bit, brought up the blacks to add clarity, and some sharpening.
When I shoot I never really try to visualize the post processed image - yet I'm trying to change that and get better at shooting for color.
I do recognize that I "got the shot" -- or that something is going to look really good and for the most part that the "got the shot" is all about pure composition and back at the "Lab" the hyper critical judgement appears.
Exposure is good for about 2-stops, anything else and I'm really reaching and the NEF file just falls apart - but focus - if it's not in focus, or if it's not to my standard -- well, then it's DTM - Dead To Me.
And sometimes that is a realy bummer.
The Bokeh on this is really busy in the lower left of the frame - the circles of confusion are, well... very confusing and distracting - but - it's all I got, and I'm hoping that I'm being a bit too critical - and I'm letting the color be the subject to some extent.
This is rendered with X-equals "Kodak Kodachrome 25 Curve" LRoom preset - it punches the colors and adds almost a halo gradient between the separation - of which I really like. Once again -- and I've said it before, X-Equals and the work being done by MWGray at Life in Digital Film the creator of these presets is stunning.
I don't add vignets or anything artifical to add drama when I post process -- I will add a graduated filter to control exposure usually no more then 1/2 a stop. And here's my cookbook - If I can notice that it looks fake - then that is bad.
The juxtoposition of the near subject with the comotion of the far and what Sam Abell would call "Micro Composition" all came together on a whim/chance this last weekend.
The 50mm at f5.6 to keep the majority of the face sharp and I got low and close to keep everything a bit different and interesting.
Emmy's arm coming across the frame and the look of dis-interest as her sister in the background does some kind of flip, makes this shot, for me, the winner of the weekend.
I'm not too big on sunsets and walks on the beach and puffly clouds. I mispoke, I do like walks on the beach - especially on those of Pentwater Michigan, Lake Michigan shoreline -- Google it... but I digress.
Rangers of a differnt era invited me to South Ogden and over the perch looking West gave a clear view - and of course I had to shoot it.
85mm f1.4 af-d - and processed with www.x-equals.com "Kodak Ektachrome 100VS -X-Pro Curve" in LightRoom. As I've said before -- the x-equals presets are amazing. Everything they do is a labor of love as their prices should be double.
I was fortunate enought to get "back-stage" to the installation of the Angel Moroni at the job site of the Brigham City Temple. FFKR is the project Architect and Big-D Construction is the General Contractor.
My day job as a draftsman at FFKR Architects affords me certain access to projects.
This isn't meant to be an advertisment, just some backstory into why I was at this event and allowed better than public access.
The event drew a crowd and of course I took my gear. I mostly used the 80-200mm with a smattering of 17-35mm. And the technical challenges were absent - other than the rain which moved in for a few hours.
On a side note - I complain about the price of Nikon's lenses upon puchase, because I'm sensitive to how much stuff costs - but upon use and viewing the final images I'm always really, really blown away and happy I made the economic sacrifice.
If I can emphasise anything to a new and up-and-coming creative - buy the pro lenses - they will catapult you to a different level.
And the only thing people see -- are your images, and nothing else.
Plane ticket to Michigan $350, Bag full of lenses $5000, Nikon D3s with forgotten battery on battery charger in Utah - worthless.
I guess it happens to the best of us - sooner or later and times like these remind me I'm human, but what a pain in the ass it can be - as I pulled my gear out of my carry on bag at my parent's and my heart sank as nooooooo....
There's no battery... For the love.
I Made some calls - brother in GR picked up a BL-4 battery cover and I'm going to scalp a battery from a shelved D2h - all is ok.
Family events are always difficult - as sometimes it's difficlult to get interesting viewpoints. And sometimes that's like pulling teeth. I decided to get a bit lower with the 50mm opened up wide and force something.
And the result turned out really well - I think this could even make a magazine product shot. I particullary like the pose of "R" looking to the left in the back -- really nice.
Also -- note the video -- there are some who say 720p is not true video - I disagree - it's just fine.
