Shooting From The Soul

          The "Wow Factor." I love it. That moment when I look at an image presented by a photographic friend or colleague and the first word out my mouth is "Wow!" With all due respect to ego, I'd be a liar if I didn't admit that I like being on the receiving end of the "Wow Factor" as well. It's gratifying to know that I have the equipment, skills and experience and sometimes  just the dumb luck to create an image that can make someone say, "Wow!"            

     Often  when I press the shutter button, the resulting photo is less than spectacular. It does nothing more than capture the essence of the scene or subject in front of the camera. It's not necessarily a bad shot. It just lacks the "Wow Factor". American photographer, Garry Winogrand is quoted as saying, "The photograph should always be more interesting or more beautiful than what was photographed." By that standard,  the vast majority of images in my collection are pretty lackluster. However, there's something to be said about simply capturing the essence of the scene or subject. When an image exists without pretense, the reality of the subject or scene is all that's left. It's a glimpse into its soul. 

     I don't want this to devolve into a defence of mediocrity. I firmly believe  that I have a responsibility as  a photographer  to create images that attempt to  exceed conventional expectations. I wrote a blog post about this a while ago. https://refractivereasoning.blogspot.com/2019/06/shooting-with-intent.html   What I'm trying to express here is that sometimes photographs that don't garner significant interest (or sales for that matter) can still be important to the photographer who created them. 

 

    

    Firstly, they can function as learning tools for the creation of better work. If I can make an accurate analysis of an image's faults, I'm in a much better position to create better work if I find myself in a similar situation in the future. Secondly,  they can serve as a catalyst to an emotional response.  Often a photograph can trigger a memory of my state of mind when I took it. A photograph can serve  as a simple, yet valuable record of an event, place or time.  It is the reason that, until recent times, the family photo album was the most precious book in the house. A photograph doesn't always have to be brilliant to be of intrinsic  value. 

     So, in my quest to make images that have the "Wow Factor ", I try not to fret too much over the thousands of images I create that are less than stellar. In my journey in this craft, they might just be the most important pictures of all.

...more later 

Workin' The Gear

    I think that there are a lot of confused photographers out there. In photographic media we are simultaneously told that ''Gear doesn't matter.''  Then  we are bombarded with endless advertisements and gear reviews of the latest whiz-bang products. I kind of subscribe to the ''Gear doesn't matter.'' camp. (Says the guy who owns far more gear than he needs or uses on a regular basis.)

    For almost three years I used two cameras. A Fuji X70 and a Fuji X100F. Both are relatively small cameras with fixed lenses. There are no options for interchangeable lenses on them apart from some moderate lens extenders that thread on to the front of their existing lenses. I remember a photographic friend asking, '' Why would you buy a camera that you can't change lenses on?''                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                          

     The reality is simple. Reduced equipment choices can actually lead to better photography. I don't have the ease of just snapping a zoom lens on the camera and zooming until I have framed the subject the way I want. I have to work for the shot. If possible, I have to physically move closer to my subject. If physical barriers prevent me from framing my subject without the advantage of a zoom lens, I'm forced to use composition to direct the viewer's attention to the main subject which is not dominating the frame. It makes me move to find the best elements of composition. It makes me more aware of the elements within the frame and how to utilize them to best advantage. I don't have the ability to just zoom in until visual distractions are cropped out of the picture.                                                                                                                  

     And, last but not least,  If I use a prime (non zooming) lens long enough I become comfortable with a predictable field of view. I know how that lens ''sees'' a scene for the camera before I even put the camera to my eye. In street photography, where things  can change quickly, that predictability can make the difference between getting the shot or losing it while I fuss about with a zoom control.

    Since acquiring those first two Fuji cameras I have acquired other cameras that have the capacity for interchangeable lenses. It's nice to be able to tailor equipment  for specific applications. However, of the four lenses I own for them, only one is a zoom. I still prefer prime lenses for their smaller size, better light gathering capability and focusing speed. What can I say? Sometimes old school is good school.

    However, for most general applications, it's hard to beat the versatility offered by zoom lenses. They generally work well in decent light and allow the photographer the ability to frame the composition more easily. 

Shameless plug. This picture is available as a 13''X 19'' print, custom matted and framed at the Taren White Gallery if you're in the Paris/Brant County area.

    So in answer to the age old photographic question, ''Does gear matter?''  All I can say is that there are usually work arounds for almost any situation. Does gear matter? Well, no it kind of doesn't ....Until it does!

            …more later 

     

     As usual if you like what you see here feel free to like and share to the media platform of you choice. If you keep reading them, I'll keep cranking them out! 

    

       With all that's going on in the world, it seems almost frivolous to be writing a blog about photography. A power hungry dictator has decided to invade a sovereign nation. Although the end may be in sight, we are still, after more than two years, in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. The economy is insane with near record inflation and the cost of  housing, energy and just about everything else setting record prices. In the face of all this mayhem, what am I doing? I'm making photographs and displaying them at an exhibition in a local art gallery. https://tarenwhitegallery.com/                                                      

 I'm writing  blog posts about the joy I find in creating images that reflect a world that I perceive to be beautiful and interesting. It's quite understandable how  my activities could be perceived as insignificant.

    But what else can I do? I could turn this blog into a platform for political and social commentary, but there are already thousands of talking heads espousing their opinions in various forms of media. I can't muster the arrogance to believe that my opinion of world affairs is more valid than anyone else's. I have little compulsion to be another feeble voice in the babbling mass.

    So I can't do much to change the insanity of this world we occupy. But here's what I can do.

 I can show you the stark beauty of a tree silhouetted against a morning sunrise. 

         I can show you a landscape carpeted in autumn colour. 

 

     I can show you the peacefulness of a tired little boy being carried off to bed by his mother.

 

I can show you a summer sunset on a northern lake.

    I can share with you the interest and pride I take in the tools of my craft.

    I can share with you the happiness I find in sharing my love of this craft with some very talented and awesome friends.

     I can show you the elegance of a simple blade of grass.

    I can share with you the tranquility of a peaceful morning by the river.

    Really, all I can do is keep on keepin' on. I can't do much to calm the mayhem that exists in this world. But, hopefully, I can provide a little nourishment for your soul.

                        ...more later

As usual, if you like what you see here feel free to hit ''like'', comment or share to the media platform of your choice. 

Artistic Courage - Getting It Out There - Part II

     So it's  February. It's cold outside. There is a ton of snow on the ground . The front walk and stairs of my scruffy little home need shoveling from the last dumping of snow. It's way too early in the morning  and I'm sitting in what I laughably call my office, punching up another blog post. However in the midst of this grey, mid-winter, sub-zero misery I have some exciting news. My pictures have been accepted by a local gallery. https://tarenwhitegallery.com/  Subsequently, I have booked a four month show and sale there beginning March 1st of this year. It's early days yet. As of this writing, my prints are out being professionally matted and framed for display. Each image was carefully selected and printed, in house, on top quality Canon photographic paper through a Canon Pro series printer in full glorious colour. They look really good if I may say so myself!  Initially, it will be a small display of just four pictures. I'm testing the waters so to speak. However, each photo will be a first edition of a limited run of 50 prints in that size. It's all part of a New Year's resolution I made to myself for this year, ''Get the work out there!'' 

    This kind of ties in with the theme of my last post, ''Artistic Courage - Getting It Out There.'' https://refractivereasoning.blogspot.com/2022/01/on-artistic-courage-getting-it-out-there.html  That post kind of devolved into a story of how I dealt with a somewhat nasty critic of my stuff at a local art and craft show. But, the story served as a portrait of the worst that can happen with a public display of one's images. In the overall scheme of things it was kind of a nothing story. At best it can, hopefully, provide a method for dealing with unconstructive criticism. 

    However, dealing with invalid criticism is only one part of the experience of getting the work out there. Another aspect of the experience is printing and framing the pictures for presentation. If I could offer one piece of advice to aspiring photographers it would be this.

                                               ''PRINT YOUR DAMN PICTURES!''

    The two printers that I own are important tools in my photographic process. I value them just as much as any camera I might have in my collection of gear. At  art and craft shows where I've shown my photos,  I've had people comment on my work. ''Your pictures look great. Who does your printing?''  With a bit of pride, I repond, ''I do.'' 

    Back in the dinosaur days of film photography, before the advent of the internet and digital imaging, most  pictures were printed. In those days, photographs had value. Digital imaging and the internet have greatly desensitized us to the value of a photograph. We all have the attention span of a drunken butterfly! A friend or family member posts a picture to a social media platform. We look at it for about 10 seconds before scrolling on to the next thing. At best, we might hit a ''like'' icon or punch up a short comment of ten words or less. Less than an hour later, that visual experience is nothing but a vague memory. I know from experience that this blog post  you're reading right now will stop garnering any significant number of page views within 24 hours of my publishing it. It's almost not worth the effort!

    But a photographic print has value. It is no longer an ethereal collection of electrons digitally cobbled together to make a visual image. A print is a thing.  You can hold it in your hands. It might hold enough visual value that you might frame it and hang it on your wall to be appreciated for far longer than 10 seconds on a social media feed. From a functional standpoint, the object of photography is to make a photograph. Call me old school, but for me, that process involves making a print or having the image printed by a quality photo lab.

    I can remember getting ready for an art show. I was full of doubt and pessimism. Setting up a display for an art show is a lot of hassle for just one or two days of potential sales. Tables and display materials have to be rounded up. Prints have to be made, numbered, dated and framed. Transportation has to be arranged to cart this whole pile of  stuff over to the show venue to be set up for opening time. It's a lot of work for what is often a pretty meagre return on investment in terms  of time and resources. Why was I doing this anyway? Did I really think that my pictures are worth showing to anyone?

    I opened one of the containers of stuff that I had put together for the show. I took out a folder of pictures that I had printed up for show and sale. I layed out a copy of each  print on my bed and looked at them. There were more than a dozen of them. Each picture was a tangible, colour,  glossy 8''X10'' thing that I had created.The self doubt and pessimism I had been feeling vanished.  It was replaced by a strong sense of validation. The pictures looked pretty good.  At that moment, I didn't really care if the show was worth it or if I sold a pile of photos. I really didn't even care if people liked them or not.  

     All I could think of was, ''I'm a photographer. I make pictures. I show them to people.'' Enough said.

                             ...more later

As usual, if you like what you see here feel free to hit ''like'', subscribe or share to your favourite media platform. If you keep reading them, I'll keep cranking them out! 

    

    

     

   

     

      

On Artistic Courage - Getting It Out There

    A little while ago, I watched a YouTube video about how, as creative people, we tend to fixate too much on any negative critique of our work while dismissing any compliments or accolades we might receive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rlcIor_qEo&t=3s   The video was presented by Alex Kilbee on his YouTube channel ''The Photographic Eye''. One statement he made that stuck with me was, ''Being a creative person, putting yourself out there, is an act of courage.''  I have to agree with that statement. As a photographer, what I am doing is making images based on my subjective view of the world or whatever scene or subject is in front of my camera. Ideally, a good photograph is not just depicting the subject but is also communicating my interpretation of the subject within a personal context. Creative people are sensitive folk. The work we present, if it has any value at all, comes from a very personal viewpoint. An offhand rejection of that work is often perceived, by extension, as a rejection of ourselves. 

    The trick, at least to a certain extent, is to separate oneself from the work. The photograph, once made and presented, has a life of its own. It can be judged either favorably or not on its own merits. At best, all I can do, as a creator of that work, is to accept either the critique or  favorable response it might bring. 

    However not all critique has value. Nor should all critique  be accepted. For any critique to be valid, it has to come from a standpoint of an interest in improving subsequent work. Furthermore, in my opinion, the critique, if  valid,  should only be accepted if offered by someone who is producing work that is better or at least at the same level as the stuff I crank out. There's an old adage that applies here. ''If you don't play the game, you don't make the rules.''  For example, my woodworking skills are pretty basic. I can  build a very simple shelving unit or perhaps a sturdy work table. That's about it. It would be supercilious of me to critique the work of a master cabinet maker, considering my very moderate skills in that craft. Furthermore, my critique would have little (if any) value to said cabinet maker as I can offer nothing in the way of knowledge or skills to improve his work. So to separate  critique which has some value from that which simply comes from a place of antipathy, it seems to me that I should question the qualifications of the critic.    

      In actual practice it works this way  A few years back, I participated in an art and craft show  at a local market hall. A lady who I've seen about town, but whose name I don't know, stopped by the booth that I had set up. Perhaps she was just having a bad day, but as she browsed through the dozens of pictures I had on display and in my book, she had nothing good to say about any of them. ''Seen it, seen it, meh.. not that great...''  As she was making these comments  while browsing through my stuff, she at one point turned her head to look at me with a bit of a malicious glint in her eye. She just was checking to see if any of the stones she threw were hitting the mark. All I could think of at that point was, ''I bet you didn't have any friends In high school!'' But I said nothing and just let her browse and troll.

This is not the show where the nasty critique happened. I just happen to like the picture. My friend Kaitlynd, who helped me with the show is a very talented artist and designer. Check out her stuff here.https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=kaitlynd%20wilson%20-%20artist%2Fmuralist and here. https://www.instagram.com/kaitlynd_designs/   Hey, I just remembered that I built the two little wooden  easels on the tabletop. Maybe I have some woodworking skills after all!

    Finally she said something to the effect of ''You really don't have anything. It's all just local stuff.'' I acknowledged her point. '' Well I don't own a car so a lot of my pictures are of local scenes.'' I pointed out a nice blue hour shot. ''I took this one  in Chicago.'' Her response ''Meh, it's just a boat.''

    I pointed to another photo. ''This one was taken on Manitoulin Island. Her response, ''Meh, it's just a sunset.'' (Actually it's a sunrise but hey, I wasn't about to quibble.) 

    ''I know this one is just a local scene, but did you notice how the hoar frost covers everything? I remember that morning. I froze my butt off to get that shot!''  She just shrugged.

    Finally I said, ''You seem to have some strong opinions about photography. I was wondering where I could see some of your work. Do you have any shows coming up? Or maybe a website or Facebook page that I could look at?'' Her response, ''Well no, I really don't do photography.''  I pressed on, ''Well maybe you draw or do some painting? Anything in the visual arts?''  ''Well no, not really.'' It was my turn to shrug. ''Well, thanks for stopping by. Have a nice day!'' 

    Shortly after she left, I sold a print of the Chicago picture to a lady who fell in love with it. She and her husband had just moved to the area from Chicago and she thought it would make a unique Christmas gift for him for his den. I could tell similar interesting stories for almost every picture I sold that day. It was a lot of fun and I got to meet some very cool people.

    So ultimately, I have no problem with people who are critical of what I do. As long as they are creating stuff too and have the guts to put it out there. If not, they're just wasting my time. I mean, why should I listen to your critique if you're not creating anything yourself? Like I said earlier, ''If you don't play the game, you don't make the rules.''

    Well, I  gotta go now. I got a new camera for Christmas and there's pictures out there that need taking and stories that need telling. Besides, someone has to keep making stuff to feed the critics!

                ...more later 

     

    

    

        

    

2021- The Year That Was

     So Christmas is over for another year and I'm sitting in my office staring at a blank computer screen trying to come up with an idea to sum up the year that was. For the record, my ''office'' is really just my bedroom in my home. I call it my office because it really is more of an office than a bedroom. The laptop that I'm writing this piece on shares space on a work table with a large Canon Pro-100 printer. Behind that is a smaller Canon printer on a smaller table. To the right of that is a shelving unit loaded with boxes of photo paper and ink cartridges for the printers and various smaller bits of photo gear. To my left is my old wooden desk with a bookshelf and my older laptop, the hard drive of which contains more than 25,000 digital images which need to be edited, deleted or saved to an external drive. (It's an ongoing project!) My camera gear is stored in two Domke camera bags on a chair near the desk. https://refractivereasoning.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-camera-bag-conundrum.html A bedroom it is not. It's a photographer's office. It also happens to have a bed and a dresser!

     It's been a hell of a year. Like others I know, I've experienced some personal loss in my life. The covid pandemic is still with us with the potential for even more restrictions with the new Omicron variant. The effects of global warming are getting worse with various ''natural'' disasters occurring all over the world. Due to inflation, the cost of housing and just about everything else is on the rise. Billionaires are building rocket ships for trips to space instead of using their vast resources to improve things here on earth and.... well... oh yeah... I got a new camera body for Christmas. Excuse me for a moment while I quiet my conscience.

Conscience: ''WHAT??  YOU GOT ANOTHER ##@!!###!!# CAMERA??''  

Me: ''Yeah, but..... ''

    I got a Fujifilm X-T3 body. It's very cool! The X-T3 model was Fuji's first attempt at making a camera with some serious video capability. Long known for their appeal to still photographers and street shooters, Fuji cameras were always a bit lacking on the video side. The X-T3 changed all that. In terms of video, it put Fujifilm in the same league as the best offerings from Canon, Sony and Panasonic. It's a camera that lets me shoot video with the big boys while still retaining the awesome still photography stuff for which Fujifilm is famous. I'm heavily invested in Fuji gear for still photography, so the X-T3 fits in perfectly with my system. 

The two heavy hitters in my photo kit,
the X-T1 and the X-T3

    In addition to the better internal wizardry of the camera, it also has a few external features I like. Dual card slots let me dedicate one SD card for stills and one for video. Or I can dedicate the second card slot for backup if I'm doing a serious pro shoot where results are crucial. The camera is weather sealed. Although I can't go swimming with it, it's tough enough to withstand a light rain or snow when I'm out and about. I like that the articulating screen at the back works in both horizontal and vertical format. The X-T3 uses the same battery as the other cameras in my Fuji kit which makes things a little more convenient when I am travelling or just out and about. 

    The X-T3 camera model is about three years old and has since been replaced by the newer X-T4. As such, the X-T3 can be had, brand new, for about $500.00 less than it's newer counterpart as retailers clear them out. Also, one of the endearing traits of the Fujifilm brand, is that they don't leave  photographers already using their gear out in the cold when they bring out a new product. As much as possible, they offer free firmware updates that improve the performance of existing gear. I've already downloaded the latest firmware update and uploaded it to the new camera. As a result, the performance of my X-T3 is very close to that of the newer model for about five hundred bucks less. Bit of a bargain I'd say.  

Me: ''Take that Conscience!''

Conscience: ''(grumbling)''

    So I have a new piece of camera gear that should keep me going for a long time.

Conscience: ''A VERY, VERY LONG TIME!''

Me: ''Shut up Conscience! Well... Okay, I'll give you that one!''

    So as the year winds down, really all we can do is hope. Hope that this damn pandemic goes away or at least settles down enough that we can resume normal lives. Hope that the greedy bastards with all the resources realize that maybe everyone deserves the right to live with dignity and a degree of comfort. Hope that the powers that be realize that this planet is a beautiful place and maybe we should stop trashing it. I know. It's a tall order. But there's always hope.

    Despite everything, I have to admit that I'm truly blessed. I get to live in a beautiful community and create images of it. Thank you to all the people who hit ''like'' or comment on the pictures and blogs that I present. Creative folk can be an arrogant lot. We like to pretend that your appreciation and approval doesn't mean anything to us. It's a lie. If it didn't mean anything, why would we put the work out there in the first place? Thanks for your kindness and support. It means a lot to me. Thanks to all the creatives who continue to make amazing images and stories and share them. I can't help but be inspired by your passion.

Some members of the Paris Photo Collective
l-r  Haether Coombs, Gord Barker, Tammy Doogan, Ryan Eltham, Dean Ellis
Photo-walk Sept. 18, 2021
Hopefully, we can all get together a little more often in the New Year.

     Special thanks to all the members of the Paris Photo Collective. We might be the craziest little photography group on the planet, but damn, we crank out some awesome pictures! Keep the passion alive! 

    Best wishes to everyone for the Happiest New Year!

                  ...more later 

    As always, if you like what you see here, feel free to hit ''like'', comment, subscribe or share to the media platform of your choice. 

    

    

    

    

    

        

Cross Pollination

    Well, it's the end of November, arguably the lamest month of the year for outdoor photographic pursuits. I mean, most of the fall colours are gone. The temperature is getting colder and the winds are stronger and more relentless. Often my days off consist of weather that encompasses all the above conditions, along with grey skies , cold rain, sleet or snow. Despite all of that, I'm in a pretty good place creatively. In all honesty, I've never felt better as a photographer. Things are kinda happenin'.

    One of the things that I'm slowly getting into is video production. It's early days yet, but, I have been out a few times shooting some clips. The handheld stuff is pretty shaky but I do own a fluid head for my trusty old Manfrotto 190 tripod and subsequent clips are looking better. My son is an avid gamer and has been editing gaming montages for himself and his friends in that community. So far he has mastered colour grading, timing transitions and synching action to the beat of a musical soundtrack. He has also started shooting some live action stuff with my old Canon EOS M3. I will probably exploit his editing skills and in return, help him with some camera work. Some interesting collaborations may be in the works. You know the deal, apple....tree. Only in this case I'll be learning from him as much as he learns from me!  

 

My son, Greg. Looking every inch the street photographer.
Scruffy street style look.......Really nice camera! 

                                                                                                                       Never fear, however, I am and will always be first and foremost a stills photographer. In my last post to this blog, I talked about expanding my horizons a bit and pursuing a more open street style approach in my photography.     https://refractivereasoning.blogspot.com/2021/10/changing-it-up.html  I've found this newer approach to be kind of liberating. When the reaction of my viewers is no longer my first priority, I can explore any number of different approaches in creating images. It keeps the creative juices flowing.

 

    So it's the end of November and almost everyone is gearing up for the Christmas Season. I'd like to wish everyone all the best for this festive time of year. That being said, I've decided to suspend the ''Photographic Friends'' feature for the month of December. And, as the last Saturday in December is Christmas Day, look for my last post for 2021 to appear here 

Dec. 30, 2021.

     

                          ...more later

As usual if you like what you see here, feel free to ''like'' comment and share to the media platform of your choice.