Three For One

I've been examining photographs that I originally shot in 2007 for a potential new photo book.  One of the many photographs that caught my eye years ago was, nonetheless, not quite "right" to my eye. I loved the motion of the Asian dancers but the considerable blank space in the middle was a bit discomforting. Still, I liked it but never did anything with it, like print or share.

Then came this evening. I reexamined the photo some seven years after its initial creation (that IS what photographers do, by the way - create!) to see what I could do.  And, not fearing to crop, I saw that the original actually contained within it two singular photos - the dancers on the right and the dance on the left. I love the cacaphany of colors in the right hand figures, and the barely visible yet recognizable face of the main dancer. Did a little bit of exposure compensation to bring out the colors a bit more, but otherwise as shot.
 

 

 

I then focused on the figure on the left and while an equally colorful subject, I did some experimentation and ended up with another point of view - that of emphasizing the motion, deemphasizing the color, and making it more ethereal. 

So, with one click of the shutter, three photographs emerged.  Would it have been better to have taken three separate photos - one of the groups (as shot), one of the dancers on the right, one of the dancer on the left? Oh, ideally, especially if one wants to do large scale enlargements.  But during a performance, there's not always time (actually, rarely the time) to set up images in advance. Work with what you have.

Salvaging a Photo

When leading photography workshops, I stress the importance in "getting it as right as possible" at the time you "snap" the photograph, rather than relying on software for the "save."  That said, all digital photos require some degree of enhancement since there's usually a slight gray cast over digital images.

And that said, there are times when an otherwise nondescript photo CAN be saved and SHOULD be saved during the after capture process.  Here's an example taken on a lonely state highway at the "city limits," such as they are, in Baker, Nevada (the home of Great Basin National Park and Lehman Caves). The photo, with the moon just beginning to rise at the left edge, does convey some sense of the long, lonely road; with some subtle colors.  But took much sky and, actually, too much foreground, with the yellow and white lines stopping before the bottom of the frame.

So, with some adjustments in Adobe Lightroom, and cropping the photograph in more of a panorama, it more striking photograph resulted - and one more in keeping with my initial vision. The wider sweep of the desert landscape, darker tones and more "dusk." 

So, before you discard a photo file, take another look and see if there's an image within the image that's worth keeping. 

New Chihuly Museum - A Photographer's Dream

I was a sceptic when it was announced that a museum dedicated to the work of Dale Chihuly, the master glass artist, would be built in the shadow of Seattle's Space Needle. While I had enjoyed photographing within the Museum of Glass in downtown Tacoma, I had now particular intention of visiting the Chihuly Museum in Seattle which opened this past summer. But a perceptive friend invited me along for a photographic adventure.  And am I glad!  As I recall, there are seven interior rooms, each with a motif or theme, followed by a glass-enclosed atrium and then an outdoor glass garden. And each room and space has photo opportunities galore. 

   



This photo was taken in the first room, made up of tall glass tubes of varying colors. Fascinating and photo-worthy in itself, I experimented with zooming the lens at a slower shutter speed to obtain this color abstract.  The photo that follows was taken in the glass atrium with glass flowers hanging from the ceiling and framing the iconic Space Needle that seemingly looms overhead.  In three hours or so, I shot 200+ photographs and could definitely go back another time and obtain different images and just enjoying the artistry of Dale Chihuly and his artistic associates.  Check it out!



 



Worthwhile Quotes

In this month's National Geographic Traveler, traveler Edward Readicker-Henderson wrote a fascinating piece on why he travels - and still travels to this day.  This in spite of the fact that doctors told him many years ago that his medical conditions would result in only months to live and would make travel impossible. 
Two memorable quotes:  "Whoever created the world went to a lot of trouble. It would be downright rude not to go out and see as much of it as possible."

and

"It's not a matter of better or worse, but simply this or that."

I especially like the latter; for most decisions, especially related to travel, there really isn't a right or wrong decision. Rather, its simply a choice between or among options, any of which could result in a serendipitous moment. And that is what travel is about.

Besides the NG Traveler article, Edward has a website with additional writings about his travels. http://www.routeofseeing.com/home.html

Photography Tours

I'm generally not one to take organized tours. Whether I travel alone or with my family, I usually do all of the trip planning (with their input of course!), finding hotels, making air and car rental reservations, etc. But there is one exception - and that's the photography tour. I've been on four such out-of-the-country tours over the years.

•  Nevada Wier - Bhutan
•  Daniel Milnor/Adam Weintraub - Peru
•  Douglas Beasley - Guatemala
•  Deriusz Klemens - India

Could I have done these on my own?  Well, in three cases, probably. Bhutan is the exception (while independent travel is theoretically possible, the governmental requirements are such that practically everyone visits as part of a tour group). But by traveling with a group of photographers, led by a professional photographer (with local logistical assistance), you gain so much.  First, you get to hang out with the pros and with like-minded photographers and travelers. Second, the leaders know what time of day to be where and often the local assistants can arrange special access, etc.  Third, you live and breathe photography (and travel) for the length of the tour. Fourth, the interaction with the rest of the group actually improves your photography as well.  Many of my best photographs have come from these tours.  Now, admittedly, its really hard to go too-wrong in Bhutan, Peru, Guatemala and India - especially India.

What to look for in a photo tour:
1. Do you like the photographic style of the group leader? Always check the photographer's website and ask yourself: "Do I like their work? Can I learn something from their style?"

2. Are spouses or partners encouraged?  (In only one of the 4 tours above were some spouses along - and it was a definite drawback in that they had only passing interest in photography. They also made, in my opinion, wind-down and meal times less interesting, less focused on photography.)

3. How big a group? Photo tours can have anywhere from 2-48 members from what I can tell.  Again, in the case of the four I've been on, the participant numbers (sans instructors) were 2, 5, 6 and 18. The three smaller groups were definitely more interactive than the larger group, though I will give the leader of that group credit for really interacting with everyone, especially the photographers in the group (this was also the tour with a number of spouses along). I'm still in touch with folks in the 2, 5 and 6 person groups; not the 18 person group, other than the instructor. 

4. Am I getting value for the money?  When I booked the India tour (Rajasthan including the Pushkar Camel Fair), I had the choice of about 1/2 dozen photography tours offered by different photographers with tours ranging from $4K to $8K. I knew where in India I wanted to go and tried to match it as closely as possible. And my real desire was to spend a 5-7 days in Pushkar, which narrowed the choice down to 2! I also wanted to stay in local-style hotels and guest houses than 4* and 5* accommodations.

These are all considerations in matching your interests, your preferences and your wallet to the right tour.  And, in reality, I think its hard to go too wrong when you're traveling with photographers who are also travelers!

One Way to Make Subjects "Pop"

During a visit to Wales, I attended the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, an engaging event focused on music and dance. As with many such festivals, getting the right angle for a photograph is difficult, especially when dealing with the background. One of the dance performances featured a whirling dervish, all clad in white. The beautiful trance-induced movement was mesmerizing. And, as a photographer, I want to get "just the right shot."    

My favorite image was this one, with the "whirling skirt" in motion, forward facing and nice hand gesture. But then there's the background. The stage was surrounding on all four sides by viewers and folks in constant movement (just like the Dervish). The gentleman in red was a particular distraction photographically. While I use Adobe Lightroom for 99.9% of my edits and adjustments, this was clearly a case where something more would be needed. There are techniques in Photoshop to totally strip away the background. But, to me, that seems a bit dishonest - he was performing (which is not a word I like to associate with the Whirling Dervishes since they make it clear that its really a religious experience for them) in front of a crowd.

So I utilized a different Photoshop technique - changing the background to black and white and then reducing the background's brightness and saturation. Using layers and lassos is not a quick process,  but worth it in this instance.

The viewers are still there - so the setting is real - but now the Dervish visually "pops" out. The only remaining color are his hands and conical felt hat. This, by the way, explains the need to tone down the background, not just convert it to black and white.

Range of Focal Lengths

My favorite lens is a Nikon 18-200 wide-angle-to-telephone zoom.  Its not the fastest lens in the world, but with vibration reduction it manages to work in most situations.  But not all.  A faster lens would have helped in a few instances while in India for sure.  But there's no such thing as a fast extreme zoom.  I would have to switch to two lenses - probably 18-70 and 80-200 or so - to achieve the same range and speed things up (and weigh things down - fast zooms are heavy). And switching lenses, especially outdoors in the dust of India, would have had its own series of problems.

So before I made any drastic decisions, I looked at what focal lengths I used while in India.  I choose the first 667 shots (out of 1950 or so) and, checking the metadata in Adobe Lightroom, plotted out the focal lengths of all shots and then my "*****" favorite shots (28 out of 1950).  The results:

                 All      *****
18-30       17%     18%
31-40       13%     14%
41-50       10%       7%
51-60       10%       0
61-70         8%      7%
71-80         3%      4%
81-90         3%      4%
91-100       3%      7%
101-110     2%      0
111-120     3%      7%
121-130     2%      7%
131-190     7%      0      (few shots taken in this range)
191-200   18%    21%

Over half of the photographs were taken between 18-70mm (27-105 given the size of my digital sensor on the Nikon D300). BUT then there were those 18-21% shot at 200mm. Changing lenses would definitely have been a drawback in an active environmental like the Pushkar Mela. I noted that as I recorded the data, I would jump from 18mm to 50mm back to 18mm and then to 200mm in consecutive shots. So changing lenses would likely have resulted in missed opportunities. On the other hand, with a faster lens with even higher quality glass, I may also have had some * and ** shots turn into **** and ***** ones. 

While a time consuming exercise, I think it was worth it to get an understanding of how I use my lens - and that the use covers the full focal length range of the lens.  That doesn't mean I won't consider a faster lens, probably covering the wide-angle to normal (18-70) range; it just means that when I'm in an active festival-oriented environment, I'll probably stick with the trusty 18-200 model for quick response to changing circumstances.

You might want to do the same exercise to see how you use your zoom lenses, especially before buying something new.

Creative Quotes

For your consideration:
"Creativity is taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary." Chris Orwig in "Visual Poetry." That's what makes great photography an art.

"Doc was at ease with himself and that put him at ease with the world." John Steinbeck in Cannery Row. This evening, with ease, I print.

"What I am saying is that you need to begin to define what inspires you.  Then you need to dedicate time to that endeavor."  Chris Orwig.

As I'm printing some of my latest "Tango" photographs, I'm reading Orwig's "Visual Poetry" and getting inspired to photography, print and share.  And to focus on my creative side in the way I do best - photography.

Life Is Good - Arthur Meyerson

One of the great photographers of our time - Arthur Meyerson - discusses his art, his creativity and a life in balance - including the quote "Life Is Good."  His color photographs are inspiring (at least to this photographer) - simple but memorable.  Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZWNwqkat4o

Journey On!

I've been writing this blog for nearly two years now.  Looking back over 88 postings I've made so far, the topics range from pure travel to pure photography to a mix of the two and, finally, to what's important in life.  It has all been part of my life's journey as a photographer, workshop leader, environmental consultant and a social being.  Today I changed the heading of the blog to "Journey On! Photography, Vacations and Life." The new title is more indicative of what has been posted and where I'm personally headed in my creative life. 

Workshops will still be listed, as will upcoming gallery shows.  And I will try on a more regular basis to discuss the nuances of vacation photography which I think is one of the more challenging genres out there given how wide ranging it is.  And I'll post, as I did earlier today, articles and musings on the importance of an integrated life where the creative arts, world culture and one's personal interests intermix. 

I hope you continue to enjoy the Journey!

Faster than the Speed of Light?!?

While I try to keep my blog posts focusing on travel and photography topics, I sometimes come across an article that just causes me to stop and go - woo.  Such an opinion piece appeared in this past Sunday's New York Times.  Brian Green's article is about the expanding universe - the speed in which its expanding (possibly faster than the speed of light!) - and how at some time in the future, most stars in the night sky will disappear from Earth's view.  And not because they are being extinguished - just that they are moving outward over time in an ever expanding (so far) universe.  A think piece that still almost triggers the "reboot" button in my brain.  I highly recommend reading it - followed by a Tylenol!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/opinion/16greene.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=darkness%20on%20the%20edge%20of%20the%20universe&st=cse

Its All About Creativity

Whether you are traveling, taking photos, or just living life, the way to end the same-old, same-old is through creativity.  Do something a bit different, whether its eating sashimi for the first time (which I did and lived to tell about it), zip-lining over and through the jungle canopy (not yet) or getting married on a beach in the South Pacific (highly recommended!).  I came across a Youtube video last evening (already seen apparently by millions - I'm a bit behind) that shows how you can take a special event (a wedding) and, with a little creativity (even without a beach!), make it a truly special and memorable event.  Get the creative juices flowing.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0