New photos on flickr

I updated my flickr photostream with some very recent pics, which you can preview on my 'new work' page, or check directly at flickr.

That rumble in the distance is the sound of worlds colliding... more to come before too long methinks...

Petri Book!

Thanks to a friendly Swede named Björn Fredén, I am now happily in the possession of the "Collectors Guide to Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras" by John Baird! This book explains the history and impact of what later became known as the Petri Camera Company, and in the process attempts to comprehensively document the history of the Japanese camera industry. Very cool! Thanks again Björn!

All the Basic Photography Tips You'll Ever Need

A friend of mine recently asked me for some basic photography tips. It turned in to a mini-manifesto, and here it is:

Matt's Platform-agnostic Photography Tips.

One. Learn your camera.
It doesn't matter what type of camera you have, spend some time with it, get to know it well. Learn how long it takes to be ready to shoot once you turn it on. Learn the lag between pressing the shutter release and the actual taking of the picture. Learn the flash recycle time and the approximate battery life and how many pictures your card can hold at medium-high resolution. Read the manual and learn the advanced features like close (macro) focus, flash fill, face recognition, backlit scenes. The more you know about your camera the more quickly you'll be able to adjust to get the shot you want. And the more you practice, the less likely you'll miss that shot.

Two. Think like a camera.
Cameras don't think, they just see what's in front of them and do what they're told. You have the luxury of not one but two eyes and a brain that processes information at light speed. You can take in a panoramic scene in mixed light, focus on what's imnportant and give it meaning and emotionaly and historical context all in an instant. A camera with its one eye, narrow focus and limited range of light values it can capture (EV), needs to be told to capture specifically what you want it to see.

Three. See like a camera.
The camera can only capture so much. You need to be able to see what's in front of you the way a camera would capture it. Best way to begin: close one eye and make a rectangle out of your fingers to frame the scene. Is the light pefect the way it is? Turn off the flash and stand still. (I take most of my shots, even digital, without flash whenever possible). Are there shadows on the face that would be too dark? Use fill flash or move into the shade. Moving subject in a dark room? Full flash. Are the most important elements of your scene in the frame? If they're too small move in. Then move in more. Is your subject off-center (as it usually should be)? Focus on the subject and reframe while holding the shutter release halfway. Make the camera work for you. It's a tool. Become one with it.

Four. Study other photos.
You can't write without reading, can't play music without listening to music. Study photos and when you find ones that strike your fancy, try and figure out what it is you like about them. The tight cropping? The interplay of bold colors? The natural light? The hidden meaning in the juxtaposition of subject and background? The intersection of angles? Study your own photos as well. Which are more successful and why? Would tighter cropping help the less successful ones? Are the facial expressions true to what you remember about the scene? Think about these things when you frame your shots. The more you put these stylistic nuances into practice the more natural it becomes and the better your pictures as a result.

Five. Understand the difference between types of photos.
In general there are two types of photos: ones that are merely records of a scene, and ones that aspire to something higher. The ones that you like to see and like to take are the ones that aspire to impart more meaning than just a record, they want to give a sense of time, place, and of feeling. If you simply point a camera and shoot, likely as not you'll get the first type. If you learn to frame your photos, turn off the flash, and most importantly, know when to press the shutter release, you'll nearly always get the type of photo you always wanted to take. Think. Practice.

Last. Not all shots are worth taking, but sometimes any shot is better than none.
Sometimes the picture is not there in front of you, it's just in your imagination. Sometimes what you wanted to capture is gone before you can pull the camera out, or simply doesn't look like what you thought it did before you framed it or thought like a camera. It's ok not to press the shutter if the picture isn't there. Your best bet is generally to anticipate the shot that hasn't happened yet and be ready before it flits past. Know when the car is coming around the corner, know when the child is about to turn to you and smile, know when the dog is about to leap and grab the frisbee and be ready with that finger poised above the button. But sometimes a record is all you want or have time for, so go ahead. If it's not perfect you can crop it later, and there will often be other opportunities for similar photos. And sometimes you realize you'll never get a second chance to be there and a blurry hastily framed shot is all you get. And sometimes those turn out to be the most fun, original records of the scene.

General random tips.
Always have a camera with you, even if it's just the one in your phone. Know how to use it. Turn off the flash when you can. Remember - people don't always have to smile perfectly. If kids are being goofy make it a record of their personalities rather than a museum piece. Shoot in the morning, in the evening, on cloudy days, indoors near windows for best natural light. Flowers and people like the same diffuse light. If you're shooting a moving subject, pan the camera with the subject. Learn to stand still and pause your breath while firmly squeezing the shutter release. Experiment. Learn to use Photoshop or another image editing tool to crop, adjust contrast, eliminate redeye after the fact. Sometimes black and white is better. Learn what times of year have the best light in your part of the world (for me it's spring and fall). Don't be afraid to direct people, they want to look good in the picture. But don't be too bossy or they won't want to pose for you again. Make them laugh for real if you want them to smile, unless you want "cheese-y" smiles. Frame the photo, but watch the subjects over the camera so you can see whose eyes are closed before you press the release. Own a tripod, even a tabletop one, and use it for posed group shots, especially if you want to get in the shot during a timed release. Know the rule of thirds: compositions are most interesting if the subject is at an intersection of thirds of your frame. Don't try to capture too much, the eye wants a place to rest when looking at a photo. When in doubt, get closer. Shoot often. Don't be afraid to delete the bad ones, but get a second opinon on pictures of yourself before you do. Doesn't hurt to carry a pocket notebook and use it. If you're shooting towards the sun, hold a hand over the lens to keep the glare off. Sometimes vertical is better. Have extra batteries and an extra memory card or film on hand whenever possible. Above all, don't forget to enjoy the moments of your life in addition to documenting them. Sometimes a memory is better than a photo op.

© 2009 Matt Denton. Please include title and backlink if republishing.

Matt Denton is now on Facebook!

Yes, it's true... I finally signed up for FB.

You know I like to be fashionably late to the party.... now, where's the beer?

PS I should mention that if you want to friend me, please include a personal note so I know who you are and why you're making the request....

And it's been awhile....

(someone's going to get that, I just know it)

Hey-ho, what's up everyone? I know I haven't blogged here in a while, clearly I haven't been shooting much, though I've been thinking about it more and more lately. I miss my little metal friends! Time just keeps getting away from me somehow....

As a fan of the film Iron Man and pretty much everyone in it, and a fan of the outstanding documentary photography of actor Jeff Bridges, I thought some of you would enjoy checking out this well-put-together virtual book documenting the making of Iron Man on jeffbridges.com. All black and white panoramic shots as he likes to do, with insightful handwritten notes scattered throughout. I particularly enjoyed the angsty haircut shots (how did he frame those, I wonder?) and the workshop shots. Check it out!

Happy shooting! And happy Holidays!

Matt

Back from Vacation

Ah Vacation.... Yes we just got back from the kind of vacation you need a vacation to recover from when you get back. Good times though, and I took a lot more pictures than I planned. Big question as always before we left, what camera to take? The short list was Vivitar 35ES, Ricoh 500G, Fed 2e w/35mm, Konica TC or Minolta XD-5. But I didn't leave myself much time to decide so took what has become a common companion, the Minolta with 45mm 2.0, Sears 28mm, and a 2x extender. Great versatile kit. Got heavy after a while though, tramping around Boston with my little man-purse of camera gear, and I ended up wishing I had what I should have taken but forgot about, the Canon Sure Shot 120. Rats. Next time!

Haven't developed the film yet but will soon. Also, loving the versatility of that little Canon Powershot A750is. Seems like everyone I know has a Powershot of some kind now! Still not the same as holding that solid SLR up to your eye and dialing in the perfect composition.

Sidebar - has anyone come up with a name for that thing people do with digicams where they hold them out with two hands and look at the screen with big eyes? Seems like it should have a name. How about 'four finger death pinch'? Comment with your thoughts.

Seawood Photo

I won't say why but over the weekend I had to make an emergency paper developer run and my usual - I should say former - sources were not holding. So I took a drive to the legendary Seawood Photo in San Anselmo, a trip I'd been putting off for years, and had a series of mostly pleasant surprises. The first surprise was that it was so close. San Anselmo had always seemed so far away in my head, and maybe this is a holdover of when we lived in the City and it would have been a good 45 min to an hour. But it's 5 minutes out of San Rafael, putting it about 15-20 minutes from my house. And anyone who lives the Bay Area knows that this is essentially the equivalent of walking across the street.

The second surprise was the camera collection lining the shelves of the store, a treasure trove that puts mine to shame three times over. Cameras I've only read about, cameras I've seen pictures of but not seen in person, and yes several that I own and have used. I just gaped for a bit. Eventually I had to just get my developer and go before I got way sidetracked and filled up the trunk. To be sure, this place is a traditional photographer's dream, between the collection of classics and everything else under the sun, including bins of manual camera lenses, filters and miscellaneous doodads. View cameras. Film! Ha.

Absolutely a must visit for any collector or photographer in the area. Nice folks too, and parking on the side. Watch out for dogs and bicycles once you turn off Sir Francis Drake though. San Anselmo appears to be a conclave of dogs, families and bicycles, all in the street at the same time... at least on the weekend...