Time to Make My Portfolios

Meditative Photography, by Reed A. George

 

If you're a regular DMC-365 reader, you may know that I've been accepted into a Magnum workshop with David Alan Harvey this September. The workshop is already having a positive effect on my work, even though it won't start for another week. In short, I've been instructed to put together a portfolio of my work in preparation for the workshop.

 

I've known that it's time to update my portfolios, as well as my online presence at my website creativeobjective.com for quite some time. Now I have a deadline, at least for my portfolios.

 

Of course, I started by reading up a little to get some tips on making a powerful portfolio.

 

(Click Here) to read an article on PopPhoto on the subject.

 

In this article, Brian Dilg of the New York Film Academy's photography school offers a lot of insight. Here are the most important tips from my perspective:

 

1. Don't include multiple images that are too similar or obviously taken in the same session. It can make it look like you're indecisive or incapable of editing your work.
2. Stick to either landscape or portrait orientation within a series of images. This is a tough one for me.
3. Don't pad your portfolio with less than the best images, ever.
4. Every image should evoke a "Wow" from viewers, without the need for explanation.
5. Your portfolio should focus on a subject; that should be the subject you'd love to be paid to photograph.
6. Your goal is not to show competency as a photographer; it's to show creativity as an artist.
7. Use mini-sequences within your portfolio. A simple three image sequence should follow this outline: create an expectation (1st image), establish a pattern (2nd), and provide a surprise or thrill (3rd).
8. In most cases, a real print still rules. However, in a pinch, an electronic portfolio can be acceptable.

So, it looks like I have my work cut out for me.

 

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Over - A Nice App For Adding Text to Images on iPad

 

Just Playing Around

 

You know how Starbucks has those little cards giving away a free App or song each week? This week's App in my local store is called "Over." Over is an image editing program, which allows you to add text or art to your pictures. Pretty darned cool.

 

I downloaded Over from the App store, and played around a little with it, just using images that were already on my iPad. This is a very simple way to add text to your images. I'm thinking of making electronic postcards from your beach vacation, for example. Here's a hint: once you've added text and hit "Done," use the yellow arrow on the right of the screen to find options for how to modify it. The options that come up are on a wheel, which you can spin for more options. I'm sure this doesn't make sense, but it will once you open the App. Finding the wheel is necessary to be able to save your image, for example.

 

Here's another image I played around with:

 

Could Be Useful

 

Hmm. No bad for the price (free).

 

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Before and After - Some Fun With Snapseed

Here's a rather pedestrian shot of an old telephone pole that I recently took in New Hampshire.

Before - Old Telephone Pole, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8

iso 200, f8, 1/125 sec

 
I really like the details in the pole, and the old wires hanging down. But, it was literally in the middle of a swamp, and I couldn't get a better perspective on it.
 
I decided to play with the image in Snapseed on my iPad.
 
(Click Here) for info on the mobile version of Snapseed.
 
Anyway, I did a few things to the image in Snapseed. First, I converted it to black and white, then, I used the tilt and shift function to restrict focus to the center of the pole, then I applied some "grunge," and finally an organic frame and a little grain. Here's the result:
 

After - Disconnected, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, Lumix 14-140mm f4-5.8

iso 200, f8, 1/125 sec

Manipulated in Snapseed

 
I don't always go for manipulated images. And, I absolutely hate working at the computer as compared to being out using my camera. However, in this case, I think a few minutes on the iPad absolutely transformed this from a boring image to something at least a little intriguing.
 
All things in moderation, I suppose.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 

Another Jpeg Setting To Try

 

Here Comes the Sun by dixeyk on mu-43.com

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/f43/panasonic-color-26171/

 
I have written in the past about my desire to find great jpeg settings for my Lumix DMC-G3. I normally shoot raw files, but would like to get the best jpegs out of my camera, to minimize the need to sit in front of a computer, post-processing images. Especially given my luck with home computers lately (another story).
 
Poster dixeyk on mu-43.com posted this image, and his settings.
 
(Click Here) to see dixeyk's post.
 
dixeyk uses the "My Film" setting on his Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2, setting Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation, and Noise Reduction all uniformly to a value of -2.
 
From dixeyk's single example, this looks pretty good to me.
 
I previously tried another user's suggested settings and found the result way too contrasty and saturated. So, for now, I just use the normal film setting, but am not totally satisfied with the result.
 
 
(Click Here) for my earlier post on jpeg settings. Note, again however, these didn't work out for me.
 
 
I'm leaving for a short trip this weekend. I'll give dixeyk's settings a try and report back.
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 
 

Jetpack Photography - Kirk Tuck's Take on Film and Digital

Image Source:

http://io9.com/5029930/five-reasons-you-dont-have-a-personal-jet-pack-yet

 
Kirk Tuck has written a thought provoking piece about the controversy regarding how digital has affected photography. This is no nostalgic piece about how he longs for the good old days. It uses the analogy of competitive swimmers with jetpacks, and how, once they're allowed in the sport, no one can swim without one any more.
 
(Click Here) to read Kirk's piece on visualsciencelab.
 
I like many of the points that Kirk makes. I can admit two things in regard to this piece. First, I have a very hard time making myself slow down and think with a whiz-bang camera in my hands. I'm getting better. The Leica M8 is probably the best thing to happen to help me in that area. With that (wonderful) camera, I have to take my time, because it takes so long to write an image to the card that you better not miss the moment. But, seriously, the manual controls, manual focus probably being the most important, make me feel that I have invested something (if not money for film and processing) into each image.
 
Second, I do find it hard to wade through the piles of crap images that are posted on the web. I can click on through if I don't see something interesting, so no harm done. But, I find that I have to do that a lot.
 
One point that Kirk makes is that most of the famous images and successful collections were shot with film. Personally, I don't think that's a fair statement to make. How many years, how many decades of experience, went into making those film images? Sure, there are more images made every day now than then, so we can't compare the absolute numbers of images easily. But, definitely, the bulk of photographic history did not have digital equipment available to it.
 
I agree with Kirk's point that the equipment affects the photographer. I sure feel different when I'm holding a Lumix G3 than when I'm holding a 4x5 film camera. And, I shoot differently. I also judge other photographers (probably mostly incorrectly) by what they shoot with. Just last night, I met a lady who shoots the same Pentax film SLR that she has used her entire adult life. In my mind, she's a better photographer than her neighbor with an iPhone camera. Again, I'm probably wrong.
 
I prefer to focus my attention on what I like about each technology. Personally, I love the anticipation of getting film processed, when the images are just for my own enjoyment. It's even better when I have to wait to open an envelope filled with big 2 1/4" color transparencies, which have just returned from mail-in processing at Dwayne's.
 
(Click Here) for Dwayne's website. They do great work.
 
With that said, I sure appreciate the ability to experiment with new techniques with digital, see if they're working immediately, and resort to more proven approaches to make sure I get the shot, if not. I love being able to print (either scanned film or digital images) at home. I love having a 32" display, so I can see what a big print would look like, without having to invest in printing it.
 
And, personally, I'd love to have a jetpack.
 
Thanks, Kirk, for some stimulating words.
 
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On Culling Your Images - by Guest Contributor Lara White on digitall-photography-school.com

 

 

Image Source:
http://digital-photography-school.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dessert-table-closeup.jpg
 
Guest Contributor Lara White wrote a nice piece on digital-photography-school.com about the merits of not only editing and evaluating your images, but actually selecting the best and deleting the rest.


(Click Here) to read the original article on digital-photography-school.com


Lara suggests that we should "be ruthless" in deciding which images to keep, and which to throw away. She makes several points regarding why this is a good practice, including that making decisions makes us learn what's right and wrong with each image, that it allows our truly great shots to stand out without being surrounded by average ones, and that over time it teaches us which perspectives and compositions work.


I found Lara's examples - a ho-hum shot of a dessert table, and a smashing closeup of a single dessert (image above) useful. I think it reinforces the idea that simple is better, and reminds me of one of my own faults - trying to tell the whole story in one picture. Sometimes that's just not effective, or even possible.


There is one other benefit to ruthlessly deleting everything but our best work, and that is storage space (and associated access time). Not only do hard drives fill up fast, it takes a finite amount of effort to find those best shots again, when they're surrounded by marginal ones in the directory. Yes, Lightroom's flags and selection tools make this easier, but it can never be easier than not having the clutter there in the first place.


The only downside I can see is that we may inadvertently delete images that will become important to us later. I think that's pretty rare.


Something good to consider when thinking about your workflow.


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