Black & White

[The Decisive Moment - Henri Cartier-Bresson]

There is no better way of coming to be aware of what one feels than by trying to recreate to oneself what a master has felt. - Marcel Proust


I decided to take the French writer's advice and reclined in a comfortable chair with a small book containing the words and photos of Cartier-Bresson. As an American, I have an inherent allergic reaction to the French (except for their fries), but I see ample wisdom and appeal in trying to learn from the images and thoughts of great photographers past.


So I flipped pages. I stared. I thought. I was moved. I was inspired. I really enjoy black and white photography for the timeless quality it exudes. To me, black and white and all the varying shades are what photography is at its core. The play between light and dark in an image seems to mimic another characteristic of life- the dynamic between good and evil.

I also enjoyed reading Cartier-Bresson's thoughts and philosophy on photography. In particular, the following definition of photography really struck me:

"It[photography] is putting one's head, one's eye, and one's heart on the same axis."

That line is going to have to marinate for a while, but it is one of the best descriptions of photography I have come across. Albert Camus said, "If we understood the enigmas of life, there would be no need for art." If we adopt Camus' definition of art and Cartier-Bresson's definition of photography, photography definitely meets the criteria of being art. The intersection of head, eye, and heart seems to qualify as an enigma, and an elusive one at that. The central theme of Jerry MaGuire also seeks to reconcile the conflict between head and heart, so congratulations Cameron Crowe. Your film is also art. Take your place next to Cartier-Bresson, albeit only on this blog.

After soaking in some more imagery and insight, I found myself wondering how Cartier-Bresson would photograph himself.

[Portrait of Cartier-Bresson]

What a fascinating and intriguing photograph. While Cartier-Bresson didn't take this picture, I am certain he had a hand in setting it up. I wish I saw this bad boy before I completed my self-portrait a few weeks back.

A portion of Cartier-Bresson's thoughts about a trip he made to Cuba had me laughing uncontrollably. While it was interesting to read about the opportunity he had to photograph Che Guevara and meet Fidel Castro, this next bit made me like the old chap just a little bit more. He seemed like less of a legend and more of a human (almost like someone at the studio...).

"I confess that I am French and like to look at the ladies. I was much aware that Cuban women have curves but on the opposite end and the opposite side from where they are situated on, say, Miss Jayne Mansfield.

Since curves are curves and not politics, I sometimes made errors."

And in case you are not familiar with Miss Mansfield, here is a photo:

It should be pretty clear what Cartier-Bresson meant about the Cuban women he came across. Baby got back.

Taking in the work of master photographers of the past is very humbling. Never mind the lack of image stabilization, 25,600 ISO, etc., there were no viewfinders for instant digital review or enormous CF cards. And yet, the photographers of old were able to capture breathtaking images that continue to inspire decades after they were taken. How? Those answers aren't likely to come easily, but I am content to keep digging. I look forward to reviewing the work, philosophy, and approach of other great photographers.

Ready, Set, Click

[Photogs get younger and younger...]

As I delve deeper into photography, I am growing more aware of the overall shape and state of the industry.

On one hand, I am in awe of the work that is being produced by top-notch photographers. As I grow more aware of the subtle differences that separate the best from the pretty good, I see the huge mountain in front of me that I need to climb even just to get to good.

On the other hand, I see countless numbers of clueless people with cameras and websites out there moonlighting as photographers. I feel really bad for the clients who are booking these people, even if they are looking for budget photography. (Might as well get the kid I shot in the photo above to take pictures- at least he's framing his subjects by the rule of thirds.) The hoards of bad/mediocre photographers out there make me wonder if my old-fashioned roll-up-your-sleeves approach is applicable in today's market. Am I just being an idealist?

I don't know what it is about photography that makes people think they can jump right in or believe they don't need to pay their dues. Owning a DSLR? Hypothetically, even if you had the same clubs as Tiger Woods, you sure as heck are not going to get out there and golf like Tiger out of the gate. Sorry Nike, it's also not the shoes.

At the end of the day, the only person I should worry about is me, myself, and I. So I still want to do this the right way. Yet, the right way requires lots of patience. Some days, I wish I could just get out there, set up shop, and just start doing my thing. I get antsy when I haven't shot anything in a few days as well. I know it's not 100% right, but my mentality has always been if I am not moving forward, I am moving backwards- even if I am standing still. Being still is something I have had problems with in the past. Being still gives me too much time to think...

While photography has a technical component, at its core, photography is art. Art doesn't happen overnight. Art doesn't even happen in weeks or months. Art takes dedication, sacrifice, emotion, passion, and at least a smidgen of talent. I need to keep that in mind as I continue to learn and hone my skills. I am not competing with anyone else. I am just trying to be the best that I can be, maximizing my own unknown potential.

I hope to never forget where I came from. When I first asked to join the studio, I remember agreeing to even carry bags and equipment. I hope that hunger never gets satisfied. Pride is a detriment to progress. An ample amount of hunger a day, keeps pride away.

My Canon Can Fly

HD video capability on DSLRs was a huge add-on. Unfortunately, it is technology that most traditional photographers will not take advantage of. However, looking forward it is bound to play a huge role in the world of photography. You can be one of the people who refuses to acknowledge that we have a potential game changer on our hands, or you can maybe set sail for the West Indies because the world just might not be flat.

Will traditional photography ever die? Doubtful, given how it has survived for centuries, but it would be prudent to embrace anything that might enhance what has stood the test of time. We may not be giants, but we can always stand on the shoulders of the past. Free R&D, why not?

In any case, check out what this guy is doing to capture aerial shots with his Canon DSLR. This is pretty creative, though I don't like the idea of $5000+ worth of gear flying around like that.



I won't be trying this anytime soon, but I do want to start messing around with HD video.

Self-Portrait

When the "self-portrait" project was first assigned, I knew it was going to be a difficult one for me. For starters, even though I love photography, I do not like being photographed. Women tend to have an easier time with self-portraits, because I believe deep down inside, all women love to be photographed. Regardless of age, size, and shape, a good majority of women enjoy having their photo taken, especially if the photographer is skilled enough to capture them in the most flattering way. As for me, I believe what some abodiginals believe, that a photograph may in fact steal a part of my soul. = )

Though the project was difficult, I believe completing it helped me test some of my new knowledge as pertaining to lighting, posing, and composition. It also got my creative juices flowing. How does one capture the entire essence of a human being in one frame? The answer in short is that it is not possible, but certain aspects of our being can be represented in a single photo.

I love my alma mater. And I love the football team. However, there was a point in my life where attending Rutgers seemed like the plague. Today, I can say it was an amazing 4 years, and I left with great experiences, friendships, and a respectable education. The resurrection of the football program is just icing on the cake. In high school, I could have never imagined a world in which I was more proud of my Rutgers degree than the one from Harvard.

[This photo was backlit by windows, and I bounced a 580 speedlight off the ceiling to provide some fill from the front. Using the self-timer and getting into that position in 10 seconds without knocking anything over was a challenge.]

Before photography, my first creative love remains writing. Words have a certain power and timeless quality that I enjoy. I love the occasional opportunity to merge my passions in life. Oftentimes when shooting details at a wedding, words will jump out at me. I love highlighting those subtle moments. This photo was framed to show the titles and subjects of some of my favorite books. My tastes have always been eclectic, but as with all things I am into, I delve deep and with passion into topics of personal interest. I think I could be one of the world's foremost experts on Peanuts. = ) With any sort of art, I love learning about the general experiences and specific instances that led to inspiration and ultimately creation.

So why is a self-portrait important for photographers? On a macro level, I think it gives you a little more respect and appreciation for the subjects you are photographing. Not everyone is comfortable in front of the lens, and a little empathy never hurt a photographer. On a micro level, setting up your own shot, moving into the frame, and getting everything exactly the way you want it, is quite the challenge. However, going through that tedious agony can only improve your flow when photographing someone else. (If you run with 25 lb weights attached to your ankles, it should feel like you are flying when you take them off.) While I was setting up my shots and trying to execute them, I constantly longed to work with someone else as the subject. Though I've seen my mentor do it on a pretty regular basis, I now have a slightly better idea of how to give someone else direction. As always, I await what this new experience will contribute to my photography when on a real gig.

As for photography in general, I now feel comfortable enough with my gear and able to quickly find the right settings in a given situation. That has opened up more opportunities for creative energy to manifest itself. I still love every chance I get to shoot, and I love being able to pick my mentor's brain with the random questions that surface during the course of a shoot.

Shoot on. Live on.

The Evolution of Me

Ever since one of my good friends decided to tie the knot at a destination wedding in the Caribbean this summer, I have been super excited for June to come. Some may like the mountains, but I am a beach boy, through and through. I have also come to appreciate the finer points of this thing they call a wedding. [The photo above is a detail shot of portions of the Save the Date and RSVP card created by my buddy's fiancee, a talented graphic designer.]

I have to be honest, weddings haven't always excited me. In fact, before I got into photography, I pretty much didn't enjoy going to weddings unless a very close friend of mine was getting married... or unless there was really good food or exceptionally hot female friends of the bride and groom in attendance. Quite frankly, all weddings seemed kind of the same to me.

That all changed the day I shot my first wedding. For the first time in my life, I was truly able to get a bride's perspective on what an emotionally charged day and experience a wedding is. Even though I experienced my own wedding, like many brides and grooms, I think I was too preoccupied to truly relax and enjoy the day. Not to sound sexist, but the way men and women fundamentally approach and feel about a wedding is very different. You need to look no further than who is more into wedding planning. However, I also believe that most women have a much richer experience at their weddings relative to men precisely because they care so much about and have spent time on more of the details.

So now, when I am shooting a wedding, I have grown to love looking for, seeing, and capturing subtle emotions emerging throughout the day. It truly is such an amazing and intimate moment in two people's lives. It's an honor to be there behind the scenes really. Each wedding also makes me think of my wonderful wife and reminds me of what an undeniably important part of my life she is. Every 'I do' that falls upon my ears is not complete without a momentary mental image of my better half. In some ways, I am reliving my own wedding while photographing each wedding.

While wedding budgets vary widely, each event has a unique story to tell. I love finding and helping to share that story. I never would have guessed I would feel this way a year ago. I also have bought more pairs of shoes at Aldo in the past month than my wife, but that is its own story that I am not so keen on sharing...

on sadness

Recently, I was tasked with capturing "sadness" as a photography project.

I failed miserably.

First off, I don't believe in excuses, but I will offer up a couple before I proceed. Normally beautiful weather on the weekend is a great thing, but on a weekend I am lugging my 5DMII around trying to find "sadness," it is really detrimental. Smiles all over the place. Epic failure. There was a small glimmer of hope on Monday afternoon, clouds and rain. As soon as I got home and had my camera in hand, wouldn't you know it, here comes the sun. Epic failure the sequel. I hope this doesn't turn into a trilogy.

My failure was not due to a lack of effort, which I can live with. However, I believe that my failure was due to a lack of good preparation, which ultimately makes execution impossible.

For some reason, when I first thought of the notion of sadness, I envisioned a kid that dropped his/her ice cream cone. If I wanted to make that image happen, I should have parked myself near an ice cream store with a long lens and waited for the moment. Again, not to make excuses, but I doubt my wife would have enjoyed hanging out near an ice cream shop waiting for some random kid to drop his treat on a gorgeous afternoon. It was a rare Saturday off from photography to boot. I am just glad she has been gracious about the amount of time I spend at the studio or on gigs, so I didn't want to push it.

So since I wasn't able to truly capture the notion of sadness in an image, I created the lame image that starts this post. One thing is for sure, any emotion that is "created" is hollow in some way. Jerry Ghionis might disagree, especially given his endorsement of the concept of "posed photojournalism," but I think nothing can match the intensity and authenticity of pure unadulterated emotion. Whether it be sadness or happiness, I will strive to capture genuine and interesting slices of reality.

I follow my dreams. I live with my heart. I just hope one day my photography catches up and fully reflects my passion for life.

WPPI Recap

WPPI was a fantastic week of inspiration and growth. The conference was a mind blowing experience, and it truly opened my eyes to everything that is happening in the photography industry. I enjoyed being surrounded by thousands of photographers and the opportunity to listen to presentations from stars in the photography world (including Joe Buissink above). If you ever have the opportunity to hear Joe speak, I would highly recommend it. The man is immensely talented and humble, two qualities than generally do not pair up.

The passion of the presenters was amazing. It visibly oozed out of their pores. While I didn't agree with every lecturer's approach, I still respected their respective stories and fervor. It really charged me up to continue working on my fundamentals and get started on finding my own style as a photographer. The motto "inspiration not imitation" is certainly an adage to hold close.

So after a week of sitting in seminars from 8 AM to 8PM, I came to the following conclusion. There are two breeds of successful photographer: there are great photographers, and there are great marketers. Loads of creativity can go a long way in covering a lack of formal training, but I have my suspicions as to how long trendy photographers can sustain their businesses. One thing is for sure, if you are successful, you have essentially earned the right to tell people whatever you want to tell them.

Interestingly enough, my week at WPPI is drawing me in two seemingly different directions. In addition to digital photography, I want to shoot film and HD video. Preparing for the future while respecting the past is a running theme in my life, and I would have it no other way. Whatever the medium, I am going to work on visualizing things before I shoot and pouring my emotions into my photos. While I may have been doing this subconsciously before, I want my photography to take on more of a deliberate and sensitive approach.

So eager to get out there and shoot the next gig. Even more anxious to see if an improvement/difference in my work will be readily apparent.

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As for the rest of my time in Vegas, I played poker and slept very little. Finished 19th out of 100 in the WPPI Poker Tournament, but I think I actually played much worse than that number would indicate. In my defense, I was extremely tired the first night and due to unwise loose play out of the gate, I was playing catch-up most of the night. As for poker tournaments, I strongly feel if you don't place in the money, you might as well be the first one out. Next year...

One morning, I got up early and took a few photos. That is how I know I love photography. After a week of sleeping an average of 3 hours a night, I happily climbed out of bed at 6 AM to walk around and shoot.

This guy was deep in thought in front of the Bellagio.

While I recognize there is nothing truly special about this photograph, I like that it demonstrates the properties of morning light.

And if you have never had a deep fried Twinkie, you don't know what you're missing. A fabulous value for 99 cents to boot!

It is often said that, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," but I have brought much back home with me.

Leaving Las Vegas

Just returned from a week in Las Vegas, which sounded like a great idea before I arrived in Vegas but turned out to be a little longer than a Vegas trip should be. Still, I love Vegas, and I am sure I will be stoked to return.

WPPI was awesome! I will share deeper thoughts on it later, but I am truly inspired, challenged, humbled, and just ready to raise my photography game like never before. I would highly recommend anyone interested in seriously pursuing photography to check out the conference.

For now, I must go to sleep.

Daunting Odds

Recently came across these statistics:

In the 1st year, 60% of photographers give up their business. Of that remaining 40%, another 25% will fail within the 2nd year. The ones that make it are the remaining 15% who endure through the 3rd year.

So essentially, 85% of new photographers don't make the cut by the third year. Those are pretty grim figures, and while they are certainly challenging, it doesn't really surprise me.

Why?

Well for starters I think there is much more to photography than owning a DSLR. There is also more to being a successful photographer than learning how to use your DSLR, though that is definitely a necessary step and a prerequisite. Marketing is nice, but it only really works when backing a stellar product. You can't have icing without cake. I guess you could, but who wants that?

The best photographers are out there constantly honing their craft and building upon a solid foundation (lighting, posing, composition) that was painstakingly laid out over time. The gap between the best and the mediocre hasn't necessarily grown any wider, but the ranks of the mediocre have certainly swelled.

Just take an honest look around at the websites and portfolios of the average photographer. Sloppy images and sloppy websites are kind of the norm in the industry. It doesn't surprise me that 85% are not making it past the third year. In fact, it's probably more of a miracle that some were even able to "survive" for even a little while.

I think everyone is entitled to follow their dreams (in any way they see fit), but it shouldn't come as a surprise when you don't hit that 2 outer. If you do, great. But in the long run, you'll probably donate your winnings right back to the table.

Numbers don't lie. People do, which sometimes lead to numbers lying. But in this case, there seems to be a logical explanation for why the numbers are what they are.

Cheers to everyone grappling and working to be a part of the elusive 15% that makes it past the 3rd year. There's no silver or bronze in life. You make it, or you don't.

Baby Shoot

I am not the biggest fan of babies. I do like kids, but I have seen up close how much work and effort it takes to raise one. And I've seen some pretty bad kids too. You just never know what babies are going to be like. I like poker, but I do not like to gamble.

I assisted with a baby/family portrait session this past weekend, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience. Any sort of situation where there is learning pertaining to photography, I tend to enjoy; however, I was surprised at how much emotion there is to capture when a parent holds their infant child. Photography at its core is about chasing light, but a close second is chasing emotion. When those two come together, the results can be quite amazing. My shots may not be amazing, but I can tell that my stuff is improving. And that is always encouraging.

I am thrilled that the client selected a couple of my photos. Nothing brings me satisfaction like someone enjoying my work.