Pictures At An Exhibition

I would like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to my recent photo exhibition "Summer In New York".

Thanks very much to the staff and management of Two Moon Art House and Café in Brooklyn for hosting the event.

Thanks to the skilled craftsmen and creative minds at West Coast Imaging for the a spectacular printing and mounting job and for taking the time to answer all of my questions so patiently.

Thanks to the folks who invented "Ooks" (picture hanging hardware).  Your little gadgets really came in handy, and it was a lot easier than drilling holes into walls.

Thanks to Canon for doing what you do so well.

And thanks very, very, VERY much to EVERYONE who came out on opening night.  I appreciate the time and effort and travel that was involved in getting there.  But having you at my show meant more than I can express in words.

I enjoyed our spirited conversations and hearing which photos everyone liked the best - such an interesting diversity of opinions!  This night was an experience that I'll treasure for a long, long time, and I'll always treasure the memory of sharing it with YOU!! 

The Three Amigos

Thank You, One And All!!

Looking forward to more showings in 2013 and beyond!

Until then...

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2012 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved

Save The Date - Upcoming Show!

Summer In New York

I am extremely pleased to announce that Two Moon Art House & Café in Brooklyn will be showing selections from my Summer In New York collection next month.  Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, June 16th at 7 PM.  I'll post more information when Two Moon publishes their official announcement.

I've attached a few samples for your viewing pleasure.  Hope to see you there!!

The exhibit will run through the week of July 4th.

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2012 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved

Photographing Exotic Locales - Part One

It's A Big World - See Some Of It

Someone once said that if you want to take a better picture, point your camera at something amazing.

It's wonderful to explore photo opportunities close to home, but there's no substitute for travel.

It's a big world.  There's no shortage of fascinating places to visit, intriguing sights to see, exciting adventures to cherish, and amazing things to photograph.

So pack your bags and charge your batteries, because it's time to go on a little trip.

When something catches your eye, photograph it in the best possible light.

Silhouetted Statues, Portugal

Keep in mind that the best light is sometimes bright and sunny.

Fishing Boats Based on an Ancient Phoenician Design, Portugal

Some subjects will be obvious.

St. Mark's Church, Zagreb, Croatia

While others will require some imagination.

Church Tower Through A Round Window, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Isolate features for clean compositions.

Tower Overlooking the Sea from the City Wall, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Or shoot wide to capture a sense of place.

Morning Street in the Walled City, Dubrovnik

Look for things that you've never seen before.

Illuminated Platform by the Sea, Zadar, Croatia

And NEVER lose your sense of innocence and fun.

Dogs Welcome, Zagreb

The images above were captured in Croatia and Portugal.

Cameras:

            Pentax 67 II film camera

            Canon 5D Mark II digital camera

Lenses:

            A whole bunch of 'em.

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2012 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved

Discovering the Magic of the Familiar

Exploring Photo Opportunities Close To Home

Someone once said: "You can make good photographs anywhere.  You can even make good photographs in New Jersey."

I laughed when I head this quote. It seems like yet another good-natured Jersey joke, but it also contains valuable wisdom for photographers and artists in all genres. 

We don't need to visit exotic, far-away places in order to make appealing images. We can find worthwhile photographic opportunities near home no matter where we live - even if we live in New Jersey (as I did for many years). 

Working close to home has notable advantages.

It affords us the ability to visit locations again and again. If a subject doesn't work well in the morning, we can come back and photograph it again in the evening. If not in summer, try again in the winter or spring. If the flowers aren't blooming or the trees haven't changed color yet, we can try again next week. We can shoot familiar locations in all sorts of weather conditions.

Plus don't forget that shooting locally is cheaper than flying, and you don't have to take off your belt and shoes.

Barnegat Light - Long Beach Island - New Jersey

This photo of Barnegat Lighthouse is a great example. I visited the lighthouse many times over the course of several years before I worked out the exact combination of camera, lens, light, and weather that I'd need to capture my vision. On many days, the light was a complete bust. Either I'd gotten there too late, or it was blocked by haze or clouds in the western sky. In fact, I had driven to the lighthouse one day before taking this photo and came away with nothing. But the next day everything finally came together.

Luckily, nobody had stolen the red picnic table in the meantime.  ;-)

Marshland At Sunset - Sandy Hook National Recreation Area

An even less likely candidate for an artistic image is this marshland at Sandy Hook. A hazy summer sky blocked most of the 'good' light on this particular day, but somehow it produced a dramatic and colorful sunset. The marsh waters reflected the color of the sky.

Note that no color filters were used to capture this shot. I didn't add any red or purple - that's the color of the sky captured directly onto a nice big piece of film.

I had made frequent trips to Sandy Hook throughout the year (braving swarms of aggressive mosquitoes and midges in the warmer months). I kept track of what the light was doing in a number of locations. On the day that the magic happened, I was ready. I knew instinctively where to go to get the shot.

Chapel - Fort Hancock - Sandy Hook National Recreation Area

The chapel at Fort Hancock isn't a particularly impressive structure, but one day the setting sun gave it a warm glow. I took special steps to match the exposure of the white building with the darker grass.

Officer's Row House - Fort Hancock - New Jersey

If I were to select one image that summarizes everything that I've learned about photography over the years, this photo of an Officer's House at Fort Hancock would be on my short list. I won't go into great detail, but an awful lot of work and planning (and luck!) went into creating this shot.

For instance, this side of the building receives direct sunlight only two weeks out of the year. I knew the kind of shot that I wanted to make, but I had to wait for the planet to get into position before I could take it. That requires scouting, planning, and a measure of tenacity.

The exposure required techniques that I developed over years of practice. I used my view camera to eliminate distortion of the architectural details. The placement of the building, tree, and horizon line illustrate key elements of my compositional philosophy.

Finally, as for the windswept clouds and the con trails that match the slope of the roof precisely - let's just say that I've learned to recognize when the Good Lord is being kind to me, and I do everything in my power to avoid wasting those opportunities.

My sincere advice to any aspiring photographer would be to take your camera out and shoot something close to home. Then go back and shoot it again and again until you hit on just the right combination of elements. Familiar places can produce spectacular images when we photograph them at the right moment and under the right conditions.

Camera:

            Ebony SV45TE view camera

Lenses:

            Nikon NIKKOR-SW 90mm f/4.5

            Schneider APO-Symmar-L 150mm f/5.6

Film:
            Fujifilm Velvia 100

(No digital cameras were harmed during the making of this post.)

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2012 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved

Photographing The Urban Landscape

Reframing Metropolis

Landscape photography is one of my great loves - sunsets, seashores, mountain lakes and stunning vistas, images that leap off of the page and inspire dreams of travel and adventure. I began my study of photography in earnest after viewing exhibitions of the great masters. Their work was so compelling, so visually arresting that it almost didn't seem possible. I wanted to understand their approach and the techniques involved. I wanted to learn all that I could so that one day I might realize my own landscape vision.

My dream faced two immediate complications. Firstly, I had no photographic skills or training; I didn't even own a decent camera. I would need to learn the art and craft of photography from the ground up. Secondly, I didn't live near a scenic wilderness. My life is conducted mostly in cities. I could travel on occasion, but I wouldn't be able to build a portfolio by working only a few weeks out of the year. I would need to shoot as often as possible, and that meant photographing nearby places.

This raised interesting questions. Could I apply the elements of landscape photography to an urban setting? Would the merger of landscape techniques and city skylines yield images that could satisfy the discriminating viewer? 

Lower Manhattan Without The World Trade Center

Element One - Light

Light is the most critical component of photography no matter where it's done. When I spotted the scene above, the sunset had reached peak warmth. I set the camera up as quickly as possible. Here, I opted to use a specialized "tilt-shift" lens to keep both the foreground and background in focus. But this required extra time and a painstaking manual focusing procedure.

By the time I'd finished composing and focusing, I managed to capture only a handful of shots before the golden glow faded. I could have come back on another day, but the light would have been different and the sky's unique texture would never be replicated.

Brooklyn Bridge Near Sunset

Element Two - Composition

The Brooklyn Bridge is a highly photogenic structure, but it's usually crowded with cars and mobbed with pedestrians. Standing on the boardwalk in the center of the bridge I shot upward to isolate the support and the suspension wires from the bustling activity below. The result is a clean, tranquil composition that highlights the geometrical complexity of the intersecting wires. A gust of wind unfolded the flag as the sunset cast pastel colors on distant haze.

Sailboats - World Financial Center Marina

Element Three - Adaption To The Surroundings

Urban photography presents special challenges. Tripod usage is rarely questioned in the wilderness or in national parks. But set up a tripod in the city and you're likely to meet some new friends. Overzealous security guards can materialize seemingly out of thin air to inform you - correctly or incorrectly - that tripod usage is forbidden in the area where you were about to take your photo.

The walkway encircling this marina is full of security guards and camera-unfriendly park employees. I didn't even bother to pull the tripod out of its bag. Without a tripod the low light levels would present a challenge - if the shutter speed were too slow, a handheld image would be blurred from 'camera shake'. I needed to find another way to manage movement and capture a sharp image.

I boosted the camera's ISO setting to 3200. This is close to the limit where the sensor will record visible electronic noise, but it increased the shutter speed enough to make a handheld shot possible. The final image is surprisingly sharp and detailed. 

Lower Manhattan Under a Pink Sky

Element Four - Being Present And Observant

All of the light in that we see passes through our atmosphere. As conditions change from clear to cloudy to hazy, the light changes accordingly. We need to be present and observant in order to leverage these changes for our benefit. What is the light doing now? How quickly is it likely to change? Which subjects would photograph well in the light that's available? Are distant clouds threatening to block the light or obscure the sunset?

Occasionally, the atmosphere itself becomes the subject of the photo. I was about to put my camera away for the evening when I spotted these pink clouds standing out against the blue cast of the twilight sky. I was able to capture the unusual blend of colors just seconds before the pink light faded into oblivion. Something happened that I hadn't expected, and I was able to exploit it and capture a fresh interpretation of a well-known skyline. I was present and observant. And ready.

The Grand Urban Landscape concept shows promise. As a bonus, we won't have to sleep in tents to shoot city skylines. Some hiking may be required, however.  ;-)

Camera:
            Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Lenses:

            Canon 16-35 f/2.8L II

            Canon TS-E24 f/3.5L II

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2012 Daniel R. South

www.dansouthphoto.com

All Rights Reserved

Revelation At Pigeon Point Lighthouse

"We Take Pictures Of Light"

It sounded so simple at the time. While leafing through a magazine that I was about to recycle, I came across an interesting passage. It puzzled me at first, but it would become the single most important piece of advice I that would receive as a photographer. I don't even remember the author's name - and I apologize for not quoting him here - but I do remember his words. The idea stuck in my mind because it challenged me to think in a new way.

"We don't take pictures of people, places, or objects.  We take pictures of light."

It would be years before I would understand the significance of this message, but one evening at Pigeon Point moved me closer toward that realization.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Ebony SV45TE, Fujichrome Velvia 100

Light. Photographers talk about light all the time - good light, bad light, quality of light, the right light, the direction of light, waiting for light. But what is good light and where do you learn about it? I don't recall seeing any books or articles on the subject. Magazines and websites talk mostly about equipment. Photography books explain principles of exposure and composition, but the subject of light merits little discussion.

When I bought my first "serious" camera and started pointing it at the world, I had very naïve ideas about what constituted good light. My early attempts at photography suffered as a result. I assumed that a technical understanding of exposure and lenses and filters would create memorable images.

As a budding enthusiast I made a trip to California in search of photo opportunities. I had a nice camera, decent lenses, and I was surrounded by world class scenery, yet the photos from that trip were not particularly memorable. They were technically solid - the exposure was correct and the focus was accurate - but the images lacked impact. My limited understanding of light was a big factor.

I did gain some insights on the trip, and over time with more study and experimentation I made steady progress. When I returned to California two years later, I considered myself to be a seasoned and knowledgeable photographer. But there's always more to learn.

On the last day of my travels I planned make a stop at Pigeon Point Lighthouse. It's one of my favorite destinations on the California coast. I would have limited time to shoot the sunset, then it would be off to the airport for an overnight flight.

Conditions were excellent. The calm air was clear and warm. Coastal plant life was in bloom. I was shooting during the last hour of daylight, the "golden hour" that landscape photographers pursue. I shot several rolls of film thinking that I was coming away with good images in good light. I was about to pack up and head toward the airport.

Then it happened. The light changed before my eyes. It morphed into something better, something amazing. It was richer, warmer, more colorful, and more magical than any light that I could remember having photographed before.  I was running short on time, but I couldn't leave. I needed to keep shooting. Luckily I still had some film in my bag.

I shot as many frames as I could. The light probably lasted all of about four or five minutes. When it faded, I quickly packed the car and sped off toward the airport. I was concerned about missing my flight, but I couldn't stop thinking about the majestic light that I had just witnessed. Why hadn't I seen it before, or if I had, why didn't I pay more attention? The photos from the entire trip would have been better if I could have anticipated and harnessed this phenomenon.

"We don't take pictures of people, places, or objects. We take pictures of light."

I was beginning to get the message.


Over the coming years I became a student of light. I actively pursued the conditions where the best light was likely to reveal itself. It doesn't happen every day, but I began to experience it more and more frequently as I learned what to look for.

Lighthouse Tower In Focus

On my next trip to California I shot primarily with a large-format view camera. The view camera has distinct advantages. First of all, the film is larger and can produce a finely detailed image when exposed carefully. View cameras also feature a flexible build. The lens and film planes are independently adjustable and linked together by a soft leather bellows. The flexible design helps eliminate distortion and solves some tricky focusing problems.

For instance, it's very difficult to get both near and far objects in focus. Usually, only one or the other will be sharp, but the view camera makes it possible to have them both in focus in many circumstances.

Foreground Flowers In Focus

At Pigeon Point I was able to use the special features of the view camera to keep both the flowers and the tower in sharp focus. The ocean has a softer, slightly out of focus look, which adds to the mood of the overall image. Luckily, I was very fortunate and met with excellent light on several occasions. The image displayed here is from one of those lovely sunsets.


A Note On Colors And Processing

Below I have included the original scan showing the film borders. I asked the technicians who scanned the file to add only enough processing to match the look of the original piece of film on a light box. They did an amazing job. If you view this piece of film on the light box it will match the color and contrast of the image that you see here. This is the advantage of shooting in good light. You don't need to apply a bunch of Photoshop tricks to make an appealing image. Recognizing good light is the biggest part of the battle.

Same image with untrimmed film borders

Bottom line: It took a few years to develop the skills required to make this image, not the least of which was the ability to recognize good light and the conditions that foretell its arrival, and then to capture it effectively. The work that I put in over those years seems well worth it, as I carry the lessons of Pigeon Point and the magic of light with me every time I open my camera bag.

Camera: Ebony SV45TE

Lens: Nikkor SWA 90/4.5

Film: Fujichrome Velvia 100

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!


Copyright 2012 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved