Then and Now

This week's photo shows two cameras fifty years apart.  The Minolta on the left is my first serious camera and to the right a Nikon Z8 mirrorless.  This week's blog is not as much about the photo as it is about photography and gear we use. The gear we choose is a personal choice that goes well beyond all the technical hype promoted each camera brand.  For me it has always been about the experience and the photo.  One reason I shoot Nikon is because over the years I have acquired some of Nikon's best DSLR glass and it is that old glass that I will use via an adapter on my new camera.  I like to think that this process parallels my transition to mirrorless - same old eyes looking to interact with the world in new ways.

After months of thought and yearning, I bought my first mirrorless camera, a Nikon Z8.  In my mind, it will be my final camera. One personal reason I chose it was for the challenge and complexity it offers. Just as I want to become a more thoughtful and creative photographer, I wanted a camera that would challenge me and reward my thoughtfulness as I continue to grow.

My Z8 purchase has made me feel as I have come full circle in my hobby.  I have moved from mechanical shutters to essentially shutterless, from mirrors to mirrorless (already miss that "thunk"), from simple settings to multiple shooting banks. Many mixed thoughts accompany this transition.  

My past DSLRs were within a comfort zone and each new camera somewhat built upon what I had learned previously trending back to that old Minolta 102.  I didn't have to think much about how to use my gear, but now I will have to do just that from camera set up to field use.  For an intermediate time, I expect to miss and take worse photos because I am again a beginner as much as I was in the mid 1970s.      

That said, I am truly looking forward to shooting with my new Z8 while feeling a bit nostalgic about my old Minolta 102 which was a gift from my parents.  Little did I know how much that gift would help me open my eyes into my soul and to world surrounding me.  I hope that my Z8 will stir my imagination and press my desire to create more memorable moments and photos.  

 Down and Dirty with Dad

Being that this is Fathers Day weekend, I want to shout out a cheer and give a nod of respect and thanks to dads everywhere.

This past Thursday evening we attended an outdoor concert featuring a group called American English, a Beatles tribute band.  Do I love Beatles music?  Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!  However, I was pleasantly distracted during the concert by a young family sitting on the blanket in front of us.  

The family consisted of a mom, a infant girl, a dad, and an energetic, inquistitive 4 year old boy.  As the band sang the words "there are places I remember...",  I watched the boy discover a small mound of fresh black dirt and proceed to stomp on it, sit in it, and create freshly patted gourmet dirt cookies with his tiny hands.  He then presented this freshly created treat to his mom and dad on the family blanket.  Dad showed interest and appreciation for this gift, and later as the boy discovered the first lightning bugs of the season, Dad came off the blanket bringing a magnifying glass so he could share with his son a closer look.  I thought about how this dad embraced his son's interests and came prepared with a magnifying glass to build their relationship by exploring those interests with him.  

What an advantage children have when they are fortunate enough to have had a loving father during their childhood years!   When we get feeling all smug and proud of who we have become and made of our lives, that might be the time to take a step back and remember dear old dad. Remember the influence he had on the people we are becoming and his role in sharing values, ideas, and dad jokes.  We didn't get any choice or input into the person who was to become our dad, but we certainly changed his life and person. If you are one of the lucky ones, you got a dad who was confident enough to be playful and silly, who spoke in and displayed crazy "dadisms" that we will always remember. However, most importantly we got a dad who valued a personal relationship with us and expressed his love in various ways to show that we were important to him and that he was your dad and you were unabashedly his child.

I describe myself as and opportunistic photographer, and this week's photos were what my caught my eye as the evening's light grew dim.  The low light gave me the thought of trying to drag the shutter to create a portrait of this child's boundless energy and curiosity.  I was pleased with the result (1/6th sec. @ f5.6) and like to think that someday when the physical details of this moment are forgotten, the image will become a favorite memory of a future dirty father.  

 Harassment in Nature

I'm running a bit behind schedule this week due to many factors such as rainy weather, an enlarged social calendar and weather delayed mandatory outdoor chores.  All of these things add up to very little time to be out making photos.  For some reason, I am better motivated to write my blog if I have a recent photo or a recent photographic experience to discuss.

      

Click Image to Enlarge

I finally got out with the camera Tuesday evening and chose to visit Nygren Wetlands, not far from where I live.  I am always rejuvenated by this place even when I don't see anything to photograph.  Last night didn't start with any instant inspiration as the only critters were a pair of sand hill cranes, one mallard, a host of redwings darting from reed to reed and a full chorus of songbirds hidden away within the dense tree canopy.  As I stared at the good light being wasted for lack of a subject, I embraced the calm ambience of the early evening.  Suddenly, the redwings became incensed at the crane's intrusion into their sacred place.  Then the evening got much more entertaining for me and a bit less tranquil for the cranes.

For some reason our minds tend to romanticize nature existing in perfect harmony. Perhaps this is from watching Bambi, Thumper or others in the Disney family.  Maybe we like to believe that harmony exists in nature because it seems so infrequent within our daily lives.  However, harmony in nature is not the rule as this week's photo clearly shows. Just like us, the critters have their squabbles with those outside their group.  The only difference is that grudges seem not to be part of their composition, unlike us.

The challenge in taking this series of photos was the anticipation of the rapid and spontaneous attacks while holding focus.  I also learned that it is best to overshoot such sequences to enable easier screening in post.  In this instance, I screened out shots where the red epaulettes on the blackbirds didn't display well enough to help them stand out from the background.  Of course, capturing an angry response from the sandhill was equally important.  I hate to admit it, but it is entertaining to watch a good squabble that doesn't end in gunfire!

Click to Enlarge

Here's Looking at 

You Kid!

My blog photo for this week is one that was taken by my daughter on on her cell phone.  Now, I could rightfully claim that this photo is great simply because it features my grandson.  Nothing more needs to be said.  When I first saw it, I strongly connected with it not just because its my grandson but because it is 100% genuine kid.

This photo is what child portraits should look like instead of those cheezy, posed, show your teeth images that fail to reflect a kid's true spirit.  Images like this are captured during those "in between" moments and when a child is so engrossed in their world that they have forgotten that the camera is present.  Tousled hair, a smudged face or a belly laugh or  mischievious smirk are all elements on display in genuine kid photography.  Contemplative moments, wonder and surprise  along with tears and disappointment all have a place as well.  My comments are not intended to deride family photos and those special occasion photos that call for being shined up and slicked down in order to document family history and traditions.  My preference would be for a greater balance between formal posed photography and less formal child portraiture.  With the availablity of cell phones, I think this transition is taking place. 

After my daughter shared the photo, I converted it to a black and white print using older NIK software simulating vintage Illford Delta100 film.  I also recropped the photo and tweaked the tones.  The black and white seemed to make the image less personal for me and more representative of those many children I encountered over many years.

My working years as an elementary school principal provided with me with volumes of mental snapshots of children and the adults who were part of their lives.  This week's photo is a representation of the many young faces which graced the bench outside my office while waiting to see the principal.  There remains a warm place in my heart for those kids who were sent to my office.  My visits with them helped remind me of how a kid sees the world and how we all never grow too old for an attitude adjustment along with a second chance.

Dust Off that Macro Lens

My photo this week was taken with my Tokina AT-X 100mm F/2.8 macro lens which I purchased used on ebay several years ago.  I infrequently use the lens, but every once in awhile, I take it out for a walk around.  

One reason I shy away from using my macro is that it requires me to slow down and causes me to be more deliberate (proactive)  in my photography.  When using this macro lens, its thin depth of field becomes a blessing and a curse as it is difficult to manage keeping the camera and objects photographed on a parallel plane. 

Macro photography also requires a physical steadiness that is slipping away with passing years, but simultaneously makes me feel quite smug for buying a tripod that I enjoy using.  Periodically, I return to macro photography because it gives me unexpected glimpses into unique details hidden within ordinary objects, and the design of the macro lens accents those details with flowing dreamy colors and shapes surrounding the subject. 

My subject for this week's photo was just outside my front door.  Those irises which were stiff, green blades with tight buds last week, became delicate, colorful blooms today.  Since irises remain in bloom for such a short period, I photographed them to celebrate their blooming time beyond their normal brief season.

The featured photo is a single exposure that I photographed from a perspective to use the concrete sidewalk as its background.  I chose this as a background to isolate this iris from the many others around it and to create a high key effect. This was done intentionally to display the fine details within this particular flower.  

My reward was that I was able to see, for the first time,  that silky, transparent protective membrane surrounding each bloom that is much like a the wrapping of a cocoon around an emerging butterfly.  My composition created the fine art effect that I desired and reminded me how mysterious and "intrically simple" are the ways of nature.

In Praise of Seconds

How do you feel about seconds?  When we think of seconds, we may think about having seconds of a tasty dessert, purchasing seconds, as in factory seconds, which may represent a special value in clothing or matresses, etc. or being awarded a second as in finishing the competition as a runner up -- good but not the best.  Seconds can represent something positive, something that is functional which is simply good enough, but seconds may also dennote an undesirable or disappointing outcome.  

I am thinking about seconds because I am in the process of identifying my most fundamental beliefs or closely held values in the form of a short list.  One of those beliefs that will make my final "life list" is the concept of seconds as in second looks, second chances, etc.

This week's photo falls under that label of a second.  It does not meet my standard as an excellent photo or as I like to call them, "a wall hanger".   As a photograph it will remain in an obscure digital file on my computer but it has served its immediate purpose by displaying to me that I have got a lot of learning to do if I am to change my future results.

The biggest flaw in this photo is that it doesn't feel right. It is not engaging intellectually or emotionally. I believe that great photos stir a response initially within the photographer and then within the viewer.  This one clearly is a second in that regard. The "What's Wrong List" starts with the object arrangement, their proportions, and the absence of textures which create dimension.  The list grows from this point to include the following:  1. a crop that is too tight, 2. lighting is underexposed given that most objects are dark in color, 3. there is no defining reflection off the Mason Jar leaving the right side with no highlights and  4. the worn revolver provides no physical dimension or meaning so it seems to lay within the frame like the horse head in the Godfather movie scene.  Except, it doesn't even provoke shock.

What is right about this photo is that it motivates me to study and shoot a still life again.  Creating a still life is challenging and fun.  This photo contains nothing that is not correctable given a second chance and further knowledge about composing still life photos.  My next attempt may not be a wall hanger either but I will be satisified knowing that I will use my disappointment with this photo to motivate my next attempt.

I invite you to tell me how what you would change to make this photo a future keeper.  How do your failures influence your photography?

Saluting Spring Greens

This photo was taken in a local forest preserve near me that holds a treasure chest of unusual ducks, birds and critters such as deer, foxes, coyotes, and bobcat and an abundance of wild berries whose vines wrap around your feet as you try to walk through its wilder areas. I chose to take this photo because of the variety of greens and the water which will soon succomb to pond scum that will hold sway until late fall.

Before summer pushes to center stage, I wanted to speak of spring greens. Springtime is the only season of the year when nature provides us with a full palete of green unlike any time of year.  Maybe it is because winter has dulled my senses, but each spring I am stunned and rejuvenated by the array of green color that blankets the landscape.  Picking a favorite season of the year is like picking your favorite child.  I just can't do it.  Each child has their own qualities that quicken and squeeze my heart and together they give meaning to belonging and family.  I am convinced that each child contibutes special qualities adding to the fullness of my life, as does each season.