Image Acquisition - Best Practices

I think it's fair to say that, for most people, the immediacy of digital photography is preferred over the film equivalent of the good old days. It's certainly less expensive than film, costing virtually nothing to shoot as many images as we please. This can also lead to the side effect of amassing gigabytes of unneeded and unwanted image files.

Recently, I began to run out of space on my two main hard drives. I examined the data in greater detail and found that I had tens of thousands of photographs just sitting there unedited. The actual quantity of images didn't really surprise me but it was a wakeup call nonetheless. I realized that I'm shooting more photographs than I can ever mentally or digitally process. So it made me think about changing a few of bad habits.

1. Slow down and pay attention - When possible, I will put on the brakes while photographing a subject. I will try to imagine only having 12 exposures on a roll of film so that every shot counts. Each composition needs to be studied and fully contemplated before I press the shutter (assuming it's not an action or event-based scene). This is a good exercise in general because it will yield fewer photos and more "keepers".

2. Keywords - Most all photo editing software allows you to add keywords to the metadata in your image. It's wise to do this at the capture stage so that image of your dog in Barbados can be easily found amongst the thousand shots you took of your cat in Barbados. I haven't been doing this consistently so I will fix that right now.

3. Delete, delete, delete - When I have thoroughly reviewed and chosen my best shots, I will trash the rejects. I'm a photo hoarder, never wanting to delete anything for fear I'll need it for some abstract reason in the distant future. In the 15 years I've been shooting, this need has never materialized.

There are those who say that large hard drives are cheap and there's no need to worry about storing thousands of photos. That may be the case but, with some simple media management, I can spend more time editing and less time sorting. That's what I want.

Digital photography is a truly amazing medium and we have all the tools needed to manage our photographs efficiently. I think a marriage of today's technology and some time-honored principles from the past will make the experience more productive...and enjoyable.

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Through a Pinhole

I'm always experimenting with lenses, old and new, in my attempt to capture a presence or soul in my work. Most recently, I've even attached an old bellows camera from the early 1900s to my camera.When I look back on these photographs, each has their own personality. To me, they are not a mere reflection of the everyday world, rather, they are altered versions of the familiar. 

I'd heard of a thing called pinhole photography over the years but never thought about applying it in a digital context. The pinhole method, in itself, is a fascinating process. Basically anything that can be light-tight, such as a cookie tin or a wooden box can become a pinhole camera.

Originally discovered centuries ago, it was observed that light coming through a tiny hole in an otherwise dark enclosure would project an upside down image on the opposite wall. This became known as theCamera Obscura (dark room). During the Renaissance, artists used this principle to create what were known as Perspective Instruments. They traced the projected image onto paper or canvas to create a realistic depiction of the world.

Fascinating, you say, but what has that got to do with pinhole photography? Everything, actually. By removing the lens from my camera and replacing it with a body cap, it becomes a light-sealed chamber. By creating a tiny pinhole in the cap, I have my own Camera Obscura. Now I have the ability to capture images without using a lens at all! There's something magical about the process.

By its nature, especially in the digital realm, pinhole photographs are not sharp. In fact, that's part of their charm. Also, because the hole is so tiny, only a small amount of light gets through to the camera. It takes much longer to make an exposure than using a traditional lens. Exposure times can range from a few seconds to hours.

These long exposures provide many creative opportunities. In a fun shot that was 30 seconds long, for instance, I stood on one side of the scene for about 12 seconds and then quickly shifted to the other side for another 12 seconds. The resulting photograph looks like there were two people present.

Pinhole photography has a strong community of inventors. Entire rooms have been converted to pinhole cameras. People have even transformed their cars into image-making devices.

While the genre itself is traditionally more associated with film photography, digital does occupy a small and growing community.

More than other traditional methods of photography, pinholing lends itself the most to creative expression. Search any pinhole photographer on the Web and you will find images as individual as the artists who made them. 

A big part of the appeal for me is that I never know exactly what the final photograph will look like, especially if there's motion involved. I particularly like slowly shifting my body in a self portrait to create a ghost-like presence. It expands on the notion that photography captures a single moment in time. When using a pinhole, it's more about recording the actual passing of time.

When we finally settle down from our life on the road, I may make my own pinhole camera and try using film. I'm definitely tempted to turn my RV into a camera but I don't think Linda would be too keen on that. In the meantime, I'm happy to have found yet another way to create images that feel more imagined than real.

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A Life on the Road

I've never before experienced such sustained contentment. Call it happiness but it's not as fleeting as that.

When we traded our traditional sticks and bricks existence for one of reduced living space on the road, my wife and I weren't sure what to expect. Our fantasies had us gallivanting around the United States as free as two birds. This huge country could never be fully explored in one lifetime so we would never run out of new places to explore.

From what I've read, people get on the road for one of two reasons; to find themselves or lose themselves. Our motivation is the former although truthfully, I think the actual experience might be a combination of the two.

As I write this, I'm staring out the window of our motorhome at the desert. Specifically, Borrego Springs State Park in Southern California. Unlike my friends on the East Coast, we have managed to elude the wrath of El Niño. Although we've had a variety of weather, temperatures have mostly hovered around a very comfortable 70 degrees.

We invested in solar panels last year which dramatically increased our options for camping. We are currently parked off the grid with no electric pedestal in sight. All of our water is on board and, for heat and cooking, we use propane. Every couple of weeks or so, we need to find somewhere to dump our tanks and replenish our fresh water supply but, in the meantime, we are as free as we will ever be.

We are not completely alone out here. There are about thirty other RVs around us, each maintaining a respectable distance from their neighbor. That suits me fine because I feel a sense of security in numbers. Being truly isolated would be somewhat nerve wracking. I have had dreams where we are miles away from anyone and anything and suddenly, in the black of the night, there is a loud knock on our door. Cue the jump-scare music.

What makes this chosen lifestyle such a success for me personally is a frequent sense of gratitude for the opportunities I have. When I read about all of the atrocities around the world and the hardships that people endure, I count myself as one of the lucky few who got away. The world is a beautiful place and I see it and feel it everyday. It's absolutely thrilling and, as a photographer, I simply couldn't ask for more. I feel sorry for people who, for whatever reasons, won't or can't experience that kind of joy.

We will stay in the desert until we are ready to move on, ready to change our window view. Whatever that looks like, one thing is for sure, we will be as free as two birds having the time of our lives.

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Home on the Ranch

We're making it a winter tradition to visit Linda's parents at their ranch house in Texas. It's a kind of base for us to gather with our kids and extended family and a chance to come off the road to recharge.

Live Oak Ranch, as it's known, is located fifteen miles outside the little town of Merkel and Linda's parents live there on a part time basis. Late this year, however, the property began a transformation of sorts. Linda's sister Shannon and her husband JP decided to build their own house on the hundred-acre property with eight goats, four horses, two chickens, three cats and two dogs in tow.

We arrived just before Thanksgiving and there was a definite chill in the air. We got busy right away with holiday meal plans and spent the afternoon keeping the dogs company.

I don't usually associate Texas with winter frost and fog but we encountered both during our stay.

On our first morning, I awoke to a frosty landscape. The entire place looked like it was covered in snow. I grabbed my camera, put on my smallest lens (27mm pancake) and walked out the door. Being out and about with a single prime lens is relatively new to me. I'm usually more comfortable with a zoom lens or a choice of primes in my bag. That way, I feel sure I won't miss a thing.

Using a fixed focal length lens is challenging but also liberating and rewarding. If I see something worth shooting, instead of standing still, I can either move back or forth to achieve my desired framing. Changing my relative distance helps me engage better with the subject. The 27mm lens is wide enough for landscape work but I can also get in tight for closeup shots without noticeable distortion. Mostly, it creates the most compact version of my camera and frees me from the burden of too many choices and a heavy kit.

A few days later, a thick mist surrounded the ranch and beckoned me. Nothing makes me wake up, get up and get out as fast as a soupy sunrise.

When we visit the ranch each year, we stay in our motorhome beside a large live oak tree. I've wanted to record this tree in a very specific way since I first saw it. The problem is that there's just too much stuff behind it to make it stand out.

When the fog rolled in, it transcended the scene to the one in my imagination. Now the big live oak displayed its majesty in strong contrast to the milky background.

Much like snow, fog mutes both color and sound. Objects are revealed briefly until the mist disperses and they once again return to hiding.

Everywhere I looked, photographs announced themselves and vied for my attention. There was a sense of mystery about what was lurking up ahead as details faded into oblivion. It all conspired to become a delicious visual cocktail.

The Burn Pile
This area is remote from services such as garbage collection so burning trash and debris from clearing the land is quite a common thing. A fire of this size needs to be closely monitored for at least a few hours to ensure its safety. It was quite meditative sitting there, watching the flames and feeling the warmth on this brisk day.



Workshop Still Life
It's easy to be inspired by things lying around the ranch. With a background in urban and suburban living, very little about a ranch is familiar to me. This arrangement of oil cans, for instance, drew my eye. A few hours later, they were gone, replaced on shelves until summoned to usefulness once again.

Seeing the Light
Every morning, I went in search of the effects of the sunrise. Evidence was abundant, casting long shadows on the exterior of the house, creating a soft wash in the workshop and then boldly announcing itself through the front door. I love how fleeting it all is, never shining again in the exact same way or in the same place.

During my stay, the ranch began its carnival of animals. Two by two and four by eight they arrived. The goats were the loudest of all. Each had a completely different personality and all fought for the tastiest chow spot.

Shannon and JP had to leave for a few days so Linda's dad John and I tried to figure out what to do with these four-leggers. As it turns out, goat herding did not actually need the heavy supervision we had first imagined. Although we were a little stressed about possibly losing the goats, they surprised us by staying close to home in a tight formation.

Documenting work at the ranch and getting to spend time with the people and animals was a rare treat. I gleaned quite a bit from John and JP's extensive knowledge. Being with them is like being an apprentice rancher. I always come away from the experience having learned about tools I didn't even know existed. Hey, you never know when you might need them :)

When the horses appeared, they added something quite special to my experience. Throughout my life, I have had an affinity for these beautiful beasts. I don't quite know why but there is a calm about them that can't be equaled. Spending any kind of time with horses feels, to me, like a privilege.

My son Zac and daughter Tara flew down to see us. They both loved being with the animals and even managed to fit in a little horse riding. There was no shortage of stimulation for each of them. Zac was particularly fascinated by some sheep skulls he retrieved from an old barn.

Being at the ranch was time well spent but, as soon as Christmas Day passed, our family began to return home and Linda and I were ready to get on the road once again. Next stop: RV camping off the grid in the Borrego Springs desert in Southern California. Have I mentioned that I love this life? Happy New Year!

My Adobe Spark (formerly Slate) presentation of this post is available here

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