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.

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

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Soul Searching - The Lost Art of Imperfection

These days, I don't seek out or need the newest, shiniest, sharpest and highest resolution photographic equipment money can buy. In fact, I'm consumed in my quest for the complete opposite - a kind of illusive, soulful quality that I've only experienced shooting with vintage lenses.

Years ago, before we (us humans) refined the process of mass production, things were crafted with our bare hands. Even those things that weren't entirely handmade at least had a visible human touch. It could be seen in loose dabs of paint or in the way, for instance, the corner of a piece of wood or metal was finished. It's now the kind of thing sought after by collectors but I've had an appreciation for it since my childhood.

Nowadays, if something is not perfect, we demand a replacement and, by cracky, we'll get it. While there are a few things in my life that I wish were perfect, my own photography is not one of them.

I spent years honing my craft so that my photographs would look "professional". At some point, I think I crossed that threshold because, looking back on my early attempts, I can clearly see marked improvement.

When I reached my goal, I thought I would be ecstatic but the more "perfect" my images became, the more they drifted from my vision of what a good photograph ought to be. With the passing of time, each image became more sterile, more clinical and had less... soul.

Today's cameras can capture enough information to faithfully render the appearance of anything we choose to shoot. Yet, companies keep telling us we need more resolution, bigger screens, more colors, sharper images. It's insane. What they don't say is that you need a brand new computer to process all of that new and unnecessary information or a bigger room to accommodate your giant TV. Now the multimegapixel photograph of your cat that you shot with your phone can be printed to fit a billboard in Times Square. You can also capture video of that same cat on your phone at a staggering 4K Ultra HD resolution that wouldn't look amiss on an IMAX screen!!

Aside from all this absurdity, it also becomes cost-prohibitive. For my upcoming trip to Alaska, I wanted a lens with a decent reach for my anticipated wildlife encounters. Fujifilm's new 100-400mm lens is almost $2000! I can't afford that. So I did my research on the Web to figure out a decent alternative. A quick look on eBay resulted in the discovery of a Russian lens, made in the 70s, that closely resembles a rocket launcher. It is 300mm (with my crop sensor, that's about a 450mm full-frame equivalency). It has no image stabilization, no autofocus but, with some care on a tripod, I can get perfectly acceptable shots. They are not going to be edge-to-edge sharp but I don't care. The lens cost me $80.

I have a couple more vintage Russian lenses that have helped me find the soul in my work once again. Maybe it's the flaws in the old glass, maybe it's the fact that I have to be more methodical using manual focus, or maybe I'm creating something beyond the basic image. Is it possible to photograph the emotion or feeling of a place? I think it is and these old lenses somehow strip all the precision away and facilitate that magic.

My most unusual experiment recently has been to couple my Fujifilm camera with an old pocket bellows camera from the early 1900s. The camera has none of the modern technology we take for granted like lens coatings and precise focusing, etc. but it produces a picture that sometimes gives me chills.

This is what fires me up so much about photography; capturing an unexpected presence, not just getting the perfect shot. If I wanted perfection, I wouldn't even have to pick up my camera, all I'd need to do is search through hundreds of similar images on Google. Now where's the fun in that?

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

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Life - The Truth is Out There

Traveling around a huge country like the United States teaches many lessons, but it mostly highlights my own ignorance. What I mean is that I have my own preconceived notion of what a place will be like before I arrive but the actual experience of being there and learning about the area is entirely different. Is this the ultimate road to enlightenment? Maybe not but, in the meantime, I'm enjoying the window view.

(I'm including some photographs I've captured over the past few weeks to accompany my thoughts).

I was educated, if you can call it that, in Ireland. I wasn't career-minded and didn't go to college because I had my sights set on being a rock star. Being educated, at the time, was nothing more than an inconvenience in my life, a hurdle to what I really wanted to do.

Years later, ironically, I had an epiphany; education is important. Not for the obvious reasons of getting a better job, etc. No, it had more to do with realizing that an education meant a greater potential for a rich life experience. To understand things, to know how one thing connects to another, to put things into historical perspective and to have the ability to critically think is...fulfilling! This is what my teachers were trying to tell me all along but my ignorance and resulting arrogance filtered it all out.

Never fear, because this sad story has a happy ending. I met some people along my journey who became mentors and made me want to be smarter. My diploma came from outside of an institution. Under the category of "Education" on my Facebook profile I named "University of Life Experience" as my college. While it sounds facetious, it's actually true.

I feel better now, in later life, that I did finally take the time to read the classics and learn, for example, some history about my own divided country. If nothing else, it gave me the confidence to discuss these things because they were backed up by facts, not uninformed opinion.

Which brings me back to my original thoughts about traveling. I feel like I'm constantly blowing cobwebs of my own ignorant thinking away. I had a preconceived notion of what Mississippi would be like, I was wrong. Its history is so profound that I have an entirely new appreciation for its diversity. Texas, with all its stereotypes and cliches, is full of beauty and kind-hearted, hard-working people. California has been a revelation. I never knew it had such variety of people and landscapes. We've been there the longest and never get the feeling we are stuck in one state (literally or metaphorically). The list goes on and we tackle Alaska this year also. I'm looking forward to gaining a new understanding of that magnificent state.

There is no substitute for experience, as the old saying goes. I'm here to tell you that there's a deep truth in those words. I would encourage as many people as possible to just get out there and do some serious exploring of this amazing world. At the very least, discover what is in your immediate area. You'll be surprised by what you might find and you just may learn something worthwhile.

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

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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.

My Adobe Spark (formerly Slate) presentation of this post is available here
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Mementos - Selected Photographs

In 2014, my wife Linda and I packed our bags, sold our house, sold our stuff and began a new life on the road in a motorhome. In the sixteen months since, not a day has gone by that I'm not grateful for this experience.

While the length and breadth of the United States can be measured in terms of the size of its physical space, the experience of traveling on its roads cannot be accurately gauged.

The older I get, the wiser I become and with that wisdom comes a new way of processing the world. As a photographer, this keeps me constantly stimulated. When I return to a place after a time, I see it with new eyes.

I have made it a point to shoot something every day. Doing this has sharpened my photographic instincts and, because I am in no particular hurry, I can take the time to experiment with new techniques or simply be really mindful to what I'm capturing.

I count myself as one of the lucky ones who, not only has the opportunity to experience so many places, but also has a perpetual childlike wonder of everything around me. Small things thrill me; the angle of a window here, a shard of light on a mountain there. Every day I find something that moves me in some way.

I never become complacent about the absolute miracle of photography itself. Seeing something wonderful in front of me and then being able to somehow seize its essence and relive that feeling again through a photograph is truly unbelievable. It's that inner child that keeps me wide-eyed and excited. It's a shame that many of us build walls around that innocence as we grow older. It robs us of the opportunity to live life to the fullest.

With all that said, I want to share some favorite images from my recent travels to California.

A perfect blend of architecture and beauty. Photoshoots are not allowed at the Salk Institute in San Diego. After some finger-wagging by a security guard, we had to leave. Fortunately, I managed to get the one shot I really wanted.

I never grow tired of photographing my daughter Tara. She is a natural in front of the lens. Funny story about the image on the right shot at the Salk Institute. I had to remove the security guard from the background in Photoshop. This was the last shot I made before we were "asked" to leave :)

The magnificent architecture of the Salk Institute.

As the light changed, so did the many moods of this place.

Another architectural beauty, this time it's the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. I decided to shoot this one with an ultrawide lens for maximum drama.

A Rose is a Rose
While this probably looks like any old flower photo to most people, for me it's a little different. I paired my camera with an old Russian vintage lens called a Helios 44-2. The result feels decidedly non-digital to me and it has a warmth I really like.

Cactus in the Sunset
I used the same vintage lens for this shot. The typical sharp edges of a digital capture are lost in favor of a more analog subtlety and colors that match the glow of the evening sun.

We returned to Borrego Springs briefly before we left California. There's something about this whole area that feels like it's stuck in a 1950s time warp. I processed this photograph using colors that evoke that era.

Large metal sculptures add a unique personality to the landscape of Borrego Springs.

Abandoned buildings at North Shore by the Salton Sea.

Abandon and decay by the Salton Sea. The beach wins the grand prize for the worst stench I have ever had the displeasure to witness. The abundance of rotting fish made it truly gag-inducing.

Sunset in Indio, CA

I really liked the dynamic angle of this photograph and the leaning, windswept palm trees.

While visiting the farmers market in Temecula, CA, I noticed this group of costume-clad individuals setting up for some kind of event. I shot it with the old Russian lens mentioned earlier. Without the distraction of anything modern in the frame, the image, for me, has a painterly feel.

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

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