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Posts Tagged ‘Walks’

The 7 Commandments of Great Photo Walks

27 Sep

In the last year, I’ve probably walked over 2,000 miles with my camera. I love photo walks because they are so meditative. There is also great excitement when you get home to look at the photos, to see if you captured anything good. And finally, it adds a dimension of extra beauty and flow to your regular long walks.

The following are the seven most important lessons I have learned when it comes to getting the most enjoyment and best possible results from your photo walks.

1. You shall bring no other lenses, besides the one you pick

This one is not only about lenses, it applies to equipment in general. I always just bring one lens—the one on my camera.

I pick a lens that I feel would fit this particular day, and this particular photo walk. If it is a beautiful morning with a clear sky, where I can anticipate a sunrise, I would likely bring a wide angle lens. If I am out walking with my girlfriend, I might bring a portrait lens.

The point is that I try to minimize the weight and amount of stuff I bring, so that the camera gear never becomes a burden. You want to feel free and light during a photo walk.

2. You shall snap the first photo immediately

Have you noticed that, as you enter an IKEA store, you usually encounter a too-good-to-be-true deal in the first few minutes? Like, an insanely good deal? The reason is that they want you to take that deal and put it in your bag, as this will shift you into “shopping mode” early on in your visit.

Entering “shopping mode” is a threshold you must cross, where you make the decision that “today I am shopping.” And soon item number two and three goes into your bag as well. The sooner you go into shopping mode, the more money IKEA makes from your visit.

It is the same with photo walks. The sooner you take your camera out of the bag, turn it on, and take the first photo, the sooner you enter into photography mode, and the more photos (and hopefully good photos) you will come home with. As soon as you snap the first couple of photos, you enter a more creative mindset.

3. You shall introduce a constraint to boost creativity

This one seems unintuitive, I know, but the more constraints you have, the more creative you will get. A great first constraint that I always utilize is that I only bring one lens (see above), and that lens it is always a prime. But see what happens if you add even more constraints, such as only shooting in black and white, or only shooting in portrait orientation.

A constraint is particularly useful if you initially feel resistance towards it; stay determined to work your way through the initial resistance, and your creativity will spring into action.

4. You shall follow the good light

I find that the best results come from the photo walks where I allow myself to walk without a set plan. I go out exploring. Whenever you get a feeling that the light is particularly beautiful in a certain direction, or your intuition just tells you that you should go somewhere, go there.

I’m not giving you this advice because I necessarily believe our intuition can lead us to the best photos. I have simply found that following my intuition boosts my creativity, and the result of that is always better and more beautiful photos.

5. You shall honor your gut when it says a photo must be taken

This one is common to hear from street photographers, where the so-called decisive moment is everything, but I think it applies in all forms of photography. When your gut feeling says that you have an opportunity to take a great photo, go for it. Even if your camera is packed in the bottom of your bag. Even if you feel embarrassed to take a photo in the situation at hand for whatever reason. Even if you tell yourself you can come back later and take that photo.

Usually, you cannot come back later. Photos are unique moments that you freeze, and moments never come back. The exact same scene, with exactly the same light, will never come back. So always take the shot if your gut tells you to!

6. You shall review sharpness and composition before leaving the scene

Never just quickly glance at your camera’s screen and think to yourself “looks good, let’s move on.” Chances are, the photo isn’t really that good. It might be slightly out of focus. It might be a bit tilted. It might be overexposed.

Always make a habit of checking the composition, exposure and sharpness of your photo before leaving the scene. Otherwise you might be very disappointed when you bring up the photo on your computer screen only to discover that it wasn’t as good as you thought. If you check your photos in detail, by zooming in on details to check sharpness, you can always retake the photo while you’re still at the scene.

7. You shall always walk somewhere new

A final key to creativity is variation. Always walk to new places, because novelty triggers creativity. If you always walk the same path, on every photo walk, you will get increasingly bored and gradually lose inspiration. Walk new walks every time!


Micael Widell is a photography enthusiast based in Stockholm, Sweden. He loves photography, and runs a YouTube channel with tutorials, lens reviews and photography inspiration. You can also find him as @mwroll on Instagram and 500px.

This article was originally published on Micael’s blog, and is being republished in full with express permission.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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PhotoPlus Expo 2016 to offer 22 photo walks covering roster of topics

08 Oct

PhotoPlus Expo 2016 will offer attendees a total of 22 photo walks over a three-day span, giving them the opportunity to learn different skills and gain experience from top educators and photographers, including Me Ra Koh, Jen Rozenbaum, Michael Grecco, Brooke Shaden and Matt Kloskowski. The Photo Walk tours are scheduled to take place before and after Expo hours on October 19 through October 21 in New York City.

The full photo walk lineup:

OCTOBER 19 – 4:00PM – 6:00PM

“Make Every Woman Look Amazing” (PW01) Sold Out
Jen Rozenbaum
Learn how Jen Rozenbaum uses her eight points of posing to make any — and every — woman look amazing. Then, put what you learned into action to create your own “shamelessly feminine” portraits.

“Portraits Unplugged: Under and On the High Line” (PW02) Sold Out
Bobbi Lane / Lee Varis
Join photographers Bobbi Lane and Lee Varis for this photo walk around New York’s famed High Line. The key to successful natural light portraits is learning to “see” and find the light, then successfully place your subject in the light for the mood of the image. Lane and Varis will show participants how to scout for light and will demonstrate porch lighting and backlighting, the use of reflectors and diffusers, and how to make any location work once you have found the appropriate light. Models will be used throughout the session.

OCTOBER 20 – 8:00AM – 10:00AM

“On-Location Portraiture” (PW03)
Miguel Quiles (Sponsored by Sony)
Sony Artisan Miguel Quiles will demonstrate the process of shooting dynamic portraits on location, how to find the best locations, pose the subject and offer guidelines using both available light and off-camera flash. The shoot will include live models and offer a great opportunity to walk away with some amazing photos and invaluable tips.

“Capture the Action with Small Flash” (PW04)
Tony Gale (Sponsored by Sony)
Join Sony Artisan Tony Gale in a unique hands-on experience on the streets of New York City as he shows participants how to enhance their action photography with a small flash. Participants will learn how and why to use flash outdoors, how to use multiple small flash units to capture action, how and when to use high-speed sync, and much more.

“My Way, Your Way: Two Unique Perspectives on Off-Camera Flash” (PW05)
Moshe Zusman/Vanessa Joy (Sponsored by Adorama, Profoto, Miller’s Lab)
Moshe Zusman and Vanessa Joy will demonstrate their unique perspectives on off-camera flash. Start with timeless OCF lighting and posing scenarios with Joy and learning how to switch them up for more edge and drama with Zusman. Learn how to give your clients the best of both worlds quickly and easily while boosting studio sales and client satisfaction.

“The Art of Noticing” (PW06)
David Carol
The streets of major metropolitan cities are fast paced and chaotic. Our job as photographers is to organize the chaos—to be aware and to compose our images within the ebb and flow of humanity. The skills to photograph the subtleties of life can always be learned and improved. David Carol’s class will teach participants how to find your style and present your photographic point of view to the world.

“Fairytales on the Streets of NYC” (PW07) Sold Out
Brooke Shaden (sponsored by WHCC and X-Rite)
Art can be created anywhere, even in the alleyways of NYC. Join Shaden as she discusses ways of masking the hectic and visually distracting streets to create timeless pieces of art that will utilize set design, compositing and storytelling. By using painterly techniques as well as the square format, traditional photographic properties are replaced by other worldly elements.

OCTOBER 20 – 4:30PM – 6:30PM

“Urban Landscapes—Light, Shadows and Utilizing Architectural Shadows” (PW08)
Michael Grecco (sponsored by Panasonic)
Michael will show participants how to hunt for light, manage shadow and use the great architectural background of the city to shoot your own urban landscapes. Michael will walk through some of his favorite New York spots known for their dynamic design, and illustrate how to strategically shoot from the magic hour and into darkness.

“Lite Lighting with Speedlites: The Power of Creative Lighting on Location” (PW09)
Rocco Ancora
Rocco will share his techniques in the art of lighting with Speedlights and remote flash set-ups. This Photo Walk is ideal for the photographer wanting to finesse their off-camera flash techniques and further develop their lighting skills. Models will be provided throughout the Photo Walk.

“Making Great Portraits on Location” (PW10) Sold Out
Scott Kelby (Sponsored by Lexar)
Join Scott Kelby, Lexar Elite Photographer and author of the book Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It, on the streets of New York City for a hands-on Photo Walk that will teach participants how to make amazing portraits on location. Participants will learn the secrets to making natural light work for you—how to harness it, tame it, and balance it with flash—to add more depth and dimension to your location portraits. Working with two New York City-based models, participants will have an opportunity to put what they learned into immediate practice.

“Become a Family of Photo Detectives” (Parents & Kids Photo Walk) (PW11)
Me Ra Koh (Sponsored by Sony)
Bring your child and experience a special, new photo adventure with Disney Jr. host, Me Ra Koh, The Photo Mom. She will teach parents and children alike how to find great light, capture action, hunt for defining details to tell a story, and use ordinary shapes and lines to create extraordinary photos. Sign up for this fun, creative, hands-on session that you and your child will never forget (children must be at least 4 years old).

“NYC from Above: “A Unique Way to Capture the Most Photographed City” (PW12) Sold Out
Vivienne Gucwa (Sponsored by Sony)
Join travel photographer, best-selling author and Sony Artisan Vivienne Gucwa for a different type of Photo Walk that will take you to the rooftops of NYC. In this Photo Walk, attendees will learn how to use ‘view from above’ angles to capture unique perspectives of an urban landscape and how to use changing light to enhance your work.

OCTOBER 21 – 8:00AM – 10:00AM

“Love the Process” (PW13)
David Carol
For David Carol, the most important aspect of street photography is noticing the world around him and showing the viewer something he or she may not have noticed themselves. During this informative and inspiring photo walk, Carol will show you his process and teach you to love it as much as he does. You’ll learn how to harness the environment at-hand to focus on and expand your unique vision for making thought-provoking imagery. Come learn how to be process-oriented rather than results-oriented.

“Landscapes in the City” (PW14)
Matt Kloskowski (Sponsored by Sony)
Join Sony Artisan Matt Kloskowski for a hands-on photo walk that combines creative landscape photography with the urban city setting. Participants will learn about a variety of useful and creative techniques including long exposure photos, using apps to enhance shooting, ND Filters and Polarizers, shooting into the sun, when to use HDR techniques, and much more.

“Learning Headshots: In Front and Behind the Camera” (PW15)
Lori Patrick
Anyone can use a good headshot these days. In a preliminary discussion, Lori Patrick will share insights on finding clients, conduct a posing demo and discuss client intention. Learn about posing, expression, crop, usage, delivery and more. Attendees will practice in pairs, producing headshots of each other, with Lori available as coach.

“Make Every Woman Look Amazing” (PW16)
Jen Rozenbaum
Encore performance from Wednesday, October 19.

“Authentic Street Photography with your iPhone (PW17)
Robert Herman
Join Robert Herman, author of The Phone Book (Schiffer Books), a new monograph shot entirely with the iPhone and the Hipstamatic app, during a photo walk in a neighborhood near Penn Station. If you are interested in making more authentic pictures on the street, the iPhone is the camera for you. And now, with the release of the iPhone 6 and 6S with a 12MP file, the image quality is superb. Learn the techniques Herman used to make the great pictures that led to the publication of The Phone Book.

OCTOBER 21 – 4:30PM – 6:30PM

Lucky Shots: The Zen of Street Photography (PW18)
Doug Menuez
As the old saying goes, “luck favors the prepared.” On this Photo Walk, Doug Menuez will share how he combines his documentary techniques with a deliberate Zen mindfulness that allows him to enter a zone of hyper-awareness and concentration. He’ll also share his philosophy about respecting his subjects, discussing the fine line between telling their stories and exploiting them. Then, he’ll discuss choosing the right equipment and technical issues. Street photography brings a special kind of joy that involves embracing the mystery of life, especially in New York City.

“Beautiful Portrait in Unattractive Environments: No Flash, No Reflectors. Just Natural Light!” (PW19)
Peter Coulson
Peter Coulson will teach you how he finds the perfect lighting in any outdoor location. Participants will spend this hands-on photo walk learning how to see and use natural light, without any reflectors or flash.

“Adding Light to Your Environmental Portrait” (PW20)
Ira Block (Sponsored by Sony)
Environmental portraits are a powerful way to tell a story. Join Sony Artisan of Imagery and National Geographic photographer Ira Block as he teaches participants how to interact with their subjects to make them feel comfortable, relaxed and expressive. He will also discuss how to find locations that compliment and define your subjects controlling the light by adding reflectors, strobes, LEDs, candles or even flashlights.

“NYC Skyline and Hoboken Photo Walk” (PW21)
Katrin Eismann (Sponsored by Sony)
Join Sony Artisan, Katrin Eismann on a ferry ride to Hoboken, New Jersey, to photograph the NYC skyline and wander the parks and neighborhoods of the mile-square city. Participants will explore the tree-lined Stevens Institute of Technology campus, discover quaint streets lined with Brownstones, and wonder at the historical Hoboken Railroad Terminal. Participants will learn how to create unique images in the everyday environment by shifting perspectives, how to shoot during changing light, and tips for low-light shooting.

“The Sensational Portrait on Location” (PW22)
Joel Grimes (Sponsored by Canon)
Learn how to create dramatic portraits on location, using portable battery powered strobes. As an advertising photographer, Joel Grimes has been “strobing” subjects on location for over 30 years. Follow him out in the field as he demonstrates how to mix both strobe and ambient light, overpowering the sun; achieving shallow depth-of-field focus using ND filters while still using strobes and so much more.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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5 Good Reasons to Take Your Dog on Photography Walks

27 Sep

When I travel into the city (San Francisco) I take along my furry assistant and mini model, Mila, for the trip. She’s been working with me for awhile now. She trades in Pup-Peroni and DentaStix, and her daily rate is affordable, but I think she’d work for free too without complaint. I’d always rather bring my pup along on photography walks than go solo.

Take Your Dog on Photography Walks Header

There are a lot of great reasons to practice photography with your dog! I can already think of five good reasons to take your dog on photography walks.

1. Dogs pose for you

What better way to get test shots of a location than to photograph an assistant? But assistants cost money or at least a glass of wine, so if you’re running a tight ship your dog is a great option. My girl Mila has stood in for me on many location scouting trips. The best part about it is that I now have gazillions of photos of her from all of our adventures.

Take Your Dog on Photography Walks - dogs pose

Would this image have been as interesting without Mila posed in the middle?

2. Dogs break the ice

I find this especially useful for street and travel photography. People are less leery of me walking around taking pictures of their homes, businesses, etc., when I have Mila with me. In fact, they often stop to take pictures of her. Her presence encourages positive interaction and engagement, which is very helpful for me when I am trying to get the pulse of a place. Plus, it relaxes people, which makes for all-around better photography in my book.

Take Your Dog on Photography Walks - dogs break the ice

Mila always turns heads on the street. Who doesn’t love a dog that knows how to work the camera?

3. Dogs are like kids, they teach you patience

They need to be fed when they’re hungry. They need to drink when they’re hot. They fidget and don’t give you much time to get that winning shot. Oh, and they get tired and need to take naps in the middle of the street. If you thought child photography was difficult, try pet photography.

Mila is an exceptionally well-trained and mature dog, but she still reacts to her basic needs much as a toddler would. Practicing photography with her makes me very aware of my timing and helps me develop my patience, speed, accuracy, and client empathy. Dogs are great “personal trainers” for working with younger or more demanding subjects.

dogs are like kids they teach you patience

The hunched shoulders tell me all I need to know: it’s time to take a break. Even so, Mila was patient enough to let me snap this shot of her in front of the famous murals at the Mission District Women’s Center.

4. Dogs protect you

I will not lie, the thought of walking solo through San Francisco with the street value equivalent of a small sedan around my neck is somewhat unnerving. Couple that with a lack of situational awareness when I am focused on taking a shot, and I’ve got all the makings for a pretty nice mugging. I always feel better when Mila is with me because (a) thieves don’t like messing with chicks with dogs, and (b) she’s got really sharp teeth. (I learned the hard way not to hand-feed her bacon.) If you can’t take a human friend on your next photography walk, why not take man’s best friend?

Take Your Dog on Photography Walks - dogs protect you

Check out that sassy tongue! I challenge anyone to mess with me while my furry bodyguard is on the job.

5. Dogs encourage new perspectives

It’s true that all photographers get into ruts. We get used to taking certain kinds of photos because we’ve had past success with them and therefore know they will be well-received. We have to continually challenge ourselves to seek out new perspectives, and a great way to do this is to imagine seeing the world through someone else’s eyes.

Why not a dog’s? When I work with Mila, I always get inspired to look at things differently because I have to get down on her level or compose shots to complement her smaller size. Just be prepared for lots of dirty knees, soiled shirts, and the occasional funny look as you combat crawl through grass and gutters towards your furry subject.

Get low. Amazing how the scenery changes when you're 18 inches off the ground.

Get low. Amazing how the scenery changes when you’re 18 inches off the ground.

Conclusion

I love taking my dog with me on photography walks. Does it add some extra complexity? Absolutely. (I realized a little too late that I shouldn’t drink two glasses of water on the way to the city, it’s not easy to find dog-friendly bathrooms!) But I think about the rewards of having a pet companion with you on a photography walk, one that encourages you to interact with your environment and seek out new perspectives. It is well worth the extra effort.

If you don’t have a dog of your own to accompany you, perhaps you can borrow a friend’s.

Scroll below for more images from our San Francisco photography walk. Do you take your dogs on photo walks with you? Please share your photos and thoughts in the comments below:

Take Your Dog on Photography Walks 8

Black Magic Woman. I never knew Mila was a Santana fan. The things you learn about your dog on a photography walk.

Take Your Dog on Photography Walks 9

Funky fun style is a must in the Mission! Wear something colorful and bohemian and you are bound to blend in. Mila’s fashion sense led the way to this rack of hot threads.

Take Your Dog on Photography Walks 10

Dog Friendly. There are lots of lovely outdoor seating options at cafes, making them great places to grab a bite with your furry friend.

Take Your Dog on Photography Walks 11

I imagine this is what Mila sees when she looks up. The Mission District is renowned for its vibrant murals that celebrate the heritage and culture of the local Mexican community.>

Take Your Dog on Photography Walks 12

Driveways in San Francisco are often small and on an incline, making backup mirrors like this an important garage accessory. They’re also convenient when you want to take a grungey selfie with your Sheltie.

 

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The post 5 Good Reasons to Take Your Dog on Photography Walks by Jessica Tallman appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Behind the Shot: Erez Marom walks us through his ‘Winter Paradise’

22 Oct

Winter_Paradise.jpg

In the latest “Behind the Shot” article, landscape photographer Erez Marom walks through how he got this Aurora Borealis image in the Mývatn district of northern Iceland. Marom talks about his equipment choice and exposure settings. He also gives a step-by-step look at his post-processing technique. Click through for the full article. 

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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“Triangle Walks” by Fever Ray

11 Dec

This unofficial video clip is our own interpretation of “Triangle Walks”, a great song by Fever Ray. It was done thanks to a creative collaboration between Pablo Calvillo, Cara Elizabeth, Angel Rizonyk and Pierre Relange. You can download a high res version from my website: pablo.maliarts.net
Video Rating: 4 / 5

 
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