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Tag Archives: post production
Smart Phones are the New Polaroids – Episode 44
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Smart phones are all around us. In the past four years, the number of iPhones, Android-based phones, tabelts, iPads, etc. that people own has grown exponentially. They’re everywhere! Concerts, parks, on trains, in schools… And one of the main consequences of this is that we are now back in the mode of photography being shared instantly. Sometimes this has enormous social consequences like Arab Spring. Other times it’s annoying like hipsters taking pictures of every freaking course at a restaurant.
Either way, using smart phones to take pictures and immediately see them and share them is just as exciting and relevant as it was when we (okay, when Rick – because he’s so damn old) used Polaroid cameras.
Is this a good thing? Is it foretelling the doom of “good” photography like Rick suggests? Is going to force pro shooters to step up and get even better – even when they are using their smart phones – like Rob claims?
Our Artists
Today’s artists have nothing to do with smart phones.
Our first artist is Spanish chocolatier, Enrico Rovira. A master of building and minimalism, Rovira’s chocolate eggs are stunning pieces of sculpture. The fact that they are also edible makes his work all the more amazing. Watch the video below!
Our photographer is Russian minimalist and abstract photographer, Ciro Totku. His ability to achieve balance in his images is obvious and the results make for some pure beauty.
ENRIC ROVIRA – CANGURS ER from Enric Rovira on Vimeo.
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Also tagged Amateur, Android, balance, Camera, Ciro Totku, Clients, Criticism, Droid, editing, Enrico Rovira, Facebook, Future, History, hybrid photography, inspiration, iPad, iPhone, Meetup, Photography, Smart Phones, Social Media, style, Twitter, Video
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Is Software the New Barrier to Entry? PI41
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The New Barrier to Entry?
We start off with Rick trying to dial back his (seemingly) hatred of the French but then he turns his attention to the Basque region of Spain. But, hey, he does an Irish friend. If you’re familiar with the other podcasts that Tony is involved in, you’ve gotta be shocked that he is the voice of reason and sanity on Polarizing Images!
And don’t forget the new segment! Send us the name of a drink via our Twitter account – @PolarizingImage – and we’ll have Rick drink it through a Red Vine straw. Remember to tag the Tweet with #RedVineDrink.
Anyway, lots of good stuff in this episode once you get past our usual goofiness (A.K.A. the reason you keep coming back). Topics today include:
- Do we really expect Tony to do any heavy-lifting? *Can* he?
- If E&J is good enough for us, it’s good enough for hillbillies. Let’s just call it “domestic”… I wonder if Rick is blind yet?
- With the cost of software, does that make it a barrier to entry? How about the learning curve of software?
- Does keeping on top of software updates prevent the guys from updating their gear?
- Is there a perfect tool or piece of software?
- How terrible or lazy are actions and filters? (hint: Rob has changed his opinion)
Even just 20 years ago, it was quality camera gear that posed the greatest barrier of entry to being a professional photographer. You would never have dreamed about becoming a wedding photographer with “just” a 35mm camera and a couple of inexpensive zoom lenses. Today? Different story! But you need something for post production. Whether you’re buying high end applications like Photoshop (still the “gold standard”), paying less for a more appropriate version of Light Room, or stand alone apps and filters, your collection and library of software is going to grow and, regardless of how much you spend (or don’t) it all takes time to learn. And that doesn’t even take into consideration the time required to hone your craft as a photographer!
Our Artists
Starting with our photographer, we look at Italian photojournalist Clay McLachlan. Want to see how a working (and successful) photojournalist sets up a seemingly easy food shot? Check out this behind the scenes video called Blue Bottle.
As an homage to Rick’s father, Rick chose the German-American architect, Helmut Jahn. Jahn was the architect behind the United Airline’s terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. And yes, at one time, O’Hare was an example of modern architecture. Chicago is a city filled with architectural history and relevance but, beyond that, a city of artistic importance. Anyone who wants to be a travel or architectural photographer will, at some point, need to travel to Chicago and see the works of influential designers such as Jahn.
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Also tagged Actions, Amateur, barrier to Entry, Business, Clay McLachlan, Clients, Comfort Levels, Critique, editing, Facebook, filters, Future, Helmut Jahn, hybrid photography, Like, obsolete, Photography, Photoshop, Professional, Software, Techniques, Twitter
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When Does (or Should) Your Photography Hobby Become a Profession?
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Photography: You Ready to Go Pro?
Holy shit, this sucker is one long show. Two freaking hours! Anyway, this show is based on a question that Rick and I (Rob) get on a regular basis. It usually goes something like “I’ve been shooting for a while and I get lots of positive comments on my photography and now I’d like to start charging. Am I ready?”
Ugh.
It’s a tough question. Hell, we don’t mind answering it and for sure as shit’s sake we’ve been there, too. Rick and I are certainly tainted by their own experience, having been through the school of hard knocks, and would love to tell everyone asking this question to hang tight for a bit. But we also know that they won’t, so we try to talk about what we wish we had known and what we think every new photography professional needs to know before diving in. Here’s a hint, it’s a business so treat it like one!
Ugh.
Just as we were wrapping up the show, Rick asks an “innocent question” and then he and Tony start arguing for another damn half hour while I played Words with Friends. I think, dear listeners, that if you can make it through to the end of the show, you’re going to tilt on either what Rick says or what Tony says!
Our Artists
Since wedding photography is often the attempted path into professional photography, we look at one of the best wedding
Adrian Newey’s Red Bull RB&
photographers in the country, Chicago-based David Wittig. David’s photography shows his depth of experience with the wedding niche, an ability to connect with clients, and an ability to shoot great photographs that are unique to his style. If you’re thinking that wedding photography is an area you might want to get into, David Wittig is a photographer you need to be aware of.
Tony, never wanting to do anything normal, chose Adrian Newey as this episode’s artist. Newey designs Formula 1 race cars. They’re pieces of beauty and he creates game-changing designs.
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Also tagged Adrian Newey, Business, Clients, David Wittig, Fine Art, hybrid photography, Meetup, Photography, Techniques
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Is It Real or Is It Photoshop – and Who Cares?
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Why the Hell is Photoshop So Controversial?
Photoshop: it’s a tool that, for some incredibly stupid reason, seems to be controversial. Some people love it, others hate, but the smart people know that it is just that – a tool to achieve and end-result. But what got us going this week was a comment from someone on Facebook regarding a photograph they had seen, “…wow, is it real or PS?”
C’mon, really? Just because a photograph has been through the Photoshop cycle, it ceases to be real? But that got us thinking – what does it really mean for a photograph to be “real”? Too many people confuse “real” with “realism”. Are Picasso’s works not “real” paintings because they don’t depict realistic subjects? You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who would take such a position. So why do we say that about photography and Photoshop? If I create a shallow depth of field through a lens choice that’s okay but if I add blur in Photoshop, then it’s not a real photograph? If I make a bride’s teeth whiter than they really are or, more to the point, than they appear because we’re under incandescent lighting, that’s not a real photograph but if the bride had her teeth whitened by a dentist, that’s okay?
This whole concept of post-production, regardless of the tool that’s used, has to stop. As long as the photographer/artist is trying to achieve an image that they see in their mind’s eye, why the hell should we care – or judge – how it was achieved? And we’re not even touching on the differences between using Photoshop to manually alter an image versus allowing a camera to do it outside of our control!
So, to all of you who believe that Photoshop renders a photograph “fake”, it’s time to allow your photography and creative vision to mature a bit.
Artists
The Surrealist Photography of Kansuke Yamamoto
What about photography before there was Photoshop? Today’s photographer is Kansuke Yamamoto (1914-1987), an early surrealist photographer from Japan. His work included several pieces on film that, today, we would accomplish with Photoshop or other digital imaging tools but, as a film photographer, Yamamoto did his post-production in the darkroom. Are these “real” photographs?
What happens when you let Tony choose the artist? You get a musician! Today we have Captain Beefheart. As long as we’re talking about art being real without requiring realism, the good captain is actually an excellent choice for an artist who inspires. Especially in the realm of surrealism. Let’s let Captain Beefheart have the last laugh today:
“It makes me itch to think of myself as Captain Beefheart. I don’t even have a boat.”
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Also tagged Art, Captain Beefheart, editing, Facebook, film, Fine Art, hybrid photography, Kansuke Yamamoto, Meetup, Photoshop, Printing, Surreal, Techniques
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Photography Today, Is It Killing Off the Dinosaurs? Part 2
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Photography? No, really, we do talk about it eventually! As usual, the guys take the long way around to getting on topic as we have our usual discussion about what we’re drinking, why Rick will eventually play all seven dwarfs, whether Rob or Tony has the larger breasts and, well, you know by now…
Oh, and thanks to Mr. Sadie Breeze for preventing brain damage.
Photography, Dinosaurs, and When You Won’t Change
After the last episode’s emotional tirade about whether or not the photography industry still needs a traditional sales force, things come down in this second part. Instead, we talk about whether the film shooters and even the dSLR users today are being left behind by the advances of technology. Is there still a place for traditional print portraits? Is there still room for the fine artists? How about the RAW vs JPG argument: is that argument going to be irrelevant in the near future? And what about those guys who insist on only selling prints and not providing CDs? That’s an issue we need to deal with.
Let’s face it, photography is indeed changing and, as much as we want to believe differently, we don’t have the actual answers about what will still be viable five years from now. But one thing is clear – if you’re not going to be a visionary in photography then you’ll end up a dinosaur and, historically, we now how that ends.
Artists of the Fortnight
Tony points us toward the amazing photography of Dennis Hopper. Sadly, Dennis is no longer with us but his work in photography remains with us. Rob believes that actors often make great photographers because they live their lives being creative. Regardless of why, Hopper himself has a body of work that is poignant and strong. Anybody who wants to get into the fine art side of portrait photography would do well to take a good long look at Dennis Hopper’s work.
For our artist, we look at the well-known Rembrandt. If there was ever a true Renaissance Man, Rembrandt was it. Schooled in math, science, art, literature and history, Rembrandt used that learning to develop a style of portraiture known for its sharpness and, of course, it’s lighting.
Don’t forget – Our Photography Book Review
Head on over to www.PolarizingImages.com now and take part in our book discussion, The Art of Photography!
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Also tagged Business, change, Clients, Dennis Hopper, dinosaurs, editing, Fine Art, Future, History, hybrid photography, inspiration, Meetup, obsolete, Photography, Photoshop, Podcasting, Rembrandt, Twitter
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Inspiration – Episode 32, How Do We Deal With a Lack of Inspiration?
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When You Find Yourself Lacking Inspiration
At one time or another, every photographer deals with lacking inspiration. It’s frustrating as hell, knowing that you want to shoot but you end up just sitting there trying to figure out what to shoot. But don’t worry, you really aren’t alone; we all go through it. It’s just a matter of how you power through it, right? Right? Hmmm….
It’s easy to be distracted and blame other things like spending too much time on Facebook, or shooting only for clients/income, etc. But, in truth, sometimes we just get burned out and we seek out those distractions. Fortunately, we don’t leave it on such a negative thought – we also talk about how to get past it.
Rob is starting to shoot new material again and has gotten deep into hybrid photography and that’s seems to be the catalyst for finding inspiration again. Rick’s finding inspiration by specifically not going out and shooting for clients. But, for both of them, allowing themselves to be open to new creative vision and direction has brought a certain spark and inspiration back.
Just watch out for the “analysis paralysis”!
Today’s Artists
Dogfish Head Brewery constantly shows the inspiration that their brewers bring
Tony chose the artist and, as you can guess, he went way outside the box. But, if you can believe it, he doesn’t choose a musician. Yeah, we’re surprised, too! It’s Sam Calagione. Who? Sam is the president and founder of Dogfish Head Brewery. All three of the guys are into home brewing (big surprise, right) and Dogfish Head provides plenty of inspiration not only for their home brewing but also on a higher creativity level. Sam, and Dogfish Head, don’t allow themselves to be constrained by what’s been done before or by thinking that experimental beers can’t (and shouldn’t) be done. By allowing the creative spirit to flow, Sam and his brewery produce some of the most exciting and creative beers today. And there’s some huge lessons for all of us who are photographers in that approach.
Rick chose Joel-Peter Witkin as the photographer. It’s artistic and Witkin’s work shows his level of inspiration but, as a warning, his work can be very disturbing and definitely not safe for work. His composition techniques are quite strong and his use of black and white really brings a timeless feeling to the images. His subject matter, though, is where we have to warn you. From his bio on the Acid Skull site (that’s the site we’ve linked his name to): “His works carry the delicate tonality of a 19th-century ambrotype, showing morphed scenes with human body parts and deceased subjects with a strong satirical sentiment against vanity.” Here’s the link to his work on Acid Skull.
And PLEASE, check out our Cafe Press Store to support the show and don’t forget to leave a comment!
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Also tagged Artistry, Collaboration, Comfort Levels, inspiration, Photography
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Digital Workflow: How It Is Changing Again
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The New Digital Workflow
Howdy! Today we welcome Giulio Sciorio, a well-known commercial photographer from Miami, to fill Rick’s place while Rick is traveling and we chat about the changing nature of the digital workflow. New cameras coming out this year are mirrorless and provide a host of advantages. Today, we talk about how the digital workflow is changing and gives photographers more options and gives us time back in our day. That’s never a bad thing!
Giulio showing off his digital workflow and hybrid photography
But a new digital workflow is not just about taking advantage of new cameras. Giulio brings up an amazing point that, today, there is a return to photo-realism and clients are moving away from the excessive post-production and heavy-handed editing of the previous few years. Rob and Tony completely agree and think that that is welcome change. So, when you combine the ability to take the JPG right out of the camera (Rob’s use of RAW files in his digital workflow has dropped dramatically), the use of new lights that allow easy balancing, a new casualness in styling clients (also reducing the need for post-production tweaking), and a shift away from the heavy editing, you get a new digital workflow that is easier to follow and more accessible to everyone.
What do you think? How has your digital workflow changed in the past couple of years?
Our Artist
Rob dropped the ball and it shows. We start off talking about another photographer documentary, Strand: Under the Darkcloth. But after talking about his best-known image of Wall Street (1915) but then the discussion kind of fizzles from there. Hey, after 31 episodes, it was bound to happen. Still, if you’re not familiar with how important Paul Strand was (and still is) to photography in the United States, it’s well worth your time to learn more about this early master.
And, if you want to learn more about hybrid photography, check our Rob’s new web site, Shoot Hybrid.
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Also tagged digital workflow, editing, Giulio Sciorio, hybrid photography, Lightroom, mirrorless cameras, Photography, Photoshop, technology, Video
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Art or Photograph? When Does One Become the Other?
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With all of the post-production being done on images these days, when does a photograph cease being a photograph? It’s a serious question with serious ramifications depending on who you are. We’re not saying that too much post-production can kill an image, but maybe it transforms it from a photograph into art!
Well, we’ve gotten back on track after Rob accidentally released the live show a week early and the three dimwitted hosts of this show took two weeks to figure it out! So, we’re back to our normal schedule (we think)! Tony and Rob had a great time in Vegas but it sure didn’t help us with the scheduling of shows. In fact, Tony was semi-MIA for this show as he is still in Vegas and heads home to Aussie-land tomorrow (Thursday). Safe travels, Tony!!
In Tony’s absence, our old friend Steven “The Grammar Nazi” Chappell joins us again as our guest co-host. And that makes for a great opportunity to discuss the role of post-production.
When does a photograph cease to be a photograph and can it still be art?
Rob is a fine art photographer, Rick is a portraiture photographer, and Steven is a photo journalist. Each of of the three guys has a different viewpoint of when too much post-production has occurred and you can no longer call the image a photograph. As you can imagine, Rob has the most lenient point of view and Steven has a far more rigid one. (Viewpoint, that is!!)
Nonetheless, we have a lively and good talk about it.
Our photographer
Today’s photographer is Giulio Sciorio, a commercial photographer based out of Miami and can be found at Small Camera, Big Picture. Rob and Giulio have appeared as panelists on Will Crockett’s Hybrid Hangout, including the latest video HH: Mirrorless Myths, True or False? One of the things that the guys immediately recognize in Giulio’s work is his ability to connect with his subjects. Don’t believe us? Check out the liveliness in the faces and eyes of his subjects!
Do I Suck? Maybe…
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Liam from the Isle of Man drops by to hang out with us this week to discuss a topic that haunts everyone: self-doubt. Topics include planning the next five years, overcoming doubt, and not charging enough. Just cash the fucking check and deal with it!
Today’s featured photographer is John Hyde and the featured artist are the Beatles. No link for the Beatles because if you need a link for them, you shouldn’t be using a computer.
BTW, check out Liam’s podcast, Uttabull.
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Also tagged Clients, Collaboration, Comfort Levels, Confidence, Criticism, Critique, Doubt, John Hyde, Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Photography
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Post
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Rants and opinions on post-production (especially poorly done post), several tangents, and what it means to be a professional podcaster – or not. Four episodes later and Tony finally drops an f-bomb while, somewhere in the episode, we mention Brian and TAI. Hey, whatever it takes to get listeners!
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Also tagged Artistry, Crop, editing, inspiration, Photography, Photoshop, Podcasting, Printing, Techniques
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