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Archive for January, 2010
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Released January 25, 2010 – Vancouver, Canada - PhotographyBB Online Magazine – 24th Edition.
PhotographyBB Online released their latest edition of their online magazine yesterday. The article that I submitted for publication and was so excited about last month appeared in this month’s issue. As you might imagine, I am humbled and so thankful for the opportunity afforded me in writing an article for a such a reputable magazine.
It is wonderful to have an article published, but I think it is more important that you get your hands (or eyes in this case) on this magazine. It contains great feature articles, photo-essays, tutorials, photographs, tips, and tricks, and so much more. Oh, did I mention that it is FREE! No I didn’t, but this and every issue are free to download.
If you have not been to PhotographyBB’s website, please take some time to visit today. The website has a really great Forum where photographers interact on many topics. There are Photoshop Actions you can download to use or purchase. They also have a fantastic blog written by Dave Seeram, PhotographyBB’s Editor and Chief.
You might even like to join their group on Flickr. Just go to their website and find the Flickr Group Gallery on the front page. It will take you to their group.
Do not miss out on this really wonderful resource. A new issue (edition) of the magazine is produced by PhotographyBB Online every month and with every month comes new insight, learning opportunities, and wonderful images to look at. Take a moment right now and visit them.
Until next time…
Once again it is my great pleasure to introduce to you another PhotoCapM “Flickrite” in the Spotlight. I happened on to this person early in my experience with Flickr and her growth as a photographer has really been inspirational to me. Her name is Basia Noverini (a.k.a. basianov).
Basia is truly a wonderful photographer who looks for opportunities to tell stories through her photography. According to her she is inspired and driven by the fact that, “every photo has a story.” I believe her photographic work perfectly reveals this and can be seen in the photograph called “Waiting for Spring 1” displayed along with this article.
I had the opportunity to ask Basia some very pointed questions about how she came to be an image maker and her story about how she progressed was so intriguing to me that I decided to bring it to you unedited and in her own words.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I was very adept with computers (shout out to RadioShack’s Tandy… which got me started down the techie path!). In high school, I did a lot of desktop publishing, and it was designing newspaper layouts that helped me discover a love (dare I say detail-oriented obsession) for computer-assisted design work. Oddly enough, while I was an editor for the school paper, I didn’t pick up the camera much. Computer design gave me instant gratification – I could manipulate elements and immediately see the results. One has to wait for film to develop… and thus, my 35mm P&S only came out for school dances and such.
I discovered Adobe PhotoShop in college. My dorm had a couple of computers and scanners for shared use, and I was absolutely mesmerized when I discovered that you could scan your photos and then add/subtract elements. I immediately gave a portrait of myself hair extensions and was so pleased with the virtual results that I can honestly say I was hooked ever after. However, there was still that trouble of waiting for your film to develop…
It wasn’t until I graduated from college that I got my first digital camera. At the time, the quality was so poor that even using photo editing software didn’t give me that much pleasure in my work. However, I doggedly continued to use it, because I enjoyed the instant gratification of the preview screen. Then, I took a business trip to London and dropped that camera on an escalator at a Tube station. It dented. Next, I took it to my hotel room, plugged it into a power adapter/voltage converter… and smoke erupted from the power plug. Needless to say, this camera was doomed. I was so frustrated with that experience that it was five more years until I got another one… a nice Minolta DIMAGE that my husband I took on our honeymoon to New Zealand.
I carried that camera while my new husband carried his Canon EOS 35mm SLR.. complete with several lenses. The truth is that he was the photographer… way before I ever considered myself to be one. I thought he was silly for lugging around all of this equipment while my Minolta fit neatly into my pocket. However, I was jealous that my husband’s camera could produce such beautiful bokeh (I didn’t know what bokeh was back then). He took some great photos of birds and such – my Minolta’s images made nice snapshots, but it could not compete with the depth that his film camera was able to capture produce. I had honestly never seen photos like that. I was used to P&S images.
[Years later we purchased Canon 50D DSLR for Christmas]. Once I got my hands on that thing, there was no turning back. I finally had instant gratification from an SLR, and I found that to be totally amazing. Getting those images into photo editing software and learning the various methods of enhancing, improving, adding, and subtracting has helped me recapture my childhood love of artistic reproduction. I’ve always been artistically inclined, but I’ve never been the type of artist who imagines something fantastical purely from imagination. As a little girl, I loved to draw. However, I much preferred reproducing an object faithfully in my sketchbook. It gave me pleasure to perfect all of the details in a sketch, rather than create something outlandish that didn’t look at all real. To me, beautiful photography is reproducing a perfect moment in time for others to experience, just as I did in my sketch work as a child. That is probably why I love it so much.
By the way, my poor husband barely has the chance to use his Christmas present, because I am constantly carrying it around!” (Basia Noverini, Interview, January 19, 2010)
As I stated before, Basia is inspired and driven by the fact that “every photo has a story.” When viewing other photographer’s work she finds herself creating a story in her mind as she views it. She also loves to hear the stories that people have created in their mind about her work that are different from her interpretation. She finds this “intriguing” and with every image she makes “strives to elicit a story with every image [she] captures”.
She also loves to look at high contrast black and white photography and is fascinated by High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos. Along these lines Basia sees her black and whites, as well as cityscapes to be her best methods in image making. She feels that she has an eye for high contrast images and can pre-visualize the end result of these types of images.
Her Flickr Group involvement revolves around those groups that provide her with challenges. On top of that she attributes much of her improvement in photography to a group called Life Thru a Lenz (Quality Comment Group), which serves as a form of on-line learning for her.
I had the opportunity to ask Basia if she had any advice for those want to pursue photography and this is what she had to say.
“There are stories everywhere –go out there and show them to someone. Don’t worry about whether this is technically perfect or that is “artistic” enough to be a worthy photograph. Everything is interesting, and capturing things that speak to you will always bring you personal pleasure. Also, get involved in Flickr or other social networking sites that bring photographers together. I can’t count the number of hours I’ve sat in front of the computer and smiled from all of the stories I’ve seen ‘round the world. It is a constant source of entertainment and further serves to help me develop my craft. Plus, the shear variety of different photographers that collaborate in such a group exposes you to various styles of photography that you can then go try yourself. Endless inspiration!”
I believe that Basia really demonstrates for all us what progressing in the photographic craft is really all about. Her story, likes, loves, and desires in the world of photography show us the spirit of a person who wants to make images that speak to others directly. This progressive spirit is why Basia is a PhotoCapM “Flickrite” in the Spotlight. Please visit Basia’s photostream by clicking on her Flickr name above (basianov) and find for yourself the stories that images can produce and that come from such a creative mind.
Until next time…
(Important Notice: The image in this article was used with the expressed permission of and is copyrighted by Basia Noverini (basinov). All rights reserved.)
Inspired by Scott Bourne’s Seven Things To Ask Before You Take Your Next Photograph « Photofocus. Please visit this link before reading the article below.
As some of you know I have been a huge fan and proponent of Scott Bourne and his work since I attended one of his seminars last November. In the short article linked above from his blog, Photofocus, you will find seven questions that I know I will be asking myself in the future. It amazes me how remembering just a few things as you go out to be a "picture maker" can influence the purpose behind your photography as well as the photograph itself.
A week ago Saturday I set out to photograph an area in downtown Salt Lake City. My original intent was to capture some architectural elements (a series I am beginning this year), streetscapes, and maybe a few people walking around town for the PhotographyBB Online photography assignment inspired by David duChemin. As I got in to the car to leave, I remembered something that changed my course of action in relation to what I had decided to photograph that day.
Last year I wanted to do an entire series on the homeless in Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah. My desire was to raise awareness of this population’s needs and plight. I wanted to bring to you, the viewer, images that would impact you in a way that might inspire you to help.
I really thought about the series as I drove in to Salt Lake on that Saturday and made the conscious decision to begin shooting it. As I grabbed my camera bag and left the car, I wanted my photography that day to have a real purpose and tangible meaning. Two of the results of the walk were photographs of Elmer (shown above) and John (shown below). Do not misunderstand me on this point, because I believe in the past I have made purposeful images, mostly illustrative composites, that have had deep meaning, but this was something new.
That something new was a determination to “make photographs”, real photographs and not illustrations, of those who are real and less fortunate. I thought about how I wanted to share with you and demonstrate to myself those who are sometimes ignored and/or avoided and should not be. I was on a mission to show you and remind myself that we need to care deeply for those in circumstances that we may not understand, nor be able to ever understand.
I do not remember ever seeing Mr. Bourne’s list of questions until this morning. It may have been part of his seminar last fall, but to be honest there was so much information to take in I cannot remember. I do know that these seven things will make an impact on the images you make, because his judgment can be trusted about such things.
Part of me thinks that this list of questions are common sense for those who go out to photograph with determination and a purpose in mind. I know that in seeing these questions today some of them contain points that I really have not thought about in great detail. However, I will be thinking about them in detail going forward. As a matter of fact I have listed them in the little notebook I carry with me everywhere I go. Why? Because, I want to be reminded about what it takes to be a “picture maker” who has been “elevated…from snap shooter” according to Scott Bourne.
Mr. Bourne is a world renowned photographer whose work is incredible, because he knows what to do and how to do it. More importantly he cares about what to do and how to do it. I also believe he cares about you, the photographer, and has demonstrated his willingness to include you in his photographic venture by seeking to inspire you to do greater things with your photography. This list of questions is an example of that.
I would encourage you to visit Photofocus right now and read as much as can about what Mr. Bourne has to say regarding how you might improve your abilities as a purposeful photographer. I also want to personally thank him for being a real inspiration to me. I have no doubt that if you will take the time to read and listen to what he has to say, he will be an inspiration to you too.
You will see more photographs coming out of this series over the course of this year as I shoot them. And, with each you can rely on this; in the pictures I think about making I will be asking myself at least seven questions before I even approach the subject. I hope you will consider doing the same.
Until next time…
I’m very excited to present the next PhotoCapM “Flickrite” in the Spotlight. He produces some of the most stunning images that I have ever seen. With each photograph that he posts up I find myself saying, “WOW” and then asking myself, “How did he do that?”
His name is Mike Sumsion (a.k.a. |sumsion|) and his primary method in photographic processing is high dynamic range, or HDR. In this style of processing Mike has produced some the most stunning images of the areas surrounding the Great Salt Lake near Salt Lake City, Utah. His imaginative point of view and use of depth of field only enhances the images he makes as made evident in the photograph attached to this article. Mike seeks to use HDR to portray what the eye sees and I believe he is very effective in doing just that.
I had the opportunity to interact with Mike recently and discovered something that really demonstrates how small the world can be. Mike’s brother Matt and I attended High School together, which made the selection of him as a PhotoCapM “Flickrite” that much more special for me. I also had the opportunity to find out a little more about Mike with our interaction and the following is what he shared with me related to his making of photographs.
Mike got in to photography in High School and told me that he “spent most of his senior year in the darkroom.” He enjoyed the processing of images more than the photography itself. After High School and with many years away from photography he realized that he truly missed it and returned to image making in 2008. In his return he realized something further that was much different from his time photographing in High School, “The landscape [of photography] had changed a lot, because of [the] digital aspect of things. However, that part of it is why I really enjoy the taking part now as much as I enjoy the processing.”
Mike loves to “create” and finds that creative outlet through digital photography. He is inspired by and driven by Flickr. In his own words this is why, “When I decided to get back into photography, Flickr became my classroom. The friends that I’ve found on Flickr have been so helpful in helping me find my eye.”
His favorite styles of photography to view are street photographs and portrait work. He looks to focus more on these two styles of photographic work in the future. Mike loves making photographs of landscapes and says that he will always return to them, but is looking to learn new things. This last fall and winter he has spent a lot of time learning about studio lighting.
As with every article for “Flickrite” in the Spotlight, I asked Mike to recommend one of his photographs to be used with this article. The one he chose is the one that appears above. The reason why he chose this particular image is important, because it demonstrates many things about his style and method in photography. “It combines many of the processes/methods I’ve learned, such as HDR, landscapes, and vertoramas. It’s also [a photograph of] The Great Salt Lake, which is one of my favorite subjects.” As I said in the opening of this article, this is just one example of the “stunning” images he makes that causes me to say, “WOW”.
I had the opportunity to ask Mike if he had any advice for those looking to pursue photography as a hobby, trade, or profession and this is what he had to say to you in his own words.
“Jump right in and start learning from others. I would make one suggestion, however. Don’t do what I did. When I bought my first DSLR (Nikon D90) I purchased the 18-200 lens, thinking that this would do everything I’d every need in photography. I soon discovered that I loved taking landscapes, and this lens was not what I needed. I got rid of it and ended up with a Sigma 10-20. So – don’t purchases any lenses until you’ve decided what you’d actually like to take pictures of.”
Mike really demonstrates what can transpire when someone “jump[s] right in” and is driven to learn about the photographs they make. He focuses on capturing what his eye sees and then shares his eye with you in the fantastic images that he produces. His desire and the results of that desire are why Mike is a PhotoCapM “Flickrite” in the Spotlight. Please visit Mike’s photostream by clicking on his Flickr name above (|sumsion|) and see for yourself some of the most beautiful images will see anywhere.
Until next time…
Did you know that Mike has a Fan Page on Facebook? Stop by his page on Facebook and while you are at it become a fan of Mike Sumsion Photography. (Important Notice: The image in this article was used with the expressed permission of and is copyrighted by Mike Sumsion Photography (|sumsion|). All rights reserved.)
In Part 2 of this series we talk a little about organizing and finding time to write articles for a blog. We also talked a little bit about some of the things I experienced in transitioning from blogger to photo blogger. I answered a question as well about about whether I am a blogger who photographs or a photographer who blogs. You can read Blogging v. Photo Blogging, Or Is It? Part 2 here if you missed it.
Part 3
Today I want to talk about just one thing in regard to photo blogging and that is how to make your blog speak to the photographs you make and vice versa. In a way writing about the images you produce is a form of photo journalism, because you create an image and then report on it. This report can appear in many written forms.
The article can be just one line that expressed some inspiration that is found in the photograph. It can be a be a short story in reference to the image that you captured. It can even be actual reporting on a subject that interests you and you feel needs to be conveyed to the world.
The point in all of these is to make your article relevant to the image you are presenting. Images can speak about so many things in your life or in the lives around you. They can complete the story by bringing the reader in to what you are describing or writing about. They can serve as the conduit between something imaged and something real bringing to the readers eye something whimsical, powerful, and/or important.
As a photo blogger you have the responsibility for making the connection for your reader between what you have written and the photograph you have presented. Again, this can be done in the ways I described above or other ways that we will not touch here, but in every case you must make what you have photographed speak through the words you have chosen to write and vice versa. If you cannot do that then I suggest you leave the photograph out and just write about the topic you have chosen.
In opening this series, Part 1, I suggested that there may be times when you may not want to use a photograph or image when writing for your blog. I found this a real challenge, because I really want people to not only read what I have to say, but see the photographic work that I have made. It is important to me that my readers see both, but I came to a point where I had to ask myself, “To what degree am I willing to confuse my reader?”
The conclusion that I came to was this; I should never want my readers to be confused about anything they see or read. I want them experience my blog in a fashion that is fluid and uninterrupted. I want them to return, because they not only found the articles beneficial, but because they enjoyed the experience.
So, my suggestions to you today are, first, always ensure that you use photographs or images in your articles only when you know that they apply to what you are writing. Second, if you really have a strong desire to write on something that you think should have photograph attached, and do not have one that is appropriate, then assign yourself to make the image that fits your written work. Third, do not settle for less than what your readers expect in the way of flow for your blog.
Next time we will talk about using images and photographs that you sell in your articles. Sometimes it can be a real temptation to flood your written work with items that you would like for your readers to buy. I will have some suggestions on how to present your work without being to invasive with images that you would like to present for sale.
Until next time…
Photowalking Utah: Save the Dates: Two Studio Lighting Photowalking Utah Events.
Photowalking Utah has announced their latest Mini-clinic and photowalk. If you are a photographer who lives in Utah or may be visiting Utah during the time that these two events are being held, please come and join us.
I am so happy to introduce to you this next “Flickrite” in the Spotlight, because not only is he a great photographer, but a personal friend. His name is Harley Pebley (a.k.a. hpebley3) and he has been a real face to face person of inspiration for me. He has a very tender manner and is a willing participant in the lives of the photographers who are around him.
In preparing for this article I had the opportunity to ask Harley a few questions. One of those questions was related to which photograph I might use for this article. He recommended his most popular and it is a truly wonderful image, “Star Trails” (shown left). However, I want to provide you a link to his latest photograph on Flickr, because it demonstrates who Harley is and what Harley is about as a photographer. It is called, “Teach Us to Number Our Days.”
He draws inspiration from any places in his life like books and songs, but recently in photography the work of others has really injected some inspiration into his post-processing work. He “[uses] photographs as raw material for composite images.” Harley’s “Teach Us to Number Our Days” is an image that demonstrates for us what he doing recently and how he draws inspiration from the things he loves to see and hear.
Harley has been around cameras and graphic arts his entire life off and on. As I said before, he draws inspiration from the photographic work of others, but he attributes his latest return to the photographic world to a couple of things. First, he was encouraged to return it by a friend named Rich Legg, a wonderful photographic artist located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Second, he attributes it to the affordability found in lower priced Digital SLRs. These two things saw his latest return to the photographic arena as a creative outlet.
With Harley’s return came beautiful photographs of landscapes and as he put it “artsy-detail/close-up shots”. As seen above, he does some very excellent work. Not only is this one of Harley’s most popular photographs, but it is one of my favorites on Flickr. He told me that he likes to look at different styles of photography like landscapes, cityscapes, macros, but has been really drawn recently to abstract/surreal composites.
Harley’s group involvement on Flickr right now revolves around Photowalking Utah, which is not only Flickr Group, but an actual photography club located in Utah. He was one of six original members and quickly emerged a leader in their monthly photowalks and free photography seminars. Harley said that the reason he likes the Photowalking Utah Group/Club is, “because of the regular real-life meet-ups, [it has] the live social aspect.”
I had the opportunity to ask Harley if he had any advice for those who want to pursue photography as hobby, trade, or profession and this is what he had to say.
“As an amateur: just do it! It’s more about the photographer than the
gear, so don’t let gear cost be an excuse. Get what you can afford and
use it. There are many people doing amazing work with simple point and
shoots.As a pro: if there’s anything else you love doing more, do it. This is
true of any career choice: do what you love to do. You’re going to be
doing it all day.In either case, take pictures, evaluate them, educate yourself and
take more pictures in a continuous loop.”
I believe Harley really captures what photography should be all about in this final statement and he demonstrates for me and I hope for you why he is a PhotoCapM “Flickrite” in the Spotlight”. His work in the photographic community is very important and precious. He represents the best in the photographic world not only for his artistic ability, but for his willingness to receive and provide inspiration, and encourage the best in others. Please visit Harley’s photostream by clicking on his Flickr name above (hpebley3) and find out how one can be inspired by the sights and sounds around them.
Until next time…
Harley sells some of his work as stock photography. You can see the images that he has available right now by visiting hpebley3 on iStockphoto. (Important Notice: The image in this article was used with the expressed permission of and is copyrighted by Harley Pebley (hpebley3). All rights reserved.)
Michael Frye
Harley Pebley
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