The mentored sketchbook.

Making the Visual Verbal!

I've been away most of the summer on assignment so have done little blogging. But today, I looked at the blog and read what my step-daughter Teresa had recently posted. I was inspired to say the least. If you remember, Teresa and I started this blog to share our learning experiences as we both tried to become more creative and better photographers.

I know that since I started writing my Newsletters three years ago, verbalizing about my visual creations, I have become a far better photographer. I think more clearly about both the technical and the 'feelings' side of my work. When I read what Teresa had written, I can clearly see that she too is learning in leaps & bounds. I can also tell that she learns by 'doing' and is not afraid to make mistakes or totally screw up. That to me is inspiring.

Even though I am supposed to be the pro and she the beginner, I feel I am learning from her. It may not be that I am learning something entirely new, but I am re-learning from a totally new perspective. This, of         
course, means that I really AM learning something totally new!

I really believe that verbalizing about our visual experiences and image creations is a most valuable process. As for myself, I know I have a better understanding of the work I have done, the work I am doing and the work I am about to do. This in turn gives me confidence to move ahead in my ever new creative journey.

Good work Teresa!

A Sunday Walk Photo Assignment

Last Sunday I took my friends Nomi, Taltal, and Peleg for a walk along Walker Valley; not far from where I live. We walked around Clark's Marsh, Taltal with her sketch book and Peleg and I with our cameras. As I have often mentioned in my Newsletters, some people say they never bring a camera on such outings as it prevents them from being observant. I feel the opposite. Whenever I bring my camera, I find all my senses are more alive than ever. I look at the big picture and I look for small details. I look for birds and I look for animals. I examine the landscape, looking for texture, patterns and form. I am also aware that the day's outing, no matter what you are doing or where you are going, is part of a story. I enjoy telling that story through photographic imagery. That is why I made the above image. It was the beginning of the journey; the 'heading out'. 

Around midday, we stopped for a snack. Taltal did a drawing in her sketch book, Nomi watched the birds perform their spring rituals, while Peleg and I photographed. As the air was still, I was drawn to reflections in the calm water. Due to its simplicity, the one above was my favourite.

Moments later, a slight breeze produced reflections of an entirely different nature. They were in constant motion producing new compositions by the second. My challenge was to try and capture one!

It was a wonderful two hour walk, but without my camera, I doubt I would have noticed such beauty. When I am with my camera, I feel alive and very much aware of the natural world around me.

The Snag Photo Assignment

I just realized I had forgotten to follow up on my blog posting of April 11th. This was a photo assignment that I went on with three teenagers including Teresa. Teresa chose the subject. I have to say, that when I saw the small non-descriptive snag she choose, I said to myself 'this is going to be challenging'!

But that's good...nothing like a photographic challenge. So if you are interested in photography (I assume that is why you are here!!) my thought process went something like this:  I walked around the snag with my 24-105mm lens looking at different compositions. I quickly realized that the background in every direction was to me uninteresting. The road certainly didn't turn me on. The alternative, therefore, was to get down on the ground and shoot up at the sky. I considered the position of the tree, the branch and the cloud formation. By working my way around the tree once again, I chose my spot. Next I switched to my 14mm wide angle lens which provided what I thought was the most interesting perspective.

I hid the sun behind the tree, and because there was such high contrast, I decided to shoot what is called an HDR (high dynamic range) image. This would enable me to interpret the complete tonal range - from the very brightest to the very darkest tones. If I had made a single exposure, the tree trunk would appear black against such a bright sky. So, to capture the detail in the tree trunk, as well as the bright clouds, I made three exposures; one for the brightest area, one for the darkest, and one for the middle tones. By combining all three together in a program called Photomatics, I was able to get the correct exposure throughout the tonal range. Amazing.

What is so very cool about this process, is that I was able to make an image that resembles how I saw  the tree with my naked eyes. I could see the details on that tree trunk, but a single image using film or digital sensor could not. 

So there you have it. That is how I met the challenge of photographing an old snag against a noon day sun.

There are hundreds of video's online that show you how to shoot HDR imagery. Check it out. There is some amazing HDR imagery out there. Good luck!

Direct the Eye - from Chris' Perspective!

It was amazing for me to read Teresa's last blog entry. I can't believe how fast she absorbed all that information! The greatest part for me is not only being inspired by how much and how quickly Teresa is learning, but how much I am learning!

Taking into account what Teresa wrote, let me explain how we improved the image during the processing stage. Her reason for making the image was to draw attention to the subjects beyond the fence. The problem with the first image is the fence is so bright that our eyes get stuck there and have a much harder time getting through to the more important subjects.

So we subtracted light from the fence by subtracting light or 'burning' it in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) and we brightened up the truck and wall by adding brightness or 'dodging' it in ACR. We also brought out more of their inherent colours and sharpened the details. As Teresa mentioned, our eyes go to the brightest, most saturated and sharpest parts of a photograph. So, if you look at the two images once again, you will notice how your eyes are more easily drawn through the fence and how much more easily you pick up the details of the truck and the chains on the red wall. We also added a little more contrast to both subjects.

That was a great exercise. Everyone can vastly improve their image making by knowing what they are trying to say with their image, and knowing better how to process the image in order to say it.

Try it and let us know how you are doing!

Photo Assignment with 3 Teenagers.

I always remember renowned Canadian photographer Freeman Patterson saying, "I have learned more from my students than from any other source." I agree totally. Whenever I look at the imagery of beginners, I am always amazed. This day was no exception. I took three teenagers, Teresa, Taltal and Peleg, out to find a subject. Teresa chose a small snag beside the road and we all set about our visual explorations; Taltal with sketch pad, and the rest of us with a camera. The results were inspiring. We all had a blast and we all learned from each other. Here is a picture of the snag and all 4 of us at work! Next we will share the results. Stay tuned!

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