Times Square De-saturated HDR

I am not a fan of heavy handed HDR and have posted my views several times in the past.  So here I am, producing a couple of photographs that run completely contrary to my previous rants.  I’m ok with that, and I have a reason.

Like all “rules” or guidelines for photography, including composition, it is good to have a foundation on which to base your photography.  When you step outside these self-imposed bounds, it is good to do so intentionally.  In other words, it is ok to break the rules, and it is best to do so with purpose and intention.

The two HDR photographs of Times Square featured in this post were shot in August 2011.  Just yesterday I finally got around to processing them.  As I was running the photographs through Photomatix Pro, the practically empty Times Square coupled with the clouds and the street shining from the drizzle, led me to choose a heavier application of tone mapping than I normally prefer.  I quickly became attracted to a grungier look for the scene which seemed consistent with the conditions.

To add further to the gloomy feel I was trying to achieve, I de-saturated the photographs aggressively and added grain.

As a final word, I remain opposed to heavy handed HDR.  On the other hand, I can imagine particular scenes, such as these from a sparsely populated gloomy Times Square, when use of the technique and produce interesting results.  HDR is a great tool when used judiciously and appropriately.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

New York Upper West Side Pigeons

As I was moving some photos around this morning I found these two photos I failed to include in the New York “Zoom Rack” series.  Here are links to the rest of the series: 

• Zoom Rack Photography in New York (including a description of the zoom rack technique)
• Times Square Zoom Rack Photography
• Zoom Rack Photography of New York Taxicabs

Both of these photos are different from most of the zoom rack photography I took while in NY.  First, most of the photographs I made were uncharacteristically (for me) in color – they passed my test of color adding information that was important to the composition.  Second, the first of these photographs features two types of apparent motion – the effect of motion brought on by the zoom rack technique, and the motion of the pigeons in flight.

 

The second of these two photographs is also ripe with leading lines.  The lines in the sidewalk lead your eye through the photograph, and the light lines created by the zoom rack technique bring your eye to the center of the photograph.

 

Once your eyes have readjusted to normal photography, I will likely return with another set using this approach and some scenes from around Washington DC.  While talking about upcoming cool stuff, I recommend you check out my other blog “Craig’s Grape Adventure” tomorrow when I will post a very exciting wine pairing with tuna prepared three ways – tuna and avocado tartare, seared tuna with mango salsa, and toasted fennel crusted tuna with fresh vegetable quinoa.  I am anxious to prepare this delicious progression, photograph it, and of course – enjoy it.

 

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

 

Craig

Zoom Rack Photography of New York Taxicabs

This is my third and final installment of Zoom Rack photography from New York.  Here are the links to the previous two, in case you missed them:

• Zoom Rack Photography in New York (including a description of the zoom rack technique)
• Times Square Zoom Rack Photography

For this final post in the series, I decided to focus on the iconic New York taxicab.  Nostalgia draws me back to the days of the Checker cabs in NY, a true icon, but at least they remain the same color.

As you can see from the previous photo, use of the zoom rack technique can result in some interesting abstract results.  In this case, there is just enough information to give context (the Times Square Marques in the background) and the yellow of the cab to let you know this just might be a New York taxi.

Unlike more normal bias toward black and white photography, these photographs were processed in color.  With the subject of NY taxis, it would be difficult to respect the bright yellow paint if processed in black and white.

In addition to the yellow of the cabs, the motion introduced by racking the zoom, makes for some interesting bright light trails that are more interesting in color than black and white.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Times Square Zoom Rack Photography

If you are puzzled by the term “zoom rack photography” take a look at my explanation in a previous post; Zoom Rack Photography in New York. 

I will have a couple more posts in this series.  For this post, I am sharing photographs of Times Square in New York using the zoom rack technique.  Times Square is perpetually filled with activity, energy and movement.  The zoom rack technique works well in this setting by exaggerating the motion.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Zoom Rack Photography in New York

Earlier this year, my good friend and fellow photographer John Downey (John A Downey II Photography) introduced me to a photographic technique I decided to play with during a trip to New York over the weekend.  I don’t know that the technique has a name, so I gave it one – zoom rack photography.  The technique is conceptually pretty simple, but it takes practice to get it right.

The technique involves composing a photograph using a zoom lens at a short focal length then simultaneously “racking” the zoom to a longer focal length while depressing the shutter button.  Easy stuff, right?  But wait, there is more.  The real challenge of executing this shot is a sufficiently long shutter speed that allows you to rack the zoom from a short to long focal length.  My experience with this in NY led me to conclude that the optimum shutter speed was 1/4 of a second.  To get a decent exposure at this shutter speed generally means lowering your ISO and increasing your f-stop (high number/small aperture).  If you are shooting in bright sunlight, even your lowest ISO and highest f-stop may not get you to 1/4 second shutter speed.  In bright light, you may have to add a neutral density filter.

The next challenge is stabilizing the camera.  The amount of stabilization will depend on the level of clarity you are trying to achieve.  This type of photography intentionally blurs most of the photograph.  However, you can increase the clarity by good technique (bracing your arms), steadying the camera against a solid object (like a lamp post) or using a tripod.  All the photographs in this post were hand held or braced against something solid.

One of your first impressions of this form of photography may be that it looks somewhat like photography made with a Lensbaby.  I would not disagree but would point out two aspects that distinguish this approach.  First, because of the longer exposure time, objects in motion are further accentuated with motion – like the cyclist in the previous shot.  Second, you get some unique effects I can’t as easily account for such as in the following photograph.  I don’t think I could recreate this photograph using a Lensbaby.  The smoky, ghostly steaks coming off the buildings while keeping most of the shot in relatively good focus is not something the Lensbaby is built for.

Like any photographic technique, this is certainly one that can be overdone.  However, used judiciously and in compositions amenable to the technique, you can add another fun tool to your kit.  Later this week, I will post more shots from NY using this technique – just to be sure I have overdone it.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Noise is Not Evil–More Examples

In my last post “Noise is Not Evil” I made the case that noise can be used as an important artistic element of your photography and is not the evil scourge many seem to believe.  My view is in contrast to those in the photography world who appear to be obsessed with the idea that we should only accept what the best of today’s digital cameras are capable of.  In other words, new versions of cameras are increasingly capable of shooting high ISO, low light, and low noise photographs – this group of people believe because we can effectively eliminate noise in many circumstances , we should accept nothing less.  “They” are the people who believe noise is evil.

I don’t intend on pressing my case here, but thought to provide a few more examples of noisy photographs that work.

Today’s shots include a bike on the streets of Abu Dhabi, the Pentagon from the air, a man waiting at JFK, and finally, the beaches in Aqaba Jordan.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Noise is Not Evil

There are many people in the photography world that would have you believe that noise in a photograph is and undesired evil.  I disagree.  To put it simply, noise is the digital revolution’s equivalent to film grain.  Why was grain in film considered acceptable, an artistic choice, and even desirable in many cases?  Yet the noise in digital photography is considered a technical flaw?

I will concede that noise is not a characteristic one should routinely pursue.  But there are unquestionably times when noise not only fails to distract, but actually offers a desirable artistic element to the photograph.

Each of the photos I offer here as examples contained noise when shot.  I then leverage the noise through sharpening, increasing contrast, and addition of grain in post processing.  The noise/grain in each of the shots plays a different role, but I believe the noise works well in all.

If you want to consider avoiding noise as one of “the rules” of photography, fine.  And just like any other “rule”{ in photography, it is OK to break the rules as long as you know the rule and break it with intention and purpose.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Banished to the Fire Escape

New York Street Photography

Three posts in a row featuring color photography!  I noticed the last two each featured color, so I said why not?…make it a third.  This post is also inspired by the quickly approaching Thanksgiving Day celebration which I will be passing in New York with my family.  My daughter is preparing her first big family Thanksgiving feast, and I am very much looking forward to it.

The photographs featured in this post were taken in March, 2010 on a trip to NY to visit my daughter.  New York is a paradise for street photography.  Not a step goes by that something new and interesting is sure to cross your path.  The first two photographs are a great example.  These shots are of the same alley.  The second, at the entrance to the alley, and the first further into the alley.  Except for the blue doors and window frame of the café at the end of the alley, it would be difficult to recognize these shots were taken within 100 feet of each other and focused in the same direction.

The previous photograph is a small portion of the Brooklyn bridge.  It is unclear what is going on inside these doors, but my mind was wandering a bit when I named the shot “Brooklyn Bridge Condos.”

This photograph of some details from the Old Staten Island Ferry Building begged to be processed as color.  I really wanted to make the B/W transformation, but the colors kept screaming to be free.  With some great tonal range within the colors, I relented.

Finally, here is a shot of a school and a church from a park.  Sorry, I don’t recall the name of any of them.  But I can tell you what I like about the shot.  First, the starkness of the barren trees add a wonderful texture to the composition both directly and through the shadows cast on the ground.  Second, the lightly clouded blue sky  frames the buildings and park below while adding a complimentary color.  Finally, I like the colors of both the church and the school particularly in the way the two color relate to each other.

I’m sure I will be returning to black and white soon, so stand by.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Deepening Understanding in a Blur

Most photography you see is crystal clear and tack sharp (a favorite term for photography geeks).  In fact, with the advent and exponential advances of digital photography, it seems like we are mistakenly in pursuit of perfect focus, resolution that would allow one to dissect Cindy Crawford’s mole from a crowd shot at a L.A. Lakers basketball game (does she even like basketball?), and sharpness sufficient to cut diamonds.
In my opinion, we are obsessed, and missing the point.  Art does not require all these harsh terms and equally harsh outcomes.  Often, art moves you in exactly the opposite direction.  In like manner, telling a story through photography can often push you away from the edge of the sharpness cliff. 
A very simple example is something I learned taking photographs about 25 years ago.  I was a young Ensign on a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter and wanted to photograph helicopter operations.  A couple of months after taking the shots, finishing the patrol, sending the role to the lab, etc. (yes, a bit different than today’s instant feedback) I could see a helicopter miraculously floating over the deck with rotors perfectly still.  It did not look right…rotors have to spin for a helicopter to fly.  The next patrol, I went about the same process of photographing helo ops, but this time I closed the aperture and slowed the shutter speed.  the result was still a helicopter in air over the ship’s deck, but the rotors were a spinning blur.  Visually, this made sense.

The photographs featured in this post speak exactly to these combined components of sharpness (or lack thereof) in context and forgetting the obsession to have a razor sharp photograph (as a general rule/obsession).  Both shots come from Time’s Square, NY.  This is one of the most energetic places on the planet.  There is constant motion, noise, activity, and the entire world coming together in one place.  A photograph of Time’s square should attempt to capture this energy.  I chose to do so by letting the energy flow through the blurred motion combined with some intentionally overblown lights.
Have fun, and go make some great photography!
Craig

Odd Sleeping Habits in New York

My last entry (Breaking the (composition) Rules in New York) led off with a photograph of someone just waking from a slumber on the oh so comfortable streets of New York.  The guy in the photo featured in today’s entry has somehow taken this to a completely new level.  While maybe common place for New Yorkers, I found the wholly casual nature of his nap quite unique.  He had this look of, “this is precisely the place and time I wanted to nap and am pleased with my choice.”  Of course most New Yorkers paid no mind to him and likely only took notice when they had to step over or around him to enter or exit the subway station.  I was pleased to have the woman on the left side of the photograph in the frame to represent the wholesale disinterest of New Yorkers passing on the street.
Have fun, and go make some great photography.
Craig

Breaking the (composition) Rules in New York

As I was reviewing some of my past posts, I realized I frequently talk about compositional rules but have failed to mention the most important rule – IT IS OK TO BREAK THE RULES!!!
Honestly, I think conventions like “the rule of thirds” should be toned down to something much softer…maybe the concept of thirds.  There are a number of ways to break the rule of thirds.  One of my favorites is shown in the first photograph.  By placing the subject in a corner, the balance of the composition can be used to draw the eye to the subject.  In this case, the majority of the photograph is composed of the sidewalk helping the eye move up to the man waking from a peaceful sleep on the sidewalks of New York.

The second way to break this rule is putting the subject square in the middle of the composition.  Making this approach to breaking the rules is difficult  because in general I believe it is too ordinary or pedestrian to find the subject in the center of the composition, but I think it works for this photograph of a bicycle messenger hustling through the grand hall of Grand Central Station in New York.  There are other points of interest that fall on the 1/3 lines, but the cyclist is clearly centered.

My final recommendation for breaking the rules is related to the first approach.  Rather than composing your subject in a corner, move them to one of the vertical or horizontal margins.  In this case, the subjects (people on the move in the Great Hall of Grand Central Station in New York) are at the very bottom of the composition.
So please keep this in mind: there is an exception for every rule and it is often quite fun and challenging to creatively break the rules.
Have fun, and go break some (composition) rules!
Craig

Walk Around NY Part II

Here are a couple more photographs from my walk around NY. The first comes from South Street Seaport and the second is from the back side of the Staten Island Ferry sign.  I find both these shots appealing from the perspective of tonal range.  They are both well balanced shots that do not introduce an excessive amount of contrast yet cover the full tonal range.

The shot of the Staten Island Ferry sign adds additional appeal because it is true to my desire to find an interesting perspective on the common.  While the Staten Island Ferry building may not be “common” to a lot of people, I believe I have achieved an uncommon perspective for those who know it.
Have fun and go make some great photography.
Craig

Bigger Photographs

For quite some time, I have felt the desire to post larger photos on this blog.  However, I am not an html pro (ok, my skills don’t even amount to a sub-novice level) and had no clue how to make this happen.

Fortunately, my good friend John (www.faroutphotographic.blogspot.com) helped me break the code.  My intent is to present fewer, but larger photographs.  Hopefully you will find the larger format more enjoyable.  I would love to hear your feedback.

If you have an opinion, I would be happy to hear it.
Have fun, and go make some great photography!
Craig

Walking Around Manhattan

Recently I was able to spend a couple of days in New York and spare some time for photography.  New York is a photographers playground.  At every step there is an interesting view, interesting people, and a constantly changing landscape of light.
The photographs in this post share a couple of characteristics; a) they are black and white (ok…a little exception in the first photograph), b) they are high dynamic range (HDR), c) they generally focus on things rather than people (another post focusing on people is forthcoming), and d) the subject matter is NY landmarks.

While taking these photographs, I was blessed with an overcast sky for most of the shooting.  Without direct and intense mid-day sunlight, hard shadows are minimized and details are not lost to the shadows or blown out by the bright light.  Of course, using HDR techniques we can overcome a great deal of this, but the soft light of an overcast sky is mostly preferable.

I was very happy to get the next photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge.  Only during the winter, while the leaves have left the trees, is this view possible.

Come back soon to see more of my walk around Manhattan.  I will be posting more images of NY icons and likely a couple focusing on the people of New York.
Have fun, and go make some great photography!
Craig

Times Square – Perpetual Motion

This post concludes a three part series of photographs taken in New York and focusing on the Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square.  In my ideal world, I would dedicate an extended period to shooting in New York.  At every turn, there are interesting people, compositions, and light that I would love to spend a great deal of time exploring.

Life is not so kind to afford me the time to crawl through the nooks and crannies of New York and capture what I see, or the interesting aspects we can find in the ordinary.  So for now, I have to settle for this…but I will be back!

As was the case with my prior post and explanation of the Brooklyn Bridge, for most of these shots I chose to keep a reasonably good level of motion in the final photograph.  New York has a unique energy, and the movement in the photographs helps capture this perpetual restlessness.

I hope you enjoyed this quick tour of Times Square.
Have fun, and go make some great photography.
Craig