A Deeper Frame
Really now, what’s there to know about depth? Ensure a foreground, middle ground, and background, right? WRONG. There is more to it than that. David DuChemin explores the subject of depth, in depth. Dimension does not usually get a lot of talk but here David gives “depth” it’s due. ”A Deeper Frame” is not his largest eBook that he has written. It only weighs in at 23 pages and 12.5MB. However, the content is all good. David explains, as he always does so well, ways to turn a two dimensional frame into a dimensional scene that has depth. He explains with examples of his photography. David uses arrows and diagrams over-laid on his images to ensure the reader understands what he is talking about. It certainly helps us visual people get a more solid understanding of concepts.
David also talks about optics and lenses such as what 24mm or 200mm really mean. It’s not something, I had thought about much but I am glad to know it now. After all, we should know our tools very well to be a good craftsman/woman. This is where David fills in with some technical explanations for us. I am very glad for that portion of the eBook.
I also like his analogy of thinking of the frame NOT as flat but more of a CUBE. I usually try to get an element of dimension in my photos but “A Deeper Frame” now offers me some other techniques and ways of looking at the frame, or cube, to get the desired results. So, the next time you are trying to frame a scene that is “deep in meaning”, you will be able to add a feeling of dimension to the scene with the help of “A Deeper Frame“.
From Pixelated Image Blog:
“For the next five days only you can have A DEEPER FRAME for $4 (discount code DEEP4). Or you can buy 5 eBooks for the price of 4 (discount codeDEEP20). That’s our usual deal. But this is my 12th eBook, and I’m feeling punchy, so we’re offering our deepest discount yet. 12 eBooks for $40.That’s about 34% off the already ridiculous price. That’s $3.33/eBook! Use discount code DEEPER12 when you Visit Craft&Vision, fill your shopping cart and check out. These codes expires at 11:59pm PST July 2, 2011.”
Time for a Logo?
Lately, I have been thinking of designing a logo for my photography. Now, I know that the logo should represent a niche of my photography. I have struggled with my “brand” of photography. I enjoy shooting many subjects so I don’t want to niche myself into a corner. Other photographers have said that it’s OK to be a generalist. I am finding comfort in that. Especially since, I do not have any aspirations of taking my photography to a level of “full time vocation”. If I did, I would definitely niche myself somewhat into pet or family portraits. I am wondering a little off track here so I’ll get to the point about logos.
I don’t need a niche symbol. I mean, since I am not niching myself into a market of pet photography, I don’t need a dog as part of the logo. I just need a logo to suggest “photography” to the viewer. A logo needs to be simple. My favourite logo of all time is the Nike swish. It’s simple, uncomplicated, easy to draw, and easily recognizable. The logo should visually tell the viewer of what you do. The logo should also be timeless so it’s style does not go out of fashion. The logo should not look like any other. These are the things I want for my logo.
I appreciate any input for the above designs. The basic design is one that goes back to my high school days. I was a big fan of Frank Frazetta and modeled my “logo style sig” after his style. This modern version does not look anything like a Frazzetta sig but I kept the same from high school. The original looked more like Japanese writing but the same idea. As with the old and the new one, you can make out my initials of my name. As an added bonus of this modern version, the logo hints of a simple line drawing of a camera. I can always use this logo in a fancier form such as adding drop shadows or make it glassy but the form will remain the same.
Which is your favourite? Am I missing something? Any other advice for logo design? Is there anything you would tweak on the above logos?
BTW. It’s Super Bowl Sunday! Go Packers!
Don’t Start AT ALL!
Here’s my photography tip of the day:
DON’T START AT ALL!
Photography may seem like an innocent hobby at first but you will soon realize that it will steal your soul! First, you start with an entry level dSLR to snap a few scenic shots while in the woods camping. Then you read some books. After a few years, you realize you need more. You need to spend time in expensive workshops. You need the pro-level body to get the results that your entry level body cannot do. Then there are the website subscriptions and templates to buy in order to make your site more professional looking. Then there is the computer that needs upgrading. The list grows.
You have been working long hard hours in order to put a roof over your head and pay the bills for living. Luckily, you can save a few extra dollars for some photography gear. A bag here, a book there, a filter here… they all help but do not satisfy the thirst for more. Your wife talks you into taking a vacation. You think GREAT! You will be able to explore a foreign land with your camera.
Then you think… “Crap! I need better gear! Why would I go off continent and only take an old pro-sumer body? I NEED the PRO-BODY! It’s a long way to go to come back with noisy pics. Could my current body be capable of printing large posters or books? Will I run into low light situations where a D3 would do the job but my D200 won’t?. Go big or go home, right?”
Then you start thinking of how you can raise money to afford the photography tools and instruction. A lottery win would work. Not only could you upgrade and afford the gear and instruction that you want but you could help upgrade your tog friends too. Maybe, you and your photographer friends could start an super innovative and creative photography company? However, the odds of winning the lottery are highly unlikely. So, you think of crime. You can’t believe that you even thought about it but you want it sooo bad. However, it’s just not in your character to pull a criminal act. Then you start to wonder how much stuff you could sell.
Then a tragedy. A job loss followed by a death in the family. You dreams of stepping up your game is crushed. Negative thoughts fill your head. You stop reading about other photographers and how they bought this new body or that new lens for some exotic adventure. Perhaps, they talk about how great the two day $1200 workshop was. You read how one photographer lost his $70,000 camera to the ocean. You don’t feel sorry for him at all like others. You think… if he had the means to buy that camera, surely he could easily replace it with a D3X($8000). Life just doesn’t seem fair. You think you are a good person. You help people when you can. Depression sets in.
You are not sure what to do about feelings of resentment so you blog about it. Perhaps, it will help. After all, only 9 people read it anyway, according to Google Analytics but 19 according to StatPress.
This is a tongue-in-cheek type of post but based on truth. Honestly, I am in a funk and feeling down but I will not give up photography nor jump off a bridge. I will continue to make the best with what I have. Maybe others feel as I do right now and they can relate but were afraid to express it so.
Redundancy
Now, most of the photographers have probably seen the above video. I assume it’s made it’s way around the net by now. If you haven’t seen it yet, watch the above clip. It’s quite funny but very tragic at the same time for the bride and groom.
The physical humour initially makes us snicker and think, “Oh my, what a clutz!” that the photographer is. However, we then notice, especially after a second viewing, that the wedding photographer went into the fountain with BOTH of his camera’s. It’s not the fact that his small fortune in camera gear is probably toast. Camera gear can be replaced. The tragedy is that wedding moments can’t be “re-purchased”. The wedding photographer was wearing a belt with a pouch. I would assume( hopefully, I am wrong) that the pouch contained the only copy of CF cards that we was using that day.
I think we can learn a lesson from this unfortunate event of Mr. Clutzographer. We experienced photographers know about the importance of back up solutions. There are several ways to “back up” our files from our desk top but do we “back up” on the fly? After seeing the above video, I think it’s in our better interest to “back up” on the fly.
Many new pro-dSLR camera bodies come with the capability to run two compact flash cards at the same time. With a Nikon system, not sure about Canon but I assume it’s possible, the camera can be programmed to save the digital file to BOTH CF cards. In other words, you can create an instant “back up” directly on to the second CF card. This is a safer way to shoot in case one card is mal-functioning.
If I were to shoot a wedding, especially one with a near by water feature, I would shoot with two cards recording for sure. Then after each “segment” of the wedding, give one card to your assistant/second shooter or even your wife or husband. The point is to get the second copy of the files away from yourself in case you have an incident such as the clutzy wedding photographer in the above video. Then the second card should be transferred to a laptop or other device which could be safe guarded by a third person.
A good “back up” workflow would involve “redundancy on the fly”. At least two copies of the files should be immediately sent to different locations and possibly uploaded up to a cloud for safe keeping. If something un-for-seen does happen to you and your CF card, at least there are back ups of earlier segments in the wedding. The habit of keeping all the files of the day on one card is a risk that I would not take. For the sake of the bride and groom, let’s hope Mr. Clutzographer had a redundant system on the fly to salvage the wedding.
Follow Us!