Time Passages

Listening to Al Stewart's popular lyrics of the 1970's, "Drifting into time passages as years go falling in the fading light", reminded me of how fast "time' really does go by. It was just 10 years ago today when much of the free world contemplated the range of potential Y2K disasters. It doesn't seem that long ago.

We're living in exciting and challenging times and we must not lose sight of our focus. I've always believed in setting goals and recently came across this Twitter poll by Jack Hollingsworth with 40 inspiring contributions from fellow photographers. If you are serious about improving your craft as a photographer, I think you might find this survey motivating.

Tonight as New Year's Eve approaches, there will be a full blue moon, which is quite rare. The last time was back in 1990 and the next one won't come again until 2028. Just a reminder there is no time like the present!

I wish everyone a happy and successful 2010 NEW YEAR and a special thanks to all who have supported and encouraged me throughout the past!!

I am now on Twitter and can be found at twitter.com/slimeface

Photographing People in Public Places

As a long haul trucker for many years I have enjoyed the wonderful opportunity in meeting and photographing many people along my travels. I have been asked several times if I ever ask permission before taking street portraits and the answer is sometimes.

It really depends on the feeling I get with each individual. Obviously asking some stranger if they mind if you take their picture will affect the outcome of their expression but I usually talk with the person for a while in a friendly way before asking them, camera in hand. There are times of course, I would have missed a good candid shot had I stopped to ask if they objected.

In my opinion, it's how you carry yourself and your camera that allows your subjects to feel comfortable, or not. I've heard you convey your self image through your lens to your subject and it is this reflected image you receive back on a subconscious level from your subject.

I carry model releases with me and have only used them on occasion. I hand out printed 4x6 calling cards folded in half with varied images including my contact info and where they can view their images in the following week. I show them the in camera image and always tell them how wonderful their picture came out and if they are interested I will happily email them a copy in full resolution. I follow up with all requests.

My favorite work and what I enjoy the most is photographing the landscape of America, particularly the American West, but I will always enjoy the challenge of shooting strangers and learning something new from all those I photograph. Shoot a stranger, make a friend!

An interesting article by Qiana Mestrich titled "Photography Empathy: How you feel is what you get" about how photographers are like mirrors can be read at Black Star.

"As I progressed further with my project, it became obvious that it was really unimportant where I chose to photograph. The particular place simply provided an excuse to produce work... you can only see what you are ready to see - what mirrors your mind at that particular time." ~George Tice

Inaugural printed issue of "disco underworld"

Congratulations to editor Stacey Childs, for her inaugural printed issue "The Gold Edition" of disco underworld!

Earlier this year I was contacted by Stacey to submit images and a short article which was subsequently published in her digital monthly online zine issue 3.

I am also excited to learn I have been selected from her talented group of artists and photographers to be included in her first printed publication, Gold Edition!

I would  encourage all photographers who are reading this post to consider contacting Stacey with their work for future publications. Below is a recent excerpt from her website calling for submissions.

THE VISION: Each month we will set a theme, it will be displayed in the pretty banner, and all through that month everybody is invited to share articles, pictures, photos, how-to’s, reviews, movies, music… everything…

Then once there is enough content and demand, a print issue will be published, with the most popular posts included. These will be decided by the number of comments on the post, along with a couple of wildcards.

If we use something you sent in (and wrote, this doesn’t count if we interview you) in the print issue, we pay you $30 NZ via Paypal. ~Stacey Childs

So get involved and email stacey @ discounderworld.com to contribute something or to find out more visit her at http://www.discounderworld.com.

Picasa Post Editing Software (Free)

For most of my post editing software I still use Photoshop, 92% of the time. As I have mentioned positive results about the free program GIMP, I still find myself using the more familiar. And besides, I already have a full working version of Photoshop so I return to what I know best.

I do have several other programs that I seldom use but recently downloaded a free edition of Picasa. What I like about this new software is how fast it is for the basics in post editing and a little more.

I typically spend much more time on an image in my electronic darkroom but this image of Harrah's RIO taken out in Vegas was completed in less than a couple of minutes. Compare that to the sometimes "hours" I have spent using Photoshop and you can see why this could be just the right tool when your time is limited.

Without going through all the options Picasa has available, I will say the "straighten" function under the basic fixes and the "graduated tint" including sliders for both feathering and shade under special effects are my favorites. They are fast and effective.

I also like the histogram and camera information box at the bottom of the left corner that includes camera type, focal length and apertures used when looking through your archives.

So if you're looking for a free good post-editing program with an easy and intuitive interface, check out Picasa. It won't replace my Photoshop but I will use this program again in certain situations.

As always, if you have any questions please let me know and I will try to answer them, but I think you will see from the beginning this is an easy and fun program to use as soon as you open your first image!

Disclaimer! I do not receive any compensation from Google or Picasa for this recommendation, but maybe I should be..... :)

Tags, labels and image descriptions

Recently after logging into my Flickr account I discovered an option I found interesting under the stats tab. I've long been aware of the importance "meta tags" have been in bringing traffic to your website, although in the early years these simple and not so commonly known inserts were abused by redirecting irrelevant content responses through search engines.

Flickr's stats page shows the domains from where traffic has come from and the keywords used, including other useful data as well. You can review your current and previous day's worth of activity but are limited to only the prior 28 days of statistics. To find this information you can type in the desired date in your location bar. It would be nice if Flickr would archive a longer time frame. :)

Listed below are some of the more commonly used search phrases to find my images via Google. Many of these were obvious, however some of the keywords used to find their way to stats were befuddling to say the least.

Random order: Harley Davidson, Harly Bikers, Bikers, Trucking in the USA, Trucking, Ronnie Van Zant, Lynyrd Skynyrd, RVZ, 50's Rock, Black and White Highways, Trick my Truck, Highway Horizon, Little Cowgirls, Wyoming, Nascar, Vegas in Black and White, Rocky Mountains, I-80, Trucking Logo and Truck Stops round off the top 20.

Today the use of tags, titles and image descriptions are all important in the indexing for search engines so it seems as much as ever. The downside I suppose to some photographers, would be your images can be viewed and downloaded in larger formats than you may want to be available.

Intense Attention

Intense attention and an everyday obsession with photography is what drove the late Richard Avedon in capturing some of the most interesting and provocative personalities in his portraiture works.



In this video, photographer Richard Avedon speaks with Charlie Rose dating from 1993 through 1999. He discusses how a visual sense and a total concentration of his subjects were always so critical to his success. It is soon apparent how articulate and attentive Avedon is in these segments and how special he really was, not only as a photographer but as an intellect as well.

I discovered some new and interesting ideas in this video interview to be informative and thought provoking. Here you have view two top professional in a fun tribute to one of America's greatest photographers!
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If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up.

A portrait is not a likeness. The moment an emotion or fact is transformed into a photograph it is no longer a fact but an opinion. There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.

I don't really remember the day when I stood behind my camera with Henry Kissinger on the other side. I am sure he doesn't remember it either. But this photograph is here now to prove that no amount of kindness on my part could make this photograph mean exactly what he.. or even I.. wanted it to mean. It's a reminder of the wonder and terror that is a photograph.

A photographic portrait is a picture of someone who knows he's being photographed, and what he does with this knowledge is as much a part of the photograph as what he's wearing or how he looks. He's implicated in what's happening, and he has a certain real power over the result.

A portrait photographer depends upon another person to complete his picture. The subject imagined, which in a sense is me, must be discovered in someone else willing to take part in a fiction he cannot possibly know about.

Photography has always reminded me of the second child.. trying to prove itself. The fact that it wasn’t really considered an art.. that it was considered a craft.. has trapped almost every serious photographer.

I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible.

~Richard Avedon 1923 - 2004
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A special thanks to Aline at Lenscratch for her recent post!

One step at a time

Photographers who haven't heard of photo.net and their help forums, I would recommend this site! You will have access to currently 38 photography forums with more than 3,000 new posts added daily including great tips on a wide variety of topics and also post your images for a critical review from some very talented photographers.