Richard Avedon Exhibit at the CMA / Fotogroup Update
Last night, DJ and I attended the lecture given by Laura Wilson, a photographer who assisted Richard Avedon during the six year period he produced what is now the American West series. Laura spoke about her time working with Richard, his technique, and some of the interesting people they met while touring the American west, photographing its inhabitants.
Richard Avedon, famous for his portraits, was a true American Master. He cared less about f-stops and shutter speeds, and more about capturing the emotion and essence of the individual he was shooting. His images are brilliantly striking and deeply personal.
The
exhibit will be held at the CMA until September 17.
In keeping with the theme of the exhibit, and also because I'm feeling particularly inspired, for our next months meeting, let's all shoot portraits. Shoot people you know, people you don't know. Experiment with different techniques, different lighting situations. Use your creativity to capture the essence of the person in front of your lens.
Next month, we decided to meet for a photo-outing, instead of just a meeting in the coffee shop. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas, please add your input.
Things to consider:
-where to meet
-when...Thursday nights as usual, or maybe a Saturday/Sunday afternoon?
I've been feeling like night shots using long exposures would be interesting, and warm weather is best for that.
Email your ideas to the Google group, or post here as a comment.
The Fotogroup Project Meetings
Just as a reminder to all those interested, we meet on the
third Thursday of every month at the
Panera Bread on Bethel Rd.
The schedule for the next few months is as follows:
July 20
August 17
September 21
October 19
All meetings begin at about 6:30pm until whenever. You are invited to bring photos of any kind for discussion, along with any ideas you would like to share or questions for the group. We usually have a topic to shoot for each month, and all are invited to bring suggestions.
This is an opportunity for us all to get together, get to know one another, share photos, experiences and ideas, and enjoy the company of other photographers. You are welcome to bring a friend, also.
If you have any questions, or need directions, please feel free to contact me by simply leaving a comment here. I hope to see you all at the next meeting!
~~chantal
Question of the Week vol. 4
Buying a Nikon doesn't make you a photographer.
It makes you a Nikon owner.
~Author Unknown
What is your favorite piece of equipment in your camera bag right
now? Melanie says:Macro O-rings. I like to get right up on plants and flowers. With the O-rings they almost become abstract.
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Cindy says:I don’t own much ‘equipment’ (other than a separate flash unit, a telephoto lens and a tripod), but I do keep several cameras in my camera bag that go with me on most of my long-haul holidays. Of these, my favorite is the Lomo Pop 9 camera. It's a shiny gold plastic wonder that takes 9 small, but slick images of your desired subject. I’ve learned that it usually does better outside and the more colorful the object the better. Interesting shapes and patterns make the best subjects. I’ve definitely got my money’s worth with this camera and plan to continue to use it until I run out of ideas.
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DJ says:my favorite tool is my brain... mainly because it is so unpredictable.
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chantal says:My favorite piece of equipment is whatever I am using at the time. What or how I shoot is so dependant upon my mood at that moment, it can change at the drop of a hat. There are certain toys I like to play with to create certain effects, my Lensbaby being one, and probably the one I am using the most right now. But I also love my Holga, my macro lens and my fisheye...and of course, my trusty polarizing filter. Other than that, I try not to get too caught up in the technical, so for me the simpler the better.
I Love My Lensbaby 2.0!
Photographers, both digital and traditional, are always looking for innovative ways to capture that perfect image. With all the different types of cameras, lenses and computer programs on the market, it seems the possibilities are endless. One of the many creative effects photographers sometimes like to create is to have certain area of an image in sharp focus, while other areas are softly blurred. This effect can be created with the use of shallow depth of field, with a diffusion filter, and with the lens called Lensbaby 2.0.
The Lensbaby 2.0, is a selective focus lens that allows for a sharp area of focus, or ‘sweet spot’, surrounded by a graduated blur. The lens is adjusted with a bellows-collar that manually moves in and out to focus in on the subject, while at the same time creates the soft blurred effect in the surrounding areas.
Photographer Craig Strong, creator of the Lensbaby, and updated Lensbaby 2.0, was looking for a digital replacement for his beloved Holga camera. The clever combination of an old-fashioned bellows camera and a tilt-shift lens, this incarnation can create images that were once thought to be only made through the use of Photoshop. Compatible with most film SLR and DSLR Nikon F-mount or Canon EF-mount cameras, even older model 35mm SLRs with screw mount, the Lensbaby 2.0 is available for everyone.
What sets this lens apart is it gives the photographer greater control over creativity. The same scene can be shot many times, all with different effects. Just a simple tilt of the bellows with the tip of the finger, and the sweet spot can be altered, the blur can be increased, or decreased, highlights can be created, or a simple, subtle glow can enhance a scene.
The distorted effects of your images can also be controlled by varying the use of the aperture disks that come with both the Lensbaby and Lensbaby 2.0. The improved Lensbaby 2.0 when used with no aperture disk shoots at f/2.0, while the other disks range from f/2.8 up to f/8.0. The larger the disk, the more diffused the image will be; the smaller the disk, the sharper the image becomes.
I shoot primarily with a Nikon N90, and found the Lensbaby 2.0 to be a wonderful addition to my camera bag. I sometimes shoot with a Holga camera, and I love the soft focus and vignetting that a Holga camera can create. The Lensbaby 2.0 can create the same effect, but with more control. I can put the sweet spot exactly where I want it, and also control how distorted and blurred the surrounding areas are.
I've been shooting for years, and shallow depth of field and creative focusing have always fascinated me. Now, with my Lensbaby 2.0, I find myself thinking differently, more creatively, and always looking for the next Lensbaby shot to add to my portfolio. The addictive Lensbaby 2.0 adds a whole new dimension to photography by allowing the photographer to "paint" and picture and create an image that is truly unique.
Accessories can be used to enrich the use of the Lensbaby 2.0. Availble at the Lensbabies website is a Macro kit, including +4 and +10 lenses which screw on to the ens of your Lensbaby. There is also a Digital Optics .45X conversion lens, which converts the Lensbaby into approximately a 22mm true focal length and includes a macro focus mode It can increase the amount of blurring around the sweet spot, while decreasing the sharply focused area. Modestly priced, and easy to use, these accessories can add to the fun and enjoyment of shooting with the Lensbaby 2.0.
Whether you shoot film or digital, the Lensbaby 2.0 is a must-have addition to every photographer’s camera bag. It was specifically created with the artist in mind, the photographer who desires to create an image in the camera, and who can not be restrained by the limits of traditional lenses.
Specifications:
• Focus Type: Manual
• Focal Length: approximately 50 mm
• Aperture Type: interchangeable aperture disks
• Aperture: f/2.0, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8
• Minimum Focus: about 12”
• Maximum Focus: infinity
• Size/Weight: 2.25" high x 2.5" wide / 3.7 oz.
• Coated Optical Glass Doublet
• Note: a Lensbaby does not communicate electronically with your camera body
(for AF cameras, it’s recommended to shoot in Aperture priority mode)
Purchase your LensBaby
here!
Photographs by chantal stone, All Rights Reserved
Fireworks...July 4, 2006
Last year I attempted some fireworks shots and failed miserably. I wasn't in a good area to shoot, too many street lights in the way. This year we went to a different spot, which was an improvement, but some trees were still in the way a bit, but overall, it was a good spot...minus the traffic afterwards!
I experimented with different exposure times, ranging from 1 second up to 30 seconds. The images here are all 20 seconds or longer. I found that the longer exposure times made for more interesting shots.
Pride Parade: Ask and you shall receive
