SLOW DOWN to realize LESS really is MORE!

I set up my tripod in front of a rapidly changing scene… The thick clouds made the scene incredibly dark, but magnificent. To the West, a small glimpse of a spectacular sunset was trying to force its way through the clouds. As the storm clouds parted, I waited for a shaft of light to strike a mountain that was shrouded in clouds. And I waited… and it kept getting darker. And darker…  Me and my camera just sat there waiting, taking in the beauty of the scene… and waited.

I took my time and tried to find the absolute best photographic image from this scene... The Black and White shot I was hoping for never materialized, so I removed my view camera and put on my DSLR to at least document the scene, after the best light faded, to remind me of the shot that never quite materialized. This is one of those rare times that I regretted only carrying black and white film for my 4x5 camera. EXPOSURE - 1/30th @ f4 - ISO 100 on a tripod mounted Canon 7D.

As I stood there behind my tripod waiting for the light to strike the mountain I was focused on (The black and white scene I pre-visualized never materialized, but the color photographic possibility was absolutely incredible)… during the best light of the evening for a color photographer, a rental car pulled up and out pops two photographers with their pro DSLR’s and pro zoom lenses and no tripod. Did I mention it was almost dark. They proceeded to walk around the area and point the cameras at points of the landscape. This went on for a few minutes… they talked to me about my wooden camera for a minute then got in their car and sped off down the road. I can’t imagine that the photos they took were as good as they could have been if they would have taken their time. Considering how much they probably spent on their plane tickets, rental car, hotels, gas and their camera kits, wouldn’t it be worth it to take a few extra seconds to make sure they are getting everything they can out of the scene in front of them?

If the scene is worth photographing… isn’t it worth photographing right?

“The ‘machine-gun’ approach to photography – by which many negatives are made with the hope that one will be good – is fatal to serious results.” – Ansel Adams

Look at the photographers whose work you admire… Did they achieve their work through “Spray and Pray” methods? Or do you think they were very deliberate about each shot, painstakingly studying the scene, composing and metering. Most inexperienced photographers seem to think QUANTITY over QUALITY…

I read a lot about the master photographers and their techniques, and have had the pleasure of watching some legendary landscape photographers at work. They all have one thing in common, they are very precise and methodical in their practice. To the pros IF it’s worth shooting, it’s worth shooting right!

Most pros I know won’t waste time and energy on photos they know won’t be keepers. Is every shot they take a masterpiece?  of course not! But they are almost always very deliberate in their work.

I’ve also watched hordes of amateurs clicking away furiously at scenes the second they point their camera at something. Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Click… Brain Lapse Photography… (get it?) it’s kind of like Time Lapse Photography, but change the first word and it becomes Brain Lapse Photography… get it?  Click… Click… Click… haha

There is nothing wrong with taking bad photographs, as long as you study your mistakes and investigate why that image isn’t successful. But if you are Shotgun Photographing, will you really be able to look at all of your rejects to determine what could have been done differently/better? The best way to improve is to make mistakes and learn from them… it’s doesn’t do any good to keep making the same mistakes over again.

“If I shoot enough photos… I’m bound to get something!” – Anonymous Photographer

STOP! SLOW DOWN! Learn to study the scene and find the absolutely best image possible.

1. Look at your scene carefully. Study it for photographic possibilities. Look up… Look down… Look both ways before pressing the shutter. Did you look behind you?
2. Set up your tripod (depending on your subject, but especially in low light) and carefully compose your scene. Move your eye around the viewfinder, carefully looking around the frame for distracting elements. Is anything unwanted poking into the sides of the frame?
3. Carefully look at your scene for exposure problems. Is there going to be any parts that will be too dark? too light?  Is there too much contrast in the scene?
4. Carefully meter the scene, being especially careful not to let your highlights become over-exposed.
5. Apply any contrast control methods as needed….  Graduated Neutral Density filter? Bracketed exposures for combining layers in Photoshop? Zone System? or even….  uhh… hack… gasp… H-D-R… (that was hard to say)
6. Take your picture. If it is a slow shutter speed, are you using a cable release? self-timer?
7. Double check your settings, before putting away your gear or changing scenes. DSLR users study your Histogram (accurate) and the image on your LCD screen (not always accurate). Film users need to double-check their meters and exposure settings.
8. Keep looking… you’re not done just because that shots ‘in the can’ or because the sun went down.  Look around for new possibilities. Look up… Look down… Look both ways before packing up. Did you look behind you?
9. Most importantly, make sure to carefully analyze your results to see what you could have done differently to improve your photos.

Here’s a great quote from one of my favorite photographers….

“Years ago, I had students interested in learning large format photography after seeing my work. Some believed that the magic was in the format, and wanted to move on from the 35mm or 120 cameras that they were using.

My first assignment was always to have them, with their roll film cameras, expose a maximum of five frames in a day of shooting. It was a revelation to them; how could they spend a day exposing only five frames and get anything worthwhile? Soon, they learned it was the only way to get what they wanted; a lesson of slowing down and being selective.” – Merg Ross

Perhaps on your next photography outing, apply Merg’s assignment philosophy and limit your shooting to 5 exposures, you might be surprised to find out that LESS really is MORE!

Big Sur coastline - Make sure you take your time to get as much quality as you can out of each photographic opportunity. This was the only scene I photographed this morning. I studied this scene the day before and came back to it when I thought the light and haze conditions would be just right, then waited for the light to create the image I was looking for. This was a difficult exposure situation that required careful metering and processing to retain detail in the foreground trees while keeping the highlights from over-exposing. Copyright Robert Oliver

10 GREAT PHOTOGRPAHY RULES TO IGNORE

1. 

   NEVER SHOOT AT NOON - there are some great pictures to be made when the sun is high in the sky. Shot at high-noon on a hot, summer day.

2. 

   F8 AND BE THERE! - sometimes you want to shoot wide open to help your subject stand out from a distracting background.

3. 

   KEEP THE SUN BEHIND YOU - Keeping the sun behind the photographer is a great way to guarantee flat lighting. Use side lighting to help give your image the illusion of 3-D and back lighting to add a dramatic flair to your images.

4. 

   ONLY USE YOUR FLASH WHEN IT'S DARK - if you only use your flash when its dark you are missing out on a great way to use your flash. Try using your flash to fill in the shadows or to create more dramatic lighting.

5. 

   A GOOD SPORTS PHOTO HAS TO HAVE THE BALL IN IT - this is for my high school yearbook advisor who rejected so many of my sports images because he couldn't see the ball! Since then I've come to realize some of the best sports photos ever didn't have a ball, in fact, many of these great images were nowhere near the action anyway.

6. 

   JUST FIX IT IN PHOTOSHOP - if you want quality, you need to start with quality. This image took quite a bit of work to get it as close to perfect as possible in camera. It did require some burning and dodging to get it how I wanted it (as all images do), but if I would not have considered the serious contrast issues when I exposed this image, this image would not have been as successful.

7. 

   NEW CAMERAS TAKE BETTER PICTURES - Some of the most famous images in the world were taken on some of the most basic equipment. This photo was taken with a 1960's rangefinder camera with no autofocus, no zoom, no light meter, no autoexposure... heck the camera doesn't even have a place for a battery! Simplicity at it's best.

8. 

   THERE ARE NO GOOD PHOTOS TO BE MADE MORE THAN 200 FEET FROM THE CAR - Weston was wrong. Stray off of the beaten path and venture away from the roadside photo opportunities to find images that you can exclusively call your own. Don't limit yourself to the man-made road side turnouts.

9. 

   NEVER CENTER YOUR SUBJECT - I hear proponents of the Rule of Thirds say that everything has to be out of the center of the photo... hogwash. Sometimes the place for a dynamic subject is on Center Stage.

10. 

    DON'T BE A SLAVE TO RULES - BELIEVE ME, the last thing I was thinking about when I captured this was photography rules. "There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs." - Ansel Adams

    Actually there are only 9 rules to ignore here…. The last rule is the only rule that you should follow without question!

    The most important thing about photography is creating images that grabs your viewer’s attention and doesn’t let it go. Never let rules get in the way of making a successful photograph.

ARE YOU SHARING TOO MANY PHOTOS?

No excuses.... only share your best work.

Are you having trouble getting people to take your work seriously?

Presentation is a huge part of why certain photographers stand out more than others.

One of the most important things I learned as a photographer is to not show anything but your best work. You are better off showing 10 great pictures than 10 great pictures and 10 mediocre pictures.

A great rule of thumb is to never present work you have to make excuses for.

A photographer needs to be a good editor of negatives and prints! In fact, most of the prints I make are for my eyes only, and they are no good. I find the single most valuable tool in the darkroom is my trash can – that’s where most of my prints end up. - John Sexton

As you improve, you will notice that some of what you thought was your best work is quickly being replaced by your newer, better work.

That’s all part of the process.

When in doubt…. THROW IT OUT!

SEARCHING FOR THE IMAGE

Sometimes its ok to search…. and come up empty.  I think this is a big part of the creative process that every landscape photographer has to deal with.

It happens all of the time. I double-check all of my gear and load it all into the backpack and head out in search of my “Mona Lisa”

Sometimes the images just come to me. The shot I want is right in front of me, rays of light pointing to it… neon arrows lighting the path….

Then there are days like today. I loaded up the cameras into the car and headed out to run a few errands, keeping an eye on a magnificent thunderhead that was billowing ominously over the deserts to the east of San Diego County. I headed into the foothills, looking for an interesting foreground to place in front of the magnificent thunderhead…. that foreground never appeared. I saw some images that would make a decent picture, but there was always something wrong with it. It was never quite right.

So I kept searching…. and searching… and searching…  and didn’t make a single image.

on the road... searching for the next image

Did I waste my time? Did I fail? HECK NO!

We’ll just call this a ‘RECON MISSION’!

Of course I was making mental notes as I went along and taking pics with my cell phone camera so I can add them to my file of places to return to when the conditions are better. I stopped in numerous locations to study the landscape and try to imagine conditions that would suit the situation.

Some of these ‘RECON MISSIONS” have resulted in some amazing memories and some great networking, even if they don’t result in photos immediately. On one unsuccessful ‘search’ near Bridalveil Creek in Yosemite, I startled a pair of cubs and end up getting chased by a very angry momma bear. I’ve met some amazing people while out on my search and have seen some amazing sights that only exist in my memory.

Why didn’t I just take the picture? Flaws. Not that any image will ever be perfect, but there are countless ‘flaws’ in a scene that will cause me to walk past. It can be anything from power lines to contrast issues. It could be because I’ve already photographed it or something similar and I don’t think it will be an improvement over what I have already seen. Maybe I’ve seen a a similar scene from another photographer, and if my version won’t be better… just keep moving.

I would like to think that I am maturing as an artist. My hope is that my experience allows me to pre-determine whether or not a scene in front of me will translate into a successful image. Do I make mistakes? Every time that I go out and photograph. I pass amazing photos without even giving them a second look and I take images that are mediocre at best. Sometimes images in my mind, never translate to what comes out of the camera.

Sometimes it has nothing to do with the scenery. Maybe I’m having a bad day, or have too much ‘other stuff’ on my mind to truly engage in the creative process. There are a lot of things that can interfere, not just what’s in front of you.

Simply look with perceptive eyes at the world about you, and trust to your own reactions and convictions. Ask yourself: “Does this subject move me to feel, think and dream? Can I visualize a print – my own personal statement of what I feel and want to convey – from the subject before me? - Ansel Adams

I guarantee at least one of the places I visited today in my failed search, will end up as a ‘keeper’ in my portfolio. Someday. It might be next month, or ten years from now, but someday I’ll be there when the conditions are perfect and I’ll be ready to go.

So if this happens to you… don’t think of it as a failure, think of it as a “Recon Mission!”

The photos attached here at the bottom are cell phone camera snaps while on my search…..

on the search for my "Mona Lisa"

on the search for my "Mona Lisa"

on the search for my "Mona Lisa"

on the search for my "Mona Lisa"

on the search for my "Mona Lisa"

READ THE FINE PRINT… Avoid the RIGHTS GRAB!

Back in the old days, people got paid for good photography. Nowadays it seems like everybody is willing to give away the rights to their images just to have it used by a company for free.

Somebody suggested that I submit some of my photos to a major daily newspaper who was calling for photo submissions for their website. After carefully reading the fine print, I found out in order to let them use my photos for free, I would also have to sign over all rights to each image to the corporation that owns the paper…. to publish my photo whenever they want and however they want. FOREVER!

Sorry.. not going to happen.

I can’t think of too many items people will donate to large profitable corporations without wanting something in return. But something about photographers wanting to get their work published that gets them to give away usage of their images.

Be wary of any contest or publication that requires you hand over the rights to your photos or allows them to transfer the rights of your photos to licensees. If you are going to enter photos into online contests, make sure the usage rights you give are only for the purpose of the contest itself, and doesn’t end up as a way for companies to gain free use of your photography for commercial purposes.

1. I grant to “Free Photo Seeking Corporation” and its agents, licensees and assigns a non-exclusive, irrevocable license to (a) publish, exhibit, copy and distribute the Photo on any “Free Photo Seeking Corporation” web site, or in any other medium now known or hereafter devised, in its original or in cropped or modified form; and to (b) use my name, likeness, picture, voice and biographical information for promotional or advertising purposes in connection with the television broadcast or Internet services of “Free Photo Seeking Corporation”.

2. I warrant and represent that I own the Photo and all copyrights therein, or that I otherwise have the authority to grant the license given to “Free Photo Seeking Corporation” herein, and I agree to indemnify and hold harmless “Free Photo Seeking Corporation”, and its agents, officers, shareholders, directors, employees, licensees, successors and assigns against any claim or cause of action arising out of the use of my name, likeness, picture, voice or biographical information, or arising out of the use of the Photo.

ir·rev·o·ca·ble   [ih-rev-uh-kuh-buhl] adj – not to be revoked or recalled; unable to be repealed or annulled; unalterable:
Paragraph 2 is a little scary too…. it could possibly take away your right to protect yourself  in the case the corporation uses your photo for something inappropriate. What could happen if the corporation ends up using your cute kid photo you submitted of your best friend’s kid for an advertisement or feature on child molestation or drug abuse. Just not a chance I would be willing to take.

I’m also noticing a trend in photography where organizations will get you to pay a fee to give them unlimited use to your photos….

what a great scam! Wish I would have thought of it.

Don't give your valuable photos away to corporations looking for free photography....

GET IT RIGHT IN CAMERA!

My least favorite phrase in the photo world…. “I’ll just fix it in Photoshop.”

You can’t just fix it in ‘Photoshop’! Start with the highest quality image as possible and you will end up with superior results. And there is no magic bullet for taking good photographs… Some of the most sophisticated, high-resolution cameras in the world can create very large, very detailed bad photographs! Some of the most amazing photos ever taken were taken with very basic camera equipment. Ansel didn’t have HDR or Aperture Priority when he created “Moonrise over Hernandez” – heck he couldn’t even find his light meter! Alfred Eisenstadt didn’t have Program or AutoFocus to capture his iconic “VJ DAY, The Kiss”

 ”The single most important component
of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.” – Ansel Adams

Upgrade the 12 inches behind the camera... not the camera! Photo by Kalei Oliver

None of my photos ever come out of the camera ready to print! Every photo I take needs at least a little something. Burning, dodging, contrast control etc…. Some take quite a bit of work to match what I feel the photo should look like. BUT…. I try to get my photos as close to printable in camera so I don’t have to spend too much time in front of the computer or in the darkroom. I would rather be a photographer, not a computer or darkroom technician.

My favorite saying when it comes to photography… GARBAGE IN! GARBAGE OUT! If you start with crap, you end up with crap. No sense polishing a turd!

The rule is the same with film or digital.

You might be able to get your image to look good enough to post as a low resolution JPG on the web, but how will it look when you print it out big? How are your prints at close range? Do you enjoy the detail? Or does your work look better from a distance?

Is it your camera that is holding you back? or is it the 12 inches behind it?   Take control of your photography!

Upgrade your knowledge before you upgrade your camera. - Anonymous

Fleeting Light in the Nevada Desert - Boulder City, Nevada.

SLOW DOWN for better pictures.

So many amateur photographers I see work too fast. They are in such a hurry to photograph a spot that they never actually photograph it. Quantity over quality rarely creates the best photography. A lot of times all you end up doing is wasting more time in front of the computer editing…

STOP! Put your camera down.

Walk around your subject. Get to know it. Explore it from multiple angles. Look at it from a low angle. Look at it from a high angle. Sit down and study it. How does the light hit it. Would it be better in an hour? in the morning? in the winter? What makes it special?

If it’s worth taking a photograph of, it’s worth taking your time.

When you do set up your camera. TAKE YOUR TIME! Look through the viewfinder. Look for distracting elements in the frame, and adjust the camera to minimize then. Look for problem areas in the exposure. Will something be too bright? Will something go too dark? Will something blur during a long exposure?

Some of my favorite photos come on a return visit to a location. I always consider my first trip somewhere an exploration, trying to figure out when the best time to photograph it would be. What time of day is ideal.

Maybe that’s why I love my view camera. It forces me to slow down and participate in the art and craft of photography. When shooting 4×5, you can’t rush anything. Mess up on one part of the procedure, and you end up with nothing. Forget to lock down your knobs? You have to start over.

There is a satisfaction of getting an image you took your time creating… Way more fulfilling than any decent photo that happened by accident.

Just say no to the “Spray and Pray” mentality and become a participant in the process!

Don't rush! Thirty minutes after most of these photographers left, the scene turned magical!