Blog | Photo Anthems

Reworking Old Images

by photoanthems | Sep 13, 2014 | Blog

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”

~ Aristotle

I won’t say this will work for every blast from the past photo session you do. But sometimes its cool to look at some of your older work and just play with it. It becomes interesting to revisit prior work with some of the new tools you have today. Its can also be beneficial to just see how much you have grown, changed, or expanded your own knowledge-base and see what decisions you might make on edits five years old.

I recently took a look at some of my shots from mid-September 2008 session in which the model and I hiked out several hours up a canyon outside Vegas. We had a blast and the memories of that shoot are some of my most fond memories working with a model. We went out before the sun came up and didn’t get out of that canyon until after the sun was down. We were running out of water, which wasn’t great at all. Still, we were about as safe as we could have been. We got what we needed done, explored even more, and came away with some great shots.

I was shooting with my 10MP Canon 40D at the time. I bought the camera maybe a year before that. I was well familiar with the camera, but hadn’t mastered photoshop. I, at least, had the presence of mind to shoot RAW and that gave me enough data with which to work. I probably used Photoshop 7 at the time, which is the version I was initially introduced to, or maybe, quite possible CS2. I very little layering at that time. Masking was still unknown to me. I had yet to see the significance of brushes. I was not a “smart object”, to say the least. My primary tools were the dodge, burn, and clone tools. I slowly taught myself through trial and error…more emphasis on error.

Today, I utilize Photoshop CC 2014 and a plethora of plugins, to include Nik and Topaz, for starters. We have Content-Aware Fill. I enjoy doing composite work, which was the last thing I left off on when I was doing darkroom work using film, chemicals, and fiber-based paper. Jerry Ulesmann was a huge inspiration on me in those days before I switched to digital. I work on a Dell workstation with a high-end 30-inch monitor. I think I have a set up that gets me what I need and yet, I am still updating it with new and bigger tech. I am no different with my camera choices. I have since switched to Nikon with my 36MP D800E. I teach photography now in one-on-one sessions with a special emphasis on critical thinking. I created the very first Photography meet-up group here in Vegas and co-operated another. My group met every month for 3 years helping photogs learn how to interact with and hire models. I regularly attend WPPI and Photoshop World conventions annually when they come to Vegas. I work at B&C Camera 2 days a week. All this gives me exposure to other like-minded creatives to cultivate ideas, learn new processes and skills, and turn out and deliver a better grade of product.

So with six more years of experience, knowledge, more and better equipment, and wider exposure to the deeper creative aspects of my trade, I think it can be an interesting thing to go back to old work and see how you might look at the same thing differently. And given better technology and software, what improvements might be made to shots that you once thought were lost or otherwise not worth the edit. I was able to bring back blown out highlights that were at one point lost to me using the newer version of Camera Raw that comes with Photoshop CC. Images shot with lower megapixels and less detail were livened up using the Detail Enhancer in Nik Color Efex Pro 4. For the moment, I’ve only edited 4 new images from this 2008 photoshoot, but I will go back and do more for sure. And I didn’t do any deep or complicated edits as of yet…just some black and white conversions, but I like them and this is fun. I fully encourage you to dust off some of those oldies but goodies and see what fresh new ideas you can breath into them.

Sometimes a Trip Doesn’t Pan Out – Searching for My Shot in the Outer Banks

by photoanthems | Sep 1, 2014 | Blog

“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”

~ Robin Williams

I usually like to be on some sort of excursion or at least gone from home on my birthday month, which has for more than 40 years, always occurred in August. That was a mild attempt at a humorous opening. I give it a 4 out of 10. Anyway, this month was no different. Instead of leaving the country, I decided to follow up on a friend’s suggestion, (thanks, Susan!) and spend a little more than 3 weeks on the East Coast in the Outer Banks just off the coast of North Carolina. I figured it would be cool to get some lighthouse shots, shoot a model, and just explore a little.

Hurricane Bertha had other plans, as it were. The incessant rain kept me at bay for quite a number of days. I had hoped to get some dramatic skies, but such was not my fortune. The skies were simply cloudy, grey, featureless, and bleak. Not stormy, just rainy. But as soon as the weather broke, I headed out to the north end of The Outer Banks, near Currituck to see what I could get. Not knowing what to expect, I found out that getting a uniqueness of shot was REALLY hard to come by. I still wanted to give it a try and just see what I could come away with.. Its almost like trying to get a unique shot of the Statue of Liberty. You never know til you go. And it was still worth seeing and experiencing, nonetheless. I waited til the end of the day when most tourist were done and tried my best. I did this with three other lighthouses and only missed Cape Lookout, the southernmost lighthouse in the Outer Banks. That was mainly because I camped out on the Atlantic side of Shackleford Banks, right near Cape Lookout. I stayed up all night. By morning, catching a ferry back to the mainland and then another ferry to Cape Lookout was no longer on my list of priorities. Between Currituck, Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke Lighthouses…I was good to go.

Things won’t always go as planned and some excursions won’t be as successful as others. Right now, I’ve gone through my shots and edited what I thought were the best ones. I came away with 18 edits. And you know what? I’m cool with that. Surprised? Sure. But I understand that this is the game sometimes. I always chalk it up to the cost of doing business. I’m a photographer. I tried something and it wasn’t as epic as I had hoped or thought it would be. Sometimes its Mother Nature. Sometimes, its misfortunes on the road that are out of your control. I had one experience that put a really bad taste in my mouth and I let it get to me, but in the end, if you can’t understand that stuff like that will occasionally happen, then you may want to try a new line of work. I spent a lot of money on this trip. But you know what, its still worth it. Now I know. I know what to expect if I want to do this again.

Some places I know I’ll likely return to. Chances are, I’ll still get Cape Lookout. Just not today. There are other spots that I now know aren’t as cracked up to be as I initially thought. The lessons I take away from this trip is that you can’t let other people or bad experiences dissuade you from finding your shot or fulfilling your visions/goals/ambitions of what that might be. I met some great people along the way. I got to see how other people live out that way and it is entirely different from my own. From the food they eat, to the way they talk, it was experiencing a new culture in my own country. And while getting good shots is a priority when I travel, its the experiencing of new cultures that is the reason I do it. So in that, my mission was fulfilled. Maybe that’s why Star Trek is on of my favorite shows”…to seek out new life and new civilizations…To boldly go where no one has gone before”!

What’s next? Well, I’ve had a major project that was supposed to happen after Christmas, but now I’m a little uncertain of it. So I’m still thinking South America, namely the Northern and Pacific coastlines and Bolivia. I’d really love to accompany one of my mentors, Dave Rudin on one of his Icelandic adventures next summer and then go back during the off-season again for another project. That’s the goal anyways.

Rokinon 14mm T3.1 Cine Manual Focus Lens Initial Review

by photoanthems | Jul 27, 2014 | Blog

I’ve been getting used to my first manual focus lens this past week and its been a fun process. I picked up the Rokinon 14mm T3.1 Cine Lens and took off into Utah to scout some new locations and play with it a before I head out on my next excursion soon. This was a trip to familiarize myself with the lens prior to putting it to real tasking. Its definitely easier to do this with a wide-angle lens as opposed to something longer than a 50mm lens. There are definitely ways to check your focus with manual focus lenses so that you are tack sharp. I’m still getting used to the lens, but I think I’ve got it figured out well enough. I had to tweek a little chromatic aberration as well as guard against unwanted vignetting, but not really any more than you see in most wide-angles.

This is not a fish-eye, so there is minimal distortion and practically no barreling when shooting straight on. That’s pretty good for a 14. This is a lens that’s designed primarily for video work and therefore has knobby aperture and focus rings to better grip the follow focus knobs that may be used when the camera is mounted on a shoulder rig. Since is a cinema lens, it also utilizes T-stops as opposed to the F-stop you might be familiar with, but this is very close to the same thing. F-stops are derived from a calculated equations which is determined based on a given focal length, but T-stops are actually measurements of light used by cinematographers and are actually a bit more accurate than the f-stop, but just by a bit. Overall, this is an inexpensive, VERY well-made, and I might add…ATTRACTIVE lens from the makers of Rokinon.

Here are some of the initial shots I’ve been playing with. And at the end is an embedded YouTube vid by Matt Granger, who gives an EXCELLENT description on the difference between F&T Stops. He drops some interesting knowledge about the true light transmissions on some of the most expensive lenses by Canon and Nikon compared to, say a Tamron. Check out his YouTube Channel for more video knowledge!

Not Upgrading to the New Nikon D810

by photoanthems | Jul 21, 2014 | Blog

“Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse.”

~ Winston Churchill

The Nikon D810 has just arrived in stores this past week and the reviews are very positive for this new camera system. I have to admit, its pretty dog gone stunning and a very desirable piece of equipment. I own the D800E and several people have asked me if I will upgrade. The easy answer is, No. Not right now anyways. And I’ll tell you why. I’ve got several other priorities before I make that move. While I am a gear head, I don’t feel the immediate draw to ditch my 800E for it. I might feel otherwise had I bought the D800 (non-E version). But the fact of the matter is that I’m happy with the E. And I haven’t been wishing for the upgrades that appear in the 810.

I can’t say that a little later down the line, I won’t make that jump. But if I do, its because my priorities have been fulfilled and the upgrade is allowable. Right now, I’ve been upgrading my Dell T5500 computer workstation which is entering its 3rd year this fall. I’ve added an external hard drive and 16GBs more RAM, giving me close to 30 now. This system is still good enough that a tune-up will suffice rather than an overhaul. I’m still trying to determine which graphics card upgrade I’ll get and chances are I’m going also beef up my internal hard drives again along with my back-up external drives before year’s end. To me, this is more important that the D810 right now.

What I Like
Make no mistake. The D810 is bad ass. Several features make me wanna jump on it. One of the things that gets my attention on the camera the quiet nature of it. Its got an electronic front curtain shutter and is now whisper quiet. I’m big on that, but its not as if my current system is blaring in my ears. But let me back up to the sensor. Its a misnomer to state that the E has the AA filter removed. Its actually simply negated by another piece of glass on the sensor. The 810 actually has it removed. Its simply not there. But this could be a negligible improvement to the naked eye. As a fine art specialist, I gotta give cred to the native 64 ISO. So far, you see all the rage on the extended high ISO. If there is a low ISO, its a system edit moreso than a specifically designed sensor capability. They’ll call it L1 and L2. Same with the high ISO. Once it reaches its max, manufacturers like to boast extended H1, or H2. A natural ISO of 64 means even more fine quality shots about a stop lower than the native 100 ISO of most cameras. I like the new 4-digit counter instead of 3-digit. That means time-lapse shots can go to 9,999 in stead of 999. In fact, I’ll likely make the switch as video and time-lapse become more prominent in my work, as opposed to occasional. The exposure smoothing option is key here. This is the only time Auto-ISO becomes important to me. I like the AF and Metering systems that come courtesy of the D4S. Beautiful.

What I don’t Care About
Frame rate isn’t that important to me. And unless you are doing sports, chances are, you don’t benefit from it as much either. The D800 has never been a sports camera. So the single frame rate addition is a marginal benefit in my opinion. I personally don’t need the added stop of ISO on the high end. Nice feature, allowable with the new processor, no doubt. But its not a huge jump. I have rarely ever shot above 3200 much less blasting at 6400.

What I WISH it Had
Now here’s the tricky part. As I mentioned in a previous post, both Nikon and Canon are missing the proverbial boat here by remaining conventional and traditional. Ask Kodak how that worked out for them. But its tricky in that the features I want to mention aren’t necessarily ones I really “need” per se. But shaking things up a bit, surprising us a bit, getting outside the same old predictable would have set the D810 apart. A touch screen for instance. Nikon has absolutely no touch screen systems what so ever despite that almost every display we have starting to trend that way. So why not? Why not give us built-in WiFi/GPS? Canon has this and touch screen in two of their systems already. And every other camera manufacture has already implemented it as well. What Nikon could have done to really throw it in Canon’s face would have been 4K video to challenge the Canon 5DMk3 (and its successor), even if it meant having an external output like the Sony A7S. Focus Peaking or Split Screen Focus would have made me immediately sell my D800E for that feature alone. How about some aps on the thing? What else…? I can’t think of anything else at the moment. Wait…that’s it!! Give me something that I haven’t even thought about! Or show us a video of someone using a water hose on the camera and that it still functions perfectly. Forget the High ISO and megapixel war that has been raging since the dawn of the Digital Age. Give me voice command…or something! I just want to feel like innovation is important to the company. Just about every last one of the new features on this camera were predictable.

And I can be further impressed if they do firmware upgrades that make the D800/D800E better cameras. What? Would that cannibalize 810 sales? Fuji does it all the time and its called brand loyalty and consumer support. Do a firmware upgrade on a Fujifilm camera two years after the fact and its almost like you just downloaded a new camera. But hey…maybe Nikon has some things in the pipe I/We aren’t aware of that will be featured in the D900. But I live in Vegas. Chances are, the next upgrade will be a D820 while Sony introduces a curved 50MP medium format sensor that fits in the palm of your hand.

What Will the Future Pro Camera (DSLR) Look Like?

by photoanthems | Jun 8, 2014 | Blog

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

~ George Bernard Shaw

This is one of the debates that spawn rumors about the demise of the DSLR. Every since the Mirrorless systems have been on the market and gaining steam, the question has been on whether or not the DSLR will survive. But I pose a different question… WHY do we CARE??

I guess the people who care most about this question will be the DSLR loyalists who can’t make the transition to something new. These will be the Canon or Nikon users who swear by their larger full frame systems and large fast glass. The DSLR has been around since the mid-1930’s and has been successful since the ’60’s as the go-to system over the rangefinder. Its transition to digital in the early 90’s has spawned an out of control evolution, dare I say REVOLUTION in the field of photography. But the main feature of the DSLR, which gives it its TTL benefits, is the MIRROR. The mirror sits in a mirror box and reflects the image the camera sees into a pentaprism that bounces the image up to be seen through the viewfinder. This mirror box accounts for the size of the DSLR, even though technology has allowed many of them to be smaller than the cameras they replace.

But here are a few things I think the pro camera will have in the next 6 years and the DSLR will go the way of the twin lens reflex. Sure it’ll be around, but it will not be mainstream.

1. No Mirror Box
Well, I think this is first and most obvious. Current mirrorless systems are gaining ground fast. 3 things that kept DSLRs above the Mirrorless systems this same time last year were Speed WITH auto focus AND metering between shots, full frame resolution, and again with speed with respects to frames per second. Well, we now have full frame mirrorless systems with the Sony A7/A7R systems. The A7R boasts a sensor pretty much the same as what’s in Nikon’s 36MP D800E. In fact, Sony MAKES the sensor for the D800’s. They are also gaining in frames per second since the Olympus OM-D EM-1 will shoot at 10fps, but the problem is that is can only do this at a locked AF and exposure. Trust me, somebody’s gonna be promoting that feature within the year. By proving the mirror box as an antiquated system, I predict most cameras being sold in 6 years will not have one.

2. No Shutter
I think this too will disappear before long as tech improves. Cameras are quickly becoming computers that take pictures. Firmware updates come as about as frequently as ones for your desktop, (although not quite as much for iPhones). So how will we take pics? Simple…the sensor will soon easily turn on and off in blinding speeds and eliminate the restrictions of an 1/8000 shutter speed. You’ll be able to get 1/128,000 shutter speed on your new pro camera and stop a bullet in flight as it is discharged from a firearm, provided you had enough light. But who’s shooting above 1/8000th of a second shutter anyway? The main gig the faster shutter will be used for shall be frames per second. With a sensor that cuts on and off with blinding speed, you be looking at sports photographers who’ll be able to shoot 100 frames a second. Yeah, media capacity will have to increase as well.

3. Video Capture will be much more common
Every single camera made these days will do 1080p video. Well, except for Nikon’s Df. The Canon 70D has features more attuned and designed for video use even more than photo. Video quality will improve and in 6 years, pro-level cameras will likely shoot 6K video. It might just be easier to shoot video instead of attempting to capture that decisive moment photographically and then pulling a single hi-res image from the video file. But I still believe video is gaining in popularity. Therefore more people will want to learn video capture the same way people are flocking to cameras and photo. Technology has made it easier to capture, edit, and share images. Vids will be no different.

4. Lytro Tech in Mid-Level Systems and Above
If you hadn’t at least heard of the Lytro system, you’re wrong. Lytro uses revolutionary tech to allow post capture focus points. Basically, with shallow depth of field compositions, you can elect to change the point of focus and chose something in the foreground or change it something in the background AFTER you’ve already taken the shot and are editing it in your post work. I’ll let you read up on it instead of getting into a bunch of details when all I want is a paragraph for this post. But suffice to say, the company just announce its latest version of its light field capture camera. But I have a feeling that a major manufacturer will buy the company out and integrate its tech into its own systems. [Just came across this article about an MIT team using this same technique for cell phones.] Nikon hasn’t shown this type of innovation in recent years and Canon tries to play it to safe stay traditional. I see Sony picking up this company in the next few years and integrating it into their mirrorless systems. Watch and see what I tell you.

5. More Wireless Options
Wireless options will be the norm for any new camera coming out in about 3 years. Pro level systems will be no different. It will be a standard feature, but they will do more. Your camera will essentially be a phone that takes pictures instead of making calls with a 4G, LTE, or whatever they may be calling it in a few years. Simply put, it will have its own IP address and be able to connect to internet at will with wireless speeds that will be able to transmit directly to the cloud no matter the file size. Wireless capabilities will, before long, reach speeds and capabilities that far outpace the camera files sizes and it will be seemingly instant. Cameras will likely still have high capacity media cards, SD or otherwise, but images will have the ability to download straight to a cloud storage source instead of just to your phone or tablet.

6. Cameras with Apps and Touch Screen Functions
Menus are being simplified big time. Sony and Fujifilm have camera controls that are becoming more similar to App controls and it will continue. The Leica T is probably leading the pack in this regard. Our Leica rep for B&C Camera came by to update us on some Leica training. He introduced us to the Leica T system that has just hit the shelves. There are FOUR buttons on this thing. Everything else is operated via touch screen and app functions. In fact, let me just say that this system is probably the prototype for the rest of its systems. Likely the M-series will be modeled after this same tech in a few years. Its been Samsung who has been the spearhead in this regard, though. They started it with the Galaxy point and shoot cameras which has not evolved into their NX systems. The NX-30 is, in all likelihood, the camera that will most likely meet all of my predictions if they don’t falter or get knocked out by competition…again, I’m thinking Sony.

In any case, I don’t see the DSLR being in the picture in its present form anyway. But back to my original question. Why do we care? Cameras and photography has been in a constant state of evolution. The DSLR replaced the Film-based SLR. They are still around, but less and less people are shooting with them and manufacturers aren’t producing them any longer. Prior to the SLR, pro photogs used entirely different systems. This link depicts early sport photography cameras that weighed in at 120 pounds. The thing looks like a howitzer. But my point is that technology drives change and cameras cannot stay the same. So why do we care whether or not the DSLR will still be here in 6 years. The DSLR is a tool in order to do photography. IMHO, its the photography that matters. How its captured, doesn’t concern me as much as long as its good quality per my standards and looks like what I imagined it to.

Fujifilm’s X-E2, Better Results Than I Thought

by photoanthems | Jun 2, 2014 | Blog

I didn’t have much expectations about my Fuji XE-2 in the beginning. I knew it took great pictures, but I was used to working with a huge and heavy 36MP Nikon camera. So no way the results would be similar. So my expectations were low comparatively. I’m telling you now, however that I was amazed with the results.

And now YOU can see too.

I’ve just now finished all the edits I think I’ll do from that trip. I even did a professional shoot on my way back from Nicaragua. I stopped off in LA to help a friend who asked me about shooting for a business working at the Black College Expo. Some of that was doing convention capture, but then later that day it was fashion work for a clothing line. I got to work with about six models who were excellent. Since I don’t like doing a pro gig with one camera, I also rented a Fujifilm X100s to give me some wide-angle aspects since all I had was the 35mm which looks like a 50mm due to Fuji’s APS-C sensor (Crop factor of 1.5). The X100s has a fixed 23mm f/2 lens, which looks like a 35mm due to its APS-C sensor as well. I had it shipped ahead to the hotel where I was staying.

2014 Black College Expo, Los Angeles,
Even Actor/Comedian Michael Colyar dropped by

I got everything I needed and was able to deliver the goods. The file sizes were still around 33MB in RAW form, so I had plenty of information for editing. I still wish I had my 36MP D800E for fashion work, but this crop-sensor Fuji delivered for the purposes intended. And now that I’ve completed edits from all my shots in Nicaragua, I’ve still amassed about 80 edited images out of the 965 I came back with, which is closer than I expected to my normal rate as a 10%’er. Even back in my film days, I was still relatively and consistently editing 10% of all my shots.

Models Left to Right,
Nathan Rachinski, Kevante Wickliffe, Dina Shestacova, Matthew Rice Franklin, Elise Puritz, and Cadwell Samuels

Given all that, I will try my next excursion with the Fujifilm X-T1, which has added weather-sealing. I’m really loving this X-Trans II CMOS sensor. Coupled with the addition of the 23mm f/1.4 and the 56mm f/1.2 to go with my 35, I’ll have everything I need. Well, I think I might just indulge myself a bit further. I’m also waiting on the Rokinon 10mm f/2.8 ED AS NCS CS Lens for the Fuji mount to be released. Rok makes some budget lenses but they’ve been really pulling out the stops on several new additions. So, if I’m gonna try it, its gonna be on one with expected distortion. I just wish I could hurry up and finalize all my travel plans and itinerary!

“Implied Nudes”? No..Not So Much

by photoanthems | May 28, 2014 | Blog

Nude — adj

1. completely unclothed; undressed

2. having no covering; bare; exposed

So this latest few series of blog posts have gotten a little attention. First, I started out with Why I don’t do nudes for money. I followed it up explaining how I’m waiting on the right time, venue, and circumstances. I then covered details about my private sessions because I do charge for those. And after this I got a few questions regarding implied nudes, but presently I felt it necessary to decline those requests. Work for hire gets you whatever you want, of course. But integrating it into my regular artistic nude work for no charge is not as doable for me at this time.

Implied nudes are just what it sounds like. These are images of women taken that give the appearance the the model is nude, however they are still covered…just not with clothing. This can take the form of using the hands to help cover the goods or strategic angles to keep everything hidden. Sometimes models might use a boa, fabric material, or any type of prop that can be used to cover the breasts and genitalia. I’ve seen some great work from several photographers who do implied nudes. They are Facebook friendly and can be used in more widely acceptable venues. They can still be considered adult in nature, so placement should still be a consideration. You can see this all over the Las Vegas strip and downtown area, but you’d be less likely to see it on a billboard next to a school.

I just choose not to do it. At least not for free as I might my other art nude work. I shoot the nude. I have a dislike for hiding or censoring my work. I started out doing this with my own work and it was actually a model, Sara, one of my original art nude models, who practically scolded me for my own self-censoring practices. She articulated to me that there will be enough people in the world who will do this for me that I need not add to their efforts. She reminded me that I am an artistic nude photographer and that is where my passion lies. So why then should I take pictures whereby the elements that qualify a work as art nude are eliminated from the composition?

“It’s the invention of clothes, not nature, that made “private parts” private.”

― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Over the years, I have received negative feedback and foul opinions for my work. I like to think that I respect people and their opinions about me. Sometimes I take it personally. In some cases, people may criticize my art, which is fine. Other times, they take it a step further and form an opinion about me personally because I am the author of what they feel to be obscene, improper for moral consumption, and otherwise simply disgusting. At times, I can’t say I blame them. Artists have historically pushed and challenged the ideals that society hold dear. I have been disgusted myself by some expressions of artists who use the “art” moniker very loosely. Who am I to define loose, though? Some of my work is way more explicit that what many would be comfortable with despite my artistic editing techniques.

However here is my deal. We are talking about the human body. I have never understood why society needs “protection” from depictions of a penis, a vagina, or breasts especially when these depictions are non-sexualized. Our most famous art pieces and artists we consider to be masters utilized the nude form as the norm in their work and kids can see this in a museum anywhere. I take issue to the fact that we can be subjected to advertisements that imply nudity or are sexually sensationalized, but breasts in art are morally unlawful. Since when did boobs become taboo? I don’t want to use this blog as a soapbox to debate why America would be better off if we were not afraid of the naked body. That’s not even the purpose of this post. But I feel like I’ve addressed well enough on my particulars on why implieds are of less interest to me. I mislike the notion of being afraid of the nude. And if I have any last issue with the implied nude, it is simply the fact that I enjoy shooting the nude…the whole you. The nude you. I would much rather be inclined to shoot a clothed model than an implied nude.

Private Sessions and What They Might Entail

by photoanthems | May 23, 2014 | Blog

“Nothing is more dangerous than a friend without discretion; even a prudent enemy is preferable.”

~ Jean de La Fontaine

This series of posts has a bit more depth to it than I thought. I was asked by someone who read the original post about my private sessions and I thought I’d go into a bit more detail regarding them. So in that post, I was referencing moments when I do indeed take money for my artistic nude work and I explained it like this:

“But before I go into details, let me clarify. I DO charge for my art nude work and sessions under certain conditions. Two, in fact. There are times that I simply cannot turn down a paying gig in order to shoot model nudes. So in those cases, when I need to be about my business, shooting nudes will also have to be rolled into my revenue-generating efforts. The second reason is when said model chooses not to allow me to display the created work for my own artistic purposes. In these cases, the model becomes a client and monetary compensation is necessary since this becomes a work for hire agreement. If I can’t use the images for my artwork, then I can only participate in the requested session for hire.”

Enough people have seen my work and form their own opinions about it and me. I was having breakfast with a good buddy of mine just the other day and he mentioned a lady who spoke disparagingly about my work. Understood. I totally get it. Its not for everyone and these people have their own reasons. So that’s understood and I can respect and appreciate that. I try not to take it personally. I don’t always succeed, but that’s cool too. I always get over it. No biggie.

From time to time, word gets out to someone who appreciates what I do. Whether from curiosity or a longing desire to be seen as an art nude model, I get calls and requests for my services as a photographer to assist in bringing these visions to fruition. I am reminded of one such mother who sought me out. She had already worked with two photographers in as many years to little satisfaction. Her efforts had only resulted in pictures of herself naked, but not artistic. She wanted to give it one last time and found me on a Google search looking for art nude photographers in Las Vegas. When she saw my work, it just seemed to fit. However she had one simple request. The images needed to be her’s and her’s alone. They were not for me to use for my own work. They were not for public consumption. And she needed assurances that her confidence would be honored. Thankfully, after meeting me, she felt comfortable enough to do this after I described to her how I worked. Her previous sessions were a few hundred dollar gigs with photogs whom she believed lacked the skill she believed she required. After hearing my fees, she briefly considered allowing me to use her images in my art just to avoid the costs (as many often do!), but quickly dismissed that notion and elected to delay her session for two months until she was able to accommodate my fees in her budget.

She was very pleased with the results. For my fee, we did 3 different sessions over 3 different days that took about a two weeks to shoot. Two of those days were day long road trips to locations but each were distinct from one another. I took enough images to edit 100 shots for a hard-bound photo book and it was then that she realized she had gotten her money’s worth. I have never used her images. No one has seen them, unless she herself has shown them. I have no model release authorizing my use of her recognizable work. Her confidence and her business is her’s alone and I’ll not betray it. She modeled in poses that started out ultra conservative, but which became explicit by the second session. I didn’t judge her. My job was to place her in situations and poses that reflected her mood which became emboldened as time wore on. I asked and she gave. I advised and she relented. All that came through trust.

“Every man has a certain sphere of discretion which he has a right to expect shall not be infringed by his neighbors. This right flows from the very nature of man.”

~ William Godwin

To date, I think I’ve done private sessions for reasons that no longer surprise or catch me off guard. A wife taking striptease lessons for her deployed soldier husband (non-nude…just pole dancing). A mother wanting to build confidence in her own body. A lady with 4 kids wanting to give her man a Christmas present. A woman with unique physical features for which she desires to see in a more positive light with hope that my artistic view of things can help her achieve that. More commonly, its someone who sees and loves my work and wants to be a part of my art. But because of certain community standards or employment risks, they need their confidence protected. Some have elected to pose with non-recognizable anonymous poses just to be sure and more confident. Then later ask me post their work on my blog, unidentified, just to see themselves discretely published on the web. I love getting these requests from friends of long ago that reconnect with me via Facebook or who come across my name on a Google search. I once shot a girl who, who last I saw her, was TEN years old, but is now an adult. She did a Google search for my son, saw my name and work, and contacted me. After finally reaching an agreement (and convincing me to do it), I drove 5 hours to shoot her. I’ll travel anywhere on the planet.

I shoot a variety of sizes, shapes and ages of women. Two of my best shoots last year were of women in their 50’s. Having a perfect body is not a requirement. A good attitude, however is. Telling me you want to work with me when you lose weight is almost a “never happen”. Rarely has that ever worked out. I’m an “as is” and “natural as possible” photog when I’m at my best. Glammed up, boudoir, sexy and alluring poses are not my specialty. I don’t need a lot of hair and make-up. Just come as you are and take off your clothes. Let me see you. Let me find my angles, spots, and looks. Then pay me and let me go to work. That’s how many of my private sessions go. If you have more questions contact me and lets talk. [PhotoAnthems (AT) Gmail (DOT) com] We’ll discuss availability, your interests, possible solutions, and fees. BTW, twice I’ve had someone speak ill of my work and then within the same year, discretely request my private sessions. So I do honestly try to never take it personally. You just never know what their objection are or when they might overcome them. Had I retaliated, I’d have never gotten the business and more importantly, not have these two good friends.

The Right Time

by photoanthems | May 22, 2014 | Blog

“Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.”

~ Arnold H. Glasow

I think I’ve went into enough details on my last blog post about why I don’t make money on my nudes. But I’ll open up just a little bit more regarding things I’ve thought about over the last two years and what may change in the near future. Its sort of been a waiting game where I’m looking for the right deal for my work. There are simply ways I wish to conduct my affairs when dealing with my art work. Its personal. And in that regard, with as much as I know about business, I prefer to take myself out of that equation and let more objective people do it for me. At least for now, that is. I recognize my weakness. I’ve worked various jobs in finance, management, and marketing. I have an MBA. I also have a MS in Telecommunications Systems Management which was heavy on the SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT part and that included business applications. So I’m not saying my weakness is in handling the business end of all this.

I’m just being honest with myself in recognizing that my artwork compromises my ability to remain impartial to the decisions and judgements that may be necessary for this particular moment in time, specifically these initial steps. I know the constraints and conditions as an artist that I’d place on how my work is produced, presented, and promoted. I had turned down two artist’s agents in the last 3 years, but now I think I could benefit from the consultation of a professional. So there you have it. In the meantime, I don’t want to do any more contests, despite some that are tempting. Exhibition is my main focus for the immediate time going forward. I have so much work that I’ve accumulated over the years that nobody has ever even seen. Panda remains my most prolific model. I shot her 21 times over the last 3 years. I’ll bet less than 20 of her images have even been used or otherwise displayed. So we’ll see.

In other news….

I think I’m about settled on Peru for the summer. I still have lots to figure out as to the specifics of the trip, fly dates, and what I want to do in South America. I’ll give Central America a break for now and make Panama and El Salvador my priorities next. So at the moment, I’m researching Peru for options and have found a few good things and even met a beautiful Peruvian woman at Valley of Fire last weekend who was hiking with her accomplished photographer husband. It was really inspiring.

I’m going back there with a new Fujifilm camera, the X-T1 along a few of the latest prime lenses. I’m going Fuji-PRIME! I’ll have all f/1.4 or faster glass in the 3 main primary perspective formats (for full-frame), the 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm. I’d still much rather take a model with me, but I’m going to be fortunate to just squeak by taking my own self there on this trip. And as usual, I have no clue how long I’ll be gone or where I’ll come back from just yet, so all that’s still open. Man, I need help on so many levels. Pitiful. I don’t have too many travel buddies to talk to here in Vegas. I say “too many” as if I really mean more than one. HA! Yeah, I only have one.

So lots of work to do in June to be ready for July.

Shoot for Yourself First

by photoanthems | Apr 27, 2014 | Blog

“The man who has no imagination has no wings.”

~Muhammad Ali

One of the long-standing principles to personal financial stability and wealth creation is the notion of “Paying Yourself First.” I like it. It basically speaks to saving money or putting some aside for retirement before you start paying bills or anything else and in doing so, the rest of your business will take care of itself. Developing the habit of paying yourself first is a good discipline that also builds into it the habit of being responsible and taking of everything else as well. Let me give you three good reasons to shoot for yourself first.

Cultivating the Imagination
When I was a kid, maybe around 10 years old, I remember playing at my friend William’s house just down the road from where I live. We were playing football in his backyard. William shouted out that he was Walter Payton. Being a Dallas Cowboy fan, it was clear who I was going to pretend to be, but before I could get the name out of my mouth, William’s big brother Jesse claimed TONY DORSETT! I exclaimed very loudly that I wanted to be Dorsett, but Jesse did not dismiss his claim just to appease me. The rule on the street is that first to call gets dibs. I understood this, but it bothered the hell out of me.

Now understand me. This is just pretend. All I had to do was name another running back, but as far as I was concerned, there was none other in the league much less BETTER than Tony Dorsett. So I chose no one. I almost didn’t want to play, but I didn’t want to give Jesse the satisfaction. I was enraged over a pretend game that I was someone else. My point is that I wonder today how many of us has the type of imagination that we can get enraged over. At what point in our lives did imagination become too much child’s play. As photographers when we shoot for other people’s vision, we are often times creating what’s in THEIR imagination. Granted, you may have to be creative to bring their vision to a reality, but it’s still not your’s. Shooting for yourself gives you that opportunity to bring your own visions to past which will in turn bring in more clientele when they see your continuously putting out new and exciting work. Be an innovator.

Experimentation
Time is always of the essence it seems. You get a client gig and the expectation is to produce and render those results now. When do you ever have time to experiment, try new things, or sometimes shoot just to see what happens? You become stagnant when all you do is the same old, same old. You never know where you will find your new treasure. Venture out into new areas and genres of photo and just see what you can do. This doesn’t mean you have to jump into subject matter you hate…just something different. If you don’t like shooting sports, or fashion, then don’t. But you can rent a new lens and play with some macro work. Find a friend who can borrow a light modifier from and play with it in new ways that maybe it was never intended for. Or better yet, see if you can create your OWN lighting. I did that last year and make my own light wand with red and white light.

These are things you can bring back to the table when you are in negotiations with a client and he or she’s looking for that new “fresh” look! That thing that no one else has. Something they’ve never seen before. But more importantly, think about the sense of fulfillment that you’ll garner when you surprise even yourself by discovering that new thing almost by accident. Odds are, you will not make these discoveries shooting for someone else. No one can push your imagination like YOU can. Slow things down by limiting yourself to 50 shots or less. Shoot from a single focal length like a 50mm prime. Change your angles and shoot from either a high or low perspective. Regardless, change it up. Work outside the norm and the comfortable.

“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

~Michelangelo

Counter Burnout
Don’t lie to yourself. You get tired of working for someone else, sometimes don’t you. Ever want to just escape photography all together… even just for a little while. Personally, I don’t understand it but I know in other jobs I’ve had, sometimes you just need a break. In photo, that should never happen but I can see how it might come to pass. You spend all your time shooting for others that you simply get burned out. This is less likely to come about if you spend sufficient amount of time shooting for yourself. Make your own work the priority over shooting for someone else. Pay yourself first. Shoot for yourself first. Much like they tell you in the airline safety message, in the even of a decrease in pressure, put your own mask on first BEFORE you help someone else.

Keep yourself healthy and in good shape and do the same for your photographic mind. Keep it sharp and exercised with new activities and fresh ideas. You, therein serve yourself AND your clients by staying fresh. You’ll definitely be able to see better when your mind is renewed on a continuous basis. Mental fatigue is murder to the mind of a creative. Stave off that fatigue by doing your own projects. I could as easily add a fourth good reason: PROFITS! The better you get a feel for the industry, your trade, and your capabilities the better you know how to create your own projects and then market them via social media to your own benefit. This can be work that you eventually sell, or use it as an opportunity to showcase your wares. Either way, you can make money if that is something that is important to you. In any case your limits are self-imposed. Lack of gear does not create a ceiling for you. Its not the absence of promotion of exposure that shackle your ability to grow. You are bound to this world today by gravity, but it is your imagination that allows you to reach escape velocity and venture to the stars.

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