Shots and Thoughts

Photos and comments as I explore my passion for photography. Written to and for myself as a journal to track major moments and minor observations as I continue to evolve my visual art.

Color and Composition

Rain, umbrellas, light, color and composition. What more does a visual artist need?

Pro tip: The strong foreground anchors this shot but the key is catching the full stride/step in just the right place. And of course color.

Layers Upon Layers

As my experience and skill improves, I always look for the next level of shot to master. Adding visual layers, depth and managed complexity can make for an interesting shot. But not easy!

I practiced a lot this weekend with Eric Kim and improved a little with the following approach:

1. Shoot from street curb back into buildings.

2. For this shot you can increase your odds if you as the shooter are fixed, not moving.

3. Hold camera chest high, not at eye level until the split second to make the shot.

4. Manual focus with pre set distance helped make a quick shot as this is all about timing.

5. Good light helps so you can keep the shutter at 1/1000 and strong depth of field, F8 ish. I personally shoot at ISO 3200 for everything as I dig the grain and vibe when it happens.

6. Pick an anchor image/person in the back ground. It helps a lot if they are not moving.

7. Put the camera focus on this image/person.

8. Wait for new, moving people to enter frame. Three or five total is usually better that two or four.

9. Try to get strong bookends for the left and right frame lines. This could also be a tree or sign, etc.

10. These shots happen quickly so some pre visualization helps. Colors, textures, shadows, etc can all be worked into these shots.

11. I found it helped to literally step in 2-3 feet as the scene came together. So standing on the curb and then smoothly stepping forward as I raise the camera and fire the shutter all in one move. Most people were unaware I took the shoot, no adverse reactions.

12. These layered shots become even more interesting using heavy shadows and slices of light. Dialing down the exposure compensation is a good move here.

13. I also want to try this with flash as it helps freeze the moment. As I am coming in at 90 degrees, it is not as confrontational as a Bruce Gilden frontal.

14. I shoot these with a 16mm on 2/3 sensor so best to be very squared up to the back focus subject. But a slight camera rotation puts some edge in the image.

15. A fun technique is decapitation, where you purposefully cut off the head of one of the passing subjects. It can make the scene more dynamic.

Finally this layered shot requires a good deal of luck and timing so to increase your odds of success shoot A LOT. I shot 1296 images last Saturday (not all for layered) and really delighted to get a dozen cool images that are keepers.

Pro tip: This type of shot requires clear intention, not just a casual grab shot approach. Picking your spot, the anchor subject then blending into the scene for 20+ minutes works for me.

Guidance

Sometimes checking the sign helps, but really Google maps are your best bet when traveling.

Pro tip: In looking for these night time frames, it helps the photo to be more dynamic if there is multiple figures in the image.

Kyoto in Color

Always fun in Kyoto, I love shooting here. The light is beautiful, people happy and friendly with a mix of old and new culture.

Pro tip: Group shots visually work best with 3/5/7 people. These kids enjoyed a late summer afternoon by the Kamo river.

Visual Artist

A good discussion this weekend in Kyoto with Eric Kim and Cindy Nguyen about creativity in photography and life in general. The intention of being creative everyday. Expanding into drawing, poems, music, painting, sculpting, etc as a way to stimulate the energy and openness to see differently. Also the heightened tactile feelings from engaging in active creativity, the haptic experience. More than just taking photos, stepping back to see real art.

Pro tip: I shot in color and I liked it! Maybe a new portfilio in color would help strectch my creativity as a Visual Artist.

Crow Boy

A book we read to our son a lot was "Crow Boy", it is somehow still on my mind. The crows are large and loud in Japan and can be annoying if they dig into trash and make a big mess. But I am drawn to them somehow.

I have been looking at the cool and intense photo book by Masahisa Fukase called "Solitude of Ravens". Fukase has an interesting back story and tragic ending, but the "Ravens" book is pretty awesome as he took thousands of shots over several years and then worked them into a deeper piece of art that let him explore some pretty raw emotions. The project also had a tech angle of creatively lighting the birds in flight. Many good on-line reviews of his work.

Pro tip: The crows fly right before dawn here in Kyoto, that means about 4:30am.......

High-Key Photo Set

It feels like a high-key photo set is coming together, a fun break from some of my darker images. Actually the new images have lots of black in them, but even more bright white.

Pro tip: It takes some patience and courage to let the creative process work. The key for me is to keep shooting and let the story develop, then fill in the blanks. Next big step will be printing the top 100+ images, but that will be down the road.

Why Take Photographs?

There are a lot of reasons to take photos: fun, art, travel, family, etc. But one of the foundations is making and preserving memories, moments that can't be recreated.

Sophia and Zahid here in a special moment, a milestone on many levels.

Pro tip: When shooting these "event" opportunities, take a ton of shots including the 3 classic cinematic views: wide shot to set the stage, close up and real real close.

Next Long Term Project: Gojo

As I get ready to release the "4am | Japan" project with the printed book, gallery show and print sales, a new long project starts: Gojo

Actually Gojo is just the working name, I am sure several names will surface as I go through the editing process. I am starting the project some clear intentions to help frame the effort:

Shooting for 36+ days, defined with a minimum of 500 shots per day. A full day for me is often close to 1000 shots (two batteries!). Most of these days will be in the summer, so longer days but also super humid and hot in Japan. So a target of 18,000 shots, from this I hope to get 180 really strong images for the project. Half of them should be intimate portraits. Tight edit brings this down to 34-55 images that work together as a visual poem.

Ideally I want half of the time/images to be what shows up as I shoot (contextual/environmental) and the other half intimate portraits of people I meet. Photos that make an emotional connection with the viewer often come from the photographer having an emotional connection with the subject. So for this project it comes down to meeting people, getting close and connected. If the goal is 36+ days of shooting and 50% of the shots are from this people connection, that means every day I need to make a strong relationship as I shoot. Maybe 36+ people/couples that get 100 shots each? These specific shots will shape the narrative of the project in the editing process.

Geographically it will be centered in a 10 block area of Kyoto, near where the Kamo river intersects with Gojo dori street in Kyoto, Japan. I am sure other locations will arise but the starting point will be here. I will have additional days in Tokyo, always good for portrait work.

Shooting in black and white, with post processing using the same feel through out. I will try to use more flash this time as I dig the look and feel. I also bought a 2TB drive to keep the project all on one Lightroom library, and yes I am backing this up.

Using 28mm lenses for the project, camera bodies will be Leica Q, Leica Monochrome and Fuji XT2. Same lens essentially for the entire project. Minimal cropping. More layered shots is a sub goal.

For this project will shoot even more in portrait view with the balance in landscape view. Maybe 40% portrait view as I can see this as a strong set of photos, maybe even a sub project. A book or zine with just vertical shots is easy to layout.

Will shoot aggressively and not worry about editing or story line till closer to the end. As I get into the late fall and winter I will be back in California, good time for building out the project. It is good to have one or two additional trips to fill out the story as required.

There are also a set of cool B/W winter photos I would like to capture, let's see if the timing could work out. I see them in my mind now.

Finally it is important for me to work this every day on my shooting schedule, a real challenge mentally, emotionally and even physically but this commitment and discipline is what gives me the best chance of letting the images appear. The shooting days are blocked out on the calendar now. Definitely more of a marathon vs a sprint. But that works to my grinding style...

Pro tip: This level of intention, thought and commitment works for me to help frame this long term project. Then inside these metrics I am free to work on the content, the art, the feelings and the flow of the final deliverables. A tip of the hat to Matt Black and Jacob Sobol for their mentorship in this "all in" approach. With this framework I can let go of the process and just be in the flow everyday.

Film, Maybe....

Elysia was kind enough to model for me as I wanted to try some portrait style shots with film.

Pleasantly surprised that 95% of these shots came out OK. It was starting to rain and thus got dark early so most shot wide open at ISO 400. Technically they seem OK and carry that film vibe.

Pro tip: I am still on the fence for shooting film vs digital. I read this week where the emotional side of a photo can come via the post processing and this is where film has a real look. But it is also like shooting JPEGs, very little post processing can be done on the image. The flow is also different in shooting with film. Still on the fence if I should do a film project. Hmmm....

It's the second shot

A fun day in San Jose Japantown today with the Nikkei Matsuri festival. Weather was perfect, we had no timetable just relaxes and laid back.

But I always try to turn around and see if there is some other shot to be had. Here is the next shot of the shadows from the above image.

Pro tip: Sometimes it is the second shot that counts!

More Than Head Shots

Ruben joined me in the San Jose Japantown Studios to get an updated classic head shot, but stayed for more creative and fun portraits. He left with a broad range of images to use for the next several years. A fun session, great to collaborate with other creatives.

Pro tip: These shots still need post processing work, a fun day together, more to come. Pushing the creative edges in photography keeps it all fresh.

Location Portraits

I shot the musical directors at LG High School as they needed updated images for the annual programs.

Pro tip: The battery pack with Elinchrom lights make on site photos pretty easy. Fuji 56mm is a super nice portrait set up, shot on the XT2.

Color is Cool

I have been focused on B/W images for my street photography, but last week in LA everything in my vision was full of color. Not only the society and culture but also the light was bright and beautiful.

Pro tip: I dig these color shots but not sure where they fit in my portfolio. My IG feed is pretty clean with B/W, FB has lost its appeal to me, maybe just here for now?

Intention

Part of my approach for street photography is have have some clear intent when I go out to shoot. When in LA I had a chance for a few days of shooting and specifically looking for how shadows and light play together, with a strong geometic design held together with a human element.

Pro tip: Intention gives focus on what to look for when shooting street, but I also need to be open to what shows up, not to get pulled into tunnel vision. Intention of emotion would be interesting to pursue, along with these strong style images.

Jewelry?

A fun executive photo session with Mary Margaret last week. With 40+ years of experience in the health care field, she had a unique viewpoint on where are today and what the future could hold for an aging population.

Pro tip: Generally I suggest clients minimize jewelry as it distracts from the overall image. Here I think it works just great. Marty Margaret showed us a photo with a top NFL celebrity where she wore this necklace, great smile on both of them. It still makes her happy and it shows in the image. Love it!

Epson P800

Printing has now become part of my photography process. It helps me with shooting, editing, story telling, etc. Once I started printing regularly it had an immediate impact. Along with the simple joy of holding a creative product.

Pro tip: Love this new Epson 800, it has worked flawlessly and the quality of the printer is surprisingly good. Keep a stock of paper and print away!

500th Client!

As I sent out the proofs for my last client photo shoot I saw it was number 500! Wow 500 clients sessions all different, all fun and I am still learning from each one. With most of my business being referrals I want to thank all of my clients for their support over these last few years. More to come!

Pro tip: Always keep it fresh, new style shots along with my classic head shots keep both clients and I happy.

Marcus

Marcus stopped by the San Jose Japantown Studio this week to help tweak a set up as I have a new style commercial shoot later this month.

Marcus is a friend but also a great Bay Area photographer with super portraits, family and wedding photos. Not surprising as he is full of life and personality, check his work here.

Pro tip: Check all of this prior to the day of the shoot to work out the details. When the client comes in I want to be 100% connected with no set up nor technical worries.

Portra 400 Film is Fun!

Just back from Japan where I picked up my Leica M3 which was in for servicing. Shot Portra 400 with the 50mm and love the colors and shooting experience. Hard to put into words but maybe I should do entire project just with color film?

No need for filters as the color and look is pretty cool. Film also has a different shooting feel and vibe. For me best with daytime shots, out door shots and not fast paced street shots (although there are great shooters that do all of that and more with film). Maybe pick one subject and do a mini portfolio.

Pro tip: I am mainly shooting B/W with digital, I think color is the way forward for me with film.