To All the Cameras I've Owned Before…

Morguefile photo courtesy Michael Rickler

My first camera was a used box camera that my parents helped me buy when I was 8 or 9. The cost of film (as well as the oddball film-size that became increasingly hard to buy)  meant it was short for my world...but not before running its paces through every trick in the "Trick Photography Book" I got from the Library. I was the hit of the cub scouts (for which my younger brother deserves kudos for being pressed into service as a model).

Then came the 110 camera for fifth and sixth grade. The "smallness" of the 110 was novel-y cool for the time, but the absolute crappy quality of the prints and enlargements never impressed me (even as a kid). It was only the fact that every other kid around me had the same style camera--slim little brick with a fixed focus lens (ditto btw on the suburban fad of the plastic molded skateboards of that era) that I kept it for so long.

Junior High (for you young'uns--now commonly referred to as "middle school" and attended a year earlier than junior high) gave me another dose of camera fever. Nothing but a 35mm SLR would do for me at this point,  and they weren't exactly cheap.  I was taking Vis Art electives in school and working on a skill badge in scouts related to photography, and I pled the case to my patient parents for a 35mm film SLR. My dad was my hero when he went out Christmas eve and came back with a set of boxes under the tree! A New FUJICA fully manual SLR, on camera cheapo flash unit, cases and gadget bag.

At that point, I became the "family photographer," constantly shooting anything and everything (often blurry and poorly exposed), but gaining confidence and quality through Junior high and into High School. It was also the first time that other kids (executive's kids that were 'better off' than a teacher's kid) showed up with equipment that was far better than mine. I think it as the first time I remember "holding my ground" on what I had and knowing that my dad worked hard for every cent. It provided me with my first opportunity to learn to ignore that nagging voice of camera-envy in my head, and blunting that tendency of so many to have equipment envy (or G.A.S [gear acquisition syndrome] as it is called in camera circles these days).

The old FUJICA was a camera that I would use for years and years-- in fact into college for my basic film photography classes—despite the fact that it was pretty much a "crappy camera" by most auteur's standards. I guess I learned to do with it what I needed. Compose, expose/shoot, develop.

Then came a string of faceless cameras that served mostly for the pragmatic purpose of capturing moments with family--Polaroid Instant Cameras, Consumer 'point-and-shoot' 35mm cameras, and the like. I vaguely recall at least one Vivitar and early Samsung in the mix. They seemed to lack any real characteristics that would imprint them on my psyche.

In the 90's came a camera that I will always remember. It was a gift from a friend who knew I wanted a TLR; a used TLR Rolleicord. I had always wanted a medium format film camera, and to this day I have to say the engineering on this relatively unassuming camera is one of my favorites.
I think—no for sure I know that its one of the finest cameras I've owned. It was a camera given in kindness, and enabling me to shoot and develop larger format negatives for the first time.

And then came the digital revolution! Along came another string of Digital Cameras that were each good for a while, and for what I wanted at the time. Kodak, Polaroid, GE, Olympus, Nikon, Canon (all PnS and Bridge cameras) followed by my Canon REBEL (which despite using to this day, I am now ready to part with btw). I still love and shoot with my 'hobbyist' Rebel (and it still ranks on the list of top cameras I've owned to this very day)… but …
I'd have to say that the Rolleicord is probably still my favorite overall cameras.

Not having shot with it since the mid-to-late 1990's, I have decide to part with it (although I vacillate between the idea of parting, and just having it near me for memories and inspiration). The eventual decision to sell it comes with the decision to part with anything— not because I don't love the camera, but I hope a collector who can use it more than I,  perhaps even cherish more if not as much, will do good by it. Clean it up and rework it a bit more while I accept the challenge in my life of trying to divest from quite so much "stuff" in  general.

I intend to focus on having one or two really solid cameras that I love and use constantly.

But what a camera!

Stop equivalencies and light ratios (oh my…)

When I was an undergrad, there was a mandatory photo class that you took as a Graphic Design major. I had my trusty manual 35mm SLR film cam, and two lenses: a  50mm prime, and a 200mm telephoto… all of which I got as a gift for Christmas and Lunar New Year (btw, it was not a very good telephoto — but it was a gift from a relative that I got in 8th grade purchased at a whopping 70$!). I think I had a polarizer and a haze filter also in the gadget bag, and an on-camera flash that must've been something like a GN20 or so.

I remember sitting through a few lectures at the time that only made partial sense. One was the discussion on Ansel Adams' “zone system.” I recall someone saying how it could dramatically improve our work (we shot and developed pretty much exclusively B/W as undergrads), but never fully understanding it beyond the reference to tonal range. The other was the “light stop equivalencies.” I pretty much metered everything in camera (I never once checked out the Minolta meter;-)

I also vaguely remember getting bawled out by a grad student in the darkroom for adding my prints to the rinser at the same time as hers. I pled ignorance (they never told me I couldn't in the class I had) to which she only became more irate at me, and insisted they 'needed a separate lab for grad students' to the lab monitor.

Well, here's to memories and the simultaneous “complexification” and “simplification” that the world of digital brought us.

We now have 1/3 stops ;-)

Here's a little handout from one of my classes (which makes a bit more sense to me now).

Enjoy!

A Lifestyle to Strive Towards...

I have a hard-drive littered with things that folks have shared. This is one that I have retained and will open every now and then. It's attributed as Zen— and while these are components of mindfulness, in actuality they transcend that and help to codify a lifestyle choice that (I would offer up ) we should all aspire towards.

Typically I credit them, but this one has been re-blogged, pinned, and reposted so many times that I can't find the origin point. Google's image search engine  has many possible source points (goodreads.com and zenquotes.com are two big candidates).

I suppose in the end it doesn't matter where its from. Enjoy (and strive)!

GREAT PHOTOSHOP RESOURCE

I regularly come across these, and on occasion repost them. They are curated by others (Michael Zhang for Peta Pixel here…or in some other instances a collective of others) and offer many different tutorials and “how-to” guides. This offers 50 “GO TO” tutorials on some of the most frequently required items.
Enjoy!

Typography Tips and Tricks…

A student (Chris Uran) share this one via FB. Great article (although some of the tips I am not 100% onboard with) but by and large its "on" and a great resource read. Thanks Chris!

An Interview with a Creative Soul {it got me thinking}…

“There’s often a disconnect between being an artist
and actually working as an artist. It’s one thing to 
be creative and not get paid for it—you can create until 
your heart’s content—but when money gets involved, 
it’s a whole different animal.”
                                             -Ike Edeani

---

I came upon this really good quote while reading an interview by Tina Essmaker with photographer Ike Ediani. To {way} over-simplify: Ike is a creative soul. Like many before and after him, he balanced this "love for creativity" initially by being "practical…" which lead him to an education and career as an Architect (arguably one of the highest paying of all the creative careers)… then later an art-director / graphic designer… and then eventually a photographer.

I think the quote by Edeani gets to the heart of some of the discontent behind those pursuing visual communications. You may be doing wonderfully innovative work when it is scholastic or a self-commisioned (or perhaps even self-indulgent) work. The fact is that in all probability career-wise, you often trade off  unfettered creativity for the much more confining reality of a steady job. The "no-limits, open-budget, avant-garde-euro-fashion-magazine cover job" you've dreamed of is in reality the "monotonous-but-steady" job where you generate forms and business cards in a preset format.

Times used to be that kids who wanted to be artists, but worried about steady employment, went into visual communications (or 'graphic design') to meet those goals. It seems the modern equivalent has become kids who want to play video games all day. There is another thread here in that ones loves cannot always equate to the reality of compensation to do what you want. You have to find the balance that fits you (and that you can live with). 

Regardless, it seems to me there has to be a moderation of what the centrally motivating factor is for the individual with a creative soul. Some will move between careers or employers until they find the balance they can live with. Others will transition out of their desire to"work in the field," and instead work at a job/career that can more adequately provide them with money, while practicing what it is they truly love on a personal level. There is no one correct answer.

I recently met up with some college friends, and found one of them was now in a financial career. One of our [well-intentioned perhaps] classmates commented that it was "a shame she couldn't work in design."

She had mentioned trying to work in design, but hating it. The creative profession she had dreamed of during her studies had became yet 'just another job.' After trying different agencies and scenarios, she figured she may as well work at a job that paid her more while requiring less of her time. 

Through happenstance, she began processing payroll and handling investments. After several years and a few promotions,  she had doubled what she made in design while working an actual 40 hour week (design insiders will get that one).

Now she is able to do painting and photography on her own terms, (which was why she originally pursued design studies in the first place–as a compromise to pursuing fine arts more fully) and had even had several joint/group shows of her work, and an a few individual shows at a local galleries (something neither I nor our "well-intentioned" classmate had puled off).

She figured out that, for her, being a creative soul didn't necessary mean working in a creative career.

What Photographers* Really Should Be Learning in School

Note the asterisk. (We'll come back to that later)
I came upon an article in PHOTOSHELTER that caught my attention. The article started out by referencing a previous article where multiple "big time pro photographers" were interviewed about what they feel should have been taught in photography school.

While that direction with the article was interesting (and arguably of the greatest interest for pure photographers), it is certainly subject to the lead established by the interviewees. That article could easily be re-written 100 different times with equally as many different citations of educational grievances  or regrets based on any given professional's perceived deficiencies. (and BTW it has been written a million times)

Instead, it was something else in the article that pushed the conversation into a slightly more "universal" direction that I found the most interesting. The author mentions attending a lecture  by Dr. Yong Zhao.  [HERE COMES THE ASTERISK] This goes waaaay beyond photography to general education (as the author asserts) in Creative Professions.

This turns much of what you've accepted as education upside down, and may explain why some folks can attend the same institution as others, and come out with so much more apparent 'educational benefit' than the student in the chair next to them.

• It’s not about what schools should be teaching, it’s about what you should be learning
• Students should figure out how they can be of value to others
• Problem identification is as important as problem solving
• Traditionally useless people are now useful (and vice versa)
• Realize that people consume psychological and spiritual products.
• Create your own job

If you have the time, I M O  it's definitely worth a read.

ARTICLE:
http://blog.photoshelter.com/2014/11/what-photographers-really-should-be-learning-in-school/

Junk Food News

Another burger alert!
Yeah I know. It's really not the best stuff for you. But I also know as a former college student that cheap and fast is a premium. It is with relative happiness that I stumbled upon the Jalepeño crunch double cheese at McDonald's.
It wasn't a bad burger (probably not great for you if you eat one every day…but tasty). My only wish was that the peppers piled on it were heated up, versus fridge temp. Two bucks at a McD's near you while offer lasts.

"We present information visually"

I was reading a book that included quotes and discussion from some current industry design voices, when part of a proclamation by Paul Sahre caught my eye.
It wasn't even Sahre's main point that caught me, but rather a part of what he said that effectively articulates something I hold to be true as a visual communicator:

“…my role as a designer involves ordering, 

clarifying, and sometimes even prettying-up 

[information]…”

the information has a wide and variable definition. It could be a solitary image, or a full document layout. But whether you are an illustrator or a publication designer, you are effectively: ordering, clarifying, and "prettying up" a visual message of some sort.

It's Camera Season ...

If you know me, you know I love Photography as both a personal form of artistic expression, and as a professional, visually-communicative endeavor. I try to do both as much as possible.

You also know that photography ain't cheap (although I am a little bit cheap).

Every fall (run up to Xmas) Canon has big sales on their refurbished cameras and lenses. Nikon does as well, but since I have the APSC-sized Canon lenses, I amtypically looking towards Canon. [BTW—If I potentially switch to a full-frame camera, Nikon may be a MUCH bigger part of my life– a new investment in glass would be in order anyway, and Nikon's price point on both is lower]
Whether FF or ASPC, I am always looking to save on equipment.

One of the biggest ways to save is FACTORY REFURBISHED equipment. I was always hesitant to buy refurb until I met one of Canon's CS managers from Virginia. She had shared that her son ( a pro PJ ) shoots a 5DIII (the mac-daddy of Canon's line) that he purchased refurb. She mentioned that they inspect and bench test each unit thoroughly (as compared to new where every fourth or fifth off the line is inspected). They also carry a warranty.
At any rate, I have not (with 2 cams and 2 lenses through the program) yet had any issues.  I have also saved a ton over retail and even some "used" sellers.

I have NOT had any refurb dealings with Nikon yet, but heard similar praises from colleagues who have.

Some of the Cameras you may be interested in:
Canon Full Frame:

• the 5DIII (their "top-of-the line") 
• the 6D (less cross-focus pts and different build)
• the 5D II (a few years old now, but still excellent)

Canon APSC ("crop sensor"):
The 7DII is driving the prices down a bit on their upper-tier APSC, and I may wait for the 7DII personally.

• the 70D (which, while it is APSC, has more cross-focus points and is preferred by many "general subject shooters")
• the 7D (sports, and bird shooters... I am a bit leary as the 7D had some issues, but it is a really affordable Camera with the 7DII release, and with a lot of nice features. I heard that on some a simple firmware update eliminated early issues).

NIKON FF (FX):

• the D800 or 810 line (if I did go full frame, I would seriously consider Nikon for features/price ratio)
• the D600 or 610 (the prices are dropping in October on all their refurbs btw)

NIKON crop sensor (DX):

• the D7100 or 7000
• the D5300 or 5200

 

[click on the appropriate image to go to the Canon or Nikon sites]

NOTE: I have NO AFFILIATION or interest with either Nikon or Canon USA, just sharing...