Zuiko (Olympus) 75mm f1.8 – My Initial Experience (#352) 07-14-13

Having owned the Olympus OM-D E M5 for several weeks, my go-to portrait lens has been the 45mm f1.8. With the small sensor, this becomes a 90mm full frame equivalent. I like it.

But I have a project coming up that requires a longer lens and manual focusing. This scares me. So, I purchased the Zuiko 75mm f1.8. The reviews have been excellent. If you are interested, see them HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

The lens is substantially larger than the 45, but much smaller than an equivocal focal length lens for a DSLR. Here's how they look on the camera, 45mm first (images captured with Canon S100).

So when my copy arrived, I knew that it would be plenty sharp, but I wasn't sure that my old, tired, eyes could do the job for manual focus. I am using my reading glasses for this. First I auto-focused on an easy subject and checked a shot on the LCD. Plenty sharp. Then I pressed the shutter button half way down and looked, again, through the viewfinder. Things looked a bit fuzzy, so with the shutter button down, I adjusted the diopter setting next to the viewfinder until things looked sharp. Finally, I switched to manual focus, recomposed, and shot again. Sharp! Then it was time for some more challenging subjects.

I sat on a bench along a the downtown main street. It is two lanes wide, with two parking lanes and a median containing plantings. I estimate the width to be 80-100 feet total. A man was sitting on a bench on the other side, facing away from me. I took several shots, manually focusing on the back of his head.

The images varied greatly in sharpness, but I was very pleased with this one. It is straight out of Adobe Camera RAW, with no straightening, cropping, or alterations of any kind.

Notice that he is scratching the back of his neck.

Notice that he is wearing a wristwatch.

And notice that:

It was 2:30PM! I could not believe that I could read the time on his watch! This lens has surpassed my expectations for sharpness and resolution. My ability to manual focus, not so much. But I'll keep working on it.

Now, can I use this as a stranger portrait lens? Sure. The effective focal length of 150mm is a bit long, I'll have to stand back more than I am used to. But I used to use a Nikon D90 with an 85mm lens, with an effective focal length of 127mm – not so much different. Will I use it in place of the 45mm? Time will tell.

This is for sure: I feel liberated with this new gear. It is so much lighter and more compact; I feel like I have stepped off of a DSLR treadmill. Now, back to shooting!

Bob

Craig and Ivan (#351) 13-07-13

It feels funny putting an 'and' between them. Craig and Ivan are totally unrelated: different time, different place. But I don't have too much of a story for either, so I'm dumping them together.

While walking down Central Ave. In St. Petersburg, I saw Craig leaning against a building, having an smoke. He just had the body language of someone on a break from work. Sure enough, he worked at the adjacent Garden Bar/Restaurant. He said OK for a few pics, but had to get back to work in a minute. That was plenty of time.

I few weeks later, I was doing my thing just a few blocks from home. I saw a young blonde girl a block away heading toward me, and I thought "please come, please come". She stopped for a moment and addressed a young man, and then the both headed my way. Yeesss!!!

They sat down together on a bench. I spoke to Ivan first. He had attended the local high school, but I am not sure if he had already graduated or was still a student.

While I photographed him, the young lady never looked my way. When I asked her, she shook her head 'no', and never spoke or looked up. Rats! I feel certain that many parents tell their daughters to have nothing to do with older men, camera or no camera. A shame, but I understand.

Bob

Clay, Misaki, and Lily (#350) 07-13-13

Blog post #350, another round number...

While speaking with a stranger, I saw Clay and Misaki out of the corner of my eye. Of course they were long gone when my conversation was over. So when I saw them an hour later, I knew that fate was on my side, and it was my duty to approach them for portraits.

As I spoke, a small smile came over Clay's face; this was going to work OK. Clay recently moved to Florida from Kentucky. And he had attended the University of Kentucky, as had my sister-in-law. So we chatted about UK basketball for a while, when he asked if people moving to Florida ever got used to the heat. I told him that most of us did fine in June and July, but it sort of gets to everyone by September. I did not mention that one becomes more heat intolerant with age. He'll figure it out in a few decades.

Misaki held Lily the entire time. She is from Japan – maybe dogs aren't allowed to walk there.

Now the image of Misaki and Lily is a departure from my usual style.

1. I like close, square crops. The way she held the dog, that just didn't work.

2. I usually ask people not to smile, and then hope to get a subtle facial gesture that implies story. But look at that face! How could I ask her not to smile? It was so genuine, and she obviously loves Lily so much, that I had to go with it.

At the end of the encounter I walked a block away and pulled out my notepad to jot down a few things. I am not sure that I remembered how to spell her name. My bad.

Bob

Jennifer (#349) 07-11-13

At one end of a Saturday morning Farmer's Market, I stood while listening to a guitarist. I was not particularly looking for strangers to photograph, as the light was harsh and there was no obvious good background close by. But then along came Jennifer. I can't say what caught my eye, but she seemed open (my pet phrase) and genuinely interested in the music.

When I explained my project she seemed a bit shy, but amused, and offered no resistance. I asked her to not "say cheese", but she asked if she could smile. I said that we'd try to get the smiley Jennifer and slightly more serious Jennifer.

She moved to this area from Austin, TX. Austin gets pretty hot, she said, but the heat is drier, and more comfortable than Florida. I asked if she had heard of professional photographer Kirk Tuck, from Austin. Not surprisingly, she had not.

Among other interests, Tuck is into constant LED lighting for studio portraits. See his site HERE.

One post a couple of years ago was of specific interest to me, and should be to anyone who does street portraiture. It is entitled "Approval, Tacit Approval, and Implied Approval and 'Street Photography'" See it HERE.

After I asked, I began to wonder just how large a place Austin is. Jennifer said 1,000,000. A MILLION! I had no idea (although it is actually slightly less). My impression had been that Texas cities consisted of Dallas, Houston, and then a bunch of small places.

So, off to Google to set the record straight. Here is the population of Texas cities as of 2010:

Houston           2,099,000

San Antonio      1,327,000

Dallas               1,197,000

Austin                   790,000

Ft. Worth              741,000

Well, San Antonio is larger than Dallas! Live and learn.

Bob

Portraits of Strangers Touching Each Other (#348) 07-10-13

Each Wednesday I like to visit the work of another portraitist (usually street portraitist) to get different perspectives and inspiration. Well, this one is a Lollapalooza !

It is intimidating enough to approach a stranger, but to ask one stranger to touch another goes over-the-top, for me. But photographer Richard Renaldi does just that. His project, "You May Touch a Stranger" involves him finding two strangers willing to be photographed, and willing to touch each other. Read about his project HERE.

The Aperture Foundation produced a 4 1/2 minute video, with Renaldi describing the project in his own words.

This link contains more text about the project and the video (should the one above fail to play for you). See it HERE.

In the video, Renaldi looks for potential subjects on a street, and describes one as being "open". The concept of "open vs closed" plays right into my wheelhouse. I always look for people who appear to be 'in the moment', and open to new experiences. As opposed to the closed state, where the conscious mind is living in the past, or the future, in some deep recess of the universe. Sometimes my wife and I joke about this as we walk down a street. As we pass people, we comment, "open, closed, open, closed, closed" as we speculate on the mindset of passersby.

Enjoy.

Bob

Devan (#347) 07-09-13

Going back to yesterday's entry, Devan was with Sophia. He was more straight forward – he did not pose like a movie star. :-) But our interaction falls under the category of It's-a-Small-World.

Devan has lived in Ft. Myers his entire life. Before I knew, I asked if he went to high school in Ft. Myers, and of course he had. Then I asked about college, thinking that he might have attended Florida Gulf Coast University, 30 miles away. No, he had gone to Florida State University, in Tallahassee. I theatrically winced and told him that I went to the University of Florida, an arch-rival. But he didn't flinch, and said that his dad had gone to U of F.

Well, actually he had graduated form medical school there. So did I! Of course I graduated a couple of decades earlier. :-(  My graduating class had 64 students, and the classes are now up to about 130. But the point is, there aren't THAT many of us running around, and to cross paths in my photography project is quite a coincidence.

Furthermore, Devan's Grandfather had been a professor of Pediatrics at the U of F. I did not recognize the name, but I definitely felt a kinship with Devan's family.

You never know who you will run into.

Bob

Sophia (#346) 07-08-13

Scouring the streets of Ft. Myers, I spotted a young couple in a well lit alleyway. They seemed to be kidding around; I liked the body language. I met them, and each was, interesting in different ways. So, I am posting them separately.

Sophia moved to the area from Kentucky when she was seven. Having graduated fro high school in Ft. Myers, she is almost a native. Sophia clearly liked the idea of being photographed, and immediately began smiling and assuming theatrical poses. I asked her to not give me the 'say cheese' smile, as I wiped the smile off of my face with my hand. But she was really into it, and obviously enjoying herself.

I clicked away as she she changed positions. I am not used to photographing moving targets, but that's what I was doing. Many images were blurred, and my keeper rate was lower than usual. This more natural pose is a bit soft in the eyes.

I guess that one would call this location a breezeway. It certainly was that afternoon.

Bob

How I approach Strangers for a Portrait (#345) 07-07-13

I have touched on various aspects of my approach to strangers numerous times. In this entry, I will try to get it all down, in one place. Hopefully, someone will find this useful – and get out there to photograph somebody!  :-)

Before heading out to scout for potential subjects, there are two items of preparation: the camera, and my head. The camera is a necessary evil in this endeavour, so I always tend to it beforehand. I have used a DSLR, and now I use a micro 4/3 camera – it doesn't matter. I prefer aperture priority with a wide aperture, ISO 200-400, prime lens, no flash, autofocus, burst mode, and camera on a wrist strap. None of that is critical. A point and shoot pocket camera set on automatic will work.

What is critical is to set the camera up in advance. That way, when I meet a person, I forget about the camera. I am confident that even if images aren't great, at least I will never come away empty handed. I can meet someone, interact, and keep my mind where it belongs, on the interaction. The camera becomes a non-issue.

The other item for preparation is me. I have to assume the proper mindset to approach strangers in a credible way. And, I am by nature, not a 'people person'. Not at all. I have to get 'out of my own skin' to be able to meet strangers. The simplest way is to take a few quiet moments to reflect on gratitude. This sounds a little metaphysical, and I don't know why it works. But I does work for me. Just a few moments of being aware of my surroundings, the neat camera in my hand, and the opportunity to meet new people is enough.

Gratitude gets me into the present moment. This is important. Many (all?) of us spend a lot of our mental time rehearsing the past, or anticipating the future. This doesn't work for meeting people. It is imperative that my mind is in the "Now". A few moments reflecting on gratitude does the trick.

So with the camera on a wrist strap, and my 'head in the right place', I begin walking purposefully, standing tall, and making eye contact with most of the people I pass. Being the high energy guy in a crowd gets a good response. Crouching, cowering, and sitting on benches does not work for me.

So now, a few specifics about the approach. Of course, my approach has changed over time. As has my success rate in getting potential subjects to agree to be photographed. I have noticed that for me, settling on a uniform approach is best. Just like always having the camera ready, if I am ready with the same words to say, I can continue on mental autopilot without being concerned about blurting out the wrong words at the wrong time. So, here are the words:

Much of this personal project has revolved around the Flickr group, 100 Strangers. This group requires an entry to include a portrait, and a short write-up about the encounter. A tab at the masthead of this website is about 100 Strangers.

So, when I identify someone who I want to ask, I say,"Excuse me, I wonder if I could ask a favor?" When speaking, I make solid eye contact. At that point, usually the person(s) look at me and give their attention. Then I continue, "I belong to a camera group called100 Strangers. My job is to meet 100 people, and take their picture. Could I meet you and take your picture?" I always emphasize meeting, before photographing. Usually the person is smiling at this point, and success is almost assured.

Often they ask what I will do with the image. I explain what Flickr is – about half the people already know. Then I pull out my cell phone (which I have already loaded with my Flickr Photostream) and show it. Occasionally someone has taken the phone and scrolled through several screens of thumbnails.

While they look, I ask where they are from and just see where the conversation goes. Now the encounter is off autopilot and there is no script. Anything goes. Sometimes there is a fairly lengthy encounter; some people want to talk. Other times, they stand still for a few shots, and that's it – they move on.

If they seem interested, and want to see the image on the camera's LCD, I offer a business-like card. My are printed by a company called MOO. MOO cards are used by many in the 100 Strangers group. One side has an image, the other, text. When the cards are ordered online, any number of images can be included for variety; I have cards with two.

On the text side I include my name, e-mail, website and Flickr Photostream. I tell people that their images will appear in the Photostream in a week or two. I then say that if they like the image, e-mail me and I'll attach the file on a return e-mail.  It is disappointing that I seldom hear from the strangers.

But, that's the way it goes. :-)

Bob

Karen and Gracie (#344) 07-06-13

I saw Karen reading, in front of a Starbucks. For once, I was not the one drinking coffee. When I approached and asked the question, she smiled, rolled her eyes, and said that she was not photogenic. Yeah, yeah. But she did not resist. I think that she knew better.

She and Gracie were visiting Naples, FL, from Ft. Lauderdale (aka Ft. Liquordale). Nevertheless, Gracie is a Maltese, and a "perfect dog". When she said that, I said, "If you do say so yourself". Simultaneously, she said, "If I do say so myself". We got a good laugh out of that.

Then some children passed with a dog; Gracie looked and panted, but did not bark. "She never barks", assured Karen. So I pulled the camera to my eye and called, "Gracie!" Darn if she didn't stop and look right at me for four or five seconds.

My only regret is that Gacie's wooly hair around her eyes precluded catchlights. But she's still perfect.

Bob

Dylan, the Photographer (#343) 07-05-13

I was engaged in one of my favorite activities. Cup of coffee in hand, I sat at an outdoor table and waited. The quality of light next to the row of stores looked pretty good, and all I needed was for an interesting face to appear. And then, Dylan parked his bicycle and headed my way.

When I explained my project, he took immediate, and sincere, interest. He too, was a photographer, and was sympathetic to the challenge of overcoming fear in the pursuit of a project. He is the staff photographer for Sarasota Music Scene. See it HERE.

On the "about" page, Dylan's biography is as follows:

""Voted Most Humorous in 8th Grade." Born in Miami and raised in Sarasota I am a Florida native. I have just recently graduated from the local USF-Sarasota campus with my Bachelor's degree in Marketing. I was brought up with an original Deadhead for a mother (yes she was at Woodstock) and a Parrothead for a father (who lived on a sailboat for 10+ years). I have been taking pictures my whole life for fun but have just recently started pursuing it professionally. I also perform as an original Singer-Songwriter in SRQ. All photos taken with: Nikon D90. "

The page itself is HERE.

An interesting fellow, wouldn't you say?

Bob

Photographing Centenarians (#342) 07-03-13

These Wednesdays do roll around quickly. So here is a look at some other photographer's portraits.

As I ask so many folks for permission to photograph, I have noticed which demographics are likely to say yes. And, no. The elderly are in the latter category. Now that I have a Medicare card, my definition of elderly is creeping up.  Younger folks have grown up with Facebook, Instagram, and cell phone pics. The idea of being photographed is not threatening. But even my generation is not enamored of being photographed.

Recently, I came across two projects involving portraits of centenarians. We can all agree that this qualifies as elderly. See one HERE.

And the other HERE.

Enjoy.

Bob

Vincent and Yu Yu (#341) 07-02-13

Wandering through Naples, FL, I spotted a young Oriental couple taking pictures of each other, with a cell phone. So, of course, I offered to get a shot of both of them together. Then, I explained my project and asked for portraits. They seemed a bit confused and hesitant, but complied.

Vincent did the talking, and his English was a bit halting. Clearly, 'Vincent' is a name assumed in this country. They are from Taiwan, and Vincent said that the city was Tainan – I think. I explained my very rudimentary knowledge of geography – Taiwan is long and skinny, Taipei is near the top, and Kaohsiung is near the bottom. That's it. Vincent said that Tainan was near Kaohsiung.

Vincent will be attending the University of Florida in the fall, studying chemical engineering. That is quite ambitious, and I imagine that his command of the language will continue to improve, very quickly.

Yu Yu – this is how her name is spelled, but I'm not sure if it is one word or two. She spoke little English and seemed very shy. I felt badly that I could not get her to relax and enjoy the occasion.

I feel ridiculous commenting on their command of English. If I were in Taiwan, I cannot imagine how lost I would feel trying to learn Chinese.

Bob

Eric's Eyes (#340) 07-01-13

When I asked Eric if I could photograph him, he said "sure, everyone wants to photograph my eyes". It's nice to get playful banter like this. So I said that when I told my friends that I was going to Naples, they all said to be sure to get a picture of Eric's eyes. He shrugged and said "yeah, that happens"  :-)

Eric is a native of Naples and sells tropical plants. When I told him that I was from Venice (90 miles north), he sat up straight and said that he could take plants to sell that far away. But Venice, I explained, occasionally has a freeze – tropical plants don't do well. His shoulders sagged, and he agreed.

But, great eyes!

Bob

Numbers vs People (#339) 06-30-13

My plan has been to take Sundays off from posting. After all, even HE (eyes looking up) took one day off! But each week I come across a couple powerful postings by someone else that I think should be shared. I hope you agree.

The Wall Street Journal interviewed Chris Arnade, the man behind the Faces of Addiction series. See it HERE.

The WSJ article is entitled, "What it Took 20 Years on Wall Street to Learn".

See it HERE.

Enjoy.

Bob

Vinnie, Da Noo Yawka (#338) 29-06-13

I met Vinnie, the consummate New Yorker, in Naples. He moved down one year ago to be closer to his son. He had lived in both Brooklyn and Staten Island, but much of what he knew in Staten Island was lost in Superstorm Sandy. And, he had worked on Wall St. During 9-11, and knew firemen who had died there.

I explained the 100 Stranger's project and showed him images on my smart phone. He said, "You want this mug (pointing) in there?" But really, he had no reservations. And he understood that the project was largely about meeting people.

So, look at that face. Has Vinnie seen a lot? Could you easily fool him?

Bob

Jessica, the Georgia Peach (#337) 06-28-13

A couple of small statues grace Beach Drive, in St. Petersburg. Often people have their photos taken with a statue, tourist style. So when I saw Daniel photographing Jessica, I offered to take a picture of them both. I did so, and they thanked me. Of course I asked for a favor, and away we went.

They live in the Tampa area, but Jessica is originally from western Georgia. Ah, a coincidence – I explained that I have relatives in north Georgia, and that my son lives in Macon, in the middle of the state. She said that she often drove through Macon.  I said that I doubted that, and her eyebrows immediately shot up. I said that people drove AROUND Macon on the Interstate bypass. She agreed, that's what she did. I explained that NO ONE drove through Macon – even Sherman missed Macon on his March to the Sea.

Bob

Mary, and Overexposing With the Olympus OM-D E-M5 (#336) 06-27-13

For some reason, while walking around Naples, I wanted to photograph a lady wearing a hat. Not a floppy hat to keep sun off, but a fashion statement hat. I do not appreciate fashion, so I wold not understand a fashion statement. But at least I'd know that she was making one.

And there was Mary, a snowbird from Michigan and visiting Naples. And such a  neat white hat! She was shy, but sheepishly allowed a few photographs. All went well until I saw the files on the computer – they were overexposed. Big time.

So I checked the camera and it was set on ISO800, from the previous evening. Now, I just don't think that this should ever happen. When it comes to inadvertently shooting at high ISO, there are two types of photographers:

1. Those who admit to having done it, and

2. Liars

I think that when a camera is turned off, the ISO should return to a default value, either 100 or 200. But my Olympus doesn't, my Nikons didn't, and I don't know if any cameras do.

The OM-D E-M5 is a complicated beast. It's Byzantine menus are as complete as entry level DSLRS. But within the options is the ability to configure the viewfinder. Whereas it has a electronic viewfinder, I have now configured the histogram to be visible, BEFORE the shot is taken. Nice! That is not possible for DSLRS with optical viewfinders.

So here is the good news. From the reviews that I have read, the sensor in the OM-D is very RAW file friendly. The files have a LOT of latitude for improvement in post processing. Here is a screen capture of the file as it first came into Adobe Camera RAW:

Pretty ugly. And here is what it looks like after yanking the exposure slider to the left:

An impressive improvement in my book! Not perfect, and there isn't much detail in the hat. But I would hate to see this had it been captured as a jpeg.

I am still struggling to get used to the Olympus OM-D E-M5, but so far I LOVE it! If they could just have given it a more intuitive name...

Bob

Forgettable Photos – C. J. Chilvers (#335) 06-26-13

Another Wednesday, another look at someone else's content.

In the past, I have posted about storytelling in photography. I feel that the human face, all human faces, have stories to tell. Or more importantly, stories to imply. The viewer, then, gets to interpret the face and story as she sees it. I always strive to depict a face in such a way that it implies a story.

Not always successful, but that  is my goal.

Which brings us to a post by A Lesser Photographer, C. J. Chilvers. It is brief, so the entire text is below, followed by the link.

"From Ian Brown 

"This spring, I was an adjudicator of the 2013 Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival photography competition. This week, my three fellow judges – all professional photographers and curators – and I announced that we couldn’t find a winner, and won’t be awarding a prize for the first time in 18 years. There isn’t even a runner-up."

Why? The judges said no one bothered to tell a story. No one had a unique vision. Instead, the entries relied on digital tricks and heavy-handed editing.

It's not really surprising. Storytelling is not valued much on Flickr, Twitter, Instagram or anywhere else except personal blogs, which seem to wane in popularity among photographers as fancier (and instantly gratifying) new tools and services emerge.

My favorite part of the article could've come directly from this blog: 

“When I’m shooting film, I have a finite number of images,” [Craig Richards] said. “And I really have to think about what I’m shooting. And this is where I think we’re going: People no longer have to think.”

Thinking is hard.  Snapshots are easy."

The link is HERE.

Think about that. Photographers submitted photos for a competition. The judges felt that all of the images were so empty of the photographers vision And heart, that no stories were told. And no prizes were awarded.

Something for all photographers to consider, whether making portraits, or any other genre.

The Lesser Photographer site begins with a manifesto that I referenced several months ago. But sometimes, repetition is OK. The basic premise is that gear and trickery are no substitute for personal vision and storytelling – in the broadest sense of the term. See it HERE.

Enjoy.

Bob

Derrick From N.C. State (#334) 06-25-13

As much as I have walked the streets introducing myself to strangers, you would think that it would always be easy. Not so. I always have to take a few moments to clear my head, think about gratitude, and rehearse my first couple of lines. Sometimes I get ready easily and sometimes not.

This was a not day. I walked unproductively for 20-30 minutes, and then admitted to myself that I just didn't have it that day. I headed back towards the car, but saw Derrick sitting on a bench, reading. I made an about face and introduced myself to him. He was immediately amendable to being photographed. Derrick held eye contact and was both very polite, and confidently assertive. He stood straight with a military-like presence. This direct look is representative.

He is from Raleigh, NC, and graduated from N.C. State four years ago. Derrick and seven friends rented a house on the beach for a week. Sis of the friends are N.C. State graduates, ant the seventh is a ringer, from Wake Forest.

I winced about the week vacation, and said that the weather forecast was poor (Tropical Storm Andrea brushed by the area three days later). He shrugged and assured me that they would all play between the raindrops. Who knows, maybe some beer would be consumed.

Bob

Suzanne and Dan (#333) 06-24-13

Walking in my home town on Memorial Day, I spotted a young couple who seemed happy, and in the moment. I stopped them, asked for a favor, and explained my project. Each seemed intrigued by the idea and were happy to be photographed.

Dan went first and immediately understood my disdain for cheesy smiles. Still, he just couldn't totally hide a slight smirk. That's OK.

Suzanne was also having a bit of difficulty swallowing a smile, but she did fine.

They were from Tampa, about 75 miles north, and visiting the area for the holiday. Suzanne taught at a Tampa school. I told her that Venice is in the Tampa TV viewing area, and I had heard of many of the schools. She taught at Broward Elementary. We agreed that it was an odd name, in that Broward County is in the east coast of Florida.

Then I admitted that I was not familiar with the names of elementary schools. Why do we hear about schools on TV?

1. A sports related story, almost always involving a high school.

2. Something bad happening – bomb scare, pedophile on the loose, etc.

She laughed and agreed. Stories about elementary schools don't "sell" well.

Hope you had a nice Memorial Day, Suzanne and Dan.

Bob