tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230359645027726892024-03-06T00:03:16.915-08:00Hugo WongMusings on photography and life on the West Coast of Canada.Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-18905093775608310502013-10-21T13:49:00.000-07:002013-10-21T13:49:46.577-07:00Cree Star Blanket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmT9DPUCEvLxz4Mnzbz-e6Ph1j8VBNnF_cOV1buDgr4fEUD5xgqrysLdJrZPs4yH3_N4oK7UWHkVNU_1kYkyW_TEDlRSt2v5YW4WP99UTMycBRlBLyPfQSWFkZ6IjcYgcaekGXIiyU7jO_/s1600/Cree+Star+Blanket+Cover+JPEG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmT9DPUCEvLxz4Mnzbz-e6Ph1j8VBNnF_cOV1buDgr4fEUD5xgqrysLdJrZPs4yH3_N4oK7UWHkVNU_1kYkyW_TEDlRSt2v5YW4WP99UTMycBRlBLyPfQSWFkZ6IjcYgcaekGXIiyU7jO_/s640/Cree+Star+Blanket+Cover+JPEG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For more information on the project, visit <a href="http://creestarblanket.blogspot.ca/">creestarblanket.blogspot.ca</a>.<br />
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<br />Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-45853403559923973662012-12-13T22:05:00.001-08:002012-12-14T02:40:11.847-08:00Making a PictureWhen I first started shooting, I thought it strange that photographers would sometimes refer to "making pictures" rather than "taking pictures", as is the norm. For most people, photos are taken in an instant, but as any studio photographer knows, this isn't always the case, especially when you are not capturing a moment, but constructing a fantasy of sorts.<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">This particular photo for the <a href="http://martlet.ca/">Martlet</a> was to accompany a <a href="http://martlet.ca/2012/12/finding-your-family-during-the-holidays/">holiday-themed article</a> about the company of friends during the Christmas season. So, in the Strobist spirit, here's the recipe for how I made it. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">First, I began by setting my camera (in this case, a Nikon D300) into 14 bit uncompressed raw shooting mode. I almost never shoot in that mode, because the file sizes are far too large and it slows the camera down to 2.5 fps, making it unacceptable slow for press use. However, in studio-type situations, I find it gives me ultimate control over the look of the final image, and smoother transitions from highlight to shadow, which is an issue for a camera that uses a sensor that dates back to 2007. I know the debate over 12 versus 14 bit is just as fierce as the anti-UV filter debate (I'll have more to say on this later) or the JPEG versus RAW debate but I'll just say that I had the card space to spare and my lonely SB-600 needs time to recycle, so I really wasn't losing anything moving into 14-bit capture in this case. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">As luck would have it, my subjects left the location for about 15 minutes to run a quick errand, so I had time to fiddle with my lights in a low-pressure situation. This was ideal as my subjects could step into my light setup without waiting for me to set up, which is a luxury I don't usually get. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">When I first envisioned this shot, I thought I'd have them swaddled in blankets in front of a warm fire. I would have my back to the "fire" created with a heavily gelled speedlight, and that would light their faces. When I got there, however, I found that the background was less than ideal, and I'd need to use a very wide lens to capture my three subjects, making it somewhat unflattering. I've long been uncomfortable using wides, and the widest lens I have is only 27mm, so this idea was canned immediately. So, I began to improvise...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">The couch by the window provided an interesting visual, as the couch was so large it seemed to swallow the people on it. The room was awash in autumnal colours, so I decided to include the warm and inviting colours in the photograph. Even the couch featured dark wood, so it all tied in. However, the window would be a technical concern, so this ruled out an available light exposure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/8270820245/" title="DSC_4380 by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_4380" height="332" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8497/8270820245_83aeed389b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Since I didn't want the window to be blown out to pure white, I sacrificed the interior light to maintain an accurate reading of the sky, and used flash to cover my tracks. I only have a single flash, a Nikon SB-600, which I trigger using the built-in flash. Yes, I could have used manual radio triggering, but like Joe McNally, I've grown quite fond of line-of-sight triggering. The fact that you can back the power up and down from the camera is absolutely essential for me, as I don't have time to adjust individual lights myself, and I don't have assistants to do it for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">With the flash bouncing off an Impact 60" umbrella in the 45-degree position at camera right (my usual default), I made a test exposure. I have no light meter, so I'm just fudging it with the LCD. I know I shouldn't, but I don't have the money to buy a Sekonic, so I get by. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">I just gave it a try at 1/16 power or something, and it was woefully inadequate, so I upped the power to something like 1/2 power. This initial test highlighted some problems I'd need to overcome. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">1. The commander pulse from my pop-up flash was reflecting in the window just above the centre line of the couch, which is one of downsides of using line-of-sight triggering. I'd need to position my tallest subject in the middle so his head could block the commander pulse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">2. While the room was lit reasonably well, there was not enough light falling onto the couch. Since I only had one light, I'd need to add some on-axis fill, perhaps with my <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/621568-REG/Interfit_STR110_STR110_Strobies_On_Camera_Large.html">butt-ugly $10 on camera flash mod</a> that sort of looks like a dollar-store ring flash (if dollar stores sold photo mods, that is). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">3. The UV filter on my camera (an entry-level multicoated Hoya) was causing flare problems, so I had to remove it. I usually keep my UV filter welded to the front element of my lenses because I don't use lens caps (takes too much time to remove) but in this controlled studio environment, I had to maximize my image quality, which meant removing it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I tried to deescalate by simply using ceiling bounce flash, which gave me far more light than the umbrella solution, but the light was flat and shadowless, which was not what I wanted. So, I moved back to the umbrella solution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">With my head blocking the commander pulse (the biggest problem), I could take care of the rest. My subjects returned from their errand, I had worked out enough of the kinks to feel comfortable beginning to shoot. I could solve the rest of the issues on the fly. After all, I had no choice. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/8271886910/" title="DSC_4405 by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_4405" height="332" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8362/8271886910_32cb02aab9.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">What was key to the picture was my subjects relationship with each other, so I just asked them to ignore me and just talk. The situation is quite artificial, so there was some awkwardness at first, but since they were my friends, and they already knew each other, it wasn't long before they started to get more comfortable. They had ample props to occupy themselves with, like mugs, oranges, and a cat. However, the cat left after one too many camera flashes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">With the camera on a tripod and mostly static subjects, I could set the camera to manual focus at f/5.6 and just press the shutter with my eye out of the finder so I could maintain eye contact with my subjects and keep the conversation light and fast. I never used to like tripods, but I may carry one around in the future just for this reason. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">At some point, I decided to add the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/621568-REG/Interfit_STR110_STR110_Strobies_On_Camera_Large.html">Interfit Strobies on-camera flash diffuser</a>, which turns on camera flash into something resembling a ring light, but costs $10. It's the perfect mod for someone who just needs a pinch of on-axis fill, and doesn't care that it is incredibly stupid looking. I had my pop-up flash set manually to something like 1/16 power, and my SB-600 at something like 1/2 power (results may vary). <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I was getting a few good frames, but at the suggestion of one of the subjects, I decided to remove the coffee table from the shot. I desperately wanted to include the strange yet charming photo on the coffee table, which was why I didn't remove it in the first place, but the table was a distraction in the foreground that had to go. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">After I moved the table 15 minutes into the shoot, the photo was heavily simplified, which was a very good thing. The conversation also got a lot more spirited as my subjects relaxed. The expressions suddenly became a lot more genuine, and I took advantage of the moment by pushing them a little to laugh with faux-aggression, which isn't my usual <i>modus operandi</i>, but given my lack of credibility as an pushy, angry person (I think), it gave me the expression that I was looking for. Though it isn't advertised as such, photography often involves making a complete fool of yourself to try and get the shot. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/8270829277/" title="untouched by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="untouched" height="332" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8349/8270829277_b96340a9ac.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">After a few more frames, I called it a day. Total time: 24 minutes including</span> setup.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">POST PROCESSING<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I have never been particularly good at post, and it's something I hope to rectify in the following months with the shiny new Kelby Training subscription and NAPP membership that I picked up on Cyber Monday. However, it's for a newspaper, so it's not like I can use very advanced forms of processing anyway. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">One of the serious disadvantages of manually fudging exposure without a light meter is that you're at the mercy of the inaccuracy of the LCD. While I love the 921k dot screen on the back of my D300, and I have the LCD set the -1 brightness, my manual flash images are almost invariably one stop underexposed for some reason. So, one stop of positive EV is often the first thing I plug into Lightroom. The other problem I have is that Nikon raw files are dull and lifeless. I love Nikon ergonomics, but the files it produces just aren't as appetizing to me as the Canon ones are, at least SOOC (straight out-of-camera). Hence, some sharpening, mid-tone contrast, highlight recovery on the window (I still ended up blowing out some of the highlights there), a vignette to exaggerate what was already in the photo, a slight crop to remove the errant chair leg on the left of the frame (I should have moved it out in camera, but I didn't notice at the time) and the addition of some vibrance and saturation finished the job. I don't usually saturate images this much, but it was for newsprint, which usually robs an image of saturation given the gray paper, so I think it was warranted in this case.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/8270819055/" title="DSC_4448 by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_4448" height="332" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8059/8270819055_093dc1293a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Look for it inside this month's issue of the <a href="http://martlet.ca/">Martlet</a>, on newsstands until January 10, 2013. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-19623997214132892232012-11-15T18:30:00.003-08:002012-11-15T18:39:43.925-08:00To Denver...<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/8189973392/" title="Cree Star Postcard by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="Cree Star Postcard" height="362" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8058/8189973392_cbc3c744c5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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People say that it's easier to be wordy than it is to be concise. Strange, but true. This week, I found myself having to describe the Cree Star Blanket project in two short paragraphs as part of a promotional strategy. In six sentences, I had to talk people through the who, what, when, where, and why of the project. Essentially, I had to boil down my 1,400 word blog post into something that could fit on the back of a 5x7 postcard. I also got my introduction to Adobe InDesign, which I must say is a very handy program. Thanks to <a href="http://www.williamwworkman.com/" target="_blank">Will Workman</a> who designed the postcard. I hope it's making at least a bit of a splash in in the Mile-High City. For those interested in learning more about the project, click <a href="http://hugowongphotography.blogspot.ca/2012/07/book-part-three-blog-about-project.html">here</a>. For those wanting to purchase the book, click <a href="http://www.blurb.ca/bookstore/detail/3695352">here.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/8188894373/" title="Cree Star Postcard (back) by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="Cree Star Postcard (back)" height="362" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8482/8188894373_b8654675b3.jpg" width="500" /></a>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-35420097401853055952012-07-15T16:50:00.002-07:002012-07-15T16:54:34.429-07:00A New Project<br />
While I wait for the initial copies of Cree Star Blanket to arrive at my doorstep for a preliminary evaluation, I’ve decided to finally start a personal project of mine that I’ve been thinking about for a few months. People like Steve Simon, Zack Arias, Chase Jarvis, and David Hobby all put a lot of emphasis on personal projects. Having just completed one, I know the feeling. That was more of a magazine piece in a hardcover book, though. The writing and the fact-finding was just as important, if not a little bit more important than the photos. There were two kinds of photos in Cree Star Blanket — photos that documented the actual project, like the mosaic or archive photos of the Chalk Talk activity (most of which were not taken by me as I could not create the book while the project was actually happening) and portraits of teachers and students that were involved with the project to provide some “faces of the project”, if you will. This time, however, I’m aiming for something that is far more skewed to photos than writing, though there will inevitably be a few sentences here and there.<br />
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So, what is this project? Well, a few months ago, I decided to see how interested my friends were in letting me document them in their personal spaces, like their offices, garages, bedrooms, etc. I sort of did a “proof of concept” a few months ago when I documented Michael’s dorm room before he dismantled it. It showed promise. I was too occupied with Cree Star Blanket to really take on another project at the same time, but I didn’t want to give up on the idea, so I’m starting it again. I might make it a series of short photo essays (one essay per subject), all focused on the idea of being young, and how different people go about it. There is not one way of being a teenager, but there is a general idea of youth that older people sort of rally around. Sometimes it’s positive, but often it’s negative. When it is positive, it’s usually just a list of accomplishments from someone labeled a wunderkind meant to give the viewer an inferiority complex. The subjects of these often “softer-than-soft” news snippets aren’t really portrayed as real, multifaceted people. I hope to go beyond that.<br />
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I might approach this like an old LIFE story, following a person around for a few hours of their day, with a majority of that time spent in the personal space that means most to them. The room/office/garage would serve as a visual anchor for the rest of the story, a repeating motif that unifies the project. I don’t think I could pull a Gene Smith and follow someone around for 3 weeks. Not yet, anyway. Somewhere in the middle of the project, I might incorporate video into it, if I feel comfortable enough with the medium (that’s after I get a dSLR that can shoot video that isn’t awful).<br />
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Do you have a personal space that you would like me to document and show to the world (on this blog or elsewhere)? Does this space have “you” written all over it? Would you mind being casually interviewed? If so, drop me a line and tell me briefly why you should be considered. I’ll be contacting a few people as well. I can’t guarantee that everyone will have a chance, but I’ll consider every entry.<br />
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<br /></div>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-17635462135574317772012-07-03T14:48:00.001-07:002012-11-18T20:03:50.341-08:00The Book: Part Three - A Blog About A Book About A Project<span id="goog_740440367"></span><span id="goog_740440368"></span><br />
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At about 3 AM on July 2<sup>nd</sup>, I finished writing my first book. Well, that’s not technically true. I’ve been fiddling with minor layout issues and finding spelling errors since then, so I guess I’m not done until I send it off to the printer, but the heavy lifting was finished then. This author title doesn’t seem to fit me, though. I guess that’s what happens when you fall into stuff. See, it wasn’t even my idea. It was yet another blasted high school Social Studies project to be vanquished. It was a last hurrah, a chance to finally get high school out of my system and be comfortable with the fact that I am a second year university student. Yeah, like that was going to happen. </div>
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For those not “in the know”, I was contacted late last year by one of the great high school teachers of my life, Adrian French, who asked me to take on a project about a project, specifically to document one school project and the place that the novel <i>Three Day Road</i> by Joseph Boyden had in it. The actual school project is a spectacular thing, a multi-disciplinary one that incorporates student poetry inspired by the novel, the hard facts of World War One, and an enormous mosaic that serves as a way to visualize the emotions of the war as seen through the eyes of a 17-year-old high schooler, among other things.</div>
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It was French’s idea to make the book as a sort of “thank you” for Mr. Boyden. It had been kicking around in his head for a few years, and there were some attempts to get it off the ground, but to no avail. When I was approached to lead the charge, I said yes, even though I expected to be dragged through some mud for a while. After the initial excitement, I did what every good Challenge student did, and put it off. There was no firm deadline on this, so I sort of kept it in the back of my mind. I knew I wanted to do a photo-driven coffee table book right away. I just didn’t know where to go from there. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On April 19<sup>th</sup>, after I finished my last exam of my first year of university, I decided to put in the time to get this project off the ground. Some eager high schoolers, two years my junior, were tasked with helping me in this endeavor around Spring Break, but on that Thursday night, things really started to cook. That night, Celina Chan assembled a crew of overly-enthusiastic and highly intelligent Grade 11 students, and the conversation got started. For three glorious hours, a rapid fire dialogue occurred between myself and the 15-or-so members of the group. We discussed layout ideas, fonts, content to include, and everything else under the sun. That was the push I needed to get my lazy ass off the couch (the fifth season of <i>Mad Men</i> was in full swing, after all) and to actually do the work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like the war that the project chronicled, there were a few major pushes interspersed with some sitting around. In the last few weeks of June, I had realized I had spent half my summer vacation doing this, and so I redoubled my efforts to get it done so it would not consume all of it. Those last two days of June were very chaotic. I applaud those team members who answered my last minute cries for help quickly and calmly. Now that the book is finished, I’m fairly safe in assuming that no high school social studies project has ever been documented for history as painstakingly as this one. I hope this doesn’t start a precedent. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone (kidding!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Part of the reason it took so long was because, frankly, I am not a very good writer. I sort of imagine my writing process like a manual meat grinder working through some particularly bad cut of beef. The end product should be similar in consistency to the ground beef from some big, efficient, automated meat grinder; it just took a little too much sweat to get there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7497014468/" title="Quotes and Quotes by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="Quotes and Quotes" height="215" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7497014468_1a9eefdde9.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was absolutely a labor of love. There was frustration, to be sure, but it was mostly with the Blurb-provided software. In an earlier blog post, I had mentioned the Lightroom book module, and while the templates were excellent, the inability to modify them was a dealbreaker. There are many sophisticated customization options that are available in the LR Book module, like tracking and kerning adjustment, but the inability to modify even the simplest layouts or add a text box sort of killed it for me. I guess it is meant for picture books, then, which makes sense. I guess it’s my fault for not learning InDesign earlier. I’ve never been much of a graphic designer either.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7497015354/" title="Nick's Tile Reflection by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="Nick's Tile Reflection" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8019/7497015354_3dc18de279.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Throughout the writing process, I was very impressed with the output of these 17 year olds. After all, I had to sort through their old homework. Yes, they are still 17, and their youth does show through, but they really did think things through before putting them down on paper. Their feelings are real, and I don’t think they would have felt anything at all had <i>Three Day Road </i>not forced students to connect emotionally with two young soldiers (however fictional they may have been) and give them a picture of the war that doesn’t consist of a timeline with the key events and dates. It was a deafening, muddy conflict that did not treat people as people, but rather as another expendable tool of war. Reading about soldiers using broken bodies as something to reinforce the trenches with was affecting, and while it would have raised an eyebrow in a textbook, the true impact would have been lost because I wouldn’t have known that was a person with a name that I sympathized with earlier in the book. It made all the difference. I did the project once, and referred back to it numerous times throughout the writing process. It sure didn’t seem like much when I was writing it, but hindsight is always 20/20. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I tried to make the book as self-contained as possible (always a good thing), so it covers the development of the Cree Star Blanket project right up to the recognition it received in November 2010 from the Governor General of Canada. Being a photographer, I came up with the photos in my head first. I enjoyed shooting those divider photos immensely. Maybe it was because I had willing subjects. I don’t always get those. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7497014070/" title="Alison's Spread by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="Alison's Spread" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7497014070_56fe4ea083.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For followers of Joe McNally, it is easy to see where I got some of my ideas from. His photos and his philosophy, particularly for <i>The Moment it Clicks</i>, served as the inspiration for the look and feel of the photos in my book. One foot on the coffee table and one foot in the classroom is how I envisioned it from the very beginning, only I didn’t set out to teach anyone anything. That just happened to be the setting for the photos. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve always admired his ability to produce good work no matter what situation he’s dropped into, and it’s a quality that I hope to have someday. Unlike Joe (who will never live down the infamous SB-800 tree from Dubai), I had only the simplest of light setups at my disposal (one 60” umbrella and one SB-600), and I used it for every formal portrait in the book. Add a pale gold gel, my camera body, and a 35mm f/1.8 DX lens, and that was essentially it. I wanted to add some color to the book, and I couldn’t think of a better way to do it than to reveal the faces of those who did the project. The light isn’t complicated, nor should it have been. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re interested in purchasing a copy for yourself to see what the fuss is all about, I’m working on it. I might put it on sale in the Blurb bookstore, or I might do something else. I’ll post about it when I figure things out. I think I’m to discuss this with Adrian over dinner this week. I think it will be the best steak I will ever have in my life. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">UPDATE (11/06/2012): The book is now available for purchase as a PDF, a softcover, or as a hard cover book with dust jacket (which was how the book was intended to be read). To order a copy and to support this project, please click <a href="http://www.blurb.ca/bookstore/detail/3695352" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">NEW: Preview the first 15 pages of the book below. Click the full screen button for best results.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.blurb.ca/bookstore/detail/3695352?ce=blurb_ew&utm_source=widget" style="margin: 12px 3px;" target="_blank">CREE STAR BLANKET by Hugo Wong</a> | <a href="http://www.blurb.ca/landing_pages/bookshow?ce=blurb_ew&utm_source=widget" style="margin: 12px 3px;" target="_blank">Make Your Own Book</a></div>
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Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-33139466037335246052012-06-18T00:35:00.004-07:002012-06-18T00:35:47.866-07:00The Book: Update Two<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7392449422/" title="Alison by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="Alison" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7097/7392449422_911ed9ccbc.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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This is one of a few images I took for "the book", which is what I've taken to calling, well, the book project. Creative, right? Well, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to use it for. It thought it could be for some kind of divider page.<br />
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Once again, the 60" Impact umbrella was used, with the black backing covering half the shoot-thru to limit the spill on the background, with a pale gold gel on my SB-600. I can't remember if I used TTL flash or manual flash. I had reflectors, but once again, they proved to be useless. By default, I usually put my lights to the left of my subject, but in this instance, I wanted it to look somewhat like window light, and the windows were on the right.<br />
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The end is still not in sight for the book project. It keeps me up at night, literally. I stayed up until 3 am planning for this shoot and interview (but mostly shoot). I still have a lengthy audio interview to go over and pick juicy quotes from. However, the conversation about bra stuffing will sadly have to remain on the cutting room floor.<br />
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In other news, I've updated my 500px profile for the first time in forever, so check that out if you so desire. However, I'm rather disappointed that they're reserving the Portfolio feature for Awesome members only 19 days from now, so I'll need to reprint my business cards. I don't think I'm being vindictive when I say that they left something to be desired anyway. Maybe I'll plug away at my long-abandoned Wix site again, or just bite the bullet and join SmugMug or Zenfolio or something. In the mean time...<br />
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<a href="http://500px.com/hugowongphotography">http://500px.com/hugowongphotography</a>
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<br />Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-82760273314237226702012-06-05T20:36:00.000-07:002012-06-06T00:43:38.114-07:00Cynicism<br />
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It seems like professional photographers are under attack
from all directions. Every rent-a-cop in London seems to have a problem with
anyone holding a dSLR. The TSA released a poster
with a scary looking hooded man with a telephoto lens at an airport encouraging
people to report him. Rates are plunging because people can just hire anyone with a dSLR and a flash to run and gun for free food. That guy probably buys more fancy stuff than the pros, but doesn't have the skills. Hell, their insistence on buying the
latest and greatest camera as soon as it comes out even causes discontentment
(see NPS members griping about amateurs taking all of their D4’s and D800’s because
they needed it for their shoots while the amateurs could continue to use their
suddenly useless and incapable D3s’ for their party snaps). All these
complaints are valid. However, there seems to be a pervasive cynicism among
grizzled pros who can’t seem to make ends meet because of all these external
factors.<br />
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<a href="http://nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2010/09/images/tsa_poster_object.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2010/09/images/tsa_poster_object.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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At the same time, people value the still photograph less and
less. I see it when a misguided bride wants a $500 wedding shooter on
Craigslist and complains that a photographer charges so much for a shoot (and
the entire photographic community inundates her inbox with angry comments
cutting her down to size). I see it when “Uncle Bob” (yes, there is a
derogatory term for pesky family members with cameras in the photog world)
insists that he can shoot it better because he’s got the latest gear and you
don’t. I see it when people say they don’t want their picture taken during a
party or something and fight you tooth and nail about it but then love it when
they see it on Facebook or Flickr, only to take the image as their own without a
word. <br />
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So, the profession isn’t perfect. It’s far from stable, and
it can provide months and years of misery. But think of it this way, we have it
pretty easy, too. Our cameras are more dependable than ever. They’re weatherproof,
tested to over 300 000 exposures, can shoot over 11 frames per second for well
over 100 frames non-stop, can shoot HD video, and provide redundancy through
multiple card slots. A single CF card can hold thousands, if not tens of
thousands, of grain free images that can be reproduced to billboard sizes. When
Jay Maisel was working, he had SIXTEEN Nikon F’s. Four cameras would be used
(with different film and lens combos, I guess), four would be for backup, four
would be in the repair shop, and four would either be going to or coming back
from the repair shop. That’s how unreliable that thing was. Even war
photographers, the bravest, hardest working, most tenacious shooters out there,
have it easier now. When Robert Capa landed with the US forces on D-Day armed
with nothing besides his balls and two Contax rangefinders, most of the film he
shot was ruined by a lab technician in London. Only eleven frames out of 106
survived that mistake. That would be unthinkable now. Images can be backed up
in minutes. Digital traces of images are everywhere, and with a little care, an
image can never really be “lost forever”, as Capa’s were. </div>
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Not only this, but there are tens of thousands of websites
dedicated to photography, dispensing free advice. You can ask a stranger for
camera advice and many people will step up and provide opinions (though they
should be taken with a grain of salt). Resources are everywhere, and you’d be a
fool not to take advantage of them. </div>
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The problems that come with being a shooter in the 21<sup>st</sup>
century are preventing a lot of people from getting better, complaining that
others are ruining the profession for them. It was hard in the 20<sup>th</sup>
century, too. If there’s a snot-nosed photog who’s consistently putting out bad
work and charging for it, eating your market share, fight by shooting better
pictures, not necessarily through lowering your prices. After all, the race to
the bottom means you’ll work harder for less money. The resulting bad feelings
mean you’ll shoot shittier pictures, and no one wants that. If you have to
charge nothing to shoot good pictures, then do that. That’s how Olivia Bee does
things. Her personal work drives her professional work. She’s hired because of
her personal work. Think a little more about the picture instead of the pixels.
Work on yourself before blaming others. </div>
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I’m not really sure who this is addressed to. I just
thought it needed to be said.</div>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-8114550297236129772012-05-23T00:40:00.001-07:002012-05-23T00:40:29.123-07:00The Book<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3mYO0SkjgFV6LWHGOwrtL_C7MqTsD3FOYCSu82WgbjX3NNYU2ua-rB9V-92vV6niQD5JWd7NHrwENfVd4P6ydmcbZ5OnXMXp8tt1WPqNMu9rVeA0nl32CC-g-AOpC39MzJq0pG9hyphenhyphenHt1/s1600/Wide+Chalk+Talk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3mYO0SkjgFV6LWHGOwrtL_C7MqTsD3FOYCSu82WgbjX3NNYU2ua-rB9V-92vV6niQD5JWd7NHrwENfVd4P6ydmcbZ5OnXMXp8tt1WPqNMu9rVeA0nl32CC-g-AOpC39MzJq0pG9hyphenhyphenHt1/s320/Wide+Chalk+Talk.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A screenshot of a proposed page. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In October of 2011 I was contacted by my old Social Studies teacher
to help him compile an anthology of work to send off to Joseph Boyden in
response to a project he did that related to his book, <i>Three Day Road.</i> I was too busy to give it serious thought while I
was at university, but with the summer well underway, I knew it was time to put
the hammer down. </div>
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Like most people, I had little prior experience when it came
to compiling an anthology. Not only that, I would have to learn about layouts,
fonts, publishing, and the nitty gritty parts of the printing process in a very
short period of time. I guess I’m not just a generalist in the photo area.</div>
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When I was given this task, Adobe had not announced
Lightroom 4 yet, so I had no idea that a Book Module would be included. I
thought that I would have to learn InDesign in a few weeks and do it that way.
Thankfully, I could use Lightroom now and learn InDesign later. It would be a
mostly photo-based coffee table book format anyway, which worked well within
the software’s limitations. It is very difficult to do even the simplest things, as you sometimes need to work around the tools rather than with the tools. It is the price for initial simplicity. Locking users into pre-made templates can be a pain as well. </div>
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Of course, the project is still in progress, so I can’t say
too much about it. It’s been keeping me busy for a few weeks now, and
especially over the past week. Like many of the projects that originate from
that particular teacher, it is occasionally frustrating and always time consuming.
However, I think I will learn a lot from this experience. If it’s good enough
to put an ISBN number on it, it would be an interesting addition to my resume. </div>
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Rest assured, there will be another post about it when I’m
done.</div>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-48297138562642016242012-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:002012-05-15T19:51:10.638-07:00The LAMY Logo<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7174502388/" title="LAMY Logo by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="LAMY Logo" height="334" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5464/7174502388_7058c5393f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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(Before you freak out that this isn't a photo-related post, there's a set up shot at the bottom for gearheads. I haven't forgotten about you.) <br />
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I am a bit of a pen geek. I am by no means a collector, and I don’t have the money to spend on the serious pens (i.e., anything over $30). I am a big fan of high value products, though, and LAMY is known for some very good, reasonably inexpensive writing utensils. The Safari line of pens (including the Vista and the AL-Star) is what they’re best known for, of course. My blue plastic Safari fountain pen has gotten me through an entire year of university rather splendidly, but that is a review for another day. Instead, I’d like to focus on the LAMY Logo ballpoint pen, in particular the stainless steel version. This example was a gift from Japan, and long story short, I’m quite pleased with it. <br />
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Each Lamy product is known for its workmanship, and this one is no exception. Though it is far more expensive than most student pens (at $12-$16) it is something that you will keep for a lifetime, and will bring you joy each time you use it for the price of a few coffees. The clip is not a cheap plastic bit to be snapped off at a moment’s notice, but rather a spring-loaded affair that really demonstrates the attention to detail during the design process. When the button is pressed, the click is audible, and the spring inside feels substantial. It inspires a lot of confidence. That being said, if you are a compulsive pen-clicker, those beside you will quickly tire of the sound. I suppose it is like the shutter sound of a Nikon camera — satisfying, but rather noticeable.<br />
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The attention to detail carries into the assembly. Sometimes, when spring-loaded pens are disassembled, the miniscule spring inside explodes out of the pen with such force that it is carried across the room. If this happens in a crowded lecture hall, it might never be found again, rendering the pen useless. This cannot happen with the Lamy Logo. The spring is permanently installed inside the tip of the pen, and cannot be easily removed. The pen cleanly separates into three distinct pieces, no more, no less. <br />
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The black Lamy M16 cartridge inside is smooth, but not quite as smooth as my usual ballpoint pen, the disposable Staedtler Ball 432 in blue. It is the most satisfying ballpoint pen I’ve ever used, for the exorbitant price of $0.50. Light, extremely comfortable, and smooth as can be (I have a fondness for triangularly-shaped pen barrels). The Staedtler is the second-most effortless writing tool I’ve ever used, apart from the Safari on good paper. I’m sure the gold-nibbed fountain pens would be a revelation, but alas, that level of writing satisfaction will only be experienced by me after a comfortable accumulation of wealth. <br />
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So why would I bother with a ballpoint if I enjoy fountain pens so much? I reach for it when the paper I use does not lend itself to fountain pen ink. Copy paper and the lined paper inside UVic exam booklets come to mind. I don’t exert much pressure when I write, so that could be the reason for my preference. Still, the Logo seems to me like the sort of pen that could be handed to clients to sign contracts. It is the ideal pen to accompany a suit. The silver finish is fit for any occasion and sure beats a hotel pen or some other disposable. The slim barrel doesn’t take up much room. It isn’t flashy, but it’s impressive and it makes a statement. Maybe I’ll use it as a tie clip and see if anyone notices...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7174546762/" title="Setup for LAMY Logo by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="Setup for LAMY Logo" height="334" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/7174546762_8752d0ebbb.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Click the photo for the setup info.Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-83009610238006080342012-05-13T15:14:00.001-07:002012-05-13T15:14:41.414-07:00Thanks, Ma.<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7191717138/" title="Happy Mother's Day, Mom."><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7191717138_68c20aff85.jpg" alt="Happy Mother's Day, Mom. by hwongphoto" /></a><br/><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7191717138/">Happy Mother's Day, Mom.</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/">hwongphoto</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p></p>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-69158250503339275242012-05-12T20:24:00.001-07:002012-05-12T20:24:23.185-07:00Caturday (V)<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7185807526/" title="Caturday (V)"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7185807526_8c6a02d390.jpg" alt="Caturday (V) by hwongphoto" /></a><br/><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7185807526/">Caturday (V)</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/">hwongphoto</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p>Sadly, this may be my past Caturday post for a while until I find more cats.</p>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-76234921114494531982012-05-10T21:31:00.001-07:002012-05-10T21:49:35.229-07:00What's Your Thing?<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7174666158/" title="Dr. Richard Hebda by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img alt="Dr. Richard Hebda" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7174666158_9f83a629b0.jpg" width="332" /></a><br />
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An old YTV commercial that I saw in the '90's (and still see today) asks, "What's Your Thing"? For some of those kids, it was bugs or magic. For Dr. Richard Hebda, it's ancient environments and plants. A few minutes with the man is all that's needed to figure out that he's really enthusiastic about what he does. A job as a curator suits him. Peat deposits are his thing, pictures are mine. <br />
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When I'm not taking making pictures of cats, I'm a shooter and occasional writer for my university's paper, The Martlet. On that Thursday morning, I was both. I put on a brave face before walking into the fossil collection, but I had just woken up an hour before and had to call a taxi to get there on time. I brought all the gear I needed, but overloaded myself. I forgot my written interview questions at home. The shot I thought would be the cover (and formatted as the cover) didn't end up being used. Such is the life of a photojournalist. It makes your deodorant work overtime, but it's worth it. Usually I hate flying by the seat of my pants, but when I have a camera with me, suddenly it seems OK. <br />
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The story is about the new Dinosaur exhibition that's happening at the Royal BC Museum, one that's sure to draw a crowd. It's a show from the American Museum of Natural History that uses new tools to look at old bones. University students and preschoolers should take note. The older students will appreciate the biomechanics, the younger students will like the huge skeletons they've got. I'm going to the press preview of the exhibit tomorrow, and I can't wait. A dinosaur skeleton hasn't been in the RBCM for a few years now, and it'll be interesting to see what's different between Dragon Bones and this exhibit. That was one of the questions I asked him...<br />
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That reminds me - I ended up remembering the questions I wrote down, but he went well beyond them, which made him the perfect interview subject. Nothing's worse than asking questions and getting terse yes/no replies. I guess I treat interviews like I treat PJ work. It gets better when it doesn't go according to plan.<br />
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Read the original article here: <a href="http://martlet.ca/martlet/article/dinosaurs-warning/">http://martlet.ca/martlet/article/dinosaurs-warning/</a><br />
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<a href="http://martlet.ca/martlet/article/dinosaurs-warning/"></a><br />
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<br />Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-83525017325248173302012-05-05T16:27:00.001-07:002012-05-05T16:27:39.721-07:00Caturday (IV)<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7146514413/" title="Caturday (IV)"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/7146514413_21c67f4669.jpg" alt="Caturday (IV) by hwongphoto" /></a><br/><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7146514413/">Caturday (IV)</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/">hwongphoto</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p>I can't believe I forgot last week. Well, I remembered on Tuesday, but CaTuesday really doesn't sound as good.</p>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-55031157727046767592012-05-03T22:41:00.000-07:002012-05-04T09:52:24.151-07:00The Ethics of Street PhotographyOver the past few weeks, I’ve been struggling with the idea of shooting on the street from an ethical standpoint. Let me backtrack. A few weeks ago, I watched a video on Kelby Training called “A Day with Jay Maisel”, where the master color photographer took Scott around New York on a photo walk, dispensing tips and life advice that could only come from years of field and life experience. Jay has built much of his career shooting on the street, and by that I mean candid photographs of strangers in public places. He has a way with people, and it is obvious that he is curious and genuinely interested in the people around him. His style is not too invasive (in comparison with some very aggressive shooters), and he often asks for permission before shooting, even though his gruff exterior and New York roots would suggest that he do otherwise. Sometimes this could be as much as a friendly wave or nod. Other times it is a real conversation. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7141053665/" title="HOW_4346 by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/7141053665_3d0023f109.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="HOW_4346"></a><br />
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I decided to “walk like Jay” and carry a single camera with a telephoto lens to a tourist haunt in my home town for an hour or two of people watching. I encountered no resistance, and ended up with a few decent pictures. I noticed quite a few were of young people, either enjoying themselves or deep in thought. There were a few shots of old people as well, relaxing with a bag of Cheezies. Over the years, I’ve become reasonably talented at going unnoticed with a camera, even a large one with a motor drive and a long lens. However, as I picked and flagged inside Lightroom, I started to have doubts about what I did.<br />
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There is no denying that being a photographer involves an invasion of space, an intrusion into the life of someone else. It is sort of like observing absolute zero in that the mere act of observation changes the situation enough to render it different than it would have been had the observer not been there. When the subject does not have a reasonable expectation to be photographed, it matters even more. No celebrity expects privacy at a red carpet event where they are meant to be paraded to the adoring masses. However, a street photographer is often invisible, and the reasonable expectation of privacy that you expect in public (yes, even in the era of social media) is being violated in the name of artistic expression. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/6994962444/" title="HOW_4341 by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7134/6994962444_1319e0a396.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="HOW_4341"></a><br />
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Of all street photographs, it is those of children that inspire the most emotionally-charged debates around privacy. In fact, a photo of a child that I took stoked my discomfort and inspired this post. “Peeping Toms” and pedophiles are loathed for good reasons, and while a parent might not jump to conclusions so quickly, my presence (if noticed) would certainly arouse suspicion. It is unfortunate as children often make the most interesting subjects. They are not tempered by social conventions and their actions and expressions are genuine in every way, making them ideal subjects. They are also vulnerable, and the horror stories of exploited children and perverted adults are not easily forgotten in this day and age. Many of us have been trained to be distrustful of others, and to assume that they have ulterior motives as a means of protection. I know I have.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/6994961750/" title="HOW_4292 by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7136/6994961750_dd856d4e44.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="HOW_4292"></a><br />
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I understand how unsettling it can be when someone like me, a private citizen, finds a picture of myself online shot by a stranger. Imagine seeing a photo of your child online while she was at play. Some parents would be interested or amused. Many others, in this paranoid child-proof world, would be upset. Some years ago, I was asked by a woman if I would pose for her after playing a concert. The adults responsible for me at the time found it creepy, as did I. I immediately thought that she had an ulterior motive of some kind. The mere thought that a potential subject might think that I meant harm as a photographer is extremely frightening to me. <br />
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One thing I have not addressed is consent. If I asked the parent of child I thought was visually arresting if I had their permission to document her and post the results for the world to see, I would have no qualms doing so. If it was good, I’d hype it and post a link as soon as possible. However, this is often not possible, as awareness can alter a scene irreversibly. In addition, I find myself uncomfortable and unable to approach those I do not know. It simply is not in my nature to do so. Whatever my private discomforts are about taking a stranger’s photo, it would beat the public embarrassment of potentially being thought of as a creep. The lady at the concert asked for permission, didn’t get it, and will be forever remembered by me as kind of creepy. I don’t know if I could handle that. I feel guilty thinking of her this way, but I can’t help it. Maybe it was the tone of her voice, or some sort of preconceived notion (for I know nothing about her) that aroused my suspicions. I guess I’ll never know if the concern was warranted. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/6994962860/" title="HOW_4363 by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7123/6994962860_55f0bd734b.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="HOW_4363"></a><br />
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I’ve often skirted around this issue by shooting people’s backs while “on the street”. Somehow, a shot of the back of someone’s head doesn’t invade their privacy so much, while a likeness does. The subject could be anyone, and the added anonymity gives me comfort. However, this tactic can’t be used all the time. Besides, “the eyes are the window to the soul”, and it is no surprise that the greatest portraits of people usually show their faces. That insight into the emotions of the subject, the act of exposing one’s self for the world to see, provides endless fascination for me and for anyone who appreciates a candid photograph of any sort.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/6994961442/" title="Giving Darth Fiddler His Dues by hwongphoto, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/6994961442_ef15bf3139.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="Giving Darth Fiddler His Dues"></a><br />
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Perhaps I feel discomfort because I know I have not given anything back to my anonymous subjects. I feel selfish not telling them and not sharing a positive experience that hinges on their actions. Sometimes having your photo taken by a stranger could be the highlight of their day. Jay’s subjects seem to feel that way. Would sharing the joy that I feel with those I photograph rid me of this discomfort? Is ridding myself of this discomfort worth risking rejection and potential anger, however misplaced? I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try. If I want to progress as a shooter, I’ll definitely have to get over those fears. If I can do that by the end of the summer and nothing else, I will have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. I welcome any comments and thoughts on this. I think it is a discussion worth having.Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-50118106679262738262012-04-28T00:01:00.001-07:002012-04-28T00:01:07.194-07:00Band Practice<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/6974509074/" title="Band Practice"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8020/6974509074_8c31be6f98.jpg" alt="Band Practice by hwongphoto" /></a><br/><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/6974509074/">Band Practice</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/">hwongphoto</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p>Over the last few months, I've been mucking about as part of The Ink Pneumites, a trip-hop/funk band based in my friend Todd Schmid's basement. Having stepped away from a different genre of music for the time being, it's interesting to be a part of something radically different from what I'm used to. There are some vestiges of classical me. I prefer reading music over memorizing it in order to have something to fall back on. I'm more of an interpreter than a creator, though I hope that will change over time. I count in like a conductor rather than a band member. The music is rhythmically challenging, with odd time signatures and polyrhythms abound. Still, it is very innovative. Brian Thornley and Todd, along with the other band members (which are still in flux) jam occasionally but often just figure out how to interpret music written for a machine and adapt it to the imperfections and charms of human performance. <br /><br />I end up shooting a lot of the band's practices, because it is often a wealth of inspiration. Moving targets in a dark basement make for challenging lighting conditions, and no one lens seems to do it all, though my limited arsenal doesn't help me here. I've shot the inside with a D200 at ISO 1600 and 3200 (horrendous), a D90 at the same settings (more than acceptable) and various lenses (including my beloved manual 70-210 f/4 lens (not such a good idea). The small fast primes seem to be working well, though only sporadically. Light comes from a single overhead fixture (horribly orange) or the daylight from beyond the window (fantastic when available). I've mixed bounce flash in before, and it has led to some very usable, if flat results. Great for run and gun and capturing moments, but it is distracting and rather dull. Too many strobes going off in a short period of time often blind people, and the last thing I want to be is a distraction. That's not what being a fly on the wall means. The band had me mixing strobe with daylight in light mods (really stressing a single SB-600 in an umbrella sized for 2 SB-910's with power packs or big flash) for promo pics too, so it's really run the gamut. It's good shooting practice, too, though the subject matter is the same. Changing looks in a confined space is tough. I guess it's just a great catalyst for my creativity, musically and photographically. <br /><br />Have a listen to our work at:<br /><br />http://www.theinkpneumites.com/index.php</p>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-8471904943926409242012-04-24T18:51:00.000-07:002012-04-24T18:52:49.291-07:00Free StuffI found these in a paper bag on a "free stuff table" and I took them. I'm not sure why. I think I wanted to drink out of them at first, but then I realized that I don't really know where they've been. They do look clean, though. Decisions, decisions...
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEkVoassKpoTcMHOHB9FLSTl9EJkjelI4CtlNo5Jb0wl4sMYH3l2kJ5A_VwSWdwUaTUoiMiuTzBbYeQmWh0q9KfBN8q_tFpldDqy1oJtZtG3mKtt-aeAzqPPR4bB2_2JPX6-zWP1vjqJF/s1600/DSC_1582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="400" width="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEkVoassKpoTcMHOHB9FLSTl9EJkjelI4CtlNo5Jb0wl4sMYH3l2kJ5A_VwSWdwUaTUoiMiuTzBbYeQmWh0q9KfBN8q_tFpldDqy1oJtZtG3mKtt-aeAzqPPR4bB2_2JPX6-zWP1vjqJF/s400/DSC_1582.jpg" /></a></div>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-63782416294594660682012-04-21T12:27:00.001-07:002012-04-21T12:27:28.496-07:00Caturday (III)<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7099711655/" title="Caturday (III)"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5238/7099711655_0e830c7714.jpg" alt="Caturday (III) by hwongphoto" /></a><br/><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/7099711655/">Caturday (III)</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63334684@N05/">hwongphoto</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p>I'm trying to upload a picture of a cute cat every Saturday until I'm out of pictures. Maybe it's a poor excuse to get attention, or that I want to spread joy around the world. You decide.</p>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-72351913262429210262012-04-20T23:38:00.000-07:002012-04-20T23:38:26.641-07:00Beginning AgainMy first year of university is complete, and now is the time to take up many personal projects, including the resuscitation of this blog. I haven't stopped making pictures, of course. I think I've gotten better the past year as I've been shooting different stuff. I've dabbled in fashion, photojournalism, weddings, and food. I don't know if I want to be a generalist, but the diversity doesn't hurt, I guess.
Where to begin? I guess I'll begin simply with the last good picture I took. This is a good friend Michael on one of his last days in his dorm before dismantling it and going back home. I thought it would be nice to have him in his natural environment, and perhaps be the inaugural photo in a personal project involving people's rooms.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjON5FnrJ3sD9wqaVux-f4NTKznwKzUsS0MaXK50azqLWWn2pMZ3oD7Z9rFZZeb0VD-hYLpzdON7zT3kJADL1zh8D3JQZOj5-sZcqzUGnreK7okv4-OruzuKg406eiQspHm3rXPN7vQnCfo/s1600/DSC_1481-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="266" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjON5FnrJ3sD9wqaVux-f4NTKznwKzUsS0MaXK50azqLWWn2pMZ3oD7Z9rFZZeb0VD-hYLpzdON7zT3kJADL1zh8D3JQZOj5-sZcqzUGnreK7okv4-OruzuKg406eiQspHm3rXPN7vQnCfo/s400/DSC_1481-Edit.jpg" /></a></div>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-24611322262533213362011-11-06T19:20:00.000-08:002011-11-06T19:46:51.267-08:00The first of many B&H shipmentsThe first time I walked into the B&H Superstore in NYC, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of inventory they had. Literally everything (except for Think Tank products...) are available there. Fast forward to mid-October, and I was gear shopping for an upcoming shoot. Naturally, I turned to the folks in Hell's Kitchen. <br /><br />Considering my extremely low budget, I went with versatile products that didn't break the bank. Hence, Impact. I got an 8 foot air-cushioned Impact light stand and a 60" convertible umbrella (which Zack Arias, an advocate of working on the cheap, adores). A Photek umbrella adaptor (the Manfrotto one got nixed thanks to a top-rated customer review and the $10 premium), a Lumiquest SB-III, 4 Eneloops and charger, and a used Tiffin 62mm UV filter for my ancient Nikon 70-210 f/4 Series E lens rounded out the order. Besides the SB-III, which I thought was a bit overpriced for something essentially made of the stuff that covers binders, everything was an excellent value, and everything was at about 50% the Victoria price. <br /><br />A quick rundown:<br /><br />Impact stand: Fantastic. <br /><br />Photek umbrella adaptor: Mixed feelings. I dislike the fact that it doesn't have a hole for the Nikon locking pin. The knob that tightens it loosens far too quickly. I had my SB-600 drop out of it. Luckily, it was only about 2 feet off the ground at the time, and it fell onto carpet. It wouldn't have taken much more than that. It's also metal, which needs to be covered in gaff tape. Excellent construction, and the tilt mechanism's great, but it ain't perfect.<br /><br />Lumiquest SB-III: tried making my own out of Coroplast and failed miserably. Got the real thing, and it works way better. Still overpriced, but it can be so damn useful for field work. It fits perfectly in the pocket of a Domke F-3x, as though it was designed just for it. <br /><br />Impact umbrella: versatile and cheap. A little big for 8 foot ceilings, but if you partially collapse it and it becomes much more manageable. I could definitely see a multi-flash bracket coming in handy, as one speedlight doesn't really do a 60" umbrella justice, though it certainly works. I opted for this over the 43" Westcott double fold as it was sturdier, bigger, and the same price. I didn't really need the portability. The solid shaft (instead of the hollow one in the Westcott) will contribute to its life expectancy. Probably better for full length portraits, multi-person portraits. I might get a 43" soft silver one, and a 30" convertible Impact one in the future. They're so dang cheap! I want them all!<br /><br />Eneloops: haven't actually used them yet. The charger, however, has breathed new life into what I thought were dead Ni-MH batteries. Well worth it just for that. I'm sure the Eneloops are all they're cracked up to be, given the fact that they're the number one recommended Ni-MH battery brand out there.<br /><br />UV filter: I was about to buy it new, but B&H automatically showed me a used copy. I paid half the cost of new, and it does its simple job as it should. It's very thick though, so I wouldn't recommend it for use with wideangle lenses. For $7, it can't be beat. Though used, it also arrived completely free of fingerprints and dust in its Ziploc bag. Very impressive.<br /><br />Shipping was fast and cheap since they recently introduced the Purolator option for Canadian shoppers. It's cheaper than any Canadian retailer, and arrived in a week. You'll be happy you ordered there.Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-24687140116629276222011-10-11T00:01:00.000-07:002011-10-11T00:01:46.464-07:00Domke F-3x - 5 months onIt's hard to imagine that I once just carried one body, and one kit lens, and that was it. Incredible. One year later, it's one gripped body, 2-3 lenses, 2 small light mods, a flash, notebook/pen, plastic rain cover, cleaning stuff, and various other bric-a-brac. And I'm still travelling lightly! Obviously, the original nylon Nikon-branded shoulder bag which could hold one consumer body sans grip and one lens (and maybe a small prime in a pinch) would not do. A well-timed trip to New York brought me to photography mecca, B and H (an ampersand is official, but for some reason Blogger refuses to let me use it). Steps away from my hotel, I would wander around, listening to the conveyor belt, the stereotypical New York accents, and the mind-boggling selection of gear. I could spend several months inside perusing the shelves. Maybe I'm just weird like that.<br />
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I was hunting for a bag that was low-profile-ish and large enough to grow into. I also wanted to spend less than $70. That is tough criterion, especially when a nice Think Tank bag can run upwards of $170. I was looking at various Tamrac, Lowepro, Tenba, and other offerings. I was enamored with none of them, and all gave off the "high-tech" smell. By chance, I was wandering around the used section of B and H when I found it: a lightly used Domke F-3x with a divider missing for $69.99. Coming from the world of padded, waterproof, high-tech bags to an unpadded canvas satchel was difficult, so I asked for some advice from an employee. My answer was swift, direct and typically New York: "Get the Domke, that other bag is shit." Point well taken.<br />
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I've now used this bag for 5 months. At the time, I thought it was ridiculously large. I mean, it is billed as a "Super Compact" bag, after all. This was not idea of super compact. I had only one body, one zoom and one prime. I was starting to think I made a mistake. Over time, however, I was slowly converted to the cult of Domke.<br />
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It collapses to a small size when it's not stuffed, and magically enlarges when you do need to stuff it to the gills. Now, when stuffed to the gills, I have a D90 with grip, 18-105 lens attached, 50mm f/1.8 AF-D, 70-210 Series E f/4 telephoto (manual focus, baby!), SB-600 in its case, homemade flash softbox and various other small objects. And the guy at B and H pointed out that I could get a seamstress to modify it as my needs changed. Good point. I like hax as much as the next nerd.<br />
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It hugs my body (well, my ass) when it's on my shoulder, and while it isn't totally low-profile, it doesn't automatically tag you as the guy with the camera. I could have my camera in a lunch box, but I think a line needs to be drawn between low-profile and functionality. At least it's not a Billingham.<br />
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The lack of padding isn't really that big of a deal. I mean, I used to baby my stuff but now I throw it around like a real pro. 30,000 actuations does that to a person. The gear has not been damage for lack of padding. I naturally end up a bit more careful when you're aware of the vulnerability of the gear. I find myself putting a hand around the bag to cradle it from harm, and I find the motion quite natural. More room for stuff and lighter bag. I can deal with that.<br />
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The single clip used to hold the flap down takes some getting used to, and some breaking in the soften. Wrap the ring the clip attaches to with gaff tape. It really helps to protect the metal and also to minimize noise from the metal parts jangling while running.<br />
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The shoulder strap is wide and imbued with rubber thread to keep it from slipping, which is a godsend. I bought the optional Postal Pad with it as well as an insurance policy if the lack-of-padded-strap was a dealbreaker. I leave the pad at home now. It just ruins the streamlined feel of the plain bag. I find it also doesn't add much to the comfort side. Mind you, my bag is still comparatively light. Those will FF bodies and f/2.8 zooms might disagree with me. It's only $13, and you can always sell it for food if you don't need it.<br />
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A new Domke F-3x in Canada would cost $190. I would have put the missing divider aside anyway. I think I got a pretty good deal.<br />
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PROS:<br />
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Light, low profile, retro, "expandable", comfortable, machine washable.<br />
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CONS:<br />
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Needs swivels on the shoulder strap, needs better handle (it's a skinny bit of cotton strap that's flat and unsuited for carrying with one hand. As a short shoulder strap, it sort of works.).<br />
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CONCLUSION: 4.5/5Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-87488975525312680842011-08-28T12:41:00.000-07:002011-08-28T13:15:25.084-07:00GAS and Homemade EquipmentZack Arias often mentions something called "GAS", or Gear Acquisition Syndrome. I had that. I think everyone does at some point in their lives. I was convinced I needed a handheld softbox for my flash instead of using it bare bulb. McNally's got a few, Hobby's got a few, why not me? <div>
<br /></div><div>I was lent a Lumiquest Softbox-III for my own graduation, which I found to be an unwieldy, socially-awkward thing. I used it at every opportunity, blind to the fact that it was not appropriate for every situation. The fact that I had it meant that I would use it non-stop. It lead to some good pictures, to be sure, but many more that could have been improved if I had just used less equipment. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>I didn't realize this at the time, so when I was bored this summer I decided to construct my own using Coroplast, gaff tape, Velcro, and a clear plastic sheet cut from an envelope. A few days later, it was complete, but it didn't give me the results I wanted it to. I further modified it, and it still didn't. Twenty dollars in materials taught me that spending more money sometimes is just better than DIY shit. I paid the noob tax, if you will. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>I learned something extremely valuable from Neil van Neikerk, which was how to use the environment around me, rather than to make the environment my bitch with f/stops, flash, and softboxes. Bouncing flash off side walls was a revolution to me, as I had only known ceiling bounce, and had considered it to be inferior to taking the flash off-camera, which turned out to not be entirely true, at least when shooting events. Now, I think my mind's cleared a bit from that "more is better" stuff. Sure, in many cases, an umbrella on a stick would be awesome, but I don't need it, at least, not yet. Better to worry about how my subject looks rather than how she's lit. </div>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-62021377784000382332011-07-20T15:49:00.000-07:002011-07-20T16:09:14.736-07:00Missed PicturesA few days ago, I took a long-ish walk to the library, and decided to bring my old Nikkormat with me. I shoot film very slowly, as I'm getting used to it, and I want every picture on the roll to be as good as it can be. Wishful thinking, I know. I was walking down a rocky trail of sorts when I came upon the cutest puppy I've seen in a while. I'm no dog expert, but I'm sure there was some German Shepherd in it, and a very bushy tail. It trotted slowly, was very curious, and seemed to meander a bit, as though it was taking in the world around, paying little attention to the two women accompanying it. I didn't want to seem too conspicuous around the owners, and didn't want to be put in an awkward position of "Hey, why are you photographing my dog?" (a question that would have never bothered that guy who doesn't give a crap and shoots street photos with flash and stays in the same small town and documents it to death whose name escapes me). I got one snap off and should have gotten another, better composed one. I waited, I doubted, I let my inhibitions get in the way. Gosh that dog was cute. Next time, next time.Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-2772077289126461892011-07-08T15:46:00.000-07:002011-07-13T11:19:53.827-07:00US vs. Them (i.e., us, wait, this is way too confusing)I dropped into one of the camera stores I frequent on my way to the craft store that I frequent to do something I do frequently: window shop. I can't help it; it's fun. Sometimes I feel sort of awkward when items that I want to look at are behind the counter, and you ask about them, and you are totally unprepared to buy them, but you want to get your grubby little hands on whatever it is you can't just look at. This was the case with the Westcott Apollo Micro. I saw one at B&H in New York for $30. I thought about buying it then, but with my raft of other purchases (and the lack of a flash at the time), I thought better of myself. It looked interesting, with its metal frame. It seemed too good to be true at $30. <div><br /></div><div>I saw the same small softbox behind the counter in my hometown, and so I asked him if it was like, $50 or something (given the fact that everything in Canada is more expensive for some reason). He laughed a little and said $90. I was sort of shocked. Since when did the Canuck markup equal 200%? I told him the cost at B&H and he looked much as I did a few moments earlier. All this after another mini softbox (the Aurora Minimax) cost only a few dollars more in Canada than it did at B&H ($40 here). </div><div><br /></div><div>As Seinfeld might say: What's the deal?</div>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-62899572345354876622011-07-07T17:03:00.000-07:002011-07-07T20:25:02.660-07:00Celluloid Adventures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOV6ZbpBQ-trjM5JuS79cl5i9d4R3dlkkJLUQccUAS3N93_sE0wziaUSPgOL9I4cMBIAewSqeDoGKVRx3qMfZUDSpBoGa4EDtvdRtnZUK-332UGZE866BWFo6Ci-cKe5nZ4RCyYTazC4jY/s1600/ektar+100+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOV6ZbpBQ-trjM5JuS79cl5i9d4R3dlkkJLUQccUAS3N93_sE0wziaUSPgOL9I4cMBIAewSqeDoGKVRx3qMfZUDSpBoGa4EDtvdRtnZUK-332UGZE866BWFo6Ci-cKe5nZ4RCyYTazC4jY/s320/ektar+100+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626815637780040226" /></a><br />High school photography class led me to purchase a 1978 Nikon Nikkormat FT2 for $40. High school friendships led me to receive an old pre-AI 50mm f/2 lens. This was the beginning of my film adventure. <div><br /></div><div>A single roll of black and white Ilford did not convert me to film, but it piqued a curiosity. Slow pictures were a foreign thing to me, and to an extent, still are. Curiosity led me to shoot my own last day of school with an expired roll of Konica VX 200, a decision that, in hindsight, was a mistake. My inexperience with film allowed me to improperly insert the film leader into the slot in the take-up spool, meaning I wasn't advancing the film, meaning that I did not shoot on celluloid, but on the film pressure plate. My roll came out blank. I had looked forward to many shots of happy students on their last day of high school with faded colors and such, but that was not to be. </div><div><br /></div><div>While at B&H Photo in New York, I picked up a roll of Kodak Ektar 100, the finest color negative film produced today, for a few bucks (which is, consequently, a few bucks cheaper north of the 49th). I didn't want to buy too much because of X-ray concerns at the airport. I have inserted it properly, I think, into my Nikkormat FT2 after a lengthy consultation with the manual and much trial and error. I look forward to some very high quality prints in 36 exposure's time. Here's hopin'. </div>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223035964502772689.post-59446075547741260182011-07-07T10:12:00.000-07:002011-07-07T10:13:12.965-07:00Posing<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">I will readily admit that posing people is not something I'm used to doing. Sports shooters have it easy in this regard. It's just a Nikon D3s on each shoulder on a harness thing, 300mm on one, 70-200mm on the other, maybe a third body around the neck with a 24-70mm. Easy (sports shooters will kill me for this). People skills aren't really necessary. For portraits, however, you have to verbalize and build rapport with models. That is something I have some improvement to do.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Neil van Neikerk and Joe McNally seem to have a very easy attitude with their models. Their experience in wedding and general portraiture, respectively, allows them to know what they want quickly, and the ability to verbalize (or in Neil's case, act out) the pose. I think I need some inspiration. Neil suggested clothing catalogues and practicing the poses yourself in a mirror. I just might do that.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">I've seen videos of Annie Leibovitz posing people, and she does not look as comfortable. It's strange, considering her end result. Perhaps it is because of her reputation that she does not need to relax her subject; they are already relaxed. I remember her saying that she still does not feel particularly comfortable building a rapport with her subject. It doesn't show in the pictures. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">I guess I have more work to do. Hopefully you won't find me striking poses anytime soon. I can guarantee it won't be pretty.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm"><br /></p>Hugohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15476825194431906068noreply@blogger.com1