Flood Exhibit: A Shoot for Salazar

Last night I was back shooting at Medalta Potteries. Unlike my past work however, I was actually doing a follow up shoot for a project by Salazar Films out of Vancouver, British Columbia. Aaron Nelson, the Artistic Director at Medalta, was responsible for putting me in touch with Salazar when they were looking for a local filmmaker to assist in their project after they'd finished their primary shoot in Medicine Hat. Anyway, long story short, it turned out to be a good connection.

The exhibit, Flood by the students of Elm Street School, opened last night and was a showcase of artwork on clay tiles depicting student's memories surrounding the devastating flood that hit Medicine Hat last year. It was cool to interview a few of the kids and see them get excited about their work on display. I also put my big HDV Sony away, and took the opportunity to shoot with one of my DSLR's for a change - this is something that I'll probably be doing a lot more of moving forward. 

Stay tuned and I'll be sure to follow up when Salazar releases their finished film. In the meantime, here are a few of the snapshots I took between setups.

Upgrades for a New Year of Production

Last week I delivered my final contract edit for 2013, which essentially marked 4 straight months of contract projects on top of a full-time photography/editing job. I have never been more consistently busy in my professional life than I was during this time. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to choose some really cool projects to take on, and at the same time I think I was walking a pretty fine line. 

Now that the chaos is finally dying down, it's amazing to look back at how much I've done since mid-August. Without much free time to spend the contract money that I'd been making, these last few weeks I've been celebrating an early Christmas by upgrading my arsenal of production equipment. From a new professional video tripod to a new shotgun mic and sound accessory kit, I've spent a lot of time online doing some guilt-free spending. I've also upgraded all of my video and photography editing software, and added a few new external hard drives for cataloging all of my backups. 

It's not even that any of my equipment is in that rough of shape, but with every completed project I feel the urge to make an improvement or add a new option. It's a pragmatic way of keeping my equipment up to date.

The upgrades are also just an excuse to play around and get excited about taking on new projects in 2014. I bought myself a new DSLR this fall for that very reason, and it worked at getting me excited to experiment again. I can't wait to see what the new year holds, and in the meantime I'm having a blast playing with my toys. All those extra hours do come with perks! Thankfully, I finally have a bit of downtime to get myself organized and enjoy them. 

How Important Is Camera Equipment?

I tend to receive a lot of random messages about my images, the style I shoot, and various other production and editing quirks - more of my lesson posts can be found here. After another such email about photography, I decided it was time to summarize a few of my thoughts on the importance of the camera equipment you use. Recently I received this message:

Hi Luke! 

First off, I just came across your blog for the first time today and it has been really helpful so far so thank you! Secondly, I was wondering if there is a camera that you use most often when shooting stills? 

I graduated from the film program at Cal State - Northridge last May and since then I have just been pretty lost as to what I want to do career wise. I'm just really overwhelmed with all the routes I could take, and I just don't know what to invest my time in. I've always loved photography and shoot a lot in my free time but all I own is a canon 60d and only have one lens at the moment (50mm, 1.8). 

Anyway, I was wondering if you had any suggestions as to how I could get my hands on more equipment in the cheapest way possible as I am currently unemployed. Also, how crucial is it to own a bunch of equipment (lights, lenses, camera bodies etc) if I decide to become a professional photographer? 

Thanks again! 
Emanja

I appreciate the message, Emanja. I wanted to respond to you in a blog post seeing as a lot of people can probably relate. I know I've had a lot of the same concerns in carving out my own path. 

There are many who swear by their high-end cameras, fancy software, and arsenal of extras, but at the forefront, it's what you photograph that really matters. In the simplest terms, that's what you should be most concerned about. A keen eye, interesting subjects, a method for sharing your work, the right connections, etc. - these things matter more than whether you're using a $200 point and shoot or a $5000 SLR. Any camera that can shoot a picture in focus is overflowing with potential.  

Don't get me wrong, having nice equipment to work with is a plus, but don't let that be your road block in getting started - people who think expensive equipment will make up for a lack of creativity are fooling themselves. 

To answer your question, I have a range of cameras that I use on a regular basis - the most frequent of which are a Sony point and shoot, a Rebel series Canon, and a 5D Mark II. And before you go thinking that I threw the Sony in to be humble, I really do believe that a decent point and shoot is a must, and I've actually sold a number of images and prints using that little camera.

There are different requirements whether you're doing weddings, or portraits, etc. However, speaking as a corporate photographer I have a basic 3 light set up, a few soft boxes, reflectors, and a light tent that I use in the studio. Outdoors I keep it especially simple, and try to plan shoots for when I know the light will be best. My personal shooting motto is keep it simple and capture a lot. In total though, for the variety of work I've done, my equipment isn't nearly as fancy or elaborate as it probably could be.

In my experience, it's been my editing that's really helped my images stand out. Using just a small collection of programs, none more than photoshop, I've taught myself to build custom filters, play a lot with tinting, and develop a style for my work. Many photographers like to build their shots in camera (which is absolutely fine) but for me I really build my shots in the processing. In my opinion, it's a very easy way of putting a stamp on the work you do - not to mention, if you're photographing familiar things, the editing is like an exclamation mark for the subject matter. 

So here's my advice, if you want to be a professional photographer then simply start working towards that goal. Play with images and take lots of them. Take your 60D and continue to build a portfolio, get your friends to help you with shoots, share your work online, and determine the kind of photographer you want to be. Check out thrift shops, eBay, or even garage sales for props or used equipment on the cheap. Submit your work around, build a simple website to attract attention, and consider applying to places that require photographers - newspapers, magazines, websites, tourism, etc. for added experience - even if you're working contract these are great places to pursue. A few solid shots online with your contact info attached, and the doors will start to open rapidly. Media is always in demand, but to start you have to chase the work to make it pay.

At the end of the day it's your images that speak, and developing a body of work is paramount. The regular messages I receive are often about specific shots and how I achieved a certain look. The cool thing about that is that it's the picture that draws the attention, and people can't tell how much (or how little) money my equipment cost. You can do amazing things just with the basics, and regardless of the type of photographer you want to be, a distinct style and professional aesthetic will come with practice. You already have a camera, so prove what you can do with it.

Focus on creating captivating and unique images first and foremost and the work follows. Talented artists are seldom born because they had the best of the best from the start. Good luck, and happy shooting!

Archiving Home Videos

Over the last few weeks I've been capturing a tape at a time of my uncle's old home videos on VHS. They span from 1989 to the mid 1990s, with a couple of tapes from a New York trip in 2001. In all there's been over 30 hours of material, and the goal has been to archive the footage on mini-DV tapes and an external hard drive to then burn DVD copies. It's a slow process, but I'm happy to preserve the few moments of my childhood that were caught on tape too.

What has struck me most in doing this is not just the obvious of how much time has passed and how people have changed, but it's how the tapes themselves have degraded over two decades. Some of the footage is particularly grainy and there are lots of audio dropouts on some of the tapes. The reality is that stuff like this can be easily lost if it's not backed up and archived over the years. I've even found this to be true of pictures backed up on CDs just a decade ago - some of them don't hold up at all.

In some ways this project was motivated by the loss of my aunt, because it emphasized just how valuable these memories were. In general, I think it's been a reminder of how important our photographs and videos really become as time passes. Sometimes they're invaluable in triggering specific memories. 

In any case, I'll be sure to share any of the gems from my childhood that I come across as the archiving continues. In the meantime, you might want to get busy backing up your own memories tucked away on VHS before it's too late.

My sister picking her nose on camera, haha.

Novelty Camera Case for iPhone

I came upon this rather haphazardly while browsing on eBay, but it got my attention right away.  This novelty iPhone case made by Gizmon is a pretty clever vintage camera lookalike.  You may be thinking that you've seen this before, but it's not simply a picture printed on a standard case.  It's actually an accessory with details and depth.

For starters, the design is really attractive.  The two metal knobs at the top can be taken off and allow you to attach a strap so you can wear it around your neck like a traditional camera.  The buttons on the case still allow you to work the buttons on the side of the iPhone, which is particularly cool when you're taking pictures and can use the trigger button on the case to snap them.  

The product also comes with a small tripod mount that snaps onto the bottom if you're looking to get really serious with you iPhone photography.  Perhaps best of all though, the style doesn't get in the way of practicality or function.  

The case comes with two mock lenses.  A larger novelty one that makes the camera look more mechanical, and a practical flat one.  With the smaller flat lens on, my iPhone still fits comfortably in my pocket (which was my only real concern when I saw this).  The design and build of the case is also pretty solid, so it offers as much protection as any of the other standard ones.  All things considered, I can't think of a case that's more appropriate to my profession or better compliments my love for old cameras. 

GAF 880 Camera

This sleek little camera was another that used to belong to my Grandma.  It's a GAF 880, which was manufactured in the 1970s.  GAF stands for General Aniline & Film, and my understanding is that it was a brand given to cameras sold in the western market that were produced by other companies.  For instance, this model of camera is identical to the Chinon 66 from Japan (where the 880 is also from).  This 880 doesn't work anymore unfortunately, but it's still a cool and unique looking pocket camera.    

AGC Pronto Folding Camera

In addition to the records that I was all too happy to have, one of the treasures that I was fortunate to inherit from my Grandma was this vintage folding camera with an AGC Pronto shutter.  One of the interesting things that I learnt about many of these vintage folding cameras was that the body itself often wasn't branded.  They were promoted by the retailers who sold them, so it could have been a Sears folding camera or something along those lines.

This camera has no markings or details other than the Pronto shutter, which was manufactured by AGC (Alfred Gauthier Calmbach) in Germany.  Going purely by visual details it seems that the shutter was made sometime after 1948, and the family photographs from the mid to late 1950s seem to appropriately date the camera.

Not surprisingly, my Grandma shot pictures of her kids using this folding camera.  Just holding it makes the memories seem tangible and close.  It's really what I love about old cameras in general, you feel a connection to all of the things it must have seen, the places it was taken, and the people who used it.  My dad was her youngest child and is the guy on the right in the image above from 1959. 

The lens and shutter are in particularly nice shape, given that they were kept inside the folding case for decades.  However, the body is noticeably well worn.  This folding camera was never particularly valuable, it's just been made more interesting by time. The mechanical nature of it all, the hinges, the simple springs, etc. are all very cool to see up close.  It's a beautiful piece of memorabilia, and obviously for me, it's meaningful because of the family connection and the pictures that were taken with it.  I'm very happy to have this memento from my Grandma's life.