First Challenge of Summer!

In two days I'll be taking some much needed R&R out in my favorite place, Western South Dakota.  The challenge is simple, yet challenging:  Shoot 50 great shots of the Badlands in 5 Days!  Additionally I hope to have a few good shots of the Black Hills.

For now though, here is the best I've been able to salvage from my previous camera:

Marion's Senior Portraits

More Montana Landscapes

Montana is such a fascinating place!

A new direction

While photography is still a VERY big part of owning a DSLR camera, video capabilities and film making seem to be a new and diverse topic that photographers can explore.  Here is the first of hopefully many videos to come to complement my photo collection (and more photos will come soon, but we're in the "mud season" so my favorite subjects are less than beautiful currently):

5 Realizations of an Amateur on what makes a good photograph

As I progress on my journey to become a better photographer, I've picked up on a few realizations that I was not aware of prior to purchasing my first DSLR.  So hopefully these 5 points will clear up some myths surrounding DSLR cameras for those who still use point and shoot or cameras on smartphones.

1. Limited optical quality does not mean bad pictures.  Some professionals have written articles, made videos, and even done presentations on what they consider to be the only way to get a photograph, gear.  Some even go as far as to say that a camera needs to be full-format 35mm equivalent sensors and only the best lenses.  The fact is that while smaller, cheaper cameras aren't that great optically speaking, people will over-look those problems if the image composition, exposure, and focus is good.  And guess who controls those three?  You do, the photographer.  Ultimately the person behind the camera is the one who controls the quality of the image the most.  Equipment can not make anyone a better photographer, it can only supplement the photographer's skill.
2. Lighter the better.  Ansel Adams may have had 100+ pounds of camera equipment when he went into the Sierra, but he also had a mule to carry it all.  That mule WAS his camera bag.  I can't vouch for everyone, but I don't have a pack animal to carry my equipment around.  The fact is that the more stuff you have, the more weight you carry, and thus you'll be distracted from excellent photo opportunities having to carry and keep track of all your equipment.  A camera body, a couple of prime lenses, and a good zoom lens, plus a tripod and a set of filters should be the MOST that you need.  At the very least, a camera body and one good lens (prime or zoom) is all that is necessary.  The more portable you are, the more adaptable to different situations.  Instead of being prepared for everything, like the Boy Scouts taught me, instead be prepared to get creative for those shots.
3. Understand that light is the central element to photography.  Light is the only reason we can take photographs since everything we (and the camera) see is merely reflected light.  Therefore, understanding light and how to use it is the most important skill a photographer can learn.  Light affects color, texture, line, and shape, the four visual elements of photography.
4. The key to composition is balance.  Not once have I ever thought about the "rule of thirds" and rarely has it caused me to screw up a shot.  There are times when that comes in handy, but what is most important in composition is not where the subject(s) are placed along imaginary lines, but rather how they relate to  and complement each other.  Like a painting, different subjects in a photograph have their own 'weight' or 'gravity' that the eye is drawn to.  If the eye keeps going back to one spot, the photo will be out of balance (unless the subject is in the center portion of the image and standing alone).  Additionally, too many subjects can crowd the image and confuse the eye, obscuring where the main subject is in the photo.
5. Take time before each shot.  As I'm going through my computer, I have nearly 8,000 images taken in 3 years, that's an average of 7 shots per day!  Of those 8,000/ about 7,500 of them are completely junk.  These were all practice shots, or photos that are completely uninteresting to me or anyone else.  If I took 2 well planned shots for every 5 "snapshots" I would have a much more impressive collection of images.

6 Black and White Images Improving in the Lightroom

These images were taken over the last couple of weeks.  The first three along the Gallatin River on the road to Yellowstone National Park.  The second set of three were taken on the Madison River valley.  All that's left to explore now is the Jefferson River...

 

l'art pour l'art?

Anyone ever hear this phrase?  My sister would have translated that within a moment if she ever stumbles upon this post.  It translates to "art for art", or more commonly, "art for art's sake." This has been a hot issue in the art community for centuries, but today I'd like to champion a rival concept and philosophy towards art.

The trouble with "art for art's sake" is two-fold.  First, art by itself cannot be the purpose of an art piece.  This is simply because, if completely void of outside influences, an art piece cannot convey emotion, send a message, or otherwise communicate with the viewer.  This argument has been used for many years now.  Second, "art for art's sake" is a very exclusive definition. A few examples of subjects that could not be considered "true art" under this definition includes music, literature, food crafts, furniture making, web design, and metal working.  Obviously, people who are involved in such subjects consider their craft an art, so "art for art's sake" simply cannot work except for a very narrow range of mediums.

Instead, I say that art is not exclusive, but inclusive by nature.  Therefore, art is the expression of the artist, and will thus vary wildly with individuals.  Anything can be considered art, as long as the art piece properly represents the artist.  The only thing which cannot be considered art would be the very pieces which were made simply to be an art piece.  And this would be because an art piece without a voice cannot represent anything, and thus serves no purpose to the viewer or to the artist.

Regardless of definition,  art is what YOU make it to be.  Me taking photographs is just as much an art as Tony Hawk riding a skateboard.  And both of us are artists because our crafts reflect our individual selves.

--James Willmus