[A few weeks pass]

Received an email from the president over at Instaproofs notifying me that not just one, but TWO of my images were selected as winners. The first one an image that I shot of really good friend of mine, Nick Utrie, after one of the very memorable shows at The Small Theater. I based the exposure off of a stage light that Utrie had mounted in the rafters, diffused by a translucent circle reflector clamped to a ladder about 6-ft in front, directly above camera. Also added two kickers behind him on the left and right to give hard-separator with a bit a rim light. It all developed over the course of about 30 minutes while Nick ripped off some licks that always impress. Below is another shot from that night highlighting his fingers and string-impressions left by hours of playing.

The second Sot that was selected was shot for a brilliant stranger. A unique vintage clothing boutique in fish creek, door county wi. This was a simple one-light setup with a shoot-through umbrella to camera-left up high. We shot a lot of images that day and one this one everything just seemed to come together. We had a lot of fun on this shoot, the previous shot to this one is below. Again one-light setup, with the addition of an old office phone prop. All in a day’s shoot.

Thanks to the folks over at Instaproofs for selecting my images and for providing a sound and solid online proofing/ordering solution for many photographers out there.

]]> http://mikewiesman.com/instaproofs-photo-contest-2012/feed/ 0 http://mikewiesman.com/new-web-site-and-blog-layout/ http://mikewiesman.com/new-web-site-and-blog-layout/#comments Sat, 10 Mar 2012 01:22:22 +0000 Mike http://mikewiesman.com/?p=4359 Hey folks, I’ve pretty busy the past few months working on some new branding and business plan details for this year so sorry about the lack of content on the blog. The good news is that there is a bunch of new work posted within the portfolios as well as an entirely new site layout and blog. Give them a peak and you might just find yourself!

There have been a few things that I really wanted to improve from the old site, the biggest one being that I wanted to make the images more of the main focus. After all, that is what I offer, images. I also wanted to get away from anything flash and incorporate HTML5 so that users can access the site on a variety of platforms without sacrificing the look. For the most part I think that no matter what device you choose to visit this new site, you should be able to view it. That’s a big plus.

My favorite little thing about the site is the way that the thumbnails look in the portfolios. If your are in a gallery and your browser window is not maximized, just click the lower corner of your window and make it larger – as you do this, the thumbnails will auto-fill the extra screen space with more pictures. Not a earth shaking event, but as with weddings, I’m a fan of the details.

I’ve also added a brand new 2013 High School Senior Rep program with an online application form. This is a great opportunity for seniors to gain some promotional and marketing experience, so if you know someone who would be interested as well as would be a successful rep, it’s appreciated if you pass a link on to them. I thank you in advance.

Big thanks to all my fans and clients, without you I’m just another photographer. This is the first step of some major advancements that I have planned this year. Check back often for more content and pictures, as well as some other insightful ramblings from yours truly.

I’ve been excited to share Hallie’s senior pictures with you for a few days and finally now have time to share them. Hallie is a senior at De Pere High school and is also the daughter of a good friend of mine that I have photographed many times over the years. It was not the setting of your typical “senior picture session”. For the shot below I asked Hallie if she would mind standing in the Bike Lane directly next to moving traffic, I know, I’m crazy. We were standing only a few feet away from moving traffic drinking warm Hot Chocolate & Coffee from Luna Cafe about to finish up, and I felt really great about the images we made while the sun was out. But with fresh dose of caffeine my idea light bulb lit up when I saw all the tail-lights waiting at a traffic light. With Hallie’s dad filling in as a voice-activated-light-stand off to camera right and a sea of break-lights we snapped off lots of shots in a very short amount of time in the middle of the street. It ends up that it’s my favorite shot from the session, sometimes even when you think that you are all done for the day it pays to shoot that one more picture. The creative process works in awesome ways sometimes. See some more pictures from Hallie’s Senior session after the jump.

One of the joys of photography that we all can relate to is the historic sense of documenting a moment in time. Baby Joe can be captured at one, two, three years old for years to come. A moment can last for generations to come. A moment that can change history or a moment that can keep a deceased loved one close forever. As a parent you carry pictures of your children in your wallet, police use pictures to photograph crime scenes, many hire a photographer to capture their wedding day. Photography is one of the most universal mediums that is used in just about every avenue of our culture.  More after the jump….

I would like to share a few humbling experience that has only made my passion and personal motivation to work as hard as I can when shooting for my clients. Three years ago I photographed a high school senior and a week later he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, a phone call that no parent wants to receive. This 17-year-old young man was involved in a life-threatening car accident only a few days after the photo session. This senior ended up suffering casualties to his face and body that were pretty severe, leaving permanent scaring and damage. I didn’t have idea at the time what had happened but when looking through the proofs that needed to be picked up yet there was a note sticking out from a name that I remembered. This senior’s mom left a note with our receptionist to let the photographer [me] know how much she appreciated the pictures and how much they mean to everyone in the family. She wanted let [the studio] know that she would be needing more time before she would be placing her order due to the nature of the situation.

Reading that note, my heart skipped a few beats and I suddenly realized the importance of what I do. It was more than just making pictures of high school seniors, it was capturing a landmark moment in their life that within an instant could be all taken away. I never though about my job like that before and have carried that experience forward to every session that I continue to shoot. Sadly this has happened more than once which only reinforces my dedication to being a professional image maker.

Even if it is “just” senior pictures, it is always important to take the session serious (does not mean that you can’t have fun) and work hard at getting it right in camera and shooting the best images that you are capable of. You never know when things can change, for yourself or your customers.

See more of Nicole’s Senior Session after the jump…

More about the Book Festival and lot of pictures after the jump!

When we are little, our brains are like sponges. We absorb anything and everything that surrounds us. Our imaginations are limitless from playing an imaginary super bowl in our backyard to hitting a walk-off home run to win the world series. As the years pass we develop our own viewpoints and opinions and it seems that our imaginations lose priority to work and other stressful tasks. Just imagine how much of a change you can make in your mental health of you tapped into your creativity and imagination once a day? Some creatives refer to it as “recharging their batteries”; taking some much-needed time away from their daily responsibilities to focus on just letting go, and enjoying life. I say, Why not just set time aside everyday?

What a successful event that I am looking forward to covering again next year. Here are a few of my favorite images from the events.

As many photographers do, I too spend a lot of time along walking with a camera in search of and on the lookout for the next victim to turn into pixel data. Ready to freeze that next spontaneous moment into photo history. Having a limited-controllable camera at my fingertips has proven to be priceless, this entire collection of Dailies would not exist without it. When I came across this abandoned child’s trike I immediately when into capture mode.

Checking out the different angles and how they played nice or not so nice with the composition. I know that I wanted to capture the scene that I came across: downtown, rainy and wet pavement, abandoned kids trike, mysterious, late at night. It was pretty late if I remember, about 12:45. Quite late for such a toy to be sitting unattended in a public park when it’s more ideal location would be in the garage or shed. My first reaction was spinning multiple 360′s looking for a child that might be lost. After nothing looked too supisious, I found myself making up a story that maybe this was the parking spot for some little tike’s vehicle. Their very own VIP parking spot. I can see them now, pulling up, jumping out and flipping the toy keys to bellhop.

Battling the time between I push the button and the the time that it actually captures the image, I got three shots before a car passed into my background. I had already pushed the shutter release button and initiated the capture countdown as the car surprisingly came to a full stop, instead of the rolling-stop that Sheboygan drivers are so famous for. The fourth shot, above, was the one that made the edit. Having the car in the background added another layer to the photo that I really liked, a bit like a spontaneous moment.

Your thoughts? What story do you see?

I still have a few available sessions in August call 920-254-9087 or [contact me] to book your session today!

I ended up driving straight after the four-way stop for about a mile or two and contiuned to have this tall grass pictured in my head, I made an quick U-turn and found myself back at the four-way stop looking for a place to park the car out of the way of traffic so I could capture this shot that was pending. With the VW parked and off the road I headed into the tall weeds and grass, not knowing until my foot suck well past ankle deep, that the field was about six inches under water.

Wet feet and all I took about 12 shots, this one being the one that I liked the most. I forget what edit I selected for this, but I know that I had the contrast up and obviously some toning. Kind of reminds me of an ant’s point of view.

This is a self assessment, critique, and discussion about a certain photograph from my Dailies collection of photographs. In no particular order I wish to simply share what I was thinking and seeing when I took the photo. How it works and doesn’t work as a picture, what I would change if I could shoot it again.

The Dailies series has been a very large amount of fun for me so far. There is a certain amount of satisfaction looking back at some of these pictures, other times there are bittersweet moments of life.

Read more about this photo and share your thoughts after the jump…..

This picture, taken in the middle of a team bus ride to an away baseball game, pretty much sums up how a coach might feel on a noisy bus ride. Or at least debate the use of the “emergency exit.”

Even with the EVO camera I am able to pull some close-focus and blur the background a bit, along with framing the shot with the bottom of the bus window. Composition plays a major role in ever photograph whether it be the rule of thirds, leading lines or a frame within a frame. The camera was set to over-expose by about 1/3 with a slight exposure vignette around the corners, (pretty neat that one can get that much control with “just a cell phone camera”).

What do you see? What does this photo do to you? Discuss. Narrate. Brainstorm. That’s what this is about.

[Flash backward six years] I first met Ava when I was handing over a small fortune monthly rent, to my then landlord for the apartment I lived in. I believe that she was about 11 years old at the time and had spent the day at work with dad. We all remember “Take your child to work day” right? Little did I know that a few years later I would be collaborating with her and shooting her senior pictures.

I had a wonderful time getting to know you Ava throughout your session. Thank you for letting me document this important moment in your life. I would also like to extend a thank-you to her friend, Amariah, who was there to help hold “the big shiny circle thing” when needed. Not only did you blind her at times you also added another element to the experience. Enough talking, here are a few of my favorites from Ava’s session.

To book your portrait session contact me today! Limited sessions are filling quickly. Don’t pay for portraits that look like everyone else’s, together we will make your 2012 SENIOR YEAR start with an experience of a lifetime and pictures to remember for years to come!

About 14 years ago the Camera and I were introduced and quite honestly it was love at first sight. We met on a blind-date, knowing only one thing about each other; That we are what we make of ourself. She [at the time a Pentex] was the most beautiful thing that I have ever saw through my lens [eye]. The way She taught me see the world around me. The mid-tones, contrast depth-of-field, and sharp-focus have never looked so good at f1.4. The bokeh; breathtaking. As my Camera and I got to know each other the next few months we became deeply in entangled a love story that even Disney would want the rights to. We even shared a similar point of view on politics and believe it or not, religion – but we are often forced to see both sides equally when at work together. We clicked on so many levels that when we were apart, neither one of us worked, and our batteries would slowly trickle to empty. When united again, it would take some time to get along….but after that, we clicked just like always.

Starting with hot-lights we explored the different shutter speeds and depth-of-fields, shooting bracketed exposures with our then, mutual friend (currently a Facebook friend) Kodak t-max 400 we worked well together in daylight and learned that I could really push t-max to 3200 in low-light conditions and still be friends, the hard way. We would spend hours in the darkroom together, listening to the same old tunes through some mismatched speakers that I had rigged together out of pure desperation as a cure for silence in that dimly red-lit room. With all the experimenting, dodging and burning, and happy accidents that developed we soon knew one another like the back of our own hand and could produce an image out of just about any negative that we captured – some were pretty rough I will admit.

As She [a Pentex] has been replaced by a couple different Nikon’s over the years, She [the Camera] remains the same. Having moved from hot-lights to strobes we now have taken our relationship to new levels. Creating images that we see ahead of time and making pictures that we could only have dreamed of a few years ago. Strobes, modifiers, reflectors, bounce cards, flags and not to mention photoshop and the digital darkroom tools have changed the way of photography, but haven’t changed the black box, it’s still an image frozen in time.

Why am I in love with this black box that captures a moment in time? Because I have spent more time with this black box than any other thing in my life. I have committed myself to push my own limits and make mistakes when my a$$ is on the line. Not because I don’t care, but because I want to create the pictures that i see in my head. I want to create the pictures that will open the door to the next idea and the next challenge. I want to create the pictures that others don’t see.

It’s a very tightly-knit relationship, perhaps like a musician and their lyrics. It’s who I am, it’s what I do. It’s a passion that no one can take away from me. Thank you dad for opening that box of your college photography class black and white prints with me some 15 years ago in our basement. You have been with me every for “click” of the way.

Mike Wiesman offers FOUR High School Senior sessions; this means that you get an awesome photography session with Mike that brings out your best qualities, along with a print credit to get you started ordering the photos that you want. No “packages” to figure out, no minimum purchase requirements; only the freedom to order EXACTLY what pictures you want.

The BASIC Session $225 // 1-2 outfit changes, $75 print credit
The DELUXE Session $385 // 2-3 outfit changes, $100 print credit
The DELUXE-PLUS Session $550 // 3-4 outfits, $175 print credit, custom album
The SIGNATURE Session $1100 // 4-5 outfits, $350 print credit, custom album, digital files

Get talkin’ and receive free print credits! // Referral BONUS! – Send your friends our way and I will give EACH of you a $20 print credit! Yes, that’s right, $20 for you and $20 for your friend!

All sessions listed above include a customized photoshoot to your look with urban or scenic background and environments, professional make-up application (must let me know at time of booking), facebook photos, a private online gallery to preview and order your images, and a complementary yearbook photo – all part of my exclusive Senior Portrait experience!

Many clients find the DELUXE session ideal because of the keepsake custom designed album with images YOU PICK from your session. Clients looking for digital files are encouraged to choose the SIGNATURE session.

Mike likes to keep it green and save paper and chemicals when possible which is why every session includes a FREE online gallery. Printed proof books are available upon request ($20) or are included with the purchase of a DVD of all your images.

I have always been inspired by Clay Enos’ street portraits and the ease that he handles the random subjects. The amount of interesting people who I met while spending a few hours on the beach and lakefront yesterday was a great time. Taking some impromptu portraits was pretty cool in itself, but how nice everyone was about it was humbling. I think that less than a handful of people declined politely, everyone else was “ready to be famous” as one guy put it.

From vinyl collectors, exotic pet owners, lots of big sunglasses and even a few old high school classmates the afternoon at the beach was worth the sunburn. One lens, one camera and 1,000′s of people. I think I traveled too light, should have brought some sunscreen. Enjoy the portraits and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

-mw

As some have already noticed, everyday I have been adding to a new series titled Dailies. This is a new album that focuses on pushing creativity as an always present constant priority. All pictures so far have been taken entirely with the camera on my HTC EVO, mixed with various camera apps. from the Android Market. After having an awesome amount of feedback so far I decided to make a post talking a little bit about what inspired me to start posting and sharing a part of my daily life that I have been doing for a few years now to fuel daily creativity.

Not only is the HTC EVO the best phone I ever had, it’s the most handy point-and-shoot camera I’ve ever had as well. Not only is it with me wherever I go, but also because of the amount of camera control that it offered. (Keeping in mind that it’s “just” a cell phone camera.) This beast boosts an 8.0MP main camera with variable file sizes to save to along with allowing me to control the brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, ISO, Geo-taging, exposure metering mode, flicker adjustments, face detection, and to top it off a grid on the screen for composition.

Tech-talk aside, the connivence of having this little compact camera with me at all times has given my memory a backup system as to where some of the most random ideas come from throughout the day. It’s like having a huge database of locations for future shoots and concepts. And at the resolution available to me, I could make a print if it lends itself to be worthy. Here are a few things that have come-up, crossed my mind, or have been asked about.

Shooting notes:

- I have had a fun time learning how the depth-of-field on this camera can be worked with.
- The focus system – at times has taken up to 10 seconds to focus, granted this is usually in low-light situations.
- I have started shooting with certain “filters” and adjustments in mind, much like I do with a “real” camera. Visualization.
- The limitations on post-production within the phone I have actually come to enjoy. It brings a little bit of the “guess work” back from the film shooting days. Back then we would pick a film for it’s “look” or color representation. Now I have to pick the settings pre-exposure. Granted having the instant file within seconds shortens the learning curve compared to the hours of processing and waiting time.
- Have come to respect Creativity. It comes when it wants, and is only there long enough to forget. When it hits I have the ability to capture an image without hauling my Nikon around with me.
- Yes. There are many times that I have wished I did have my Nikon with me.

What Camera are you using?

- The camera that I have used entirely so far is the HTC EVO 4G. The editing and “filters” are done in various apps. The EVO slings a 8-megapixel camera with Auto Focus and 2x LED Flash.

How many pictures do you take in a day?

- It varies. Some days I see multiple things or am in more new places. Those are good days in a sense that I am seeing well. There are days that I have to make time to see. I have really enjoying setting aside time to purposely be creative.

What inspires you to continue to create images on a daily basis?

- All my life I have been a visual person. I asked a lot of questions if I didn’t understand what I was seeing. There is a lot of learning that goes on when watching or actively seeing. I see things, I capture them. My tool of seeing is my camera, it allows me to share with you what I see. When I think about it, it’s already something that I do on a daily basis so why not share it?

Do you post every picture that you take?

- No. There is a criteria that I hold myself to along with a personal level is visual satisfaction that has to be met. I feel that the camera apps bring a little of the guess work back to photography. It adds to the process and the development of the final photograph. The best thing being that I can see results instantly. If I don’t like it, it didn’t even cost a penny.

What do you do daily to feed your creativity?

Awhile ago I talked about enjoying The Process of photography. Ignore the social media feedback, shoot what you are passionate about. Don’t shoot it for reactions and feedback, don’t shoot it for the most “likes” on Facebook. Shoot it because you WANT to shoot it.

Ever since I was a child I looked forward to thumbing though National Geographic looking at some of the best photography in the world. The photographers that shoot for NatGeo are among some of the best of the best. If you are a photographer, or even just an advocate of anything passionate, I suggest taking some time and listen to National Geographic Photographer Michael Nichols’ passion come through as he talks about the iconic 300-foot Redwood photograph he made. It’s truly inspiring listening to his speak about the entire process of making this this unique photo. Take a watch and leave a few thoughts in the comments.

Awhile ago on the PDN Photo of the Day they featured Photographer Deborah Luster. It got me to thinking, a circle crop.

What are you thoughts about this circle view-finder?

It brings a entirely new point of view to photography. It makes me think that I am in a submarine looking thought the porthole at the world around me. I am not negatively influenced, nor positively. I simply find it intriguing and engaging. So much so that I have gone thorough a lot of my images and cropped them circular.

Problem being that in our day-in-age, the circle crop is iconically ruined by the “sports button” that soccer-moms wear to proudly boast that their child is playing on the school sporting team. I played sports in high school, they are great for students that have the talents and can succeed in it, but it’s strange how my mind signifies the circle crop back to a sports button reference.

Perhaps this is where my infatuation with the fish-eye lens comes from? What ever the effect, it surly draws all the attention to the center of the photograph. But wow, it also does soo much more, I just cannot put my tongue on it. Let discuss this and figure out what it is about this circle crop that is so addicting!

-Mw

We are living in a society that instantly gives us feedback and interacts and spreads like wildfire. We also have adapted that the “success” of the photograph  is how many comments we have socially received. The more the better is what social media is telling us, the most twitter followers, the most published photographs, Google Analytics, and of course Facebook fans and friends. I too am guilty of getting caught up in the social success of a shoot, and often have forgotten where my true passion for photography came from. The Process.

The creative process, the planning, the composition, the challenge of a tough exposure, building a set, your gear not working properly (or not working at all), the really late nights, the early mornings, all the blogs and web sites that have taught you along your way,  and don’t forget the people that we work with along with way. These are the elements of The Process. A process that we enjoy so much that sometimes we tend to over look it. We have to take a step back, and look at the overall, picture. (pun intended) All the little things that go into photography, or any art, is what many of us enjoy the most. The story behind the photograph is sometimes the best part.

Don’t be afraid to shoot new things. Chances are that if you feel uncomfortable shooting them, you have little experience in that subject matter. With experience comes confidence; also part of the process. Unbuckle yourself from your shooting seatbelt and get out there and make pictures. Have fun with it, enjoy making your story. Keep some notes if you like. But there is one thing you should do, share your story.

• David E Jackson is the Monthly Guest on Glyn Dewis’ Photography Blog. Some great reading from a photographer that’s CRUSHIN’ IT right here in Wisconsin. Glyn and David go through an extensive Q&A session that I think everyone can take something away from.
• Big announcement this week from two of the best in the industry, Joe McNally and David Hobby have teamed up with a load of sponsors to launch a 29-city tour titled, Flash Bus Tour ’11. You will for sure see me as the Madison Wisconsin tour stop. Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning.
• My favorite test-shot web site is back up and running with a new look, light-test.com. Submit your test shots daily for a chance to be featured!
• Ever hear of a 80-Megapixel camera? Well, it’s here. Phase One Announces a new medium format camera back. (at 80-Megapixels I don’t know if that quailfies as medium format?)
• The PDN Faces Photo Contest deadline is approaching quickly. If you don’t plan on entering, at least take a look through the entries for a rundown of some pretty awesome photography.
• Just for the fun of it, here are 20 fun shots of Lizards.
• As Still and Video have started to overlap in digital production, some photographers turning into videographers find it hard to work with art directors fearing that they will have to give up creative control. Jeff Newton, a Phoenix based photographer, was hired by FOX to shoot a national campaign…with one exception; he would have to work with a director of photography instead of shooting it all on his own. Jeff decided to take it as a learning experience, and says he’s glad he did. Check out the article and videos here.
• Ever wonder what someone would use 500,000 ladybugs for? No? Me either, until now. Ed Zipco used them for a fashion shoot. I’ve include the video below.

Making great pictures isn’t about the gear at all. It’s more about knowing the gear that you already have, and putting it to work to produce the results that you envision. I too find myself caught in the gear battle. Saying things like, “If I only had that 200mm f2 that Nikon just released,” and “I wish that I had this lens because then I could shoot this.” I often am embarrassed to show my camera bag off because of the age of my lenses……..and that I don’t have a dreamy Nikon D3s or D3x glowing when I open it. But I am OK with that. It was not easy, and yes it is much like  a running race….it’s a 90% mental battle. Again, it’s NOT about the gear that you have.

Not to down-talk professional level gear…….there are many reasons that it is pro-level gear and I will get into that on another post in the future. But pro gear is the best because as professionals, we demand the most out of our gear, and have to count on it.

My trusty MF Nikkor 5omm f:1.4 – Not only is it old, it’s also one of my most used lenses,  it’s also manual focus. Some of you might even refer to it as “Old School.”

The portrait of Dean above was shot at 1/125th sec @ f1.4 with the 50mm. What I have discovered as my most efficient way of shooting with my MF lenses is that I will often set the lens to the closest focal length and actually physically move my body  either closer to or further away to my subject to achieve what focus I want. Instead of turning the focus ring on the lens barrel, this is my way of focusing, it also allows me more time to interact and talk with my subject. It transforms the process of auto-focus, which requires nothing more than picking a AF-spot and hitting a button – into a compositional melody and dance that connects me with making the image that I see. I have entire control and am in complete harmony with my images being captured with the camera. I would not have it any other way.

The above image was shot with a MF 14mm f3.5 fish-eye. (Captured on a DX sensor camera, so the fish-eye effect is not as magnified as usual.)

This hood-ornament on the Chevy was taken with a MF 105mm f2.5 @ 1/8000 sec f2.5. An old lens that anyone can pick up on eBay around $100. Again setting the focus-ring at the closest focal distance and moving closer to or further away as my way of focusing.

This city bokeh shot above was taken with the 50mm lens described above at 1/160s @ f2.8. Again, it’s not about what gear you have, it’s about capturing what you see and doing it with your personal style, touch, and eye. I cannot stress that enough.

I will add that Nikon users will find that most of the older lenses are able to mount on the new digital bodies. Obviously the AF won’t work and you will have to shoot in “M” mode, but to a pleasant surprise the exposure meter still works with most lenses. How wonderful is that?! Canon folks cannot say the same, Canon has changed their lens mount more than a few times so the compatibility with lens and body isn’t as happy as Nikon. So go dig up Grandpa’s and Dad’s old lenses and have some fun with your photography!

-mw

Go Pack!

-mw

This was a pretty simple setup, a 24″ Lastolite Ezybox HotShoe Softbox with a SB-900 on remote channel A, with a SB-600 as a kicker on channel B. I used a SB-800 on my camera as a master to control them separately. Shutter speed was around 1/60th-1/80th to let some of the ambient fill in the background. Now that I think of it, I also had the SB-800 putting out a 1/128th power as a on-axis fill, of course with the diffusion dome attached.

After working upstairs on a few shots we moved to another location to shoot a few more environmental portraits of Dana in his “workshop”. Here I wanted to make sure that I got some detail in the background, so I used a shutter speed around 1/30th-1/60th with the speedlights firing on Rear-sync to assure that if there was any movement, it would get burned-in crisp at the end of the exposure. I Some people ask why I shoot so slow, I don’t know, I guess it’s my style. I tell them that it’s just way I have always done things. Plus I like to use the lowest ISO that I can.

Thanks for the shoot Dana!

-mw

I have had a lot positive feedback so far from the past few weeks of Sunday Coffee Links that I have put together. Thanks to those who have followed along. It’s one of my more time consuming posts that I put together so it’s good to get some feedback on it. Feedback in mind, I would like to hear a bit about what it is that you are interested in? What makes your creative juices flow? What are you surfing the web for and what keeps you distracted when you just can’t stay away from photography? That being said, here’s this weeks links;

• Sigma released a 85mm f1.4EX DG HSM lens that rivals Nikon and Canon name brand lenses. Check out PDN’s Product Review and it might just save you $500!
• Remember Huck Finn? I sure do, but I don’t remember the characters in the book ever looking like this! Great photography by Kent Marcus and a great BTS video too! (He also lost some equipment to the river thanks to a wind that kicked up out of nowhere. — not cool, but something that many of us can relate to.)
• A blog that I have started to follow, The Sartorialist threw me a total spin the other day with this post. Got me thinking about how many things like this go unnoticed in our lives. There is also a neat video about how he works.
• A day in the life of a Paintball Photographer. There’s a niche of photography that I never thought of!
• How does one turn a water-stained plain white hall into a photo studio? Watch and read how David Hobby makes something out of nothing and turns a Nikon SB-800 into a laser.
• Last but not least, Jared Polin. FroKnowsPhoto.com. Photographers of all skill levels should check him out. From product reviews, to behind the scenes videos, contests and tutorials, Polin is sharing his passion for photography with the world and his form of communication is addicting.

This has been a great week for reading RSS feeds although I will admit I’m a bit behind in reading the ones that I subscribe to. But I made progress on 200+ feeds this week but still have 456-and counting to catch up on.

• As a recent follower to fstoppers.com, I have dug deep into their content and found how valuable their site really is. One could spend an entire year learning from what they share. Great content and behind the scenes videos, daily. From How to Shoot Fashion Photography In a Pool to their latest Product Review (Nikon Pocket Wizard FlexTT5, MiniTT1 and AC3 Review).
• This goes back to July 2010, but it’s a great way to deliver your photography to new clients. Clark Vandergrift I have mentioned before, but he’s a very creative guy and deserves a mention here because this package that he put together to promote himself is AWESOME!
• Lastolite opened a new section of their website lastyear and have been adding valuable tutorial videos on how to get the most out of their products. Check out the Lastolite School of Photography’s FREE tutorial videos!
• Check out this Idiot with a tripod.
• Here is a VERY creative guy and what he did with his boat. Part artwork, part boat. French artist Julien Berthier has designed a fully functional boat to look as if it is sinking.
• Another link from fstoppers but I had to share this footage that NASA captures of every shuttle launch. This particular footage just might be some of the last footage, as the funding for the space program has been cut.
• Last but not least I’d like to share an interview with a photographer that inspired me a lot lately. Jeremy Cowart explains and discusses his photography to Chase Jarvis. Cowart is also the brains behind Help-Portrait. What I really enjoy about this interview is that it brings in into Jeremy’s personality and shows how humble of a guy he really is. He’s another guy in this world, following his passion, giving back to the community and producing some amazing work. To save you a jump, I’ve included the video below.

Please update your reader or feed as needed. Thanks to everyone who follows!

The venue as far as a photographer looks at things was a beauty. Great big stage, lots of lights, front lit and back lit performers. It was honestly one of the “easiest” places that I can remember to shoot live performances, mainly because when they had a show, they did it right. The last show that I shot there was for The Dead Modern Villains (facebook page). I actually was asked to come along with a friend of mine and shoot together. Have a few brews with the band, shoot some pictures, and have a good time. Needless to say, we got some great shots for these guys. And for those of you that may have been there that night, we all know that these guys showed-up the headliner (some washed-up 80′s band that I already forget their name). Great show Dave, Keith and Mitch!

Shows like this one are really fun for me. Music is a huge passion of mine and honestly if I could go to a show like this every night of the week I think that I would be one happy camper. Know any bands/musicians that are looking for photography? Feel free to point them to me or leave a link in the comments!

I have been shooting a lot lately with some of my old manual focus (MF) lenses that I have accumulated over the years. There are a few reasons behind my use of these. For one, you can often pick these up for a lot less than the new fancy-schmancy AF lenses. The good MF lenses hold their value, so don’t expect to get them for free, but you can get a good deal if you know what you are looking for and where to look. Plus, there aren’t all the computerized controls and components within, which means less to go wrong with them. [insert smily here] And two, they work just as well if your shooting portraits or moderately still objects.

Another thing that I really enjoy about the MF lenses is the extra time and thought that I am putting into my shots. With everything digital now, it’s just TOO easy to get caught-up in the speed and auto-ness of these amazing cameras. With the MF lenses I am thinking much more about composition, focal point, along with interacting and exchanging more dialog with my subject which in-turn has created some very nice outcomes. Dean being the first of the series of portraits that I have shot with the MF Nikkor 50mm f1.4 lens. I love the shallow DOF and the crispness of where I focused.

The exhibit consisted of selected 40″ x 60″ prints of photographs from personal work I have done from 2007 through 2010 with varying subject matter. There was an awesome atmosphere during the reception that carried over to emails and phone calls during the duration of the exhibit. A giant THANK YOU to everyone that took time to swing into the gallery and check out my work!

I’ll share what a SNC Times thought about the exhibition;

A really big THANKS goes to the SNC Art Department for all that they have done. Their impression on my life and artistic voice are forever imprinted with lasting values that drive the artist within.

• Leading-off is some very high quality work that I have been looking at for the past three days. The Photography of Joanna Kustra is simply stunning. Obviously working with large light modifiers and creating very soft-lit wonderfully-beautiful portraits. I also enjoyed looking back through her previous work to see her style changes. Over all very nice work.
• 2010 PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo is just around the corner, October 28-30. Register early to make sure that you reserve your spot. You can look at the Exhibitor List here, and register here.
• Nikon Announces New D3100 Consumer Digital SLR and Four New Pro-Worthy Lenses
• JPG Magazine released Issue 22. Issue 22 of JPG Magazine starts by looking at the world through tinted lenses for Color Theory. Next, our contributors reveal that the human condition continues to shape, redefine, and create a multitude of Gender Roles within society. Lastly, JPG gazes into a crystal ball to imagine what the World of Tomorrow will look like. Check out all of these themes and more in Issue 22 of JPG Magazine!
• 40 Amazing Before and After Photo Retouching Photos. Models and celebrities always look stunning with their flawless skins on magazine and album covers. Photoshop not only can do enhancements to poorly shot photographs, but also able to turn an ordinary person into someone with superstar qualities. Below are 40 great examples in showing the magic that Photoshop can do to an average or lousy image.
• A beginner’s guide to focal lengths and how they affect photographs. Most people quickly learned what the focal lengths represented for their particular camera format. But these days, with so many digital camera sensor sizes and other lens peculiarities, the millimeter measurement of a lens’ focal length tells only part of the story.
• Commercial Photographer Dan Escobar has been producing some head-turning images for a few years now. Totally worth the look.
• Jensen Walker, also a commercial photographer, has some outstanding work that will more than likely help inspire you to shoot a variety of new work if you haven’t shot anything like that before yet.
• Polina Osherov is a Fashion Photographer, that is producing some stunning images in environments that present themselves as challenging as I have seen. Osherov’s “Stories” is something really worth taking a look at.

Well I hope that this fuels your fire for a bit and that you find something inspirational out of at least one of the links above. Feel free to share your favorite or other comments about the post below.

To be honest, my framer that has been making 8×12 inch frames for awhile now. I was in the process of picking up some 20×30 inch frames and I saw an 8×12 frame that Tom had made up. I said, “Tom, now that’s a really great idea! Finally I can show off ALL of my image! I didn’t know that you stocked 8×12′s?” His response, “Mike, I make custom frames. I just need to know the size you need.”

I tend to believe that I am not the only one that is having this 8×10/8×12 battle and yesterday I found a post on Scott Kelby’s Photoshop Insider Blog‘ that shared concern. If Scott Kelby is talking about it, then MUST be a popular topic among professionals.

Here’s what I mean:

By cropping to the 8×10 format 2 inches is lost. It creates an entirely different picture that what is originally captured in camera. Movies made the first conversion, then computers, then TVs. I would hope that photography will be the next medium to convert.

Currently it’s hard for custom framers to sell 8×12 frames. It’s really hard to compete with department stores who sell 8x10s for pennies, thus bringing up another point of comparison. My 8x12s are only $25.00 not too shabby I think, but for the general person, is the bonus of 2 inches on their picture worth the extra hard-earned Bucks? I’d like to hear your thoughts and stories on this topic. What side of the bill are you on?

A few basics about flash:

1. Flash Duration. The amount of time that it takes your flash to dispense it’s set power. A flash set at 1/1(full)-power takes a longer amount of time to discharge than a flash set to, lets say a 1/16-power. Keeping that in mind, if you are going for speed with your shutter, then open up that aperture to let in that smaller about of flash power. (You’re flash will love you for it and so will your batteries)

2. Controlling the Power. The power that is expelled from the flash can be controlled by you the photographer, your camera, or your flash. With flashes in manual mode, the photographer dials in the amount of power. Some cameras have a sensors that meter the “whole scene” and then tell the flashes what power to fire at. The last type is the flashes surveying the scene and dialing in their own power setting from a series of “monitor pre-flashes” that reflect back. Most of the digital cameras made today include some type of through-the-lens (TTL) flash metering. (Nikon – i-TTL, Canon e-TTL)

3. Sync Speed. Flash Sync Speed is the fastest shutter speed that your camera can shoot at without clipping the frame with your shutter. (Or “screwing-up” and using it to your advantage) Most digital SLR cameras sync at 1/250s. Anything over 1/320s is considered high-speed-sync, generally. On a side note, some digital point and shoots have a sync speed of 1/1000s due to their digital shutter system. Check out strobist for an article on that.

4. How Exactly Does High-Speed Snyc Work? When using high-speed sync you must be using dedicated flashes. Your camera and flash are having a very serious conversation one could say, they have to know exactly what one-another are saying. To start things off, make sure that your camera and flashes are compatible for high-speed sync and enable it on all units. Most of the time this only has to be done in the camera.

Lets quickly take a moment to understand what happens with standard sync: Mainly, the shutter must be fully open for the flash to fire (“1st-curtain sync”, “front curtain” – it is also referred to as) or when shooting in rear-sync (or “2nd-curtain sync”) the flash fires at the very last millisecond before the shutter closes.

Going back to high-speed sync; Instead of the flash firing out one giant pulse of light, high-speed sync actually changes the way that the camera tells the flash to fire. The flash now sends out a series of super-fast, low-power flashes. (Don’t mix this up with RPT mode, but the concept is the same.) This light appears to be continuous within the camera and as the shutter curtain is passing over the sensor, the flash also appears to be “on”. Pretty sweet technology when you think about it!

Here is a diagram that displays the difference between normal sync and high-speed sync.

5. The high-speed sync advantage. Now you can use just about any shutter speed with your flash. The disadvantage of doing so is that your flash output is greatly reduced. I have found that the fix for the loss in power is to stack up multiple speedlights to compensate. One other thing that high-speed sync allows you to do is to open-up that aperture in the bright sun and crank that shutter speed higher.

So now that you have a better understanding about high-speed sync watch it in action with Joe McNally in the desert.

Just think, the camera hadn’t even entered my life and I had little idea about what a camera does except make a lot of people grumpy when they have to stand in front of it. The ‘Camera’ also made some of the moms run like lighting back to their car to get it, trying not to miss a landmark moment in their child’s life or that team photo that we all look back at years down the road.

When I sit and seriously think about what it is that I currently do for a living I cannot help but think, wow. I am basically what I wanted to be when I was 9, but I didn’t know it then. Just a thank-you to everyone along the way that has supported me, inspired me, and increased my knowledge base in photography.

How to approach watching this video: I first had full intentions of watching this start to end without any disruptions. Well, we all know when you’re on-line how hard that is. I ended up breaking this into three viewing sessions, works well with my ADD if you know what I mean. I do dislike taking RAW content from one blog and posting to mine, but this IS RAW. Great quality content that if taken to heart will transform the way that you are approaching your creative photography and wondering where to take the next step. Take a “few” minutes and watch this till the end, it doesn’t get much better than this until Joe McNally comes out with The Hot Shoe Diaries II.

Take a moment to share a few comments about the video and how your passion has kept you going.

All prints are 40″ x 60″ and would love to have a new home. Let me add that transporting these things was a bit of a puzzle due to the size, but I will gladly transport them to wherever you would need them to get to.

I would also like to extend a thank you to Craig Johnson and my dear Maggie for showing up at the crack of dawn to help hang these. Craig is a photographer himself and does some really jaw-dropping HDR’s. Please click over take a few minutes to look at his work.

And the the final new esthetic in Luna looks like this.

Hanging prints at Luna Cafe in De Pere, Wisconsin.

Did you know that they are currently serving over 8,300 children in the Green Bay community!

It’s not only a place to just hang out, it’s a place to build friendships, a place to learn technology, explore different mediums of art, learn how to play an instrument, develop self-discipline and leadership sills, gain the trust of others and develop lasting lifelong skills.

I had that opportunity to make a few pictures of Kareem in the weight room. Pretty big and intimidating guy. It’s not always easy asking a guy of his stature if I can take a few pictures of him. Kareem gave me the OK and away we went.

Did some really tough photos of him lifting and expressionless, but at the end we all had really good time and I managed to capture a shot that shows Kareem’s real personality.

More to come….MW

There are many reasons why I like this photo. The first one that comes to mind is the silver heels. Second, the red text. Third the reflection of the text on the floor. Leave your thoughts in the comments.

I wish I had a few of those old childhood pictures to share with you, but seeing that at this moment I don’t have any I will have to share at a later date. I do want to talk a bit about a few pictures that I do have. I know that you will form your own idea/opinion of each image. Good. That is what this is all about. I would love to hear what you see in the images. What story do you have to tell? What story are you reading? How this image makes you feel? Photography is not only capturing images, but also viewing and reading images. The feelings, emotions and reaction that the image brings to you, the viewer. (See my A Richard Avedon Essay Post for more on this.)

Anyone who has ever been to Las Vegas has passed at least one person spending their day doing this. “Merry Christmas & a happy new year. Very grateful for ANYTHING. Thanks GOD BLESS” is what his note to by-passers states. Why did I take this picture? Why not? I mean, this picture is going to make a connection with about 97% of the people that look at it. Some may say “Oh look at that bum” or “Everyone takes that picture, there’s nothing special about it.” I took this picture because that’s what I do, take pictures. Not in the thinking that this is a special picture and that it should be given an award, but more that it has made a connection to a very high percentage of it’s viewers.

It is not necessarily a picture that anyone would buy, or even pass on a link to their friends, but think of the thoughts, life stories, and tales that are instantly brought to mind by viewing it. You could talk about his self-esteem, his clothing, his note, red cup (does the red cup get noticed more than a blue cup), his jeans (no holes, and there is not a single spot of dirt on them), the hat, scarff….. the list is pretty long. I took this picture because I wanted to, he’s a guy that is ‘different’ in society, and yet has celebrity status. Let me hear your story.

On to another picture.

Walking along noticing this beautiful (or ugly pending on your take of stained glass) piece above me forced me to take a picture. The first result, more of a reaction photo to what I was seeing. I really didn’t think about this any further than just a good exposure. I liked the two right corners just having a touch of the darker outer-circle and by putting them right there it moved the center of the piece just enough off center. Recomposing, I captured the picture below, which I have a better liking for. It mainly just keep my interest for a much longer amount of time and I feel much more visually comfortable, a visual zen one may say, viewing it.

Obviously, this is a subjective comment. It is what I see and feel when viewing. But photography to me is not only how I see, but what everyone else sees and feels as well. I really try hard to make images that make people think. Some stories, some ideas, some others have had more a personal connection because of a pervious happening in their lifetime. There is a connection from my image to the viewers eyes that provokes though process. Sometimes in a more direct way and others in a less, but the connection was made. I look forward to hearing your stories, thoughts and ideas.

Spending the morning looking through some of the archives and came across this picture of me that was taken in March 2009 on Mt. Lemmon, AZ. It inspired me. We are so small to this world around us and yet, at times, we are so oblivious of our surroundings. How often do we take a minute of our day and think about how great and inspiring the world is around us [the present actual world, not cyber world]. All we have to do is let it in. No texting needed. No technology needed. No talking even needed. Just sit back and enjoy, nature is free, enlightening, and greatly inspiring if you let it.

Get those feet muddy and get some dirt under those fingernails. Better yet, get that camera shutter clicking and make yourself a better photographer by capturing the world around you. With a camera you are the story telling, everyone that looks at your pictures will be looking at your point-of-view. You are the artist/author. Your opinion of how you framed it, how you composed it, how you over/under exposed it. Your pictures are you. So instead of reading those RSS feeds on your computer/smartphone or waiting for that next juicy status update on facebook today, go make some pictures!

Now to the good stuff:

• My first dose of inspiration, not only for you, but also for myself is a photographer with such a great concept that I rank it highly among all projects that I have seem. Clark Vandergrift has put together quite the collection titled, “Tree People” Not only is the body painting done exquisitely, by Master bodypainter Jen Seidel, they way that Clark has implemented them into the composition of the photographs is masterful! Very well planned and executed project. Well worth a click of your mouse.
• 500 photographers is a weblog that posts 5 active photographers a week for 100 weeks. The photographers can be from any discipline within the photographic range, but they have to be worth looking at and have a certain level of quality. My favorite so far.
• Joe McNally‘s assistant, Drew Gurian just launched a new, very clean designed web site to display his work. It is always great to view the work of a professional’s assistant, in this case, the assistant to one of the very best.
• A few weeks ago I had that awesome experience to photograph hang-out, talkin’ smack and making a few pics of these six guys known as Stepwise.

Well, I hope this offers you a bit of inspiration and perhaps a few pictures that you haven’t ever looked at before. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Life always has a way of disconnecting you with people of great meaning and friendship as the years roll by. These friends are some of the friends that you have great memories with whether it be playing pick-up games of football and baseball at the local park, or going on high-adventure trips rock-climbing and canoeing through rapids. Sooner or later you start to wonder after all those years of disconnection, what the hell those guys are up to these days?!?!

Well Stepwise is making their comeback after some time off and has hit the road running rockin’ with their new frontman/lead singer Andrew along with a showcase of new material that is sure to turn any White Pony listeners ear. (Boy Scouts and Deftones can’t say that I have ever thought that I would use those two in the same context.)

Stepwise in their practice room. From Left to right (above): Steve-guitar/vocals, Andrew-vocals, Hintz-tables/samples, Ted-drums, Spurt-bass/vocals, Mikey-guitar

The above shot was just a test-shot before a break we took so that band could play a little of music and not have to worry about looking into my glass eye (my Nikon). We ended up not shooting this because of time, but the one shot that I snapped speaks all the guys personalities so well I had to share it.

Tonight! The return happens at 7:00pm at The Rave in Milwaukee!

Headed out to Chicago on a last minute whim  this weekend to catch a 4-game weekend of Fastpitch softball for Marian University. It’s my younger sister’s senior year my chances to get some action pics of her playing are dwindling. I’ve covered her little league games from the time I bought my first SLR camera in high school, and have always made it a point to meet a few times every season to get some shots. I even took a two trips out to AZ for their “spring training” and enjoyed a week of double headers. Gigs of photos later, we are here at the closing of a chapter.

Times like these are part of everyones life. Chapters are just starting and closing, all the juicy details and drama unfolding throughout life. In this case there have been milestones met, lots of bumps and bruises, many hit-by-pitches, the sweet feeling of slammin a homerun, losing a game in the bottom of the 7th; worse yet in the bottom of the 13th. But theses are all parts of the game. The reason that athletes compete. To excel at one thing that you are dedicated.

For me, photography is what I have dedicated my life to, it may change in the future but right now, right here, it’s all about photos. For my sister, it’s all about dedication to something that she has worked at all of her life, fast-pitch softball.

What are you dedicating your life to? In your life’s chapters, what have you dedicated 100% to? Chances are that whatever it is or was, that you succeeded at it.

Been thinking spring lately with the weather changing and the grass getting greener. Warmer weather means better shooting conditions and less ‘dead’ looking landscapes. I think everyone enjoys a life-filled photograph, but I can relate to the lack-of-life. My latest project that I have started includes pieces of life that are now……lacking life as one may put it. They have been passed along and are now out of one’s life. Right out the window that is; on the side of the road. Some of these objects as I walked by them could make one flashback to it’s previous life to see what and who was doing with it. One in particular is the beautifully mangled badminton racquet. When I stumbled upon this particular piece, I could see a child playing in their backyard on a sunny summer afternoon. Laughing and having a wonderful time, making memories. Enjoying life.

The whole concept behind this project is to think of each piece at text. Take some time and read each one. They all have a story. A story that is as wonderful or as simple as you want it. I’m going to be adding to this project throughout the summer and into the fall for an entire year. The entire collection will be available in a hard-cover book when complete.

Steve Grubman is a commercial photographer that specializes in animal, automotive and product photographer for national and international clients.

Tom Maday shoots commercial and editorial pictures. Since opening his studio in 1986, his award-winning work has appeared just about “everywhere.”

Sean Williams creates that are imaginatively stylized scenes into worlds we seem to have just stumbled upon–worlds we recognize from fairy-tales and mythology. His work is something to see and take in, as it really gets you thinking. Really great stuff here.

So really, this is just some photos that no one has really even seen but me. Comments welcome.

The first on was taken while on vacation in Las Vegas. We stopped to grab some sushi at Koi at just the perfect timing to see the show across the street at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.

For those of you that have made it all the way down here, there is a little strobist-bonus set-up shot for the last pic.

]]> http://mikewiesman.com/sharing-some-old-but-new-work/feed/ 0 http://mikewiesman.com/worlds-largest-igloo-photos/ http://mikewiesman.com/worlds-largest-igloo-photos/#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:14:46 +0000 admin http://www.michaelwiesman.com/blog/?p=1412

A few weeks ago I get a call from my friend Ben who I have not heard from in a few weeks. After a short conversation of catching-up, he told me about this group of people that were building an igloo in their back yard and going for a new Guinness World Record™. My response, “That’s pretty cool.”

One week went by and the “Bigloo” was still under construction and my schedule was so that I wasn’t able to make it over to shoot, but I was more excited to shoot this thing in it’s final completion. Fast forward another week and a couple light snowfalls later, and the phone rings again.

Racing the sunlight, a race that we photographers always seem to be losing, I get over there and set up the tri-pod, throw on the  wide-angle and start locking in my exposure with the sun fading fast. These new high-iso digital cameras sure are amazing. I was able to pull-in a lot more of the sky, even after the sun was completely down.

One of my first thoughts was, how the hell does one light an igloo!? I have lit my share of “subjects” in my photography career, but I have never lit an igloo. Standard light on the outside just was not going to cut it for my taste. With all that white snow and sun dropping fast there was no way that I had the time to control all the light bouncing around out there. I ended up sticking lights on the inside of the Bigloo and lighting from within, to get a glowing effect as if there were a temple on the inside, Raiders of the Lost Ark style when they remove the top of the Ark.

Big thanks to Ben for helping me and standing on the inside of the Bigloo tripping my flashes and helping with the set-up and tear-down, taking a few behind the scenes shots and tipping me off to the Bigloo!

More to come..

Mw

Turn the page.

I have really been into the panoramic stitching mode with my photography as of late. It started with a few cell-phone pictures that I stitched together to make a really nice river view at Voyager Park in De Pere, Wisconsin. The best camera is the one that you have with you.

Just sitting and taking-in the sunset one evening that was too good to let go unknown (mainly I wanted to show others why I make the time for sunsets), I had a Palm 755p at the time and snapped off left-to-right taking in consideration everything that I have read about making panoramic pictures. The result of the still alone wasn’t anything special, but after stitched together and a few minor cuvres and contrast adjustments I was really happy with the end result.

This was taken another day, same position, but a much better sky and I cropped this one. Again, shot with the Palm 755p. Stitched with PS CS4 and imported back into Aperture to make some final tweaks.

Just the other night on my way home from work I saw that the dusk sky had that awesome blue that it’s known for. With my De Pere project in mind I stopped to make the bridge look better than most.

Keep your mind active and do something out of the norm…

I’m in the works of outlining some photography workshops, one of them to include the stitching of panoramics with preparation and through ahead of time. Stay tuned for more info on that in the future!

Mw

I don’t really believe that there was a defining moment in my life where I said to myself, “hey, I want to be a photographer.” It was more of a “calling” as many call it. I remember going my older siblings sports games with my family and no matter who was playing, I was always intrigued by the people on the sideline with these HUGE cameras. I remember when I could start telling the difference between Canons and Nikons. I remember thinking, “man, those guys get the best seat in the house. I want to be in that seat. AND if these guys do their job right, they get published on the front page of the newspaper the next day! WOW, what a great deal!

Flash forward 14 years …

Currently I am a working professional that makes a living from making portraits of people on a daily basis. What I had always wanted to be, I currently am, a Professional Photographer. Today, right this minute, I am being an amateur and am only shooting what I want to shoot for the remaining of the weekend till I step into my paid position (professional) on Monday morning.

Thanks to everyone that has influenced me along the way. To my mentors, idols and all other sources of inspiration I offer a big thank-you for giving me a chance, encouragement and creative ideas along the way.

More to come…

Mw

I will be posting the results of this adventure this afternoon/evening. Stay tuned!

Last weekend I got a call from a friend of mine wondering if I wanted to meetup and shoot the sunset. With the weather being a warm 24ºF I knew what my initial response was going be, but with it fresh in my mind that I have not shot anything for fun lately, I said yes.

The first shot, “your standard sunset with some big-sky-clouds”, I didn’t really take a huge liking to. I tried to let the brain slip away and just let my eyes do the seeing, as is their job and I started to see things a bit differently.

I really liked what I was starting to see, and was starting to get a bit more depth into the picture. Forground, middle ground and background right? Looking back at the above shot, I wish I would have visited this idea a little longer and tried a few more compositions. With the sun setting and the light running away from me I trudged onward through the snow to expand the eyes a bit further. Perhaps some close-ups with a little bokeh in the background? (this is due to a great amount of inspiration absorbed from Dustin Dais’ 365-project)

Then when editing them down I remembered that I took a series of 13 photos that I intended to stitch together into a panoramic. Stich + Crop  = Pano. I love it.

Until then, I will look forward to a future day that I can go out and shoot without the feeling of a numb index finger and wondering why the shutter is not clicking because I cannot tell that my numb finger is not on the button.

There is a slew of new links to share this Valentine’s Sunday! Trying to stay true to my purpose of this blog is to keep the inspiration and creativity going not only within my own head, but within your head too. Coffee always helps too.

• Thumbing through the Strobist flickr pool with a search requirement limited to the term “coffee” turned up some really nice results. Really opened my eyes to some new ideas.
• One of my RSS feeds that I follow announced the launching of an entire website dedicated to Canon Speedlight shooters. (Speedliting.com) I’m a Nikon user myself, but this is site is sure to pull at least a few hours of reading time every week.
• Incase you haven’t heard Aperture 3.0 is out and is getting some really, really great reviews. Chase Jarvis blogged about it and so did Joe McNally so you know it is good.
• I really had a great find on pixsylated.com with his last post of the 2009 year. 12 Collections of the best of 2009 photos.

A few other sources of inspiration that I have are the constant “thumbing” back through some of the untouched/unedited files that I have. Here are a few of the revisited files that I cam across that were just begging to be edited.

There is something about “the decisive moment” that makes up a lot of my favorites gallery on jpg. This Henri Cartier-Bresson approach to photography is as tastefully satisfying as your daily vanilla latte or coffee. I find myself going back on a daily basis, more than one time a day, for more than a few days at a time [photography addiction vs. caffeine addiction].

“The 40′s Were Good to Me” is a photo that I took in 2009 in Freedom, Wisconsin.

Prints are available 20in x 30in only, series is limited to 400. Please contact me for purchasing information.

Vote for “The 40′s Were Good to Me” on jpgmag.com!

My response:

I feel that when an HDR is done right, and done right I mean by taken the extra exposures in the camera and not making them out of a single RAW file, then I don’t have quite the quarrels with it. There are many “artists” on flickr and other places on the web and see an HDR and want to achieve the same effect, but don’t want to put the work in. They want that simple one-button solution and instant results.

I have a friend of mine that really only publishes HDR images. It’s what he does, and he’s become pretty damn good at it. Check out some of his work here: Craig Johnson Photography

Personally I like looking at well done HDR images like Craigs’. I think that it’s over doing it if every picture that one produces is an HDR image, but I do hold a respect to the ones that have mastered it and chosen it as their medium. Like Scott said, it is an effect, just like many other effects that photographers add to their images. But it’s got to be done with just the right amount of taste.

Also, there is a time and place for HDR. Sometimes that image gains some power when HDR(ed). Such in the case of photo-journalism. Awhile ago there was a photographer that was fired and sued because of “photoshopping” out telephone poles and tweaking his images just right and then submitting to his editor. NOT COOL in photojournalism. But now if I were to see a properly done HDR image submitted, I think that I would remain a bit more reserved, due to its gained intensity.

In the end, it is an effect done to a photo. Photography is subjective, so there what one person likes, another will hate. It’s the way of the trade.

Your thoughts?

At the end of a hard days work it’s always humbling to walk out to my car with sunset like this. Just wanted to share the view.

What I’m getting to here is that as a professional I find myself pressured into making images that I don’t so much want to make, but if they aren’t made then the client doesn’t pay or is unhappy. In other words, I’m no longer working for myself, but using my skill set to make the pictures that others want me to make.

This leaves me to make the pictures that I want to make in my time outside of my “professional” title. But being in the industry that I am, I am very limited as to what it is that I can make pictures of. No people, no interiors, no products, no concerts, no bands, no buildings, no, no, no. The only way that I am able to make pictures outside of work is to put them in the “Fine Art” category. I’m still waiting for the day that I cannot take pictures while i’m on vacation.

Fine art is a great area of subject, I believe that some of the best photographers of all time have been fine artists. The problem that I run into is that with my day job of make pictures of people, mainly high school seniors, some children, babies and business executives, I have come to be so fascinated with people as a subject. I am drawn to each and every person that steps foot into the studio where I work. I am proud that these clients have chosen us to serve their photography needs. The expectations are all over the board as to what each is looking for, but everyone is looking for me to make them (or their children) look good. Not in my eyes, but in their eyes. When I look at a picture and like am like, wow! But then show a client and they are like, well…….that’s neat…..I like it……….but I can sense that there is still a bit of unhappiness. This means that I have to work harder and continue to build that trust with the client so we are on the same page and I can make what they are looking for.

I approach each session that I do as a little relationship. When you think about it, how many people have YOU let take a picture of you? As for me, there have been less than a single handful. It is a major thing to have your picture taken to most people. Building that trust with the client starts from the minute that they walk in your studio door, all the way till they come in pickup their prints. Trust is the most important aspect in my relationship with my loved ones, my beautiful wife Maggie, my mother and father, my brothers and sisters. Why should it be any different with the clients that are trusting you to capture their personality, smiles and character in portrait form? The only way to get great pictures is to have that trust with your clients/subjects.

Back onto the main subject, I find myself attracted to people so much that I have a hard time not making pictures of them outside work. It’s not that I want to take business away, but it’s my way of “practicing”. I don’t charge for portraits when I take them outside of work, which is why I think that they are so mad at me, but it’s not being done for the profit, it’s being done for the passion and fueling the creativity that I bring to work to make the pictures that they pay me to make.

If this is taken away from me, my creativity, fun with the photography medium, passion and drive go out the window. I HAVE to have the time and opportunities to make the pictures that I want to. It’s passion that drives amateurs, money that drive professionals.

In closing, thanks for making it through my scattered thoughts. It has been a rough few days and I have had a lot on my mind as to where I would like to take my career and life; more so my life. I know for sure that I am a photographer and that forever I will remain an Amateur because I do it for the passion and love of picture making on a daily basis. I only hold a “professional” title to me name to pay the bills, much like many of the professionals out there. But when work starts to control what I can and cannot do outside of work……….we should really think about if it’s the best position to be in.

I headed to the Milwaukee Art Museum last fall and haven’t had the time to edit a few of the pictures till now (due to work). Here’s a few, including the portrait of my beautiful Maggie (above).

What are your thoughts?

until next time….mw

This is where the research before the shoot comes in handy. KNOW your subject! I would have to say that 75-80% of the shoot is just making that person feel comfortable, safe and know that you’re going to make the best picture that you can of them. Being a photographer means being a good people person, at least one that does his homework. There are a few stereotypes that photographers tell corny jokes to get smiles, along with all kinds of other things just to get laughs. Well, call me weird, but I have never used a corny joke to get a smile. In fact, many of my sessions are so relaxed, and comfortable my subject if offering up new ideas that help me make a picture of them that I know they are going to like.

I would say that the better-half of the first 15-20 minutes of the sessions are just getting to know one another and feeling each other out. (I can take that time, because my sessions are an hour or longer at a time) Some photographers don’t have that luxury, and are forced to speed it up. (I tend to work better under pressure as well). Once your subject is comfortable, then the real frames start to be made.

I like to find a common interest between the two of us and go with it, as soon as it runs dry, I’ll find another. I also tend to think about it like this: If I were going to have a picture made of me, what kind of person would I want to make it? And act according to the situation. Good photographers are good people, people. They do their research on their subject. Lets say that you know this person is a die-hard Cubs fan because you found their blog post about how let down they were because they didn’t get to the Series, and without asking too many questions to your subject, you express that you too were let down with the performance of the Cubs this year. Right there you have a connection. Photographing people is all about the CONNECTION that you as a photographer have your subject(s).

Ever pickup your camera and wonder what to shoot? Are you working on your new 365-project and starting to hit a wall on this 10th day of 2010? Trying to find that new subject or “look” for your next shoot? Here’s a list of a some links that should help get your creative juices flowing.

• As always, if you are looking for something to shoot. Great content is only a few clicks away with David Hobby at Strobist. I sometimes just take a look through the archives to get the wheels turning.
• Believe it or not, YouTube is also a great source of inspiration. There are a lot of photographers that post their behind-the-scenes footage of photo shoots, lighting tut’s, gear reviews and the backyard 2-story water slide that we all eventually get sidetrack on.
• There is a great little app for the Palm Pre called, Dropee. Which serves as a Dropular client. Dropluar is a Media Bookmarking site that is great for artists, designers or anybody that wants to see interesting images, videos, or links from the world wide web. (Currently down due to a server change)
• Looking to add some new gadgets to that bag? Check out the strobist-friendly products of CheetahStand.
• Dustin Diaz, voted as the Best flickr Photographer of 2009, wrapped up an addicting 365-project on December 31st. A stroll through his photography will get your Bokeh-jucies flowing, most of his images have strobist info attached as well as a set-up shot showing the lighting set-up.
• Craig Johnson produces some some of the best HDR images around.

There are a lot of days that go by where I am wondering what I can shoot. I know that when I have reached the point that I am thinking about what I want to shoot, I know that I am over-thinking. Just pick up your camera, put on that lens that you never use, because “you don’t know when you would ever use it,” and go take a walk. Capture everything you see, everything that intrigues you, grabs your eye and causes you think think. Thinking about being creative does not do it for me, I have to get out there and make pictures.

I plan on having this collection loosely “completed” by then end of the weekend. There are so many people that had such a large impact on my life that I want to make sure that I include all the great memories. Under much thought I have also decided to include pictures that I have taken with other cameras other than professional SLR cameras. I decided on this because the main point of the project is that the moment captured is more important than the high-tech machine that captured it.

So in essence, I hope to have this project wrapped up soon.

What do I want to get out of this? Well, I do like the idea of having all of my ramblings all in one place, along with the comments of others that build and sometime expand the original topic for one. Keeping all this organized is and always has been a challenge for me, so by doing it this way I believe that it will stay a bit more efficient.

I would also like to get into doing some How-To videos and or some seminars on photography, as well as getting back to to school to finish my masters. I have many ideas on how I would like to teach and offer up what I have learned behind the lens, but what I want to teach doesn’t mean that you are going to want to learn it. I have to do some more research as to what everyone would want to learn and be willing to give up a better half of a day to come learn, play and go home with some great images that they made. Any of your ideas are always welcome, post them in the comments area or shoot me an email.

Here’s the last image of 2009 for me.

Just for the heck of it I put on the longest possible combination of glass I have onto my Nikon, and shot for the moon. This is an old Vivitar 800mm f:8 lens stacked on a 2x-Tele on a Nikon D300. So with the DX 1.5x magnification this combination is equal to a 2400mm F:8  glass Coke bottle lens!

Among other coffee shops in the Green Bay area are, Karvana, The Daily Buzz, Crystal Coffee Cafe, Starbucks (of course, they’re everywhere), Caffe’ Espresso, Lox Stock & Bagel and many more. But when I am in other cities, I have been making myself aware of what I look for and it is Free Wi-Fi, Good tasting coffee and plenty of power outlets for all.

• The Strobist Jet Pack is a great little DIY project that solves a few problems for the solo shooter out there that is always wishing that they could get that light off the camera further.
• Have you been the victim of a lighting test-shot? If so, make sure that you check out Light-test.com. Everyone is welcome to upload your own light-test image to the community.
• Chase Jarvis recently posted a great talk that he gave at the Art Director’s Club of Denver.
• Joe McNally is STILL playing around with Speedlights, and as always, is creating some mind-blowing results. (Where does this guy think of these things?!)
• ‘Reverie’ the first feature film made with the Nikon D90 is completed and in the stages of being released. Check out a teaser here. And/or check out the official web site!
• As always, stay up-to-date with Nikon Rumors.

The most recent of my displays is at a local Coffee house, Luna Cafe in De Pere, WI. This group of work went up on March 14th and will continue to be on display for another month or 365 days, display time has been agreed upon the amount of feedback that has been received. So far so good.

As for assignments, I recently shot a Todd Snider concert at the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay WI. This barefoot troubadour performed live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman and his CDs appeared on numerous year-end Top 10 lists including Spin, Blender and Rolling Stone.

I’ll have another post to follow with some more pics of things that I have been up to, but for those of you that have made it this far. Here’s one for the road:

Zack Arias put together a great short about why many of us photographers (artists of all kinds) have stuck with it.

Nick work Zack! Right on in all senses!

I haven’t been actually out shooting too much, the weather and the day job have had a lot to do with that. But last weekend drove 5 hours across the state to The Lake Pepin Art and Design Center for a musical performance that was down-right out of this world. It’s really a shame that I have to travel 250+ miles for artistic performances.
The Hollands opened up the night with a great set of original music followed by the unique sound of Terra Guitarra.

I have posted a mini gallery of the photos I took from the event on michaelwiesman.com.

Spring is just around the corner and I have a lot shoots in the mix. I, much like the rest of Wisconsin and the midwest are looking forward to sunny skies and warm weather.

I have decided to talk a bit about the power of a good photograph, and how it many times gets overlooked in todays small business because of the expense. Many owners feel that they can skimp on the photography because it’s something that they can do themselves, especially with the technology of digital SLR cameras continuing to advance at a very rapid rate.

Below you will find a quick list of FIVE important reasons that I feel good professionally done photography is important to all sized business’ alike. I am just going to list these things out there and I hope that you can contribute and discuss. I love to read comments.

1.Stopping Power. A good photo speaks volumes louder than an “ok photo” will ever speak. Lets take a simple example that I am sure that just about everyone can relate to; The front page of your local newspaper. The front page photograph beside the main headline, are what “suck” the reader into the paper and force them to stop on the sidewalk, put their $0.75 in the machine, and walk away with Today’s News. Even a person that cannot read, can understand a photograph. A good photograph stops the viewer in their tracks, whether it be busy businessperson, the local cook on their lunch, a student on their way home from class or the casual internet surfer. If any of them see a jaw-dropping photograph on the front page they are more than likely to stop and at least look at the paper or stay on that web page for a bit longer. That is what I am going for here. I think that most of us understand what a good photo and a bad photo are.

2. People like to see before they purchase. I do not know about you, but I am an avid eBayer. After all, it is the world’s biggest thrift store right? But this goes for ALL online stores and business that sell products. More more real the photograph is of the item that you are selling, the more likely that item is to sell. I do not think that I have ever bough anything without first looking at it in closer detail. A good product photograph should show the texture of the material or item, the overall size, proper color, and for clothes, maybe a little attitude. The viewer should really be able to visualize and just about feel the product in their hands with the photos that you are providing them. The more solid a job that you do in displaying that item, the more comfortable that person feels with it, the more attached they become to it, the more that they have to HAVE that item. Going…going…SOLD!

3. Visual improvements. One of the biggest turn-offs that I have when I am on the web is bad photographs on a site. (I think that this comes particularly with the profession that I have chosen and being a visual person) I am about 85% more likely to navigate away from a site due to the bad photography. I think that it has a direct relationship as to how the viewer portrays the business. If there are bad photographs, I feel that the viewer is more inclined to think there are bad products. Whereas if there is a breathtaking photograph, the viewer is more likely one, stay on the site longer and two, have a better sense and confidence in the business. If a prospective client is confidant in the business, the likelihood of a sale skyrockets!

4. Building off of the pervious point, a good photograph shows that you are serious about what you are selling. You have taken the time and effort (and money if you hired a photographer) to do it right. Customers will notice this and it will have an impact on the reputation of the business. A dimly-lit, yellow-ish interior of your restaurant isn’t going make people want to come and dine there. Now think of that, a beautifully exposed, true white-balanced, in-focus photograph that you have seen in Dwell. That is how you want to show-off your business.

5. Spend once, use many times in many applications. As a business owner, I have always had the mentality that you have to spend money to make money. Spending money on a Professional Photographer to shoot interiors, products and atmosphere shots for your company is money well spent. These photos can be used on your Web site, TV commercials, menus, gift certificates/gift cards, bill boards, stickers, member cards, really any promotional material. (Make sure that you read that contract)

I see many business that skimp on the photography because they feel that it not worth the cost. What I am saying here, not because I am in the photography field but because it really is proven, is that good photography sells and in the end, will help make your business more profitable. (And keeps me in business ;) )

The good thing about a struggling market is that it’s going to weed out all the bad photographers that are out there shooting professional assignments. I feel that with how fast the Digital Movement came upon photographers that the older generations of studio photographers were focused on learning the technology so intensively that they forgot to take a minute to look at their business plan as well. It is one of the hottest topics among portrait photographers on how the senior business is shrinking and they do not know what they are going to do to get that business back. Everyday there is a new “uncle Jim” and “aunt Doris” or some other acquaintance that gets a digital camera and is INSTANTLY an amazing photographer! Long story short, they end up taking family senior portraits, weddings and all that jazz. “Cutting into the professional market” as everyone is putting it.

Cameras have become SOO good that just about anyone can produce an image that could pass as professional. Aright, maybe not straight out of the camera, but with a little “photoshopping” they could produce an acceptable image. What this time in photography is The Survival of the Fittest Photographer. The photographers that are creating new backgrounds, shooting at different locations, experimenting with new lighting, being actively creative away from and while behind the camera are going to be the ones that succeed. This in-turn will produce a new generation of advanced photographers that will be far ahead of the standard studio photographer that is using all the same lighting, backgrounds – just plopping in a few subject.

As Chase Jarvis explains the photographer that goes out there on a limb and is creating images that have not already been captured before are going to be the photographer that is going to succeed in this current market of photography. The photographers that have grown up with the digital technology already know how it works, they are not using time to think about how it works, like the traditional photographer may be. The latest generation photographer is the busy scouting out new locations, POV’s with kick-ass back-scapes, spending time at Home-Depot looking at the clearance isle for props and DYI light modifiers.

Wrapping it.
So do not use the economy as an excuse like so many others are. (Ah hem, American Auto Industry). This is your time as a Photographer to SHINE! Make the photographs that YOU want to! Do not be afraid to “photoshop” your images, afterall it is a tool that we have to use.

Just think if we had the technology of “the wheel”, and refused to use it…

I would like for you to take at most three minutes and take a look at my online portfolio and use the contact form or email me mike[at]michaelwiesman[dot]com and give me some critical feedback on what photo/s you like the most and the one that you like the least. Does not have to be three minutes and please take longer if you would like. What I am going for here is feedback, I want to know and here what each and every one of you think of my portfolio. That is right, it is open season on my photography, shoot away with comments!

If you would be so kind to just state a little bit what you like and dislike about the two, three, four, or as many pictures you feel need to be commented on, that would be excellent. I will promise that I will read each and everyone of your comments and get back to you with a response.

You are also welcome to start up some dialog via comments, I would love to get some banter going.

If you are absolutely pressed for time, if you would be so kind as to quickly let me know what picture you like and dislike, that’s cool too.

VIEW MY ONLINE PORTFOLIO

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On a side note, I felt that a new self-portrait was needed the other night, So I made one. Feel free to comment on that too:

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Last note, If you want your picture taken, know someone that would like their picture taken, or have a need for photography; we need to talk.

I have been shooting pro bono photography work for a few years now and I have always looked at it as a time for me to set some challenges for myself and to fill a void in my portfolio. Sometimes it starts with a “Hey Mike, you’re a photographer right?” from someone I know, and other times I have gone out of my way for a person/organization that I feel could benefit from my skills. Yes, this has let to more paying gigs, more exposure, more Web site traffic, more emails, more EVERYTHING! And most important of all, I have filled a spot in my portfolio and the person I did the work for has benefited.

Do you see a downside to this? I sure do not. YOU are the creative director, YOU have complete control over everything. Think of that one image you have always felt is missing from your portfolio, opportunity is knocking, repetitively and loudly. One of the best feelings I have had as a photographer is when I approach someone and ask them if I can take their picture, most everyone is SHOCKED that I want to take their photograph. The day that I shot Skaters in the Park I saw these guys skating and flying through the air and thought to myself, “Man, I don’t have a picture like that in my book” So I asked them. Their initial response was, “What are they for?” A quick explanation later and I was “cool” in their book, and before you know it I had an audience and they were pulling tricks left and right……..everyone wanted their photo taken.

This has actually turned into a great lead for me, I have another shoot with these guys and a few other pro rollerbladers and skateboarders. A little free thing here and there more than likely will come back to you in the future. I promise.

The example that David talks about with the local restaurant, be it any local business, is a great starting point…..if not THE point for all photographers alike to create some outstanding imagery along with building some new personal/business relationships. Hell, it might even be the start of an economic revolution! All starting without a cent being exchanged.

Chase has even taken is so far as asking for readers to submit project proposals for a FREE commercial photo shoot with his ENTIRE crew, start to finish! I cannot think of a better to market oneself.

Just when I was getting ready to purchase a D3, Nikon officially announced the release of the D3x. While the D3x is not aimed so much at the professional sports photographer like its predecessor D3, this baby still packs a whopping punch.

Nikon has obviously captured the attention of the sports photographer with the release of the D3. Now they have captured the attention of the commercial photographer with the D3x.

Some of the other key features:

• Exceptional noise control from ISO 100 to ISO 1600
• Near-instantaneous shutter release time lag of approx. 0.04 seconds (based on CIPA Guideline)
• 5-frames-per-second continuous shooting in FX format and 7 fps in DX crop mode (up to 130 frames)
• 51-point Multi-CAM 3500FX autofocus system
• Scene Recognition System for more accurate AF, AE, and AWB results
• Active D-Lighting for complete control over highlight and shadow detail
• Picture Control: Standard, Vivid, Neutral and Monochrome (Landscape, Portrait and D2X Modes I, II and III are available free via download)
• Live View mode for shooting handheld and with a tripod
• Highresolution (approx. 920k dots), 3-inch VGA-size LCD monitor with tempered glass
• Durable, lightweight magnesium-alloy construction and comprehensive weather sealing against dust and moisture
• Intelligent power management that lets you shoot up to approx. 4,400 frames on a single battery charge (based on CIPA Guideline)
• Compatibility with the Nikon Total Imaging System

Overall, another very impressive weapon in the Nikon dSLR lineup. With the amazingly fast 51-point autofocus system, the ability to shoot small-end medium format full-frame photographs with the versitality of the 35mm dslr size, the D3x is sure to see success.

Read more at NikonUSA.com

With the season just about fully transitioned to winter here in Wisconsin, minus the two feet of snow, the temperature has changed and the cold now chills one to the bone. Waiting for the snow to stick is what gets to me the most. After all, what is cold weather without snow? Everything is so gray and dull that I find myself struggling with my personal work in the midst of an unforgiving seasonal change.

I love the outdoors and Door County had another sensational fall that helped capture some of my best images to date. Full of beautiful colors and tourists as always, Door County could and will go down in my book as one of my favorite places in Wisconsin to photograph, and just to be. So being cooped up indoors for the mean time I have started to expand on my “Uniquely Complicated” series. Above is the first of the expansion. Look forward for more of these to come. I love the complicatedness of these images as the two substances mold and meld together with a simplicity that’s so complex as the same time. I also love the purity of a single color among and against the simple white background with subtle gray tones framing in the complexity.

I recently did some very unique copy-work for a new client. She was a soft-spoken aged woman that walked with a tall confidence that radiated from the moment that I met her. Carrying an old looking shoebox with her and a look on her face that said “I cannot wait to see these,” my mind was going in all directions as to what this job was going to in-tale. For some reason my mind was stuck on the last copy work that I did of some old black and white prints that needed to be scanned and basically digitized for the client. As the proud woman took her time putting down the mystery box, I knew that moments of someone’s life, moments of history awaited inside this box for me.

The box now open, I find four smaller boxes inside carefully packed with crumpled newspaper and on the front of one of these old tattered 3 1/2″ X 5 1/2″ boxes I make out the word “Roebuck.” I knew right away that this project was going to offer new challenges that I have not run into and that history was just about to repeat itself, just for me. Long story short, these negatives ended up being glass-plate negatives that my client wanted simple 4×6 prints made of. No retouching, just prints so that she could take a walk down memory-lane.

Below are a few of the negatives:

This experience was one of the most truly memorable moments in my photographic career. Knowing that these photos were taken WELL before my time here on earth and knowing that the photographer that took these for the reason to “capture a moment,” for others after that moment could see them. There could have be no way that was fathomable for the artist to know that I, Michael Wiesman would be digitizing them, but I think that our fates as photographers crossed for a moment, and that is a link that I feel many times even as I connect with works of the Masters.

As much as I want to share the process that I took to duplicate these, I will leave that for another post, I want to express that each and everyone of us is shaping the history that we will all look back at. We as photographers have a job to document our lives, some directly and other indirectly we all have a place in the history books as history will repeat itself for individuals that look at our images. That being said, let history repeat itself one more time as you look at a few of the finals below.

The evening started at Helix Photography and Video with the destination unknown to us all. All that we were told ahead of time was:

The three studios that were welcomely open for our visiting were:
Steve Grubman
Sean Williams
Tom Maday
Below are a few pictures that I took with my terrible camera phone.

These guys were VERY informative in this casual, basic question-and-answer tour. All and all good times were had and lots of mentoring went on. This being one my first ASMP event, I was entirely pleased, and instantly knew that I would be attending all of the events that my schedule allows. Thanks again Ron for setting this up and if you are in the Chicago/Midwest regoin, I highly encourage you to check out the Event Calender and get involved.

And now back to your regular scheduled self-promotion material…

You do schedule time to self-promote right?

That’s a waste of time, you are missing out on many of the shots that count. Not just action shots sell. and how many photos have you saw in newspapers and magazines that aren’t “picture prefect”? Granted the vast majority are tack-sharp, but there is always that one unique shot that makes it double-truck, or on the cover.When editing on the fly in the field or on location there is this urge to rush-edit and make impulse deletions in a millisecond’s amount of time.

Not me, I have done away with on camera editing. I some of my best shots are ones that I was reviewing in the field and thought nothing of it, but it was not until I had of opened on my 24″ screen that I saw the power that one particular photograph had. Above is a good example. I had two camera bodies with me on this shoot one with a 300mm f2.8 and another with a 24-70mm f2.8. I had just finished rapping off a few closeups on the pack of runners coming towards me and grabbed the camera around my neck with the wide angle on it. Little did I know that I didn’t change my exposure setting from my last shot, (I was in a hurry, the pack was already in front of me and not slowing down). rapped off about a dozen shots listening to the shutter at an extremely slow speed then what I mind was expecting. I just kept clicking hoping for something. Above in the resulting image.

My point being, 3 inches isn’t enough to be doing photo editing on. Storage is cheep, buy lots of it so that you are never running short and save your editing for the post-shoot.