It is FREE and so very entertaining

http://www.youtube.com/user/DigitalRevCom

Over the past year or so I have wondered onto this site a number of times.  The entertainment value has been extraordinary.

You learn and get exposed to new things and it's all done with humor and simplistic approaches.


Here is what Zack Arias had to say about these folks on his own blog.

"I’ve been a big fan of these fine folks for some time. This is Lok, Kai, and Alamby who make up the DigitalRev team. It’s hard to describe exactly what they do but suffice it to say that they are the Top Gear of photography. Or should I say, Top Gear is the DigitalRev of cars. Kai (in the center) is the mastermind behind the most subscribed to photography channel on YouTube. He’s irreverent, hysterical, and completely brilliant. Lok and Alamby are perfect  and grounded compliments to Kai’s insanity. They are my favorite photography personalities ever. It’s the understatement of the year to say that I was honored to get to meet them and take part in their ongoing “Pro Photographer. Cheap Camera.” series.
I met up with the trio in the Mong Kok area of Hong Kong this week to find out what my challenge would be and what cheap P.O.S. camera I would be armed with to meet their challenge. Kai showed up with an old Kodak C142 point and shoot and an old Nikon flash. My challenge was to shoot people on the street but I had to use the flash. The first challenge was figuring out if I could get the flash to sync with the camera. Once we found a way to get that going then I had to find subjects in low light areas so the flash on the camera would fire. I could not force it to fire at all times. There was zero exposure control on that crap ass camera and zero control as to where it would focus. It was the kind of camera that makes you wonder how point and shoots ever progressed and was a good example of why Kodak failed in the Point and Miss category of cameras.
So here is the result of my challenge. It was so much fun. I sort of went all fan boy on them when I saw them! A selection of images follows the video."

The topics are limitless, and you can find review, challenges, and just about anything related to photography within the boundaries of this site.

Bookmark it and when you have some time, pick out a couple of videos and enjoy.

I think you will find their style and knowledge well worth the time investment.

 

Penn [4] is mightier than the Sword!

Irving Penn [number 4 for those keeping count]

An artist whose work I happened across this semester in my quest to find a homage candidate.

I do so enjoy a portrait session to pass the time of day.  And Irving Penn has done so many fine pieces of work to admire and learn from.

I discovered that a foundation exists to promote his work.  Always nice to see that efforts of this kind exist to help preserve art for all to enjoy.  I worry that some forms of art and music will continue to suffer funding and continue to fade away from our daily lives.  I firmly believe in preservation of classics in the art and music world.  I do what I can to help in several local charities.  The St. Louis Artist Guild is one.  Missouri Botanical Gardens another.   

http://irvingpenn.org/

One of my favorite images from Mr. Penn.  Simple but at the same time a complex construction of lighting and positioning to get these results. 

First Official Lab Time for me today

Needed to bring in all my stuff, paper, supplies that will be handy for working in the lab.  Set up both the BW and Digital Photo II lockers with those items.

Located, and I mean looked high and low for the original RAW files for those images I wish to present on Tuesday for potential use in the St. Charles County Art Council Exhibit.  I have only three days to now re-evaluate my choices, see if the original TIFF files are worthy or should I redo them.

Post production work is always a process that shows visible improvement over time.  Software improves, my personal learning of the use of the software improves [gosh I sure hope it does over time and repetitive use] and exposure to other's work and seeing what can be done is bound to sink in eventually.

What does not change I find is that if a photo is decent enough, it will hold up over time.  It's essential elements should be present.  It might be just a tweak of exposure in some dark shadow or a touch of vibrance or maybe a touch of dark vignette to frame the subject better.

My work is in front of me.  I hope and truly believe that my best work is yet to come.  I have seen good enough in the past when shooting to envision something and produce an image worthy of my vision.  As I improve as I believe we all do [different timelines, different paces] I trust my ability to see things and then produce an image that depicts that vision will work.

My goal is to enjoy the process, not to rush thru it.  Not that a grade is not important, I would not be human if I said it did not matter.  It does, but I really want to learn more about how I approach my photography.  Putting myself into my work. Finding the satisfaction in what I am doing and why I am doing it.

I hope this semesters classmates will share with me this passion and joy and we can have a great time doing what we all do best.  Photog!

Adam Marelli [3] - Classical Art and Photography

I encourage all to view this video.  It's topic of Classical ART and Photography is worthy of your time and effort.

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/classical-art-photography/

I get a subscription from this site on nearly a daily basis.  The TIPS they provide are varied and very informative.  I find many that support my advancement in the world of photography.

Today, I took the time to watch this lengthy [nearly an hour and half long] video.  But it brought me back to my art days, when I had paint brushes, clay and other mediums in my hands.  Long before a camera.

I enjoyed the very specific manner in which Adam Marelli gives you his view on what the photographer can do to control his / her imagery, to produce outcomes that are better than just the average photo.

It was good to hear that lessons can be learned and practice and experimentation can result in an elevation of our work.

http://www.adammarelliphoto.com/


I will be exploring more about Mr. Marelli as time permits.  His approach to photography is a pleasant blend of the art and process.  His focus on using ones native skill and ability and knowledge to PRODUCE a piece of work is pointed and encouraging for me.

He  is a student of THE DECISIVE MOMENT

ZACK ARIAS: [2] Some one really new for me

I had found this person last week and made it a draft for this week's posting, not knowing we would have the class assignment for a presentation.  In my group, we discussed and reviewed a number of photog artists and I had proposed Zack as our person of interest.  And as it turns out, we look to be going with him.  Funny how things turn out sometimes.

So anyway......

If you do not know me well, suffice it to say I can stay up very late sometimes and do lots of work on various things photo related, taxes for my personal or business, or even take photos in my home studio.  This night in question, it was all things DPII.

I was following a path thru the the world wide web, seeking knowledge, pursuing my craft.

I happened upon a photographer out of Atlanta, GA area.

ZACK ARIAS.  I watched a video of him sharing his plight with Signal and Noise.  It had a soundtrack that was pleasant and being a lover of good music, I pursued that path, it turns out it was his wife and she is a professional and that led me further to another video of Zach doing a challenge of using a really cheap camera with an off camera flash with minimal functionality in a foreign land, with little common language available.

The path I took was simply exciting.

I happened upon the video that started my journey, liking it a lot.  It sets up the common issue most everyone will encounter when they get stuck, and he offers up some solutions to think about, to try.  His message is to find the right path to keep moving and not get stuck with too many details.

http://zackarias.com/uncategorized/signal-noise-produced-for-scottkelby-com/

This is five minutes well spent in my opinion.  And after watching and listening, I then needed to pursue the music that played during the video.  I do that a lot, watching a show and hearing a soundtrack is one of those hot pursuit paths I do a lot.  Many shows spend good money and effort to find that perfect tune to give the viewer a complete experience of audio as well as visual pleasure.

I find that when  tune sticks in my head, I will typically remember the event that occurred when I heard the music.  I guess that is what most producers are going for, to remember their show or product when you run across that song.

That led me to:  What is the song, and who sings it.

It turned out that Zack 's wife Meghan is the writer and artist singing the song.  And she has others that are equally compelling for me, at least.   Check her out.

http://meghanarias.com/

And her blog


http://meghanarias.com/blog/

the song posting is at

http://meghanarias.com/2013/01/16/polly/


And not sure how I got to the next level of fun things, but it happened on my iPad, and the junk at the bottom had a list of videos that might be of interest to me.  So I saw one, with the Zack man again, doing this challenge and it was as I have grown to love about the group that produces these videos.  Educational and truly enlightening about how you can do so much with so little if you have the talent and skill to SEE the image.  The gear can be of minimalist means.

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/07/23/zack-arias-attempts-pro-photos-with-a-cheap-camera/

All in all a bit of time that paid me back exponentially.  I have seen a number of this series, the host is a riot to watch, and seriously down to earth with practical advice on many topics and approaches.  This challenge series is just one of another of his genius offerings.

Zack's web site:

http://zackarias.com/

New Semester - MONTE ZUCKER [1]

School has finally started up again.  It was a long break, too long for those that have the itch for learning burning a hole in their brain.

Taking two courses this semester.  Digital Photo II and Black and White Film Photography I.

So This blog might have items that mix and match the courses, or I might start a new one to accommodate the Film course separately, we shall see how it goes.


Monte Zucker:  I do not remember if I had brought his name up previously, but even if I have, he is worthy of a new posting and mention.

http://www.montezucker.com/

I first got exposed to his work and his methods of portraiture almost 8 years ago.  I was attempting to complete course work in NYIP [New York Institute of Photography, a long distance learning group]  They had him as a keynote guest instructor on their videos.  I retook the course and completed it several years later [my first stint was cut short due to medical reasons, a couple of heart surgeries and cancer, but I am alive and doing fairly well these days]

The course was updated with DVD's and some online work, and I got to see Monte work his magic in setting up simple but stunning lighting for a person.  His concept was to evaluate the facial features first.  And decide which side was the better main light side to work from.  Then he would build his lighting from that point.  Most everyone has a better side.

As my skills as evaluating this are still being honed, I tend to shoot from BOTH sides during a shoot, just to cover all the bases.  I do see that his assessment of a singular good side is very true though.  I find very few people have both sides as worthy of final outcomes for use.

The one thing I learned most from Monte is that finding a style and using it to get consistent results is not a bad thing.  It can be limiting some might argue.  And yes I agree that as artist and practicing photographers we should be able to accommodate a variety of styles and schemes.  We are not hurt by the fact we have a specific concept to produce stellar results.  It is a challenge to get such results when the environment is not ideal for our lighting set up.  Using the tools available to get these results is where we can shine as artists and skilled photographers.

We might not have the strobes or speedlights.  Maybe only a window and a reflector or piece of cardboard.  Making due with the things around us.

The key to success is seeing the image, the fall of the shadows on the face.  The positioning of the subject.  These are classic elements to establishing a style that is fruitfully productive in terms of outcome and easily repeatable for us as technicians of our trade.

So my shot out to those reading this, do YOU have a fall back position for lighting that allows you to get great results time after time?  Do you know which way to point a person's face to get their BEST side?

If you do not or want to learn more about how to up your game in this area, then check out MONTE ZUCKER's educational opportunities.  His efforts are continued by his colleagues  He has passed on from our world, but his work continues through these folks.  They came thru STL last year holding a day long hands on seminar.  it was a very good program, well worth the time and money in my opinion.

A list of those that have inspired me. 1 to 16

First was Tina Stobie [1], a photojournalism student at the University of Missouri at Columbia.  She graduated some time around 1976.  I knew her from 1974 thru 1976.  I watched her work her magic with black and white film.  My interest was created at this time.  I helped set up shoots, watched her develop the prints in the lab.  I was hooked.  I do not know what happened to her.  Her room mates lost touch and my searches for her have ended in vain.  But she was the beginning of my photography journey.  I do not have a citation to share for this person.  But I have found a person with this name living in Colorado that is approximately the right age, I will continue to seek her out.

Next was Chester Danett [2], a Russian immigrant  who was my first photography teacher at Florissant Valley Community College.  He established a foundation of photographic skills and abilities that would carry me through the growing years.  Shooting, using the camera, painting with the light, and developing for a vision.  I repeated the class with him, just to get as much as I could from this unique person.  I do not have a citation to share for this person.

October 4, 1966

Color photographs by Chester Danett (Viacheslav Perventcev), exhibition; biography note 83

found this...

Chester Danett, a photographer, died Monday (Jan. 23, 2006) at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur. He was 89 and a resident of west St. Louis County.

Mr. Danett was born in Russia. In 1919, his family fled to Poland during the Bolshevik revolution. In World War II, he was sent to a German labor camp. After the camp was liberated by Americans, he worked in the U.S. Army headquarters in Germany.

In 1948, Mr. Danett moved to St. Louis and worked for Monsanto, while teaching photography at Florissant Valley Community College. As a photographer, Mr. Danett had 38 one-man shows. In 1966, he had a six-week exhibit, called "Photographs in Color," at the ...

The article cuts off here…but will keep looking

I did find this in my research of him.  Will continue to research more about his life and work.


Ansel Adams [3] and his work was an early icon for me to study and admire.  His work is legendary and his process as complex as his results.  I did not appreciate how complicated it was to produce the work he did, until many years later.

There are extensive citations for this photographer, here is one.

http://www.anseladams.com/


Each of the next grouping have numerous citations, I provide but one path, but there is a rich and deep history of each of them available both online and at the library.

The list of influencing photographers grew as my world expanded.
Sally Mann [4],  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Mann
Diane Arbus [5],  http://diane-arbus-photography.com/
Annie Leibovitz [6],   http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/annie-leibovitz/photo-gallery/19/
Henri Cartier-Bresson [7]    http://www.henricartierbresson.org/index_en.htm

All filled my mind with ideas and concepts as I studied their work and read about their lives and the process they employed as photographers.

As time went on, I grew from a passion for subject matter of the inanimate nature to those of the human form.  My interests in portraiture grew and as much as I strayed, I would return with a vengeance.  I had not gotten to a point of producing stellar work in a consistent manner, but I was getting the occasional fine outcome.  I captured things with great lighting, and the composition just seemed to fall into place.  But it did not happen enough for my tastes.

I took a long break from serious work, and filled the time with family snap shots and a lot of sports shooting, covering softball tournaments, shooting in Busch Stadium once.  I talked with the local Post Dispatch sports photographer as we knelled side by side on the field at Busch Stadium.  He still works the beat.

His name:
Chris Lee [8].   http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=509399&CategoryID=38575

he shared his work process while at a venue such as a professional ball park, and I learned the nuances of lighting in such a place.  It opened my eyes to a whole new world.



Photoshop came into my life a while back, just as Adobe was moving from a number version to the Creative Suites packaging.  I heard of a fellow named:

Scott Kelby [9]   http://scottkelby.com/
If you know anything about Photoshop then you surely have heard the name Scott Kelby associated with it, his methods, his teachings, his amazing skill and ability.





 A local area artist who produces stellar work time after time.  I took on of his studio classes at his home studio and was even more impressed how he produces such fine work with the ease.  He is one who demonstrates that practice can make perfect in many aspects of photography. 

Jim Trotter [10]        http://trotterart.com/ 


When I was looking to expand my area of knowledge I sought out local studios and found one in Maplewood.  Another home grown talent, standing tall at 6'9" I believe, one of the few people I have met that I have to look UP to physically.  Workshops, classes, a brief stint as a contracted sports photographer for his studio, and I continue to stay in contact with him.  His work is consistently good and the art of capturing people with great poses is always an earmark of his images.  Studio Altius is his business.

David J. Cerven [11]  http://www.studioaltius.com/




[12]


Young and dead way before her time.  I continue to find Black and White photography [even in the digital age] my preference.  I think of my shot in B/W first and if color is OK, it is a happy fallout from my shooting.  The work from this young lady before her premature death struck me deep inside.  Her body of work is not prolific, but very moving for me.

Francesca Woodman [13]  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesca_Woodman




I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out to one person who is NOT a photog but plays a critical role in my growth as a photog.  I met Camille at a open shoot at Studio Altius.  She was a fairly new model to the scene, and it was my first time shooting with all that fancy equipment, the Pocket Wizard Triggers [I had strobes but used IR or tethered shooting, a less reliable method] and a plethora of light modifiers.  That was about 8 years ago, and we continue to shoot together, and it is her image from a shoot at my home studio that proudly hangs in the FAB gallery as my entry into the Fall Student Exhibit at SCCC.

She also is a fine vocalist and has performed at  a number of public venues {Arrowhead stadium, the Scott Trade Center to name two} and she is in  a band, and attends just about any Kareoke event she can and does fairly well at them.


Camille [14]   I do not have a specific citation to share for Camille. 



While not a published photog, he is instrumental in my growth as a photog.  Over the years I have spent countless hours at Schiller's Camera Store on Manchester.  And for a long period of time when I was a consultant for IBM I flew home on the early flight out of LaGuardia and got home in time to head straight for Schiller's ....I was there by 8:30am most every Friday morning, and many times had money to spend in the form of cash.  I talked with one individual almost every time, and we bonded over this period and remain in touch.  I was able to bounce ideas and concepts off him, and I found myself making better decision when trying or buying new equipment.  Money does not solve things ....experience and hard work at doing and trying things out, is a much better tool to learning this craft.  A big thanks goes out to:

Scott Darwin [15]  I do not have a specific citation other than Schiller's web site, there are many fine staff people there, and most all are able to help you as a photog to find his/her way thru the maze of equipment and accessories.  Ray Kersting is is another who helps the working pros, he visits many local camera club and organizations as well as studios to help promote all things photography in the name of Schillers

http://www.schillers.com/




And finally the artist I most like is me.  My work is seen and evaluated every day I shoot or review my catalog of images.  I am in a constant state of learning.  I try to never rest my mind when it comes to attention to details.  But the stress of deadlines, limited access, or just life plays havoc with my consistency.  I have bought manual focus lenses to SLOW myself down, to the way life was in the film days.  This has helped.  I find the slower pace produces better work.  But it has a price, not all shoots and clients [subjects] will wait or hold still for that analog type process, so I always carry a fast 50mm AF lens just in case. 

My web site at www.dghphotollc.com has a number of photo ops that I have performed and shared with the world in some small way.    I think knowing your own limits and abilities is important, and as you grow as an artist you can trace your progress through your work.  I go back to past pieces, ones I have kept as special moments, and analyze them for standards against what I know now, how I work now.  Would i have done it the same way?  What might I have done differently?

For digital work, I know my skills at LR and PS have vastly improved, and redoing things generally produces a totally different outcome.  I am never afraid to learn from my past mistakes [or successes]


Doug Hart   [16]

http://www.dghphotollc.com/