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/

FAB today.....

Went by to check things out.  There is a lot of work hanging for the viewing pleasure.

Some pieces to ponder, until you stop by yourself to see.

Loved the COLOR in this section.  

 

OK, so I take some poetic license here, a little self promotion never hurt anyone.   Thanks again to my long time model associate, CAMILLE!

 

I used the shadows to add some drama to an already interesting piece of work.   

And creating some of my own new art is to be understood, right?

 

Thought this was interesting....never know what you are going to see unless you look for it.  And having that camera at the ready is never a bad idea.

busy beaver

As this semester winds down, or I should say RAMPS UP to its crescendo. I pause now to reflect over the past few weeks.

A lot has happened.  First we did our Portrait Critique.  That took some time over two sessions.  We covered the needs for the Final package, the Student Exhibit, and the Narrative.  All large and sufficiently important events in their own right.

And each needing it's own unique concentrated effort on our part to accomplish the task of completion.


Printing at the LAB continues to be a dicey proposition.  My political stance on this is I get the need for monitoring and control that the software provides, but I as a former systems consultant and manager of operations for an accounting staff, cannot understand the inability to FIX the problems that exist.  The maker of the software ....enough.  Business real world standards are not being applied here.

The standout event of my past few weeks was the participation in the SCCC Veterans Day celebration ceremony on Mon. Nov. 12, 2012.

I was able to spend time in the set up and practice session on Friday.  And again on the day of the event on Monday.

What a truly great time to have been a part of this undertaking.  To use the knowledge and skill as a photographer we each brought to the table, and to give back a little to those that have served or continue to serve.

The Student Exhibit was next on the agenda.  For me, I was able to have the kindness of KS in producing a large print in time for the hanging work session.  As my prior attempts were not as I had hoped, my rework of the photo was finally as I had wanted and only the final large print would cap off my journey.  It happened, and I think the result was a stellar outcome.  I hope the model Camille can find time to stop in and see the work we produced.


The Multiples is happening next Monday, 11/19, I have the two posters ready for the critique.  I had so many ideas in my head and charted on my story board, but only a couple made it to the production table.  I did like the end result though, Some clever uses of props and photoshop did the rest.

For the Narrative, there are two potential candidates in the ready as catalogs on my HD>  but I plan to shoot one more to give me a full bevy of choice for my selection to present.  The final output format is another ....I have an idea, which is a bit of a grandiose format, but I think it will play well for the topic.


The days have been filled with as much shooting as I can, when I can, where I can.  I have loaded over 1,000 photos in this time.  Much to review and ponder.

And I continue to build and update my studio equipment.  New Kupo light stands, which are exceptional in terms of quality build and features.  I have a few funds left and my aging strobe collection needs some support.  Paul C. Buff Einstein units with the Pocket Wizard trigger built in modules are on my Christmas list.  The are fully digital controlled, which provides a unlimited degree of light control, and have an industry leading flash duration that is hard to match at 1/13,000 duration.  If you ever need that feature it is hard to duplicate some shots without such a fast duration capability.

And finally, as I grow into using my new D600, the unbelievable file size and its rich detail continues to amaze.  Even small crops produce fine details.  And the ability to shoot at very high ISO with acceptable results [such as sio 3200 in some cases] is a luxury I have never had previously.

I remember the days when I pushed my TRI-X to 800   and then the unheard of 1600, but got pretty crappy results with the grain taking away much of the details.

Working hard today!

For those that are just a casual shooter, doing the typical event coverage at a family event, a birthday party or BBQ you probably do not do much to prepare in the photog area to do your thing, do you?  Right?  You may or may not.  We each have our own way of going about the business of photography.  Serious or casual, there are many levels of performance.

But when you have an EVENT to cover, every photographer who has ever taken this photog stuff as a serious endeavor, knows that preparation and practice are paramount to success.  For you KNOW the day of the EVENT something will happen to throw you a curve.  So first thing, scout out your location.  Know where things will happen.  Know where the light sources are.  Then make a plan to control what you think you MIGHT be able to control.

And then hope for the best, but for sure, have fun and act like you know what you are doing.  This comes from years of doing such things over and over, and KNOWING your equipment inside and out.  What can it do, and what will you be able to do with it.

There is an EVENT coming to town on Monday for our local school, SCCC and our leader Kate has moved us emotionally and otherwise to put our skills to the test.

The Veterans day ceremony will be captured by the Digital 1 class led by Kate Sanker.  She is setting up a photo studio on location to provide free photos for any and  all veterans who want them.  They will be done in an artful and exciting manner. [in my opinion]

I was able to help her today in testing the location for set up and logistics and testing out the shooting conditions with the equipment.  My other contribution was that I owned a Westcott Apollo Orb modifier which was exactly what she wanted to use.  Her unit did not get delivered in time, so my studio came to the plate and loaned it for the shoot.

We met at the lab, packed things up with a lot of help from a DPII student [forgot his name, darn it, and I see him all the time, it's hell getting old ...sorry dud!  wait, is it Mike?  gosh I hope so]

And Brian of course, the ever present man about town.  So a combination of humans and resources got lots of equipment to the right building, we set it up and ....well you can see for your self.....

These are some shots I took, Kate took the main test shots, so you have to turn to her for those to be shared.

Here are a few of mine.

 

I was left alone for a while, so I set up the one strobe, and tested it on this pour soul, but it did not mind, other than being HUNG from the back ground stand.  Exposure gave us a nice starting point.

 

This person was the liaison for the Art Dept rep Kate and the Event.  He graciously posed for some test shots for Kate.  I snuck in my own pops with the strobe as I brought my own PW trigger.

 Here he is only half dressed, a WB tool, but he soon had the Color Checker as well.

 

After the Event contact left, Brian got elevated to ROCK STAR status. and he held down the WB/Color Checker role.   His distant look was part of his persona.  

 

The beauty of this ORB is that its light wraps around the subject matter very nicely.  

Putting a gentle glow on shapes, just by adjusting the angle or position, you can get an infinite number of results.  

I had moved to the far right stage and shot back across to get this profile.  

The light remained as Kate was popping away from her primary position.

 

You can see from me just zooming out to a wide angle the entire scene is presented.

I am still at the same spot as the shot above.

I just changed my 18 - 200mm lense from 200 to something nearer the 18 mark to frame the scene.

One light, a simple but glorious artistic set up.  

The master KS at work, and our Rock Star wannabe, Brian.  

Me just soaking up the fun of all things PHOTOG!

Keep in mind this is in the middle of the day.

The room is brightly lit from lots of sun and overhead lights.

Yet our ability to control these conditions give us the expected and desired results.  

Boy do we learn a lot in our class.

And now we get to use what we learned!

Whatta day!

Did you know we get to elect a PRESIDENT today [kind of ...sort of.....]

So I went to bed early, hoping to feel propelled to wake up early so I could vote early thinking it would be a reasonably light lined situation [boy was I wrong]   Got up early, so that worked well off to a good start.... got to the polling place at about 6:10am.  But a full parking lot did not bode well.  Sure enough after a winding walk thru the building, a massive horde of people in queues according to some arbitrary alpha selection was encountered.  I did my thing and a mere 45 minutes later I was back in my truck.

BACK Home for breakfast and a cup of coffee.

Then a studio shoot that Kate might be using to make some lighting decisions for the Monday Veterans photo shoot.  I set up a Westcott Appollo ORB with my JTL J-160 strobe, my model WANDA, a Nikon D7000 and two different lenses.  A couple of Pocket Wizards and a reflector completed the set up.  Did my thing, set them up in my web site and forwarded the link to KS.

Then started sifting thru my plethora of photos for a Student Exhibit choice.  Found one that I had just taken this past weekend, it looked really good on the screen, so I sized it for a large print and submitted thru my channels to get a large poster and poster board set of prints.  Will ponder them on Wednesday.  Will still go thru other photos for potential candidates.  another job done....

A stop at the eye doctor to pick up two pairs of reading glasses I had taken in yesterday for repair.  Another job done.....


Went to the Library to get a reserved book, TRUMAN.  Should be a good read.  Another job done.

Got some lead shot to use for my light stand weight bags, I have the shells, but they are void of weight.  Now I have 75 lbs of lead in my garage, and will have to break it down into usable pods to insert into my sleeves to hold my lights stands down.  Yet another job done.......


The ORB nearly tipped over today, I really need these things.  BTW, lead is not cheap, in fact I thought they were charging me for GOLD at the prices it was rung up as.  I did NOT check the price at the rack.  OUCH!

But it was needed.  Sand was just NOT going to do it in terms of heavy in small space.

Though I should have done this next mentioned  job, I did NOT, FILL THE TRUCK UP........
gas was $ 2.99  ....I should have filled up.   But I thought it could be lower tomorrow, and I was pretty tired of the all the running around....

so before class, I will check, if not at $ 2.99 or below, that is fine with me.....

 it is still way low and will get petro at some point while it is hovering near the $ 3.00 gal level.   I remember paying $ 3.67  recently, so this is a bit of heaven.



BACK to the WANDA shoot.......Oh, I included the color checker in some of my Wanda shots.

 

This shot has the ORB as the main on the camera high left and a reflector on the right.  Full power on the little J-160 [which produces a solid 160ws] I got a f/11 with ss at 1/250 for iso 200  hand held, using a Pocket Wizard trigger set up.

The ORB was set up as high as I could in this space, and the center was at 84 inches, approx 48 inches from Wanda's face, and the reflector was about 24 inches from Wanda on her left, camera right.  Wanda was in front of a black muslin background, but only 29 inches of separation.  

The ORB did a fine job at this height with the hair, so no hair spot was employed.

A simple and effect set up.  The ORB is a collapsible unit that attaches as an umbrella would.  The strobe slips inside.  So large mono-block units might struggle with such a modifier.   The JTL J-160 is a tiny unit, so it fit nicely, its umbrella slot does not have a lock down screw though, so a bit of slippage was seen.

The coverage from the ORB though was stellar, more directed than a square or rectangle shaped soft box,  and still a soft and gentle high quality light source.  The catch light is large [the ORB is 42 inches I believe] and pleasant in my opinion.

Due to the directional light pattern, there is fall off, which might hinder a full body shot if no other lighting is used.   Half body shots appeared acceptable.

 

You see fine detail on the close side arm, but the arm in the back side is there but shaded.

Due to the black on black nature of the clothing [Wanda has a limited wardrobe, its this black outfit, nude or a robe, I went with the black dress] we do get a bit of bleeding into the background, the reflector positioning might be altered to fix that or a fill light could do the trick as well if available.  Ambient light at the sight could fill this void also.

The facial shading is noticeable but shows high details in most all areas.  The ORB fills under the chin nicely as well.  Overall this modifier is a very good option as a single unit for portraits.  

I have owned it for just a short time and had not really used it at all, as I got it at the same time as I got my Beauty Dish and this is even more appealing when dealing with the human form.  So it has been my weapon of choice til now.