Garrett Ross Photography
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It only took a year but I forgive you Joe. The images and stories alone make this one worth the wait.
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A great Tumblr theme for photographers…
I’ve always wanted large picture support for my Tumblr blog. Back in 2009, when Tumblr started offering large image support on click-through, I decided to start uploading larger images. I did this in hopes that one day I would be able to do large image viewing. Well that day arrived, thanks to Justin Oullette and his high res theme. I first saw David demoing it a few weeks back and I have finally gotten around to trying it out. Now I feel like I have a brand new blog and it was kind of fun to scroll back through time. Not to mention, I’m glad I started posting larger res images several years ago.
Nice work justin and the customizable features are perfect.
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Introducing Carousel: The Best Way To Experience Instagram On Your Mac
All of us at Mobelux are huge Instagram fans, and while we love posting photos and checking our feed on the go, we also wanted a way to explore Instagram while we were working throughout the day on our Macs.
So today we’re releasing our first desktop app: Carousel.
Main features.
- Beautiful, vintage presentation aesthetic in a minimal desktop footprint.
- View your feed, popular photos and photos you’ve posted.
- Save photos to your Mac (drag & drop, too.)
- View full resolution photos, even in full screen.
- See likes and comments on photos with the ability to moderate comments.
- Like and comment on photos.
- Full keyboard navigation support.
- Open photos in your browser and copy a photo’s URL.
- See who you follow and who’s following you.
- See photos taken at a location.
- Notifications. Growl and icon badge.
- Four themes. Everything from Tenenbaum to St. Clair.
We’d love for you to take it for a spin. Head over to the Carousel site to learn more and download a 15-day trial!
This has been a fun project and we are excited to see how people will like what we have made. So for all of you Instagram lovers… enjoy!
(via jeffrock)
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Instagram review…
Every once in a while on this blog I review a tool, lens, or piece of software that is related to photography that I use. I actually avoided using Instagram for quite a while. Maybe it was that purist part of me that figured if I was taking a picture, I should take it with a good camera and a good lens. After all, what would I ever end up really doing with a 612x612 px image?
But I gave in and decide to try it out. Now, I have given several iPhone camera apps a try, but I honestly say that I think I finally found one that will stick. Especially now that I have a great way to view and follow others on the desktop (more on this next week). I am truly enamored with what the Instagram folks have put together.
I once read that limitations provide freedom. And that is where true creativity takes place. This is what makes Instagram special to me. It is literally like going back to the polaroid camera. Capture moments. Capture elements of interest. And for kicks, give it a quick style, like a lomo camera, to just wet your appetite a bit while you are on the go.
Chase Jarvis coined the phrase “the best camera is the one with you”. I now find myself capturing more moments when I don’t have my nice camera with me. And to be able to participate in a community that is focused on this is pretty cool.
Benefits:
- Always with you
- Fun and easy editing styles
- Great online community
- Easy to post to Tumblr, FB, Twitter, etc…
- Great for outings with family
- Great for documenting trips/events and sharing with friends an family
- Silent shutter - I actually liked taking pictures during a presentation because of this.
- Looks to have a great future
- It is free
Drawbacks:
- File size (would love to have a larger generated image- but I understand why they haven’t done it yet.)
- Didn’t have a way to easily access images on the desktop (we’re fixing that though)
- No cropping on a photo (but again, I kind of like this at the same time)
- Those who don’t have an iPhone or iPod Touch can’t have it
So give Instagram a try. You might just find a new little hobby.
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There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.
(Now I know why my photography is so limited… thanks Ernst.)Ernst Haas -
Every once in a while I like to post a review of an additional tool and how it has impacted my photography workflow. This is a quick review of the NIK filters. I have always heard great things about this software, but I have always wondered if they are worth the price. After all, I already am proficient in Lightroom and Photoshop… what else do I really need?
The short answer for those who don’t want to read… Viveza and Silver Efex are absolutes. And if you do HDR, HDR Efex Pro is well worth it. The others are good, but not as critical to me. You’ll use them if you have them but they won’t be game changing. The problem is that if you buy two, you might as well buy the bundle. You’ll still get good use out of Dfine and Sharpening. But Color Efex so far feels like the biggest waste.
For the past couple of years my editing process has not changed very much. RAW image editing in Lightroom. Fine-tune editing in Photoshop for blemish fixes. And a color treatment in LAB color that always felt magical. For lighting and darkening areas of an image, it was always Layers and Layer Masks. Nik filters are now fast becoming an absolute in the new process. Forcing me to change and in the end, creating a higher-quality print.
The bad:
- The software is slow.
- With the apple trackpad, it is also a little buggy.
- Applying and creating custom favorite filter settings is not as intuitive as it should be and
- There are a lot of pre-defined presets that are really just throw away.
- Color Efex Pro - pretty much garbage to me so far.
The good:
- The U-point editing technology is amazing. It is a great way to control light and color in contrast to layers and layer masks. It actually teaches you to visualize a photograph a little bit differently and that in and of itself is valuable.
- The quality of the filters is second to none. The conversion of black and white, the control of light, the rendering of effects, whatever they may be, are really overall killer.
- Noise removal - excellent
- HDR editing for both single image and multiple image - better than any other HDR software I have tried.
- The ability to integrate within Photoshop just added another whole new dimension of control.
So even though my workflow is now a little bit slower, I’m glad I got the NIK filters. I definitely would not choose them over Photoshop or Lightroom, but when refinement becomes more and more of a priority in your editing, NIK filters look to be a valuable tool in your arsenal. In the next couple of weeks, I’ll edit an image how I traditional would as well as through my new adjusted process. That might be helpful to those of you who might be considering taking the NIK plunge. And hopefully over time my gripes will get better through their software updates.
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Advantages of RAW
I was reminded the other day in a conversation with another photographer about how there are still a lot of people who don’t shoot RAW for bigger events. Points like cost of storage, or I’m so good I can get it all right in the camera were the common and valid answers given… and it made me stop and question for a second my belief in now shooting everything RAW.
And then I thought of this photo… just one of many from this last year that I snapped during the hectic schedule of a crazy day. Sometimes, between the wind, moving clouds, changing light, pressure of coordinating cats, and a handful of other distractions… you miss an exposure. It’s those spontaneous moments where often times your focus as a photographer is more on gesture and you snap once before you realize you need to adjust quickly. The problem though is in live events you don’t get a pause, rewind and recreate option. This picture just happened to end up being one of the client’s favorites (as well as one of mine) and if I had shot it in jpg… never would have happened. For those who don’t know, RAW allows you to to generally get an extra 2-3 stops in each direction for exposure control.
The cost of storage has gone down greatly. Great apps (like photomechanic) make up for time delays in transferring and sorting. You never know when you might get a photo worth saving with a little editing.
And for those of you who thought my pictures turned out perfect every time… I’m sorry:)
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Favorite Photographers - current
I get asked ever so often who my favorite photographers are or who inspires me the most with photography. Most of my influences are more from the digital age of photography and some are younger than I am. They also all tend to have a strong ability to build a community, not just for themselves, but for many others. This isn’t the full list by any means, but it is my “A” list that I turn to very regularly.
Zach Arias - Atlanta based photographer - great one light series and one of the most down-to-earth professionals out there. If you want to shoot on white… look no farther than here. More than that, if you want to better understand the mental struggles of an artist, take a look here and you’ll quickly become inspired.
Joe McNally - Has been the most entertaining presenter of all photographers I have seen (Jay Maisel is a pretty close second). I could listen to his stories all day. With over 30 years of commercial experience ranging from presidents, astronauts to gymnasts, his work will continually amaze you.
Chase Jarvis - Need an idea or some motivation to get up and get something done, check out Chase. His style, ability to build a community, and his understanding of social media is amazing.
Joey Lawrence - Probably the most accomplished photographer at a young age that I know. Very focused with an ability to really connect you to the subject, he will blow you away.
Scott Kelby - Need to learn… look no farther than here. Scott has managed to educate more people than most schools put together in relation to photography and design. He’s been the number one educator for easily the last decade. And he continually pushes the envelope for himself.
Seth Godin - Not a photographer. But he will inspire you nonetheless. Don’t let the lizard brain get you…
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Lessons from Photography
“What have you learned the most about photography?”
I was asked this the other day from a good friend and from time to time I get a variant of this question. The answer: making decisions.
Granted, I have a greater appreciate for light, surroundings, working with people, and an ever-growing fascination with lenses and technical capabilities of a good camera. But the biggest impact on my life from photography has been from the process of learning to make decisions. Now, the main type of photography that I have done in the past couple of years has been event-based, but I feel that many of these principles carry over from different areas/specialties that are available in photography. The truth is, photography has made a much greater impact on my life in the moments I haven’t had the camera with me than when I did.
Make the decision. Many shots/opportunities are lost by not making a decision and going with it. Many get caught up in the technicality of getting it right - choosing the right lens, aperture, framing, posing, lighting, and before you know it, the opportunity is gone or worse, has turned into an even more difficult situation. Prepare for situations, make the decision, and do your best to make it work. Others are waiting on you.
Correct on feedback. I used to think that taking a picture was a one-shot deal. The reality of it is that you constantly are adjusting. You learn to make quick adjustments and to make slight movements to always get a better shot. Get close, then make it right.
Move on from the bad. You inevitably will take bad shots. If you get depressed from this fact, you are not going to be very successful. Ansel Adams said if he got 1 out of every 10,000 frames that he took that he loved, he was doing good. And that was back in the film days. Many of us get so frustrated by making poor decisions that it greatly affects our ability to produce moving forward. Learn from the mistake. Make the necessary adjustment. Smile and move on.
Keep looking for improvement. I can’t tell you how many times I gave up a good shot for a great shot, only because I kept looking for something better. Sometimes, you’ll take a risk and it doesn’t work. But a lot of the time you’ll find that your instincts were right and because you were aware of the possibility of something better, you were able to adjust and take advantage of the better opportunity.
I still vividly remember that first night before a paid shoot and how nervous and scared I was. The roller-coaster of emotions and learning lessons since that time has made me very grateful for taking that first step.
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A New Tool
Looks like I might have found a good solution (thanks to Zach Arias) to part of my Lightroom problem - Photo Mechanic (http://www.camerabits.com). A very fast solution for downloading cards, making selections, and sorting/tagging lots of pictures. I guess it will also help me keep even less in LR and keep catalogs even smaller. I’ll try the new process over the next couple of weeks and see how much time it saves. Already saved me a lot of time tonight - so things are looking at least a little more promising…
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Photography Tools - Software Frustrations
One of the biggest challenges for a photographer is having the right tool and then knowing how to use it well. What are the photographer’s tools? Primary tools are: the camera, lenses, flashes, computer, and software. Granted, you could add in radio poppers, modifiers, reflectors, tri-pods, etc… but the primary ones are in that first group.
To run a successful photography business, you have to have good tools and you have to have sufficient knowledge on how to use those tools well. The frustrating thing can arrise when you commit yourself to a tool, you then become dependent on it. You expect it to work consistently the same over and over again. Being a good photographer is about being efficient - and steady tools provide that balance and stability. The problem comes up when a tool stops working like you expect it to.
From that primary list, the one that is most out of your control is the software tool. There are two primary pieces of software that I depend very heavily on: Photoshop and Lightroom. Over the last couple of years, I have grown accustomed to expect consistent results to achieve the look I am after time and time again. But now, Adobe is making it more difficult to consider these primary tools. The last two updates of Photoshop have not been good ones. More and more stability issues, primary features don’t change much, but menus, and core application functionality is getting worse and more and more unstable on the mac platform. And Lightroom… it is like they all of a sudden dumped a truckload of elephants into it. Ten times slower than the previous version and my catalogs are relatively small. It is probably the worst update to a piece of software that I have ever used. They took something good and have crippled it’s primary functionality - speed. Integration with Photoshop and speed were the primary reasons I picked it over Aperture in the first place.
The problem is that I love a lot of things about those two different software packages. I don’t necessarily want to begin finding an alternative solution. It looks like Solid State Drives might be a potential answer for speed - but again, that is now another tool and will require more time and money to set up. So Adobe, please get your act together. Please stop bloating Photoshop with crap, especially your flash menu system - it is terrible and only makes you look bad. And with Lightroom - just focus on speed. I don’t care about slideshows, web, video, and printing ability. We want speed. Please.
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Defining your style…
In the world of art, it seems like you constantly read that you need to establish your style in order to do well. To the point that when people see your photograph or work of art, they should say, oh yeah, that photographer or artist did this. You think of many great artists and you instinctively associate their style with them - Van Gogh, Picasso, Ansel Adams… The frustrating part is as a beginner, you may not even really know what style you want to have and at the same time you are afraid to get labeled a certain kind of way. Maybe it is because part of you feels that in a way you are building walls around you - so you better like those walls. After all, did Ansel ever get sick of black and white landscape photographs?
So I purposely tried to ignore the style thing. Focus more on the elements of shooting and editing that made me “feel” the best. That “gut” instinct feeling. And I think over time that a style has begun to emerge out of that body of work. Elements of composition, contrast, lighting, editing… the similarities begin to get stronger over time and a style emerges - naturally.
So now, several years down the road, do you focus on refining that style that has begun to emerge or do you allow the process to naturally continue? Do you aim for a niche or do you purposely push yourself in a totally direction to see how passionate you might be about something else? Do people even really like the style that has developed? And what if you have others, that ask (or pay) you to tweak your style for them - one of the biggest slaps in the face to all artists? Do you allow these influences to change you… to effect your style?
I guess at the end of the day the thing that is most important is that you enjoy the growing process. Learn to say no and learn to say yes. Experiment, play, create… and continue to follow that gut feeling. Create what you love… and if you aren’t sure what that is yet, keep searching until you do. And then keep getting better at it. And through the process your vision will be enhanced.
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I didn’t get turned on to photography until much later in life. In fact, that d80 that Will is holding was my first SLR camera just a couple of years ago. But I think that one thing that is universal of age is that there is something magical that happens once you get an SLR camera in your hands - as if that black box transforms you and you now have a new special power. Watching Will play with that camera reminds me of that childlike feeling that I still get when I click the shutter and then peak on the back at that moment frozen in time.
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In going over a few images for class, I came across one that had slipped by me initially and I had completely forgotten about it. I guess I never really paid much attention to it. Maybe it is because I have been doing more black and white lately and now this image just hits me differently. Either way, it is another one I’ll have to add to the “favs” collection.
Hope everybody has a great weekend.
(And as a side note, the bride in this photo is ready to have a baby any day now! Best of luck Catie.)
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