Chinese Temple rooftop, Lugang, Taiwan

For creatives, a lack of ideas is very often a seeming disaster, subjectively speaking. Creative blockages, becoming stuck in a rut and simply treading old ground will often be signs of an absence of inspiration and ideas. If you think about it though, a lack of ideas is rarely the real problem. In fact, an overabundance of ideas is probably more common. For every idea you have that comes to fruition, how many have you put into practice only to quit half way through, or at least backburnered for so long that you’ve effectively quit? How many have you simply forgotten about? Having ideas is not the problem but seeing them through to the end often is. So what causes this death of ideas and what can you, as a photographer, do about it?

Before we continue, professional photographers as well as those who aspire to be shouldn’t miss out on portfolio consultant Selina Maitreya and her audio series The View From Here. It’s available at a 50% discount using the code FOSCFI.

Obviously, some of the ideas you have are simply not practical. Demands of time, family, friends, work and financial responsibility mean that for most people, your idea of spending six months floating on a raft down the Amazon photographing indigenous tribes are simply not possible to complete. These kind of ideas cannot be accomplished but not all ideas die for these reasons. For those that don’t, can you think of any approaches that you can take that will make them less likely to die?

One very useful trick you can use is to carry a small notepad and pen with you. An iPad or smart phone works too, but to my mind, writing is still a more natural and easier way of taking notes. Write your ideas down as they come up. It only takes a few minutes (or seconds) to jot down the basics. Then, at the end of the week or some other scheduled time, take out the notes and look over the ideas. Cross out the ones that are simply not realistic and see what you have left. Do some brainstorming and see how it is that you can make them happen. At first glance, all the ideas may seem to be impossible but are they really? Did Spencer Tunick think it would be impossible to get hundreds (thousands) of naked people to pose in public, or did he just go about making it happen?

Social media has probably caused the six degrees of separation concept to shrink closer to three or four degrees. Maybe even less. Use that to your advantage. If your photo idea calls for a Rolls Royce as a prop, crowdsource it. Just because you don’t have one doesn’t mean that someone in your social network doesn’t have access to one. Put out the call. Break down you ideas into smaller, more manageable parts, ask around and you’ll often find the ways and means to make them happen.

Taking ideas form birth to fruition is the work of a creative. What are you waiting for?

This blog has now received close to 2000 comments. To celebrate, whoever leaves the 2000th comment, which should occur any time now, you will win 5 eBooks of your choice from the Craft&Vision collection. Thanks for all the support.

That was the 188th Daily PhotoTip. If this post was useful to you, why don’t you subscribe to my feed, leave a comment and share it with your friends. You can also get access to exclusive content and special offers by subscribing to my newsletter. Sign up today. Thank you.

Inspiration can come from other fields such as this disabled musician.

David du Chemin had an interesting post recently entitled “Go To The Writers”. In it, he talks about taking creative inspiration from other fields, focusing mainly on writers. If you haven’t seen it, you should make a point of checking it out.

It’s not just writers though. I’m an avid reader, I go through a lot of books and magazines on a variety of topics but I also take a lot of inspiration from other fields, not always in the artistic fields. Seeing others push themselves beyond limits, either their own or those created by society, can be a very inspiring thing.

Lance Armstrong coming back from cancer to win seven years of the Tour de France. Regardless of what you think about doping and whether or not he did, coming back like he do required tenacity, persistence and hard work.

Jimmy Page going from a behind the scenes session musician in the mid 1960s to creating Led Zeppelin and taking them to the top of the world within a few short years.

Robert Ludlum transitioning from theater producer to one of the world’s best-selling thriller writers. He was in his 40s before his first novel was published.

Numerous stories of penniless immigrants becoming successful business owners and community leaders. Rags to riches stories.

All of these feature hard luck, persistence, desire, luck and patience. Apply these traits to your photography. When the muse isn’t there, your photos are not exciting you and you’re thinking of giving up, think of Edmund Hilary and Tenzin Norgay. When the were going through the death zone of Mt Everest for the first time and every step was an enormous struggle, did they quit?

Inspiration is wherever you want it to be.

That was the 176th Daily PhotoTip. If this post was useful to you, why don’t you subscribe to my feed, leave a comment and share it with your friends. You can also get access to exclusive content and special offers by subscribing to my newsletter. Sign up today. Thank you.

The mussala (prayer hall) at Masjid Negara (National Mosque) Kuala Lumpur. It features as the March calendar that you can download from the links below.

A gallery from the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Pingxi, Taiwan is now online.

It’s the beginning of another month, so it’s time for another free desktop calendar that you can download. Choose your size according to the links below. This photo is from the main prayer hall (mussala) of the National Mosque (Masjid Negara) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Below the links you’ll find today’s phototip.

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The RAW vs JPEG debate is one of those never ending arguments much like Mac/PC or Canon/Nikon. It crops up all the time in blog posts, forums, discussions, magazines and workshops. It’s one that will probably never be answered to the satisfaction of everyone. And it’s one that some of you are probably sick of reading about. So with that said, I should just say shoot RAW and leave it at that, right?

Before we continue, professional photographers as well as those who aspire to be shouldn’t miss out on portfolio consultant Selina Maitreya and her audio series The View From Here. It’s available at a 50% discount using the code FOSCFI.

Since I made the move to a fully digital workflow in 2004, I’ve been an advocate of shooting in RAW. With the exception of some test shots the first day I got my first DSLR, I’ve been shooting RAW since day one. I guess the exception means I’ve really been shooting RAW since day two. Why? Let’s start out by looking at some of the main differences between the two formats.

RAW

Often a proprietary format unique to a particular make and/or model of camera, a RAW file is essentially a digital negative. It is unaltered, unmanipulated and uninterpreted image data. A RAW file usually contains 12, 14 or 16 bits of image data and color information. This translates to 4096, 16 384 and 65 536 levels of brightness respectively. A RAW file is also larger than the corresponding JPEG, thus meaning you get less images per memory card (or hard drive when archiving). It will also need some kind of digital processing before the image can be printed, posted online etc.

JPEG

JPEG is a standardized format that can be easily read and displayed in a number of programs without the need for further editing. JPEG files can only hold 8 bits of image data which corresponds to 256 levels of brightness. JPEG files are smaller than RAW files due to the compression applied to the file. While this does save space, it also means that you’re essentially throwing data away when you shoot in this mode. The camera’s software makes the decision as to what data to throw away and you can never get this back. Each time you save a JPEG file, you lose a bit of data due to the “lossy” compression. This may be critical information that causes a loss in color saturation or dynamic range, or it might introduce “artifacts” into the image.

Control

To me, the biggest advantage that shooting RAW offers is that of control. With JPEG, there are just too many image decisions that I have no say in. Shooting RAW gives me control over every aspect of the image, from the moment I click the shutter to the moment I output the final version in whatever format I choose.

With JPEG, you compose an image, press the shutter button, and the camera goes to work. By the time you see the image on the camera’s LCD screen, the camera software has processed the file, probably boosted the color saturation, enhanced the sharpness and tossed away any pixels that it deems unnecessary. In some situations, and for some photographers this might be all you need. Personally, I’m not sure why someone would go to the expense of buying a big, heavy DSLR only to wind up shooting JPEG. A pocket digicam could produce similar images for a fraction of the price and size.

Shooting in RAW, I get all of the captured image data. I then load these into my RAW processing software of choice, and make any adjustments necessary. I can easily change the white balance, the exposure, adjust the tone curve, convert it to black and white, add some split toning, decide I don’t like it and go back to my original, apply different sharpening amounts for different outputs and so forth. All done in a lossless format meaning I never sacrifice any of the image quality and color information. My original RAW image always remains in the same form and none of the processing I do to it will ever alter it. With JPEG the opposite is true.

Downsides of RAW

I honestly have yet to find any downsides to RAW. When listing the cons, commentators often mention the extra space required. To me that’s not an issue. I can buy 1.5TB hard drives for about $100 or so, and one of these will last quite a while. For a casual, hobbyist shooter, you’d probably only need to buy a new one every year or two. That works out at something like $1-2 a week for storage. Really, it shouldn’t be an issue.

RAW files do need some kind of processing done on them, but again, I don’t find it an issue. It takes a while to copy and import all the files, add the metadata, keywords and so forth, but I’ll often start the process and go off and do something else – have dinner, sleep, watch a DVD etc – and come back to it later. This gives an added advantage as my mind has decompressed a bit from the shoot and feels a little fresher as I start the edit.

This segues into the other main con listed which is the learning curve required in order to use the software. For both the person who doesn’t want to spend a lot of time and the person new to the software, there’s always the Auto button. If the time bothers you, hit Auto, get a pretty good rendition and come back to the good ones on a rainy day. If you’re just learning, do the same but pay attention to which settings change and how that affects the image. In time you’ll get a feel for what works and what doesn’t.

If you’re sitting on the fence about whether to jump over to shooting RAW, why not set your camera to capture RAW + JPEG. You’ll get a JPEG file that same as you’ve always had, and you’ll also get a RAW image to experiment with as time permits. For those of you who hope to one day make a vocation out of photograph, or want to have the greatest range of options for the future, RAW is the way to go. If you just take photos in order to post on Facebook to show your friends, then JPEG is probably all you need.

That was the 60th Daily PhotoTip. If this post was useful to you, why don’t you subscribe to my feed, leave a comment and share it with your friends. You can also get access to exclusive content and special offers by subscribing to my newsletter. Sign up today. Thank you.

Taiwan Coast

I’m sure that everyone has heard the term “writer’s block” or the phrase “stuck in a rut”. It’s something that can cast a negative type of influence over a creative’s life from time to time. I have a friend who normally shoots some quite strong portraiture work yet lately his work seems to be lacking in passion. It’s technically sound but I don’t sense his soul shining through the work. For him, that’s not a big deal, as he takes photos strictly as a hobby and doesn’t have to rely on photography to make a living.

So what can you do if you find yourself in a similar situation? I think that this is a question that will provide as many answers as there are people answering. What works for one person may not work for another. Equally, what works for the hobbyist may not be possible for the professional.

One good method that may be useful to all is to simply take a break. Put the camera down for a day, a week, a month. Walk away from it and return with fresh fire. Easy enough for an amateur but how is a pro supposed to do that?

A month away from the camera could be a good opportunity for the working photographer to spend time on other areas. How about diving into video and experimenting with it? Or create a new and revamped marketing plan. Perhaps you could do some writing – if you are an editorial photographer, having writing skills could be a real plus. There are probably hundreds of other ways as well. What suggestions do you have?

That was the 35th Daily PhotoTip. If this post was useful to you, why don’t you subscribe to my feed, leave a comment and share it with your friends. You can also get access to exclusive content and special offers by subscribing to my newsletter. Sign up today. Thank you.

Photography Books

2009 has been a great year for photography related books in all their forms. My own reading and viewing this year has seen me with lifetime retrospectives, inspirational essays, business practice guides, eBooks and technical and tutorial styled works. As I turned my thoughts to a year-end summary of all the books that have passed through my hands, I came across an interesting little exercise in crowd sourcing and open discussing by Miki Johnson on the Resolve blog at Livebooks and Andy Adams at Flak Photo both inspired by Joerg Colberg’s Thoughts on Photobooks post. They want to discuss what photobooks will look like in 10 years. Continue reading after the jump for my thoughts on this, as well as my reading list from the past 12 months.

Before we get into the books, a little shameless self promotion. A couple of weeks ago I asked for your thoughts on creativity in a post called Turning Tides of Creativity – Back to the Soul of Photography. One commenter will be chosen from this and will win a copy of Steve Pressfield’s inspirational book The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles as well as a copy of my 2010 calendar Renegade Beauty | Taiwan 2010. The winner will be announced in the next few days, so get in while you still have time.

In order to talk about the future of photobooks, we should look to 2009 where I believe we got some clues as to the way things are going. Amazon’s Kindle may have changed the face of publishing for the immediate future. Specific to the field of photography, we also saw a number of new eBooks released, in particular David DuChemin’s Craft and Vision initiative that has so far seen 5 excellent editions released and 2 tutorial eBooks released by Australian travel photographer Mitchell Kaneshkevich. As the next decade unfolds, I believe we’re going to see an increasing move to electronic formats for the publishing of photobooks, particularly as new and improved Kindles and the like come to the marketplace.

In one sense this is quite an exciting prospect. Just think of the changes in the internet since 1999 or even cameras and editing software over the past few years. Now try and project the eBook and Kindle phenomenon of today forward 10 years. The possibilities are endless.

A part of me however is a little worried. As someone who was first exposed to computers by way of Apple II and Commodore 64′s in the 1980s, through to first learning the basics of HTML in the mid 1990s, and now living in one of the most connected, high-tech countries on the planet, I’m no stranger to technological advances and innovation. But I am someone who loves books, having learned to read prior to starting school and almost always having a book of some kind close to hand. I look at the traditional media industries and the troubles they are having in the move to an online world, with newspaper and magazine circulations dropping almost by the week, and worry that it might be the turn of books next. And that would be a shame.

There’s something inherently satisfying about a physical book. As much as I have embraced the new, social media world, I still cherish the time I can spend with books. I’m not really sure what the state of photobooks will be like in 2019, but whatever it is, when the time comes we’ll probably wonder how we ever lived without it.

So with that said, here is my photography reading list for the past twelve months. Not all of these books were released in 2009, but that was when I received and read them. I’ll present them in the order I got them. If you have any other recommendations, drop me a note in the comments.

Joe McNally – The Moment It Clicks I actually got this in 2008 but didn’t really get a chance to read it properly until 2009. I really like all the little back stories in this. I’ve heard a few reviewers say that there should have been more detailed tips in it so they could reproduce the shots themselves but I personally have no interest in copying someone else’ creative ideas, so the way this book is put together is perfect.

Annie Leibovitz at Work. Annie Leibovitz needs no introduction and reading her thoughts and ideas about some of her most well known work make this highly recommended.

ASMP Professional Business Practices in Photography, 7th Edition This put is a must have for the shelf of any professional or aspiring professional photographer. Business skills are weak points for many creatives and this book should be required reading for everyone.

Joe McNally – The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes Another book from Joe McNally, this gives an incredible amount of information on lighting solutions and the use of hotshoe flashes.

David duChemin – Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision David has already had a mention in this post for his eBook series but this book came first. The first volume in what he says will be a series of three, Within The Frame talks about vision, why you need it and how to start the journey towards finding it.

Chris Orwig – Visual Poetry Creating poetry with photographs. Chris’s insights, and ideas are inspiring and the photographs are world class. There are also interviews with a number of well known photographers.

Scott Kelby – The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3. I received this book due to being leader of one of the Photowalks back in July and haven’t really had a chance to properly go through it. I have flicked through it though, and am familiar with some of Scott’s other works, so have no reason to believe that this won’t be as good as the everything else.

Selina Maitreya – How to Succeed in Commercial Photography. This was actually published in 2007 but I didn’t pick up a copy until a few months ago. This book is undoubtedly one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read. I found new ideas and seeds of ideas popping into my head almost every page, some of which were completely unrelated to what I was reading at the time. It was like I’d open the book, and it would open my mind to infinite creative possibilities. This is a must read book.

Peter Krogh – The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers Another must have book for the professional and aspiring pro. Solid asset management strategies are essential in the digital age and this book is the book on this field.

John Harrington – Best Business Practices for Photographers, Second Edition. The updated second edition of this book came out in late September and it’s another book that belongs on the shelf of every working photographer. An essential reference to the business of photography.

David duChemin – VisionMongers: Making a Life and a Living in Photography. The second of David duChemin’s books to be released in 2009 and this one builds on his first. Excellent writing, practical advice and great images all combine in this book about making a life in photography.

So there we have it. What photography books exciting you these past twelve months? Did I leave out any good ones? Let me know in the comments and feel free to share this post with your friends and social media buddies.

Garlic in a wholesale market, Dihua St, Dadaocheng, Taipei

One of the distinguishing facets of the digital age of photography has been the technological advances and innovations. Unlike in the film era, where a camera body might be used for decades, these days it seems we’re upgrading and replacing bodies at a frequency never imagined a decade ago. While these advances are undoubtedly opening new frontiers in photography, all too often we find ourselves caught up in an endless cycle of more megapixels where the equipment specifications are more important than the actual photographs.

I’ve previously expressed some of my thoughts about creativity in a two part series entitled Musings on Creativity and Seeing. You might like to read part 1 and part 2 in conjunction with today’s post. There’s also a giveaway associated with this post so leave a comment to have a chance at winning. More on that at the end of the post.

To my mind, there does seem to be a turning of the tide away from equipment and back towards creativity and artistic vision. Photographers such as Chase Jarvis, David DuChemin, Chris Orwig and many others are at the forefront of this movement back to the soul of photography. In many ways, this is a breath of fresh air. Photography, as with any artistic pursuit, should be more about taking the artist’s vision and allowing it to be expressed than it should be about the tools.

For that’s all the cameras, lens, software and so forth really are. Tools. They are the means to bring forth the creativity that exists in ones mind and put it into some kind of tangible form. All the pixel peeping in the world doesn’t matter if the vision is lacking. Conversely, when the vision is there, a way will be found to express that regardless of the tools available.

So now it’s over to you. What does creativity mean to you? How do you express your vision and what inspires you? I welcome your comments, thoughts and ideas – let’s start some discussion on this. To give you a little more incentive, I have a couple of things to give away. A few weeks ago, I asked Steven Pressfield some questions based on his book The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. I have a prize package containing a copy of this book as well as my 2010 calendar Renegade Beauty | Taiwan 2010 to give away to a random commenter. This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere in the world. So leave your comments and thoughts on creativity and be in with a chance to win. If you need some more inspiration, why don’t you take a look over my whole Musings series where I share thoughts and tips on how you can further your creative goals.

A view of one of the mountains in the Annapurna Range, Himalayas, Nepal. 1997

Back in 1990, guitarist and composer Steve Vai released an instrumental rock album with the title “Passion and Warfare”. I don’t know why he decided on Passion and Warfare for the title, but to me, this is an album born out of his passion. It’s this passion that causes him to – in his own words – become obsessed with playing the guitar, as well as to put in the hours and hours of necessary work so as to master it. I get the feeling that creating the album he wanted was more important to him than creating an album that would sell. So what’s all that got to do with photography?

Well, in some ways, a similar thing could be said about photography, or any creative endeavor for that matter. It’s our passion, our obsession that leads us to spend hours learning all the technical aspects. Hours learning either darkroom techniques or digital workflow and post-processing. Hours pouring over books and websites, studying other photographers work, aping them in order to learn, and hoping to move past that mimicry as we develop our own style. It’s a well-trodden path that millions of photographers have taken and millions more probably will take. We become obsessed about our art to the point where it takes up all our thoughts. Richard Avedon famously said

If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up

I’m sure a lot of us can relate to that and, with the exception of the few who need to produce particular work to satisfy art directors and corporate executives, we always have complete freedom to shoot what we want, when we want. For those of you who never plan to try and make a living off photography, that is one of the greatest freedoms you have – the ability to create works of art simply for their own sake. For those making a living from photography, you may need to work a little more to achieve this but by no means is it out of your grasp.

When we follow our passion we are truly alive. Are you alive?

My wife reading Steven Pressfield's The War of Art

Recently, I bought and read Steven Pressfield‘s excellent book, The War of Art : Break Through The Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles. Pressfield, perhaps best known for his novel “The Legend of Bagger Vance”, presents a non-fiction book aimed at writers, artists, musicians and other people attempting to channel and direct their creative energies. This book came highly recommended by some fellow photographers and it didn’t disappoint. And as can be seen from the above picture, my wife Selina became engrossed in it too.

I recently had the opportunity to ask Steven Pressfield three questions. Read on after the jump to see what he had to say about the “free” model, the mechanics of creation, Annie Leibovitz and copyright.

1. There’s been a lot of talk on the internet recently about the “free” business model, whether it be giving work away to get increased access, or for promotional purposes and so forth. What are your thoughts on this?

Craig, I certainly don’t consider myself any kind of expert on this, so please take my answer no more seriously than you would that of the regular man in the street. I actually DO believe in “giving it away.” I’m not sure I can even say why. I definitely believe, as it applies to money, that it’s a good thing to spend money; keep it moving; that way, it comes back to you. So I’d apply the same principle to”giving it away.”

The other thing is Exposure. I can’t prove it but I suspect that we all as artists imagine that X number of people have heard of us or are aware of what we’re doing – when the real number is probably X divided by a thousand. In other words, nobody knows who the hell we are or cares. Therefore, the more we can gain exposure, even giving our stuff away, the higher that number goes and the better chance we have that someone will actually buy our album, or come to our show.

So yeah, I believe in some form of the “free” business model – as long as there’s SOMEPLACE where we actually get paid once in a while.

2. In photographer David du Chemin‘s book “Within The Frame“, he says “Photographers, like artists in all disciplines, face a temptation to fall more deeply in love with the way we create our images than with the images themselves and the reasons for those images”. What is your take on this – do creatives run the risk of placing too much attention on the mechanics of creation?

I must say I’ve never even thought of that. Maybe it’s unique to photography, because there’s so much technical skill involved. Off the top of my head, I would say that falling in love with that stuff is a form of Resistance. Maybe I’m wrong. Put a different way, I would go back to the answer to Question 1, in that, to me, “keeping it moving” is more important than falling in love with anything—the work itself or the process of producing it. I don’t know Bob Dylan but I would bet he doesn’t spend a lot of time listening to “Blowin’ in the Wind.” He’s thinking about the album is working on now and, as soon as he’s done with that, he’ll “keep it moving” and zoom on to the next. I could be wrong!

3. Photographer Annie Leibovitz’s financial troubles led to her place the copyright to all her works as collateral in seeking assistance to get out of debt. If someone works so hard to overcome resistance and forge a life as a highly creative person, should they ever consider doing something like this?

Wow, that one’s definitely beyond my pay grade, Craig. I know Francis Ford Coppolla mortgaged himself up the ying-yang doing “Apocalypse Now” and other stuff. Didn’t Dickens do the same? I guess it’s up to the artist himself or herself. Hope that helps!

So there we have it. A big thank you to Steven for generously taking the time to answer these questions and to Callie Oettinger from Oettinger and Associates for making it happen.

I hope this sparks some inspiration in you, the reader. If you haven’t already bought The War of Art, do so now. For more writing in a similar vein, check out Steven’s blog, particularly Writing Wednesdays.

Feel free to share this, tweet this and pass it around. Comments are most welcome – I’d love to hear your thoughts.

One of the most useful skills a photographer can have is the ability to convey a sense of place to the viewer. This is particularly true for the travel photographer. For the professional, the photos are often required to sell a destination or illustrate a story. For the amateur, it might be to wow family and friends back home. What both have in common is the need to engage the viewer.

Tibetan cooks stand around a large vat of Tibetan butter tea, Bodhgaya, India. 2002

Like a story, a photograph can be considered successful if the viewer finds affinity with the subject matter. Conversely, apathy suggests that there’s nothing to draw the viewer in and engage their attention. As such, a photo which leaves the viewer feeling a sense of aloofness may be considered unsuccessful. One key way to draw the viewer’s attention is through travel portraiture, particularly the environmental portrait.

It’s often said that it’s the people you meet that make travel so special, and this is especially true in travel photography. For all the wonder that a beautiful sunrise, ancient ruin or stunning natural vista might evoke, nothing engages the viewer like a well executed portrait. Images of people can cut across the boundaries, bridge the differences and give us an insight into the lives of others, in ways that serve to remind us that people everywhere are essentially the same. Capturing a person in such a way is not always an easy task. Unlike candid photography, portrait photography implies a relationship of some kind between the photographer and the subject. This need not be a posed photograph (and many would argue it should not be, particularly a stiffly posed, expressionless subject), but instead the subject may at least be aware of the photographers presence. In this regard, the image becomes more of a collaborative effort where the subject seems less like a random stranger and more like a companion.

When we think of people photography, what often comes to mind are things like facial features, dress, makeup and posture. To the travel photographer in particular, the surroundings are just as vital in revealing the identity of the subject and establishing the sense of place. Items such as works of art, tools, religious artifacts, food and the wider location all assist in creating the essence of being there that we should be aiming to achieve in the viewer. So the question becomes, how does one achieve this?

Fruit vendor at work. Hanoi, Vietnam. 2003

For many, people photography is hard. For many travelers, people photography is the most difficult part of the journey. Having to deal with issues of language, customs, faux-pas and shyness just adds to the difficulty. In an ideal world, spending time in an area, getting to know people and creating a sense of comfort will be all it takes to be able to create images that convey the experience. In reality however, this is often not possible. When traveling we often find ourselves having to move quickly, thinking on our feet as we rush, or are rushed, from place to place.

Perhaps the most obvious point, but one which is often overlooked, is to know your camera. While you may not be able to do anything about the language barrier, or the crowds, or the weather, your camera is something you can and should take the time to master (or at least be familiar with) before you get anywhere near your destination or location. Knowing which settings to use, whether to make it a vertical or horizontal orientation, where to stand and so forth are all important steps you can take before approaching the subject. Nothing spells disaster more than fiddling with camera settings while you have a ready and willing subject.

Crucial to the successful environmental portrait is a connection. Connection between the photographer and subject, as well as the viewer. Sneaking around and trying to furtively take the photo kills any chance of a connection. Instead, a friendly, open manner on the part of the photographer will go a long way to establishing the all important initial connection with the subject.

Once we have established this initial connection, we have a lot more freedom to work. Unlike frame-filling portraiture where a medium telephoto lens is often used, environmental portraiture usually sees the photographer employ a wide angle lens. This allows us to move in very close and shoot both the person and their surroundings. Additionally, the shorter focal length allows us to handhold the camera at longer exposure times meaning we can use greater depth of field. This is often important because the surroundings are integral to the image and we may want everything to be in sharp focus.

The relationship between the person and the surroundings is all important. Objects that are close to the person and sharply focused often gives a sense of connectedness. There’s an intimacy within the photograph, a suggestion that the particular objects and the person are closely bound. The reverse is also true. Distance and/or shallow depth of field may convey a feeling of separation, or even alienation. As a photographer, how you position yourself in relation to the elements in the frame as well as the way you arrange them and the settings you choose to shoot with, is important in getting your vision across to the viewer. Your goal is to get the sense of connectedness between you and the subject across to the viewer and make them feel equally connected.

A slightly bored Indian banana-wallah. To me, this is an example of an image that lacks connectedness. Varanasi, India. 1997

Next time you’re out with your camera, or away on some travels, keep these ideas in mind and you’ll find that you come back with much stronger photographs as a result. Let me know any thoughts, ideas and successes you may have on the subject.

Path to Creation

Have you created anything today? What have you done that furthers your art, your calling? If the answer is “nothing”, why?

Excuses. That’s why. They’re something we all make at some time or other. How many have you made today? When we make excuses we are ultimately cheating ourselves, our loved ones and others around us. This may apply even more to those of us who like to think of ourselves as creatives or artists or whatever. We have a duty, a responsibility to create. It’s ingrained in us, it’s who we are. When we are not creating, we are not fully alive.

Steven Pressfield, in his excellent book “The War of Art” calls it Resistance. He says

Have you ever brought home a treadmill and let it gather dust in the attic? Ever resolved on a diet, a course of yoga, a meditation practice? Have you ever felt a call to embark upon a spiritual practice, dedicate yourself to a humanitarian calling, commit your life to the service of others? Have you ever wanted to be a mother, a doctor, an advocate for the weak and helpless; to run for office, crusade for the planet, campaign for world peace or to preserve the environment? Late at night have you experienced a vision of the person you might become, the work you could accomplish, the realized being you were meant to be? Are you a writer who doesn’t write, a painter who doesn’t paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you know what Resistance is.

So how do we overcome it? As I see it, the answer is quite simple. Pick up your camera, pen or guitar; lace up your running shoes; go down to the homeless shelter; whatever it is you need to do for yourself and just do it. Start.

Now.

Today.

Finding excuses for not doing things is easy. It’s raining, got to be in the office, sore knee, no time. And then there’s the biggest copout of them all.

I’ll do it tomorrow.

No you won’t. If you won’t do it now, you won’t do it tomorrow. Or the next day. Chances are you won’t do it at all. You’ll continue to find excuses, continue to let resistance beat you down, continue to live a life unfulfilled. Photos will go untaken, songs unwritten, miles unrun.

I think I can still hear you making excuses. Part of your mind is thinking of creating, but I bet a greater part is thinking of reasons why you can’t. Well, use that. Take the energy you’re using to create excuses, the inertia and the resistance and harness it. Use it as a creative aid.

All you need to do is start.

All you need to do is begin.

So what are you waiting for?