journal
With two trips coming up in the next few weeks, I wanted to break out of my comfortable daily routine and get out to make some images. I visit Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes, where I find much better conditions than I was expecting.
Not too long ago, black and white was the default. This was due mainly to limititations with color photography, but today digital photograph has made easier than ever. Color is the default, and black and white is a choice. A creative one.
Many digital photographers don't realize that black and white is an option. In this video, we discuss why it's a good option, when to do black and white, and how.
Experimentation is a fundamental part of photography. Our work needs consistency, though, and change for the sake of change can lead to procrastination.
You'd think -at least that's what I thought- that I became a professional photographer the day I quit my job and started to do photography full-time. But that wasn't the case. It took me a while to realize that I had become a full-time casual photographer. And it was about time to step it up and turn pro.
A month ago or so, I dropped my camera while taking some test shots. I had to send it to be fixed, and it's finally back! In this video, I also talk about a new lens I bought, and answer some of questions I was asked on Instagram.
I've been pretty inconsistent updating the Image of the Month series. I finally had time to add 3 new images to the collection.
The first one is Giant, an image I made on a trip to beautiful Asturias in Northern Spain, just a couple of weeks before the pandemic hit. The Picos de Europa mountain range is one of my favorite places on Earth, and this image shows why.
Great Salt Reflections brings back some good memories from my most recent road trip across America. This was a beautiful and calm morning at the Great Salt Lake, in Utah. No one around, a lake as calm as a pool, nice weather, a beautiful sunrise, bisons and antelopes waking up around me... the only problem was the hundreds of hungry mosquitoes swarming me and every other living thing. Still a great moment I will always remember.
The last image is Alone, not far away from where I made Great Salt Reflections. The Antelope Island is a refuge for wildlife, including the bisons. These majestic animals roam these lands year-round, and when the water level is low enough to connect the island with mainland, they adventure further. That is what this one was doing, one step at a time.
Remember: there are two sizes to choose from, 6x6 and 8x8 (inches). In both cases, the matt and frame are 12x12 (this means a bigger margin for the 6x6 print).
Shipping is free to the US. International shipping is a flat rate of $14.95.
A new image will be released every month and offered at a reduced price during that time. After 30 days, it will be sold at full price. They will never be on sale at any time in the future, the rate during the first month will be the lowest, ever.
You can find more information about how I create my images and all the details about pricing on The Art and Craft behind my prints.
These three images are available for purchase here.
Photography has taught how to listen to silence. I discovered that silence is not absence, it's balance. Nothing makes sense without silence. That's what I seek in my photography.
I used to think I was the only one hearing that voice. The voice inside telling me it's not worth trying, I'm not good enough, it's been done before... until I realized I was not the only one. And that, even though it can be painful, this is the way.
Film photography is a topic that stirs passions. In this video, I tell you about my experience with film, what I think about it, and why I shoot mostly digital today.
In this video, I share a very recent example of being at the right place, at the right moment. That's what photography is about, for the most part.
In this video, I edit 6 images I made this winter on my iPad using Adobe Lightroom CC.
I love my 35mm f/1.4 lens. At that focal length, it's relatively wide while offering a very wide aperture. The images I create with it remind me a bit of the medium format look.
I like it so much, that I wanted to try other fast, but even wider, lenses. And that's what I did!
I like cameras and lenses like any other photographer, but I know that owning a lot of gear only brings problems and makes my job harder. I have a few requirements that a new piece of equipment has to meet before I buy it, but there's one rule I cannot break no matter what.
The snow and ice are melting really quick, and they are revealing all kind of scenes. I stumbled upon this one during my morning walk yesterday: an American flag that had been underwater for a while.
phone
“real camera”
I knew there was an image there, so I turned on my compact camera and started to look for the right angle. After just a few seconds, it died. "Battery exhausted". I couldn't believe it.
I knew it was about to die when I left home, and made the terrible mistake of not bringing an extra battery. So I did the only thing I could do: I pull out my iPhone 7 and took a shot.
I immediately loved the result and I wanted to capture it again with a better camera. So I went home, grabbed a new battery, and soon enough I was back at the scene. It had taken me half an hour, but it was too late. Everything that made the image work earlier was just not there anymore: the Sun was higher in the sky and the reflections on the water looked bad; also the wind had picked up creating small waves.
It goes to show that camera gear does matter, but nothing will ever beat good timing: being at the right place, at the right moment.
In this video, I invite to come along on my morning walk. I'll show you some of my favorite spots where I've made some of my images.
I've been taking many more images than I usually do lately. It's been so cold that I need to keep moving to stay warm, so I don't have as much time to think about the composition. I shoot every angle that looks interesting, and go through those shots later from a warm home.
Thing is, I delete a lot of pictures. I felt like it was a waste, so I created a few contact sheets that I share with you in this video.
More info about contact sheets:
Following up on this week's newsletter, in this video I discuss loneliness when taking photos. Also, a few images I made on that beautiful snowy day.
Rachel and I visited the Notre Dame campus on a beautiful and snowy morning. I made some images and recorded a POV video.
This is the video of the day trip to Michigan I talked about in last week's newsletter. I went there trying to capture the cold, and there's no better place to do so around here than Lake Michigan.
It breaks my heart to see other photographers fighting their gear. Every second they spend adjusting the camera settings to get the perfect exposure, is a second they are not paying attention.
I'm a huge fan of automatic modes (I use either Program or Aperture). I use autofocus, and I don't even know what I have the custom buttons set up to do.
My camera does a pretty good job most of the time, and when it doesn't, it's easy to correct in post.
This gives me the freedom to focus on what really matters: making the image.
Let your camera do its thing, and focus on doing your part. Spend less time changing the settings, and more time moving around.
