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Snapshots are not what I have in mind when I photograph people. I'm looking for a special expression that identifies the character of the person being photographed. For the most part, we are talking about facial expressions, although hands can also be quite expressive. It may be a momentary expression like a laugh or a cry or it may be a more lasting expression that the individual continuously shows. Whatever the expression, it must appear natural and not forced.
The photo of "Joe" was taken while he was sitting on the back of a steam-powered tractor in bright sunlight at the Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion in Rollag. He was 97 years old and totally blind. I was standing on the ground shooting upward. The black background was the dark interior of the driver's cab.
The single most important factor for improving photos of people is to move closer to the subject. Yes, we have a natural reluctance to get into other people's "personal space" but getting closer brings out detail and creates impact. How can you tell if you have gotten too close for the subject to handle? They will probably move backward a step or two, ask you to backup, or in extreme cases, walk away.
Be sure to vary your position when taking pictures of people, i.e. higher-lower, right-left, closer-farther. Also, remember that you can rotate your camera 90 degrees to provide a vertical format. Don't be afraid to zoom in or move closer to crop out the lower torso. You frequently see photos including the whole torso from their feet to the top of the head. The result is that the facial features are too small to identify. For better results, concentrate on the "head and shoulders" approach.
I personally prefer black and white because it eliminates the distraction of color, i.e. what the person is wearing or the color of the background. With these distractions out of the way, you can concentrate on the emotional content of the image as well as the form, lighting and tone.
Take lots of shots. The purpose is two-fold: first, it may be necessary in order to catch a fleeting facial expression and second, once the subject is used to seeing you take several shots, they will stop posing and resume their natural activity. Be prepared for the unexpected response. Although we like to see people smiling, other expressions can be interesting as well
The photo of "David" was taken on an afternoon visit to a neighbor's house. My daughter had been playing with David for some time and I started shooting in the living room where they were playing. Both of them began posing and hamming for the camera. I probably took 10-12 shots of their activity. Then David got a little tired of it all and leaned on the coffee table and just watched me. I was sitting on the couch in front of a big bay window , which faced west. Sheer drapes had been pulled to shade the afternoon sun, creating a giant light diffuser. After much laughter, he settled into a restful position. That is when I took the photo. His expression just happened, with no coaxing from me. What adjective would you use to describe that expression? DZ
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There are several ink flow systems on the market, a quick search on Google for CIS resulted in over 60,000 links. The system I chose was the MIS system sold on Inkjet.com. The cost was $150.00 for the initial kit with 4oz. bottles of ink. My kit arrived within 3-4 days of ordering, typical shipping time for UPS ground from out-of-state suppliers.
The MIS website claims you can complete an installation in about 20 minutes, however I would allow at least 2 hours, as it is a little trickier than it may appear. Most of the set-up time involves measuring, cutting and installing the ink tubes and print cartridges.
The directions and support provided by MIS for the installation and trouble shooting is very thorough and easy to follow. After I installed my system I had an error message. A call to their customer support confirmed that I had a bad micro-chip in the Black cartridge head. Two days later a replacement arrived and I was able to finish the installation. In the interim time I was able to switch back to the Epson ink cartridges, so I was not without a printer.
The MIS website maintains that the two inks are identical with no noticeable color shift, however this is contrary to my experience. Once I completed the installation I printed my first print and noticed a significant color shift. The new inks resulted in a more vibrant and markedly more magenta image. The simplest fix is just to correct the color shift in Photoshop before sending to the printer. If you are a stickler for tech stuff you can purchase software that will allow you to build your own ink and paper profiles. The most popular software for this is the Monoco EZ Colorworks.
Continuous Flow Systems work fine if they are used regularly (at least twice a week.) Problems can arise from allowing the printer to sit idle like ink foaming, and clogged jets. While the solutions for these problems are easy they are time consuming.
The inks are significantly less expensive. MIS claims that you will save over $500.00 after using one set of 4oz. bottles of ink, over $2300.00 if you purchase the 16oz. bottles! These savings are real and they are significant, but they come at a cost. The time and attention to convert your printer is significant, add to that the extra time needed to reprofile or adjust your image color. If you don't mind futzing with these things then a CIS is right for you. JG
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Tamarack trees Needles turn golden around mid-month and then fall off for winter.
Wildflowers Some summer flowers (Buttercups, Wild Roses, Bunchberry, & Orange Hawkweed) get a second wind and produce a few blooms! Look for faded (brown winter flowers) blooms of Asters, Goldenrods, and Pearly Everlasting.
Butterflies Several anglewing species such as Question Marks, Mourning Cloaks, Commas, and Tortoiseshells can still be seen on sunny days (most overwinter as adults & have wing edges with angles). Painted Ladies, American Ladies, and Red Admirals are still on wing too.
Dragonflies Large, thick-bodied Shadow, Ocellated, & Green Darners and a few red-colored Meadowhawk species are still flitting about.
Spider webs Orb (aerial) and funnel (ground) webs glisten with dew in the morning.
Mammals - Weasels and Snowshoe Hares are turning from brown to white. Black Bears, Chipmunks, and Ground Hogs are heading into their winter homes for the big snooze.
Birds - Snow Buntings, Juncos, and several Sparrow species migrating. Goldfinches are now in their winter drab plumage.
Sky - Orionid Meteor Show peaks on October 20. Full moon rises on October 27 at 10:07 p.m. Morning stars (planets) include Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter.
The Superior Hiking Trail provides limitless access to some of the most spectacular scenery in the upper Midwest. We have selected the best of the best for your hiking and photography enjoyment. We will spend two days hiking sections of the Superior Hiking trail of about 5-7 miles in length. Box lunches will be provided on the trail.
Our base of operations is one of the finest resorts in Northern Minnesota. The Cove Point Lodge (www.covepointlodge.com) provides great comfort and scenery. It is consistently selected as one of the top ten best, and most quiet, lodges in Minnesota.
As in all our intensive workshops, emphasis will be placed on hands-on learning in the field and critiques of each student's work. The multiple field sessions are supplemented by classroom discussions and demonstrations. This intensive workshop will focus on techniques to help you master landscape photography from grand to intimate, composition and design, effective use of color and natural light exposure.
Workshop Prices:
See our workshops page for details.
Back to topOctober Issue, 2004
Message form the publisher: Welcome to the first edition of the Silver Creek Photo Times. After much discussion and a long delay we are unveiling our first edition of the Times. Our goal is to publish this newsletter on a regular basis. Our intent is to use this newsletter as a vehicle of knowledge to further your education of photographic expression in the natural and human landscape. We will seek to provide a balance between digital and film photographic techniques, as well as provide information about where you can find great photographic opportunities in Minnesota and the upper Midwest. I want to thank Don Zimmerman who has agreed to serve as the Editor, without him this newsletter would still be an idea and a dream.