Hamilton Waterfall Illumination - Albion Falls

I came across a notice very last minute for a very cool event. I've wanted to get more involved socially with other photographers so I signed up to a Hamilton Meetup group for photographers. I made my way out to Albion Falls and was shocked by how many people showed up. Looking down the dangerously steep cliff side I saw legions of people of all ages lining the rocky shores. A nice formation of tripods, almost like a historical battle reenactment with cameras aimed at the falls.

A hush came over the crowd as the blue flood lights went on. You heard the peaceful sound of the falls, and the the cricket-like clicks of camera shutters. That could have also just been crickets. Everyone (including myself) went to town and started snapping away at the main event. I then started noticing all kind of interesting things to the sides, behind, and every direction of the falls. The lights created incredible shadows and shapes all over the place. I have taken nature shots so many times but this gave an entirely new perspective to the same old subjects.

I didn't do the socializing I had expected. But I got to do a lot of people watching. It was cool to see how excited others were by this. The falls themselves are always a beautiful sight but this small change made for such a different experience. There's something about glowing colourful light that is so mesmerizing. Likes others there I didn't do much talking, I just took in and looked for the angles.

Overall a really cool experience. Note to self, and others going to one of these in the future - bring a flashlight. The climb back up was pretty treacherous in the dark.

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The High Speed Lens Mistake That Photographers Make

I at one time was a victim of a terrible affliction which many photographers get when they buy a new high speed lens. Fast glass is what so many of us aspire to. We spend months leading up to the purchase explaining to our significant others why spending thousands of dollars on a proper lens is necessary. Well I don’t have to because my lady is pretty cool, but the point is it’s a huge financial investment.  It is arguably the most valuable investment in your camera bag.

So we save up and open up that beautiful golden box. It shines like a diamond ring, for which I would have no experience looking at. We get lost in those beautiful numbers… 1.4, 2.8. It’s a beautiful thing. What do we do for the next few months? Shoot everything as low aperture as possible. Why not? We want that beautifully blurred background and razor sharp subject. What’s the point of owning a Ferrari if you don’t drive it to the max right? Well like a Ferrari an aperture should not be driven at the fastest speed at all times.

I made this mistake for a while. I got a great lens and immediately shot everything at 1.4 or 1.8. It worked amazingly well for some photos, but I got caught up in it and some photos suffered. In some cases I would have blurry subjects because the intense depth of field focused on the closer subject. I quickly learned that is a power to be harnessed carefully, and not whenever possible. It should be used selectively to creative a very specific vision.  

It’s one of those mistakes you look back on and cringe wishing you could tell your past self “don’t do it!” But like photographs, we develop from our negatives. Long exposure short (my attempt at being clever with wordplay) enjoy that new lens, but don’t get overexcited by how low it can go.

Starting A Model Portfolio Part II: Picking The Right Photographer

How To Pick The Best Photographer For Your Portfolio

You're a tiger!​

You’ve gone this far in your research; you now want to pick the right photographer. You are in luck because there are thousands of photographers you can work with. As a new model there are tons of people who are willing to work with you for free. Great right? The old saying you get what you pay for could not be truer at this stage.  You can certainly build a portfolio with budding photographers but you will not get the results of an experienced professional.

What to Look for In A Photographer

Consistent Quality

Look to see if they have a good sample of high quality work. Photographers have work displayed all over the internet. They may have Flickr accounts, Facebook fanpages, Model Mayhem portfolios, and portfolio websites. Take a look at these different portfolios and see if they have a consistent amount of work you think is high quality. You can even look at dates of those being published to see the evolution of their work

Shooting Style

Does the photographers work match the style of work you want to pursue? If you want to become a high fashion run way model look for a photographer that has experience lighting and posing a more avante guard style of work. Conversely if you want to be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, that takes a very different style of posing lighting, and composition. Think about what target market your portfolio will attract, and what look you are trying to achieve.

Processing Style

The final images you will receive can be very different from what you see while shooting in the photographers LCD screen. Some photographers go for a very natural untouched look, while others do a fair bit of processing. This can include adding various filters, a varying amount of skin retouching, or other artistic choices. These come down to personal preference. Try to examine how the images have been touched up and if that adds to detracts value for you as a client. There can be a fine line between interesting looking and tacky.

Niche vs. Versatility

Some photographer’s images all look the same; while some are so varied it’s hard to imagine the same photographer took all those shots. When you are starting off it’s nice a get a range of different looks in your portfolio so it’s helpful to look for someone who can shoot and edit a lot of styles. If you have a specific style of modeling in mind hiring a photographer who specializes in that is your best way to go.

Personality

Starting off as a model can be pretty intimidating/scary. It can be nerve racking being in front of the camera as a novice especially when you are working with a complete stranger. I believe it’s critical to work with someone with whom you can create a good rapport with and have fun while shooting. There are incredibly talented artists out there who have zero social skills and create discomfort for new models. Often discomfort seeps into the images and the final product is not ideal. Pick someone you will enjoy shooting with. Not only will a good experience produce better results, but it will encourage you to continue shooting.

How To Start A Model Portfolio

​So you’re interested in becoming a model? Great, you’re doing your research and figuring out what the best way to succeed in this highly competitive industry. It can be an incredibly rewarding industry if you are dedicated and professionally minded.

First off, decide why you want to pursue modeling. Do you want make some extra money or work at it full time? Do you want to make it big with riches and glamour? Are you looking just to have some fun? The answer to these questions could dictate who you work with, what kind of modeling you want to pursue, and what kind of time and financial investment you want to make.

The second step should be to examine your expectations and look critically at the industry you are entering. It’s important to be honest with yourself when setting your goals. You may have many people around you saying you are attractive and should become a model. It is terrific that you have people around you for support. It’s great to be positive and set ambitious goals but acknowledging this is a tough industry that can have an ugly side should be noted.

The next step in your modeling journey is to figure out what type of modeling you are interested in pursuing. There are so many niches and specialized modeling possibilities out there. You may want to explore different possibilities and have a broad range of work however your ‘look’ can lend itself to a particular style of modeling. Quite frankly your physical appearance and fashion choices can dictate that for you. Some models naturally lend themselves to runway modeling, while others are best suited for glamour or alternative modeling.

Think about who you want to work with as well. Some models make a decent living working exclusively with amateur photographers who are developing their portfolios while others focus on paid gigs from designers or clothing companies. The main point being if you choose a specific niche to work in, you should craft your portfolio to showcase that type of work. If you want to try different types of modeling then try to create a portfolio with as many different looks as possible.

Before stepping in front of a camera you have to practice. Like any other skill it takes learning, and repetition to get something right. Do a little research on posing and facial expressions. Practice those in front of a mirror. You may feel silly, but it will pay off in the end. An experienced photographer can certainly guide you in creating pleasing and interesting poses however having an understanding of basics can make your first shoot easier. Look at magazines and blogs to see how models in those industries are posing. Also try and be aware of your best features. Focus on what makes you stand out and really emphasize that in your pose and expression choices. Thinking about this ahead of time will allow you to communicate to the photographer what your best angles or features are. Chances are they will see what you see but it’s a good exercise to think about that before practicing poses.

Next, reach out to photographers. Search for photographers in your area whose work you like and get in touch. Find out about what kind of packages they offer, their work, and themselves. You can read all about How to Pick the Best Photographer in Part II of this article. In addition to picking out a great photographer you may also want to consider the services of a hair and make-up artist. If the photographer does not offer that as part of their service inquire if they have any recommendations. Having a trained hair and make-up artist can truly set your images apart from the rest. Yes this takes a small financial investment but collaborating with the right professionals can make your portfolio look amazing.

In the end your success will depend on your drive, determination, professionalism, and some luck. Do your research on the industry, prepare yourself as best possible, and seek out professionals who can make you stand out from the rest.

Photography Watermarks – Let’s take it down a notch

There are people on many points of the spectrum in terms of watermark opinions.  My point of view… calm yourselves people. Why on earth would you destroy your image with giant logos, your name brazenly plastered across your subject? We get it! You took the picture. Thank you for displaying your website in 200pt font. There is a time and place for promotion.

I am fully in support of adding a watermark or unobtrusive logo to your images. It is important to market yourself when you post photos online. Depending on where they are posted there is not always opportunity to add credit for your work, so a watermark provides a way to sign your work. For the sake of this article I’ll refer to any logo, photographer name, company name, or website as a watermark.

Different Methods for Watermarking Your Photography

Different photographers go about watermarking their work in different ways. Some add borders to their images and place their watermark in that space. This is an effective strategy for not harming the work by not placing any elements on the shot itself. Another pro to that method is if you use a consistent style or look to your border you can begin to brand work as unique through that look.  I do however I find these to be distracting. Sometimes a border just isn’t appropriate for certain images.

Some photographers have automatic watermark generators where their logo/name automatically is put on all of their images in a predetermined spot. Sometimes this is a specific corner of the image, or right across the centre. This can be helpful if you are processing a lot of images and don’t want to go through the work of adding your watermark to each image individually. The major downside of this approach is having a fixed spot for your watermark could ruin some images by it being placed in a not ideal spot in relation to the composition of the photo. Also depending on the design it can be unreadable based on font colours and the image background colours.

The other method which is the approach I use is to add a small piece of text that either has my name or my website within the image. For this I always place it strategically based on the composition of the photo. I try to keep it noticeable but unobtrusive. Some would argue that this method can interfere with the composition of the photo. It is also much more time consuming as I customize the colour and opacity based on each individual image.

Why Watermark Your Photography?

The main reason we watermark our work is to give ourselves credit when we publish our photos online. Not meant to say wow we’re awesome, but moreso to provide us with future business leads. Should a stranger see our work and like it they may be compelled to hire us for a future shoot. Providing a name or website can help a potential client find a way to get into contact with you when the image gets onto the interwebs.

As much effort as we exercise to try and control our work and where it goes the reality is once images are on the internet you have no idea where they can end up. Yes there is a certain degree of tracking through exif data or photo searches, but in the end once someone downloads it they can alter, pass on and do whatever to your photos. It is unfortunate, but it is reality.

How to Make Your Watermark?

Different photographers have different approaches to creating their watermarks. Some use just their name, perhaps their name followed by “Photography”, some use their website URL, while others create elaborate logos. All fine options in my opinion if done tastefully. Using your name can be effective if you show up well in search engine results and if those results are ones you want potential clients to see. Because our digital presence gets spread out without our control you want to make sure you want people to see what is associated with your name.  You also need to consider how common your name is. There may be several “Sam Jones” Photography websites and you don’t want to send your potential clients to other websites that show up better than you in search engines.

Using your website is also a good option. It provides a nice way to get traffic directly to your site, and have people go exactly where you want them to. Make sure if you chose this option you have an easy to read and type URL. If it is something complicated you may lose some traffic. Also make sure you choose a common or sensible URL extension. Don’t purchase a .net, .org, .info extension. Stick to either .com if available or your country code. Lastly, if you use an image based logo make sure there is a way for someone to search you; whether you have a company name or website within that logo. There is no point to watermarking your work if it does not provide a way for people to find you. Your beautifully designed initials within an aperture image may look great, but doesn’t help people find you.

Removing or Cropping Watermarks

This is generally the biggest concern when considering the type of watermarking you do. Again, once it’s on the internet there is not much you can do. People will crop out, or remove your logo entirely. People who maliciously steal others’ work will always find a way. Don’t bother slapping a logo across your entire image to try and make it harder for someone to remove. If someone is determined they can find ways to remove your logo, so you may as well not ruin your image. Another frustration here is the dreaded Instagram. Damn you square cropping! Often models will #instagram #instapost #instagottasharewithtoomanyhashtags the work you did together. While great for introducing your work to a wider audience, your logo often ends up cropped out. In these scenarios you can always ask your model to slap on a link, or give a shout out to you. It’s all about communication folks.

Are Watermarks the Artistic Devil?

No, they are not the devil to art. Used wisely it can be a helpful marketing tool. Used poorly can make you look like a tool.  (See what I did there, I used the word tool to describe an implement or instrument to perform a task with while using the same word to describe you as a person of low intelligence and poor decision making… I digress). Use them, get your name out there, just don’t butcher your images with them.

Life After Death in Photos

I consider myself a student of human behaviour. Not just as a photographer but in my personal and professional life. I have always been fascinated by the things people do, how they react to others, and different situations.  I also remain cognizant of how I behave, and what drives my actions.

I am particularly interested with how we deal with death publicly. Not the most cheerful of topics. We tend to avoid talking about it, but do interesting things in response to it. For the purpose of this piece I will focus on the role photographs play in our mourning process.

Upon hearing the unfortunate news many take to Facebook to post and tag photos with the individual. I suspect many possible reasons for this. Mostly notably I believe people try to honour the life of that person publicly. In a time of shock you almost don’t know what to do with yourself. There can be a struggle between trying to remain private in grieving but also public in acknowledgment of that person’s impact on your life. 

I see different levels of this as well. Some make their display picture a photo of themselves and the one who has passed. Others go beyond this and post galleries, perhaps posting on the timelines of the person with messages directed to them. Some may find this behaviour strange questioning exactly who that post is directed at. Really it is just a method of coping. In these situations some people don’t have an outlet for their feelings and use social media as a way to get it out. For some, posting photos and comments publicly is their method of handling these difficult emotions.

The other important aspect to posting photos is preserving our memories. Not only do we attempt to honour that person’s life but we also reflect on our past. Many of us go straight to photos to remember all of our great memories. This can be both a painful and healing activity. Recalling our past can bring up a sea of emotions. Sometimes it can feel unreal. We hold in our hands a tactile object capturing that person’s essence. It can be so strange holding that object realizing that person is gone. At the same time that person lives on through those objects. You forever remember that person through those moments. You can hear their laugh just looking at their smile. You can picture their mannerisms and quirks.

When it comes to the memorial service you will often see slideshows, videos, or photographs posted. These again can cause a mixture of emotions. You get to re-experience the laughs of great moments with groups of people you shared that with. Perhaps you experience something entirely unique. You can see a photo that deeply resonates with you and you alone in that room. To me that demonstrates the power of a photo.

This piece is not meant to promote photography as a means to get business. I merely want to highlight how important photographs can be to our emotional health. Forget the emotion we falsely try to create with artistic techniques and concepts. The true power of a photograph is how it resonates within each of us. That blurry photo taken with a camera phone can be more valuable to us than any professional photo imagined. To me photos have always been important because of how they make people feel, and how they make me feel.

You may ask what inspired this heavy topic. Generally my posts are light in tone and laced with sarcasm. Every once in a while I like to sneak in some real stuff and what impacts me. This particular week is one of those heavy times for me. It’s this time of year just a little while ago my close friend Conor passed away. Now this past week my high school friend Jen passed away. My grieving tends not to take a public form such as posting blogs about it, but seeing how others do react to these moments I thought I would reflect on what I do, what I see others do, and what I imagine others do. I question if others go through the same process.

So this week I am breaking out the photo albums and looking back at my trip to Florida, being taught how to shot gun a beer, or recalling the terrible sunburn I got at Wonderland when I fell asleep in the waterpark after taking too much Gravol. This week I’m looking at my pictures, and I know many others are doing the same.

15 Signs You Are A Photographer

• Most of your Facebook statuses are “Editing tonight” or “Check out this teaser”

• Currently or at one time your profile picture is a film noir style low key black and white photo of yourself

• You have numerous odd shaped black bags – carrying cases for every piece of equipment imaginable

• You have a love-hate relationship with Instagram

• You raise an eyebrow when your friends with DSLRs call themselves photographers (Photographer friends of yours probably did the same when you told them you were a photographer)
  

• You have an accountant friend who would like free photos taken as a favour, but charges you to do your taxes

• You can be awake at all hours of the day and be in any condition to get the perfect shot

• You can never stop buying equipment. There is always something you need

• When attending weddings you don’t watch the bride and groom, you watch the photographer

• You love the stack of gold boxed in your closet and will never throw them away (If you’re a Cannon person insert whatever colour your camera products come in. Black and red? If you are a Hasselblad user you probably have mahogany boxes in your Penthouse storage closet).

• You see in f-stop

• You own numerous books on photography and Photoshop you have never read, but you love looking at the pictures

• You hate the fact the women keep hair elastics on their wrists (at some point you forgot to check)

• You have to justify to friends/spouse why you spent $90 on a little piece of plastic that has something to do with lighting

• You have purchased stupid pieces of $90 plastic, you regret buying because you never use them
  

Top 6 Ways to Be Professional as a Photographer and a Model

Have a website

If you can’t afford one get a Flickr, Tumblr or a Facebook page. Don’t make a website with one of those free services that stamp their logo and ads all over your site. Most services that allow you to make a professional looking site will start around $10 a month. If you are serious about being a professional on either the model or photography end you should be able to invest $10 a month.

Only show your best images

Less is more with portfolios. If you have 5 amazing images people will think you are amazing and want to see more. If you have 5 amazing images and 40 mediocre images they can see maybe you are not absolutely fabulous. Whether it is posting to your website, blog, or social media page do not upload entire galleries of one shoot/look. Select your very best images to show. Your portfolio will build over time so don’t worry about it appearing too sparse. Try to arrange a shoot where you can get as many different looks as possible. One great way of getting different looks is hiring a hair and makeup artist. They can transform the model for each setup to give you dramatically different results.

Have professional profiles/about pages

Potential clients will always read up about you. Try to present yourself in a professional yet honest way. Show some personality as they want to know the real you. Be sure to use proper spelling and grammar and limit emoticons to zero, or maybe one. Notin makes u look more amature then trin 2 B kewl riting like dis. Same rules apply for correspondence.  There is absolutely no need for short forms and poor spelling in emails, and messages. Also for your about pages take time in crafting what you write. You want to come across as open and easy to work with. Stating demands can cause people to turn away thinking you are a diva. Venting and sounding bitter can suggest you have a poor attitude. Clearly state your expectations but don’t demand or complain about poor experiences.

Practice

On either side of the camera it is essential to practice your craft. As a model you want to practice your facial expressions and poses. Of course a photographer will give you direction but if you can’t provide different expressions you will have some pretty boring looking photos. As a photographer there are always new techniques and tools to create amazing photographs. Constantly be reading tutorials and trying different types of photography.

Act professional... duh

I constantly read on various profiles “this is not a dating site”… which leads me to assume people try and pick up models while working. Are you insane? Why on earth would you consider acting inappropriate towards a model or any other collaborator in this business? I understand being friendly and playful but any kind of inappropriate behaviour can destroy your reputation. I won’t even get into the issue of it being wrong, and think purely from a reputation standpoint. One stupid move and you can literally kiss your career goodbye. While shooting, you’re working.

Don’t misrepresent yourself

A number of things fall into this category. For models it’s okay if you have out of date work and are looking to update, just be clear about it ahead of time. If your look has dramatically changed just say so ahead of time. It can be frustrating setting up a specific concept and arranging a certain model to fit that look and they show up looking nothing like what they represented.  If you plan on getting a full body tattoo a week before the shoot that’s cool, just declare that ahead of time so there are no misunderstandings. A majority of the time it won’t matter and you can shoot away, but surprises are not good in a visual industry. For photographers; do not suggest you are something that you are not. Do not present yourself as super capable and professional if you are just starting. Admit that you are starting your portfolio so there are no false expectations as to what images the model will receive. One example I have heard from models is a photographer will have a very strong looking portfolio and when the models gets the edits back they are mediocre or poor quality. The scenario here being the work in the portfolio was taken at workshops with professional equipment set up by an experienced instructor. Lights, and camera settings were all set up, and the newbie just pressed the shutter button. Don’t get me wrong that’s not a bad thing for someone learning the ropes, just be clear about how those were taken.

Cool or Cliché

There are numerous concepts, backgrounds, techniques that take the photography world by storm. Some are long lasting, some come and go very quickly, while some stay on to become a mindless cliché. A lot of us know they are cliché yet we still do them. We have our reasons, for some just look cool, some evoke a common emotional response, while others are trying to look artsy. I will be the first to admit I’m a huge hypocrite, or borrow inspiration, but I will declare that openly. What I won’t do is try to pass something off as being artistic when it’s not. To me photos can serve different purposes. They capture memories, capture something amazing looking, are used commercially, are used to evoke emotion, tell a story, or just looking interesting. I don’t think there is anything wrong for taking a photo of something that looks cool, or using a common technique, as long as you’re clear as to what you are representing.

Cool or Cliché Photography – There is a fine line that separates those. Sometimes what’s cool becomes cliché very quickly, sometimes what’s cliché looks very cool and should be recreated. Below I summarize types of images that are redone a lot. Some veer towards the cliché side while some if executed well are pretty cool. Some I have a strong opinion on while others I have more ambiguous/hypocritical feelings towards. Some views are expressed pretty sarcastically so watch for those ;)

Cool Vs. Cliché

The black and white photo of a homeless man (can include poor children, or people in ratty clothing in third world countries)

Please stop with these. Too many of these photos are exploitative of those individuals for the sake of you trying to look artistic. It had artistic value about 20 years ago when it was first done, now they just look cliché.  When visiting new places there are so many interesting things to photograph that you should not rely on what others have done in the past. While getting a snapshot of daily life in another place can be interesting, I would instead like to see images of what the photographer had a connection to. If you do a portrait of a person you had an interesting interaction with and that photo can tell a story I think that speaks volumes over trying to illicit a sad emotional response from guilt.

Models against graffiti background

Why do we love models against weird backgrounds? Especially when the background feels out of place. Have a girl in a beautiful dress in some grungy back alley with spray paint and old tires. To me backgrounds should enhance a photo by either providing context, serve as a beautiful backdrop to make the overall image look better, or be very simple and non-distracting to focus on the subject. Would you rather have a couple in front of a brick background or stunning waterfall? That question is often answered by personal taste. Some prefer simplicity, while others like the striking beauty of nature to give oomph to a photo. Others like the contrast of location to the subject, while some like the visual interest in “different” looking backgrounds. My issue is when someone chooses an odd looking background again for the sake of looking artsy.

HDR – High Dynamic Range

You may not know the term for it, but you have surely seen these images before. You know the really surreal looking photos where you can’t tell if they are a painting or digital artwork. This is one of those cases where a cool technique is adopted by a few, someone makes software for it and boom everyone is popping out surreal looking landscape images or 50’s Chevrolets. A modest use of this technique I think is perfectly acceptable, but when you go full out HDRey and your image looks like it belongs  airbrushed on an 80s van then I think it’s too much.

Girl looking out window

What is she looking at? Why is she in her underwear? For some reason photos look very intense when someone looks away from the camera out of a window. That pensive look of the model, the contrasty natural lighting comingin through the window, and usually black and white makes for some deep stuff.

Select Saturation

This refers to black and white photos that have a select part of the image in colour. It could be a flower, or the grooms boutonniere, or other part of the image you want to stand out. This can look good 3% of the time. Some people can pull it off, again if done in moderation. For most people it ends up looking silly and amateur.

Wearing Cultural Clothing

You know what makes for a very deep and interesting photo? Get a Caucasian model to wear cultural garb from a far away and exotic land. It can certainly be interesting to highlight different cultures and traditions. Often that’s what makes photography so enticing to viewers is seeing something they are not used to. To me it gets ridiculous when you try too hard to create something exotic. Those photos feel forced and often have ignorance and stereotypes peppered throughout the image.

Marilyn Monroe Pastiche

Please no more Marilyn Monroe remakes, imitations, etc… We all know Marilyn Monroe was an amazing cultural figure. She has some of the most iconic images in the history of photography. Why do people insist on recreating these? They have been remade to death.

Old, rusting, rotting things

Old cars, pieces of metal, fence, logs decomposing. We like taking pictures of old crappy things. No one takes a picture of a brand new wooden fence in suburbia. But wait 50 years until that wood rots, maybe has some aforementioned spray paint and you’ve got photo magic.

There you have a small list of things that can be cool or cliche. I would love to hear your comments. Is there something I missed? Am I completely wrong in your opinion and you want to destroy my argument?