Owner: Motivation URL:http://www.howardgrill.blogspot.com Join Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2007 13:15:40 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Motivation is a photography blog which is dedicated to discussing the creative aspects of photography. Site statistics:Click here
Placement In The Frame II 2007-10-19 09:39:00 In yesterdays post entitled "Placement
In The Frame
" , I discussed an image from the standpoint of the 'correct' placement of a single object in the frame as it relates to languauge. Kal commented that, based on that discussion, I should try placing the stalk of grass at the lower left instead of the lower right and see how that made the image 'feel'. DUH! Why didn't I think of that!!!So I gave it a try based on the idea that, for people whose language reads left to right, it would be the most natural (unless one wants to generate a feeling of tension) to place a single object to the left, where the eye wants to naturally fall first. To my eye it makes a difference. I like it better. Instead of having the eye fall on blank white space first, it falls on the grass, whose bend then leads the viewer into the white space.Surviving WinterCopyright Howard GrillAt first I thought I was just trying to convince myself of something....but, no, I think it does look more pleasing.What
Placement In The Frame 2007-10-18 15:36:00 In a prior post entitled "Linguistics And Emotion", I wrote about the placement of a single isolated subject within the frame and how one's native language can influence that placement. In that post I had presented an image and stated that: "In cultures where language is read from left to right, images that ‘flow’ from left to right (or have an isolated subject placed on the left) are said to feel more peaceful than those which have a flow in the opposite, or right to left direction. The theory is that eye movement from right to left goes against the natural tendency for people to ‘read’ an image from left to right, thereby causing a sense of tension. In cultures where written language is read from right to left, the opposite is said to be true."Well, I have been working on an image in which I feel the exact opposite is true, and thought that it might be interesting to present it. The image, which I entitled 'Surviving Winter', is of a minimalist nature, bit it seemed to exp Read more:Placement
, Frame
Away In The Smokies 2007-10-28 12:10:00 No, the blog is not dead! I haven’t posted in over a week because I have been away and didn’t think it prudent to broadcast that fact over the internet. I have been off on a photographic journey to the Smoky Mountains on my second workshop with Nancy Rotenberg. Since my first workshop with her, she has been joined by Don McGowan and Les Saucier to form ‘Photography With Heart’. I could talk on and on trying to describe what a workshop with Nancy, Les, and Don is like, but I am sure that I would not be able do the experience justice. Let’s just say that their workshops embody all the emotional and spiritual journey that photography can and should be. It simply doesn't get any better. I will certainly post more images and thoughts from the trip, but for the moment, and until I unpack, I offer just an image or two: 'Balance'Copyright Howard Grill'The Road Less Traveled'Copyright Howard Grill
Waiting For The Sun 2007-11-03 13:55:00 It has been said that one of the biggest mistakes that can be made in photographing sunrises and sunsets is leaving too soon. Often, there is beautiful color to be seen and photographed for twenty or thirty minutes after the sun sets. Likewise, when waiting to photograph sunrise, things can change rapidly and unexpectedly. Such was the case when we were photographing sunrise during the recent Smoky Mountain Fall Workshop that I attended with Nancy Rotenberg, Don McGowan, and Les Saucier.And what a glorious sunrise it was:Sunrise Over The SmokiesCopyright Howard GrillBut it didn't start out that way. When our group arrived at the overlook that had been chosen for that morning's shoot, the sky seemed quite densely 'fogged in'. It didn't appear that we were likely to be able to make good images from that location and there was talk of trying to move to a different spot, perhaps one at a different elevation in the hopes of getting better conditions for photographing. By that time, how Read more:Waiting
Making Zoom Abstracts 2007-10-31 05:49:00 Given the comments made to the blog about my image "The Road Less Traveled", I thought that it might be worthwhile to talk about how one can think about and plan these types of images.'The Road Less Traveled'Copyright Howard GrillOnce a scene has been chosen on which this effect is to be tried, I think there are two very important initial steps to consider. The first is how much to zoom. I start by framing the image with the shortest focal length that I want to use as a starting 'size' for the shot. I then zoom out and choose the longest focal length I want for the shot. In the example above, I wanted the road to approach the left side of the image without 'spilling' out of the frame. By organizing the image this way, I can determine the starting and finishing focal lengths for the zoom. I don't just zoom the entire available focal length of the lens.The second issue is to decide where you want the zoom to seem to emanate from. The lens should be centered at this location. Said Read more:Abstracts
Before You Leave.....Turn Around 2007-11-07 10:00:00 When it comes to photography, I have always found turning around to be good advice. It sounds quite trite, but, nonetheless, it is often helpful.When concentrating on trying to photograph one particular scene, we often have blinders on and don't keep our minds open to other possibilities. It can be hard, and perhaps even detrimental, to try and break one's focus in the middle of photographing and, therefore, I do like to finish what I am concentrating on before moving. Once finished, my mind can then be receptive to new possibilities....and so I force myself to turn around and look behind me at what else there is that I might have missed or overlooked.It sounds quite simple, after all, once you are done photographing at a particular site you pack up and can't help but see what's around you before leaving. Sure, but are you receptive to what is around you, or is your mind already in the 'I'm done and leaving' mode? It is one thing to look at what is around you when packing up and Read more:Leave
, Turn Around
Vignettes 2007-11-10 10:09:00 Yet another post regarding something new I learned during the Smoky Mountain Fall Workshop I recently attended. Similar to the zoom abstract post I recently made, it involves something that can also be done in Photoshop.....but it is so much more satisfying to do it in-camera."Sumac"Copyright Howard GrillThis type of vignette with a 'color wash' is related to the 'shoot through technique', whereby one focuses on a relatively distant subject through grasses, flowers, or other objects that are closer, and shoots at a relatively wide aperture to ensure that these closer objects appear as an out of focus color that imparts an ethereal quality to the image.To make this particular image, all that had to be done was to first compose and focus on the sumac. Then I took a leaf, tore a hole in its center, and held the leaf close to the lens. By then looking through the viewfinder, I could get a sense of how the subject was centered within the hole in the leaf. Since the leaf is extremely
More Image Critique 2007-11-17 07:49:00 I am writing this 'mini-post' because I know that many people don't necessarily have the time to read the comments that others have made. A few days ago, I wrote about "ImageCritique
", and recommended the monthly photo review available on Alain Briot's website. As a response to that post, Chris Sheppard pointed out that Craig Tanner of "The Radiant Vista" posts a daily image review entitled "The Daily Critique" , which is available in multiple formats. I have just started listening to some of these and, like Alain's reviews, they are also extremely worthwhile. I plan to to tune in to them regularly as well. Definitely worth a listen!
Image Critique 2007-11-13 12:11:00 Despite the proliferation of social networking and photography related websites, I believe it remains difficult to get well thought out and constructive critiques of one's images. There are probably many reasons for this. Some that immediately come to mind include:The time needed to critically evaluate and write up one's thoughts about an image.The expertise and ability to critically evaluate an image beyond the basics.The desire not to feel like you are insulting the creator of the image (ie, being nice).And, unfortunately, there is, I suspect, a real issue with wanting to favorably critique an image in order to have the favor returned.However, the fact is that in order to grow and progress as a photographer and artist one needs critical and constructive evaluations of their work. I would much rather have someone give me thoughtful and carefully considered negative feedback about an image than a quick 'great shot' comment. Certainly, after receiving such feedback I put much more t Read more:Image
, Critique
Louie Palu 2007-11-20 09:09:00 One of the many reasons that I enjoy reading LensWork is that the magazine introduces me to photographers that I otherwise would be unaware of. At times this is because the photographer has not been widely published and at other times it may be because I simply have not been exposed to them, despite their having achieved recognition.This month, I was particularly intrigued by the work of Louie
Palu, who spent years on his project photographing coal miners in Canada. Every aspect of this project , from how he managed to get access to the mines themselves (pure persistence in the face of repeated resistance), to the dangers of being in the mine (which makes for a fascinating discussion in the LensWork interview), and the challenges of photographing in a dark and hostile environment (equipment literally blown up, dropped down shafts, makeshift lighting etc.) is truly fascinating. I couldn't stop reading the interview transcript and am looking forward to hearing more in LensWork Extended.
Photographer's Rights In Pittsburgh........Again 2007-11-28 05:40:00 I have previously written about a run in I had with a private security guard while taking pictures at Gateway Center, a large skyscraper complex located in Downtown Pittsburgh
. I thought this was likely just an isolated event, but I had a similar occurance this weekend. These types of events have been reported in many different places in the country, so I don't at all mean to insinuate that this is an issue isolated to the city of Pittsburgh. Anyway, on to the story.I was out photographing in downtown Pittsburgh last Sunday, just walking about with my camera handheld without a tripod (not that a tripod should really make a difference on a Sunday morning with almost no people around) at PPG Place, another downtown skyscraper complex. I was looking for and taking pictures of reflections in windows, an idea that I had mentioned in my last post (this building has mirrored glass windows). A private security guard for PPG approached me and said that since 9/11 PPG has a rule that no one can Read more:Photographer
, Rights
, Again
One Idea Begets Another 2007-11-24 07:41:00 I think it's interesting that sometimes looking over photographs that one has taken can lead to ideas about making new types of images.For example, I previously wrote about making abstract urban and skyscraper photographs. I recently decided to print one that utilized a telephoto lens to 'compress distance', leading to an image that, to me, took on an abstract feel. I was happy with the way it came out:Old And NewCopyright Howard GrillAs I looked at it, I was amazed with the appearance of the reflections in the windows of the building on the left. Initially, looking at the image as a whole, they didn't take on that much importance, though their tone and warmth did add to the overall image. But as I continued to look at the reflections it seemed like they could take on a significance of their own, which led me to the idea that they could almost make a separate project. Such a project could entail making images of window reflections that appeared as abstract colors and shapes, rathe
Published 2007-12-01 09:00:00 In the beginning of the year, having had some small shows of my work, I decided it was time to start submitting images for publication. Truth be told, I ended up putting off the process for some time. But I did ultimately send out some images to two magazines. It was my first attempt and I therefore wasn't going for any of the big names. After my blogging friend Marc Graf had written about Whisper In The Woods Nature Journal, I decided to send them a few photographs.I am pleased that two of the images were published in this months issue. So, I am motivated to try submitting more and elsewhere. I am not one to toot my own horn, but I am happy with this accomplishment and so thought I would share the images:Wild BlueberriesCopyright Howard GrillLast Leaf Of FallCopyright Howard Grill
Textures I 2007-12-13 04:16:00 Having read about the positive and negative aspects of participating in Flickr in several blogs, I decided to join and see what it was all about. My principle reason for doing so was that I thought it would make it easy for me to see what type of interesting work was being done by others. I was looking forward to finding other photographers whose worked I enjoyed, as well as finding new ideas that might inspire me. One of the first people whose work I found myself drawn to was "Cate". Let me first say that I have never been one to go for Photoshop "tricks' or gaudy Photoshop manipulation, but, despite being manipulated, there was something I found enchanting about her images. I found them to be full of emotion; eerie and mystical. I really wanted to know how she achieved this look and to at least have the opportunity to try whatever the technique was on a few of my own images. So I e-mailed Cate and asked if she would be willing to share with me how she had post- Read more:Textures
A Matter Of Taste 2007-12-09 09:57:00 I know which of my prints I like the best. I know which ones I feel have subtle tones, richness of detail and composition that draws me in. Funny thing though, when I show my prints to others, they don't always "pick' the ones that I think are my best work. Case in point. In my last post, I wrote about two images of mine that were published. I had sent eight or nine images to the publisher and the two that were chosen were actually my least favorite of the entire group. I have had a few small shows of my work. Some of the images that I have sold have been ones that I liked quite a bit, but I have also sold ones that I did not find as compelling, though to have included them I must have also "liked them' to some degree. In short, I am frequently surprised by what photographs people are drawn to compared to the ones that I think are my best. Here is one example of this that particularly stands out to me. This image, entitled "Yellow Morning", is one that I r
Quick Quotes: Dorothea Lange 2007-12-05 06:04:00 "While there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see"Dorothea LangeWhile this concept has been expressed many times, it has perhaps not been expressed as simply or as succinctly as it was by Dorothea Lange. Read more:Quick
, Quotes
Textures III 2007-12-19 05:59:00 If you haven't read at my first two posts about textures, they can be found here and here.Having been intrigued by seeing what others have done with blending textures into their images, I was interested in seeing what I might be able to do. I am certainly no expert, as this is the first image that I am attempting to apply the technique to. Here we go.......first, the image with no texture applied:'Days Of Yore'Copyright Howard GrillNow, the image of the texture itself that was used:Copyright Michael SmithAnd, finally, the image with the texture applied to it:'Days Of Yore'Copyright Howard GrillThe effect doesn't overwhelm the image, but, nonetheless, I think effects it in a positive way. What do you think?Without question, too much of a good thing can be bad. I do not mean to imply that all, most, or even many of one's images should be treated in this way. But, I personally find this an interesting technique, the intensity of which can be easily controlled, that can really Read more:Textures
Textures II 2007-12-16 07:49:00 In my last post, I presented some of Cate's images that I found mysterious and ethereal and which motivated me to contact her in order to find out about her post-processing. I mentioned that I don't usually write about Photoshop techniques in this blog, but, every so often, I do find something that is directly Photoshop related that I would like to share. Needless to say, this is one of those times. As it turns out, the post-processing is done with textures. What are textures? Any image that consists mainly of abstract color and shape can serve as an underlying texture to blend with another 'real' image. So how is it done?Texture By Michael SmithMore On Michael's Textures
In My Next Post Open the 'real' image that you want to apply the texture to as well as the image of the actual texture itself (an example of a texture is posted above). Change the name of the texture image layer (it should consist of a single layer) from "Background' to anything else (so that
Fakery 2007-12-23 08:02:00 Several months ago I wrote a short post entitled "Photography And Truth", which can be read here (Pt. I) and here (Pt. II). "Photography And Truth" was ultimately published on Uwe Steinmueller's Outback Photo as an essay which contained more photographs than the original post, with the added images being used to illustrate the points that were being made. If there is an interest, that version of the essay can be read here. The reason I bring up the essay, is that I ran across an interesting article on the Photopreneur blog entitled "The World's Most Famous Photoshop Fakes", which I thought served as an interesting follow up to it. In "The World's Most Famous Photoshop Fakes" , the Photopreneur authors present some of the most notable historic "news' images that were "doctored' in some way, many through the use of Photoshop. Several of the fakes were images taken on film and subsequently altered without the use of Photoshop. Oh my, you mean analog p
Photopreneur 2008-03-11 09:58:00 I recently ran across an interesting photography blog with a different twist than most I have mentioned here. As opposed to being primarily art related, Photopreneur is a blog dedicated to discussing various ways that one's images can be used to produce income. Whether or not this is of primary interest, I find the blog well thought out and the articles interesting and full of good ideas. I thought it was worth sharing. I think having a peek at Photopreneur is worthwhile, and, who knows, it might give you some interesting ideas!
Just Around The Corner 2008-03-08 08:18:00 Spring is just around the corner. OK, so maybe it still is just the begining of March and, while it is true that here in Western Pennsylvania you can get light snow even in the begining of April, the anticipation of Spring is in the air. Spring is my favorite season and I absolutely take delight in photographing it. So, Mark, if you are out there, lets get ready to shoot more trillium! "Peeking Out"Copyright Howard Grill "Wild Geranium" Copyright Howard Grill
Quick Quotes: Eliot Porter 2008-03-05 05:33:00 In my last "Quick
Quote", I wrote about Gary Winogrand's saying:"I don't have anything to say in any picture. My only interest in photography is to see what something looks like as a photograph. I have no preconceptions."Just recently, I ran across a quote by EliotPorter
that I thought was an interesting follow-up to the Winogrand quote. Mr. Porter said:"The more you photograph, the more you realize what can be photographed and what can't be photographed "Somehow, I think there is an association between the two quotes. In mulling over it, there are times when I think he agrees with Winogrand and times when I think otherwise. This is first "Quick Quote" that I also have mixed feelings about, much as I love and respect Eliot Porter's work (I have not one, but two copies of Porter's 'In Wild Read more:Quotes
Fencing at "The Arnold" 2008-03-01 08:14:00 I am going to be bringing my son to the Arnold
(as in Schwarzenegger) athletic games in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday to compete in fencing. The games are sponsored by Governor Schwarzenegger, and have been for years. The convention center in Columbus becomes filled with just about every indoor sport competition imaginable, such as fencing, gymnastics, weightlifting, martial arts etc. Each year Mr. Schwarzenegger himself shows up and stops into the finals of every sport. It was actually quite funny last year because, as a governor, he has bodyguards for protection. So, naturally, all competitors in fencing were told that the governor's visit to the fencing match would be pre-announced by about 10 minutes and that all matches would stop and that all foils, epees etc had to be placed on the Read more:Fencing
More Patterns 2008-02-28 05:50:00 I recently wrote a post noting that I have taken many photographs of patterns in nature. I thought I would take the opportunity to share a few more that I had seen while going through some older images. Beetle Tracks In SandCopyright Howard Grill Rushing WaterCopyright Howard Grill OceanCopyright Howard Grill Read more:Patterns
Remembering 2008-02-24 09:14:00 Many people remember their family vacations by looking over the snapshots they take. Oddly enough, I am not one of them. I think it has something to do with being a perfectionist when it comes to photography. It makes it difficult to just knock off snapshots. Oh sure, I do have a tiny point 'n shoot and certainly take some quick shots of the kids on the beach and that sort of thing. But I don't particularly enjoy doing that because I constantly find myself trying to figure out how to make the shot better instead of enjoying the moment. Or, if I see something really nice, I will find myself wishing I had my dSLR along. I know this isn't a good habit to have, but it just is.....so instead of taking a ton of snaps I live and experience the vacation with joy but without trying to fully Read more:Remembering
Patterns 2008-02-20 06:04:00 Sometimes, when reviewing your images, you can detect a subtle, or not so subtle, underlying interest. By this I mean detecting a way of looking at things that you might not even have been conscious of at the time you took the photograph. These underlying currents need not be manifest in the serious 'fine art' type of images that you put in your portfolio, they may just be apparent in the 'stuff' that you shoot for fun. I am referring to what comes out when you are shooting playfully to see if you can make images that you find interesting yourself, without necessarily having plans to show them to others.So what did I find for myself when I was glancing through my images, which is obviously what motivated me to write this post?It was apparent that I like discovering and portraying the gr Read more:Patterns
A Negative Review 2008-02-17 07:34:00 No matter where I look, I always read glowing reviews about the Visible Dust products used to clean digital camera sensors. Since one of the nice aspects of having a blog is to have a platform to voice one's own opinions, I think I will take the opportunity to do so by making some statements that, perhaps, many will disagree with. I know that most people have had excellent results with their Visible Dust Arctic Butterfly sensor brush, but some folks might like to hear a differing opinion before making a relatively expensive purchase.Let me state that I absolutely hate sensor cleaning and therefore only do so when the need is more than a trivial one. I have always used the 'wet method'........the so-called Copper Hill method. It isn't any fun, and, personally, I find that it takes many atte Read more:Negative
Quick Quotes: Garry Winogrand 2008-02-13 06:05:00 "I don't have anything to say in any picture. My only interest in photography is to see what something looks like as a photograph. I have no preconceptions." Garry Winogrand (1928-1984)For me, this quote by Garry Winogrand really encompasses a good deal of both the excitement and the frustration of photographing. It perfectly expresses to me, in words, the fact that the camera sees things differently than our eyes do.At times, it can be very frustrating when I am excited about a scene at the time the shutter clicked, thinking that I had captured something special, only to find that the final image leaves me uninspired. Alternatively, how delightful it can be when I first see an image I took and it just hits the right way emotionally, perhaps in a way that I hadn't expected.I know that t Read more:Quick
, Quotes
The Simplicity Of Snow 2008-02-09 01:27:00 I was intrigued by fellow blogger Mark Graf's recent post about how snow tends to simplify scenes that would otherwise be quite disorganized and distracting; morphing a scene that would be difficult to photograph into something that looks much more appealing in a two dimensional image. Have a look at that interesting post if you haven't had a chance to read it.After reading Mark's post, I found myself wondering if I could use snow to simplify an image even further....right down to bare graphic shapes. I would obviously have to look for very specific, uncluttered, and focal scenes (by which I mean picking out a small area of landscape that had very basic graphical qualities).As I have mentioned many times before, I am not very much of a cold weather person, but I thought this would motivate Read more:Simplicity
Louie Palu: Cage Call Revisited 2008-02-05 05:35:00 Back on November 20th, I wrote about Louie
Palu's project entitled "Cage Call". At that time, I lamented the fact that I could not find a copy of Cage Call, which had been published by The Blue Sky Gallery in Portland, to purchase, despite searching all the usual spots. Imagine my surprise when I just recently found out that Mr. Palu was one of three photographers that had been awarded a monograph at Photolucida, as part of their 'Critical Mass' competition. Not only had it been awarded, but it was already published and available from Amazon in softcover for about $16.I just received my copy and it was worth the wait. Rather than repeat my prior post, why not just check that post out. As expected, the images are superb and the accompanying text and interviews by Charlie Angus really round Read more:Revisited
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