Photography is a never ending journey.
There are no one way roads and many exits to explore on your travels. There have been many changes since the first known photo and there will be many more. Be that change.
CHILDREN CAN IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
Took some time off from the sports again and tried something I was thinking about for some time. I AM NOT A PEOPLE PERSON. I had bought a 200mm F2 lens and saw many great photos of people taken wide open. I got some friends to lend their little ones for a shoot over a couple of weekends. The lens is everything they say it is. You are not going to get close when shooting but with Kids you don't want to stick a camera in their face. At the time I was shooting I couldn't say it was fun. Even though it was supposed to be for the fun of it. Worrying about getting some good photos of people always bothers me a bit, least till you review the pictures on a bigger screen. Was the focus right, eyes open, or something out of place you have to Photoshop. Both moms were chewing at the kids to smile or do something. They couldn't see what I saw through the lens. I did a little fall staging with some straw, pumpkins and other props before anyone showed up. That really helped because when the kids saw it they were hooked on doing something with the props. The youngest above worked best on his own. You are not going to give much direction at that age. Sometimes all you can ask for is something to trigger a smile.
Then there are times when you think they couldn't preform better. You have to be ready all the time and being a distance away they kind of forget you are there and play a bit. Sometimes the moms are worst than the kids.
Don't forget to get mom in the act. Someone just wanted to go for a ride in the wagon. Priceless.
SILO CITY BUFFALO NY
I am not a work shop guy. Really never been to a work shop that was a work shop. I mostly went on Photo trips to access the place. I have been traveling to Buffalo for a long time and took notice to the grain silos. I thought it would be nice to take a crack at doing some photography. I found a work shop advertised for Silo City with Mark Maio. I could find no other opportunity so I looked into it and decided to pull the trigger. My first thought was it was more money than I would ever spend to take photos in a work shop. My photography is personal and not for commercial ventures. What caught my attention was there would be some medium format cameras there. I have been looking at them for a while. I like to print big. So I signed up and took the trip. I didn't stay at the hotel with the others in the group because I have family near by so I can't speak for the extras after the shooting was done for the day. There was a light painting demo but constant rain downsized the subject. I already had been light painting but would have liked to seen the large scale version. I had 3 days of unrestricted access and it took all that time to see most of the place. People were available to assist if you needed help. You don't have to be accomplished to take this shop. Mark Maio was available as well as Chris Snipes from Capture Integration provided medium format cameras to try. I never did try one. The group was diverse and helpful to each other. I met some new people and some I already knew. Mark included a rare opportunity to photograph the Buffalo Pumping station near Niagara Falls and Concrete Central on side trips. That day was a little too windy. The photo shown here is what would be the normal take but I pulled out my 400 F2.8 and did some close ups of the outside. I hope that I was helpful to some of the others. If you ever watch Creative Live I got to meet one of the celebrity students Cliff Lenderman.
If I was to throw a nit it was the place was a lot cleaner than I am used to. The more rust, crust and dust the better for me. It rained most of the time which wasn't a problem for me. Wet floors, puddles and cloudy skies will provide interesting reflections or softer light. I would have liked some ice.
If you like abandoned or not there are some great opportunities.
CLOSE UP OF LADDER ON SIDE OF TOP BUILDING
SILO CITY AND A FEW BUFFALO WINGS
Abandoned places with the things they used still inside is quite a draw for photographers for many reasons. Documenting the past, the challenge of shooting in the dark, the layers of dust, crust and rust provide texture and color. For me making it artwork. Color you can't get at one of the box stores. Equipment and tools that provided needed supplies and jobs that made towns grown and prosper. I have been visiting these types of places for awhile and have a bucket list to visit. One of these places is the Grain Elevators in Buffalo. You just can't get in unless you do a work shop. Double that with a visit with family and you have something to look forward to.
Saint Nicholas_coal_breaker was the first and since some of the building has been demolished to make way for another strip mine. I have missed a few just because I hadn't thought about getting inside until it was too late.
PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ALWAYS A GOOD TIME
BEN FRANKLIN BRIDGE
Took a trip to the Eastern State Penn in Philly and have to admit it was a bad idea. Anytime there is some sale or special event it's like black Friday. This was no exception. Way too many people, models and groups shooting models. There was a wedding shot too. I didn't have much chance to shoot the way I usually do and have few photos. The plan was to hit some sites of Philly and the Ben Franklin bridge. That didn't work either. Took a few shots and heard a clunk only to find my lens fell on the concrete and became useless for the rest of the night. Photography can be trying at times and Now I'll have to wait to see the outcome on the lens from the repair shot. And since I didn't have the lens I missed a golden opportunity the next day to do a photo of a new born that should have been printed big. That's how it is sometimes.
Football season has started since this blog and I don't use the short lens a lot anyway.
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHY TO ANOTHER LEVEL
Photographers as well as those who are thinking about taking a leap usually have better equipment in mind. If we had a better camera or better lens we would take better photos. Well it doesn't work like that. A better lens and I'm not sure what that means will make better pictures? If you ever look at the line ups of the more popular makes there is a looong list of lens that tout all that you can be. Unfortunately there is truth to the philosophy. More light lower F stops. More depth of field, closer focus, larger MM and so forth. It like a mechanic with several rolling tool boxes loaded with specialty wrenches just in case you need on of them. There is macro, telephoto, wide angle, close focus, tilt shift and the next greatest lens on the market. I am one of those photographers who doesn't have a one track mind and likes to do all of the above. It's tough at first because your credit card gets a good workout but with time you will find it's more fun to figure out to make great images with limited resources. Macro usually means a macro lens. I prefer to use a telephoto lens with extension tubes to shorten the minimal focus distance. You can shoot at 800 MM and get closer than the minimum focus distance. My favorite is the 200 F2. One of the best lens in the world. Before you get the fever think about a real challenge and how to use what you have to get to the next level.