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Photo Gauntlet

Gauntlet: Skydiving - Chute or Shoot

Mon, 03/01/2010 - 10:04

by Gary Fong 
Photographer: Kevin Vandivier, www.kevinv.com
Click to enlarge image

Skydiving

 
If you’ve got one chance to get it right…don’t mess it. Kevin Vandivier had a shoot to get a skydiver jumping out of a perfectly good a bi-plane. The concept is to show the skydiver doing what skydivers do…taking that first BIGGG step in the wild blue yonder.
 
As he thought about it, the best camera angle may be from a UFO tracking very close to the left wing from the tail. That particular angle would show the joy or the terror of the skydiver in midair. The next best vantage point might be from the wing itself.
 
The easiest way to make incremental exposures is to hold onto the camera and press. However, an extra photographer hanging on the wing would interrupt airflow. Unstable air under the wing causes little things like planes falling out of the sky. The next best solution might be a hardwire remote to the camera.
 
Vandivier wanted the glow of the sunset to provide that golden moment of the day as the air jumper steps off. He set his Nikon on auto exposure to make the right exposure in a changing light situation. Because of failing light, Kevin only had one opportunity to get it right.
 
There are two seats on a bi-plane, one for the pilot and one for the pilot’s friend. Between the photographer and the skydiver, one needs to make fast friends…or one may be stuck holding onto the wing. Since the skydiver has a one-way ticket, it makes sense to have Vandivier use the second seat for a round trip. He could also operate the remote from that position as well.

 

Now for the Nit Picking

 
Unfortunately, these days with Photoshoppers correcting what’s not perfect, it’s nice to see something real. The problem with reality, it’s so imperfect.
 
One issue with conceptualized photos…it should look perfect…or close to it. The skydiver’s arm looks like he’s hanging onto something outside the frame. It would be nicer if Kevin clicked the shutter just a shade later. But shooting blind has always been a problem.
 
The second item that caught my eye is the remote cable blowing across the wing. It should have been taped down out of camera range. It would also be nice to have a propellers roaring and the tail wagging in the full frame.
 
But these are all niceties to talk about. Kevin is risking his life to bring home to armchair adventures a little bit of craziness. There should be a little levity on risk taking….even though he’s hiding in the passenger seat in case the plane crashes.

Gauntlet: Let Kids be Kids

Sat, 02/27/2010 - 06:32

by Gary Fong
Photographer: Mary Schannen, http://melangephoto.com/
Click on photos to enlarge.

 
To Infinity and Beyond
 
 
To be a kid again...a simple life free from worries, free to explore the greater backyard, and free to explore a land faraway on the play structures. Photographing that free spirit in children is easy and hard at the same time.
 
It’s easy because they soon forget about the camera minutes after it comes out to capture future memories. It’s hard because kid spirits are elusive to fleeting moments of life. The personalities of little ones often come to the surface interacting with like sized munchkins.
 
Waiting and watching for the lighting, the focus, and the often-missed moments is a skill of patience. Kids-being-kids moments are according to their schedule, not the photographers. Mary Schannen has many successful images of munchkin moments coexisting in time and space when the technical elements blend together with the art of life. Being a supermom with levitation skills doesn’t hurt either.
 

 

Now for the Nit Picking

 
B&W has a tendency to accentuate the light. Her study of light moves the eyes across the image, capturing details that hint at a time long past.
 
AbandonedCarplayTraffic
 
 
Yes, it may be a bit contrived to bring your own suitcase props for portraits (above left), but this type of shooting is not breaking news, where the integrity of the image needs to maintain an objective context. Rather, these are images designed to bring back memories…in some cases memories that may have never happened.
 
Conversion from color to B&W doesn’t mean the detail in the low key areas turn black (above center). If there is detail in the shadows, try to hold the tones in the print. It’s acceptable to burn down areas to move the eye, but it shouldn’t look manipulated to the point of consciousness. It should be subtle, while allowing the viewer to appreciate the detail in the cars and the boy’s sweater.
 
I’m pleased that Mary has allowed the kids to be kids…without the usual stiffness present in so many smile-for-the-camera sessions. I’m also pleased she has a nice lyrical flow of wonderment found so rarely in today’s gameboy generation.
 
What tools does one need to make photos like these? It takes a kid-being-kid and the patience of a lifetime.

 

Gauntlet: Black and White, With Everything In Between

Sat, 02/27/2010 - 06:18

by Gary Fong
Photographer: Mike Christ
Click on images for high-resolution versions

 

ColorBlack and White 

 
Converting color digital images to B&W is growing in popularity. There’s a little more to it than simply adjusting Photoshop to grey scale…actually a lot more.
 
B&W photos allow the viewer to appreciate the composition of the subject without being influenced by the distracting colors in the scene. Some photos are enhanced by the absence of color…while others thrive on the color fidelity.
 
Mike Christ is just starting to experiment with Color to B&W conversions. I’m sure he’s learning about density, white point, and black point balance. Or if he isn’t, it’s a good thing to learn. In simple terms, photographic density refers to how dark a certain area is.
 
 

Now for the Nit Picking

 
Mike’s arch photo certainly doesn’t thrive on color fidelity, nor does it have a high intellectual value. The exposure latitude from deep shadow to highlight is very extreme. The trick is to hold the density value in both the shadow and highlight. In B&W, one wants to see the detail at both extremes, but also have the middle tones look distinguishable.
 
Even with the best of images, it’s hard to cater to both sides of the monochrome spectrum. There should be detail in the arch bricks, rather than lost to the shadow side of the scale. Likewise, there should be detail in the cloudy sky, rather than losing it to blown out whites.  The balance is the contrast between the two. Blacks should be black and white should white…but everything in between should not look muddy.
 
The best solution is to shoot it correctly the first time. If Mike had an opportunity to reshoot…use a reflector to light up the arch bricks and “Red” (25A) filter to enhance the detail in the clouds. A “Red” filter will accentuate the clouds, adding detail to the white. As it is…the sky is going to be a problem….it will tend to blow out the whites.
 
In a time long long ago (10 years at least), to produce B&W photos, one would shoot B&W film and process in a wet lab. Today, converting color digital files to B&W is faster easier, and drier. But understanding the basics of density in the shadows and highlights is still the same. Think of it as the Goldilocks factor….not too dark and not too light…make it just right.