How Do I A Take Better Photo? (Part 1)

I have very rarely been a fan of books that teach photography.  This is not because I believe the art of photography should be a trade secret.  Rather, in my experience of exploring and reading many photography books over the years, I have found that the vast majority of them are either too technical for most people, give poor examples, are confusing, or simply leave the reader wanting.  A lot of these short comings a due to the fact that is difficult to teach someone to the same level of depth and ease via the written word as it is to learn directly from a teacher with hands on examples and demonstrations.  However, it is still possible to achieve.  There are a select few that I admire and respect for their photographic skills and their ability to share their knowledge and insight, Scott Kelby, Joe McNally, John Hedgecoe, and Strobist to name a few of my favorites.  It is my belief that, the best ways to improve your own art is through the teaching of that art to others.  By sharing your knowledge you better solidify and can explore that which you already know.  So without further delay.  My first tip on how to take a better photo.


#1  STOP SHOWING PEOPLE YOUR BAD PHOTOS!!!!!

When I used to sell cameras at a major retail camera chain, I used to give my customers a funny little speech about photography and the REAL differences between professionals and amateurs.  Which, would go very much like the following:

"You want know what the REAL difference between pros and amateurs is?  It has nothing to do with what you know and what you don't know.  It has nothing to do with where you went to school and what classes you've taken.  It has nothing to do with how much you get paid or don't get paid for your photos.  It has nothing to do with what camera you use.  It has nothing to do with if you've been published or not.  It has nothing to do with how much you know or don't know about Photoshop.  The REAL difference between pros and amateurs comes down to this... .STOP SHOWING PEOPLE YOUR BAD PHOTOS!!!"

  That's it,  all the rest of it is either an extra bonus or just helps give you a better batting average.  It is not required by any means for someone to have all sorts of training or fancy equipment to take an amazing photo, although it can definitely make it easier if you do have those things.   I no issue with getting lucky with a good photo.  Every photographer can and will take bad photographs.  However, a true pro photographer will never show off these photos. 

Simply not showing people your bad photos is a deceptively simple statement that may seem like a rather obvious statement to casual observer.  However, this can be much more difficult to do than it may initially appear.  Pros have the regular task of sift through hundreds and even thousands of photos one by one, may of which are nearly identical, to find the absolutely best photos.  It should be no surprise that really great photographers are very critical about what is and is not a good photo, and for good reason.  Too often amateurs will post a dozen or so photos of essentially the same thing on their social networking page of choice.  Where as, a pro will sometimes post only a single image from an entire photo session which may have taken many hours and hundreds of images to achieve.  It all comes down to quality is better than quantity.

So, how does one stop showing off their bad pictures?  Raise your standards about what a "good" image is for you.  By spending some time being really critical about your photos and only showing off a very small percentage of images that you take you will already be a better photographer.  This can be very difficult sometimes, even for a professional.  It can be all too easy to fall in love with several images that are very similar, not wanting to let go of any one of them.  The temptation then becomes to show them all off.  To improve your photography you must learn to control this urge.  This is not to say you can not have multiple images of a single subject or do a photo series.  Instead I would recommend using the "Magazine, Wall, or Gallery" rule as a general guideline when sorting through photos to show off.  The idea behind this rule being that if you could see you photo being realistically published in a magazine, or being hung on your wall as a huge 5ft print, or could be displayed in an art gallery, then it's probably worth showing off to the world.  Even if you only have 1 photo that meets or comes close to meeting this standard you will instantly become a better photographer.  You might even get asked to do a professional photography gig from showing off your 1 amazing photo.  Although, if you are offered a profession photography gig from your ONE good photos, you might want to take some more classes and get some nicer gear before you do the gig so you won't have to rely on simple luck.  The "I swear I know what I'm doing" philosophy can only take you so far.

More to come,



-Cheers



Brian

MIA

So, things have been crazy busy on my end.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to keep up with the blog as much as I would like.   I  have 2 new posts in the works that should be up within the next day or so.  Keep a look out.

-Cheers

Brian

RESULTS: It Looks Good....But... Does It Taste Good?

Thanks to all that played the game.  I'll probably do more of these games and quizzes in the future.  In any case I'm sure everyone is anxious wondering the Answer behind all these photos.   If you still want to try at guess first before getting the answers then click HERE and view the previous post first.
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Answers:

#1 - Tea Cup- 100% REAL

This was an impromptu shot I took after having had a very tasty Chinese Food Take-out Dinner.  I noticed the reflection of the lamp above the table showing up quiet clearly on the surface of the tea.    Having done some reading from one of my favorite lighting books I had a moment of inspiration and fired off a few fun shots.






#2 - Blueberry Cake- 100% REAL

So, a select few of you had an unfair advantage because no only did you see this cake....but you probably ate some of it too....Yes Lynn you're absolutely correct....It WAS very tasty.  The photo was taken in Seattle, WA at a long time friend of mine's wedding.  Erik de Bie is his name, and incidentally is a Fantasy Genre Author and has done some good stuff with the Forgotten Realms series that people should check out.  He also has a new short story that just came out that people should buy and take a look see.  Anyways, great wedding, great friends, great food, and a great photographer.... =D





#3 - Winter Cake- ~70 FAKE

This is one of those that gets kind of tricky...and those who have been keeping up with my FB PAGE already knew about this one.  So, this is TECHNICALLY an example of fake food for photography.  However, the only thing that really fake about it is the fluffy tasty cake insides that are just underneath the frosting, or fondant in this case.  The flowers, greenery, the outside of the case is 100% REAL.....just the actual "CAKE" part is Styrofoam cut-outs that cake stores use to put out display samples so they don't have to worry about them molding or decomposing or disappearing in the night by a swarm of 6 legged creatures.  This was taken for a very ambitious composite image where a bunch of candy and desserts were photographed individually and then cut out and pasted together to make a single winter wonderland landscape image.  Hopefully, I'll be able to post the final image later, however, it'll probably be a bit because it is still in heavy post production for the moment.









#4 - Champagne 100% REAL

This was a very quick and impromptu photo taken of a champagne glass in the hotel room of a high school friend at his wedding in San Fransisco, CA.  Very fun wedding.  It's a great job where you can get paid to take photos of people while they're insisting that they buy you expensive shots of whiskey and then shuttling you around SF in a limo and having freshly caught crab an oyster shooters off one of the piers and then being taken back to your car in a limo by a very nice driver.  It's alright to be jealous now.......  I am.






#5 - Ice Cream ~90-95% FAKE

I have been completely going nuts planning and preparing for this shoot.  This ice cream IS FAKE!!!!! I love it.  This was my first attempt at trying the recipe for fake ice cream as listed in a food styling book.  I have been reading this for 6 months now and it still blows me away.  That book is the reason why I love food photography so much.  It's a mix of magic, science, physics, special effects, art, and photography all rolled into one.  So, the short recipe to make fake ice cream you take one of those frosting tubs with the frosting color that is the closest match to your "flavor" of your desired ice cream.   Add food coloring if needed.  Then add basically the "better part of 2/3rds of a 2 pound bag of confectioner's sugar"........which is A LOT of sugar.  And there are some extra details to make it look like they're starting to melt (which I am trying the next time...also I need a better scoop for next time I try this.  But, these things are basically crunch balls of sugar overload.  Ahhhh......love it.  Oh, and the cones are real... as they should be.





More to come,



-Cheers


Brian

It Looks Good....But... Does It Taste Good?

Alright photo enthusiasts, and anyone else who follows the blog.  Today we're going to play a little game.


Brief Back-Story
It's no secret to anyone who has been around me in the past year, how fascinated and obsessed I am about food photography.  I'm sure almost everyone has notice that, there are a lot of times that the photo looks a lot better than the actual food on your plate.  The short answer for why this happens is you don't have a group of people spending 8 hours trying to make your food look good when you order a burger at your local fast food drive through.  On the flip side I'm sure most people have been to at least one local "Mom & Pop" restaurant where the food in their photos look like they came out of an industrial waste site.....but when you get the food, it tastes simply AMAZING.  In other words there is a bit of a disconnect between what we see and what we get.  Which is fine because they serve two different purposes... one is supposed to LOOK very tasty and doesn't necessarily have to actually taste good, the other is supposed to TASTE good and doesn't necessarily have to look like a piece of art.  There are many tricks, rules, and guidelines on when, where, and how you can make food look better or even use the dreaded....FAKE FOOD.   (I may got into some more detail about food photography in a later post).  But I digress......  ON TO THE GAME.

The Game- REAL or FAKE  (RULES)

I have a small collection of images that will be posted bellow that it will be your job to guess if the food in the photo is REAL actual edible food...or if the "food" is simply eye candy and a complete FAKE.  Pretty straight forward.  Bonus Points are awarded if you can figure out not only what is fake, but what is used to make the fake food.

Ready........Go!  (ROUND 1)


#1- Tea Cup

#2- Blue Berry Cake

#3- Winter Cake

#4- Champagne

#5-

Answers and full details soon...


Points Score:
5 Points for each correct Real or Fake Image
10 Points for the correct method used with the fake food

Good Luck All.


-Cheers


Brian

Welcome 2010

So, I've been on a little bit of a hiatus recently.  I've been working on a lot of exciting new projects and my schedule has become a lot crazier than I was anticipating.  Never fear, you have not been forgotten.  I've got several new posts that are in the works that should be up shortly.  Keep checking back withing the next 48 hrs for NEW content.   Should be fun stuff.

Also, welcome to all my new visitors who found the blog via the Stumble plug-in for Firefox.

If you haven't had a chance yet please check out my OFFICIAL WEBSITE.

Cheers,


Brian

An Image is Sometimes More Powerful than Words Can Describe.

A simple photo can be something that is valued more than gold, money, or other precious possessions.  Even in the digital age where photos are taken so frequently that their potential impact is sometimes taken for granted.  Having worked several years in a major camera retailer, I know how important photos, especially family portraits can be to a person.  Whenever I've dealt with a person who had lost data on a memory card or has had their computer crash, their first concern is, overwhelmingly more often than not, to save their photos.  Especially when the photos are of the people you love and care about and are separated from.  Anyone who has been in the military, or knows someone who has been in the military, knows how valuable a simple thing as a photo from home can be. 

I saw a news piece tonight on NBC's Nightly News program that got my attention.  NBC Story-Portraits of Love .


The PMDA ( PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association ) has joined forces with Soldiers' Angels to create a very interesting and very cool charity project for military families called Portraits of Love .  In essence, very talented pro photographers from around the country are donating their time and services to take and deliver 10,000 photos to deployed soldiers all over the world.  This is simply awesome.  I don't care what your views on war or military conflict are, but the men and women of the U.S. Force have essentially volunteered their life as a potential sacrifice for their country.  These people deserve our respect and our support.  I am glad to hear that the photography community is doing their part to give a little back to make a difference in these families' lives......even if it is only a photo.


The Program Apparently ended Dec. 4, in part to try and get the images to the soldiers by Christmas, however, you can find a list of participating photographers here.  Who knows maybe they'll still honor the program and still do a photo session.  Wouldn't hurt to ask.

Had I heard about this earlier I would have joined the list.  Although, I will be contacting them to see if there are plans to extend the program and/or have another event like this in the future.  If I hear any updates I will post them here on the blog.

I tip my hat to all those who have served and are currently serving in the military.  I also tip my hat to to all those photographers that joined this program.


-Cheers

Brian
www.brianageephotography.com

Why understanding contracts is important....or How I learned to stop worrying and love Lawyers

There's been a lot of controversy over the latest Newsweek cover.  For those who have yet to see this cover, it's the same image of Sara Palin that graced the cover of Runner's World.  The majority of the controversy with the cover is the claim that the cover is sexist.  However, there is another issue with this cover that come to light that is not getting nearly as much media attention.  Allegedly, Newsweek obtained this photo, not from Runner's World, but from the photographer. Which, according to Runner's World is a breach of contract between them and the photographer.  If this is true, which is distinctly appears to be, although I haven't actually seen the exact wording of the contract, this could mean the photographer has basically shot himself in the foot.

A VERY Brief/Rough Explanation of Licensing and Copyright Law as it relates to Commercial/Magazine Photography:

-Photographer Takes Image.  The photographer now OWNS the rights to that image he created.
-Photographer sells LICENSING rights to Magazine
-Magazine DOES NOT OWN image.  But is can use it for X period of time.
-Magazine also Gets Exclusive Rights to the image for 1 year (aka. NO ONE ELSE can use this image during that time unless Magazine says it's ok and photographer agrees)
-Everyone Is happy and makes "Lots of Money" as a result
-Lawyers are Happy

What seems to have happened with this cover:

-Photographer Takes Image
-Photographer wants to make lots of money so sells Licensing to Magazine A
-Magazine Buys Exclusive Licensing Rights of Image for 1 year
-Many Moons Pass  (for those not familiar with the skit The legend of Falling Rock , imagine someone pretending to moon the audience and turning around in a circle several times.)
-Magazine B sees image....says I WANT THAT IMAGE
-Magazine B asks to buy it's own license of the image
-Photographer wants to make LOTS OF MONEY
-Photographer doesn't know/understand the details of the contract with Magazine A
-Photographer Doesn't Talk to Lawyer (or maybe doesn't like said lawyer) before selling license
-Photographer Sells different License to Magazine B
-Magazine B uses image on Cover
-Magazine A sees cover and get's upset that Photographer let image be used without their consent
-Magazine A sues Photographer to get money Photographer may owe for selling the license to the image when he agreed not to sell it for 1 year
-Now Photographer may be a Poor photographer because the Photographer didn't read the contract or didn't talk to his lawyer.
-This makes the Photographer Very Sad.


How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Lawyers:
So, we all know that lawyers are basically seen in hierarchy of things as being somewhere between dirt and the rodent of your choice.  There are plenty of good lawyer jokes out there to demonstrate this point (just type lawyer and Joke into Google).  However, I like lawyers. Although, I should clarify that some.  I like the lawyers that I know.  The more and more I do business, the more I can appreciate and value the advantage of having a good collection of people who understand the law who are basically going to bat for you.  The way I see it, these people are there to protect your ass and your assets, at least the good ones are. They are specialists who are there to keep you out of trouble or get you out of trouble if you are already in trouble.  In other words they're part of my arsenal to make sure my interests are taken care of, which means I'm happier.  I also know these are people that you really don't want to piss of too much.  Remember, they know the law a lot better than you do. They also have their own language comprised of mind spinning terms and phrasing which can make the average person throw up their arms in submission and hand over their wallet.

In any case this whole situation just seems baffling to me because I am relatively young within the photography scene but seem to know more than most photographers about the business of high end commercial/magazine photography.  This whole issuing of licensing and exclusivity isn't even that complex of an issue.  It's actually the basis for a lot of how these photographers make most of their money.  So, it seems silly for this person not to know how licensing works.

In any case, if we're lucky we'll get to see the lawyers battle it out on the latest reality series: American Gladiators: Lawyer Edition.

I'd watch that.

-Cheers

Brian