Project 52: Week 08

Shooting with an "sub-par" camera means being very resourceful in terms of finding an interesting subject and good light. But an often unmentioned fact, even in these days, is how much an image can benefit from post-processing. The right cropping, noise reduction, and exposure/colour adjustments can make all the difference when deciding which photo is a keeper and which one is not.

99% of the shots with my cheapo E-Pm1 setup are plain garbage. Even the ones I keep are far from stellar, but some Lightroom/Photoshop magic makes them publishable. Many photographers shun this. Get it right in camera, they say. That's what real photographers do, they say. I don't disagree, I actually try to capture as much as possible in camera first. But digital retouching is just another tool you have at your disposal to enhance your images―just like $6000 cameras are to some "real" photographers. 

This week, I'm also including the original unedited image, saved to JPG from the original RAW file. I have no shame in the digital retouching I do (most of my work has very minimal touch-up, in any case) and I don't think anyone should. Personally, it's just another skill/tool that takes time and patience to learn and perfect, and you should be proud to make good use―but not abuse―of them.

Here is the original....

Project 52: Week 07

As I was about to start this project, I knew this moment would come - a matter of 'when', not 'if'. Eventually, I wouldn't have one single photo worth of posting during the course of seven days. Which would mean using a 'keeper', a photo I took earlier and decided not to use.

The deciding factor? Human error. I had planned week six' pic to be one from the Yorkville Icefest, an annual tradition I never miss. I packed three cameras (Fuji X-T1, Panasonic GX7, and the Olympus E-Pm1), a spare battery for each, four lenses, and a clip-on flash for the Fuji. What did I forget? The clip-on flash for the E-Pm1. Pitch dark with an f8 lens and ISO that can't really go north of 1600 WITHOUT A FLASH, equals no usable pictures.

This goes to teach a priceless lesson: There is no such thing as making too sure you are packing all the gear needed. Had I not forgotten that one tiny, wimpy clip-on flash, meant the difference between getting the shot, and coming home empty handed. I also learned that Fuji's clip-on flashes don't work on Olympus cameras. Trust me, I tried.

So this one is a left over from week five, taken in the heart of University of Toronto's downtown campus. It was cold then, and it's even colder now in Toronto, with (at least) another two weeks to go of this arctic chill. I can't wait for the summer.

In case you're wondering, this is the photo I meant to take with the E-Pm1 - taken with the Panasonic GX7 instead (and the AMAZING Olympus 17mm f1.8 lens).


Project 52: Week 04

This week's post comes early! I hope to make this a habit, but I'm afraid will likely be the exception to the rule.

This is from the Stanley Kubrick exhibit which just ended last weekend at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. If you didn't have a chance to go, you missed a fantastic chance to find some meaty visual inspiration (sorry). Kubrick started his career as a photographer, and it's very evident in his film work. 

Zero noise reduction. Embrace the grain. Shot at 1600 on a small sensor, it still looks great in black and white, in my opinion.

On a side note, I've been enjoying shooting in square format tremendously as of lates. I'm slowly settling down to two formats, almost exclusively:

  • 1:1 gives me that bargain medium format feel. I especially like the fact that I don't have to debate between landscape and portrait orientation. No fumbling and awkwardly rotating the camera - just point and shoot.
  • 16:9, I'm just a sucker for that cinematic look.

(Not a real baby)