Paul Schwartz's Posts
Shadows and Reflections
How can a two-dimensional image show depth? Depth can be conveyed in a number of ways but creative uses of shadows and reflections are a good start. Check Stacie's post of a few weeks back. She showed some great frozen-in-mid-air stop-action shots ... and the shadow of the sledder really makes the shot. And Vera's post from her Senegal trip ... absolutely great lighting.
Visually interesting and creative shots can sometimes zap in from the right-brain. It's not all about having super-creative talent though; everyone has some measure of talent. More often, good photos are a result of thinking through what you're
seeing or can't see.
Keep an eye out for shadows and reflections as you go about your business this week; you may start to see some things in new ways. There's little chance of getting a headache but, if you do, take two and call us back in the morning. Oh yeah, to finish this mostly random post -- I've got to put it out there, boredom is seldom with me, least of all when looking at lighthouses.
Now I know, first-hand, why George Eastman was so successful
The advertising slogan for the early Kodak Brownie camera was, "You press the button, we do the rest". That tagline holds true with today's modern digital cameras and printers too. This past summer, I was wondering, what would it be like to step back in time and reconsider photography at its beginnings - I'm talking way back, pre-George Eastman. I saw an opportunity to attend a workshop taught by Heather Wetzel at our Community Darkroom and learn the art and techniques of hand-coated glass plates. Back in the day (1851-1880: prior to the introduction of Eastman's Dry Plates), that was the way to acquire images - wet-plate collodion.
My thumb prints... there's no way to avoid it 
These days, I'm routinely banging off a couple of hundred shots at a time onto big gig cards. And then doing some computer work to sort and preview before showing or presenting the images. Collodion required a whole new mindset; more intense photographer involvement with a single image -- far more than simply pushing the button. It's not for everyone, for sure, but there was a unique satisfaction that came with learning and working the entire imaging process. Now I know, first-hand, why George was so successful and, similarly in today's digital environment, why easy-to-use applications are the ones that will succeed. Where are the tough spots in your uses of digital photography?