Joe Baraban’s Digital Photography Blog

Check out my new workshop on the six concepts in the Psychology of Gestalt: Gestalt Workshop link

Thilo, a student of mine living in Holland, sent me this photo for me to talk about. Here’s what he said:

Hi Joe,

I recently got this shot done at sunrise. No post processing beyond reducing the exposure by 1 stop.
I wonder what’s your opinion on this one. Maybe I am just too much used to the sight of windmills by now, but I wonder whether this might be too stereotypical to be good?”

Cheers,

Thilo”

Here’s a really good photographer that lives in Holland. Since he has grown up around windmills, he might not be as enamored by now.

What’s important to remember Thilo, is that very few people in the world have been around windmills, unfortunately myself included. Other than reading Don Quixote (who by the way was Spanish), I’ve only seen pictures of windmills. I will tell you that if you Google up pictures of Dutch Windmills, at least half of them would make Don Q turn over in his grave. Looking at photos of windmills taken in the middle of the day leaves little room for the dramatic.

Having said that, since you’re Dutch, and are able to shoot windmills all year long, your prime responsibility (as a good shooter) should be to make people that have only seen bad pictures fall in love with not only the historical side of Holland but the romantic side as well.

To me, you’ve done this in this photo. There’s a lot to look at besides the windmill; the Visual Tension you’ve created by showing the subject and it’s reflection for one. Adding a human element for another. I also like the fact that you have the person about to leave the frame which also creates Tension and makes the viewer wonder where he’s going by implying content outside of your composition.

One of my personal pearls of wisdom I talk about in both my online class with the BPSOP, and my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet is, “In a perfect world, what if”? What that means is that if you could go back and change anything you wanted, what would you change”? In this situation, I would have turned the windmill so you could see all four vanes (blades).

One last note. When I lightened it by about two stops, it looks a lot better overall. For one thing,  the silhouette of the bicycle is a “quicker read”.

I can look at GOOD photos of windmills all day long…but then I’m a romantic at heart!!!

Thanks for sharing.

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

What do you see?

Check out my new workshop on the six concepts in the Psychology of Gestalt: Gestalt Workshop link

Elliott Erwitt was a famous street photographer that was born in Paris, and moved to New Your in 1948. BTW, I loved his work and his approach to shooting in the streets.

He once said, “Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them”.

For s long as I’ve been shooting and teaching classes with the BPSOP and conducting my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind Workshops” This quote has been my mantra.

I’ve worked with people that were right brained and people that were left brained, and I can tell you the incredible difference between these two photographers.

Left brained photographers will see a tree and nothing more. They’re analytical, structured, and naturally wired to ask questions, gather facts and want to know things that are provable.

In other words they want to know why the tree is there, where did it come from, what species is it, etc.

The right brained photographers are visual and creative…with a less organized way of thinking. They see the tree, but they also see the texture of the bark, the shape of the leaves, the way the leaves form a pattern, the negative space between the leaves, and the color of the leaves.

So, my fellow photographers, are you right or left brained?

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instgram.com/barabanjoe. Come shoot with me sometime, and BTW, I’m right brained.

JoeB

Close enough?

Check out my new workshop on the six concepts in the Psychology of Gestalt: Gestalt Workshop link

In this category although I always quote an artist, I don’t always quote a photographer. I’ll often quote someone like Kenny Rogers, or Marcel Proust because what they had to say fits in with I often say both in my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around our planet.

Robert Capa was a well known war photographer and photo-journalist. who documented five different wars. In 1947 he co-founded Magnum ( a international free-lance photographic agency) along with photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson. He once said, “If you’re photos aren’t good enough, then you’re not close enough”.

There’s been discussions concerning this quote, and many think that he was referring to being up close and personal to the wars in which he photographed and incidentally, he was in the first wave of soldiers that hit Omaha Beach.

I’ve followed his work for some time, and to me his quote goes well beyond the photos he took during those five wars.

All my fellow photographers that I’ve helped since 1983 when I first started sharing my knowledge have come to known my “Personal Pearls of Wisdom”. One of them is “get up close and personal”. What I mean is that so many photographers will see a subject and without moving start shooting; this might be five feet away or twenty. They will keep at a distance which usually means that there’s not a lot of depth that can be created by anchoring the subject in the foreground while creating layers of interest.

I’ve found that many photographers are easily intimidated and are not comfortable with being close to either a person or even an inanimate subject . Nor are they willing to change their POV like getting on their knees to compose a photo. Therefore, they’re more at ease with keeping their distance and that falls under another Pearl of Wisdom I call “make don’t take pictures”.

So, the next time you’re out and about with your camera and see an interesting photo opportunity, think about what Robert Capa said. You just might find it to be true in your approach to picture taking, and if it is, just for once try to do it his way.

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Keep an eye out for my upcoming workshops at the top of this blog. They don’t sty up very long is why you probably never see them. Plese keep looking!! Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

If Cuba has ever been on your ‘bucket List’, then now is the time to fulfill your personal desire to experience something that most people can only learn about and look at pictures in the National Geographic Magazine. If you’re subscribed, that is.

Sunrise in Havana

Join me and Nick DePasquale in Cuba next year for a fabulous cultural and educational experience. We are returning to Viñales and Havana in February, and for a different trip Santiago/Baracoa in January – two very different parts of the island not only in landscape but also in history and culture.

National Ballet of Cuba

I just returned from my seventh trip to Cuba. Kip Brundage, no longer with the Santa Fe Workshops, has left to work on his own leads a much smaller intimate groups of seven, making it more enjoyable and a lot less taxing. It’s just the perfect number and this year the group was great.

Dawn patrol in Havana

It is legal and safe to travel to Cuba. A very small group of 7 travelers with local guides, photography instructors, and a private driver will spend about 10 days together visiting locations and meeting people. You do not need to be a photographer to enjoy this trip. In fact, about 50% of the participants take pictures with their smartphone cameras. We will guide you every step of the way from when you register to when you return back to the US.

Small village near Havana

With Sandor who I would call an historian, along with Kip who has been doing these trips for many, many years, the trip takes on a multi-dimensional atmosphere that includes all aspects of the history and culture of the Cuban people.

Kip’s first-class daily schedule both in Viñales and Havana is filled with the sights and sounds of a magical country. It’s why I’m going back for the eighth time.

Dawn patrol in Havana

BTW, the Cuban people love Americans in every respect, and are even happy to welcome you into their homes. If you ever had Cuba on your bucket list, now’s the time to ‘just do it’!!

BTW, my favorite part of the trip is what’s called the “Dawn Patrol”. People that are interested in seeing an entirely different part of Cuban life go out each morning well before the sun comes up, and before the Blue Hour as well. People are up getting ready for the day which lends itself to some amazing photo opportunities.

My favorite sunrise, clear with a chill in the air.

Check out my new workshop on the six concepts in the Psychology of Gestalt: Gestalt Workshop link

What do you do if you know you’ve just taken a great photo…a keeper…an OMG shot???? Do you do react differently when you’re alone verses when you’re shooting with someone else?

I teach an online class with the BPSOP, and I also conduct my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops around our planet, and I just love it when one of my fellow photographers submits a photo that he or she is very proud of.

Is it a series of fist pumps, hootin’ and a hollering, jumping up and down? An end zone really stupid dance? Maybe you’re the discreet or quiet type of photographer that just whispers “yes’ under his or her breath…or just maybe an ear to ear smile to a small smirk with one raised eyebrow.

Here’s how it often happens to me: After a conversation with yourself in the mirror, you’ve decided to set your alarm clock at an ungodly hour so you can get to a location at sunrise that you’ve always wanted to shoot. You load your equipment in the trunk, and after a quick stop at a convenience for a cup of black coffee, your off. As you’re driving, you’re head is halfway out the window looking up at the slightly brightening sky, hoping and praying to see some color and stars towards the area of the horizon where the sun will be coming up; an hour or two later.

You arrive at your destination and everything so far looks good. You still have a couple of minutes before the start of the Blue Hour. This is a great time to work on silhouettes, and I for one love this time of the morning, especially when there’s a little nip in the air.

Now the sun is coming up and the Blue Hour has turned into the Golden Hour. For the next thirty to forty minutes (depending on the time of year and your location) you’re shooting everything and anything that has this beautiful light falling on it. You see an opportunity to shoot something that has caught your attention out of the corner of your eye. Bracketing to make sure you’ve captured a good exposure, it’s now forever embedded in your mind and more importantly on your card. There’s a sensation that comes over you because you know you got it, and it makes you feel really good.

During the drive back home your mind flirts with visions of all the beautiful and different shots you took, but that one, that keeper keeps coming back and all you can do is just smile.

So next time you’re on  holiday, set the alarm clock the night before with all the best intentions of getting up and going shooting, don’t roll over with the pillow on your head because it’s dark outside and there’s a chill in the air. Get up while the others are sleeping, get dressed grab your equipment and tiptoe out; you just never know when something will make you feel really good.

By the way, if you’re interested in knowing where I first heard this phrase, just click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8JzwrD5dvk

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

Check out my new workshop on the six concepts in the Psychology of Gestalt: Gestalt Workshop link

One of my students submitted this photo after reading my post on “101 things to know about photography“. She’s referring to number 42 that says, “The Rule of Thirds is boring”. Since I meant every letter of every word, we’ll move on to her photo and question which is:

“Hey Joe, I’ve been working on using all the techniques I learned in your class.  I have a photo that I would love your input on.  I thought to submit it after reading your “101 Thing You Need to Know Post”, where you said that the “Rule of Thirds is Boring”.

I took the attached photo of my girls climbing on a fence in a neighborhood school yard.  I wanted to give equal attention to both of the girls split by the fence post.  I instinctively chose to put the girls and the fence in the middle of the frame but I’m questioning whether it works?  Perhaps it is not the positioning but the background activity that bothers me.  Do you have any suggestions for a different approach?

I did brighten it up a touch before I deciding to submit it.

Your instinct was right on in my opinion. I really like how you used the fence to divide the page right down the middle. It makes a statement to be sure, and it’s where I would have placed the fence and kids as well. It feels balanced and I also like how each girl is doing her own thing. I especially like it that you have just one of the kids looking in the camera with that great facial gesturing in the form of a big smile. They are the center of interest, so it’s feels right that they’re in the center of the composition.

As I told you in my online class with the BPSOP, and as I tell my students that take my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet, Line is the most important element of visual design (everything that exists has an outLine), and the implied line between the subject’s eyes and the lens can be very powerful…as it is in your photo.

It feels fresh and real. The viewer would never know if you had the girl look at you or she looked on her own. it’s your secret, and whether it was staged or not doesn’t matter; you were making pictures, not taking them!!! As you know from my class, there’s only one thing that can overcome an overcast, gray day and that’s Humor. It’s a funny photo while being one of those sweet moments in time.

Couldn’t happen without a can of WD-40

Check out my new workshop on the six concepts in the Psychology of Gestalt: Gestalt Workshop link

FDTate, a past student of mine, recently sent me a question to comment on concerning one of the items to remember on my “101 things to know about photography”. Actually it was number 8 on the list: “Always have a roll of Duct Tape and a can of WD-40 with you.

His question was, “A great list, but I’m confused by #8.  I’ve never been on a shoot and thought, “Boy, this would have gone a whole lot smoother if I’d just brought along some duct tape and WD-40.”  Please explain.”

Before I explain why it’s important to carry Duct Tape and Wd-40, I’ll tell you what I tell my online students with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops that will simplify things. I tell them, “If it doesn’t move and should, use the WD-40. If it moves and shouldn’t, use the duct Tape!!!

In the top photo, we were in the Southwest part of the US shooting an annual report for a company that’s mostly in the agricultural business. I saw a large field with irrigation equipment and thought it would make for a great shot the next day at sunrise.

The two men seemingly in charge told me that they hadn’t used this equipment for a season, but it wouldn’t be a problem turning on the sprinkler jets so I could backlight them.

Taking their word for it, we showed up the next morning before sunrise and set up; I wanted to get the very first light. When they turned the main valve, nothing happened. Why was I not surprised to hear that the small valves on the jets were rusted and therefore no water.

I sent my assistant back to the car for my trusty can of WD-40. We sprayed all the nozzles and were able to slightly turn them so water would spray out.

And that’s why I always carry a can of WD-40 with me.

In the bottom photo, I was shooting a series of posters for Prince, a manufacturer of tennis equipment.

Remember that this was before the days when you could fix any problem later in post. We  had spread all the tennis balls all over the court and were ready to shoot when a Santa Anna wind came up and blew all the tennis balls off the court.

The wind was too strong to keep the balls in place, so what did I do? I had my crew, the model, and a few people that were standing around secure each one of the balls to the ground with Duct Tape. so, every ball you see has a piece of tape under it.

Couldn’t happen without a roll of Duct Tape.

A true story and the reason why you should have a roll of Duct Tape with you…because  you just never know!!!

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime. Don’t forget to bring some WD-40 and Duct Tape with you.

JoeB

Am I doing something wrong?

Andrew, an online student with the BPSOP,  sent me this photo with the following question. I always like to share exactly what the photographer had to say since so many of you have either asked themselves the same question or have had similar situations. Here’s what Andrew had to say:

” Dear Joe,

Sometimes I shoot the sky from my window. On the attached pictures you can the the original image with houses. Of course the houses are out of interest? so I decided to darken them. I wanted the photo looked like counter light with a “normal” sky.
When I show my photos to my friends? they say “You have a great sky but I see nothing”.  Maybe they do not understand the art 🙂  or am I doing something wrong?  Can you advise me on anything?

Thanks in advance

Regards,
Andrew”

Andrew, take a look at this post on “giving meaning to photos”: http://joebaraban.com/blog/giving-meaning-to-photographs/. I always share it with my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet. It will help explain why your friends said what the said. Be sure to read the part where it says that a beautiful sunset to you is just another sunset to someone else.

Before I finally click the shutter, I ask myself if the picture I’m about to make will stand the test of time. If in a year, two, three or even four, will my image still be worth keeping? Is there enough “layers of interest” to keep the viewer around longer than six seconds? Is there enough visual interest?

So Andrew, ask yourself, in you photo, besides the sky, is there enough visual interest to keep the viewer around? Will your photo stand the test of time?

Visit my website at:www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog.come shoot with me.

JoeB

My view at sunrise.

Check out my new workshop on the six concepts in the Psychology of Gestalt: Gestalt Workshop link

As I tell my online students with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around our planet, light is everything and I’m constantly thinking about it.

That said, I’ve been a professional traveler for almost fifty years, and my job has been to take pictures in the best possible light. That’s what I do, and that’s what I think about all the time…especially when I first research then check into a hotel.

The first thing I think about is the view I’m going to get every time I look out the window. I can tell you from experience that some of your best photos can be taken with your pajamas still on…or even if you sleep in “the all together, in the buff, or in the raw” as some call it.

Here’s what I suggest to my fellow photographers that are traveling on business, pleasure, with a group, or just by themselves:

When checking in ask what direction the rooms face. If you’re an early riser by nature, ask for a room that faces East. If you’re not then ask for a room that faces to the West. A suggestion here would be to take an East facing room over one that faces North or South. That way you’ll at last have a choice as to getting up early or not.

Another factor for me when I have a choice in picking a hotel is the number of floors it has. If you’re only interested in seeing the entire city and taking an overall panoramic, then ask for a room close to the top. If you’re interested in seeing more of a close-up, than ask for something closer to the ground floor.

The absolute best advice I can give you is to ask to see the room first. That way even if you get an East or West facing room, you won’t be disappointed when you pull back the curtains only to see the hotel’s roof top parking lot and/or the air-conditioning units.

Depending on the time of year, a North facing window would be my third choice after East and West. The light will be coming in from the side, which can be a great way to show the textures and the three-dimensional qualities of the city.

I can’t suggest strongly enough to set your clock to at last take a look out the window, you can always go back to sleep if nothing interesting happens. If it does and you get something great, going back to sleep is easy even if you’re only wearing a smile.

🙂

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

Canon 5D MarkIII

Check out my new workshop on the six concepts in the Psychology of Gestalt: Gestalt Workshop link

It was during my Prague workshop when one morning before the sun came up, a woman came up to me to show me her new $60,000 Leica System.

She said, “Now I’m ready to take some great pictures”.  For some reason she thought that because she had the top of the line, most expensive 35mm DSLR camera she would be able to take some ‘wall hangers’.

Even if that were true, it would have been a good idea to learn how the camera works well before the start of the workshop instead before sunrise at one of the locations. I knew it was going to be a problem when she asked me what to do…but we’ll save that for another post!!

But it’s not true. I say we should judge the photographers by their pictures, not their camera equipment.  What I tell my online students with the BPSOP, and the ones that take one of my workshops, It’s not the camera, it’s the ten inches behind it that matters.

Lumix DMC-LX7

When I’m walking around with some of my workshop participants, I have a Canon 5D Mark III with a 17-40mm lens on it over my shoulder, and a small Lumix DMC-LX7 with a 24-90mm zoom around my neck. This gives me a range 0f 17-90mm which covers everything I need.

If you were to look at my website at: www.joebaraban.com, you wouldn’t know what photo was taken with what camera.

I keep thinking about spending a lot of money on a new Canon mirrorless EOS R5 with some lens…around $10,000. I also think about taking that money and using it on a fabulous trip for two somewhere and use my old cameras. I’m pretty sure that the images I take will still turn out pretty good!!!

Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out any new workshops at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime, and bring your old camera, it will be ok!!!

BTW, the reason you might not see the new workshops posted is that they fill faster than I can post them…but please keep trying!!

JoeB

Check out my new workshop on the six concepts in the Psychology of Gestalt: Gestalt Workshop link

I’m always after visual interest while at the same time generating visual tension. It’s not something I live or die for, it’s just something that’s always in the back of my mind. As I tell my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around our planet, one of the ways to create visual tension is the use of light.

I go on to say that whenever I see anything that’s translucent I always try to backlight it. This especially holds true for me when it comes to photographing flowers. I just love to see them glow, and the only way to do that is to have the sun behind them. Actually, if you read my post on “The Clock”, the sun would be somewhere between eleven and one to make it pure backlit.

In the two photos shown above, and if you remember my clock, the light on the sunflower on the left is coming from behind me at 6 O’clock. This is front light and although it’s still fairly nice (only because it’s about a minute after sunrise), to me it doesn’t have the visual tension as the sunflower on the right does.; where the light is coming from 12 O’clock. FYI, both sunflowers were taken a few seconds apart and are next to each other in a field.

So, the next time you’re out and about shooting, before you bring your camera (hopefully secured on a tripod) up to your eye, consider the clock. No matter where you are and what the subject might be, think about where the sun is in relation to your subject first and foremost, and I’ll guarantee you that your photos will jump up to what I always refer to as “up a notch”.

Visit my website at www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my upcoming workshops at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime. country.

JoeB

Check out my new workshop on the six concepts in the Psychology of Gestalt: Gestalt Workshop link

Pierre, a student living close to Chambery, France sent me this photo to comment on. Here’s what he said:

“Hello Joe,
I was looking for professional advices about my photowork, so it is a great chance I discover your blog !
I was a music teacher and I’m trying to change my profession.
I live near Chambery, in the French Alps. This photo I took yesterday is from the house in front of mine.
I was looking to convey the idea of a bright natural wonder.
What do you think about this one ? Is it a worthy work of a professional ? Does it do it ? !!!

Lot of thanks,

Pierre Laily”

Ok, let’s take a look:

First of all, I went to your Flickr page and noticed that you have this effect in several other photos on your site. If I might suggest, you should only show one image that has this bright ring. When you show as many as you have, the fact that it may not be real, and achieved through some software effect really shows up.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of manipulating photos with any kind of effect. In your photo, it doesn’t feel like it’s the real thing. If I’m wrong, please let me know. It’s just that in my fifty-three year career, I’ve never seen this kind of phenomenon happening in nature in so many different photos as you have. Perhaps it’s because I usually don’t shoot when the sun is this high in the sky. So I suppose anything is possible when you’re dealing with nature, especially at the altitude you’re at.

If I can give some advice to a newcomer that I give both in my online classes with the BPSOP and also in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind workshops, strive to create photos that are created “in the camera”. Learn to use the elements of visual design and composition to make your photos stronger. In the long run, it’s going to make you a much better photographer.

By the way Pierre, I like the shot you have of the ring around the single flower. It has a stronger center of interest. In this photo you submitted, once the viewer sees the ring, there’s not much else for him to look at; the ring isn’t enough. This photo looks like it could have been taken in several states in the US. If I lived where you live, I’d be making sure that the viewer knew it. It’s just toooooo beautiful a country not to!!!

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop schedule and come shoot with me sometime.