Joe Baraban’s Digital Photography Blog

One of my students sent me this photo and as always I like to copy exactly what each photographer had to say. I’ve found that there’s a lot of folks out there that have had similar experiences at one time or another.

Here’s what was said:

“I wanted to ask you if you thing that the attached picture makes a statement on its own, without any explanation required. It is called “Whatever the Dusk or the Dawn ” because I entered it in a Can Geo photo contest called “Whatever the Weather”.

I took it because I liked the colors and the multiple layers in the sky. I did not want to include the sun or other silhouettes in the frame, because I liked the simplicity of the colors alone.
I find that people don’t have the reaction I expected towards this photo. I believe that they take it as another pretty picture of a sunset that everybody can point and shoot.

This is one of those that does not scream the center of interest at you, but definitely has the visual interest through colors. When I look at it I see an abstract painting on canvas and all kind of other things, but as you say I am not there to tell my story.

Any critique will be appreciated.

Thank you very much.

I immediately wanted to send you a link to an article I read some time ago and have repeatedly show to my BPSOP and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Workshop” I conduct around the planet. It’s called “Giving meaning to photographs”. I think you’ll find it the answer to all your questions.

Remember that you’re not always going to be around to share your thought process or emotions at the time you created your image; it has to stand on its own merit. The feeling you had and the thoughts running through your mind were important to you. Unless the viewer was standing next to you, he can’t sense the same ethereal qualities just by looking at a pretty sky that he might have seen before.

So many times I’ve been driving down the road or walking on the beach and had the pleasure of witnessing a beautiful sunrise or sunset. The first thing I do is to look for anything else I can put in the photo to add what I refer to as a “layer of interest’. If I don’t see something I may shoot anyway just because I’m a photographer and like to take pictures of pretty things. There’s just as much chance as me not shooting it and just standing there smiling while I enjoy the forever fleeting moment.

Reason being that I’ve personally shot a million pretty skies and my files are crowded with them!

Here’s a post written my a very famous photographer who once said, “If you don’t have anything to say, your pictures aren’t going to say much. http://joebaraban.com/blog/my-favorite-quotes-gordon-parks/

Having said all this, it is a pretty sky with great colors…but just another pretty sky.

Sue sent me this photo to talk about and as usual I like to copy exactly what fellow photographers had to say. It is often the case where others have experienced the same situation or might have a similar question about one of their photos. Here’s what sue had to say:

“Hi, I was thinking this has to be the best head of Medusa Hair in a long time. I wanted to get close and see what it would look like””.

Sue

Ok Sue, first of all I agree with you that it has been a long time since Medusa was around in Greek mythology.

Getting what I refer to as “up close and personal” was a good way to bring out the differences between the green and white “Lines”. I say lines because when you “see past your first impression”, that’s what they are.  In my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet, I talk about Line. It’s the most important of all the elements of visual design, for without Line, none of the other elements would exist. As a matter of fact, nothing in this world would exist…you and I, planes, trains, automobiles, etc. all have an outLine.

Having said that, this is a study of green and white lines and so if I had been standing there I would have suggested to things to you: The first would have been to take out the dead (brown) blades of the green lines. They really aren’t adding anything and to me they take away from the pretty green ones.

So many of my students just don’t think about things like that. The main reason is because they’re out “taking pictures” instead of “making pictures”. It’s ok to change the way things look in your frame, if it will help it look better. Taking out the dead blades of the green grass is what I mean by “making pictures”.

The second thing I would have mentioned to you is that the bottom half of your photo looks more interesting than the top half. The top half is not as clean, graphic, and is somewhat distracting. Look at how simple the relationship between the white and green Lines and how much better the viewer’s eye can flow.

BTW, I would have suggested that you not show the area in the top right or left corners as they take away from the center of interest. Either “use it or lose it”. Next time, be sure to check the four corners to see things like that and be able to decide what to do in your next adjustments.

Thanks for the submission Sue and did you know that Medusa was beheaded? I’ll bet that left a mark!!!

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. BE SURE TO CHECK OUT my NEW workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

 

Every time I write one of these posts it takes me way, way back to the days when Adobe was the name of a style of house in the Southwest part of the US.

The good old days when you had to do everything in the camera, and as a result got the occasional ulcer for doing it. Yes, those do-da days where it took just one screw-up and you became persona non grata at not just the agency you were shooting for, but if that Art Director that picked you went to another agency, and they often did, your name went with them. That’s just the chance you took because the money was so good. In those days car shooters (the good ones) were getting $5000.00 per shot (plus all expenses) and up, and that day sometimes meant one shot at sunrise and one at sunset.

In my online classes with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet, we work on incorporating the Elements of Visual Design into their photography. We also work on getting as much in the camera before the shutter is clicked so that my fellow photographers can become better photographers, not better computer artists.

That’s not to say that I don’t use Photoshop because I do with just about every photo; not to do anything except minor tweaking. For me, getting it in the camera is a great challenge, and as a result I fell good that I’m a good shooter that relies on my eye and imagination, not Histograms, blinking lights, and that insidious bane of existence that’s called…HDR!!!.

In the above photo, the Art director and I choose The Bonneville Salt Flats for the location because of the simplicity, the great light, and all that wonderful texture.

It may look like a simple set-up but I can tell you that it was anything but simple. The car company that brought the new-never been seen before Alpha Romeo got their huge van and trailer stuck and after hours of trying and a twenty foot hole, we were able to rent a back hoe to get the tractor out that got stuck trying to get the trailer out in the first place…what a mess!!! This took a day. Then, we had to fill in this giant crater so it looked like it never happened…another day of expenses.

The placement of the car was extremely important since as a prototype it came without a motor and had to be manually placed (by hands) to get the right angle of the light. When seconds counted, there wasn’t enough time to move it again (and keep those tire tracks out of the shot. To do this I determined the degrees of both sunset and sunrise then I used my Morin 2000 hand bearing compass to decide on which one to shoot and to get it at the exact angle to eliminate unwanted hotspots and glare, and the shadow that was important as well. I knew that the shot had to be taken right before the full sun was visible on the horizon. After that the car was subject to those elements that couldn’t be taken out since any thought of post-processing was years away.

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

Daniel sent this photo to me and asked what I thought about it.

Ok, first of all, let’s address the color to B/W conversion. B/W photography and I go back a very long way. In 1971, I  started my career shooting for UPI then AP, and virtually everything I shot was in B/W. I love the medium, and in the digital era I know when it’s a good fit and I can usually tell when the decision to convert a photo was done after the fact in front of a computer.

This may or not be the case in this example, but it sure feels like it was not thought of right before the shutter was clicked. I may be way off base here, but it just doesn’t feel like it should be a B/W photo. It doesn’t feel like that was the idea when the composition was formulating in Daniel’s mind…why do I say that?

Because of the location and the light. To me, B/W photography is all about subject matter. Daniel’s photo is closer to “street shooting” than any other genre. With the possible exception of landscapes B/W photography street photos should be made with a recipe in mind. When I think of B/W, I think of subject matter that has at least some of these ingredients: Tough, Tenacity, resolve, true-to-life ideas, gutsy, story telling, and above all, it has to have soul.

The direction of the light is coming from 9 O’clock and is side lighting the person. With this kind of light, I would have thought that it would have looked good in color, since side light is one of my favorite ways to like a subject, and we work on lighting in my classes.

Having said all this, to me a strong B/W photo is thought out in advance, with the clear intention of going out and shooting B/W for the sake and love of B/W. As I said, Daniel may well have shot this with the intention of it being a B/W image. It just doesn’t feel like it to me.

Ok, let’s talk about the photo itself. Let’s talk about how many of elements of visual design and composition are present in Daniel’s photo. In my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshop I conduct around the planet, I show fellow photographers how to incorporate the basic elements of visual design and composition into their photography. At the end of my class and workshop, my students walk away with what I call an Artist Palette. instead of pigment, this Palette now has: Line, Shape, Form, Negative Space, Vanishing Point, Perspective, Balance, Tension, Color, and Light.  

Daniel’s photo has a lot going for it!!! It has a strong directional Line that leads the viewer from the bottom left (the natural way we perceive) to an “implied” Vanishing Point through the person to the horizon. He has divided the un-inspiring sky into two Shapes which really helps the composition. Look at all the Negative Space that defines the Positive Space. What I’m talking about is the areas of sky that borders the lampposts. The area between the lamppost and the building on the left, the area (Negative Space) that defines the lamppost in the middle of the frame, and the area around the person that defines him, and the area on the far right that defines each lamppost.

One of the most important elements on the  is Visual Tension. There are several ways to achieve  this type of Tension, and one of the ways is to minimize the Negative Space that borders the Positive Space. If you notice the area between the person and the lampposts, this Negative Space has been minimized, which generates Tension. The Tension I’m talking about is not the Tension that comes from mental or emotional strain. It’s the Visual Tension that comes when forces (the Positive Space or in other words the person) act against one another. What that means is that the anticipation of the person and the lampposts touching one another.

I assure you that these shapes were no accident. Daniel saw these shapes and used them to his advantage. He used his “fifteen Point Protection Plan” he received while taking my online class to create this pleasing composition. So, why convert it to B/W?

I have no idea. I’m afraid you’ll just have to ask him!!!

Thanks for the submission Daniel.

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Watch for my new workshop schedule you’ll find at the top of the blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

“STRETCHING YOUR FRAME OF MIND”

When you sign up for my online class with the BPSOP, or consider taking my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” digital photography workshop I teach around the globe, this is the first part of what you’ll read in my workshop overview:

THE ARTIST’S PALETTE:

Imagine yourself standing at some location with an artist’s palette in your hand. A recently stretched canvas is waiting on an easel, and a jar full of cleaned brushes sits on a small table next to you. Cobalt and Ultramarine Blue, Raw Sienna and Burnt Umber are positioned side by side while Chromium Oxide Green, Cadmium Red and Yellow lie together opposite them; Mars Black and Titanium White sit in the middle. They all have been squeezed from tubes and anxious to be mixed together.

Now, imagine that instead of all those wonderful pigments on your palette, there are the elements of visual design and composition.  Terms like: Vanishing Point, Negative Space, Perspective, Tension, Color, Light, Texture, Pattern, and Line, have been etched into the aged wood.

Everyone knows what happens when you mix red and blue, right? You get purple. How about when you mix blue and yellow together? Green, right again. But, what happens when you add Tension, a few Patterns, and Perspective together while taking your daughter’s portrait during an outdoor birthday party? Or Negative Space, some Texture, and a Vanishing Point when you’re composing a street scene in a small Tuscan village? Or a small fishing town, like the one shown below that I shot while with my class at the Maine Media Workshop.

What happens? Well you’ll get the picture.

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

JoeB

As I normally do, I like to give the readers of my blog the actual request from the photographers. So many times what they are asking is the same kinds of questions a lot of you would be asking. Here’s what Joyce had to say:

“Hi Joe

I was reading your blog post so thought I’d send this photo I took today at a street market in the East End of London…at first I saw the street art on the wall but then from the corner of my eye I noticed the African guy in the corner so managed to quickly incorporate him into the scene before he walked across the street.
Are you doing any more photo trips this year?

Cheers,

Joyce”

To me, it was a great idea to incorporate the man into your photo. By doing so you’ve put an entirely different spin on it. Now, instead of the  being taken in the East End of London, it could have been shot somewhere in Africa. I’m not going for any kind of profiling here, but because of the image on the building, and the black man ” Up close and Personal”, it sends a message that can be construed as some kind of rally in one of the countries in Africa. The white guys in the background comes across as journalists; especially since you read everyday about all the problems so many countries are having now.

Here’s what I like about things being “Up Close And Personal”. By putting him in the foreground, you’ve created Perspective (depth). Now, you have what I call “Layers of Interest”.

If this is something you didn’t want to happen, then you have to step back and look at this photo before submitting it anywhere.

Ok, now let’s talk about “In a perfect world, what if”. This is a phrase I’m constantly talking to my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet. When critiquing one of my students photos that was submitted for a particular assignment, I ask  them if they could go back and change or do anything they wanted, what would they do differently.

If I had been standing next to Joyce when she was shooting this photo, I would have had her tell the black man to glance directly into the lens…why you ask?

Line is the most important of all the elements of visual design found on the student’s ‘Artist Palette’ I give them at the beginning of the classes. Without Line, none of the other elements would exist. In fact, there wouldn’t be planes, trains, and automobiles. People wouldn’t even exist because we all have an outLINE. Now, a very powerful Line would be the implied Line between the black man’s eyes and the lens. There would be Visual Tension, and perhaps even a “shock value”, especially if he wasn’t smiling. It would also match the direction of the person’s image on the wall.

I would also have you turn him around and face out of the frame. This not only implies content outside the frame, but it also gives “visual direction” to the overall look. This falls into one of the six principles of Gestalt I often refer to with my students. Be sure to read the article I wrote for Adorama on these principles. and check out the one called The Law of common Fate.

The last thing I would have done is to move him so that the pole wasn’t growing out of his head. This is also one of the principles I talk about called Proximity.

Thanks for the submission Joyce.

Check out my website at: joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/barabanjoe.  Be sure to watch for my upcoming 2024 workshop schedule. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

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

Here’s another photo that was submitted to me from a photographer that took my online class with the BPSOP. As is usually the case, I like to show everyone exactly what the sender had to say. I’ve found that by sharing it, a lot of people might identify with it or just want to know the background, if any. Here’s what Charlie had to say:

Hi Joe,

I recently participated in a calendar-shoot project where we were assigned a quote and tasked with taking/submitting a photo that we felt was representative. My quote was “It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop” – Confucius

I was out-and-about with my camera, with “seeing beyond first impressions” foremost in my thoughts, and I came across this gentleman who struck me as someone who was keen on making time for going slowly, something I think we should never stop doing, which may or may not be a spin on where Confucius was coming from.

Anyway, I thought about several things we learned in your Stretching Your Frame of Mind classes:

• creating illusion of depth using wide angle lens
• anchoring subject in the foreground
• creating layers of interest
• maintaining sharpness from foreground through background

I saw this man flying his kite as an opportunity to apply these ideas. I asked his permission to photograph him, which he kindly provided, then I got down on my belly and crawled in close, my lens was inches from his shoulder. In retrospect, I think I could have made the image stronger if I had followed your rule “get in so close that it hurts, then get in closer”, in this case, I got in close enough to hurt from bouncing into the kite flyer’s personal space, I should have then gone in even closer.

This photo is pretty much straight from the camera, notice how I remembered to keep the horizon level 😉 , I did a little cosmetic cleanup with Photoshop to remove a palm tree whose top was just “touching” the heel of his tennis shoe, and to remove some extraneous kite “hardware” that was making contact with the left and right edges of the frame.

As always, thank you for your review/critique and for increasing my awareness and understanding of ways to stretch one’s frame of mind – something that has stuck with me and which I use every time I’m evaluating scenes for photo possibilities or looking through my viewfinder.

Charlie Jones

San Diego

 

Charlie,

It’s always good to hear from my students, and to see what they’re doing. I remember your images as I always remember the ones that were consistently “up a notch”!!!

Ok, the first thing I notice is that your photo is closer to being a square format than a 2X3 ration. If you remember me saying that we don’t perceive in a square, we perceive in a rectangle. It’s extremely difficult to create Visual Tension in a square. There’s only a few that can do it; Diane Arbus comes to mind.

If this has been cropped, then it’s not “straight out of the camera”. What do you have your aspect ratio set on? Is it set on 3:2 or maybe 4:3? In my opinion it should always be set on 2X3 since that’s how we perceive.

Your image feels closed in and almost claustrophobic. You have a location that needs to be seen. Flying a kite is generally done in a large area, but you’ve made it look just the opposite.

One last note on cropping: If you crop, you’ll never know where the edges and corners of your frame are. You’ll only know when you’re sitting in front of your computer, and by then it’s too late. If photographers want to be better shooters, then I suggest they use the edges of their frame as a compositional tool. If the composition wasn’t strong enough right before you clicked the shutter, then why click the shutter?

One last note…I once read that when you crop, it’s a sign of sloppy technique and a lack of discipline.  Food for thought.

Now that I got that out of the way, let’s talk about your photo:

I love your point of view! It’s what my online class and workshop is all about, and you were definitely “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” when you were composing. You were right in getting “up close and personal” as it not only creates Perspective (depth) by creating “layers of interest”, but it feels as though the viewer is also flying the kite. You also suggest a lazy blue day, a day when you have absolutely nothing better to do than “go fly a kite”.

Btw, as you probably remember, I virtually always shoot early and late and rarely shoot in the middle of the day, but this photo needs to say “a lazy blue day”.

A good interpretation of what Confucius had to say…nice job!!!

Thanks for the submission and I hope to hear from you again.

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Be sure to watch for my new workshop schedule. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

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

I recently had an online student in one of my three classes with the BPSOP that for the four week class keep telling me that as a purist it was wrong to move anything before you photographed it. He also said that it was going “against my grain” to add or subtract something in his composition. Btw, I’ve had several similar discussions in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet.

He claimed that he was an idealist, and he only photographed something the way it was. Well, that’s a real bone of contention with me and I’ll tell you why. First of all let me define what the idiom “bone of contention” means. It’s basically an argument between two groups or persons that can rarely be settled.

Let me backtrack a bit and I’ll tell you that this person also uses Lightroom, Photoshop, HDR, and an assortment of plug-ins. He uses them to a point where the actual photograph doesn’t resemble a photograph any longer. Whether the end result looks good or not is in the eye of the beholder, but in my way of thinking it is more computer art than photography. If my fellow photographers want to use the computer to help them then that’s their business and it’s fine with me.

OK, herein lies the bone of contention. How can someone call themselves a purist when they manipulate their pictures in the computer? Whether they’re well done or not isn’t the issue here. The issue with me is that in my opinion a photographer who calls himself a purist should never do anything at all to his photos. That means before the shutter is clicked, and especially after.

In the above photo, I moved the two men from where they were and positioned them in the light. Although I did nothing in post, I would not be considered a purist…and that’s perfectly ok with me. I photograph what I’d like to see, not necessarily what I see. My background is in painting so to me the camera on a tripod is the same as a blank canvas on an easel.

The second photo depicting a similar construction situation was not manipulated in any way, either before or after the shutter was released. I like shooting what I see as much as anyone else, and if the situation comes where I can, I will. It doesn’t make me feel any different than if I had placed all the workers and wet down the concrete. The only thing that matters is if it’s a good photo.

I’d love to get a response from some of you out there that follow my blog. What do you think?

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabnjoe. 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

Actually, the actual line came from one of my favorite all time movies, On the Waterfront from one of my all time favorite actors, Marlon Brando. Here is the actual scene for those old enough to remember it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_GGVDVrIcM

I’m writing this post as a result of another of my students taking my online class with the BPSOP just telling me that the Histogram is a great tool for figuring out the proper exposure..

It’s also come up a number of times when during one of my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet, I’ve walked up to a fellow photographer during the last rays of golden light coming from a beautiful sunset and he was studying the histogram on the back of his camera.

“What????? Are you kidding me?????”  I say to them. Ok, let me get this straight, they’re standing there looking at some diagram on the back of their camera, deciding if the exposure is correct? When there are seconds of great light left? You do know what could and will probably happen…right? When they decide on the right exposure, the light will be gone.

Light is so fleeting, that even for someone like me who has made light the number one priority in his photography over the past fifty-three years and is damn good at it, still has to react quick ( as in very quick) to get the shot.

I can say that in all these years, I’ve never thought about a Histogram or any device created by the Digital Dork Gods that are supposed to make you a better photographer.

What about these insane yet comical blinking lights that they also put on the back of your camera…why? So you won’t clip the highlights. What do I mean?

Here’s one of those definitions, and would I love to meet the person that wrote it!!!!!

“The clipped area of the image will typically appear as a uniform area of the minimum or maximum brightness, losing any image detail. The amount by which values were clipped, and the extent of the clipped area, affect the degree to which the clipping is visually noticeable or undesirable in the resulting image.”

UNDESIRABLE??? SERIOUSLY???? If you’re the one that wrote this please contact me so I can try to get your head screwed back on so you’ll see where you’re going instead of always looking behind you and in the past.

I digress.

Why would these digital dork Gods want to put these helpful tools on the back? To lead you down a one-way ticket to mediocrity.

Why would you want to take a normal picture with an average exposure that a Histogram will do for you? I suppose it’s the safe thing to do and to me safe means average.

Be a student of light and exposure, and the best way to achieve that is to learn how to bracket. Learn the shutter speed/aperture combinations, know when to overexpose more and when to underexpose more.

Yes, I know that you really don’t need to know all that because that’s what Lightroom is for. Knowing how to adjust exposure in front of a monitor will definitely make you a better computer artist/digital technician but why not strive to be a better photographer. When it’s all said and done, twenty, thirty, or forty years down the road, you won’t have a clue as to what makes a good photo. What makes your pictures stand out from all the others.

In all these photos, including the one above, If I had looked at a Histogram to decide on what exposure looked the best, I would have lost the light and the shot in every one of them.

Btw, all these photos were created by bracketing and are all created in the camera, not sitting in front of a computer.

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

Come shoot with me sometime…like Marlon Brando, be a contender.

JoeB

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

Dan submitted this photo for me to comment on. Here’s what he had to say:

“Hi Joe,

 This is a photo of my wife and my 1 month old son. I wanted to show a mother’s love for her new born son. Please tell me what you think of it because for me it’s too personal, I think. I showed it to a friend photographer and he wasn’t that impressed. It wasn’t the reaction I expected.

For me, it looks perfect. All I modified in PS was a little white corner to the down left side, some cloning and healing on my wife’s face, and a curves layer to add a little contrast although it wasn’t absolutely necessary.

Please tell me how I can take photographs of my family in a more professional manner, without being so involved, if this is even possible. I was told that my portraits of my wife are too personal. How else could they be?
Thanks for your work, I am learning lots of interesting stuff.”

Dan,

I don’t feel that your photo is too personal even though it’s your own family. There’s nothing wrong in creating a feel of intimacy between a mother and her newborn baby. To me that’s the whole point in this approach.

The problem I have with this image is not necessarily the subject matter or the composition, although it looks too posed and you lost the feeling of spontaneity. It looks like she was holding the pose for you instead of you catching a moment in time. To me, that’s critical in getting your message across. It’s a fine line between looking like a real moment and being contrived/hookey. My main problem is the light and the environment around her. If you’re trying to get across a tender moment, the light needs to tender as well.

You need to remember that Light is everything!!! I constantly say this to my online students with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops. Your lighting is too harsh, too much contrast, and void of any direction and shadows that adds the third dimension, depth, to any Form (one of the elements of visual design). Right now, you have only two dimensions: height and width. I don’t mean to suggest that you always need the light to have a direction, because you don’t…just most of the time for me.

The background is somewhat distracting and appears as though you hung something behind her for an effect. The background is sooooo important and needs to be considered equally as much. The color just doesn’t do it for me. It’s a touch on the garish side.

One last thought Dan. I teach how to incorporate the elements of visual design to create stronger images. The most important of them all is Line. Without Line, nothing would exist since everything has an outLine. By having the mother looking into the camera creates an implied Line between the subject’s eyes and the camera, and it can be very powerful. I would definitely try one that way.

Take a look at a couple of my photos of a mother and baby:

 

Thanks for your submission!

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

Life before Photoshop is one of my favorite categories to write about. It was a time way back when I shot film and everything had to be accomplished in the camera. There was no computer to save your butt, so my fellow photographers and I had to rely on our own imagination and wit. That’s not counting a very good knowledge of every shutter speed and aperture combinations possible and how they reacted to one another.

In order to get a certain “look” that the Art Director wanted, we played around with different color film stock and pushed and pulled the film to get the desired effect. We depended on camera bracketing (manually bracketing) to get the right mixture, and there wasn’t a display on the back of the camera to see what we were getting.

Pretty scary? It was scary because if you screwed up, you were through with that advertising agency. You became “Persona non grata”. In other words, you were not welcome at their Christmas parties anymore. What’s even worse, if any agency team member on your shoot went to another agency your name went with them, and your reputation went downhill faster than the plague spread over Europe. Of course that’s besides how you personally felt if that happened. In my case, it would feel terrible. For me it’s always been great or bad with nothing in between, and it never mattered or matters what anyone else thought or thinks.

In my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet, I encourage my students to not use Photoshop during the time they’re with me. Why? Because the more you create in the camera, the better you’ll become as a photographer. It’s definitely a challenge, but the end will definitely justify the means.

Don’t get me wrong, I love being able to use CS5 to help fix something I couldn’t get right before I clicked the shutter. If at the moment right before I pull the trigger I see something I can’t correct, then the solution becomes part of my thought process that I know to work on later, and I’m perfectly happy with that. Truth be told, I wish I had it in the good old days!!!

In the above photo, I was shooting an ad for the agency that handled Microsoft. The Art Director wanted me to shoot a photo that would say that their client was a “Leader of the pack”. I came up with different scenarios and he liked the idea of a biker winning a bike race. After scouting several locations, based on the sunset readings from my hand bearing compass, we choose the Velodrome in LA. He also said that he wanted a grainy and gritty look to it with a feel of movement. BTW, the movement came from shooting at various shutter speeds.

Back then, my film of choice after Kodachrome went away was Fuji Velvia 100.  I decided to re rate the ASA ( now referred to as ISO) from 100 to 800 which meant pushing the film three stops. This would make the film become grainy. After trying it out, I showed the look to the Art Director for final approval. He liked it so off we went to LA.

As I told you, there was no Photoshop available to create what I wanted in the computer, so we had to do it in the camera. I had a company build a platform that would attach to a motorcycle and act like a sidecar. I choose a BMW because it uses a drive shaft instead of a chain and would be as smooth as a car.I had a walki-talki with a headset and voice activated mike to communicate with the bikers that also has walki-talki’s strapped to their belt. I also had my first assistant sitting right next to be constantly giving me readings on the faces and sky with my Minolta One Degree Spot Meter. To make the camera more stable, I attached a small gyro to the bottom  of the camera.

Not only did the final photo make the agency and the client happy, not to mention making the Art director look really good, but the best part was that it was soooooo much fun from the idea first popping into my mind to the pre-production, to the final shoot. Far better than the way they would do it now, as in shooting the Velodrome in one shot, then using a blue screen for the bikes and CGI to put it all together in the computer.

Really, how much fun would that be?????????

Visit mt 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 pictures in the camera with me sometime.

JoeB

 

 After exhausting efforts to finally solve the mystery as to why Chicago is nicknamed ‘The Windy City’, I now bring you absolutely no conclusion…as of yet.

Why you ask? Does anyone besides me really care? Why did I waste so much of my time searching for the answer?

Well, my fellow photographers the reason is because Chicago is the site of my next workshop beginning with the “meet and greet” on September 4^th, 2024, ending on September 11^th.

Since most of my recent workshops have been in Europe, I have been asked by several of my past workshop attendees to do one in the good old U.S. of A.

The main reason is the outrageous cost of airfare. I have looked at several fares from several departure and return dates for cities throughout the states, and there are several that have doubled since last year.

Having said that, I have also heard from a lot of you out there that they have never been to Chicago. It seems hard to believe, but it’s a fact. Also, so many have wanted to come to one of my workshops but couldn’t afford the entire cost.

So, as is usually the case, I started to look up potential photo ops there and found enough amazing locations to fill at least two workshops.

Below are the ones I have narrowed it down to, and after I have scouted all of them before the start of the workshop, I will make my final selections.

It will be based on the days together, the logistics involved in getting us from one location to the other, and most important, places where all of us can shoot without tripods tripping over one another. If possible, I will try to fit in all of them!!!

But first of all, to get you in the mode, I give you this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vE2FmiBHCg 

The Magnificent Mile: Given its nickname in the 1940’s, is an upscale section of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. It serves as the main thoroughfare between Chicago’s business district and the Gold Coast. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g35805-d109779-Reviews-The_Magnificent_Mile-Chicago_Illinois.html

Chicago Union Station: “An iconic building and a marvel of modern transportation for nearly a century, Chicago’s Union Station was originally designed by Daniel Burnham and completed by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White. A grand building worthy of the city’s status as a national railroad hub, it is a treasured part of Chicago history and a valued asset for Chicago’s future.”

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=chicago+union+station&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

Chicago Navy Pier: A 3300-foot-long pier running along the North side of Chicago. Opened in 1916, it was originally used as a dock to serve freighters, passenger ships and indoor and outdoor recreational events. Now, it’s one of the most visited attractions in the entire Midwest. That said, September will be considerably quieter…no families and kids!!!

https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=navy+pier+chicago&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images 

Gold Coast: A wonderful ‘historic district’ that grew in the aftermath of the famous Chicago Fire in 1871. The district was added to the Historic Register of Historic Places.

Nestled close to the Lake Michigan shoreline, the Gold Coast is luxury and romance personified (as the name implies, this is one of the country’s most affluent neighborhoods).

Streets are lined with historic mansions, designer boutiques, celebrated restaurants, and historic hotels.

Gold Coast is also known as an architectural jewel box. It features rows of 19th-century homes designed in various historical revival styles. Th most famous is the Former Playboy Mansion, legendary for Hugh Hefner’s star-studded parties.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Gold+Coast+Historic+District+(Chicago)+Chicago&ia=images&iax=images&atb=v336-1

For those looking for photo ops a little out of the ordinary, I give you:

Wells Kinzie Garage Metro Station: Although the entire location offers great photo possibilities, the elevated level of a parking garage, will give you a fabulous vantage point offering a unique S-shaped view of a glass-paneled bar and the “L” as it passes through the city. At night, the light illuminates and reflects a captivating blue glow that’s complemented by the light trails of the traveling train.

Sounds like a sunset/blue hour location to me!!

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=overlook+metro+trains+at+Wells+kinzie+garage&t=newext&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

 Millennium Park: Millennium Park is a can’t-miss attraction for any Chicago visit. The lakefront campus, located in the heart of downtown, is home to the iconic statue (aka “The Bean”), interactive fountains, tranquil gardens, free events, public art, skating rinks, rock climbing, and plenty of green space.

https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=millennium+park+chicago&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

Chicago Water Tower: The ornate Gothic Revival structure was only built to hide a simple standpipe. Even so, its intricate design serves as a perfect illustration of the value and importance the city put on infrastructure and water supply during the late 19th century. Today it’s seen as an investment made to solve crucial water supply issues brought about by the city’s rapid growth.

https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=chicago+water+tower&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.britannica.com%2F44%2F93844-050-F5931FD7%2FWater-Tower-one-buildings-Great-Fire-North-1871.jpg

Chicago Riverwalk: The Chicago Riverwalk is a multi-use public space located on the south bank of the main branch of the Chicago River in Chicago, extending from Lake Michigan and DuSable Lake Shore Drive westward to Lake Street. The Chicago Riverwalk contains restaurants, bars, cafes, small parks, boat and kayak rentals, a Vietnam War memorial, and other amenities.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=chicago+riverwalk&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

Milton Lee Olive Park: Simply a public park in the middle of Chicago: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=milton+lee+olice+park&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

Buckingham Fountain: One of the largest fountains in the world, Buckingham Fountain is a major landmark in Chicago.

While in operation, the Fountain produces a major water display for 20 minutes every hour.  During the major display, a center jet shoots water to a height of 150 feet into the air.

Major displays begin daily at 9:00 a.m. and continue thereafter, every hour on the hour. Beginning at dusk, a spectacular light and music display accompanies the major display, beginning every hour on the hour for 20 minutes.

Looks like another sunset/Blue Hour location to me.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Buckimngham+fountain&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

North Avenue Beach at sunset/blue hour: After checking it out, during the scout, it might be a good location for a sunset shoot.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=North+avenue+beach+skyline+pictures+at+night+in+chicago&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.fineartamerica.com%2Fimages%2Fartworkimages%2Fmediumlarge%2F2%2F12-chicago-skyline-at-sunset-viewed-from-north-avenue-beach-miroslav-liska.jpg

Rookery Building: As far as photo ops go, the Rookery Building is a gem.

As one of the most historically significant buildings in Chicago, The Rookery is a unique enclave for businesses that value a prestigious presence. An icon in the center of Chicago’s downtown Financial District,

The Rookery seamlessly combines the flair of an era gone by with state-of-the-art building systems and technology. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 1972 after being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, The Rookery is universally considered an architectural wonder.

A great place to shoot during the middle of the day, or if it’s cloudy while we wait for the sun!!!!

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rookery+building&atb=v336-1&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

Well, my fellow photographers there you have it. This trip promises to be one of the best visually stimulating experiences you’ll have in one of my workshops. Great memories that will be remembered by you as a photographer or as a tourist while visiting the great sights of Chicago. An extraordinary set of locations, and something for everyone!

The cost is $1900.00 for the photographers and $900.00 for your spouse, cousin, mother-in-law, partner, friend, and significant other. Sorry, no service animals.

The workshop will be limited to ten shooters so if you’re at all interested, I strongly suggest you reserve a spot as soon as you can.

The critiques in the mornings are for just the shooters. They have become more of an interaction review where I’m not the only person doing the talking. Everyone becomes involved which makes it a more productive morning.

For those that would rather not submit, that’s fine. They can just sit in on the discussions. Or if you would rather not attend, that’s also fine. I want these workshops to be enjoyable and filled with the least amount of stress. We’re there to have fun and take some great photos. As usual, I will always make myself available for any private one-to-one discussions.

My workshop fills very fast, and to have one in the States will make it that much quicker.

It’s entirely possible these days that we can be there for the turning of the leaves. Wouldn’t that be spectacular?

As far as Chicago being called the “Wndy City”, we’ll talk about it over wine during the meet and greet at the famous Gino’s East:

https://duckduckgo.com/?hps=1&q=gino%27s+east&atb=v336-1&iax=images&ia=images

This is a destination that’s not only for photographers, but anyone that loves to just walk around and see wonderful sights in Autumn.

Last, but not least, there’s also my final dinner!!!

For more information or to reserve a space, email me at: joe@joebaraban.com

For those of you that have never attended one of my workshops, here are remarks by some people who have:

Ed

Joe, I just attended my first workshop. It was amazing on every level. I can’t say enough about all the amazing historical locations we visited. I absolutely loved the workshop.

We visited villages that were founded by Romans in the 4th century. Can it get any better??? I appreciate the quality of the critique interactive reviews and look forward to bringing my photography to the next level. I absolutely loved the chemistry with all the participants. It was a spectacular week.

Alain

I recently completed my third workshop with Joe Baraban, and all I can say is that I will be coming back for more. All aspects of the workshop were fantastic. Joe’s approach to teaching, the shooting locations, the daily reviews, the accommodations, the planning and organization, and the communications were all at the highest level.

From the “meet and greet” reception the first night, to the final dinner, Joe paid strict attention to every detail to make sure we were well taken care of…all the time. Joe’s selection of locations is always diverse and challenging and present many, many opportunities for great shots and learning.

The daily reviews are a wonderful educational experience as you discuss your own work as well as the work of the other photographers. Joe teaches how to “make pictures”, not just take them. The quality and creativity in my images continue to ratchet up a notch with every workshop as I continue to learn from Joe.

I highly recommend Joe’s workshops and online classes.

 Nick

I recently completed my 12th workshop with Joe and his team, and I find myself returning for more, drawn by numerous reasons. Firstly, the photography lessons and critiques are exceptional, significantly contributing to my growth as both a photographer and an artist. Joe’s approach to photography, viewing it through an artist’s lens, has profoundly altered my perspective on the world, enabling me to convey stories through my images. Joe serves as an outstanding and supportive teacher and mentor, and the workshop’s structure perfectly facilitates these objectives.

Secondly, the workshop destinations and locations have consistently been spectacular, meticulously planned and well executed. Every detail is thoughtfully taken care of, and the communication is exceptional. Joe and his producers conduct thorough research, scouting, and organization for each location, ensuring a seamless experience for participants to not only immerse themselves in local sights and cultures but also to return with a stunning collection of photographs to share and display.

Furthermore, the line from a Joseph Parry poem “make new friends but keep the old” rings true in each of Joe’s workshops. I eagerly anticipate reuniting with friends from previous trips and forming new connections with like-minded individuals from across the globe. We collaborate in shooting and exchange creative thoughts and ideas.

Lastly, each workshop has been an absolute blast. It’s fun capturing images, exploring, learning, and simply enjoying the company of friends. It’s been an all-around great time. The lingering question remains: where to next?

John B

I wanted to learn more about Joe’s approach to visual design and making great photos after taking one of his online courses.  As a former painter, I really relate to his focus on visual design elements as his artist’s palate and it all came to life in this workshop.

He is an excellent teacher, and it was wonderful to experience this with a group of very talented photographers who supported each other and did some great work.  The format of learning the design principles and discussing them in relation to Joe’s images and the work from the class was a great way to learn – I look forward to future workshops.

Murray

I attended Joe’s Paris workshop and received a lot of valuable information in less than a week.

Joe’s workshops begin with an informal meet and greet where all the participants and spouses can meet each other with food and wine.

Usually, each day start before dawn with an air-conditioned private bus trip to a pre-scouted shooting location. Joe gives suggestions for shooting before and during each shoot. He moves around to each photographer during the shoots and gives “hands-on tips” and suggestions that are wonderful and instructive.

Each day there is a very constructive review of the work that was shot the day before. Joe has everyone involved and he asks people their opinions.

I have not attended many formal workshops and I was happy that the comments of the other shooters and those from Joe were very helpful and allowed everyone to get real feedback so soon after shooting.

I can truly say that the workshop immediately helped me, and I believe that my photos have much improved. It was a wonderful experience and made me a better photographer. It also gave me a chance to make friends with the other photographers.

I would recommend it to everyone that has a camera.

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

For me, shooting in ‘golden light’ is easy, but when I’m occasionally forced to shoot under conditions that I ordinarily would pass on, sleep through, or spend that time scouting, I look for SILHOUETTES!!!

In my part II online class I teach with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshop I conduct around the planet, I’m always discussing ways to create mood or drama in photos under non-optimum lighting conditions such as harsh mid-day sun, an overcast sky, or even indoors. I tell them that if you put your subject against a bright background, and expose not for the subject, but for the brightest part of that background it can create abstractions in the form of silhouettes.

The best silhouettes are those that are simple and easily recognizable by the viewer. Remember that the abstractions, you’re creating from a three-dimensional reality are now being presented in a two-dimensional form. A form that is without depth, created only in width and height.

Midday light or overcast skies are not always the time to look for silhouettes. I’ll get to a sunrise location well in advance so I can look for silhouettes. I’ll also hang around after the sun goes down and look for interesting silhouettes at dusk.

After discussing complete silhouettes and showing examples,  which included talking about partial silhouettes where not all of the person or the environment is in silhouette. Dawn, a talented student of mine came back with these wonderful examples (shown below) of both partial and complete silhouettes. Not only are they strong images showing silhouettes, but more importantly, they show a photographer that knows how to “Stretch Her Frame of Mind”!

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

JoeB