Joe Baraban's Digital Photography Blog

Quick Photo Tip: Using the Least Likely Lens

I never thought about using this lens.
I never thought about using this lens.

I’m a huge believer in coloring outside the lines and I was always telling my fellow photographers that took my online classes with the BPSOP and the ones that join me in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around our plant to do just that.

I wrote a post on it almost four years ago and because of it I followed my own advice. I was in an area in the south of France, and when I got out of my rent car to walk along the area surrounding a chateau, I decided to not use my usual go-to lens and put on something I would never think about using for this type of situation…my 100mm Macro.

It was a fortuitous decision as it turned out giving me what I still consider to be a very unusual depiction of swans that were nestled in a small stream next to this incredible well-known chateau. Although (sadly) it looks like I did considerable post processing work to it, it was shot in the camera, one exposure on one 35mm Kodachrome frame with no post work done to it; this is what Kodachrome looked like, and boy do I miss it!!!!

I know so many of you out there get comfortable with one or two lens that always reward you with good photos. The only problem is that they always look the same, as in the same compression or lack thereof, the same focal length that might be on one of your zooms, or the same dOF because you’re using a lens (like a prime) and rendering the same F/stop to all your compositions.

So my fellow photographers bite the bullet, take a leap of faith and grab a lens you haven’t use in forever, or one you would never use in a situation you’ve been in a hundred times and have been comfortable to the point of being complacent.

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 color outside the lines with me sometime. Next September 2027, I’m conducting a workshop in Puglia, Italy. If you’re interested, you can contact me through my website.

 

JoeB

Personal Pearl of Wisdom: 25X4=100

I looked to my right.
I looked to my right.

Before the online school with the BPSOP closed, and still in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshop I conduct around our planet, I have my Pearls of Wisdom that my fellow photographers have become to know and I dare say…grown to love?

Maybe.

One of my all-time attention grabbers is when I say it’s all about 25X4, and I especially remember using it a lot in my last “Springtime in Sicily” workshop. I used it every day that we were walking around Palermo, Siracusa, Cefulu’ on the West side of Sicily and Catania, Taormina, and Ortygia on the Eastside.

As I do in my workshops, I show people how to see things occurring all around them. As Henry David Thoreau said, “It’s not what you look at, it’s what you see”. I’ll suggest they look at things with the right side of their brain, the creative side instead of the left side which is the analytical side.

The analytical side sees a tree, and the right side sees texture, patterns, lines, color, light, shapes, and form; all basic elements of visual design.

Having said all that, if you just look straight ahead while you’re walking, you’re only using twenty-five percent of your possible vision that has an immediate correlation to photo ops that either surround you or you pass by. I can say from years of experience, the majority of photographers do just that; it just doesn’t make sense.

It reminds me of the blinders that some racehorse trainers have their horses wear to keep them focused on what’s in front of them rather than what’s behind them or on each side. It keeps them focused on the race rather than the distractions around them.

YIKES!!! Is that what you want to be compared to…a racehorse with no distractions? I think not!!

OK, when I’m walking around hunting that elusive “keeper”, looking for the light in all the right places, I use 100% of the potential shooting area that’s always there following me down the street. In other words, I look straight ahead twenty-five percent of the time for a few steps, then to my right side (a few more steps) twenty-five percent of the time, to the left twenty-five percent of the time and behind me twenty-five percent of the time…now that sure makes sense to me.

In the above photo taken after my workshop in Sicily in Lisbon, if I hadn’t been looking from side to side instead of straight ahead, I would have never seen this guy mixed in with several of his friends….missing what would soon be one of my favorite photos/examples.

BTW, I will also look up and down, and have discovered many of my best shots doing just that.

So there you have it, my 25X4 pearl of wisdom. I can guarantee you that if you make a conscious effort to follow my advice, a whole new set of photo opportunities will open up for you, and it will be a lot more fun.

🙂

Visit my website at www.joebaraban.com and be sure to follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime. Watch for my workshop in Puglia, Italy next September. If you’re interested contact me through my website.

Keep those eyes wide open and always moving around,

JoeB

Life Before Photoshop: Pacific Bell

Look ma, no Photoshop.
Look ma, no Photoshop.

I shot corporate and advertising photography spanning a forty year career, and most of those years (the dark ages) were spend without the help of Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, and the plethora of plug-ins one can find shopping on the internet; if ones needs help that much.

In fact, Adobe was a type of house in the Southwest part of the US. Thinking back, I can also remember when there weren’t even computers, and as they came into being companies were quick to include photography of their new (freezing) computer room to go out to stockholders in the form of annual reports; to assure them that they were on the leading edge of technology. It’s amazing to think that my maxed out iMac27Retina is probably as powerful than the entire room full of giant machines.

Most of my fellow photographers that took my online classes with the BPSOP before the death of its founder, and still take my “Stretching Your frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around our planet became photographers during the digital age and have no idea that you can actually “make” good photos before clicking the shutter.

A million years ago, right after the dinosaurs disappeared,  I was shooting an advertising campaign for Pacific Bell, the California based telephone company. I was sent to three locations: Nameless, Tennessee, Remote, Oregon, and Home, Pennsylvania. Three very small but real places spread across the US. With me, I had a phone booth a wall phone and a phone that was mounted on a stand and placed where people could drive up to it.

Before I left my studio, I had a sign made up to look like it was a sign you would see on a road stating the miles left to a particular town or city; in this case Home, PA. I had an idea in mind so in case I found the right location, I would have the prop I needed.

Using my Sunpath coordinates I found just the road I wanted where the sun would set just to one side and down the road apiece!!

We set up the sign and with a portable generator, lit it up.

I remember it missing something and was going to put the rent car driving away from the phone, but at that moment an Amish man drove by and saved the day. As Eddie Adams once said, “When you get lucky, be ready”.

I know that in today’s world, the phone and sign would have been shot in a studio, and the back end of the Amish buggy would have been bought from some stock agency and added after the fact.

I consider myself very lucky that I started out in the film days when you were able to use your head and imagination to solve problems… in the camera where it was fun instead of in front of a computer.

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Be sure to check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. come shoot with me some time. Watch for my workshop in September of 2027 in Puglia, Italy. If you’re interested in more details, go to my website and leave a message for me.

JoeB

Cuba Workshops

Taken during "Dawn Patrol"
Taken during “Dawn Patrol”

While the experience and images of the last nine times I have led a workshop inCuba are still so fresh in my mind, I wanted to share this wonderful country with you in a visual presentation.

These photos were all taken by my fellow photographers that had signed up for me to shoot with them through the streets of Havana, as well as smaller towns that were withing an hour’s ride from our hotel.

Many of them had taken my online class with the BPSOP, or had been with me in one of my own “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops. For three, it had been their second time in Cuba with me.

To be sure, things in Cuba are rapidly changing and just within a couple of years, the differences for me were very apparent.  From the new Paladares  (privately owned restaurants) offering cuisine for even the discerning foodie, to the increase in tourism shown by the endless line of huge tour buses.

What hasn’t changed is the people. They are still warm and friendly and anxious to invite you into their small humble homes for coffee and conversation. For the most part, they are willing to be photographed and only once in a while ask for something in return.

I can tell you that they absolutely love people from the United States, and eager to talk and spend time with you. Havana is still well worth the visit, but if I were you I would go sooner rather than later.

Btw, I happened to be there at the same time as President Obama, and watched his motorcade drive by hundreds of cheering Cubans. It was very cool and definitely part of history.

Watch for me, I want to lead another one in 2027, so anyone interested in information let me know. You can reach me through my website.

Enjoy the show:

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my 2016 workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

Personal Pearl of Wisdom: Hurry Up and Wait

What I was waiting for.
What I was waiting for.

When I’m out walking the streets whether it be in Paris, Lisbon, New York, recently in Cuba, or in my own backyard, I pretty much follow the same routine. That is, I look for all the elements of Visual Design, light, and color. Any of these are what I call pieces to a puzzle, and when I can get enough of these pieces, I look for something that can tie them all together. The final touch, the glue, the last “layer of interest” that can complete my work of art…my photo.

If I see something that fits the bill, and I have the time to wait, I’ll find a nice comfortable place to sit (hopefully) or stand and wait. The hurry up part is to get what I think is the best exposure and lock it in to my manual settings. I arrange my composition to allow for that certain something, and when it comes I’ll know it.

It could come in a second, a minute, or ten minutes. The longer I’m willing to devote to it depend entirely on how important I think the photo could be. One thing I know from years of experience is that if and when it comes, I’m not going to have a lot of time to shoot; and as Eddie Adams once said, “When you get lucky, be ready”.

The above photo was taken on my recent third trip to Cuba for the Santa Fe Workshops. We were in a small town an hour outside of Havana, and it was mid morning. The sun was sky high, and it was incredibly hot with little to no shade; too hot to walk around aimlessly. Across the small square I spotted a brick wall with a grouping of buildings behind it.

I immediately saw the yellow and turquoise shapes, and what I also saw were semi-squares that created a pattern.  These are two of the basic elements of visual design. I loved the way the colors seemed to be in harmony and quickly took a vertical approach, minimizing the semi-squares that weren’t yellow. I always take into account what I always told my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around our planet, “It’s not what you put in your pictures that counts, it’s what you don’t put in that matters”.

What I saw.
What I saw.

Ok, the hurry-up part was done, all I needed was that certain something to happen. Several people walked by, but no one was wearing anything colorful. After a longer period of time than I wanted given the time of day and the temperature, I spotted a mother and daughter sitting on a bench behind me.

The daughter was wearing exactly what I was looking for, so I asked the mother if they would cross the street and walk by the concrete wall. The little girl began walking at a faster pace maybe ten feet in front, she suddenly stopped, and stuck her head into one of the semi-squares. I was able to get off one frame before the mom came into the frame, said something to the girl and took her away.

If I hadn’t seen past my first impression and used my Artist Palette, had my composition and exposure set, and was able to minimize an ordinary hot blue sky, I would not have been able to capture this moment in time.

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

JoeB

Anecdotes:

They could have been brothers.
They could have been brothers.

I was shooting a series of ads for Dewars Scotch in Edinburgh, Scotland, and one of the ads featured two men exchanging their secret fly-fishing spots to one another.

We scoured the city for an authentic Scottish pub that fit the layout that had previously been approved by the client…without any luck. It seems that all the old antique wooden bars, tables, and paneling had been bought up by entrepreneurs in the US to use in their new restaurants being built.

We found a room in the back of a boy’s prep school that fit the layout. The only problem was that it was an empty room and needed a lot of help to convert it to a typical Scottish pub. As I told my online students with the BPSOP, and also my fellow photographers that take my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind”, if you’re going to use props and set things up (which I always encourage) make it look like you didn’t. It’s gotta look real to the viewer. Right before they click the shutter I have them ask themselves…”Do I believe it?”.

While we were dressing the room, my producer went out on the street to look for a couple of men we could use in the ad. Fairly easy since all the older men could have come straight out of central casting; everyone looked great. We picked out two separate men, total strangers, who agreed to play the role of the two fly-fishermen for a fee of $250.00 each.

I had a 12K HMI (a very large daylight balanced twelve thousand watt motion picture light) outside the window to act as the late afternoon light. To bounce light back into the men, I set up a roll of white seamless paper between us and cut a small hole in it to stick my 20mm lens through. That done, I couldn’t see anything except what I saw in the viewfinder. To make it more realistic and to get the men loosened up we use the real thing…a bottle of Dewars.

We had been shooting for quite a while and every time their glasses looked empty, my assistant would fill them up again. Finally, when I saw their glasses needed to be refilled I mentioned it, whereas I was told that the bottle was empty. They had consumed the entire bottle, drinking it ‘neat’ or in other words without anything mixed in it including ice.

It was over!

The two men, who never laid eyes on one another in their lives, were so drunk that they were laughing and falling over each other…and in a matter of an hour and a half had become close enough to be brothers. In fact, so drunk that they could barely walk and were in no condition to find their way home. It made us so nervous that we renting two private cars to drive each one home.

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 and I’ll buy you a drink!

JoeB

Life Before Photoshop: Budweiser

The finished product.
The finished product.

Looking back through all my post in this category, brings to mind all the years I spent without the help of Lightroom and Photoshop. I’m closing in on fifty years of shooting advertising and corporate photography, and I would say that three-quarters of those years were spent without their help. These years were during the period of time when computers were not invented, in their infancy stage, and later on when Adobe was a type of house in the Southwest part of the country.

I was recently talking to a woman that had taken both my online class with the BPSOP, and several of my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around our planet. One of the things she said was, “I can’t imagine shooting and not seeing what you’ve captured while it is being developed.  That in itself, has to make one think very carefully before clicking the shutter. ”

She’s right, but it was a lot scarier than that!!!

Imagine a large production shot that included an out of town location, people, interior lighting you had to make believable, and important props that helped tell the story. Now imagine getting everything in the frame to be withing one stop of one another; from the front to the back, and from one side to the other…that’s not counting the exposure on the faces of the subjects. All this on one 35mm Kodachrome transparency.

Now, imagine not being able to see your finished photo until you got back home, sent the film to the lab, then waited nervously until you saw the first three to four frame clips. I only knew it would be close ahead of time based on the countless meter readings I took with my Minolta One-degree Spot Meter and bracketing in one third intervals. Had it not been for this meter, I would have never been as successful as I was…plain and simple.

In the photo of the boxer, Budweiser sent me a layout depicting a young Hispanic man posing with his trainer and manager, to be taken in the gym they worked out in. These were not to be models, but the real deal. I sent a location scout to San Antonio to check out his gym to see if it fit all the requirements. In other words, if it looked real. Needless to say I was exited when I saw the photos and quickly set up a date to take their portraits.

Knowing from the photos that the room was going to be too dark to really work with, I took virtually all the lighting I had in my studio; I wound up using everything I took.

Here’s the finished production photo how I achieved it with out the help of any post processing. Everything was created in the camera on one piece of film.

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

JoeB

Food for digital Thought: It’s not what you put in a picture that counts, it’s what you don’t put in that matters.

What else did I need to say pharmaceuticals lab?
What else did I need to say to represent a pharmaceutical lab in a photo?

Photography is the “art of subtraction”. Unlike painting where you start out with a blank canvas on an easel and fill it in until you have a finished work of art, the camera on a tripod starts out with everything the lens can see, and you take things out until you have a finished photo.

The key to finishing up with a finished photograph, worthy of being on a wall is, in knowing what to take out and what to leave in. To me, this is one of the most difficult parts of the process; from the first idea/composition to the final act of clicking the shutter.

I’ve been conducting my personal “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops for over forty years, and one thing that hasn’t changes is that my fellow photographers don’t know when to quit. When to say ok I’m comfortable with what I have so it’s time to let go and click the shutter.

I’ve found that people have a tendency to not trust their judgment and with that comes an insecurity in what they’re doing, and while they’re doing it..therefore their thought process centers around more is better.

Years ago, perhaps a million of them, I was represented by The Stock Market”, one of the first, largest, and most popular stock photography agency in the world. The co-owner and photo editor told me that what she liked about my pictures was that I knew what not to to put into a photograph.

For the most part, I’ve always tried to “keep it clean”. If something in your composition isn’t helping it then more than likely it’s probably hurting it…or at the least taking up unnecessary space. Sometimes you don’t even realize it until you’re sitting in front of a computer, and maybe you can fix it then; which doesn’t make you a good photographer.

I do suggest three ways to help you out on that: My fifteen point protection plan, the border patrol, and the four corner checkoff. At least it might get you to see those pesky UFO’s…those parts of things that invade the edges of your frame – i.e., a part of someone’s hand or foot, the last three letters of a sign, half a light post, etc.

The viewer will fill in the rest of the plant.
The viewer will fill in the rest of the plant.

Sometimes you don’t need the entire horse running through the field, maybe it’s just the neck and head. What if it’s just the grill of a 57′ Chevy? Try it sometime, and let the viewer work at filling in the missing pieces to the puzzle you left him.

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

JoeB

Quick Photo Tip: Outline the Person

I just followed her outline with my eyes.
I just followed her outline with my eyes.

It’s been sooooooooo long I can’t remember when I first started relying on my fifteen point protection plan, checking my four corners, and making sure I paid attention to my borders to guide me through the process of creating strong images before I clicked the shutter. I can tell you that it’s been thirty-four years since I first shared these concepts with my fellow photographers that took my first Maine Media Workshop in 1983.

I continue to work these concepts into my  “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet. Now there’s one more I recently thought about when I was shooting an environmental portrait, but had never really thought about sharing it with others.

It was in an environment where I couldn’t move the subject or change anything. It was filled with obstacles that could easily get in the way of what I was trying to achieve in the camera. Or having no other choice, one where it would either take a long time to fix so it would look natural, or one I couldn’t fix at all; given a reasonable time table.

I went through my photo process, which by the way now takes me a very few seconds. As though I was outlining the woman in pencil I quickly ran my eye over her entire outline to see if anything was growing out of her head or in a really bad position. Remember that this was a ballet rehearsal in Cuba and I had absolutely no control other than having her glance over her shoulder at the lens.

When doing this I could make adjustments by moving one way or the other to get her where the area around her was free and clear, and avoiding unnecessary time in front of a computer that may or may not have been successful.

So the next time you’re out shooting people give it a try. Let your eye become a pencil and draw an imaginary line around the person, looking for potential problems. You’ll thank me for it later!

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

My Favorite Quotes: Henri Matisse

Coloring outside the lines takes courage.
Coloring outside the lines takes courage.

I’ve enjoyed writing poss for this category for some time, the first one going back three years. As my fellow photographers that follow my blog know, I don’t limit these quotes to just photographers. Artists of all types and genres are my sources, and as long as their quotes make an impact (as it relates to teaching) on me, then I want to share it with everyone.

My background is in painting and design, so part of my education was spent in Art History; specifically in the study of painting. Among my favorites was the French painter Henri Matisse. Not only known for his use of color, but he was also a printmaker and sculptor. Matisse once said, “Creativity takes courage”.

Until the death of Bryan Peterson, the founder of BPSOP, (the Bryan Peterson school of photography) of which I taught at since 2011, I had often talked to photographers that took my online classes, and my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I still conduct around our planet, about stepping out from the coattails of photography past and present and those that would lead you down the path to mediocrity; and photographic purgatory.

I’m talking about those that follow (with the strictest regularity) rules meant to hinder any chance to being creative; they are the shackles of any original artistry. Creative in the sense of following your own path instead of those others have blazed a million years before..at least during the onset of camera clubs…and now the ruts are are beginning to be too deep to climb out of.

Coloring outsides the lines instead of listening to bad advise offered by those that are too afraid to do so themselves takes courage. We have become a  nation of sheep, and find it easier to go with the flow than follow the beat of a different drummer.

For the most part, I’ve found that photographers want/need  to be safe in their approach to creativity and strive for that first, second, or third place ribbon awarded to those that follow the rules laid out in their respective clubs; or perhaps a big smile and gentle pat on the back from friends or family members…that love you unconditionally.

Without the revolution started by these influential impressionist painters: Pissarro, Monet, Degas, Renoir, and Bazille, art may have never been so radically changed; they challenged the art world and although scorned at first finally won. As photographers we should consider ourselves as painters who have chosen a camera as our medium; our cameras on a tripod is the same as a blank canvas on an easel.

Break all those silly rules that I’m sure all of you at one time or another have either read about or someone has been whispering in your ear; for the most part it’s really bad advice.  If your photos are constantly being degraded from fellow photo club members because they don’t follow their rules…start your own club and enlist only those that dare to be courageous.

FYI, I know of people that have done just that.

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out my workshop at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime and we’ll be creative together. For those that are interested and getting the info way ahead of time, in September of 2027, I’ll be teaching a workshop in Puglia, Italy. For those interested, contact me through my website.

JoeB

Food for digital Thought: The Etymology of “Photography”

Rene painted with light.
Rene painted with light.

One of the biggest areas we work on in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around our planet, is the use of light.

To me light is everything, and the cornerstone to creating memorable photos. Unless you’re street shooting where capturing the moment is so important, and is the only thing that can trump light, light (as I just said) is everything.

The word Photography comes from the Greek roots that means “drawing with light”. Although this can mean different things in different applications,  I want to center my attention to one area that really is about drawing with light; the use of a flashlight before the sun comes up and after it’s gone down; “Light Painting” is what it’s referred to.

I don’t mean any old  flashlight, I mean one that’s powerful enough to throw a beam (in spotlight mode) up to 200 yards. The flashlight I use is made by Red Line and is about six inches long and has an output of 300 lumens. It also works on regular batteries.

A great example of how you draw with light can be seen in the above and below photos.It was taken by a student of mine that was taking my Maine Media Workshop. Every year I take the class to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, and it’s become a tradition. We arrive there an hour before the sun comes up so we can get a nice glow behind the lighthouse but not any direct sun.

Everyone sets up where they wanted, and opened their shutters. While their shutters were opened, I walked around with the flashlight and literally painted the building for them. When the sun comes up, the class starts shooting in the early morning light.

Painting with light.
Painting with light.

Afterwards, we all go to Moody’s Diner, and breakfast is on me.

Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Be sure to check out further workshops as they come up, look for them at the top of my blog.

JoeB

Maine Media Workshop

Pemaquid Point lighthouse with Peter.
Pemaquid Point lighthouse with Peter.

one of my favorite things to do was to teach at the Maine Media Workshops. It was especially rewarding when I had a good group of photographers.

This year was no different and with a good group of photographers we spent a great week together shooting and discussing their images.

My workshop is called “Stretching Your Frame of Mind”, and I teach people how to incorporate the elements of visual design into their photography.

As I’ve done in the past when I get back home, I put together a post that’s made up of entirely their photos taken over the course of the week. These photos were taken at locations I’ve been going to for many years, as in the photos taken at Pemaquid Point lighthouse…along with a photograph that calls for a production; as in the photo the class did together of Ghost face…a character in the Scream series.

Enjoy the show:

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…FYI, I’ll be conducting one in Puglia, Italy September of 2027. Let me know if you’re interested.

JoeB

My Favorite Quotes: Ruth Bernhard

After writing these posts since 2011, and having one come out every five to six days, I hope I still have enough followers left to keep on enjoying them. I know I still enjoy writing them.

About that same year, I was teaching with the BPSOP, and it had to shut down because of the passing of its founder Bryan Peterson. However, I’m still teaching my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” classes and conducting my six-month private mentoring class. For those interested, you can contact me through my website.

One of the quotes I’d like to talk about today comes from one of my favorite photographers Ruth Bernhard, who once said, “If you are not willing to see more than is visible, you won’t see anything”. In other words, you need to see past your first impression. 

For me, a lot of that comes in ‘Pre Visualization’. I’ll look at something, a scene, an object, a person in their environment, etc., and not see what is visible. What I’ll see is that which is invisible to others. I’ll see it in my mind first and if I can see it there, for the most part, I’ll be able to record in in my camera.

For example in the above photo, while driving through the countryside in Holland, I saw two men working next to the road. They were wearing protective clothing but what got my attention was the triangle that was on the front of their jackets. the people that have studied the elements of visual design with me, and hopefully remembered them, would remember shape as one of the elements.

The four basic shapes are : circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles. For those that have never taken one of my classes or workshops would see a triangle because that’s what’s plainly visible on the front. They wouldn’t see the importance of it, they wouldn’t see anything else…more’s the pity. It’s the triangle that keeps the viewer interested in the photo and the reason why he/she will stick around longer looking at it. I don’t know about you, but I want the viewer to stick around as long as possible admiring my image.

Visit my website with several new images: www. joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Keep a lookout for any new workshops as they fill in a few days. Come shoot with me sometime.

JoeB

Quick Photo Tip: Get On Your Knees

Do you trust this man?
Do you trust this man?

Before it closed, due to the passing of its founder Bryan Peterson, I had been teaching online with the BPSOP and I’m still conducting my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops around the planet for many years, and one thing, among many, stands out. My fellow photographers will almost always bring the camera up to their eye, and whatever that height is to the ground is what POV the photo will take.

One reason is that it’s the easiest way to shoot. No muss, no fuss, no dirt on the knee or shirt to wipe off….therefore no problem. But there is one problem, and that is all your photos will take on the same look. If that’s your intent, then to each his own.

However, if you’re tired of all your photos looking the same, I suggest you approach your subject from a different point of view. Try looking at it from way down low, then way up high. Walk around and take a look from the side, then the back, then the other side. Of course the direction of the light is extremely important, and for me, dictates where I’m going to position myself.

If you’re able, try to combine both the light and a different POV. They can have a profound effect on the outcome of your end result, and can most definitely keep the viewer interested when you do.

The above photo was taken as part of an advertising campaign for CenterPoint Energy; Houston’s main electric service provider. The client told the advertising agency who in turn relayed to me that they wanted to show how reliable their repair service was, and that their men were always there when you needed them most. You could be comfortable knowing that you were in good hands with the men at Center Point.

How do you represent that in a single photo? By your POV. To get their message across as quickly as possible, I wanted to show not only the man, but all the components as well, i.e., the power lines and poles, the truck, strength, and the man. To add the comfort level, I got down on my knees, and with a 20mm lens was able to capture all the ingredients…I made him larger than life.

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