Give Them More Than They Need

When receiving an assignment from a Photo Editor of a newspaper or magazine it is often a good idea to give them more than they need. A good photo editor will give you an idea of what they are looking for in an assignment and usually what they ask for is adequate. Why would you give them more than they need, if they only ask for a simple portrait why give them more? Because you love what you do and the chance to meet an individual or group of people, your subject, is a great thing. You will learn new things, you will broaden your mind, hell you may even become a better person. The minute you start thinking of an assignment as just another job, drudgery, boring or this is not what I was meant to be photographing, perhaps you should sell insurance. It is a hard row to hoe to be a freelance photographer because if you don't work like a possessed person the work will go some where else. You have to be constantly aware of where your next dollar is going to come from and these day's the dollars are harder to find than ever. So if your lucky enough to score an assignment treat it like it is the best thing that ever happened to you, your a lucky person getting to do something you love to do, treat the process with respect because most people are not doing something they love to do. Why not take the opportunity to overshoot an assignment, it's fun to be a photgrapher.

Alistair MacLellan-Book Binder                                                                                  ©2017 peter tym

Alistair MacLellan is a book binder by trade and works out of his Kitchener Ontario garage and when I was handed the assignment to photograph him for The Grand Magazine my first thought was about the problems I might encounter shooting is such a small space, how would I handle the technical problems. When I arrived at Alistair's business location I was greeted by a young man who was so full of passion for what he was doing it was infectious, how could I not give this man one hundred percent of my effort. This kind of photography makes my boat float, it's so much fun to break down an assignment into segments and tell a persons story, people can be very interesting and what they do can be an learning experience. So go for more than the required portrait, give them more than they need.

Alistair MacLellan-Book Binder                                                                        ©2017 peter tym

Start to tell the story with an overall shot something to establish his environment, were he works.

                                                                                                                                ©2017 peter tym

Here we se the book during the binding process, some good close up shots to see how the books are put together.

                                                                                                                             ©2017 peter tym

Another angle is added to give more options in editing.

                                                                                                                              ©2017 peter tym

Another detail shot of Alistair sewing or binding the pages of his book in red thread.

                                                                                                                               ©2017 peter tym

Here we have an tighter image of the binding process with Alistair making his books by hand, something that is not usually done these day's but it is a pleasure to watch an artisan at work.

                                                                                                                                ©2017 peter tym

Alistair glueing the paper for the book covers all meticulously by hand. 

                                                                                                                                 ©2017 peter tym                                                                                                                         

A shot of Alistair with a finished hand made book, something to appreciate in this day and age. It is a nice experience for me to meet a craftsman like Alistair MacLellan, someone who works with their hands to produce a beautiful product, who takes the time to do a good job because they believe in their craft, they feel a responsibility. Good work takes time and effort in what ever craft you practice, book binding or photography it's all the same, take the responsibility for your work and give the people who buy your work more than they need.  Now the publication you are working for may never use the extra photographs, they may never see the light of day but that doesn't matter because you will have the satisfaction of doing a good job.

Photoshop Composting in Portraiture

An environmental portrait can tell a story about a person, what they do how they live their passions but some times it is not always possible to get get your subject in a good visual environment. It can cost a great deal of money to arrange a photoshoot in an existing location having to get permits, assistants, hair and makeup all the details for a successful portrait. Building a set is another option but this too can run into astronomical costs. If the budget for a photograph is limited but the client still needs to obtain something different than a quick portrait, composting tools in Photoshop can save the day. Locations are very easy to photograph on their own without the subject actually being there, so a much lower cost is incurred to get half the final image. So how do you get from a standard photograph of a person at one location and bring that photograph into a completely different background. Below is a portrait of Dancer Michael Cameron of Cirque Du Soleil shot in his Kitchener, Ontario basement, this will be the first element of the final photograph.

Dancer Michael Cameron                                                                                          ©2017 peter tym

After the photo of Michael has been imported into photoshop the background will be removed using the quick selection tool. Now all the techniques used in this post take some time and practise to achieve so I will only be describing the steps not the technique.

Dancer Michael Cameron                                                                                     ©2017 peter tym

The screen shot above shows Michael with the background removed and the images is a layered image with a transparent background. This is still a raw image and this layer will need to be flopped or reversed to match the final positioning. The levels and colour balance will also have to be adjusted to match the final image.

Original Street Scene                                                                                    ©2017 peter tym

Next step is to import the street scene background into Photoshop. This photograph was taken in the financial district of Toronto at around 11:00 am. I often photograph subjects in this area because the light being reflected from from the surrounding buildings can be stunning at most times of the day, so great backgrounds are to be had and just walking around with a camera can yield a good catalogue for future use. This photograph of the lamp post is good enough on it's own but I need an evening street scene with the lamp light on and the whole scene appearing as if it were getting on to night. This is done quite easily by making a light circle in the street light bulb area making a mask of the lightened bulb and then lowering the light values around the bulb to make the scene appear that it was shot later in the day. Colour balance is also adjusted to the warm side as it would be in the evening. 

Corrected Street Scene                                                                                          ©2017 peter tym

The screen shot above shows the final corrected scene with the street light on and a warm evening glow to the whole scene. This is the second element to the final environmental portrait. If we now open the lamp post image and the file of Michael on a transparent background together in Photoshop, using the move tool we can now drag the Michael Layer on top of the background layer. Use the move tool to position Michael in the scene and the free transform tool to size the Michael layer to fit into the composition. Couldn't be easier. 

Layered image files                                                                                             ©2017 peter tym

Here we have the two images ready to be moved over each other using the move tool, and when we do it will give us a file that looks like the image below.

Dancer Michael Cameron                                                                          ©2017 peter tym

Everything looks to be in order with this image except Michael seems to be floating a couple of inches off the sidewalk. Now Michael is a terrific dancer and could probably make this move easily but in a photographic sense it's a little disturbing to have no shadow under his shoes.

Close up of Michael Cameron's feet                                                                    ©2017 peter tym

As you can see in this close up of Michaels shoes, it is quite disturbing visually and that's because there would be a shadow under his shoes. As indicated by the screen shot you can see the layer's panel on the right side, the layers consist of a background layer and a duplicate of the background layer named drop shadow and above that the transparent layer of Michael. To produce the drop shadow select the drop shadow layer and choose the burn tool from the tool pallet. Use the burn tool to "burn in" the shadow using the highlight, mid tone and shadow settings to create the drop shadow.

close up with drop shadow                                                                        ©2017 peter tym

As can be seen in the above screen shot that Michaels feet are anchored to the ground because of the drop shadow which looks more natural than hovering over the side walk. Now with the three layers still in place final adjustments too the image can be made. Next merge your layers to flatten the image and save as your final image. This image took the travelling time and shoot time to photograph Michael at his location and because of my catalogue of stock back ground images I was able to pull the two images together in Photoshop in under an hour. Far cheaper than doing it all at once. This technique isn't always the best solution but it is certainly a good option to have in your bag of tricks. So this how I went from here,

Original Image                                                                                               ©2017 peter tym

To the final image below as presented to the client.

Michael Cameron Final Image                                                                        ©2017 peter tym

Wellington County Landscape

After being long time city folk living in the west end of Toronto, in Swansea to be exact, my wife Barbara and I decided to sell our Toronto home and cash in on the high prices that were to be had for real estate at that time. We were told by very smart people that the Toronto real estate prices would probably take a hit in the next year or so and being a prudent couple we decided to pickup and move to Cambridge, Ontario. We have been in Cambridge for five years now and the Toronto real estate market is still on the upswing, a little bit of a nag for us but we now have Cambridge. Now Cambridge sits on the Grand River in the county of Wellington and though it was quite a transition moving here, no subway, can you believe it, we have managed to fall in love with the natural beauty of this area. In Toronto it used to take well over an hour to get to the countryside, here it's at the end of the street, what a treat. There are many lovely areas to go, by car, by bike, by foot you can always find an amazing country vista, a number of large rivers and the big sky's that you forgot about living in the city. Wellington County is a perfect place to live for a photographer and when living in Toronto I had no interest in landscape photography but moving here it seems like a perfectly good discipline to explore. 

 Light shaft over farm                                                                                                  ©2017 peter tym

Travelling around this area alway's yields terrific natural scenes and while driving walking or riding my bike I always carry a camera, there is always something to shoot around the next corner or over the next hill. 

Flood Plain Grand River                                                                                             ©2017 peter tym

The banks of the Grand River are always a great place have a camera with you, any time of the year there is opportunity to capture images, it's a very beautiful place. 

Late fall scene                                                                                                        ©2017 peter tym

Any time of the season can offer up another interesting or naturally graphic scene the just begs to be photographed. The photograph above was taken in very late fall just before the freeze and it is of one off the many small streams that flow into the Grand River. I'm not a fisherman but I often see them with waders on throwing a fly rod, always looks like a peaceful thing to do, maybe I should try it one day.

late fall stream                                                                                                       ©2017 peter tym                                                                                                    

The photograph above was taken of the same stream as the previous photo and I only had to cross over to the other side of the bridge I was standing on to get another view. It was cold outside but worth the effort. 

foggy day                                                                                                              ©2017 peter tym

I love going out when the weather is a little wild because that is when you can capture graphic natural images, a little fog is always a great visual element and really sets the mood for a landscape.

hoar frost                                                                                                                ©2017 peter tym

Just about every winter we get a day or two of hoar frost and it's always neat to get a shot on these days as the extremes of weather are a time to be out shooting, get out there!

Paris Dam                                                                                                                   ©2017 peter tym

Above is a photograph of the Paris, Ontario dam shot in high summer, the blurring is from using a perspective control lens which can also be used to draw the viewers attention to a certain part of the scene.

cow and railway overpass                                                                                 ©2017 peter tym

This photo is a composite of two images, one being the old railway overpasses that dot Wellington County and of coarse the cow who never thought it would find itself standing in the middle of a road. I love the idea of landscape photography and I will explore this style of photography further, there is something calming about taking time to see your surroundings to appreciate the natural beauty of the country side. Rural Ontario is a great place to live. 

Appreciation of Good Light

As a budding  photographer I quickly learned that it wasn't about the kind of camera you own or how many lenses you have, in the end, as well as a connection with the subject it's all about the light.  Lighting is mysterious to many and often goes unnoticed as we go through our daily activities not really seeing the amazing show of light and shadow around us. Picking up a camera and pointing it at something  seems like a very easy process, and it is, but when you look at the back of the camera to see what you've done it can be a big disappointment. Seeing good light takes practise and lots of it, the camera is only a device to capture good light. Good lighting creates shape and mood and feeling. How do you recognize light? Look at it, study it and when you see it with a camera in hand know the mechanics of exposure to capture it. Sounds easy, and it is, when you observe light. One way to learn the craft of lighting when you are starting out is to go to your local art gallery and study the great masters of painting, these people knew light and if you can recreate that your well on your way and like every other craft practice it on a daily basis until you master it. Lighting isn't learned in a couple of weeks, it's learned over a lifetime, you should always keep looking.

A while back I got a lovely assignment to photograph a man named Kevin Fraser, Kevin is a lighting designer for theatre productions at the Stratford Festival as well as many others through out Canada.  

Kevin Fraser Lighting Designer                                                                              ©2017 peter tym

Kevin knows light, and he has the ability to light large theatre scenes in a way that makes sense to the brain of the viewer and sets the mood for the audience. As each scene in the play changes there might be a whole new lighting design involved, as a photographer you can see why I say that Kevin and other lighting designers know light in a big way so the next time your at a play or a movie appreciate what you see and learn. 

Kevin Fraser Lighting Designer                                                                                  ©2017 peter tym

As a photographer when you are given an assignment by a magazine to photograph a subject like Kevin they want you to come back with a variety of photographs both horizontal and vertical, some tight and some loose in case they want to do different variations in layout design or want to lay the copy into the photograph or lay the photograph across the gutter of the magazine. The photographs in this piece would depict a good selection for a page layout.

Kevin Fraser Lighting Designer                                                                    ©2017 peter tym

Lighting design for a theatre production or a movie is a large scale effort as the light sources are many but put together they have to make sense and look as though they are coming from one source as nature intended, after all there is only one sun in the sky. In other words the same principles hold when you are lighting a large object or lighting one person for a portrait, the light has to make sense to the viewer of the photograph, so one main or key light gelled with a warming filter a subtle fill light or card on the dark side and a back ground light for separation. There are many ways to come to the same place with this lighting ratio but as a rule it should always make natural sense to the brain, the lighting should look the same as it does in nature, don't change that. When you think of nice light it is always in the morning or at dusk with the light coming in at a low angle warm and beautiful. This is how you should set your lights with the warm gelled key light copying the warm orange glow of the morning or evening light. I love doing assignments like this were a story is told about a person who is really good at their craft, who has put years into the process and you can literally see the passion. I always strive to better my lighting and work on it every time I go out to do a portrait, it's were the art is. On this assignment I will give the credit for the lighting to the designer Kevin Fraser.

Kevin Fraser Lighting Designer                                                                              ©2017 peter tym

A walkabout in Paris

Photography is a wonderful thing, it gets you out and about to many interesting places. Taking photographs can be a joy and self assigning projects is probably the best way to move your photography forward.  An oft used term in this pursuit is the walkabout, which consists of exploring new places with a camera and a single lens. To reconnoitre the streets of a new city, finding areas away from the normal tourist haunts can be a great way to spend time and meet the locals. Paris is a city that quite accepts photographers shooting in their streets, after all it was the place were the the first photograph with a human being in it was taken by Louis Daguerre in 1838. Was Louis Daguerre the very first street photographer?

image public domain                                                                                             Louis Daguerre 1838

Photographing with a small kit helps you move around in a casual manner blending in without to much fuss and trying to find the images that mean something to you. There are no deadlines, no client demands, just you, your camera and a lazy day. Isn't this how it all started, shooting what you want and working the scene to capture that special image. It's a free and easy feeling. Flying off to another continent is not necessary to get great shots as you can do this in any city or place. The walkabout is working at your own pace.

Paris Metro                                                                                                                ©2017 peter tym

When you do travel to a city like Paris for the first time it does have a special appeal compared to your more regular locals. Going to a new place can give you a whole new perspective on seeing. It's all new, every turn of the next corner presents an opportunity. This is exciting visually and it will mean a different photographic attitude when you go home. The visual fires have been stirred.

Paris Scene                                                                                                                  ©2017 peter tym

Walking in many cities with an expensive camera can be a very dangerous proposition, an expensive camera and lens kit is a very easy thing to steal. When your new to a city it's hard to know the areas that are safe and you need to be cautious. All the photographs in this post were taken by a very long in the tooth Nikon D300 and an equally unattractive Nikon kit lens the 18-70 f3.5-5.6. This combination doesn't appear to be worth much but it still works very well and if I do lose it it's not the end of my world.

Paris street scene                                                                                              ©2017 peter tym                 

If you find yourself with a camera on any street in any place remember that if you love to take photographs you are in the right place. Grab your camera and go for a walk and experience the fun of having new image possibilities popping up  every were. Shoot from the heart and tread gently. 

John le Carré

When a Globe and Mail photo editor gave me the assignment to photograph John le Carre the famous espionage novelist, I was thrilled. Being a big fan of his writing and having spent many hours lost in the pages his spy thrillers I thought this job was going to be a lot of fun. Now it's always wise as a photographer to have an idea in mind as to what you want to achieve in a photograph, have a plan. The best way to do this is to do research on your subject so you know something about them so you don't go in cold. Research gives you ideas and ideas give you images in your mind, a plan to move forward. What does your subject do, what are their passions, knowing something about them gives you a bridge, a connection to conversation and trust. A wise man once told me that if you have a hard time making conversation with someone start talking about them, their interests, the conversation will flow. Now my thoughts on John le Carre as far as a portrait was pointing me in the direction of light and shadow and The Globe as it happens at the time was a strictly black and white newspaper so my concept of what the image should be worked well. John le Carre wrote about spies, his stories were of shadowy characters hardly being seen but still there, a world of subterfuge. This is how I would light him, hard shadows, things hidden with a bit of mystery, hopefully.

The assignment was for 8:30 pm and as I would need to get there to find a location in the hotel, get permission from the hotel to plug in,  I would have to be there an hour early. So with our assistant Eva we loaded up the car with an abnormally small amount of gear because this would be a two light shot, one for the background and one for Mr. le Carre, also I would have Eva hold up a scrim of black card to block some of the key light which was a Comet 1200 WS head in a Chimera medium soft box. We got everything ready to go and promptly at 8:30 around the corner appears John le Carre ready for action. Mr. le Carre was very gracious and was up to collaborate with me to come up with a successful shot. This photograph was successful because of pre planning, formulating an image in my mind before arrival, being prepared for the worst and arriving with my kit in good working order,  if you can bring someone with you, good. You never know when you might need the extra pair of hands as Eva did in this shot holding up a black card to block the spill of the soft box on le Carre's right side.

So to go over the lighting technique for this portrait, I used two lights, both Comet heads powered by a 1200 watt second power pack. The key light was to camera left housed in a Chimera medium pro shallow soft box feathered away from the subject. Eva held a black card in between the soft box and the subject to act as a scrim essentially turning the medium soft box into a strip soft box. I didn't  have any strip soft boxes back then so I worked it out. The camera was a 500 CM Hasselblad with an 80mm f2.8 hand held. The actual photography took about fifteen minutes. Before the shoot I talked with him about his books and the enjoyment I had reading them. He talked to me about my camera a Hasselblad and so it seems we had both met the same wise man in talking about each other.

Lighting Diagram    SO SORRY ABOUT MY ART WORK!!

So as you can see this was a very easy shot to make, simple lighting simple concept. The hard part about portraiture is to make a connection with your subject. The stronger the connection the better your photographs will be. This is the best part about portrait photography, meeting interesting people finding out a little bit about their lives and their work and working with them to make something worthwhile. I am always up for better portraits, it's a marvellous way to spend some time with another human being.