Holy cow, it's the holidays. Yeah, crept right up on me. With family and friends getting together, you could have a golden opportunity to make terrific portraits. If you don't blow it. Another picture...? The problem is that these people know you are crazy about making portraits and they've suffered you for years — or maybe only this year if you're new to this marvelous game. They may be a little tired of feeling compelled to participate in your hobby (no matter how much your peers realize it's a passion, it'll always be a hobby to family. … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Holiday portraits
film
How to Create a Storyboard for a Video or Photo Shoot
A storyboard is a great way to plan your next photo or video shoot. It creates a roadmap that helps everyone on the crew, as well as the client, know what you’re trying to accomplish. Often time these take the form of a comic book like drawings that convey the look of the shot. But if you’re anything like me, drawing stick figures just doesn’t cut it (hey if I could draw comic books I certainly would)! To Make Things Easier Rather than spend a lot of time telling you how to make a storyboard template, I'll just share mine. You can … [Read more...] about How to Create a Storyboard for a Video or Photo Shoot
Steve Glynn’s tintype portrait project
Steve Glynn makes portraits using the tintype process (learn more about tintypes in this article) and a large format camera. This combination is striking — it yields a very shallow depth of field and a unique and irreplicable photograph. The picture is recorded directly onto a metal sheet, and I'm struck by the finiteness. This picture cannot be shared instantly on Facebook, but it is a long-lasting medium and the photos will surely outlast Facebook itself. I think you'll enjoy this short film about Glynn's continuing … [Read more...] about Steve Glynn’s tintype portrait project
Double Your Film Fun with Double Exposure Photography
There are plenty of articles and videos on Personal Projects here on PhotoFocus and how important they are for us to learn, grow and have fun with our photography. I wanted to share a really fun and different project that involves collaborating with other photographers. Film. Yes, film. It’s popular again, didn’t you know? All the kids are using it. Quite honestly it’s smart to continue shooting film, even after you get that digital camera. It keeps you in that back-to-basics, let’s not forget to slow down and think about what … [Read more...] about Double Your Film Fun with Double Exposure Photography
100 Years/100 Shots
Here's a journey through the past 100 years of cinema. This video was crafted by Jacob T. Swinney, and he picked what he felt was the most memorable shot from each year. "While many of these shots are the most recognizable in film history, others are equally iconic in their own right. For example, some shots pioneered a style or defined a genre, while others tested the boundaries of censorship and filmgoer expectations. If anything, I want this video to be a reminder as to why we all love cinema so … [Read more...] about 100 Years/100 Shots
Photofocus Podcast May 14, 2016 — Inspiration with Marco Larousse, Chris Marquardt & Monika Andrae
On this #Inspiration episode of the Photofocus podcast Marco invited two guests and discussed these topics: Get to know an inspirational photographer: This month our guest Monika Andrae introduces you to the award-winning fine art and commercial photographer Susan Burnstine. Susan is represented in galleries across the world and has also written for several photography magazines, including a monthly column for Black & White Photography (UK). Take the time to look at her very creative work that she mainly creates with self-made cameras … [Read more...] about Photofocus Podcast May 14, 2016 — Inspiration with Marco Larousse, Chris Marquardt & Monika Andrae
Tips for Restoring Scanned Slides and Negatives
If you've had the pleasure of converting film slides of days gone by to the digital format, you may have experienced that bittersweet feeling of excitement mingled with a tinge of disappointment upon first viewing the dust, debris and tiny fibers accumulated by storage over the years in the scanned result. Building on a recent post, Digitally Converting Slides and Negatives with Jumbl, in this video tutorial we'll take a look at a few simple techniques to help reverse the ravages of time and bring new life back to these important keepsakes by … [Read more...] about Tips for Restoring Scanned Slides and Negatives
Warren Zevon in Atlanta
I've been making photographs for most of my life. I grew up in Boise, Idaho. Then, there weren't many concerts by famous groups because Boise was too small and kinda hard to get to. Of course we all saw Paul Revere and The Raiders. Paul was a local. He lived on Mountain View Drive. I loved live music. I still do. I love Warren Zevon's music and his skill with lyrics. You might know him through Linda Ronstadt's hit "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me" or "Werewolves of London." He was going to do a solo show at the Moonshadow Saloon I think it was, here in … [Read more...] about Warren Zevon in Atlanta
It Isn’t Film vs Digital Any Longer
With the popularity of film finding its way into photographer's hands, headlines are still reading, Why Film is Better than Digital and Comparing Film vs Digital. Isn't the Debate Over? At the starting point of digital photography, people once thought that film was going to be a dying art. A movie quote instantly comes to mind: -- spoken from a man whom is brought out to be piled onto a wagon carrying dead bodies to be disposed of in the movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Film is far from dead and isn't exactly going to go away it … [Read more...] about It Isn’t Film vs Digital Any Longer
Review – Digitally Converting Slides and Negatives with Jumbl
Of all the benefits to learn and practice the art of photography, the number one objective held sacred among professionals and enthusiasts worldwide is the preservation of memories; those occasions of importance that are meaningful in the eyes of even the most modest of subjects, from the least to the greatest. Countless attics and basements around the globe are holding within their walls today the vast records of personal triumphs large and small, and the everyday chronicles of life shared with those we love and cherish along the way. As box … [Read more...] about Review – Digitally Converting Slides and Negatives with Jumbl
Acquiring Images for Photoshop with a Scanner [UP11]
Understanding Photoshop is a biweekly column that takes an in-depth look at how digital photographs are built and manipulated. It is a college-level course in plain English for free at Photofocus. To learn more see this article. Don't Skip Column 10 Many purists swear that shooting film adds richness in detail and color, as well as introduces subtle nuances like film grain, which cannot be replicated with a digital camera. Additionally, many pictures that you'll need to work with may only exist on traditional media (such as prints) or as a … [Read more...] about Acquiring Images for Photoshop with a Scanner [UP11]
3 Reasons to Add Grain in Lightroom
Grain is a word used in film photography to describe the fineness of detail a film or paper is capable of capturing. Landscape photographers typically want the finest detail possible, which comes from fine grained films. Documentary photographers and journalists may need faster speeds (higher ISOs) and will compromise detail for speedier films that have more grain. In digital, noise is the compromise we make for shooting faster ISOs, and the latest cameras biggest improvement is usually related to the detail maintained even at very high speed … [Read more...] about 3 Reasons to Add Grain in Lightroom
250 Seconds of Storytelling Inspiration
It is not very long, but this video walks through the history of cinema while inspiring the watcher with quotes from famous films. You need not be a filmmaker to be inspired; just a storyteller. https://vimeo.com/100436029 Thanks to David Anderson for making this short film and Cinephilia and Beyond for posting it for me to discover and share. … [Read more...] about 250 Seconds of Storytelling Inspiration
What is a Producer?
This post is the first in a series that takes our readers behind the scenes of Bokeh, an independent feature film. To get us started, I think it best to explain my role in the production, as it should provide you, the reader, some perspective on the posts to follow. As is often the case in independent feature films, I wear several hats on Bokeh. When on set, I was a Background Player (tourist photographer), Unit Still Photographer and Documentary Videographer. I even have a few frames in the film as a Second Unit Camera Operator, … [Read more...] about What is a Producer?
There and Back Again, Iceland
Where to start? In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Hmmm. Like New Zealand, parts of Iceland certainly feel like Middle Earth; more on that in a future post. I suppose, like Bilbo, it is best that I start at the beginning. Some months ago, my friend Geoffrey Orthwein told me he was working on a screenplay with Andrew Sullivan. They hoped to shoot it in the summer of 2014 and asked if I would be interested in producing the film. I have produced a documentary, several podcasts and tons of live events. A feature film is an … [Read more...] about There and Back Again, Iceland
Explaining Film to Kids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSrAgJ17nyI I was having just this conversation the other day. I think this video captures the experience of shooting film with zero snark and just a touch of nostalgia. It seems like it wasn't that long ago when 72 pictures in a day was a big deal. Enjoy! … [Read more...] about Explaining Film to Kids
Need A Digital Film Stock? There’s a Plugin for That
This past week I had a chance to get reacquainted with one of my longtime favorite (but obscure) image plugins. The aptly named Film Stocks plugin from Digital Film Tools simulates the look of many classics. In fact you'll find 288 different color and black and white stocks that match photographic film stocks, motion picture stocks, and historical photographic processes. The package is $99, which may seem a little high at first, but its accuracy and depth are quite refreshing. The filter simulates the grain structure, response curve, and … [Read more...] about Need A Digital Film Stock? There’s a Plugin for That
