Polarizing Images Podcast - Latest Comments

Re: Is Constantly Recording Life Preventing Us From Experiencing It? Episode 53

Polarizing_Images — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 16:54:41 -0000

I see an erotic voice-mail to your wife from Tony in your future...

Re: Is Constantly Recording Life Preventing Us From Experiencing It? Episode 53

Main Street Haitian — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 12:35:58 -0000

The best way to make money at photography is to sell your camera.

Re: Hello? Jobs, Where Are You? Episode 51

Polarizing_Images — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 20:47:29 -0000

Ugh, I think we would actually release a throat-singing holiday carol if you guys would buy it.

Re: Has Photography Been Impacted by Casual Photographers? – Episode 49

Ansel Haitian — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 09:22:38 -0000

Pathetic. Check out this photo I took in Paris last week. Critique.

http://i442.photobucket.com...

Re: Has Photography Been Impacted by Casual Photographers? – Episode 49

Polarizing_Images — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 11:37:54 -0000

What a horrid, horrid oversight on our part. FIXED!

Re: Has Photography Been Impacted by Casual Photographers? – Episode 49

Y2k509 — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 11:31:48 -0000

Thanks for the shout out, brahs. I noticed that sorryforyourluck.com isn't listed in "Friends of the Show". Weird.

Re: 10 Words Per Podcast, Tequila, and the Alternate Printing Process – Episode #47

Main Street Haitian — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 10:20:32 -0000

Of all of the PI shows the Haitian has listened to, this episode was by far the best. Of course, it's also the first episode the Haitian has listened to. The Haitian thinks the show would be even better if Rick and Photoboy told Tony he was FOS occasionally. CoffeeVodka. Nice!

Re: It’s All About Context… and the French – Episode 40

Matt Mortensen — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:39:37 -0000

Ok, agreed...Rob + Rick > Brian Mollica, so I would keep listening. Thanks for exposing me to Uelsmann's stunning images!

Re: It’s All About Context… and the French – Episode 40

Ivan — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:24:57 -0000

Thanks for the good words, Tony!

Here's a collection of my shots from the Bristol Renaissance Faire:
http://www.flickr.com/photo...

As for color, it also helped when I finally realized that my color space had been mistakenly set to aRGB instead of sRGB.

Re: When Does (or Should) Your Photography Hobby Become a Profession?

Polarizing_Images — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:42:55 -0000

I suspect you are on the right track, Ivan. But I should go drag Rick's sorry ass over here and let him reply <grin>

Re: When Does (or Should) Your Photography Hobby Become a Profession?

Polarizing_Images — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:42:00 -0000

Thanks for the note, Matt!

I think you're on to something, but there is a (or can be) a passion for shooting that would make it as hard for the "amateur" to give up photography as it would be the "pro". In fact, I wonder if the pro would have an easier time. I know that, in my experience, photography as a business became something that was about the income. If I wasn't, or couldn't, make money off of a photograph, it wasn't worth taking.

That's total crap, BTW, but certainly a common thought. A thought that I had to work at to overcome. Of course, if you read a lot of the internet forums on photography, the ability to define what makes a professional is incredibly tough. It's almost like "art": 'I may not know art, but I know what I like.' In other words, I may not be able to define "professional" but I know it when I see it. Or is that porn?

Oh, and those tense moments when Tony and Rick argue, I can tell you that that's when Tony enjoys doing the show the most!

Cheers

Re: When Does (or Should) Your Photography Hobby Become a Profession?

Matt Mortensen — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:55:30 -0000

How about this...an amateur can stop doing photography and not look back; a pro has a lot (understatement) harder time making that decision. And I have to say, given the tone of that last part, I was waiting for Tony to announce his leaving the show! That would make the show no longer worth spending 2 hours on ;-)

Re: When Does (or Should) Your Photography Hobby Become a Profession?

Ivan — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:15:04 -0000

Perhaps what Rick was trying to say is that a professional photographer has to make the ongoing process of photography efficient. This means finding efficient ways to get quality shots, and efficient workflows. An obsessive amateur is more likely to focus on one-time costs or on perfecting the end result, but is unlikely to discover the workflow techniques of the professional. I think most amateurs have more time than money for photography, whereas, for the professional, time *is* money. Am I on the right track?

Re: TAOP – Chapter 3

Polarizing_Images — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 23:26:23 -0000

Hey folks, I've been a bit busy the past week or so, but I'll have my comments for chapters 3 & 4 up soon. In the meantime, where are your comments? GRIN

Re: TAOP – Chapter 2

Polarizing_Images — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 15:33:56 -0000

There is one part of this chapter that really stands out for me - "with increased experience and sophistication [the artist] is able to simplify and control progressively more complex situations."

I learned a long time ago that simplicity is one of the most difficult results to achieve, regardless of what you're doing. As a cook, creating a simple dish and doing it well is very tough because there is no room for error, unlike a dish with a heavy sauce that relies on a long cooking time. In music, Gregorian chant is hauntingly beautiful and amazingly simple in composition but is one of the most difficult melodies for a choir to sing well. Again, because there is no room for error.

In photography it is no different. A simple and minimal aesthetic is incredibly hard to execute well because if you make the tiniest mistake, there's no room for it to hide.

And so, in this chapter, Barnbaum really lays out the need for good composition. As he says in the top of the chapter, art cannot be devoid of composition and my own experiences have born that out. If we try to shoot and just hope for the best, we *might* get a decent shot or two, but if we don't pay attention to composition techniques and the need to be intentional of where we place each element in the frame, we're going to be lucky if we get a single decent shot out of 1000

Re: TAOP – Chapter 1

Polarizing_Images — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:42:48 -0000

Brad and Todd Reed are a father/son photographer team out of Luddington, MI. They put together a beautiful book on the state park just outside of Luddington and, in the forward to the book, they comment about how the park had been right beside them this whole time but they'd only been there once or twice. Once they started going back to the park over and over, they started seeing new things that they'd overlooked on previous trips.

I think that's an incredibly accurate statement on your part, Milosh, about returning to shoot the same subject/scene because that's when you really learn about it.

Re: TAOP – Chapter 1

Polarizing_Images — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:40:07 -0000

I hear ya! I taught two classes this past week and in each of them I tried to preach that we need to shoot for ourselves first. If we are always trying to go after that next big sale or award based on the comments or achievements of past shots, all we're going to do is chase ourselves around in circles.

It's still a lesson that I am learning (again). It's not been made any easier by getting into more and more commercial work where I do have to shoot to meet the client's expectations.

Re: Photography Today, Is It Killing Off the Dinosaurs? Part 2

Polarizing_Images — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:33:55 -0000

Thanks Ivan - I agree in that people are getting accustomed to lower aesthetic standards and that's becoming the new "norm". The whole scope of photography is changing and it can go in any one of several directions.

Re: Photography Today, Is It Killing Off the Dinosaurs? Part 2

Ivan — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:11:34 -0000

I think professional photography is becoming a luxury item. Sears-style photo factories might survive because their prices will be within reach of most families. A high quality photo studio session will cost several hundred dollars, which is a luxury item.

Are people going to reject low cost studios because they lack high aesthetic standards? Nope. Most people don't have high aesthetic standards, and I speak as someone who used to lack them (and some people think I still do)!

A few years ago I went to a seminar for professional studio/wedding photographers. As an art photographer, I found the aesthetic standards lacking. But it occurred to me that the average client might wonder why their loved ones were positioned in the frame according to the rule of thirds instead of being dead center. "Why all the empty space? Is it a scam to make me buy a bigger print?"

Re: TAOP – Chapter 1

whyiaskwhy — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 22:37:08 -0000

What struck me the most were the thoughts about having enthusiasm about your subject, as well as enthusiasm in general. I think too many people show a false sense of enthusiasm for what they do, and it really shows in their photos. People sometimes kid me about re-visiting the same place a lot, but, hey, I like them, and sometimes it takes 20 times going to a place to really learn it, the weather, the light, the people. Even events, if I believe in the cause I'll shoot it for free, every event they have, year after year, but you couldn't pay me enough to shoot a wedding time and time again. I know a lot of people that say they love photography, yet can't seem to find the time for it. I know a lot of people that say they can't afford better equipment, but won't give up their double caramel lattes to buy it. True enthusiasm is the key to everything good in life.

Re: TAOP – Chapter 1

Claudia Wolfe Nix — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 16:59:51 -0000

What jumped out at me, Rob, is similar to what you're saying. When I was younger and out on my own taking pictures I just did what I wanted to do and what made me happy. As I started meeting more photographers I lost my balance for a bit. I'd go out shooting with a group of people and I'd see 3 people crowding around a pebble on the sidewalk and I'd run over and start snapping away thinking, "Well, this must be something pretty cool--everyone wants to capture it! Look at me...I'm a real photographer!" Later I'd go home and upload my images to the computer and was bored senseless while looking at them. Actually, if I was really honest I'd admit that I was bored senseless while I was looking through the viewfinder and should never have clicked the shutter in the first place! It took me a while to build my confidence again and realize that just because I'd get a lot of comments on Facebook or Flickr it didn't necessarily mean those images were better than the ones that truly captured my heart and my interest. Just 'posting to please,' is a trap (like you mentioned when you made your first big sale), and it really started to wear on me and suck the fun out of photography. I loved that Barnbaum began his book by almost knocking us up against the side of the head and saying--If you aren't passtionate about it, don't do it! It will show in your work, etc. No more lining up to capture images of things/scenes that are of no interest to me. Sure brings the enjoyment back to photography for me.

Re: TAOP – Chapter 1

Polarizing_Images — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:46:19 -0000

Tony bought this book for me (Rob) as a gift a few months ago and I enjoyed it so much that, when we talked about having a book discussion, it was a no-brainer to use this as the first book.

While there are some important things that are said in later chapters, I have to say that chapter one was the one that I really connected with. I've thought, and teach in my classes, that you need to create art for yourself, first. If you are trying to chase buyers and collectors, you're always going to be struggling to define yourself as an artist and the act of photographing will seem less of an art and enjoyment and more of a task and an effort - something that no one enjoys.

That's why I really liked it when Barnbaum wrote, "I have come to recognize a very surprising fact: subject matter ultimately becomes secondary to the artist's seeing, vision, and overall philosophy of life and photography."

I can tell you that, from a personal perspective, this became even more difficult *after* my first really big sale. Money in your pocket from a sale of your art is a drug and you find yourself wanting to experience that again and again. So it's really easy to throw your vision and creative integrity out the window just to shoot what you think will sell.

But here is what I think is incredibly insightful - that this is the first chapter in the book. It sets the tone and, I think, the expectation of Barnbaum on the reader. I know that, for me, it sets the framework for the entire book. It forces me to place everything I read within the context of the art of photography. Otherwise, I don't think the rest of the book would be nearly as strong or effective.

Re: Episode 34: Photography Is All About… SQUIRREL!

Polarizing_Images — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 14:02:35 -0000

I'm jealous about the Vegas trip, of course. Just remember that travel photography should be "art", not "evidence". ESPECIALLY in Vegas.

Re: Episode 34: Photography Is All About… SQUIRREL!

Clash — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 13:56:30 -0000

Just picked up a Nikon D3200 -- for 450.00 -- Going to Vegas in a few days-- Yikes

Re: Inspiration – Episode 32, How Do We Deal With a Lack of Inspiration?

Ivan — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:01:12 -0000

I'm gonna dispute that claim about gear lust. :) Gear lust keeps me young. Gear is not (yet) a substitute for skill and talent, but I don't think it's an unimportant part of photography for me. Maybe it's just so much photography culture, but I dig it.

I mean, are you guys drinking out of recycled jam jars or fancy snifters? You can't tell me snifters aren't important.

I can't remember feeling burned-out, but there are often times when I think I need to up my creative game.

Cheers!
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