I don’t have much of a method for how I end up befriending some photographers whom I’ve never met in person. Through one form of coincidence in timing or another, I am fortunate enough to see one of their images. This creates a spike in curiosity to see whether the quality of the image is a fluke, like a one hit wonder, or whether this person has an entire collection of fantastic work. When the latter is the case, I get really excited and reach out to that photographer. I love meeting amazing photographers because of how inspiring they can be and how they challenge me to constantly evolve and better myself.

Mike is no exception. What keeps drawing me to Mike’s photos is his unique brand of subject matter. The dude loves crap weather and I applaud him for going out there, often times with much risk, to capture these breathtaking and awesome displays of nature.

Mike is a headstrong guy with a great sense of humor and I have really enjoyed my conversations with him. I know the two of us will fire off brackets some day (Bob will be there, too), there is no doubt of this. Until then, I will simply awe at the amazing acts of nature that Mike shares with us from a safe distance. I’m really happy that Mike is a part of the Alt Perspective series.

You can follow Mike on his Blog, Twitter, and Facebook

Mike Olbinski: Storm Hunter? – Mike Olbinski

I would love to be able to tell you guys an awesome story about Brian, but I only know him through Twitter and unfortunately haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him in person. My jealousy is very obvious whenever I hear about him and Bob Lussier heading out to some abandoned, decrepit and ancient building to take bracket after bracket. I’d love to go urban exploring with those two experts. The Boston and New England areas are some of my favorite places in the world and hopefully I’m able to get back there someday.

However, I can tell you that Brian is one of the very best of the photographers I know. Not his actual photos mind you, I mean, they are AWFUL! (wink) But just as a person, as a human being, he’s been incredibly awesome and helpful to me, a complete stranger he met over Twitter and it takes a special guy to want to help just ANYONE. I feel very honored to be asked to guest blog on his Alt Perspective series.

But seriously, this blog post is supposed to be about ME, so let’s not waste one more second talking about Brian. Rest assured, I have no problem talking about myself!

My love for photography and the weather has always been there, but it was a dream unrealized until last year. My daughter was born and suddenly all I wanted to do was take pictures of her. Then I wanted to get better at it. Then I realized I loved trying to capture lightning on camera and wanted a DSLR. And then I got one and something inside me finally clicked.

I love doing this thing. Photography. Capturing stuff.

I love shooting with my 50mm 1.4. I was in Holland recently and got so sick of the wide angle lens, I vowed to spend my final hours in Bruges and Amsterdam using only the 50. It was exciting and liberating.

That same lens helps me with my passion to do a little portrait photography here and there. My daughter, clients, whoever. It’s something I never thought I’d be doing, but I’ve found out I have a little aptitude for it and it’s a fulfilling part of photography for me. I mean, the smiles, the occasional tears that people get when they see a beautiful photo of their newborn baby or grandchildren…it’s hard to top that.

But there is something else I love. Something that would keep me out shooting at 4 or 5am, even though I have to be at work at 6.

Storm chasing.

Before we get too far into this topic, I do love to photograph a wide variety of things. You can see that in some in the photos included in this blog. I found out while in Bruges that I could shoot old cobblestone streets and alleyways for an eternity. Or hide in the shadows and snap candid photos of people in a big city. Lots of things make me tick…but storm chasing…that’s the ultimate pursuit.

Someone once called me the Storm Hunter on Twitter, which is ridiculous because I live nowhere close to the midwest where the REAL storms take place. I reside in Arizona and have for my entire life. Out here in the summers, we have a monsoon season that creates thunderstorms that can be a lot of fun, but nothing like the supercells of spring in Kansas, Oklahoma and all those middle states.

Yet a storm is a storm to me. Yes, I took a day trip to Nebraska earlier this year for just a CHANCE at some tornado action (never have seen one in person), but hazardous weather is just something I would love anywhere. When I was in Holland a few months ago, I experienced and captured some shots of two intense, impressive storms that blew through the area I was staying.

And, of course, I will be doing a 4-5 day extended storm chasing trip next spring somewhere in the Midwest. I KNOW this will happen and am excited.

But maybe I am a hunter. I do look to see if storms will happen wherever I travel. Most people check that stuff hoping it’s going to be blue skies and sunny weather…I on the other hand pray for some kind of awesome thunderstorm to make the stay a little more fun. So what if I can’t sun on the beach for a few hours? Perhaps I can snatch an amazing photo of sand, surf and lightning!

My goal this summer was to capture the Arizona monsoon from a variety of angles and styles. Just like Brian, I love HDR photography and use that most of the time. But I also love the occasional standard color photo or a beautiful black & white. The plan was to hopefully put together a little photobook and perhaps start something fun to do every summer. We’ll see how it pans out.

So that’s me all laid out for you in a nutshell (a quote from one of my favorite shows ever, Sports Night). I am enjoying trying my hand at a lot of different types of photography…and the portrait stuff has been a growing business that may end up being the thing that takes me somewhere.

But if I were in the middle of a late evening shoot with a couple of cute kids and their parents, and a storm was suddenly brewing a few miles away and the thunder was getting louder…well, I’ll let you guess where I’d rather be at that moment.

If I had to paraphrase a famous quote to describe my good friend, Rich Williams, it would go something along the lines of: “Shoot often and carry a fast lens.” That is Rich to me – a shooting machine and a pinnacle of class, style, and refinement. These characteristics are applicable to Rich as a person and, furthermore, bleed into his photography. Rich has succeeded in achieving something that so many people strive for, but rarely do – he has created his own distinct style. Actually, he’s created several distinct styles. Browse through Rich’s collection of images and you’ll see what I mean.

Rich can go the same exact spot in Boston, Chicago, DC, NYC, or wherever and present to you totally different images every time, and each one is more breathtaking than the last. He is also a virtuoso in the floral macro department. You can’t help but smile when you see one of Rich’s flower shots. And then there are the portraits. Rich has several lenses that provide an insanely narrow depth-of-field, where it is so easy to miss your focal point (we’re talking about fractions of an inch here), but Rich always seems to succeed in providing you with some spectacular results. If you find yourself on a photowalk or at some get-together with my friend Rich, it’ll only be a matter of time before you find yourself on the business end of his glass. You have been warned. Oh, and Rich has a way of taking just about any fire hydrant in any city on the planet and making it look like timeless art. Trust me.

He’s a one-man-band and I’m one of his biggest fans.

You can follow Rich on his Website, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr

Untitled – Rich Williams

In December of 2007, I decided to purchase my first SLR camera and pursue photography as a hobby.  During the years since I made that investment, photography has become more than a casual pastime or a creative outlet; it has evolved into a life-altering experience that has helped change the way I see the world.  It’s also afforded me the opportunity to meet and befriend an amazingly talented group of people—both here in New England and beyond—who continue to offer support and encouragement in my creative journey.

So why do I shoot?  Just as some turn to meditation to find peace and balance in their universe, I turn to photography partly because it’s a relaxing experience that helps keep me sane in a world that sometimes isn’t.  Whether shooting a cityscape during a fiery sunset or a floral macro, photography gives me a sense of inner harmony that can’t be compared to anything else.

Photography isn’t simply about capturing an image that stands in front of you with the click of a shutter button.  It’s about transforming what you see through your viewfinder and giving it a new life with your own personality and creative style.  I strive to accomplish this with every image I take.

In December of 2009, my journey as a photographer took a dramatic turn with the purchase of my first full-frame camera.  Immediately thereafter, I acquired the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye lens.  Easily the widest piece of glass in my collection, it has the power to transform even the blandest, looks-great-on-a-postcard cityscape into a unique, head-turning image that inspires all sorts of awe.  Lines radically curve; buildings freakishly bend into shapes you never thought were possible; and the conventional becomes the unconventional.  Who knew a camera lens could be so fun and addictive?

In my mind, I’m miles away from the more accomplished and seasoned photographers out there, but I have a willingness to learn and grow as a creative artist.  It’s that very willingness that drives me to pick up my camera and strive to be better at what I do.

I’ll wrap up my entry by sincerely thanking Brian Matiash for granting me the opportunity to provide his readers a glimpse into my world via his Alt Perspective series.  Brian and I met in June of 2009 and have since been on several photo excursions during which he continually challenges me to be a better photographer.  Not only is he a constant source of inspiration, he’s also someone I’m fortunate enough to call “friend.”

It’s funny. I must have typed out and subsequently deleted my intended intro for Chris at least six times now. It’s not because I don’t know what to write about Chris, but rather how can I limit it to the bare essentials when there truly is so much to the man. Chris is the closest thing to a non-biological (although it hasn’t been proven yet) older [read: much older] brother that I have. For all intents and purposes, he is family to me and, much like family, he can rile me up with the best of them and is always there whenever I need him. He is not just a fantastic photographer, but an awesome musician and one of the coolest fathers/husbands that I know. Chris has introduced me to a whole new realm of technical photography and I am a better shooter because of him. Despite my lack of being able to see 2/3 of our primary colors, he always plays to that and ensures that he understands what I see and, more importantly, I understand what I see.

I’m a lucky person to know Chris and I’m thrilled that he has finally made his way into this Alt Perspective series.

You can follow Chris on Flickr, Twitter, and Facebook

Laz - The Missing Link

We are living in a material world, and I am a material girl – Chris Halford

Alternate title A: Why it’s ok to lust after expensive gear, premium gear, gear that suggests status.
Alternate title B: How I manage to look at myself in the mirror after a trip to B&H

Brian M knows I love me some toys. He knows I will buy gear that makes other people drool. He knows that I’m a fan of his work, and that I’ll support his sick and self-serving need to buy crazy lenses whenever he needs a creative boost. Because of this, I’m #2 on his speed dial. Brian, you are not alone. I am here to help.

So Brian calls me (again) and starts the conversation with a big sigh. Should he buy the Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L or not… Or was it the TS-E 17mm f/4L… no, for sure it was the 14mm… the long drawn out discussion about the 17mm was about a year ago and a year long, and if you follow Brian’s work, you know how that turned out. (go look at his portfolio… almost all 17mm!)

Brian shot on New Year’s Day 2009 right before he went all out buying PocketWizards. The only way this shot could have pleased me more would have been if that was a Hello Kitty Band-Aid.

Anyway, as I was saying, he called and went on about the 14mm f/2.8L, an interesting lens to say the least. Maybe it has more in common with the Loch Ness monster than most Canon lenses if I base my judgment purely on how frequently I’ve seen one in the wild. Immediately intrigued, “why not” cascades from my lips. Why not indeed? It’s a cool lens that rates well, and falls straight into the type of wide shooting that he likes.

(In fact, what I think I said was, “As your attorney, I advise you to rent a very fast car with no top. And you’ll need the cocaine. Tape recorder for special music. Acapulco shirts. Get the hell out of L.A. for at least 48 hours. Take all the premium glass you can get your hands on.”)

“You shoot wide”, I say, “why not have the widest lens that Canon makes?”
“Then I’d sell the EF 16-35”, says he, about the most underwhelming, but should be overwhelming lens Canon makes, “and I can pretty much fund it right there. I prefer primes anyway.”

Why not indeed!  There are good reasons that Brian, assuming he was a logically minded individual without a crippling glass addiction, would decide against this lens. Let’s indulge this line of reasoning for a bit:

• He has the 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM. This is a cool lens that many desire.
• He has the 17mm F/4 Tilt-Shift… a beautiful lens by all standards that is only 3mm less wide than the 14mm. Only 3 millimeters. (That’s like a half-quart for those of you who don’t know metric).
• Dismiss the argument that it’s fast (f/2.8) when compared with his TS-E (f/4) because he shoots HDR of landscape and urban scenes at f/11 or smaller.
• It’s over 2,000 clams!!!

Right… good… lots of reasons not to do this. Tons. More than 2,000 of them for most people. But I would put good money on his buying it anyway. Needless to say, he had it in his hot little appropriately man-sized hands less than 24 hours later. However, I personally don’t believe any good has ever come from finding reasons NOT to do things. I bet there were lots of good reasons not to send a man to the moon, develop some controversial life-saving drugs or watch the Big Lebowski for the 40th time, but I personally stand by the benefits of all those things.

So:
-Why did he buy a lens that he didn’t “need”?
-Why did I buy a 5D Mark II and a 1D Mark IV that I didn’t need, since I have a 1Ds Mark III?
-Why does our friend Jason buy about a billion cool old film cameras in an age when digital rules?
-Why do any of the people I know who share the affliction of being L-Coholics (addicted to buying canon L-series lenses) buy half the sh!t that they buy although their day-jobs that ARE NOT photography?

Is the answer as simple, as stated in the title, “we are living in a material world”?

“But!,” you say, “but materialism is bad!!!” Hellz to the no! Materialism is only part of the picture.

Here is a personal example that rings true to me. My darling daughter, at the age of 15, declared that she wanted a Leica badly. Being 15, but going on 30, she had the ability to see through her own thought-patterns and say, “but that’s silly right, because I’ve never even shot one”. Well, of course it’s silly because there is no way in H-E-double-hockey-sticks I’m buying her a $5k+ camera for a name and goofy red circle! Or is there a way?

What would happen if I bought my daughter a Leica that she wanted more for the logo and status than the image quality or usability? She’d be proud of this cool camera and would want to be seen with it. That’d push her to hang it like a trophy around her neck and go out. I bet she’d go everywhere with it. And boy, having a camera around her neck all the time would probably make it easier for her to take pictures all the time. Being a skilled photographer in her own right, that would probably mean she’d get more practice at what she loved and it would get her closer to the 10,000 hours of experience that Malcolm Gladwell preaches about in ‘Outliers’. If I bought my daughter a $5,000 camera, would I be contributing to her exposure to photography, even if it were fueled by materialistic aspirations? Probably. Besides, Leica lenses are really all that!

What was I saying? Right, the EF 14mm f/2.8L….If Brian buys that lens, will he be proud of owning it, shoot with it, blog about it, gain experience and more personal exposure? Jiminy Crickets yeah he will. That lens, as Prince said best, is a “sexy motherf#cker!” Brian will use that lens, he will gain an experience many don’t and he will speak about it with pride. But to justify the purchase to his wife speak about it with pride, he had better take some pretty freaking fantastic shots that he can use as a platform to boast about, and build a self-fulfilling prophecy for the need for the lens in the first place.

But there is a more practical reason to buy the 14mm prime:

• Brian shoots wide. This is the widest lens Canon makes (aside from the funky fisheye, which he already owns)
• The Canon primes are superior to non-primes (if even marginally)
• Brian wants the best quality he can get, so having primes at all focal lengths allows him to capture exactly he wants with minimal cropping
• This is the right tool for a certain job. Photography is Brian’s calling, and he deserves the tools he needs to fulfill his destiny.

Brian, like so many of us, has been successfully brainwashed by Canon in their diabolical plot to sell more lenses. He believes that Canon lenses don’t realize their full value until one owns all of the collection. (In all fairness, I do think I saw that point referenced on the Antique Road Show.)

The most important reason: He wants it, and will take pictures with it, and photography is simply put, important. Let me say that again, Photography Is Important.

The hunter becomes the hunted. Brian in Boston. He’s probably doing a 1-exposure bracket with his Fisheye Appropriately enough, I captured him with a Tilt-Shift lens. Little did I know at the time that the tilt-shit would become his weapon of choice.

But, back to the story. Recently, Brian wrote an article addressing statements that “It’s not about the gear”. There is an implication that some photographers get caught up in the gear and not the skill and vision of photography. So what? If it gets photographers out shooting, then does it matter? Joe McNally states that he wasn’t born with a god-given skill, but that he built it up over years. Most of us are unlike Mozart, who was able to kick-ass performing his art for royalty at the age of 7. If someone buys a killer camera and lens, and they get out and use it because they love their gear, it’s all good baby!

Need another justification? I learned firsthand that the photographic urban legends are true… Good gear makes models behave. Once as I pulled out my 1Ds Mark III and Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L lens, Alex, my model, said “wow, that’s a serious camera”. I knew at that moment he’d perform well.

Above is Alex. The combination of the 1Ds Mark III and EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM made his eyes light up and set a tone for this shot, which to this day is still one of my personal favorites. I emailed this shot to Brian as soon as I was done processing it, and he quickly emailed back, “I hate you”. Yeah, I was proud. I’ve always said that the 300mm f/2.8L is the best lens for portraiture. Someone from Canon recently told me that I only say that because I haven’t tried the 200mm f/2L, and I immediately started writing a letter to Santa. Man, I’d look cool carrying that monster around!

Photographers from Jay Maisel to Story Musgrave have made a strong case that as a photographer, you need to have your camera with you at all times, because you never know when opportunity will strike. Having a bit of kit that motivates you to carry a camera all the time is a good thing. Using it for any reason and building the experience it takes to become an expert is a fantastic thing. Brian will carry his 14mm around, so when a UFO lands over Boston, he’ll be ready. Of course UFOs move pretty fast, so he’ll have to “bracket it” quickly.

I had the great honor of meeting Story Musgrave (NASA astronaut and space photographer) during a convention in Cambridge. Story saw me in the greenroom and asked, “Is that a 1Ds Mark III and 5D?”. While “it’s not about the gear”, the gear I had did open up an interesting possibility simply because it caught the attention of someone who ended up inspiring me in so many important ways.
If you read any of Story’s books on photography, you’ll quickly see that the man’s opportunities came from always having a camera, and always looking for a shot. Story was the kind of guy who would perform hand-held light metering, while manually focusing a Hasselblad as you landed a jet (and I get in trouble for texting in my car!). That’s a bit much for most of us, but having the gear you love to use and be seen with is just another way to promote always being ready.

I took the above shot in Story’s office at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Right before I pointed the camera at him he asked about my lens choice. It was the recently purchased EF 85mm f/1.2L. If you are a Canon user, you know this lens is a thing of beauty. We had a bit of a chat about that focal length and maximum aperture for portraiture and then I snapped this shot. I think the connection we’ve had over gear and love of photography contributed to the spark in his eye and the sensitive personality that he allowed to pour through into this moment.

In closing, Dear Santa, I have been very very good, and eaten my vegetables. Please send me a Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM and/or a Medium Format digital camera. I desperately lust for them, and will use them daily.

I’ll leave cookies and chocolate milk out!

I am very excited to have my friend, Jacques, contribute to the Alt Perspective series.  To a lot of you, I suspect that you’re more familiar with Jacques’ alter ego, Fotofreq, but however you regard him, the man is a true student of UrbEx HDR photography.  But still, that isn’t what caught my eye when I started following Jacques’ work.  The thing that jumps out at me is his fantastic sense of composition and style.  He has a great eye, simply put, and that is the single most important skill to have as a great photographer.  The scenes that he often shoots has SO many elements in and a good photographer will learn what to remove and what to keep in.  His shots offer up variety in presentation, as well.  It’s not all the same ol’ thing.  Jacques can return to the same locales and consistently bring back different shots, all with equally strong artistic and technical merit.  I really admire that.

Aside from Jacques’ skills as a photographer, he’s just a fantastic guy with a hearty sense of humor and gives great care in fostering others to grow in this craft of ours.  It was a no-brainer to have my friend, the FotoFreq, contribute to the series.  I really do look forward to seeing the results of his ongoing adventures in the dereliction that man left behind.

You can follow Jacques on Twitter, Flickr, and his Blog

Sense… and Sensibilities! – Jacques Gudé

Ok, folks!  I’ve got to pinch myself, ‘cause I still can’t believe I’ve actually been given the opportunity to blog on my man, Brian Matiash’s, ‘Alt Perspective‘ series. Thanks, Brian, for allowing me to share some thoughts with the many people out there who come to your site for inspiration and guidance! It is truly an absolute honor and privilege.

I suppose it might be best for me to tell you all a bit about how I got into HDR.  Well… The truth is that I really do not rembember when, but, like many HDRgraphers (and the HDR curious), I think I first heard about HDR from the oft-acknowledged Godfather of the art, Trey Ratcliff of Stuck in Customs fame.  I spent months shooting and processing, initially starting off with the typically over-baked type results.  Eventually, I refined my capturing and processing skills, resulting in more pleasing and “realistic” work.  While I had dabbled a bit in Urban Exploration while living in Indonesia, there really was not that much to shoot in that theme in a country where every bit of scrap is quickly turned into much needed income, or used in some other creative way.  Following my arrival in Berlin, Germany, I was suddenly surrounded by glorious urban decay! I started trolling the internet to see what others were doing in Germany, elsewhere in Europe, and around the world.  It was this research that led me to the website of the Baron von Brackethoven himself, ace photographer and all around good guy, Brian Matiash; Brian’s work forces me to bring my “A” game and to strive, incessantly, to improve my craft.

When Brian first asked me to write for his Alt Perspective series, I had planned to talk about the importance of “Passion” in approaching your work; I had even prepared a first draft.  Over the 4th of July long-weekend, however, I dropped that idea — following a tweet session with a new HDRtist who was looking for help — to talk HDR Sense… and Sensibilities.

So what does that mean, exactly? Sense… and Sensibilities?  Well, since I figure that is why you have read this far, I’ll tell ya’ll:  Sense, in this case, is the intuitive ability (or acquired perception) of the photographer to recognize a given subject’s HDR-potential; Sensibilities, on the other hand, refer to the photographer’s ability to shoot and process his HDR vision in a way that does not offend… well, the senses!

That makes sense, right? But then why, for the love of (insert your preferred diety here), do photographers still pump out over-baked images?  I believe it is because, more often than not, they have no idea how to do it “right”.  So, for those of you who want to dive in, do so!  The water is fine, and there are many great resources that our HDR forefathers have fought hard and died – ok, maybe not died (but maybe bled for) – to help the rest of us get up to speed quickly, thus saving the world from the tyranny of bad HDR (it really does hurt to look at it; one could go blind).

To get started, I commend you all to begin with the free HDR tutorial that Trey Ratcliff slaved over and given to us for free  here!  At the same time, do yourselves a favor and read the fantabulous HDR Best Practices Guide that Brian has hooked us up with as well.

So, you’ve now edumacated yourselves with the above tutorials and tips, but you’re still confused (or not satisfied).  No problem.  Then it is time for you to study the works of your favorite HDR photographers.  Try to figure out why their work speaks to you.  Is it the subject? Composition? Processing? Or, is it a combination of several factors?  Whatever it is, try to figure out “how they did it”, and then emulate it.  That is how I learned, and I’m telling you it works!  Eventually, you will bring your own sense of vision and style into the picture (lame spun intended), and then you will have reached HDR nirvana (but you will still keep evolving, as it is a never-ending process)!  And remember, those of us who shoot HDR are a very giving bunch, and we are always here to help you grow; all you have to do ask!

I’ve been following the great work over at The Windy Pixel for a while.  The site has been a constant source of inspiration with the quality and creativity of their images.  It also lends a nice bit of nostalgia, reminding me of my time living outside of Chicago (oh, Portillo’s).  So, imagine my joy when Justin Kern, one of the main gears at tWp, reached out and asked if I would be interested in writing a guest blog post.  One of the great byproducts of writing my guest post was that I got to know Justin.  Through various conversations and emails, Justin showed a sense of care and rationale with his words and it is reflected in his images.  It was by virtue of these traits that I threw his name into the running to join me as one of the editors over at HDR Spotting, and he has done a great job at that, as well.  I consider myself very fortunate to have Justin contribute to this series.

You can follow Justin on Facebook, Twitter, and at The Windy Pixel

Value – Justin Kern

In lieu of writing a longer post – I decided to share some of my favorite images that I’ve created recently and to pose a few questions.  Answering these questions will make you a better photographer.

What is it about your images that is valuable?

What is it about another person’s image that you value?

Do you look back at your images and wish you’d done something differently?

Did you do it differently the next time?

Will you love your images in a month?  A year?  If they were another person’s images, would they inspire you to run out with your camera?

If I had to draw the intersection of what I find to be intellectually-, artistically-, and commercially-valuable images, what would it look like?  Is something that is commercial artistically valuable?  (Note – there is no right answer but if this doesn’t help you figure out if you want to be a professional photographer, nothing will)  You’ll notice that mine has little overlap between the commercial and anything else – boy I wish I could occupy the space that is shared between them all, but I stick with what I find easiest – which is the space between Intellectual and Artistic.

What are your answers?  Are you looking for a gig or are you looking for the truth?

My thanks to Brian for his constant stream of beauty and his evangelizing the HDR method.  I always have fun opening my Google Reader stream to see his newest creation.

A few years back, I was given a fantastic Leatherman utility blade for my birthday.  My wife knew that this sort of multipurpose ‘thing’ would be exactly what I needed whenever I was in a situation when I needed a mini wood saw.  And I love it.  You can bet that it is always packed in my camera bag or checked in my baggage whenever I fly to a shoot (except for that one time that I accidentally tried carrying it on board with me, but that’s another post that should involve at least one pint).

What I’ve come to learn is that there are some people, far fewer than you’d expect, who embody the same multi-purposefulness as my Leatherman.  My very good friend, Peter, is such a person.  To say he’s a Jack Of All Trades devalues him because I take it to mean that he is mildly proficient in a number of fields.  Peter is truly adept at so many things, it makes my head spin.  He is such an extremely talented photographer, actor, singer, businessman, and friend.  His work doesn’t just show technical prowess.  There is a keen sense of creativity and, knowing Peter the way I do, I do love watching the madman work.  One of Peter’s greatest accomplishments (of which I am extremely fond and proud of) is a gallery installation of all the Broadway theaters (33 of them in total) in stunning HDR at the Actors Equity Association Lounge.  For the next three or four decades, all actors auditioning in New York City will look up and see the Great White Way with all of its full dynamic range.  I really am fortunate to have a friend who is as talented as he is.

You can follow Peter on Twitter, Facebook, and his Website

The Creamy Cornfield –  Peter James Zielinski

Before I begin, I want to thank Brian for allowing me this opportunity. I’ve learned so much from shooting with this guy and he’s just so damn handsome. And thanks to you, the reader, for ignoring my lack of proper grammar, sentence structure, and massive over use of ellipses.

The how I got into photography is a long and sordid story…so…

Short version…in college, my friend showed me some photos of gorgeous girls he shot in a cornfield with some really shallow depth of field. All I could say was “Wow, they’re hot…and how is the background so creamy looking?”

Fast forward 12 years and I now shoot HDR landscapes and architecture, actor headshots, live Broadway theatre / curtain calls, press lines, celebrities, weddings, and portraits.

I’ve heard you should choose your niche and shoot what you love.

Can’t help it. I love a lot of things.

But true story…creamy bokeh was what seduced me into the voluptuous arms of photography. And Photoshop only intensified the lust.  I’ve been using PS since version 3.0 and have always been intrigued / amazed by how it helped take my images to another dimension.

And that’s why I love shooting HDR. The range of tones is sexy to me and it gives me a chance to literally display my imagination on a screen or in a print.  And honestly? I get off on the fact that this new technology exists while I do. Ansel Adams didn’t have access to this shit. That’s kinda cool, ya know? We’re lucky enough to live in a time where this stuff is accessible and is around to, artistically speaking, make the impossible possible. I embrace that.

Conversely, being an actor has helped augment my photography on an emotional level. In fact, it gave me ground rules that I think are givens (or should be) for any photographer worth his salt.  Listen, react, think on your feet, improvise, and truly, honestly connect with your subject.  But most importantly?

Find your light.

Every one of us has a person, or a few people, whom we look up to and truly admire.  We turn to them for inspiration, creativity, and knowledge in hopes of deepening our own understanding of the photography craft.  David Nightingale is one of those people for me.  Let’s not mince words, I am positively giddy to have David contribute to the Alt Perspective series.  I’ve followed David’s work for some time now and have lost count at the amount of times that my jaw has dropped from looking at his images.  His HDR work transcends to a level of raw reality that I haven’t seen anywhere else.  He has a mastery of emoting through his shots by his locked grasp of composition, tone and color.

So, you could imagine my delight when he accepted my offer to contribute to this series.  I’ve been so fortunate to have some amazing and talented photographers contribute here and David continues this trend with style.

For those of you who may not be familiar with David’s work, please begin that journey now.  His online presence and moniker is Chromasia.  David is an accomplished author and has written one of my favorite photography books, Practical HDR, providing readers with a truly fulfilling and logical lesson in HDR photography.  I cannot recommend it enough.  David also provides an indispensable library of post processing tutorials that are wonderfully outlined.  He shares all of his knowledge with members in hopes of elevating how we look at the final state of our images.  Getting a lifetime membership was a no-brainer and I absolutely recommend getting one for yourself.  David is also the author of Baby Photography NOW! and the upcoming book, Extreme Exposure, which I just pre-ordered.

You can follow David on Twitter, Facebook and on his awesome Blog

Untitled – David J Nightingale

Writing about the craft of photography, for me at least, is a straightforward task. I can write thousands of words on post-production, technique, equipment, software, and so on. Writing about the art of photography though – the ‘why’, rather than the ‘how’ – I find a lot more difficult. Why do I photograph certain things rather than others? Why do I post-produce them in the way that I do? What is it that I want my photographs to say?

Often, I’m tempted to just quote Gary Winogrand:

“I photograph to see what the world looks like in photographs.”

But that’s not much of an answer, at least not on the face of it.

I think the problem, when I try to articulate my answer, is that I don’t have a single goal in mind. For example, Cartier Bresson’s work was about capturing the decisive moment, while Ansel Adams concentrated on revealing the raw and powerful beauty of wilderness landscapes. When I look through my own images though, they’re all over the place: shots of washed up items on the beach, portraits of my kids, HDR images of urban scenes, landscapes and seascapes, night photography, travel images, … and so the list goes on.

So, do they share a common theme? Well, yes, kind of …

When I give our six month old daughter something she hasn’t see before, her face lights up – she turns it round and round and round, she chews it, she bangs it on things – in short, she gives it her undivided attention because it’s novel and interesting. The next time I give her the same object, she’s less interested, the time after that, less interested still, until eventually she loses interest altogether. The item doesn’t change in the meanwhile – it is what it is – but her fascination declines with each new meeting. As with all of us then, familiarity breeds contempt.

When I look through my own images, one common theme that seems to emerge is a desire to reverse that process: to present the world in a way that is unfamiliar, allowing the viewer to become fascinated in some object or aspect of the world that they might otherwise overlook. The most obvious examples are my beachcombing images: photographs of the the flotsam and jetsam that float the world’s oceans – discarded objects and items that wash up on shore one day, that are often gone by the next. These battered and neglected items rarely have any intrinsic worth – broken buckets, lost shoes, empty water bottles, and so on – but, if you look again, rather than just stepping over them or walking by without a second glance, you’ll see that they often have a story to tell.

I think this is why I also find HDR photography so compelling. The content of each image is the same as with a conventional photograph, but the process lends each scene a hyper-real (or surreal) quality that compels the viewer to look again: to see the scene through fresh eyes.

In this sense then, perhaps Gany Winogrand’s quote isn’t too far of the mark, but I’d be tempted to rewrite it as follows:

“I photograph to see what the world could look like in photographs.”

I’d like to end this short piece by thanking Brian for giving me the opportunity to participate in Alt Perspective. It’s an honour.

I met Bob after stumbling onto his fantastic HDR work of the amazing mills in the Lowell/Lawrence area of Massachusetts.  His work caught my eye for several reasons.  First, it was clear that Bob had a strong grasp of HDR processing.  It was very much in line with my own style and I really gravitated to that.  Second, his subject matter was right up my alley: industrial, abandoned, and weathered locales filled his portfolio.  And finally, and most important, he has a fantastic eye.  Bob can compose a shot beautifully and that is such a fantastic gift.

When I saw that Bob was a local, I wrote to him and we struck a friendship via email.  After some time, we finally got together and shot the Stone Mill in Lawrence, MA.  The rest, as they say, is history.  We’ve shot many times since then, threw back a few pints in between, and have had some great conversations.

Bob has quickly become a close friend and confindant – a trusted sounding board for all of my wacky ideas and thoughts.  And I hope that I can provide him with the same luxury.  I’m glad to know Bob and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us.

You can follow Bob on Twitter, Facebook, and his Blog

Full Circle – Robert Lussier

About 10 years ago photography found me again … But before I get to that, let me tell you a little bit about my past.

I grew up and attended college in Lowell, Massachusetts, a city that was built on the power of the Merrimack River. Lowell was one of the cities on the Merrimack that formed the cradle of the Industrial Revolution in America.

From the early 1800s to the 1950s, the textile mills of these cities thrived. The fabrics they produced pretty much clothed the entire country.

I vividly remember the photographs I created back in college.  I remember seeking out compositions in the loading docks of the mills. I can still see the textures of the brick walls, granite sills and big wooden doors of the mills in my black and white prints.

I remember processing the film, loading the negative in the enlarger, dodging and burning — doing whatever I could to reproduce what I saw through the viewfinder onto that 8″x10″ sheet of photo-sensitive paper.

Back then I was only thinking about learning the art of photography. The mills served as a convenient and cooperative subject for studies in symmetry, texture and depth of field. I was oblivious to the role the mills played in our national and regional history.

Over the years, Lowell’s mills were renovated into office space and condos — modern interiors wrapped in 19th century shells. Over time I began to realize that I missed an incredible creative opportunity when I was younger. I also started to recognize loss of history that went with the renovations.

I kicked myself for not trying to photograph the interior of the mills before they were gutted and renovated.

I did not pursue photography as a career out of college. but it did remain on the fringe of my professional and creative worlds for more years than I care to admit. During that time my camera collected more dust than clicks.

So … About 10 years ago photography found me again.  My old Nikon 6006 nudged me. It insisted that I evolve from taking simple family snapshots to composing photographs. I responded. I become a Photographer again.

Landscapes and cityscapes became my focus initially, and still remain a passion for me. I eventually started to reflection the missed opportunities in the Lowell Mills and took a look at the history around me.

I live, with my family, outside of Lawrence, another mill city with an almost identical history of Industrial Revolution prosperity and subsequent decline. However, unlike Lowell, most of the mills in Lawrence today retain their 19th century atmosphere, or at least some aspects of it.

Over the past couple of years I have been fortunate to gain access to the interiors of several of these historic treasures.

So here I am, 30 years later, photographing the mills again. The process has changed. My vision is realized through digital and HDR rather than film and darkroom techniques.  My intent, however,  is the same as it was then: to best reproduce what I saw through the viewfinder.  This time I do so with a keener appreciation for the history.

I’m thrilled that my photographic journey has come full circle and I look forward to the next go around.

I want to thank my friend Brian for inviting me to contribute to Alt Perspectives. As a fan of Brian’s site and this series, I know I am in good company and am humbled by the opportunity.

If there is one thing that I have learned over the years of practicing and refining my craft of HDR photography, it is that there is always more than one way to get to the same destination.  I follow a certain route that provides me access to a final HDR product.  You take a different route.  Mine may be paved, yours could be off-road.  But, we do get to the same place, fist-pump each other, and toast our travels over a pint or two.  That is why I love Justin’s awesome site, Light As Magic.

Justin is one of those souls who simply gets the concept of sharing.  It’s not about hording the knowledge but disseminating it to as many people as possible.  Part of being successful in this game is sharing.  In fact, it’s almost everything.  It helps that Justin has a sick eye for great comps and has his own brand of HDR processing, that he graciously shared via his blog posts and UBER-helpful screencasts.  Justin recently posted a screencast showing how he brings one of his HDR images to its final state.  I soaked up that video with a huge grin and was hungry for seconds.  Because of his generosity in sharing his content, I learned a new (and very creative way) of adding a certain look to my images.  It’s not that I didn’t do something similar in my processing already but it was SO refreshing to see it done in a whole new way.  I am truly glad to know Justin and am proud to have him here.

You can follow Justin on Twitter and on his Blog

Looking Forward and Staying Young – Justin Balog

It started out like any other Friday lunch run; 1) Turn on NPR and check in with Ira Flatow 2) Quick routing plan to improve errand efficiency…first stop bank…..last stop Chipotle.  I can’t say I was thinking about the reasons why I make photographs.  I’m sure I am just like a lot of photographers out there.  Some of us try our best to capture the moments in our lives and share them with our friends and family. Others are creative souls who have a passion for precision engineered tools.  And then there are impressionists who delicately craft their perception of the world.  Whatever our creative differences are, we are united by a common passion.

I often wonder why we have such an intense passion for photography.  Occasionally I can provide a well thought out and articulate answer, other times I simply tell myself that it is something I have to do. I wasn’t considering these questions when the guest being interviewed on NPR was speaking. After a caller had posed the question to the guest,  “What is your best invention?”.  The guest said without hesitation, “I don’t know, I haven’t invented it yet.”

At that moment, my daydreaming ended and I became focused on my photography. I started running through the portfolio in my mind.  I asked myself, “Have I made my best image?”  Was it the image of Lance Armstrong racing on Wall Street or was it the rolling hills in the Flat Top Wilderness?  Is it one of these images I have shared here?  As I took inventory, the interview continued and the guest, who was in his 70s, said he hopes his best invention is yet to come.  He concluded the interview by saying, “To look backward is to be old, to look forward is to be young.”  I sat there for a second, letting the wisdom that had just been shared with me soak in. I had another reason to be a photographer.

So here is to all the photographers, creative souls, and the community which we share and seek inspiration from….To our next image, to looking forward, and to staying young.

Thanks again to Brian.  Not only for the opportunity to share this story, but for the inspiration he serves up on a daily basis.  I look forward to the day we explore the streets of Boston together!

Photo Credit: Brian Matiash

It isn’t all about the particular gear or processing style.  It’s about the photo itself – pure and simple.  And I truly dig that.  I have shared many, many conversations with Jason about photography.  Some have been smooth and others have been pretty polarizing but they have always shared the baseline of two photographers talking about a common love for the art.

If Jason has a particular opinion, he will present it calmly and with his facts.  His aim is never to dissuade, simply to share.  And that is why it is my pleasure to be able to share Jason’s story with you here.

You can follow Jason on Flickr, Twitter and Facebook and SmugMug

In Focus – Jason Liu

“If a day goes by without me doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up.” -Richard Avedon

In lieu of Ansel Adams trilogy: ‘the camera, the negative, and the print’, I will structure this blog in three parts, the past, the present, and the future.

Part I. The Past

I still remember that day when photography got into my head and I just had this sudden urge to get into photography. At the time, something significant had just happened in my life (another story) and my mind was occupied somewhere else reflecting back on all the things that took place in my life. I began to think and reflect back on memories, accomplishments, friends, and family. What have I accomplished? Where have I been? What memories will I remember 25 years from now? That is when it hit me.

I recalled my grade school years and how I always wanted to try photography but never got around to it. It was one of those strong gut feelings of regret that was so profound that I decided to commute to the local Boston public library after work to begin my research. I spent many hours that evening reading all of the ‘introduction to photography’ books and checked out as many as my hands could carry. The hunt was on; I was officially hooked and looking to buy my first camera. I didn’t have much money to spend at the time and I knew I wanted to start with the basics so I could learn everything from the ground up. I didn’t have the resources or time to take an official class so this was going to be a personal endeavor. After a couple of weeks, extremely antsy to start taking photographs, I eventually settled for a manual Nikon FM-2 film SLR (single lens reflex) camera. Many thanks to all of those books and to the people on the photo.net forums for helping me pick out my first camera.

The Nikon FM-2 is a fine camera (still have it today) but I was already starting to see its limitations and wanted to explore things further. I was so intrigued by the mechanics and physics of cameras that I was constantly researching various bodies, formats, and lenses both online and offline. It wasn’t long before I built quite the camera collection. I have over 40 cameras in my collection today. For those interested in getting into film photography, some of my favorite cameras that I would recommend (albeit dependent on your needs but with a budget mindset) are:

• Canonet (cheap beginner rangefinder)
• Nikon manual SLR (FM-2 or FE-2)
• Canon AE-1 (SLR)
• Olympus OM-2 (SLR)
• Yashica MAT/Rolleiflex (TLR)
• Mamiya RB67/Hasselblad 500c/Bronica ETR (medium format)

Part 2. The Present

Film photography has really given me the knowledge and the ‘eye’ to see an image, but in many regards, I have shifted into digital photography out of necessity and practicality. I still love film and use it on a regular basis but when it comes to speed, re-usability, and reliability when creating photographs, I have put my trust in my digital cameras (Leica M8 & Canon 5D Mark II). Even though I use manual and old film lenses on both of my digital bodies, the pictures are, in and of themselves, 0′s and 1′s… from binary code to the image.

At first I was drawn to cameras and the mechanics because I found it challenging to incorporate all the knowledge I was acquiring to master the art of photography. Today I feel sufficient enough (although I am always still pushing myself to learn) that I can create the photographs that I want with far less difficulty.  Now, and seemingly forever going forward, the difficult part is conjuring up the ideas, fascinations, and putting the energy into executing images I see in my mind.

Where there was once intrigue, there is now a passion and love for photography as an art form. Photography comes and goes as a hobby for many but those photographers who have been shooting for 40 years truly love what they do. Sure, some professional photographers shoot because it payes the bills and puts food on the table, but don’t most occupations provide that sort of security? The point is that there is a separation from those who love it and those who just pick up a camera as a past time. In most cases, the photograph (at least in my opinion) reveals the truth about a photographer.

Part 3. The Future

I am uncertain where my photography is headed but I do know that I continue to take it seriously while still having fun with it. In the foreseeable future I see myself still rigorously studying photography and exploring new limits in my abilities to be creative. And although it is rewarding to do creative things, I am finding as much joy talking to other photographers about their works. In many ways, I am living a life that I would like to think of as ‘camera life’.  A way of living where I always have a camera and document everything around me through pictures. I do this for many reasons, but mostly the pictures help me to explore and understand myself as well as others and how they have an impact on my existence. And on this note, I want to say ‘Thanks!’ to all my online and photographer friends for all of the support, especially Jonathan Irwin (for always bouncing ideas off of me).  Finally, a special thanks to Brian for having me on his blog.

Ciao!

-Jason Liu