Abandonment: The human disappearance. A photographic essay.

Passing this location three times a week I began to notice the changes that were being made. The house began to change, fade away, become a memory. The changing landscape is paving way for a new development. The human presence has taken a once beautiful home and vacated it, leaving nothing but waste, debris, and memories. As I was passing this location 3 days prior I noticed the sunlight hitting a set of mattress in the back of the house. This image is what compelled me to investigate the property. Twice now, using two different formats, (film and digital) I have made photographs that show the remains of the human presence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boston Massachusetts: Valentines day and more

On Valentines day I took a day trip to Boston. I took with me a beautiful girl and my Nikon film body. I barely made any photographs because of the nature of my visit, but made sure that I had a camera with me just incase. I had with me 2 rolls of Tri-X 400 speed black and white film. My black and white film choice. I spent the day meandering around the city and made a trip over to Cambridge, Ma as well.  As we ventured around the city exploring new and familiar landmarks we enjoyed the visual elements the city had to offer. From a Rockwellesque Frog pond in the commons to the historic sights of Harvard’s campus, we spent the day taking in new experiences. As night fell, we made our way over to the famous Northend to take in a most delightful and decadent  dinner at the very well known Lucia Ristorante After that we made our way through a very beautiful park just past the Lewis Wharf on the back bay. The arch ways of the park were lit up with blue and white lights that dotted the arches like a surreal-electric ivy growing around the wood. All in all it was a very beautiful day. Shortly after we made our way home for the night.

The following day I took another trip back to the city. This time I went to meet with a friend and bring him back home with me. We spent the day walking through Boston, the commons, Newbury st, Kenmore Sq and headed back over to Quincy Market place. I was traveling with my Nikon Pro Dslr this time. I had more time and flexibility to shoot than the previous day. Which to me was completely fine. The day before was set aside for a much more romantic setting than shooting. Though, as I explained it on Valentine’s day, I cant not got to Boston and at least have some sort of camera with me, you know, just incase there is that one moment we share, see, or can capture. That one image that could be looked back on as memory we other wise would have forgotten.

So, we walked through some more familiar locations, places I used to visit regularly this time last year when I was living in Cambridge. Below are a few photographs and panoramas I made while out there on Monday, following Valentine’s day.

 

This is one of my favorite spots in the Commons. The bridge I was standing on was the back drop for Mel Gibson’s latest box office drama. Edge of Darkness

This was the first time I ever took a bus while in Boston. I much preferred taking the T vs. a bus. I just know the T much better than I do a bus. Although I did make good use of being on one.

 

This is a scene from the much known Newbury st. A shopaholics mecca for expensive fashionable, trendy, beautiful boutiques, stores, and some of the city's biggest fashion names. Like Burberry and Loius Vitton 

 

This is one of the oldest areas in Boston. It is between the Northend and Quincy Market place. It is a very historic district with some fabulous brick buildings. Remincient of Holyoke 

 

This is, ( a very obscured panorama) of the park I mentioned above. The one that in the summer has roses growing all over the trellises. It was a very romantic stroll through as the blue and white lights illuminated the path.  

 

 

 

When I moved back from Cambridge in the late spring last year two things happened. 1. I left my heart in the greater Boston area. and 2. I came back to Holyoke to launch my studio and business. Which I am planning on expanding outwards back into the Boston and Cambridge area. I have a certain fondness for the historic aspects and qualities of Boston and especially Cambridge. Parts of Cambridge I had not visited since I had left last year. It was wonderful to see these places and sights again, furthermore it was a serious delight to be able to share them with the beautiful girl that accompanied me on our wanderings about the area.

Photography Exhibtion

Frank Ward, Robert Aller, (two great friends of mine) are two wonderful photography professors at Holyoke Community College. They along with David Prifti are having an exhibit at the VPC The Valley Photo Center, located in Downtown Springfield, Ma. You can read Franks note about the exhibition here on his wonderful and insightful photography blog. The Coruscating Camera

You are invited to our Valley Photo Center reception on Sunday, February 21st from 1-4 on the 2nd floor in Tower Square, 1500 Main Street, downtown Springfield, Massachusetts.

HDR Portrait

HDR portraits can be very simple or they can be very complicated. By simple I mean using one image, photoshop, and a few techniques to do a pseudo-HDR process. You can take one image and run it through an HDR action or you can run it through some of the filters and plug ins that are available. In Lightroom, there are presets that mimic what HDR is. But as well all know mimicking is not the same as the real thing. Or you have the option to  make the person you are photographing stand, sit, or lay very still while you make the needed bracketed exposures. 

I have two examples of HDR portraits. 1. the person asked if they could be photographed for HDR. Gladly I said yes, and stand very still, do not move at all. Which he did not. He essentially held his breath, posture, and stood motionless for 3 exposures to be made. What I was left with was my first HDR portrait.

Example 1 The image on the left does not have as much shadow on the face as you can see in the example on the right. Both are HDR portraits that were made by having him stand still. The one on the right was the first image made. He stood comfortably leaning against the wall.

Example 2 The portrait was made before I started integrating HDR into a part of my regular image making. I photographed him in passing while on a trip to Provincetown, MA, Cape Cod. This photograph was made using a pseudo technique that I created.

There are, like I mentioned, a few different ways in which you can create an HDR portrait. Lighroom and Adobe Bridge, as well as Adobe Camera Raw all have the ability to create them. My technique more closely matches what you would get if you were to shoot for HDR. (bracketed exposures)

Nissin Di866 Digital Flash plus Tutorial

Having a powerful flash in your camera bag can give you light when you need it. There will always be an application or an instance when a flash will be needed. You may encounter a time when your flash will be used as a fill light, main light, low-key lighting, high-key lighting, or a variety of other options. You can use your flash as part of a three-point lighting set up or use it as a backlight. If you have had some experience with lighting subjects, you may be aware and have the ability to balance ambient light with flash. You are not limited to the possibilities of using a flash as a creative source of light. There are professional photographers that rely on their speedlights (Nikon and Canon Flashes) as primary sources of light for their shoots. There are a few reasons why pros are using their speedlights on shoots. Size, portability, ease of use, power, and the ability to take them remotely with nothing more than a set of (fully charged), batteries.

Some flash manufacturers have optional battery packs available. I have used the Canon pack to provide additional power to our flashes while covering weddings. It was an invaluable purchase that allowed us to shoot for much longer with out swapping out our batteries. Nissin has their own power pack Nissin Ps300 which is similar to the Canon pack we have in our arsenal of lighting equipment. They also have a hot shoe cord which allows you to mount the flash off camera on a bracket attached to the camera itself. I am including an article written by Barry Chignell over at Free Photo Resources, a great photography blog that covers a wide range of tutorials and photography articles. His article discusses using one camera, one flash, and one cord to keep the flash off camera for a dramatic lighting set up. Subsequently his article and self portrait won him a contest. It inspired him to create his own Self Portrait contest. You can find details on his blog if you are interested.

Two nights ago I was thumbing through the pages of some photography publications when I came across the Nissin Di866 At first, because I was moving quickly through

looking for a specific article I thought it was a Nikon product. I hesitated for a moment and realized it wasnt. I read the description of the unit. To my surprise it is listed as the most powerful flash on the market. Hmmm, is it really? How does this little, not to well known, discussed flash out power the industry leaders? It is simple really. I looked for one key component in the products ad. The Guide Number. In basic terms, the higher the guide number, the more powerful the flash. The guide number measures the ability to illuminate what you are photographing. This little beauty packs quite a power. At a guide number of 60, this flash has a higher guide number than Nikons Flagship SB900. Smaller companies are now producing flashes that are just as comparable as the big name players in the industry.

A side by side comparison of both manufacturers shows similarities. Both companies offer the same features and specs. However the Di866 has one feature that the SB900 does not. In the front, just above the name Nissin, there is a smaller fill flash built in. By now you know what a fill flash is responsible for. So, how can you use this feature. Simply angle the head of the flash upwards, side ways, (left right) or even backwards, bounce the flash of any available surface. As long as the surface is close enough that it will bounce the light back. The fill flash will fill your subject while the main head will provide the key illuminating light. Sounds a little complicated, but after some practice bouncing your flash, the process is very simple.

By now I have provided enough information that should given you an idea of how this flash fairs up to the competitors. What would such a powerful piece of equipment cost? Well, the listed price I have seen thus far is mere $249.99 Which is half the cost of the SB900. When considering the purchase of a flash, keep in mind the Guide Number is what determines the power that the flash puts out. Whether you need a flash for on camera applications, or you are purchasing your flash to use off camera, you will find that Nissin and their product line is economical as well as technically sound for any lighting application you can think of. For the price of 1 SB900, you can purchase 2 Di866’s. This will give you and advantage with having a creative lighting set up for less money. There are a number of products that will enhance and help you shoot using the flash off camera. You can see a list of these products in a previous article I wrote a few months back: Lets talk flashes…

I have found a tutorial for the Di866. This tutorial will explain visually how this flash works.

Moody Self Portrait Photography On A Budget

Portrait photography lighting does not have to be expensive. I am currently awaiting a lighting kit and background to take my portrait photography one step further but this has not stopped me experimenting with lighting…..

My Kit

I do not currently have ANY studio lighting equipment or indeed, a studio! The photo’s below were all taken in my living room using the following equipment;

1. Camera (obviously) – Canon 50d

2. Canon 430ex MK11 flash gun

3. 2 x tripod

4. Phottix Duo TTL lead

The Camera Setup

I set up the camera on one tripod (the more expensive, sturdier one) and the flashgun on the second tripod. The flash gun is connected using the Phottix Duo TTL lead. I also make sure to use the lens hood to further minimise the amount of any ambient light still left and also focus the lens to capture only the light that hits the subject (you).

Setting the flashgun up on the tripod allows me to change the angle and height of the light source meaning that the direction of the light can be any that I choose.

IMAGE -

I then set the self timer on the camera to 10 seconds (there is also a 2 second option but this does not usually allow me enough time to position myself for the shot).

It is also helpful if your camera and flashgun have an option to illuminate the settings screen so that you can see what you are doing without needing to continuously turn the lights on and off.

The Environment Setup

The next step is to make the room as dark as possible (made a lot easier if you wait until later in the day!). In my case this means turning off the lights (obviously), the aquarium lights and the lap top. I also position the equipment in front of my full length curtains as these are darker in colour and easier to get rid of in post processing.

IMAGE -

As you can see, there is definitely no special studio equipment used here!

You (the subject) Setup

Before taking one shot make sure that you know what kind of poses and looks you want to capture (you don’t want to be sat in the dark not knowing what pose to strike!). I tried to go for poses full of character and portraying an emotion, or a bit of mystery).

GALLERY

The above photo was taken with the flash (light source) diagonally in front of me and to the left, about 1 foot each way), it was also set about 1 foot above the height of my head.

This shot was taken with the flash positioned as above but level with the height of my head.

This one was taken with the flash directly to my right.

This one was taken with the flash below my face and about 1 foot in front of me.

If you have the option try playing around with the strength of the flash and also use a diffuser on some shots. Each technique will offer a slightly different effect.

Post Processing

For each photo I adjusted the curves in Photoshop to darken the shadows and get rid of any trace of the background. I then duplicated the layer and applied a High Pass filter.

Finally, if needed, I lightened my eyes slightly and used the burn tool to darken any part of my shoulders that were showing.

Can you distinguish what type of lighting these images create? High-key, low-key, fill light? If so, then you have learned at least one thing from this article. Although, I am hoping you are walking away with a greater idea and knowledge of why lesser common brand flashes are equally as good as the more expensive industry leading brands. In the end it comes down to power, not price. Keep this in mind and in your budget when setting out to purchase your flash.

HDR Landscape and some ICE

Some times it pays to take a break and go out and shoot. Today I did just that. It was cold. I didnt have any gloves with me. I was fortunate enough to be able to barrow some hiking boots from my business partner, but still was cold. My jacket, thought it looks very nice, isnt much warmer than a piece of fabric. Never the less it didnt stop me from going out and making some photographs. I shoot landscapes when I can. I make panoramas every chance I get. For me, shooting like this is a creative brake from being creative. We did some hiking, some exploring, may or may not have trespassed. No one can be sure whether or not we did or didnt. I will admit though that taking the break to make these photographs was refreshing. Getting out of the studio and away from the work load for a bit was great. Now that I have made these, took some time off, I am ready to get back to work.

 

 

 

Featured on: NYC Blog

Paolo over at NYC The Blog has featured some on my photographs on his blog. Here is a link to an extended gallery. Jeffrey Byrnes Photographs New York City

HDR Photography: The right time of day to shoot.

HDR Photography is allowing for more and more conceptual compositions to be composed. There are a few different ways you can approach making HDR images. You can shoot to produce the ultra surreal images with bright and vivid colors or make images that show a more dynamic range of shadows, high lights, and mid tones all in one image. Such software as Photomatix allows for the ease of tone mapping which produces the contrasted colors. However, tone mapping produces the surreal look that does command a visual examination of the photograph, but the problem with tone mapping is it compresses the image to allow for the contrast, which causes a decrease in the dynamic range.

I prefer to use Photomatix to process my HDR images. Depending on what I am shooting I make the choice before I even get to the computer as to which look I am going for. For a client I produce images that are more realistic and have a greater dynamic range in the shadows, high lights and mid tones. For my personal work it is a 50/50 depending on the composition and the scene/location for which I am shooting.

The next biggest factor I consider when approaching ANY HDR image is the quality of light. Below are two examples of HDR images, same location, same subject, but photographed at different times.

The first image was made about 12pm The second image as shot nearly 3 hours later.

The image on the left is cooler than the image on the right. The warm tones of the image on the right make for a more aesthetically pleasing composition. I favor the image on the right because of the warmth that it exhibits. The time of day I would most likely choose to shoot this scene reflects the image on the right. In post production you could adjust the image on the right by adding a warm tone filter to it or by changing the color balance and make it a little bit warmer. You just do not get the same quality of image by using a post production method for making the image.

Recently I hung a small collection of HDR prints for a small exhibition in our studio. A guest pointed out that it appears that most of my images were made during or around the same time of day. It was easy to explain why it appeared that way. The time of day was favored for making photographs. The type of light that I was able to work with best suited the quality of the image. It is true that there is a favorable time to make photographs. The Golden Hour, the first and last hour sunlight during the day, when you can produce images that give a warm feel. This quality of light can yield some aesthetically pleasing images that when photographed earlier in the day might not. This time of day also allows for a much greater dynamic range, (not to be confused with the definition of HDR) in the light as well as the composition. Which also contributes to making photographs that give a much more pleasing look and feel to them.

These are a few things I factor in when establishing a composition. Especially when setting up for an image that uses HDR to further enhance the visual quality. Some of the greatest HDR Images that I have seen are made during the early morning hours or the evening hours. My friend Barry, who owns FreePhotoResources, doest quite a bit of photography in the early morning hours, as well as at night.

Credit: Barry Chignell Free Photo Resources

Here, Barry’s image works great with the use of cool tones. The quality of light that he has photographed reflects the season in which the photograph has been made. The use of cool tones really exemplifies the quality of the image. The long exposure and dragging of the clouds produces a magical feeling. This image is in contrast to what I discussed earlier about the quality of light, however he made it work very well in this image.

He has a number of great tutorials devoted to HDR photography. As well as a small reference to the Golden Hour. Barry makes great use of the golden hour. He has produced some fantastic images following these principals about quality of light and the right time of day to make striking images. Its very simple, go out before sunset and capture the golden hour as it comes into play. Make sure you have a great composition and location planned out. Three times a week I make a commute that is very early in the morning. Each day the sun is out and there is a frost on the ground the light produces some very scenic images that command your attention. I am planning on photographing the landscape this week. It is prior viewing of this scene that allows me to further plan out the shoot. I know the right time of day and the right quality of light needed to capture the mood I want to convey photographically. Taking some time to plan out your photographs makes a world of a difference. Of course we all know that planning things out can change in 1/45th of a second.

Human suffering: The roll photography plays and the impact it shares.

By now news of the devastating earth quake in Haiti has made the headlines of all major news and media outlets around the world. Human suffering is part of every society. It is around every corner, in every city, in every part of the world. What makes this situation so different? Quite a lot actually. With social networking so easily accessible it allows for more people to connect and make a difference. Spread all over facebook today and most of yesterday I have been reading comments about making donations to the Red Cross. As a photographer, I feel so compelled and even some what obligated to photograph such events. There are some serious moral and ethical implications that come with the desire and feeling of obligations to document such horrific and tragic losses. As much as I desire to be in a place of disaster, seeing human strength, survival, and people coming together to save one another,  I am unable to be there. It takes a certain type of photographer to be able to detach themselves from a situation to be able to share what they are seeing. I have seen a few photographs that have been made during the past two days. Images that can make me stop, think, and feel, are the kinds of images that I strive to make. Even if they are not about a disaster. But, I can not say that given the chance to be sent to a place such as Haiti I would turn it down. I think it would be a chance to grow as a person and see what it is like to experience human struggle, strength, and survival.

Until there is a chance for me to be placed in a situation like what happened two days ago, I will have to continue responding to smaller acts of human suffering. In the last 6 months I have responded to 3 major fires that have resulted in people losing their homes and everything they had. It is a sad situation and sight to be watching people’s belongings, memories, photographs, and home go up in a blaze. In the past 6 months all three of these fires have been in one small city. Holyoke, Massachusetts. Holyoke is where my career in photography has initially begun. The first time I was published in an article based on a Holyoke baseball team. Since then I have gone on to co found a photography business/studio. Holyoke being my community I feel a sincere obligation to document what happens in the city. Below are three photographs (panoramas made last night) from the most recent fire. I am also providing a link to a very small blog that I post on. See The Brick it is a photo blog for Holyoke.

 

 

On my blog you may read that we are setting up a fund to aid in the families that have lost so much. We are setting up this fund to help aid the families now, the families that are in dire need of help. This fund will remain in existence for future tragedies that may occur. We feel a social obligation to help out in our community. We feel that as members of the same community that we need to help out and try to make a difference. Whether it be big or large, making a difference still makes an impact.

Human suffering will never cease to stop. There will always be an event, tragic act of nature, or act of another type that will lead to human suffering and loss of life. That is part of the human existence. As painful as it is, it brings people together, gives them a sense of community, and a sense of appreciation for other humans that do step forward to make a difference. Photography plays an immense roll in a situation like this. Washington Post Images.. Images inspire, create feelings and emotions that bring people together to form a community of volunteers. I would, given the chance, volunteer my time and talents to be a part of what is taking place in Haiti. My final thoughts are as follows, donate your time, open your wallet to make a small donation, donate some blankets, clothing or even a pair of gloves. Making any sort of donation will make a difference.

Over Heated: Continuous Light bulb distortion

    Tonight while in the studio we had a continuous light on. Some times we use it as a back light for the back drops or as a side light. We have not really used it for much shooting. In fact, it has only really been used about 3 times to light a back drop. However, tonight it was on to do a little light set up. I was thinking of trying some portraits with an idea I had in mind. After sitting and talking with a friend for a few minutes, the light started to make a faint hum. Seconds later the light went out. After walking over and flicking the switch a few times, scratching my head twice, I pulled the front of the light around towards the light in the hall. That is when I noticed this:

The rating on the bulb says 500Watts  4800 K, which means Kelvin, the unit of measurement of temperature. I will not go into to much detail about the Kelvin Scale at the moment. I am going to save that for later when I update Lenshare. As well as an article about Color Temperature, which is coming very soon.

Tomorrow I will be contacting the manufacturer of the light bulb as well as the light manufacturer. This could have been a very dangerous situation for both us as well as the building.  As someone who has photographed a few fires in Holyoke. Where our studio is located. I would not want to photograph our own studio, my friends building burning.

I will also be writing an article about a fire that I photographed two days prior to Christmas and then again on Christmas eve. Here are a few photos from that blaze, as featured on MassLive.com’s Gallery You can read the full story here.

Keep an eye out for the new Lenshare.com 2010 is going to be bringing about some magnificent changes.