Headless Horseman

 After a very long time, maybe a few months, or more I set up my "studio" again.

It was down so long because I had to return the background stand I borrowed about 5 years ago.  To be fair, I didn't really borrow it.  My friend brought it over, dropped it off, and said "You need this.  I'll take it back when I need it."

But, I have my own now, and we are back rolling.

What better way than a new character for Tobias?

This one was relatively easy, fog machine, back light, dump a flash in a pumpkin, press the shutter a few times.... we're done.  Rolling.

New Character

Its been a while since Tobias agreed to do one of these.  He's reaching an age where he doesn't want to cooperate anymore.  So we made him older and conforming in this picture.

I had a whole bunch of stuff I was thinking about writing when we came up with this idea.  But I'm not going to write any of them.

Ironman

It has been a little over a year since Tobias and I made a character picture.  Since the superhero fun night we've been wanting to get this done.  He went as Ironman, so we had a new suit.

Carly and Kathryn went to see the new Hunger Games movie, so Tobias and I were left figuring out what to do.  This had been on the list.  All we had to do was rebuild the "studio".  Well, we also had to make our own bucket of popcorn.

Hopefully it won't be so long before we do this again.

Superhero

 The Intersection Church in Gettysburg did a Superhero fun night. They held it on October 31. The date seems familiar, but I can't quite place it.

I took pictures of some of our heroes. Here are a few of them. I didn't get these done nearly as fast as I would like. Running off to Tennessee for a weekend took precedent.

The villain wasn't too bad. He was probably just misunderstood. In any event he chucked a Snickers bar in my lap while running away from the heroes. At that point, whatever he did was forgiven as far as I was concerned. I had a fun time photographing everyone. Even those who didn't give me a Snickers bar.

The Way of the Samurai

 

This summer I read two "classical" Samurai books.  I read the Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai by Yamamoto and the Legend of the Five Rings by Mushashi.  They are both interesting books.  Mushashi's book isn't as interesting to me for what he says in it, but by the way he approached his life.  The Hagakure, on the other hand, is a little like listening to the stories and crazy opinions of an old man.  Both are filled with things of wisdom, and both have moments where a modern reader might thing "huh?".  The Hagakure has many more "huh?" moments than Five Rings.

I think there is a lot to learn from observing Mushashi's life.  First he made training a priority, he writes "You must practice constantly.".  This makes sense, because he made his "living" fighting, and a mistake would be the end.   He believed in the fundamentals.  This leads him to write my favorite line in the whole book:

"The first elementary teaching becomes the highest knowledge, and the master still continues to practise this simple training, his every prayer."

This is something I try to do.  I always want to get better at the basics, learn them again, practice them again, constantly.  I feel that "advanced" stuff is actually just the basics looked at in a different way. Unfortunately, I have never mastered anything well enough to prove that.

Some other things I learned from Mushashi is he traveled.  He did this in order to find the best in his field, to test himself.  It applies in modern life too.  If you want to play country music you go to Nashville, not Seattle.  If you want to work in finance you go to New York, not Las Vegas.

The Hagakure has some wisdom in it also. 

"When the time comes, there is no moment for reasoning. And if you have not done your inquiring beforehand , there is most often shame. Reading books and listening to people's talk are for the purpose of prior resolution."

 "Throughout your life advance daily, becoming more skillful than yesterday, more skillful than today. This is never-ending."

There is also warnings of in-experience.

"A person who knows but a little will put on an air of knowledge. This is a matter of inexperience. When someone knows something well, it will not be seen in his manner."

The Hagakure also contains strange stuff.

"A long time ago this practice was followed, especially in the upper classes, but today even the children of the lower classes perform no executions, and this is extreme negligence."

 "If you cut a face lengthwise, urinate on it, and trample on it with straw sandals, it is said that the skin will come off. This was heard by the priest Gyojaku when he was in Kyoto. It is information to be treasured."

 Really?  Information to be treasured?

Reading these books made me want to make a picture of Tobias as a Samurai.  This is really a ninja costume, no one makes Samurai.  I have drawn up some armor and a helmet that I think I can construct out of foam, but I haven't had the time to put it together.  I also haven't found the foam I want.  This will do for now.  It is a very basic shot, nothing fancy.

Tobias as a Rockstar

Recently a friend gave us a child's size guitar he had sitting about. As you can imagine Tobias was pretty excited about this. We put some new strings on it. I need to set it up for real ( fat strings go sharp up the fret board ), but as far as Tobias is concerned it is perfect. Clearly that is a good reason to make a picture. We do that around here, whether it is learning to ride a bike, or a new cool toy.

He is trying to learn to play some too. For the most part we are picking a string and trying to hit it to a beat. One. Two. Three. Four. One. Two. Three. Four. One...

Eventually we will also try to use fretted notes too. Other than that I'm not sure what else he will want to learn from me. Maybe I will seek out a guitar teacher with exemplary patience that will work with kids.

Also, I'm not 100% sure what kind of instrument it is. It has no markings that I see. Its basic look and design is that of a Fender Strat. The case is marked "JAPAN", so I'm guessing the whole rig may have been made there. Its roughly a 22" scale instrument. The neck is a single maple piece that incorporates the fretboard. In the case was the package the strings it had on it. They were made around 1988. So, the guitar was probably made within a few years of that. If anyone has an idea of who made the guitar I'd be interested to know. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter, but I don't like mysteries.

I like the top picture for expression and pose, and the bottom picture I like because you can actually see the guitar.

Tobias as a ... space pirate?

My kids were given a copy of the really odd game, Ring Around the Nosy.  It led to some amusing dinner table conversation between Carly and I.  We are grateful for that, not too much has been amusing lately.  Unfortunately, I can't really repeat any of it.  Partly because it was a "you had to be there" moment, but mostly because it was super-saucy.

Despite that, I thought it could be used to make one of Tobias' character pictures, but not with the ridiculous elephant nose.  It reminded me a bit of the little character in Fifth Element, so I started to think a bit sci fi.  Tobias was playing with Pirates when I was thinking through this so I mixed the ideas together.

We may revisit this idea later.  To me this looks like my idea accidentally channeled a bit Eminem.  Besides, I'm thinking a space pirate needs a mechanical hook hand with a frickin laser beam attached.

Tobias as Mario

We are doing a lot of these lately. This one was by Tobias' request. My brain hasn't felt very creative the last week or so, but that is okay. It hasn't stopped Tobias. I decided to try something slightly different and present Mario as a diptych.

My Clone

Tobias got a a new suit for Christmas. Of course, this pretty much meant we had to make another picture for the character project. I kept the same basic idea I started with the knight picture. Processing is just a tad to the side of overdone, and the lighting is pretty straight forward.

I'm not sure if he is really my clone.  He looks a good deal like me.  But I'm pretty sure he is smarter, and he is going to be a lot bigger and stronger than I ever was.

The suit is a tad too big, above is the pullback shot.  That one isn't hyper-processed.

Tobias as a Jedi Knight

This is a continuation of the project I decided to pursue. This is Tobias as a Jedi Knight. I need to learn how to do up a lightsaber blade a bit better, but overall I think it looks decent. It fits in well with the other two pictures in the project.

Tobias as an Explorer like Indiana Jones

A while ago, I made a picture of Tobias as a knight.  That picture has become one of my favorite pictures of 2011 ( the other one lives at the top of this post ).  Since it is one of my favorite pictures, my mind will wander over to it sometimes.  During one of the wanderings I decided to try to make a few pictures of Tobias as various "characters".  I decided to tie the series together with similar hyper-real processing, and simple backgrounds.  We have a couple other characters in mind, and I hope to get to a number of them this year. 

We decided to start with Indiana Jones.  He loves the Lego Indiana Jones Wii game. 

I think he did a good job here, and gave us a bit of a sardonic grin.

Memorial Day

For Veteran's Day I tried making pictures of a little green army figure. I wanted to do the same thing for Memorial Day, but put a different twist to it. I stole borrowed a flag from Church this morning and messed around with pictures early this evening.  [ I did ask first... ]

Its been a while since I have done anything with silhouettes and this is the picture I had in mind.  Memorial day also marks the unofficial start to summer, so I am hoping to make a picture that describes that theme too.  However, this one is more important-- so I did first.

I couldn't decide which composition was best so I am including both here.

As an aside, I managed to break a light stand today.  *sigh*

Center of the Arts Rehearsal 2011

 

I had chance to make some pictures of the people that perform with Freedom Valley Center of the Arts this weekend.  I do a few of these types of things a year.  It is a little different than the photography I do the rest of the time.  I needed to find a setup that works with whatever gets placed in the scene, yet one I don't think is too boring.  Afterall, I need to look  through a few hundred frames on the backend. 

I have based my setup on 1 key light, with no fill.  I like to create some shadows on the other side of my light.  I'll then either light up a white background with two lights.  Or, if I am using a grey background I will use one light to provide a spot light on it, and use a second light as a rim for the subject.  Both are pretty simple, but seem to work.  At least it isn't cross-lit, which is what you see so often quick mass-shoots like this. 

With the performers I generally ask them to pick a pose from their routine or training that they like and is easy for them to hold.  When I saw this through the viewfinder it looked pretty perfect, it fit in with a theme running through the production, it was simple, the main light was mostly right...  The final picture was already in my head, black and white,  I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like, but ...

But-- the setup I was using, the white background setup I described above --wouldn't allow me to make it.  Fortunately she allowed me to kill the background lights and make another.  This is pretty close to what I would have done if I was just making one picture, instead of one of 60 or so more people.

Every time I am seriously photographing something, whether it be completely personal, or a very interactive customized session with a small number of people, or even in the midst of a mass assembly-line style shoot -- I look to to make one image that is for me, something that reminds me why I pick up a camera in the first place.  This is the one from this weekend.  A few more examples from other "assembly-style" shoots are here,  here, , and here.

I Wish We Celebrated Easter a Little Differently

Easter.

I believe it should be our most significant holiday, but Christmas seems to get all the attention.

Even if you are not a Christian, or even a religious individual, it is hard to argue that the life and events celebrated at Easter did not have a far reaching effect on history.  If you are a Christian, it also represents the fulfillment of God's plan to reconcile his creation back to himself through the ultimate sacrifice.  The riff wasn't even God's fault, but God fixed it.

Yet, we celebrate it with chocolate fertility symbols bunnies and eggs.

I heard the Easter message I remember most in the state of Virginia, we were there visiting.  I want to say I was 16 or so.  The pastor was a huge history buff, and had researched how the Romans treated their prisoners.  He was also a good story teller, and created pictures of big burly soldiers with whips and hammers in my head. I now carry an internal narrative of the Easter events that rips me apart any time I think about it.

And then there are the bunnies. 

It strikes an odd chord in my thoughts.  I am not trying Jesus Juke anyone, or take away the fun that a holiday is suppose to bring.  Afterall, Easter is a happy occasion.  The good guys won.  Dance, laugh, sing, shout!

But bunnies?  

I do wish we would celebrate it a bit differently sometimes.

Maybe I'm just bad about holidays, Christmas trees make me scratch my head too.

I admit I was a little nervous to make this picture, and probably more nervous to post it.  But, I did, and not lightly either.  I almost talked myself out of it.

Maybe it produces the same cognitive dissonance,  that little hint of discomfort that I feel whenever I see an Easter basket.

Charlie's Teachers : FCS Banquet 2011

Banquet time.  Here is a fun one that a couple of the teachers graciously allowed me to talk them into.

This year I brought some seamless with me. I also decided to light to make real, noticeable shadows -- this makes the picture seem a little more three-dimensional.  Most years I placed lights on both sides creating an even, flat, safe, boring light.  Despite that one short-coming the setup meant I couldn't possibly screw up, at least not lighting-wise.  With less than a minute to say "hi", get people in place, and make a few frames ... limiting the ways I can screw up is pretty important.

This year I was confident I could run a more interesting setup, still keep it ridiculously fast, and not screw up.  So I did.

It still isn't the same as spending quite a bit of time with a single person.  But, this is still fun, even more so now that I am not slinging boring light about.

Baseball

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.

I haven't really seen baseball since I attended a Baltimore Orioles playoff game versus the Cleveland Indians.  The Orioles managed to lose in bizarre fashion.

The Orioles essentially forced manager Davey Johnson to resign in the off-season over an incident involving Roberto Alomar.  That irritated me enough, I was "done" with baseball.

Since that time I have attended one game.  I watched the Nationals play a game as part of a work event.  That was an interesting game, too, two balks were called.

However, that will change this year.  The kids are involved in softball and T-ball.  I bought a glove to play "You know, Dad!  That game where you are catching the ball over your head!", as Tobias calls it.  Most of us know it as "catch". 

I figured, I would try and follow both the Orioles [ although I'm still irritated with them ] and the Nats.  So far the Orioles are 3-0 after sweeping Rays, and the Nats managed to win 1 game out of their first 3.

I probably won't go to a big league game, but I may drag the kids out to a minor league game.

Logan at One

Earlier I made a few pictures of Logan when he was around the 6 month mark ( a little later, but what is a couple of months here or there? ).  I followed that up with some pictures around the 1 year mark, again we missed it by a month, maybe two, maybe more, but in the end does it really matter?  We have pictures

These were taken at the same time as the not-quite-a-sneak-peek sneak peek.

Playing with a new light

First I want to say Kathryn rarely makes an appearance here because she doesn't really stick around past the "first" stage of making a picture.  I make the 2 or 3 frames that show me where I want to be and she's ready to leave.  Before you think its because I am taking ages to do this, I'm not.  It takes me about 45 seconds.  This time I managed to get close to what I wanted at frame 2, then the whining started so I let her leave.  When it was Carly's turn she lasted a little longer, but she had to go rather quickly too.

So, what was doing?  I was playing with a "new" light.  No, not equipment, just a new way to use what I had.  I saw blog post discussing using two hard lights together in an approximation of hollywood lighting.  I like the look in those older photos, and thought I would try it "someday".  Like my models I didn't really feel like making a picture tonight, but... I remembered something I read that is attributed to Freeman Patterson, "If you only photograph when you feel like it... you'll never be totally successful as a photographer."   Ouch, that hurts-- and out came the camera.  

I would have liked to explore this idea a bit more, and I will.  I don't think I got the best poses for the light.  I'd like to see what it looks like with the lights a bit higher overhead.

The top picture is made with my Alien Bee flashes with the standard reflector, and a softbox lighting up the background.  The second picture is the same setup but using only the modeling lights on the flashes-- I adjusted the ISO and aperture to compensate for less light.  The second picture is closer to the look I am emulating.  It will be my starting point next time.  Maybe I'll get more than 5 minutes of shooting time.

Our House Will Have Football

I am not sure who is right, the players or the owners.  I see fault with both side's position, and lines of reasoning.  In the end it doesn't really matter who is wrong and who is right, what matters is there may not be NFL football this year while it all gets sorted out.  It may not affect the owners, it may not affect players, but it does affect fans, the guys and gals that work at the stadiums, cities that expect some return on the investments they have made in the stadiums, and TV networks.  All because $9B isn't enough money for two groups to split up.

Even if the NFL doesn't manage to have a season in 2011 there will be football at our house.  Sort of, we may have to suit up ourselves.   Maybe it won't be so bad to have extra time on the weekend?

Army Dude

Tobias got this hat at a birthday party to start the weekend.  He took it off to sleep.  I think.  Other than that he has been  wearing it.  Constantly. 

I am not really a fan of the yellow and purple processing I see all over the place.  I think it looks silly on most pictures.  But, I found myself creating that look as I processed this one.  I wanted it to seem like a faded print.  Maybe one that is about 50 years old or so.  I also added some grain.

This one was one of our test out shots.  You have no idea how difficult it is to get a serious face out of this guy.