Why We Don't Show Everything

Art Model, Leslie

This question first struck me several years ago. I think it was adding a new hard drive or doing something with my backup drives and came to realize how much art nude work I have that has never seen the light of day... or maybe the light of a backlit LCD screen, as it were. I've shot so many models doing maybe 30 to 70 edits per shoot and less than 15 to 20 of those ever been exhibited, get seen on my blog, website, or social media. I may not ever get exhibited in my art... for whatever reason.

Additionally, the model/client may not see EVERYTHING I shoot. They WILL, however, see everything I edit, even future edits, if I go back over them months or years down the road. But there is also much of that work that won't make it to the public arena for a myriad of reasons. I'll edit a shot. The model/client will get a copy, certainly. But there will be several that look good, but not make the cut.

Art Model, Leslie

The thought hasn't really passed my mind so much in recent history since I have been on my travels. I closed down my studio in November 2017 and sold or gave away everything. It came forefront to my mind again recently when I recently read an article where a photographer willed his assistant all his work and negatives. She talked about having so much of his work that he never printed, exhibited, or showed anyone. I'll have to find that article again and do a blog post on it. For the life of me, I can't recall the photographer. 

But anyway, I can relate to that. I am not a photographer who takes a million pics and then let the client go through them all and pick out what they want to keep. I've never done it. I can understand accepting that concept in a studio environment. Or maybe in sessions where you have a particular shot list and you have to hit a certain look. In all my work and time in studio, I get a general idea of what the client wants and I shoot with that in mind. The more specific the better. Other times I am the one with the photo concept. And we're speaking strictly in terms of photographing people. This won't be the same with product photography or interior design/architecture photography. I've done those too. 

Art Model, Leslie

High Volume Sessions

When the mood is right and the light is bright, therein lies the magic. I'm not talking romance... rather synergy! Sometimes you get with a model and y'all just click. She'll get into a pose that you have in your mind, JUST before you ask for it! Or better yet, hers is better! Maybe there is an atmospheric phenomenon that feels like God has ordained and blessed that collaboration. Or sometimes, it's just the opposite, but it works in your favor anyway. 

It's hard to put the camera down, in moments like that. You'll both lose track of time and the hours have clicked away unbeknownst to either of you. You notice it getting dark, but it's adding drama and mystery to your photo session so you keep shooting. Before you know it, you're 2000 photos in on what should have been a 300-shot photo session. I shoot, on average, about 100 shots an hour. I know other photogs who will triple or quadruple that. But that's generally my work rate. All those images will not get edited! Ain't no photog got time for that! You take the best of them and roll!

Art Model, Leslie

Duplicates

I'll often shoot like a sniper. One shot. One kill. But even doing that, I may get a few variations of the same shot with slight adjustments on the pose, lighting, point of focus, or depth of field. And then amongst those, I'll pick one or two. Every single look won't make the cut. Duplicates might be good for a revisit later on with a new edit, inconsistent with the main body of work where it stands on its own.

Bad Shots/Experimental Shots

Believe it or not, sometimes my exposure is off. It happens! Or sometimes the model's eyes are closed. It could be that I just want to try something and will add in a prop, take the shot, and then realize it looks stupid. No problem. I'll take the shot the correct way. The rest can just take up space on my hard drive. I RARELY delete anything. I do! But once it makes it onto my computer, it usually stays. I have less problem deleting a bad shot in camera. Particularly if I need to save space on the card. In some cases, I've been known to revisit bad shots and play with them. See what can happen. Maybe after a few years, I get a new editing tool that makes that bad shot a potentially good one.

Professional Pride/Self-Respect

In more cases than not, if you're hiring me or collaborating with me, it's because you like my style of shooting and want to be a part of it. I like my reputation as a professional and as an artist, I simply don't ever want a bad shot to see the light of the public eye. I take pride in my work and I want it hanging on the walls for people to admire, judge, critique, or even make fun of. But it begins with me! If I don't like it, I can't let it out. Because once I put it out there for the world to see, it's going to be judged. And as long as I can remain true to myself, then I let judgements fall where they may. I can accept that and learn from it. But I don't want to put out bad work when I know better. 

Art Model, Leslie

Gear Equilibrium - The Pinnacle of Photographic Achievement

Art Model, Covenant ©2015 Terrell Neasley

"An equilibrium can never last. Dynamic forces are always at work. But there are times when even those forces must rest. It is in that moment that life finds it's balance."

~ Terrell Neasley

Last month I picked up the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 G Master Lens. Today, my pinhole body cap came in the mail. I haven't yet played with it, but upon that acquisition, for the first time as I can recall, I think I have reached a point in my life that I might just have everything I need as a photographer! It is at state of photographic achievement whereas the equipment you need is in perfect balance with the equipment you have. I don't know for how long this feeling of "Gear Equilibrium" will last, but I do not have a compulsion or longing to buy another camera or lens. Its like that final scene in Matrix Revolutions where The Architect asks The Oracle, "How long do you think this truce will last?". And she replies, "As long as it can."

Art Model, Covenant ©2015 Terrell Neasley

So who knows how long this equilibrium will sustain itself. Currently, my repertoire includes  2 bodies, 3 wide-angles, a macro, and portraiture glass. I haven't had a real need to have telephoto in my arsenal since I last shot Canon's 70-200mm. Upon my transition to Nikon's high resolution D800e which gave me the ability to crop in quite a bit, I had less need for the telephoto applications and perspectives. In addition, some timely advice from a travel mag editor suggesting more environmental portraiture, as well as inspiration from Gregory Crewdson, particularly his work in "Beneath the Roses", shooting wide has become more prevalent in my work. My main workhorse lens is my Sony 16-35mm f/4 which is the only zoom lens I own.

Art Model, Anne ©2015 Terrell Neasley

The recently announced Sony A9 won't be anything I will add to my current line-up of bodies. Great camera, but not anything I need for the time being. That doesn't reflect negatively on the A9 as much as it credits the badassity of the Sony A7RII. This is simply an amazing system. I don't need the 20 fps speed. My a6300 will give me 11fps when I need it, albeit, cropped. I am fine with 1 card slot for the time being. The 42MP resolution is my main preference.

Art Model, KristiC ©2015 Terrell Neasley

I have no doubt that Sony will likely announce the A9R maybe even by the end of the year. And maybe even an A9S. I'm still good. It'll still be a full-frame system and even if its 50MPs, I'm cool at 42. If I'm looking at another camera body...and I'm not...I currently reside at Equilibrium Ave ...But IF I'm looking at another body, it would be the Fujifilm GFX 50s Medium Format system. Granted. I'm fine with my Sony A7RII right now. But if funding suddenly wasn't a factor to possess that body and a good 3 lens line-up, yeah I'd be all over it. Like ALL over it. But seeing as how that would easily be upwards of a $15K investment...I'm good with the gear that's already on my shelf.

Art Model, Leslie ©2015 Terrell Neasley

With all that said, I can still hook myself up with some accessories. I could use some more SD cards, batteries, and another cable release. I lose those things so easily. I may even find myself in the market for a good slider and a drone has crossed my mind a time or two. I could also do with an upgrade to my computer. Or a new one. It mainly needs a better video card, but after 6 years, I'm sure a new one with the current processor speeds may favor my workflow better. Storage and RAM...I'm good on that.

Gear Equilibrium is a good place to be. I thought it was in imaginary place, but apparently not. How long will it last? As long as it can!

Alternatives for Shooting When it Gets Cold

Art Model Covenant, "Baby its Cold Outside..." ©2015 Terrell Neasley

The temps dropping fast here in Las Vegas. I can only imagine what things are like in New England or the Midwest. Actually, I don't even want to imagine it. I'm having my own difficulties handling these frigid temps where its hovering around the mid-40's at night. (Don't judge me.) But the more important question is this:

What's a photographer to do when she/he is used to shooting outdoors and is partial to late evening and night time shoots?

Good question.

Art Model, Franki Dame Hotel in Las Vegas, ©2016 Terrell Neasley

Well, you're going to have to get smart about it. As well as get out of your comfort zone. You can't stop shooting. Let's get that established as priority one. Photogs don't go into hibernation until the spring. If you try that, you'll start the spring off with some major suckage...and nobody wants to suck that bad. So don't get out of practice.

Instead, when things get cold outside, you bring all your business inside. I know...that likely means studio and you're going to throw out the "natural light" card. Well, if you want to be a shooter, you're going to have to learn ARTIFICIAL LIGHT. Okay, so the first thing you're going to need is artificial light, obviously. Take a look at some flash options. You're either going the speedlight(lite) route or studio (mono) lights. And then you're going to need some space to shoot in, which is the easiest part. You can temporarily move your furniture around to get that needed space.

Art Model, Christina. Working in my studio ©2016 Terrell Neasley

Lighting might be tougher. First it depends on your budget. Well, actually it all depends on your budget. You can buy what you need or rent the lights you need. Fortunately, you can do both at B&C Camera here in Las Vegas on West Sahara. They've got some excellent beginner kits as well as some advanced 2-light kits that'll get you started. Here is the top flash monolight kit I recommend:

The Promaster SM300 Digital Display 2-Light Studio Kit for about $450.

You may need to purchase some additional softboxes, but you can get that later if you want. It comes with flash sync trigger that attaches to your camera's hot shoe, as well as light stands, reflectors, and a carrying bag. I've recommended this kit to several of my clients and gave instructions on their use. They are very simple and easy to use. This is a middle ground beginner kit at 300 watt-seconds which should satisfy the majority of everything you'll need. While it may be easier to go with LED lights, which are constant light sources, but your best options are going to be with flash.

Art Model, Leslie my living room couch ©2016 Terrell Neasley

You can purchase speedlights for your specific camera brand, (Canon/Nikon/etc.), or you can go with some manual flashes, also by Promaster which are way less expensive. You can also rent studio lighting from B&C as well. Check out their rental options for your needs online or visit the store and let one of the associates help you determine your best option for what you are looking for. Anyone up there can help you figure out exactly what will do the job for your budget.

Art Model, Justine. Still cold, Late February ©2013 Terrell Neasley

Another option you have at your disposal is hotel rooms. I've done this plenty of times. Sometimes its actually too hot outside or your model doesn't want to be around nature. I've packed up studio gear and rented a room in several of these hotels in and around Las Vegas. The best option is to shoot during the low occupancy times of the week, like Monday through Wednesday. Thursday begins to pick up in business which is reflected in the room prices. You can literally pay $20 a night on a Tuesday and that same room will go for $120 a night by Saturday. At the very least, use the opportunity to explore options for your own stay-cations or to help with recommendations when your friends/family come to Las Vegas and you don't want them staying with you! Try to use discount sites like Travelocity, Priceline, or Booking.com rather than the actual hotel website.

Art Model Covenant, close crop, wide aperture, shallow DoF ©2016 Terrell Neasley

Shoot in your OWN house or apartment. You'll be surprised what natural settings can do that don't have to look like a 4-star hotel. If need be, use a lenses with really wide apertures. Prime lens with f/1.8 or f/1.4 apertures are excellent for this. They give you the shallow depth of field that blur out clutter in your background. Shoot compositions that are tightly cropped in to your subject or model to further reduce clutter in your background.

Panda, my kitchen with a wide aperture ©2011 Terrell Neasley

Finally, go get yourself a hardy model who can handle a little bit of cold. Pack some warm blankets, a thermos of hot chocolate/coffee/tea, and keep the car running with the heat on close by. I have actually done ALL of this. I've had some great models who braved that cold and sacrificed comfort for the sake of art, including getting in cold water! Yes. This is true. Be smart. Always stay conscious of the risk. Often times, I'll brave that water WITH my model, just so I'm aware of what my model is experiencing so that I don't ask them to be wet too long. Model safety is priority one at all times. Always stay conscious of your model's comfort and health. Outside of that, keep shooting!

Super Trooper Art Model, Covenant February. Pretty damn cold ©2015 Terrell Neasley

Why the Camera You Already Have May Be Better Than You Think

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

[For my wonderful friend and muse, Leslie. Girl, I think you are happiest when you are shooting! Am I right??] 

I'm a Sony shooter. I started out years ago with Canon. And when Canon no longer suited my needs, I sold about $25K in Canon gear...all of it...and switched to Nikon. Three years after that, (#switchhappens) I made the plunge again  into the Sony line of camera systems and will likely be here a while. I welcome the moniker, "gear-head", but I can objectively say I made all my changes based on need. When Canon's next line of cameras came out and it didn't give me what I needed, I had no qualms about dropping that line and investing in another. Nikon's switch had more to do with dropping the DSLR line because I was sold on mirrorless systems, namely Sony, but originally Fujifilm (XE-2, remember...).

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

But here's the deal. Not everyone wants to drop camera lines like that, especially if you have a huge investment in the lenses. Or, getting another camera simply isn't in the budget at the moment. Its sorta like my car. I've put so much effort, money, and time into traveling and photography that I've neglected my need for a new car. So for the moment, I've gotta get the most I can out of the car I have. I think it might help a few of you to know that the camera you have right now, is probably better than you think. You may not have the same photo demands or feature needs as I do and if you don't require all that then here are a few things you can look into.

If you have purchased a camera in the last 6 years, namely a DSLR, then chances are, its actually a really good system for general purpose use. I've met PLENTY of people complaining that they can't get a good picture from their camera, when in fact, all they need is a little bit of knowledge on how the camera works. Take a look at Auto Focus. I think this is likely the most frequent issue I encounter. Blurry Images are next in line. This may sound like the same thing, but bear with me.

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

With the Auto Focus situation, its usually a case where the camera is set to full auto. So in this setting, its automatic everything. The problem here is that sometimes the camera will automatically focus lock on the object closest to the camera or to a subject that is moving. The camera operator has an image with SOME things in focus, but not the thing or subject that they wanted to take a picture of. So in this case, taking the camera out of Full Auto mode should be the first step. If anything put the camera in Program or "P" mode. Then take out your manual (download it from the net if need be) and look up info on your camera's  Autofocus, and Continuous Autofocus. If you're brave enough, check out Manual Focus. Camera manufacturers my call each thing something different. Canon is AF-Single and AI Servo/AI Servo-Continuous. Nikon is AF-S, or AF-C. Then they may go into autofocus zones or groupings in some way.

The Blurring I mentioned is when the subject is blurred or the entire picture is blurred. This has more to do with the shutter speed setting than autofocus. There are two things that determine this. First could be the shutter speed itself. If the camera perceives that it doesn't have enough light, it will extend the amount of time the shutter is open and expose the sensor to light for a little longer period of time. Well, unless everything is absolutely still, there will be blurring. A single second is actually a LONG time when we're talking photography. Its nigh impossible to hold your camera still that long and not get blur just from camera shake, much less have your subject be still enough. Try shooting a baby with a one-second shutter speed.

Art Model, Leslie ©2015 Terrell Neasley

If this is the case, look to your ISO speed and raise it til you are at least 1/60th of a second on shutter speed. You'll usually have this issue when it begins to get dark and you're still trying to shoot pics of the kids outdoors. Sometimes, if you're in full auto, the flash will pop up and blast everything with light and that doesn't look good in most cases where you want to get a wide area in your shot. Raise that ISO to 800 or maybe even 1600 and try again. Go higher if need be. But there is a catch! The higher the ISO, the more grainy or noisy the image looks.

This is when I had to make my first camera upgrade from the Canon 40D (2007) to the full frame 5D MarkII (2008). I required better low-light performance. The 5D MarkII had a bigger sensor which means bigger light-gathering pixels. It also had the ability to handle higher ISO much better resulting in high-ISO images, but with less noise in the image. Today, I work in much darker situations that still require speed and I can reach ISOs of over 100,000 and still look clean in my Sony systems.

Art Model, Leslie ©2015 Terrell Neasley

Sometimes, a better lens can be your limitation. If you still rock with the kit lens your camera came with, its likely not going to be the best quality and is likely not fast glass. If you're Canon, try the Nifty Fifty, the 50mm f/1.8 lens for a little over $100. And for zoom lenses, I absolutely love Tamron's line-up whether you are Canon or Nikon. Tamron makes a 17-50mm f/2.8 (for crop sensor cameras) or a 28-75mm f/2.8 (for full frame or crop sensor cameras) of which both are excellent pieces of fast glass. Those lenses have wide maximum apertures that help let in more light. If you have newer cameras, I'd even suggest the all in one Tamron 16-300mm lens (not made for full frame cameras). Just make sure you get the Tamron lens specific for your camera, either Canon or Nikon.

In any case, learning a little bit more about your camera outside of the full auto mode can work to your favor and get you better shots. When your demands surpass the camera's capabilities, THEN look to a better system. Getting a camera with numerous Phase-Detect Auto focus points because you often shoot moving subjects is a reason to upgrade. Having a system with superior low-light performance because you do a lot of low-light work is a reason to upgrade. Or maybe convenience features like built-in WIFI for the ability to control the camera or download your images from your camera straight to your smart phone, swivel the LCD screen around for selfies, have a touch-screen LCD, you have a 4K TV and want to shoot 4K video, or you want to be able to continuously autofocus while doing video. It could be that you like your friend's ability to autofocus using Face-detect/Smile-detect/Eye-detect. Or you love shooting manual focus and heard how cool the Sony system can use Focus Peak to assist with manual focus. These are all reasons to upgrade. If your camera is simply not taking good pics, then chances are you could benefit from reading the manual, because cameras these days are actually bad ass.

Art Model, Leslie ©2015 Terrell Neasley

You can definitely consider taking my One-on-One week-long photography course. We'll go over your camera, its capabilities, and how to use it in a variety of settings, indoor and out, as well as covering light with speedlights and studio lights. Not from Las Vegas, not a problem. Give me a week, and you'll go home a better shooter. Want me to come to you, we can talk about that too. Think it over. Give me a hollar!

Travel Plans - Back to Central America

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving."

~ Lao Tzu

Its about that time again. As most travelers know, its hard to stay OFF the road for any given time. I think my mother has always hated my tendency to keep staying further and further away from home. I grew up with woods behind my house in Terrell, Texas. Yes...Same name. No, I wasn't named after the city I grew up in. As I were... I've always been an explorer at heart and its tough to not wonder whats around the bend, over that hill, around that corner, or beyond that horizon. I'd wander further and further back into those woods and explore more ground and become familiar with the area. Sometimes I'd use the excuse that I was hunting. I'd take a gun but never come back with any game. I moved away from home just after high school and lived on the other side of the tracks, but still in Terrell. Then I moved closer to Dallas. Two years after graduating high school, I found myself enlisted in the Army and assigned to my first duty station in Germany. I had hardly been 200 miles away from home at any given time. Now I was on the other side of the Atlantic in Europe.

Art Model, Leslie
©2013 Terrell Neasley

Art Model, Leslie
©2013 Terrell Neasley

Its gonna be back to Central America around the first part of the year. This is the plan anyways. The goal is to hit every country, starting up north in either Flores, Guatemala (and then traveling across into Belize), or just heading straight to Belize City and beginning my exploration there. Having been down that way before, I have the majority of this trip planned out, but El Salvador and Honduras in particular still elude me in terms of what I wish to do there. I'll be spending the majority of time in Guatemala and Nicaragua. I still have to make plans for Costa Rica and Panama, but I don't see that being a difficult task. Mainly, I just need to get a general plan secured just to have better cost estimates. Nothing will be written in stone or have schedules and deadlines, or strict itineraries. I like to travel slow, get to know a place, and leave when I wish. If I like a place, I want to be able to stay longer. If I don't, then I'm out sooner than expected. I'll have to schedule a flight in advance while in Nicaragua, but only by a week or so. As I get down to Managua, I'll fly over to Little Corn Island for a spell and then return to Managua to continue my trip.

So I could definitely use some suggestions as to El Salvador and Honduras. And any other spots any of you might know of in Central America that would be appealing. So far, I'm weighing options on the Caribbean Islands off the coast of Honduras and maybe its capital city. Part of the fun though, might be in just waiting til I get there and just checking things out and not finalizing plans til a week or two away. Or maybe be like some friend travelers I've meet on the trail who just show up! I'm not as great as Heather Rae Murphy with planning these things. And I usually have to budget more than what I estimate I'll need. So I'll probably never do a blog post on saving money on these trips. I can do better with sharing with you my mistakes though which can be just as equally beneficial to you. And trust me, that can add up to a lot of friggin' information.

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

But back to the matter at hand, I'd like to get all this worked out by the end of this month, which doesn't leave me much time. But if I recall correctly, it was this time last year was when I decided on an extended stay in Nicaragua. So maybe I'm right on schedule. I'm very much looking forward to this. What's next after this trip you ask. I'll push on to South America, of course. Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia! The western and southern coastal countries in South America interest me most. Here's another tid bit for you. If you don't already have it, download Google Earth. Just zoom in and have a bird's eye view look around. Its a good start.

On Black and Minority Photographers

Anonymous Art Model, © 2012 Terrell Neasley

“Diversity may be the hardest thing for a society to live with, and perhaps the most dangerous thing for a society to be without. ” 

― William Sloane Coffin Jr.


To my knowledge, this is the first time I've come to address this topic on this blog. I've attempted to keep this blog mainly about photo-related issues, concerns, happenings and personal stories on my escapades. Conversely, I've avoided controversial topics and leave it to the others to debate those issues. There are certainly enough who do this. I've spent a good chunk of my life being an advocate of bringing to light the plight of African-Americans and the challenges we face on having an equal footing on this planet. I've always tried to be an ambassador for people of color and minorities in general, regardless of color. I have frequently found myself in positions where I have been the sole minority on a team, department, platoon, class, or group. In those situations I've wanted to not only represent myself in a way as to demonstrate that my Mama taught me manners, but also to fulfill that ambassador role for minorities to people that might not otherwise be able to relate. It was even one of my secondary duties in the military as I was trained and certified to teach and be the Equal Opportunity Representative for soldiers in my company or battalion and adviser for my commanders.

Photography is another area that I find myself in a similar light. In my undergrad years, I was the only black male student in the Finance department. My graduate time was much the same. Today in photography, I certainly notice the difference in the minority representation in the field that I so love. I've talked about it amongst peers on a few occasions. I've discussed it more often with black peers and we might often joke at the predicament we find ourselves in.

Art Model, VikiVegas ©2011 Terrell Neasley

In the military, I had a battalion commander who asked me why there was such a shortage of black Army Rangers, not only in the battalion, but also in the division. I brought this fact to his attention when he helped me get past my own company commander's attempts to place challenges in my way to stall my admittance into Ranger School. Everybody else who wanted to attend Ranger school got automatic blessings to attend simply based on their courage to subject themselves to such a strenuous tasking. Me? I had to prove I was worthy, through a series of tests and evaluations. When my Battalion commander, who I had once worked for, caught wind of this, he made an immediate phone call and I was put in the very next class for the Division Pre-Ranger course. I was one of the 14 who passed that two-week course out of the 64 who started. I was subsequently slotted into the next Army Ranger School class from my division. I graduated as one of two black Rangers in a class of 94. It was the most physically challenging thing I've done in my life. I reported back to my battalion commander as to what I found out regarding why there were so few black Rangers.

So why are there so few black photographers? Its definitely a challenge to try to ascertain exactly why this is. Ranger school and being an Army Ranger was still a finite universe in which I was able to interview people and pull the statistics that allowed me to extrapolate interesting points to draw conclusions based on empirical data. Photography is way too broad a field to use the same methodology. So how do you find out why this is?

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

I've been involved with many photographers in Las Vegas since I've been here. I had my own group, the Las Vegas Art Model's Group that helped photographers work with models and advance the art nude genre. Concurrently, I helped run the Las Vegas Photographic Society with my buddy Garret Winslow. Every one of our monthly meetings I spoke in front of the group and made myself available for advice and consult to photographers who took advantage of that fact often, both during and between meet-ups. During this time, I've met few black photogs and even FEWER who were on the professional level.

Allen Murabayashi, just did a blog post on the Photoshelter Blog site, "Photography’s Old White Guy Problem". In it, he gives thumbnail images of the major photographers who train us from Canon's Explorers of Light, Nikon's Ambassadors, and X-Rite's Colorati. The same goes for some of the major photo conventions such as WPPI speakers and Photoshop World instructors, which I attend on a regular basis. I see two black guys on a regular basis, Terry White and Matthew Jordan Smith. I invite you to take a look at that blog post.

Art Model, SuzN ©2013 Terrell Neasley

And let me also add another point that Murabayashi may have missed. "Old White Guy" has given way to "Young White Lady" over the years. The percentage of professional photographers who are women has greatly increased, along with couple-based photography. Laura Matthews also discussed this on Photofocus as a guest contributor earlier this year. So this is at least one step in the right direction. In many fields, such as maybe journalism, this trend was reversed for a long time. The field of journalism began to embrace more diversity, but the female representation was still yet to come. And this is just speculation on my part, but in photography more young and attractive female photographers have been selected to hit the circuit for training conventions. First selection or choice consideration for gigs, promotion, advancement and recognition doesn't seem to be as equally distributed among the black and minority photographers. I can't pull up any stats since gov't sites are currently shut down, but Lee Morris at FStoppers has stated this very well in his blog post, "Photography: Is It Still A Man’s World?:

"...However, the actual numbers state that 42.8% of all professional photographers are female. Not so bad, right? But the report goes on to clarify something I’d already suspected: While almost 60% of professional photographers are men, 60% of photographers under 35 are women. The majority of veteran, successful photographers are, in fact, men."

Art Model, Dominique ©2011 Terrell Neasley

So why do we care? Why should anyone give a dam? Its been like this for years. Its the status quo. Who gives a shit. I'll give you two reasons why this oversight is significant and should be more closely monitored. First, show me one program, business, project, or concept that hasn't benefited from diversity. I'll shut the hell up right now, if you can point to something that was irreparably damaged because it embraced diversity. Second. If you're a photog of any nationality, YOU WANT me to have more opportunities in photo. The short-sighted and stupid will look at me as taking a job that you could have otherwise acquired if I had not been given the opportunity. That's just asinine and ignorant. But instead, take a look at Tiger Woods and golf. The presence of a Tiger Woods on a course greatly increased the purses of everybody who participated. Why? Because the value of the sport increased. Minorities represent a huge percentage of the population in the US. Money that would otherwise not be streaming into something else began to flow into golf because minorities began to participate with viewership and interest on the course. There was a demand increase in Golf and such can be the case for photography.

I'm not saying I'm on the Tiger Woods scale of photo, but hear me out. Bringing in a different perspective will only enhance the quality of photo. And placing more people of color in the visible forefront encourages more minority kids, amateurs, and pro to step up their game. I can assure you...it might not make a difference to some people, but when you see somebody esteemed who looks like you, who can relate to you, and who has a sincere empathy on where you come from, its way more encouraging than listening to another white guy tell me, "Hey! You can do it". Think of it as inspiring black youths by giving them people they can inspire to be like. And by no means do I imply blacks and minorities should be "given" anything. But as I look at the faces of these Nikon Ambassadors and Canon Explorers of Light, am I supposed to infer that these photographers and trainers were the obvious choices because there were no minorities good enough to speak, train, or inspire fellow photographers as well as them?

Photoshop World, Day 2

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

"You see something happening and you bang away at it. Either you get what you saw or you get something else--and whichever is better you print." 

~ Garry Winogrand

Day 2 started of much like its predecessor...An Early Morning! I learned some interesting techniques and completely new Photoshop applications working in video and animation. Corey Barker taught Creating Motion Graphics in Photoshop CC and it was a blast. Not saying I mastered ANY of it, but I know its available to me now, so that's cool. My next class, which I won't name, was a dud for me. I mean, utterly and complete. I then went on to some more masterful techniques in Compositing with Joel Grimes. This guy is definitely a guru in artistic composite work. Most of his is simple portrait on a blended background, which is the way he likes it. I think I'd like to push it a bit more. The guy is a masterful educator. I ended up taking another class with him that I finished my day with.

Art Model, Leslie
©2013 Terrell Neasley

But then there was the next class for me which was sort of duddish. I got nothing. I tried to sit through it more out of respect and appreciation that he came to help us improve our work, but I think I got 40 mins and simply had enough. That happens sometimes. You just don't gel with an instructor. However the surprising element to me was that I did not enjoy his work! We saw some of the images he's made over the years and it was boring to me and almost unimaginative. This guy has made a lot of money in his career and has been hailed and lauded for his vision. I just couldn't see it. But that leaves me questioning what that says about me. Granted, I know what I like. I know what inspires me. His and he did not, I'm sad to say.

But then came redemption. My next class was with Richard Harrington and he covered Digital Publishing. Excellent, excellent work. He told it like it is and entertained us as well. I thoroughly enjoyed his class. If that name sounds familiar to you then you've taken my previous advice and subscribed to the Photofocus podcast, which he now hosts. I've described the Photofocus blog and podcasts as must-do sites to visit a couple times on this blog. But let me just reiterate. If you are a photographer and do not have that blog faved or have subscribed to that podcast, you are wrong...plain and simple.

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

"You have a lifetime to learn technique. But I can teach you what is more important than technique, how to see; learn that and all you have to do afterwards is press the shutter." 

~ Garry Winogrand

At this point we broke off into the Expo session which lasted all afternoon. Vendors and sponsors show and demonstrate their latest wares that help you in various aspects of your photographic trade. You can come by and visit me and my crew at the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep booth #237.

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

But the day got even better. Get this... my next class was Pricing, Negotiation, and Selling with, who else but Scott Borne. Scott Borne is the celebrated local photographer here in Las Vegas. I'm pretty sure he's the biggest name here and he is responsible for starting Photofocus in the first place. This was my first time to actually get to meet and talk to him and after listening to his voice practically every week and checking out every blog post, the man in the flesh did not disappoint. He was hilarious, but had some of the most practical advice I've ever had. Some of it was a reminder. One thing he asked us to do is read any and every Zig Ziglar book we could find. I've read several and need to reread them. Its been quite some time. Zig Ziglar came to my high school one year and I was impressed beyond belief. No doubt, I benefited most with his class and as I mentioned previously, I finished the day with one more Joel Grimes class on Photoshop techniques. Great day.

Leica...You Want what You Want

"Shooting with a LEICA is like a long tender kiss, like firing an automatic pistol, like an hour on the analyst's couch."  

~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

Okay...

I know I just did a blog post lauding the Sony systems. I dare say, in all likelihood, the Sony Rx-1r and the NEX-6 will be near future purchases for me. They feel right for me and are very close to the requirements I think I need for my work. They fit well with my future endeavors and can probably handle my needs adequately enough...actually, more than adequately in fact. With a few exceptions, they would be the perfect compliment to my current photographic tools I employ right now.

BUT...

Not long after I did that last post, I had to come to a realization that irks me ever so slightly. You see, I've tried to make it a personal policy, especially where it comes to photography, to not compromise quality and what I want, for the sake of money. If the gear or tool that I really feel will best do the job costs more money, then so what? Make that money back in profitable gigs and earnings. And in no case do you ever settle on the cheaper or economical substitute to that quality. And to be honest, the aforementioned Sony complimentary platforms are just that...a more economical substitute in lieu of what I really want. And what I really want... is the LEICA rangefinder system.

Let me tell you why.

I mentioned in a previous blog posting that everyone needs to, at some point in their lives, fly first class, drive a luxury car on a road trip, and own a Leica. Life is too short not to experience these things at some point. Leica actually makes it difficult to be a Leica owner. There cameras are Hand-Crafted! So it takes longer to fulfill orders. Right now, most all of their digital systems are on back-order! You can't find any of their cameras anywhere right now! (With the exception of the Leica M Monochrome, currently In-Stock at B&C Camera!) But nonetheless, I got's to git it! And I understand, I could be totally wrong in this. There could be a chance that after I am a Leica owner (someday) that I won't be as impressed or might feel differently after a year's results in my work, but I don't think that is going to happen and I'm willing to take that risk. I'm still nostalgic over film, but the images I see made with the Leica have that unique aesthetic artistic appeal closer to how I felt when I used film. This needs to happen. And I blame travel for my obsession.

I didn't feel so inclined to be a Leica owner before I started serious travel considerations, which began last year while I was laid up for 4 months on crutches after my knee surgery. I had time to think about several things and dream about a even few more. Sailing was paramount. I need to get on the open seas and circumnavigate. Doing so with a Leica became the next priority, which has now worked its way up to the more immediate goal, especially after Central America last year. My focus became to return to Central America with Leica systems like the days of old when a photojournalist or explorer might have on his person a single Leica camera, a 35mm lens, and a bunch of pro-grade black and white film. They rocked with this single prime lens and returned with some of the most spectacular images you could imagine.

Today, Leica has two systems that have my perfect attention. Yes, I said two. Not just one, but two!! The Leica M Monochrome which, obviously enough, only shoots Black and White is one of my choices. I do wish it was 24mp with a CMOS sensor instead of a 18mp CCD. But where it comes up short, I'm willing to look the other way...something that's hard to say about any other camera. I didn't switch from film to digital until my standards were met. I switched from Canon to Nikon when Nikon better suited my needs. My point being, I was patient to wait for the right camera and did not jump into anything simply didn't feel right.

The other system from Leica that I am a tad bit more desperate for is the new flagship, Leica M Typ 240 and its what really brought my attention to the Leica brand. Before this, I couldn't really conceive of paying $7,000 for a camera body that wasn't even a DSLR body. But this Leica M had me at hello. It IS 24MP and is the first of the Leica brand to use CMOS sensors. Its also the first model to incorporate 1080p video, but that would not be my priority. This would be the Leica I would start with. I can always convert images to Black and White as I do now. Before the M Monochrome, I would never allow myself to shoot B&W straight out of camera. I don't want the camera making tonality decisions for me. This Leica, however, I would let order food for me in a restaurant.

Lenses are also pretty steep for Leica, but here is where I don't mind making a compromise. Zeiss makes excellent glass for the Leica rangefinder systems and many are half what the Leica dedicated lenses run. A Zeiss 35mm f/2 would run me $1100 as opposed to a Leica 35mm f/2 for $3200. I think I'd prefer one Leica lens and that's the 50mm f/1.4 Summilux for $4000. I can throw it up for grabs on a good wide-angle prime and a good telephoto prime as to what lens I would top off my lens quiver with.

So in other words, I would be out around $20 Grand to get both these cameras and lenses. Is that worth it when I could get into a comparable Sony system under $6K? Will my images be $14 thousand dollars better with the Leica cameras than Sony? Wouldn't it be just as easy to just buy another DSLR that complements the one I already have? You know what? I'm not trying to answer those questions. I only know what the hell I want and the only question that leaves me with is "How do I get my Leicas?"

*****

This is the former flagship model, the Leica M9-P. Check out this video on how its made. I wish they did a promotion piece like this for what I really want... the NEW flagship model Leica M Typ 240.

The Making of the Leica M9-P »Edition Hermès« – Série Limitée Jean-Louis Dumas from Leica Camera on Vimeo.

Eleven Ways to Reduce Camera Shake

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

"A lot of photographers think that if they buy a better camera they’ll be able to take better photographs. A better camera won’t do a thing for you if you don’t have anything in your head or in your heart." 

~ Arnold Newman

How many times have you had to throw away a shot because of instability or camera shake. I just picked up the Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 with Vibration Control. Tamron is the only lens manufacturer that makes a stabilized 24-70mm f/2.8 lens (surprisingly) and its significantly cheaper than both Canon's or Nikon's. As for this post, I'm not getting into who's got the better lens. This one is on methods to reduce camera shake and options to stabilizing your camera. I'm having to assume you understand terms such as stops, f/stop, aperture, and so forth. You may have to Google some of them if you aren't familiar with the terms of ask me in the comment section. So here we go. Eleven methods to reduce camera shake:

1. Fast Glass - Usually we're talking a lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or wider, such as an f/2, f/1.4, etc. Remember, the smaller the number, the wider the aperture. A wider aperture lets in more light, which allows for a faster shutter speed.

2. IS, VR, VC - Image Stabilization (Canon), Vibration Reduction (Nikon), Vibration Control (Tamron). These are additional features that some lenses have that allow more steadiness, especially when you are hand-holding the camera. Most of the lenses with this capability will claim 3 or 4 addition stops of control using an internal mechanism that compensates for lens movement and shake.

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

3. High Shutter Speeds - This may sound obvious, but nonetheless its the main thing that allows you to get a sharp image when photographing a moving object. Movement has to do with time and the shutter controls time. A shutter speed of 1/60th or faster will usually allow you to hand-hold your camera to shoot a slow moving subject. If you are trying to freeze the action of a passing car, you'll need to be at 1/250 or better. Try freezing the action of a baseball as it comes off a bat and you better be at 1/500th or better.

4. High ISO - ISO regulates the sensitivity of the sensor to light. High ISOs means you are increasing the sensor's sensitivity to light so it takes less light to get the same shot. This is going to depend on the quality of your camera. If you have a Canon 40D, you'll max out at ISO 1600 before the image starts to look grainy. However, if you're shooting a Canon 5D Mark III, you can go upwards of ISO 12,800 with ease. That's a 3-stop improvement. Shoot the lowest ISO you can get away with, as a general rule, but make sure you get the shot.

5. Use a Tripod - This is the easiest way to stabilize your camera. You simply take it out of your hands and put it on a tripod. Just don't go cheap. I'll talk bad about you if you spend $2000 on a camera and put it on $60 sticks. Expect to fork over $200 on a good set of legs and decent ball head, but there are definitely deals to be found. I personally like carbon fiber tripods and use this Manfrotto as my main tripod.

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

6. Flash - Shutter speeds get slow because there is not enough light coming hitting the sensor. Flash fixes this by flooding the scene with light thereby allowing a faster shutter speed. You can have flash guns (speedlights), or mono-lights on light stands. Your camera will usually sync up to 1/250th of a second with flash, but if you need to go faster, the latest flashes will have some sort of high-speed sync feature built in. I use Nikon SB-700's and Paul C. Buff Einsteins.

"I never have taken a picture I’ve intended. They’re always better or worse."

~ Diane Arbus

7. Rear Curtain Sync Flash - Wait...what?? Its called rear-curtain sync which is another feature on many flash guns. You're basically telling the flash to fire just as the rear-curtain (or second curtain) of the shutter begins to close. In the normal mode, flashes fire as soon as the shutter opens. The problem is that on longer exposures, that freezes the image initially, but since the shutter doesn't close right away, movement is still being captured on top of that frozen image. With rear-curtain sync, the flash fires right before the shutter closes, so the frozen part of the image is on top of the movement.

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

8. Cable Release - Or Remote Shutter. This keeps you from having to touch the camera at all. When you REALLY need a steady shot, even hitting the shutter release button can cause camera shake and make you miss that clean shot.

9. Mirror Lock-up - Okay so you have a cable release. If you're doing some night time photography with pin-point stars in the skyline, you can still get camera shake simply via the camera's normal operating mechanisms, specifically the mirror raising and lowering. Mirror lock-up makes you have to hit the shutter button, (or cable release button) twice. One to raise the mirror and lock it in the open position, and then again to actually open the shutter and take the picture. The mirror comes down again after the shutter closes and the operating cycle ends. This is a menu function on most digital cameras.

10. Intentionally Underexpose - This is very interesting and goes against most rules. Its often frowned upon to say, "I'll fix it in post". But essentially, that's exactly what you want to do here. If you're sitting on a shutter speed of 1/30 and you need at least 1/125th of a shutter to stop the action, you're talking about a 2-stop difference. I'll take that. By manually going to 1/125th, you are cutting the light and underexposing the image, but the action is frozen. Okay, if you're shooting RAW...no problem. You can increase that exposure those two stops again in Adobe Camera RAW or Lightroom. The important thing is to get the shot, so if it takes fixing it in post, then so be it!

Art Model, Leslie ©2013 Terrell Neasley

11. Photoshop CC Camera Shake Reduction Feature - And finally, speaking of fixing it in post...this is exactly that. The latest version of Photoshop, Photoshop CC (Creative Cloud) has a feature that does an excellent job on camera shake compensating. Whatever algorithm this thing runs to make a determination on how the image should look is phenomenal. It doesn't perform near as well with an image that is simply out of focus, though. So if you're manually focusing or if the camera auto-focuses on a point other than the spot you intended, its not going to fix that so well. But if you have good focus, but simply can't be still, its got your back. So movement issues...yes. Focus issues...not so much.