22 NZPhotographer
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE B&W
IMAGE?
I belong to a Lower Hutt group called ‘The
Fashion Creative’ whose members often
collaborate to produce pictures for the
benefit of those involved. There are some
very talented folks in the group. At last years
Christmas dinner, I was shooting Kasey in the
attic of one of the Trentham Racecourse
buildings. One of the photos of Kasey
happened to have the light fall on half her
face (almost like it was intentional) while
she was looking down at the book she was
holding. It did not work so well in colour, but in
black and white it’s magic. This is my favourite
portrait shot from the last few years (it even
hangs on my wall!), everything seemed to just
work.WHAT TIPS CAN YOU GIVE READERS FOR
SHOOTING IN BLACK AND WHITE?
Watch... learn... read... practice... share...
critique... be critiqued... rinse and repeat...
(Incidentally, this applies to all forms of
photography.)
Tips:- Make sure your photo includes ‘black’ and
‘white’, not just 50 shades of grey. - Pay attention to shapes, lines, shadows,
patterns and textures. - Shoot RAW.
- Contrast is your friend.
- Darker blacks make for brighter whites.
- Adjust the ‘colours’ that make up the image
(B&W sliders in LR).
Photography is like anything, without practice,
there is no improvement. With digital cameras,
all it will cost you is time and storage. There is
no right; there is no wrong; there is only what
you like.
HOW CAN PEOPLE GET OUT OF A
CREATIVE RUT IN PHOTOGRAPHY WHILST
IMPROVING THEIR SKILLS?
Both the 365 Challenge and the 52 Week
Challenge are excellent ways of getting out of
a creative rut, especially when they are task
related: “this week you shall take a photo of...
”.
Another suggestion is to join a camera club.
I have things that interest me and I tend
to pursue those things. Joining a camera
club has opened me up to a whole host ofdifferent ideas that I had not thought of. As
an example, I attended an Eva Polak macro
impressionism workshop. That opened my eyes
to new ways of seeing the very small and has
given me different techniques to apply to
other forms of photography as well.
But even more than that, carry your camera
around with you. Everywhere. Not your whole
kit, but something small that is inconspicuous
and quick to use. That way, while you go
about your daily life, you have an opportunity
to catch moments that you would otherwise
not be prepared for. Who knows, this may
begin a photographic journey in an entirely
new direction.TELL US ABOUT YOUR INTRODUCTION TO
EXCIO AND WHY YOU LIKE OUR APP...
I met Ana through a good friend when she was
developing Excio and agreed to be a guinea
pig for her while the app was being developed
and tested.
What I enjoy most about the Excio app is
seeing other people’s take on things and
being able to get a little of the backstory
about the photo that I am seeing. There are
as many different ways to take a photograph
as there are photographer’s and Excio is a
platform where not just the photo is being
shared, but often stories about how that photo
came into being and what it represents/
means to the photographer.
There are many talented people on the Excio
platform and with the worldwide coverage
Excio brings, even a small tin pot photographer
has a chance at being appreciated by many.WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE?
facebook.com/tuenzinstagram.com/thelongsilenceinstagram.com/thelongportrait500px.com/thelongsilencealbums.excio.io/profile/The Untrained Eye