Tag Archives: Dreams

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

Ricoh GRD4 …. is in the Pocket

May 29, 2013 streetshooter Leave a comment

Making images that reflect your intent and that brings forth your inner vision is what it’s all about. Not everyone is into photography this deep and to those I say, next post will be easier. I’m not a fancy technician at all and I’m just a guy that knows what he wants and finds a way to get it.

This is the DNG exported with nothing done to it.

This is the Ricoh JPG direct from the camera

This is what was in my minds eye at time of framing and release. This processed in LR 4.4 and using my Presets. The Preset is Brownie R. This one is designed to give the appearance of my Portriga prints in my own Brown Developer.

I think that’s Minor White’s shadow but he left before I could make a positive identification. The idea here is to see what everyone else sees with the camera and then to find your visual interpretation of what you are making images of.

This is the DNG file out of the camera. I knew there was a photo happening but had to see it to make it…..

This is the Ricoh JPEG out of the camera. Most would stop here or maybe play a little bit either in or out of the camera.

This is my interpretation of the scene. It’s the same preset as above. No additional work was done other then a pres on the preset name. I’ve worked very hard to get my images to look and feel and breathe the way I want. I’m not trying to sell you presets or anything. I’m only trying to show how to expand your mind to find what lives beyond the surface of your vision.

Don

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

Cellograph Journal …. Page 5

May 26, 2013 streetshooter Leave a comment

What I am starting to like about the cellograph camera is that there’s no neck strap. The camera is in your hand. To be discreet with this is not such an easy task. remember that everyone has one and is educated enough to know when your using it as a camera… or are they.

People don’t take you too serious. I guess that’s a good thing or there would be more tension on the streets than there is already.

Funny, I am completely in tune with the iPhone 5 focal length. It’s the only camera I have that’s dedicated to my Natural Field Of View….35mm. Hmmmm, that is interesting, isn’t it?

All in all I feel that this iPhone thing is not a passing fancy. I thought I’d just use it and write about it just to make an article for the Inspired Eye magazine. It seems that is far from the truth. I see myself checking out what other shooters are doing with it. Of course some of those are well beyond the casual cellograph shooter. I will invite some for the issue and do an interview with them.

It’s Memorial Day Weekend and all my Patriot brothers and sisters are out on the bikes. I’ll be out tomorrow on the bus and el but at the end of the day, it’s the same thing. Besides, once I get home, I can drink a beer, put the news on, call Olivier from my uh..uh..camera phone and then let my little buddy Barsik check out the pics on the phone……

Till later…..later….shooter out………………………………………………………………….

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

Fuji X20 may not be an … iPhone … but it’s a heck of a Camera

May 23, 2013 streetshooter

It’s late here in Philly and I’m fixin to hit the sack, as they say. There’s a lot to say but it’s late. Maybe my thoughts will reach you thru these few photos……

iPhone5, Fuji X20, Pen3, GRD4, M’s…it’s all the same to me.

Till tomorrow…….

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

Cellograph Journal …. Page 3

May 22, 2013 streetshooter 1 Comment

The important thing with any camera is that it not intrude on your vision. The camera should be with you but in a quiet way.

The iPhone 5 has done exactly that. It has just been here in my hand and not created any intrusion at all…well, except when it rings. My subject matter hasn’t really changed nor has my approach. My stance has adjusted to the phone. There’s definitely a sense of intimacy that crawls up your back working with a phone.

Here’s a shooters observation and I’m sure a very obvious one but not to me. Most people on the street don’t have a traditional camera with them. So when one pops up, it’s easy to figure out what is going to happen.

The thing with a phone is that everybody has one and everybody knows you have a camera and everybody else does too. So it’s not easy to be discreet. It’s not easy to be relaxed and just in the zone of awareness. You can get there but there’s an edge that comes along for the ride.

So I ask myself a question and have not found the complete answer. If the phone is very much like a camera and it has the inhibitions surrounding it like any other camera, why then not just use a camera? Well, the phone is a camera. It’s a great device and it’s light, compact, fast, unobtrusive and the list goes on…..

I will continue the quest for a complete answer tomorrow, well maybe this evening as the phone is always on me……

later my friends……..don

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter

Cellograph Journal …. page 2

May 18, 2013 streetshooter Leave a comment

there’s a freedom working with a cellphone. Compact…well, it don’t get much more compact than a phone. With the freedom the phone offers comes another kind of freedom that the shooter must come to terms with. That freedom is IQ. Of course the phone can’t compete in the IQ arena against traditional cameras but then again…the phone offers a freedom from that dreaded PIXEL PEEPING syndrome.

What this means is…the shooter now has nothing to do but make the best photo of his/her intent without the restrictions of the limiting IQ factor. Oh…don’t get it wrong. A good photo is still the goal it’s just that now the cell shooter is no longer burdened with weight etc.

A long time ago I sat back with a Pen 1 in my hand and I felt that I missed working with my Leica’s and missed my beautiful darkroom. I missed the winding of the film, the smell of fixer on my hands, the camera bag with the bodies, lenses and film. I was all digital and I had moved on. I remained focused on my images and my intent and after a short period of time, I found them once again in the digital world.

I was on the bus coming home and I was checking out the riders as I always do. I turned the camera on and everything else off. I turn off the apps because it conserves power but more importantly, it visually turns off everything I’m doing except the camera.

I aimed the camera….my thumb pressed the release….I waited, waited…framed as we hit bumps……..

I realized I had a very good camera in my hand and then…….CLICK!

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

The iPhone 5 Is In Da House

May 15, 2013 streetshooter 3 Comments

First off, here’s a few from the other day just to set the tone of this post and every post for the future of mankind and cameras….well, let’s not get carried away but I am a very happy camper.

The above are with the Mighty Pen 3 and 14mm. I know, the Pen3 is an antique sensor and I’m nuts for using it. Well, that word nuts describes a lot about me and my thinking….. So, if your really a shooter you understand the Mighty Pen.

The above 2 are the iPhone 5 in color. I did use my Presets and will tweak them again but so far, so good. I could be tempted to just use the iPhone for a while and I will do so, without using any other camera for about a month. This is not easy because I have a very good working relationship with all my cameras. Nontheless, a month will be sufficient to get to know the camera in the phone.

Listen my friends…..I know all about pixels, grain, noise and all the other negative things people dwell upon and go crazy. Unfortunately, I am into the image. That being the case, my priority is and always will be….the image I see in my head or discover in front of my eyes.

I am not ever going to be ruled by the conventions that gear heads live by if they are not image makers first.

….to be continued…….

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Some more stuff from yesterday

May 11, 2013 streetshooter Leave a comment

I didn’t have time to process everything yesterday. Now that’s a funny thought to me. I used to run home and soup my negs. Then plan when I could print. There was never enough time to get it all done. Now, with digital…here I am again. I just can’t get it all done.

A few photos demanded my attention. Not just esthetically but because they were perfect test images for my presets. Yeah, yeah….a new set is being cooked…..without onions.

Yeah, of course …. heavy discount code for followers and from Magazine subscribers etc. I’m not here to sell anything, I’m just explaining about these images.

Example # 1.

This is from a version of “Afterlife”. Great preset, I bought it, it’s so good. Sometimes I need to adjust the highs down a little tiny itty bitty bit. ……. then the shadows sometimes need a little raise …. well this is about that.

It’s how I feel when I am in a scene that has a certain light in it. Of course the scene itself must work and this does to my eyes.

Example # 2.

I like GRIT…. GRIT = LIFE!

I had no choice but to make this photo. The entire scene just called to me. When I saw her sweater and the patterns against the windows and buildings…..well….CLICK! This is from a preset that is modified from a released version named 8th St.

Example # 3.

Can you believe Olivier? I work soooo hard for many hours, daze, weeks etc just to get a preset pack the way I want.

Da kid….yeah da kid comes along, takes preset 7th St Color and makes a variation and by Jove…..it’s great. I ain’t no fancy dancy color shooter. I’m just a regular B&W shooter that has a fancy for what I have a fancy for.

This preset is the basis for the new color ones in the set. I can’t give him credit cause I’ll never hear the end of it but he done good.

If you want to try a few to see if they work in your work flow, drop me a line anywhere and I’ll get a few to you. No charge for the pleasure of doing so.

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

The Fuji X20 as a Street Camera…..Part 2

May 6, 2013 streetshooter 2 Comments

I ain’t no fanboy, can’t be ’cause I don’t know what it is. Just cause I was a Hippie in the 60’s, don’t mean I’m Hip enough now to know about these things.

Let me start by saying what I really hate about the X20 on and off the Streets. It…….hmmmmmmm?

So now that that’s outta the way…here’s some more things I like about this camera. Now bear with me here and keep this between you and me. I don’t want this getting out. It’s got this zoomie lens on it. Shame, shame Shooter….a ZOOMIE?

Now I ain’t one to spread rumors and such but this here shot was at I think 112mm. I know, I know…..a tele shot, in color! Well, this was on the way back from yhe VA…so that’s my story and I’m sticking with it….

The X20 has a wonderful lens and to go with it, extremely fast, accurate Auto Focus…at every focal length. Put that in a small compact camera with great Image Stabilization and you have the making for a wonderful camera. I don’t use the viewfinder but I like it. I didn’t use it above but should have. I forgot about it because the screen is just so good.

On or off the street, this camera is very cool. Look, here’s the thing. I am a shooter. I have been for almost 5 decades. I learned one thing that I never forgot or even got complacent about. The IMAGE!

I love photographs. I love mine, that’s woman’s over there and yours. I don’t need all kinds of things in a camera but I do need a camera to be an active part of my creative process. I need a camera to help me capture the image without intruding on my vision.

There are many cameras that can do the task at hand if….one takes the time to form a collaboration with the camera. I am in the process of adapting the X20 to my process. Unfortunately, this camera can’t ever be a tool to work with. I feel bad about that but I must say that my cameras are not tools, they are my friends and work with me to make the images I get credit for.

Every camera that I thought about being a tool, well…..they were put on eBay.

I normally keep the X20 on 28mm. It just feels natural to me and that in itself is a pleasure. As I stated on my last post, I set the camera to MF and use 4′ as my focus distance at 28mm. I use f/5.6 but am covered from f/4 – f/8.

The Raw files convert to B&W or Color easy. Of course I use my Presets and they are tailored to my vision and my camera’s files.

This is a real serious street camera. It’s very compact, very fast and above all….it reconfigures on the spot.
This shot above…. I was coming out of the Trolley tunnel, the camera was set to AF at f?2 because I was in very low light. As soon as I saw this scene develop, I was able to in a matter of seconds to get the camera set and make this shot. I love the little man on the man’s head…..

I’m weird but have cool cameras……..

Later….don

Dreamcatcher, Inspired Eye, Off Street, Photography, Street, Street Photography, Street Presets, Streetshooter, Uncategorized

The Fuji X20 as a Street Camera…….and More

May 5, 2013 streetshooter 16 Comments

This is not a review, well, not a traditional review. These are my thoughts and findings on the Fuji X20.

With any camera that I use and hopefully end up keeping, I need certain things from it. The most important is…..the non intrusion, don’t bug me when I’m working, I’ll adjust you when I need to thing. Yeah, that’s a big sentence with a whole lot of meaning. The X20 is up to the chore. As my feelings respond to the street, so must my camera adjust to those feelings. I need to be able to change working settings without hassle.

With the camera in Manual Focus, the focus scale is tricky. Do not pay attention to the DOF marks…they are so wrong. The actual focus mark is close. So, I set the focus indicator to 4′. At f/4,… f/5.6,… f/8,… I get around 3′ or less to about infinity in very acceptable focus. Of course this is using 28mm. I may try DOF settings at other focal lengths but not for a spell. If anyone else has tested and has settings….I’d be glad to post them and give you credit.

I would also give you free copies of the free magazine.

The Auto Focus is very fast and accurate. From 28mm to 112mm, the focus is almost instantaneous. The AF Target Box is very easy to change size. This is very important to me as I change it to suite the light and movement.

Just click the control wheel up…then use the jog wheel to adjust size. Can’t get easier or better than this.

The finder works very well and I tested it so that I know what it sees. It’s nice and now that I know how it works, I can forget about it. The screen is where it’s at…for any camera. Here’s a very cool thing. Sometimes I shoot chest shots. The camera is on a neck strap and hanging around my neck against my chest. The sensor turns off the screen and saves power because your shooting without the screen anyway. This is real nice to save power and also if your in a darker area, no light from the screen.

I go from neck strap to wrist strap in a flash. I use the Le Hook and that’s as fast as it gets.

It’s Sunday morning… 0755 and I need more coffee and I have to mow the lawn. I’ll take the X20 with me cause it’s a great macro shooter also…..

to be continued…….

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1st of May Walkabout Philly Photo Shoot Day….

May 1, 2013 streetshooter Leave a comment

…….hold on a minute dude…….. I’ll bring my friends up to par. See, I have a one on one this morning with Randy. Ok….

Randy…..your camera has to be at the ready…… I take Randy’s camera and look at the setup……we are on the magic escalator at the FTC…..the light there waits Click! for no one…..

….Randy ask me how I saw and made that photo in just a second or two. Randy, that’s why we are here together so you can forget everything and start using what you learned.

I have to admit, the X20 was ready because I know where I’m at and what I can find there. He thought that the X20 was really a cool fast camera. It is and so is the GRD4, the Pen3, the 5D11 and the Canon G9. It’s about setup Randy….all the people reading this know that and never have an issue getting that decisive second.

Click!

So Randy has a real nice Nex 6. Nice camera. I tell him to learn to use the screen…..I mean he’s looking at the finder all the time. USE THE SCREEN Randy! See that guy right above these words….yeah, that’s him….I saw at the moment before exposure,a photo. Now I won’t use it for myself but workshop time is here and I will use it for that.

Randy saw the import into Lightroom and the magic of the preset…..one click and that’s what is up above. So I answered all the questions Randy thru at me and I helped with the setup and he is happy. I asked about breakfast and he said it was on him…..

We ate at my unfavorite grease pit and all was fine for a 1st of May Day Walkabout Philly Photo Shoot.

Ya know, sometimes I make regular street photos also….like the guy above…..no…he doesn’t make photos…he makes a photo….See the arm action and the posture…tell tale sign of a photo.

More sane craziness later………

Street Photography Chronicles by Don Springer