AC Johnson Photography Education » landscape photography

Preparation H

Alec — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:03:38 +0000

Consistent, quality photography is generally not an accident or product of happenstance. Its a product of management and preparation. I now spend less than 1% of my time on any shoot actually pushing that silly little shutter button.

I recently had a teaching client in my studio working on a shoot. I had worked with this client previously, watched his behavior and listened to his words. His behavior was anxious, nervous, uncertain, lacking confidence. His words were, “I don’t like pre-visualization, I just like to go with the flow.” I’m not judging this behavior as poor; its a natural part of the learning process, but can regularly lead to less than optimal outcomes. So this time around I forced him into the studio the day before his shoot for several hours of preparation. Check lighting with props, nail down some camera settings, anticipate HOW you want to shoot, work with computers and software so your process is clear. The outcome of the shoot was amazing, some of the best work he has done yet, in which he was able to focus on the model and shoot and eliminate dealing with pre-shoot issues. He has become a fan of what this really means and a blog post started brewing in my head. Then good friend and outstanding photographer, Matt Gibson, stated recently in his blog post, “My job as a photographer is to continually revisit subjects… refining my composition and learning my environment. When conditions arrive, I’ll be best able to ‘react’ and head right to the spot to capture the masterpiece.” Matt is actually saying the exact same thing only relating it to a different subject matter and environment.

I hated learning this lesson. I learned it while assisting another amazing photographer, Bryan Allen, on some wedding shoots. The man will drive any reasonable person bat-shit insane with his preparation for a shoot (or a workshop or a trip to the store). Scout the location 76 times, go through lighting possibilities for hours, walk the property again in the blazing heat and humidity, go over equipment, count batteries, make sure everything is packed just so, have his system down for backing up files (I still owe you for that hiccup Bryan:)), consider all possibilities for how and what he might want to shoot or “pre-visualize,” and have the gear and assistants to accomplish those ideas. Oh, but he produces great photography all the time and I finally found the cure for that nervous, uncomfortable, itchy, burning, anxious feeling I had going into shoots: PREPARATION H(elps). Using a little will allow you to more consistently produce better work.

Here are three broad and related categories of PREPARATION H for you to consider in your workflow:

ANY CHARACTER HERE

1) The Scout – Do you need to scout in your studio? To some degree, YES. Location portrait and Landscape, absolutely. Its all about getting familiar with your surroundings, shooting angles, opportunities and threats to the shoot; test shoot to anticipate problems and opportunities that the casual walk through may not reveal.

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2) The Timing – If I’m working with a model, how much time do I have? When does the shoot begin and when should the model arrive so hair, makeup, wardrobe, etc is managed to fit in the time frame allowed? If I’m on location I want to anticipate light conditions, weather conditions, driving time, time to haul gear and get set up. Is any of this happening in the dark? Do I have flashlights? Have I walked it in daylight to anticipate any dangerous areas of travel? Is there parking for everyone involved? The Scout is a very helpful in this process; If its a wedding, have I gone over with the bride exactly what the schedule is and when/where formal portraits will be shot? What’s the light in that spot at that time and what do I need to control it?

ANY CHARACTER HERE

3) The Needs – What gear do I need, photography and otherwise, right down to bottles of water and power bars, to keep me in the best creative place? Does my client have the gear he or she needs to be successful for the shoot? Does someone have a physical limitation that will impact the shoot. Can your assistant handle the weight and awkwardness of studio gear? Is there a need for an assistant who has GREAT people skills with a particular client/shoot?

Consistently shooting better work is not about pressing the shutter button. Its about management and preparation for the shoot.

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Rush City Grain Elevator

Alec — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:34:05 +0000

Yep, another grain elevator shot. Whew, how many of these can any of you take? Well, we’ll find out. I’m going to start including a short video on my thoughts regarding the WHY of the image post as well as the HOW of it. Today is the first of these. Please feel free to post any questions or comments about the image and/or video.

THANK YOU.

Rush City Grain Elevator from Alec Johnson on Vimeo.

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Space Series #3, Painting with Light and Exhibition

Alec — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:10:57 +0000

Hi Gang,

Today’s series of images was with my client, Mary Jane. She is my favorite type of client because her only objective was to have fun and document this moment in her life. One of her defining characteristics is a love of flowers. She has her own side business designing floral arrangements and her favorite flower is the, umm, whatever is in these photos. I forget. So, a flower theme was part of our shoot and I want to share some of those images. You are now familiar with the panoramic format on white I’ve been using lately and have some ideas of where it might go, but I am generally enjoying this finished look. Mary Jane and I then went a little astray and decided to try some painting with light. I taped to her finger tips some small LED lights I got from Radio Shack, along with these little flat batteries, and went to work experimenting and playing. I’ve included two of those images as well.

Landscape Exhibition Opening

Tomorrow night, Friday April 23rd, is the opening reception from 7-10pm at the Minneapolis Photo Center. Click here for Google Map. I have one image from Duluth Harbor on display. Please come join me for an evening of viewing great landscape photography.

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Photo Ciritique Episode 3

Alec — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:19:10 +0000

Hi Gang,

I’m posting a new photo critique. This recording also announces a new website I’ve been developing on behalf of the Twin Cities Area Council of Camera Clubs. Please visit and register. The site has some really cool features and opportunities for folks in the Twin Cities and beyond. The address is http://www.tcphotonow.com To view ALL the content, you must register. I’m publishing my video content there and here as well, but my blog will remain just that; a blog. The new site is for an entirely different purpose. ok, ‘nough said.

Today’s photo came through TC Photo Now and is a landscape image. In this photo critique I discuss the components of constructing a landscape photograph as well as how we can use color theory to create depth and movement in an image.

Photo Critique Episode 3 from Alec Johnson on Vimeo.

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(I)Black and White Photography: Capella Tower and B/W Adjustment Layer Tricks

Alec — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:21:19 +0000

Today’s image is from a recently completed commercial shoot of the Capella Tower, downtown Minneapolis, MN. The management claims its the tallest skyscraper in Minneapolis by 1 foot, towering over the IDS building.

After completing my work in color for the client, I decided to play around with the image in black and white. Its MUCH different in black and white, especially with the treatment I used which I’ll share with you.

I used two adjustment layers and the first one is not intuitive, but a process I’ve started using more often because I really like the look. So, here it is:

1) On top of the background layer I added a Black and White adjustment layer, BUT I changed the adjustment layer blending mode to “Multiply.” You can experiment with different blending modes and just doing this can give a great effect to the color version of the image.

2) On top of that I added a second Black and White adjustment layer and worked the colors until I had what I wanted.

Simple. Play with blending modes on a Black and White adjustment layer. You’ll be very surprised with the results.

Cheers,

Alec

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(I)Landscape Photography: Osseo barn, silo, Jane and farm dog

Alec — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:52:08 +0000

Last weekend I went to Madison, WI for a halloween/Badgers Football/euchre/croquet weekend with some friends. On may down I decided to take an hour to just PLAY around in the Osseo, WI area. Despite its international fame for the Norski Nook pies, Osseo is really just a sleepy farming community. It was cold, cloudy and blustery and I felt this could produce some nice conditions for photography. I exited the interstate and started driving around.

My first lap around the community yielded a few photographic opportunities, but I had yet to get out of the car. Then I swung back in towards town and saw a worn one-lane road cut back crossways up a hill and quickly out of sight; the kind of road that grabs you around the wrists and snaps you into its gaze. A 1/4 mile down that road I saw some old silos peaking over a hillside of corn and thought, “This is a good place to start. Stretch my legs, get the shutter moving a little bit.” Almost immediately a dog runs down the road and cozies up to me with a huge smile and familiar body language that said, “excuse me, dear stranger, but would you drop what you’re doing and please pet me?” How could I say no? While giving the old timer a good scratch his owner, Jane Brown, came down the road to say hello.

Jane grew up on farms around the area and was full of advice on good photography spots. I spread my map out on the hood of the car and Jane gave me route right down to Fuller Coulee. 53south, left on EE, right on something, then figure your own way on to Fuller Coulee. I don’t even know what a coulee is, but was it stunning. On my way down into the coulee I came across this barn which caught my attention enough to stop and photograph. This is when I appreciate photography the most; no other agenda than to just drive around and be present, without a care for what gets photographed. Meet the Jane Brown’s and their dogs and snap the shutter a few times. play.

Technical: Canon 1Ds MarkII, 70-200mm lens at 100mm, ISO 100, f/16, Singh Ray Vari-ND filter, Singh Ray 4 stop split ND, 25 second exposure

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Landscape Photography: Giving Up #1

Alec — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:26:11 +0000

Today’s image is the first of three I’ll be posting as a series titled, “Giving Up.” In early Octoboer, 2009 I left Saint Paul at 3 am to catch sunrise on Lake Superior in Duluth. The forecast was for rain, it rained all the way up I35, then stopped in Duluth. Then started again in Two Harbors and never let up the rest of the day. “Perfect” I thought to myself. I’m not at a computer, I’m not working, I do have my cell phone, but thank you ATT for having bad service on the North Shore. No pushing. Its so easy to push hard, natural for many of us. To take hold of circumstances, engineer a vision or outcome, start pushing on the objects we think we need or can help us construct this vision, often times repeating the same processes we’ve employed in the past. This is not good or bad behavior, but we can’t assume it will actually produce the outcome we desire. My entrepreneur friends should notice I’m speaking directly at them.

Nor does it guarantee that we’ll feel good about the process when we’re done.

“Perfect” I thought again. I can’t lose today. Its horrible weather, so no expectations on the photography, just get settled into being here, explore areas I haven’t explored before, and just keep moving. At times I still love exploring. Maybe its just looking at land for sale around the arrowhead, maybe its taking the recommendation of my friend Lavonne; that gravel road “shortcut” to the top of Carleton Peak or the trail up the east side of the Beaver River that might give me a entirely new perspective (I’ve looked Lavonne, the trail isn’t there:)). In the next installment of Giving Up, it will be the turnout on Hwy1 near Finland. The “turnout.” Its not marked, its not used much. It was magical.

In taking this attitude, in avoiding the same routines I usually use, in giving up on the idea of taking good pictures, I was able to have one of the finest days of personal photography I’ve had in a long time. This was the last image created on that day in early October. I shot this at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, let Kaya out for a run, and headed home.

Technical: ISO 50, f/10, 2 second shutter, manual exposure mode, camera flash set to manual and rear curtain sync with no flash compensation

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(V) (I) Landscape Photography Tutorial: Duluth Harbor Black and White

Alec — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:26:01 +0000

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Hi Gang, today’s post is an image and video tutorial of a photo I captured on Oct. 2, 2009 in Duluth Harbor. Some may recall the storm that passed through there and I showed up on the back side of it, when things had calmed just a little. The structure in this image is the Fort Whitney unloading dock, used in the 1920’s to unload sand and gravel dug from the bottom of Lake Superior. To get a more complete story and great black and white photo from 1920, click here.

This image is also available for purchase in print form at my fine art site, ACJ FINE ART PHOTO, exclusively in 16×24 inches on traditional metallic photographic paper or canvas!

I’ve produced a 12 minute tutorial on black and white photography and the production of today’s image. I hope you enjoy it.

Creating The Image: Black and White Digital Photography from Alec Johnson on Vimeo.

Welcome to my New Photography Site

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Welcome to my New Photography Site

Alec — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:44:14 +0000

NEW NEWS Well, I did it again. I have a new site with a new domain name and for good reason. The short of it is a change of focus and a need for better SEO (don’t worry if you don’t know what that means). Those two simple sounding issues created a number of large headaches, now cured! Many, many thanks to my good friend, Matt Albiniak, for overseeing the overhaul. THANK YOU MATT!!!!!

What’s new? I’ll be offering more workshops and that information will be available here, including online workshops. I’ll be producing more video tutorials, and I’ll be blogging in a more traditional sense about photography. Most of this new blog activity will be found in the “News” category. I will blog frequently, but I don’t know if I’ll blog regularly. Hmmmm…..

So, if you’re in to pictures or you’re just a good friend that puts up with me, then I’ll send you an email when I’ve posted a new image (like today). If you’re really into photography, you may want to subscribe via RSS to keep up with the frequent “News” posts, or subscribe in the “ENEWS & UPDATES” area. If you prefer, you can follow on Facebook via Networked Blogs and always feel free to share a post on Facebook or other social media using the new sharing feature found in the posts. Ok, please subscribe one way or another, if you haven’t already.

OTHER NEW NEWS I’m in a new studio as of Wednesday, Oct. 30th, located in Edina, MN. I love referrals for studio work and if you have an idea for creative studio photography you’re interesting in trying, let me know. I’m usually game. You can view my portfolio of studio work at my commercial website.

Fine Art Gallery: Please visit the Fine Art Gallery to purchase fine art prints. The design needs tweaking but the site is fully functional. If you have questions regarding a print, feel free to contact me directly.

Regarding today’s post:

Today’s post was shot from a perspective shown to me by a 2009 Digital Landscape Workshop participant, Amy Okaya. I was so taken with the image she produced from this spot that a few weeks later I went back on Sept. 10, 2009 and shot my own take on it. This was sunrise at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. What stunned me was how many new ways there are to see an old subject and all it took was a fresh set of eyes to show me. Perhaps there is a lesson in there for all of us, regardless of what we pursue????

Technical: ISO100, f/8, 2 stop bracket exposure, 3 frames total, High Dynamic Range (HDR) with Photomatix software.

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Scouting The Workshop on the Gitche Gumee

Alec — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:08:01 +0000

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I’m still digesting the amazing workshop week we all experienced. I have to send out a BIG THANK YOU to all the participants, including Marek, Amy, Mark, Sharon, Chet, and Travis, who assisted and contributed to the wonderful vibe of the group.

I went out Sunday afternoon before the workshop to scout a trail in Gooseberry State Park. I decided to just shoot “long” regardless, forcing myself to see differently and in hard light. This image was near the end of the Gitche Gumee trail on the bluff overlooking the mouth of the Gooseberry River. I’ve used some selective focus technique that has become a little popular in some circles and I’m curious to know you’re reaction to both the image and the post production technique.

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