Boal of Soul Photography: 2010

I realize that time has been my arch-enemy of late, and it's like watching water down a drain...not sure where the water goes, but I know it eventually evaporates.

If anything, my visions have just been honing themselves, as I've tried photographing high-end knives:

And that is just one big learning curve. I have always loved a challenge, and I like pulling my hair, but not one by one over a crazy amount of time. I'm not sure if I got the job, but I now have chest hair! Lighting shiny metal objects is one thing, but when you also need to capture the detail on the blade, and also show off the blade's edge, and not catch any other reflections, then we're talking about a something other than snapshots. For anyone who wants the dirt on the details: I used a foam core box that I created (least expensive light tent) out of those white tri-fold foam core presentation boards, and added a white foam core top and bottom. I used a hotlight on a boom arm, pointed at the ceiling of the box, and then held another smaller piece of foam core, wrapped in a light gray (to bring out the blade's details). I had to hold the gray board just right, so that it wouldn't cover the blade's edge, and so that could be highlighted.

I've taken a few trips out with the camera, but mainly, I've gotten one of those prized "iPhones" that people will beat you up to own. They definitely live up to the hype in a lot of ways, but I think they should have an app for bringing breakfast in bed. Or finding your car, when you can't remember where you parked it! I didn't think I'd become a cell phone photographer, and with such a wide angle and only 3MP, it's laughable, as the images are really only worthy of being posted online, or at best 4x6" images. Here's a few highlights:

I think quality is definitely something that can't be compromised when it comes to imagery, however, when you're trying to convey a moment, it could be blurry, grainy, distorted, or whathaveyou, and it wouldn't matter. Essence always trumps.

The digital age has made all of us a photographer. I'd like to think that all my studying has given me an edge, but I've seen some exquisite photography by people who have no concept of how light works through a little medium called a camera. Beauty always lies in the beholder, I say. It doesn't matter if you haven't harnessed the craft of an artform, if you're able to express it, in a way that moves someone, then it becomes art.

There is definitely something to be said for sharpness and high res images....where you can see every pore on someones skin (notice that those pores have been glossed over in Photoshop by the professionals who deal in fashion photography, or any images you see in magazine advertising!). I used to always love shooting black & white at 3200 ISO, because it created a dreamy graininess. I thought sharpness was overrated. I think that focus and detail are important to conveying your message.