Notindoor photography magazine april 2016

NOTINDOOR

LANDSCAPEANDFINEARTPHOTOGRAPHYMAGAZINE

+ Exclusive interview with - Karl Taylor + $600 Photo contest winners announcement + Take A Ride on the Chuck Wagon - Interview + Gear Review – Gitzo GT2531EX Tripod + Conquest or on the Ethics of Photography + Shooting Figures In Landscape and much more! photo by Allan Pudlitzke

NOTINDOORPHOTOGRAPHY | Issue #5 | 4.1.2016 | Los Angeles, CA

1

FIRST WORDS /

Moshe Levis

Let me start by saying that we almost couldn’t publish this issue.

And no, it is not an April’s fools joke.

On March 20th our computers got stolen, along with an iPad Air 2. That iPad saveed us all. Haha. Long story short (very short) we were able to track the iPad and found all of our stolen itmes. The theives are in jail now. Happy ending (for us).

As you will see in this issue, we have improved a few things in the magazine. We’ll keep on perfecting it as much as possible in order to take NOTINDOOR magazine to the top of the world.

We are very happy to tell you about our two very talented new local writers who will get you fresh and interesting articles in the magazine and on our website’s blog (news, gear etc). These writers are: John Fredricks

Erick Monrrigo

A couple of weeks ago, we have sent you an exciting email that we are going to give a try to printed copies of our magazine. We offered 20-50 free copies, so we simply asked our readers who’s interested and the response was actually overwhelming! We got hundreds of requests from readers around the world. Everybody wants a copy!

That is one of the reasons we are working on a new crowdfunding campaign. A campaign that can defenitely include many of our readers, so stay tuned.

As we keep growing our magazine we are going to put more focus towards helping our planet Earth. We want to do whatever it takes to help our planet heal from what we have all done to it.

If you are interested in writing articles that relate to that topic, feel free to let us know. The word must spread, from ear to ear, through billions of people. Hopefully we’ll make a difference.

O’ and guess what. We have winner announcements! Yup! The first contest of NOTINDOOR was a succesful one, with hundreds of beautiful and meaningful images. The panel of judges had to think very hard.

Congratulations to the winners. You’ll find them in this issue ;) Until the next time, Moshe Levis and the NOTINDOOR team 2 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

3

BY ORHAN YILMAZ - Congratulations on this placement and the $200 cash prize 4 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

NOTINDOOR PHOTOOFTHEMONTH click here to submit your photos to next month’s contest. You can win $200 and a placement right here.

For More From Orhan: Website

5

FEATURED THIS MONTH

Moshe Levis

Roberto Pavic

Photographer /Writer / Founder / CEO

Photographer / Writer

It’s all about the beauty of our world. I capture photos of whatever attracts me and inspires me. I shoot portraits, wildlife, macro, landscapes and many personal and original projects.

Roberto Pavic, also known as roblfc1892, is landscape and concert award winning photographer. His landscape photos you can find here on 500px, as well as his best concert photos, but his full albums (because of the big number of photos) you can find on his FB profile.

We started NOTINDOOR in December of 2015 and we’ll keep making it better!

Allan Pudlitzke

Katherine Kifa

Living in Northwest my entire life kept the fire of traveling burning.

Camping, hiking and sports help my photography skills as I do it part time while being a technology consultant.

ent countries on 4 continents, participated in the UNESCO Iinternational Forum on Human Rights, and conferences on Sustainable Development.

Photographer / Writer / COO

Photographer / Writer Kathrine has been to more than 30 differ-

Vishpala Kadam

Bill Dobbins

Photographer /Writer

Photographer / Writer

I am a photographer and travel blogger who loves to roam around, take pictures, write travel blogs and show the world through my lens - the reason for my portfolio ‘Speaking Lens’.

Bill Dobbins THE BODY PHOTOGAPHER became well known for his male and female physique photos - images of the aesthetic, athletic body. Using the same distinctive personal style, characterized by strong graphics and a classic look in both color and BW...

Indu M

Erick Monrrigo

Though I express myself through painting and writing, photography is the most comfortable medium for me. I am drawn to anything under the sun and enjoy the thought process behind creating each image.

Erick Giovanni Monrrigo is a creative animal with an adventurous heart. He’s a writer foremost and photographer second, but that changes every week. He graduated with a bachelors in Creative Writing from the University of California, Riverside but has been writing since the womb.

Photographer /Writer

Photographer / Writer

Roberto Sysa Moiola

Peter Vanderhoof

Born in Morbegno (SO), in Valtellina, in 1978, where he still lives surrounded by his beloved Alps. Professional freelance photographer since 2000, he works with the main magazines of the sector concerning mountain landscape, yet not disdaining collaborations related to other aspects of nature and travels.

Born in So. Ca., first introduced to cameras at 4 yrs old. Would be an “other kid” in today’s society. Creative beyond my own understanding, 1st darkroom at 16, published above the fold, on the front page in 1976, freelance.

I did nine yrs photo Editor at Feather Publishing Co.

Photographer /Writer

Karl Taylor

Photographer/Instructor

6 NOTINDOOR

John Fredricks

Photographer / Writer

Steven Servantez

Photographer / Writer

Dirk Ross

Photographer / Writer

www.notindoor.com

Photographer / Writer

Jacob Merrill

Photographer / Writer

Chuck Fazio Photographer

Kathy Newcomer

Photographer / Writer

FEATURED ARTICLES

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH - Interview with Karl Taylor

NORWAY LOFOTEN / Roberto Sysa

TAKE A RIDE ON THE CHUCK WAGON (INTERVIEW) / Allan Pudlitzke

HOW TO - CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIAL / Roberto Pavic

SMALL WONDERS OF NATURE / Vishpala Kadam

TRIPIN’: AROUND THE WORLD I GO / Katherine Kifa

contents

7

FEATURED ARTICLES

FIGURES IN LANDSCAPE / Bill Dobbins

WHY CAPTURING PORTRAITS IS IMPORTANT, TO ME / Kathy Newcomer

GEAR REVIEW / Peter Vanderhoof

CONCEPTUAL SMALL WORLD / Indu M

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY / Jacob Merrill

CONQUEST OR ON THE ETHICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY / Erick Monrrigo

8 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

GOOD READS

GOOD READS

GOOD READS

GOOD READS

SUPER AWESOME GIVEAWAY

JOIN OUR MEETUP GROUP

CONTEST #1 JOIN OUR 500PX GROUP

WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT

GOOD READS

STAFF PICK

JOIN THE AFFILIATE PROGRAM

9

10 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

11

12 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

Jacob Merrill - Canon EOS 6D 1/500 sec | ISO 200

Street Photography At first I started photography as a hobby to kill time and a way to get myself out of the house. Now it has become my passion.

Originally I was drawn to lifestyle photography, people and fashion were the big two categories that caught my eye. This is what led me to street photography.

To me, street photography has no boundaries and no limits.

It’s all the up to the photographer, how you see things and how you want to express yourself. You can use the architecture, the people, and the culture, even the transportation.

Anything and everything is fair game, which allows such an amazingly broad canvas. It’s exhilarating to just walk out and be able to freeze the busy world around you with the click of a button. Street photography is also a great opportunity for companies to place their brand and products in everyday scenarios that makes for a great visual for their message and their product.

Personally, my favorite thing to capture is architecture; I am constantly looking up as I am walking around the city. The architects’ talent and vision blows me away. It’s humbling that I can take that and put my own spin on it in photograph by showing it in a different perspective.

What I hope to accomplish next is advancing my skills with street portraits. Capturing the people who make up the city brings a different feeling to a picture and creates a story.

That is what photography is about, creating a visual story through a still image.

Jacob Merrill

click here to comment on this article ->

13

14 NOTINDOOR

Jacob Merrill - Canon EOS 6D www.notindoor.com 1/125 sec | f/4 | ISO 200

15

Jacob Merrill - Canon EOS 6D 1/1000 sec | f/9 | ISO 200

16 NOTINDOOR

Jacob Merrill - Canon EOS 6D | 24-105mm Lens 50mmwww.notindoor.com | 1/125 sec | f/13 | ISO 400

Jacob Merrill - Canon EOS 6D 55mm | 1/100 sec | f/7.1 | ISO 400

Jacob Merrill - Canon EOS 6D 1/640 sec | f/5.6 | ISO 200

Jacob Merrill - Canon EOS 6D 1/250 sec |f/11 | ISO 200

17

K C PI FF ST A For More From Karl: 500px | Facebook Page | Website

PERITOMORENOHASFALLEN BY KARL GIRARDET 18 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

19

O O G

20 NOTINDOOR

S D A

E R D

www.notindoor.com

21

Conquest

GOOD READS

Or On

the Ethics of Photography To what lengths would you go to take a meaningful photograph, a photograph that said more than any story could? In the era of online photography, taking a meaningful photograph—that is, one which is remarkable or stirs up the mundane—is difficult to do. Anyone can take a photograph, paste it online, and call it art. But find me a photo that does more, and you’re bound to find they aren’t well liked or supported. They might be sensational, over-the-top, or atrocious. And yet they represent something we all shudder to face: their power to sway.

Here’s one of those stories: In a recent photography contest, held by the Okhotsu Sea Ice Museum in Japan, the winning photograph was of a man standing triumphantly over a [dead] beached whale. It’s title: Conquest.

The photograph ignited a storm of criticism online as it was deemed unethical and even “blasphemous to the conservation of nature”. One of the judges, Keiko Fujii — a member of the Hokkaido Photography Association — praised the photograph, saying, “I thought the whale was alive and he had courage to climb on top of it and I was moved.”

Because of the backlash, the winner of the contest returned his prize and Shuhei Takahashi, the director of the museum, gave a formal apology.

To be objective, the photograph isn’t very remarkable. Sure, the pose is great, the opportunity is almost unheard of, but the 22 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

image in question doesn’t tell much about anything. It’s not a story, it’s not Moby Dick. Nevertheless, it’s the opportunity that I want to focus on. This story isn’t just about a photo, it’s about the lengths we go to capture that photo, to capture art and

meaning.

Let’s rewind a decade or so, to 1993. It’s a blistering day in Sudan and the sun is relentless. You’ve just landed from a supply plane and food is being handed out. You’re walking through the brush surrounded by armed Sudanese soldiers when you see a little girl crawling towards the plane, a vulture waiting close behind her. You must stay neutral. If you help the little girl you might get shot for interfering. What can you do? How can you bring this news to the world? You take out your camera, wait for that right moment, the angle, the pose. Then you take the shot.

Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist, took this photo, that later won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Photography. It was deemed unethical--why didn’t he help the little girl? Despite being a photojournalist for the Johannesburg Star, and having seen horrendous acts during apartheid, this photo caused Carter immense guilt due to the backlash. He was powerless to stop the famine, outnumbered by the sheer amount of soldiers, and deeply attached to his country’s problem. What else could he do? It’s said that it took him a full twenty minutes to capture this photo.

A year later, in 1994, Kevin Carter committed suicide in his truck.

I’m not suggesting you become a photojournalist and head to some horrendous capital of the world, but I am suggesting that you become aware that a single photo is an outlet of power—the power of influence. Ethically, any photograph that can be taken, whether of death or beauty, should be taken. It’s how we as an audience can be shown proof of issues overtaking the faraway places of the world. It can invoke in us a desire to do more, a call to action, or bring inspiration and move us. But they do not always have to be disheartening. And although I believe in objective photography, I disagree that photography should be sensationalistic, for it desensitizes us as viewers and diminishes the affect it could otherwise have. Susan Sontag, the author of On Photography, said it best: “Photographs state the innocence, the vulnerability of lives heading towards their own destruction, and this link between photography and death haunts all photographs of people.”

But where do we draw the line? What limits can we put on photography? Take for instance the following photograph by AP 23

GOOD READS

photographer Eddie Adams, a photograph that also won the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Photography.

Eddie Adams photographed Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing Nguyen Van Lém in what would later be known as one of the world’s most powerful photos. The man being shot, Nguyen Van Lem, was the captain of a ‘Revenge Squad’ that had killed dozens of civilians earlier in the day. Nevertheless, it made general Nguyen Ngoc Loan—the man pulling the trigger—the iconic villain of the Vietnam war. Eddie Adams was later quoted, saying: “Two people died in that photograph: the recipient of the bullet and General Nguyen Ngoc Loan. The general killed the Viet Cong; I killed the general with my camera.”

The photograph above was so influential, that despite the general being in the right, many harbored feelings of hatred towards him, and his honor was permanently effaced by this haunting picture. Is this the cost of a meaningful photograph?

Let’s bring it back to the photo contest. I’m not praising the photo for being sensational, on the contrary, I don’t believe it’s sensational enough. It could have been crasser and more infuriating, say the man was about to stab the whale with a harpoon, for example. That’s sensational. But I do admire the photographer’s seizure of the opportunity to take the shot. I might disagree with the contents, but it’s the act of waiting for a specific frame, rather than forcing or altering the shot, that I respect.

Photography is a powerful weapon. In the wrong hands, its capable of causing confusion and hatred at face value, but it’s depends on situation. What I’ve given you is a list of irrefutable evidence of the power of photographs and the ethical questions they raise. But the remarkable thing to remember is that these photographs exist. And that’s the whole point, that someone was there to capture a moment that would be later be an irreplaceable part of human history.

Bibliography Mealey, Rachel. “Japan Photo Competition Cancelled after Dead Whale Image Chosen as Winner.” ABC News. N.p., 17 Mar. 2016.

Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

Neal, Leslie Maryann. “How Photojournalism Killed Kevin Carter.” All That Is Interesting. N.p., 07 Sept. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

“Nguyễn Ngọc Loan.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

“Prize for Photo of Man Standing on Beached Whale Revoked following Backlash.” Japan Times. N.p., 16 Mar. 2016. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

“Saigon Execution: Murder of a Vietcong by Saigon Police Chief, 1968.” Rare Historical Photos. N.p., 13 May 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

Erick Monrrigo click here to comment on this article ->

24 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

25

GOOD READS

A Stones Throw A stones throw from the pathway, the trees open to a magnificent scene of tumultuous sky and a calm, subtle pool. The light glistens in on the fresh spring grass, green with life, and fueled by the high waters following a winter melt in the area. Sound the is, well….. Pure silence. There is not a soul nearby. It is too late for the wildlife to be bustling, families in the area are settling in for a weekend evening, and it is truly solitude in the moment. The winds begin to whistle through the branches of the trees, and hit the front of my face… I catch the fresh scent of clean air and inhale deeply… The crisp air fills my lungs and I exhale slowly, holding the breath as long as possible… With nobody around, and nothing going on at all, so much is happening in the moment just a stones throw away from the lake.

Allan Pudlitzke

Canon 60d Tokina 12-28mm F/4 16mm/ƒ/9/1/20s/ISO 100 click here to comment on this article ->

26 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

27

Museum o

GOOD READS

Sometimes a job doesn’t take as long as planned, so I found myself with about 2 and a half hours of spare time. When I reached the motorway while headed to work, I followed a sudden urge and turned my car directly towards the mountains. I had never been on the south shore of Lake Starnberg before, and like all of the lakes near Munich, it is all private property so there is no place to make photos.

At the “Museum of Phantasy“ in Bernried, I found a very photogenic place. It opened in 2001 and houses a nice collec28 NOTINDOOR

tion of art by the author, painter and photographer Lothar Günther Buchheim (worth 100 Mio € ).

I loved the clear structure, the mixture of white concrete and wood. I choose to do a pano because I don’t like the look of wide angle distortions. The picture is a high format panorama made of about 10 shots. I used Adobe Lightroom CC to comprise the pano and for conversion to B&W. I really loved the location. I plan to come back with my wife to the exhibition.

www.notindoor.com

of Phantasy

Sony Alpha 77II Sigma Art 1.8 18-35 at F 8 ISO 100 1/320 click here to comment on this article ->

Dirk Ross

29

GOOD READS

In Their Eyes It’s All

“It’s all in their eyes!” This quote was one of the first lessons I learned when I started shooting portraits. “Always focus on the eyes.” The eyes are the single most important feature of any great portrait. They can be the focal point of a portrait that makes the photograph good or great. A subject with beautiful eyes can make even the dullest portrait mesmerizing. A portrait that is poorly lit, a portrait with out of focus eyes, or eyes that lack connection, will weaken the impact of a portrait.

The closure of the eyes will allow the pupil to dilate. Count to three and have your subject open their eyes. Take the photograph before the pupil re-constricts. Practice this technique. If desired, a larger pupil can be achieved in post-production.

Lighting is one of the most important aspects in photographing eyes. Indoor or outdoor lighting will work if used properly. Using catch lights will enhance the image of the eye and make the eyes look alive. A catch light is simply the highlight of a light source reflecting off of the surface of the eye. Experiment with many different sources of catch lights to find a desirable effect. Windows, soft boxes, ring flashes and sunlight all produce different effects and moods of the eyes. Poorly lit eyes without catch lights often appear cold and lifeless. Remember that continuous lighting, such as studio lights or direct sunlight, can constrict the pupils. If this is undesirable, have your subject close their eyes for a few seconds.

30 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

Great focusing is critical when photographing eyes. I focus on the iris instead of the pupil, because the iris has better contrast. Most auto focus lenses will focus easier and quicker on this part of the eye. The sensor of your camera should be perpendicular to your subject’s eyes. The depth of field can be very narrow at wide open so you may need to close down to f/8 or less in order to get the eyes in perfect focus. However, this means you may have to have a slower shutter speed, a higher ISO, or brighter lighting. I experiment with all aspects depending on the circumstances and the setting. If my main subject is the eye and not the face, I will often use macro lenses. A 100mm macro is ideal. You, obviously, can shoot portraits and eyes without a macro lens, but it may be difficult to fill the entire frame with an eye without post production work.

The expression of the eyes can dictate the overall feeling of the portrait. Partially closed eyes, wide open eyes, squinting eyes all convey a different look to the portrait. Experiment with your subject’s facial expressions. Different expressions change the look of the eyes and face and can make or break a good portrait. The direction that the subject’s eyes are looking will often lead the viewer to other parts of the portrait. Experiment with having your subject look in different directions to move the viewer around the portrait. Use this technique to change the overall feeling of the portrait. Shoot multiple photographs to find the one that best captures your vision.

Post production work on the eyes is critical. Sharpen the eyes, enhance the colors and tone up or down the catch lights to change the overall quality of the image. Adding or subtracting catch lights in post production may enhance the portrait. It has been shown that eyes that are in complete focus will forgive softness in other parts of the portrait.

There are many resources available online to help with your photography of eyes. Study photos of others and decide what makes a photo pleasing.

Steven Servantez

click here to comment on this article ->

31

GOOD READS

32 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

Nights

by the

Lake

I think we all tend to fall into the trap of abiding by the techniques of others… We slip into this uncontrollable desire to gain the satisfaction of the viewer and fail to interpret the photo as our own…

When we shoot, we make a photo that is supposedly ours, unless we are shooting for someone else, in that case we are simply serving another with our hobby. We all love the look of the saturated glows of a sunset or sunrise…

Or how the creamy texture created with extended shutter releases, some how exudes our level of technicality of the work we produce… We get stuck on what separates the pro from the hobbyist rather than forging originality from our lenses. I too find myself falling into the trap of trying to replicate or reproduce what moistens the lips of 500px followers... Somehow I feel it doesn’t fit me to be another stake in the ground…

Nights by the lake tend to lead to interesting thoughts about where we have been, where we are going, and where we wish we were. We always want the best of everything, but fail to fully utilize what we have at hand…

Allan Pudlitzke

Canon 60d Tokina 12-28mm F/4 12mm/ƒ/11/30s/ISO 64 click here to comment on this article ->

33

GOOD READS

Framed

The goal for this day was visit the Innsbruck airport and shoot the Boeing 757’s between the huge mountains there.

Due to traffic complications, I cancelled the trip to Inns34 NOTINDOOR

bruck, and drove to Hersching/Ammersee to shot the sunset instead. At spots like these you usually have a slight problem, and that is that you are never typically alone. That was the case here too at the most interesting of spots, where a photogenic tree close to the beach was occupied by kids or likely tourists. Aside from the company I was able to do some pretty acceptable landscape photography. About 30 minutes after

www.notindoor.com

sunset, the light suddenly changed to an awesome red and I made some of my best shots so far this year. On my return trip home, I noticed that the huge tree was no longer occupied by kids. I verified my composition and dialed in this nice framing through huge branches of the tree. It turned out very well, and once again my last photo of the session was the best.

Sony Alpha 77 II Tokina 11-16 11mm /f18 / ISO 100 / 1.3 sec

Dirk Ross click here to comment on this article ->

35

L L A

M S G

N I V I L

36 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

L

37

LIVING SMALL

38 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

Conceptual Small World

“No place is boring, if you have a good night’s sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film.” Robert Adams.

Select an object and subtract all possible elements of reality from its image; if is it still interesting or capable of evoking some emotions; then you are on the way to abstract art.

Objects for interesting abstract photos can be anything and anywhere. It will be there in a market place, in backyard or in your living room. You don’t have to travel to Himalayas or Amazon for it. Yes, no place is boring, if you have a good ‘eye for abstracts’.

39

LIVING SMALL

Looking at the world with ‘macro sense’ is not a common means. Close ups are usually done for documentary and aesthetic purposes. They are one of the easiest ways to create abstract photos too.

Macro abstracts may not convey a serious story, but it will rise one question “what this image is?” That lovely puzzle in the viewer is the purpose of abstraction.

A macro abstraction is based on four pillars; pattern, shape, color and texture.

Some pictures draw your attention because of their color but some pictures are attractive because of their pattern. Colors can evoke emotions and most of abstracts I came across were color images.

If colors are taken away the main appeal of image will be its pattern/ shape. The patterns should be so incredible in case of a successful monochromatic abstracts.

A good macro lens and light source is the basic stuff needed.

I prefer macro lenses than its alternatives. Macro lenses are available in wide range of focal lengths like 50mm, 85mm, 100mm, 105mm and 200mm etc. Longer the focal length of lens, closer you can go to the object. As you get closer to a subject with macro lens, depth of field will be shallow even with high f- number. At this point object will shed its individualistic features, giving it an abstract nature. This is an additional plus point for a creative shooter. When the magnification is 2:1 or above, its cohesion with environment will also be lost, giving a mysterious look. At high magnification even slight shake of camera can affect sharpness of image. So it is better to do close-ups with the help of a tripod.

picture. But role of ‘serendipity’ is also unavoidable. For me, creation of most of abstracts happens to be accidental. There are no specific rules and regulations for creating an abstract photograph. Adopting Michael Soo’s words “learn to see objects not for what they literally are, but for what they could become through your creative approach. Unlearn how you normally see and look for interesting colours and patterns.

Find delight in macro vision and enjoy the cavernous creative space offered by abstract photography...

It is not necessary that you should have expensive glasses to create such images. Compact cameras will also produce nice close up pictures with help of macro mode. But image may be bit noisy compared to that of SLR cameras. The above given image of tender plantain leaf was captured handheld by compact camera Panasonic DMC-LS2. In either way accurate focusing is critical for macro photography. It is always meaningful to take enough time to decide your area of focus. Based on the situation you may opt selective focusing or keeping the object to be fully focused. If full field has to be focused, keep the camera parallel to the object and select larger f values.

As any other fine arts form, pre-visualization of scene is important in creating this genre of photographs. Sometimes long observation and planning is needed to extract desired 40 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

click here to comment on this article ->

Indu M

41

LIVING SMALL

42 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

Small Wonders

of Nature

Small wonders of nature inspire us in a big way. This sentence well defines the power of macro photography! It is incredible, how macro photography shows the small wonders of nature in life size. Macro photography packs up the big happiness for viewers. Macro photography can show the beauty of wildlife, tiny insects, fruits, plants or even different forms of art like miniatures. But today I am going to focus exclusively on ‘Flowers’ and show how macro photography unveils the beauty of flowers.

Spring has already started and we are seeing very first sings of springs everywhere, colorful flowers. Flowers can be

photographed outdoors and indoors. Single flower can be photographed to make its portrait or bloom can be photographed as a wide landscape. Each type requires different skills, gear and techniques.

Rather than writing long paragraphs on each one and showing macro photos of flowers, I thought a different approach. Take a photo of each type and get into the ABCs of it. So let’s get the hands dirty.

43

LIVING SMALL

Portrait of Tiny Wildflower – Clicked Outdoor.

I recently visited to Death Valley National Park to see super bloom of wildflowers. Super bloom comes to live only on El Nino year, so may be once in 8-10 years. Pretty rare, right!

How could I miss that? I clicked numerous flower portraits as well as wide landscapes with bloom. I chose this tiny wildflower to illustrate, how to click flower portraits outdoor? I knew it was going to make a gem of the photo.. Talking of composition, they say flowers clicked right from the top do not make a good photo. But I soon realized I didn’t have any option but to do that. The flower was so tiny that I would have lost most of the details with eye level composition. So? Time to break the rule! But broken rule posed a greater challenge.

Now I had to make my composition so lucrative that viewers get glued to it. Initially I had thought of taking just the flower in frame but had to change the strategy. I decided to take one branch with buds and another with dried flower into the frame to create a triangle. Used color card (black) to get black background in the wild. It is not a good idea to pluck the wildflower to make a great photo. Nature conservation is a much larger cause than making a good photo. Used flash light to brighten the flower, you can use ring flash too. But flash light is a cheaper option that works out well in flower photography.

Settings – f11, ISO 100, 1/500 sec, spot metering

Portrait of Backyard Flower – Clicked Indoor Using Photo Stacking Technique.

It is a great luxury to shoot macros of flowers indoor.

Control environment, total absence of wind and softbox to light the flower is a bliss.

You can get as close as flower and use extension tubes for turning your photo to a super macro. But there is a caveat.

When you use extension tubes to go very close to the subject you start losing focus in certain areas. It is not possible to get all the plains in focus using extension tubes and going very close. Stacking technique comes to the rescue. Stacking in one sentence means taking multiple photos with different parts of subject in focus and then post processing them by stacking them over one another. Now, lets take a deep dive in stacking. Solid tripod and DSLR is must for stacking technique Settings – f11 or f16, ISO 100 or below, shutter speed – as required, manual focus.

Set the camera on a tripod. Try using prime lens. You will need to use manual focus. There are all the chances that you will disturb the focal lens if you are using zoom lens. If that happens, you will need to start over again. So it is better to use prime lens. Put camera and lens in manual mode. Choose higher f-stop / narrow aperture to get maximum area in focus. Focus on the farthest point of flower and click. Now manually adjust the focus and focus on one plane closer to you and click. Continue till you have shot keeping the closest point in focus. Now import all the photos in Photoshop (or any other editing tool that allows stacking), align the layers and stack them together. Photoshop will automatically take the sharp part from each photo and at the end you will have single photo with everything in focus, a razor sharp image of your flower.

44 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

45

LIVING SMALL

Bloom Landscapes – Outdoor.

Flower portraits with clean uncluttered background look great but bloom landscapes look equally impressive. I think one can get very creative while composing bloom landscapes. If bloom is sparse try getting few flowers in focus and blur the mid-ground and background. If bloom is dense and runs all the way to horizon, then keeping everything in focus is probably a good idea. When there is no wind, stacking can come handy in landscapes as well. Shoot 3 different photos for foreground, mid-ground and background and stack those ogether.

Be creative.

The Gear I used:

Nikon D810, Nikon 105mm Macro Lens, Extension tubes, Manfrotto carbon tripod with ball head, Flash light, Color cards.

Or sprinkle water on a bud and keep only water droplets in focus. Or simple go abstract.. Opportunities are ample, don’t hesitate to try.

If you plan to shoot with point-and-shoot, choose the one having manual focus or macro mode at the least. While shooting with DSLR, macro lenses can produce best results but those are not mandatory. Good tripod is recommended and it is must have when using stacking technique.

Well, these are not the only ways to shoot macros of flowers.

There are many different options to try, like, fill the entire frame with flower and totally eliminate the background.

46 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

Vishpala Kadam

click here to comment on this article ->

47

48 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH

photo by Karl Taylor Photography

49

for some of the photography industries top brands.

Let’s put photography aside for a second and get to know the person - Karl Taylor.

NI: You left school at the age of 16 right? How come?

KT: When I was at school the opportunities were more limited than they are now, especially at the school I went to which mostly encouraged students to leave school and get a trade. I left at 16 after completing my high school exams and then went straight into employment. University or further education wasn’t really considered an option or encouraged.

KarlTaylor This month, we have had the honor to interview one of the best photography instructors in the world. He has helped thousands of photographers, world wide, with his online courses along with workshops hosted in his new and impressive studio in England and runs a successful commercial photography business with a list of blue chip clients.

If you don’t know who I’m talking about yet, you should google “British photography instructor” he’ll come out 7th (in my search), but really 3rd as related to the search.

Anyways, we want to introduce, Karl Taylor from Karl Taylor Photography. Plus, we got an exclusive discount from Karl Taylor, to our readers.

Karl, thank you very much for taking the time and answering our questions. We really hope we got some questions no one ever asked you before.

So let the grilling begin ;)

NI: Do you regret it?

KT: No not at all. I’ve worked hard all my life with jobs in the school holidays, and leaving school early encouraged me to work hard and earn and save money. I had a good life experience from an early age and had left home by the time I was 19. I lived

NI: Please tell our readers, that might not know you, briefly about yourself.

KT: Hi I’m Karl Taylor I’ve been a photographer for over 25 years and run a successful commercial studio business specializing in advertising and product photography. I also operate as a photography instructor and work as a training consultant 50 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

in america for 7 months and did some traveling.

By the time I was 21 I’d left my home again and spent just over 2 years traveling around the world from Africa, through Asia and beyond.

Those years made me who I

Hasselblad H5D-50 | 35mm lens 2 sec | f/22 | ISO 50

KT: I experimented with a number of art styles but I was particularly drawn to science fiction having read Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Illustrated Man’ when I was young.

NI: Time had passed and you grew to be a more experienced person, something that enabled you to travel around the world with more freedom, maybe. What are your most favorite places in the world and what is that one thing that makes them so special to you?

KT: I have very fond memories from Sulawesi in Indonesia and the Moluccan Islands. I had some great adventures and did some amazing diving. I love the heat and smells and the people of this region.

NI: Is there anything no one knows about you that you would like them to know?

KT: I used to ride fast motorcycles and have had several crashes and a few scary moments. I used to be a bit crazy in that way. My wife doesn’t let me have one now which is probably a good thing.

NI: She’s probably right. Haha.

am.

NI: What would you tell yourself right now if you were 16 again?

KT: I always believed in myself which helped me set my goals high and try to achieve things, but I could probably have done with being a bit less arrogant but I think that was also part of being a teenager.

Now, let’s head to your other world - Karl Taylor Photography - which is a successful and rewarding one.

NI: What made you fall in love with photography?

NI: What was your very first job? Was it at the retail photography store at the age of 17, or was there something prior to that, that maybe had nothing to do with photography?

KT: No, my first job was as a graphic artist in interior design, I hand sketched interiors for my employer. This was in the day before computer assisted design. I’d turn the plans into 3d sketches by hand with a pencil and paper.

NI: In your video, at the About page of your website, you mentioned you started with drawing and painting.

Anything in particular that you loved to draw?

Kodachrome 64 film

51

Kodachrome 64 film

Canon 5D Mark II | 16-35mm lens 1/125 sec | f/2.8 | ISO 500

KT: Studying the moment is what has always fascinated me.

You stop time and can look at it.

NI: Is/was anyone in your family, parents, siblings etc’, into photography?

KT: No, my mother was quite an accomplished painter though.

NI: When did your photography journey really start?

KT: I guess it really started with my interest in art and creating image in a visual form. I always admired photography in National Geographic but wasn’t really aware of much else.

When I was 17 I used an SLR for the first time and then I was hooked.

NI: How competitive was the photo industry when you started and how did you gradually lifted yourself above your competitors and be more noticeable?

KT: It was probably the same as it is now or maybe slightly less. I think now there are more photographers who would like to be professionals and there are more clients shooting stuff in house. I just started shooting as much as I could and the best images I could for my portfolio and then sending it out to as many businesses and art directors I could. I always tried to deliver what the client wanted and went the extra mile to get the job done well, which is what I still try to do 52 NOTINDOOR

Kodachrome 64 film

today.

NI: Do you ever turn down certain shoots? Can you tell us what would be your reasons for that?

KT: Yes many. There are shoots where some clients expect the earth for such a limited budget that it’s just not feasible.

Then there are occasionally clients whose vision for an image just doesn’t fit with what you know will work and i’d rather decline those jobs than turn out stuff I didn’t want to put my name to.

NI: Have you ever dealt with clients that didn’t want to pay

www.notindoor.com

you for your hard work, after you’ve finished with their shoot?

KT: Yes in the early days some clients would pretend that the shoot didn’t meet their expectations and were only willing to pay you half the fee. I just said fine, don’t pay me anything and I’ll keep the pictures, they always ended up paying the agreed fee. That doesn’t happen now as I don’t have those type of clients anymore but I think this is something common for new photographers where clients try it on.

NI: We know by now that you are one of the best photography instructors in the world and a top photographer working with top names like, Hasselblad and Broncolor. When did you first hear about those two? Have you ever thought you’d be working so closely with them?

KT: I started shooting with a Hasselblad camera about 12 years ago for my commercial work. At some point they asked if they could use one of my images for a promotional piece and that’s where that relationship started really. With Broncolor I re-invested a lot of money in new bron lighting equipment a few years ago and started shooting some interesting ‘fast flash duration’ images with the technology their flash

Hasselblad H5D-50 | 80mm lens 1/350 sec | f/16 | ISO 50

53

Hasselblad H5D-50 | 28mm lens 120 sec | f/11 | ISO 50

systems provide and again they asked if I could help them with some training videos they were producing and it went from there. I’m now an ambassador for both brands.

Let’s Talk Gear NI: What gear are you using these days?

KT: All my lighting is Broncolor with a mix of Scoro Packs,

Move Packs, Unlite heads and some HMIs. I have a number of modifiers but the Paras are my favorite. My current camera is a Hasselblad H5 with a number of lenses and from time to time I use a Canon 5D MKIII. NI: When you are out shooting—how much of it is instinctual versus planned?

KT: For me it is all instinctual. I like to carry my camera around with me most everywhere I go. Most of the time a photo is at the spur of the moment. If I do a planned shoot, it is usually for an engagement or other type of photo shoot where the client has a specific thought in mind of what they want out of a session.

NI: You know, my wife, and probably many others’ finds herself waiting for me so many times, to get my shots, when we go on vacations. Do you ever go on vacations without your camera? Is it even possible, as a photographer, to do so?

KT: Actually, I usually go on vacations without my camera now as my holidays are with my wife and kids and most of my snaps are done on my phone!

NI: If we were to find a camera bag in a Lost and Found section, how would we know it yours if your name is not on it?

KT: It has my business cards in it and it would be very heavy.

NI: Do you have a favorite lens, or piece of equipment you’ll never ever… Ever, leave without? Besides your camera. Haha.

KT: I’ll always have a Lee Polarizing filter amongst others

Most of us are inspired and influenced by others.

Hasselblad H5-50 Para 88 from a Move Pack

54 NOTINDOOR

NI: Do you have any favorite, known, photographers?Who’s work has influenced you the most?

KT: I’ve always admired the work of National Geographic photographers like Mike Nichols, Jodi Cobb, Sam Abel and www.notindoor.com

Steve McCurry. On the studio side I loved the work of Bob Carlos Clarke, Lichfield and Rankin.

NI: What do you think are some clichés in photography you steer away from yourself?

KT: I can’t stand the word Bokeh! That word didn’t even exist when i started in photography.

Ok Karl, let’s talk shop NI: What tools are you using for post processing? Any specific reasons? Do you prefer one over the other?

KT: I shoot all my images RAW on the Hasselblad, these are 3F files and processed in Hasselblad’s software called Phocus, from there I take them over to photoshop for any final tweaking or retouching.

Karl Taylor Photography

Hasselblad H5-50 Move Packs, 1x Para 222- left, 2x Para 88-right

NI: Has social media played a role in your photography?

KT: Not really in my photography. Social media is a great plat-

Hasselblad H4-50 1/10,000 sec (t0.1) - This is achieved using the Broncolor Scoro pack and heads

55

form though for engaging with our audience who follow our training. From a commercial photography point of view with the type of work I do I don’t think social media is really relevant but i’m sure it is useful for social portrait and wedding photographers.

NI: You probably have to perfectly plan your studio shoots.

Do you also plan your landscape shoots as much as possible, or allowing yourself much more freedom?

KT: There is some planning in terms of tides, time of day, position of sun at certain times of year and just looking for locations but the weather obviously makes it all uncertain and I often find shots that I didn’t expect so it is much less planned than in the studio.

NI: What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?

KT: I wish I learned about light much more quickly, light is everything in photography and properly understanding it is absolutely key. Many people think they know about light but most people have only scratched the surface.

NI: Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why? KT: I don’t really have any favorites, each successful shoot usually supersedes the next, I’m just happy if the images I’m producing work. Each new project is a challenge and that’s the favorite part.

NI: Do you have any exciting projects going on as we speak?

KT: Yes I have a very very exciting project!

I want our readers to know why I mentioned that you’re a top photography instructor.

studio level so I guess you can learn any level you like!

To sum up this interesting and informative interview, we have a couple more questions before we let you get back to your busy schedule, if you don’t mind of course.

NI: What do you want your viewers to take away from your work?

KT: Most people that like my work like it because of its clarity, simplicity but with good dynamics. I like my image to look very clean and lifelike and not artificially photoshopped that’s why I spend a great deal of time getting as much right in camera. If people recognize that in my work then I’m happy.

NI: What is one question nobody has ever asked you—that you wish they did?

KT: Karl how much do I need to pay you to do a photoshoot of 20 supermodels in the desert?

NI: Well, maybe now someone will :) Karl, we all, here at NOTINDOOR appreciate your time and positive spirit, for opening yourself to us. We’ll keep following your fun and informative videos.

If you hadn’t had the chance to check out Karl Taylor Photography’s website, now would be the perfect time.

Portfolio Website: www.karltaylorportfolio.com Courses Website: www.karltaylorphotography.com Facebook: facebook.com/KarlTaylorPhotography

NI: When did you first start teaching photography and why have you decided to go in that direction?

KT: About 8 years ago when everyone started getting into digital cameras I started getting lots of people asking me if I could help them with their photography or if I could do a workshop, so I tried running a couple of workshops and really enjoyed them but they became so busy I realized I could market them to a bigger audience by producing training on DVD. NI: Please, tell us, what can one learn from your different courses and workshops.

KT: We have courses from the very basics right up to pro 56 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

Karl Taylor Photography

57

E H T

58 NOTINDOOR

R N A

M U H

www.notindoor.com

E C A

R

Model: Lilly Lawrence

59

THE HUMAN RACE

Shooting Figures In

Landscape

60 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

61

THE HUMAN RACE

Don’t Forget About

The Landscape Landscape photography has a long tradition in the history of photography. 19th century photographers loved shooting landscapes in part because they required long exposures and mountains don’t move. At least, not ordinarily. Ansel Adams is one of the few photographers the general public knows by name, thanks to his exquisite images of the mountains and deserts of the southwest. In a time in which many photographers were trying to make their pictures look like paintings, Adams was a pioneer of super sharp, deep depth of field photos manipulated using filters and darkroom techniques to achieve the most drama and the largest range of tones possible.

Edward Weston was also a photographer of landscape but his images often contained human models as well - most famously nudes of his wife Charis Wilson. However, while many of his landscape photos showed the same scope and space you find in the work of Ansel Adams, the figure studies Weston did outdoors, tended to me more focused on relatively close up views of the body itself.

Over the past few decades I have one a lot of body photography - physique shots of athletes, bodybuilders and especially what I call “fit and fabulous females,” the women who use weight training to shape and sculpt their muscles for aesthetic purposes. Living in Los Angeles, with so many wonderful locations available not that far away, I have often taken my models out to desert and mountain areas that matched the same dramatic impact I observed in their bodies. And I also used these backgrounds photographing more conventional models and for commercial assignments.

In researching what other photographers have done using exciting landscapes as a background, I found that many overlooked the most interesting possibilities of creating this kind of image. For example, in many cases the point of view was so close up that the landscape just a vague element behind the model. I’ve seen many photos shot in my favorite locations in which the model was simply posed against a dirt wall. This is not a very inspiring use of the wonders of nature.

Fashion photographers like to let backgrounds go out of focus and while this is an excellent way to draw attention to the featured clothing it unfortunately minimizes the impact of great scenery. Photos like this are often cropped in odd and different ways so again whatever landscape may be in the background is not done justice. These photographs can be very effective for a variety of purposes but don’t represent a good approach if you want powerful landscapes to be an element in your image. It is a matter of choices - and realizing what choices are available to you, and the consequences of these choices.

62 NOTINDOOR

Here is an example. A colleague of mine likes to shoot models in the desert around the Palm Springs area and he generally does a pretty good job. But I noticed his images were less effective because he tended to have the horizon line cross too high up on the model. I have found this specific type of photo works much better if you frame the image so the horizon line is much lower, putting more sky behind the model. This is not some kind of firm “rule.” It is a matter of learning to look at the relationship between foreground and background and then make aesthetic judgments I have gotten a lot of compliments for the way I shoot figures in the landscape - both in my commercial and fine art work.

Learning to do this I didn’t really give it a lot of thought or analyzed my approach in any great detail. My view of photography is you need to shoot a photo when it looks good to you in the viewfinder - and you need to learn what looks good by experience over time. Any creative process involves an evolution of perception and ability and photography is no exception.

But I began to better intellectually understand what was making my figures in the landscape images successful when one of my assistants commented, “What I like about these photos is you could take the model out of the picture and it would still be an excellent landscape.” This made me realize I was doing two things shooting these photos: I was posing and

www.notindoor.com

63

THE HUMAN RACE

lighting the body for maximum aesthetic and dramatic effect; at the same time was shooting the best landscape picture that I could. And, of course, I was being totally aware of the visual relationship between the figure and the background landscape.

Of course, shooting excellent body photos and dramatic and effective landscape is often easier said than done. You need the right sort of models, the appropriate scenery, the right lighting conditions and the appropriate photographic techniques. There is also a different approach necessary shooting BW rather than color. As Ansel Adams always emphasized, photographers have to visualize the results when they look through the viewfinder and do what is necessary to create the final image they imagine out of whatever exists in front of the lens.

Learning how to incorporate backgrounds as powerful elements in a photograph rather than being a vague, unimportant aspect of the result is one way to use visualization to improve your images.

Bill Dobbins click here to comment on this article ->

64 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

65

THE HUMAN RACE

66 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

Why Capturing Portraits Is Important,

To Me. 67

THE HUMAN RACE

Time moves so quickly, almost as if on a speeding train that has no brakes.

Sometimes it seems as if you blink and you wonder what happened to your childhood.

Then you marry and have children, and before you know it they’ve grown and are on their own. They marry and have children, and you watch as your grandchildren grow. This is true of the world around you as well.

Extended family and friends are also at the mercy of time, watching it speed by.

As time goes by we create memories with our loved ones, whether it’s our first date, our graduation, our wedding day, or the birth of a child. Maybe it’s a child’s first word, their first step, or their first day of school. We cherish each milestone in life, storing the memories in our hearts to be brought out time and again.

have photo albums full, along with photo boxes and scrapbooks, and love to spend time going through them. All of the photos stir memories, but it’s the photos of family and friends that I cherish the most. As a child I would look through my mom’s old photos with her, and she would People have fallen in love tell me all about each one. with photography because There weren’t many because it’s the best way to preserve she grew up poor, and picour memories. Whether it’s tures weren’t high on the priwith a film, digital, phone ority list. I suppose the reason or tablet camera, millions I love photography so much is all around the world capture because I loved looking at the their child returns safely. Wedding portraits will show different emotions like love, joy, anxiety, excitement, or pride. special moments each day, old photos, and wanted to knowing that once a moment leave a pictorial legacy for my My favorite portraits to capture, however, are of children. is gone, it’s gone forever. children and grandchildren.

They’re so open and honest, and their eyes show everything they’re feeling. When they smile at you. it’s genuine. Whether Photographs are treasured I love doing portraits, trying I take candid shots or more formal portraits, I try to convey keepsakes. If someone’s home to show the personality of each child’s personality, capturing their expressions for the were to catch fire, the first the subject(s). It’s a chance parents, knowing that the photos will be memories for this thing most would want to to capture a myriad of emosave are their photos. That tions, especially in their eyes. generation and a legacy for generations to come. would be true for me! Losing Sometimes it’s the joy of a my photos would be like loschild while they play, or a ing my memories. They can grandparent’s awe when they never be replaced or reprohold their new grandchild. duced.

It could be pride as a parent Kathy Newcomer watches their child graduate, I’ve been taking photos from loneliness as they watch their the time I was a new mother, child leave for military serover thirty five years ago. I click here to comment on this article -> vice, or thankfulness when 68 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

69

W W E

I V R E

T IN

70 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

. . .

H T

I W

71

TakeonatheRide

ChuckWagonâ„¢ Interview with Chuck Fazio, Artist-in-Residence to American Forests

by Allan Pudlitzke

72 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

73

A brief run down. Chuck is a big deal! He is the first ever Artist-in-Residence for American Forests, the nation’s big brother, and oldest of all conservation organizations. He is always on the road. And when I say always I absolutely mean it, according to his site, about 25 days of every month... And I’d bet a shiny silver nickel, the rest of the month he is probably taking photos for fun.

ries. My dad got a Pentax SP100 when I was 17. He shot a tree with berries on it and I loved how the closest berry was in focus while the others were blurry. Yeah that was cool and it hooked me. Before that, all I ever used with a Kodak Instamatic because I’m THAT old, sorta.

Now, I just met Chuck, virtually. We were introduced through my father in law who apparently has a great rapport with him as he (Chuck) jumped at the opportunity to be a part in this month’s issue.

So, to get to know Chuck better personally as well as introduce him to the NotIndoor community, I figured nothing could suit an article better than an interview about him and his giant bus with his mug on it.

Without further adieu, I present to you, Mr. Fazio.

AP: Hey Chuck! Thanks for the chance to interview you!

CF: I’m sorry, and you are again?

AP: First and foremost, lets get to chapter one in your story…

What got you into holstering a camera on the daily?

CF: Berries. But wait, let me get something straight, I am NOT a “big” deal. Oh, sure, I might be a “kindofabigdeal” but in no way am I a “Big Deal.” Where was I, oh yeah ber74 NOTINDOOR

AP: What is a day in the life of Chuck Fazio currently?

CF: The third ring of hell? Everything from flying first class to a destination where media are waiting for me, which is good, to shooting a convention and being “supervised” by a 24yo who thinks it’s her job to ‘handle’ me. So, beats me, for sure. What I dig is a day where I’m driving the ChuckWagon™ down the Pacific Coast Highway. Yeah, that’s good.

AP: Now how did you find yourself working with American

www.notindoor.com

Forests? What a little backstory on that?

CF: Facebook. The CEO was a FB friend although I didn’t know him well. I saw they were going to Yellowstone last year so I said, “You need me.” He agreed. I shot Yellowstone, got some kick-ass pix and I decided from then on, instead of flying home between paying gigs, I would drive to them photographing along the way. He saw those pix and decided he wanted to use me and my art to better showcase the work of American Forests. We worked on the title. I didn’t want to be the ‘Official photographer’ because I like to think of my work as art, hence, Artist-in-Residence. Cool, no?

AP: So tell me about this giant bus with your face on it…

What’s the goal and main purpose of the machine aside from picking up ladies with your headshot on the freeway?

CF: And trust me, that works! I had a knock on the door one night, oh never mind on THAT story.

I turned 55 and since I already moved to Florida, all I had left to do was buy an RV, right? Plus, I had just been designated the first-ever Artist-in-Residence to American Forests and I needed a way to, er, monetize that. Well then, let’s use the RV for teaching! Plus, American Forests jumped at the chance to wrap that rascal!

The ChuckWagon™ has two bunk beds for ‘students’ or anyone who thinks it make sense to drop a grand or three to travel with me for up to 5 days learning and shooting in some of the most beautiful places in America. The “Stupid Thing” as I affectionately like to call it allows us to sleep where the pictures are. No wakeup calls, no early morning driving, no missing the sunrise, we are THERE. And the rig is rigged with a 55” 4k and a 39” 4k TV so we work on our images together, things and to exercise what I already know. And Plus plus, especially when we’re driving to the next spot. we get to have a helluva lot of fun along the way because that CW is just stupid fun!

AP: What is your favorite part about the tours and being the head honcho of it all?

CF: Seeing America. The ChuckWagon™ has this one huge AP: Any big plans for the future for the Chuck Wagon? I know… Pathetic… But I had to… windshield and through it, I get to see this great country unCF: I’m now doing this thing called ’96 Hours In” where I’m fold in front of me. Plus, I find teaching helps me to re-learn

75

invited to a city or an area and I have just 96 hours to capture its essence because on the 5th day there’s a VIP exhibition of my work. We just did one in Monterey California and it was a blast. A stressful blast but a blast. There was lots of media attention and an equal amount of stress especially because with an hour left in the second day, I only had 5 images. I needed 20. But it was cool because just when I thought that day was over, I saw and took three amazing shots. I started DAY 3 half way there! I took my 8 images to the printer only to find out Rick Forschino from Coastal Glicee actually works on Ansel Adams prints for Ansel’s daughter!

That night, we decided to use that whole, “sleep where the

76 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

picture” are theme and so slept in a McDonalds parking lot in Soledad. I woke up before sunrise to get an Egg McMuffin and do a tinkle and BAM, my fav shot of the whole shoot was waiting for me across the street! And then I had 6 shots before the sun was up an hour. BY 8am of day 4, I had 16 of my 20 images and I had a farmers’ market to shoot that night, so phew, I had made it! The VIP exhibition was way cool. Mayors, council people and society leaders all showed up, as did the local news crews. I really did feel like a “kindofabigdeal’ Wait, did I mention that while I was shooting stills ON the ground, I was also flying a drone and then there was the whole scuba diving thing. I hold a FAA 333 exemption so I 77

can fly drones commercially.

AP: Okay… You could lose some friends here...Canon or Nikon? Ha Ha CF: Ha, an argument that you NEVER hear in the real world. They are both great cameras but both of them need to see the future and based on what I’m seeing, they aren’t. I’m going mirror-less. And I’d switch in a second to Canon if they wanted me. And if SONY is listening, hey, love that camera of yours!

AP: What are the weapons of choice when you hit the road to make some photographs?

CF: Right now, NIKON D4s, D810 and a DJI INSPIRE 1 V2 UAS or what most people know of as a drone.

AP: Any particular piece of equipment hold a special place in your heart?

CF: I LOVE NIKON’s new 200-500. It’s probably the best piece of glass ever made by them. Stupid sharp, unbelievable range and ONLY $1400. The.Best.Lens.Ever. I also dig my 14-24. Not for the feint of heart for sure but it’s not a boring lens either like the 24-70.

AP: What is your advice to those starting out in the field either as a hobbyist or even a budding professional?

CF: Shoot as much as you can. And do free stuff. I hate seeing on FB those memes about how it’s an insult to be asked to do something free.

I’m about as an accomplished photographer as exists and I’m still asked often to do a freebie. I evaluate each request. If you aren’t shooting for money, shoot for the love or shoot to help out a cause, 78 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

just shoot! You don’t know who you are going to meet or what you are going to learn while on these shoots but one thing is certain, you won’t meet anyone or gain any experience by tuning down a freebie and sitting at home playing on FB. AP: Finally, any up coming projects, ideas or plans for the future?

CF: DRONES. As I said, I’m an FAA 333 Exemption-holding drone pilot and I can charge double per day what I can for shooting stills. Plus, ‘flying’ is standing there with your thumbs on two joysticks, so, lazy, which fits into my future plans quite nicely!

AP: Well thanks so much for the chat, we hope to see more of your work and interaction with NotIndoor in the future!

CF: Keep in touch, wait, who are you again? www.chuckfazio.com Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Allan Pudlitzke

Chuck Fazio

click here to comment on this article ->

79

1st place winner in NOTINDOOR #1 photo contest - “Into the Abyss”

by Achraf Baznani Congratulatioins! You won $300, 1-year Photoshop subscription and a big shoutout through our social media and email newsletter.

80 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

81

2nd place winner in NOTINDOOR #1 photo contest - “Reflections in Hooker Lake”

by Arwen Dyer Congratulatioins! You won $150 and a big shoutout through our social media and email newsletter.

82 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

83

3rd place winner in NOTINDOOR #1 photo contest - “An Interaction”

by Matt Clarke Congratulatioins! You won $50 and a big shoutout through our social media and email newsletter.

84 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

85

E IC O H SC E’ PL

Congratulatioins! You won a big shoutout through our social media and email newsletter.

PE

O

3rd place winner in NOTINDOOR #1 photo contest - “Waterfall”

by Jevgenija Sitik

86 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

87

’ N I P

I R T

88 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

89

TRIPIN’

Around the World I Go

PART 2 - ORLANDO FAIRYTALE

I came to the US for 1,5 months to see East Coast, West Coast and a bit of the North. My first stop was Miami (you can read about it in Part 1 in the March issue of NOTINDOOR). After a couple of days there I headed to Orlando and its world of magic.

‘Disney or Universal?’ – was my main question, when planning this trip. These theme parks are, for sure, the main reason why people from all over the world come here. In 2015 more than 60 million people came to Orlando, setting a new history record and making it the most visited destination in the whole US ever. I was among them :) I had 4 days in the city, and being a slightly grown-up 20+ girl, who likes cinema, adventures and Harry Potter, I decided to choose the Universal Studios rather than Disney.

7 hours by bus, 20 min by Uber – and here I am in Orlando, at my friend’s apartment located in the cozy green neighborhood, surrounded by trees, parks and a small lakes with ducks swimming and quacking.

I was really amazed by how green Orlando happened to be.

The fifth largest city in Florida, it was also one of the greenest city I’ve ever seen in the US so far, and one of the marshiest as well. The lakes were everywhere. From the Maps app on my smartphone, the city looked like a huge cheese with blue holes/lakes that numbered hundreds, if not thousands.

Knowing that Florida was once a one big swampland, I was not surprised.

My first evening I spent at Universal City Walk – a long wide public area open for everyone, with many fast-food restaurants, shops and bars. Cheerful, crowded, and loud, it is a common place for meeting and spending time not only for tourists, but also for those who live in the city. You can grab a cinnamon latte and charge your phone in Starbucks, listen to live music in one of the bars, buy a souvenir to bring home, take a selfie here and there simply because everything looks so amazing, take part in a night show for kids on the stage near the water, or even become a karaoke-star at the famous CityWalk’s Rising Star Karaoke where you can perform on stage with a live band in front of a real audience. Sounds like fun?

It is. But the REAL fun starts inside the parks!

I expected the Universal Orlando to be quite big. But I didn’t imagine it would be so huge. The park consists of two main areas – Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida.

90 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

91

TRIPIN’

A new Wizarding World of Harry Potter, added just a couple of years ago, is situated in both zones, which are connected by the Hogwarts Express – a real train that take you from one park to another.

age, San Francisco and Hollywood, mixing it with the movie inspired theme areas and attractions. There are many rides, live shows and events that keep you busy for hours and days.

One day is definitely not enough to see everything.

While Islands of Adventure take you to the legendary islands and locations like The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park and The Seuss Landing, the second park, Universal Studios Florida, shows you the iconic US cities like New York at its golden

The terrific amount of work that was put to create these worlds of fantasy, makes you feel and experience that you’re actually inside the fairytale. Entering the Parks through the Main Gates, you’re leaving the real world, and stepping into

92 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

the Wonderland which is more than appealing.

The amazing design and decoration of every place inside the parks – whether it is an attraction, a dining, a store, or just a restroom – everything looks so impressive and in style of a main theme of an area. Beautiful theme music that sounds everywhere helps you immerse into the area with a new dimension.

The 3D-rides are so realistic that make you truly believe you’re running with Minions, saving the planet with Terminator, flying above the city with Spiderman or escaping the Gringotts with Harry Potter.

Because it feels so real, be ready for some thrills, as your mind probably won’t be able to differentiate and believe you’re actually safe, sitting in a chair, rather than hanging somewhere in front of Voldemort.

Yet probably one of the most magical moments you can feel is in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – the world of Harry Potter books and movies, brought alive by the park creators. Seeing the real Diagon Alley with all that should be on it – Olivander’s Wand Shop, store for quid-ditch supplies, the shops like Borgin and Burkes with levitating objects on a showcase, Gringotts bank with a stone dragon sitting on its roof and spewing fire once in a while – you won’t be able to believe you’re not dreaming.

Katherine Kifa

click here to comment on this article ->

And it’s not just about what you can see – you can try things.

In the Olivander’s Wand Shop you can get yourself a magic wand, which would actually work around the Harry Potter world area, doing some magic tricks for you. You can go to the Hogsmeade and taste butter-beer. You can even get lost inside the tiny streets of Diagon Alley and suddenly find yourself under the starry sky even if it was 11 AM. The whole experience oh the park is so amazing, that, I promise, you wouldn’t want to leave. But unfortunately I had to move on. My next destination was San Francisco, and it was waiting.

93

PHOTO

Norway Lofoten Roberto Sysa

click here to comment on this article ->

STORY

94 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

95

PHOTO STORY

Reine Ora Blu

96 NOTINDOOR

Svollvaer Tramonto www.notindoor.com

Hamnoy Sotto La Neve

Hamnoy Sunrise

97

PHOTO STORY

Reine

98 NOTINDOOR

Volanstinden Fredvang www.notindoor.com

e Bay

Flakstad Aurora Boreale

99

PHOTO STORY

100 NOTINDOOR

Flakstad Aurora Boreale www.notindoor.com

Reinevagen Bay

101

PHOTO STORY

Haukland Alba

Henningsvaer Alba

Spiaggia Di Unstad

Svollvaer Tramonto

Flakstad La Chiesa Illuminata All Ora Blu 102 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

Skagsanden Aurora Boreale

103

PHOTO STORY

Essicazione Merluzzi (Stoccafissi)

104 NOTINDOOR

Essicazione Merluzzi (Stoccafissi) www.notindoor.com

Henningsvaer Alba Nel Porto

Henningsvaer Alba Sulla Vetta Del Festvantind

Sakrisoy Sunrise

Skagsanden Beach Flakstad

Troms Lyngen Alps Aurora Boreale A Lenangsoy

Skagsanden Beach Flakstad

105

?

W O

H , IT

A W

106 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

107

HOW TO...

Concert Photography Tutorial Shooting concerts is really tricky thing because lights change all the time, action is on different parts of the stage (and sometimes in the crowd) and you want to capture every single moment. Most of the concerts I’m shooting are heavy metal, hard core and punk concerts, most of them are in small clubs, and that’s why my favorite lens is wide-angle Canon EF 1635mm II f2.8 L USM. For close-ups and portraits I’m using Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS II. Those 2 lenses in combination with Canon 6D and 5DM2 are great for shooting in low light.

Great thing when you are shooting concerts is that you have headliners, and 1 or 2 bands before them. That’s the time when you are, in fact, preparing yourself for headliners checking the stage (there are so many monitors on the stage and some concert equipment in the photo pit, so it’s messy), light conditions and you have to find the best place for shooting. Of course before that you have to research on the internet something about the band - is the singer left or right handed, how are they placed on the stage, how they are going out on the stage, etc. And if you do all those things correctly when the headliners go out you will be well prepared for the shooting.

108 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

109

HOW TO...

So this is a photo of band Ghost. On most of their photos photographers are focused on their singer. On this photo I knew how they will start the show, so I wanted to capture the whole scene - singer, bass and guitar player, drummer, keyboardist and the background - church mosaic. Because of the contrast in the scene - the singer was highlighted, but bass and guitar player were in the shadows, I decided to underexpose the photo to have all details of the singer. Here’s the RAW file:

You can see it’s little bit too dark so I’ve changed exposure to +0,60, add clarity to get micro-contrast and boost colors in Adobe Camera RAW:

After those simple changes photo has more informations and details, so I’ve opened it in Photoshop for more editing. Looks like the photo isn’t straight and there is too much black space on the right side, so I fixed that. Also that black space is still little bit too dark and I want to change 110 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

the mood of the photo (to get something more interesting and colorful) so I’ve add green color, changed blending mode to lighten and opacity to 37%:

To add some contrast to that green colour I wanted to get more of this yellow colour, so I’ve add warming photo filter 85 (60%). It was little bit to orange so I’ve changed opacity of that filter to 40%. I’ve erased filter from this green parts (on the edge of the photo) and suddenly looks like the singer starts to glow:

And that was it - great impact in just few minutes. I get more dramatic and more moody photo.So here’s before and after:

111

HOW TO...

112 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

Usefull tips for shooting concerts: • Always shoot in RAW and manual (still don’t get it why are people don’t do that) • Know your camera and push it to it’s limit (especially with ISO) • Highest ISO, smallest aperture, center AF point, continous shooting, AI servo, auto WB are the best settings for shooting lowlight action • Edit photos as much as you need (send them for report or gallery, but the best photos are worth to take a time on them) • It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality - you don’t have to shoot uninterested members of the band just “to have all of them”, concentrate on the best one in the band - one photo will sold you, not a lot of crap • Try to shoot conection between band and audience • Also try to connect with the person you shooting - I’m sure some of them will pose you in front of you’re camera during the concert • Make your own style, be creative, be unique • Shoot only bands you like • And finally enjoy in concert - that will bring the best out of you...

Roberto Pavic click here to comment on this article ->

Click to Enter

113

W E I V

E R R

A E G

114 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

W

115

GEAR REVIEW

Gitzo GT2531EX Tripod

& AcraTech VG-2 Head

Field Review 2016 Peter Vanderhoof

116 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

117

GEAR REVIEW

Professional Photographer, landscape, cityscape and night The Gitzo GT2531EX is the cantilever center post carbon fiphotography are preferred shooting. First darkroom, 1974, age ber tripod. Yes, as a landscape photographer I heard all about 16... love the creativity of digital. not getting a center post tripod, but as this shot shows I can get low to the ground and while I did just adjust the center As an old photographer, I still love my tools, and anyone who column back for a shot composition I liked, a quick 180 in shoots with me can tell you, I carry a lot of stuff. the gimbal head and the post is out of the frame even in a fish-eye.

So, my tripod, being necessary at any moment, had to be light, strong, and versatile. Night shooting should be easy when using in the dark, both the tripod and the head.

After a couple years, I now use a Gitzo GT2531EX with an AcraTech VG-2 gimbal head. And an L bracket on the camera.

Shooting time-lapse stars, or more common, being in a weird position to get that shot “no one else has”, versatility was key.

I saw this bloom from across the canyon at sunset, came back for sunrise only to find the angle I wanted included rock climbing. Tripod system got the shot. I have the Vanguard 200GH grip-head on in this shot, too sloppy, added inches in height. So I did some research and got the AcraTech VG-2.

I want shots fast and move on, but movement in star trails and time-lapse is bad to say the least. So the gear has to solid when I get to the shot, and may sit that way for hours.

118 NOTINDOOR

In the next shot what I saw, the plant was in the way, so the center column sliding in for the close-up of mouse hole and flower, was easy to do. The center column made it happen, put the camera where I wanted it. The Archtech Vg-2 gimbal head allowed me to position the camera, shot a shot. Tilt it up check and then with veneer numbers on it’s movements, reposition, adjust and shoot my shots. 15-20 minutes of

www.notindoor.com

crawling around I had a fun shot, maybe just a bit unusual.

This gimbal head & center column was useful when shooting the 2015 Long Beach Indy Grand Prix. General admission ticket crowds, found my holes in fences, twisted the GT2531EX into place to make a composition, wait for cars.

Hit some shots, collapse it down and find a new corner or angle. Got some unusually fun 4 wheel truck shots because I was thinking about lunch and they announced the demo truck race, “with Jumps�. My Gt2531EX was set up on the bottom of series of S turns, cars turning left to right of frame.

As I wondering about the jumps and looked at the Gitzo, a forklift can up the track with a jump and placed the jump in view where the race cars were momentarily straight then turning from one turn to the next turn. I stared, dug in my pocket for a protein bar and shot totally fun shots, I think one shot I have 3 or 4 trucks visually in the air, and a couple of the truck with the broken wheel axle yeah, dragging on the ground.

Last August, I was in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of Southern California. Once again I am in a spot for a sunset photo. as the sun set, the sweet spot for me moved to the right. I realized I did not have time to reset the camera, but the center column did allow me to push the camera over almost a foot very fast and save a moment anyway.

Note the use of the steel points, extra $50, but includes 2 sets of rubber cover tips (lg & sm) and wrench tighten in to place, good solid size.

Later in the trip, set up for time-lapse, I caught my best shooting star, so far.

I carried my dual rigs that night. Was a Los Angeles Chapter Sierra Club Camera Committee outing. One rig did timelapse of the 2 trees lighted painted by the group, the other, my new 6D on in my hand, wandering around.

Image in the next page > 119

GEAR REVIEW

The hike goes up about a 1/2 mile of trail through rock scree. Once there, as it is a famous tree, several groups were walking around. I had to find an object in the dark that people would avoid, while still giving me a nice composition for photographing the SCCC light painting the trees. In the dark I found a large stump just off the trail that seemed like everyone coming and going missed. I dove in and minutes later had the rig set up. Gitzo GT2531EX & Markins M-1 ran for 3 or 4 hours, I changed cards and batteries on the rig, less to drop in the dark. Then with the 2nd GT2531EX & AcraTech VG-2 head on it, I wandered around looking for fun shots to experiment with.

While it may not be the lightest I could carry, at 12,000ft in the Colorado mountains, my tripod was handy and able to handle the rocks of a scree field to shoot a close-up of a spider. Notice that again, I have the center column pushing out and to the side to deal with the objects/rocks and still have the camera in close.

While I never did like any of the compositions, I did get a spider at 12,000ft shot for my collection. As a carbon fiber tripod, 1st off, I am not easy on equipment, I lost the wrench clipped on the leg, and the Gitzo GT2531EX you see in the photos is at least 2 yrs old. I’ve killed a lens and damaged a few pieces of equipment to get shots.

And I’m an old man too.

For night photographers, cold is cold, the carbon fiber is not as bad as metal, and foam or cloth covers just pick up stickers, twigs, dirt easier. click here to comment on this article ->

120 NOTINDOOR

www.notindoor.com

The AcraTech VG-2 Gimbal head, I bought off Ebay for about $400, used. Very easy to use, knobs of size and placement easy to find in the dark. Locks in tight, so star trails, time-lapse are a charm even after a backpacking hike in.

I currently own 2 of these Gitzo GT2531EX tripods, the AcraTech head on one and a Markins M-1 Red on the other.

The Markins is not gimbal, and a little heavier, but Rock Solid with a 95lb load rating! Nice time-lapse head.

The photographer I was shooting with the past couple years in So. Ca. now has one of these tripods... Since I am doing a lot of street photography of San Juan De Los Lagos, Mexico, my current walking rig is my Domke vest, Camelbak Rogue hydration backpack and the tripod, camera in hand. Here is the Camelbak Rogue and tripod side by side. Small enough for a crowded street, I tend to stay out of shops, but if careful I can hit no one and break nothing all week.

These shots show the Acratech head on and compact in both the upright and gimbal position.

121

122 NOTINDOOR

NOTINDOOR

LANDSCAPEANDFINEARTPHOTOGRAPHYMAGAZINE

www.notindoor.com