A new camera enters the arena

So I made the very hard, but freeing decision to sell all of my Fujfilm gear. Well, almost all. I’ll never part ways with my X100F because that camera means more to me than just being a camera. But everything else; my X-T4, X-Pro2, and a myriad of lenses, all shipped off to MPB to recoup some cost.

There are a few reasons I decided to do this:

First, simplicity in kit. This is a concept that means a lot to me. I hate having to make the decision of what to carry, and I wanted to simplify that decision by limiting my choices.

Second, I simply wasn’t using any of it. Ever since I got the Sony a7Rii back in June, I haven’t picked up my Fujifilm cameras. They’ve been relegated to a shelf in my office for me to just look at and collect dust. I hated that feeling. Not just of having gear that just sat there, but that someone else could get great use of it.

Third, I knew if I ever wanted to shoot Fujifilm again, I am lucky enough to be able to repurchase anything that I sold. But I also knew that wasn’t going to happen. I’ve been creating some of my best work ever with this 9 year old camera, and I don’t see myself looking back. I am done with the hype that street photographers shoot Fujifilm because I realized that a lot of street photographers still shoot film. And I’m definitely not going to be doing that. So why am I trying to label myself a certain type of photographer based on the brand that I use?

And finally, and honestly, least importantly, it was because I wanted a new camera. But not the kind of camera you may think. I wasn’t upgrading my Sony (although, honestly, I really want to because the shutter lag after 7 shots is starting to kill me). No, I had my eyes on a whole different kind of camera, a camera that would allow me to more easily share my ideas.

New Endeavours

Since I’ve started this blog, I keep thinking “this could be a video”. Not that I think it could go viral or it’s an amazing idea. But just that, I used to make YouTube videos pretty regularly and I loved it and I kinda missed it. But I was doing it for the wrong reasons (monetization). Now looking back, I wish I had just tried to dispel information to people instead of trying to make videos that would get a lot of views and hopefully subscribers (because that didn’t happen).

So with all that, I’ve been thinking recently that I want to get back into making videos. I want to make these blogs videos. I want to document my projects (again, more on that soon hopefully), and I want to make more POV photography reels for Instagram (mainly because I love watching them).

So with all that said, and without further ado, the camera that I picked up after selling my unused Fujifilm kit, is the DJI Osmo Pocket 3.

Now, I’m not one to review gear, or even try to persuade you to purchase something (you won’t find an affiliate link anywhere in this post). Because honestly, you shouldn’t be buying new gear. If your GAS is acting up, it’s probably because you’re not being inspired, and I think you should just try something new. Trust me, someone with a terrible case of GAS, nothing you buy will make you a better photographer.

But this DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is different. It isn’t to make me a better photographer, because it doesn’t take photographs (I mean it does, but I would never). I see this as a new tool for a different hobby.

And yes, you can make the argument of “you could have just shot video on your Fujifilms, why would you buy a camera that only does 1 thing, and doesn’t do it as well as the Fujfilms did?” That’s a very easy answer: simplicity.

Why not just use my iPhone?

I don’t want to faf around with focusing on making the video completely cinematic by choosing the right lens and filter and settings and all that nonsense. I’m not trying to make movies. I just want to make videos. And yes, I did consider using my iPhone for this, but there are two main reasons I decided to steer away from that, and these are completely personal and I don’t downplay anyone who uses their iPhone to make videos because it really is a fantastic camera:

One, recording in Apple Pro-Res required me to plug in an external drive to record onto because those files are huge. And then I’d want great audio so I’d have to plug in a microphone. And then all my shots are static unless I got a gimbal. And….the list goes on. Pretty soon I’m building out a rig that would require it’s own separate bag, and I’m setting up a tripod and such to shoot in public, and at that point I might as well use the Fujifilm because at least it does better in low light. So point number one, I didn’t want to have to build out a rig to do what the DJI OP3 does so well.

And two, along with everything stated above, I believe it does have better low-light capabilities. And I’m someone who likes to get up in the early morning and do POV street photography sometimes, and I’ve been burned in the past with bad low-light capabilities and poor image stabilization (looking at you Osmo Action 2). But the OP3 has mechanical stabilization, a decently-sized sensor, and is still decently small, small enough for me to mount onto my camera and now feel like I’m carrying 10 pounds of gear around my neck for a simple reel.

So, ultimately, comparable, if not better, image quality, better stabilization, and a smaller kit. Those are the reasons I’ve chosen then OP3 over my iPhone or any other camera.

Do I care that there isn’t multiple focal lengths? No. I mean, I haven’t actually made a video yet, but I think dynamic motion will make for a more interesting video than multiple focal lengths. Do I care that the gimbal isn’t a 360 degree rotating head? Kinda, but there’s just a learning curve. Do I care that it is larger than the Action 2, in my opinion the best form factor for POV videos? A little, but I’ll take better video quality any day.

So, yeah, I sold my Fujfilm gear. I’m no long a Fujifilm photographer. And I bought a new camera, but a very specifically-focused camera. And I think my next blog will also be a video. Because that would be pretty cool.

Getting back, with new perspectives

The past month, I’ve focused on landscape photography. There are a few reasons for this, but partly that I’ve been visiting some beautiful places and mainly that I haven’t been inspired by the places I’ve been to do any sort of social documentary photography.

However, being back in Austin finally, there isn’t much of a subject for landscape photography. Texas is relatively ugly state, overall. Texas has everything you want, geography-wise, but none of it is first-class. Or second-class. Or even third-class. It exists. That’s all you can say about it.

But I can’t just put my camera down. I feel I’m really becoming a photographer. So I decided to start a project that I’ll be talking about more throughout the year. But starting that project, which combines a little bit of landscape photography with a little bit of social documentary got my juices flowing again, so this morning I went downtown and shot a little.

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It felt really good to get out again after a long while off of it. It being a holiday Monday, there wasn’t a lot going about downtown, but with the overcast skies, everything was lit by a really nice softbox which I enjoyed, something we don’t get too often in Texas.

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I’ve also really been loving my colors and style lately. In my first post, I talked about how I felt I hadn’t found a style that was conducive to a body of work. But since I’ve been trying this high-key, low-contrast, somewhat vibrant editing style, I more frequently love the photos I’m capturing than ever before. And that’s a really nice feeling.

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I’m finding, too, in my photos lately, that' I’m trying to capture more of the scene. I think I’ve talked about this in the past, where I felt it was important to capture the scene and not just people, which is why I don’t love the work of people like Bruce Gilden, but in reviewing a lot of my past work, the scene I've captured didn’t feel complete, it didn’t feel like it added to the story. But in this set of images from this morning, I feel I’ve done a good job at capturing both the subject and the scene to tell a complete story. Take this photo below for example:

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I could have easily gotten a tighter shot of this man taking a morning siesta on a city bench, and thought that was a good photo because he was an interesting subject. And previously, I probably would have shot him from the front to see his face. But I love this image so much more than the thought of that one. By widening the field, I’ve shown where he is. It isn’t just any old city bench, but a bench on West 2nd which is a really nice part of downtown. And his bucket hat occluding his face drives home the siesta without having to see that his eyes are closed. And then the slight dullness in the greens of the trees makes the blue pop so much more. It’s hard to miss him in the frame even with so much going on around him. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I think this is a fantastic photo.

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I also tried to play with motion, as seen in the photos above and below. This was mainly possible thanks to the overcast of the morning. And I think this newfound experimentation has come from my love of trying out the Brenizer Method that I talked about in my last post. Trying out new techniques in one area (namely landscape) has led me to try other camera techniques in other areas of photography. I’ve always loved photos with motion, but whenever I tried them, they felt like mistakes. Albeit, the photo above isn’t perfectly tracked so the runner isn’t perfectly in focus, but the feeling of the photo is drastically different than it would have been with a freeze-frame image.

Similarly, the photo below captures the cyclist completely blurry, whichI think adds to an otherwise benign photo.

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So ultimately, it was difficult for me to feel inspired by street photography in Austin lately. And honestly, it still does, even after a morning like today. The thought of taking photos around Austin just doesn’t fill me with a sense of drive like it used to. But I don’t just want to abandon this style of street photography. And I don’t want to only take landscape photos when I’m in a beautiful place. I think finding inspiration is as much about your surroundings as it is your state of mind, and I’m trying really hard to change my frame of reference with regards to street photography where I live.

And three things that are helping me do that are:

1. a sense of fulfillment at finding a style that I like

2. creating a project for me to work on for the remainder of the year

3. trying new techniques with my photos, whether in-camera or with panorama stitches

So, I don’t know. If you’re not feeling inspired, try spicing things up and trying something different. Not necessarily new. Just different. Like shooting in only black&white. Or only shooting the color red (I actually really love a color hunt day, those are great for getting you out of a funk).

Yet again, I’ve rambled through a blog post and created a 1,000 word essay about nothing. But hey, you read it.

Stephen

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Another Brenizer Method photo. 

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Finding Style

A short time ago, and two blog posts, I talked about how presets were ruining my body of work, and how I felt I didn’t have a style. In the recent weeks, I feel that has drastically changed, and I’m finally producing a body of work that I’m proud of, and that feels cohesive.

Feet in Lake Michigan

I believe there are two things that happened that led me to this point in my photography journey.

The first is that I joined a community and have other photographers to bounce ideas off of, discuss the struggle with, and have a space for experimentation. I do think that is important, because when you’re a solo creator, it’s easy to see what other successful people are doing and just emulate that because it seems to work. But when you’re part of a community, and more importantly a community where people are at different stages in their journey, it isn’t about what works to be a successful photographer; it’s about understanding what other photographers are seeing, and taking bits of each of their experiences and experimenting with your own techniques to find something more intriguing. It’s less about emulation and more about amalgamation.

The second is that, lately, I have strayed away from exclusively street photography with human subjects and find myself doing more landscape photography. This has been both a blessing a curse.

It’s a blessing because I’m feeling more relaxed, and less anxious about being around people in noisy environments; now I can go out into peaceful places, and take my time with my photography. One thing I’ve been trying is the Brenizer method to create a medium format look (wide angle photography with a shallow depth of field), and I’ve been loving the results. The files are huge and Lightroom keeps screaming at me to increase my cloud storage, but otherwise, I love the results. However, I feel that technique isn’t conducive to fast-paced street photography. So slowing down has been a welcome change.

A very mundane example of the Brenizer method, but a love this photo for some reason

It has been a curse because my colors are a little off; specifically my skin-tones. When I’ve edited a landscape photo, I love the results. When I throw people in there and try to use the same editing techniques, people come out very orange, which requires more minute editing. A bit of a pain.

Particularly orange people

I don’t think this is to say that I’m done with street photography. It’s still a style of photography that I find most endearing and authentic. But as I slow down and try to find the beauty around me, either because I’m visiting Northern Michigan which is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, or I’m trying to relieve my anxiety from every day life, or I’m just out fishing, I find that the pace of landscape photography fits my needs as a photographer more, and the images I’m creating feed my soul as a creative.

I feel I had more profound intentions when sitting down to write this post this morning, but it has turned into more of a rambling on unrefined emotions and a photo dump. If you’ve read to here, I apologize.

Ultimately, I think I’m trying to say, if you aren’t happy with what you’re creating, try a different genre. It may not be the answer to your problems, but it may help you find a new perspective. But what do I know?

First Austin Photo Walkers Meet-up

Last Sunday I joined the Austin Photo Walkers for their monthly meet-up for the first time. I wasn’t sure what to expect from it, and while it was daunting, it was a really great experience.

See, I’ve spent the past few years being a solo photographer. I like going out by myself and taking photos, trying not to be noticed. It really is an introvert sport. So joining a group of people to take photos was a little strange to me - also, joining any group of people for anything where I don’t know anyone is very stressful because, well, introvert.

But ultimately I had a good time, met some good people, and had nice conversations about the styles of street photography, the way people edit and some tips on my own editing styles.

It was strange to have a group of about 50 people all walking the same street, taking photos of the essentially the same things. But it was also interesting to see what other people were seeing and what things I missed. Some photographers were doing portraits of one another, some went a little solo away from the group, and some hunted in packs.

It was nice to feel a part of a community. That’s something I haven’t really felt in my photography journey yet. I have friends who enjoy taking photos, and some friends who are professional wedding and portrait photographers. But I wouldn’t consider that a community - we don’t overlap much in the Vinn diagram of photographic styles and desires. And while there was still some disconnect within this group (so many film photographers), it felt like we were all after the same thing.

And there were people from all stages of the journey - kids just starting out and trying to find their eye up to people who had studios and sold their work. It felt like an opportunity to reflect on where I’ve been and forecast where I want to go. No one had the pretentiousness of a professional photographer who felt they had all the answers.

Afterwards, everyone met up a dive bar near where we started. I unfortunately skipped that (sorry everyone) because my social battery was pretty drained and I was getting hungry.

But I’m going to continue to attend the meet-ups, and hopefully stay the whole time.

There’s also a discord channel that’s been set up, which, to anyone who’s thinking about starting a photo walkers group in their community, I highly recommend this. It allows for different boards to discuss different topics, and I find myself checking it almost more often than I check Instagram now. Having that sense of community even when we’re not all out taking photos is great. And it’s been a great place for me to share my photos and get feedback from other photographers and what I could do different - namely, cool my photos a little.

There’s also a guy with a 3D printer who, I think, is going to print me a disposable camera lens. So that’s really cool, and if that comes to fruition, I’ll definitely be talking about that.

With this newfound desire to be a part of a community, I’ve been reaching out to other photographers in areas that I’ll be traveling to soon, namely Chicago, to see if they’d like to do a meet-up. The confidence going out with other people and getting positive feedback brings is a wonderful thing. It makes me feel like a real photographer, and not just someone who enjoys taking photos.

That’s all I’ve got for this post. Just a reflection on the importance of community, even if you feel like street photography should be a solo activity. Because I can assure you, it doesn’t have to be. Sure, you’re going to scare most the subjects away, because there aren’t a lot of people who see a mob of camera-carrying creators walking at them and don’t turn down a side street, but you find other things to photograph. And, there’s still the crazy people who stop and ask what the hell is going on, and those people usually want their photo taken. And that’s pretty cool too.

Stephen

The Problem with Presets

Recently I’ve switched from using exclusively Fujifilm cameras (namely the Fuji X100F and X-Pro2) to using a Sony A7Rii that my mother-in-law gave me. It had been sitting in a closet at her house and thankfully, she gets more joy out of me using it than having it sit on a shelf - not a common trait you see in most photographers with G.A.S.

I’ve really been enjoying this camera. I mean, kind of. It can feel clunky. And the images are clinical. But man are they sharp. I didn’t think I was someone who would hop on the full-frame, high megapixel bandwagon, but now, I’m driving the damn wagon, yelling ‘YAH’ so the horses go faster. Since I’ve received that camera (and bought a few lenses, because, G.A.S.), I haven’t picked up my Fuji’s.

But when I’m editing, I find that first, I’m only editing the raw images. I was so used to Fujifilm where I’d edit the jpegs, make a minor exposure adjustment, and throw on a preset and call it done. But now, I feel like I’m actually editing photos. Changing the white balance and tint, making sure the exposure is just right (because you can really stretch the exposure in those raw files) and just generally spending more time with each photo.

Well, not each photo. I still pick a hero, make edits, and then copy/paste to all other images in the set.

But still, I’m spending more time with the photos. And this has really got me thinking about my style. And it’s frustrating me a bit. A lot. Before, I had a handful of presets that I’d use for certain types of images and I was done. But now, I’m going back and looking at prior work and I’m not satisfied. And I think that’s mainly because I’m not satisfied with my current work either.

Looking at the work and websites of photographers that I admire, I find that I don’t have a cohesive body of work. When I look at the gallery on my home page, I just see a bunch of photos. I don’t see a body of work.

This becomes more apparent when I look at the yearly photobooks I publish for my own archival. I flip the pages, and it’s nice to see the progression of my skill - improved composition, better use of light, colors, and contrast, and just overall better storytelling. But I still feel as though I haven’t found my style.

And that’s got me thinking, I think the edit plays a larger role in finding your style than I previously thought. I think the problem is presets. And not that presets are bad. I think they’re fantastic. I think presets make that last little bit of photography easier. But if you look at my Lightroom, I have hundreds of presets. HUNDREDS! No wonder none of my photos look like a collection.

So how am I going to remedy this? I have a couple of ideas.

The first is figure out what I actually enjoy photographing. I started my photography journey thinking I wanted to be a street photography. And it isn’t that I don’t want to be that anymore. I do still love social documentary. I think it’s the rawest form of photography, the best physical storytelling that exists. But I’ve also fallen in love with the work of James Popsys and Kyle McDougall and wonder if landscapes are calling my name. I feel drawn to the simplicity of their photographs - the effect of humans on nature without capturing any humans. A way to photograph the human species without a human subject.

Now, no one says I can’t do both. Because I can. But the feeling of a photograph of an abandoned building on a beautiful landscape should have the same feeling as a lone subject waiting for a bus in the middle of a city, because I’m trying to tell the same story there - the story of the human condition.

And I think the way you get that same feeling is from the edit. The composition tells the story, the edit gives the feeling.

So, I need to find my style, my feeling, in my edits. And that’s going to involve paring down my hundreds of presets into two, maybe three. And a black and white. So max, four. And that’s going to hard to do.

But that’s the journey I’m on now.

Because when I look at my gallery, I’m happy with the stories. I’m happy with what I captured with my camera, the fleeting moment that won’t occur again.

Take these two photos for example. These two photos should have the same feeling to them - a feeling of tranquility, peace, and a little bit of irony. But these two photos are completely different. They feel completely different. The exposures and colors give two different feelings.

The photo on the left feels a little more serene, early morning, tranquil. But also muted like there isn’t really a subject and there isn’t a strong emotion.

The photo on the right feels too on the nose with the colors, and it feels like it’s screaming at you. Also, I’ll admit, the composition isn’t great. “Being in a pool” doesn’t need to be the main story, but with that composition, it is.

So, anyway, all that to say, I have a lot of work to do as a photographer. Because right now I’m not happy with the feelings of my photos. And I’m not happy that I’m trying to make the audience feel too many different feelings in a single body of work. That’s too many feels. That isn’t a body of work.

Wish me luck.

Stephen