reframing the world one picture at a time
Benzinger Skeleton. Nikon D700, AFS 60/2.8 G Micro.
I love and hate the idea of skeleton watches. Seeing your wrist hair through the dial isn’t so fun; but being able to see the movement definitely is. This shot is a play on the transparency of the watch – you know it’s there, but at the same time, it isn’t. MT
Like the title says: two days from now, Wednesday, 25 April, 7pm – let’s meet outside the entrance of Ion Orchard and figure out where to go from there – near the red floor installation and the ‘bubble’. Please leave a comment if you’re coming. See you all there! MT
City Hall, London – headquarters of The Greater London Authority and home to the Mayor’s office. An interesting blob of a building located in Southwark, near the southern end of Tower Bridge, it was designed by Norman Foster and opened in 2002. It sits at the center of an open plaza with a recessed area containing F&B outlets and entrances to the surrounding buildings, as well as a museum. I just like the architecture. MT
Series shot with a Leica M8, Zeiss ZM 2.8/21 Biogon and Voigtlander 50/1.1 Super Nokton.
Shadow projection.
Repairs.
Oddly reminiscent of a coil of DNA inside a nucleus.
Levitation. In tribute to that Japanese photographer who perpetually seems to be floating in midair…I think she’s known as the ‘Yowayowa Camera Woman’ or something. Nikon D700, AFS 85/1.4 G. MT
I get two questions regularly:
1. “What camera should I buy, or should I buy X or Y?”
2. “I have the same equipment as you. How do you make your images look the way they do? Why can’t I do it?”
I’m not going to address the first question here. As for the second question, there are two answers and one fundamental underlying question: assuming the problem isn’t with your composition, what is it about your workflow that creates that very visible difference in the final image?
Workflow is very important to professionals, because if you’ve got a very high image throughput, then you can take on more work, deliver better quality images to your clients, and at the end of the day, make more money. So it’s in our interests to be as efficient as possible, without sacrificing quality. Good workflow should have the absolute minimum number of steps, be fast and easy to execute, automated to the greatest extent possible (but recognizing that individual images are like children: you have to treat each one differently) and most importantly, be camera independent. The latter requirement is so that you are free to use the best tool for the job without worrying about what to do with the files later. There’s no getting around the fact that different cameras and lenses require different amounts of editing or correction to achieve the desired results; it’s just something that has to be built into your process.
A common misconception is that workflow just covers the post-shoot editing process: it doesn’t. Workflow affects the entire way you execute an assignment, from preparation to final image delivery. What follows is a high level overview of the way I work, and some of the key steps.
1. Prep
– Make a list of equipment you’re going to need.
– Charge batteries, and bring 2x the number you think you’ll need – s*** happens.
– Ensure you have spares: cards, batteries, flashes, bodies, RF calibration spanners…
– Unless you’re shooting a run-and-gun stealth photojournalist assignment, or are going to be carrying your equipment for long periods of time, take everything you think you might need. Better to have it and not use it rather than miss a shot for want of a lens.
– Pack with plenty of time to spare, in case you find you’re missing something or can’t decide which configuration to use – at least you’ve got time to think it over or go out and buy anything critical that’s missing.
2. Shoot
– Turn up early so you can set up (if required) and be relaxed. Nervousness means jumpy hands which means blurred images.
– I always shoot RAW, for maximum latitude later when processing.
– Write-protect your keepers in camera to prevent accidental deletion.
– Shoot bursts where possible, both to get duplicates (insurance) and a choice of material to work with later.
3. First edit
– Delete the ‘obvious fail’ shots in camera when you have downtime – but ONLY when you have downtime. Missing a shot because you were staring at the back of your camera is an amateur’s mistake. I’ll probably dump about 50% of the images at this point.
4. Post-shoot
– Unpack
– Clean equipment – lenses, filters, eyepieces, LCDs etc.
– Recharge any depleted batteries
– Put everything back where it came from, so you can find it again next time.
5. Dump cards
– I will dump all cards to my primary processing machine at this point, and leave the cards unformatted back in the camera – just in case a file gets corrupted or I need the original, I know it’s still there.
6. Backup
– I use a Mac. At this point, I’ll run a time machine backup on my primary processing machine.
7. Second edit
– Delete the images that don’t really work at larger sizes – see my previous article here on editing. I use Adobe Bridge to delete and rate images. Another 50% of the images will go.
8. RAW conversion
– Depending on your machine, figure out how many RAW files you can open before it starts to slow down (use the ‘efficiency’ display in Photoshop; it’s in the bottom left of your image window. 100% means that everything is being loaded to RAM, which is the fastest way of editing). I can open about 15 12MP files in 16 bit before things start to slow down. This means I’ll probably load 20-30, because I also delete some at this point.
– Load bunch of files (20-30) into Camera Raw.
– Make primary exposure adjustments; I will adjust white balance, exposure, shadow/ highlight recovery sliders, vignetting.
– I only crop to aspect ratios that are non-native for my camera. If I’m using a multi-aspect ratio camera like the Leica D-Lux 5, I won’t crop at all.
– I have created a color profile for each camera I use so that I can get consistent color and the same look out of any camera I use, this is applied to the raw file in ACR.
– And same for the tonal response curve.
– Open the files in Photoshop (I’m using CS5.5 Extended now) at maximum quality: 16bit, full resolution.
– B&W conversion: depending on what final look I want, there are many options: gradient map, desaturate, channel mixer…to be the subject of a future article.
– Make curve adjustments – sometimes up to four or five times.
– Any retouching is done at this point – e.g. dust removal for product shots, or color enhancement using brushes and masks. I use a Wacom Intuos4 6×9″ tablet for this, nothing else so far gives me enough fine control.
– Local dodge and burn where applicable.
– Finally, sharpening: do this last, so you don’t land up increasing image noise/ grain. Must be done after curves.
– Convert to 8 bit and desired color space.
– Save final file. I generally use a maximum quality JPEG unless the client demands otherwise; you really can’t tell the difference unless you’re going to do future manipulation on it. (Revisiting old files will be the subject of another future article).
– Optional: do an incremental backup again, if it’s a big conversion job you can’t finish at one sitting, or if each file is time consuming and will take a lot of effort to duplicate.
9. Final edit
– Go through the set again. Keep only the unique, essential images. By the time I’m done, I keep only 1-5% of the initial shoot volume.
10. Portfolio selection
– I keep a portfolio of images for the subjects I commonly shoot; this gets updated after every shoot, especially if I feel there are images that should be added. It’s my aim to have at least one image to add to the portfolio (and replace an old one) from each assignment; this way, I force myself to continually improve.
11. Backup and format
– Dual duplicate sets of images with all raw files to external hard drives, one of which is kept offsite
– Keep finished files only on main processing machine
– Final backup: time machine of main processing machine
– Only now will I format cards. Where possible, I keep at least two copies of the original files – just in case something goes wrong. It’s happened to me in the past, and I’ve been very, very grateful that I did remember to backup. I’ve been doing it religiously ever since, and highly recommend you do the same.
A note on filing: I store images in hierarchal folders by Subject>Event/date>Subset. This allows me to find things easily. I have a separate folder for work on assignment, which is named with something sensible and a date. I don’t like database-based programs for image management like Aperture, because it’s very difficult and unwieldy to manage if you have a lot of images.
12. Delivery
– Send off the images to clients; either over the web, or via DVD.
Now, repeat! MT
Shared space, but no shared connection. Leica M9-P and Zeiss ZM 2/50 Planar.
Five people effectively occupy the same 1.5 square meters of space, yet there’s absolutely no interaction between them. The two outside probably don’t even notice the third person inside hovering over them drinking soup; for all we know, they could even be texting each other. If he was at the same table without the glass barrier, the outside couple would probably feel quite uncomfortable. People everywhere but each retreats into their own worlds. Is this a metaphor for modern society? Perhaps. MT
Here’s an unusual challenge. During my ‘early Leica era’, I decided to challenge myself: I shot a catwalk fashion assignment with a Leica M8 and 35/2 ASPH, rather than my usual D3/300mm combination. How did it turn out? Different – and that was the point. The client magazine was pleased, which is what mattered. And boy, it was possibly the most difficult shoot I’d done up to that point – this being early 2009 – because of the combined challenges of extreme lighting, new and unfamiliar equipment, manual focus, and a much shorter focal length than usual. The plus side is that nobody seemed to mind too much when I was roaming in and amongst the guests; an M8 is surprisingly at home in this environment. One nasty surprise was the IR pollution issue – at this point, my UVIR filters hadn’t yet arrived, and I spent a LOT of time afterwards correcting the color. Even so, you’ll notice a higher than normal proportion of black and white images in this set. MT
Series shot with a Leica M8 and 35/2 Summicron-ASPH.
Napping flamingo. Nikon D3, AFS 300/2.8 VRII. Sometimes I have to admit I miss my long lenses and wildlife photography days. Other times, I remember the fruitless days spent sitting in swamps being a blood donor for various painful biting and stinging insects: there’s always a tradeoff. Bottom line: patience pays. MT
Singapore
Looks like I’ll be free on the 25th and 27th of April (next Wednesday and Friday) for lunch or dinner: Which would you all prefer, and where? I’ll be based around Orchard Road. Please leave a comment below and we’ll figure something out.
Kuala Lumpur
10.30am, Saturday 5th May by the fountain outside Pavilion. I’ll be giving a guided tour through my exhibition and then we can go grab some lunch.
Looking forward to meeting all of you! MT
Let me clarify: by editing, I mean the process of selecting which images to keep, which make the final cut, and which aren’t wroth bothering with. I’ll generally do three edits: one almost immediately after shooting, in-camera; one when I get home and dump the cards/ start converting raw files; and the final cut after I’m done making finished files, but before I archive or deliver complete sets to clients.
As an example, let’s take the contact sheet I used in an earlier article on how to use contact sheets. For the purposes of this exercise, assume that this set is one that came fresh out of the camera (in reality, it’s already been through the complete selection process, and no, I don’t shoot jpeg unless I have no other choice.)
First cut (in camera)
I’ll delete images which are:
– Clearly out of focus
– Incorrectly exposed
– Compositional failures/ experiments that didn’t work
– Clearly meaningless/ no obvious subject
I’ll leave duplicates or near-duplicates of good shots; you can’t judge fine detail or critical focus off the back of a camera screen.
For the example, I’ve already taken out the first cut in camera, so let’s move on.
Second cut (before raw conversion)
I’ll delete images which are:
– Not critically sharp
– Didn’t work as well as expected when viewed at a reasonable size (full screen, usually)
– Compositionally weaker than the rest of the set
At this point, I also pick the best image if there are a series of duplicates or near-duplicates. (Duplication is something I do where possible to give me the best possible selection of raw material to work with.)
Final cut (before delivery)
– Eliminate similar images, so that what you’re left with is a series of individually very strong photos, each with a clearly different character
– Chose only the best X images, where X is your delivery target/ agreement
Final cut. Notice how each image in the final set is distinctly different from the other, yet I haven’t ‘lost’ any critical shots, and manage to capture the essence of the movement of the watch.
I’ll leave you with one final thought: the mark of a truly good photographer is not how many good shots he produces, but rather how many good shots the audience remembers: if you only show good shots, nobody is going to think you’re capable of producing a dud. Furthermore, if you aren’t your own harshest critic, your skill level is never going to improve. This is why editing is so crucial to the entire photographic process; I force myself to keep only the best 1-2% of everything I shoot. MT
Behind the scenes videos
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