Crafting Photographs

I think any photographer can learn how to make creative adjustments to their photographs so the prints look the way they intend…and I think it’s actually an easy thing to do.

When I look at my printing methodology (which is the same approach we’ve used at West Coast Imaging for tens of thousands of photographs, and the same one I’ve taught to a few hundred students over the years), it looks really simple.

Like a lot of things, it takes a day (or three) to learn the basics, and a lifetime to master the art.

First you need to start with a well exposed photograph. 

This should be the goal every time you click the shutter. It’s a lot easier to make a great photograph from a well exposed original than it is from a poorly exposed image. You will simply get better results.

It’s OK to fix your mistakes, but the basis for your workflow should be to make good exposures, and learn the tools that work for good exposures.

Use basic tools in Photoshop

I’ve found that on well exposed photographs, I can do 99%ish of everything I need to do  with just curves, color balance, hue/saturation, and selective color when coupled with layer masks, the info palette to see the pixel values, and some smart sharpening. Throw in a RAW converter for digital camera files (but I’m a 4×5 film guy, so most of my “RAW” conversion happens on scanner).

Notice there there are a lot of things I don’t use. I don’t use levels, I don’t look at histograms, I don’t soft proof, I don’t look at gamut warnings. I use them so rarely that they are almost nonexistent in my workflow. If you like cooking with those pots and pans, that’s fine, but if you want to take my cooking class to see how I make things taste the way I do, you’ll have to put them on the shelf for a while because they are not part of how I cook. I’ve have a lot of tools and ingredients on the shelf, and I have no problem using them when appropriate, but I really think you can do most of what you need with the simple tools I listed above.

Once you have the right tools, then you have to learn to use them properly. Even the best tool in the world can mess things up when used for the wrong application. Ever try to use a table knife for a screwdriver? I thought so Like you, I’ve got the bent table knives and damaged screws to prove I used the wrong tool.

Using the right tools properly is part of what I’m trying to show in the EXAMPLES video I just made. Making a beautiful print can be as simple as a few layers. You can do a lot with a few simple moves. But that’s where the challenge comes in: You have to practice those simple moves over and over again so that you can work on instinct. There is a reason Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid had Daniel-san practice “Wax on, Wax off” so many times, and there is a reason every great athlete practices endlessly to get the perfect golf swing, the perfect basketball pass, the perfect swimming stroke. Practice is about developing good habits and eliminating bad ones. Photography is the same way, so you have to practice good habits if you want to be a master and not a hack.

Printing really can be easy. It just takes using the right tools, and lots of practice.  I’ll keep posting to show you how, if you keep reading.

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What goes into making a great print? How do you work on a file in Photoshop to make it communicate what you want?

The best way I can teach how to make a beautiful print is by showing you. With this in mind, I’ve embarked on making a set of YouTube videos entitled EXAMPLES – The Making of a Photograph that go through the adjustments I made to an actual photograph, step by step.

This time we’ll go through my photograph “Cottonwoods, Autumn, June Lake Loop, California” as it fits the seasonal mood I’m in, with colors all around me as the season changes.

Watch the video (click HD viewing for extra clarity and size), and feel free to use the comment section here at Crafting Photographs to ask questions and further the dialog on how and why I made the adjustments I did.

If you want some explanation on the individual techniques used, like layer masks, watch the video tips from West Coast Imaging.

And don’t forget to get out and make some autumn images! It’s too fleeting to miss!

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Aspen Trio, Lee Vining, California

I am continuing on last week’s theme so I can talk about some more of the unique aspects of the Sierra autumn, to help you get the most from photographing this spectacular display.

Chasing the Color

In the eastern United States, color starts up north and moves south as the season progresses. In the Sierra, color starts at the higher elevations, which experience cooler nights earlier in the season than lower elevations. The Aspen groves above 8000-9000 feet are generally smaller “scrub” and their color display can peak quickly.  It’s quite common for the peak to have passed at 9000 feet, with the leaves off the trees, but still find green trees at lower elevations.

I chase the color by elevation. If the trees down low (~7000 feet) are green, go higher on any of the amazing side roads off Highway 395 and elsewhere that lead to high elevation. If the trees up high are past peak, go to lower elevations.

Color may also change more rapidly depending on how far north or south in the Sierra you are. My experience from north to south is mainly from Conway Summit (just north of Lee Vining) to Bishop, where trees peak fairly close to the same time…but if nothing is happening where you are, drive somewhere else!

As the Aspens peak in the Eastern Sierra, the color is usually starting in the Western Sierra, with incredible Black Oaks and Big Leaf Maples, and wonderful meadows of dried grasses. Many years I’ve photographed the oaks in Yosemite into November.

Fall Color Reports

How do you decide if it’s worth the drive? I’m about three hours from the Aspens in Lee Vining Canyon when Tioga pass is open. It’s a long haul for just a day of photographing, but I’ll do it when I can’t stay longer. But it’s always easier to be motivated to make the drive and take the time if you know you’ll find some good color, not just green trees or blown out trees…so it’s a reasonable idea to check out fall color reports.

The problem with fall color reports is that everyone seems to evaluate the conditions differently. Too many times I’ve read reports that this area or that area was “past peak,” only to go for myself and see that the peak had only just begun. Therefore, I generally don’t trust color reports unless they are from friends who I know and trust. My favorite way to see what’s going on is to view pictures people have posted from recent trips, as this allows me to make my own judgement on whether the color is peaking, or not.

When in doubt, go anyway! Even a bad day of photography is better than the best day at work, and I almost always manage to find something if I just get off my haunches and go out with my camera!

Subtlety

While fall color photography often focuses on the bold colors of the trees, don’t miss the subtlety all around. The understory of the forest is filled with a multitude of plants that are wonderful in their autumn garb. One of my favorite things is walking through the meadows of Yosemite and looking at the multitude of browns, tans, yellows, and other earthy colors. I’m particularly fond of the dead stalks of cow’s parsnip, and the wonderful pods of milkweed as they burst open to release their seeds. Try and throw away your preconceived notions and photograph what you find!

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Autumn Cottonwoods, June Lake Loop, California

I love autumn, and always have. When autumn color begins, the world looks and feels different, and it makes me very happy at a level I can’t easily describe. 

It should be no small surprise then, that autumn is one of my favorite times to be out in creation making photographs. Photographs let me share that joy with others in a way I can’t with words.

If you are looking to photograph the Sierra autumn, there are many things that make it an exciting time to photograph.

Lighting
Here in the Central Sierra, the sun is at a low angle for most of the day, which creates dramatic shadows and reveals texture that is significantly different than the summer sun.

The light also changes more quickly, as the sun changes position faster as a result of the low angle. This means that when working in one area in mid to late afternoon you can see very different light over a course of even half an hour, and as sunset approaches, things change very fast. These conditions can be challenging to work in because you have to choose your subject and photograph it quickly. You don’t have much time to drive and chase the light, but it is very rewarding to work at a furious pace in the last hour of light.

Clouds
Summer is full of cloudless blue-sky days with little “atmosphere” to create drama and colorful sunsets. Autumn still has its share of blue-sky days, but it also brings days with great clouds as the Sierra heads into the start of the rainy season. High, wispy cirrus clouds complement the crisp autumn air, and you are more likely to see a stunning sunset in Yosemite than in summer. 

Weather

Clouds usually mean something is happening with the weather, and I find weather creates exciting photographic conditions. It might be as simple as a cloudy backdrop, or it could be the wonderful light of a overcast day, or overcast with a light drizzle which makes the colors come alive. And if you are really lucky, you may experience an early snow while the trees still have autumn leaves.

The colors don’t last
The fleeting nature of autumn also creates excitement for me as I photograph. Like a symphony or fireworks show building up to a grand finale, the tapestry of every moment seems richer and richer until all of a sudden the leaves are gone and it’s over, leaving me exuberant and breathless at the same time, overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. It is a singular expedience that you can only have for a brief period of time each year, and it’s never the same twice. 

I hope you’ll make the time this autumn, wherever you live, to go out and experience this incredible spectacle, and that your experience will lead to making photographs that are meaningful to you. It won’t last long, so go get busy!

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