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July 2022

29 Jul

Posted at 09:34h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

I had a long-term plan for my photographic career - stop laughing - it was to keep on taking pictures until I was either famous, infamous, or completely obscure. I didn't care which; I am starting to suspect I may have achieved it. Not imagining that I would make the profession or business of photography my sole career, I let it be the important sideline to my main profession. Then it became a big part of my life after the first retirement. After the second retirement. ( Will he never go away? Change the locks. ) it still echoes on as a passionate interest - and one that has a point supporting my other interests. Never planned it that way, but that's how it worked out. How about you? If you are top photographer, remunerated and awarded in keeping with your skill, you may have carefully planned this and worked out the steps that led you ever upwards. Perhaps a formal education at a tertiary level, then internship in a professional firm, then your own practice. Perhaps a apprenticeship - perhaps an...

27 Jul

Posted at 09:41h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

In my digital adolescence - when I converted from a set of top-notch film camera systems to a major maker's enthusiast range cameras - I was amazed at how heavy the things were. If one equated weight with worth, I was getting value. And I didn't hesitate to add to that weight. Hey, I was working in Camera Electronic with all the lenses and accessories around me every day...

25 Jul

Posted at 09:23h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

I have spent a rainy Perth day herding ducks. Not real live quackers - the virtual kind in my computer. I have succeeded in marshalling a small group of them into a row and fallen back exhausted from the effort. It's not one of those silly Facebook games - it's the business of organising digital photography files. Like many of our readers my growing collection of files is spread over a number of devices, held in a number of formats, and about as organised as a soup sandwich. I have elected to try to head 'em up and move 'em out by slow manual means as this is cheaper for me than organising software - I have time to do it. In truth, and you may reflect for yourselves, I had time to do it all along - and the manufacturers of digital equipment and knowledge tried their best to persuade me to do it. I've a bookshelf of manuals and instruction books for a number of editing programs, computers, and storage devices that all urge me to organisation. Even programs that...

22 Jul

Posted at 10:16h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

Dale Neill, the superb professional photographer from Fremantle, has a catch line on his Facebook posts that says when we think Photoshop is the answer, we've asked the wrong question. Agree with him or not, his results as a pro shooter, judge, and writer tend to confirm his opinion. He teaches people to think away from their computer and editing program. Do I believe he's right? Many times I do, and with this particular question I think it revolves somewhat on the idea of quantity - I think he's spot-on when he teaches people to avoid long, hard sessions of computer editing. He teaches them to think beforehand and get the exposures, focus, and composition right before they press the shutter button. He's sort of a jpeg of photography teachers...

18 Jul

Posted at 08:59h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

The studio light in a case - for the photographer who wants light light. Pardon the punning - this Godox kit is a surprising delight on the back wall of the Stirling street shop. It is designed for the event or portable portrait worker who wants a controllable studio mono-head in the smallest possible compass. Those of us who have been heretofore using speed lights, on-camera flashes, or burning pine knots for photo illumination now have a more capable choice...

15 Jul

Posted at 09:53h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

It has been here a lot longer than you, knows what it is doing, and will easily outlast you. Make friends with it, and treat it with some respect. We have all seen the seascape or landscape photo with the tilted horizon - often in our own photographs. The landscape ones are harmless enough, but if you tilt the ocean, a lot of water rushes off one way or the other. That's how you get tidal waves. Take care. The thing about the horizon in a photograph is that, like cockroaches, it is always there - even if you cannot see it. You may see the seascape with the edge of the ocean out there in the sun and think that the horizon is something that only happens outdoors. Not so - it is there in every indoor photo you take, no matter what the subject is. You might not see the curved straight line that is the edge of the Earth, but it is there and it sees you. Think. Every scene you see - and we'll put the camera down and...

13 Jul

Posted at 09:03h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

Let us have a moment's silence for the photo studio water heaters - they are dead; both of them. They lived long and prospered but eventually galvanic action and electricity spelled their doom. I was confronted with the question of how you replace them. Who sells them, who installs them, how do you coordinate the two? All I had to go on was internet pages, and as I discovered, these can come from anywhere. I'm happy that people in Washington and Brisbane are well-served when they get a cold shower, but I found I had to box clever in the googling to make sure I was dealing with someone local. It's not as easy as you may think - many fine pages are connected to you only by the thinnest of mobile phone numbers - or central processing bureaux. Had my needs been more urgent, I might have been in strife. As it was, I found a firm that admitted to having real physical premises and was prepared to see me there. They were open. They were local to my studio. There were...

08 Jul

Posted at 09:27h in Blog, Dick's Rant by [social_share]

In the rush to get the newest of cameras and lenses - lighter, faster, stronger, and better smelling - we sometimes lose sight of  the humbler components of photography. That is, until we are desperately trying to make the new gear do a simple old job. The answer in my studio, as in many, has often been Manfrotto. They have been casting aluminium and turning steel for decades to make the supports, hooks, stands, and other accessories that create our set-ups. Often copied, but never bettered, Manfrotto is the go-to when you need something to Stop Moving, Darn It! It is the gear that stabilises the cameras and backdrops before the IS starts to work. Okay, most photographers can use an extra pair of arms in the studio - that's what assistants are for. But even the best of them are still shaky and complain when they have to stay rigid for an hour. This is where Manfrotto comes in - the Magic Arm kit will stand to attention all day without complaint. a. First component is the redoubtable 035 Super Clamp It...