Old Car Interior is one of those images that is both complex and yet simple at the same time.  This 1934 Chrysler interior was found just down the road in my friend’s backyard (I say “junkyard” but Frank gets mad at me).  I was looking at the car’s dashboard and marveling at the incredible nostalgic detail, and thinking “if I could only capture it!”  I had an idea of how I wanted this to look, but wasn’t sure if I could actually do it.

I’ve always believed that the rule of thirds was the key to a successful image, however not the traditional rule of thirds, but my own!  It is:

1. 1/3 the vision
2. 1/3 the shot
3. 1/3 the post processing

(you can read my post about the rule of thirds here: http://www.photographyblackwhite.com/rule-thirds/)

My first challenge was space, this was a very small interior and it was not practical to photograph from inside the car.  Fortunately there was no back window and so I set up the tripod so that I could shoot through the back window.  To capture the interior I used a 10-22mm zoom at 15mm on my 20d, making it a 24mm in full frame terms.

My next challenge was that it was quite dark inside the car and very bright outside.  One exposure was clearly not going to span that wide dynamic range and so I decided on two exposures, one for the interior and one for the exterior.  I chose not to use HDR as I personally find the look a bit unnatural.  Using Photoshop I cut out the three windows from the exterior exposure and pasted them into the interior exposure, giving me a perfect exposure for the entire scene.

The processing was responsible for the uniqueness of this image.  Using my pen and tablet I went over each piece of the interior to bring out the detail with what I call “local contrast enhancement.”  This is a fancy way of saying that I would dodge and burn each piece to enhance the contrast in just that area.  I prefer this localized approach rather than using a global contrast setting, which would affect all areas equally.

Part of my style is extreme contrast and so I would burn down the shadow areas to ensure great blacks, which further gives the impression of contrast and sharpness.  In all I spent 50 hours to get this image right, which is the longest I’ve ever spent on an image.

The results surpassed my initial vision and has become one of my most published and requested images.  I was by Frank’s today and visited “Old Car Interior” and was shocked to remember just how dull the interior actually looked compared to my final image.  And something else that impressed me was the detail I was able to convey with 8 megapixels, demonstrating that it’s not always about megapixels!

Cole

Note:  The matted 10 X 15 print of Old Car Interior sells for $400 but will be on sale for $275 until 11/1/2011.  Just email me and please mention the discount.

If you’ve read many of my blog entries, you know that I believe in keeping things simple.  And I’m not just talking about the image, but my thinking, my workflow, my printing and everything else.  It’s a philosophy that serves several purposes; first it allows me to stay focused on what really matters.  Second, it minimizes distractions such as setting up and tinkering with hardware and software.  Third, it makes things easier to diagnose and fix when they do go wrong.  And fourth, it helps keep my mind clear of unnecessary clutter.

Many people feel that they cannot produce good images with just the basics, and I disagree.  From my experience the basics can produce incredibly beautiful images that most people would envy.  I would also suggest that the incremental improvement that these “extras” provide, is so small compared to the time/money spent that they are a poor investment.  Your time would be far better spent on finding your vision than setting up programs and plug-ins, or to learn to see better rather than trying to learn to use special inks for your printer.

I’m not saying that there aren’t some “things” that will improve the quality of your work, but by far the largest improvement any of us could achieve would be to improve ourselves rather than our equipment.  I tell people that if there is a place for some of these things, it’s after the basics have been mastered.

I have been a technophile most of my life and there were times when my equipment and processes were more important to me than the work I created.  I always had the latest equipment and all of the newest gadgets.  It was an expensive vanity and it kept me from doing what I really needed to do, and that was to find my own vision. And perhaps that’s part of the reason we do it, it’s easier to buy new equipment then it is to develop our creativity.

I feel passionately about the concept of simplicity and so I approached The Center for Fine Art Photography to see if I could teach this philosophy in a workshop.  They agreed and so starting on Wednesday October 19th, I’ll be teaching a workshop entitled “Keeping it Simple.”  They keep the enrollment small at the Center and so it will be an intimate workshop.

This seminar will be focusing ultimately on the image, but will also be covering vision, shooting, workflow, printing, framing, marketing and other topics.  You can learn more about the workshop at the Center’s website: http://c4fap.org/workshops/2011Simple/

Cole

P.S.  In the spirit of full disclosure; I have served on the board for The Center for Fine Art Photography, I am friends with the director Hamidah Glasgow and I donate my time to teach these workshops.

(Image: California Sea Lions #1 – Copyright 2011 by Chuck Davis)

My oft cited reason for “Photographic Celibacy” is that I don’t want to copy the work of others, but there is in truth another reason; jealousy.

When I look at great work I become very jealous and wish that I had created something that wonderful.  This happened to me today as I was putting my new and unopened copy of LensWork into the “give away” pile.  I saw an image on the cover that stopped me dead in my tracks, an underwater image of sea nettles that caused a chill to go down my spine.  I raced to devour the rest of the images and found they were created by Chuck Davis, an underwater photographer and cinematographer out of Pacific Grove, CA.

One of my loves in life is scuba diving and I’ve always longed to see great black and white, fine art, underwater images.  Now at last I have and I am jealous.

Please check out Chuck’s website, he has such a variety of incredible images, and please drop him a line expressing how you feel about them.  I think they are magnificent!

http://tidalflatsphoto.com

Cole

A Close friend sent me this article to consider and I really do not know where I stand on this issue.

I donate images to charity events.  I have donated to some of the big name national events but mostly I donate to local causes such as our High School Arts Program, local Food Banks and Women’s Shelters.

Part of me understands what he is saying, but part of me disagrees.  What are your thoughts?

Cole

The Career Benefits of Boycotting Charity Art Auctions

By Matt Gleason

Posted: 06/ 8/11 12:25 PM ET

There is a tradition of auctioning original works of art donated by artists to raise money for charitable causes. There are many good causes that hold such events. No matter how good the causes, though, I have come to the conclusion that artists must stop donating to every single one of them.

Don’t ever donate your art to a charity auction again. Half a century of charity art auctions have changed the way collectors buy art. These fundraisers have depressed prices of art across the board and kept artists in a subordinate position that has no career upside or benefits.

Instead of tossing away another great artwork to a good cause, join the good cause of boycotting charity art auctions. When you join this cause …

•You stop taking revenue out of the art world
•You stop shifting art collector dollars to the bottomless pits of recurring annual Beg-A-Thons
•You don’t contextualize your art as being a synonym of pretentious panhandling
•You don’t announce that your art is worth low bids
•You don’t risk that your work will be publicly seen getting no bids
•You don’t empower strangers to devalue your artwork
•Most importantly, you stop publicly proclaiming that you give your art away

The argument against me is simple: Donations of art to charity auctions raise money for good causes and raise the profile of artists who put their art in the public eye. It is a good argument. It has worked well. This seductive sales pitch has pulled in countless millions of dollars over the past few decades.

Problem is, this argument has not lived up to its bargain. Sad news: Your profile got humiliated because the collector got such a bargain on your art. If your art was one of dozens of trinkets on a wall with a hundred other artists, your profile actually disappeared there in the crowd anyway.

I would love to hear the story of the artist whose career rocketed to success because he or she donated a work to a charity auction and this act alone tipped the first domino toward an avalanche of success coming his or her way. This narrative is always implied. I’ve never seen it happen.

Charity art auctions are the emptiest of promises to artists: you give us your work, you get nothing in return except a party invite to an event where you are a second class citizen. Watch as the price of what you really will let your work go for is nakedly advertised to the select group of people to whom your work is meant to be seen as rare and desirable.

Suppose you want to at least deduct a donation of your art to the charity, guess what? The law only allows an artist to deduct the cost of materials. Meanwhile a collector can buy your work for the minimum bid, have it appraised at its full retail value and donate it to some other good cause for that top dollar amount.

As for the merits of the infinite number of good causes out there, what is the value in giving up a painting that would sell for a thousand dollars retail in order to see it raise 50 Bucks for that cause? Pick one charity, donate generously and keep the collectors assuming that the price you ask at the gallery is the best and only price they are going to get.

Someone has to be the bad guy here, so you can blame me for inspiring you to donate cash to a good cause and to keep your art career safe from the bargain bin. Print this out and send it with your regrets to anyone asking you to devalue your work in the name of glamorizing their efforts on behalf of yet another worthy cause in a world of infinite and endless good causes. Tell them the art stops here.

Matt Gleason

I’ve just returned from my annual Bandon trip where I take 10 days and think only about one thing: my art.  Every year I worry if I’ll see something that inspires me and I get myself all worked up over it:  Will I find something?  What if I don’t?  I’ve only 5 days left, now the pressure really is on!

It’s kind of like those nights when you just cannot get to sleep and you keep watching the clock, and with every hour the pressure increases because you have one less hour.  It’s counter productive, we know, but we do it anyway.

So after days of walking and looking, something caught my eye.  I was at a spot on the coast where the wind surfers congregate because of the fierce winds.  Another affect of the winds are these magnificently crafted dunes that are compressed into a very small space between the surf and the cliffs.  In that tight space wonderful shapes and shades of light are formed, different from what I normally see at traditional sand dunes.

It was there that inspiration struck; suddenly, unexpectedly and spontaneously.  I saw something in those dune details that inspired me and I worked like crazy, everywhere I looked I saw something magnificent.  I came back by a day later and I saw anew all over again.  I ended up creating about 25 images for a new portfolio (title at present, unknown).  The above image is one of my favorites from this new series.

Despite the pressure we put on ourselves, inspiration cannot be rushed.  It just happens and when it does, you’ll know it by your excitement and how easy the images come together.

Cole

P.S.  My next newsletter will be out in about two weeks and I’ll have this new series along with some other images from my Bandon trip.

DropBox has suspended my account for too much activity (I thought that’s what Dropbox was all about?)

So, here are the files on Microsoft’s Skydrive.  I apologize for the problems due to my lack of expertise in this area!

“Why Black and White?” PowerPoint Presentation

“Workflow” Word Document

Please let me know if you’re not able to download these files and we will try something else!

Cole

A number of people had asked that I record my presentation to Denver’s South West Photo Club last evening.  Unfortunately we did not have those facilities available to us, but what I can offer is my PowerPoint presentation and the handout that details my Workflow.  You can download those here:

PowerPoint Presentation on “Why Black and White?” (118 mb)

Handout on my Workflow (Word Doc)

Please note that on the PowerPoint presentation I do have notes available if you view it in the editing mode.

Regarding the Workflow handout; if you’re under the impression that I’m some sort of Photoshop wizard then you certainly will be disappointed!  I tell people that I use about 1% of Photoshop’s features and use that 1% incorrectly.  Truth!

If after reading the presentation you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Cole@ColeThompsonPhotography.com

My thanks to Denver’s South West Photo Club, I was given a very warm welcome!

Cole

The quickest way to make money at photography is to sell your camera. ~ Anonymous

Two quick reminders:

I’ll be speaking at Denver’s “South West Photo Club” on September 8th at 6:30 pm.  The topic will be “Why Black and White” and several other topics.  We will be meeting at the Abiding Hope Lutheran Church which is located at 6337 S.  Robb Street, Denver, CO

The very next evening, Friday the 9th, will will be the opening reception of “The Ghosts of Auschwitz-Birkenau.”  It’s at the Old Firehouse Art Center in Longmont at 667 Fourth Ave, Longmont, CO.

I’m looking forward to seeing those of you who live in the area!

Cole

P.S.  The image above was taken when I was 16 years old and living in Anaheim, CA.

The Ghosts of Auschwitz-Birkenau will be appearing at the Old Firehouse Art Center in Longmont, CO from September 9th through October 14th, 2011.

There will be an Opening Reception at 6 pm on September 9th, and I will be in attendance.

Here is my artist statement from this portfolio:

“No, it wasn’t Seppi; it was human–quite distinctly human.”

Satan points out that no other creature on the planet would treat another this way…except humans.

I had not intended to photograph during my tour of the camps but after being there a few minutes, I felt compelled. With every step I wondered about the people whose feet had walked in exactly the same footsteps. I wondered if their spirits still lingered there today.

And so I photographed ghosts.

If you haven’t seen these images in person, there is a quality to them that cannot be conveyed by an electronic image on a computer screen.  If you are in the area, I hope to see you next Friday evening.

Cole

Why Black and White?

If you’re in the Denver area on Thursday, September 8th, I’d like to invite you to join the SW Photo Club of Denver as I attempt to convert all color photographers to Black and White!

Thursday, September 8th at 6:30 pm.
Abiding Hope Lutheran Church
6337 S. Robb Street
Littleton, CO 80127

Map

In addition to speaking on “Why Black and White” I’ll also be discussing my workflow, my four essential tools, working on “cohesive bodies of work” and my favorite topic: Vision.

I’m looking forward to seeing you!

Cole