Welcome to 2018

It has been - WOW! - nearly two months since my last post! I know, that’s a long time right? I hope you will forgive me for neglecting you for so long, but I hope my reason will mollify you somewhat, or at least patch things up a bit.

Initially, I was just going to take a couple of weeks off from the blog. I figured that you guys would rather be with your families than sitting, reading blogs. But then, around Christmas, my father received news that he needed pretty damn urgent surgery on his heart pretty damn urgently. Plans were thrown out the window and everyone rallied round to get him through with a minimum of stress (for him!). The surgery went well and everything was on track, but my father has a tendency to do things the hard way (it’s a family trait – you should see my scar tissue!). So he ordered the "Complication No. 1 Platter" with a side order of "Readmission to Hospital". Eventually he and Cookie (step mum – and not the evil type, so win!) got home to Tasmania from Melbourne and I

This is Max, 14yo nutter!

could leave my doggy sitting job (did you see my Instagram post?) and get back home. Phew sums it up, I think.

I’m not fishing for sympathy here, gang, just hoping for forgiveness and continued (and expanding – tell your friends!) readership. I promise I will not let you down again, until the next time I let you down. But it will only be for reasons like the above, so...

This is Luka, all 'tude and argument!

Right! So what’s on the books for 2018? Well, I’ve got a couple more photo projects I will be starting this year that I'll be blogging about; I will be finishing my Q West Gallery project and giving you a run down on what happened, what worked and what didn’t; I’ll keep going with my news/editorial posts; and I am hoping that, with your help, I will be able to add a new feature to my Friday’s. It will be slow going at the start, but if we can get my readership numbers up, it will speed up. Vague, huh (questions get answers)?

This was just a quick note to let you know I’m still here and I’m still blogging. I’ll return to my regularly scheduled posting as of next week, so for now I’ll sign off and await your chastisement.

Please check out my portfolio at:

https://bobcartledgephotography.myportfolio.com/

You can also find me at:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BobCartledge

https://www.facebook.com/bob.cartledge.758

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152458661@N05/

https://www.instagram.com/bobcartledgephoto/

And I am @BobCartPhoto on Twitter

Candid Photography & Ethics

Since I moved to Tasmania a couple of months ago, around the time I started this blog, I have developed a routine. Every day, around three PM, I take my dog and my camera down to the beach for a walk and some photography. We spend one to two hours down there, I get some great shots and some great practice, Gypsy the Dog gets some exercise and we go home refreshed and relaxed.

 (Gypsy the Dog - Only photo I have relevant to the topic)

For the last week or so, though, I’ve slowly found myself changing the pattern. Specifically, I have stopped taking my camera with me. Why don’t I take my camera anymore? Because the beach is becoming more and more populated with teens in bikinis and families with small children. I found myself spending most of my time with my camera at my side, lens down, enduring the glares of pimply boyfriends and the pointed, suspicious stares of parents. And as summer fast approaches down under, the situation is only going to get more complex.

I was thinking about this the other day and found myself thinking about the ethics of candid photography (I prefer ‘candid photography’ to ‘street photography’ because ‘street’ conjures a limited sphere of consideration, i.e. the street. ‘Candid’ speaks more to the topic, photography capturing the moment as it occurs). Now, I can’t speak to the street photographer’s code of conduct because I don’t know if one exists, so I certainly don’t know what, if anything, it contains. And I do not claim to be right, nor do I claim that my views are any more valid than anyone else’s. The following is simply my personal honest opinion, given in the hope of opening a dialogue, getting a discussion going.

The first rule I gave myself when I started photography was that I would not take a photo of any person under 18 years of age, or that I perceive to be under 18 (and don’t more people look like kids as you get older?!), without the informed consent and presence of a parent or legal guardian. And my reasoning for this rule was justified quite recently.

I was walking on the beach with Gypsy, the camera in my hand pointed at the ground and my eyes turned seaward and skyward in the hope of seeing a bird in flight that I could practice my tracking on. Suddenly a woman came striding toward me insisting that there would be dire consequences should she discover I had taken photos of her children. My first response, upon glancing around myself, was to ask, “What children?” to which she responded with a pointed finger indicating 2 forms a not-inconsiderable distance away that, with effort, resolved themselves into moving objects which may well have been children (I marvel at the eyes of a mother, to be able to see a camera at a distance from which I struggled to see a person!). I assured the woman that I had no interest in photographing her children. Somewhat mollified, and with one last thinly veiled threat, she trudged back to her children.

I’m going to give you a moment to let your imagination run wild. Imagine what would have happened if I had indeed taken a photo of this irate woman’s children. I can easily see the police being called in, the attention of every beach goer fixed on myself and the woman cursing at me as a predator and a pervert.

So, no pictures of children for me. Personal choice.

I also won’t take a photo of a woman in a swimsuit of any kind without said woman’s expressed permission. And if given such permission I would make damn sure she had all my contact details and I had all of hers so that everything was seen to be above board. This second rule comes from my own sense of respect for others. In a global culture dominated by physical ideals that are beyond the reach of most of us mere mortals it is, in my opinion, important to respect the fact that a woman in a swimsuit may feel self-conscious or vulnerable. If I were to approach a woman for a photograph I would first give her ‘no’ as an acceptable and welcome option (“I kinda like the sound of ‘no’ so feel free to say it if you want!”), then, if she consented, I would work with her to get the very best image I could, which I would be sure to get processed and out to her as soon as I got home.

This one seems like commonsense to me, but I thought I’d chuck it in. If I take a picture and someone has a reasonable objection to the image (they are in the image and don’t want to be) I will happily delete it in front of them so that they know it is done. It just makes sense, doesn’t it? It’s not costing me anything and it’s making them more comfortable, so why not?

Finally, if a person doesn’t want their photo taken, don’t take their photo! Honestly, I did not think this would need to be said. It struck me as a given. But then I read this article in Australian Photography (http://www.australianphotography.com/news/behind-the-lens-shoot-from-the-hip) and I thought again.

In this article photographer Darran Leal describes two different methods he and his son used to capture images of people in Morrocco despite the fact that they knew said people did not want to be photographed. Now, I have no problem with the second method Leal describes in the article.

Using this method the photographer composes an image and then waits for a person to enter the frame before snapping the picture. This makes it obvious to the potential subject that the photographer has taken a picture and affords them the opportunity to raise any objections they might have. So long as the photographer is willing to delete the image if they are asked, I have no issue with the technique described.

The first method described in the article, when considering the particular situation Leal and his son were in, is unethical in my personal honest opinion. In this method they would shoot from the hip, concealing their intention to take a photo of a subject they know does not want to be photographed. I do not believe that we as photographers have the right to subvert the wishes of our subjects simply because we want an image. Any subject of a candid photo must be afforded the opportunity to express their wishes, and we as photographers must respect those wishes.

Everything I have written here is my opinion, informed by my own beliefs, developed out of my own experiences. I happily accept that others have different opinions and beliefs based of different experiences. I welcome the fact!

Hopefully this gets that dialogue I mentioned earlier going; I would really value the thoughts of others, particularly street photographers. Because let’s face it, I am a nature photographer. I shoot landscapes, wildlife, macro and dogs (‘cos’ who doesn’t love dogs?) so what do I know about street photography? I’m only writing this piece because, whilst in pursuit of wildlife, I was accosted by a protective mother.

And that’s the thing to keep in mind. It doesn’t matter what you want to shoot, if there are other people around you have to be aware of your rights and your obligations (Here’s a handy link for the Aussie photographer who wants to get informed! https://www.artslaw.com.au/info-sheets/info-sheet/street-photographers-rights/ ). Ultimately, I think it comes down to commonsense. Engage your brain before you engage your shutter and consider not just what the scene looks like, but what the scene might imply for yourself and those within it.

I hope you enjoyed the read!

Please check out my portfolio at:

https://bobcartledgephotography.myportfolio.com/

You can also find me at:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BobCartledge

https://www.facebook.com/bob.cartledge.758

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152458661@N05/

https://www.instagram.com/bobcartledgephoto/

And I am @BobCartPhoto on Twitter

Time to Start a Photo Story!

You may remember a few posts ago I told you about shooting in Queenstown. I went to Q-West Gallery and had a look around, took some photos... remember? Good! Now, do you remember I said I wasn’t done with the gallery and I would be going back?

Well, I had a chat with my super-secret contact at the gallery, during which we discussed the possibility of my doing a photo story about the gallery, its art and its artists. He said the members would possibly be amenable, so I sent down a proposal for the members to peruse and I waited.

It only took a couple of days to an answer. And that answer was? Put it this way; this weekend, I’m going back to Q-West Gallery to start work on a new project! Woohoo!

“What’s the project?” I hear you ask? Well, in broad strokes, the project is an exploration of Q-West Gallery; its life, its personalities, what it means to the members and what it means to the artists in the region.

Blog-wise this means you will be getting updates on the progress of my project as when there is actually progress. I can’t tell you how often I’ll be doing this, or even promise you any kind of regularity, because progress will depend not only on my schedule, but also the schedule of the gallery and the artists. And for a project like this, trying to coordinate a comparatively large group of people over a period of weeks or months is, I can assure you, akin to the herding of domestic felines. But there will be posts, I promise!

How about I start the ball rolling by telling you what the plan is for this weekend?

I sat down to think about exactly that today and the first thing that occurred to me is that every story has a setting. Be it a house or a space ship or a desert island, there must be a location in which the story can occur. So part of this weekend will be dedicated to establishing the location for this story. First I’ll get a nice wide shot encompassing Queenstown, the town in which the gallery resides, and the valley it rests in. Then I want to show where the gallery sits in relation to the town centre. From there I want to show an exterior view of the gallery, then go inside and tour around the gallery floor, following the path a gallery visitor may take. My thinking is that, by taking the audience on the journey to, and through, the gallery I will be taking the audience into the story with me. I’m also thinking about maybe getting a couple of images of the actual journey from my place in Somerset to Queenstown, but I’m not sure. What do you think? Please comment below or email me at bobcartledgephoto@gmail.com if you have any thoughts.

Anyway... Where was I? Oh, yes, I was in Queenstown at Q-West Gallery. And this weekend is a great time to be there; for me and for anyone in the in the west, northwest, north, east or south of Tasmania at the time! Why? Because this weekend is the opening of an exhibition of pottery and ceramic art by artists of the region.

I have been invited to the opening Gala on the 28^th of October, at which I have been given permission to photograph the evening. This will give me the opportunity to document one of the essential ways Q-West Gallery, and indeed all galleries, interact with the community. I’m hoping I will be able to get some interesting images of guests engaging with the art pieces and with the artists who created them so as to give a sense of the dynamism of the gallery. I prefer to record dynamic images where possible. I don’t mean images that make the audience go “Wow!”, I mean images that give the audience a sense life or motion or something that says, “This is a moment in time – a small part of a greater whole. There is more going on that what you see here.” Does this make any sense? Hopefully you will get the idea when the images from this shoot are finally published.

(Of course, you could always go to https://bobcartledgephotography.myportfolio.com/ to see the sort of images I like. There are links to my Google+, Facebook, Flickr and Instagram on the site. Hint, hint!)

This project will be quite a challenge for me. You see, I haven’t really done much people photography. I have taken some candid shots, a couple of which I think turned out alright (my favourite is over there!) but I’ve never set out to really capture the human experience. It should be interesting to see how well I do. My prediction is that I will absolutely nail it, get excellent portraits and truly stun the photographic world with my skill and expertise. OR I’m gonna screw it up royally and never be allowed into Queenstown again. OR I’ll do alright for my first try, I’ll learn a lot about photography and portraiture, and my I will develop new skills.

I’m expecting it to be the last one.

That’s where I am at the moment, and where I’m heading. Where are you? What have you got planned? What have you just completed? Share your experiences with me; share your blog or your site with me – I’d love to see your work!

Workflow!

The learning curve was rather steep this week and I find myself time poor as a result.

So why am I time poor? I have been doing a lot of research and driving to locations to scout for shoots and the dog ate my homework and all the other lame excuses I can come up with for the simple fact that I have been slacking off. The result is that I have well over 500 images on my system that haven’t been processed, haven’t had keywords applied and haven’t been put into collections in Lightroom.

Now, my processing workflow is simple, easy, basic and other words meaning not hard. It is:

1.      Take photos

2.      Transfer images to computer using Lightroom

3.      Filter out the bad ones

a.       Pass 1 = Obviously messed up (out of focus, chopped up subject, etc)

b.      Pass 2 =             Shots that don’t grab me

c.       Pass 3 = Shots that don’t grab me after processing

4.      Keyword images

5.      Move images into relevant collections

6.      Process images

7.      Grab a snack!

And I have been fastidious about maintaining my workflow, completing the process every time I shoot. Then I decided it was time to get my photos online, to show folk what I was doing and see what the world thought of my stuff. Since then my processing has been step 1, step 2, step 3a, find a couple of shots to go online, surf the social media wave, grab a snack. So now I have all these photos on my system that have to be processed, collated, collected and blah blah blah... I am not enthused by the prospect.

But there is a positive to take away from this. I have learned something! Yay!

What I have learned is this; it is important to stay on top of your workflow, not matter what you do. Every time you go out to shoot, plan for your processing, allow time in your day to get the whole job done and don’t let yourself get distracted.

I mean, look at my workflow (keep in mind I am not making a living off my photography so I don’t get 1000 images on a shoot, but I also have other stuff to do with my day). When I’m in the zone I can get to the processing point in under an hour (confession time: the reason it takes so long is that I do the snack step early... and more than once). After pass 1 and pass 2 of the bad-photo-filtering I am down to about 50 or 60 images to process. Pass 3 happens during basic processing and then what is left over gets some tweaks, refinements, maybe a bit of cloning and content aware action in Photoshop. Job done!

Simple system, right? And quick if you stay on top of it! But I didn’t stay on top of it, did I? And now there’s a backlog to deal with, there are more images coming in every day and I can’t help but think I’ll never catch up!

Well, cry me a river, Bobby-boy! You do the job when the job is there or you deal with the consequences of your inaction. LESSON LEARNED!!

You know, I thought I was done with this post. It was going to be a little shorter than the others (and none of my posts have been huge) but that was fine. I got my message across and I could get on with my catch-ups! I stepped away from the keyboard, made myself a coffee and took some time out. I always do that so I can come back for a quick reread and edit before I post. But this time I came back and, while I was reading back over the post I came to a realisation; my workflow is remarkably inefficient!

Look at it:

               It starts out alright – take photos, transfer to computer, go through and ditch the crap and the ones I don’t like. Up to this point I am fast and efficient. But then I step out of culling mode and into administrative processes. I apply relevant keywords and make sure all the images are in the relevant collections. Then I start the processing, during which a large number of the images I have just spent a whole lot of time on get deleted because I don’t like the way they look after I tweak them. It’s like filling a bucket with a teaspoon then emptying the bucket into a cup; it’s a whole lot of work on a whole lot of stuff that you just won’t keep.

So I’m making some changes:

1.      Take photos

2.      Transfer images to computer using Lightroom (grab snack while waiting)

3.      Filter out the bad ones

a.       Pass 1 = Obviously messed up (out of focus, chopped up subject, etc)

b.      Pass 2 = Shots that don’t grab me

4.      Basic processing on images

a.       Pass 3 = Shots that don’t grab me after processing

5.      Keyword images

6.      Move images into relevant collections

7.      Grab a snack!

What do you think?

Is my new process more efficient? Is there anything you would do differently? And most importantly, did you get anything out of this? I’m hoping so. I’m hoping that my learning the lesson the hard way (as usual – it seems to be my thing!) means you won’t.

Let me know your thoughts, share your experiences and, for the love of whatever you believe in, don’t learn my way!

Oh, yeah! The photos had nothing to do with this post, I just like ‘em. Isn't my dog cute?