With the introduction of the lytro camera a new world of innovations to the camera seems possible. The lytro camera is a camera, which records light in a new way than the traditional digital sensor. With the introduction of the lytro camera a new world of innovations to the camera seems possible. The lytro camera is a camera, which records light in a new way than the traditional digital sinker. Instead of capturing only one plane of light and choosing where we would like to focus, and how much depth of field we would like to use, the lytro camera captures all the planes of light within an image. This lets us choose what part of the images we would like to have in focus after capture, and we can even create live images that the viewer can choose what part of the image is in focus. Currently this is all that the lytro camera allows us to do but the designers have created infinite depth of field with the cameras only f/2 lens. There fore I predict we could choose how much depth of field we would like in the images after the capture as well. Although currently the lytro camera can only be edited with its own software and outputted to very small jpegs, I would assume these images could be changes into a single image similar to flattening layers in Photoshop after choosing the point of focus we would like. With this innovation we have removed the focus and aperture from the camera.
So what’s next? If we can take 2 of the settings off the camera by collecting more data why can’t we do this with the other settings on the camera? What if we could capture both a slow shutter and a fast shutter at the same time? Imagine the possibilities of showing motion. Imation a photograph of a person standing in front of a train passing by. In the past this was a very difficult shot to master. We must expose for the background while using a very slow shutter speed to show the motion of the trains movement, while also making sure to under expose enough that our subject requires extra lighting. Next we must use a flash with second curtain shutter ability to both light our subject and freeze them in place so they are sharp in our image. Having to do so many things can limit the creativity for a photographer. Now what if in one image we could choose what shutter speed we used in what specific part of the image. I believe this could be possible through the use of video. Now I’m not talking about the video we find on the 5D mark II and the T3i, I’m talking about a new kind of video footage. This type of footage is going to be the product of larger on camera memory drives and more powerful processing. If we collected 24fps of raw images for about 2 to 3 seconds and processed this to be 1 frame at a high shutter speed, or a collection of stills processed together to created a shutter speed of anything from the single image at the shutter used all the way to 2 to 3 seconds of still images video. At this point the camera could process the image to have different amount of motion blur per image or in specific spots in images. This process would now reality heavily on the ISO to make for correct exposure. This would make this process undesirable for pro photographers who want low noise and grain.
Therefore the removal of ISO setting would be the key to post production shutter speed decisions. Also a byproduct of not changing the ISO and therefore also removing the need for an exposure compensation tool would be the introduction of postproduction exposure choosing. Similar to rising the curve layers in Photoshop and using the layer mast to decide what part of the image to use are curve layer on, we could choose the exposure. The difference would be we could go further and without losing image quality. Now I think that this might be the hardest setting to imagine removing. There are two things to consider. The first is our continual movement to higher ISO and better low light sensor. Maybe we will get to a point where this is no noticeable difference between 100 ISO and 6400 ISO however this seems far-fetched. Another idea could be the introduction to some kind of filter and booster system. Filters to slow light and light boosters to enhance light and a digital sender that was always 100 or floated between 100- 200 or 100-400.
In the end as we capture every possible bit of information in one single image we start to build up a tremendous amount of data. We have to ask ourselves is it really necessary. Photographers already have DVDs and External hard drives in access. This said we also are developing bigger drives in more compacted spaces so by the time we had the technology to create these things our capabilities to store memory might be up for the task.
Another topic that comes from this is what about the photographer? Will the professional photographer become obsolete? Technology and camera innovations have been happening and will be happing forever. There was I time when you had to understand exposure to take a photograph. Now anyone who can push a button can take a photo that has exposure. This doesn’t make the photograph an artistic vision. This doesn’t make the lighting brilliant. Even if we add programs in post to add lighting I feel like this would be more work and harder to do than just understanding light in the first place. We have amazing tools available to anyone who wants to shoot. This said some of my favorite photographers still work in film. I truly feel artists should not worry over change but embrace the added tools in their bag and help push creativity beyond its boundaries.
. Instead of capturing only one plane of light and choosing where we would like to focus, and how much depth of field we would like to use, the lytro camera captures all the planes of light within an image. This lets us choose what part of the images we would like to have in focus after capture, and we can even create live images that the viewer can choose what part of the image is in focus. Currently this is all that the lytro camera allows us to do but the designers have created infinite depth of field with the cameras only f/2 lens. There fore I predict we could choose how much depth of field we would like in the images after the capture as well. Although currently the lytro camera can only be edited with its own software and outputted to very small jpegs, I would assume these images could be changes into a single image similar to flattening layers in Photoshop after choosing the point of focus we would like. With this innovation we have removed the focus and aperture from the camera.
So what’s next? If we can take 2 of the settings off the camera by collecting more data why can’t we do this with the other settings on the camera? What if we could capture both a slow shutter and a fast shutter at the same time? Imagine the possibilities of showing motion. Imation a photograph of a person standing in front of a train passing by. In the past this was a very difficult shot to master. We must expose for the background while using a very slow shutter speed to show the motion of the trains movement, while also making sure to under expose enough that our subject requires extra lighting. Next we must use a flash with second curtain shutter ability to both light our subject and freeze them in place so they are sharp in our image. Having to do so many things can limit the creativity for a photographer. Now what if in one image we could choose what shutter speed we used in what specific part of the image. I believe this could be possible through the use of video. Now I’m not talking about the video we find on the 5D mark II and the T3i, I’m talking about a new kind of video footage. This type of footage is going to be the product of larger on camera memory drives and more powerful processing. If we collected 24fps of raw images for about 2 to 3 seconds and processed this to be 1 frame at a high shutter speed, or a collection of stills processed together to created a shutter speed of anything from the single image at the shutter used all the way to 2 to 3 seconds of still images video. At this point the camera could process the image to have different amount of motion blur per image or in specific spots in images. This process would now reality heavily on the ISO to make for correct exposure. This would make this process undesirable for pro photographers who want low noise and grain.
Therefore the removal of ISO setting would be the key to post production shutter speed decisions. Also a byproduct of not changing the ISO and therefore also removing the need for an exposure compensation tool would be the introduction of postproduction exposure choosing. Similar to rising the curve layers in Photoshop and using the layer mast to decide what part of the image to use are curve layer on, we could choose the exposure. The difference would be we could go further and without losing image quality. Now I think that this might be the hardest setting to imagine removing. There are two things to consider. The first is our continual movement to higher ISO and better low light sensor. Maybe we will get to a point where this is no noticeable difference between 100 ISO and 6400 ISO however this seems far-fetched. Another idea could be the introduction to some kind of filter and booster system. Filters to slow light and light boosters to enhance light and a digital sender that was always 100 or floated between 100- 200 or 100-400.
In the end as we capture every possible bit of information in one single image we start to build up a tremendous amount of data. We have to ask ourselves is it really necessary. Photographers already have DVDs and External hard drives in access. This said we also are developing bigger drives in more compacted spaces so by the time we had the technology to create these things our capabilities to store memory might be up for the task.
Another topic that comes from this is what about the photographer? Will the professional photographer become obsolete? Technology and camera innovations have been happening and will be happing forever. There was I time when you had to understand exposure to take a photograph. Now anyone who can push a button can take a photo that has exposure. This doesn’t make the photograph an artistic vision. This doesn’t make the lighting brilliant. Even if we add programs in post to add lighting I feel like this would be more work and harder to do than just understanding light in the first place. We have amazing tools available to anyone who wants to shoot. This said some of my favorite photographers still work in film. I truly feel artists should not worry over change but embrace the added tools in their bag and help push creativity beyond its boundaries.
Just started shooting some of the products for a company called Conversation Peace today. Here is the first image I finnished. I hope to get a little bit more creative with these items but for now getting some good images is a start. If you were wondering I am the model in this image. Please check out there facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Conversation-Peace.
Just uploaded My files onto the computer and I thought I would let this photo leak. Had a great time with Jane and Carlos on Saterday. They had a bueatiful wedding. More photos to come soon.
Had a cool photo I made from a commercial shoot today.
Last sunday I traveled to Ballwin, MO to work with a model I have been trying to shoot for some time now. Her name is Blair Dinucci. She had a dress from the designer Ola Hawatmeh. The day was just perfect and we walked to a park near Blair’s house.
The light out that day was my favorite to work with high harsh and bright. Because we weren’t doing many photos up against walls or buildings I could just shoot with one off camera flash so I was able to pack light!
I had a great time taking these photos and Blair was a blast to work with!
Had a great shoot today with Jessica and Wesley! Here is a sneak peak to one of there two save the date cards. This one will be used as a save the date on facebook card!
Well its been 9 months since the first time I met baby Hayden and he is now 1yr old. It is really cool being a photographer and getting to see children grow. Well the theme was birthday, but I dont know if Hayden knew what was going on right away when I started shooting.
Once we got going Hayden got in his normal smily self and there could never be enough space on my blog to show all his cute expressions.
Well no birthday is complete with out cake, and Hayden is not shy when it comes to cake! If you are looking for a cake with a great design and a even better taste please call Jennifer Miles at Sweet SinSation. Check out her website at www.sweetsinsationbakery.com.
Everyone was having a good time with the cake and we all laughed a lot during this photo shoot!
There is something to say about the importance of photo restoration. No matter how well I can take an image I cant recreate the past. Photography is an archive, however the materials used in creating the print are not indestructible. Normal wear and tear, along with the elements can take a tole on an old image especially one taken before digital. Many times I have people who want to have an old image restored, and although it is not something I advertise, I believe I am an expert in image restoration. I have been told that some of the images I have rebuilt were said to be unrecoverable by companies who advertise their restoration skills.
Here are 3 examples of images that have come into the studio.
Let’s got over some of the issues that make these images difficult to work with. The first think that we face before even working on an image is how to get it into the computer to work on. Well most people would use expensive scanners to get high-resolution Tiff files, but after using the latest Epson scanners on the market I found that I still wanted bigger files. Not really to be able to print huge, but to be able to do more and more manipulation to the files in Photoshop and lightroom. SO I have developed a process for lighting and capturing a photo with a photo using 2 modeling lights on profoto studio lights, and a canon 5D mark II. This has solved my problem of file size and I am now free to manipulate to my hearts desire. After the file is in the computer the color of an old photograph has changed over the years. This is the first task I take on. Color correcting the files of an old photo is much different from an image captured in your camera. There are graduations of incorrect color change and places of access imperfections. This requires time and Photoshop to individually correct color. When the color has been fixed, I stat to remove spots scratches, tears/ rips, and part of the image that has fallen apart, or cracked. This is not the most difficult part but the most tedious. On heavily destroyed photographs I may have to even re-use large portions of the image that are salvageable to rebuild the parts that are missing. Finally at all worst cause and the reason I feel sets me apart from any restoration competition is if a photography is missing to much detail, I will hand draw the image back and adjust the pixels to blend it together using a wacom tablet.
So lets take a look at the finished product of the previous images.
.
.
.
