Friday, August 31, 2012

"Like" us on Facebook



Keith Lewis Photography is now on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/KeithLewisPhotography

"Woo-Hoo"

I resisted Facebook for years, mostly because I am an old fuddy-duddy
and I thought Facebook was for kids.  I've never clicked on a My Space page in my life and got dragged into LinkedIn kicking and screaming.  Obviously I was just not a "social media" kind of guy.  My daughter happened to mention to me that if I wanted to see regular pictures of my grandson, then I should get on Facebook. 


 My grandson in the Davy Crockett outfit that his grandmother, Bubbe, made him for Christmas


















 Originally I had 4 friends and no profile picture.  Then some of my friends started asking to be my Facebook friend and soon it was one big 24 hour party full of liking and tagging and poking.  I still have a ball at it but never thought much about putting up a page for my business even though I knew many did just that.  I'm still not real sure just what I am going to post on my Facebook page but, for now, at least, I will attempt to walk with complete trust into the 21st century.  

So Keith Lewis Photography is now on Facebook, click on the link below to check it out and remember to "like" us:
                http://www.facebook.com/KeithLewisPhotography


Also check out my Website: keithlewisphoto.com

As always, e-mail me with comments or suggestions: E-Mail

 

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Taking Inventory



I decided today to take inventory of my photography equipment.  It had been a while and I had read somewhere that you should periodically take stock of what you own.  I think this applies to most things in life, not just photography.  Most hobbies require some sort of gear and gadgets.  Heck, that's part of the reason for having a hobby -- all the neat gear.  I play guitar, and like photography, there certainly is no shortage of "must have" things to buy.  

I remember a few years ago, a friend of mine called me and nearly shouted into the phone "you've got to get a Gary Fong".  After I figured out what a Gary Fong was (it's a piece of plastic that attaches to your flash that diffuses the light and makes flattering portraits with no harsh shadows) I called my local camera shop and they had one in stock.  Luckily, I got there just moments before closing.  To be honest, I can't say the diffuser made me a better photographer.  I had always used an index card and rubber band before with decent results (I am old school).  So I shelled out $100 for what looked like something Tupperware sells to keep your produce fresh, and now I rarely use it.  

The point is that we accumulate things for our hobbies/life and sometimes it's good to take inventory.  Needless to say I filled up the table, several chairs and the hearth with photography equipment during my "inventory day".  Greg Easterbrook in his book, "Progress Paradox", coins a term that he calls "the ten hammer syndrome"  The idea is that we all have a hammer in our house.  One day you need the hammer but can't find it.  Into the car you hop and run to Lowe's or the corner hardware store to buy another hammer.  Fast forward two years, you need a hammer, even though you now own at least two you can't find one so you go buy one.  What's the big deal it only costs a few dollars?  Soon you own ten hammers and can't find any of them.  

I like taking inventory, laying my possessions out so I can see them feels good.  My wife calls it visiting your stuff.  I like the idea of visiting my stuff.  I think it's good for me...and the stuff. 

Visit my website: keithlewisphotography

E-mail me with comments or suggestions: keith@keithlewisphotography.com

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Keep your eyes open



I am always looking for photo opportunities.  At least that's what I tell people.  The truth is I probably miss hundreds of great shots every day simply because I don't see them.  I see them but I don't see them.  You know what I mean.  Have you ever pulled up to the store or gas station only to realize you don't remember a thing about the trip?  Throw cellphones, the radio and a kid or friend into the mix and it's a wonder we see anything.  Here is an exercise you can do.  Try scanning an area and describe the scene to yourself.  Silently, unless you want to be carried away by men in white suits.  As you are consciously looking at the scene and noticing everything about it, think about what would make a good photo.  Look at different angles.  Notice how the sun or streetlights fall on the scene creating shadows.  How do the colors look?  is there anything that looks really interesting?  Anything that won't be there next week like snow, leaves, standing water?  Then get your camera and shoot a ton of shots.  What is the big deal if nothing is all that good?  What have you wasted?  An hour spent developing your eye?  it's not like you will have $40 invested in film. 

 Click photo for larger image
 I was doing a shoot just a mile or two from uptown Charlotte.  I walked all around the parking lot of the building I was shooting, taking pictures this way and that, trying to line up the perfect shot.  Then as I was getting ready to put up my equipment, I scanned the scene one more time and noticed this old shed sitting off to one side.  I hadn't noticed it before but I must have walked past it fifty times.  It obviously was not being used and would probably be torn down, or fall down, soon.  The paint was old and flaky but still vibrant.  The sun was at a good angle so I just stood there and took several shots.  I was very pleased when I looked at the files to see how good the shed came out.  I almost walked right by with my "eyes closed"  It's a skill to "really see" and I envy anyone blessed with the natural skill.  I have to work at it but the good news is, anyone can develop their own eye.  Practice. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Camera straps - the good the bad and the ugly



Today is my wife's birthday and our wedding anniversary so I will keep today's post short.  I feel compelled to talk about camera straps.  There are so many different choices on the market today that it can be hard to make a decision.  Of course most people just leave on the strap that came with their camera.  I personally have no problem with this approach.  It's your camera, do with it what you want. I will however point out a few reasons that you might want to consider a new strap.

  • The strap that came with your camera is a lot better at advertising the brand of camera than it is on holding the camera.  As a tourist especially you may want to think twice about advertising that you are carrying a Nikon, Canon, or Leica camera that costs at least a couple of thousand dollars.  Easily snatched or cut by a thief, your prized possession could be running down a street in Bangkok never to be seen again.
  • The original strap is thin and has no padding, except for that little piece of black rubber that slides around annoyingly.   You may not notice it for the first hour or so, but if you carry that camera around Asheville for 3 hours, believe me you will feel it.  In your back and the back of your neck for sure.
  •  Carrying your camera slung around your neck puts it in a bad position. Sitting in front of you, it will tend to bump into things before you do and you run the risk of damaging your precious lens.  If your lens is heavy it will hang down and be even more at risk.  It is also sometimes awkward to bring the camera to the shooting position quickly.  
There are many many aftermarket straps to choose from.  The kind that replace your original strap with one that is much more secure and with lots of padding is very popular.  Another type is the harness style like the Upstrap among others.  Finally there is the "sniper style" strap.  I personally use a Black Rapid strap, which is a sniper style.  These types of straps attach via a loop that screws into the threaded tripod mounting hole on the bottom of the camera.  The camera hangs upside down and easily slides up into the shooting position.

click photo for larger view
 
 One of my cameras attached to the Black Rapid strap.  Learn more about them at blackrapid.com

I have no affiliation with this company and there are many "sniper style" straps.





Check out my website: keithlewisphotography

E-mail me with questions, comments or suggestions: E-Mail

What camera should I buy?



I get this question all the time.  Friends that know I "take pictures" will invariably ask me.  The answer is simple, buy the camera that you will use.  Buy the camera that you will carry everywhere you go.  Buy the camera that you will learn how to use.  For most people this is usually as simple as their cell phone.  Cell phones today possess powers that just a few years ago would have been relegated to a science fiction novel.  Cell phone cameras take great pictures and there are some fantastic and easy to use apps that allow in-camera editing that can accomplish some pretty major effects.

click photos for larger view
This photo for example was taken with my cell phone.  A plain old HTC something or other and edited to saturate the colors and crop the image, all done in the phone with a free app I downloaded.  The main thing is that I was in Times Square, I saw a shot I liked and all I had was my cell phone.  The great thing is that it was more than adequate and gave me a good image of around 10 MP.






This photo, also taken in NY, was shot in Central Park with my little Nikon Coolpix point & shoot camera set on automatic with the built in flash turned off.  Again, I saw the shot, pulled the camera out of my pocket, framed and shot it.  I waited until I got home to do a little touch-up in Photoshop.










click photos for larger view
This shot, of uptown Charlotte, on the other hand, was done with my Nikon D90 on a tripod and using a remote trigger along with manual settings of 20 second shutter speed and f16Probably not something you could do with a cell phone or hand-held point & shoot camera.




The point of all this is that anybody can make good or even great pictures with almost any kind of equipment.  The keys are, learn how to use the camera and always carry it with you.  

I will be doing product reviews here so check back often and I will be happy to discuss your specific photography needs. 

Check out my website: keithlewisphotography.com

E-mail me: keith@keithlewisphotography.com

Day one...number one...I have arrived

Well, you've done it.  You managed to stumble across the hottest photography blog on the internet.  Pay no attention to the fact that there are almost no followers yet.  This is a temporary condition soon to be corrected.  All I have to do is get people to come here and read my many words of photographic wisdom.  Heck, I may even talk about something other than photography once in a while.  Let's start with the easy stuff.

I'm Keith Lewis and I own Keith Lewis Photography in Charlotte, NC.  I have been taking pictures forever, literally... My first foray into the photographic arts was when I was about 8 years old and got a little Kodak 120 or 220 black and white camera.  I would shoot the roll of film and beg my Mother to send it off for developing.  Then the wait began.  You got your next roll of film when you got your pictures back so I was dead in the water until I got the envelope with my pictures, mostly our dogs and cats and the occasional snake or tree, and that new roll of film,  I even loved the smell of it.  A few years later I graduated to a Kodak 126.  It had the black plastic cartridge with the film in it and I soon learned how to break open the cartridge and pull the film out and develop it myself.  I had my own darkroom soon afterwards in my Mother's spare bathroom.  I was always working to make money so I could buy more equipment.  Mowing lawns, washing cars and working with my Dad, I soon was able to put a new 35mm camera on layaway at K-Mart.  Fast forward through many camera, lenses, thousands of rolls of film, weddings, contests, Camera Clubs, 35mm, medium format, view cameras, and you come to the digital age.  I resisted digital initially but have fully embraced it now and continued to be awed by the flexibility and raw potential of the medium.  So having retired from "corporate America" I am jumping in the water to fulfill a lifelong dream of giving myself completely to this passion.  Keith Lewis Photography is my company, click the link to check out my website:. keithlewisphotography  

I will be giving all kinds of photography tips on this blog along with musings and opinions on photography, people, and business in general.  I also expect to do product reviews of cameras, lenses, gadgets, and all manner of equipment, new and old.

For the self-portrait above I used a Nikon D-90 on a tripod with a remote control trigger.  The camera was set on manual mode at 1/60 and f13, ISO 200.  I used 2 Nikon SB600 Speedgun electronic flash units on light stands.  One flash camera right with no diffusion and the other one high camera left pointed down to highlight the right side of my hair.  The "Hair light" had a snoot on it and if you don't know what a snoot is you will have to come back another day and find out.  The remote flash units were triggered by the built in commander on the D-90 which is a neat feature but has its limitations.

For more information about anything you have read here, including technical stuff, gadget recommendations, more about me and my business, or to just say hi, send me an e-mail  E-Mail