Simple Click – DEN
Not in KS anymore, nor FL nor CA but in CO, at DEN to be exact. On my way to NE for a week of work and fun. No matter, gotta shoot. Here’s a little 24f1.4AFS miniature action to kill the time.
Simple Click
The room is dark and packed with eyes staring at the screen. By the light of the monitor you can see the character on the face of the presenter as he views his own images. The images appear on the screen one at a time and at a pace dictated by the presenter’s index finger tapping on the keyboard. You can hear a chair in the audience squeak as the room is otherwise dead silent. The audience is riveted by what they see on the screen with only a word or phrase said here and there, the show unfolds. Very few words are spoken during the fifteen minute presentation as none are really required. The photographs speak for themselves. The images, choice images taken in the last six months of New York life, feel the screen, the air and the imagination of all the viewers. While never the same images, I’ve seen this presentation over a dozen times and each and every time I’m just left in awe. Jay Maisel, who is called the father of color photography is the inspiration of the Simple Click.
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If you’re a Moose Blog follower then you know about the Simple Click but perhaps not the story behind it. Jay Maisel is the master of the simple click. He’s images of NY life that he captures by always, always carrying a camera with him (D3 / 70-300VR) is the very essence of the simple click. No lights, no reflectors, just using the faces and places of New York as a canvas for the amazing light he finds on his travels. And for me he tops this off in his presentation with little or no words. The photographs carry the entire burden of saying the words. And isn’t that at the heart of our photography? Or better put, shouldn’t that be the heart of our photography?
Now before you get any idea that I’m some genius with the addition of Simple Clicks to the blog, keep in mind that my Simple Clicks was born just six months ago after seeing my last Jay Maisel presentation. That means I had seen it a dozen times before and after seeing those dozen, the idea never took seed. The message I fear was lost on me. Here’s our challenge, to not just learn all it is to be a photographer (you know, that technical stuff), it’s not to just get out behind the lens all we can (though that is essential), but to take in all the stimulation we get and put it into the click. And what better than a simple click?
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Personally, I think the majority of photographers take photography just damn too seriously. Seriously! With few exceptions like the content of Pulitzers and the like, most of what we do as photographers is create entertainment. We might be creating education with our clicks, but we’re not solving the world’s problems with our clicks, we’re simply sharing the fortunes we are so fortunate to see with others not as fortunate. We’re telling a story, the story of our life and that of the moment’s experience all wrapped up in 1/250 sliver of time. If we’re successful, that story will reach out and touch the viewer of our image and grab them as the moment originally touched us. But this is all entertainment and if we expect to make the experience for our viewer fun, don’t we have to have fun doing it? And if that’s the case, don’t we have the most fun, the greatest enjoyment in most things in life when it’s simple? My dad thank goodness pounded many things in my head, one that really took was the KISS theorem. Keep It Simple Stupid.
The Simple Click was originally posted because, well, to be honest, as a quick way to get a posting up when I had no time. I picked an image I felt told its own story and needed nothing more from me after the click to grab you. I lucked out, it worked and keeps working it seems with most images. Jay planted the seed of keeping things simple and provided the recipe, I just had to follow it. But the response to the Simple Click still blows me away. And what is the Simple Click, it’s no more than what Jay does every day in every way, carry a camera and when light and life strikes, go click!
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We had a participant on our January Yellowstone Adventure who has joined us on many a DLWS. At DLWS, we go through camera technique to the digital darkroom finishing techniques in the pursuit of the gorgeous landscape photo. But when shooting wildlife, all the work, all the stress, all the finishing for me is done at the moment I go click (my wildlife images don’t see PS). The Simple Click. This is what I teach when out with folks shooting wildlife. The Simple Click. This participant though has for a long time dealt with the “pressure” of the digital darkroom for finishing so photography went beyond the click and in some ways, had become a drag because of this extra after hours work. Half way through the week in Yellowstone, you could see what seemed to be a great weight lifted off his shoulders. Yellowstone tends to do that, it’s part of its magic. I asked though what was up and to paraphrase, he said he now felt free again, that his photography without all the trappings of post processing was fun and rewarding for him. He had forgotten that joy. The Simple Click!
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Photography can come with a lot of trappings. All these lenses, this body, those accessories and every imaginable tool and toy for post are available for those willing to shell out the dead presidents. I’m the first to admit that it is really easy to circum to these addictions of photography and get hooked. And in that quest to have the latest, the best, the most treasured, perhaps comes the pressure to take photography so seriously. Perhaps that’s why Simple Clicks is so popular, giving some permission to not be serious, to just enjoy what it is to be a photographer. I think that’s what Jay did for me, said it was alright to be a photographer again and make it all happen at the moment it clicks with what HE so apply calls color, light and gesture. The man is a genius, a one of a kind and a photographer documenting the complexities of life on a daily bases in its simplest forms, with a simple click!
Blog, what blog? Oh that Blog!
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I gotta come clean, I totally forgot to do a blog for today! Yeap, I was up at the Peachpit & PSW Party and then got back to my room and worked and polished today’s presentation and then simply went on my merry way.
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Now for those of you who have not been to Photoshop World (and that begs the question, why the hell not?), then you don’t know the creative stimulation the place gives ya. Seriously, it’s like an infectious disease that just spreads from moment one. My morning class was incredibly rewarding for Sharon & I because of all the young adults in the audience wanting to learn wildlife photography. Yeah, I’m teaching wildlife photography at Photoshop World. How cool is that!
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Heck, just look up to see how the very environment of the locale inspires. I’ve missed the shot twice, but you will find LOTS of folks pointing their cameras up to take these same kind of shots. The architecture is really quite striking and worthy of a moment to look up, admire and make a click. And then run like hell to get to class, there’s so much to learn here!
Photos captured by D3s, 24f1.4 AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
Scariest Character of All!
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You might recognize this scary guy, he’s no stranger to the Moose Blog. You’ve seen in Roadkill and as roadkill. This is our dear friend and Adobe’s Russell Brown. Actually, Russell & I are up to no good which you’ll find out more about next month. This was a real simple click, I just stuck my lens in Russell’s face and he performed. I went click and there you go!
The best part if my bud Jeff Snyder of Adorama managed to get the new 24f1.4AFS into my hands this morning so I could shoot with my new lens all day. That was the best part! Oh and Russell, he’s not that scary.
Photo captured by D3s, 24f1.4AFS on Lexar UDMA digital film
And the Price?
It was one of those weeks. We’d flown up to Alaska, did the delayed by weather thing, and then finally, a day later I was at the small airport to catch the bush plane ride over the inlet. “I know you don’t mind the bumps Moose,” the pilot said, but this flight over might be a little bit of a roller coaster ride.” Under gray skies and over dark, rough water, we flew over the inlet. After making one pass over the beach to make sure we could land, down we came. We hit with a little bit of a hard landing but we walked away with our bodies still in tact, and once all my gear was on the beach, the plane flew out. Just then, the little rain sprinkle turned into an Alaska rain. It’s the kind of rain where you just think like a bear, you put your head down and prepare for the soaking. The ATV ride into the lodge; although only a half mile away, was enough to cause me to put clothes in the dryer and get all my gear out on the bed to dry the photopack.
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By mid afternoon, the weather turned bad. How can it get worse than this you ask? The big, bucket size drops of rain that were once falling straight down were now traveling horizontally. The gray skies turned super cell black and even though there should be nearly 24/7 sunshine, we didn’t see the sun for the next four days. Yeah, we were snug in a warm lodge with a fire in the hearth keeping us snug. Yeah, we were eating good food and there were plenty of tapes for the VCR, but I wasn’t on vacation. I hadn’t just bought a brand new 400f2.8AFS to carry it to AK and sit, it was to be shot through and don’t think for a second that by day 4, some people were really, really grumpy. We were there to photograph griz. By day five, the light turned gorgeous and the griz who were also hunkered down during the blow were out too, so shooting commenced. But the next day, most would be flying out so shooting time was limited and what should have been a gazillion gig week turned into a couple of KB.
The sun breaks over the horizon, its warmth does nothing to take the chill out of the air. It’s 5 AM and we’re standing hip high in the frozen waters of Churchill, Manitoba Canada and in front of us is the most gorgeous, most spectacular, and the sweetest Pacific Loon to ever find its way to my viewfinder. It was just one of those once in a lifetime treats you know after paying your dues, comes all to rarely. The next morning, 5 AM finds us in the same local as well as the next day. The sun in early June sets around 11PM and just like the loon, there are literally thousands of other subjects befalling in front of our glass. The exhaustion is overwhelming, good thing we’re on dirt roads as we drive about as we’re falling asleep just driving the few miles to “work.” After five days of this, some people bail on the last morning shoot, they simply can’t get out of bed, they are just too exhausted to function. That morning, it was simply too spectacular to capture on film, the experience was one of those you think only happens in the movies. Most definitely never thought it would happen to you and for sure blows away a couple more hours of sleep.
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The life of a wildlife photographer has no guarantees, it has thousands of highs and lows and when you are really lucky, it affords no sleep. The hours can be long, the boredom almost lift threatening with the excitement all too fleeting. And yet with that knowledge, I seek it out every day. “How do you get those photographs?” “You must have so much patience.” These are two very common and valid sentiments I think really speaks to how little folks understand the passion or commitment the wildlife photographer must have to be successful. This is especially true if you’re in the business of wildlife photography. There are times when you are sitting on your butt for days with everywhere to go but no way to get there. And after that, so much to do and so many places to go the frustration along with the lack of sleep make you almost postal. But that’s what comes with the territory, that is the price of admission of getting into this game.
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The low chances of coming back with not one click to the high of filling up every CF card you have can be experienced on a nearly daily bases if you’re constantly behind the camera. And if you’re not constantly behind the camera, then these highs and lows stretch out over greater times and often are the cause of many putting down the camera for good. I can only speak for myself, but I don’t know any other way to life then the continual daily dealing with nature of the business, this love for what it is to be a wildlife photographer. Sitting at a nest for hours upon hours upon hours with nothing to shoot, standing in fridge water for hours with not a single glimmer of light, waiting in the burning desert sun waiting for the squirrel to emerge in the good light, this is just what it takes to make the image.
You don’t have to go to these lengths to enjoy wildlife photography, I’m not saying that. You can fall out of your car on the weekend, make a couple of clicks and have some nice images. We are very fortunate that we still have a wild heritage affording us this luxury and that’s too cool. But this is not enough to feed a passion, feed a family and only occasionally feed the soul. It is enough though to feed the idea of taking up the passion full-time, but not enough to fuel it for a lifetime and that’s what is required.
I often; no scratch that, I always say that anyone can do what I do and I sincerely mean that. But lately after having paid my dues for 30 years wonder if everyone can make the sacrifice that is required. The photography part is truly the easiest part of this equation and that’s what was always in my mind when I said anyone could do what I do. But now with age, the rest of the formula is becoming clearer, the stubbornness, the tenacity, the heart, the drive, and to be honest with yah, selfishness and prickness (I know, not a word but I like it) to push through all the rest of life just to be behind the camera. I have been incredibly fortunate in my career to have most of these ingredients either earned, paid for, given or blessed with which I’m finding isn’t the case for some and that’s sad. Acquiring some photos have a price tag which can’t be expressed and a value that in incalculable and I’m now thinking that’s the way it should be, it’s just not meant for everyone. Which puts more responsibility on those who can obtain it to share their good fortune with those who can’t. I’ve always said wildlife photography is not a poor man sport, but my definition of poor has expand of late to include much more important things than money.
As you explore your own photography and find your own walls and catapults, your mind will wonder during good and bad times if it’s all worth it. Always count your blessings and remind yourself often when admiring that great image you so cherish all that went into is by asking yourself, and the price?
Simple Click – Ends in Grand Fashion
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Photo captured by D3x, 600VR w/TC-14e on Lexar UDMA digital film