Accidental masterpiece - Chuck Close
Photography may be the easiest artistic medium, with the possibility that someone may accidentally create a masterpiece. This therefore makes it the hardest artistic medium. Chuck Close explains this further very eloquently...
Cathedral Rocks, Kiama, NSW, Australia © Len Metcalf 2016
"The thing that interests me about photography and why it's different from all other media, is that it's the only medium in which there is even the possibility of an accidental masterpiece. You cannot make an accidental masterpiece if you're a painter or a sculptor. It's just not going to happen. Something will be wrong.
This is simultaneously photography's great advantage and it's Achilles heel: it is the easiest medium in which to be competent. Anybody can be a marginally capable photographer, but it takes a lot of work to learn to become even a competent painter. Now, having said that, I think while photography is the easiest medium in which to become competent, it is probably the hardest one in which to develop an idiosyncratic personal vision. It's the hardest medium in which to separate yourself from all those other people who are doing reasonably good stuff and to find a personal voice, your own vision, and to make something that is truly, memorably yours and not someone else's. A recognised signature style of photography is an incredibly difficult thing to achieve.
It always amazes me that just when I think that there's nothing left to do in photography and that all the permutations and possibilities have been exhausted, someone comes along and puts the medium to a new use, and makes it his or her own, yanks it out of this kind of amateur status, and makes it as profound and moving and as formally interesting as any other medium. It is like pushing something heavy up hill. Photography's not an easy medium. It is, finally, perhaps the hardest medium of them all."
- Chuck Close p30 Photowisdom, Lewis Blackwell, Hachette, Sydney, Australia, 2015 3rd Edition.
Film is a Disease
Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream, it takes over as the number one hormone; it bosses the enzymes; directs the pineal gland; plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to film is more film.
-Frank Capra
“Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream, it takes over as the number one hormone; it bosses the enzymes; directs the pineal gland; plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to film is more film.”
Peter Dombrovskis
"...the more preoccupied I become with photography and with producing 'results', the less productive becomes my vision. The more open and receptive I am to find those objects of beauty that are symbols of the mysterious and unknowable. The search is always more important than the goal."
- Peter Dombrovskis
"The pursuit of photography and the experience of wilderness are uneasy companions. We go to the wilds to reaffirm our place in the natural scheme of things, to be rejuvenated by contact with elemental forces and to be reminded that the civilised bagage with which we complicate our lives is perhaps not so important to our happiness as the advertising man would claim.
Therefore, when my rucksack is already straining at the seams with the essentials of food, shelter and clothing, is seems folly indeed to add a metal box crammed with mechanical, optical and electronic gadgetry. How then do I justify my vocation? For wilderness demands answers from all who travel there.
Photography is, quite simply, a means of communicating my concern for the beauty of the Earth; and making images is a need which sometimes borders on the compulsive. But without the opportunity for communication that photography offers, my journeys into the wild would perhaps lose some of their motivation. And here lies a paradox, because the more preoccupied I become with photography and with producing 'results', the less productive becomes my vision. The more open and receptive I am to find those objects of beauty that are symbols of the mysterious and unknowable. The search is always more important than the goal. When the images of nature become more important than the experience of wilderness it will be time to leave my camera at home."
- Peter Dombroviskis, Author's comment, from Peter's 1985 Wilderness Diary
including stars in your landscapes
Len describes how to add stars to your photographs with some tips on astrophotography.
Arkaroola Starry Night - The Gammon Ranges / Flinders Ranges, South Australia
Astrophotography is taking photographs at night. In this short set of notes we will look at getting acceptably sharp stars in our photographs using the 500 rule. We will be limited by your equipment and locations. Firstly you need to be somewhere away from cities and bright lights. Much like the places they build observatories. The city lights reduce our ability to see the stars as they reflect off the atmosphere reducing the amount of light that gets through, which effectively reduces the amount of stars in our photographs. So go bush dear friends, and find a clear night sky.
Next you will need a fast lens. F1.2 to f1.4 will work best. You may get away with a f 2.8 lens. Any slower and this won't work. Don't have an f 1.4 lens yet? Why not, for their price they are one of the most important lenses in your kit. They are sharp, fast and relatively cheap. Go for a standard one. 50 mm equivalent on 35 mm is the one recommend and is my personal favourite. It was always the lens they used to see with a film slr before zooms became popular. There is a reason for this, and that is they are cheap to make and have outstanding performance. They also can be made to look wide angle and telephoto in skillful hands. For the last three years I lived with one lens, and a 50 mm equivalent was it. I can frame my shot without a camera for this lens now. An amazing thing that helps me take great photographs.
You camera needs a few characteristics too. Firstly you need to be able to shoot at 15 - 30 seconds. Sometimes you may need to go past a minute. Secondly you need a camera that works well at higher ISO's, in the 1000 to 6400 range. Lastly you need a tripod and a way to fire the camera without introducing vibration. If you have an SLR you will need to lock the mirror up and use a cable release. With mirrorless cameras you can just use a delay. I use the two second one, but I do have a very solid tripod designed for a very heavy large format camera, so my camera is very solid on it.
To focus your camera just focus on infinity. Close enough to those stars I suspect ;)
Shoot RAW and worry about white balance latter. Put your long exposure noise reduction on or set to auto. This will take longer when you as now your camera will take a second photograph of blackness with the shutter closed after your first photograph, and subtract the hot white pixels from your original exposure. This is called a dark frame subtraction and reduces noise in your final image. Well worth the wait in my opinion.
The way to figure out exposure is by trial and error. So I just dial in the following settings, take one photograph and then adjust my settings for optimum picture quality. I like to bring my ISO down to keep the noise low.
I would start with a 10 second exposure at f 1.4 at 3600 ISO
When considering exposure I like my night photographs to look like night, so I often drop the exposure to make them a little darker. I prefer to do this post processing though. You will also need to consider the moon and this will effect your final exposure.
To figure out what the longest shutter speed you can use with your lens use the '500 rule'.
500 divided by focal length in 35mm equivalent = maximum shutter speed in seconds for sharp stars.
So with my 25 mm lens on my micro four thirds camera is a 50 mm equivalent.
500 / 50 = 10 seconds
Now you can hopefully see how I determined my exposure.
The wider the lens the longer you will have.
Go and practice. Lots experiments the next time you get away from the city.
A fantastic illustration of how a portrait photographer puts themselves into their portraiture.
This is a fantastic illustration of how information about our clients is interpreted and placed into images.. Besides my mate Chris Meridith is one of the photographers in it.
Flinders Ranges
Mist graces an early morning near Wilpena Pound, the Flinders Ranges, South Australia © Len Metcalf 2015
Some photographs from our latest boutique small group photography tour to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. This year we visited Wiplena Pound and Arkaroola and had amazing visual adventures at both stunning locations. All photographs copyright © Len Metcalf 2015
10 rules for teaching
“Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.”
Enchanted Forest floor, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania © Len Metcalf 2015
Perhaps the essence of the Liberal outlook could be summed up in a new decalogue, not intended to replace the old one but only to supplement it. The Ten Commandments that, as a teacher, I should wish to promulgate, might be set forth as follows:
Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
Do not think it worth while to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.
Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.
When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.
Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.
Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool’s paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.
The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell
Sourced from Brain Pickings
10 rules for students
“Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.”
Dove Lake & Cradle Mountain © Len Metcalf 2015
“Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.”
RULE ONE: Find a place you trust, and then try trusting it for awhile.
RULE TWO: General duties of a student — pull everything out of your teacher; pull everything out of your fellow students.
RULE THREE: General duties of a teacher — pull everything out of your students.
RULE FOUR: Consider everything an experiment.
RULE FIVE: Be self-disciplined — this means finding someone wise or smart and choosing to follow them. To be disciplined is to follow in a good way. To be self-disciplined is to follow in a better way.
RULE SIX: Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.
RULE SEVEN: The only rule is work. If you work it will lead to something. It’s the people who do all of the work all of the time who eventually catch on to things.
RULE EIGHT: Don’t try to create and analyze at the same time. They’re different processes.
RULE NINE: Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. It’s lighter than you think.
RULE TEN: “We’re breaking all the rules. Even our own rules. And how do we do that? By leaving plenty of room for X quantities.” (John Cage)
HINTS: Always be around. Come or go to everything. Always go to classes. Read anything you can get your hands on. Look at movies carefully, often. Save everything — it might come in handy later.
Sister Corita Kent, Learning by Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit
Sourced from Brain Pickings.
Micro Four Thirds, Len's favorites
These days there is a bewildering amount of Micro Four Thirds lenses to choose from. Here I discuss my favorites and a couple of my recommendations.
Breaking mist above the Fish River, The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. © Leonard Metcalf 2015 - This photograph was one of the very first taken during my first full day with my Voitlander 25mm f0.95 lens, my firm favorite go to lens. It was with this photograph that my love for digital photography blossomed.
Micro four thirds lenses now come from a plethora of manufacturers in a bewildering range of focal lengths. I get regularly asked which lenses should I buy for my micro four thirds camera. Rather than go through the whole gamut of choices, I will outline my favorites, illustrate with examples from them and finish up with a few recommendations that are still on my wish list. I have listed them in my own preferential order, starting my my favorites and moving through to my wish list. This is not really a lens review, but just the musings of what seems to work for me.
Voitlander 25mm f0.95
This is the lens that changed my perception of what is possible with digital cameras. Before this lens landed in my hands, my digital photographs were lack lustre. The kit zoom on my Olympus E-3 was a 12 - 60mm pro series lens, yet the images just didn't sing. When the opportunity arose to move away from this camera and lens combination I was quick to dump it.
Sands, Lake Mungo National Park. Voitlander 25mm f 0.95 © Leonard Metcalf 2014
My first photographs with a micro four thirds camera were similar. In many ways it was the auto focus that caught me out. A manual focus lens took me back to my roots as a photographer. It gave me back my choice and decision making. In turn it led to better images. When I scan back through my Lightroom catalogue, there is a clear and abrupt improvement of my digital photography the moment I picked up this lens. Even today it is my go to lens. I don't leave home without it. It lives on my camera. Part of this obsession with this lens is the normal focal length which is the one I seem to prefer to see with. You might like to read further about the benefits of the "Nifty Fifty" in my previous article.
This lens is not for the faint of heart. It is slow to use. It is heavy with its all metal construction. The lens shade and matching lens cap are to die for. Actually the system is so good that I stop to wonder why others don't use it. It is slow to use, because I can only focus it wide open, and the aperture is manual. This means that I have to manually open it up, focus the lens and then close it down again to shoot. This lens does not have any electrical contacts and makes no communication with the camera. For this reason I tend to shoot with it on aperture priority. Manual doesn't work for me, as I close the lens down by feel. A couple of clicks if I want something reasonably sharp, and a few more when I want depth of field. It is impossible for me to recall what f stop I have been using. I could if I wrote them down, but I don't.
Slowing me down, making my own decisions equals better images. In my mind it is a simple choice. This lens wins nearly every time for me.
Highland Golden Moths Orchid ( Diuris monticola) Snowy Mountains. - Voitlander 25mm f0.95 Copyright © Leonard Metcalf 2014
It is a beautifully sharp lens. Even wide open I am more than happy with the look it gives, despite its paper thin plane of focus. Yes it falls off dramatically when wide open, but that really isn't the point of using it wide open is it. It is about beautiful out of focus areas. It appears dreamy when used wide open. I must admit I do prefer it stopped down a couple of clicks, when the depth of field thickens slightly, and the sharpness clearly improves. by f 2.0 it is amazingly pin sharp. At f 2.8 it has peaked, usable at 5.6 and by f 8 it is starting to fail again. So I rarely go past f 5.6.
This lens gets me amazingly close to my subjects. While not a macro by any stretch of my imagination, it does let me get close enough to photograph the stunning tiny Australian Orchids that I so love to find and play with.
At f 5.6 the depth of field is stunning. So good in fact that I don't really miss the tilts and swings of my large format view camera, even when doing the near foreground and distance shots that I loved doing utilising the scheimpflug rules I learnt at art school and obsessively used for twenty years.
When I stop this lens down to 2.8 it is amazingly sharp. When I use it with a tripod I am easily able to enlarge my 16 megapixel images to 24 x 30 inches using perfect resize for stunning results. The prints from this lens are stunning.
My only criticism of this lens is that the bokeh at some apertures can be rather disconcerting. Even unpleasant to my eye. Bokeh is stunning wide open, but something happens as it is stopped down. Then again if I am shooting for beautiful bokeh then I am shooting wide open or just stopped down a stop or two, so this is something that only concerns me on rare occasions. On these occasions I bracket my apertures and pick the best image at full size on my gorgeous large monitor at home.
Olympus 25mm f 1.8
For price, convenience and size this is my first auto focus lens recommendation. This is the first lens I recommend to all of my students, who wish to push themselves with the discipline that a nifty fifty requires. I carry one of these small beauties with me just in case my Voitlander 25mm is damaged or lost.
Lochlies Pylon, The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Olympus 25mm f 1.8 © Leonard Metcalf 2015
It is as almost equally as sharp as the Voitlander. Sharpness with this lens peaks at f 4.0
It is light and small, and cheap. I keep it on my spare body, and often take it with me on excursions when I wish to leave my favorite heavier camera and lens combination at home.
Being auto focus, I can use it with the near eye focusing for stunning portraits. If I wasn't in love with the Voitalnder this would be my other choice of go to lens. As you can already tell, I have a very strong preference for prime lenses, and this article reinforces this preference.
Olympus 75mm f 1.8 ED
This lens is my other lover. It is my second most favored lens in my kit. The 150mm equivalent focal length is just stunning to work with. It reaches in. It allows me to keep my distance from the subject. It has beautiful Bokeh when used wide open.
Salt bush, Broken Hill Olympus 75 mm f 1.8 © Leonard Metcalf 2015
It is a heavy large lens. Well, when I compare it with the Olympus 25 mm or the 45 mm. It is also pricey. But well worth it. Particularly if you are fond of shooting portraits, or animals.
It doesn't come with a lens hood. I bought a cheap one from China, which has turned out to be rather useless. Even the Olympus one has a tightening screw on it. A method of attaching lens hoods left over from the seventies and eighties. Definitely not my preference for use. I would love Olympus to have included one of those sliding lens hoods that came with my Zuiko 200mm f 2.0 telephoto I was in love with in my teenage years, or the very sexy and practical one on the latest Olympus 40-150 f2.8 Pro lens. Oh for an aftermarket lens hood based on the Voitlander design. Now there is an opportunity for a manufacturer, aftermarket bespoke lens hoods with matching lens caps. I suppose my creative mind is day dreaming yet again.
Cockatoo - The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Olympus 75mm f 1.8 lens © Leonard Metcalf 2015
This lens focuses very quickly on my modern Micro Four Thirds bodies. With eye detect on, it is a breeze to use.
This lens peaks in sharpness at f 4.0 and is quite stunning by f 2.8. I do love the bokeh this lens produces wide open. It is my go to lens for portraiture and figure work. I am tempted to buy a second body of my main camera, so I can use this lens and my Voitlander 25 mm without the need to change lenses. My current second camera is a different model, and quiet frankly it quickly gives me this shits changing between the two cameras.
Olympus 45 mm f 1.8
Mist burning off at Cradle Mountain Olympus 45 mm f 1.8 © Leonard Metcalf 2015 - The spiders webs in this shot print out beautifully crisp.
This lens was my previous second lover. With it I have taken more photographs than the 75 mm by virtue of the length of time that I have owned it. It is light weight, and cheap, with just stunning results. If you're on a budget this is next lens on your list.
Just like the other Olympus lenses it is a stunning performer. Perhaps let down in build quality with a plastic feel to it. The feel is much better than the Olympus plastic kit lenses though. Nethertheless is performs, and the weight saving is appreciated particularly on my long walks into the bush.
This lens gives you some beautiful reach, and it really comes into its own as a portrait lens. With the auto focus I have taken some stunning portraits with this lens and the near eye focus detect. It makes portraiture a breeze at a very affordable price, with the most stunning results.
This lens peaks for sharpness at f 2.8 and wide open has a lovely bokeh.
The lens hood that you can get for this lens works, despite being an over priced piece of plastic. Why it isn't included with the lens is a mystery to me, at least Olympus has started to listen to the complaints and is starting to include lens hoods with its newer release lenses such as the 25mm f 1.8.
I have created stunning 20 inch prints from images captured with this lens, amazingly sharp and capable despite its demure appearance.
Panasonic G 20 mm f 1.7 ASPH
This is an amazing lens for its price and size. It makes my micro four thirds cameras seem pocketable. It is a beautiful performer, and is sharp for a wider range of apertures than the other lenses in my recommended list. It peaks at f 4.0 and is sharp from f 2.0 through to f 5.6.
I don't use this lens very often, and it is on the list of lenses that I need to get to know better. Many find this lens the perfect focal length for their walk around lens. It suits street photography very well. Though I currently find it a little wide for my taste.
This lens comes in two versions, and I have the first version, and it hasn't seen much use yet.
Panasonic G 14 mm f 2.5 ASPH
Eurobdalla Coast, Panasonic 14mm f 2.5 lens © Leonard Metcalf 2015
Another stunning yet amazingly cheap lens. This lens is often bundled in kits with some Panasonic cameras, which means you can pick up an un-boxed new version rather easily and well below the list prices. It is tiny, and is the smallest lens I own. When I am after a light weight wide angle this is the one that I pack. I even picked up a lovely aluminum lens hood for it, that has a Leica feel to it.
This lens is sharp from wide open at f 2.5 through to 5.6. Again this lens comes in two versions, and I have the first version.
Samyung 7.5 mm f 3.5 UMC FishEye
I personally find the fisheye lens more of a toy and a game to play with rather than a serious contender in my camera bag. This assumption is seriously flawed as this is another stunning cheap lens that just performs amazingly well. I put it on, and focus by using hyper-focal focusing. Set my aperture to f 4.0 or 5.6 and just shoot away on aperture priority. The results are amazing. The included image here, prints up beautifully, and at my last open day at the studio was the first image to sell.
Paulownia plantation, Samyang 7.5 mm f 3.5 lens © Leonard Metcalf 2015
This lens has a manual aperture ring, and manual focus. It is a pain in the neck to focus through the viewfinder as the depth of field is huge. This is the sort of lens you need if you want that butterfly up close and in focus and the mountain forest in the background to be sharp enough to read.
Wide open this lens performs well, and by f 5.6 the sharpness is falling off. I won't use it at f 8.0
You may need to do your homework on hyperfocal focusing to get the most of this lens. I use this lens set at f 5.6 and put the infinity focus mark on the f 4.0 mark for my hyperfocal distance.
This lens distorts, and does it in a huge way. You can't easily put a filter on this lens as the front element protrudes out the front. It has a built in lens shade and a lens cap that goes right over the lens shade.
This lens is also available branded as Rokinon and Bower.
Great fun, and for the price you can't go wrong.
Olympus 60 mm f 2.8 ED Macro
The last lens in my kit is the Olympus 60 mm f 2.8 ED Macro. This is a true macro lens that allows you to take images 1:1 or at life size (the same actual size as the sensor). This lens is also water sealed, which makes it ideal for use in wet weather. The lens comes with a focus limiting switch which reduces the distances it focuses on. This is a fantastic option to have with macro, as it stops much of the annoying hunting when the camera searches for focus by going to the extremes of focus. This can take time, so by limiting it, you get faster focus. You can also switch the lens to 1:1, which is very handy as you can go straight to the closest focus.
Unidentified native flower - Olympus 60 mm f 2.8 ED Macro lens © Leonard Metcalf 2015
This lens is sharp, very sharp. It rivals the Olympus 75 mm 1.8 and the Voitlander 25 mm f 0.95 in tests. So for its price it is the cheapest sharp lens available for micro four thirds.
It is small and light weight, and still comes in at a very good price. It is made of plastic, and does have that feel to it.
This lens can be used for portraiture as well, though you won't get the creamy bokeh you get with the 75 mm.
For the price, and its quality, this lens is definitely on my must have list, for the images it is capable of producing is well worth the small outlay.
Wish List
The following list is the lenses that are on my shopping list. Perhaps it is better to say they are on my wish list. I am not sure if I really need them. I would like the 12 - 40 mm f 2.8 as it is weather sealed, and as I shoot so often in the rain it would bring peace of mind to my photographic practice. The wide angle zoom may be fun, while the longer zooms will give me greater reach with wildlife.
Olympus 12 mm f 2.0 ED
Olympus 12 - 40 mm f 2.8 ED PRO
Olympus 40 - 150 mm f 2.8 ED PRO
Olympus 7 - 14 mm f 2.8 ED PRO (yet to be released)
Olympus 300 mm f 4.0 ED Pro (yet to be released)
While I am on my wish list Olympus, how about a Pro series weatherproof fast aperture metal construction 25mm. One that allows me to get reasonably close, like my a Voitlander does. A lens like this would soon become my number one favourite and would see more use than any other lens. Photographing in the rain and mist is where my best photographs are created. I really don't understand why the 75mm lens isn't weather sealed, while I can easily Judith it with the cheaper primes they make.
Recommended
I would recommend these lenses based on reviews and images I have seen taken with them, but I don't need them as I already have other lenses that perform adequately in their focal length. I tend to prefer Olympus lenses as they don't have image stabilization built into them, for the stabilization is built into my camera.
Panasonic Vario 12 - 35 mm f2.8 ASPH P.I.O.S.
Panasonic Vario 7 - 14 mm f 4.0 ASPH
Leica DG Summilux 25 mm f/1.4 ASPH.
Leica DG Nocticron 42.5 mm f 1.2 ASPH P.I.O.S.
Voitlander Nokton 42.5 mm f 0.95
Don't bother
These are the lenses I have used and I don't like. I see a noticeable lack of clarity when using them as they are no where near as sharp as the recommended lenses. I can clearly see the difference with these lenses on my small 10 inch prints (30 cm), let alone when doing larger enlargements. I have some of these, and will happily give them to anyone who would use them.
Olympus 12 - 50 mm
Olympus 14 - 42 mm
Olympus 75 - 300 mm
learn to drive a camera in manual
A quick overview extolling the benefits of manual control of your camera and exposures.
Ghost gum, Ormiston Gorge, MacDonell Ranges, Central Australia © Len Metcalf 2015
I was lucky when it came to learning to use a camera. Firstly I was so young I don't really even remember learning. Secondly I learnt to drive a manual camera. An Olympus OM-1. No autofocus or auto metering. Actually at the time it was a ground breaking camera, for it had it's small size on its side. It did have one thing and that was an internal light meter. The middle area of the frame was the area that the camera took the light reading from. The same as center weighted metering on your camera today. I can remember longing for the titanium spot metering model, the Olympus OM-4Ti spot. What ever I pointed the center at would turn mid tone in the final image. Learning how this worked was a start in my learning journey. Later in life I moved to fully manual cameras. Ones with no light meters, no electronics, focusing is done on a ground glass, or by distance scales. To figure out the exposures I used external light meters. Initially it was a Western Zone meter IV. It ran from a photovoltaic cell. No batteries. I could put a white dome on it to take incident readings. Latter came electronic light meters, a Pentax spot (I used an analogue model and a digital zone modified one) and a tiny pocket incident meter.
Learning to calculate the exposure with these tools was a valuable lesson that pays off in difficult exposure situations. While I don't advocate going to the extreme of using an external light meter (though there would be a great deal of benefit from doing so). I do suggest you learn to use your camera in manual mode. It will be a useful exercise in getting the most out of your camera. I recommend you put your camera in manual and keep it there until you can use it without thinking. That means keeping it there for the next month or five, not just the next shoot.
With black and white negative film the exposure determines where the blacks and dark tones fall, while the development time determines the highlights. Most will just worry about where they want shadow detail to appear in their photographs and use that to calculate their exposure.
Digital has its own similar quirks. The details are in the highlights with digital cameras. There is more information in the highlights. The point where the highlights change to white is a very important point. Either you have information in your highlights or they are overexposed and nothing can be done to recover them. This has lead to the popularization of Expose To The Right (ETTR). By using this technique you can end up with a cleaner photograph, particularly in the shadows.
To use ETTR set your exposure so the the histogram starts perfectly on the right hand side, exactly from the corner. The resulting photograph should not have any clipped highlights and will probably appear too light when reviewing it. Latter you can alter the exposure in post processing to give it the look you are after. ETTR is an advanced skill and is better tackled later in your learning journey if you are a beginner.
Now you have your goal in terms of what a good exposure looks like. You can now adjust your three variables to help you get there. The three variables are ISO, shutter speed and aperture.
Now that you can can control your camera without thinking, you can use your histogram to judge exposure. I use the histogram to judge exposure all the time. I leave it on in my viewfinder all the time, so I can see what the effects of my exposure adjustments are doing in live time. You can only do this with cameras that have electronic viewfinders. Otherwise you will need to chimp your histograms on the screen on the back. Some cameras allow you to set exactly at what tone the end of the histogram starts at. I drop mine by three units to give myself a little leeway.
Some of us think that this would be a good addition to modern cameras, a setting for exposure that sets exposure exactly for ETTR, as this would be a very easy bit of programming and would give many of us some huge benefits.
using a framing device
Framing devices are used by professionals to help them.
A framing device is a very useful tool in improving your photography. It has been used by artists long before photography came onto the scene. It is helpful for pre-visualizing the final photograph.
For those who use a standard format sensor in the 2 x 3 ratio the best and simplest framing device is an old slide. The plastic ones with white on one side and black on the other make the most fantastic light weight framing devices. We should put them on a neck chain and wear them. As now that they are retro, they would look fantastic...
To use one is simple. Choose the white or black side for your scene. If your shooting in a dark environment choose the white side. If your out in bright conditions the black side is going to be more effective.
Now hold it up to your eye and look around at the world and start taking photographs in your minds eye. Hold it parallel to your eye ball (perpendicular to your line of sight). Hold it 5 centimetres from your eye. If you do this, you now have the equivalent of a 50 mm full frame lens on your camera. Move it out to 10 cm and now you have a 100mm full frame equivalent on your camera. Move it in to 2.4 cm and you have your wide angle 24mm full frame equivalent.
Too easy..
Now practice and practice and practice framing up your photographs in your mind. Notice how that when you move the photograph is going to change. Move closer to your subject, move up or down and reposition objects so that they make a balanced composition. How do you know it is balanced, well you decide by your feelings. Let your intuition guide you.
Don't have a 35mm slide. Well you can make these out of cardboard.
additive or subtractive photography
Are you an additive or subtractive photographer? Something worth thinking about in your compositions.
Stone circles, South Coast of NSW © Leonard Metcalf 2014
I wonder if there are two schools of thought. One where photographers wander around with their cameras wondering what to add to their photographs, and the others who are thinking about what can be removed to make their photographs stronger.
Perhaps the the first approach is the one of the novice, while the latter is the thought processes of a master.
Which one are you?
Ralph Gibson is the latter. Here he describes his process of subtraction.
"....if you’re going to make a drawing, you take a paper and a pencil and add lines, add marks, until you finish your drawing. It's additive. When I make a photograph, I move in closer and I take things away, and I take things away, until I get everything out of the frame except what I want. Therefore my process is considered subtractive."
He goes on to explain how he does it...
"Now part of this subtraction has to do with casting things into deep shadow. I eliminate a lot of unwanted material, activity into the shadow area. And in so doing, create a shape. Instead of just being a variation on light, for me shadows become cut forms, they become shapes. And I discovered this by photographing primarily in bright sun and exposing for highlights, which is pretty easy to do. Most people struggle to get detail into their shadows. I was never interested in that kind of photographic expression particularly. - Ralph Gibson
source for quotes: http://bermangraphics.com/press/ralphgibson.htm
what makes a great photograph?
time makes a great photograph
Model: Angel Rose © Leonard Metcalf 2014
“The key is that the longer I want to keep looking at a photograph, the better the photograph is. If lots and lots of other people want to look at the photograph and keep looking at it for a long time, then that is proof that it is a great photograph. So to me the thing that makes a great photograph is time.”
where to photograph in the blue mts
The Three Sisters - Photograph copyright © Len Metcalf 2020
Locations worth visiting for photographers…
This article is in draft form… and will be continually updated.. and rearranged. I am aiming to have a few sections including; close to Blackheath / Wentworth Falls / Katoomba & Leura / Lawson / Lower Mts / further afield. Each of these will have its own post.. I expect this to be a long and slow task..
Car parks and lookouts
The Three Sisters peeking out of the mist from Eagle Hawk Lookout, Cliff Drive Katoomba © Len Metcalf 2015
Eagles nest lookout: the best quiet view of the three sisters. Amazing at sunset with the orange sandstone sisters getting a stunning soaking in golden sunlight. On a clear night the sisters are flood lighted into the early evening. On days where the mist is swirling and rising occasionally they break through the mist and magical images can be taken from this lookout.
Mount York, Mount Victoria: golden sunset rays bathe gums and iron bark trees at this vista at the end of the day. A lovely short walk around the famous climbing cliffs and one of the original routes off the mountain and into the valley.
Pulpit rock at Mount Victoria is a delightful stroll from the car park. Views over to the cliffs at Mt Piddington are good in the afternoon when there are lovely clouds. Also worth visiting when the mist is thick. Avoid on high wind days. Unfenced location so be very wary of cliff edges. For the more adventurous walking down little zig zag to the bushrangers cave which was the subject of early etchings and photographs.
Fish River, between Lithgow, Oberon & Bathurst is a granite boulder filled creek full of trout, amazing reflections and gentle pools that are lined with smooth round rocks. Easy to get to, and well worth spending the whole day there. Pack a lunch as there isn’t any shops out there. Easy but long drive from upper mountains.
Evans lookout, is a very short stroll from the car park and is best visited at sunrise or sunset. On misty days try the paved walk along the cliff tops for some amazing gum trees.
Short easy and gentle walks
Scenic railway boardwalk. Catch the train down early in the day. I mean as soon as they open, and wander the board walk. You will be probably enveloped in gentle soft diffused light from the thick mist from Waragamba Dam that dominates the local climate. Lyre birds feature prominently and can be photographed from the board walk beneath you. Catch the scenicsender back to the top.
Charles Darwin walk – start at the great western highway and
Jamison Creek, Charles Darwin Walk, Wentworth Falls
walk as far as you feel comfortable, remembering that it will take just as long to get back to your start.
Lyrebird Dell at Mount Victoria just makes it into the gentle section, though it does involve a steep hill down and back up. Park at Browns Oval for the easiest walk into this location, and be enchanted by the sections of rainforest littered with amazing fungus particularly after a wet spell.
Coachwood Glen, is one of my favorite locations. I seem to keep finding new shots each time I visit. There is an amazing stand of King Ferns, a tumbling creek with some delicate little drops and some beautiful Coachwoods within the rain forest to capture your imagination. In the wet the track may be a little slippery and
Coachwood Glen, Megalong Valley
muddy so wear sturdy shoes. This is best visited on overcast days or late afternoons or early mornings before full sun mottles the scene with burning highlights.
Waterfall circuit at Lawson is worth the effort. My favorite has to be Junction Falls. I first visited these on my queen scout walk at 15 years of age. I drew them and photographed them to prove to the assessor we had visited them. Serendipitously my scout master planned out my major walk around Blue Mountains waterfalls. The final submission included beautiful coloured pencil drawings of each waterfall we visited over the weekend.
Pulpit Rock, Blackheath is a short walk with some steep stairs to get right onto the most stunning lookout. You will get 270 degree view. I like to be here on a clear day around sunset. The cliffs opposite at Lochley’s Pylon, Mount Banks, Mount Hay and Fortress Ridge are stunning when flooded with golden sunlight. Stay after sunset (with a torch) to get some beautiful after glows in the early twilight.
Butterbox point, at the end of Mount Hay Road, Leura. This is a long drive on a dirt road. If it is very wet or you have a low slung vehicle I would avoid it. There are some great spots to stop off on the way such as Flat Top and the Three Pinnicles. At the very end of the road follow the old road for 50 metres, then veer left on a foot pad. Walk to the end, making note of where you have come from so you can return the same way back to the car. This is a remote location on top some very high cliffs. So make sure you stay well away from the edge. We tell out clients to stay two body lengths away from the cliff edge. I have lost some very dear friends to large and small cliffs, it pays to be very cautious. This is a good location for sunset. I haven’t made it there for sunrise, but imagine it could be spectacular. Avoid middle of the day in direct sunshine. The vista from this location is stunning, as you look out over the Grose Valley.
Multi hour walks
Leura forest, is accessed from either the giant stairway at the Three Sisters or Dardanelles Pass . Yes this is a step walk down and back up again, but well worth it. On a sunny day this location works well late afternoon when the forest is bathed in shadow from the huge cliffs above. It would be well worth visiting on a wet or misty day. Avoid being here in full sunlight at the middle of the day.
Ruined castle from the golden stairs.
Weeping rock and Wentworth falls. Best shot in the early morning or late afternoon. Look for the golden reflections in the water at sunset as the golden glow is intensified as it bounces off the orange walls on Jamison Creek. A favorite spot rich in colour and water that is very compact.
Ikara Head via Asgard Swamp takes you to an amazing view down the Gross Valley. From here you get distant views of Mount Banks and Mount Hay. There is no track to the best views and you're on top of 70 metre cliffs so this location is only for those with suitable experience. The Asgard Swamp fire trail can be found off Victoria Falls Road. Other heads in the area include Valhalla &Thor heads. This is is a good place to visit in the afternoon. I would like to stay there for sunset one evening, but the long walk out in the dark has so far stopped me.
Valley of the Waters, starting and finishing at the Conservation Hut is a firm favourite. I love to be down here early. I walk straight down to Empress Falls before getting my camera out. You can shoot here all morning until about ten am when the sun starts streaming into the canyon. Afternoons also work well once the full sun is out of the valley. Stunning after rain, and in the mist. The water falls at the Valley of the Waters is the most stunning set of cascades in the Blue Mountains IMHO.
Half day and longer & strenuous walks
Empress falls and the valley of the waters. If you can handle the walk in down the stairs then this is a not to be missed location. Take a tripod for those soft waterfall shots and use 3 second and over exposures for best results. On a bright sunny day you would be wise to take a neutral density filter. But for best results be down there first thing in the morning aiming to be finished
Coachwood stand at Empress Falls, the valley of the waters, Wentworth Falls
shooting by nine or ten am. Take a jumper as it will be noticeably cooler down there than at the conservation hut where you park your car. Also take some snacks and some water for the long limb back up all of those steep stairs.
Blue Gum Forest is a long hard walk only due to the long drop into the valley. The quickest way down and up is via Perry’s Lookdown, though I do prefer to walk in via Lochley’s Pylon from Mount Hay road. This is best done as an overnight or even three day trip. Another classic route is starting at Mount Victoria and walking down the Gross Valley to Blue Gum. Camping has been removed from Blue Gum and allowed the undergrowth to regenerate a fantastic bonus for photographers. This stand of trees is very important as it reminds us of an early conservation battle that was won when the bush walkers of the time put their hands into their pockets and raised the funds to buy this stand of trees and donate it to the government. Lead by Myles Dumphy and supported by Paddy Pallin and my father. Dumphy proposed and fought for the Blue Mountains National Park,
If you would like to be taken on a photography tour of these locations Len’s School has a number of different options available to you. These include luxury small group gentle tours through to a landscape photography workshop and a shorter guided day trips.
what is fine art photography?
Len examines what makes photograph fine art photography...
Mea Culpa in a grass field in Sydney © Leonard Metcalf 2011
Collectability
Fine art photography has been defined by how collectable the photographs are or become. Are the images enduring enough to stand the test of time. For some the ultimate goal is to have their images preserved in museums and art collections, or in the possession of collectors. What makes an image collectable varies widely from the image or content, process, photographer and historical significance. Many collectable photographs are indeed not fine art. In discussions with a gallery owner, one of the key ingredients of a collectable photograph was its rarity (ie limited print run, by edition or death).
Archival stability
Tightly aligned with collecting is the expectation that fine art photography can survive time, long term storage and display. Though this alone does not guarantee that the image is indeed fine art. Many photographs that have been actively collected (bought and sold for high prices) may not indeed be archival, but it does seem to be of primary importance to modern photographic collectors.
Art for arts sake
Because I enjoy taking photographs against my own criteria for what a great photograph is. It is the reason I study other photographers’ (and artists’) work with such passion. To observe, to copy (for the purpose of learning) and then to produce something that is indeed different. Finding ones own personal vision in a world of appropriation has become a life long passion.
Communicates
My passions for the Gaia (mother earth) and deep felt desire to stop humanities abuse of her lie beneath my wilderness (landscape) photographs. If Dombroskis’s photograph of Island Bend can educate and influence a voting public into saving the Franklin River (Tasmania), then there is hope in nature photography to be able to influence the world to move towards an environmentally sustainable future. Art by its very nature is about the communication of ideas, principles, thoughts, feelings and passions. When you look at one of my photographs you are indeed looking through Len’s lens, my interpretation of the world and what I see.
Aesthetics
My goal is to produce an aesthetically pleasing photograph without copying those who have gone before. When you look at a photograph and you get that wonderful feeling inside, because of its inherent beauty, then it must be fine art. Not to say that all fine art makes you feel good.
Made by an artist
What makes an artist? Creativity as expressed in an artwork… is perhaps one of the only clearly defining links between artists.
Sold as art
Recently I have started to wonder if the ongoing sales and popularity of particular images, some just seem to keep on selling, are really fine art images. Some of my most outstanding fine art photographs (measured against my own criteria) have never sold. Sales is a worthless criteria if you are to judge fine art by what history has demonstrated with very few artists gaining success in their own lifetimes, though since modernism this no longer appears to be the case.
Fine art
“Essentially the distinction between ‘art’, ‘craft’ and ‘APPLIED ART’. The modern notion of ‘fine art’ can be traced back to the Renaissance when ther was a strong movement, led by Leonardo da Vinci, to demonstrate that the painter in particular was practicing an intellectual and not a manual skill. Included under this heading are drawing; music; painting; poetry; printmaking; sculpture; (photography ed) and other forms of art which do not fulfil a practical function.”
- Reynolds, K & Seddon, R 1981 ‘Illustrated dictionary of art terms; a handbook for the art lover’; Edbury Press, London
Fine art photography
“…the term is taken to be a picture that is produced for sale or display rather than one that is produced in response to a commercial commission. It is assumed that most of the pictures that are covered by the fine art banner are personal images that meet self-imposed criteria, and that they are, as a result, very close to the heart of the photographer and are representative of his or her interpretation of the world.”
- Hope, T. 2003 Fine Art Photography, creating beautiful images for sale and display; RotoVision SA, Switzerland
Len's camera equipment
Len lists his camera bag contents
Cradle Mountain Hut, Tasmania © Leonard Metcalf 2014
This is rather dated now…. if you are interested in what I am using now? November 2020
Olympus OMD EM1 mk2
Voitlander 25mm f0.95
sometimes I also use:
Voitlander 60mm f0.95
Olympus 75mm f1.8
Olympus 300mm f4
For ultralight kit for extended bushwalks:
Olympus EM5 mk 3
Panasonic 25mm f1.4
For Abstract Photography I have a full spectrum modified camera
Olympus OMD EM1 mk2
I occasionally use a full frame, but would love to sell it.
Panasonic S1r
Panasonic 50mm f1.4
I have sold and also tried
Fuji GFX 50s
Fuji 63mm f2.8
I am currently taking a hiatus on film and have a fridge with 4 x 5 & 8 x 10 film waiting for inspiration and time to be right to use.
Len dives into this equipment list and leaves some of it at home.
Camera bag
Pea less emergency whistle (Len will supply)
Ultra light head torch (Black Diamond)
Camera
Lenses
Spare memory
Neutral density filters
Polarising filter
Spare batteries
Lens cleaners (tissues, cleaning fluid & micro fiber cloth)
Cable release or remote control for camera
Lens shades
Reading glasses
Camera manual
Camera bag to put it all in
Light weight umbrella
Digital camera specifics
Olympus OMD EM-1
Olympus OMD EM-5 (spare camera)
7.5mm f3.5 Samyung lens (15mm equivalent)
14mm f2.5 Panasonic lens (28mm equivalent)
25 mm f0.95 Voitlander lens (50mm equivalent
45mm f1.8 Olympus lens (90mm equivalent)
60mm f2.8 Olympus macro lens (120mm equivalent)
75mm f1.8 Olympus telephoto lens (150mm equivalent)
75mm - 300mm f4.8 - 6.7 Olympus telephotos zoom lens (150mm - 600mm equivalent)
2 Olympus spare batteries for OMD
32 & 16 gb Scan disk Extreme Pro memory cards
Olympus battery charger for OMD
BW circular polariser
BW 10 stop neutral density filter
BW 3 stop neutral density filter
Kodak lens tissues
Lens cleaning fluid
Micro fiber lens cloths
2 x Lacie rugged external hard drives
Macbook pro 13" retina display notebook
Macbook pro power cable
Ipad mini
Ipad power cable
Film camera specifics
Razzle 900 DF 4 x5 camera
Fujinon W 5f.6 150mm lens
Linhof technica III
Fujinon A 180mm f 5.6 lens
Toyo G 8 x 10 monorail camera
Nikkor 300mm f 8 lens
Changing bag - Harrison pulp tent
4 x5 dark slides (lots)
Spare film boxes
Pentax digital spot meter
Goosen Digisix incident light meter
Film 4 x 5 sheets: HP5, Delta 100, Porta 400, Velvia 100
Film notes / reciprocity information
Bellow extension calculator
Spare batteries for both light meters
Tripod and camera supports
Really right stuff camera plates & L plates for all cameras
Gitzo carbon fiber tripod series 3
Linhof ball head Provi II
Gitzo carbon fiber tripod series 1
Linhof ball head I
a Manfrotto heavy one
Really right stuff pano head and nodal slide
Camera repair kit
Filter wrenches
Tweezers
Magnifying glass
Tape
Sensor cleaning kit
Screw drivers
Pliers
File / metal saw
Lens cleaning supplies
Giottos pocket rocket
BP1 Musical secrets
What can a visual artist learn from musicians when a creative block is encountered? Len’s first article that went viral.
Sydney coastline - Northern Beaches © Leonard Metcalf 2012
What can a visual artist learn from musicians when a creative block is encountered?
I attended a workshop held at Woodford Folk Festival (December 2002) where a panel of musicians revealed their methods for unleashing their creativity, when they find a creative block. On reflection I found their advice was accurate for me as a visual artist, which I was able to apply to my own creative endeavour of taking photographs. What follows are the main points they described and how I applied them to my photography. Though I believe these would be equally applicable to any artistic or musical endeavour. Do something else. The suggestion of going out for a swim or a walk, or perhaps even settle into good book, though most of the panel suggested something active to get the blood flowing. Now being a landscape photographer this is so easy to do, put the camera in a pack and take off. I find that after a while I start seeing the photographs, usually after I have relaxed enough to let go of all of my current issues and distracting thoughts.
Create something / anything.
After discovering this for myself, I changed the way that I work. When I first arrive at a new venue, or after a long period of time without producing images, I start shooting straight away with my digital camera instead of lugging my heavy large format equipment around. With the high cost of large format film and processing I have learnt that I am often frightened of making a mistake and I just don’t see fantastic images. This is a similar phenomenon when confronted with an expensive sheet of paper when drawing or painting. When drawing I use a cheap sketch pad to warm up on first, then go to the expensive paper. Digital photography offers me the same cheap experimentation where there is no such thing as an expensive mistake. Now I start creating straight away, and I soon found that getting to my peak creative mode now happens in less time than before. That the doing shifts the block. So when you feel all blocked just go and start… and see what happens…
Coastal Sydney © Leonard Metcalf 2012
Make it a way of life.
For me this has been one of the hardest things to achieve. With the fear of not being able to pay the mortgage, or the rent. The fear of losing that fantastic job (the one that you are good at but don’t love like you love creating). The fear of not being successful, or seen as a failure. The pressure that the family and friends put on you. Overcoming it all and devoting ones self to being an artist is one of the key ingredient to success. This idea is well developed in many other authors work.
An attitude of being in service to the medium. I am still thinking about what this means… Do I promote the art form to all who are interested in it? Do I actively become a member of the community of artists around me who also work the medium. Do I share my thoughts, ideas and techniques with others? Is it my tool, or am I
Work with other creative people.I love working creatively with other people. Do you know how I hate those days locked up in the darkroom by myself, and how much I love sharing the space with others. The opportunity to talk, ask, and question. To get feedback on the fly. To see someone else get excited by a possibility and that excitement rubbing back onto you. I love going out on a shoot with other photographers, and seeing what can be found. At one point I was scared that they may steal my ideas, but this is a false notion, one that destroys creativity. Two photographers, same subject matter, and no matter which two you put together, I guarantee that you will get different images. Great art is about being in touch with your emotions and communicating them to others. Two people never have the same emotional response to the same stimulus, it may be similar, but it will never be the same. So join a club, go shooting with a friend, draw in a group, print with fellow artists. Every time you work with another creative person you will benefit, and so will they, what an outstanding opportunity. I wish they would happen more regularly with me.
Channel Creativity
Allow the creativity to channel through you and channel all your energy into creativity. Are you like me and have a number of creative projects underway at once? I wonder what it would be like if I managed to concentrate on one medium at a time? Painting, drawing, thinking, writing, working, teaching and finally photographing. I wonder how much creative energy I waste? What will be like when I am totally focused on the one thing? When I get there I will tell you…
Limit your possibilities.
In landscape work I can limit my possibilities by restricting myself to a geographic area, returning until the images come to me. When doing life work, I concentrate on a particular part of the body, or on a particular theme. For example I often pick chiaroscuro as the theme, and look specifically for images that are based on form. Another one may be wild flowers, my garden, or my friends. One of my favourite projects where I limited myself was taking a portrait of each of my friends before I left Kuwait. I had a mental list of who I wanted shots of, and slowly I worked my through that list. Often with failures I had to return to a specific subject and re shoot. But by limiting myself to the most important part of my life at that time (my friends) I was able to produce a fantastic exhibition even if it is only for my own private viewing. The musicians gave some good examples, like writing a song just about a fridge. So give it a go, try and limit your possibilities.
Learn all the rules, basics and foundations then switch them off.
The rules of composition and great photography abound everywhere, while it is one of the most debated topics at gallery openings. I have found them to be invaluable to learning to tune my visual intelligence. Learning what others like is another way of tuning your visual intelligence, and that is what a compositional rule is. It is what people in the past have found visually attractive. I learnt more by surveying my potential clients as to which of my photographs they would purchase, than I did by reflecting on my own work. I soon learnt that my favourite image was the least favourite of my audience. My photography soon grew and changed as a result. It wasn’t selling out, but tuning into what works and doesn’t work with others.
Tarkine coast, Tasmania © Leonard Metcalf 2014
Copy other peoples creativity.
I can recommend studying the work of other masters. When learning to draw, at art school, we had to copy the work of the old masters, so you could master their techniques. I now study as many other photographers work as possible. I examine critically every photograph that has any relationship to the work that I produce. You can be sure that I know all of the major landscape photographers work and many of the lesser known ones too. When I got bored with that I switched to nudes, but I still keep my eye out for any landscape image that I haven’t seen before. By saying this I am not advocating the appropriation of other peoples work to make money from or to even claim it is your own. I am suggesting that you can learn a lot from other peoples work, by copying and learning the techniques that they use. Yes I have gotten up predawn, and gone to a pre identified location to take a sunrise shot, so I know how to do it, you won’t see that image here on my web site. From doing this I learnt about their technique, their approach, how they work. It helped me become more comfortable and confident with the way I love to work. Do you want a project? Try a capsicum, and look at the work of Edward Weston, or perhaps a toilet bowl. You can look at Weston again for his classic studies of these everyday objects, or even try Duchamp. I wonder who did it first?
Be persistent
Great creators are persistent, they practice, they fail, they try again and again. In management training the old story of Cl Sanders and his special recipe for deep fried chicken is a favourite to illustrate this point. Do you know he spent a lot of time going around trying to convince people about his fantastic recipe, he would cook it for each shop he went too. Each time he got a no.. and he kept on going… kept getting no’s until one day… well KFC was the result of all of those failures. Another interesting approach in photography is to shoot and shoot and shoot… Many people do it, actually many professionals do it too. They keep shooting, and with the law of averages, a good photograph will turn up in there somewhere. How many times have I tried to sell my photographs… I just kept trying… was the mat the wrong colour, should I sign or not sign my work, will a limited edition do better than unlimited prints… is the price pointing right? Is the location of the gallery right? If I gave up the first time I failed to change careers to being an artist, or even the second or the third, I would not have made it to where I am now. Be persistent. Keep trying. There are no such things as failures, just learning experiences. Just ask any teacher.
Love it and immerse yourself in it.
Not because you are good at it, but because you love it. I often am in this conversation. Should you do something because you are good at it or because you love it. So many people I know do what they do because they are good at it, it makes them plenty of easy money, yet they don’t love what they do. Me I believe that loving it is the key to be great at it. When I loved teaching I was great, when I hated it I could only ever achieve mediocrity, finding what I loved changed my levels of performance. So you want to be a great artist, well you have to be in love with it.
Confidence and continual practice.
Have the confidence to do what you want, and the insecurity to continue practising. Don’t you love the simplicity of this point. A BFOTO ( a blinding flash of the obvious) (is that the right acronym Hayley?)!!! Do you ever master something? Ask an accomplished musician, they still practice, the dancer, or any performer, they spend more time practising than performing. No wonder when we look at them we see masters. They spent all week practising for that performance. How often do you practice?
Follow your dreams and take make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.
l Do you know this was one of my turning points for me. When I realised that the universe was throwing at me so many opportunities my way and I didn’t have the energy to pursue them, I knew that things had to change. Each night in my dreams I was being confronted with what I should be doing. If I dreamt of my current work I’d wake up sad, if I dreamt of photography I would wake up happy. It was very easy dream interpretation. I should be doing what I love. And when I did make that huge leap into the unknown more and more opportunities just kept falling into my lap. What are your dreams telling you? What opportunities are you missing? Let the universe be one of your guides.
Be spiritual
You are apart of something, something internal that wants to come out through your creations…
and lastly
Just start…
Note: As I have now lost the Woodford program 2002/3, if you know who was in this panel, the name of the organisers, please email me so I can add the due credits to this wonderful list of creative suggestions. Thanks, for you taught me a lot in that short hour… 2003
Faces in the Canyon
The story behind my first iconic image....
Faces in the Canyon, The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area © Leonard Metcalf 2000
A late start... A very very late start! Facilitated by the late night commitment to go and take some photographs in a canyon the night before. I can easily blame Jamie. "Len, I think you need a couple of black and white photographs in your gallery." So I had one packet of Kodak T400CN in 4 x 5, and loaded up ten shots into the five dark slides. And proceeded to add some black and white images to my colour collection of The Greater Blue Mountains Wilderness, and to my collection of canyon photographs I had been working so diligently on.
But I can't blame Jamie for being up with me late, playing pool and drinking. That was equally my fault. And was the usual past time at our house at Mount Piddington. So this Friday night was no different to many others.
I wish I could say we were up at the crack of dawn, but we weren't. I don't think we managed to get out of the house before 2 pm. I packed the Linhof Technica III with a Nikkor W 150mm f5.6 lens into a small pelican case, the tripod went into a extra long dry bag. All of which was thrown into my pack with my wetsuit, and other little luxuries like a thermos, a hand towel and my antacid. Desperately needed to help me recover from the excessive drinking.
We walked down the exit track into the canyon, passing many as they walked up the hill in the late afternoon. There was a crowd at the beach, while we blew up our lilos (air beds). Strange looks as we departed upstream. "Where are they going at this time?"
A few kilometres up stream. Some wading, some walking some paddling bought us to the tributary canyon. The walls are so tight that you can't walk through with your pack on. Particularly with a pack with a Pelican case in it. When we reached 'the green room', Jamie left me for a while, and he headed up stream further to explore. While I toweled my hands dry and started to get my camera out and set up on the tripod.
This was the first photograph I took that late afternoon. It was the single exposure onto black and white film. I scrambled around to try and get a few more shots, and manged to compose two more, which I took on transparency film. My companion was soon back, reminding me that it was time to leave this beautiful spot. So we headed off. The canyon was quiet now. Being so late in the afternoon, all the smart canyoners had left. We had the place to ourselves.
Drifting downstream on your lilo, on your back, leaning against your pack, gently paddling downstream is magical. You look up and all you can see is stunning photograph after stunning photograph. Each to snapped in my internal photo album that exists only in my head, only for me to see and look through.
Back at the sand beach where we had walked in, we could change, back into some clothes, and drier shoes. We donned our wet packs, still dripping with the cold canyon water and headed back up the hill.
It was very late by now, and we had miss-judged our daylight. As we topped the steep cliffy rise, past the small climbs we lost daylight. Neither of us had bought a torch. We walked slowly, just able to see the break in the ferns that marks the footpad. Between the king ferns a light started glowing. A full moon was just rising, and the darkness soon lifted. We were able to easily walk back to the 4WD and head home to relax with another beer, a hot shower and yet another game of pool.
This photograph didn't come up too well in the proof that I had ordered when it was developed. But there was enough there to show me that it had potential. A drum scan soon changed that, and this image jumped to life. I used it as the marketing image when I opened the "Leonard Metcalf Gallery" in Katoomba. I had it on posters and a post card. People would show up to the gallery with the post card in their hand (they needed the map that was on the back to find me). I would ask them why they came, and they always replied and pointed to this image.
On that original postcard I had named the location of this shot. The local outdoor guiding companies had a 600% increase in requests to go this particular canyon. So now I don't tell the location, and prefer just to tell you it is in The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, in a canyon somewhere.
Details
Catalog number: 0001
Camera: Linhof Technica III circa 1950 4 x 5 inch
Lens: Nikkor W 150mm f 5.6
Film: Kodak T400CN
camera love
Does your choice of camera matter? For me loving my camera is so so important. It comes with time, so you love the moment you see them, others take time to fall in love with. For some advice on how to fall in love with your camera read on.
My beloved Ebony 45 SU which now has a new home and is hopefully serving its new owner well. I could set this camera up blind folded and had a very specific system when using it. © Leonard Metcalf 2012
People regularly say that your camera doesn't matter, but unfortunately it really does. Yes a good photographer can probably make use of any camera to make satisfactory images. It does take special tools to make outstanding photographs. Photographers at all levels should and do spend copious amounts of time choosing cameras on their performance, handling, features and lens sets. I am no exception. My favorite blog is a camera rumors site. Yes, I do admit to being a gear junkie.
Besides, it is important. No, it is crucial to love your camera. You must know your camera intimately, its foibles, its limitations, how it handles and how to coax every last drop of creative juice from it. Choosing a camera is no lesser of importance than choosing your life partner, though luckily you can trade your camera in, and keep updating it. Some even recommend that a new piece of equipment can help break that creative deadlock that many of us find ourselves in every now and then.
Spending time on the couch, playing with your camera (an exercise promoted and described by Bruce Barnum called 'Camera Cuddle'), learning and practising using it until it becomes second nature. An extension of you. Just today I was reminded of this as I had my camera suspended upside down, just an inch from the ground taking close ups of a stunning red fungus that Emily Reader found. Suddenly I was changing my settings, basically from memory and feel. I was glad that I had spent considerable time memorising every control on my camera. All of those hours practising on the couch while watching tv certainly paid off.
Lens love is worth considering as well. How intimate are you with your lenses. I don't mean taking them to bed and doing a camera cuddle, but time with that lens in an exclusive relationship. I put a new lens on my camera and it has to stay there until I become intimate with it. I have to know it inside out, be able to pre-visualise all aspects of it.. And then when I do, the images flow so much more easily. It is easier to get to know a prime lens, which might go some way towards accounting for their popularity.