Inceptive Notions

Leftover, December 2008

Untitled (Alva), December 2008

Meat, December 2008

New Years, December 2008

Planes, December 2008

Anthony, December 2008

Ben, December 2008

Ben 2, December 2008

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Untitled, November 2008

Let me just begin by saying: dance is a nightmare. My friend Brian, an avid ballroom dancer, asked if I would like to shoot a ballroom dancing competition. I naturally complied while having no idea what I was getting myself into.

Bobcat Dip, November 2008

Upon arrival I realized I would basically be shooting under the worst conditions possible. There was a mix of a) bad lighting, b) people moving at a very fast speed, and c) really high ceilings (no bounce). I decided to use my flash with a relatively slow shutter speed and a higher ISO than I would normally use. I also used my “Gary Fong Lightsphere!” (that name gets me everytime) to diffuse the blinding light.

Untitled, November 2008

I would say the results were, in the end, mediocre. But hey, at least I learned a few things…

• Study some dance – I’ve never danced before so I had no idea when the big moments were going to happen. The peaks of each routine were over so quickly I usually was not able to catch them. There were, on average, about six couples on the floor at one time and just when I would focus on one, another would initiate their big move.
• Stand back – Without realizing it, I would creep onto the floor and almost get smacked in the face by a twirling contestant.
• Experiment – When events last for such a long time, change it up. New techniques might not work, but sometimes they do. Play with your shutter speeds and flash tricks.
• Don’t get discouraged – It may take a million shots, but since you’re shooting digital, it doesn’t matter. I’m not one to be trigger-happy and rattle off a ton of shots in sucession but in this case when you don’t know what’s coming, give in to the digi.
• Get a better camera – On a more personal note, I’m still using a Canon Rebel XT (8.2 megapixels!!) and at the higher ISO’s (800/1600) the images are simply not of high enough quality to deliver for a job.

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

I would be curious to learn how other photographers deal with shooting dance. For me, it was one of the most challenging jobs I’ve taken on.

Michael George :: Jan.24.2009 :: My Photography :: No Comments »

Sarah, December 2008

Ben, December 2008

Jerry, December 2008

Ben and Jerry, December 2008

The Bees, December 2008

Michael George :: Jan.21.2009 :: From the Left, My Photography :: No Comments »

Untitled (Company), November 2008

Photographing theater is quite the experience. You’re no longer thinking of lighting in the sense that a photographer thinks about lighting. You’re thinking about lighting in the theatrical sense: how it dramatizes a situation or scene. When I went in to photograph a recent performance by students in Tisch, I had never before brought my camera into a theater. This one in particular was called a black box for a reason… There was barely any room to move about the set and my 24mm lens had a hard time capturing the entire stage even while standing in the back row of seats. I met with the director and made a quick list of what he wanted. Character portraits, check, a group shot, check, and of course ‘production stills’ from all of the main scenes.

Untitled (Company), November 2008

Many times throughout the session the lighting perfectly fit the mood of the scene but did nothing for the camera. Because of this, I found myself shouting up to the lighting designer asking her to change up the cues and give us more fill. It wasn’t ideal, but it made it look (slightly) better.

I would say the best part about the shoot was finally working with actors. I’m so used to working with my friends who have absolutely no experience in front of the lens / in the spotlight. I had more time to think about my angle and composition without uttering reassurances and setting up every tilt of the head and bend of the finger.

Untitled (Company), November 2008

In the end, with way more Photoshop magic than I’m used to, the lighting did not prove disasterous. I’m excited to photograph theater again because I feel I have a lot to learn about the practice. I never know if the images should give a sense of the stage or not. For this reason, I left the little imperfections like the tape on the floor and the band’s drumset in the background. I should probably do some more research… I wonder if photographers expand on the lighting of scenes to keep the same feel but make it work for the image, or if they ignore what feels like an imperfection and remain accurate to the production. I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough. With drama studios in the double digits at Tisch and another theater program in Steinhardt, I feel my NYU Theater shoots are just beginning.

Untitled (Company), November 2008

Michael George :: Jan.19.2009 :: My Photography :: No Comments »

The Getaway, October 2008

As a photography student if you give me a job, I’ll never say no. Whatever it may be I figure there’s got to be something to learn from it. Last semester I took on a myriad of shoots that I eventually hope to reflect on through this blog. There was everything from birthdays to ballroom dancing and I’ve realized that writing this up is as much for me as it is for anyone else out there.

Sometime in early September I received a request to shoot a child’s first birthday party. I got myself thinking, and asking around… Does this mean his first birthday party as in he’s-finally-old-enough-to-run-around-so-lets-throw-a-party-in-Central-Park kind of party? Or … would I soon be surrounded by literal one year old babies and a slough of young couples. I’m sure that first image will reveal to you the answer. In fact, it was my first birthday party as well (while shooting, anyway…)

October 2008

And so it begins. My first images of babies!!! It’s not too often I realize when it’s my first time shooting something, but once I had a spiddle-covered hand reaching for my hair I was well aware that this was unexplored territory. Rather than discuss the nuances that go into shooting a team of little tikes I’ll focus on everything I realized from my day at the Central Park Carousel.

• Talk to the parents (and learn their names!!). Bring some paper and a pen and write down a) What shots they specifically want and b) Who they want shots of. If you’re good at remembering, don’t bother with the school supplies.
• Stick to the birthday boy/girl and then move on to the ‘important’ friends and family. Every once in a while, shoot the fringe candidates.
• Pictures of stuff – if there was money spent on it, capture it. The last thing you need is a desperate mother asking where the images are of the little Hello Kitty cupcake wrappers she had custom-made.
• Embrace the cliché – As much as you hate it, they won’t. Grab the cliché shots no matter how much it hurts and then show off your creativity.

Favors, October 2008

• Don’t be annoying – I know it feels like you disappear once your face is behind the camera, but you don’t. In fact, it emphasizes your presence and makes some people uneasy. If certain individuals don’t look comfortable when you photograph them, make sure you get a few shots and then leave them alone.
• If you want it, and can’t get it, pose it. Especially with kids. Even if you enjoy the photojournalistic style… Play around, engage with them a little.
• Enjoy yourself – This is a birthday party! Watch the clowns, eat some cake.

Birthday Boy, October 2008

In the end you’ll edit your photos and deliver the images. There’s one small touch that I’ve noticed will always help to seal the deal and crack a smile. Take an extra five minutes after your hours of editing, and mashup a quick CD label. Print it out, and voilá. No more hideous CD with sharpie.

Michael George :: Jan.17.2009 :: My Photography :: 2 Comments »

Avery, November 2008

Untitled (New Jersey), November 2008

Untitled (Broome Street), November 2008

Untitled (Brick Church), November 2008

Untitled (Chotchkies), November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Almost caught up…

Michael George :: Jan.16.2009 :: From the Left, My Photography :: No Comments »

Arlington, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled (Hirshhorn), November 2008

Untitled (Hirshhorn), November 2008

Jefferson, November 2008

Lincoln, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

54, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Untitled, November 2008

Please excuse the lines across some of the images. Not sure if that’s my scanner or the negative…

Michael George :: Jan.14.2009 :: From the Left, My Photography :: 2 Comments »

Jessica, October 2008

Untitled (Coney Island), October 2008

Michael, October 2008

Katie, October 2008

Untitled (My Room), October 2008

The Penguin Show, October 2008

Untitled, October 2008

Untitled, October 2008

Michael George :: Jan.13.2009 :: From the Left, My Photography :: No Comments »

As you may or may not remember, back in September I promised to begin a regular update entitled ‘From the Left.’ I tend to have a camera with me at all times and I don’t really have a place to show all of those snapshots. I intended to fill that void by posting them to this blog. For whatever reason, I didn’t. But wait! That’s where the New Year comes in. My main goal is to get caught up, and that especially means with this blog. Over the next week or so (here’s hoping) I’m going to post all the ‘From the Left’s from September until now, review the shoots from this past semester and what I’ve learned, and get myself caught up so I can start fresh with this semester. However, I’ve learned that anything on a blog is easier said then done… For now, I leave you with an excerpt of images from early October.

Pratt, October 2008

Spencer, October 2008

All Gone, October 2008

Damnation, October 2008

Untitled (Florentina's), October 2008

Michael George :: Jan.11.2009 :: From the Left, My Photography :: No Comments »

Abby, 2008

I have a love-hate relationship with natural light. It’s my favorite when it bounds through a window, softly illuminating my subject, and then it makes me ill when it’s high noon in Florida and everything looks like it’s being fried by terminal rays of unrelenting white. For this reason, I decided to combat the death rays and start to learn some basics of lighting. I messaged a professor of mine and asked what would be the simplest setup for taking portraits during these godawful hours in the open sun.

Although I was not able to get my hands on a “silk diffuser” I took his advice and found an old piece of cardboard that was ample size to block the sunlight… And so my setup looked a little something like this:

My friends were gracious enough to act as my assistants for the day. Two held the cardboard to block the sun from the subject and two held a rather large reflector in front and to the side providing some fill. All this can be seen in the beautifully rendered illustration above.

Zack, 2008

My friends took to calling the reflector the “illuminator” and were impressed (and also blinded) by its intense illumination. We ran into a lot of problems while shooting that didn’t show up until I got the film back. I’ll go over just a few:

• Step back. In many cases the reflector was too close and it acted more as a spotlight than an “illuminator.” Although, in some cases, I enjoyed the effect. (See the image below)
• Hold still. Granted I didn’t have any practice with this sort of thing and my ‘assistants’ were busy laughing at all the attention we weren’t expecting to receive, I noted that keeping the reflector still and in the proper position is hard to do – especially when you’re on a beach and the wind is acting up.
• Speaking of the wind, don’t lose the reflector.
• Be aware. Sometimes the reflector is too low and any light coming in at that angle is a) not flattering, and b) unnatural. Keep it as evenly distributed as possible for a nice effect.

I’m not too sure what else there is to learn from this setup other than that you should be very aware of where your light is coming from and how it’s hitting your subject. Don’t forget to play around. It’s one of the simplest setups you can do and yet it transforms the murderous high noon sun into a soft and gentle light. It’s sort of like taming a lion, or not.

Ben, 2008

Michael George :: Jan.06.2009 :: Miscellaneous, My Photography :: 1 Comment »