In Sharp Focus

There was a time I had a stock answer for the often asked question about what camera and equipment should be bought by a friend or someone I knew who was just getting involved in photography. As my age, the age of those I associated with, and our combined experience levels evolved, so did the answers I gave.

When I was young, reckless and seemed to have more dollars than sense my answer was always the same, short retort. “Buy the very best you can afford, then learn how to use it.” I would mutter those words as they or I, or the both of us plunked down our money for the newest, brightest and most expensive equipment we could find.

My rule, in general seemed to be a pretty good one. I was usually happy with the images I captured, as were the friends and acquaintances I had “advised”. Using my rule, I worked myself up to a brace of black-bodied Canon F-1’s resplendent with power winders and a selection of lenses ranging from a 15 mm. “fish eye” to some (at the time) state of the art zoom lenses. They were all Canon lenses. They were all f 2.8 or better and they were all expensive.

Then, as I advanced in my career path in communications, I chanced to meet a Canadian icon of photography. At least he was to the employees of Canadian Pacific Ltd., train buffs around the world, art collectors and the Canadian Government which awarded him the prestigious Order of Canada. His name was Nicholas Morant and he had learned from and worked with the best of the best from the Second World War and beyond. Heck, he even knew Karsh. (I try not to be a name dropper, so I will leave it to you to look up who Nick Morant and Yousef Karsh were).

For some reason, mainly because he was such a nice & gentle man, Nicholas and I became friends. Seeing my eagerness to learn photography he also put forth a lot of gentle encouragement and subtle effort to help me develop a distinctive technique. It was from Nicholas Morant I learned it wasn’t the expensive, newest or shiniest equipment which delivered the best result. It was, rather, the attention to detail at the time of capturing the image and later in the dark room which made the real difference.

From Nicholas Morant I learned it was better to compose and wait for the right moment, the right time of day, all the right natural elements to come together than to blithely “burn film” with my motor drive in the hopes of “getting something good” from the tens of negatives or transparencies which normally resulted from a hit or miss philosophy of photography.

Nicholas Morant taught me to take my time, think things through and really work at each image I made. His teachings and gentle guidance stuck and I have retained that philosophy ever sense.

My advice to friends and fellow photographers also changed. Instead of preaching the gospel of “Buy the Best, To Stay Ahead of the Rest” and “spend, spend, spend to capture great images” evolved to a more sedate, thoughtful, and I think mature philosophy of “learn the process, learn how a camera works, learn about composition and lighting and then put it all together, using the equipment you have to capture the image you want.” If you have learned the craft well, you will figure out how to get the image you seek.

I had initially started writing this piece as a brief introduction to how to choose photography equipment. Like my photographic philosophy but in a much more time compressed way, this post took on a life of its own and evolved into a memory, a salute, and in a way a celebration of the 10^th Anniversary of Nick Morant’s death (March 17, 1999) . . . a passing which has left the planet a little less wealthy in terms of arts, photography and memorable, gentle and delightful persons.

If you don’t mind, I would like to leave this post as it is and talk about selecting cameras and equipment next time.

Go naked, or use a lens hood; UV Filter or uncovered, seem to be two topics frequently debated by most photographers I know. So, what the heck, I figure I might just as well weigh in on this “burning issue”.

My take on these issues is simple and straight forward – kinda’ like from what I imagine to be the thought process of a Conservative Republican (clear, concise answers, with which not everyone agrees, to frequently complex issues while others around them engage in endless debate), when it comes to the issue of protecting expensive lenses and lens elements with simple, relatively low cost and effective add-on equipment, I am all for it.

Let’s start with UV filters. The very first item I purchased when I picked up my first single lens reflex camera – a Pentax Spotmatic – yup, I am really that old, was a UV filter for my 50 mm. standard, 24 mm. wide angle and 135 mm. telephoto lens. The salesman, who later became a friend, said “If you can afford to buy the camera and equipment, you can’t afford not to buy UV filters.”

He lectured me on the benefits of mildly improved color rendition with the Kodachrome-25 transparency film I intended to shoot and got my attention when he suggested a $12 filter could save damage to a $250 lens (Things were much cheaper way back then). I doubted, but I bought.

Not two weeks later, while experimenting with a brand new set of extension tubes for macro photography, I got my lens too close to a sharply pointed rock. There was a very unhealthy grinding, cracking, scratching sound and the image just didn’t look as clear through the camera as it had just moments before. Closer emergency inspection of the front of the lens revealed a cracked UV filter with a scratch right in the center of it. Without the UV filter I would have had to buy a new lens. Needless to say, I have used UV filters ever since (and that is a darned long time).

About a year later, I was looking at some Ektachrome 64 slides shot in the Canadian Rockies near Banff, Alberta. I noticed some strange geometric light spots in the images. I was younger then, so the first thing I thought of was a stray UFO had happened into my image. But my buddy, (remember the guy who sold me the camera?) quickly dashed my illusions of the mysterious by giving them the mundane identity of lens flare. The flare, he told me, was caused by reflection of sunlight into the lens elements.

He also said I shouldn’t worry, “because flare was a really popular special effect” – they had really strange tastes in the 70’s – but, if I didn’t like it, all I had to do was buy a lens hood. He closed his sale with two more “pitches”, first by reminding me about how right he had been to suggest the UV filter and second by musing, ” . . . beyond just eliminating the flare, you would be adding yet more protection to your expensive lenses” — hitting hard on my frugal streak.

The real closer, though, — I was single at the time – was, “The ladies really get-off on cameras with long lenses and lens hoods.” First an attack on my frugality and then a direct frontal assault on my vanity; I bought hoods for all my lenses the very next day.

Well, I have been married and divorced a couple of times since then and have learned how not to create flare, but, I can’t help but think lens hoods really do reduce flare and definitely add extra protection to lenses that now cost several hundreds of dollars or more.

So, to that salesman of long ago, I say thanks, and to anyone reading this piece, I strongly vote in favor of using both UV filters and lens hoods. Besides, I am single again, and I think a long lens fitted with a fancy lens hood on an expensive black-bodied camera (a black camera body frequently denotes an expensive professional level camera) really does look cool.

Want more information on lens hoods? Check out a site by Paul van Warlee.

To learn more about UV & Skylight Filters.

If you are a photographer, there are a wealth of reasons to take a ferry ride, especially in Washington State. According to Washington State Ferries, “WSF is the largest ferry system in the United States, serving eight counties within Washington and the Province of British Columbia in Canada…Washington State Ferries came into existence with the state’s buyout of Puget Sound Navigation in 1951. Ferry service around Puget Sound has changed tremendously over the course of the last century.”

For the photographically inclined, the state ferry system provides almost countless opportunities for easy access to and photography of the marine environment of Puget Sound, as well as – on many routes – outstanding views of the Seattle marine skyline – to name just a few.

The WSF Schedule includes numerous daily arrivals and departures to and from major locations around Puget Sound and fares are reasonable. The vessels are clean, well maintained and rich in photo opportunities ranging from the broad vistas of shoreline and the Seattle waterfront skyline, to the Port of Seattle container unloading facility with a multitude of brightly colored heavy capacity cranes.

On board the vessel, keep a sharp watch for a killer whale. You might also see US Navy vessels ranging from submarines to aircraft carries, or huge commercial cargo and container vessels and more privately owned power and sailing yachts than one might normally expect.

A fellow photographer, Justin Pearson, and I frequently take a sailing from somewhere on the Kitsap Peninsula to downtown Seattle just so we can add new marine images to our photo files. Our collections include graphic skylines, stunning sunsets and numerous macro shots of details found on the ferries – from coiled lines and ropes to marine valves, signs and switches.

As Justin happily pointed out one day, “It is absolutely amazing what you can take pictures of if you keep your eyes open and pay attention to details.” Each time we make the water born trek to Seattle and back his observation is proven true, beyond any doubt.

While waiting to board the ferry, if you have time, pay attention to the loading mechanisms and pilings and don’t be surprised at the variety of sea birds and other marine creatures you might discover. And, I have yet to ride a ferry anywhere in the world which is not followed by curious flocks of sea gulls. A ferryboat can be a great moving platform from which to capture images of sea gulls and other sea birds in flight.

If you are planning to take a Washington State Ferry, or, for that matter, a ferry in any other state or country, make it a point to explore the vessel — I am sure you too will be amazed at the photo possibilities you will discover.

For me, a ferry ride is an inexpensive and enjoyable way to look for and frequently find excellent opportunities to add marine based images to my files.

I always get frustrated whenever I get interested in a sport, hobby or activity and I discover there is a realm of hidden costs or expenses for equipment I didn’t count on and didn’t plan on buying. As with most anything else worth doing and doing well, photography has such a list.

When you go to your local camera shop or discount “big box store” you will discover a broad selection of varying price ranges of digital and a select few film cameras. Your salesperson will be quick to tell you about all the accessories and benefits of the cameras he has to sell you.

(I’ve given up on most of the big box stores for buying cameras because they seem more interested in product price point and their bottom line than in stocking quality cameras to meet both your immediate and future needs as your photographic abilities grow and develop. That’s another issue and I am getting off track — sorry).

I know you are probably thinking I am some sort of camera equipment snob. That’s not the case, I assure you. I’m just building toward my first recommendation of the most essential piece of equipment (other than your camera) you will need to get the sharpest possible image.

One of the first functions your sales person will tell you about on a digital camera is image stabilization. Image stabilization is an electro/mechanical function, depending upon the system and camera manufacturer, that reduces the softening effects of camera movement and vibration on the image you are capturing. It sounds great. A system which automatically removes the “shimmy and shake” from you images would seem absolutely essential for even the most rock steady camera user. There are many different systems available on numerous camera brands, and I will deal with them in later entries.

As handy and useful as it may sound, most of these image stabilization features can be as harmful as they would seem to be helpful. In my personal opinion, based on years of experience, don’t rely solely on these systems to guarantee you razor sharp images. In fact, use your image stabilization only as a last resort, like at a friend’s wedding in a poorly lighted church as the happy couple come down the aisle, or in a poorly lighted room where a flash is not appropriate because you don’t want to call attention to the fact you are taking pictures.

IN ALL OTHER CASES, use a tripod to hold your camera steady and turn off your image stabilization. (Why would I recommend turning off a camera function which is meant to guarantee image enhancement?) Turn it off because many, if not all of these systems are designed to search for and reduce the ill effects of camera movement and shake. Part of that function includes searching for that movement. If the camera doesn’t move, the system can’t detect it and continues to search. That searching can cause a blur, even if the camera hasn’t moved. The one sure way to capture a razor sharp, clear image is to minimize camera movement. A tripod is the best way to achieve this goal.

And, okay, I am sure you knew they would be coming, here are some extra thoughts on tripods.

First, don’t skimp on your tripod. Make sure it is rated for and sturdy enough to solidly hold your camera in place.

Second, make sure it is fully adjustable so legs can be shortened and lengthened in rough terrain and make sure the leg ends have both pads to prevent scratching polished floors and points to hold fast on icy or slick surfaces.

Third, make sure the tripod has an easily adjusted and manipulated head (the part of the tripod that allows you to fasten the camera to the it). Nice accessories on many tripods are two level bubbles, one to adjust the horizontal table to which the camera is attached and one to measure the vertical incline of the tripod positioning.

Fourth, make sure the head is fully adjustable with a full range of motion for swiveling, tilting and shifting of the camera from vertical to horizontal positioning. And, when looking at the tripod head, a quick release camera mounting system is a real time saver.

Of all tripod components, the tripod head is the most important. When pros purchase a tripod, that’s exactly what they buy – the three legs and a center post. They purchase the tripod head separately to meet the exact specifications of camera movements they anticipate having.

To get the best image your camera can produce a good, solid tripod with a multifunction head is one of your most essential pieces of photographic equipment. Don’t go on a shoot without one.

And, if for whatever reason, like the prohibitions some museums, churches and gardens have on the use of a tripod, consider the following suggestions before turning on your image stabilization camera function.

A monopod – with a belt clip provides a steady camera platform (a monopod is a one legged tripod – many of them come with belt clips and a neck strap. The belt clip holds the monopod in place on your belt at waist level and the neck strap reduces further movement forward and back and side to side.

Propping your camera on the back of a chair, or holding it steady against a doorframe also reduces movement. Rolling a coat or a jacket up to cushion and cradle the camera and then placing it on a solid surface, like a table, chair, wall or other solid structure will also reduce movement.

Your camera strap can also be wrapped around your wrist to help steady movement.

A final suggestion from a friend of mine who is also a rifle marksman — he carries a piece of stout cord with him. He stands on one end and tightly grips the camera and cord in his “camera hand” while pulling against the cord to reduce shake. He also uses breathing to reduce shake, by taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, hitting the shutter release on his camera when he has completely exhaled. He claims it is a sniper’s trick to get a steady aim, but I used the same technique for target shooting.

But, in the end, there is really no substitute for the use of a solid tripod. A steady, properly focused camera set the appropriate ISO and aperture for the lens is the best way I know to get the sharpest image your camera can provide.

I have been told the first step in beating addiction is to admit you have one. So, here goes, I am an addict. I am a hopeless slave to a habitual compulsion continually demanding time, money and energy. I have been an addict for several years, yet I have never found a way to confront and beat it.

I have sought out the benefits of “12 step” programs. I have joined groups and experimented with a myriad of substitutes with no success. And, I now know there are no programs or replacements which will quench my endless drive to partake.

Finding a cure is as hopeless as it is impossible. I will have to learn to live with the “life changing episodes”, the alternate views of reality and the gnawing desire never to quit.

Yes, I must confess – I am a photographer. Though it frequently interferes with my social life, affects my work and drains my pocket book by demanding endless “buys” of equipment and other paraphernalia. I am driven to create images. I see images everywhere I go, in nature, a darkened downtown, a rain forest, even the “urban jungle” of a big city. I see the images and I must make them mine.

I am a slave to my camera, my view of the world and my desire to capture feelings, emotions, shapes, designs and images of people, animals, plants and structures surrounding me.

And, when I think about it, all I can say is, I am glad I am an addict and I hope those who view my work will be moved to experience the emotions, appreciate the mood and savor the moment that lead to each creation.

Agreement is not essential when viewing the stories evoked by my images, but feelings are. Love, hate, fear, joy, appreciation, anger, understanding, objection are all encouraged and welcome.

The real power of my addiction resides in those who view, comment, discuss and think about my images. My fondest hope is my images cause you an addiction to view my work; to join me in my addiction by expressing the impact of my images on this blog, or through e-mails if you want to make more private comments.

As with all addictions, my compulsion leads me in unexpected directions to frequently unforeseen subjects, in unpredicted circumstances, but always to elicit a response, a feeling, a comment or a mood.