irony and icons (as in polaroid and lady gaga)

 

I spent much of last week at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas (CES 2011). I have a whole list of noteworthy highlights from my very first trip to this institution of an event of leading edge technology. Ironcily, many of which have not much to do with technology at all (except maybe my new love affair with my new Nokia N8).

I attended, courtesy of Nokia, with no agenda but to experience the show as a whole and share my perspective. Of course, for me, my thoughts consist of both words and images. Such is life as a photographer. Before I left, I got a number of tweets nudging me to hit the Polaroid booth in time for the big reveal of goodies that they have been cooking up with Lady Gaga over the last year.  You know, messages like, "take pictures" and "I can't wait to see your pictures". Gulp. The pressure was on.

To my surprise, out of 140,00 people, I actually ran into a few friends whilst heading over to the booth. This of course, worked out to my grand advantage because truthfully, I may have bagged the whole thing had I not had someone to keep me company. Thanks HBM for hanging in with me and for keeping it real!

Under the circumstances I knew capturing any photos that would be of any artistic interest at all would be near impossible. The combination of bad light, tons of people, no special access, the wrong equipment and a press confrence atmosphere only add up to uninteresting photographs. And yet, an opportunity like this doesn't come every day. To see (and shoot pictures of) an icon like Lady Gaga in the flesh, no matter how uninteresting, is pretty interesting. And so I did make a point to see her and shoot pictures.

I came away from the experience being not only intrigued with the new Polaroid GL30 (love those "deliciously retro-futuristic lines") but with how the muse of chance often comes out to play at the most perfect moments. 99% of what I captured was as I had suspected, shots of a a modern day icon that were far from iconic.  But, all was not lost. In fact, thanks to a snap of the shutter that was perfectly (yet unknowingly) in sync with other flashes from the crowd, I was able to capture my favorite shot of the event.

Taking a great picture is a lot easier when you've plotted, planned and have the ideal equipment. When you're able to hand pick your perspective, have light on your side, and focus on something photo worthy in every way. It's a whole other story when the circumstances are stacked against you. I could have very well walked away before I captured this shot. And believe me, I nearly did. But sometimes, sticking with it and giving it your best shot, can pay off.

Have you captured an unlikely moment lately? Share a shot where chance (or many tenacity) was on your side.

For more on the latest from Polaroid, visit them online.

Canon Mark II give-away at Epiphanie

Today is Epiphanie's birthday. At least, that's what I'm calling it. It's the day I found the nerve to share a project that I'd been working on for two years, with the world. And by world, I mean you guys. And by you guys, I mean this amazingly warm, generous, unique community of photographer-women-friends who gather via the internet.

Whether you purchased a bag, took time out of your busy day to say nice things about us on your blog, or sent a sweet email that made our day (note: that applies to all of them), we have been overwhelmed by your kindness and support. As a thank you, we're giving away treats today! Come visit our blog for details on how you could receive 15% off your purchase and / or win a brand new Canon 5D Mark II!!

Thanks again everyone, and good luck!

And you are welcome to share a celebratory capture with us here. We love birthdays. Heck we love celebrations of any kind. Party on! 

camera love

 

Diana. Brownie. Hawk-Eye. Rebel. Regardless their names, our cameras are trusted companions—microscopes, flashlights, paint brushes, pens, instruments, magic wands. They become extensions of who we are not only as photographers but as people. We look through the lens and see the world as only we can see it. Our view finders frame the art of our daily lives and those around us. Now more than ever, photography has become just another part of our human experience, so it would figure that the cameras themselves are as enchantingly eclectic as the artists that use them or the art they collaborate in creating. I find myself drawn to the way we use our beloved cameras; how we hold and carry them, sling them over our shoulder or wield them like conductor’s sticks. There’s a kind of intrigue there. And why not? The art is as much about the process itself as the end result after all.

This post was originally published in the first issue of LP Creative Humans Magazine, on sale now.

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For more on camera love, visit today’s post over at The Creative Photographers Series at The Creative Mama. They happened to be giving away an Epiphanie Bag over there today too...for the love of gear!

Have you taken a photo of your sweet gear? Share your camera love today! We're compiling a list of pet names for your camera. If you got one, share that too.

gearhead

I am the first one to admit that I am not a gear head. Yes, I thoroughly enjoy drooling over eye candy and the idea of new coveted lenses as much as anyone else. But can I make a small confession? Gear overwhelms me. So does looking up the steep mountain of a learning curve with a new camera body and a manual nearly an inch thick.

Many of you know I recently experienced the shutter death of my beloved Nikon. I took some time figuring out my next step (and with the generosity of a dear friend lending me her dslr until I was able to do so, until I could make that leap into a new investment.) Last week I unpacked all the gear that came with my new camera. It swirled around me. I caught my breath. It was beautiful. And yes, overwhelming.

I have to move through it slowly like wading in the shallows of the sea. Baby steps. Baby steps.

It's like someone handing you something (or someone) they know you will love. "Here, you guys will love each other! You're a perfect fit! Go ... connect!" A match made in heaven, yet I am shy and curious. So we begin by fumbling our way into this new relationship, knowing it's true to heart, but still a little fearful of that commitment, that first step. That first image.

Now, maybe if I had an art degree, or a certifiable photography background to build my confidence, it wouldn't overwhelm. Maybe. But I have neither of those things (and on bad days, that self talk shouts at me, my lack of supposed qualifications.) The truth is: I'm just me. I'm self taught. I'm just following my heart in most every (and any) direction it leads me. And that's ok.

I take a deep breathe. It's only glass and mirrors. Plastic and wires (so many wires!) and many tiny parts to accessorize with, to add to my growing collection of gear. And yes, eye candy. And yes, photo love.

Why this confession today? I want to know how you feel about gear. Do your insecurities creep into the excitement and the newness of it? Show me what you've got. Show me a shot of you with your gear.

overcoming your gear: let's call it sharking (and, a giveaway!)

I’ve stood there in shops, staring through glass at glass... coveted glass.

$1599.99. $989.99. $1249.99. Even if I did have the money, how would I ever choose? I need a macro as much as I need a wide-angle. Instead my camera bag is filled with hand-me-downs and compromises, an extremely limited selection of what are generally considered the most ineffective, inexpensive, kit-grade lenses Canon has ever produced.

The Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 II lens is a very inexpensive starter lens with a low build quality. As long as the person using the 28-80 knows its optical shortcomings, that designation may be fine. Otherwise, they may permanently be turned off by its performance. Its optics are mediocre at best, making it nearly impossible to get ultra-sharp pictures. The price is cheap, and so is the lens; the overall workmanship and quality is low.  ~ The Digital Picture

Lately, that’s the one I use most often for nature shots, including the one above.

Build quality of the 50mm f/1.8 is very cheap (as you might expect). This lens feels more like a toy than a piece of optics, with plastic contruction right down to the lens mount.

There is not much to this lens. There is no distance window or markings. There is barely even a focus ring - and the tiny ring that is there is barely usable. Only five non-rounded aperture blades are used in this lens, leading to poor bokeh (image quality of out of focus areas).  ~ The Digital Picture

That’s the one I use for portraits, though I'd give it a better review than that.

And that’s pretty much it. A lensbaby for play, as-yet unmastered. A 10-20mm wide angle that’s slow, tough to focus precisely, and distorting around the edges. All mounted to a camera body that’s widely considered to be the beginner point for SLRs. Except it’s been my starting point for years.

I have never used a good lens, let alone a great one. The same goes for a camera body. I’m afraid to even pick one up for the sake of mortgage payments.

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Our village is filling up with summer residents, rich folk from the States, England, all points in Europe. With the onslaught of Porsche SUVs comes an onslaught of boats that eat money, sails that literally sparkle, crews outfitted in matching gear.

We’ve got a 40-year-old Shark, adopted, a family of small boats not seen much around these parts. Justin’s spent years sandblasting the keel, replacing the bulkheads, poring the internet for used sails.

"It’s so demoralizing," he said after yesterday’s race. "We came last. I can’t compete with those guys. They’re laughing at us. I don’t even have a roller furling for the jib. The rigging is from the 1960s. There’s no way I can race that boat. I don’t know why I bother."

Later, when the race results came in, Justin was shocked to discover that he hadn’t actually come last. He’d beaten two boats of the fleet. Two better-equipped boats designed to go fast. He beat them because he’s a good sailor. Not because of his boat, but in spite of it.

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I feel the limitations of my gear every time I reach for my camera. Clunky, lightweight, noisy, imprecise. I see it when I download, my best-case focusing turning out about as well as I imagine others’ worst-cases.

But every now and then, someone who knows about cameras looks at my images and says, “What do you shoot with?” and I tell them. And in that moment, I get... props.

None of this is a competition, but indulge my metaphor: when it comes to light-bending and composition and storytelling with my camera, plenty of people are ahead of me. I’ll never catch them—not with this glass. But I’m not DFL, either (to borrow from the nautical, Dead F*cking Last).

And for now, I’m content with that. I’ll keep pushing, nudging, compensating, overcoming, until $1249.99 falls from the sky into my lap.

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Hello Giveaway!

It’s random giveaway time from our friends at Hello Canvas.

Leave a comment here between now and Tuesday at midnight, and you could win a 20x24 canvas of your photo of choice from Hello Canvas! The prompt: What’s your relationship to your gear? Does it define you? Delight you? Confine you? What are you most grateful for, and how do you see your stable of lenses and equipment evolving in the next year?

Also, winners from our Hello Gorgeous mini contest will be announced on Tuesday. Wheeee!

The winner of the Hello Canvas 20x24 canvas print is Bekkah of Through the Lens, our 68th commenter. Congratulations, Bekkah! And thanks so much to everyone for sharing your thoughts on gear, both today's and tomorrow's (and wishlists).