2012 Resolutions, Just for Kicks

Many other photographers I know and follow are already posting their New Year's Resolutions for 2012. Not wanting to be left in the dust, I got to thinking what things I could do a bit differently in 2012. So far, here's what I've come up with...

2012 Photographic Resolutions:

1. Conceptualize - For the coming year, I want most if not all the images I take to have some meaning behind them; a unifying theme amongst them wouldn't hurt either. Snapshots, even 8x10" ones on wet plate collodion, aren't going to cut it.
2. Mobilize - To move outside the University of Findlay darkroom, I want my wet plate work operable and independent of a singular space. Lighting and darkbox are already in place, just a few more steps to complete.
3. Galvanize - Using whatever means available, I want to inspire others to get into or improve their photography. 
4. Monetize - This is always something I wish to improve upon each year, but I want 2012 to be an especially big year on the books. Last year, save a couple of books here and there, my photography paid for itself! Let's see if 2012 can see the year of *gasp* a profit!

So why do all of my resolutions contain an "-ize" word? I've always been a big stickler for consistency and continuity in my projects, and if resolution #1 is going to be met for 2012, better get started early!

As always, let me know what you think of this post a comment, send an email, or even let me know what you're planning on doing for 2012.

Everyone have a save and happy New Year, and long live film!

Update on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 9:14PM by Mat Marrash

I'm going to be "checking up" on the 2012 resolutions throughout the year, as things progress and (hopefull) get accomplished.

3/14/12 Resolutions Report

1. Looking back, its quite an unrealistic goal to have everything I shoot contain something meaningful. Somewhere along the way I've remembered the joy of shooting just to shoot! ^__^
2. The mobile wet plate darkroom is 85% completed, and already "road worthy".
3. Already inspiring may new and upcoming photographers, right on track.
4. Monetization is, so far, going very well. I expect the coming weeks to really make 2012 the year of the green.

The Importance of Tagging

Alright, so you've got a camera, you're taking nice pictures, and now you'd like to have the rest of the world have a look at your work. What now?

As of January 2011, the image sharing options are nearly endless. You've got: Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, The Best Camera, SmugMug, Windows Live, Imgur, and MANY, MANY more. Just checkout Wikipedia's List of Photosharing Websites for more information and links. 

Joining any number of these sites is a great first step, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee that folks are going to look at your images. Remember, there's millions of other people out there doing the exact same thing, trying to stick out. 

How to Make Your Images Stick Out (in a search): 

Create a unique image name - DSC_12345.jpg is NOT a unique title. If it's a picture of a couple who were just engaged, try something like "John and Mary Engagement". Pretty much anything but the default title gives a better search hit chance.

Add a comment - whenever given the opportunity to give more description to an image, take it! Don't just say what the photo is, give it a quick back story, and if applicable, give a little exposure data. 

Most importantly, TAG! - Whether its keywording the images in Photoshop Lightroom or adding tags on Flickr, make sure your image has tags that describe its entirety. 

And just so you're not left with a vague description on tagging, here's a little more info on tags: 

Tags are simple  - think of key words that when used separately can describe your image. A picture of a golden retriever puppy holding a bone could be tagged as simply as "dog" "bone".

Specific, but not too much - lets use the golden puppy as our example again. "golden retriever" and "puppy" could be used as additional tags, further describing your image. But "golden retriever holding bone" is too specific. People are more likely to search without the use of quotes, so separate words are searched as such. 

It only takes a minute - honestly, tagging is as simple as typing a few quick sentences. If you can manage to squeeze an extra couple of hours of playing Farmville at work, I'm sure you can spend the necessary ten seconds to add image tags. 

So now that you're all tagged, your images are instantly going to be a hit, right? Probably not, sorry. It takes a long time, and lot of social networking to get your images out there. Tagging is just another small part of the greater process of exposure. But if you're tagged, you're much better off being found in a search than just another image in a sea of Scan_01.tif and IMG_546.jpg. 

Don't believe in the power of tagging? Try image searching "adorable corgi findlay" and see what comes up. ^__^

The 52 Project, Week 19: "What is This? I Don’t Even..."

Today’s blog post is going to start with a short story.

Over a century ago, in a world far less digital than our own, this new documentary phenomenon known as photography was moving at an uncontrollable pace. Art critics were calling for all artists to drop their brushes and pencils, for what they could conjure up in hours/days/weeks/years could be reproduced in a fraction of the time. In another part of the country, middle class and lower income families were taking advantage of the convenience of photography to create a relatively inexpensive family portrait. Heck, people were even taking photos of non-studio subjects just for their aesthetic appeal. Madness, I know.

Now that you can visualize such an exciting time, take a look at the image below. This 1905 Century No.2 view camera embodies the industrious spirit of its era. That’s right, I said view camera. This thing is nothing more than wood/metal, glass, leather, and ingenuity!

Kodak Century No. 2, courtesy of Pierce Vaubel.

If you’d like to learn more about view cameras, here are some great sites to check out:

LargeFormatPhotography.info - if they don't have it, nobody else does either.

ViewCamera.com - the Journal of Large Format Photography

KenRockwell.com - great place to see 4x5 and large format landscapes

Photo.net - choosing a large format camera

Still scratching your head on how this thing works? Here's an entertaining look at the whole process:

Reasons that I’m using a view camera:

1. Resolution - at bare bones scanning levels, I’m getting 80Mp files. Cranking up the DPI can yield upwards of 3 Gigapixels!
2. Dynamic Range - ever wonder how images managed to look stunning prior to the Photoshop CS line? Look no further than sheet film.
3. Speed - or lack there-of. This beast with tripod and film holders clocks in just above 50lbs. Setting up and focusing at my fastest is somewhere around 10 minutes. And at about $5/sheet of film, I’m not going to be shooting more than a handful in a given day/week.
4. Complete Control - Perfect control of perspective, Zone System metering, custom image processing, and of course with said control, several hundred ways to equally screw up an image. x__x
5. Young Chicks Dig Retro - If by young and chicks you mean old and balding men, of course. Either way, it’s fun to have a small crowd gather round every now and then.

Now for the anti-climactic finish to all this awesome 8x10 buildup.

The sharpness Duke, the sharpness!Scan 1: Out on the reservoir

Perspective? Check. Sharpness? Check. Handful of mistakes? Double check. By no means is this a good or usable shot. This is, however, an exercise in the power, depth, and range of the 8x10 format. And as I’d later find out, part of a continuing series of photos teaching me how to properly load a film holder and tray agitate my negatives. >__<

Something Good: Light actually managed to hit the film in a manner that produced something resembling an image. This means I haven’t wasted $5.

Something Bad: Knowing from this image that there’s little turning back to traditional photographic formats.

Something Learned: I’ve just started a greater learning process that I might not complete in a satisfactory manner in my lifetime. 0_____0

Next Week: A more detailed explanation of how things are going to be run around here, in lieu of this new piece of photographic equipment.