Posts Tagged: Photography
the art of taking photographs!
blog post: alternative photographic processes
…or, a lesson on how to feed your soul…
As I’ve evolved on my photographic journey (and on my spiritual path) I’ve learned many things…
In the early years of my career and learning process, it was all about controlling the outcome of the images I created. Much of that need to control came about as a result of who I was creating for and what my subjects were…Wedding Clients. Photographing weddings was a “get-it-right” one-time opportunity with no-room-for-error, and it had to be done quickly AND creatively.
It was a super-exciting challenge; one I always approached with confidence and passion that led me to become one of the top wedding photographers locally and beyond – I’m well-known for my wedding art…and then I decided to let that go. I was serving others in a wonderful way, but came to realize I wasn’t serving myself. Eventually, I began to feel the powerful pull to do art for myself, in my own way and style, just as I had when I began to photograph weddings!
As I left the wedding world, I threw out the need to control the outcome of my images, and instead immersed myself into alternative photographic process where the control and outcome was almost completely out of my control in many instances, except for where I was choosing when to release the shutter. This letting go of end outcomes became a vehicle for self- and art-exploration. I thought I was happy while photographing previous to this, but letting go became pure BLISS to me!
But, to this day I must say that I feel it is so very important to have knowledge and understanding of the technical aspects of photography / cameras / lenses so you know what to do and how to create from your vision. So, self-taught or formally educated. Knowledge is the catalyst to freedom!
The photographic journey – mine, yours, the masters, the beginners – it’s all an ever-evolving process of creative- and self-knowledge.
Here is an example of one of my Pinhole (alternative) Photographic images taken in Provincetown MA:
What does it make you feel when you view it? I’d really like to know, and thank you for stopping by.
Namaste, Joanne Bartone Photographer / Zen Photography
ABOUT THE PHOTO ABOVE:
Canon EOS 7D | No-dust 50mm Pinhole Lens | ISO: 400 | f/64 | 25 sec. | Images refined and enhanced for density + tonality in PS5
blog post: why zen photography?
Zen is not a philosophy, it is poetry. It does not propose, it simply persuades. It does not argue, it simply sings its own song. — Osho —
I imagine that those visiting our website might wonder why we have chosen to call ourselves “Zen Photography.” I can hear the pondering…”Is it a religious thing?” “Do I have to be a Buddhist to participate?” The answer to both questions is ‘no,’ but it’s OK if you are!
Zen is considered a form of Buddhism that focuses on meditation and enlightenment through direct experience. Primarily dependent on awareness and concentration, the premise of practicing Zen is to bring your focus to the present moment. As humans, our tendency is to dwell on the past or focus on the future, and when we do that we typically miss the rich experiences that happen in the “now.” Zen is an awareness. If we shift our focus to the present moment we are not burdened by the woes of the past or the anxieties of the future.
So, that brings us to the question…”Why the title ‘Zen Photography’ then?” Our Zen Photography philosophy is to provide lectures and hands-on practicum that bring your attention to the things you are most in need of learning. Through these practical learning experiences we focus on skills and knowledge that will bring you immediate progress and success. Our goal is that after you’ve attended one of our Zen Photography Workshops you will leave with the knowledge you came to obtain from us and a deeper understanding of that knowledge which will bring you more success in your photography, no matter what your level of experience. We like to think if it as Photo Satori, or Photo Enlightenment! So, our goal is to enlighten you photographically, and if some of that enlightenment rubs off of you in a spiritual way, we’re OK with that too.
For the record, we leave the religious practices of Zen up to the Zen Masters who teach Zen well. And, it’s my understanding that the Zen Masters are leaving the photographic instruction up to us, since we happen to provide photography instruction well!
Namaste, Joanne Bartone Photographer / Zen Photography
ABOUT THE PHOTO ABOVE:
Canon EOS 5D | Canon 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS @ 200mm | ISO: 100 | f/2.8 | 1/800 | Images refined and enhanced for color + tonality in PS5
blog post: photography workshop
Zen Photography Workshops is presenting a Basic Photography Workshop + Photo Walk on March 24TH, 2013 | 1 to 3 PM
blog post: 2013 fall foliage workshop
“Knock on the sky and listen to the sound.” — Zen Saying
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the profound colors, pungent fragrances and autumnal foods this time of the year, but mostly I feel that Autumn it is an opportunity to reflect on the events and goals that previously occurred in Spring and Summer, and consider resting and regrouping through the Winter months to (hopefully) face the changing seasons once again.
I see beautiful colors throughout the Winter, Spring’s colors are bountiful and Summer moves from chartreuse to forest green, but Autumn? …visually there is no other season like it!
So to help you create from this most visually stimulating time of year I’m offering a 3-hour Photography Workshop on October 12th + 27th, from 6 AM to 9 AM and then again on October 13th + 26, 3 PM to 6 PM at Mingo Creek County Park.
The goal? …is first, to help you envision your photos and then secondly, help you create from all the potential that will surround us.
You will learn:
- ISO, Aperture + Shutter Speed: the Exposure Triangle and head home with your own Zen Photography Exposure Guide
- To apply the principles of composition and how to view scenes differently.
- Understand how those camera dials can help you achieve what you envision.
- Learn to shoot comfortably in M (Manual) Mode.
- Understand how different lenses will affect your exposure and composition.
What to bring:
- Your enthusiasm + questions
- A Tripod
- Your DSLR Camera
- All the Lenses you have
- Compact Flash Cards
CLICK HERE to register – pre-pay/pre-purchase required. Once you register, you’ll be given the meet-up location.
Namaste, Team Zen | Joanne Bartone
ABOUT THE PHOTO ABOVE:
Canon EOS 7D | Canon 24-70mm L f/2.8 @ 70 mm | ISO: 200 | f/8 | 1/8 | Falling Water, Farmington, PA | Image refined cropped and enhanced for color + tonality in PS5
blog post: wishing or doing?
“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential – for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints; possibility never.” — Soren Kierkegaard
If I were to wish for anything, I’d wish to create an interactive dialog with the many visitors that come here to the Zen Photography blog. Thank you for honoring me by reading my posts (we have many visitors from all around the world). Despite our not being able to meet in person, I’d really like to hear your thoughts and strike up a conversation on how you relate photographically with my writings. Having a connection is essential in supporting one another on our photographic journey – I will always welcome your input here.
So, let’s consider our photographic potential for a moment…
Many of us have a passion for photography, whether we are just beginning to learn it or we are someone who is in the thick of a solid career.
As a new photographer, how many times have we seen the potential in wanting to create from a scene or a moment only to have the outcome be disappointing as we struggled with camera settings or we mistimed our shots? All that possibility leading to all that disappointment. That’s called frustration. Frustration leaves many a shooter to rely on P – which does not stand for Professional or Potential, in my book!
Or, perhaps that passion for our photography has led us to move from enthusiast towards an actual career as a photographer – all that potential, all those possibilities…all that struggle as we make our way down an unknown path without a mentor or a coach. That’s how it was for me, nearly twenty years ago. What was I thinking?! As a typical creative person, I was thinking about the potential, the excitement, the possibilities – everything I knew I could do, despite not knowing how to go about doing it. That didn’t stop me. I blazed a trail for myself and for many photographers that followed after me. But that trail blazing came at an expense at times – there’s a LOT of learning to be done as the sole owner of a photography business. That is one thing I know for sure. Those who tell you they’ve learned or know it all (at any time in their career), probably haven’t learned anything at all.
Each of us is on our own journey; we all learn in our own way, pace and time, but you now have the opportunity of learning from people who have experience and are here to guide and help – Team Zen. They are a gift. I wished I’d have had someone to mentor me as I was learning photography and the business of photography – THAT is a whole ‘nother story, believe me.
I’d like you to consider your potential while reading this post, then consider the things you spend time wishing for…those possibilities that look so enticing yet are still out of reach. Are you achieving your photographic or business goals by planning and harnessing your potential instead of just wishing that things will happen? Do you have a plan to learn more about photography, or more about operating your photographic business?
Please share your thoughts here with us. What do you see as your potential vs. what you are wishing for. ‘My potential is: ___________________.’ ‘I wish __________________ .’ Can you feel the difference between them?
If you need some photographic or business guidance, consider taking a Zen Photography 2-day Workshop, or attending a Zen Photography 5-day Retreat, or having 1:1 Coaching. Team Zen can help you learn to see differently and create from your potential in a way that will move you thoughtfully towards success.
This isn’t a race, it’s your journey.
Namaste, Team Zen | Joanne Bartone
ABOUT THE PHOTO ABOVE:
Canon EOS 7D | Canon 16-35mm L f/2.8 IS @ 16mm | ISO: 400 | f/8 | 1/160 | Provincetown MA | Image refined cropped and enhanced for color + tonality in PS5
blog post: yin + yang of exposure
A super-simplistic primer on exposure meant for individuals who are in the early stages of learning photography.
Reciprocity. noun. [res-uh-pros-i-tee]: a mutual exchange. it happens in life, and it happens in photography.
In determining exposure when you are photographing, it’s helpful if you remember to recall the principle of reciprocity: “if i take a stop from here; i must give a stop there. take two stops; give two stops, etc.” nothing earth-shattering, but beautifully balanced by making adjustments that are are merely doubled or halved.
The yin + yang symbol and what it represents is a great way to illustrate the concept of finding the balance in exposing an image. the yin + yang symbol itself, traditionally black and white, could even be used to represent 18% gray! the interconnectedness of all things is wonderful.
For now, we are going to keep this example generalized and in super-simplistic terms so you won’t become too confused. let’s keep our ISO fixed, since its adjustment is dependent on the light that surrounds us as we are photographing, whether that light is ambient or being created with our own lighting equipment. the type of camera we are using, the focal length of the lens, or whether we are using a flash or the light available to us is not going to come into play right now. instead we will concentrate on the reciprocity of our f/stops and shutter speeds bearing in mind the statement above. our hypothetical setting will be that we are creating a portrait of a person outside and we will start with the theory that we have just created a good exposure with the following settings: f/5.6 at 1/250th (of a second)… oh, and one more side note here…you are shooting in Manual, yes, the dreaded “M” setting on the camera. why? because that “P” you always shoot in? it does not stand for “Professional” it stands for “Program,” which means the camera is controlling you.
So, with f/5.6 at 1/250, you’ve managed to create a well-exposed image where everything from the highlights (lightest parts in the image) to the shadows (darkest parts in the image) are looking even – no marching ants indicating your highlights have been blown out in this image! although you are satisfied, your creativity is begging for a sharply focused individual with that painterly-blurred background that you see so often in the magazines. what to do…what to do? …i know…RECIPROCITY.
That blurry background occurs at f/2.8 or lower (in number, but in reality is a bigger lens opening [aperture] – yes, the smaller the f/stop, the bigger the lens opening – opposite, yet still reciprocal). so, in super-simplistic terms, if you’ve adjusted your f/stop from f/5.6 to f/2.8, you have effectively made the little wheel on your camera move six one-third increments to get to f/2.8, thereby increasing the opening in your lens and allowing more light to come through it. how much more light? we don’t need to get into that for now, just know it’s more light and count the times your wheel clicked to get you to f/2.8. now, if you were to leave your shutter speed at 1/250, what do you suspect would happen? take a guess here…would your images still be properly exposed? underexposed (too dark)? or overexposed (too light)?…you are correct; it would be overexposed because you are allowing more light into the camera with a larger lens opening (aperture). so, it stands to reason then, that you have to dial the the shutter from 1/250 to 1/1000, again moving the wheel that adjust the shutter speed six times to make the adjustment that will effectively reduce the amount of light you are allowing into the camera by making the shutter speed faster. and, VIOLA! there again, is your properly exposed image, but now it has a pleasantly blurred background with a subject that is in focus. Believe me, those are very simplistic terms and they can change dependent on the lens you use, but for now do yourself a favor and experiment so you can use your camera on the “M” setting which will give you more control over the camera, rather than letting it control you.
Make sense? let me hear from you. again, there is a lot more to adjusting f/stops and shutter speeds than this brief explanation, but we’ll leave the brain-expansion for those of you who want to really delve into the depths of this conversation, let’s open a bottle of wine at a Zen Workshop or Retreat and have a go at it, shall we?
Namaste, Team Zen | Joanne Bartone
ABOUT THE PHOTO ABOVE:
Canon EOS 5D | Canon 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS @ 200mm | ISO: 100 | f/8 | 1/1250 | Boston MA | Image refined cropped and enhanced for color + tonality in PS5
blog post: knowing ourselves
“Knowing others is wisdom; knowing yourself is enlightenment.” — Lao Tzu
There are many people that touch our lives. we learn from them in many ways; how to cook, how to drive, how to lawyer or doctor, even how to photograph. we become busy learning and doing; very busy. and in all this busy-doing we often lose touch with ourselves. if we can be still and introspectively return to ourselves we will gain enlightenment, not just knowledge.
At Zen Photography Safaris | Workshops | Retreats, we offer just the right balance of knowledge and experiences to help you gain wisdom, but most importantly, Satori (enlightenment).
Namaste, Team Zen | Joanne Bartone
ABOUT THE PHOTO ABOVE:
Canon EOS 5D | Canon 24-70mm L f/2.8 lens @ 28mm | ISO: 100 | f/5.6 | 1/160 | Kentuck Knob Chalk Hill PA | Image refined, cropped and enhanced for color + tonality in PS5
blog post: priorities
“We cannot see our reflection in running water. It is only in still water that wecan see.” — Taoist Proverb
Elusive time. we all need time, but too often we don’t make time to do the things that could make a difference for ourselves. we need time to be still, to see, to learn, regroup, meditate, explore, exercise, laugh, be with people we love… many people remind us that we cannot buy back time. where does time go?
When we are “still,” when we take the time necessary to nurture ourselves, it will offer us opportunities that we couldn’t even begin to see all the while we are busy doing things.
Perhaps it’s about our priorities.
Only 3% of Americans make time to create goals that would advance their lives, be it their finances, careers or even their personal lives. that is a shocking statistic! what have your priorities been? have they been leading you in the direction you want to go, or do you need to make, and then take, time to regroup and redirect yourself? “but I don’t have time,” you say. i disagree. you can create and effect big changes for yourself in thirty, fifteen, or even in as little time as seven minutes; yes, 7 minutes.
We have a plan for you at Zen Photography Safaris | Workshops | Retreats. we want to help you help yourself to prosper in all aspects of your life. we know that it can be done. come join us.
ABOUT THE PHOTO ABOVE:
Canon EOS 5D | Canon 70mm-200 L f/2.8 IS lens @ 100mm | ISO: 200 | f/4 | 1/250 | Hopewell PA | Image refined, cropped and enhanced for tonality in PS5
blog post: tortoise or hair
“It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.” — Wisdom of Confucius
The fable of the tortoise and the hare comes to mind here…let me make myself an example: i move and think with awareness, so at times, i can appear to be slow. my grandmother would always encourage me by saying “slow but steady; that is how you will have success.” she was right.
At times we may wish that our success was quicker, but wishing does not get us closer to our desires. the steady drip of water wears even the hardest rock over time. consider allowing the process to unfold.
At Zen Photography Workshops + Retreats we help you to be consciously present in your daily deeds to help you move the mountains you were meant to move.
Namaste, Team Zen | Joanne Bartone
ABOUT THE PHOTO ABOVE:
Canon EOS 5D | Canon 24-70mm L f/2.8 @ 24mm | ISO: 100 | f/4.0 | 1/30 | Falling Water | Mill Run PA | Image refined, cropped and enhanced for color + tonality in PS5
blog post: creating success
“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion.” — Chinese Proverb
It is easy to lose your way to creating your own success when you compare yourself with others. comparing is an outward gaze; it negates the person you are – all of your many talents and fine qualities. if you are trying to determine how to direct your passion for photography or how to create your photographic style, look inward and ask yourself: what are my values? what do i love? who or what inspires me? how would my friends describe me? these are a few of many questions that can lead you down the path of self-creation.
Trends are deceiving; they are exciting today, but pass by quickly. if you seek to follow trends or duplicate another photographer’s style, your business will pass by quickly too. take care to learn the time-honored principles surrounding the craft of photography, integrate them and they will help you to be true to yourself and build a strong foundation for your business.
Zen Photography Safaris | Workshops | Retreats will impart inspiration and help you build your photographic foundation and style. join us and offer yourself a rich opportunity to blossom.
Namaste, Team Zen | Joanne Bartone