Japanese Fusuma Photography by Kenji Wakasugi Opens Today in New York

Kenji Wakasugi, Eclipse
2015
Composite film and digital capture

Japanese Fusuma Photography by Kenji Wakasugi

- Synthesis -

March 10 - April 22, 2016

Opening Reception with photographer Kenji Wakasugi

Thursday, March 10, 6 - 9 P.M.

12 E. 86th street, # 507, New York, NY 10028

( T: 212-967-4899 )

Wakasugi combines views of nature he has photographed while traveling the remote regions of the world with fusuma, decorated sliding doors. These particular fusuma have been taken from a Japanese room with over four hundred years of history, and his photographs have been artfully inserted into them.  This represents a synthesis of opposing worlds-of interior and exterior, light and dark, stillness and motion, film and digital, old and new.

Fusuma are a form of spatial device employed in traditional Japanese architecture.  These sliding doors are comprised simply of wood and paper and although flimsy and have no locks, they represent a spiritual boundary, separating one side from the other, absolutely.  Japanese rooms are not divided physically with walls, but spiritually, using fusuma; this allows people to interact freely with the space, sometimes removing these fusuma to create a large hall or reinserting them to produce a small room.  Fusuma also respond gently to nature, reflecting the four seasons.  The pale brush-and-ink paintings illuminated by mid-day's light reflecting off the tatami mats on the floor; the gold and silver leaf in designs that appear to float bewitchingly in the light of the moon; all transmitting the poetic charm of the period.  The 16th century artist, Kano Eitoku, sublimated these household fittings into art through his magnificent brushwork and the Japanese people experience a microcosm of nature through these paintings, in which a unique, two-dimensional expression of the world unfolds.  This synthesis of art and nature on the doors dividing a space may be said to spring from the Japanese views of life and death. 

Wakasugi says that poetic sentiment exists in the space between memories. 

Using digital technology to boldly remove the paintings applied to the fusuma by the artists of the past, he carefully replaces them with his own photographs, creating a time and space that does not exist in reality, thereby challenging the past. 

I think it is no exaggeration to say that Wakasugi Kenji's photographs inherit the traditions of the gorgeous world of fusuma painting that were developed by such great artists as Tawaraya Sōtatsu or Ogata Kōrin.

March 2016

Shoko Aono

Director, Ippodo New York

For more information, please visit our Exhibition page, or see our official press release.

For viewing online catalogue, please ask mail@ippodogallery.com

Copyright © 2016 Ippodo Gallery, all rights reserved.

PhotoPlus 2013 Summary

Photography legends - Douglas Dubler & Michel Tcherevkoff

I’ve been attending PhotoPlus for the past three years, but this was by far one of the best. It seems the economy is bouncing back, and so are the budgets of the big photography companies. As a result, the booths were impressive and the volume of new products coming out is incredible.

Lots of progress for ronmartblog.com

NEC displays 3 of my photos of its new 30" PA series display
Shown here using sRGB and Full Color Gamut at the same time with PIP mode

As an independent blogger, the biggest problem I have is getting enough recognition from the big photography companies so that I can be added as a trusted source for early release information. This year I think I’ve finally got the right contacts and agreements to make that happen, so I’m excited to be in a better place to have information for you as soon as embargo dates are reached.

Thank YOU for your support in growing this blog so I could finally make this happen with some of the hold out companies from the previous year.

Lot’s of hands on love

I had a blast playing around with the new cameras and am very eager to bring you my full reviews. Below is a quick photo summary of some of the products I was able to try out with the full attention of the respective camera makers technical and/or marketing representatives:

The new Sony α7 & α7R were the most frequently talked about products at the show

The Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 vs 50mm f/1.4 proved why it was bigger & more expensive

The Nikon AW1 proved to be a real underwater camera

Nikon D610 had my attention after the D600 captured my camera of the year title last year

The D5300 was so advanced that many speculated if other models would need a quick refresh to catch up

Fujifilm had me excited about their newest cameras

Fujifilm's Kayce Baker had some amazing prints that showed off the power of the x100s

Canon's only highlight was the firmware update for the 1D X,
but I was still excited as an owner of that camera

Conclusion

PhotoPlus is open to the public each year in late October in New York City. I highly recommend it as a it’s a place where you can learn about the latest gear and rub elbows with the who’s who of the photography business. It’s expensive, but if you do business in the photography industry it’s worth it.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• FIRST LOOK: Fujifilm X-E2 & X-Q1 (ISO 12,800)
• PRESS RELEASE: Canon Firmware Upgrades for the EOS-1D X AND EOS-1D C Digital SLR Cameras Deliver Improved Creative Control and Convenience
• New Nikon, Panasonic & Sony Cameras available for Pre-Order
• Nikon D610 NOW Shipping and in Limited Stock
• Have My Dream Fujifilm Cameras Arrived? (X-E2 & X-Q1)–Sample Images Gallery Link Included
• Deals Newsletter 10-23-2013 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Honest New Yorkers–iPhone returned 19 days after being lost at Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds New York City - Ron Martinsen and George Clooney

As some of you may have noticed either here, on Twitter or Facebook, I was in a panic on October 25th when I lost my iPhone 4s on my trip to PhotoPlus Expo’s after party at Madame Tussauds in New York. Just before the above shot was taken of me with George Clooney I had done something incredibly stupid and put my phone on top of a friends jacket so I could get my picture taken. You can barely see it here in one of my friends photos:

iPhone on jacket – never do something this stupid!

Everyone’s best guess is that that when the jacket was picked up my phone fell into the planter unbeknownst to all of us. About 5 minutes later I realized my phone was missing, but I had no idea where it had gone. I thought maybe I had left it with George, but these photo prove that wasn’t the case. Sadly, despite an impressive effort by the security team at Madame Tussauds to ask everyone if they had seen my phone and putting all guards on alert, my phone never turned up.

Yes, I tried calling and texting the phone but it only answered one time and there was no response. Yes, I used Find My iPhone on a friends phone and saw that the phone so I sent it a message asking someone to turn it into security. I was still in the building – for a while – but we didn’t know where in the building (it’s not that granular). Eventually we saw the phone leave the building so I sent it a message via Find My iPhone again letting the person with my phone know that we see it is leaving the building and asked them once again if they could return it – sadly the phone went dead a few blocks later either due to a battery that was about to die anyway or it was forcibly turned off.

I was sick to my stomach, and with tons of meetings for the next few days I was lost without my iPhone! Sadly it never turned up so before I left New York I issued the dreaded wipe command and wrote my iPhone off for good. I hopped on a plane in bad weather and flew back to Seattle (20 minutes later JFK would close for Superstorm Sandy that would hit the city shortly thereafter).

To Make Matters Worse

As if I wasn’t sick enough about losing my phone, I get this lovely email from a reader who took great joy in the loss of my phone:

I was stunned by this email from Robert because I had taken the time in the past to send 7 emails to for his offline request for assistance. I couldn’t help but ask why he was so angry with me and taking such pleasure in my loss! It turned out he was this mad because because I neglected to answer two emails he sent me during a family crisis where I was grief stricken (nobody got email responses from me during those days). It seems that trying to be helpful, but not offering an immediate response makes me a pompous a—hole – hum.

At any rate, his email made a bad situation even worse. Thanks Robert – I really needed that salt in the wound!

14 days later, I get a call…

Stay at the New Yorker Hotel - Honest people work there!

While sleeping one morning I get a call from a security guard at the New Yorker Hotel who asks me if I lost something. I’m half asleep and wondering WTF this guy is talking about – I’ve never been to the New Yorker Hotel!!! Long story short, he had been given my phone that day by a guest who was checking out of the hotel who told him that my phone had been found at Madame Tussauds. The guard asked, why didn’t it get returned to Madame Tussauds and the guest left without a word. He put the phone on a charger, turned it on and saw my lock screen that I had created with an app that no longer exists called If Found + by Polka Software. It had my email and phone number, and they had used that to contact me and my story about where I lost it and the description of the phone checked out so they said they’d return my phone.

Madame Tussauds (A) to New Yorker Hotel (B)

HOLY COW!!!! 14 days after losing my phone in the biggest city in the United States it gets found 8 blocks away to a place I’ve never been to – after one of the biggest storms to ever hit the city!!! You’ve gotta be kidding me!

A few days later Gabriel Zamora of the New Yorker Hotel returned my phone to me via FedEx and I now have it back. All of the data was in tact and images I thought I had lost were recovered! I wish I knew the names of the other two security guards at the hotel who helped me as well, but sadly I don’t remember their names.

Wait, I thought you said you wiped the phone???

Yes, I did! However, when you deactivate your phone with AT&T it can no longer receive a wipe command via cellular service. This means WiFi was the only way it would get the command, and for a reason I can’t remember I had turned off my WiFi service (or perhaps the person who found my phone had done that). Without being able to hit the Internet, the phone couldn’t get the wipe command.

I had told the security guard to turn off the phone immediately because I knew if it hit WiFi I was doomed. When my phone was due to arrive I unplugged my cable modem so I could back up my iPhone with iTunes. Once it was safely backed up, I plugged in the cable modem and it promptly wiped itself. I got an email notifying me it was wiped too.

I restored my backup copy and my iPhone was as good as new. If circumstances at work had been different, I would have returned my overpriced and lame iPhone 5 and kept my iPhone 4s as my primary phone. However, that didn’t work out that day and the next day it was past the 14 day return period.

Lessons Learned

1. iCloud doesn’t back up your phone unless you are connected to a WiFi network while your phone is inactive (locked in my case). Since I was in a hotel with WiFi that required a passcode, I wasn’t using WiFi so my weeks worth of photos were not restored to my iPad I had purchased to substitute for my phone while I was in New York (because 32-bit iPhone 4s and iPhone 5’s were unavailable).
2. Jorge Enrique Rivas at the Apple Store in Grand Central Station is the nicest guy on the planet. He patiently did everything he could for me to get me online again with an iPad cellar (after trying hard to find a 32GB iPhone 4s or iPhone 5 for me). If you are ever in New York and have a phone crisis – he’s your man!
3. When drinking at a party and having fun getting your photo taken with wax figures, make damn sure you keep your phone in your pocket. Don’t be a dumb ass and put your phone on your friends jacket for just a minute. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb!!!!
4. Stay at the New Yorker Hotel when in New York – they have a super honest security staff that you can trust! Madame Tussauds security staff is pretty awesome too!
5. New Yorkers are much more honest and nice than I think they get credit for!

And of course, the biggest lesson learned? Robert was right – what goes around comes around. I had done a nice thing for him – multiple times, so several people did a nice thing for me and returned my iPhone. He’s also right about the fact that there is a God, and God has a way of sorting things out.

Donate to the Red Cross to help friendly New Yorkers

My prayers go out to the people of New York who have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy. If you haven’t already, please making a donation to the American Red Cross or the charity of your choice to help the people of New York recover from this horrible tragedy.

God bless the people of New York and know that you are in my prayers!!

Disclosure

This article does not contain any commissioned links. This is a true story.

Want to assist in a NYC Fashion Shoot?

I’m going to be doing a high end shoot in Times Square in New York City on Wednesday October 24, 2012 and possibly a rooftop shot on Saturday.  I’m looking for some assistants as I need some extra hands to hold equipment, etc… 

If you’d like to be on the set for this shoot and see how things work from behind the scenes with makeup artists, models, etc… then please contact me to possibly be invited to join in.

UPDATED: New York City Street Photography Workshop – October 25th, 2012 during the PhotoPlus Expo

UPDATE: This is almost sold out, please let me know if you are interested in the last remaining spots!

Ron Martinsen heads to the big apple to do a street photography workshop in the heart of Times Square that you’ll never forget! Learn how to approach strangers and get flattering shots on the fly like this one:

Learn how to quickly respond to unpredictable surprises and get the shot like I did when my assistant pointed out that Elmo was on his Elmo cell phone and we got this shot:

Have fun experimenting with your fisheye lens to see New York in a whole new way like I did here:

We’ll do this and much more on this unforgettable evening tour New York’s Times Square. I will also have at least one assistant on hand to make sure you have the light you need to get the shot (Nikon shooters will need to bring Pocket Wizards or equivalent).

Details

This event will take place on the evening of October 25th, 2012. While you are in town you can do like me and go see the PDN Photo Plus Expo where all of the latest photography goodies are on display (see my report from last year) and you can rub shoulders with the who’s who of photography and see some of the biggest products announcements of the year (like the Canon 1D X and Nikon 1 last year)!

This workshop will be 4 hours in duration and will be in the form of a photo walk around Times Square. I’ll be teaching you how to see the city differently and how to get interesting shots of people, places and things in a crowded and busy environment. I’ll help you approach strangers to get their photo and teach you how to avoid the common pitfalls of travel and street photography.

This class will take place rain or shine as the primary objective is to learn how to make great shots in any conditions. Dress and plan according to the weather!

The cost for this workshop will be $150 and space will be limited to keep the group size small. If you are interested attending, then order now and send mail to ronmartblog@martinsen.com to reserve your spot today. You will be responsible for your own transportation to and from the workshop and for having all of your own equipment. The course registration is for instruction only.

More details will only be provided to those who sign up for this workshop, and the class may be enhanced to better meet the needs of the attendees.

About Ron Martinsen

Self-Portrait (Copyright Ron Martinsen – 2012)

Ron Martinsen has been teaching Photography, Lightroom and Photoshop since 2008.

His blog has been enjoying exponential growth and has been enjoyed by over a million visitors in over 180 countries around the world. More recently, Ron has been gaining recognition from major players in the industry including Scott Kelby, John Paul Caponigro, Trey Ratcliff, Joe McNally, Nik Software, NEC, B&H and so many more.

You can find Ron’s work in magazines around the world including GQ (France), Robb Report (Russia), Cycle World (Los Angeles) and many more.

To see a small sample of Ron’s work, visit his portfolio site and photography notebook. You can also learn more about his Printing 101 eBook on his popular printing series page.

Since his last workshop and the last two he’s taught with Bryan Peterson, Ron has had numerous requests to do another workshop so now is your chance!

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using select links in this article (not the Photo Plus Expo link), then I may make a commission. This is a for profit educational event.

REDIpix.com Dazzle–A Backlit Print That Will Rock Your World

REDIpix.com Dazzle Gallery Wrap – Are you ready to be Dazzled?

It’s been quite some time since I’ve written about REDIpix.com – my favorite gallery wrap printing service. They did a fantastic job with one of my prints with their awesome Satin Cloth Gallery Wrap Elite product (see my review), so when David Elmore (the owner) said he wanted to show me a cool new product he had – I was all ears!

The Dazzle Gallery Wrap is a cool product that is wrapped with smooth cloth instead of nasty bumpy canvas so you enjoy a smooth finish to your product. This is awesome for big signs from Times Square like the Palace Theater shown above. It’s also great for fog (the difference it makes will blow your mind), nightscapes, and so much more. When I first heard about the Dazzle I knew I’d be impressed with the result, but this just blew me away!

How the Dazzle is Built

It even comes with a remote and everything you need to hang it (multiple options)!!!

Your photo is giclée printed on smooth Satin Cloth and wrapped around the sides of a MightyCore box that is open on the front. Several rows of LED lights are attached to the back of the 2-inch-deep box to light up your print. They provide a power adapter that plugs into the wall outlet and a remote control dimmer. The 12V white wire from the adapter to the print can be hidden behind the wall.

Be creative with the sides

I provided the image and they automatically created the imaging for the sides
NOTE: The red neon lights are at different levels in real life,
so they look funny in the photo but those are not artifacts

Their Photoshop artist prepares the sides for you with your choice of eight options or a combination of them. Although image wrap is popular, this often crops the photo too much as viewed from the front. In my case they applied a mirror image of the border of my image. Solid color sides or a blurred image are also good choices. Some of their customers design original borders using a repeating small image that goes all the way around, so you can control this if you like.

You can change the image

The image is stretched and held tight to the back with tape. It takes about 10 minutes for you to remove the old one and stretch on a new print. They provide detailed instructions on how to do this.

Long-lasting low-power LEDs

The LEDs will last over 6 years of continuous use at full brightness and draw only 12 watts for a 16x24" print. It comes with a remote control on/off/dimmer that will work from anywhere in the room. Since you probably do not want it on all the time, they can also provide an optional digital timer that will turn it on and off at times you choose. Or leave the brightness turned low at night -- it makes a great nightlight.

Video Demonstration

Play in HD

Conclusion

My photos and video in this article don’t do this print justice because when I turn on the lights a different exposure is required that really needs to be HDR to capture all of the details. This is A LOT cooler in real life than I can possibly capture in this article. If you are ever by my office then give me a shout and I’ll try to make arrangements to show you as this is something you really need to see to believe!

I should note that the print featured in the video was done from the original in-camera JPEG whereas the Dazzle was re-imaged from the RAW file so processing differences caused the shift in colors. Please see my review to learn how REDIpix.com sends you proof images before they print anything so you can see how it will look before your product is made. The color in the Dazzle is exactly what I approved based on the reimaged version.

To learn more visit http://redipix.com/GalleryWrapDazzle.php and be sure to use your RONM coupon code to save when you order! See my discount coupon code page for the latest offer details.

Special Offer

Enter the RONM coupon code to save when you order products from http://REDIpix.com! THIS CODE AND OFFER TERMS CAN CHANGE. See my discount coupon code page for the latest offer details.

Disclosure

I was provided a Dazzle for the purpose of doing this review. I also may get a commission if you make a purchase using this offer.

Travel Photography: Photographing People At Night In New York City (Manhattan)

Manhattan Nightscape
All photos in this article are Copyright Ron Martinsen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

How many times have you gone on a trip where you see some cool nightscape and you tell your loved one – “hey, let me take a photo of you against that great view”?

Now think about how many times you’ve been happy with the result. If you are like most people, the answer is usually “very few” (at best). For most when you throw in the challenge of the evening shooting where high ISO’s and slow shutter speeds are virtually inevitable then things get even worse!

I’m no stranger to this problem myself, but I’ve learned a few things over the years that certainly help – A LOT! All of the shots in this article were taken in New York City in 2011 while I was there attending the PhotoPlus Expo. Most shots are at ISO 3200 or 6400, but I was also lucky to have a great assistant or two and borrowed lights to get some shots that I’m happy with.

I hope you’ll enjoy both the advice and the shots as you read through this article.

Introduction

Shooting at night in a big city like New York introduces some serious problems.

Your subjects are typically backlit against bright lights or mixed lighting. If you’ve been to the Flash Bus Tour, Strobist or Planet Neil then you probably know that you’ve gotta start by exposing your background first and then adding your fill light. This means you’ll be shooting manual and you’ll not always trust what your camera meter is telling you.

To get good results, you’ve gotta know your gear. If you don’t then I highly recommend you read my Which Books Should I Read? article and possibly get a subscription to Kelby Training (see my discount coupon code page for details).This article will not go into those details as that is beyond the scope of this article. Off-Camera Flash Techniques, Speedliter's Handbook, and Sketching Light all offer great advice on how to to get the shots shown in this article.

1. If you plan to shoot when travelling then come prepared

A Lastolite EzyBox and an assistant will get you great shots in the field

Many of us don’t have the budget to shoot on location, so our travels will be business trips or family vacations. If your goal is to get great shots during your limited shooting time on one of these events, then you really have to be prepared. While more gear is always better, there’s way to be smart and still have a great shoot.

First and foremost you need to be realistic about what you can accomplish with the gear on hand and the objective of your trip. What I mean by this is that if the objective of your trip is to get great photographs, then bring (or rent) the gear you need to get the job done. Companies like LensRentals.com will drop ship your rental gear to your destination so you can have what you need without hauling it on the plane.

Here’s the minimum kit that I recommend (in addition to your favorite camera):

1. A comfortable backpack like the Streetwalker Pro or if you have a lot of gear then a roller bag like the ThinkTankPro Airport Security. Your shots will be much better if you are comfortable and can bring everything you need. For me I always load my Airport Security bag with everything I need when shooting is my primary objective.
   
2. I like to have a 70-200mm lens and a 16-35mm lens so I can do both wide angle and telephoto shots. I usually use sneaker zoom for the rest. I’ll take my 24-105mm when I just want the one size fits all compromise lens.
   
3. A Lastolite EzyBox and an assistant will get you great shots in the field. This is really how the big boys do it, so if you want to look like a pro you’ve gotta bring the good stuff. This also means you’ll need some remote triggers like the Pocket Wizard Mini TT1, Flex TT5 and AC7.
   
4. At least one good reflector like the Lastolite TriGrip. Even better, consider using what small flash master Joe McNally uses as shown here at B&H. See the 2nd part of my PhotoPlus Expo article for my 2 cents on Joe’s collection.
   
5. Rogue FlashBender and Rogue Lighting Filters are a must to help you throw light where you need it as well as control the color of the light.

Sure there are a bazillion other things you can bring, so you can see my gear page or my holiday gear guide to get ideas on what else you can bring. Personally I pack my bag as full as I can stand it.

2. At a MINIMUM, bring a good flash for outdoors

If you want good shots then you are going to need good light.

At a minimum this can be an on-camera flash like a 580EX II or SB-910. Indoors the cheaper flashes can work, but outdoors you are going to want a the best flash money can buy (e.g., the Quantum QFlash is great too).

The shot above of Sandy is an example of a shot done just with a 580EX II on my camera with it pointing directly at my subject (something you can kinda get away with outdoors). I also had an orange Rogue Gel on my flash to warm up the light hitting her skin.

Tip: If you haven’t already, read On-Camera Flash Techniques to learn how to get great shots with the on-camera flash.

3. Avoid photographing your subject in the dead center of the frame

As Rick Sammon says, Dead Center is Dead Wrong. If you want to convey a sense of being in a different location, then your photos should include a little of the location with you. How subtle or pronounced it is depends on your proximity of the subject and the ability of your equipment, but the key thing is to have both – with one dominant subject. The way you do that is to put your subject at the left or right edge of the frame and pay attention to the background.

In the photo above I get Wall Street in the background and only let Kaethe occupy 25% of the frame (the minimum your subject should be in most shots). While the physical distance and laws of physics make it impossible for me to have both subjects in focus at the same time, you can appreciate a nice portrait and your memory will fill in the blanks. Wall Street adds a nice splash of color and you can tell that there’s something big happening in the background.

4. Take your cityscape and portraits separately

Your photo should only have one primary subject. While it would be great to have photos of Manhattan and your friend, don’t try to do both in one shot. In the photo above I successful capture beautiful QiaoQiao with a nice Manhattan backdrop for a splash of color and location. However, I don’t try to make them both subjects in the same shot.

When I was done with the shot above I stepped to the side of QiaoQiao and took this Manhattan shot:

The net result is that I have two good shots instead of one crappy shot that doesn’t do justice for either QiaoQiao or Manhattan. (TIP: Topaz Labs Adjust 5 (review) is for processing city shots)

5. Groups - the same rules apply, but it’s more tricky

Mouse Over for Before “Fail” Shot
Mouse Out for After (Fixed using InFocus by Topaz Labs)

Groups are always tough, but they are even more tough to shoot when you are out having fun and are trying to do an impromptu group photo. The key thing to remember is that you need to apply the same rules as your individual shots, but you’ll need to configure the people differently.

In the above shot I decided to line group up in an alternating pattern to make them more interesting, but I also was mindful of the background so I could convey the sense that they were in Times Square. I then tried to use the top third of the shot to get the nightscape to give a sense as to where these girls were.

What I did fail to do in this shot actually is adjust my aperture (hey, shit happens) so f/2.8 got all of the girls except for the foreground girl in perfect focus. The foreground girl was totally blurred, but I used Topaz Labs InFocus to bring her back into the shot. While this photo won’t end up in a portfolio or a gallery, it’s still a decent group shot that these girls can show their friends when talking about their great trip to The Big Apple! Let this be a lesson though – either shoot with a larger f-stop number or get everybody on the same plane.

6. If you have a friend in your destination city, ask them if you can borrow their gear

The last time I was in New York City, I was extremely fortunate to have one of my blog readers – Cliff Pickett – offer to help me out. Not only did he act as an assistant, he also loaned me gear which helped me to get a lot of great shots while I was there. He also got me access to the best place to shoot in all of New York City!

Keep this in mind when you are travelling – there may be a friend, or long lost cousin that might be able to help you out when you are in town. You never know, that cousin you never met that your Mom tells you to see when you visit city X, might just be a cool photography geek that can be a huge help to you!

They may save you some rental expenses or extra luggage fees too, so plan to treat them to dinner too! :)

7. Be ready for the unexpected

Seriously, I wouldn’t have guessed in a million years that I’d see Elmo in Times Square on his cell phone making a call in front of a huge bottle of Corona beer! Shit happens when you are in the big city, so always have your camera ready to shoot. This means flash on, lens cap off, and camera settings dialed in as conditions change.

If I didn’t have my camera (and in this case my crew) ready to go, there’s no way I would have go this shot.

8. Be spontaneous and get your subjects to come to life

As a photographer we need to think of so many things when shooting that it is easy to make a technically strong, but terribly boring shot. Instead of taking DMV mug shots outside, ask your subject to get a little crazy and then start firing away. Have them look off camera and think about something that makes them happy and fire away.

Another thing I’d like to point out is that keeping an eye on what is behind your subject is important. The crap in the background like power lines, signs, lamp posts, garbage cans, planters, etc…. are all nasty to look at in your photo so try to avoid them if you can. While a quick shot of Elmo dancing my get you a free pass on the background clutter, generally speaking it can just ruin a shot.

9. Photograph strangers

This is a tough one for many people, but you’d be surprised how many people will let you take their photo if you ask. It helps to have a business card and tell them who you are and what you do first, and you should always offer to give them a free image in exchange for their time. An 8x10 print or 800px on the long side JPEG is sufficient. What’s more, is that you can have them fill out a release for you after they contact you to get their print. This keeps you from shoving a contract in their face while on the street, and lets them go about their business.

Tip: Ask the people who you find attractive! Yep, that’s right, try asking the good looking folks because generally good looking people are happy to get their photo taken, and you’ll be happier with shots of people you find pleasing to look at! Once you do, you’ll have people of all sorts of looks asking to have their photo taken!

10. Find or recruit buddies to help assist

Taken with the Canon 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye Zoom (review)

There are lots of photographers in the world these days, and local groups for strobist, smugmug, etc… mean there are always people willing to go out and do a photo walk. As a result, you can recruit these people to help you out and help them in exchange as well. It’s tough to get great shots without an assistant, so I highly recommend you find one and plan ahead!

I’d like to thank my buddy Joe Gambardella who I met at the Bryan Peterson Workshop in Seattle (review) and Cliff Picket for their generous time and support during my Times Square and Rooftop shoots.

Conclusion

Travel Photography is one of my favorite things to do, but I’m only able to travel once or twice a year. Being out of my element sparks new creativity possibilities, but also new challenges.

Most of us aren’t Joe McNally so while we read great books like Sketching Light and think I’d like to try that sometime”, few of us actual do – especially when we are out of town. However, I’d like to encourage you to stop making boring shots when you travel. Haul a little more gear with you and go make some great shots! 

Feeling Trapped And Longing For More Creative Outlets?

As photographers we get into creativity ruts from time to time, but travelling is the best way to see the world differently. Reading books like Learning to See Creatively or taking a course from The Perfect Picture School of Photography can really help inspire some new thinking, so a new environment may be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing again. I know it always helps me!

See the introduction part of this article for more ideas on how to improve your camera skills too!

If you like this article and want to see more like it, please leave a comment on the blog to let me know what you think.

Disclosure

I may get a commission if you make purchases using links in this article. Thanks for supporting this blog by using my links!

Ron Martinsen to Speak at B&H in New York City on October 26th

I’m proud to announce that I will be speaking at the B&H Superstore in New York City on October 26th, 2011 from 3:00 – 5:00 PM.

This will be a presentation of my Which DSLR should I buy? and Which lens should I buy? articles at their mega superstore where you can get your hands on the gear afterwards. I’ll cover both Canon and Nikon products and custom pages on the B&H web site will be created for later reference.

I look forward to meeting my fans in New York as well as those attending the PhotoPlus Expo!

CLICK HERE to go to the web site where you can register.

MODELS & ASSISTANTS WANTED

I’m going to be doing a Times Square photo shoot while I’m in New York. I’m looking for physically fit female models and a couple of assistants. If you are interested then send me a message on my Facebook or Google+ page. You can also use the contact link at the top right of this blog.

Times Square Shoot–Models, Assistants and Students Wanted–October 26, 27 or 28th

As announced last night, I’ll be speaking at B&H in New York City at the end of October 2011. While I’m there I’m there I will be doing a photo shoot in Times Square one night on October 26, 27 or 28th (final details TBD).

I’m looking for assistants and models for the Times Square shoot. I’m also happy to take on a very limited number of students on a photo walk for one or more nights.

Students – Sign up to shoot with Ron in New York City

Visit my contact page and send me a mail if you are interested in joining me while I’m in New York for a photo walk or to do a little shooting during my photo shoot. There is a fee for this service and you will be expected to meet me at a location in New York.

During the photo walk I am happy to teach you how to get the shot that you are envisioning and to give you ideas on what might be interesting to shoot. This is a fun and casual way to learn and get some great shots. See my Seattle Workshop article to get an idea of what it might be like – but just for one location for 2 hours or less.

Assistants Needed

If you are going to be in New York City during my visit and would like to volunteer to be an assistant for one or more of my shoots, please visit my contact page and send me your info.

Duties would involve holding reflectors, flashes, etc… and hauling gear to and from the shoot location.

Models – Casting Call Info

I’m looking for physically fit (see above) and pretty female models (no experience required, but preferred). If you are interested in applying for one of the slots, please check out my casting call and send me a message there or on my contact page.

A billboard advertisement in New York that seemed applicable here – ha, ha

New York City Photowalk – Day 1

New York City – September 1st, 2010

My printing series is on hold for a bit while I attend the Canon Expo in New York. I have a great hotel location near Times Square, so I had some fun tonight grabbing a few shots.

My home for the next few days – Darn!

This ain’t Seattle!

Trash Night in the Big Apple, or should I say the Big Crapple?

New York’s Finest

Okay, so I wanted to be a cop when I was a kid <g>

Taxi!!!

Busy Streets

Click here to go visit the gallery and view the EXIF metadata to get details about these shots. All shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and the all-new Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens or the Canon a 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. When needed, I use the Canon 580 EX II for some fill flash. All shots were edited from the RAW originals in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.0 in less than 5 minutes per photo with no third party software.

WARNING: Internet Explorer renders some colors very poorly on select monitors, so if the colors look horrible to you then use a color managed browser like Safari.