Newsletter No. 33: April 2008

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CONTENTS

1. Congratulations to BC Book Prize Winners
2. Preparing for a Photo Shoot
3. On the Road Again
4. So all your friends think you should sell your imagery . . . what to do?

Hi everyone,

It’s been a busy month with a good part of it being on the road. There was the week-long trip to Los Angeles to receive a photography award, several grassland presentations, and finally the BC Book Prizes Gala this past weekend. There remains one more grasslands presentation and that will do it until the fall. Starting next week, it’s all about photography . . . finally!!

Enjoy the Newsletter, and pass it on to interested friends. Remember, our goal here at the Gallery is to share the creative process, and promote the arts; thus strengthening our artistic community. Thank you.

1. Congratulations to BC Book Prize Winners

On April 26th, our friend Bill Horne (book designer of Spirit in the Grass) joined Rita and I in attending the Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala banquet in Vancouver. As you recall, Spirit in the Grass was short-listed in two categories, but that was as good as it got!

One of the highlights of the evening was watching my friend Ian McAllister receive the BC Booksellers Choice Award for his book The Last Wild Wolves: Ghosts of the Great Bear Rainforest. Ian is an environmentalist who so deserved this award after spending years with the wolves of the central coast.

Another highlight was listening to the speech of the Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Steven Point; and later meeting with him and presenting him with a copy of my book. He seems like a wonderful gentleman.

Apart from that, it was a treat to meet with several of the other finalists and get an insight into mainstream publishing and how it all works! I’m still happy to say, I am proud to be a self-publisher – for the same reasons I described in my article "Why Self-Publish" in Newsletter #28.

You can read all about the other book prize winners at www.bcbookprizes.ca/winners.

2. Preparing for a Photo Shoot

Photography can be a creative adventure. It represents an opportunity to explore a subject deeply, to search for new and fresh perspectives, and to express yourself and the relationship between you and your subject. Doing this will provide you with a sense of excitement and a deep appreciation for the natural world.

Let me give you an example of what I do before I head out on a shoot with my camera. In this case, I am heading out to shoot a rodeo.

1. In Newsletter #17 I gave you a list of 18 Creative Techniques which is a list I carry around with me and refer to often. Drawing on all my photographic experience, I review all these photographic options and try to visualize how each might work with any given subject – in this case all the rodeo events.

© Chris Harris; Canon EOS-3 film camera

In this instance I chose a fast shutter speed (probably 1/1000 sec.) to freeze the action, show the expressions of the horses and rider, and capture the details such as the horses’ muscles. I also chose a location where the chuck wagon would be coming around a corner, for dramatic action.

2. I write down the ones I feel might work for me (or my client, if I am shooting for one), and I make notes on exactly how I will accomplish each visualization. In other words, I develop a shoot plan. Although I am always open to unexpected opportunities, I do have a plan for a great number of images to capture that day. If I return to the rodeo the next day, I might very well have a new plan based on new ideas or visualizations that came to me that day.

© Chris Harris; Canon EOS-3 film camera

In this instance, I took the opposite approach. I used a slow shutter speed (probably around 1/15 sec.) and panned my camera at approximately the same speed as the chuck wagon. This approach eliminates detail and evokes a totally different feeling. Both express action but in different ways. The shutter speed you choose depends on the lens you use, how abstract you want your subject to be and the distance between you and the subject.

3. Another thing I always try and do is visit art galleries (with a note pad); and study art books. The first place I wanted to go earlier this month in Los Angeles, for example, was the Paul Getty Museum. I am inspired by the Masters of both painting and photography and I often acquire new creative ideas while studying their work. More often than not, I get more ideas from looking at paintings than photographs.

The next time you go out to photograph, no matter what the subject, try developing a shoot plan and see how you do. With experience, your creative techniques list will grow and the results will be ever more satisfying.

3. On the Road Again

Last week I headed out to the Chilcotin to re-connect with many of my old guide-outfitter friends in order to lay plans on how best to gain access to the best volcanic areas within Tweedsmuir and Itcha-Ilgatchuz Parks. The coffee was on and the maps were out – it took seconds before I just wanted to be out there once again! During this year’s Newsletters, I’ll be taking you to some pretty amazing places!

On my way home, however, I decided to take my time and try out my new camera. This Canon 1Ds MkIII is so different from past Canon models that I had to purchase a $20 manual in order to understand and choose my best option settings. My God, I was so excited to try my new camera and then I had to go through a state of depression in order to figure it all out first!! Anyway, I did manage to take a few images, which I will share with you.

Anahim Peak

Canon EOS-1Ds MarkIII; Lens:70-200mm;
Focal length: 200mm; ISO: 100; Shutter speed: 1/20 sec; Aperture: 29
Exp. mode: AV; Exp.comp: +1/3

It was a beautiful morning so I took a short ride out toward Anahim Peak – a volcanic mountain that stands alone on the horizon between the Rainbow and Ilgatchuz mountains. I’ll be taking you to the top of this mountain, where I’ll take a look at some of the obsidian that First Nations peoples traded throughout the region.

During the summer season one can hardly see this old guy through the leaves, but this particular day in April it worked. Next I’ll have to research its history which should prove interesting.

To the passer-by, the chaos of willows found in swamp-like environments along the highway can hold little attraction. But in spring, there is a new hint of colour, and as colour evokes our emotions more than any other visual element, I am always attracted to them.

The challenge is: how to find order within chaos. I thought I would share three images with you to describe my search for meaning within chaos.

Had I known I was going to write this little story I would have made a better image than the one above to show you the chaos, but this will do. Where does one begin?

In this image you will detect my attempt to find unity and structure. You can vaguely see three triangular shapes. The first starts from the bottom-centre and moves upward. It comprises of slightly more colour compared to the two remaining triangular shapes on either side which are comprised more of dead grey branches.

Finally, I detected some stronger shapes with less distracting elements. This image creates a more harmonious feeling and the layering of shapes adds strength and structure. Your choice of lens and viewpoint make a huge difference in how these shapes are discovered and rendered. It’s a creative exercise you might want to try – the search can be stimulating. This was my favourite of the ten or so images I made.

4. So all your friends think you should sell your imagery . . . what to do?

This is a huge subject but I get asked several times a year. Because I sell imagery as both fine art prints here at my gallery and through several stock agents around the world, I feel I can address the question. I’ll try to be succinct and honest.

Firstly, there are hundreds of thousands of very serious amateur nature photographers out there, many of whom have the resources to use the very best equipment and travel to the spots in the world which offer the greatest potential for amazing imagery. Many even hire professional photographers to make sure they get great images while they are there. The competition is fierce. To make a living selling imagery requires artistic talent, technical know-how, a unique vision and the drive or passion to work extremely hard.

With this in mind, I have watched stock agents review slide submissions (including my own) and believe me, if they look at any one image more than one second, it’s a great image. The majority are passed over in milliseconds. The world is swamped in mediocrity. Images must be compelling, have immediate impact and a distinct vision or perspective.

I don’t want to sound discouraging as there will always be new photographers breaking into the market. I would suggest to anyone, have a professional photographer look at your portfolio before applying to a stock agent or gallery. If you wish to sell images as prints, start small and locally. You will quickly learn what the response to your work is.

As much as the above bear image is a wonderful moment to capture, unfortunately for the photographer, it was a sunny day in a forest environment. This made it basically impossible to make a satisfactory image. Our human eyes have patterned ways of looking at photographs or paintings.

For example, we go to light areas over dark areas, focused areas over out-of-focus areas, and highly saturated areas over less saturated areas. So in this image, our eyes bounce around to the myriad of bright areas instead of focusing on the intended centre of interest – the mama bear and her cub. This had nothing to do with the photographer, but the prospective buyer doesn’t really care. He or she is only interested in buying the most amazing bear image taken in the most amazing light.

In today’s imagery market, there’s always a photographer dedicating their time, resources, and energy to creating better opportunities for themselves in order to get that perfect bear image. One of the most difficult parts of the photographic process is separating one’s own emotional connection with the creation of one’s image from the commercial reality.

So, once again, without sounding discouraging, it is extremely difficult to make a living as a nature photographer these days. The cost of acquiring great imagery keeps going up and the return on most imagery (like stock imagery) keeps going down. Not a promising thought!

So as they say, don’t give up your day job until you are sure you can make the leap successfully.

I thank the photographer of the use of this photograph and allowing me to use it as an example to discuss the business of selling imagery.