Alancrawford07_N.I's photostream

Alancrawford07_N.I's photostream on Flickr.

My Latest Flickr Update---40 NEW photos added. Some nice Night Photography included of Belfast in the rain.

The Pleasure & Pain of Post Production

The title speaks for itself. Is post production viewed as a pleasure or a right pain in the derriere??? Well I guess that would depend on the type of photography you are involved in. That could be categorized as either of the following:-

1. Photojournalism.
2. Weddings
3. Magazines & Portrait
4. Your own Portfolio & Family Photos.

1.Photojournalism

I've placed photojournalism first to get it out of the way as that is my line of work. For anybody who is currently involved in photojournalism you will know exactly where I'm coming from. I personally get word/email of a venue I've to cover and away i go. Depending on how much notice you get that is. Sometimes it's a day or so and sometimes it's just a few hours. But the thing about photojournalism is you don't really get a second chance to get another image. Usually it's a quick shot of a presentation or a gathering of people and that's it. It's done. People don't like to be hanging around waiting on a photographer to take a photo, especially if it's a dinner gathering as they are usually ready to eat their own arm. It's also not that feasible to get everybody back together again later in the event as they really will not be too keen to do so. And that is the importance of getting a good shot first time around. This is also good because you wont have much time to spend on post production. Most of my photos for the newspaper have very little editing done to them, maybe a little sharpening, some brightness levels tweaked and a crop here and there but that is it. Quick and easy as seen below...

Take the photo/details and Done!Away to the next shot.

2.Weddings

A couples wedding day is a stressful time for everyone involved including the photographer. Nowadays people are just as worried about having a decent photographer as they are about a venue or the colour of the bridesmaids dresses. I can't speak from experience as I've never photographed a wedding but i have heard plenty of stories(some good and some bad) about having to capture "The Big Day". I have however witnessed first hand the stresses of being a wedding photographer and i have to say from what i have taken from it "it won't be every ones cup of tea". No more so because it's going to be someones keepsake forever.
Yes you might have a little more time to get some great shots of the happy couple and their guests but you cannot take up all of their time. They are there primarily to enjoy their marriage to one another, not to be bossed around all day by a photographer who is worried about getting good photographs. This is were it is a good idea to have a plan of action before the day. If you can get to the venue in the week leading up to wedding then you can pick out a range of places that you will get great shots. It would also be helpful to yourself if you have in mind a range of poses for the camera. You don't want to have all you photos with the same pose. Remember this info is to help YOU the photographer. It will take an enormous amount of pressure off your shoulders and that in turn should enable you to get the images you want. All of this should help towards your post production work. If you have been able to get good shots in the first place then it'll decrease your time doing post work. I can't imagine the stress of shooting a wedding then having to scrummage your way through photos cause you were ill prepared for the event and haven't got anything decent. No amount of post production is gonna help you if you have taken underpar photos. Preparation is paramount and remember if you are shooting a wedding to not only check out locations outside the venue but also inside. Unless you're a super weatherman that is. We cannot predict the weather (not in Northern Ireland anyway) so make sure you cover all areas. Even something as simple as checking the batteries in your flashgun. That could be crucial. Wedding Photographers would usually inform you well in advance that it'll take a few weeks from the wedding day to get your photographs edited and put in the album you've choosen. Once that's completed then the remainder of your bill is usually paid depending on what you've agreed before hand.

Here are 2 sample photos from my wedding proofs at Belfast Castle. You can take a multitude of good photos here from garden shots to sweeping staircases. Remember to check out the venue before hand. Images taken by Hollybrook Photography in 2003.

3.Magazines & Portraits

Slightly different setup when it comes to Magazines & Portraits. With Magazines you you would usually have longer to shoot and get a good bit more leeway. Whether it be Models or Home Interiors you would usually have a few hours with either so the pressure wouldn't be as great as the Wedding scenario. Hair & Make-up can be fixed without rushing and Home Interiors would involve most of the work being done for you as people would want their house to look its best.
Portraits would fall under the same category as you would usually book a slot out to a client which in turn again means you wouldn't feel the pressure as much. Props and Toys for children would come into play here. Remember that with Portraits the person you're photographing doesn't always have to be facing the camera. In fact most spontanious shots turn out better than face on ones.
With this sort of photography you have a little more time for post production work so you can alter and tweak portraits if needs be as shown with a very very quick portrait of myself below. (Stop laughing) =)

As you can see from the marks on my face i was lucky enough to have ChickenPox recently......

And after a quick couple of minutes they have been edited out of the image.

4.Your Own Portfolio & Family Photos

It would probably be most common to spend the greatest amount of time on your own portfolio. Simply because you would be editing during you spare time and let's face it, you want your work to reflect who you are as a photographer. I spend a lot more time on post production for my own work. Why??? Mainly because i like Black&White images and i will try out different moods and shadows on my work. Sometimes i get slightly too engrossed in my images and before you know it a few hours have passed and you've missed dinner or it's midnight. For me thats when Post Prod can get a bit frustrating. When you've eaten up too many hours with one image(s). But then again some people like that, again it's your own preference. Below are a selection of what i am refering to:-

The Original shot is too underexposed for my liking...

(Shot in RAW format)

Again the image is still underexposed but now in my favourite format of B&W.

The Final Shot...As you can see after some editing the image is now brighter. Notice the difference in the trees, the wet tarmac and the background. This looks particulary good after the rain and the car headlights moving the length of the photo in the background have brought more light to the image. For me shooting in RAW is a must.

I've found that less time is spent on Family photos mainly because they are just kept to look at at a later date. That is unless you intend to hang any of them on the wall or put into photo frames. In that case you will probably do some sort of tweaking to the image.

So that is my take on Post Production. I'm hoping that that will give you some helpful advice and insight into the different categories and show you that depending on which category you are currently following will determine how long you'll spend on Post. Also remember that i have commented on other areas of photography that i'm not currently involved in but through previous experiences and multiple stories i have heard through the photography "grapevine" so to speak i have tried to give you some helpful advice. Remember Preparation is everything.

  

A Life in Black & White

This is the part of photography that i find fascinating. To shoot in Black&White or Colour. As the history of photography has developed through the years we've witnessed the change to colour images which is now standard on all cameras but has the cycle gone full circle???  Many people including myself have a mental image of early photographs (ie) around the early 1900's being black & white. This was mainly because the cost to make an image in colour was so high. The common mistake we make is that we just believe it had not been invented around Pre/World War I when in fact the earliest printed colour photo was thought of in 1855 by a chap named James Clerk Maxwell and his technique was used to produce the 1st permanant colour photo in 1861. As the years rolled on the processing technique was made cheaper and in the mid 1930's Kodak introduced the "Kodachrome" colour film which was available to the general public. From that moment on taking photographs had changed for good. Kodak is still known to most these days and has been right at the forefront of photography.


There were still some photographers through the years who dispite having colour readly available to them stood by the original concept of black & white. Photographers like Tom Baril, Henry Cartier Bresson and my personal favourite Brassai all mainly shot black & white. Brassai's work for me is what i love best. Black&White photos of Paris by night. Using street lights after the rain had soaked the pebbled streets to maximize the light in his images. Fantastic. I could look at his work all day but don't let my love for black & white put you off shooting in colour. Everyone has their own personal favourite. I sometimes think the reason i prefere B&W to colour is simply because the human eye sees in colour (unless you're extremely unfortunate) and it's what i'm used to. The tones and shading in B&W just give you a different feel and i think you can drawl more emotion from a B&W image than a colour one. I still have to shoot colour in my job for the local newspaper as that is the format required but when i'm doing shots for my own portfolio i tend to favour B&W.


Below are a few examples of the difference you can get when altering your image to Black & White from Colour..

When you see strawberries the first thing that you think of is a vibrant red as pictured above. A nice image and what you'd come to expect.

But look what happens to the same image when changed to B&W.

And again B&W but this time changing the brightness levels down to give it a darker mood.

For me the darker image is my favourite and it's mainly for a few reasons.

1.The mood has changed in the picture

2.There's a nicer sheen/glare off the top of the strawberries

and most importantly

3.You're first reaction to the photo is " Why is this picture not in colour?? You can't get the true impact of the strawberries!!! You wouldn't usually see a B&W photo of strawberries.

That is EXACTLY the type of reaction "I" as a photographer am looking for. If i can get even 1 person to talk about my photo (even if it's being pass-remarkable) then i'm doing something right. Photographers would be nothing without people commenting on their work. You're never going to get 100% compliments on your work but sometimes you'll need to mix things up to get a reaction.

If you are in anyway interested in Black & White photography then i would encourage you to check out the link below. Remember, night photography makes you think a lot more as you need to use light to your advantage. I think you'll appreciate Brassai's work from the early days.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&cp=9&gs_id=y&xhr=t&q=brassai+photography&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=683&wrapid=tljp1342805058973016&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=R5QJUPIcpsbRBZqwsMkK

A Titanic Challenge in Belfast

If I was to mention the words "Northern Ireland" what is the first thing that comes to mind????.....The Troubles. You thought that, right??? No, I'm not psychic. It's a common answer among many across the globe and from within the UK itself. Yes part of this countries history was marred by terrorism on a terrifying scale. Over the years i, like many others have been told horror stories about the acts of violence that occurred across this beautiful country and quite frankly I'm glad I was born towards the end of the 1970's. But prior to the fighting and segregation Northern Ireland was booming. The Industrial revolution had been in full flow in the 1800's and Northern Ireland was saturated with textile factories and heavy industry.
But the year 1861 was possibly going to be this countries finest year. The pro dominant shipyard Harland & Wolff was founded at the mouth of Belfast Lough and was to become the most iconic symbol of our time. The Shipyards Landmark Cranes "Samson & Goliath" can be seen from across the city of Belfast and have become one of todays major tourist attractions. However, they are not the biggest attraction in Belfast. That belongs to the Legend that is "Titanic". Built and completed in 1912 at Harland & Wolff shipyard she was later to become the most recognised ship in maritime history due to its ill fated maiden voyage. Over 1500 people lost their lives aboard the ship when it struck an iceberg in the icy waters of the Atlantic ocean. Over the years Northern Ireland as a whole has embraced the history of Titanic. You would be correct in thinking "why would anyone embrace a tragedy?" but what you have to understand is that because the ship was built in Belfast she was ours. At the height of the shipyard industry there were nearly 15000 workers at Harland and Wolff so losing the biggest passenger carrying ship of its time was a catastrophic blow for many in Northern Ireland and across the UK.
With changes through the decades came regeneration in Belfast. An upbeat economy had changed the skyline of this once grey city and many of the old industrial linen factory's became apartments as the housing market boomed. This also had an effect at the shipping docks in Belfast and to mark the strong background and history of the area it was renamed the Titanic Quarter. New buildings have been constructed, living accommodation, The Odyssey Arena, Banking Sector Offices and a Hotel have all rejuvenated the surrounding wasteland but none more so than the New Titanic Building. It stands proud on the docks of Belfast and is a true memorial to the legacy of Titanic. Its design is quite extraordinary as it's based on the shape of the ships bow.
I was slightly taken back recently when I learnt via a social networking site that a large number of today's youth from around the globe actually thought the blockbuster film Titanic was indeed just that....a film. To read their comments and find that they were shocked to find out that it was based on a historical event made me realise just how important the likes of the the Titanic building really is. If you want to experience the true story behind Titanic then you must come to Belfast as the city has been engulfed by its history. The Pumping Station/Dock, Drawing Rooms and the last surviving White Star Line vessel the SS Nomadic are still visitor attractions to this day. It really is worth a trip. My challenge was to shoot some images recently to show you what to expect if you were to ever visit Belfast.

The Titanic Building at Belfast Docks.

Part of the grounds surrounding the building.

The Iconic landmark "Samson" can be seen for miles.

The Pump House. The Titanic's "Dry Dock" is to the rear of the building.

The Bow of the last remaining White Star Line ship the SS Nomadic.

Showing progress in the Titanic Qtr. Apartments to the right, SS Nomadic front centre, Titanic Building to the left, Brown building is the old headquarters of Harland & Wolff and in the distance with the funnels on the roof is the old paint halls which is now used as a film set(Titanic Studios). The movie "My Highness" produced by Tom Hanks's film company and the tv series "Game of Thrones" have both been shot in this extremely large building.

Clocking out at the shipyard in 1910. The Titanic can be seen in the background during its construction. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

This photo is a personal favourite of mine firstly because its black & white and secondly because it has captured the very essence of that period in history. This has become one of the most iconic photographs connected to Harland & Wolff. It just looks like someone has hung out an office window and taken a quick shot and the resulting image has lasted 100 years. Brilliant!!!

A nice panoramic view of the Titanic Quarter(scoll to the right to view fully).

Swapping the Digital Camera for an iPhone

The title suggests a drastic change but this is only for a day. Sometimes it's good to take a break from your normal routine and try something different.....even if it's classed in the same category. The following is by no means a perfect piece of footage but it made me side shift out of my normal comfort zone. It's one thing trying to tell a story through a single image but it can be slightly more challenging to make a 5min video. If you're in any way interested in photography i strongly recommend you give this a go, even if it's just to try and bring out another creative side of you. It's not going to do your thought process any harm, if anything it will broaden it.

(Youtube Caption)
This is an 8mm film I made. Put the Digital Camera down for the day to try something different. All footage recorded and edited on my iPhone4 using 2 free apps called Lens+ and Splice. I have no rights to the music used in this film. Hope you enjoy....

click on the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UETWdVbOP6w&feature=g-upl

Flickr Update

Some new Photos added to my ever increasing Flickr account. Check out the link below

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancrawford07_ni/

JPEG vs RAW!!!!

This is a topic that gets a multitude of reactions. I know you're probably thinking "the last blog was about Back to Basics and this week about Raw" but i want you to seriously consider this and not look back wishing you'd read this sooner. Should you or shouldn't you make the change from shooting in JPEG to the ever more popular RAW format. My simple answer is.....it's a must! Myself, like many people who are serious about their photography these days shoot 99% of the time in RAW format. When I first started out with my camera I was like most people and shot my images in JPEG format on the (Large) setting. This is fine if your looking for a half decent image, and that's it....fine. But, if your looking to step your photographs up a notch then RAW format is a must. With a standard JPEG image you can only change so much if your going to be doing post production work. Most of the important tweaks have been chosen by your camera when taking the original shot. On the flip side of the coin, if you decide to shoot in RAW you can alter pretty much everything that you want in post production. The typical JPEG photo contains 256 brightness levels, a few of which are irreversible due to the camera making the decision for you. The typical RAW photo on the other hand contains over 16,000 brightness levels which in comparison is far greater. The RAW image is like a digital negative. ISO's, colour temp, shadows and saturation levels can all be adjusted before saving your file. The likes of PhotoShop etc allow you to import your RAW file and use it in a "digital darkroom" to add your own personal touch. NOTE: if you don't have the correct editing software and you take a Raw image you will not be able to open it on your computer as it will come up as a CR2 file. I have included a screenshot below to show the settings that you can still alter post production if shot in RAW.This is particularly helpful if you have the likes of an underexposed shot and need to brighten it up or change shadows. The only major downside to using RAW for me would be the file size. Most of the shots I take come out around 8-11 Mb's. Yes that is very large and takes up a lot of storage space but you can easily convert it into JPEG once you've altered your image and it then reduces to somewhere around 2Mb's. in all honesty I have not taken 1 Jpeg shot since I made the move and I have not regretted it for a single minute. You would also see a big difference when enlarging a print for instance as the pixels in a JPEG photo would not be as sharp. A couple of other things I would recommend.....first, get yourself a bigger memory card. 2GB ain't gonna cut it if you've half a days work ahead of you or to a greater extent a full days work. I currently work with an 8Gb memory card and I can get around 720 RAW images on that. For me that's plenty of room. Secondly, get an external hard drive. This will be crucial if you don't want to slow your PC or MAC down because before you know it you've 1000 photos on your laptop and space is no longer a luxury. It may seem like a lot of money to spend just to turn to RAW format but it's totally worth it in the end. You could very easily do it for less than £100. There are loads of editing packages available both online and in-stores so don't be thinking you "have to" opt for the most expense. This is not the case. Remember- The camera doesn't take the photo - you do!! As good as the editing software is these days I try not to alter my images too much. That's all the preaching i'm gonna do on this subject. Give it a try, even with a few photos and have a look at the difference on your computer. You'll not regret it.....