A couple of weekends ago I spent a morning at the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. I am not very happy with my images and the main reason is that I am still getting to know my new camera. The D700 is different enough from my D80 to make the technical aspects that were previously automatic for me, something I now need to review. It was good to figure that out when photographing tulips rather than next week when I am at the Magnum workshop. As a result, I processed these images by cropping to a panorama ratio. Normally I would be a bit of purist about framing in camera but since I took Steve Simon’s workshop, I’ve become more relaxed about cropping. Some of his images I liked the most were cropped and Steve is fine with that approach. So enjoy!
I’m going through this now myself as you know. Having made the jump from the Rebel XT to the 5D mark II I have been struggling with its metering but I think I just about got that sorted last weekend. I still need to familiarize myself more with its own peculiar characteristics and work out what, if any, customs function settings I want to install.
Regards the images, the third one down looks a little over-processed or saturated to me, not sure if it is just my screen. I really like the others though, they really give a sense of the scale of the tulip fields and the workers within them. I imagine that it must be like that in the Netherlands too. I like the panoramic crop and have myself become more relaxed about cropping – that came for me when I saw the Stieglitz exhibit here in NY. For the leader of the photo-secession and artistic photography movements to be fine with it opened my eyes. Even Cartier-Bresson cropped out some shadows in his most famous photograph because he had to stick the camera through some railings and he didn’t want them in the final image – at least as far I as have read.
Custom settings? Don’t get me started on those!
Yes that third image is over-processed. I wanted to see if it could be redeemed but I was photographing at the wrong time of day too. It would have been better if I had gone out in the early morning instead.
Interesting note about HBC. I had read that he didn’t like it when editors cropped his images and when I look at some of his compositions, they seem to have things along the edges I would have cropped either in camera or when processing. Can you recall where you read that?
Keep us posted on how you are doing with your new 5D Mark II
And I do enjoy, as always. I also remember that I first came to your blog when you posted about the last tulip festival. So much has happened since then! I’d love to talk with you more about the Steve Simon workshop. I’m intrigued. I am so excited for you about the Magnum workshop. Go, you!
Has it been a year already, Dorothy? Hard to believe but then time flies when you enjoy the company you’re keeping. I have lots more to share about Steve’s workshop but I haven’t had a chance to write up the pieces in a way that might be helpful. I definitely recommend it if he is in your neighbourhood.
I think you are talking about progress rather than perfection. When we are focused on perfection we no longer are relaxed and enjoying the experience of photography. I like these images, telling a story of what you experienced. For me the cropping allows me to move from left to right then back to the left, keeping within the image. Awesome!
No perfection for me, Monte. It’s more that I learned a while ago that if you can figure out the technical stuff so that you don’t have to pay attention to it, you can concentrate on the experience and try to find a way to let people see how you felt about the experience. I’m glad you like the images. Hope you are keeping well and busy with your camera
And beyond your gear issue, a factor that I noticed this year, same field as last year, is that the orientation of the rows was changed 90 degrees. (Those farmers. what a sense of humour) I had a number of images I had pre-planned prior to arriving this year that were based on images and memories from last year and they went right out the window. As well, the light was just not as strong this year as last. High overcast I think. So I defaulted to making images of big mountain backgrounds and chaulked up another lesson about being careful about what expectations I take to a shoot.
And…I really enjoyed these images you posted. They feel like “Sabrina” images to me
Is that what it was Dave? Sneaky farmers. It did feel different but I couldn’t figure out why. I would love to see your images sooner rather than later. Rumour has it we might not have a review session until October!
The third one is actually my favorite I love how the light hits the inside of the tulips and also how the lines of tulips create a line to draw the eye into the picture. To me it is the image with the most depth.
Love the third one and the abstract! I do have to visit the Tulip festival some time. Looks like photographer’s heaven!
A really nice series, Sabrina. I actually really like the panoramic crop consistency.
~Brian
Ahhh, a revisit from the very first blog post of yours I read
I think it goes a bit further than knowing one’s gear. You’d have to love it as well to some extent, as hating one’s tools is a definite obstacle to the creative end point. I’m guessing the love bit is no issue, from the images above. Especially that last one, that was definitely unexpected!
The first time I took my D700 out for a ride, I was surprised at the weightiness of the thing, especially having to run around with it for a full day (wedding shoot) with a longish zoom on it. The mass of tiny, previously unknown muscles in my hands were complaining like hell the next day. My not so recently acquired D7000 on the other hand, is a continual pleasure (it’s my permanent camera in bag) given it’s delightfully small, light and much more silent than anything else.
Ok I will stop going on about gear now, in the grips of irrational lust for that lovely new Fuji x100.
Mere days away from Larry now. Wooo hooo!
LOVE the abstract Sabrina. Switching to a new camera is always a challenge, but exciting at the same time. I think we all need to live by those words: “Know Thy Gear”!!
I just love the last image!