Jeff Curto's Camera Position

The difference between a conscious and an unconscious photographer is that the conscious photographer produces better work by thinking more and photographing less. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Sign up for the Workshops Mailing List – Planning is underway for the 2017 Italy Photography Workshops

In a few past episodes, we’ve looked at alternate ways to get your work in front of an audience, and here’s another one: ‘Zines.  This “low-fi” type of publication is a great (and cheap) way of getting your work into others’ hands. I use my former student Michael Jarecki’s ‘Zine “Just Make Pictures” as an example of how it can work. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Michael Jarecki – His ‘zine “Just Make Pictures” is also the name of his blog * Order Mike’s ‘zine here * If you’re in Chicago, you can find Mike’s ‘zine here * Allison Smith’s ‘zine is also worth checking out * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Sign up for the Workshops Mailing List – Planning is underway for the 2017 Italy Photography Workshops

The great architect Mies van der Rohe is famous for the phrase “Less is More” to describe his approach to simplifying his designs. That philosophy can be applied to photography as well, as it is often better to make fewer, but more thoughtful, images. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * The Mies van der Rohe Society * van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House in Plano, IL * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Sign up for the Workshops Mailing List – Planning is underway for the 2017 Italy Photography Workshops

From aperture and focal length to shutter speeds and focus points, our modern photographic tools give us a wealth of information about our photographs. We can use that information to learn about the way we approach photography and what strategies lead to our greatest successes. JUNE 28 Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Julieanne Kost’s quick Lightroom tip about finding your images using filters * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Sign up for the Workshops Mailing List – Planning is underway for the 2017 Italy Photography Workshops

All of us make photographs that, for some reason, don’t quite work, even though we had high hopes for them. If we embrace those photographs that almost worked, but didn’t, we can find some tools to help us improve and grow. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Sign up for the Workshops Mailing List – Planning is underway for the 2017 Italy Photography Workshops Here are some examples of images that are “almosts” for me (and that I discuss in this podcast):    

When you face something you think you can’t possibly do and then go ahead and do it anyway creativity is the tool you use. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Using Virtual Copies in Lightroom – a great way to experiment * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Sign up for the Workshops Mailing List – Planning is underway for the 2017 Italy Photography Workshops

A lot of people who are “into” photography seem to think of the “doing” of photography as the end unto itself. While the mechanical act of making photographs can be pleasurable, I think of photography as a medium for self-examination, not a pursuit unto itself. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Sign up for the Workshops Mailing List – Planning is underway for the 2017 Italy Photography Workshops. Sign up for the mailing list to be informed when registration begins.

The American abstract expressionist painter Richard Diebenkorn (1922 –1993) is noted not only for his great work, but also for his thoughts about the creative process. Diebenkorn’s “Notes to myself on beginning a painting” is a list of 10 things to think about as we begin any creative work – we can think of them as “10 Rules for Getting Started.” Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Richard Diebenkorn on Artsy. net * Richard Diebenkorn – a website with lots of information and images * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Sign up for the Workshops Mailing List – Planning is underway for the 2017 Italy Photography Workshops Richard Diebenkorn’s “Notes to myself on beginning a painting” 1.  Attempt what is not certain.  Certainty may or may not come later.  It may then be a valuable delusion. 2.  The pretty, initial position which falls short of completeness is not to be valued — except as a stimulus for further moves. 3.  Do search.  But in order to find other than what is searched for. 4.  Use and respond to the initial fresh qualities but consider them absolutely expendable. 5.  Don’t “discover” a subject — of any kind. 6.  Somehow don’t be bored — but if you must, use it in action.  Use its destructive potential. 7.  Mistakes can’t be erased but they move you from your present position. 8.  Keep thinking about Polyanna. 9.  Tolerate chaos. 10. Be careful only in a perverse way.

There’s an old adage in photography: “inside every 8×10” print, there is a really excellent 5×7” image waiting to be found.” That old saw is the foundation for an exercise that I’ve used for myself and in my classes over the years; take an image that you’ve made and search for alternate cropping choices that might strengthen the composition. Regardless of whether you find a “better” photograph, you learn a fair amount about how to see. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Using Virtual Copies in Lightroom – a great way to experiment * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Sign up for the Workshops Mailing List – Planning is underway for the 2017 Italy Photography Workshops        

A listener asked where the logo for Camera Position came from, which gave me an impetus to talk about that photograph and the concept of the Lone Tree image – a compulsory photograph for nearly every photographer. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Jeff’s Photograph Italy Workshops And I could keep going and going…

When we position the camera, we are ultimately positioning the viewer of our photographs. We explore this idea using a 1757 painting by the Venetian Painter Canaletto, who often used a camera obscura to create his paintings. Thanks to Dirk Rösler and the folks at the Large Format Photography Forum for setting these wheels in motion. Check out some of the conversations we’re having on Facebook and Flickr about photography and ideas. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Jeff’s Photograph Italy Workshops * Japan Exposures – Dirk Rösler’s site * Canaletto – a gallery of his paintings online * Large Format Photography Forum – A clearing house of information for the view camera photographer  

Everyone has ideas, but many people keep those ideas hidden inside. The creative person finds a way to get those ideas out the door in a way that allows them to breathe. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Jeff’s Photograph Italy Workshops – A few spots remain for Lake Como, Tuscany and Rome workshops – Final Registration is March 1

“Anyone can print black – just put a piece of photo paper under the enlarger, turn the enlarger light on and leave it on. But light values… ahhh… light values… they are the soul of the black and white photograph. Not everyone can print white and have it sing.”   So said one of my great photo teachers, Neil Rappaport. I took that advice to heart, but it was a visit to the Photography Study Room at the Art Institute of Chicago where I really learned the truth behind those words as I viewed Paul Strand’s photograph Mr. Bennett, Vermont, 1944. Play Podcast: Links for this Episode: * The History of Photography Class in the Photo Study Room at the Art Institute of Chicago * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Jeff’s Photograph Italy Workshops – A few spots remain for Puglia and Rome

Camera Position is ten years old!  The first episode of Camera Position was published February 5, 2006 and it’s been a wonderful decade of learning about photography, my listeners and myself. A huge thank you to all of you listeners out there! I really appreciate your support and your participation in the Camera Position community. Play Podcast: Here are some of the more popular podcast episodes over the last 10 years. * Camera Position Episode 89 – Camera Position & Camera Distance – examined work by some great photographers to look at proximity and relationship. * Episodes 87 & 88 : Desert Island Photographs – Part 1 and Part 2 – where listeners picked their one “desert island photograph.” * Episode 60 – Back to Basics – Composition  an overview of essential visual image composition principles. * Episodes  69 and 70 on Gestalt Theory and Composition which explored the concepts of gestalt and visual communication. For those interested, I’ve also produced a free e-book, Resonating Images: Communicating Messages Visually * Episode 154 Feedback Part 1 – and  Episode 155 Feedback Part 2 – looked at how to – and how not to – critique photographs, and included the printable infographic that detailed how to do effective image critique. * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Jeff’s Photograph Italy Workshops – A few spots remain for Puglia and Rome

“How do I get started in learning black and white photography?” That was the question I got by the boatload after the podcast about B&W photography, so this episode is dedicated to articulating some resources for that pursuit, starting with some advice from one of the greats, Ansel Adams. Play Podcast: Links for this episode: * Ansel Adams’ book The Print * Hiroshi Sugimoto – Seascapes * Michael Kenna – Photographs * Lenswork Magazine * Camera Position on Facebook – Share your images * Camera Position on Flickr – Share your images * Jeff’s Photograph Italy Workshops – A few spots remain for Puglia and Rome