January 19, 2011: Night Vision

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When I first began to make art photographs, the loner or the solo person was the top priority in my compositions. In planning, any dark form or silhouette lent to this original mindset. I would seek out settings that complimented this, so the earliest pictures contain these figures. I continued looking for only this type of image for quite a while and was very successful in my endeavour during the daytime. I stumbled across similar successes at night which also made for some very nice photographs, but great photographs after dark require several variables to work in my favor. The camera’s technological capabilities in low light, the brightness of the light source and speed of the subject as they move through the light are my primary concerns.

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In 2012, taking a picture in the evening is far easier than in 2008 when I began this project. Advancements in digital technology allow for better low light images. There is less noise or pixelization in a high ISO photograph thanks to the more recent  achievements of digital camera manufacturers. I currently use the Canon S90 point and shoot, but started with the Canon G9, then the G10, each a little better than it’s predecessor and I use these particular cameras because they are the only point and shoots that have the manual focus feature, a must for my work. The challenge that arises for me is the brightness of the light source for my composition. Because I am shooting through something in order to distort my images the exposure difference can be up to 3 stops which is difficult when you are already working at night.

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I typically begin with choosing a bright light source that is paired with a relatively interesting background such as an overhead light showering a doorway or nicely illuminated storefront that will make for a nice backdrop. Next step would be the ISO setting which will help to decide whether a  picture will be possible. While it is possible to set the camera to the highest value, a composition that does not support excessive noise cannot be successful and I would move on. Last on the list is the shutter speed.

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When deciding on shutter speed, I know through experience that a setting of 30 is the lowest I can go and this requires the subject to not only be in the light but virtually motion free. A higher setting allows me to wait for the right subject and not have to worry about that person moving too fast. With all of these variables in place, I am well on the way to a great picture.

You can find these pictures and much more of my fine art photography at:

www.jamesmesserschmidt.com.

To locate these pictures, please take note of the file number or search using keywords such as night or silhouette to narrow down your focus. If there is any difficulty, I can be contacted through facebook, my email james@jamesmesserschmidt.com or here on my blog.

Thank you ,

James

December 23, 2011: Talk About Your Work

I began to go to portfolio reviews in 2009 when I was looking for the next step in taking my personal work public. My first event was PhotoNOLA, a small venue in New Orleans, LA and a fabulous primer for future critiques. Next to follow was FotoFest in Houston, Texas which is a large event that spans more than the course of a month. They were both great opportunities to share my work with leading editors, buyers and curators from around the world and the insight gained from talking the industry leaders as well as my photographic peers, was invaluable and began the wheels turning.

During a portfolio review an artist presents the work of their choice, typically a current project, to a photography-based decision-maker for them to give their opinion and advice, and possibly a future opportunity for publishing, exhibition or purchase. While it is possible to have an unfavorable review (one person told me to stop with this style) , my meetings were quite positive and very helpful. For me it was the beginning of the process of confirming to myself that my project was appealing to people that did not know me personally. That validation was not without questions by the reviewer, however. Throughout both review events I was asked “who influenced me?” folllowed by the recommendation to know more about the history of photography (and art) because I would need to be able to talk about my work.

This was a challenge for me because I wasn’t familiar with too many names and certainly couldn’t pair the work with the artist save “The Mona Lisa” with Leonardo daVinci or Michelangelo’s “David”. So outside of the typical top ten I was out of luck and slightly embarassed. Because I am different in my photographic background I needed to look closely at myself and how I arrived at my process.

Immediately following the second review I began to buy photo history books in an attempt to know who influenced me. I identified similarities in the work of Alfred Stiegltz, Edward Steichen and my own and set out to find more photographers whose names I could use in my conversations about how I arrived at my style. The search brought me to the art world, including Impressionism, Expressionism and the Dutch Golden Age. The discovery (or rediscovery) of the term Realism brought me to Edward Hopper and clearly there are similarities between his work and mine. I was building my history now, but not an accurate one. Rarely have I remembered the name of an artist, photographer, director or producer and since my childhood I have been absorbing images from television, movies, museums and most recently photography. My “method” is derived from viewing and admiring the technique from any visual source available. Before the question of “who influenced me?” I had never stopped to check. I would run through a museum, see a piece, stop, observe, mentally record and move on. For TV and movies, aside from the brilliance of Gary Marshall, I couldn’t tell you who put together the Humphrey Bogart film, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, a brilliantly lit, high contrast black and white movie from the 1940’s.

I am greatly enjoying the research I am currently embarked on; there is limitless amounts of information available about any artist I want to learn about. I have enjoyed learning about Hopper’s own social challenges and how that played a part in his work. I better understand how my own work’s lack of detail is stylistically similar to the paintings of the Impressionists. My higher contrast images, bold with shadow or silhouette are drawn from a deHooch or other Dutch artists of the period.

In the future, when I am asked to talk about my work I would have to say that thousands of anonymous images influenced my work and I am now learning who created those images.

You can find this picture and much more of my fine art photography at:

(>www.jamesmesserschmidt.com.

To locate these pictures, please take note of the file number or search using keywords such as blue, silhouette or couple to narrow down your focus. If there is any difficulty, I can be contacted through facebook, my email (>james@jamesmesserschmidt.com or here on my blog.

Thank you ,

James

December 7, 2011: All In A Day

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There are some days when the desire to make a photograph with my fine art style is overwhelming. So much so that I will try to force a picture from a bad background selection. I will spend countless hours trying to make something work that is just not in the cards that day.

Lately, on a typical day when looking for inspiration I will pigeon hole myself into believing that my standard lighting, high contrast, is the only good effect and forget about the other possibilities that abound on any given day. It is like having blinders on and only looking back on the road most recently traveled. It is one where the shadows are long and expressive, where the light is bright and where dark silhouettes and remarkable highlights stand out.

However on December 7, 2011 things would be different. I was parked on East 10th street in Manhattan, NY. I knew I was going to be there for the day and hadn’t taken a personal picture in quite a while so I really wanted one that day. My background across the street wasn’t brilliant but didn’t contain any distracting components such as street signs. A few additional details like some bicycles and the brickwork on the facade made it somewhat interesting. There were two mailboxes whose shape and color I found inviting, so I would mean to include them as well. The problem however, was the lighting or lack of it and I really wanted a picture. Normally, without the bright light this would not have worked no matter my strong desire for success unless something else were added to the environment.

 I lucked out that afternoon because it was raining and that meant umbrellas and overcoats. An otherwise boring picture would become more dramatic with the few props brought on by the inclement weather. I would also see alot of black which would contrast nicely with the building and the additional details of my “stage”.

Since I felt I had a chance at making a picture I prepared my Canon S90 point and shoot and discovered that the day was darker then I realized so I adjusted the ISO to a value around 1600. Unfortunately the technology in the Canon S90 is not as good as an SLR’s when tackling lowlight situations so the result is a picture with more digital grain; not as bad as earlier digital cameras but still lacking in clarity. (It is important to note that while my pictures are not tack sharp at the end, I prefer to begin with a crisp image in my viewfinder).

The next hour moved quickly as I began with a color composition, and made a few like MesserschmidtJ-000469, which is the blue umbrella above but found that the pixelization in the photographs was distracting. I decided to experiment with the black and white setting available in the camera which produced MesserschmidtJ-000474. When I removed the color element of the composition I also removed the speckling caused by the higher ISO. The result reminded me of early photographs of Steichen and Stieglitz; two photographers whose work continue to inspire me. Still, I felt more could be done so I tried the sepia option on the S90.

Dumb luck, experimentation and the knowledge of what my camera can do are the elements which produced MesserschmidtJ-000479. The process was thoughtful and intentional but my best photograph was the result of a misfire, bad timing and a debatably poor subject, so why did I shoot? The person was crossing the street in front of me and this presented something new and different. Happenstance wins.

This might be the time to say that not one of these images are altered in post production. Every effect and tool used is adjusted before I press the shutter button and you see the result.

You can find these pictures and much more of my fine art photography at:

www.jamesmesserschmidt.com.

To locate these pictures, please take note of the file number or search using keywords such as rain, sepia or east 10th street to narrow down your focus. If there is any difficulty, I can be contacted through facebook, my email james@jamesmesserschmidt.com or here on my blog.

Thank you ,

James

October 4, 2011: Rockefeller Plaza, NYC, NY

Editing and picking the final photograph can be challenging when choosing between similar frames. When comparing the following two images I was trying to decide whether the layout was better than the subject’s behaviour. In the first picture everything design-wise was perfect. Each component filled the “canvas” equally well without any white space that is distracting. Angles, perspective and lighting were interesting and the action of the man was typical in my pictures – in the process of movement with the feet at the ideal point in their stride.

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While the layout is better in MesserschmidtJ-000441 and it is the picture I ultimately prefer, MesserschmidtJ-000442 contains something different, emotion. There is an event happening where the subject is expressing something through his posture inspiring the user to ask more questions of what this picture could be saying. A person’s body language gives clues to the way they feel at any given moment and in this case the man appears to be fatigued or depressed, but he could also be looking at the ground; the interpretation is for the viewer decide.

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The picture was composed near Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, NY on October 4, 2011 using my Canon S90 point and shoot. The camera’s aspect ratio was set to 16:9 and the white balance was kept at the “sunlight” choice. While the S90 is mainly manual it does not offer a white balance you can change numerically. I adjusted my aperture to f4 and changed my focus to create the desired affect. I liked the shadow of the tree and positioned myself so that I had some interesting lines and angles. Then I waited for the right person to arrive.

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Messerschmidt-000442 edit

When I get a photo I like, especially when I am chimping (reviewing the picture on the camera’s viewfinder) it is a very thrilling moment. MesserschmidtJ-000441 provided that feeling immediately; MesserschmidtJ-000442 was seen after the download to my computer. I do like 442 but in order to make it “correct” it would need to be cropped to remove the dead area in the bottom of the frame and while it finishes the picture, it does limit it’s uses to a very narrow horizontal placement.

You can find this picture and much more of my fine art photography at:

(>www.jamesmesserschmidt.com.

To locate this picture, please take note of the file number or search using keywords such as man, shoes or rockefeller plaza to narrow down your focus. If there is any difficulty, I can be contacted through facebook, my email (>james@jamesmesserschmidt.com or here on my blog.

Thank you ,

James

Keywords:

November 7, 2011: Flashback to September 2008 and the Second Picture

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In all of my photographs in the fine art category I hold something between the lens and the subject in order to soften and reduce the sharpness of the details. I like the way the outcome contributes to the composition especially when removing information. There is also a painterly feel to the pictures which compliments my love of old paintings and their contribution to photography.

So in september 2008 in Astoria, NY on the corner of 38th street and 21st avenue where I was living in my first apartment outside of the Long Island suburbs I made the second photograph and further reinforced my belief that this style of photography was something that I enjoyed and would produce successful images. The idea of photographing through something with varying opacity was clearly an idea that deserved further exploration, so I went to Home Depot to see what I could find. It is a place rich with stuff for any project you have in mind and after a little while of roaming I found a blue air conditioner filter that became the modifier for this picture.

I love this picture so much; a lot of choices were made and when the right moment happened I captured it in a single frame; a very thrilling moment for me. First was the filter I was shooting through; it was blue, which meant the photograph would be blue and since I didn’t want blue I changed a setting on the Canon G9 to sepia mode. I then adjusted the manual focus on my point and shoot. (Canon G9, G10 and S90 (haven’t used the G11 or S100 yet) are the only point and shoots with manual focus). I will regulate what is in focus until I find an outcome that seems right. Perspective was to follow and I had decided that sitting in the street on the corner and looking up to capture more of the building facade was what I wanted. The sun’s position was coincedental, but the shadows added to picture leaving only who would populate the frame.

Typically I like only one person to be in my pictures. I like the sense of solitude, lonliness and mystery that is contained when a person is on their own. Currently two people would not make it past first edit unless it was remarkable like this one was. This single frame was pure happenstance. The cropping of the adult as well as the child turning exactly as I pressed the shutter button was pure, dumb luck; very common in photography and so exciting when you review what you’ve got. I also love the clothing they are wearing. Since much of my clothing harkens back to earlier times their outfits remind my of 40’s or 50’s in the City.

Photography is a lot of luck but you can plan ahead by adjusting your camera settings, framing your background and having the patience to wait for the opportunity to arrive to take your picture; the end result will thrill just like this one did and always does when I look at it.

You can find this picture and much more
of my fine art photography at:

www.jamesmesserschmidt.com.

To locate this picture, please take note of
the file number or search using keywords
such as sepia, girl or astoria to narrow
down your focus. If there is any difficulty,
I can be contacted through facebook,
my email james@jamesmesserschmidt.com
or here on my blog.

Thank you ,

James

Keywords: Sepia, Girl, Astoria, Walking, Looking, Child

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November 7, 2011: Flashback to August 2008 When Inspiration Struck

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August 2008 I decided to go to Washington DC to look for inspiration and ended up in the National Portrait Museum. It is a wonderful place full of magnificent images that I had hoped would light a spark. The second floor of the museum proved to be just that. I was passing by a window covered by a mesh window dressing which minimaly obstructed the view of G Street NW just below. What I saw was color, shapes, light and shadows; a beautiful interaction that created one fantastic composition. I watched the people enter the scene and saw how everything intereacted to complete the picture. The above photograph was the result and the impetus for the next three years of my personal project. I hope you enjoy.

You can find this picture and much more
of my fine art photography at:

(>www.jamesmesserschmidt.com.

To locate this picture, please take note of
the file number or search using keywords
such as woman, G street and Washington DC to narrow
down your focus. If there is any difficulty,
I can be contacted through facebook,
my email (>james@jamesmesserschmidt.com
or here on my blog.

Thank you ,

James

Keywords: Woman, Walking, G Street, Color, Washington DC

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September 20, 2011: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

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Simplicity. Less is more. Keep it simple. More often than not I need to edit my composition in my viewfinder before I press the shutter because the photographic style becomes convoluted and muddy when too much extraneous detail is included in the frame. In this particular effort I saw another favorite of mine, the blue plywood that is erected on construction sites around the New York City boroughs. While driving in Williamsburg, Brooklyn I came across another location with the temporary blue walls. Working with a minimal background is a challenge because color alone does not make it interesting as you can see in Messerschmidt-000091.

In this earlier work

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and the first blue wall image, the cropping, the focus, the white balance, the material used to distort the lens as well as the most important element, the man and his clothing combined to make a favorite photo. The background was just two rectangles; somewhat interesting if it were a modern art painting, but it was not enough for a photograph. Cooling the white balance and distorting the image were  still not enough. The character who walked into the frame dressed entirely in blue made it a great image; he finished it and no one else would do.

The same goes with image Messerschmidt-000440. By itself, the background is a simple intersection of diagonals with tones of blue and grey that work together, where the lower part of the frame starts out light and as your eye travels upwards the color gets deeper and richer. The perspective is also interesting and keeps the eye moving towards the top of the picture.

With every picture I compose I follow the same formula: find an interesting location and populate the composition with an interesting subject and the results are a great and satisfying photograph. Since I haven’t asked people to pose for these pictures it can take hours to get the picture I want and if there are components that are rapidly changing such as the sun, sometimes I walk away empty handed. In this case I lucked out early.

Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY like Park Avenue in Manhattan, NY also has a huge assortment of people dressed in creative or “character-like” attire. The “right” costume for me varies from simplicity such as dark overcoat, pants, shoes and a hat to something colorful and rich that compliments or contrasts with the “stage” they are passing through. I like the appearance of motion if the picture also benefits. Sometimes a subject still and in the shadows is a better picture. In the end, patience and careful planning along with a little luck helped to create a very satisfying photograph.

You can find this picture and much more
of my fine art photography at:

www.jamesmesserschmidt.com.

To locate this picture, please take note of
the file number or search using keywords
such as blue, wall, hat or man to narrow
down your focus. If there is any difficulty,
I can be contacted through facebook,
my email james@jamesmesserschmidt.com
or here on my blog.

Thank you ,

James

Keywords: Blue, Wall, Hat, Man, Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Solo, Alone, Walking, Smoking

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September 14, 2011: Bethesda Fountain Underpass

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Another favorite place of mine in New York City would be the underpass that leads to Bethesda Fountain. Rich with color, shape, lines and perspective choices this location offers many composition ideas that eagerly wait for the right actor to be a participant (unaware of course). This is place that alot of people visit which then affords me many, many options to photograph and in this case a bride-to-be became the main focus of my picture.

You can find this picture and much more
of my fine art photography at:

((>www.jamesmesserschmidt.com.

To locate this picture, please take note of
the file number or search using keywords
such as bride, bethesda fountain and central park
to narrow down your focus. If there is any difficulty,
I can be contacted through facebook,
my email ((>james@jamesmesserschmidt.com
or here on my blog.

Thank you ,

James

Keywords: Bride, Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, New York City, Woman, Tunnel

September 9, 2011: Park Avenue

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Park Avenue in NYC, NY is one of my favorite places to find scenes and subjects because of the architecture and the way that people dress. In this composition the September sun was creating nice texture and dimension in the stonework of the building facade as well as creating long, detailed shadows of the people passing by. In all of my pictures it is necessary to first find a location that interests me then finish it with the right person. A man with a suit, or at least dress shoes and slacks or a woman with heels and a dress usually works out well to create the feel I am looking for.

You can find this picture and much more
of my fine art photography at:

((>www.jamesmesserschmidt.com.

To locate this picture, please take note of
the file number or search using keywords
such as shadow, shoe or man to narrow
down your focus. If there is any difficulty,
I can be contacted through facebook,
my email ((>james@jamesmesserschmidt.com
or here on my blog.

Thank you ,

James

August 30, 2011: Flushing Meadows, NY

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Filename: MesserschmidtJ-000416

I am going to the US Open in Flushing, NY for my 9-5 and on my way from the public parking I notice the perspective of the rampway leading up from the lot going to Flushing Meadows Park. After work I return to the ramp as the sun is setting to see the longer shadows that I have been looking for lately. I wasn’t so confident that I would make a photo that I would like because most people were dressed too casually to fulfill my character needs, but I did like the shadows and the precomposed picture. If the right person entered the frame, I would make something nice. In addition to shadows, shoes and partial bodies have also become part of my current work; I like the additional mystery. I have also been changing the aspect ratio to 16:9 after watching some movies that have been modified for TV viewing and noticed how much is lost in 4:3. With more space perhaps I can add something to my compositions.

You can find this picture and much more
of my fine art photography at:
www.jamesmesserschmidt.com.

To locate this picture, please take note of
the file number or search using keywords
such as shadow, shoes, man or solo to narrow
down your focus. If there is any difficulty,
I can be contacted through facebook,
my email james@jamesmesserschmidt.com
or here on my blog.

Thank you ,

James

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