FUNKY...general notes

For some reason I have used this term (FUNKY) several times now in regards to a project I am working on. FUNKY…. from the onset I wanted images that were unique….not run of the mill, and a bit on the wild, funky side. Not polished for sure.

I am beginning to turn away from being polished. It appears that most everyone and including AI (the image cheating of all cheats )….Oh, think TOPAZ, has polished images but I want images where my creativity come into play. Most people lack creativity and that includes photographers, and AI isn’t quite there yet. I am still daubing on this funkiness issue and have been since completing my Paranormal project. The funkiness in me has come out and now it doesn’t want to go back in it’s hole.

Keep being funky….odd….connect to a theme, but do so without a sense of Normalism. I will continue to be a bit more realistic when I print with my salt printing process as the image needs high contrast and due to the heaviness of grain, when I print…..the image can’t be overly funky. My opinion of course.

Notes on———

Pre and not Post

I have this ‘thing’ ping-ponging around within my mind…..where my photography needs to focus on capturing truly creative images. So, when I go out for my street photography walks, in addition to seeking out my projects/themes approach (see previous blogs on); I desire creativity….beyond what others might see. If my images don’t beg a question or provide a ‘wow’ response from the viewers, well, what good is it?

Now, to reach a level of creativity, I feel I need to visualize the final product I desire and then to set my camera functions ‘ahead’ of even pressing the shutter, as opposed to many who simply grab a shot and then rely upon ‘photoshop’ to do the rest, if any. Case in point: The other month (I travel a lot so I think in terms of months as opposed to weeks or days), I went to a photo club meeting where the vast majority of people shared images that were photoshopped. When asked what they did to get that image; well….they simply had no idea. They merely pressed a button.

Even if they could recall the button(s) pressed, I feel their process is inherently the wrong approach ( I.E. Post is not Pre….Pre is not Post). What does that mean? PRE is being creative even before you press the shutter. I am creative ahead of the shutter. I visualize a final scene, and for my photography, this implies that I visualize a world of color and transfer it to high contrast black and white. But the visualization extends beyond that. What should my camera settings be? Set them in the Pre-stage. Adjust the settings now, and don’t rely upon Photoshop to do so.

This is more of an authentic approach in my creativity, as this is done prior to capturing any image, and not as will-nilly with concentrating on software afterwards. Create and know what you want the image to look for ahead of time and get your settings in line. This is easy with digital, and a sure ‘guess work’ with film; trust me on this. But part of the fun with film is experimenting.

So look at the photo below….. pre-set, not post…I wanted the starkness to show. The people; well…an aura of them to be dispersed within the highlights. Did I succeed? I think so….I like this shot. I have a book that it will go in. The point is. Be creative. Be Creative in the Pre-process and not the Post process. Know your settings and know your camera and know what you want from the shot and simply match the settings.

Gr111 Vs Gr11

I love the GR….it is absolutely the best camera for Street Photography. I am on forums and I read about other cameras, including my Leica’s but in practicality, the Ricoh GR just wins hands down. Yes, one has to get used to the 28mm (equivalent in 35mm mode), but hey, that fits my shooting style. See some of my previous blogs if you are interested in my shooting style.

But the GR is just a beautiful camera that fits the streets well. It is small, quiet…..in fact it almost looks like I am on my phone, which many people now accept as common practice, so it isn’t standing out. While any camera can produce excellent results, it is important to know your camera, regardless of what it is.

This brings me to my posting here….GR11 or GR111. But for months now I have been learning the minor differences between the two versions. For instance, the GR111 has a better and sharper lens so sometimes when I want more of an easy ‘film look’, I will grab the GR11. Since I never use a ‘flash’….the absence of a flash on the GR111 doesn’t bother me. There are also minor differences between function button placement or the approach on how to adjust exposure. Additionally there are a few inner work things that separate the quality of images in some instances. But those are things I am learning.

Each day I go out, I make a decision to either grab the 11 or the 111 or the Leica M6 film. It just depends on the purpose I have for that day. Sometimes I just want to get more analog so my option is the M6. But when shooting digital,….. the 11 or 111? Well, it is a toss-up as I go back and forth. Today I shot with the GR111 and loved the feel and the photos that came from my shoots. Yesterday was a GR11 day with a sprinkling of Lecia M6 towards evening.

The point, I guess……is to simply know your cameras. The photos you capture are a result of your creativity in the field, but also knowing the limits of your gear. The latter is not nearly as important as your ‘creativity in the field’ but it does become icing on the cake when you are not fumbling with buttons and menu issues (doesn’t occur with the Leica).

Anyhow…..I will add to this post or create a new one when things crop up on the differences…..

Oh….listen to this and you will go film too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3KQ8pmR48