photo critique » You Can Sleep When You're Dead: Blog by Colleen Miniuk

Behind the Image: NAU Guest Blogger – Kennan Turner

Apr 162013

Photograph copyright Keenan Turner

This is my photo of Swedish House Mafia at Ultra Music Festival in Miami. About 3 or 4 years ago when I started concert photography, this group began to raise my interests in dance music. Due to my lack of prior dance music experience, and their euphoric tracks, they instantly became my favorite DJs. In the beginning when I was shooting smaller shows to make a name for myself, although I often dreamt about shooting a group like Swedish House Mafia. Artists like this are often known for their amazing production value for live shows that just make photos look spectacular. About 6 months ago Swedish House Mafia announced that they were breaking up as a group, and that Ultra in Miami would be their last show ever. When I found out I would be shooting this festival in Miami, aside from being overjoyed, I was excited to send them off in the very best possible way I could, by getting incredible photos.

One thing about Swedish House Mafia that is different than most DJs is that they consist of 3 separate DJ’s. Going into this show I knew that the photo I wanted was the silhouette of the three of them on their podium with the white smoke in the background. (An iconic symbol of Swedish House Mafia’s 3 year monopoly on dance music) For this photo, I underexposed the image a couple stops to ensure the silhouette feature because there is so little light between me and the DJs that it looks blown-out if I would have exposed for the faces. I used a Canon 7d with a 70-200,f/2.8 lens and this photo was shot at f/4, 1/1250th and 800 ISO at 180mm. I stood in the pit area for this photo since we were allowed to be there for the first 15 minutes of each set and when I saw the lights in front dim, and the smoke and white light behind them, I knew my opportunity was flashing before my eyes.(Literally, these light shows are crazy). I was excited I got the shot, but then when I went back to look at it, I realized I captured so much more. The guy in the middle is taking his headphones off which adds some extra shape, and the guy on our left is “swooshing” his hair which adds some more shape and together make the composition a little more interesting. This photo is so special to me because it has so much meaning. The fact that I shot Swedish House Mafia’s last show is, for me, a testament to hard work because 3 years ago I was looking up to groups like this thinking, “One day…”. I worked hard to become the photographer that I am now and had to put up with a lot in order to get to this point. By no means am I trying to pronounce myself an accomplished photographer yet, but it has given me tremendous confidence to be able to accomplish something that just years ago, seemed next to impossible. I think this is the ideal image to represent Swedish House Mafia’s reign on dance music and the fact that this is one of the last images ever captured of the super group is somewhat eerie. To me, an image like this in 20 years will represent a generation the same way one of the last photos ever taken of The Beatles does now only maybe not to the same degree.

About the Photographer:
My name is Keenan Turner and I am a photographer originally from Vancouver, Canada and was raised in Scottsdale, Arizona. I am interested in many genres of photography but I think fell in love with concert photography at a young age because I immediately saw an opportunity to go to concerts for free. I now shoot for a dance music website, Techibeats.com, and Arizona’s largest dance promoter, Relentless Beats. I have shot large artists in every genre from Slightly Stoopid to Tyga to Swedish House Mafia, Avicii, Tiesto, and many, many more. About 4 years ago I started my photography company, MDK Media and have shot many concerts, portraits, parties, for a wide variety of clientele. I draw my inspiration from many photographers and images throughout the internet and strive to create images with such tremendous energy that they almost just leap off the page.

To read more about the Northern Arizona University “Behind the Image: Guest Blogger” project on our blog, please read the introduction on our April 15 post at youcansleepwhenyouredead.com/wordpress/introducing-the-nau-photography-students-behind-the-image-guest-blogger-project.

Behind the Image: NAU Guest Blogger – Jenna Lyter

Guest Blogger, Making the Image 4 Responses »

Apr 162013

“Scattered in Place” – photograph copyright Jenna Lyter

“Scattered in Place” by Jenna Lyter
Normally when I take a photo of an object, I like to move things around until I feel they are in the right place. To me, the best part of this picture is that each leaf on the mossy rock is a different color, giving it a nice variety. The even better part is the fact that I didn’t put them there—it was all thanks to good old Mother Nature.

I hiked down in West Fork a few months ago, and brought my camera along for a landscape assignment I was given in class. Since landscapes are my least favorite to photograph, I wasn’t’ exactly jumping for joy. Although I pride myself on being organized and focused, once I get that DSLR in my hand, all of that so-called focus goes right out the window. I took one landscape picture and dozens of close-ups of other subjects I found to be much more intriguing: streams, rocks, tree trunks, flower, basically anything besides landscapes. This is nothing new for me, and I usually find that my best images are the unexpected ones. For this particular photo, I used a Canon Rebel t3i set at ISO 400, 18-55mm lens at 34mm, F/4.5, 1/50 second. When I came across this particular rock, I snapped a single photo and moved on; out of sight out of mind.

It wasn’t until I got into Lightroom that I realized how special this picture actually was. I boosted the vibrancy and contrast a bit, threw a vignette on, and there it was: the best picture I took on the entire hike. Vignettes hold a special place in my creative heart, and I tend to put them on most of my images—this one seemed to benefit from the heavier vignette in my eyes. Now this is highly unusual for me, as my favorite part of photography is often altering images until they look different than reality using wide-angle lenses, extreme close ups, and color selections. Sometimes though, all that fuss isn’t needed; sometimes less really is more. This image evokes a sort of calm and serenity in mind, especially when I think back to how peaceful the scene actually was: the early morning sunlight slowly streaming through the trees, hardly any hikers on the trail yet, and nothing but the sound of water trickling over rocks in the nearby stream. As photographers, we may think we know where props should be placed and light should be directed, but sometimes—as this image shows—nature knows best.

About the Photographer:
Although video is what I primarily use my beloved DSLR for, photography is becoming a close second. Cameras are a part of my everyday life between my film production major and my work as a videographer, but it wasn’t until last year that I declared a minor—and a passion—for photography. Being able to tell a story or communicate an emotion through a single image or video fascinates me, and I love being able to alter reality with a specific color selection, crop, or camera angle. Last year I began taking senior pictures for graduating seniors, and turned it into a side project called J. Lyter Photography & Video, which has allowed me to expand my audience through social media. In the future, I hope to be working professionally with both video and photography, and as long as I have a camera in my hand, I know I’ll be happy.

Behind the Image: NAU Guest Blogger – Kimberly Yip

Guest Blogger, Making the Image 6 Responses »

Apr 152013

Photograph copyright Kimberly Yip

I had a wonderful opportunity to attend a private practice held only for instructors and advanced members at Northern Arizona Yoga Center in Flagstaff, AZ. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is the predominant form of yoga practiced at NAYC. This early rising group moved through the first and second series of Ashtanga Vinyasa using no vocal instruction. It was very inspiring and peaceful to be among this group of individuals.My goal for this practice was to portray strength, balance and flexibility through a series of images captured throughout the session.

Since the practice began before sunrise, I had to constantly change my camera settings as lighting kept changing. This pose, called Navasana, was particularly striking especially in the light that was available at that moment. This light from the sun which covered a vast portion of the room floor was only present for a short time. The timing and Wyatt’s position in the room couldn’t have been more perfect. He was facing towards the light that was entering the studio, which gave me a great sense of acceptance, power, balance and strength.

I decided to leave my Speedlight flash at home as I wanted to be as unobtrusive as possible during their private practice. This experience taught me a great deal about lighting in many different aspects.Lately, I’ve become accustomed to controlling light in a studio setting, so it was refreshing to step out of my comfort zone using light I couldn’t manipulate.

My greatest challenge during this practice was obtaining proper white balance. I began shooting with the white balance set to the color temperature of tungsten bulbs since that was the light source before sunrise. As the sun began to overcome the lighting in the room I set the white balance to daylight even though the color temperature was still too warm. If I could go back, I would have custom set the white balance to be around 3000-4000 K, which is the color temperature for sunrise and sunset with clear skies. This would have saved me a tremendous amount of time when post processing the images from this session.

This photograph was captured using a Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 prime lens on a Nikon D700 camera. I intentionally overexposed the image because Wyatt would be underexposed had I abided by what the camera thought was a proper exposure. I achieved this by shooting with a wide open aperture at f/1.4 and an ISO of 500. If I can recall accurately, I overexposed by two full stops at a shutter speed of 1/125^th of a second. I could have used a lower ISO had I slowed my shutter speed slightly, but because I was shooting with a manual focus lens and the group was moving through poses rather quickly I didn’t shoot slower than 1/125^thof a second with this lens. Since I was also shooting with really shallow depth of field, it was important for me to freeze motion and achieve sharp focus on Wyatt.

Lastly, post processing was a breeze with this photo. I adjusted the white balance, brought down highlights and blacks, boosted the contrast slightly, and cropped the image to make Wyatt more centered in the frame. I couldn’t be happier with the end result!

About the Photographer:
My name is Kim and I’ll be graduating May of 2013 with a BS in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Photography. I love that I’m able to entangle my passion for photography with the world of biology. Photographing people and wildlife will forever fuel my fascination with animal and human anatomy. Photography is also my outlet, my means of meditation. Being behind a lens silences my mind and makes me be present. It’s important for me to continually challenge myself in becoming a better photographer, and I will always strive to capture emotion and form while representing subjects realistically.

Introducing the NAU Photography Students “Behind the Image: Guest Blogger” Project!

Guest Blogger, Making the Image 39 Responses »

Apr 152013

Introducing the 35 NAU students who will act as Guest Bloggers on this blog starting today through early May: (In alphabetical order, all thumbnails/photos copyright their respective owners)
First row (left to right): Evan Atwood, Tiffany Bociung-Bodtke, Heather Brick, Alyssa Burkett, Niko Chaffin, James Dean, and Anthony DeAngelo
Second row (l to r): McKenna Edwards, Sherese French, Daniel Garcia, Alex Gaynor, Mark Goodger, Tom Heger, and Shelby Irons
Third row (l to r): Rebecca Kooima, Emily Larsen, Kristyn Lechwar, Jenna Lyter, Clark Malcolm, Grant Masters, and Christine McCully
Fourth row (l to r): Marissa Molloy, Takashi Okunda, Jordan Patton, Jennifer Radke, Amanda Ray, Karen Renner, and Colby Rycus
Fifth row (l to r): Stephanie Sherban, Jessica Silvius, Quinn Tucker, Keenan Turner, Tracy Valgento, Margaret Whittaker, and Kimberly Yip

Do you ever have an idea about something but don’t know exactly where it will lead? And then once you follow your nose and chase down the idea, it turns into something so much better than you ever expected? I LOVE it when this happens! Don’t you?

Well, the Northern Arizona Photography Students “Guest Blogger” Project I am proudly kicking off today is a perfect example of this. Allow me to explain…

Last October, I had the privilege of working with Arizona Highways Photography Workshops (AHPW) volunteer extraordinaire, Amy Horn (www.horndesigns.com), during a special photography workshop at the Desert Botanical Garden. Amy and I work together frequently on various AHPW, but it had been some time since we had chatted about the exciting things going on in our lives.

As Amy, who is also a photography instructor at the Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, caught me up on her recent activities, I was so impressed to learn about how her students’ recently offered photographic support to the Komen Foundation as a part of her NAU classes. She actively sought out the opportunity to provide her students with as much real world experience to put their school studies to practical use.

This got me thinking back to my time at the University of Michigan Business School, where we worked with real companies in the community, and I remember just how much I enjoyed those experiences. I truly feel like those projects helped get me to where I am at today. And so it got me thinking some more…

As you know, giving back and helping the photographic community is very important to me. So is the endless pursuit of continuous improvement, not just for myself as an artist, but my entire community…so…

I sent Amy an email a few days after the workshop, offering a few ideas of how either my CMS Photography or my Analemma Press publishing businesses could help provide hands-on experiences for her students. I didn’t have a clue if the ideas were something Amy – and her students – would be interested, but I couldn’t let the opportunity pass without trying.

After receiving an enthusiastic response and talking with Amy about possible partnering opportunities, we agreed to me presenting a 30-minute presentation to her Intermediate Photography (PHO285) classes, where we would introduce the “Guest Blogger: Behind the Image” assignment.

On March 7, the students received the task of “selecting a photo from this semester (can be from any class or one you already turned in) that has a story. The story should be about how and why you took this image.” Upon completion, each student’s “Behind the Image” story and photo would appear on my blog as a “Guest Blogger” post during late April and early May.

Specifically, each student was asked to write a blog for posting about:

“Why: What inspired you to create this image? What were you trying to “say” with it – what’s the visual message you wish to communicate? Adding in the thought process from a photographic perspective would also be helpful (e.g. “I used this filter because I wanted this effect.”)

How: As part of your story, you will share the technical information for the image, specifically camera brand/model, focal length lens used, ISO speed setting, aperture, shutter speed, any filters, and any special post-‐processing techniques.”

In addition, we asked the students to write in active – not passive voice – and stay within a word count of 400-800 words. Finally, we requested a 100-word bio at the end of their blog entry.

The students were not required to submit nature or outdoor-related images, as their interests varied greatly, and I feel strongly that we, as an audience, can improve our own work by reviewing and evaluating photography outside of our preferred domain.

From the assignment, we received 35 blog entries. Starting this afternoon and over the next few weeks, in no particular order, these 35 NAU Intermediate Photography students will share their personal expression with public audience via this blog – some blogging for the first time! I hope you will find, as I have, much inspiration from these students and their work!

I also invite you to participate in this educational project by reading their insights and providing your comments on their stories and photos. Help make a difference in these students’ lives! They could benefit tremendously from your encouragement, unique perspectives, and constructive feedback! So not only do we as an audience get to enjoy and learn from their insights, but they also get the opportunity to hear what you think as well! Everyone wins!

I LOVE it when this happens!

And Then There Were 20: Tips for Editing and Self-Critiquing Your Photos

Photography Tips & Tricks 1 Response »

Oct 192012

Reflections of Calgary; Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Click on image to see larger; prints available!)

During my 10-day visit to Alberta, Canada last July to support the Through Each Others Eyes cultural photography exchange, my right pointer finger enthusiastically clicked the shutter over 4400 times. While it was thrilling at the time to blast away at seemingly anything and everything that caught my eye, it created a gi-normous pile o’pixels I must now wade through to select a mere 20 photographs to display for the upcoming exhibition. For the non-math majors in the crowd, that means picking out the top 0.5%! YIKES!

Out of the thousands of images we might capture during a photographic outing, how do we decide which ones to keep and which ones to throw out? No doubt, editing and critiquing our own photos can seem like an arduous quest – one that has no right or wrong answers – but here are some tips to help you identify your “keepers” in your collection:

Get organized. Invest in an image management software like Adobe Bridge, Adobe Lightroom, Apple Aperture, or the applications that arrived with your camera on a disc (e.g. Nikon Capture or Canon Digital Pro Photo) to help establish a centralized location to easily and consistently conduct your self-critique.
Bury your obvious screw-ups. We all got ‘em, but the world doesn’t need to know about ‘em! (Thank goodness we don’t track batting averages in photography!) Once you’ve downloaded your images into your chosen software, liberally use the delete key to immediately eliminate frames that are out of focus, badly composed, poorly lit, unintentionally overexposed, and severely underexposed.
Form a first impression. Scan your images quickly for “keepers.” Simply make a snap decision as to whether your eyes enjoy the photograph or not. Mark any frame you like (e.g. using the star rating in Adobe Bridge) to tag it for future in-depth analysis.
Whichever Way the Wind Blows; Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada (Click on image to see larger; prints available!)

Unplug your emotions. Like your mother told you growing up, first impressions aren’t always correct. After doing an initial evaluation, let your images “rest” for a day, a week, or even a few months to disconnect emotionally from your photographs. Once you’re back in the saddle, turn your flagged images upside-down so they are less recognizable to your brain and therefore less connected with your recollection of the influential experiences you had while making the shot.
Get out the butcher knife. Start hacking away on the technical aspects of your image. Does the scene convey a sense of depth through the chosen depth of field? Is the horizon level and positioned away from the middle of the rectangular box? Could you simplify the composition withou

t losing context? Is the light illuminating the subject matter and helping to create shape, depth, and contrast? Are there any overly bright areas or out of focus areas that are distracting to the eye?
Say something different. A technically-perfect image might feel boring and be ineffective in visually communicating your desired message. Viewers will react to your images if they contain subjects and stories that are clear, fresh, intriguing, emotionally-charged, or even controversial. Does your photograph showcase an unrepeatable moment? Does it convey a specific mood? Will your capture provoke thought, dig up memories, or spark new meaning with your viewers?
Taking It All In; Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada (Click on image to see larger; prints available!)

Remember, “To each their own.” What may be the “best” photo for one audience may not be for another so you might find yourself keeping different photos for differing purposes. For example, you may capture a pleasing iconic Grand Canyon shot good enough to hang on your wall because it reminds you of your last family vacation but not appropriate to send to a magazine who isn’t interested in publishing a story on the “big ditch” in the next 100 years.
Get a brutally honest second opinion. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, hand your butcher knife to a trusted friend, family member, or photographer who will gladly use the blade on your work. Listening to others’ insights can help trigger new ideas and highlight aspects you might not have previously considered.

Valve at Nordegg Mine; Nordegg, Alberta, Canada (Click on image to see larger; prints available!)

While assessing your own work can be a time consuming, grueling task, being a harsh critic can help not only pick out the winners from your digital dump, but also refine your photographic techniques and polish your unique creative vision over time.

By using this process, my Alberta pixel pile yielded a 20-print story I can’t wait to share at my upcoming exhibition. And the images in this post did NOT make the cut (even though I like them!)! In my next blog post, I’ll give you a sneak peek into one photo that did!

If you’d like to see the other 19 I selected, as well as the photographs from my fellow Arizona-Alberta exchange partners-in-crime – Ken Ross, Peter Carroll, and Royce Howland – then please join us on November 7 from 7-9 pm at the Art Intersection Gallery in Gilbert, Arizona for our exhibition’s Artist Reception. For more information, please visit www.teoe.org/?page_id=829.

AHPW Women’s Photo Retreat: Summary From Post-Workshop Critique

Photography Tips & Tricks 3 Responses »

Sep 052012

One of the most enjoyable and valuable educational aspects of the Arizona Highways Photography Workshops (AHPW) – of which I’m honored to lead a number of each year – is the post-workshop critiques. Though we conduct image review sessions during the workshop, a post-workshop critique allows participants additional time to edit and process their photographs before submitting to their instructors for additional feedback after the class concludes.

Whether we complete these productive reviews during or after the workshop, we analyze the positive aspects of each student’s images and constructively outline ideas for how to potentially improve them from a technical and artistic perspective. Kind of like this:

“What The Duck” comic strip copyright and courtesy of the author and artist Aaron Johnson at http://www.whattheduck.net.

All choking and joking aside, the point of the evaluation is to go beyond answering the simple question: “Do you like this picture?” The true value of the exercise comes in when we define in-depth we WHY like and don’t like an image, which generates new ideas to sharpen our skills and polish our individual styles from our different answers.

Earlier this week, I completed the post-workshop critique for the recent Women’s Photography Retreat at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Although I’ve shared image-specific comments for 45 images, I thought I’d share a summary of the three main take-away’s from this particular critique session:

The Totem Poles and Yei Bi Chei at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona

Example: Tilting my camera down emphasizes the sandy landscape and allows the sky to become a less dominating backdrop. By composing so that the line of bushes and the patterns from the wind-blown sand lead my audience into the frame, it helps guide the eye through the landscape towards my primary subject: the side-lit Totem Poles at Monument Valley. Do you agree? How would you critique this image? (Prints available! Click on photo for a direct link).

“Half and half” works well in coffee, but not always in landscape images. Unless you aim for symmetry among the various elements within your frame (e.g. a reflection of mountain in a lake), placing the horizon line in the middle of your frame will only serve to divide your viewers’ attention. Should they look at the land or the sky? Make it clear: If the sky is more interesting, tilt your camera up and place the horizon line at the bottom

third of the Rule of Thirds tic-tac-toe grid. If the land is what caught your eye, then tilt your camera down so the horizon is at least at the top third of the grid.
Let there be light…oh, and a strong subject too! Is there anything better than sitting on the edge of the Grand Canyon and recordings the rays of the setting sun break through the clouds, turning the landscape and sky into a fiery mix of orange, pink, and purple? (In more technical terms, we call this “super yummy light.”) YES! That same spectacular show by Mother Nature happening over a well-thought-out composition! Good light alone is often not enough to make a great image. Similarly, a strong center of interest without interesting light may lack shape, contrast, and mood. To capture the best subject in the best light, visualize strong compositions first in the field, then return to work the scene when the light is just right.
As “all roads lead to Rome,” all lines should lead to somewhere important. Lines can direct your viewer to through your image, but the payoff at the end of the line shouldn’t be a one-way ticket out of your frame. To keep the viewer’s interest, ensure the visual path doesn’t extend beyond the edge of your frame and leverage diagonal, converging, S-curve and other style lines to pull your viewer not just into your frame, but also somewhere interesting.

If you’re a past student of AHPW – not just of this specific workshop, but any of them – you have the ability to view my image-specific comments by logging into the Arizona Highways Photo Workshops Smugmug site with the password you received during your workshops and selecting the “Women’s Photo Retreat” folder. You also have the ability to leave comments as well, so hop on the site and let’s here you’re thoughts!

If you aren’t a past student of AHPW, there’s no need for you to feel left out. If you’d like input on one or more of your images, stop by my page and submit your shots at GuruShots at www.gurushots.com/colleen-miniuk-sperry.

In closing, I’d like to thank the ladies who submitted their beautiful photographs for critique: Denise, Deanna, Christy, Amy, Julie, Tamara, Sue, Pearl, and Jeanne. As Abigail Adams once said, “Learning is not achieved by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.” May we all embrace learning like these and all of the women who attended the Women’s Photo Retreat have.

AHPW Women's Photo Retreat: Silly Group Photo

The attendees of the AHPW Women’s Photo Retreat having a “Zen” moment during our Group Photo. I’m not sleeping, I’m merely practicing “Corpse Pose.”

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