Tag Archives: bill ferris photography

Giving

Arizona fundraisers and non-profit organizations gathered at Prescott Resort to celebrate 2014 National Philanthropy Day. (Bill Ferris Photography)

I recently had the opportunity to photograph and document a 2014 National Philanthropy Day celebration at Prescott Resort. My wife, founding partner of GoalBusters Consulting and a long time fundraising professional, asked me to be the photographer for the event and I readily accepted. While my first love in photography is landscapes, I have been actively seeking opportunities to expand my horizons – and develop new skill sets – by doing portraiture, sports and event photography. Taking on this assignment would not only allow me to grow my event photography portfolio, it would be an opportunity to give back by volunteering my time and talent in support of people who make it their daily mission to improve the lives of others through the arts, charitable and other not-for-profit organizations.

My task list was fairly straightforward; make photographs of the following:

Award plaques
Speakers making remarks at the podium
Each honoree with their presenter
Group shots of the honorees and also of the honorees with their presenters
People attending the event

As you can see in the above photo, the conference room where the event was held features a panoramic wall of windows. With most clear skies on the day of the event, a wonderful, soft midday light filled the room. Seeing the award plaques displayed on a table at the front of the conference room, I started the morning by capturing a series of photos of the awards. I made at least one photo of each plaque, individually, and also of the awards as a group. After some introductory remarks by my wife and her business partner, the attendees settled in for a catered lunch.

I took advantage of this break to make some photos of the attendees relaxing and chatting with each other. I also scouted the outside terrace patio for a location to use for the group photos. The patio outside the conference room overlooks the town of Prescott, Arizona to the west-northwest. Arranging the honorees with their backs to the terrace wall would position the sun behind and to their right. This would put their faces mostly in shadow so, I made a trip to my vehicle to retrieve the speedlight kit, light stands, umbrellas and modifiers.

GoalBuster’s Jim Anderson speaking at the podium during National Philanthropy Day at the Prescott Resort (Bill Ferris Photography)

The photo immediately above shows how the ambient outdoor light served as a beautifully soft light source when filtered through the window wall. I would have continued to shoot the event from this vantage point with my back to the windows, if not for two significant issues.

With most attendees seated directly in front of or to the left of the podium, speakers tended to look straight ahead or to their left to make eye contact with the audience. Rarely, would they look in my direction. As a result, there were few opportunities to see their eyes. The other and more significant issue was that honorees would approach the podium from the speaker’s left to receive their plaque. In hindsight, this is something I could have anticipated given that the awards were arranged on a table along the wall behind and to the left of the speaker.

When the first honoree approached the front of the room, she quite naturally stood to the left of the podium. This placed the podium between me, the honoree and her presenter, which made for an unflattering composition. I walked around the back of the room to the other side to get a better angle on the presentation. While standing with the podium to my left gave me an unobstructed view of the award presentations, it also meant that I was more or less facing the window wall. A proper exposure for the half of a person’s face illuminated by that gorgeous ambient light would leave the other half of the face darkened by shadow. A proper exposure for anything in shadow would leave the rest of the shot blown out.

Earlier after retrieving my speedlight kit from the car, I had made the above photograph of the attendees enjoying lunch in the conference room. Wanting both the view through the windows and the interior of the room to be properly exposed in a single shot, I had set up four speedlights to illuminate the room interior during the exposure. Two were Yongnuo YN-560 III’s, which have built-in radio receivers. The other two were Nikon SB-700’s, which were mounted on Vello FreeWave Fusion radio receivers. With a Yongnuo 603 NII radio transmitter attached to my Nikon D610 hot shoe and a Vello radio trigger mounted atop the 603 NII, I experimented with shutter speed and flash intensity until I was happy with the result.

Here, are the settings for the final exposure (Nikon D610, Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 VC):

24mm
f/10
ISO 450
1/160-second
Two speedlights at 1/2-power
Two speedlights at 1/4-power

While making my trek to the other side of the room to a vantage point with an unobstructed view of the honorees, I powered up and the speedlights (they were still set up and in position) and switched on the radio triggers on the D610. After a couple test shots to adjust settings, I was back in business.

An honoree (left) and her presenter at the National Philanthropy Day celebration at Prescott Resort (Bill Ferris Photography)

The above photograph is one of many I shots I made using speedlights on radio triggers to illuminate the subjects. I bounced the flashes off the ceiling to create and even wash throughout the conference room. With four speedlights at between 1/4- and 1/2-power, the recycle time was kept to a minimum. When photographing the presenter speaking at the podium, I used the following settings (Nikon 610, Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 VC):

200mm focal length
f/2.8
ISO 200
1/200-second exposure

When the honoree came up to accept their award plaque, I made portraits using different settings (Nikon 610, Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 VC):

Variable focal length (95mm to 140mm)
f/5.6
ISO 640
1/200-second exposure

My only concern with this set up was that the speedlights, when firing, would be something of a distraction for the attendees. However, I can safely say very few people even noticed I was using flash to illuminate the room. There was one gentleman who asked me about my lighting after the awards ceremony. Rather than finding it a distraction, he wanted to know more about the radio triggers and receivers.

While processing the RAW exposures, I noticed that the depth of field at f/5.6 was not quite enough to guarantee crisp focus on the eyes of both people. While the images are acceptable (in my opinion), I would probably shoot at f/7.1 or f/8 in the future to ensure sharp focus on both sets of eyes.

A group photo of the honorees and presenters at Prescott Resort for Arizona’s National Philanthropy Day celebration (Bill Ferris Photography)

After the ceremony, I went outside with the honorees and presenters to take the group photos. I made an exposure of the full group without using speedlights and, as expected, the faces were in shadow. After retrieving the Nikon SB-700’s, I recruited a couple of lighting assistants to hold the speedlights, one to the left and the other to the right of the group. I then made an exposure firing the SB-700’s at full power. This photo looked overexposed so, I reset the flash intensity to 1/2-power on each unit and retook the group photo. The resulting image is presented, above.

While the speedlights definitely help this photograph, I should have done a better job of arranging the group so nobody would be in shadow. Also, I had to do a fair bit of processing in Adobe Lightroom to recover highlights and reduce the overall exposure. Shooting in RAW compensates for a multitude of sins. I reduced the exposure by 1.10 stop without losing any detail in the final image.

So, what did I learn from this experience? First, it is critical to be equipped for any lighting situation. The speedlights gave me more shooting options. When the ambient, natural light was at my back, I could simply switch off the radio triggers. When shooting toward the window wall and into the light, I could switch on the triggers and use the speedlights to illuminate my subject. Second, using down time (I chose to forego lunch) to make the wide angle photo of the luncheon paid huge dividends. With the speedlights already set up, it only took me a minute to power them back on and adjust their intensity. As a result, I was able to very quickly adapt to a new shooting location and a different lighting environment. I only missed photographing one award presentation during the ceremony and was able to make that up as soon as the ceremony ended.

Finally, I should have taken the time to better arrange the group shot and do test exposures on the outdoor terrace. This would have taken only a few minutes, but would have resulted in better images and saved some worry on the drive home. Shooting in RAW allowed me to recover all the detail that was lost in the original, overexposed photographs. If I had taken the time to properly arrange the group photo and to adjust my exposure settings, those original RAW files would have been better exposed and nobody would have been in shadow.

A celebratory embrace during the National Philanthropy Day event at Prescott Resort (Bill Ferris Photography)

I was also reminded of the joy of giving. As each presenter shared the story of their respective honoree, I was so impressed by the generosity and compassion of the human spirit. Each award recipient had generously given their time, talent or treasure in support of a non-profit organization or cause. Attending this event and hearing these stories, I was reminded that the simple act of giving often delivers the greatest personal rewards.

Now, get out there and shoot.

Bill Ferris | November 2014

Anticipation

NAU quarterback Chase Cartwright releases a pass toward receiver Ify Umodu. Photograph made with Nikon D610, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 VC at 200mm f/2.8, ISO 4500, 1/1000-second. (Bill Ferris)

Sports photography is one of those disciplines where there is just no getting around the fact that the gear you need to consistently make great photos is expensive. Scan the sidelines at an NFL game and you’ll find twenty or more photographers. Each brings at least two camera bodies and numerous lenses to the game. Many will be shooting either the Canon 1DX or a Nikon D4s. The two most common lenses are long, fast telephotos: 300mm f/2.8 and 400mm f/2.8. If some conniving super thief were to devise a scheme to steal all that gear, they’d easily walk away with over $1 million in kit.

Why is sports photography so expensive? It all boils down to one thing: speed. The sports photographer needs a fast camera and fast lenses. The top Canon and Nikon professional camera bodies have burst rates in excess of 10 frames per second. In a profession where the job is to capture the defining moment and where the players have world-class size, strength and speed, the difference a tenth of a second can make is astounding. In that brief instant, a player can go from diving for the goal line to fumbling the football. The sports photographer needs a camera capable of capturing that moment.

Because of the speed at which the game is played, a sports photographer needs to use very short exposures to freeze the action. Yes, there are situations where a slow shutter speed can allow you to make an image that perfectly captures the astounding pace of the action. But in most circumstances, the objective is to freeze action. Exposures of 1/1000-second or faster are commonplace. To shoot at 1/1000-second, you need lenses that collect available light in big, slurping gulps.

A 400mm f/2.8 lens drinks light with gusto. It focuses in a blink and follows focus even as the player with the ball is doing everything possible to elude both you and the other team. It also delivers images having a very shallow depth of field. The subject is sharply focused but the background has a pleasing, soft creaminess. This creates separation between the subject and background, making for a better photo.

To shoot at 1/1000-second in an indoor stadium or at night, you need a camera body that makes great images with a minimum of light. To accomplish this demanding task, your camera sensor needs to make clean images at ISO’s of 4000 or higher. While the lighting at professional venues is typically pretty good, the light level at a collegiate venue is often much lower. The light levels at high school football stadiums makes you wonder how the players can find the end zone without using a flashlight. There is no escape from this. If you use longer exposures to allow the sensor time to collect more light at a lower ISO, the athletes will be blurred and the detail lost. Even indoors or at night, the sports photographer needs speed.

This level of performance is unavoidable and it’s not cheap. Are you familiar with the old phrase, “Cheap, fast and good; pick any two.” In sports photography, there is no such thing as cheap…not if you want to make great images.

Having the right equipment is only the start. The most critical tool available to the sports photographer is something that cannot be bought. That critical tool is knowledge and there is no substitute. If you know the game, you have the ability to anticipate where the next play is going. If you can anticipate where the next play is going, you have the opportunity to position yourself, to focus on the right athlete or place on the field and to be there ahead of all the other photographers to capture the decisive moment in the contest.

NAU running back Casey Jahn looks to turn a run north-south. Photograph made with Nikon D610, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 VC at 200mm, f/2.8, ISO 3600, 1/1000-second. (Bill Ferris)

I recently had the opportunity to photograph my first NCAA football game. I’ve been a sports fan – particularly football – most of my life and have been working professionally in televised sports coverage for 25 years. In other words, I know the sport and I know what makes for a great sports image.

My photographic equipment can be accurately described as pro-sumer. I shoot with a Nikon D610 digital SLR camera body. Nikon classifies this as an Enthusiast level camera. The 24 megapixel full-frame sensor is among the best available in any digital camera. I’ve shot with it at ISO 6400 and been very pleased with the quality of the images. The 39-point auto focus system is good – not great, just good – and the burst rate is a respectable 6 frames per second. The buffer allows me to shoot at continuous high burst for 2-3 seconds before the camera will start choking on new image files.

Like most of you, I’m on a budget. So, when I made the move to full-frame, I went with third party lenses to maximize both performance and value. The Tamron line of f/2.8 Di VC USD lenses deliver both. I am primarily a landscape photographer who does occasional portraiture. The Tamron glass gives me a range of focal lengths and apertures that meet the needs of both disciplines. Best of all, they deliver excellent image quality at a fraction of the cost of the equivalent Nikon lenses.

I used the Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 Di VC USD zoom with my Nikon D610 body to shoot the football game. The D610 was set to aperture priority and I shot at f/2.8 throughout the game. I also used the D610’s auto-ISO feature to configure the camera to use a 1/1000-second shutter speed and choose the ISO that would allow for the proper exposure. Auto focus was set to AF-C (continuous servo), with 9 central auto focus points selected. I did experiment a bit with offsetting the auto focus points to the left or right (top or bottom when shooting in portrait aspect) but invariably came back to the central auto focus point. I also experimented with the D610’s continuous focus lock setting, ultimately choosing a setting that is slightly more responsive to motion than the default configuration.

The first decision I had to make was where to position myself for the opening kickoff and first offensive series of the game. Now, I am an NAU employee and support my Lumberjack sports teams. That said, Eastern Washington entered the game as the 2nd-ranked team in FCS football. They were 7-1 on the season with their only loss being a 52-59 decision against the Washington Huskies. To be perfectly candid, I expected the Eagles to put up a lot of points against NAU so, I set up at the end of the field where they would be scoring. This decision paid off as Eastern Washington’s first touchdown of the game was scored at that end. Unfortunately, while reviewing the shots I’d made of the play, I realized a corridor labelled, RESTROOMS, was the prominent background element in the images. Note to self: always be aware of your background.

As the 1st quarter progressed, it was clear that NAU had come to play. They weren’t intimidated by Eastern Washington and were gradually building momentum. So when the end of the quarter arrived, I decided to stay at the south end of the field to be in position to capture a Lumberjack touchdown. That proved to be the right decision as, early in the 2nd quarter, NAU quarterback Chase Cartwright hit receiver Beau Gardner in the end zone for the Jacks’ first touchdown of the day. For that score, I was positioned to photograph the celebration with NAU cheerleaders and fans in the background.

Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp skies over NAU defender Marcus Alford to score a touchdown. Photograph made with Nikon D610, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 VC at 90mm, f/2.8, ISO 4500, 1/1000-second. (Bill Ferris)

The Eagles blocked the extra point attempt and the two teams battled to a standstill for the next 8:00 as Eastern Washington held a narrow, 7-6, lead. Sensing that the Eagles were slowly reclaiming the momentum, I hustled to the north end zone to position myself for a possible Eastern Washington score. My instincts paid off as Cooper Kupp found the land of milk and honey on a 14-yard pass from Jordan West. I was positioned at the back corner of the end zone and had a great view of Kupp leaping over the pylon for the score. NAU battled back, scoring two field goals in the final 5:00 of the 2nd quarter to cut the EWU lead to, 14-12. Recognizing the shift in momentum, I moved to the south end of the field and made some nice photographs of Northern Arizona’s final drive of the half.

During halftime, I weighed the question of which team would come out of the locker room having made the correct adjustments. I gambled on NAU and set up at the north end zone. Almost immediately, I was questioning the decision as Eastern Washington marched right down the field. But the Jacks held them to a field goal and, on their next possession, Northern Arizona quarterback Chase Cartwright led the team on a drive that culminated on a 1st & goal from the 3-yard line. Seeing receiver Ify Umodu breaking out to my side of the field, I rolled the dice again, isolating on Umodu on the next play.

As a result, I completely missed a touchdown pass to NAU’s Alex Holmes. In hindsight, I should have continued employing the technique that had been working throughout the day of focusing on the quarterback, reading his body language after the snap and breaking for the receiver on the throw. I also decided I had been over thinking the game since the start of the half. So, I returned to a mode of trusting my gut instinct on where to go for the next series and then being smart about following the development of the play.

NAU’s Eddie Horn grabs a handful of facemask to prevent Eastern Washington’s Quincy Forte from reaching the end zone. Photograph made with Nikon D610, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 VC at 112mm, f/2.8, ISO 5600, 1/1000-second. (Bill Ferris)

This strategy paid off on EWU’s next possession. I had gone back to the other end of the field, setting up on the Eastern Washington side. Running back Quincy Forte powered his way to the 1-yard line before being tackled by the face mask. I had a perfect angle on and view of the face mask tackle. On the very next play, Forte forced his way into the end zone right in front of me.

Eastern Washington had a 24-19 lead and the teams battled back-and-forth, trading field goals over the next 15-minutes. It was during the 2nd half that I identified the spot where I wanted to be when the game ended. The location offered two great options for backgrounds. One, was the NAU bench on the opposite side of the field. The other option was the NAU cheerleading squad along the back of the south end zone. Either would make a perfect background, if the Jacks were able to score a late touchdown to win the game.

When the Eagles took possession of the ball with 4:37 on the clock, I sensed a game-clinching score coming and worked my way through the EWU bench to the north end of the field. Facing a 4th & 4 at the Northern Arizona 23 yard line, Eastern Washington burned two timeouts in succession before going for it. A conversion would have allowed the Eagles to run out the clock but Jordan West’s pass to Cooper Kupp fell incomplete.

The final seconds were setting up exactly as I’d hoped: Northern Arizona had the ball on their own 23 with no timeouts and :47 left on the clock. They needed a touchdown and would have to be aggressive in their play-calling. So, I hustled back to my spot at the south end zone and waited for the magic to happen.

With 12-seconds left in regulation, NAU’s Dan Galindo hauls in a Jordan Perry pass to score the game-winning touchdown. Photograph made with Nikon D610, Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 VC at 70mm, f/2.8, ISO 8063 (Hi 0.3), 1/1000-second. (Bill Ferris)

On NAU’s second play, backup quarterback Jordan Perry completed a toss to Alex Holmes who sprinted 54 yards before going out of bounds at the Eastern Washington 20 yard line. On the next play, Perry took the snap and immediately looked to his left and my side of the end zone. As he cocked his arm and released the ball, I instinctively panned to pick up true freshman Dan Galindo breaking open across the goal line. Galindo was right in front of me as he cradled the ball, rolled across the turf and sprang up in celebration. With :12 left in the game, Galindo had just scored the go-ahead touchdown.

A huge celebration ensued as Galindo was surrounded by teammates. Team mascot, Louie the Lumberjack, even joined in. Cheerleaders and fans were frantic with joy. The Skydome was filled with the roar of fans who knew they were witness to something very special. Northern Arizona was about to defeat the number two team in the country. But there was more work to be done. NAU went for a 2-point conversion and failed. They squib kicked on the kickoff and Eastern Washington’s offense took the field with just :07 remaining. Their final desperation play ended when NAU defensive back Darius Lewis intercepted a backwards lateral and ran with the ball until time expired.

I immediately ran onto the field to capture the bedlam and ecstasy of the win. After making a few exposures with the 70-200, I ran over to my camera bag to exchange the telephoto zoom for the Nikon 16-35mm f/4 VR. I used this wide angle zoom to document the post-game celebration.

Jerome Souers, acknowledges the crowd after the comeback win versus Eastern Washington. Photograph made with Nikon D610, Nikon 16-35mm f/4 VR at 30mm, f/4, ISO 5000, 1/1000-second. (Bill Ferris)

In hindsight, there are two lessons I took from this experience. The first is the importance of knowing the sport you’re shooting. Understanding the game and having the ability to anticipate what will happen next are critical to getting great photos. This is particularly true if you are limited to shooting with a relatively short focal length. (200mm is pretty short for football and other outdoor sports.) The second lesson is the value of choosing a location that allows you the opportunity to make a great photograph. Envision the scenario you would like to capture, go to the best spot for capturing that moment and allow the game to come to you. Of course, there is no guarantee things will play out as you want. That’s where your talent as a photographer comes into play. You’re there to document the event as it happens so, do your best with the cards you’re dealt.

Whatever your sport, whatever your photographic passion, today is a new day. It’s time to get out and shoot.

Bill Ferris | October 2014

Vibration Compensation

AFP sign photographed with Nikon D610 and Tamron 70-200 Di VC USD zoom lens at 200mm, f/8 with Vibration Compensation engaged. (B. Ferris)

In the Nikon universe, it is referred to as vibration reduction. In Canon parlance, it is called image stabilization. In other worlds, it is referred to as vibration compensation. However you say it, the ability of modern lenses and cameras to compensate for the inherent shakiness of hand-holding your camera to make a photograph has been a significant and positive development in the art form of digital imaging.

To take a closer look at and better understand vibration compensation technology, I decided to set up a test. I used my Nikon D610 camera and a Tamron 70-200 Di VC USD zoom lens to make a series of photographs. The photographs ranged in exposure length from 1/25-second to 1/4000-second. I made at least two exposures at each length, one with the Tamron lens’s vibration compensation engaged and active, and the other with vibration compensation disengaged. For exposures between 1/100-second and 1/2000-second, I made two sets of exposures with VC engaged and disengaged.

I chose a yard sign as the photo subject. The sign features bold lettering against an off-white plastic surface. I set up the sign in my garage in the shade so it would be illuminated by a soft, even and constant light level. I then set up a folding camp chair in the driveway about six feet from the sign. With the Tamron lens set to 200mm, I began making exposures.

I used the camera’s auto ISO setting to make the exposures from 1/100-second to 1/2000-second, first. With the D610 in aperture priority, I would set the minimum shutter speed at the desired exposure length. Then, I would adjust aperture until the camera would select an ISO that would produce an exposure of the desired length. The D610 will not make an exposure shorter than 1/2000-second in auto ISO so, I put the camera in manual mode to make the exposures at 1/4000-second. Here, are the settings used to make each shot:

1/25-second: Two exposures, one with VC on and the other with VC off. Both at ISO 100, f/25
1/40-second: Two exposures, one with VC on and the other with VC off. Both at ISO 110, f/20
1/100-second: Four exposures, two with VC on and two with VC off. Two at ISO 125, f/11. Two at ISO 100, f/11
1/200-second: Four exposures, two with VC on and two with VC off. Two at ISO 125, f/8. One at ISO 200, f/11. One at ISO 220, f/11
1/400-second: Four exposures, two with VC on and two with VC off. Two at ISO 250, f/8. One at ISO 160, f8. One at ISO 100, f/8
1/800-second: Four exposures, two with VC on and two with VC off. Two at ISO 250, f/5.6. One at ISO 140, f/5.6. One at ISO 110, f/5.6
1/1000-second: Four exposures, two with VC on and two with VC off. Two at ISO 320, f/5.6. One at ISO 160, f/5.6. One at ISO 120, f/5.6
1/1250-second: Four exposures, two with VC on and two with VC off. Two at ISO 400, f/5.6. Two at ISO 200, f/5.6.
1/1600-second: Four exposures, two with VC on and two with VC off. Two at ISO 500, f/5.6. One at ISO 220, f/5.6. One at ISO 250, f/5.6
1/2000-second: Four exposures, two with VC on and two with VC off. Two at ISO 640, f/5.6. One at ISO 280, f/5.6. One at ISO 320, f/5.6
1/4000-second: Two exposures, one with VC on and the other with VC off. One at ISO 640, f/5.6. One at ISO 500, f/5.6

I performed the test for several reasons. One, was to see for myself the extent to which vibration compensation delivers sharper, more detailed images than those made with without VC. Also, I wanted to test a couple of assertions made by photographers who don’t use vibration compensation when shooting at fast exposure rates – 1/1000 to 1/1600 or faster. The usual thinking is that VC offers no benefits at such fast exposures. Some even claim that VC introduces blur when engaged at fast exposure rates.

The results of the above test do not support either claim, not in the least. At all exposures, the images made with vibration compensation turned on appeared sharper and more detailed than those made with VC disabled. Even the VC-engaged image made at 1/4000-second was noticeably sharper than the strictly handheld image made at the same rate. Below, are 100% crops of several exposures. They are JPEG conversions from unprocessed RAW files:

Photographed with Nikon D610 and Tamron 70-200 Di VC USD zoom lens at 200mm, f/8, ISO 125, 1/200 with Vibration Compensation engaged.

Photographed with Nikon D610 and Tamron 70-200 Di VC USD zoom lens at 200mm, f/8, ISO 125, 1/200 with Vibration Compensation off.

Photographed with Nikon D610 and Tamron 70-200 Di VC USD zoom lens at 200mm, f/5.6, ISO 160, 1/1000 with Vibration Compensation engaged.

Photographed with Nikon D610 and Tamron 70-200 Di VC USD zoom lens at 200mm, f/5.6, ISO 140, 1/1000 with Vibration Compensation off.

Photographed with Nikon D610 and Tamron 70-200 Di VC USD zoom lens at 200mm, f/5.6, ISO 280, 1/2000 with Vibration Compensation engaged.

Photographed with Nikon D610 and Tamron 70-200 Di VC USD zoom lens at 200mm, f/5.6, ISO 320, 1/2000 with Vibration Compensation off.

Photographed with Nikon D610 and Tamron 70-200 Di VC USD zoom lens at 200mm, f/5.6, ISO 640, 1/4000 with Vibration Compensation engaged.

Photographed with Nikon D610 and Tamron 70-200 Di VC USD zoom lens at 200mm, f/5.6, ISO 500, 1/4000 with Vibration Compensation off.

Based on the results from this test, I am persuaded to keep vibration compensation engaged whenever shooting handheld and regardless of the length of the exposure. Doing so will not introduce blur or distortion and will probably result in a sharper, more detailed photograph.

But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself. Get out and shoot.

Bill Ferris | October 2014

Reflections

The warm morning light of a midsummer day illuminates Hallett Peak’s reflection off the mirrored surface of Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. (Bill Ferris)

The reflected image is a common compositional element in photography. When effectively employed, it adds something special to an image. In macro photography, this technique is often used to reveal the surrounding world as reflected in a single dew drop. In portraiture, the image of your subject reflected against rain-streaked glass adds drama. A reflection in a landscape photograph can make an image more compelling to the eye.

What is is about a reflection that draws our attention? Well for one, a reflection presents the world in a new and different way. In the above photograph, Hallett Peak is seen reflecting off the glassy surface of Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. The reflection turns everything upside down, delivering an unusual perspective on a twelve thousand foot mountain. A reflection can imbue a scene with a strong element of symmetry. If you block the lower half of the above image, the upper half is irregular in form, hue and texture. In short it is not symmetrical and that is very common in nature. Rarely does nature produce a straight line, a perfectly round circle or a perfectly balanced scene. So, when we find such a thing, it tends to get our attention.

A reflection draws our attention to the seam where the reflected and direct views join. In this image, the seam coincides with the junction between the pine forest and the water’s edge. Typically, this would not be a leading line or a particularly strong element in the composition. The mountain would be the dominant element. However, as the brain seeks to understand this oddly symmetrical pattern, it naturally seeks and identifies that transitional area of the image. Finding the seam or fold allows the brain to determine that the unnaturally symmetrical form is not a singular artificial construct. It is simply a reflection of an otherwise normally irregular landscape scene.

The first light of day paints the Continental Divide as seen from the shore of Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. (Bill Ferris)

Finally, a reflection plays on the inherently voyeuristic nature of visual perception. The act of looking at something establishes a clear distinction between you, the observer, and the subject, that which is observed. On the morning I made the above photo, I hiked about 3/4-mile along a trail to the east side of Sprague Lake. During that walk, I was in nature. I was within and part of the place. However, the act of setting up my camera and observing the scene as a subject to be photographed established a distinction or separation between me and the natural setting. That act transformed me into an outside observer.

A person can observe someone or something either directly or indirectly. The act of observing indirectly is inherently voyeuristic. Some element of the observation was unintended. This can result from observing in secret without the subject’s knowledge or permission. It can also result from an observation that reveals some unintended quality of the subject. The reflected image is not natural. It is not how the subject normally appears to others. It is a bit like jogging down the sidewalk on your morning run and having your neighbor walk out the front door in his bathrobe. It’s 6:00 AM and he figured the rest of world would be asleep as he went out to fetch the morning paper. Surprise, surprise.

So to summarize, a reflection skews our perspective, presenting the subject in a way we are not used to seeing. A reflection triggers the human brain’s natural tendency to recognize symmetry and patterns, and to analyze such appearances to determine if they are natural or artificial. A reflection can also trigger feelings of being a voyeur. Because we see the subject in an unusual or unexpected manner, there is a sense of being privy to something that is either uninvited or unintended.

Of course, it is quite natural to respond in unexpected ways to these visual, mental and emotional stimuli. You might be momentarily confused, even questioning the authenticity of the scene. There may even be an emotional response. Seeing something again for the first time can produce strong feelings. Whatever the response, it is the very fact that seeing something in reflection can be a catalyst for intense thoughts or feelings that makes it such a powerful element of composition. As artists, we photographers feel joy when others take pleasure in our work. We may feel pain when others are critical. But the greatest sadness comes when others simply dismiss our photographs as not worthy of notice.

Now, get out there and shoot.

Bill Ferris | September 2014

Bucket List – Monument Valley

A winter sun kisses the horizon between East Mitten (middle) and Merrick Butte at Sunrise (Bill Ferris)

There are few places in the American West that call to a landscape photographer as clearly and compellingly as Monument Valley. Straddling the Arizona and Utah borders in the Four Corners region, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is home to an inspiring and iconic collection of buttes and natural landforms. For many, the significant time and effort required to get to Monument Valley can be a deterrent to making the trip but that effort is often rewarded with awe-inspiring views.

Anyone who has seen a John Ford western film knows this landscape. Ford, the Hollywood legend whose films defined the American Western for generations, used this remote area of the Desert Southwest as a location for numerous productions, including Stagecoach (1939), Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and The Searchers (1956). Timeless leading man John Wayne starred in many of Ford’s films, including the four just mentioned.

Before John Ford, Westerns had churned out by the dozens as film serials and held in low regard by film critics. Through Ford and his classic films, the Western rose to international acclaim as a genre that reflected American values of rugged individualism, and a willingness to risk everything in the pursuit of one’s dream or in defense of honor. Monument Valley came to be synonymous with the genre and to symbolize those cherished values. Today, more than 40 years after Ford’s passing, this place retains its status as the one location that, more than any other, signifies the mythology of the American West.

On a recent visit to Monument Valley, I had the opportunity to photograph the park from several locations. I arrived on a summer morning just before lunch. After paying the $20 entrance fee, I parked at the View Hotel and enjoyed the lunch buffet at the hotel restaurant. After lunch, I stepped out onto the tiered observation deck along the east side of the hotel. This platform offers an expansive view into Monument Valley, including the now famous arrangement of The Mittens and Merrick Butte.

Two half-buried boulders near the View Hotel can, with careful positioning of your camera, be used to obscure the dusty dirt road visitors and guides use to tour Monument Valley. (Moto X photo by Bill Ferris)

The one drawback of The View’s observation deck is the visibility of the main dirt road visitors and tour guides use to explore the park. The road, vehicle traffic and associated dust will be prominently placed in any wide angle photograph taken from the deck. There is a spot just north of the paved deck where a pair of half-buried boulders can be used to good advantage. Visitors stand on or lean against the boulders for “we were here” shots. They can also be used as foreground elements in wide angle shots that hide the dirt road in a landscape composition.

The aforementioned dirt road is something of a double-edged sword, in my opinion. While it adds to the charm of the experience, the road’s poor condition is a practical liability. The posted maximum speed limit is 15 MPH, which is challenging to maintain over the steep half-mile descent from the east rim into the valley. Ruts, exposed rocks and sandy areas make navigation of the road a bit challenging. Drivers often weave from side to side in search of the least bumpy route.

For those who continue beyond John Ford Point, the road is posted as one-way. I encountered several vehicles traveling against the flow on this loop and had chalked it up to a tourist mentality of enjoying the view while ignoring the traffic signs. However, approaching the spur road to Artists Point, several vehicles had inexplicably pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. I did the same and walked up the road to find out what was going on. A vehicle was having a difficult time negotiating the uphill climb through loose, sandy terrain. After several failed attempts, the driver gave up, backed down the hill, made a Y-turn and began the long trek back the way he’d come…against traffic flow.

My trusty AWD Pontiac Vibe made short work of the hill. While high ground clearance is not (currently) needed to drive the Monument Valley road, a vehicle with AWD or 4WD might come in handy on some sections of road. The quality of light during my midday drive through Monument Valley was predictably poor. The high overhead sun and overcast skies painted the buttes and formations with a flat, harsh brush. The heat and generally poor placement of roadside viewpoints contributed to my decision to stay in the air conditioned comfort of my vehicle as much as possible.

Throughout the two-hour drive, I kept thinking about a sign I’d seen which indicated that the road was open only from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. While those are normal business hours, they exclude the optimum times to view the magnificent stone structures of Monument Valley. The best times of day to experience a scenic masterpiece are around sunrise and sunset. Those times of day are when the quality of light is reliably at its best. To deny visitors access to the park when the light is most likely to have that magical quality made no sense to me. I was really stewing on this issue when I drove through the roadway entrance gate on my way out of the valley at 3 o’clock.

The View Campground at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park features campsites with million dollar views. (Moto X photo by Bill Ferris)

It was time to find a place to make camp for the night. On my last visit to Monument Valley in March 2014, I had stayed at a worthless excuse for a campground located about a mile down the road from the park entrance station. It was little more than a series of picnic tables surrounded by bare ground. I had pitched my tent there for a few hours sleep on a cold late-winter night and, in a pinch, could do the same on this trip. However, The View Campground (closed during the winter) is located at the entrance gate to the valley. So, I stopped by the campground office to check on site availability. A few minutes later, I was out in the sand dunes choosing a campsite. I went with the first open site I found, which happened to offer a spectacular view of The Mittens and Merrick Butte.

Returning to the campground office to let the attendant know which site I had selected, I asked about the road hours sign I had seen. “Can I go into the valley at sunset and sunrise to do photography.” The attendant confidently reassured me that the gate remains open throughout the night. If I wanted to go into the valley to do photography, that would be fine. With a campsite secured and my concern eased over after hours park access, I drove over to the View Hotel restaurant for an early dinner. The hostess seated my at a two-top with a window view of the valley. While enjoying my sandwich, I watched as the harsh midday light gradually softened and warmed in response to the sun’s race toward the western horizon. There weren’t many clouds to add a sense of drama to the sky but at least the light was improving.

About two hours before sunset, I drove a short distance down the valley road to the first large pullout I could find. After parking the Vibe and strapping on my photo pack, I walked across the road and followed a well-worn social trail over the flat, sun baked surface. I wanted to find an elevated vantage point offering a clear view of The Mittens and Merrick Butte. From a location east of the dirt road, I should be free to compose wide angle shots without having to contend with a dirt road cutting across the frame. A short hike delivered me to the perfect venue. Soon, I was setting up for the evening.

The golden light of a setting summer sun bathes The Mittens and Merrick Butte in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. (Bill Ferris)

The location I chose was an elevated shelf with a clear view of the most recognized collection of buttes in Monument Valley: West Mitten, East Mitten and Merrick Butte. As the day drew to a close, I experimented with composition and exposure, eventually making a fine image of The Mittens and Merrick Butte. The soft, warm quality of the light gave the entire scene – foreground desert, buttes, sky and clouds an inviting summery quality. It wasn’t the only keeper of the evening but is my favorite exposure from the session.

At 3 o’clock the following morning, my watch alarm went off and I begrudgingly awoke to start the day. This reluctance didn’t last long as the thought of a sunrise in Monument Valley peaked my enthusiasm for the predawn expedition. I decided to save time by leaving my tent set up. More than likely, I would be back before most of the other campers were even awake. I made the walk to the restroom where I was treated to a most wonderful surprise. The bathrooms at The View Campground have complimentary showers…with hot water.

The shower left me feeling refreshed and energized for the day. It was about 3:45 AM when I rolled out of the campground parking lot in the Vibe, making the short drive to the same pullout I had used the previous afternoon. With my headlamp shining at full brightness, I had little problem finding the overlook in the July morning darkness. By 4:25 AM, I was making test exposures and at 4:40 AM, the horizon was showing enough color to nicely frame the landscape in silhouette. Low, thick clouds negated the obligatory starbust shot of the sun’s initial peak over the horizon. As soon as the deep, rich colors behind the buttes started to fade, I made the decision to move to another location.

A summer day dawning fills Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park with a golden glow as seen from Artists Point. (Bill Ferris)

The previous afternoon, I had surveyed Artists Point as a possible sunrise location. Nearby rock formations block a clear view to the east where the sun rises but the vista does offer a fine view of the major formations to the west. If the early morning light were of the right quality, some fine landscapes and panoramas would be on the table. I raced the Vibe down the dirt road, taking a shortcut against the posted traffic flow to cut a solid 20-30 minutes off the drive time.

Within minutes of my arrival at Artists Point, I was setup and checking compositional options. Eventually, I settled on working East Mitten, Merrick Butte and the flat, open desert to the right (east). It wasn’t spectacular light but there was a warm, soft quality to it that produced several pleasing frames, including the one above. After a half-hour, the last of the golden hour light yielded to a duller, somewhat lifeless glow and I began packing up my gear. It was just then that several vehicles arrived at Artists Point, all filled with visitors and cameras hoping to make a memorable photograph.

The spectacular landscape of Monument Valley really deserves more time than I had available to give. After Artists Point, I drove back to the campground, packed my tent and went over to the hotel for breakfast. Afterwards, I would hit the road for a sunset date with Arches National Park in Utah. The meal allowed time to reflect on the previous 18 hours. This was my third trip to Monument Valley. I had come for one sunset and sunrise cycle, and had successfully captured several keeper photographs. Having focused on making images of the more popular vistas, I was already thinking about my next visit and the opportunity to explore the less frequented scenes found within this iconic symbol of the American West.

Hey, you should get out and shoot.

Bill Ferris | August 2014

Derivative

Wotans Throne stands bathed in sunrise’s golden glow as seen from Cape Royal on a July morning in Grand Canyon National Park. (Bill Ferris)

Years ago, my sister-in-law gave me a copy of Stephen Trimble’s, Lasting Light ~125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography, for Christmas. This coffee table art book tells the story of Grand Canyon photography from the late 1800’s to the present day. It is filled with stunning images by great landscape photographers. Ansel Adams, David Muench and Jack Dykinga are just three of the artists featured. The book is well worn from years of loving use. I’ve read and re-read every chapter, scrutinized each photo, and still review the images before heading out to shoot landscapes. In fact, when I’m at Grand Canyon to make landscapes, I’ll often visit then nearest gift store to browse a display copy of Trimble’s book. Flipping through the images, I am looking for inspiration and guidance.

I’m not ashamed to say I’ve attempted to reproduce several of my favorite images in Lasting Light. If I’m being honest with myself and with you, I must acknowledge that the act of reproducing a previous work is, to some extent, derivative. To quote from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, it is “something that comes from something else.” To call an artist’s work, derivative, is generally considered a criticism. At best, it suggests an absence of originality. At worst, it suggests a plagiaristic quality . While the act of reproduction can be derivative, it also has the potential to be creative. If something new comes from the act, that work can accurately be described as inspired and original.

With this article, I want to explore the arguably fine line separating the inspired from the derivative. I’ll start by asking the obvious question: why reproduce another photographer’s image? To understand my motivation, it is worth pointing out that I reproduce only those images I consider to be great photographs. Making an homage to a past classic is an accepted and time honored practice in many circles. If one paints in the style of Monet, one is called an impressionist. If one incorporates a musical phrase reminiscent of Miles Davis, one is called a jazz musician. The writer whose work is inspired by Allen Ginsberg is called a Beat poet. The quality all these examples share, is that the inspired work contributes something new to the art form.

Panorama of Grand Canyon with Butte in Foreground. Photo taken by Ansel Adams and used courtesy of the National Archives

This tradition extends to photography, as well. If you look on page 32 of Lasting Light, you’ll see Ansel Adams’ iconic photograph of Wotans Throne taken from Cape Royal on the North Rim of Grand Canyon. On page 54, is Dick Dietrich’s image of the same subject. Dietrich is widely considered among the great landscape photographers of the 20th Century. His image was taken from nearly the same location as Adams’ and with almost identical framing. However, Ansel Adams made his photograph during morning light while Dietrich made his at sunset. Dietrich’s decision to shoot at a different time of day and his use of color film stock produced a photo capturing a very different personality of this iconic scene. In making these choices, Dietrich produced an original interpretation. His image was inspired.

What this illustrates, is that the real issue is not that photographers sometimes reproduce elements of prior great works. There is no debate, here. It happens and with greater frequency than some would care to admit. The real issue is this: in taking inspiration from past work, is the resulting photograph essentially a reproduction or does it contribute something new. Is the photograph derivative or inspired?

Finding the answer to this question is not as simple as one might think. A photographer may start by mimicking a master’s work. Over time, however, the nature of creativity often conspires to lead the photographer in new directions. In other words, the act of reproducing a prior great work may be where artistry begins. But this is not where the artistic process ends. To understand this process, let’s consider the act of reproduction within the context of my growth as a photographer.

Key to what makes a photograph great are the choices of time of day, perspective and composition made by the photographer. The act of reproducing a great photograph deepens my understanding of the effect lighting, location and framing have on the resulting image. Two of the biggest mistakes made by casual photographers are arriving when everybody else arrives and standing where everybody else stands. Sunsets are awesome but everybody is up at that time of day. An overlook railing identifies where good views – and photographs – can be had but everybody stands at the rail. Climbing over the rail to set up a tripod at the edge of an abyss in predawn darkness is where you begin to separate the merely derivative from the inspired.

The Golden Hour light of sunset pours into Clear Creek as seen from Cape Royal on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (Bill Ferris)

On a recent photo excursion, I spent four days and three nights at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. I had a goal of reproducing the images Adams had made of from Cape Royal of Wotans Throne and from Point Imperial of Mt Hayden (Lasting Light, page 33). Each evening, I arrived at Cape Royal two hours before sunset to select an optimum spot from which to capture the magic of the late day light working the landscape. Each morning, I awoke at 3:00 AM to leave camp and drive to a chosen overlook in time to catch the first glow of predawn twilight.

On three consecutive days, I drove to Cape Royal for sunset. I would walk to the overlook, climb over the rail, walk to the edge of the Kaibab limestone platform and make a five-foot downclimb to a shelf offering an unobstructed view of the scene. Each night, monsoon rain clouds blocked the golden glow from kissing the landscape. I could have been so frustrated by the weather that I simply packed my gear and returned to camp. Rather than giving up, I worked with the available light and experimented with composition in an effort to make good images.

Mt. Hayden basks in early morning light as seen from Point Imperial on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. (Bill Ferris)

The first two mornings I went to Point Imperial to photograph sunrise. The clouds were less dense at this time of day, which allowed nature’s light to paint the landscape. Reproducing Adams iconic image of Mt. Hayden was on my To Do list. With that shot made, I was then free to explore the scene for other images. The reproduction was something of an aperitif, a drink to stimulate my creative palette. You see, the act of reproducing a great photograph is, for me, a first step in the process. It’s almost as though I need to get that image out of my system. With that image made, I am free to let my creative eye wander and seek its own frame.

Having experienced the dingy gray of seasonal rains at Cape Royal, I returned there on the last morning in search of magic hour light. Nature cooperated and sunrise’s deep golden glow elicited rich red hues in the stone layers of Wotans Throne. I made my homage to Adams’ image and, with that task out of the way, there was room for my compositional eye to step forward and assert control over the balance of the shoot.

Of course, there was no guarantee my choice of location, selection of framing or determination of the decisive moment would produce an image as good – let alone any better – than the iconic image inspiring my effort. At the very least, however, the resulting images would be original. Yes, they were inspired by another photographer’s prior work. But my images reflect my interpretation of the scene. They are mine. Nature’s light never paints the same landscape, twice.

Now, get out there and shoot.

Bill Ferris | July 2014

Bucket List – Grand Canyon

A late summer afternoon glow fills Grand Canyon as seen from Yaki Point on the South Rim. Cedar Ridge and O’Neill Butte bask in the light in the foreground. (Bill Ferris)

The summer travel season is in full swing and, over the next three months, photographers from around the world will descend upon Grand Canyon National Park. They will arrive by car, bus and train. They will number in the hundreds of thousands and all will have the same goal: to make a once-in-a-lifetime photograph.

With annual visitation of nearly 5 million people, Grand Canyon is among the most photographed natural landscapes in the world. While 4 million of those visitors will come from the United States, travelers from around the world make Grand Canyon their vacation destination of choice. 200,000 Brits, nearly the same number of Canadians, 100,000 Japanese, another 100,000 Germans and 50,000 Dutch will be among those visiting the South or North rim of the canyon.

So, what can you do to maximize your chances of capturing that bucket list photo? First and foremost, chase the light. Great light makes for great photographs. A view of Grand Canyon can be awe inspiring at any time of day. But sunrise and sunset are the times when the quality of light is almost guaranteed to be amazing. These “golden hour” times, offer the best and most reliable opportunities to capture great images. Sunrise has the added advantage of being so early in the day – you’ll need to wake up no later than 5:00 AM to catch a 5:30 AM sunrise – that you’ll be competing with relatively small crowds for position to make your bucket list photo.

Second, pay attention to the weather. Grand Canyon is located entirely within the state of Arizona in the American Southwest. Since record keeping began, June is the sunniest and driest month of the year in this part of North America. With July comes the summer monsoon, the annual rainy season for this arid high desert environment. A typical monsoon day will dawn clear and dry. However, humidity and clouds build throughout the day. By late afternoon, thunderstorms dot the horizon throughout the park. Some of the greatest landscape photos feature dramatic weather and its impact on the immediate environment. If you are visiting Grand Canyon in July or August, leave your late afternoon schedule flexible so you can take advantage of clouds, lightning and rain to capture a dramatic landscape photo.

Evening twilight and a cobalt blue sky frame Desert View Watchtower on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (Bill Ferris)

Third, include a strong foreground element in your photos. Whether the gnarled trunk of a Juniper tree, a blooming cactus or desert plant, or the imposing profile of an inner canyon butte, a strong foreground element gives your photo a subject. It anchors the image and draws the gaze. At Grand Canyon, there are great views to be had from every overlook on both rims. Since the South Rim gets the lion’s share of visitation, those are the overlooks people flock to for their photo ops. Hopi Point is often recommended as “the best” overlook from which take in a sunset. However, I would recommend you explore a variety of overlooks during the day in search of that perfect place from which to photograph sunset or sunrise.

My favorite South Rim overlooks include Desert View, Lipan Point, Yaki Point and Mather Point. Desert View and Lipan Point are exceptional for both sunrise and sunset. The Desert View Watchtower offers a great compositional element. These overlooks also offer the best views of the Colorado River from the South Rim. Yaki Point and Mather Point are also nice sunrise vistas. However, sunsets offer the most dramatic light for photography from these overlooks. Mather Point is conveniently located near the park visitor center. Yaki Point, though technically accessible only by shuttle bus, can be accessed on foot. If you park your vehicle at the picnic area just down the road from the Yaki Point drive entrance, you can follow social trails through the forest to get to the overlooks.

As sunset’s golden light washes over Grand Canyon, a summer monsoon rumbles across the great chasm as seen from Cape Royal on the North Rim. (Bill Ferris)

My personal favorite overlook for photography of late afternoon thunderstorms rolling through Grand Canyon National Park, is Cape Royal. Located on the North Rim, Cape Royal offers an astounding view of flat-topped Wotans Throne. The gently curving ridge of Kaibab Limestone connecting the North Rim to Wotans Throne introduces a natural leading line that guides your eye directly to the subject of the photograph. As sunset approaches on a July afternoon, thunderstorms bathe the inner canyon in a brilliant warm glow. The quality of light combined with dramatic weather and the imposing landscape creates an almost alien scene for the camera. Being a North Rim overlook, photos taken at Cape Royal have the advantage of standing out from the crowd of images made along the South Rim.

To summarize, chasing the golden hour light of sunrise or sunset, taking advantage of a dramatic mid-summer thunderstorm and adding a strong foreground element to your composition are three key things you can do to make a bucket list photo during your visit to Grand Canyon National Park.

In the meantime, get out there and shoot!

Bill Ferris | June 2014

Camera Wars!

(Camera equipment photos used courtesy Sony USA and Nikon USA, respectively)

When the world’s leading travel photographer describes the competition between digital single-lens reflex cameras and mirrorless digital cameras as a war, you can almost hear the rush as members of the larger photography community pull up chairs to settle in for the show. Well, here’s a radical notion. I’m going to stand and join the discussion. And I do mean discussion. I have little time or interest in the hyperbolic frenzy over supposed camera wars. My interest is in the two technologies, their respective advantages and disadvantages.

The first thought that comes to mind is a question, why does this topic engender such passion? First and foremost, a camera is a tool. The bottom line with a tool is, does it allow you to do your job, to complete the task? The single-lens reflex (SLR) design has allowed photographers to make amazing images since the late-1950’s. Anyone who would dispute the usefulness of this design is deceiving themselves. As a purely practical matter, there is no real debate. SLR technology works and works well.

Of course, a camera is more than just a tool. It is also an artistic device. Photography is many things, including an artistic medium. A camera is to the photographer as the brush is to the painter, the chisel to the sculptor or the pen to the writer. Where artists reside, there too resides passion. Passion fuels our creative ambitions and our arguments. So, while watching photographers arguing over SLR versus mirrorless technology, bear in mind that the passion and hyperbole are more a reflection of the people than the technology being debated.

We should also keep in mind the camera’s role as a fashion accessory. Some photographers wear their cameras with a similar feeling of pride as a first responder or athlete in a uniform. The camera signifies a person’s status as someone for whom photography is more than just a hobby. It is a profession and a passion.

While I acknowledge that passion has a place in vigorous debate, I would argue that it should not be allowed to dominate the discussion. Arguments are neither advanced nor won by being the one to scream the loudest. It is rationale that prevails. At the very least, being the rational one in the room offers a reasonable chance of being taken seriously.

So, let us set passion aside and engage in the debate.

Kodak Brownie Flash III (ca. 1957)

First, a little background. George Eastman’s invention of the Kodak box camera in 1888 effectively launched the era of the amateur photographer. For more than half a century starting in 1900, the Brownie camera anchored Eastman Kodak’s position as the dominant US company in amateur camera and film sales. The Brownie was simple, could be taken anywhere and was priced for the consumer. Kodak earned a profit by selling you the camera. They made billions through the sale of film the camera used to make photos.

Let’s fast forward to the present day. The smartphone has fundamentally changed how people capture and share special moments. More often than not, when a person reaches for a camera to take a picture, they reach for their smartphone. Of the 1.8 billion cell phones sold worldwide in 2013, nearly 1 billion were smartphones. Smartphone cameras are capable of making excellent pictures and, with access to the Web just a button push away, it is incredibly easy to share your smartphone photos with family and friends. In short, the smartphone is the Brownie camera of the 21st Century.

The emergence of the smartphone as the camera of choice for most people has resulted in a dramatic collapse in compact camera sales. Since 2010, compact camera sales have plummeted by more than 50% from a peak of 112 million units (2010) to just 50 million in 2013. The digital revolution has also produced a fundamental change in the lives of professional photographers. The first decade of the 21st Century marked the rise of the interchangeable lens digital SLR (DSLR) camera as the predominant professional and serious amateur camera in the world. DSLR sales peaked in 2011 at 16 million units. DSLR sales have since declined to 14 million units in 2013 and that trend is expected to continue. (For a deeper discussion of the current condition and future of the digital imaging industry, visit photographer Thom Hogan’s website at http://bythom.com/)

In a moment of unsurpassed irony, the Eastman Kodak Company filed chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February 2012. Although Eastman Kodak had developed the core technology used in today’s DSLR cameras, they were slow to embrace this emerging technology and ended up paying the ultimate price for their complacency.

The last few years have seen the emergence of a newcomer to the world of photography: the mirrorless digital camera. In a nutshell, mirrorless cameras replace the optical viewfinder of the single-lens reflex (SLR) design with an electronic viewfinder. As a result, mirrorless cameras have no internal mirror or pentaprism redirecting an image of what is being photographed to an optical viewfinder. Mirrorless cameras use pixels on the main sensor to generate and display an electronic image on a screen. Manufacturers have leveraged this technology to make mirrorless cameras physically smaller and lighter in weight than their SLR counterparts.

According to some industry observers and analysts, the advent of the mirrorless camera sounds the death knell for the tried and trusty DSLR. There are even predictions that Nikon and Canon will soon be marginalized as still camera manufacturers. So, are Canon and Nikon really going the way of Eastman Kodak…to the trash heap of history? Will the SLR camera body be all but forgotten five years from now? My answer to both questions is, no.

If you compare performance in terms of image quality, mirrorless technology offers nothing new, nothing better. Full-frame mirrorless cameras are built around the same sensors used in full-frame DSLR cameras. Resolution and low light performance in both are essentially equal. This should come as no surprise. After all, the electronic viewfinder is new technology for viewing and composing the scene to be photographed. This new technology has nothing whatsoever to do with the sensor and image processing done by the camera.

In the absence of a marked improvement in image quality, what motivation is there for DSLR owners to move to mirrorless? What barriers must be overcome in persuading a photographer to make the change?

As you move up the scale from photography enthusiast, to passionate amateur to professional, cost becomes an ever increasing barrier to any photographer’s decision to change formats or brands. Making such a move involves more than replacing a single camera body. For the serious amateur or professional, it involves replacing multiple camera bodies and thousands of dollars in premium lenses. Unless a new format or system is able to deliver obvious and significant improvement in image quality, there will not be a rush to embrace that new product.

An overhead view of the Sony A7, a full-frame, 24 MP mirrorless digital camera

In marketing this new technology, mirrorless camera makers have focused on the inherent size and weight advantages of the design. In 2013, Sony introduced two full-frame mirrorless digital cameras. The Sony A7 and A7R are built, respectively, around 24 megapixel (MP) and 36 MP sensors. The 24 MP Sony A7 weighs 40% less than the 24 MP Nikon D610. The 36 MP A7R weighs less than half as much as the 36 MP Nikon D800. So, how much do digital camera owners value the smaller size of these Sony mirrorless cameras? During the 2012 sales year, mirrorless bodies accounted for 24% of interchangeable lens camera sales. In 2013, mirrorless bodies accounted for…24% of interchangeable lens camera sales. Thus far in 2014, mirrorless camera sales are slightly ahead of 2013 and slightly behind 2012.

While mirrorless has garnered a significant portion of market share, sales figures over the last two-plus years show no mass migration of SLR owners adopting this new technology. The biggest reason, is that neither Canon nor Nikon – who collectively dominate interchangeable lens digital camera sales – have adopted mirrorless technology for their flagship camera bodies. The millions of Canon and Nikon shooters around the world have billions of reasons not to make the jump to another brand of camera. If the cost to make the switch to Sony (or Panasonic or Olympus) isn’t going to result in obviously better photos, why jump ship?

Another barrier to the mass migration of DSLR owners to mirrorless, is the American cultural preference for big things. Whatever the reason, Americans prefer their houses, cars, TV’s and cameras to be big. In the world of photography, this is influenced to some degree by what we see the pros using. Professional photographers set the standard by which others judge the equipment they purchase. If the wedding photographer is shooting a Canon or Nikon DSLR, that is the camera the aspiring wedding shooter will covet. The same goes for aspiring sports and editorial photographers. As long as the professionals continue to shoot with relatively large SLR bodies, that technology will continue to lead in market share.

Personally, I see Canon as the key to this variable. Canon is a leading manufacturer of lenses for both still and video cameras. Sony is the world’s leading manufacturer of professional video cameras. It is very common to see Canon lenses on Sony cameras in television studios and at athletic events. If Canon were to commit to developing a full line of professional quality lenses optimized for mirrorless camera bodies, that would force Nikon to do the same. With the big two on board, mirrorless would soon dominate the industry.

However, if Canon remains committed to the SLR design for their flagship bodies, that design will retain the lion’s share of the market. Not forever, perhaps, but certainly for the immediate future.

Another reason enthusiast photographers are not racing to buy mirrorless, is that mirrorless camera marketing places this technology in direct competition with the smartphone. If compact size and low weight are priorities for a photographer, the best option may not be a specialized digital camera. Potential customers can easily address these considerations by simply using their smartphones for all photographic needs.

We should also consider the objective advantages offered by the SLR design. Let’s start by comparing viewfinders. Video lag is an aberration all electronic viewfinders must address. Lag, is the delayed response of the electronic viewfinder in displaying changes taking place within the field of view. An optical viewfinder has zero lag. As you pan from side-to-side or tilt up-and-down, an optical viewfinder shows you exactly how the scene looks and does so, instantaneously. Mirrorless cameras have to translate that view into an electronic signal and display it on a screen. This takes time. If too much time, the electronic viewfinder will suffer from seriously annoying lag.

The Sony A7 battery compartment

Electronic viewfinders also require power while a DSLR does not need to power an optical viewfinder. A physically larger DSLR may weigh more but one of the benefits is a larger, more powerful battery. This combination of a larger battery and reduced power draw allows the DSLR to take two- to three-times as many exposures on a single charge as a mirrorless camera. To take the same number of exposures with your mirrorless camera, you’ll need to carry more spare batteries. Batteries take up space and add weight. The size and weight advantage of the mirrorless design isn’t as significant as it first appeared.

Let’s talk about storage. High end APS-C and full-frame DSLR camera bodies typically come with two media card slots. A physically smaller, mirrorless camera may have just one card slot. That second card has many potential uses. It can be used to back up all your exposures. You could save still images on one card and videos on the second. You could simply use the second card as overflow and effectively double the number of exposures you can take, before needing to change cards. None of these options are available when shooting with Sony’s full-frame mirrorless bodies. You do have the option of connecting that mirrorless camera to an external storage device. However, that would take up space and add weight, further reducing the most-cited advantage of the mirrorless design.

Let’s talk about focus. DSLR cameras typically employ phase detect focus systems. In a nutshell, phase detection is a process by which the camera splits the incoming image into two displays, compares them and adjusts focus until both displays match. Phase detection measures the distance to the subject and tends to be pretty fast. Mirrorless cameras typically use contrast detection focus systems. The camera compares adjacent pixels and adjusts focus until contrast between adjacent pixels is maximized. Since the camera doesn’t know the distance to the subject, finding that accurate focus point can take longer.

Since phase detect and contrast detect systems make different performance demands of lenses, a lens optimized for use with one focus system may not work as well with the other. With mirrorless technology still being relatively new, the selection of lenses optimized for that design is limited. This is something that will be addressed over time but the question is, how much time?

Sony A7 with adapter and Sony 70-400G lens

Speaking of lens availability, there are adapters that will allow you to mount your existing Canon and Nikon glass to a mirrorless body. Mounting a premium 70-200, f/2.8 zoom lens to a mirrorless camera adds about 3.5 pounds to the system weight. An adapter will be needed, which adds additional weight and introduces optical aberrations. This is not a package that can be carried in a pocket or purse, and the weight advantage of the mirrorless body is now almost completely negated. The mirrorless system will still weigh a pound less than the DSLR system, but the total weight of either could hardly be described as anything but heavy.

Let’s talk about size and weight. Less of both is not always a good thing. The buttons and controls on a mirrorless camera body can be small and closely spaced. This is not an advantage for people with large fingers or limited manual dexterity. Also, a lightweight camera body has less inertia. In other words, less energy is required to get the camera moving. When shooting handheld, a mirrorless camera is more susceptible to shake and vibration. This puts the lighter camera body at a disadvantage in comparison to a larger, heavier DSLR camera.

To summarize, mirrorless and SLR digital full-frame cameras are built around the same sensors. As a result, both designs have the potential to deliver equivalent image quality. While the mirrorless fanboy will say, “Look, my camera takes pictures just as good as yours,” the DSLR fanboy will reply, “Why should I spend thousands to switch to a camera system that doesn’t take better pictures?”

Mirrorless camera manufacturers market their products as offering a significant reduction in size and weight in comparison with DSLR cameras. This marketing strategy reminds consumers that the smartphone in their pocket offers a no-cost, no-additional weight option. By comparison, DSLR bodies have a decided advantage in battery life and image storage capacity. Also, phase detection focus offers a clear advantage over contrast detection in situations where the camera needs to quickly adjust focus to follow a moving subject. The limited availability of professional quality lenses optimized for the mirrorless design creates a disincentive for photographers to make the switch. And while adapters can be used to mount your existing glass to a mirrorless body, this can add substantial weight to your “lightweight” photographic system.

On the subject of lenses, I should point out that small, extremely high quality Leica and Zeiss glass can be used with mirrorless bodies, again, with the right adaptors. The limiting factor with this option is cost. Leica and Zeiss optics are priced well beyond the budgets of all but a very small percentage of professional and enthusiast photographers. And I mean small. Leica aspires to have a 1% market share.

Rather than focusing the discussion on some tag-team match featuring Sony and Olympus versus Canon and Nikon, the real brass tacks question is this: Is mirrorless the future of photography? Will the single-lens reflex design fade into obscurity? The answer is probably, yes.

The single-lens reflex design will definitely fade into obscurity. I have no idea if it will happen in five months, five years or longer. However, technology is always advancing and, eventually, something will come along that delivers significant improvements on SLR technology. That something could very well be the electronic viewfinder. However, I think mirrorless camera manufacturers are missing the real opportunity. Leveraging mirrorless technology to make full-frame camera bodies smaller and lighter places them in direct competition with the smartphone. That is a battle no camera body is going to win.

If Canon and Nikon want to take control of the race and secure their positions as the leading camera manufacturers for the next generation of photographers, they will develop electronic viewfinder technology to replace the internal mirror and prism systems of their flagship cameras. These new, mirrorless cameras don’t need to be any smaller. They do need to deliver all the functionality SLR bodies currently offer plus new functionality that gives professional photographers a compelling reason to stay with Canon and Nikon products.

If there is a war to be fought between SLR and mirrorless technology, the chase for smaller, lighter bodies will not turn the tide. People like big things and pros like things that make them look big. The next time you’re at a wedding, look for the photographer with the most equipment, the biggest camera and lenses. That’s the professional. And the camera that person is using, is the camera everyone will want.

Until then, get out and shoot!

Bill Ferris | April 2014

Bucket List – Delicate Arch

The summer sun sets over Arches National Park in Utah. (Bill Ferris)

Which landscapes do you dream of photographing? In a private moment, where do you see yourself standing, camera by your side, and a setting sun splashing earthy hues across the scene and sky. What’s on your bucket list?

Sports photographers fantasize about shooting the Olympics, a perfect game in the World Series or a Super Bowl. For portrait photographers, working with an A-list actor, the President of the United States or royalty is a dream assignment. Would being present to document the first encounter between humanity and alien intelligence be a bucket list item for a photojournalist? Is chocolate yummy?!

One of the advantages of choosing landscapes as your photographic passion, is that you don’t need a press pass, high level security clearance or connections with the right people to gain access. Many of the most amazing destinations on Earth are right here in America and accessible with an $80 National Park annual pass. Living in northern Arizona, I am truly blessed to be near several National Parks. Grand Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Zion and Bryce Canyon offer spectacular photographic opportunities and all are within a day’s drive of my front door. In addition, there are numerous Native American heritage sites in the Four Corners region of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.

With this blog, I am launching a new series titled, “Bucket List.” The idea is simple. Each article will focus on one of the many world class landscapes in the American Southwest. To be clear, my goal is not to tell you how to go about framing and photographing these natural gems. I will share my experiences shooting these bucket list items, including what did and did not work for me. The objective is to share information and tools you can use to capture your vision of a great landscape photo.

Delicate Arch catches the last light of day with the La Sal Mountains dotting the far horizon. This photo was taken from the popular spot with a Nikon D90 and 18-70mm mid-range zoom. (Bill Ferris)

So, let’s get started.

Deep within Arches National Park is an iconic land form. It is a gently curing natural arch appropriately named, Delicate Arch. Even if you’ve never heard of this land form, it’s very likely you’ve seen it. Delicate Arch is featured on Utah state license plates. A simple Google search returns over 3 million hits and limitless images. Interesting thing though, when you scroll through the photos, they all look the same…like the image on the license plate.

Arches National Park is in southeastern Utah near Moab, which makes a great home base for visits to both Arches and Canyonlands national parks. Some effort is required to get to the arch. Upon entering the park, follow Arches Scenic Dr to Delicate Arch Rd. Turn onto Delicate Arch Rd and drive to the first parking lot on your left. From this lot, you’ll follow a 1 1/2 mile trail – uphill in both directions – to Delicate Arch. Budget an hour for the hike, and bring water, sunscreen and snacks.

Delicate Arch rises from the south rim of a natural sandstone bowl. The trail leads from the parking lot to the north rim of the bowl and this is the vantage point from which most photos of the arch are taken. From this spot, Delicate Arch is silhouetted against a twilight sky at sunrise and bathed in golden hour hues at sunset. With lighting so favorable at sunset, that is the time of day when the largest crowds make the long hike to see and photograph Delicate Arch. Make no mistake, though, sunrise and nightfall also offer opportunities to make spectacular images of this land form.

I was one of the horde on my first visit to the park in June 2010. My visit started poorly when I made the classic mistake of getting to the trailhead late in the day. The light was already warming when I left the parking lot. By the time I arrived – sweating and out of breath – at Delicate Arch, a crowd of well over 100 people was already gathered awaiting the perfect light. I sat down in the first open spot I found, took a long swig of water and began setting up for a shot. It was a good image – the La Sal Mountains adorned the southeastern horizon beyond the arch – but it was vanilla.

It was in this moment that I made the best decision of the day. I stopped shooting and started surveying what was happening around me. The sun was still a handful of degrees above the western horizon so, there was time to identify and get into a good position for the money shot. Photographers were spread out around the rim of the bowl with the largest grouping being where I was sitting. This location was popular for two reasons: As the first vantage point one gets to offering a clear view of the arch, this spot is highly tempting to a winded photographer. It is also the vantage point from which most photos of Delicate Arch are taken. This results in something of a vicious cycle. People stop here to catch their breath and take a photo. Since most photos of the arch are made from this location, it must offer the best view..right?

Delicate Arch photographed from up close using a 12-24mm zoom lens. The sky isn’t terribly interesting and the contrast of the illuminated upper arch against the shaded major portion is more distracting than appealing. However, seen up close through a wide angle lens, Delicate Arch looks more impressive and imposing. (Bill Ferris)

Scanning the crowd, I noticed a small group of photographers gathered at the base of a stone outcrop near the arch and just out of frame. In ones or twos, they would make quick runs to get closer, capture a few frames and then just as quickly retreat back to the base of the outcrop. Being naturally curious, I decided to work my way around the rim to that location. Once I arrived, it didn’t take long to recognize the advantages of this spot.

From this location, one is looking to the southwest with Delicate Arch framed by golden light along the horizon and ruddy clouds overhead. I quickly changed lenses, mounting a 12-24mm Tokina wide angle zoom on my D90. Then I attached the camera to my tripod and adjusted the leg height to allow comfortable operation from a seated position. At 7:49 PM, I made my move, scooting to a favorable location near Delicate Arch. I sat down, set up the tripod, framed a shot and took a 3-exposure series. I then backed off a few feet, re-framed and took two 3-exposure sets. Finally, I moved another few feet, re-set, re-framed and snapped off two more 3-exposure sequences.

Three minutes after leaving the base of the stone outcrop, I was back and inspecting the exposures. Undoubtedly, the people back at the popular spot were not pleased to have me in their photos. Well, that’s easily fixed in Photoshop. If they could see what I was seeing on the LCD of my camera, they would have been more upset at themselves for traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to photograph Delicate Arch and not going the extra hundred feet to make a photo that stands out from the crowd.

Delicate Arch captures a warm twilight glow at sunset in Arches National Park. (Bill Ferris)

Why does it stand out? It was taken from an uncommon angle. Being close to the arch allowed me to use a wide angle lens, which separates a subject from its background and makes it appear more imposing. Shooting from the east-northeast allows one to frame the arch with brilliantly hued clouds and a golden horizon. The result is the above image, my bucket list photo of Delicate Arch.

The lesson of this story is pretty simple. Traveling across a continent or around the world to get to arrive at a bucket list destination isn’t when the work ends. Arriving at your destination is when the work begins. Don’t settle for the first vantage point offering a nice view. Orient yourself to the environment, note the location of the sun and clouds, and look for opportunities to make a compelling image from a unique perspective. Do these things and your bucket list landscape will stand apart from the crowd.

Now, get out and shoot!

Bill Ferris | April 2014

Lasting Light

$Lowell Observatory staff and workers work to remove a 400-lb. counterweight from the mount for the historic Clark Refractor. This 120-year-old telescope is undergoing a complete refurbishment.$

Workers prepare to remove a 400-lb. counterweight from the mount of the historic Clark Refractor. This 120-year-old telescope is undergoing a complete refurbishment at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. (Bill Ferris)

Photographers and astronomers share a lot in common. Arguably, the most important shared quality is their reliance on light. For the photographer, light paints the subject. It imbues a scene with certain qualities. Light can be bright and happy, dark and brooding, or any of a variety of personalities. For the astronomer, light is information. By examining the light from a celestial body, an astronomer can determine its distance, size, composition and how its moving. In the same way that light adds drama to a photographer’s composition, light – and the information it carries – allows an astronomer to answer fundamental questions about the universe.

In the 1890’s Percival Lowell established a research observatory in the sleepy railroad town of Flagstaff, Arizona. Lowell was, in many respects, a pioneer of modern science. He built his observatory in the western United States far from his Boston home. At a time when many observatories were still being built at locations near major cities and universities, Lowell chose the site for his observatory for its remoteness and the quality of its skies. As important as light is to the astronomer, the best places from which to explore the night sky are those far from city lights where natural darkness allows the feeble glow of distant objects to be seen.

Soon after Lowell Observatory was established, its founder contacted Alvan Clark & Sons and commissioned them to build a 24-inch refracting telescope. It would be among the largest such instruments in the world and from first light in 1894 through the 1960’s, the Clark Refractor at Lowell Observatory regularly contributed to the science of astronomy. Lowell staff astronomers used the Clark to make some of the first photographic images of the planet, Mars. The Clark was used to study the motions of so-called spiral nebulae. These observations produced the first evidence of an expanding universe. During the Apollo program in the 1960’s cartographers used the Clark to make detailed maps of the lunar surface. Apollo astronaut Neill Armstrong even visited Lowell Observatory to observe the Moon through the 24-inch Clark, before making his one giant leap for all mankind.

Workers prepare to lift a counterweight through the open shutter of the Clark Dome at Lowell Observatory. (Bill Ferris)

In recent decades, larger and more powerful telescopes have replaced the Clark Refractor as the principal research tools used by the Lowell science team. However, the 24-inch telescope has definitely not been put out to pasture. This historic instrument has been used almost every clear night for years to share the wonders of the universe with the general public. For several years, I had the great privilege and pleasure of working at Lowell Observatory as a tour guide and observer. The joy I experienced when operating the Clark was exceeded only by the awe felt by visitors when, for the first – and possibly only – time in their lives, they stood in that darkened dome, peered into the eyepiece and saw Mars as it can only be presented by a world-class refracting telescope.

Of course, the decades have been at work on this historic instrument. Time, use and the elements have taken a toll on the great refractor. In January 2014, Lowell Observatory staff removed the telescope from its home on Mars Hill to begin a months-long project to refurbish the Clark. When friend and Lowell Observatory Communications Manager Kevin Schindler invited me to be there for this historic happening, I immediately jumped at the chance. Although it has been years since I last observed with the Clark, memories of astounding views of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are still fresh in my mind. There was no way I was going to miss this once-in-a-lifetime event.

$Lowell Observatory's Ralph Nye (on right in blue jacket) inspects progress toward removing one of the 400-lb. counterweights from the mount of the Clark Refractor.$

Lowell Observatory’s Ralph Nye (on right in blue jacket) inspects progress toward removing one of the 400-lb. counterweights from the mount of the Clark Refractor. (Bill Ferris)

The telescope was removed from its dome in stages. The lens cell and lenses are the heart and soul of any refractor. The 120-year-old optics of the Clark were removed, first, and stored safely away from the work area. Next, several 400-lb. counterweights were removed – one at a time – from the telescope mount. Finally, the 32-foot optical tube was disassembled, with each section raised through the open dome shutter by a large crane.

I was struck by the number of people in attendance and the variety of ways they were documenting the historic undertaking. The observatory had hired a professional videographer and a pro photographer to capture the event. Additionally, several observatory staff used smart phones to make movies and photos. I was there with my D600 shooting a time lapse video. There was at least one iPad in use and a quadcopter hovering just outside the dome. While observing this hive of activity, it dawned on me that if this work had happened five years ago, there would be no quadcopter, no iPad, no DSLR’s shooting video. It is amazing how much can change in just a few years.

Of course, I’m looking forward to the return of a refurbished and fully-functional Clark telescope. That should happen in 2015. And on that day, I plan to be back on Mars Hill with my camera documenting the homecoming for this historic instrument of science and public education. That will be a grand day but the real treat will be the next clear, dark night in northern Arizona when the 24-inch Clark Refractor sees first light for the second time in her life.

Now, get out there and shoot.

Bill Ferris | February 2014

Bill Ferris Photography | Blog

Tips for the Digital Imaging Enthusiast

Tag Archives: bill ferris photography

Giving

Anticipation

Vibration Compensation

Reflections

Bucket List – Monument Valley

Derivative

Bucket List – Grand Canyon

Camera Wars!

Bucket List – Delicate Arch

Lasting Light