REGRETS, I'VE HAD A FEW - PHOTOGRAPHICALLY SPEAKING

Nikon FM2, 24mm lens, Fujifilm 1600 film.

Regrets, I’ve had a few, or so goes the song ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra. I try not to dwell on missed photos, or missed photographic opportunities, especially when they have been out of my control. I try to move forward. Sometimes, though, I wish I could go back and take another.

In 1995 I attended the National Press Photographers Association’s 50th Anniversary convention in Washington, D.C. At the convention, photographer Joe Rosenthal was honored during a ceremony held at the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

Here was this famous photographer standing in front of the monument based on his Pulitzer-Prize winning photograph of Marines raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi following the battle of Iwo Jima. All the elements were there for me to make an iconic photograph. Iconic to me anyway.

I should give myself credit for having my camera with me, something I didn’t always do back then. I should give myself credit for making the photograph. I should give myself…

But I missed the shot. The hands especially. Why didn’t I shoot wider? I can’t answer these questions from 25 years ago and am still searching for the negatives to see if maybe I did and for some reason only printed the 4x6 image seen above.

The next line of the song goes, ‘but then again, too few to mention.’ Well, maybe there have been more than a few missed photos, but thankfully I somehow manage to get it right more often than not. And maybe it was through experiences like “missing” this photograph and reflecting on that, which has made me a better photographer today.

We can’t go back. We can only prepare for the next assignment. However, we can carry with us all the experience gained from both successful and not so successful assignments. I’m better today, but only because I was willing to accept that I needed to get better.

14 YEARS OF PHOTOGRAPHING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

I recently had the honor of telling my story and sharing 14 years of photography documenting science and technology for the Office of Naval Research as part of a Distinguished Lecture Series.

It was a humbling experience and I had a blast putting the presentation together. There are so many more photographs, assignments, and stories I wish I could have shared, however the adventure is not over and I’m not done yet.

I would love to hear your feedback or answer any questions in the comments section below

NO EXCUSES, PHOTOGRAPHING D.C. DURING A SNOWSTORM

The movement caught my eye, then when I realized what was happening I knew I had my first real photo of the day. For me, the yellow snow shovel makes this image. Fujifilm X-Pro2, 50mm, 1/1500 @ f4, ISO 400.

I look for any excuse to get outside and take photographs. More often than not I make excuses to stay inside. This weekend I had the time, motivation and a favorable weather forecast. And by favorable, i’m talking snow, lots of snow.

It’s been a while since I roamed around Washington, D.C., in search of photographs. When walking around in search of subjects or situations to photograph, it’s important to have realistic expectations, or in some cases no expectations. What? For me, In lieu of a paid assignment and with an absence of deadline, I have to remind myself that it is alright to spend a day with my camera and not come home with a photograph.

And that’s exactly what happened on Saturday. I walked about seven miles while I waited for snow that didn’t come and in the end, didn’t take any photos of significance. But I did take notice of how quiet D.C. was. Even for a normally quiet Saturday, the federal government shutdown made it seem even quieter. No museums open, cold weather and a threat of snow, meant a lack of activity.

That night as I thought about the day and watched the snow begin to fall just as the light began to fade, I began to think about what I would see the next day when I returned. Snow and the federal government shutdown. Without knowing it, I was coming up with a self assignment. And sometimes it only takes a small idea to get the creativity started.

As the snow began to pick up in strength, I headed to the National Mall and found two people building a snowman. I like the simplicity of this shot, almost as if they are alone in America’s backyard. Fujifilm X-Pro2, 18mm, 1/2500 @ f5.6, ISO 100.

There was already four or so inches of snow when I returned to D.C. the next morning. I made a big sweep past the White House, around the WWII memorial, the reflecting pool and the Lincoln Memorial. The whole while I was taking photos, but nothing was exciting me. Then it happened.

I was walking along Constitution Avenue past the Smithsonian National Museum of American History when some movement caught my eye. At first I thought it was just some snow falling off a high up wall. I soon realized it was an unseen worker clearing snow from the stairs and throwing it over the edge. I immediately framed the shot and waited. Sure enough the action repeated itself and I took several photos before I started to think about repositioning for another composition. I moved and shot some more. I then spent the next 20 minutes photographing several workers as they shoveled snow.

And just like that, I knew I had my first real photo of the day. A photo that told a story of the federal government shutdown, closed museums, but still a need to clear snow for people that wouldn’t, or couldn’t, enter. The photograph had story, a nice graphical element and scale.

Sometimes it takes that first picture to get things rolling.

Before I left the house in the morning, I heard about a planned one p.m. snowball fight that would take place at the Washington Monument. That was the only plan I had for the day. Fujifilm X-Pro2, 18mm, 1/5800 @ f2.8, ISO 400.

It’s perfectly alright to not get a great photo every time you venture out. It’s ok to not know what you want to photograph when you leave the house. It’s alright to wonder if you will ever get a photograph that tells a story or evokes an emotion.

It’s not alright, however, to not pick up your camera and head outside.

A CASE FOR THE FUJIFILM INSTAX PRINTER

I never intended to purchase the Fujifilm Instax SP-2 printer, or as it is known on Amazon, the NEW Fujifilm Instax SHARE Smartphone Printer SP-2, when I visited the store the day before Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been eyeing the SP-2 for several years, and the SP-1 before that. I’ve even gone so far as to pick it up, carry it around the store, only to return it to the shelf prior to checking out.

I suppose I could never make a case for why I needed it, other than it was cool tech. Another reason was price. It always seemed to be just a bit too expensive. Well with the release of the Fujifilm Instax SP-3 (larger print size) and a whole line of Instax cameras, the price has been coming down. So when I saw it on a shelf last week for $90.00, and armed with a 20% coupon, I finally pulled the trigger and purchased it.

Before I continue with how incredible this product is and how I have already put it to real-world use, let me explain exactly what the SP-2 is for those of you who may also need to find a reason to get one.

The SP-2 pairs with your smartphone via the Instax SHARE app and lets you print any photo to Instax mini film. And just like the Polaroids of the past, or present, all you do is wait a few minutes for the film to develop and you have a 1.8” x 2.4” photo framed on a 2.1” x 3.4” card. Perfect for sharing.

When I was in New York City for the Photo Plus Expo the first place I visited was the Fujifilm Wonder Photo Shop located at 176 Fifth Ave., right across from the Flatiron Building. If you want to explore the entire Instax lineup in one place, this is it.

With most Fujifilm X cameras, you can also print directly from your camera without going through the app. The only disadvantage is you lose the ability to edit your photos or use any of the features offered in the smartphone app.

Additionally, through the app you can sync with Facebook, Instagram or Dropbox and print those photos. Finally, you can always print photos from your DLSR or computer hard drive, you just have to move them to your phone first.

A few other observations before I get on with my story. It is smaller that I expected, which makes it easy to add to your camera bag. There are also many options when choosing film, including monochrome, black frames and frames for all kinds of occasions. Speaking of film, or the real question, what is the cost per print? Your best bet is to purchase twin packs, which gives you two packs of 10, or 20 images total, for about $.80 a print if you shop around.

Back to my story. On the day after Thanksgiving I visited my 94-year-old grandmother at the Masonic Village just outside Philadelphia. After chatting for a while she asked if I had my camera with me because she wanted me to photograph a friend who was only a week away from her 100th birthday. I grabbed my camera and made a half dozen photos of her friend and also a few photos of them together. Just as I was promising to send her some prints, I suddenly remembered the new Instax printer in my backpack.

You can imagine the surprise on my Grandmother’s face as I printed a photo of her friend and another of the two of them. Then printed duplicates. Instant satisfaction and instant smiles for all of us. In that moment it hit me, just how powerful a tool this printer is. And it took me finally purchasing one to truly realize it.

IN SEARCH OF LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY INSPIRATION IN FLORIDA

Clyde Butcher and me at his Venice, Fla., gallery, studio and darkroom.

I never thought I would retire to Florida. When I thought about where I would retire, I pictured myself in the Smoky Mountains, maybe the Pacific Northwest, perhaps somewhere in Montana, or Arizona and the Southwest. It just wasn’t Florida.

It’s not that I have anything against Florida, but I just didn’t consider it a landscape photographers dream location. And in retirement, one thing I was pretty sure of was that I wanted to spend a great deal of my time outdoors photographing landscapes.

But central Florida is where I ended up.

Happy about the move and once I settled on the fact that this would be home, I began researching Florida photographers, more specifically, Florida landscape photographers. One name appeared at the top of every search. Clyde Butcher.

Clyde is probably best known for his large format fine art black-and-white photography of the Florida landscape. Specifically, what caught my attention, was his work documenting Big Cypress National Preserve in Southern Florida where he owns 14 acres and where he continues to lead tours through the swamp located behind his gallery.

Clyde’s Venice Gallery and Studio is open Tuesday - Friday, 10 am to 4:30 pm . His black and white photography of the Florida landscape is inspiring me to get out and explore my new home state.

While browsing his website I saw an opportunity too good to pass up. Twice a year Clyde holds an open house at his Venice Gallery and Studio, located in an industrial park on Florida’s Gulf Coast, about 80 miles south of Tampa. And it just so happened that the November opening would take place when I was in Florida.

This was my chance to meet Clyde and get some first-hand inspiration. The gallery is beautiful and seeing his photographs in person, up close, was a real treat. I also had the opportunity to listen as Clyde talked about some of his work and then we discussed Fuji cameras and shooting digital while he signed my copy of his book Florida Portfolio II.

A 12x20 Ron Wisner Field Camera in Clyde’s studio.

While known for his 8x10 view camera, I found out that Clyde has been using the Fujifilm GFX 50S 51.4MP mirrorless medium format camera lately and it just so happened that during PhotoPlus in New York City last month, I became interested in their latest medium format camera due for release in December, the Fujifilm GFX 50R. And it was Clyde’s photographs and those Florida landscapes that I was thinking about when I held that camera and formulated a plan to justify the purchase.

This huge rail camera turned enlarger, is just one of a unique collection of enlargers that occupy Clyde’s darkroom.

Besides viewing his photographs and talking to few minutes with Clyde, I was able to tour his amazing darkroom. It’s been many years since i’ve stepped into a darkroom, but it brought back many memories, and not just that familiar smell. It brought me back to how I started and there’s inspiration in that too.

I think I’ve found the inspiration I need and I’m ready to explore the Florida landscape. Next, I hope to visit Clyde’s gallery in Big Cyprus and maybe even take a walk in the swamp.