Photo Tips - International Center Of Photography

Michael Crouser

Photograph What Moves You

Perhaps it sounds obvious, but I find I make my best photographs when working on the topics that intrigue me most. Making beautiful photographs takes time and patience and, often, repeat attempts. If you find a subject that intrigues you, whether you have a camera or not, you will find yourself watching, waiting, interacting, learning, and considering. The time spent becomes a joy and a privilege rather than work. The inspiration you feel in being near the subject of intrigue will pay off in insightful photographs. You will see and capture moments only possible from someone who is more than a passerby.

—Michael Crouser, photographer and ICP faculty member

Photo © Michael Crouser

Don't Give Up

During my many years as a photojournalist, I developed the habit of taking time at the end of the year to look back and pull out my best work to enter into various contests. I continue this practice, which forces me to take a critical look back at the year that was. It's a kind of photographic road map from which I can update my portfolio; track my progress and spot weaknesses that I can work to improve.

But the somewhat surprising and ultimately disappointing reality I find after completing this exercise, is that when I pull out my best from the year—those truly special, magical moments when something extraordinary happens in front of the camera—there are just not that many of them. Which brings me to my tip.

You should always work hard and long on every assignment or photograph-making opportunity. But learn to recognize "the magic," when it happens to make sure you maximize those rare opportunities. I remember following two boys, each carrying a painting, with their dad lagging behind. I have to say that I'm not unhappy with the resulting photograph, but the experience taught me a lesson. When the boys turned the corner, I stopped and went the other way. Why did I stop? I'm not really sure.

I figured I had a decent image. The fact that I didn't follow and continue shooting nags at me and reminds me not to take anything for granted. I won't give up on a moment, on a potential great photograph, even if I think I already have something good. I'm committed to follow it through until the light fades, the subjects are tired, or the moment is gone. Photography is fun, but it's important to push limits; work a little harder and see where it takes you.

I always remember what photographer Melissa Farlow once told me. She said that often, at the end of the shoot, when she thinks she has her picture and it's late and she's tired; she will put one more roll into the camera. Sometimes that last roll pushes her to a place she never could have predicted. It's all about working the opportunities and taking chances.

—Steve Simon, photographer and ICP faculty member

It Isn't Really About Making "Good" Pictures

As counterintuitive as it sounds, studying photography or putting into practice what one learns is not just about making "good" pictures. As students or even professionals, we come equipped with images in our heads that we identify as "good" masterworks. It used to be said that if a photographer made five great pictures a year that would stand the test of time, then that was a great year for that photographer. But the real point of photographic education is establishing a relationship with a medium that informs your life even when you are not directly engaged with it. The "good" photos that may come from that relationship (as wonderful gifts) are ultimately secondary to the pursuit. Anyone can learn how to make a photograph that suits a set of criteria of being "good." There have been dozens of "how to" books that lay out such direction very clearly and concisely. But what do you learn from photography pursued in that manner? How is that a sounding board for your relationship to the world and your interest in what you are describing?

The pursuit of art is a three-way collaboration between the world, the medium, and the artist. The artist is the weak link. What makes any established relationship with any artistic medium ultimately necessary for any individual is how that relationship directs our engagement with the world. My link to the world is through photography, and if making "good" photos was the endgame, then I would have given up my pursuit. The hidden gift is that with the establishment of that relationship, the medium and the world (and ultimately you) do not allow one to rest on their successes. The medium and your lessons learned force you to continuously up the ante in your picture making and your pursuit of knowledge. Your past successes will most likely fade with time, because you are interested in the next photograph. This constant self-criticism is what at times defeats artists but at other times causes them to continue to grow and challenge themselves. If it weren’t for that self-criticism, the artistic side of the medium would have died long ago.

—Jeffrey Ladd, photographer and ICP faculty member

Northstar © Kay Kenny

Photographing at Night

Long exposures at night in places with no available ambient light can be both magical and frustrating. Since there are no hard and fast exposure times, the best rule of thumb is to bracket and keep notes on the successful shutter speeds. Bear in mind that we are talking about bulb exposures and shutter speeds, which may be as long as one hour. Full moons and clear skies make an enormous difference. Directions (north, south, east, west) can dramatically affect the image with star trails and moon flare.

Tripods, good battery life (or old, manual, non-battery-dependent cameras,) and cable releases are essential. The use of added ambient light from flash, flashlights, or even car headlights can make for dramatic images but require additional experimentation for correct exposure times compared to skylight exposure times. Focus is another factor, because it is sometimes impossible to focus. Use the infinity setting and choose a dry night, because condensation can quickly build up on the lens. Film is still the best choice for this kind of photography, and films vary a lot in how well they work with very long exposures.

—Kay Kenny, photographer and ICP faculty member

Jim Beecher

Back Up Your Computer!

A study by Google (PDF) revealed that one-out-of-twelve hard drives fail in the second year of use. The failure rate during the first year is even higher. In other words, your hard drive will crash. The solution? Today, you can back up your computer easily at a low cost. Read more about it here.

—Jim Beecher, ICP faculty member

Serge J-F. Levy

Kill Your Idols

When developing a familiarity with your art and medium, it is very helpful to emulate the process and style of established artists, mentors, and sometimes peers. Once you have created an ease with your medium and have rendered work that stylistically meets your goals, push yourself to start over again. At the risk of temporary disappointment, a personal vision is often found through tribulation and a choice to pursue a style and content beyond what is already known or easy to obtain.

—Serge J-F. Levy, photographer and ICP faculty member

© Serge J-F. Levy

Marino Berio
Marina Berio, Untold Story #18, 2001, courtesy the artist and Judy Ann Goldman Fine Art, Boston

Feedback Loops

Effective, creative photography is a circular process that sometimes needs to fold back on itself before it can move forward. Too often, beginning photographers go out with high expectations of decisive moments and truthful capture, and then get discouraged when their pictures don't measure up. One of the most important concepts a photographer can grasp is that image-making encompasses more more than just pressing the button. Good planning is all-important, as long as it is accompanied by its sibling, spontaneity. In addition, full appreciation of the role of editing is essential: photographers work so much by subtraction and elimination that we are much more like sculptors chipping away at a block of marble than painters or writers who must begin with an empty white rectangle.

The first subtractive act is the elimination of the whole universe in favor of what appears in our viewfinder. Then we edit from contact sheets or a capture folder. We print, and sometimes we crop. When we have actual prints—physical objects that take up space—spread on the table or pinned to the wall, we see the work with new eyes and are able to shape and organize some more. Then we show our work to friends, colleagues, or total strangers—this is one of the most important parts of the feedback loop—and we eliminate again, taking into consideration how other people's eyes and psyches see the work differently, to either reaffirm or revise the choices we've made. When we take new pictures, having been through this editing process many times, we carry within us the awareness of a body of work being slowly shaped through countless contractions of addition and subtraction, both natural and indispensable, like breathing.

—Marina Berio, artist/photographer and ICP instructor

Black & White, and Color

The study of photography traditionally started with black and white and progressed to color. While black and white processing can be less complicated, it also has a number of other benefits. Black and white photography reduces the vivid jumble of the color world to a more easily organized arrangement of gray shapes. Soft focus photography in a similar way converts the clutter of details into essential forms we can more easily read. Now, and in the future, those who start photography with a digital camera will probably only think of their work in color and thereby miss this valuable photography experience.

The photographer Harry Callahan, was able to make a very smooth transition to color photography as a result of years of being a master of the black and white image. This may seem like a big leap but it is more related than it appears.

For Lee Friedlander, black and white remains an inexhaustible means for creating complex abstract imagery. So by all means shoot in color but periodically convert a favorite picture to black and white and compare the results. Often the black and white composition will seem more unified. This lesson will help you organize the space in your color pictures as well. With digital printing you can also add subtle toning colors to the black and white image thereby creating your own unique look.

—Douglas Mulaire, photographer, ICP Faculty member

Keeping it Simple

In the face of technology, it is easy to lose a sense of purpose. One buys a digital camera with the intent to take classes and make pictures but ends up spending too much time doing online research. Keeping it simple and buying only what you need when you are sure you need it is key.

Do's:

• Buy a good camera and the best lens affordable. A good lens is far more valuable than a heavy camera bag full of mediocre lenses. Photoshop can do magic but can never make up for a poor lens.

• Adobe Lightroom is great new software and a terrific way to begin working with digital camera images. It does not replace Photoshop; it compliments it.

• Make sure you use a digital camera card reader to transfer images. This will minimize possible damage to the camera.

• Erase the images on your digital camera card by reinserting it into the camera. Find the camera menu that offers you the option to "Format" it. This is the only way to insure you have erased all relevant and hidden files.

Don'ts:

• Don't load any software that is not absolutely necessary, even if it's free or the salesperson insists that you need it.

• For Apple users – no matter how much iPhoto pleads, don't let it "Import" images. iPhoto puts images in a maze of unrelated folders, a few images here and a few images there. If you ever want to work on your images in another application, like Lightroom or Photoshop, or back up files, it will take days to find and organize them. Also, iPhoto has recently added support for RAW image files, but there are still many problems and important data may be lost. iPhoto is great for making books, screen savers, and slide shows, but it should be used only after you have organized your images and edited them in another application.

• Don't load the software that comes with your digital camera unless you are sure you need it. It can cause conflicts with other software and complicate workflow. Both Lightroom and Photoshop can read raw images. If you are having a problem, update the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in.

—Carol Dragon, artist/photographer, ICP Faculty member

Café Lehmitz by Anders Petersen

Collect What You Love

Photography book collecting is at an all time high. If you are planning to start a collection, make sure to develop relationships with book sellers, as they will keep you informed of new titles and older, rarer titles in your area of interest, and are always happy to talk books. Depending on your budget, purchase at least a dozen good books a year—photography books don't take long to become rare or collectible. Use collecting as a creative outlet to expand your knowledge and love of photography. Most importantly, collect books you love, then it doesn't matter if they increase in value, they will always have value to you.

—Gigi Loizzo, ICP Retail Director

Untitled © Helen Levitt

Photography and Coincidence

While a photograph can be measured scientifically, the result of mechanics, optics, and chemistry, it can also serve as a conduit to dreams, memory, and time. The photograph can exist as a fragment of lost time, a mirror that refuses to change. I can hold in my hand a tintype of my grandfather in his childhood, a grandfather deceased before my birth, for instance. Or, the endlessly mutating streets of New York can continue to exist in an image with more stability than the bricks and concrete of which the city is built.

Known primarily for her black-and-white images of the streets of New York, Helen Levitt also photographed for a brief period with color film in the 1970s. The palette of color film available then differs remarkably from our contemporary sources–a softer contrast, less punchy, but with its own delicacy. But perhaps I am overemphasizing the materials at hand without acknowledging the skills of the photographer herself. When I try to imagine a New York of times past, the streets of the Lower East Side or Harlem, Levitt's photographs present chaotic, unruly, and lyrical passages of kaleidescopic lives intertwined in an earthy public sphere.

Although suffused with movement, action, and direction, the images hover with contemplative regard. In particular I remember an image of a vendor selling ices on Rivington St. from the early 1970s. As a resident of the neighborhood a dozen years later, I realized I saw the same vendor in the same position. While I am not trying to make a special case for this coincidence or its uncanny aspect, it does endow the image with a power above and beyond Levitt's great skill: in the ensuing years my memory is less vivid than the photograph, and I turn to it to support my faulty senses.

—Bernie Yenelouis, photographer, ICP faculty member, Education staff

Photograph © Arlene Collins

Photo Gear for Travel

Planning is essential for a productive experience. Before you leave, test all your equipment and research your locations. Your camera bag should be easy to carry and well organized with the items you use most easily accessible. A nap sack, fanny pack, or photo vest frees hands to photograph. I always travel with an extra camera, a sturdy lightweight tripod that can fit in a suitcase, strobe batteries, strobe extension cord, gaffer's tape, Swiss army knife, microfiber cleaning cloth, notebook, pen, permanent marker, flashlight, adaptor plug (most electronic cameras' chargers are dual voltage), and Ziploc bags in case of rain. I pack small items such as batteries, memory cards, and cords in small containers.

Digital shooters should travel with several 2-gig memory cards. I have different colored Gepe Extreme Memory Card Safes—yellow for unused cards and red for used ones. The red safe is stored in my hotel room's vault. Each memory card is numbered and has my name on it.

For film shooters I recommend Eagle Creek Cubes for carrying film through airports. Never place your film in your suitcase—the X-ray machines expose film to a very high dose, damaging it. Film should be kept in carry-on luggage. X-ray machines at security checkpoints are low dose and won't damage film until after three exposures.

—Arlene Collins leads the ICP Mongolia travel photography workshop.

Mfon (Mmekutmfon) Essien, The Amazon's New Clothes, No. 1, 1999 © Mfon Essien

Shoot with Passion and Purpose

Often the most compelling images are derived from a sincere and very internal space. How you access this space can be a journey that is both complicated and enlightening. All your experiences, influences, opinions, and beliefs inform how and what you see. The way in which you photograph what you see is similarly impacted by these factors.

The work of Mfon Essien is exquisite in its portrayal of female sensuality. In these photographs, Essien is exploring her own odyssey with cancer. Her statement is bold, a triumph of self possession from a woman who has found peace with her body.

"I'm constantly shooting myself so I can continue to appreciate what I have and where I am. Maybe I'll get breast implants tomorrow and maybe I won't. Maybe I will not even live past tomorrow. I just want to make sure that wherever I am, I am totally diggin' where I am–not mourning or wishing I had a bigger ass. I just don't have time for that anymore. I feel sexy now. And I never felt like that before" —Essien

—Suné Woods, ICP Faculty member, photographer/artist

Photograph © Daido Moriyama from Farewell Photography

Collecting Photography Books

With the proliferating number of photography books printed today, how does one pick what to buy? Unless you are a millionaire, you have to choose carefully. The most important factor in deciding whether or not to purchase a particular book is your interest in it. Obviously, do not buy one you don't like. But if you’re like me and have a wide interest in photography books, narrowing down your choices can be hard. Therefore, I've developed a checklist to help me choose:

1) Do I like the images in the book?

2) Is the book a limited edition? If a book is printed in a small edition (less than 1000), it tends to go out of print very quickly, and you can miss your chance of owning a copy. Todd Hido's House Hunting, published by Nazraeli in 2001, was printed in an edition of 2000. It sold out within 9 months and is now a collector's item.

3) Is the book unique? What makes it unique? Everyone has their own criteria. For me, there has to be something that makes the book different from others. The collector's edition of Jesus and the Cherries by Jessica Backhaus published by Kehrer Verlag fits this bill to a t, literally. This edition came with a real teacup set glued to the slipcase. It is something you have to see to believe.

4) Lastly, can I afford it? After all, there are only so many books one can buy without going broke.

I've used this guide to help me sort through the myriad photography books published every year to much success.

—Daniel Thiem, Web Coordinator and Senior Sales Manager

Photograph © Nayland Blake

More Than Just a Face

Make sure that there is more than one thing going on in the picture. Most people go through the same process when it comes to making a photograph: they decide what the subject is, move the camera so that that subject is reasonably well lit, in the center of the frame, and snap away. The result? A photographs that gives you nowhere to look after the first few seconds.

This is particularly true when shooting portraits. Humans naturally look to the face first to find out what to think about a person, so if you put the face in the center of the frame, we think we've seen everything of importance right away. If you must put the face in the center, include some other things to pull against it.

In this image of a birthday party, even though there is a face almost dead center, there are a series of opposing gestures in all of the other figures. People are looking in various directions, not always at the camera. Because of that, the image conveys much more of the joyous excitement of a party than if everyone had been dully standing together looking in the same direction. You look at the figure in the center, and then look at the thrust of the arm next to him, then at other faces directing you out of the frame to the left then at the two flanking figures, and so on. Your eye keeps coming to rest and then being jogged on.

—Nayland Blake, Chair, ICP-Bard MFA Program, artist

Photograph © Lester Lefkowitz

Shooting Fireworks

Making photographs of fireworks is really quite easy. You'll need a camera that accepts a cable or electric release to hold the shutter open, and camera controls that permit you to set both the shutter speed and lens aperture manually: no "automatic" or "program" or "aperture priority" allowed! Turn off auto-focus.

Exposure for fireworks is the same throughout the world: f/11 for ISO 100. Since the sky is black, you can leave the shutter open for, say, 2 or 4 seconds, or longer is you want a lot of overlapping bursts. Watch for the launch trails; open the shutter just before maximum height.

Shoot a lot at many different shutter times, when the bursts are both singular and chaotic. Traditionally, photographers use a tripod for stability, and a flexible cable or electronic release to trip the shutter without shaking the camera. But break the rules: holding the camera can lead to interesting motion effects superimposed on the burst patterns. You'll most likely find a moderately wide-angle lens is best, unless you're very far away. And if a consumer lab is going to print your images, tell them they're fireworks, or the black sky may come out horribly gray.

—Lester Lefkowitz, photographer, author, and ICP instructor

Better in the Shade

We generally think of sunny days as ideal for picture making, but for close pictures of people, very often a bright sun in a clear sky provides illumination that is just too harsh and contrasty. Typically you'll get large blotchy areas of tonality on someone's face that alternate between very dark and very light. To obtain softer natural light, we have two choices: either wait for a cloudy day, or move your subject into the shade.

Shade can be found on side streets (if you live in New York City), adjacent to a building wall, or, as in this example, beneath a tree. On a very sunny day, I moved mom and baby under a large shade tree in my backyard to make this soft close-up.

If you have a consumer camera with built-in flash, very often it will automatically fire when it senses the dim light of a shady spot. But that flash usually produces harsh light that could ruin your soft portrait; learn how to turn it off.

—Lester Lefkowitz, photographer, author, ICP instructor

Timing is Everything

Time of day can make the difference between a vaguely interesting photo and a masterpiece. Most serious photographers know NOT to photograph during midday, when the sun's position (relative to the photographer and subject) creates extremely harsh shadows. Afternoon light tends to be better, as the sun gets lower on the horizon. Indeed, late afternoon light has a special orange-ish color that warms up an image with a golden glow. Morning light tends to have a cooler blue-ish feeling. Ideally, you should photograph the same environments in both early morning and late afternoon to really appreciate the difference.

Remember that afternoon light is fleeting, so missing something may mean waiting until the next day to try again. Morning light arrives frequently; if you like what you see one moment, photograph it and wait a minute to look again, as the light is likely to only get better.

I teach my students to pay attention to what I jokingly call the "Wells Point" – the time in the mid-afternoon or late morning when the shadow cast by an object is longer than the object is tall. Simply put, I am 5' 7" tall, so when my shadow is 5' 7" long (or longer) it is time to photograph. Once the shadow is shorter than the object (once you are beyond the "Wells Point"), you should stop, because the light is increasingly coming from straight overhead and is therefore harsher.

—David H. Wells, photographer and ICP instructor

Get Closer

Many photographs are ruined by not being close enough. Let your feet get you closer, not a telephoto lens. By lurking or hiding behind a long lens to shoot, you get what you give—a remote, closed-off image. Be open, up front, relaxed, above board, friendly, and you will get that in return from your subject. Telephoto lenses are useful when it is not possible to get physically close, such as when photographing sporting events, wild animals, or someone hanging out of an eighth-floor window. My long lens is a 35mm; I use only 21, 24, 28, and 35mm lenses, and I use them to photograph people, animals, buildings, trees, landscapes, and more. These lenses are smaller, less intimidating, faster to use, and give a greater apparent depth of field. I also find that it's easier to be creative with them.

Distortion can be largely eliminated by keeping the camera/lens parallel to the subject. Photograph closer and wider—this places your subject in a context and gives a background and environment that hopefully says something more about the subject and makes your photograph even more interesting.

—Harvey Stein, photographer, author, ICP faculty member

Who, What, When, Where, Why?

Captions provide information that is vital to a photograph, not just in journalism but for any image. When I was shooting news stories for magazines, I kept a notebook with me at all times to transcribe caption information: people, places, dates, and brief stories. Looking back, I wish I had written more – a narrative or my impression of a particular moment.

Today, most images are stored in digital formats, which makes it easy to embed the caption into the digital file. In Photoshop, for example, choose "File > File Info" to save the information within the image file. Recently, while researching World War II images, I came across this photograph.

The title is: American soldiers watching the sky as Allied and German planes fight. The extended caption is: Alerted GI's of M-51 antiaircraft battery are silhouetted against a German sky streaked with vapor trails from Allied and enemy planes engaged in a dog fight. The battery is waiting to fire on an incoming enemy strafer. Left to right: Pvt. Victor R. Philips, Newton. Ill.; Pfc. William Harris, Evening Shade, Arkansas, and Pfc. Roy E. Ridings, Searcy, Arkansas. Near Puffendorf, Germany. December 25, 1944

Without the extended caption, this photo would still be an arresting image. Having read it, I can't help wondering how far away from Evening Shade, Arkansas, William Harris must have felt.

—Nola Tully, author, photographer, and ICP instructor

Photographing Others

There are as many styles of photography as there are photographers. Equipment, methods, and inspiration may vary, but one common concern is photographing people candidly and in public. While a courteous "Excuse me, many I take your picture?" may get positive results, it won't produce the candid portrait often desired.

Telephoto lenses, right-angle mirrors, and various surveillance techniques result in technically or ethically compromised images. Some photographers, either through force of will or personality, opt for the confrontational, in-your-face approach.

But to achieve truly candid photos, you must become invisible: find a busy midtown street and stand still. The pace and preoccupation of those on the move will make it seem as if you had been transported to another dimension. Now, relax, take your time, and thoughtfully and compassionately photograph your fellow New Yorkers.

—Bernd Nobel, Photo Lab Supervisor and Instructor

Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Decisive Moment, cover design by Henri Matisse

Care for Photography Books

Photography books deserve special attention, as they are often published in small editions, go out of print promptly, and are prized if they are in excellent condition. Here are some guidelines for ensuring the longevity of your books.

Dust jackets – the paper covers of the book – are integral to the design, and require special care. The books should be kept out of bright sunlight to prevent fading, and they should be wrapped in Mylar dust-jacket covers.

Never use tape or Post-Its on your books, because the residue they leave will result in permanent damage, especially to the coated pages. If you need to affix a bookplate, use glue sticks with water-soluble paste, which is archival.

Try not to remove books from the bookcase by the top of the spine, as this can damage them at a most susceptible spot. Finally, handling your books with clean hands and reading them while they are supported by a table or your lap prevents wear and tear on the spine.

—Deirdre Donohue, ICP Librarian

Shadows and Highlights

This method applies to digital cameras, when capturing in the RAW format, as much as it does to film cameras. When shooting negative film, color, or b&w, the rule of thumb is to shoot for the shadows and develop for the highlights. What this means is: you should set your exposure meter so that you will capture all of the shadow detail that you want and process/develop your film to retain the amount of highlight detail that you want. Another way to say this is to overexpose your film as much as you need, and under develop it as much as you need.

How this works with digital cameras differs from film cameras only in the way you will process/develop the image file. When converting the RAW format you have the opportunity to bring detail back into the highlights just like you can when processing film.