Thanks for looking at my site kurtfranke.wordpress.com as well as my photos. I’m just starting out in this from a publishing stand point, since the plant where I was working closed up. Your photos and also your website are awesome. I need to learn some things from you. Liked the photo of the Bus. MB makes buses as well as trucks, just rare to see them in the States. Everyplace else they are everywhere.
Thanks for your comment. Yeah, MB buses and trucks are rare here too. I guess they’re so darn expensive. Best of luck with your blog. You’re already off to a great start. On my blog I have lots of photography links in the sidebar, which you might find useful. Some great tutorials from professionals. I haven’t been through them all, but so far they seem very helpful.
It really isn’t that hard. I would suggest you start by visiting wordpress.com and reviewing their how-to section. It’s all free and pretty easy. Here’s a tutorial you might find helpful, just click here.
Dave,
Thank so much for visiting my blog and, above all, for taking the time to read… I really appreciate.
You keep up the good work, your site is very, very inspirational and id doesen’t absolutely look like the effort of an amateur, as you say. I don’t believe in professionals, usually the only difference between an amateur and a professional is where the pay check comes from… Good photography is notthing else but seeing; Either you do or you don’t, the rest is only academic… Take it from me, I have been photographing for a very long time!
Keep in touch, I know I will: Our styles and point ov views are quite different, that’s why I’m sure we have a lot to learn from each other…
Best,
Mauro.
Very nice of you to drop by, Dave: Im writing in appreciation for the encouraging comments you left (although I don’t think my photos are worth that much…)and for the time you always invest in reading my ramblings.
Thank you, Sir. It means a lot to me.
Best,
Mauro.
Thank you, Dave. That’s exactly why I like your poetry. We are on the same page, and I think you are on the righ way to become a great artist. As for me, I have still a long way to go, but the support of people like you make my journey easier.
Best,
Mauro.
Dave, you HAVE to check this guy!
He is a French photojournalist, very young and with an exceptional body of work.
I love his narrative power and his eye for composition, a true heir of Henri Cartier Bresson, although you may also say that his style probably suffers too much for emulation…
He shoots only in B/W (very cool…) and uses exclusively film (that’s where I’m heading, anyway…).
This is his website: http://www.smague.fr/
and this is his Flickr account:
Please take a look and tell me what you think.
Mauro.
Very cool indeed. I’ve only taken a quick glance but will review it deeper later. I’ve already added the site to my blogroll. Thanks a million for bringing him to my attention.
So I perused his site and have to say, Wow! The guy’s amazing. I don’t have the camera for it, but when I get one with a nice fast prime lens I’m going to take a George Brown course on portrait photography.
Hey I got my Canon T2i last weekend and was wondering if the pictures you took in your folder for April 2010 were taken by the camera. This is my first dslr camera so any advice would be nice. I’m currently using the kit lens but I’ll probably buy a better lenses by June. Family events and my friends prom is coming up so I was wondering if you had any tips on taking amazing people pictures. Amazing pictures by the way I look the quarry picture!!!
While all photos I took in April were with my new T2i, I can’t say the same for what I’ve posted to the blog, since I have a huge backlog of photos taken with my old point & shoot. If you look under my blog “categories” you’ll see one for the Canon T2i/550D. All photos in that list were obviously taken with the T2i. Or, as you view photos on my blog, just look at the categories the photo is listed under and you’ll see either Canon T2i or Panasonic LZ2.
From what I hear the kit lens is good, but at 18 MP the T2i really shines when married to a high quality lens. I would suggest focusing on the best glass you can afford.
As for advice on taking people photos, there’s just so much to cover. Off the bat I would suggest perusing amazon.com under the search term “portrait photography.” There are plenty of great books out there and they make for a cheap and easy way to learn. But here are my tips, for what they are worth and keeping in mind that I’ve been at this for less than a year: If you are shooting a single person, always focus on the eyes. Best to set the AF points to the single centre point for this (and most stuff, in my opinion). If the subject is backlit (like if the setting sun is behind him/her), try using spot metering so that the camera adjusts the exposure to suit the person’s face. Alternatively, move your subject so that the light hits them on the face. Although you’ll likely want a few shots of your friends posing and smiling at the camera, I feel the best photos are ones where the subject is unaware they are being photographed. During my walks downtown I’ve only asked a few people if I could take their photos and in ever case they immediately want to pose for the camera. I politely ask them to not pose but to just continue doing whatever they are doing. I then take a few candid shots. If you are shooting indoors under low light, you’ll need to crank up your ISO (sensor sensitivity to light) in order to keep your shutter speed fast enough that you don’t get blurring from hand shake. With your image stabilization on, you can probably get away with 1/25th of a second if you’re really good at holding the camera steady, but ideally you want something like 1/60th or better. Also refrain from using the camera’s flash, since it will simply wash out your subject while making everything else in the room dark and without detail. If you have a speedlight, well that changes things. Using a speedlight takes some time to figure out, so if you decide to buy one do so well in advance of any event and try to get in lots of practice. Make notes as you try stuff, so you can refer to them when checking your photos on the computer. If you are shooting a group of people in movement, like say a joggers, you’ll want to watch your shutter speed. Too slow and everyone will be blurred, too fast and everyone will be frozen in motion. As for aperture, if you are shooting portraits, it’s always nice if the background is out of focus, drawing attention to the subject. To achieve this, it’s a good idea to use as wide an aperture as your lens will allow, which is F3.5 @ 18mm. This will give you a shallow depth of field. As you zoom into your subject the aperture on your lens will get smaller (meaning the F number will increase). At 55mm you’re lens’s widest aperture is F5.6, which still isn’t too bad.
If you’re shooting in low light, disable the Auto Lighting Optimizer or your camera will see the darkness as under exposure and try to correct for it. Check your manual for more on the Auto Lighting Optimizer.
Check out the picture style setting, which allows you to adjust for landscape, portrait and other types of shots. (This is something different from the landscape and portrait modes in the basic modes section of the big dial.) You have three user defined picture styles in the picture style setting. Once you learn how to set them up, try different things like boosting contrast and sharpness. Might as well take advantage of them, right?
Anyway, that’s a good start. You really should consider buying a book or two, and definitely read the manual. Oh, and don’t waste your time with the basic auto modes, like portrait, landscape, etc. These modes strip away many of the adjustments necessary for creative exposure, turning your camera into a point & shoot. You’ll get good snapshots, but if you’re looking to get interesting artistic shots, these setting will handicap you. Take the time to learn how to use the Ap (aperture priority) and Tv (shutter priority) settings.
For most daytime shots I leave my metering set to evaluative. If you want everything in your shot to be in focus, keep the aperture small, like F8 or smaller. When I’m downtown shooting buildings and such I usually shoot F16 on sunny days and F11 on cloudy days. If the scene is rather dark and you find that the shutter stays open too long to get a blur free shot, open up the aperture (a smaller F stop) which will increase the shutter speed.
I’ve been pursuing your artworks for a while now , and I’m deeply touched by the way you’ve approached metal structures , abandoned factory sites and industrial constructions ; A very elegant poetic look to what is mostly misstated as “Wasted” or “Ugly”.
I’m an architecture student working on my final thesis about aesthetics of old industrial buildings , with the intention of renovating one , turning it to a cultural / urban site .
I wonder if you could do me a fever by telling me about your passion towards industrial elements and metal scarps and etc … . Plus how do you see it through your artistic prospect , what insights leads you to such eye catching art pieces of your ‘s?
It helps me a lot to know an artist’s passion about industrial buildings and factories , and to know what these elements hold that leads you to artistic creativeness out of it .
It would be like heaven if you give me the chance to have a brief interview or maybe exchanging notes about our common passion for industrial aesthetics .
Thanks a lot for dedicating your precious time to me , I really appreciate your help.
Thank you for your comment and generous support. I’ll have more time to dig deeper into my feelings about my photography over the weekend, so I’ll respond in more detail then. Again, I really appreciate your interest and am very pleased you’re enjoying my work. I’ll get back to you soon.
Dave
I’ve been trying to contact you about purchasing publishing rights to one of your photos. Please let me know if you are open to allowing us to use a photo on the cover of a book, and we can negotiate a price.
You can email me directly at email.dbot@gmail.com. I’m sure we can work out something fair. Thanks for your interest. Please be sure to include a link to the photo in which you are interested.
Feel free to drop me a line: Thanks for popping by to view my photographs. Hope you enjoy some of my favourite pics of whatever. And if you have a moment, feel free to drop me a line.
the lazy photographer 
Thanks for looking at my site kurtfranke.wordpress.com as well as my photos. I’m just starting out in this from a publishing stand point, since the plant where I was working closed up. Your photos and also your website are awesome. I need to learn some things from you. Liked the photo of the Bus. MB makes buses as well as trucks, just rare to see them in the States. Everyplace else they are everywhere.
Hi Kurk,
Thanks for your comment. Yeah, MB buses and trucks are rare here too. I guess they’re so darn expensive. Best of luck with your blog. You’re already off to a great start. On my blog I have lots of photography links in the sidebar, which you might find useful. Some great tutorials from professionals. I haven’t been through them all, but so far they seem very helpful.
Take care,
D.
Hey Dave how did you create this site… I’m looking to post my work as well.
It really isn’t that hard. I would suggest you start by visiting wordpress.com and reviewing their how-to section. It’s all free and pretty easy. Here’s a tutorial you might find helpful, just click here.
Thank you!!!
Hey Dave,
I’m trying to contact you, and neither e-mail address worked. Give me a call — I’m still at the same number. Or drop me a line.
Cheers,
Steve (of Steve and Elizabeth) — the ex-photographer
Hi Steve,
I sent you a private email. Thanks.
Dave
Dave,
Thank so much for visiting my blog and, above all, for taking the time to read… I really appreciate.
You keep up the good work, your site is very, very inspirational and id doesen’t absolutely look like the effort of an amateur, as you say. I don’t believe in professionals, usually the only difference between an amateur and a professional is where the pay check comes from… Good photography is notthing else but seeing; Either you do or you don’t, the rest is only academic… Take it from me, I have been photographing for a very long time!
Keep in touch, I know I will: Our styles and point ov views are quite different, that’s why I’m sure we have a lot to learn from each other…
Best,
Mauro.
Thanks Mauro, I’ll definitely be dropping by your blog again. Cheers.
Dave, maybe you noticed the link on my blog, however: Have you checked this out?
http://www.burnmagazine.org/
Mauro.
No. I just had a quick look. Very interesting. I’ll check it out in depth later on. Thanks for passing it along, Mauro. Looks like a quality magazine.
Thank for the info, Dave. I’ll check it out…
Turns out it’s on at 7:30 PM Thursdays, not 7.
Very nice of you to drop by, Dave: Im writing in appreciation for the encouraging comments you left (although I don’t think my photos are worth that much…)and for the time you always invest in reading my ramblings.
Thank you, Sir. It means a lot to me.
Best,
Mauro.
It’s my pleasure, Mauro.
Thank you, Dave. That’s exactly why I like your poetry. We are on the same page, and I think you are on the righ way to become a great artist. As for me, I have still a long way to go, but the support of people like you make my journey easier.
Best,
Mauro.
Thank you, Mauro.
“…I have still a long way to go, but the support of people like you make my journey easier.”
That’s just how I feel. 😉
Cheers,
Dave
Dave, you HAVE to check this guy!
He is a French photojournalist, very young and with an exceptional body of work.
I love his narrative power and his eye for composition, a true heir of Henri Cartier Bresson, although you may also say that his style probably suffers too much for emulation…
He shoots only in B/W (very cool…) and uses exclusively film (that’s where I’m heading, anyway…).
This is his website:
http://www.smague.fr/
and this is his Flickr account:
Please take a look and tell me what you think.
Mauro.
Very cool indeed. I’ve only taken a quick glance but will review it deeper later. I’ve already added the site to my blogroll. Thanks a million for bringing him to my attention.
Hi Mauro,
So I perused his site and have to say, Wow! The guy’s amazing. I don’t have the camera for it, but when I get one with a nice fast prime lens I’m going to take a George Brown course on portrait photography.
Thanks for calling attention to his site.
Cheers,
Dave
Hey Dave..here’s the link to Roy’s work “Black Dog Day”…he has some really cool work on his site.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/royhs/art/3049742-2-blackdogday
Kim
Wow, those are some crazy ass photos. Very talented guy. I can’t wait until I really figure out Photoshop. Thanks for sharing, Kim.
he uses flashlights or some crazy thing lol – haven’t gotten his secrets out of him yet…but i’m tryin lol
glad you liked!
Hey I got my Canon T2i last weekend and was wondering if the pictures you took in your folder for April 2010 were taken by the camera. This is my first dslr camera so any advice would be nice. I’m currently using the kit lens but I’ll probably buy a better lenses by June. Family events and my friends prom is coming up so I was wondering if you had any tips on taking amazing people pictures. Amazing pictures by the way I look the quarry picture!!!
Congratulations, Felix, good choice.
While all photos I took in April were with my new T2i, I can’t say the same for what I’ve posted to the blog, since I have a huge backlog of photos taken with my old point & shoot. If you look under my blog “categories” you’ll see one for the Canon T2i/550D. All photos in that list were obviously taken with the T2i. Or, as you view photos on my blog, just look at the categories the photo is listed under and you’ll see either Canon T2i or Panasonic LZ2.
From what I hear the kit lens is good, but at 18 MP the T2i really shines when married to a high quality lens. I would suggest focusing on the best glass you can afford.
As for advice on taking people photos, there’s just so much to cover. Off the bat I would suggest perusing amazon.com under the search term “portrait photography.” There are plenty of great books out there and they make for a cheap and easy way to learn. But here are my tips, for what they are worth and keeping in mind that I’ve been at this for less than a year: If you are shooting a single person, always focus on the eyes. Best to set the AF points to the single centre point for this (and most stuff, in my opinion). If the subject is backlit (like if the setting sun is behind him/her), try using spot metering so that the camera adjusts the exposure to suit the person’s face. Alternatively, move your subject so that the light hits them on the face. Although you’ll likely want a few shots of your friends posing and smiling at the camera, I feel the best photos are ones where the subject is unaware they are being photographed. During my walks downtown I’ve only asked a few people if I could take their photos and in ever case they immediately want to pose for the camera. I politely ask them to not pose but to just continue doing whatever they are doing. I then take a few candid shots. If you are shooting indoors under low light, you’ll need to crank up your ISO (sensor sensitivity to light) in order to keep your shutter speed fast enough that you don’t get blurring from hand shake. With your image stabilization on, you can probably get away with 1/25th of a second if you’re really good at holding the camera steady, but ideally you want something like 1/60th or better. Also refrain from using the camera’s flash, since it will simply wash out your subject while making everything else in the room dark and without detail. If you have a speedlight, well that changes things. Using a speedlight takes some time to figure out, so if you decide to buy one do so well in advance of any event and try to get in lots of practice. Make notes as you try stuff, so you can refer to them when checking your photos on the computer. If you are shooting a group of people in movement, like say a joggers, you’ll want to watch your shutter speed. Too slow and everyone will be blurred, too fast and everyone will be frozen in motion. As for aperture, if you are shooting portraits, it’s always nice if the background is out of focus, drawing attention to the subject. To achieve this, it’s a good idea to use as wide an aperture as your lens will allow, which is F3.5 @ 18mm. This will give you a shallow depth of field. As you zoom into your subject the aperture on your lens will get smaller (meaning the F number will increase). At 55mm you’re lens’s widest aperture is F5.6, which still isn’t too bad.
If you’re shooting in low light, disable the Auto Lighting Optimizer or your camera will see the darkness as under exposure and try to correct for it. Check your manual for more on the Auto Lighting Optimizer.
Check out the picture style setting, which allows you to adjust for landscape, portrait and other types of shots. (This is something different from the landscape and portrait modes in the basic modes section of the big dial.) You have three user defined picture styles in the picture style setting. Once you learn how to set them up, try different things like boosting contrast and sharpness. Might as well take advantage of them, right?
Anyway, that’s a good start. You really should consider buying a book or two, and definitely read the manual. Oh, and don’t waste your time with the basic auto modes, like portrait, landscape, etc. These modes strip away many of the adjustments necessary for creative exposure, turning your camera into a point & shoot. You’ll get good snapshots, but if you’re looking to get interesting artistic shots, these setting will handicap you. Take the time to learn how to use the Ap (aperture priority) and Tv (shutter priority) settings.
For most daytime shots I leave my metering set to evaluative. If you want everything in your shot to be in focus, keep the aperture small, like F8 or smaller. When I’m downtown shooting buildings and such I usually shoot F16 on sunny days and F11 on cloudy days. If the scene is rather dark and you find that the shutter stays open too long to get a blur free shot, open up the aperture (a smaller F stop) which will increase the shutter speed.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Hey Dave..love the look of your site now…nicely done! Taking a break from blogging and such…but I’ll stay in touch :):)
Thanks Kim. Sometimes a break is good. Best wishes. Stay in touch.
guess who? 🙂 just staying in touch 😉
Hey, could I use your image of “Busy Downtown” for a contest I’m entering.
What’s the contest about?
It’s making a cover for the Doors. http://creativeallies.com/contests/323-Design-A-Logo-For-The-Year-Of-The-Doors/entries
Okay the, help yourself… Good luck.
Dear Dave, or Lazy photographer
I’ve been pursuing your artworks for a while now , and I’m deeply touched by the way you’ve approached metal structures , abandoned factory sites and industrial constructions ; A very elegant poetic look to what is mostly misstated as “Wasted” or “Ugly”.
I’m an architecture student working on my final thesis about aesthetics of old industrial buildings , with the intention of renovating one , turning it to a cultural / urban site .
I wonder if you could do me a fever by telling me about your passion towards industrial elements and metal scarps and etc … . Plus how do you see it through your artistic prospect , what insights leads you to such eye catching art pieces of your ‘s?
It helps me a lot to know an artist’s passion about industrial buildings and factories , and to know what these elements hold that leads you to artistic creativeness out of it .
It would be like heaven if you give me the chance to have a brief interview or maybe exchanging notes about our common passion for industrial aesthetics .
Thanks a lot for dedicating your precious time to me , I really appreciate your help.
I’m a fan of your work
Sincerely yours
Masoud Saeedian
my email : saeedian.masoud@gmail.com
Thank you for your comment and generous support. I’ll have more time to dig deeper into my feelings about my photography over the weekend, so I’ll respond in more detail then. Again, I really appreciate your interest and am very pleased you’re enjoying my work. I’ll get back to you soon.
Dave
Sure I will be pleased .
Thanks for your patient reply
I will be looking for weekend to come then 🙂
Masud
I’ve been trying to contact you about purchasing publishing rights to one of your photos. Please let me know if you are open to allowing us to use a photo on the cover of a book, and we can negotiate a price.
You can email me directly at email.dbot@gmail.com. I’m sure we can work out something fair. Thanks for your interest. Please be sure to include a link to the photo in which you are interested.
“The River Through Port Hope” is called the Ganaraska River, but most often referred to by residents as The Ganny.