Photography by Al Whicker - News and Announcements

Managing Images the Modern Way

2011-10-15T20:26:00.001-04:00

Anyone who shoots a great number of pictures will agree that this thing we call "workflow" can become quite an endeavor. Workflow is the process by which a photographer moves images from capture to storage, editing, backup, and output (print, online display, etc.). It can get complicated, especially when you switch computers, and even more when you switch platforms (e.g. PC to Mac), as I did this year.

I like the system I've found this year, so I thought I'd share about it briefly. After switching from a PC to an iMac, I started over from the old system. Before the switch I was using Picasa and Canon Digital Photo Professional, plus GIMP and Photoshop for editing. I had three methods for uploading and sharing images, and several workflow paths for editing. It was, needless to say, a bit sloppy.

Today I use Aperture on the iMac to catalog and manage my photos (over 11,000 so far) and do basic adjustments and editing. A plugin allows easy uploading to SmugMug, where I display and print images. Like Picasa, Aperture is a photo management app, but it also includes far more advanced editing tools, and a good selection of third party plugins for additional features. By way of comparison, it's chief competitor is Adobe Lightroom. The main reason I chose Aperture was the price, and the integration with Apple's OS, though from what I hear, the Adobe product is fantastic, too.

If you haven't begun using a photo (and/or video) management solution like Aperture, Picasa, or Lightroom, you're probably working too hard on managing your images files. You may also be like the many folks who find it all too complicated and don't really manage the files at all. In either case, an app like one of these is greatly helpful, and can be learned pretty easily. Picasa is an especially user-friendly solution for starters.

But sorting, editing, uploading, printing, and socializing our images isn't all there is to do. We also need to make sure they stay safe. For permanent backup, I use two methods (so far). One is the iron-clad protection of my SmugMug site, alwpics.com, and the other is a combination of automatic (Apple Time Machine) and manual backups on two external hard drives. This latter method is for my whole library, while SmugMug just backs up the images I upload to my site. While this is not as advanced as many serious pros and enthusiasts get (like RAID arrays, etc.), it does provide reasonable assurance of safe storage and long-term image protection. I also plan to explore iCloud and other services, as well.

Wow. Photography sure is different than 15 years ago. The vast majority of us shoot exclusively digital now, and in some ways, this has made things a lot more complicated than back when film and prints were king. But even with the added complication and endless options for editing, online hosting and display, sharing, and more, it's still a whole lot of fun, no matter how much or how little time and effort you put in.

Aperture Rocks

2011-07-03T19:45:00.000-04:00

I've been importing years of photos into Aperture on the new Mac, and must say that so far it's an awesome program. It certainly gives Adobe's Lightroom a run for the money, with all the adjustments a photographer could use for most tasks. It's layout is intuitive, and it's a joy to use. If you like iPhoto, and want more capability, you should give Aperture a try. Apple has reduced the price, too.

I'm a Mac!

2011-06-08T10:07:00.001-04:00

I knew they were awesome, but I didn't expect the one-after-another OMG's every time I try something else on this thing. Holy cow, what have I been missing? Now that I got that out of my system, the news: I finally got a Mac, after years of wishing. I can't be more thrilled. I can't get over how amazing my photos look on this screen. This will definitely take my photography to a whole new level! Oh, and this Magic Trackpad thing - yeah, it's all they say it is and more. Yowza. I may not leave my home office for days.

Getting to Know Autism

2011-04-02T22:04:00.000-04:00

One source states that one in 110 kids may have some aspect of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The spectrum includes Autism (ranging from high functioning to low functioning), Asperger's Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD or PDD-NOS). The source is neurological, and no one knows the cause. We do know there are possible genetic predispositions.

So why do I know all that? Because it's close to home. This year my wife and I are beginning to get more involved in the Autism Spectrum Disorders community as we navigate this brave new world with our son.

April is Autism Awareness Month, and there are many things going on to increase understanding of this complex set of disorders and gifting. We participated in Light It Up Blue to give some local support in our neighborhood. Check out AutismSpeaks.org for more info.

2010 Gahanna July 4th Parade

2010-09-09T22:16:00.004-04:00

Pictures from the event are now online in the Events gallery (actually, they've been there most of the summer but I thought it worth announcing). It was an incredibly beautiful day! Don't hesitate to check out the other galleries, too.

Seeking Models

2010-07-23T20:31:00.001-04:00

It's portfolio building time, so I'm seeking models for display shots. If selected, your shoot is free, and prints are at lab cost. All ages welcome. Email alwhicker@hotmail.com for info.

Back in the Wedding Biz

2010-07-23T20:24:00.003-04:00

After a hiatus to spend more time with my family, I'm beginning to get more flexible in my schedule and it's time to go back into shooting weddings. Once again I'm offering basic weddings for budget-conscious couples at $600 (full day) and $450 (evening weddings), plus prints at very low prices, ordered through my web site. For folks on really tight budgets, I can discount - please don't hesitate to get in touch!

See the Services page at http://www.alwpics.com/ for details.

Saying It Well

2010-05-22T19:45:00.004-04:00

Here's a great quote I stumbled upon recently...

The virtue of the camera is not the power it has to transform the photographer into an artist, but the impulse it gives him to keep on looking.
--Brooks Atkinson, American theater critic

Pricing Basics

2010-05-19T21:07:00.004-04:00

So how does my pricing work? Simple; I charge a reasonable fee for the session to cover time and materials. Then after processing I post your pictures to an online album. From there you can order prints and photo products at competitive pricing. My site is operated by SmugMug, one of the best pro/enthusiast photographers' hosting sites in the world. They use pro photo labs, too, and turn out fantastic print quality.

More info? Check out the www.alwpics.com/Services.

Senior Pictures

2010-05-19T21:03:00.003-04:00

Any time is good for getting your senior pictures, but fall is ideal here in Ohio, with temperate weather and a great variety of locations and natural backgrounds. One of my favorite locations is Inniswood Metro Gardens, a park in northeastern Columbus. The landscaping and flora are spectacular, making it one of the most popular portrait locations in central Ohio. Call or email anytime to plan your shoot!

About the Photo on the Home Page

2009-10-24T17:22:00.003-04:00

I've been asked about the picture on the front page of the website. It was taken on a beautiful evening in Manhattan. I found after a few days of walking the city that looking up was just as delightful as looking around to find interesting subjects. This lamp post was one of many beginning to light the streets as dusk crept into the city. After walking up to it and looking up, I couldn't believe how perfectly the angles of the lamp matched those in the building, which was across the intersection. What a shot, and one that I still love to gaze at several years later!

Moving Pictures

2008-08-25T15:18:00.003-04:00

As a still photographer I've always been a bit pensive about getting into video editing; after all, 30 frames per second is a lot of images! But with mini-DV tapes stacking up I've finally decided it's time to take the plunge and start creating DVD's and online videos. It may never be for professional shooting, but who knows where it could go! So now it's time for somthing new.

After a tremendous (somewhat obsessive) amount of research I've chosen Sony Movie Studio 9 Platinum as the tool. With the lowest system requirements, a rich heritage in the professional world, a great price point, very good user reviews, and its amazing audio capabilities, this one is hard to beat. In fact, for about $100 you can't get much more for your money.

After I get the software installed and try it out I'll post some comments about it, and of course, samples. It should turn out to be an exciting new adventure!

Look of the Blog

2008-08-01T16:38:00.004-04:00

If you came to this page via the main web site you noticed its different color/theme. For a while it was similar to the site (black background, etc.), but it's a place I like to experiment. Seems that the white background makes it easier for reading the larger posts; white text with a dark background can be harder on the eyes. Anyway, this one uses a fairly nice template, too. Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts!
--Al

Scrubs

2008-07-07T22:31:00.001-04:00

I'm not much of a poser but hey, this one is cute I guess. Yup, I'm in scrubs for the first time in my life, prepping to be right there for the birth of my second child. After seeing this photo I almost wondered if I should have gone into the medical field. Nah.

Building the "Look" (Brand?)

2008-07-02T11:02:00.009-04:00

Here's some info about how the website came to look the way it does. It's a bit of a long post, but the story is interesting.
It took about two months of learning basic CSS and brushing up on HTML in order to craft a site that I like, and feel comfortable showing off to others. I learned a great deal, and found that good old fashioned experimentation is still a key part of doing art, even in web site design. I also have to say that my host, SmugMug, provides an amazing amount of helpful info and great starter templates. And now it's beginning to show some maturity. Finally!
The hardest part was the banner; it's the 80 vertical pixels across the top of the site pages that include the "Alw" initials. This was biggest challenge for me in developing the appearance for the whole site, since it pretty much establishes the brand itself, if there is such a thing for the average guy like me. Getting it right means depicting myself with just the right look, so people would see my art and work as I do. Not that easy, I'll say!
It finally came together with a simple black-to-white gradient for the initials, which have essentially become my logo. Adding a gray line across the bottom leant gravity, and reducing the "photography by al whicker" title to a low-key gray helped to finish the elegant and understated look I've been trying to achieve. By the way, the graphics work was all done in Corel Paint Shop Pro X2, and some of the earlier versions were done in GIMP.
Once the banner was done, the whole site took on a pretty cool look. Then the front page needed something to class it up a bit. Gone is the picture of an airplane with blue sky. It was nice, but it didn't convey the feel that I wanted. In its place is the new building-and-lamp image, taken in NYC, and an inspiring quote about the art from one its finest practitioners. Now the front page has class, but not too much of it (I'm not exactly the black-tie type), and the site is professional looking, and hopefully also still very inviting.
If you've visited before you may have seen a short time in which the entire site was white. It's back to black now, and here's why. I discovered an interesting fact about image display, thanks especially to my graphic designer friend who knows such things. It seems pictures tend to look better on a computer screen when surrounded by black, even though they look great on a wall in a white matte. Turns out, there is good reason. From a computer screen, bright colors like white throw a lot of light at the viewer's eyes. This 'light pollution', though crisp looking, makes it harder for the eye to focus, and may take away from the image's beauty somewhat. But when your monitor displays black around a picture, it's more like night; it's throwing off less light, allowing the image's colors to 'pop'. Really interesting stuff, ergonomics. :-)
So there you have it. Some thoughts on what went into the site design and color choices. I like it, but that's not the main reason for the site; it should be inviting to you, the viewer, most of all. It should be easy for clients to view and order prints, too. So send me your thoughts. Add a comment to this post, or add one to the Guestbook. I'm looking forward to some good feedback!
--Al

5 Reasons to Like Digital Over Film

2008-06-24T16:04:00.003-04:00

Here's a fun look at a few benefits everyone can agree on...

Less printing = less paper use = lower tree use
Reusable 'film' = lower cost and less to recycle
Quality of digital printing has passed that of film
No darkroom chemicals! Well, at least in the home.
Instant image preview = less wasted shots (back to #1)

Yes, there is more to be said, and there is still plenty of room for film, no doubt. But just like when color changed the photographic world's view, digital has changed it's entire process, and can reduce the carbon footprint, to boot. Now there's a positive change!

My Other Bio

2008-06-21T16:07:00.015-04:00

If you've read the Bio page on my main site you know a little about my interests and work with photography. Here is a bit more about me.

Full time career: training and development
Private Pilot license and Aircraft Dispatcher license
B.A. from Ohio State U in Social and Behavioral Science, majoring in aviation management
Very involved in Christian ministry; I teach a Bible study, for example
Some of my other interests are reading, various arts, a wide variety of music, writing, hiking and camping, technology like learning to write CSS and HTML, graphics, and even home improvement (picture Tim Allen)

Professionally, I have even more info in my profile on Linked In.

Equipment I Use

2008-06-20T09:29:00.004-04:00

Okay, at least one person will ask, so here's a short list of stuff I currently use.
- Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi)
- Canon SX10is
- Canon 50mm f1.4 prime, 28-105mm zoom, and 75-300mm zoom lenses
- Sigma 18-50mm zoom
- Dedicated on-camera flash (Canon 430EX II and Promaster 5750)
- For some studio-like work I use a Photogenic PL1500 monolight

I like to use whatever is at my disposal, too. I've taken some amazing shots with the family point-and-shoot, a Canon A550. Even my son's refurbished Fuji A610 is a great little tool. Going back a bit, some of the images on my site were taken with an Olympus C5050z, and others were taken with Pentax or Canon 35mm film SLR's and later scanned.

On the "dark room" side I currently use a Dell 9100 Pentium 4 3mHz PC with 3gb RAM and a 256mb video card feeding an Ultra Sharp flat panel. I arrange photo libraries and edit images with Canon Digital Photo Professsional, Picasa, and Adobe Photoshop.

For photo storage I use dual internal hard drives, plus an external hard drive and DVD backups. In addition, all photos on my web site are backed up on three servers in three states by the site host, SmugMug.

So there you have it; the main stuff I use. Ultimately, great photography transcends whatever gear is used to make it, and I strive not to get caught up in the latest tech trends or gadget goodies. The stuff is fun, no doubt, but the art is far more satisfying!

Why I Chose SmugMug to Host the Site

2008-06-04T22:32:00.001-04:00

I was looking for a single solution for both web site hosting and e-commerce in order to automate a part time photography business and provide image storage and sharing for my personal work. None of the free services (Snapfish, Fotki, etc.) had all the features I was looking for, even with their paid services.

After an exhaustive analysis of many vendors, I narrowed it down to four within a certain price bracket and did a decision matrix using 21 weighted factors to evaluate them. SmugMug came out on top and every day I find another reason to be glad I chose them. It’s a surprisingly well-built service, run by great people, and it beats some higher-priced vendors at that! I won’t explain their offerings here since they do a fine job of that on their site; suffice to say their model is the best I found at a reasonable cost for hosting both amateur and professional photographers’ sites. It’s worth every penny.

If you're curious about the decision matrix and the factors I used, let me know and I'll send you a copy. Interesting process.

The New Oldness of the Biz

2008-06-04T22:25:00.002-04:00

If you know me you probably know that I was a part time pro photographer a few years back (SharpShooter Photography), then stopped doing paid work when my first child was born. In fact, I stopped for other reasons, too, such as a need to refocus my energies and allegiances as ministry with the church took on a larger role in my life. I wanted to follow God first, then let the hobbies fall where they may.

So why restart the biz today? Simply put, I enjoy it and enjoy serving people. And unlike just a few years ago today there are better web-based management systems, not the least of which is the e-commerce enabled site that I’ve built with SmugMug. So why not? If it works out, great, and if it never becomes a huge thing, so be it. One thing I know is that it’s pretty likely I’ll always take pictures, and sharing that talent for a few bucks here and there is a nice way to augment the hobby. It’ll be interesting to see where it goes.

Retouching

2008-06-04T22:23:00.004-04:00

Touchy subject, retouching. Most of us don’t mind a bit having the photographer do some airbrushing to clean up acne, etc. But then there was a friend of mine who got professional engagement portraits done, and was enraged that the photographer erased the birthmark that slightly discolors half his face. Turns out he’s perfectly comfortable with it – it’s a part of who he is and he wanted it in the picture, never thinking the studio would go so far as to erase it (they did an amazing job, by the way). What was the mistake? Simple; the studio didn’t ask him first.

Here’s how I handle it. I ask each client how they feel about retouching, and explain that I am a minimalist with it as a default setting. Like my friend, I believe the real person is more that just what they look like in a picture, and capturing the person means allowing some of nature’s little so-called imperfections remain. But on the other hand, there is a reason I ask first; some people get professional portraits because they actually want to be made to look ‘better’, and that’s understandable, too.

So you be the judge. Not only will I give you the option up front, but after I post your pictures for review/purchase on my site you can feel totally free to ask for more or less retouching, too. I’m happy to accommodate your preferences.

By the way this applies right back at me! Being a guy, it’s not too easy to wear makeup for the occasional snap shot I appear in. And the one feature I always dislike in pictures if me is the fine effort by nature to make me appear tired; those dark circles around my eyes caused by allergies. In fact, for some reason pictures seem to make them look worse than in real life, and that’s a solid reason for retouching. A little electronic airbrush goes a long way for those. Yes, even with my belief in “natural” portrayal I still make an adjustment or two on myself.

Where’s the Studio?

2008-06-04T22:23:00.003-04:00

Since I shoot in my spare time I don’t run a studio, nor do I rent one, although for the right assignment it’s certainly an option. I do have studio equipment, however, and can set it up anywhere. It’s fun to play with but for the bulk of my portrait work I prefer natural settings with natural light. It’s just nicer looking, and it provides scenic environments that no manufactured backdrop could do. For business portraits, certainly a studio-like setting is most common, so that’s one reason I keep a supply of studio gear. But for kids, engagement photos, and most others I’ve found plenty of better looking settings in the local parks and city scenes of Columbus. If you hire me to do portraits I’ll work with you and we’ll choose the venue based on your preferences.

Makeup and Styling

2008-06-04T22:22:00.001-04:00

I’ve been asked if I use a stylist for my subjects, and the answer is no – I much prefer to capture the person for who they are than for just what they look like. Quick studio makeovers are, bear with me here, usually cheesy. They almost always use fad styles, which may or may not suit the person. When I look at a portrait and wonder “wow, is that really you?” I have to ask myself if it’s really a portrait vs. an artistic reinterpretation. I guess both have their place, and what you want is what counts.

So with that said, there is a place for makeup and wardrobe for sure, especially for modeling portfolios and some professional applications; I’ll never argue with that. The bottom line; a photographer should always provide the client what they want.

So if you want to be presented in your pictures looking utterly stunning, I’m all for it; you’ll just need to take care of makeup and/or wardrobe on your own; I’ll focus on capturing the images. And if you like to be more natural looking, more like yourself yet presented in a pleasing, beautiful way, that’s my favorite. Every portrait example in my People gallery is done that way – makeup was minimal or the norm for the subject.The next post is related.

Model Portfolios

2008-06-04T22:21:00.003-04:00

I don’t hire models since I don’t do stock or commercial work in which I would need them, but I’m happy to work with you. Based on copyright law and best practices there are two commonly used options:

Option 1: hire me. In this scenario it’s a typical portrait session, so I maintain copyright but cannot sell the images for commercial use without your consent via a signed release. I never ask paying clients to sign a release because I don’t market their images (though the artist always has the right to display their work).

Option 2: trade time for images. If you would like to model without paying or being paid, this is a good alternative. The photographer does the shoot in exchange for a signed release, which allows them to market the images commercially. Since I don’t sell stock photography (yet) I only do this on a limited basis to build my portfolio.