Do you need the best equipment to make a good photograph? No. We all want the best equipment, but having the best equipment will NOT make you a better photographer.

I have liked this photo since the moment I stood there and shot it. I knew I had something special. It was taken with a camera with a good lens, not an excellent lens. Having the best equipment is great, but making good photos with what you have is more important.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, 1981, I went to Van Buren State Park in South Haven, Mich. I went there because I was looking for a place where the sun would set over the water. I wanted to go to a state park, because I wouldn’t have to get permission to shoot. I have returned to South Haven many times over the years, but this was the only time I ever saw a tide pool on the beach.

The lighting is back light, which makes the sparkle on the water. The composition is thirds, and curve. The original scene was not this dark. I printed it dark. I burned in the lower sand areas.

The color slide of this same scene almost made it in a Sierra Club calendar.

Camera- Yashica 124 Mat G

Film- Kodak Verichrome Pan ASA 125 Medium format

Lens- 80mm normal lens

Shutter Speed 1/60 or 1/125

Aperture- f 13.5 ish

Printed on Agfa Portriga Rapid paper. This was a beautiful, warm (brown) tone paper that hasn’t been manufactured in years.

Here is one you’ve just seen in black and white. I made a layer (Cmd/Ctl J) Cmd/Ctl-Shift-U to take away the color. Curves to give more contrast. I like to give contrast to images since it makes them look more like black and white photos.

This is one from Staci’s portfolio. There were so many good ones to choose from it was too hard to decide, so I showed this one because it’s semi-close-up. She could be famous in the next few years, so watch for her.

Composition- railroad tracks are a line that help take your eye to her. She fills the frame with no wasted space on top part of the photo. Notice how there isn’t anything distracting in the background to clash with her. Staci moves very well and her feeling of movement in a photo is excellent. I wish I could make her famous. She is a very good model.

Lighting- Diffused.

In Photoshop I increased the Saturation (which I usually don’t do) and gave more contrast in Curves. They were both Adjustment Layers. I made a layer (Cmd/Ctl J) and sharpened with Unsharp Mask.

Camera- Nikon D-50
ISO- 400
Shutter Speed- 1/80
F-stop- 5.6
Lens- Nikon 55mm

Here’s the black and white of Brianna.

I made a layer (Cmd/Ctl J) Cmd/Ctl-Shift-U to take away the color. Curves to give more contrast. I like to give contrast to images since it makes them look more like black and white photos.

This is one from Brianna’s portfolio. There were so many good ones to choose from it was too hard to decide, so I showed this one. She could be famous in the next few years, so watch for her. Brianna puts together simple but very effective outfits. I wish I could make her famous. She is a very good model.

Composition- standard portrait/model set-up. No wasted space. Barn door doesn’t clash with her.

Lighting- Diffused, the sun was out, but not where we were.

In Photoshop I increased the Saturation (which I usually don’t do) and gave more contrast in Curves. They were both Adjustment Layers. I made a layer (Cmd/Ctl J) made a selection of her face and sharpened with Unsharp Mask.

Camera- Nikon D-50
ISO- 200
Shutter Speed- 1/100
F-stop- 5.6

Woob Lot

First off, this is not a misprint. I shot this at a virgin wood lot called Tipton Woods in the fall of 1983. Those who have taken the Photoshop class have seen this slide, but not all green like this. Back to Woob Lot, the sign at the entrance of the virgin wood lot (all those years ago) said: virgin woob lot. Hence the name.

The composition is some kind of balance or some kind of line, but it probably doesn’t fit into basic elements of design. The lighting was diffused.

I turned it green in Photoshop a long time ago and to be honest, I forgot what I did. I probably changed it in Channel Mixer. Which can be used as an Adjustment Layer. Recently I opened it and wanted to change it. I used New Adjustment Layer>Curves and pulled up the highlights. This changed the whole curvature of the photo, so to speak. It made the whole photo lighter, but made a pleasant change to the tones.

Sometimes with the passage of time a photographer will look at a photo and want to print/process the image differently. You can look at a print for years and then it hits you. You want to make it different. Woob Lot is an example.

Camera- Canon FTb
Film- Kodachrome 25
ASA- 25 yes 25
Lens- Canon 28mm
Shutter Speed- 1/2 ish
F-stop- 11ish

The second one is down the road looking back to where I was when I shot the first one. This one seems more dramatic. Nice frame and thirds. ISO- 200 SS- 1/15 f18 32mm