WITH her latest exhibition launched over the weekend, printmaker Amanda Western is broadening the scope around her key environmental themes. Having focused primarily on endangered Australian wildlife during her previous shows, her current exhibition Fragile Fight is shifting towards to a global perspective. “It’s about recognising endangered species across the globe and it’s the first […]Read More…
“As a photographer it’s quite easy to get caught up following trends. What’s important is having a vision”
Simon Carter has teamed up with Thames & Hudson to showcase his 30 years of climbing photography in an all-encompassing photography book, The Art of Climbing, that is as much about the land as it is the action.
Carter’s groundbreaking work has been shown globally for decades, cementing him as one of the pioneers of modern climbing photography. His imagery, as showcased in his new book, goes beyond that of the action sport and captures the essence of what climbing is: a physical connection to nature. His work captures the relationship between climber and landscape with great drama, but equally dignity and grace.
I found myself awestruck by the work and how each image was simultaneously an expertly composed landscape photograph and a sports / climbing photograph. I had to find out more about what it takes to be a climbing photographer and Carter’s experience in the genre. Ahead of the release of The Art of Climbing, I sat down with him to learn more…
Which came first, photography or climbing?
I got into both photography and rock climbing as a teenager, but I have to say that it was photography that came first. When I was 15, I got really into it, and there were two aspects to this; I became fascinated with playing with black-and-white photography and developing film and printing.
I made a darkroom in my laundry room when I was 15 while learning photography at school. I then changed schools for the last two years of high school to a college in Canberra, Australia, which had a really good photography course so I pursued that.
At around the age of 17, I was also really keen on rock climbing. I was into both of them pretty heavily and they were always the sort of two constants in my life that have always been with me.
How were you able to combine your two passions?
It was a long process before I was able to combine those two passions into a career or a job. I was so keen on photography when I left school that my first job was at a local university in their photography department, thinking this was what I had to do to get into photography. I ended up spending probably 80% of my time in the darkroom, printing DNA gel snares and using close-up electron microscopes to help the scientists with their research.
I found that pretty demoralizing after two years. I thought that was the way into photography, but I just could not see myself progressing from that into being a photographer, so I became quite disillusioned.
During the second year of working there, I did a night school course in photography, and at the end of my first year, I had to hand in a portfolio of 12 photographs of anything. So I thought: rock climbing photographs! I hiked out to the local cliff with climbers and made all these montages to make it artistic, and I handed in my 12 photos – and failed.
I was really pissed off, because the ones that did well were these nudes on rocky beaches and contrived stuff in the studio, and I just thought, “That’s nice” but there was no originality in it. They couldn’t relate to what I did, so after two years I quit, and with a mate I went overseas on my first overseas climbing trip and my world opened up. I didn’t photograph for years after that, I just gave it up and didn’t touch a camera.
I started doing a bit more photography of rock climbing as I was getting more and more into it, just for fun. Eight years later, I became a full-time rock climber living in a tent by Mount Arapiles in Australia because that’s all I wanted to do – I wanted to go climbing. Back then if you wanted to become a good climber, you just went climbing.
After becoming a full-time climber I started photographing my friends who are really good rock climbers doing spectacular stuff. There was no one else around to document what they were doing so I started photographing them. That’s when I had my sort of “Aha!” moment.
When did you realize it would be a viable career path?
Well, at the time, there were no professional outdoor or specialist climbing photographers in Australia. There were only a couple of outdoor photographers and maybe a few in America making a living shooting and climbing. But I thought, I’m living in a tent – I’ve got nothing to lose.
I did a small business course and received a small grant from the government to help me get off [unemployment], which funds you for a year of living expenses while you start a new business. I started my business, spent a few months traveling around the country, and then published a calendar of rock climbing, the Australian Climbing Calendar 1995, and one thing led to another after that.
By publishing a calendar, I had enough money to keep going. After doing that for about four years, a publisher came to me and I made my first coffee table book on Australian rock climbing. That led to other things, including being invited to photograph overseas, which started my international travel and publishing a few more books.
My whole career is a series of one thing leading to another and something just coming along, and I have managed that now for 30 years.
You mentioned that were few rock climbing photographers at the time. How did you select your style, did you have inspirations from other photographers or were you shooting what felt right?
Both. There were some really good American climbing photographers at the time, like Bill Hatcher, Greg Epperson, and Jim Thornberg, and they were certainly inspiring, but I just followed my own path.
I think because one of my initial projects was photographing a calendar, I needed a single image that would be interesting to view, incorporating good climbing action, but I also wanted to show a sense of place, something about the climb, or the environment. So I was always thinking about what I could do with a single image that would speak for itself, that helped me find my style.
It became quite clear to me that every time I visited a place, I would ask myself the question of what is unique about this climb or this place, this area, the setting, or maybe, sometimes it was the climb that was interesting or unique. I’d ask myself, what is it? And once I’d identified that I’d work on a process of how to best capture it.
How did your personal experience in climbing aid your photography work?
It helped a lot. I’m grateful I spent all those years climbing before I started trying to get serious about climbing photography. The obvious practical aspect of having the technical skills, the climbing skills, the rope skills, the rigging skills to be able to get into position and work on a cliff safely and work with climbers. You’ve got to be able to understand things from their perspective if you’re asking them to do things, you need to know what you’re putting them through.
There’s also the creative and motivational aspect because it’s always been really important to me as a climber how climbing is portrayed. When I got into climbing photography there were concerns that climbing would be banned because people would say it’s dangerous. The only time climbing ever made the news was when there was an accident. I wanted to show the positive side as a kind of education to the public.
Touching back on the practical aspect, just being out on a cliff is often when you see the best angles or get the concepts for a shot. When I’d arrive at an area I’d climb for a few days and get to know the place, the layout, the light, and the access. It helps a lot in conceiving a shot and what might be possible.
I assume it also helped with gaining access to the climbing community if you’re already a part of it.
That’s right, yeah, because when I started I was just shooting my peers and they happened to be the best climbers in the country and when you’re living with them in the tent next door, it’s just mates going out and doing something cool. Now 30 years later, they can look at the book and go, “Wow, that was so cool!”
Your images capture both landscape and sport simultaneously. Was it a conscious thought to incorporate beautiful landscapes with sports, and how then did you blend the two?
Yeah, totally. Blending the landscape and the action has always been what it’s about for me. I feel like just action shots alone can be impressive, but it misses something about climbing. I mean, you don’t want pure action to be in every shot.
Then on the other hand, you’ve got your landscape, and then in between is a spectrum of how big the figure in the frame is and how important they are to the image. This is where I’ve always felt the challenge is.
For me, the perfect image has always been one that captures both perfectly – the landscape shot could stand alone as a landscape photograph but then if you’ve got genuine authentic climbing action, which you can quite clearly see, that to me is the perfect shot.
And as a viewer, it adds to that relationship between humanity and the landscape, which I assume is important to climbing?
Well, that is what it’s all about, for me at least. Climbing has grown and changed so much in the 40 years I’ve been climbing, and the 30 since I’ve been shooting it.
It’s changed and grown so much, but personally, it’s always been one of the great things about climbing. It allows you to connect with nature which becomes important. There are lots of different aspects of climbing, but that’s always been an important one.
What’s brilliant with a lot of these images is they show the scale of the land compared to us, almost as though showing how the power lies with the landscape.
Now that you mentioned the word scale, when we were looking at the themes chapters for the book we came up with one called Scale which was my concept, where all the shots showed a piece of rock and you just wouldn’t know how big it was until you see the climber and then you understand the scale of what is going on.
How did you come up with the selection of chapter themes?
When we first decided to do the book and started looking at my entire body of work, we wanted to use the best work, but we were left wondering – how do we split that up? To me, the obvious answer was chronological; I thought “This is all about me, so let’s set it out and show everyone my career.” Then it’s like, hang on, no, it’s not about me, there’s something much more interesting here, not just to climbers, but to anyone who might look at it.
This was quite an involved and long process with Thames & Hudson and they were great at pushing us forward with coming up with ideas. I didn’t want it to be a destination thing so in the end, while working with the artistic theme, which we had from the title, we started looking at the artistry. I started developing chapters like Scale, Silhouettes, and Portraits, focused more on the climb and environment, but it just didn’t quite gel.
To incorporate both the climbing and environment we decided upon features in the rock architecture, and that’s how we ended up with the chapters on the lines, the walls, the overhangs, the arêtes et cetera.
It was cool because when I looked at my collection through that lens it was just like “Oh my god” it’s obvious, and it’s so cool to see my work presented that way.
Would you say this is a photography book about climbing, a climbing book that has exceptional photography, or a combination of both?
It’s a photography book about climbing. It’s a photographer’s take on climbing. It’s not just about climbing, as if it had been a climbing book we would have done it by destination or style of climbing. Big walls, bouldering, aid climbing, or sport climbing – it would have been split up that way. But I think what we’ve done captures both and hopefully appeals to both interests.
What is the ratio of pre-composed / staged images to spontaneous captures?
My photographs are a mix. I’ve thought about this a lot over the years and I think it is like a spectrum. On one hand, you’ve got documentary photography where you get out there and do all you can to capture something or document what’s going on, and if you can make it beautiful and artistic then even better.
Then on the other hand you’ve got more conceptual styles. Conceptual shots are ones where it comes about by asking the question. what’s unique about this climb or this place? And when I ask that question and you find the answer it’s about how you create the best image of that.
For example, I live here in the Blue Mountains and one of the unique features here is that, in the morning, the valleys fill with an inversion layer of cloud that sits in the valleys with a cliff above them. So there are opportunities to get a photograph with a climber on a cliff sitting above a sea of clouds, which is a cool concept, and it’s unique to the Blue Mountains. So I asked myself, how could I get the best possible shot of a climber above an inversion layer?
The answer is quite hard, as there are very few cliff faces that catch the sun in the morning because everything faces west. So I spent years trying to find places where I could do this and then went through this process of rigging it and setting it up and having full pre-dawn starts to refine and capture the image.
So to me, the perfect conceptual image is where you come up with a concept and then find the best way to execute it.
The images in the book are beautifully composed. How is that possible when you’re hanging off a cliff face?
I should first mention that I take quite a lot of good climbing photographs from standing on the ground or a clifftop just by hiking. Maybe 30% of my shots were just taken with a difficult hike or a scramble from a defining vantage point.
But yeah, most of my shots are taken from abseiling so it’s mostly just rope work. The challenge is rigging your rope in the right location; once you’ve got the rope in place, you’re set. So you can either abseil down or use a or jumar to climb up. Then there are rope rigging techniques to stop you swinging, so it’s just understanding rigging.
Has there ever been a case where you’ve set up, you’ve abseiled down, and realize you need to be 10 meters to the left?
Yes! It’s a fun game going out on a climbing shoot. If it is under time pressure, if someone’s climbing a route, then it is like “Oh no, quick!” But these are shoots where I must scout out a place and abseil down and check out the angles, look through the lens, and take a test shot.
I do my homework, but you often don’t have that luxury, particularly when you’re traveling. I might only get a few days or a week to try and capture some good images from one place.
Is it fast paced or does it require a lot of patience? When you’ve set up the shot, are you then having to wait for them to get into the right place?
It’s absolutely both. It’s very much a hurry-up-and-wait sort of thing! You’re waiting and then it suddenly all happens and it can often happen quite quickly. Sometimes you have the luxury of time and other times you inevitably end up under some pressure even while the shoot’s happening, you’ve got to work fast.
You don’t want to be holding the climbers up unnecessarily but you might want to suddenly be in a different position, so you’re trying to think about the composition, what you’re doing with the camera, your position, and the action. It’s a fun game, so it is satisfying when you manage to get a good shot.
What are your favorite types of shots to shoot?
For me, my favorite shots tell something about the place as well as the climb. I love climbing and I love trying to capture the action, but part of the uniqueness of climbing is the location. That’s what really inspires me. The places that climbing takes you to are spectacular.
What is your go-to photography kit and how has it evolved over the past 30 years?
The way photography has changed since I started shooting professionally 30 years ago is huge, it’s a completely different game now. Back in the early days, when you shot climbing you’d have a roll of 36 exposures in your camera. I shot on Fuji Velvia rated at ISO 50, but I’d rate it at 36. Very slow film.
That had a strong influence on my climbing style and photography style in the early days, because you always need light on the subject. Whereas now when you can just crank the ISO to 800 and shoot in the shade or low light and capture really good action, back in the day shooting climbing action was hard in the shade.
I’m now shooting with the Nikon Z9, which can capture 20 frames a second easily. My recent purchase of the Z9 is the first time I’ve ever got a top-level professional Nikon. I’ve always gone a bit below, as they are usually smaller and lighter weight, but the autofocus is so good and it’s probably the first time in my career I’ve got an auto that’s got a hope of tracking a climber.
I got my first digital in 2008 with the Nikon D3, because I finally realized that the resolution was excellent and better than what I could get from the scanned slide. But I was probably one of the last professional climbing photographers in the world to swap to digital. I held out because of the color palette issue.
Have you always shot with Nikon?
Always. I stood by them right through, even when they perhaps weren’t the highest spec in some areas, but I’m super happy that I’ve stayed with them.
When shooting analog how were you able to meter on the side of a cliff?
I have a funny story about this: One day I was picking up film from the lab and the manager wanted to speak to me. He came in and he said, “How do you do it?” He wanted to know how I could shoot a whole roll of film and every exposure was perfect. Getting your exposure on film was not easy, especially when the light changes.
So what I did is I developed this technique based on the zone system and I would use a spot metering mode in the camera and I’d point it around the different parts of the scene and I’d become quite familiar with judging in tones in rock.
So I’d look at a bit of bright orange rock and go, “Oh, it probably needs to be about two thirds of a stop overexposed.” And so I’d use spot metering mode, dial it in and point it around the scene to make sure that exposure made sense when I wanted it to darken, and that’s how I did it. That was one of my most unsung achievements that I’m personally most proud of.
I’m sure this book will inspire many who view it. What is your advice for someone wanting to get started in climbing photography?
The main issue is safety. It should be quite obvious working on cliffs, but because of that, I would highly recommend that anyone wanting to get into it, spends quite a few years just climbing and becoming experienced at climbing before they try and work photography into the mix. Once you start working on a cliff and dealing with cameras it’s quite distracting, so you need to know what you’re doing so you can rig your ropes safely.
Being capable as a climber is going to be essential for capturing a lot of these images. You can take some shots from the ground, but ultimately you need some sort of climbing skills to be able to get around in these locations and work safely and efficiently. So that’s my main advice.
New photographers are using the latest technologies such as drones and strobes and the way technology is changing now is very fascinating, but for me, it’s not been about being up with the latest technology. I think as a photographer it’s quite easy to get caught up in following trends because the technology allows you to. What’s important, and this became apparent to me when I was working in the darkroom all those years ago, is it’s about having a vision.
Working in the darkroom taught me that I didn’t want to be a photographer at all costs. I didn’t want photography to be a job. It wasn’t about being able to just say, “Hey, I’m a photographer, I make a living taking photographs.” I feel that when I see some people on social media, it’s like, why are you doing this? Is it because you want recognition as a photographer? What is your vision?
If I was going to do it, I was going to be on my terms because I was inspired by something and because it had some meaning to it. I was never going to allow it to be just for a job.
The Art of Climbing by Simon Carter is an incredible look at a genre of photography that doesn’t often reach the mainstream spotlight. It is not only packed full of spectacular images, but holds a wealth of information on climbing, the landscape and the photographic equipment used to capture the images.
Accompanying texts from some of the world’s leading climbers add incredible depth to the book and provide another dimension of context to the imagery. I have had this book for a little while now and it has kept drawing me in for another look, and each time I see or learn something new. It is certainly a fantastic coffee table book!
Published by Thames & Hudson, The Art of Climbing by Simon Carter will be available from May 28 in the US, and is on sale now in the UK and Australia. The price is $45 / £30 / AU$59.99.
You may also be interested in our guides to the best coffee table books, the best books on photography, and the best books on portrait photography.
Photography: Real Estate and Marina Allen
Posted: 20th April, 2024 by The Editor
Real Estate have been a staple in the indie-rock cannon for years, and they have proven time and time again why they continue to be one of the best bands making this kind of music. Since their debut in 2009, the band has consistently been cranking out great music. With their latest release, Daniel, this year, the band continue to develop and explore their sound. Touring the album, with support from Marina Allen, Jay caught the band at Philly’s Union Transfer. Their photos certainly capture the amazing night, check them out!
Photos by Jay Leiby
The Alternative is ad-free and 100% supported by our readers. If you’d like to help us produce more content and promote more great new music, please consider donating to our Patreon page, which also allows you to receive sweet perks like free albums and The Alternative merch.
An Eye for Art: Through film, photography and more, Adam Bowen is on a winding journey
Adam Bowen is a local photographer living in Finksburg.
“I became interested in drawing in elementary school. I traced photos on the computer and filled them in,” Bowen said.
Then Bowen started taking studio art classes. He took a class at Staub’s Studios in Catonsville. He learned charcoal, watercolor and pastels.
“I moved towards digital design when I was in middle school,” Bowen said.
He studied graphic design at the Carroll County Career and Technology Center in Westminster. They had a program to do commission projects for businesses in Carroll County such as Westminster Fire Company. He also did a Fall Fest banner for a pumpkin patch that a man had in his backyard in the fall.
“It was a good intro into doing starter professional design,” Bowen said. “It was good to get that experience while I was still in high school.”
After he graduated, Bowen took a road trip to Colorado with some friends and camped for two weeks. They went to four national parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Badlands National Park. Bowen’s grandfather had given him his old Nikon camera.
“It was the first time I had a camera with me 24/7, and I took photos continuously, seeing what the U.S. parks had to offer,” Bowen said.
In 2017, Bowen attended Towson University and started with a focus in graphic design.
“As I continued, one of my experimental art teachers told me to try and take a path in filmmaking,” he said. “I switched my major to a Film and Graphic Design double major.”
“I fell in love with film making and started writing and directing short films during my junior and senior years in college. After college I did not know what I wanted to do with my life at all.
“I knew that I did not want to stay in Westminster and Maryland. I had taken road trips out west and fell in love with it. As I was graduating, I got a job opportunity to work at a go-kart track in Arizona located right outside the Grand Canyon. After I made the jump out there, I decided to get into photography full time.”
When he lived in Arizona, Bowen had two black and white 35-milimeter film photos exhibited at a film photography art show held at Hidden Light, Flagstaff. The photographs from the show were turned into a book. He also has a short film screened at the 10-minute film festival in Phoenix and Tucson.
Since Bowen’s job was flexible, he took three-day weekend camping trips and drives to Utah. He hiked, camped and took pictures. Bowen met a man from India at a campground and helped him set up a tent and get firewood. Bowen was fascinated by the man’s story. The man had spent his entire life in India and moved to the U.S. to become a motorcycle rider, his life dream.
Bowen also went to Joshua Tree National Park in California.
Seven months later Bowen was at Joshua Tree again and saw the same man from India on the side of the road taking pictures.
After that meeting they sat down and talked about doing a documentary series about desert people. He had two weeks of no work and had time to shoot a documentary with a friend about the motorcycle rider.
“I am hoping in the next six months I will have a release of a short documentary,” Bowen said.
Bowen was a photography guide in Juneau, Alaska, this past summer. That is what solidified his interest in photography. Every day, he took photos of humpback whales, black bears and at times a rare coastal brown bear.
He decided to sell his photos. His mother and grandmother have always sold crafts at the Carroll County Agricultural Center Farmers Market and craft shows. After returning from Alaska, Bowen’s mother and grandmother encouraged him to sell his photographs at the Agricultural Center Christmas Craft Show. He was successful.
Bowen is currently planning to work out west or in Alaska as a photo guide.
Bowen’s webpage is adambowen344f6c2.myportfolio.com.
Lyndi McNulty is the owner of Gizmo’s Art in Westminster. Her column, An Eye for Art, appears regularly in Life & Times.
Camera-trap photography aids conservation efforts of Canada lynx in Superior National Forest
Outdoor News
Ryan Pennesi, a U.S. Forest Service wildlife technician and wildlife photographer, spends significant time tracking wildlife in the Superior National Forest.
As a wildlife technician based at the Tofte Ranger District, Pennesi monitors wildlife populations, including the elusive Canada lynx. In his off-work hours, he continues his passion for tracking wildlife by using trail cameras and various camera-trap photography equipment.
Camera-trap photography relies on remotely triggered cameras, such as trail or DSLR cameras, to capture a photo of wildlife in a natural setting. Once a species walks by the remote camera, it triggers and takes a picture.
“It really allows you to study some of these more elusive animals, especially nocturnal animals,” Pennesi said. “It’s a noninvasive way to study populations.”
Pennesi said camera-trap photography allows him to monitor various wildlife species’ natural behavior and patterns within the Superior National Forest. The insights into the patterns and frequented locations further contribute to his ongoing conservation and recovery as a wildlife technician.
One of the Forest Service’s ongoing conservation efforts is monitoring Canadian lynx populations. The species has been federally listed as threatened since March 2000.
In winter, Pennesi looks for lynx tracks in the snow and collects a scat sample for DNA genetic testing.
“In 2008, the Superior National Forest created and continues to maintain a database of genetically confirmed lynx to document their occurrence, their persistence, and their reproduction in Minnesota,” Pennesi said.
The scat sample is then sent to the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Fort Collins, Colo., for further testing. Over the years, the Forest Service has identified over 600 individual lynx species within the Superior National Forest.
Pennesi said one of the interesting things the Forest Service has learned over the years is the recurrence of one particular lynx. “One thing we learned is we had one lynx that persisted for over ten years,” he said. “So that means from one season to the next, we picked up the scat from the same individual.”
The DNA included within the scat provides the Forest Service with insights into the movement of the lynx over time and the continued monitoring of offspring. “It’s fascinating to follow these animals around and habits, learn their behaviors through tracking them,” Pennesi said.
Pennesi said he hopes his use and application of camera-trap photography to document and monitor Canadian lynx will only further conservation efforts for the elusive species in northeastern Minnesota.
“I think trail cameras can lead to interesting stories,” Pennesi said. “It can get people excited about getting out and creating their own and doing some tracking and connecting with the land.”
He said he encourages others to set up trail cameras on their property or on public land like the Superior National Forest to monitor wildlife and connect with the natural world.
WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Ryan Pennesi about monitoring Canada lynx and other wildlife species using camera-trap photography in the Superior National Forest. The audio from the interview is below.
Photographers win best in show at Seacoast exhibit
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EXETER — The Seacoast Artist Association awarded Best in Show for the April Theme “Pure Poetry” to David Blomquist of Brentwood for his Digitally Manipulated Photograph and original poem titled “Lifetime.”
“I recently heard that a special friend in my life had passed,” says Blomquist.
“The news brought both shock and a host of other feelings because I had always assumed that I would see my friend again, but that would now never be.”
This realization made Blomquist pause to question the time we have, in essence to question one’s lifetime.
“The poem came first, and I wrote it as if I was having a conversation and questioning the entity, Lifetime,” he said.
The artwork came second, and it’s a compilation of three photographs taken over time in three different locations.
The People Choice Award, voted on by attendees of the SAA monthly Second Friday receptions, went to Peter Gumaskas of Goffstown for his photograph “Vermont Barn,” shown with Susan Cook’s poem “Winter Barn.”
“Susan, the poet, and I were together when we saw the barn in Vermont and were both very inspired by the scene,” says Peter.
“We were returning from a long weekend getaway, and it was a special weekend for us. She was inspired to write the poem after seeing the print of the barn. At that time, I was also heavily into Andrew Wyeth and was feeling very influenced by his work.”
Visit the gallery before April 27 to read these poems and see the rest of the show, along with new artwork.
The Seacoast Artist Association gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
Next month’s themes are “Primavera: the Art of Spring” at the Town Hall; and “In Full Bloom” at the Water Street gallery.
Details at www.seacoastartist.org, on Facebook and on Instagram.
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Unlocking the Secrets of Impressionistic Photography
Impressionistic photography challenges traditional approaches by emphasizing mood and atmosphere over sharp, detailed imagery. This style captures fleeting moments of light and color, offering a painterly quality that stands out in the digital age.
Coming to you from Peter Forsgård, this insightful video sheds light on the principles of impressionistic photography, particularly through street photography. Forsgård explores how this technique diverges from conventional sharpness, advocating for a focus on light, shadow, and color dynamics. He emphasizes the emotional impact of photography, urging you to look beyond mere aesthetics to capture deeper, more resonant images. This approach is not just about technical skills; it’s about how you see and interpret the world through your lens.
Forsgård provides practical tips for adopting this style, such as utilizing motion blur and selective focus to enhance the impressionistic effect. He discusses the importance of understanding light’s interaction with the environment. By suggesting techniques like multiple exposures and the use of mist filters, Forsgård encourages you to experiment and discover new ways to express visual stories. If you find yourself feeling a bit stuck creatively, this is a great way to expand your approach.
Check out the video above for the full rundown from Forsgård.
Is 24mm lens macro photography possible? Photographer Emma Wilson proves it is
When I think of macro photography, I think 100mm lenses on upside-down cameras on a splayed-leg tripod. What I don’t think of is a 24mm pancake lens. But when I recently met emerging photographer Emma Wilson, my understanding of what can be achieved in 24mm lens macro photography was turned on its head.
Macro is photography where the subject is smaller in real life than in the resulting image. It’s often highly magnified, capturing the small world in beautiful crisp detail. Lenses uses for macro photography are usually longer focal lengths like 100mm because it allows you to zoom in on those tiny details. A classic macro lens features a tiny minimum focusing distance, too, so that you can put that lens right up in a bug’s face and see the quiver of its mandibles.
Can you do macro photography with a 24mm lens?
Emma Wilson, however, is using a Canon 24mm pancake lens for her macro photography and the results are stunning. This lens is commonly used for travel photography or landscapes because of its tiny size: it’s the smallest, flattest, most-pancakey lens in the Canon range. It’s also very affordable and makes a great addition to your starting kit for your crop sensor camera.
Emma is a photographer from Glasshouse Mountains in Queensland, Australia. I interviewed her to learn more about what drew her to macro with this unusual lens and about her process. Let’s dive in!
How did you get into photography? Emma shares her experience
I started taking photos in the early 2010’s of make-up I was doing at the time. However, I only truly got into photography last year when my husband bought me my Canon EOS 850D DSLR for our first anniversary. I had spent our entire honeymoon taking photos of everything with my phone, so he knew I would love it.
I love the natural beauty around me and being able capture it in an image to share with others has drawn me to photography.
I have been majority self-taught. When we bought my camera the camera salesman at JB hi-fi, who is a photographer, gave me a quick run through of the basics to get me started. I have photographer friends I can ask questions of as well. It has been a lot of experimenting.
What gear do you use for your macro photography?
My camera is a Canon EOS 850D DSLR, and my go-to lens is my Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens, which I use for all my macro shooting. I have a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens that came in a kit with my camera body. I use that for all my day to day shooting and if I am taking photos at an event. For landscape shooting I have a Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens.
Currently, my only accessory for shooting is a three-way swivel tripod. I use it all the time for shooting macro. It helps stabilize my camera to minimize motion blur. I don’t yet have an off-camera flash and keep the stutter speed low for the additional light.
What drew you to using a 24mm lens for macro photography?
As I am still finding my feet in the photography world, the price point played a big roll in my choice of the 24mm pancake lens for my macro shooting. The resulting images I get from this lens makes me appreciate the decision I made.
I am open to purchasing a 100mm macro lens in the future, though I believe I will continue using my 24mm lens as well because I love the depth of photo it creates.
The 24mm pancake lens is a versatile lens for a lot of different subjects, and seeing the macro images you get from it shows even more of its flexibility. What else have you tried shooting with the 24mm pancake lens?
This is going to sound very boring, but I have not used my 24mm for photos besides macro at this stage. I am interested in trying it out for other shooting in the future. I do think the concept of using such a compact lens for so many things is great and if it takes good images for other shooting it would great to take on the fly.
I agree, having such a handy lens in the kit is a massive help when you’re travelling or doing long shoots. What other lenses have you got in your kit and what have you used them for so far?
My other lenses include the kit lens that came with my camera body and a wide-angle lens. I use my kit lens when I am taking photos at events and when out and about. This lens is really good for photographing subjects within 10 meters, however for anything further away it tends to have its limitations.
I have gotten some nice photos of water dragons at the zoo, but it’s hard to get quality shots of the zoo animals themselves.
My wide-angle lens is a EF-S 10-18mm IS STM lens. I use it mostly for landscape and sunset shooting. I find the picture it captures really great. Living in the Glasshouse Mountains, I love when I get time to take some sunset shots of the mountains and this lens captures them well.
I have done some experimenting with it at a family event and found that it captures a wonderful image of the entire room as well.
Emma’s photographs show the true versatility of the 24mm lens
If you would like to see more of Emma’s photography, check out her Instagram page. And why not take out a different lens from your usual today and try capturing something unusual?
Emma is a budding photographer with a keen interest in macro photography. She loves getting out in her in nature to find all manner of critters to photograph.
sculptural pots in the garden, with stephen procter
IT’S THAT TIME of year when we gardeners are shopping, shopping, shopping, often in hot pursuit of just the right plant that will make the
Black and white photos aren’t old school for teens at Schack Art Center
EVERETT — Elisa Fares had never picked up a camera before taking a photography class at Glacier Peak High School.
Much to her surprise, and delight, the French exchange student was the grand prize winner in the 29th Annual Black and White Photography Contest and Student Exhibition at the Schack Art Center.
“I didn’t think I would win anything,” she said at a reception Thursday at the center. “Photography was not my thing at all.”
High school students from Snohomish County submitted about 170 entries for the contest. Photos were judged for composition, creativity and presentation.
In addition to top prizes, which included gift cards from Brooklyn Bros. Pizzeria, numerous honorable mention certificates were awarded. The exhibit is in the center’s Emerging Young Artists Gallery through May 5. Admission to the Schack is free.
Elisa’s photo, “Flesh,” is of her best friend’s neck and collarbone.
The Schack Art Center’s Black and White Photography Contest Grand Prize winner, “Flesh” by Elisa Fares, Glacier Peak High School.
“I took it in five seconds before the bell rang,” she said.
She then spent two hours editing the image.
“Flesh” has attracted international viewers.
“My mom already printed it and put it in my living room in France,” Elisa said.
Monochrome photos, and the use of cameras instead of cell phones, might seem old school these days.
“Black and white photography goes back to the fundamentals of what photography has always been,” said Nicole Dibble, Schack education coordinator. “It’s a great way for students to take color out of the equation and focus on lines and form and get a lot of value in their pieces.”
Snohomish High School photography teacher Jay Adams said students like it.
“It tells a story without distractions,” he said. The images “are more dramatic.”
About 60 of his students entered photos.
“I do really like the contrast,” said senior Athen Hoyt.
Athen earned first place in the upper age division for “Anger Breeds Contempt,” of an arm and partial body of a figure standing near the Snohomish River. Athen mainly does illustrations and plans to go to art school in the fall.
The Schack Art Center’s Black and White Photography Contest first place winner in the 11th and 12th grade division, “Anger Breeds Contempt” by Athen Hoyt, Snohomish High School.
Jamie Bazile, another Snohomish High senior, photographed a chess board and photoshopped himself into it.
His photo, titled “Pawn,” took third place in his age group.
“It was a chess set missing a bunch of pieces,” he said. “The photo has gone a lot further than I expected it to go, but it’s a cool photo, I think.”
“Pawn” by Jamie Bazile, Snohomish High School, won third place in the 11th and 12th grade age group in the Black and White Photography Contest at Schack Art Center.
His usual art medium is drawing. The photo was homework.
“I submitted it just so I could get an assignment done,” he said.
His mom, Amy Bazile, was among the proud parents at Thursday’s reception.
“It has been fun to see his art develop and progress from the tiny little doodles he used to do on his homework in grade school,” she said. “This will go in Dad’s office at home.”
Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterbrown.
And the winners are:
Grand Prize
Elisa Fares, Glacier Peak High School, “Flesh”
11th and 12th Grades
First Place: Athen Hoyt, Snohomish High School, “Anger Breeds Contempt”
Second: Megan White, Sky Valley Education Center, “Continuance”
Third: Jamie Bazile, Snohomish, “Pawn”
9th and 10th Grades, all from Glacier Peak
First Place: Ananya Raichura, “Frozen Moments”
Second: Sofia Carmona, “Visionary”
Third: Emma Chmil, “In the Cave”
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