This is cool!

http://uncommongrounds.com/community/art/albany/february-art-albany/

A Couple of Things...

Yesterday I discovered and joined the PhotoCenter of the Capital District.  It looks like a good resource in Troy, about 1/2 hour away.  They have meetings, workshops, juried shows and some accessible digital and film equipment in their labs.  Also submitted five photos to their Best of 2009 juried show.  I'll let you know how it goes...

Likewise, I've entered some Saratoga-Related photos for gallery space at this June's Saratoga Arts Fest.

Also, discovered the Center for Photography at Woodstock.  This looks very interesting, but I'll wait a bit to join.  It's an hour and a half away, but might be worth the trip down there on an occasional basis.

Finally, I submitted a press release and photos to the local paper, the Saratogian, for the April Uncommon Grounds show.

Winter Blues

School Bell
Originally uploaded by DKAIOG

I haven't been too motivated to get out in the cold much this winter for photo shooting, so I've been doing some studio work. Most of this has been experimental and for learning, more than for creating great photographs. Practicing craft.

Also, I've been using this time to read a lot about photography and photographers. It's been a kind of independent study college curriculum (self-designed) and has included a lot of theory and visualization, or eye training. Interesting stuff.

What a GREAT little lens (and it's old and manual)!

This remains one of my favorites:

The Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5.   It is ultra sharp and looks great in and out of focus!  Click on the photo to see my Flickr set with this lens.  Pardon the older shots that were more experimental, but you'll get the idea.  Best $50 I've spent on camera equipment!

Some quick photos after hanging 32 photos at Uncommon Grounds in Albany...

Hanging my First Show

Tomorrow I hang 32 large framed photos at Uncommon Ground in Albany, near the State University.  They'll be there for about 5 weeks.  Then, after a month's break, at their location in Saratoga.  I'm going to have a party at that one.

Should be interesting.  I'll post some photos of the showing...(!)

Books

I took a photography course at a public school's night classes when I was barely a teenager.  I still remember all that I learned about depth of field, f-stops and exposure, and so on.  That class, and other experiences like belonging to the Ridgewood Camera Club around the same time, was valuable.  I constantly find myself more knowledgeable in areas of photography than I expected.

But now I've been trying to further educate myself.  I've gone back to the basic and have been reading about camera theory, and things like film and exposure levels and lens properties.  It's actually interesting.  Right now I am reading Ansel Adams' first book of a three part technical series.  The first is called "The Camera".  Fascinating stuff.  The second and third are entitled "The Negative" and "The Print".

Another interesting book that I finished is "Using The View Camera".

Well, now I have to focus on getting the 30 framed photos organized for the show in Albany.  I have to hang them on Monday.  I'll take some photos.

Thoughts

I really like photography. And I think I'm pretty good at it. Much better than I am at music. At least the response has been more positive. I think I have an eye for composition, and the technical aspects.

I've learned a heck of a lot in the past two years, and I've been educating myself through online articles, discussion forums, books on various photographers and technique, and practice. It's been like taking a number of formal photography courses at my own pace. I feel like I could teach the basics now.

Lately, I've been reading up on the basic theory of the camera and lighting and even film processes. This helps me understand what is happening even with a new Digital camera. But, it has also told me that I need to work in a basic format as well. Certainly, the most basic and most flexible format is the view camera. These are not cheap, but a system can be put together for a reasonable price.

A portable field view camera in a 4x5 inch format is the way to go. You have to take a completely different, more deliberate approach to photography. And you need to understand the basics, as the camera doesn't take care of them for you. But the quality of the photos are exceptional, and there are things you can do with them as far as perspective and focus that you can't do on a handheld. At least not yet.

So, I would really like to use the years between now and retirement to bring my photographic art to a higher level, and to prepare to do this on a professional basis. I would do portraits, landscapes, etc., and would really like to do commission work (I have done a bit of that already). We'll see. For now, I will invest in the equipment and practice. I'll also try to get as many shows as possible and establish a full resume and portfolio.  Two shows on tap for this spring...

Thanks for "listening"...any advice?

An "Almost" Shot

This is why I should keep notes (though the exif data kept in the digital photo can help).  Here is a photo that came out extremely well, except for something strange going on in the lower left.  At first, I thought it was out of focus, but now I'm not so sure.  But something is distorting it.  I'll have to try this one again.

Photographer Spotlights #1 and #2

Check out the first two Photographer Spotlights:

Ansel Adams

Mazdamattc

Nikon D90

The Nikon D90 camera body — my main Axe...

The D90 is a high resolution camera (>12mp) with professional features.  It will also take all of the lenses in the studio collection.

Welcome!

I will use this blog to pass along new photos and updates from David Aimone Photography.  You can view the main site at:

http://davidaimone.zenfolio.com/

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