Depth of Field

So the other night I wandered into my local Apple store on an outing with the family, wanting to see the iPad in person.

HOLY CRAP

Ok, so if you couldn’t tell, I was really impressed.  Granted, some of the apps made for the iPhone look pixely on the screen, but those made for the iPad are just gorgeous.  I particularly like the bookcase and naturally the photo app.  I wrote a post about why I think the iPad is a great tool for photographers, and my short time with it reinforced it.

I was also struck by the speed.  I never expected it to be THAT fast.  Wow.  I didn’t have much of an issue with the keyboard either, though I can see where it will take time to get used to.

So, I will wait until the next version comes out, with the improvements, cameras, card slots, etc…  before plunking down the money.  It’s a useful tool that, at least for me, will be an asset in my photographic presentations and portfolios.

While not my favorite season (Autumn by far!), Spring is a great time for photography and especially if you like photographing flowers.  Myself, I generally like to photograph flowers and process them differently then they normally appear.  I like altering perceptions of flowers.  If you look at my flickr site, you’ll see shots from the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Montclair that I shot over the course of two years.  Largely they are unaltered except for a few.  I feel their beauty speaks for themselves.  That said, this year when I go up there, I’m going to be looking to experiment a bit and try different techniques and processing effects.

Much of my flower and plant photography is from simply walking around wherever I am with my camera.  For instance, this shot is my most viewed photograph on flickr, and I shot this one evening walking around Madison Square Park in New York City.  I had no idea that it would show up #3 on the flickr search for flowers.  While it’s a nice photograph, I don’t think it’s one of my best flower photographs.  Judge for yourself!

Here’s an example of a recent shot that I really processed and altered from it’s original RAW file:

But sometimes you get lucky, and find a great situation and with some minimal processing, produce a very artistic image:

So that’s how I approach photographing flowers.  Do I try, when I see something that works SOOC to keep it unaltered, yes.  However, I like taking risks and trying different things with common items.  I feel it makes photographing flowers that much more interesting.

Here is a slideshow set of some of my flower photography:

~John

Back in February, I attended a seminar by Rick Sammon at Unique Photo in Fairfield, NJ.  Rick’s presentation was phenomenal, and I found it to be very inspirational.

Throughout the presentation, Rick discussed how he would use Topaz Adjust to process some of his photographs in an HDR like manner, without actually shooting HDR.  Seeing his shots piqued my interest, and I soon found myself purchasing the software as a plugin for Aperture.

So far I’ve found this plugin very useful and intriguing.  While I can’t say that I’ve used it extensively yet, I have experimented with some images and have been pleased with the result.  Here is one that I shot on Easter Sunday:

Since I purchased it, Topaz Adjust has upgraded from version 3 to version 4.  One of the major overhauls was the user interface.  Although I did not really use it much before the upgrade, I do find the version 4 interface very easy to use and intuitive.  Topaz Adjust also plays very nicely with Aperture, just like the various Nik products.

So in conclusion, Topaz Adjust 4 was a smart choice to add to my photo processing arsenal.

~John

Today I’m announcing the launch of my official site, John Faherty Photography!

This is a flash site I’ve worked on through Photobiz.com, whose features and ease of use I’ve found to be outstanding.  I highly recommend them.  For the moment, my proofing and orders will be fulfilled through Zenfolio, where clients can access their proofs and purchase prints, and many of my fine art photographs are for sale over a wide range of products.

If you are interested in my photography or my services, please email me at johnfahertyphotography@gmail.com

And here’s a new shot using Topaz Adjust 4…  First time trying this software out.

~John

Taken with the hipstamatic app or lo-mob.

I’ve been thinking about a wish list of gear that would be great to have considering my jumping into for hire photography.  Now, this is only a wish list, and is not something that I couldn’t do unless I 1) win the lottery, 2) make a lot of money with my good old 20d…  well that’s basically all I can think of!   I’m probably missing some things, but I am putting them in order of importance, because one thing I have come to accept is good glass is forever.  That said, here’s my list:

Lenses

• Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
• Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM or Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM

Camera

Since I would be keeping my 20d as my secondary camera, and could use my 50mm f/1.4 prime or either the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM or Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM on it, right now my wish for a new body would have to be for the…  Canon EOS 5D Mark II for the very obvious reasons such as the full frame, the video option, great picture quality, etc..  My choices for lenses also revolve around moving towards a FF camera, though I know they all can be used on small sensor bodies such as the 7D.

Flash

Considering I already have (albeit being held together very carefully because of a previously broken hotshoe) a Metz 58AF-1, I’d probably move to the Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash because of it’s integration with the Canon bodies and the ability to use a battery pack for faster recycling time and battery life.  I’d probably get two and replace the Metz altogether.

Tripod and Monopod

I’d also invest in a real good tripod and a monopod as well.  Come to think of it, I’d also invest in a better camera bag to organize and transport my gear.  I’ve seen some nice examples of all of these at Unique Photo in nearby Fairfield, NJ.  Of course, B&H and Adorama are nearby and great stores.

Computers

Ideally here, I’d like to have two or three things.  1) an iMac.  2) a MacBook Pro and 3) an iPad.  I’ve previously written about the iPad, and linked to what others have to say.  I think it will revolutionize how photographers present their portfolios and complete their paperwork with clients.  The iMac is simply for it’s processing power, and the MacBook Pro is for on the go tethering/editing and work.  Again, WISH LIST!

Now ideally, it’d be nice to have TWO 5dmkII’s plus my 20d.  I guess it’s ok to put that out there since this is a wish list!  Hopefully business will start picking up and I can start checking items off this list and bring my gear up to the level of quality that I desire.

Other than that, no other news to report.  Still trying to work out the damn DNS issues with my official site, which seems to appear and disappear on a daily basis, as if it were drifting in the Bermuda Triangle.  Hopefully this will be resolved soon with Photobiz.com and things will be up and running.  I did manage to create my pricing guides over on my Zenfolio site, where I will hold my client galleries, proofing, prints and fine art sales.

See you soon!

~John

Ah to be back on wordpress and my old blog. I lost it in the shuffle of getting my new “official” site up at John Faherty photography and moved to typepad, which I didn’t like all that much. A little shuffling of DNS’s and all is good.

Since my last post on the 9th of February, a few things have happened and/or I’ve come to some realizations:

1. My wife and I are the parents of twins, Amelia and Noah! My wife is also the most incredible person I know for so many reasons and is the best mother.
2. It’s hard to not constantly take photographs of babies.
3. It’s hard to stop buying cute things for the twins, cause if you get something for one you have to do the same for the other.
4. Who needs sleep?
5. Caffeine is an essential nutrient.
6. Family help is incredible.
7. Light cars don’t mix well with SUV’s.
8. Five weeks goes by too quickly and it’s so hard to go back to work.
9. Family help is incredible.
10. I’m about to take a big leap with my photography.
11. I like to play with baby toys, particularly the lion that goes rrrrrooooaaarrr, rrrroooooaaaarrrr.
12. Leave of absence. Look it up.
13. Hyundai makes a fine SUV in the Santa Fe.
14. Leroy and Gus are troopers and are wonderful doggies.

I’m sure I can come up with more, but I will stop for now.

A little photography for a moment… There are good things going on, which as they become set I will announce. I’m humbled by the opportunities and it has really spurred me to improve my skills.

I’ve been taking tons of iPhone shots, 99% of which are of the family, but a few using some of my favorite apps, hipstamatic and lomob. Here’s some examples at the bottom of the page.

I have a project with the babies I want to work on and make into a book via blurb. I’m excited by that and will also get me some experience with shooting little ones.

So there has been so much going on and life seems to have sped up. I’m thrilled by the road ahead!

~john

Wow, I was not ready, or even prepared for this one!  Thanks to Chase Jarvis, I just heard about the new release.  $200 for new, $100 for upgrade.  Many new features which I can’t wait to see.  I’ve used aperture for years, and considered switching to Lightroom 3 when it comes out.  That said… hearing some of the features and seeing them in action may break that deal.

More to come!

John