DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register
 
Jason Friesen

DrAchoo

Joined DPC: Jul 13, 2005
Awards
Landscape II
Stormy Seas at Dawn
Broken II
The Corrosive Touch of Time
Free Study XI
Follow the Leader
Bokeh II
Lady in Green
Seed
The Escape
Free Study XIII
Peering to Infinity
Purple II
Heliotrope Shoals
Rhythm III
The way is straight, and the path is wrought fair...
Extreme Emotion: Faceless
I'm in LOVE!
Rivers & Streams
Nature's song is heard in a rushing river
Portrait of a Camera
Wildlife as Canon Sees It
Sunset or Sunrise
Pacific Daybreak
Sound II
Blown Away
Bokeh VI
Dewdrop Damsel
Portrait From Behind
Waiting for the Magic
Emotion II
E X H I L A R A T I O N
Coffee Shop
Double Shot
Color Studio Portrait II
Blue Eyes...Green Nose
Clichés and Sayings
Like Water Under a Bridge
Spinning
The Thrill of Youth
Triptych II
Oh...to Soar!
Shapes III
The Downward Spiral
Something Old III
The Grist Mill
Scene It! II
They're heeere! (Poltergeist)
Panning
You are Now Free to Roam About the Country
Color Studio Portrait III
Let it Snow!
Wildlife IV
The Peregrine and the Field Mouse
Free Study 2010-05
Guarding a jeweled hoard
Structures At Night
...the night is more alive and richly colored than day...
Solar Eclipse 2017
Be Mercury! Set feathers to thy heels and fly like thought back to my love!
Superstitions & Urban Legends II
Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary!
Soft Focus II
Icon
Simple Pleasures
Hot Day...Big Brother...Cool Water
Rural Landscapes
...and he beheld a far green country under a swift sunrise.
Deja Vu III
"Summer" by Ursula
Macro VI
Nature, Red in Tooth and Claw
Color on Color II
Hidden Lady
Macro Without Bugs or Flowers II
What's up?
Crime Scene
Well...I didn't take it!
Puzzle Macro II
Se'raphim
HDR III
Contemplating the Infinite
Innocent Bystander
(Only in) O R E G O N
Flowers in Garden & Field
Camas Lily
Elvis Presley Song/Lyrics
"Way down like a tidal wave" (Way Down)
Interview Details
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Discussion: Click Here

Interview Listing
A DPChallenge Interview with Jason Friesen

by John Rummel (strangeghost)
Mar 31 2007

Background

In your profile you say that you've lived in NY (upstate) as well as Virginia and Pittsburgh before settling in Washington. Tell us a little about where you come from, what you do, and how you came to be where you are.

I was born in Calgary, Alberta and lived in Canada (mainly in eastern British Columbia a few hours from the mighty Ursula) until I was five. My parents moved to the Seattle area for work and it became the place where I grew up. It was the pursuit of medical school that took me away. I still remember getting the acceptance letter to Albany Medical College. I had been married for a year at that point and we were a little nervous. Coming from the west coast I naturally thought the entire state of New York was one big urban city full of danger. You can imagine my surprise when I drove the little U-haul over the western New York state line and was greeted only by cows and farm country. Our four years in Albany were pretty good. Regular snow was a new experience and I would be out there with my shovel enjoying every minute. Winter was the best six months of the year. During the summer Jenn and I traveled to lots of the neighboring cities and generally had fun exploring the Northeast. We enjoy baseball and tried to watch the Mariners in as many stadiums as we could get to. After school, my residency training in Pediatrics took me to Norfolk and Virginia Beach. For four years we lived exactly halfway between the beach and the hospital (20 minutes to each). My son, Caden, was born there and became a beach bum by the time he was one. Next I moved to Pittsburgh for two years for a fellowship in Allergy/Immunology. Pittsburgh is yet another city which doesn't carry a great impression with west coasters, however Jenn and I really enjoyed our time living in the North Hills. Finally I got my first real job in a small private practice in Vancouver, Washington. Vancouver is basically a suburb of Portland, Oregon, but is located on the other side of the Columbia river and so has a bit of its own feel.

Tell us about your family/friends.

My ancestry is interesting (at least to me). Both sides of my family have strong Mennonite roots. Who are the Mennonites? Well, they are a Christian denomination that began in the 16th century originating in the Netherlands and surrounding areas. To make a long story short they were persecuted for some of their beliefs and took an offer from Catherine the Great to receive free land in Russia if they could make it farmable. This they did with great skill until it became prized and the Bolsheviks took it from them. All four of my grandparents were born in Russia and emigrated to Canada when they were children during the Bolshevik revolution.

My immediate family is mainly sponsored by Microsoft with my father, brother, and sister working for the evil empire. My mother works in real estate. I married Jennifer in 1994 when she was 19 and I was 22. She now stays at home with our two children Caden and Laine but worked for years as an orthodontic assistant. Jenn is a little red headed pixie at five feet and a half inch (she's proud of that half-inch), but she's got an adventurous spirit and is happy to backpack around Europe or run a marathon with little previous running experience.

My friends are mainly strewn about the country from places I've lived. I tend to be the type that develops one or two close friendships at the cost of only knowing others on an acquaintance level.

What is your occupation?

All doctors eventually collect good stories...

As I mentioned above, I am an allergist/immunologist. Basically the big diseases I take care of are asthma, hay fever or other environmental allergies, food allergy, eczema and urticaria (hives). I knew I wanted to be a doctor really ever since I was 12. I have an uncle who is a radiologist and he took me to work when I visited him one year. I saw an x-ray of triplets (why triplets were being x-rayed, I'm not sure) and I was sold. I definitely have an analytical side from my father which fit with pursuing the sciences. I've also always loved biology and nature and this fit well with that too.

All doctors eventually collect good stories and my best would involve a little two year old boy I took care of in residency. (Gross story following...those who have weak constitutions, who are pregnant, or have high blood pressure should look away). This little guy had climbed up some drawers onto the kitchen counter where he found a chop stick. He fell off the counter and the chop stick pierced between his eye and nose (unharming his eye) and through his brain until it stopped at the back of his skull. Dad naturally freaked and immediately yanked it out (bad idea). It had missed an artery by millimeters (as evidenced on the CT scan) and so he did not bleed to death at the object's removal (dad brought the chopstick with him and, yes, it was bloodstained for about 8 inches of its length). The amazing thing was he eventually made a full recovery after an ICU stay and a fair amount of rehab. The brain is amazingly adaptive in childhood. That story stays with me to this day.

How long have you been involved in photography?

I remember my very first camera was a Kodak Instamatic which I received on my sixth birthday. I enjoyed taking pictures, but really it was never anything more than shots of friends or places I'd visited.


"Tempest"

Fast forward to undergrad when I bought a Canon EOS Rebel. This was probably the point where my love for photography was truly born. I had fun experimenting with shots beyond the typical snapshot. Most were complete garbage, but I didn't mind (or know any better). In 1991 I was sitting on the couch at my parent's house watching Star Trek: The Next Generation (geek alert) when a lightning storm struck. Lightning in Seattle is rare. You see a storm perhaps once a year and it's likely a bolt or two and then it's done. I had always wanted to try to take a picture of lighting so I grabbed the camera and headed out with a tripod. I didn't have a release for bulb (and I'm not even quite sure the EOS had a bulb setting) so I set the camera to 9 multiple exposures per frame and just snapped 30 second exposures on each. It was pretty dark outside the so the bolt would act as a flash capturing the shot. Out of the whole roll of film, only one picture turned out. It was the first picture I was truly proud of. You can see it here...

While in undergrad I took a photography class as an elective and formally learned some of the basics and how to use darkroom equipment. I have a few pictures I still like from this period, but none are earthshaking and they aren't scanned into the computer so I can't share them.

Photography was put on the back burner through medical school and residency. I had a small Canon Powershot S30, but it was mainly used to take pictures of my kids. At the end of fellowship I bought a Canon 300D and my love was reborn. The instant feedback the digital format gave you was invaluable in teaching me what worked and what didn't. The rest is history.

Have you participated in or won any photographic competitions outside of DPC?


"Peering into infinity"

I started entering photography competitions with an online monthly contest on a site called Photography Unlimited. It is now defunct, but they had a monthly free study in various genres (nature, portrait, etc). People would vote (much like DPC), but then a panel of judges would add their vote which weighted much more vote for vote than the public. There were no single winners, but a group of pictures were declared "best of the month." I gained the seeds of confidence by scoring a few "best of" shots. Ultimately, however, I started looking for something else as the canvas size was very small (roughly 490x490). That's when I stumbled upon DPC.

Outside the internet I have only entered a single contest which supports Portland Outdoor Education. This year I actually managed to come in second, with my "Peering to Infinity" shot.

What's your favorite movie?

Geez, how am I supposed to choose? OK, I'll list only a few. Two movies I can (and do) watch over and over are "Get Shorty" and "Office Space." Somehow they never get old. Favorite serious movies would probably include "American Beauty" and "Road to Perdition." Favorite movies outside the mainstream (I like a lot of independent stuff)..."Lagaan" (a four hour Indian movie about cricket. But, believe me, you'll be off your seat by the end!), "Touching the Void" (a too-amazing-to-believe true story) and "Run Lola Run" (German film with a great music groove).

What kind of music do you listen to?

I'm afraid it would probably qualify as "old people music." However, I hope that I can gain at least a modicum of hipness by saying that I am a huge Dandy Warhols fan. I discovered them just before I moved and, lo and behold, they are from Portland, OR. They are masters of the eight minute I-need-to-be-on-extasy rock grooves. Otherwise I was a child of the 80s and can still "get my synth on" with a bit of regularity. Favorite all time group/singer would probably be Sting.

What is your favorite food?

Cheese. It's my one food vice. I eat pretty healthy otherwise, but man, I can dig into a block of cheese like nobody's business. Currently I have a taste for Havarti on sandwiches and Double Gloucester with crackers.

Do you have a main source of caffeine? If so, is it Tea, Coffee. Chocolate or Other?

Mountain Dew at work. Sweet tea at home. Jenn is a Georgia peach so she introduced me to sweet tea. I never looked back. Of course I live in the land of Starbucks so I'm not averse to a double tall skinny half-sweet vanilla latte.

Do you have your own web site, if so can I list it here?

I had a blog going for a while, but to tell you the truth, it lies in disrepair and isn't worth mentioning. For some reason, in the infancy of Microsoft's Spaces days, it was selected as the first "Space of the Week." My dad swears he didn't pass my name on. I went from 100 hits a week to 100,000. It was my 15 minutes of fame I guess, but I'm back to accidental hits with people looking for other sites. (Apparently Jason Friesen is a stock car driver...)

Indulge us in a bit of "polarizing" personality typing:
Coke or pepsi?

Was Coke. Now Pepsi. And, yes, I can tell the difference.

Mac or Windows?

Didn't I mention my father, brother, and sister work for Microsoft?

Early bird or night owl?

Ummmm, maybe night owl. If I get excited about a photo shoot though I can drag my bones out of bed at 4:00AM to get to the site by dawn. It's not fun though. When I first met Jenn I was rowing on a crew team in undergrad. At breakfast I would seem so awake and alive (having been up two hours already and everybody else just shaking out the cobwebs). She swore I was a morning person, but it was all a lie.

Big crowds or small groups?

Small groups. Definitely small groups.

Perfectionist or slob?

Ummm, compared to my wife I'm a total slob. But compared to the general populace, I'm probably in the middle. Jenn is a neat freak, although I've worn her down over time. She no longer moves the fridge when she vacuums.

Cash or credit?

Does anybody actually walk around with cash any more? It seems so stone age.

Boxers or briefs?

Boxers baby. Unless Judi is making me put on a dress as punishment for losing to her in a challenge. Then it's nothing but a thin layer of spandex/lycra.

Did you recently switch to boxers? Is this how you got rid of your briefs?

LOL! I need to get rid of that picture. It's not lit very well.

Hardware

You spoke above about your history of camera ownership. Bring us up to date, why the 5D? How happy with it are you?

I love it. It was a huge step up from the 300D in two major ways: megapixels and noise. I am starting to submit pictures to a local gallery and both are huge factors. The owner wants the ability to enlarge to roughly 30x40 and I am competing primarily with scanned medium format negatives. Regardless of the digital vs. film debate, looking at a 30x40 print from a medium format negative is daunting. Therefore, I crave megapixels. The more, the better. Noise is also a limiting factor since programs such as Neat Image can introduce artifacts which show up at such a large size. On the 300D I didn't ever want to shoot above ISO 400 due to the terrible noise. On the 5D I still like to shoot as low as possible, but can still use properly exposed shots even at 1600 ISO.

Tell us a little about your lens collection: favorites, most and least often used, etc.

I am definitely a "the fewer the better" kind of guy. I have 3 lenses: the 50mm f/1.8 (don't use it a ton), the 24-105 f/4L (I use this about 90% of the time) and a newly purchased 180mm f/3.5L Macro. The 24-105L is a great, great walkaround lens, especially on the full frame sensor (on my 300D it lacked a bit on the wide end). It is quite sharp (although certainly not the sharpest of L-lenses) and it doesn't have too many issues (some vignette and barrel distortion at the 24mm end, but really nothing extreme). I am a total elitist when it comes to lenses and will not consider a lens unless it is L-glass. I previously owned a consumer grade 80-200mm lens and quickly just stopped using it because it was just so soft at the extremes. Lenses last so long you may as well pay the money up front. I have also owned the 17-40mm f/4L which I sold to Peecee to fund my 24-105mm lens. That lens was a great one too, but didn't quite have enough on the long end to make for an all-purpose walkaround. Being a landscape type of guy, I don't necessarily need to have f/2.8 lenses. Frankly, since I've never owned one, I don't know what I'm missing. All I need now is a telephoto zoom and I will consider my lens collection to be complete for years to come.

What size memory cards do you have?

I have 3 cheap 2GB cards.

Do you shoot in JPG or RAW mode?

I shoot 100% RAW and the 5D can really burn through the space. I think you can get about 110-120 shots on a 2GB card. I switched from JPG to RAW while at DPC and have never looked back. In fact, I consider a few of my first ribbon shots to be "lost" since I only shot them in JPG. They are useless for gallery work.

Have you ever lost any images on memory cards?

Not yet (knocks on wood). My more common problem is showing up at the scene without a card in my camera. My kids know well enough to ask me "do you have your card?" before we leave for somewhere. I can be pretty scatterbrained sometimes.

Do you have a home studio set up?

Nope. Anything you see that looks like a studio shot is totally cobbled together. I have two of those halogen work lights which I hang on homemade PVC pipe stands. I don't really like the light they give though and will always go with a flash bounced off the ceiling if I can. I use large foamcore sheets for reflectors and a window for natural light. We don't have any furniture in our dining room so I've sorta taken it over with camera junk. I use sheets for backdrops if I need to.

Software

Do you use any software for organizing your digital pictures?

Not really. I organize my photos into large folders by genre (challenges, macro, landscape, family, etc.) and then organize within by shoot (with labels like "2007-03 Spinning"). It seems to work fairly well. I try to delete chaff as it comes in, but am not as good as I should be about that. I tend to search through folders using the Zoom Browser that came with the 5D.

Do you use Photoshop or an alternative? If so what version?

I upgraded to Photoshop CS2 in the last 6 months from Photoshop 7.0.

What Photoshop skills do you consider to be essential to digital photography?

It is probably essential to understand each adjustment layer and what it can do for you and to understand both Gaussian Blur and Unsharp Mask. If you really know those things (how and why they do what they do) you are probably 80% of the way to being a post-processing expert. Personally, I lack essential understanding in using Curves. I have always been a Levels man and still do not understand what I am doing on the Curves adjustment layer. I've read through graphicfunk's thread on it and it still doesn't make enough sense to me to switch.

Out of your own entries on DPC, what photo had the most digital editing?


"Return to Multnomah"

"Alternate Reality"

"Return to Multnomah" probably qualifies. I was going for a surreal look (at the time the term "hyperreality" was in vogue), but stumbled upon this effect accidentally when I copied in a Neat Image layer. The layer, a flattened version of the picture so far, pasted below all the adjustment layers and, in effect, doubled their strength (since the adjustment layers had already had effect on the flattened file). I really dug it and kept the layer right there.

"Alternate Reality" is another that looks quite processed due to it being in the Negative Image challenge. I also came across this effect by accident. I was trying to make blacks whites again (to make the negative image look more realistic) by goofing with curves (see, I don't know what I'm doing) and happened across the awesome red sky. I immediately decided to go with it. The shot still reminds me of something out of Tron.

Do you use any other software in relation to digital photos? If so, what?

I convert my RAW images with Adobe Bridge. I use Neat Image for Noise Reduction. I try to use Photomatix for tone mapping but am far from an expert at it yet. I had been using up a trial version of Genuine Fractals, but have recently decided that CS2's own Bicubic is just as good for the sizes I'm dealing with.

On the whole, do you prefer a minimalist approach to post editing, a no rules approach, or somewhere in between?

Sometimes I feel like the court jester hiding behind color and trickery...

No, I'm far from minimal. My style tends to involve bold colors. A quick look at my ten highest scoring images will show at least half of them owe their score, in no small part, to the use of color. Editing can do wonders with color. However, you do have to know when enough is enough. If pushed, you can quickly create a Frankenstein of pixelation and saturation. I would say my preference is somewhere in the middle, but probably on the "edited" side of the spectrum. On the other hand, some of the DPC members I admire the most are on the opposite end of the spectrum. I would distinctly put e301 in this category. Not only does he deal almost exclusively in B&W, he also shoots a lot of candid/photojournalism which is easily the weakest area of my own portfolio. I'm sure a large part of my admiration is due to my own lack of ability in these areas. Sometimes I feel like the court jester hiding behind color and trickery while Ed demonstrates true skill in the craft.


Photography

I'd like to ask you about a few of your DPC challenge entries. You're one of those photograhers who refuses to adopt a particular style or niche. Your shots span a wide range of genres. "Canada creates frozen clone army" is creepy and funny at the same time. "Solitude's dawn" is a hauntingly beautiful landscape while"The abduction" shows studio set-up sophistication. You've also wowed voters with kick-ass macros and shots that portray peaceful Americana. Tell us a little about these photos and some of the thought and prep that goes into a challenge shoot for you.

At first I was a bit concerned that I hadn't developed a niche, but now I'm happy about it. I do think I am primarily an outdoor photographer, but I like to be a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. It keeps things fresh. I enjoy macro photography (more now that I'm just getting used to my new lens) and I like the control provided by a set-up studio shot. For portraits, my style is pretty simplistic since I have little experience or professional lighting. I basically employ the "blind squirrel" technique and just keep shooting until I get something good. As mentioned before, candid and photojournalism are my weakest genres.


"Canada creates frozen clone army...plans to take over the world!"

Some shots come to me after a great deal of planning and thinking, Stormy Season at Dawn is one along with The Sea.... Other shots come in a bolt of inspiration. "Canada creates frozen clone army..." is one of those. It was only my 10th challenge and my first speed challenge. The first thing I thought of for "Conspiracy" (the topic) was X-files. I think the movie had a lot to do with ice and I wondered if I could possibly get an effect of someone frozen. Not even knowing if it was going to work or not (and having the pressure of a 24-hour challenge) I threw a bucket of water in the freezer and hoped it would freeze both clear enough and quick enough. Luckily it did, although it expanded and broke the bucket. I then gingerly removed the block from the bucket hoping not to break it. It was quite opaque at 8-12" thick so I decided I had to carve a hole into the ice for a face to fit. I hoped the thinner ice would be clearer. I did that with a screwdriver and a hair dryer. The whole thing worked out better than I thought. My sister was over and we started shooting test shots. Quickly we discovered that it really hurt to keep your head in the block for more than five or ten seconds. Caden, my six-year-old, was watching and asked if he could have a crack at it. We took a few shots and I instantly knew that a frozen kid was freakier than a frozen adult. His look was so perfect with the total "dead" eyes and the warping of his features by the ice was icing on the cake. All that was left was processing (the blue being a big part) and actually thinking of a title so as it fit the challenge. This was tricky because to me the shot really did say "conspiracy" (in an X-files "the government has secrets" sort of way), but how was I going to convey that? I decided to go with the newspaper headline title even though at that time I was quite scared of long titles (no longer true). So, in the end, like many of my shots, the final product was part inspiration, part planning, and part unseen adaptation..


"Solitude's Dawn"

This shot was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time with the right gear. I had planned a backpacking expedition with a friend on the Olympic Peninsula coast. I knew there was no question about taking my gear, so I added the extra 10 pounds to my backpack (primarily my sturdy tripod) and off we went. We hiked into our first campsite in the dark. I really wish I could have taken some pictures that night as the stars were peeking between clouds (it was generally raining) and there were just so many of them. You forget how many stars there really are when you live in the city. But, alas, no time for shooting because we had to find the highest possible spot on the beach to set up our tent. We got a little lucky because the tide came within a dozen feet of the tent (it got our campfire). The next morning I got up at sunrise to shoot some seascapes. Dawn on the Pacific is such an awesome time to shoot. You can still get a colorful sky, but you also get detail in the shot because the sun is behind you. Anyway, I had finished some shooting and had stopped for some breakfast when my friend said, "look at that." We saw this little deer skipping down the beach. I remember my heart jumping into my throat. I knew there was a wildlife challenge going on, but I wasn't sure I was actually going to see any wildlife. I had the camera set on an ISO of 100 because I wanted long exposures for the water. It was all I could do to hit the right buttons and crank it to ISO 1600 hoping that it would be fast enough to avoid motion blur. I only had the 24-105mm lens so I knew I wasn't going to get close. I decided I'd keep the clouds and beach in the shot. (I remember thinking, "there's no friggin way people are going to mistake my shot for one done in a zoo, but hopefully they will actually be able to see the deer). I then held the camera to my eye and walked toward the deer, shooting every other step. This way I knew I'd get a shot as close as possible before he decided to bolt. Well, it didn't take long, only about 4-5 exposures, and he quickly high tailed it inland. But, I got the shot. Luckily everything was within exposure (even the sky, thank goodness). You don't really have time to plan that stuff..


"The Abduction"

"The Abduction" was another shot inspired by X-files (apparently I was a big fan). My goal in the shot was to get enough light trails so as to have people wonder how it was done (thus providing "wow"). If it looked like it was done all with one light, that would be impressive. I hoped people would fall for that. I did some test shooting with Christmas tree lights knowing I could get a cone shape if I hung them from the ceiling and then swung them around like a big jump-rope. I goofed with colored lights, in focus, out of focus, tight cone, etc. and finally decided on what you see. On these tricky shots, I try to get all the kinks out of the shot before I start shooting because I don't want to make Jenn stand there while I look like an idiot because things aren't working (she wouldn't put up with that too long). I moved the whole operation outside because I wanted to have a black background and the night worked better than a black sheet. The cone also could be bigger since I wasn't limited by a ceiling. I stapled one end of the lights to the end of a 2x4 and cantilevered it off the end of my deck. I also duct taped one of my halogen work lights to the end and hooked it up with an extension cord. Then it was only a matter of the logistics of the double exposure. Jenn stood on a chair looking like the aliens were coming to get her while I opened the shutter. I plugged the light in (there's no on/off switch) for about a second and then unplugged it. I put the lenscap back on the lens while Jenn got down and I moved the chair out of the way. We then put the lights in place while I lay on the ground and started swinging them. While they were spinning around Jenn removed the lenscap for 2-4 rotations and then put it back on. I sat up and hit the wireless remote which closed the shutter. According to the entry, the whole process took about 70 seconds although it was only "exposed" for about 3-4 of them. Double exposure on a digital camera is a pain in the butt. I think we only had patience for about five tries. One funny tidbit is that I had started to become keenly aware of how anal people could be about the description challenge. I really sweat it out that the floodlight which lit Jenn might be interpreted as both stationary and the main source (the description reads: "Use a non-stationary light source (for example, a moving flashlight in your hand) as the primary method of illuminating your subject in a creative manner."). I guess sometimes you get away with it..


"The Paratroopers"

"The Paratroopers" was a shot I imagined and then simply had to capture what was in my mind's eye. I had gotten a hold of a 100mm f/2.8 Macro for a few days and wanted to try it out. It was originally shot for the "Seed" challenge, but wound up being an outtake. My love of nature includes details we don't usually see or pay attention to. The little brown seeds, how they are seated individually on the dandelion, are just so intricate and fascinating. It isn't a particularly original shot, but was rather just a matter of slowly pulling off the right amount of seeds to make the shot "work." The large amount of megapixels on the 5D allowed me to crop fairly severely and to make the seeds quite large. set up pic here.


"Vintage Deere"
"Vintage Deere" was interesting in that I didn't know if I was going to enter it in "Something Old" or "Something New." I think the picture works because of the contrasting juxtapositions. The tractor looks old (although I'm not sure how old it really is) compared to the new growth of the tulips. The sky looks moody compared to the bright happiness the flowers imply. It was taken at a small tulip farm south of Portland on a blustery Monday. Nobody was there except for photographers. I'm hoping to go back in the next few weeks and capture it again on the 5D as it is one of my more popular shots outside the DPC world.
 

We've talked about equipment and processing and photos that you like; what do you consider to be the central, crucial aspects of photography?


"Death & Love"

Photography has been and always will be the capture of light. It doesn't matter what kind of equipment or processing you do, your goal is to capture light in a dynamic and interesting way. (Of course equipment and processing can help get you there more easily.) The most interesting scene, if lit poorly, will never rise above a mediocre shot. Flat light is almost always the death knell of a photograph. Color cast is a close runner up. I've seen so many pictures ruined by their lighting. Sometimes we have control (use or misuse of a flash) and sometimes we don't (landscape), but it will still make or break a picture.

It's interesting to me that I mention a technical aspect of photography as the central aspect. Perhaps this is my analytical side coming through. I do think good photography also needs a "soul." That is, it needs purpose, direction and emotion. I think of a photo called "Death & Love" by dewed. The shot obviously has some technical issues, but conveys such a powerful emotion it doesn't matter. This photo has "soul."

Are there any photographic styles/techniques that you don't like?


"Morning Rain"

In the DPC world I don't particularly like shots that use either printed pictures or computer screens in the shot (as a background). It sorta feels like cheating to me (although it isn't). It's just a preference. In the real world I actually appreciate most forms of photography on some level. Abstract photography, however, has to really be done well and purposefully to appeal to me. Too often it looks like people were just screwing around and think it's art because it's "different." "Morning Rain" by gloda would be an example however, of an abstract shot which I really enjoy.

Who among DPCers have you found inspiring and worthy of copying -- or at least drawing inspiration?

I could name a few dozen individuals, but I'd still be leaving people out. To my sensibilities, the two most impressive photographers that I have seen on DPC are librodo and kiwiness. I believe that in 20 years Manny is the most likely of DPCers to have become a household name. That is not to say he is the best at everything and that others don't surpass him in certain areas, but his vision is so evident in his work that I can't help but be impressed. Gary (Kiwiness) is impressive to me because of the creativity evident in his studio work. We have similar sensibilities in that he likes color and isn't scared of heavy post-processing. I already mentioned Ed (e301). All three are experts in genres I am not good at myself. In landscape photography I think both Terje and Larus have pictures I've studied in order to try to emulate them. I love long exposure and both these guys use long exposure to great effect (Larus with night shots and Terje with blurred wave action). I looked through my challenge entries and found that of my 119 entries, 26 relied on a long exposure (longer than a second) for their effect while only 5 relied on a short exposure (say, 1/500th or less) for their effect.

Pick a few photos from these guys and give them a little critique. What about their shots makes you stop and stare?


"Stories of Her Life"

What do I need to say? Rosalinda has almost become iconic for Manny. He's ribboned twice with her (although this is the best one). Technically, the lighting and B&W conversion are just inspiring. To know this was done outside a studio also adds to the impressiveness. Artistically, she is such an interesting character. The cataract and the rings provide wonderful touches. Manny knows how to bring the best out of his subjects. We see their essence, not what they have been "made" by the photographer.


"japanwindow"

This is one of my favorites of Manny's more traditional shots. The familiar scarves have been turned into a window which frames the subject within the canvas of the shot. I think what I like is her skin looks so creamy smooth while still being very lifelike (ie. not overprocessed). The bold colors of the shot also speak to me. Manny is very good at simplistic environmental portraiture.


""Death of an Angel" by Carol Anne O'Marie"

I like this studio shot for its dramatic lighting and the fantasy feeling of the scene. Having the angel's wings upside down is such an interesting touch. Was it purposeful? Was it accident? It makes you think and ponder. Gary's creativeness shines through in coming up with such a thing. It seems obvious after looking at it, but you have to remember at one time this was just an idea in someone's mind. It's the translation of idea into finished photograph which is difficult.


"Cosmic Dreams"

This is a shot which obviously strays into the realm of digital art, but it shows Gary's mastery of Photoshop as well as being able to meld art with photograph flawlessly. He's been getting more into a fantasy/semi-erotic style and I think this is an excellent example of his work. I'd love to be able to create something like this and see it taken from studio shot to final product.


"Contemplation"
I love this shot because it looks both composed and candid. I'm not even sure if it is a set up or not (and I'm assuming it isn't). The three subjects are well placed and the split of light from top to bottom is sublime. A good candid/PJ photographer will know how to be in the right place at the right time to capture such a shot without directing the pieces. Ed works a ton in B&W, but since I like color a lot I had to pick one of his few in color. Still, the colors, here, are subtle and merely flavor the shot rather than dominate it (which tends to happen in my work).

"It's Written in the Stars"
I mentioned that light is the ultimate in photography. This landscape has such complexity of lighting as to make it unique. We have stars, aurora, small farm and distant city all providing their own little story of light in the shot. It had the potential to become a train wreck of competing subjects, but somehow meshes like notes in a song. (I think it's the aurora which pulls things together). Larus does well to first have the conviction to go out and shoot in less than comfy environments and then to come through with something like this.

 

I realize this is probably asking the impossible, but name your top 5 favorite DPC images (shot by others, that is) and why they speak to you.

Ha, that's a tough one. OK, let me try. I'll try to pick some in different genres.


"Natural Cathedral"

I love this picture for its surrealism. I've had my eye on trying to duplicate this shot for a year now (but haven't found the time to take the two hour one-way drive in the right season). The yellows are so great. It makes me think of Lothlorien, the Golden Wood, from Tolkien.


"The Kindergarten Teacher"

This picture quintessentially captured the challenge it was taken for (Environmental Portrait). The lighting is excellent and the greens are wonderful, but the frenetic blurred movement of the children compared to the still, composed teacher just makes it for me. If I could take one picture that didn't ribbon (it came in 5th) and somehow force a ribbon upon it, I think this would be my pick.


"Walking with Grandpa"

This is one of my favorite candids on the site. I absolutely love the look of paternal care expressed in grandpa's quiet warning and outstretched hand as well as the youthful joy shown over something as simple as a big hat and a sack lunch. The B&W conversion is masterfully done.


"Eye Contact"

I think this is another picture which so perfectly met the challenge. To know it was not set up just makes it that much better. The centered subject just immediately commands your attention and even though he is in a crowd of people, he is truly singled out.


"High Tide"
This is the kind of long exposure I just love where the wave action turns into a fog. Not only that, but Tim was able to capture some wonderful colors in the shot as well. I would love to get a shot like this myself.

Some critics still don't think photography is a form of art. What is your response to this?

It's a ridiculous argument. Not all photography is art; not all painting is art either. Just because anybody can pick up a camera and take a picture does not denigrate the entire field. I can pick up a paintbrush and palette to poor effect (I'm sure). Does that mean painting is too "accessible" or "common" to count as art? My only concession would be that because so many more people have cameras (compared to paint and easel) there are likely more bad artists in the field of photography than in the field of painting.

What are the 5 favorite shots that you have taken, and why?


"Mother's Grief...Mother's Joy"

I really enjoyed reaching outside my comfort zone and learning to use image grain. It really gave me an enjoyment of the effect. It is also a picture of my daughter (so naturally I'm partial) and seemed to evoke a strong emotional response. I think in the 30 or so pictures of the shoot, this was the very first one.


"Lady in Green"

One of the very few pictures I can look at and say, "I wouldn't change a thing." It also required almost zero processing. The colors were so vibrant they needed hardly any help.


"Golden Age of Cinema"

This was an outtake for one of the Perspective challenges. I just love the way Caden is up on tip-toe to see through the window. I liked it so much I redid it for the next Perspective challenge (although I let Laine in the shot).


"Stormy Seas at Dawn"

My very first blue ribbon (even though it came two months after the challenge). I shot this early one morning in Ecola State Park where I was the only human around. I feel a communion with God in moments like that and feel blessed I have the ability to capture a slice of what I experienced.


"Peering into Infinity"
The best thing about this shot is that I really didn't want to pull my gear back out (I was walking back to the car after four hours of shooting), but was really rewarded for doing so. It was also my first weekend trip with my 5D.

 

What is your most under-rated entry?


"Purity of Gaze"

Purity of Gaze. Of course I'm a bit biased because this is my wife, but a 5.4? Come on! I know DPC isn't thrilled about high-key, but I think this is a well done attempt. I love the B&W conversion. I love Jenn's gaze. I was pretty bummed about the score.

Do you have any photographic projects outside of DPC?

I'm doing more and more landscape shooting for the gallery instead of shooting just for DPC. I have a map of Oregon up at work with little pushpins marking places I want to go and shoot (all within about 5 hours one way). Right now there are probably 6-8 pins waiting for me to get to. Since I'm a family man, I don't really have the time or desire to leave everybody for days in order to shoot somewhere. Instead, I limit myself to places I can get to and from in one day (or at most overnight). I don't mind doing a ton of driving in that day, but it has to be reachable. I probably do a 4-hour driving round trip once or twice a month.


DPC

If you could change one thing about DPChallenge, what would it be?

I think I'd magically loosen up the DNMC police by one notch. Yes, it is very important that challenge topics mean something and that we don't turn every challenge into a free study with creative titles. However, it seems that lately the interpretation of challenges has been so tight we are running the risk of too much homogeny. I don't want a challenge to be 150 versions of the most obvious application of "Ice". I would like to see the occasional "Icy Stare" or diamonds (Ice) do well.

What is your earliest recollection of perusing the site as a visitor? What made you decide to join?

My earliest recollection was finding the site after searching for photography challenges to enter. I found it in July of 2005 and immediately started participating in challenges. My first entry was nothing but a hunk of grapefruit on a black background. I have no idea how it scored a 5.9. Likely people were so taken aback at such a weirdly original shot they were tricked into voting 6. The weekly challenges immediately excited me. I really enjoy being forced to shoot something you probably wouldn't normally shoot just in the course of a week. It spawns creativity. The community is as good as I've found on the net. Yes, whenever you have a large group of people you have bickering, but relatively speaking, our big problems are nothing to the chaos found on other forums.

If you could offer some advice to somebody who is new to DPC and submitting to DPC challenges, what would it be?

It depends what your goals are. If you are "playing the game", that is, if you want to win a challenge, you need to vote on a lot of pictures and study the pictures that win. You will learn what does well and what doesn't. Someone else made the recommendation that you envision that you have been hired by a magazine whose name is the same name as the challenge. Your goal is to shoot the cover of their next issue. I think that's great advice.

In one way "playing the game" is sorta silly because DPC is only a small part of a much larger world. On the other hand, you won't learn bad things from doing this. If you are new in your photography skills I think you will pick up invaluable lessons. Sharpness, focus, rule of thirds, controlling your background. All are lessons that can be learned from studying the Top 10 each and every week.

Since challenge entries are pretty much a part of your "permanent record," in retrospect, are there any pictures you wish you hadn't submitted to a challenge?


"Branching Thistle"

Luckily I have avoided the super-stinker. I think my least favorite entry is "Branching Thistle" for the "Branch" Challenge. I took it at the last moment and it really shows no creativity whatsoever. I mean even the title has the challenge name in it. That's always a bad sign. The color cast was not on purpose (although I left it in) and is pretty ghastly. I think if I could do it over, I'd leave that one out for sure.

How do you decide which challenges you are going to enter and which ones you'll skip?

Up until recently I entered pretty well everything I could. Only in the last three months have I been more selective. I'm not sure that's a good thing. As I mentioned before, sometimes it's good to be forced to shoot something you wouldn't ordinarily shoot. That's the real "challenge". It wouldn't be very stretching if I just entered challenges where a landscape or waterfall fits.

Do you ever seek assistance outside of the DPC community in trying to determine which of your photos you should submit?

Oh yeah. Constantly. I have a number of nurses at my disposal whom I foist my work on. Jenn also helps me pick out shots. She has a great eye and I should pretty well just always listen to her. Caden will offer his choice too and sometimes it's quite insightful to hear what a six-year-old says. His opinion may be a good way to know what "the masses" will think. He's brutal too. I've often had him come up to a picture and just say, "I'd give that a 3."

What other DPCers have you met? Any you get together with on a regular basis?

I've met many of the locals in the Northwest. I'd hate to try to mention everybody because I'm sure I'll miss some people. Outside the Northwest I had the luck to meet Steve Davidson a few weeks after his wandering around the Superstitions. We stayed at charliebaker's house (zoomdak's father) and had a wonderful evening with them and Bear_Music who was visiting the Northwest for a wedding. (Robert made some great food.) Next week I'm going down to Phoenix and am planning on meeting up with a number of Arizonans as well. Somehow I need to get someone to buy me a ticket to Iceland. I haven't, however, met up with someone on a regular basis to shoot. To me, photography is mainly a solo project. When I am really shooting, I get so engrossed in what I am doing that I lose all sense of time and am only aware of what is seen through the lens of my camera. I don't even like to seriously shoot when I am somewhere with my family because they will be neglected.

If you could personally ask Drew & Langdon for one new site feature or enhancement, what would it be?

I would absolutely love to see a "next picture" button on challenge results. I love to look through the top finishers and it's always cumbersome to go back and forth between the results thumbs and the actual pictures. Tab browsing has helped some, but I'd still like to just have a "next". I think it would also increase the visibility of pictures that don't finish in the Top 3 or Top 10. People are much more likely to visit, say, the Top 30 or so if we had that feature.

Final Question

Why photography?

I honestly feel that photography chose me and not the other way around. I honestly feel that photography chose me and not the other way around. Rather I should say photography was chosen for me. I have done very little formally to learn how to take pictures. Because of that I have to conclude that God blessed me with a natural eye for such things. On one hand that makes me very proud to have been chosen to reflect His world within this modality of art. On the other hand it is very humbling as I have done nothing to deserve it. In other words, I am the tool; God is the true artist.

Photography has become a medium in which we can very accurately reproduce the natural world around us. In addition we are also in an exciting age where photography has the potential to allow for much more artistic expression through post-processing. I'm not sure many other artforms are so flexible. Photography is also the classic example of something that takes "a day to learn; a lifetime to master". That appeals to me and I feel I'll be shooting pictures for the rest of my life.

Thanks for sitting down with me Jason. Very insightful and interesting interview!

It's been a great two years on DPC. Here's to the next two.



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