Macro

Macro is an extreme close-up.
I believe these links deserve a close-up 😉

• Challenges: You can still submit, vote and see results on Celine’s blog.
• Say it is so: Pixar is rumored to be working on Star Wars on Gizmodo!
• Say it ain’t so: I put yesterday a feed on PhotoStealers and am saddened to see that they have post everyday to report blatant theft and usually poor answers/explanations from the “alleged” thief.
• Pop-Photoshop: Guess that by now you have seen already this video clip where the singer is retouched “live”
• Are you smarter than a 5th grader?: This video answers the question “Can Video Games make you smart?”
• Hobbitown: Beautiful timelapse from the gorgeous New Zealand. Like the poet said, I believe I can fly!

 

By Sebastien Grobelny

Macro

Macro is an extreme close-up.
I believe these links deserve a close-up 😉

• Challenges: You can still submit for Best of 49 (11/25 – 12/01), Theme 49 : Curves Lines, Technique 25: Water from Faucet and Monthly Project 12: Winter on Photoblogchallenges. You can still vote until Sunday too!
• Got no winner for the contest day. I will close it on the 12/14 the latest.
• Ever wondered if we could see climate changes impacts? Have a look over at Gizmodo’s article
• Everybody heard about the Amazon drones…Have you heard about the next step? Rockets?
• Amazing idea and execution: exploding toy cars
• This is not a portrait of Morgan Freeman

By Sebastien Grobelny

Macro

Macro is an extreme close-up.
I believe these links deserve a close-up 😉

• Challenges: You can still submit for Best of 47 (11/11 – 11/17), Theme 47 : Rainy, Technique 24: Colorful Macro and Monthly Project 11: One Hour on Photoblogchallenges. You can still vote until Sunday too!
• Still no winner for the question in Buds in Monument Valley. Next will I will issue you a new challenge.
• Last week was mostly off for me: one day of work, beach and leisure with Celine and 2 photography seminars. On Wednesday  was Better Photographic Composition – Beyond the Rule of Thirds at B&H Event Space and on Thursday was Shoot like a pro with Scott Kelby at Javits Center
• Saw this on Gizmodo: You can browse some of the Smithsonian based on colors
• The new bike from Kawasaki is insane. Comfort mode looks ridiculous though
• Ad of the week : For FootLocker Tyson gives Evander his ear back!
• Fascinating article with robot and tigers! Curiosity…Kitty…
• If you follow me you know that I like birds. I’m delighted that Theme 46 was all about birds and you can still vote for your favorites until Sunday. Below is one of the recent bird pictures I discovered on 500px

  Crested tit by Neil Burton

By Sebastien Grobelny

Macro

Macro is an extreme close-up.
I believe these links deserve a close-up 😉

• Challenges: You can still submit for Best of 44 (10/21 – 10/27), Theme 44 : Subjects of Phobias, Technique 22: People in B&W and Monthly Project 10: Fall on Photoblogchallenges. You can still vote until Sunday too!
• If you like light painting, you should check out this video about “Pixelstick“. If you want to help it they have a kickstarter campaign.
• Speaking of light painting you should check at this.
• I apparently missed on some Lord of the Ring maintenance in the NYC subway
• WTF Animals?!
• Another beautiful time lapse under the stars.
• Courtesy of Celine and Gizmodo these creepy micro photos
• Beautiful wildlife photographies.
• Had a stressful week? Can stress kill you?
• The Simpsons in the Shire!
• Happy Halloween!

By Sebastien Grobelny

Long Exposure #5 : To edit or not edit?

As mentioned in “What is a photographer?” and again in “Fiat Lux“, a photograph is a succession of steps.
Once your camera caught the scene the next step is to deliver it to your public, but before you do that you need to answer the question that haunts a lot of photographers: Should I edit this picture or post it “as shot”?
For some people, to not edit their shot is a credo: the shot is over as soon as you push your shutter. For others the push of the shutter button is just one of the many steps towards their final picture. For me editing is a way to bridge the gap to my ideal shot.
Below is a before (left) / after (right) shot I edited recently using Adobe Lightroom 4. I played with the colors and tones a bit in order to get a picture more vivid. Don’t you think the right one looks better? (for a look at the final result just click)

Some photographer have more restrictions than others. If you’re a photojournalist you will not be allowed to amend details that alter the meaning of the picture. It means that cropping might be allowed, contrasts and tones amended but you won’t be allowed to remove or add anything from your picture. I suggest you have a look at this article on Gizmodo to see how pictures were edited in the past.
Recently, I went with Celine on another roadtrip and our starting point was Las Vegas. We have been there several times but never really thought of capturing the Welcome sign. Unfortunately for us we just remembered it on our way to the airport, during our final day. If I were to be a purist, I might end up with the shot below.

I didn’t like much all the cables or some of the buildings but it’s not as if I could just go an bulldoze the buildings or cut the cables down. The sky was also pretty uniform as the sun was high in the sky. With Lightroom and Photoshop I was able to get the result below, with more textures in the sky and a dreamy effect, closer to what I’d like my shot to be.

Editing is for me one more tool, a way to get more control on the final result but like a super power it must be used responsibly. One of my proudest edit is a very subtle one. People liked the shot below, but very few people know that it was one of my first edit (to see the original version just click the image).

If you want to see what edit can do for you I suggest you read Mike Campau guest post on Scott Kelby’s site.

By Sebastien Grobelny

Long Exposure #3 : Challenge accepted!

Celine built Photoblogchallenges from the ground up almost 3 years ago. She was already very passionate about photography and very involved in sites like Moody Mondays, Two for Tuesdays and posting/commenting daily on Aminus. Each challenge site had its specialty and its core of participants. The idea behind photoblogchallenges was to try to federate all the various sites into one and showcase the pictures to as much people as possible. It’s not because you don’t do macro photography that you can’t appreciate it and can’t vote for it.
After more than 440 challenges offered (about 3 per week), I’m really glad to be part of this adventure. It gave me the opportunity to see some amazing shots over the years and interact with great people. I’m always sad when I realize that some regular is not participating anymore but I’m overjoyed when I see someone new giving the challenges a try. There’s a lot of anticipation and questions. Will he have fun? How “good” will his pictures be? Will they be on topic? Will he come back? Will he participate to all the challenges or only some? These questions are important to me as Celine puts her heart, soul and countless hours in the site without expecting anything back. (donations or comments are encouraged)

Art is subjective and is about feelings and expression(s). What I look for in a challenge is to see how my pictures are received. I know what I wanted to achieve with my shot, but if it doesn’t translate to the viewer, I failed. When I participate in a challenge, winning is not the most important thing. I want to know where I’m at and how I stack against the competition. I’m still learning daily and I find that to challenge yourself is a way to move forward. I discovered Smoke Photography, Water droplet, macro (among others) through challenges and I do believe that I’m a better photographer and editor because of it.

I have the feeling that I’m ready to move from Single-A to AA and maybe one day I will join the Majors. For that I still need to work and learn a lot but I still have plenty of time.
Here are 2 galleries of contests with inspiring shots:
– PopPhoto August Best submissions
– Winners of the 2013 Red Bull Illume contest

Macro

Macro is an extreme close-up.
I believe these links deserve a close-up 😉

• Challenges: You can still submit for Best of, Theme, Technique and Monthly Project on Photoblogchallenges until Sunday 09/01. You can still vote until Sunday too!
• Inked : This is this weeks challenge at Gizmodo
• Sad : Gus the Central Park Bear is dead .
• “Snow cute” : I’m a ferocious kitty!
• Colorful : If you have not done it yet, give Orange is the New Black on Netflix a go.
• Zen : Meteors under Joshua Tree’s sky
• Love : Good memories with Celine at Le Bernardin

Endangered Species?

Last week, I read this article from Ashley Feinberg on Gizmodo : Those Adorable Animal Pics May Be Fake—and Cruel.
The article is based on an article by Jenn Wei at Peta Pixel.
It shed some light on some practices I wish I had never known about.
I always thought that a nature photographer was the paramount protector of the fauna he tries to catch. What would he do if the endangered species and their habitat were to disappear?
Unfortunately it appears that some amazing shots over the years are the result of pure and simple cheating without any form of respect for the animal or their surroundings. Using props and wires has no place in nature photography. To be a photographer is to be an observer, not an actor.
The issue with revelations like these is that it will cast a doubt on all the nature photographers. Who is going to believe you spent hours and hours studying and following your “prey” for that lucky shot when it could have been staged in minutes?
To finish on a lighter note, please enjoy this capture of a Felis Catus in her wild environment. Full disclosure : No catnip or chloroform were used to take that shot.