Looking at the Past

I did it again.

I went back through my archives and found value in photos that I never thought anyone would look at again.

Here's a good example.

It's a photograph that didn't work in color.  But a quick conversion to B&W, a little playing with the light, and a slight sepia tone made all the difference.

This is one of  my rules:  Don't throw away photos that you don't think you will ever use -- not even the one's that are out-of-focus or really bad.  You may indeed find they have value in the future.

Take a look at my website:  tombellart.com.

Getting the Shot with the Right Lens

Nikon’s AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED is about the only lens I use anymore. There’s a good reason. If I’m walking through the market in Chichicastenango or Almolonga with a standard zoom, maybe an 18-70mm, and I need to switch lenses for a super close-up, I’ve probably already missed the shot.

The photographs I shoot are fleeting. A versatile lens gives me the ability to instantly decide if I want a close-up portrait with a narrow depth of field, or a wide shot showing activities in the background. Within a second, I can adjust the focal length and be shooting. If I want various focal lengths of the same scene, it's done in a snap.

If I knew in advance that I was only looking to shoot portraits, then it’s fine to use a long, fast lens. However, I have to give up anything that I see that doesn’t fit the capability of the lens.

By the way, the VR (vibration reduction) really does make the versatility of the lens shine through. There are other similar lenses out there. If it fits your shooting style, it might be worth a look.

Take a look at my website:  tombellart.com.

Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by Nikon.

The Generosity of Photgraphers

The photographers I know are generous people. They have an appreciation for people and culture and things of beauty. It's part of what makes them photographers.

That's why it's time for photographers everywhere to show their generosity.

Ten dollars, fifty or one hundred dollars, whatever you can afford will make a real difference in the relief effort for Haiti. I've written my check. I'll be writing more in the upcoming months. I hope you will do the same. Please do it now instead of putting it off util later.

To make it easier, I've listed some of the relief agencies below:

The Red Cross.

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

Here an article on Fox News about other places to send aid.

Photographs Are a Slice of Life

I shoot lots of photos. With each one, I try to tell a story.

The story is not always a long, detailed narrative. Usually, it’s a slice of life vignette. You see the photo, and in your mind you decide what it means. Mostly I shoot people portraits – the indigenous people of the Guatemalan highlands. Each photograph must convey a message. A caption under the photo may give you a broad understanding, but the frozen image must give you a deeper meaning. Hopefully, its made some sort of emotional impact.

Flower Woman in Chichicastenango, Guatemala

Tell a story with each photograph you shoot. Is it a slice of life? Does it make you want to know more? If so, you’re probably doing something right.

Woman in the Market, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

Take a look at my website:  www.tombellart.com.

Say "Merry Christmas!" with Photoshop Filters

There's a lot you can do in Photoshop.  Rendered light and other filters can give texture and depth.  Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Beanie Santa, A photo painting I did entirely in Photoshop in 2002. 

Click on the picture for a larger view.

Take a look at my website:  tombellart.com.

Rediscovering Black & White in “The Land Where Color was Born”!

My wife used to have a promotional slide show for her native country of Guatemala. It was called “Guatemala: The Land Where Color was Born.” Every slide was a saturated work of art.

In the twenty or so years I’ve been shooting photographs in Guatemala, also known as the “land of eternal spring,” I’ve had little incentive to work in b&w. I would say that Guatemala is arguably the most colorful country in the world, from the brightly painted churches and buildings to the traditional Indian costumes in the markets. Why then shoot in black and white when everything around you is a rainbow of color?

It took me a while to find out, but now half my work is black and white.

Sometimes when you see a picture, the colors are the story. Other times it’s what’s behind the colors that is the story.

Calla Lily, B&W, Antigua, Guatemala

Original Photograph

I shoot every photograph in color, then convert to b&w.  The calla lily remained in a folder for years because I never saw its potential in color.  It's only when I started thinking in B&W that I was able to give it character to stand as an exhibition quality photograph.

Textile Merchant, B&W, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

Original Photograph

 

The Textile Merchant could have worked in either black and white or color.  I preferred it in b&w.

 

I work with the photograph to make  the tonal range pleasing, to minimize the distractions -- but after all the work, it's about fine art that tells a story.  If you haven't already tried black and white, give it a try.  You might discover a new world.

Take a look at my website:  tombellart.com.

What if the Afghan Girl Had Said "No"?

What if the Afghan girl had said "no"?

If she had said "no," the famed photo by Steve McCurry that appeared on the June 1985 cover of National Geographic would have been replaced by some other photograph, probably not as intriguing, probably not to be remembered.

Obviously,  the girl was looking straight into the lens.  By doing so, she became the subject of what is arguably the most famous photograph of modern times.

About 99 percent of the photographs I shoot are the people and places of Guatemala in Central America, a world away from Afghanistan, just as exotic, yet different in almost every way.

A Lady of Chichicastenango,Guatemala

The comments I receive from those viewing my photographs are often:  "How did you get her to act so natural?" or "He seems so at-ease."

Most of those I photograph never see me, nor at least never know I'm there.  I always take photos in the public spaces and draw as little attention to myself as possible.  For those who put their hand over their face to indicate they don't want to be photographed, I politely wave and turn away to respect their privacy.

Lady With a Bundle, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

The truth is, however, that candid photography cannot take place with the knowledge of the subject.  This is not to say that you can't take excellent photographs while the subject is looking into the camera.  The image of the Afghan girl is the perfect example of a knowledgable, probably curious subject.  The following example is one of a knowledgable subject.  The photograph works, but it wouldn't with every subject.

Girl on Cathedral Steps, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

This photo is of an unaware subject:

Textile Merchant, Chichicastenango, Guatemala

When I get to choose, I'll choose the subject who's unaware of my presence.  It ensures that I'm not just getting a pose; I'm telling a story.  Yes, it usually takes a long lens and some patience, but patience usually pays off. The biggest problem and the best part of shooting people is that they change expressions, they move, they are themselves when they don't know they're being watched. 

Girl at the Market, Almolonga, Guatemala

Mayan Beauty, Panajachel, Guatemala

Be creative.  Tell stories in a single frame.  Make people the subjects of your photographs.  Respect the rights of others.  Move other people with your photographs.

See my website at: http://www.tombellart.com/