George Reid Photography: 2014

First Stop

The 148th Street terminal for the 3 line in New York. Unusual that the next train was going to Flatbush Avenue (in Brooklyn) instead of New Lots Avenue (also in Brooklyn).

Winter Garden

Took this on the open pathway to Winter Garden. I have shot inside the building before too.

Don't let the road fool you. This is not some backwater ghetto.

To the left, you see boats in storage for sale and rent. If you look to your right, you see a well maintained bush. Not far from here are mansions and marinas.

Driving to the Hoop

Seems some politician from Minnesota said something about NBA players increasing the crime rate if the league folded -- which even The Daily Beast noted as veiled racism.

I stumbled upon a basketball game with kids and adults, just having fun, and thought about that quote. Basketball is a game played by men and women around the world!

Rising Moon

A few moments after sunset at Fort Tryon Park, I captured this shot. Rare to get a picture of a full moon with some clouds and a barren tree. May have to save this one for Halloween.

Sunset Over the Hudson

Captured this (and more) pictures as the sun disappeared over the Hudson at Fort Tryon Park, in between Washington Heights and Inwood. (Northern Manhattan for those not from New York City.)

Soaring

Took this picture of a seagull in mid flight in Battery Park City. He or she looks very intimidating.

Lenox Avenue

Lenox Avenue -- aka Malcolm X Boulevard -- in Harlem, near the start at 145th Street. If you look deep enough, you can see the trees in Central Park at the very end.

Pie on Pi Day

Yep, I made sure to have a slice of pie on pi day. Lemon meringue in this case.

Camera Envy

Saw this display at Adorama in New York. For a Canon user, the EOS 5D Mark III and the EOS 1DX are the ultimate DSLRs!

If anyone purchases these cameras, make sure you have great glass to take full advantage!

Now let me stop drooling ...

Raindrop

Close up under a fence using macro filters, got this picture of a raindrop about to fall.

Essence of Light

Another picture I took a while ago! This photo has inspired a creative project that I'm going to start soon.

Waiting

Because all New Yorkers understand the impending wait of a train.

Babe Ruth Plaza

Babe Ruth Plaza at Yankee Stadium during the offseason. Took this one a while ago as part of a presentation project for a program I was enrolled in.

Shooting for Free

Some don't want to pay that for a photographer.

Most photographers know one friend or associate that will ask to shoot an event for no compensation. It gets annoying because that person does not respect photography as a business. There are bills, and equipment maintenance and upgrades are not cheap.

However, despite that, there are instances where it is okay to photograph for free. This article will list a few examples.

Example 1: Building the Portfolio

Ideally, a portfolio, the most important selling point a photographer owns, should be ready before becoming a professional photographer. That said, a photographer has to start somewhere, and a rookie photographer to shoot an event or two for free in order to build the portfolio, and build potential clientele.

Please note that if the business or person says a photographer cannot use the photos for a portfolio, tell them to pay you or walk away. At that point, a photographer will have nothing to show for service and effort.

Example 2: Tax Exemptions and Charity

In the United States, a non-profit organization with the proper credentials can give a tax voucher, in exchange donating photography prints and materials such as CDs (but not services and time, as widely believed). Nevertheless, the photographer will feel good about helping a great cause, and it helps with gaining experience. The tax relief helps as well.

Example 3: Personal Projects

Some photographers have projects that they like to work on solely for the artistic value or personal interest. When shooting for compensation, creative control can be stifled because client wants and needs take priority. By shooting a personal project, you will not receive money, but it gives you complete creative control.

Conclusion:

There are more examples, but the general idea is that as a photographer you always shooting free in exchange for something else, whether it is for money, charity, or personal reasons, or just for fun. A photographer shoots a friend because the photographer enjoys working with that person? Yes – he or she is doing it for fun.

The friend that wants a shoot at a crowded club that the photographer hates for no compensation? No fun or personal benefit? No interest? No photographs!

Naturopathic Doctor

Meet Carina Lopez. She is a doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. It is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on treatments without the use of drugs or surgery. (Worth considering, since modern drugs earned a notorious reputation for questionable side effects.)

Also, this was my very first attempt at a in-office portrait. Thoughts?

Guardian Speed

A pendant on my best friend's car with good advice. Considering what I've been around growing up, I would have to break the sound barrier to go faster than my guardian angel!

Hanging Sneakers

There are many stories and rumors about the meaning of shoes hanging in places. Selling drugs, moving to a better place, or just for giggles. What are the stories you heard?

From One Idea

This is Yahayra in a picture taken at Sakura Park in Morningside Heights. One of her ideas from years ago boosted my interest in photography, and I started learning more about it. Will definitely share that story in an article soon!

On the Fence

This bird was ready to take flight at the slightest sound or approach! Got the shot a half-second before it took flight.

Commissioned Art by Child

And he enjoys the work! He takes payments in toy cars!

Also a Nurse

Adding to my previous post, Louisa is also a registered nurse who helps care for the soldiers and vets that served our country.

Go Yankees!

Whether you're a Yankees fan or a Yankees hater, you must appreciate a woman like Louisa who has no qualms about rooting for her team.

Sonic Pass Blue

Sonic Pass Blue is a corridor in the Internet Technology Center building at CUNY - Lehman College. Near the ground are censors that trigger sounds as people pass through.

Dried Creek

This is a view of a small creek from Gun Hill Road. Like how the water reflected in this shot, while it shows a little of what was underneath.

Lively Fountain

The fountain near City Hall Park. Definitely a good public meeting place near the edge of the Financial District in Lower Manhattan for those first dates.

The Crowd

When learning, photographers are taught various rules to produce images using the camera, the dark room, and the computer. All important lessons.

Then comes the final lesson. To expand your artistry and separate from the crowd of photographers, you shatter the rules.

Oh yes, and here is the original image, for those who are interested in what I used.

More Snow

More snow is in the forecast for New York. I loathe it, but will definitely have the camera ready!

Using High Dynamic Range (HDR)

High Dynamic Range (HDR for short) is a term that most photographers know and understand. However, some people don't know the meaning behind it, or why it is important. This article covers that.

What is HDR?

In the developer's room, there are many tools that photographers use to enhance their photos and make them stand out more. For film shooters, it means spending time in the dark room manipulating negatives to get the right feel. For digital shooters, this means time behind the computer with an editing program.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) was used for 3D graphics, but in recent times, became a part of photography editing that is essential for some gorgeous shots, usually on a scenic level.

How does HDR work?

A photographer either takes two or more pictures at different exposures, or edits the raw file of a photo to create those images at different exposures. Most photographers use three photos -- one as a base photo to use, one photo with a higher exposure, and a photo with a lower exposure. It is possible to use multiple photos.

Then the photographer uses a program such as Photoshop or Photomatix to blend the photos together into one photo. From there, the photographer chooses his or her edits before producing the final picture.

A Sample of using HDR.

For myself, I use a combination of Lightroom and Photomatix Pro for my sample, which is shown in the images below.

In the first sample, I will show a side by side comparison. The original, unedited shot is represented by left side, and the final HDR product is represented on the right.

You can definitely see the difference. The HDR portion has more vibrance than the portion on the left. The grass looks more lush, the dirt looks richer, and the shadows on the trees are more prominent.

For a full comparison, I present the original and final image.

This is the original image in full. The trees have a lot of detail, but the ground looks slightly bleached. If I were to darken the picture, the trees would lose their detail due to increased shadows.

This is the full shot using HDR. The ground is darker, while the trees maintain their detail. (And the tree in the upper right corner even gained detail.) To accomplish this, I made the base picture, then used a picture two exposure values darker (-2 EV), then one two EV levels lighter (+2 EV). I blended them, and this, is the result.

Unusual Rain

This is underneath the tracks of the 6 line at Westchester Avenue. The melting snow is what made it rain under the tracks—but not anywhere else.

Empire State Colors

Coming out of B&H on Ninth Avenue, I decided to take the shot of the Empire State Building. It was red, red, and white this particular evening in honor of the 20th Anniversary of STOMP, an influential NYC play.

Light Speed - Sixth Avenue

Yes, I said it on Facebook, and was crazy enough to do it again in the freezing weather with a cold. This one is on Sixth Avenue and 33rd street. Looking forward to doing more of these!

Flower or Weed

Not sure what this plant is. All I know is that it was pretty, and I took the picture! Maybe someone else can clarify for me?

Light Speed

Yes folks, I was crazy enough to set up in the middle of the Grand Concourse, and get the timing right to capture this photo.

Louis Nine Boulevard

The shortest boulevard in New York City -- a stretch of three blocks before it turns into Claremont Parkway. Took this shot from the Freeman Street Station

A Glance Sideways

Took a picture of a friend in a park last Spring. I converted it into black and white using Adobe Lightroom, and this is the result!

Nikon Releases D4s Professional Camera

Earlier today, Nikon announced the release of their new flagship camera, the D4s, which will be available for purchase on March 6, 2014.

Some Specifications

51 Autofocus points with phase detection.
Shoots up to 11 fps
Native ISO of 100-25,600
Extended ISO of 50-409600
Full Frame CMOS Censor (36 mm × 23.9 mm)
16.2 Megapixels
Improved Time Lapse shooting.
1080 HD recording @ 60 fps.
Pentaprism Viewfinder at 100% visibility
EN-EL18a Lithium ion battery that takes approximately 3200 shots.
Two Compact Flash Memory Card slots.

Thoughts

Some will be disappointed that the D4s retains the 16.2 megapixel censor from the D4 instead of the rumored 36 megapixels like the full censor D800, or even using 24 megapixels like the smaller censor in the D7100. However, as I stated in an earlier article, outside of editors printing large photos, megapixels are not that big of a deal.

However, the D4s has the potential to take beyond amazing pictures. An improved native ISO and autofocus features are the biggest things going for the D4s. For the ISO, a photographer will have an easier time getting the great shot in the dark with little noise (if any) showing on the picture. More importantly, the autofocus for the D4s adapts to when a person or object changes distance from a camera. A photographer can capture that exact moment when someone gets posterized on a dunk, the ball makes contact on a home run, or a car zooming by more easily.

Another plus is time lapse photography, which is awesome for scientific experiments. Plug the camera into an outlet, get a huge memory card, and the D4s will take up to 9,999 time lapse photos. Taking an automatic shot every ten minutes, the camera will take shots for over two months.

Conclusion

The D4s has some new features that are a great for professional photography, and I am sure the pros will appreciate the faster processor and focus, where fast timing is crucial. That alone will be worth the upgrade.

However, for Nikon shooters looking to upgrade their DSLR camera for casual, semi-pro shooting or videography, stick with the D800 or the D7100, and use the rest (or any) of the $6,500.00 sticker price for the D4s on more lenses and accessories.

Astronaut's Photographs from Space

Koichi Wakata, an astronaut from JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) took some amazing photographs while in space! Here are some samples of his work.

This one is of an aurora over the south of Australia

This is the moon setting over the earth atmosphere.

A view of Osaka, Japan at night time.

For more pictures, you can visit Koichi Wakata's twitter feed, @Astro_Wakata

Wrong Fluid

Sadly, I don't know ~~much~~ anything about cars! I thought this was antifreeze being poured in under the hood, but it is windshield fluid. (The blue liquid should've been a clue.)

At least I didn't confuse it for oil!

Since Elementary

This is Odessa, who goes back from elementary school. She was kind and modeled for this photo in October 2012. Looking forward to another collaboration later in 2014.

Bad Delivery

Photography, like anything else in life, can provide amazing and memorable experiences. Then there are the moments where situations go wrong, and all a person can do is laugh later.

This story is about the latter.

The Event and Deal

Around July 2013, I worked an event – a baby shower – for an old classmate back from my high school days. I shot pictures for four and a half hours in exchange for monetary compensation. Furthermore, as part of the deal, I was to deliver the pictures digitally the next day, and a DVD copy of the pictures within the week.

The event was nice and fun. The client and her husband were gracious hosts to everyone. Even I felt nice and loose, and blended in with the background -- something every photographer should do.

What could possibly go wrong?

What Went Wrong?

I mailed the DVD to the client two days after the event (the event was on a Saturday night). Normally it takes one or two days for mail delivery within New York City. When she did not receive the DVD after one week, I sent a second one, making sure the address was correct.

When the second DVD did not reach the client again, I delivered the DVD directly on a hot summer day after the client recovered from childbirth, and apologized for the unreasonable delay.

While the client was not upset about it, I was furious. One of the aspects I pride myself on is promising and delivering good service. With the lack of delivery, it gave the perception of incompetence, which is never good for business.

I demanded answers from the Post Office both times, who did not find the DVDs at that time.

Return to Sender

Around November 2013, I received both DVDs marked as return to sender in good condition. I reviewed the addresses on the package. Sure enough, they were the correct address that the client gave me. Naturally, by the time the DVDs were returned, the client moved out of New York City.

Great job, United States Postal Service!

Lesson learned. Next time, I will use UPS, or just make the direct delivery myself.

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