Mugs (Not finished)

Last week I went to go shoot at Mugs like I have been talking about I am currently working on the presentation to market my self to them explaining myself why they should hire me. here are the photos. https://igorlphoto.smugmug.com/Mugs-Photos

85 mm

This semester I have been challenging myself to grow by limiting myself with restrictions. I thought it would be interesting to shoot a whole event regardless of light and all that at 85 mm to make it work I did choose an event inside and it was the CHSSA luncheon. I do enjoy shooting with my 85 but not for an extended period so thats why I thought this would be an interesting challenging. Here are some photos from the event.

40 mm challenge

In my last blog post I mentioned for the next shoot I did I would work on two things 1. get feet in the photo, and 2. challenge myself to only use a 40 mm after I get my shots on the shot list. I do restrict my self but I have to come up with something right. Here is the gallery link to my images from the volleyball game which I shot and did the challenge. https://lionathletics.com/galleries/?gallery=323 some of them do have feet cropped but that was not me haha. Here are some images from the 40 mm challenge. Overall I think I learned to focus more on what is actually going on and trying to tell the story rather than rushing the moment.

Independent class with Vaughn

This semester is my last semester so I have been constantly asking myself what can I do to get better, whether that is running, photography or writing. After discussing with Vaughn and him telling me to look at some people I thought I would make this first post about what inspires me. Whether it is a who or it is something that gets me going like coffee or just scrolling through instagram. You gave me a couple people to look at Saul Leiter which is very inspiring with his color work and Henri Cartier which is also quite inspiring, which made me think, How am I being different, is it that I am putting people in the middle or is it the cringe crookedness that drives you insane. I don't know but that is what I am going to do. Andrew Kearns is a big inspiration for me where he is relatively known for his moody tones and putting subjects in the middle. Some of his photos are found here. I like the way he makes his images look and that it is in the middle. Another one that I didn't mention was our very own Brittany Gryder I love how she uses objects in the foreground to make things interesting and her attention to detail is inspiring.
With that being said you challenged me to do something different. My next event I am going to shoot everything first get all my shots done, then the rest of the event ill be only using a 40mm f2.8 to try and make something interesting, as well as work on not putting stuff in the middle.

An Eye For A Camera

If our eye was a camera, what lens would it be? Would it be prime or zoom? F 2.8 or F13? To me I think our eye would become a 24mm I would have to say it would be a F 3.5 or F4 because we don’t really get a narrow depth of field but there is one.

Let me give this disclosure first that a camera system is not a human eye. Photography isn’t capturing what the human eye see’s exactly. It is capturing the light or an illusion of how the camera “saw” that moment. Unfortunately, we don’t see the same color as a 1dx Mk II or a Pinhole camera. Our brain processes the signals and everything else a lot different. Our brain is just giving us a constant feed of video that we replay in our mind, those are called memories. The difference with a DSLR and our brain is that when we take the image with our DSLR it shows in our screen and then we go into post and that is it. With our brain, it reaches the conscious part of the brain which stores the memory and it is constantly going through that process of finding memories. At least mine is.  Our vision is video not a photograph. It captures moments like a gif rather than a movie.

This article was going to be me discussing the eye vs a camera lens but my ADHD stopped that and I am content with what I wrote now assuming it would’ve been better and more interesting than that argument.

Staying Inspired

Staying inspired is one of the hardest things to do as a creator. We all go through creative ruff patches and you just have to embrace it. That is part of the art of creating, trying something over and over then you come up with something completely different that wasn't even planned. That is art.
Sometimes in order to stay inspired you just need to take a step back and analyze the situation. A lot of times we get caught up in what we have planned that it just kills our creativity. I know for me one way I stay inspired is watching youtube videos. Whether thats a tutorial or a vlog post, just finding something that will get me off my butt and go create.
Another thing I do is go back to where I was last inspired. If that was at home, looks like I am going home or if I was in Lubbock, I will find some way to go back. Something there inspired me and I want to rekindle that fire.
Inspiration is a huge part of the process and it will become a pain but also the greatest thing once you find it. Sometimes just going back to where you found your passion is where you need to go. Figure out the Why, Why you shoot, Why you live, Why you do what you do. Sometimes and most of the time that is inspiration enough. Your why is powerful, you have to find it first. Your why is a part of your story and can be inspiring to others.
Another way to find inspiration is talking to mentors or become a mentor. For me I have found some of my favorite images taken after I have talked with my mentors and took their advice they know what they are talking about and want you to succeed or they wouldn't have taken an interest in you.
Inspiration is beautiful and can be the one thing that gets you to create the next big thing. Find it and don't let go.
-Evan

Does it matter?

This will be a short post
It is frequently said by a few picture takers that gear does not make a difference, and that it is the photographer that takes the photo. Doubtlessly a photographer with the gear who does not know how to utilize that camera, nor comprehend the aesthetic idea of lighting composition and subject is probably not going to get great photos. In any case, can a picture taker who knows their agear, knows lighting composition and subject make extraordinary photographs with any gear? Truly, yet an extraordinary sort of photograph. Much of the time, adapt does make a difference. The key is knowing the photograph equip, what it may or may not be able to, and utilizing the correct gear for the situation.

Gear is a big part of photography.  It is a question that people ask a lot, or people are always wanting the newest body or let me go buy a new lens and all of a sudden I am the best photographer.
It is a simple question and a simple answer though, at least you think it is. Yes gear does matter, due to what you want your look to be.
People often get to hung up on gear, always going out and buying the newest body or the newest lens. It doesn't matter. The camera is not what makes the image. YOU MAKE THE IMAGE. So while you are reading me vent about a subject I personally feel strongly about go out and shoot, try shooting with only your phone or some other way that is not your normal way. You will be shocked on the image quality in between. Yes you will get different looks if you shoot landscape with an iPhone compared to a Canon Mk III. That isn't what makes the image good though.  Gear easily makes a difference. Why do we find the gear so aesthetically pleasing. The look is the easiest way to answer this question to someone.
One of my professors once told me that photography is the art of capturing light. What makes a good photograph is simple the way you use the light and what the story is to be told.
So the answer to this is Gear doesn't matter it's how you use it.

You Suck

Being a photographer is tough. You can’t make a living. You have restraints. Gear is all that matters. If you don’t have the newest gear, you suck. If you don’t go to this workshop, or use this software, you’re wasting your time. This is all BS.

            Photography is an art, and just like everything else in life you aren’t going to start at the top. We all hear “you can’t” or “you won’t make it.” Quite often as photographers who are just now starting out. You build your story and life off what you are told you can’t to.

            It’s the ignorance of others and the motivation from people you look up too that keeps you going. That little encouragement from your teacher can go a long way. You have to Keep creating. Keep doing what you love. Keep creating. Don’t listen to the people that have told you “you can’t” but take that and use it as motivation. Who knows where you will end up.

It matters

A lot of things in life matter. It’s different for everybody on what does matter. One thing I think that matters in life for a lot of people is the power to be able to capture some of life’s greatest events and moments that matter to people and that can be through the power of photography.

            Photography is a part of my everyday life and I am here to tell you why it is matters. To be able to capture a moment 1 in 1,000^th of a second, I think that right there is pretty powerful. Life happens in a flash and we have the ability to tell other people what is important to us. We save the moments that matter to us and we use a photograph to tell that important story of that day.

            Photographs have power. They can move us, persuade and let us know what is happening. We can learn people’s emotion just by looking at the photograph. I personally have used images to be able to capture the subject’s emotion in ways they didn’t think I could. Human emotion always is found in the photograph. While suffering from depression for a short time in my life, photography gave me life. Photographs can tell the world what you see. You see the image a different way and you take an image in a different way. That’s power.

It matters that you can take an image, tell a story, show emotions, capture life’s greatest moments, as well as show the world what you as the photographer sees and how it is different from everyone else.