yep sure, i would like to find more about the filter.

Three points of interest, but somehow it works.
I'd be interested in seeing the lith print filter, having spent many an hour in the darkroom achieving the effect with chemicals...

I think that it's better than yesterday's shot, and the filter works.

Good to see you using the nifty fifty for a change, even though the image was captured a little while back. I love that lens. It's the best value for money in photography today, IMO.

I like this one a lot. It almost feels like a scene from some movie. I'm not a big fan of filters, so I would prefer this one pure b/w. Either way, the composition and DOF make this a great photo.

Interesting composition.

Hi Dave and viewers.

Firstly, I am also uninspired at the moment but that has more to do with my rather sudden increase in workload that is preventing me getting out with a camera.

Secondly, at the risk of offending anybody - I personally would like to see the more serious photobloggers taking a more serious approach to image making rather than producing an image that is basically trite. YES I AM GUILTY MYSELF.

Let's get a discussion going here. I am going to suggest that djn has become well respected (and quite rightly so) for his rather cleverly concieved and technically well executed images.

My view (and dave knows this) is that photography offers much more than this and that I personally prefer Daves work (and my own) when images of more substance are persented for analysis.

A good example is this: I am slowly building up an image library of advertising signs that are now situated in farmers fields to be viewed form motorways. Up until say 4 years ago this was unheard of in the uk, and when you think about it this represents an important change in our environment, not to mention the implications for the farming community and more.

If I presented these images on a photoblog I could guarantee that comments would be either minimal or dismissive. The fact is though that this is potentialy a great opportunity to use a camera to document something with merit.

I'm not saying that we all have to be fledegling documentary photographers, but we could begin to look for more opportunities other than producing clones of each other. AGAIN - I AM GUILTY AS CHARGED.

This is a good social image. I like observing the interaction of human beings and the actions of people on the periphary. No - the image is not clever - but it doesn't have to be.

I personally want to see djn progress onto other subjects. Of course I like his work to date - but knowing him I don't think he will reach his potential until he branches out into another area. Get your thinking cap on Dave and go for something else.

As far as the lith filter plugin goes. It was discovered on Adobe Studio some time ago. It is one of only a few filters I use.

Hope this post comes across in the right spirit. Hope that Dave knows where I am coming from (sure he does)

I might just add that I have rather rushed this last post and it is rather dissjointed. That is because my lesson plans are getting in the way of my surfing time.

AHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Dave, Is the lady in the image a refletion? Her skin seems to have the same texture as the wall, but it could be because it is a reflection.

And adding to what John has commented on... Modernity brings us tools to work with that make it so much easier, but it also brings us lack of time. In that sense, it is easy to fall into the "I'll photoshop it later" mentality. Oftentimes I find that, my most manipulated images get the best comments, and the ones I shoot out of originality, where I attempt to create instead of adapt end up somewhat unpopular. In a way, it is part (in my opinion) of the photographic r-evolution. Where we push the limits on what we can do, and the viewers push the limits on what they appreciate.

Despite, I still treasure some images that will just pass away, unnoticed, and in that sense I don't think that their essence gets lost, they simply have lost their spectacularity.

Eli
www.velviapix.com

Dave, I really like this capture. Nice with the 50 1.8, wondering if you have used the 50 1.4 and your thoughts on both lenses. I like the documentary style of this image and love the filter. Your portrait work is first rate. IS THAT YOUR REFLECTION IN THE BACKGROUND NEXT TO THE SMOKER TAKING THE SHOT? :-)

Wow, Eli said exactly what i was going to ask. I wanted to know if the grainy texture in the blurry woman was intentional, or a fault gained by lens/postprocessing? I must admit it distracts me quite a bit from his and her expressions.

While this is fun, i feel it is in no way "lacking substance" as John feels---then again, my preferred subject is emotion (inanimate or alive) so i'll have to be biased here in stating that I think --what has more substance, than emotion? Does a photo have more "substance" if it's a negative, or unusual emotion captured (such as yesterday's)? Can emotions truly become "cliched" and overdone? I think not, but that's just me. :) i'll get off my stump now. ;)

I think John makes a very good point and - what's more - presents it superbly. I myself have only just started out on the photography bug and pretty much up to press have been taking shots of my sons and the odd thing here and there.

However, I am getting more and more...I don't know...agitated? by what I'm doing.. simply because much of the time I look at everything and ask myself 'What am I photographing?'. Don't get me wrong, I don't intend to build a portfolio solely comprised of 'meaningful and insightful images' but ..

Now in my case, and I really don't mind admitting, I still have much to learn and am at square one (there lies another character flaw of mine...I'm incredibly impatient and have to remind myself that the fantastic images I look at here - and elsewhere - are produced by people that have a hell of a 'head start' on me (not to mention far more talent!)) but this is where John's post really struck a cord.

As for the image itself, I like it. It shows real-life interactivity...and that leads me to another thought. I'm new to all this. I'm not used to feeling comfortable pointing a camera at people in a hotel bar to capture a candid shot (obviously I don't mean that specifically). I'd love to do this style of photography..and have no doubt I will at some point.

Anyway, I'm rambling...but. Dave, your site never fails to inspire me, whether it be the images themselves or the odd thoughtful post from viewers such as John (thanks John!)

From the appearance, this could not be a digital capture because digital cameras did not exist in that time period. (Of course, I know better.) As Sanjin implied, it could be an old movie still. It really looks early '60's: short hair, more formal attire, smoking!

Very nicely done.

Any word on the lith print filter? Great work as usual!

I don't know about the lith process (not really what you would obtain in a real darkroom) but this is a nice picture. As somebody said, the interaction was captured nicely ! The 50mm f/1.8 really helps in these situation. I had the f/1.4 before moving to leica and it is definitely better. Not as far as optical quality but as far as built and focusing quality. But yes, the 1.8 is the best bang for your buck.

Nice work.

Fred @ 400iso.com

As to the possible "shifting of personal photographic gears" you mention you could use, perhaps you might try photographing yourself for a while. It can be very interesting if you don't take it on in a traditional way. (Which you already tend not do do with much of anything.)
Everyone takes a shot or two of themselves now and again without really expecting much from it, but most photographers seem somehow reluctant to really get into it for an extended period. I would be very interested to see what might come out of YOUR slanted slant on that particular walk.

I will take the bait and respond to John's message (as I will never say no to a good discussion chez Chromasia).

Firstly, I will say that regardless of what anyone thinks, Dave will do whatever he damn well pleases, seeing as it is he alone who is clicking the shutter of his camera. Every time we look through a viewfinder, we photographers are looking for something that we deem worthy of a place on our memory card/computer etc. The decision process is split-second and is made along a decision tree that is automatically engrained in our mind -- which is absolutely necessary, seeing as how a fleeting moment such as this one will pass in the same time it takes for the shutter to open and the sensor to expose.

Thus, every image that Dave or any of us decide to post on the web is a direct reflection of our personal decision process -- or, more accurately, processes, since these decisions can be based on everything from what lens we are looking through to what mood we're in -- and, as a result, we are almost subconsciously forced to remain within whatever boundaries we've set/explored along our respective photographic journeys.

So, depending on whatever we are feeling/doing/seeing, as photographers we react to our environment and instintually document that particular set of variables intriguing us enough to hit our camera's shutter release. Just how we react to the environment is entirely personal (think realist vs. impressionist vs. post-modernist), but I think the common denominator is still that subconscious reaction to our surroundings.

I've directly experienced this very phenomenon in my recent move from the remote northwoods of Wisconsin to downtown New York City (if I may make a brief personal tangent). Between the day I left WI and the day I arrived in NYC, my photgraphy turned completely around and became something entirely different, through no conscious motivation of my own. My images were suddenly all in black and white and almost exclusively of people -- which was quite a sudden change from the colorful landscapes I was taking just days before -- and lenses that were at one time collecting dust were suddenly my primaries, leaving the others to collect the dust for a change. Some may cite an attraction to the cliched B&W street photograph, and they're partially correct, seeing as how no one can deny his origins, but most will understand that in New York City, one of the most interesting study a lens can do is of people and of their urban-yet-somehow-picturesque surroundings.

My (again long-winded) point is that we are all documenting what we care to document. Some of us are purely abstract, watching only colors and shapes through our viewfinders. Others, like myself, are currently dedicating our photographic lives to the study of humanity, be it ironic moments or casual smiles or pure despair. And still others choose to take photos of billboards lining our once beautiful country roads.

We can't persuade Dave to change any more than we can persuade ourselves to change, since at any given moment, our sense of purpose is automatic and any change thereof must, by definition, be gradual. So let's just admire each others' work and celebrate the subtle differences that make our photos unique.

I don't know about you, but I'm here to enjoy the ride, not steer the car.

I agree with some of the above comments.

I think I'm going to start being more critical in the comments that I leave on photoblogs (and I hope others wil bl on mine too). Because if an image doesn't say anything or sing to me, I should be honest and say so and also say why, right? I would be doing a disservice to the photographer and other viewers otherwise.

This image doesn't say anything to me. I suppose it's an okay picture of two people smiling and talking and a guy smoking in the background but what's the point? It's a nice slice of life type image but one should always ask the questions "why did I take this picture?" and "does it get across what I was tying to get across?". If you weren't trying to 'get across' anything in the first place, than I question if it's a good enough image to post.

As I said yesterday, I think this image works because there is a story, a sense of mystery. Technically, I think this picture is even worse than yesterdays. Photoshopping or something seems to have destoryed what might've been nice bokeh in graininess or something. But the photo is interesting, and it does make me think.

Dave, I find the photos that are truly meaningful in the way that I think you are trying to say come (a) in a series and (b) from much searching and snapping of these other photos.

Personally, I'm glad that Chromasia (along with lots of other photoblogs) updates as often if it does. I think that in itself is a feat and a goal that is worth striving for... the very volume created is part of the "art" or the "project", if you will. In this type of project, though, it is impossible for every photo or series of photos to be great eureka endorsing comments on the world around us. There are great eureka photos, and there are simply pleasing images, and there are (sorry Dave) some stinkers.

I think within each person who truly studies photography as a medium of communicating thought there is a drive to communicate more precisely and to communicate a meaningful message. I want to communicate messages with my photography. I want to comment on the world around me, as all good art does, and I want to share some of that which is inside of me. Those photos which truly reach those goals will be posted in galleries, online or otherwise, or perhaps listed as "Favorites"... or maybe they'll adorn the walls of my home or workplace.

The photoblog, as I see it, -because it is a medium that lends itself to regular updates with time intervals, etc. -- is nearly every bit as much about documenting the process of finding those truly stunning photographs as it is about making those gallery worthy photographs themselves.

Oh... bother... am I making any sense?

I think it's great that discussions sparking up like this, I remember the last one revolved around graffiti.

I don't want to go on for long, so I'll just say quickly that (some) photoblogs have audiences and it's always good to post with an audience in mind, of course that shouldn't dictate the type of photos and how they look.

Having said that, and ignoring everything else, I like the guy in the middle.

Such a photo that catches action. And no, I dont mean to talk all prophetic like...I just cant phrase anything right tonight! Love the womans laugh, the guy grinning, and the guy puffing. Makes you think what they are thinking.

Im annoying most of the previous comments because im here to comment on your photos, not debating.

Very Interesting debate. We each blog for very different reasons and those reasons mature as we and our blogs mature. Some are desperatley trying to find a stylistic rut to dive into where they will be happy and comfortable to stay there, others use it as a means to break out of their current stylistic boundaries and experiment hoping for some feed back from like minded souls. It would certainly be interesting to see accomplished photographers tackling different subjects but surely we return to blogs that already interest us, if they become boring we just chop them off our list, there are thousands out there and many are outstanding. But each blog represents 2 sides of a photographer that which he wants to take and that which he wants to display, do we display to please or to challenge others perceptions of what makes a good photograph. I only started a couple of weeks back and made the decision to post daily with a weekly theme and roughly alternate colour and B&W each week and mix film and digital with a variety of cameras from toy to medium format. I view each week as a mini challenge and have set some goals that I otherwise just would not bother with. But that is because I am using it as a motivational crutch. As a by product of stretching myself I will no doubt end up with some gritty shots of people on the streets surviving in -30 degrees, some arty blurry abstracts and some pretty shots of flowers. In each case I wish to know if the emotions I am trying to convey are picked up by others or am I wide of the mark. Sites such as Chromasia are in some ways a victim of their own success in that after 40 comments of 'wow great shot how did you do it' I am reluctant to add any sort of 'why did you do it' or 'what if..' type of questions as i believe it is lost in the volume. There are thousands of pleasing photos posted each day but few with a wow factor but do we need a 'wow' shot of roadside advertising or will a competant record suffice. John Washington's point about documenting things of merit - maybe there should be (may be there is?) a national repository for potentially interesting social shots such as his rural advertising that we could all contribute to, or maybe we just all need more than one blog, one to please ,one to experiment and provoke, and one to record. Oh and dont forget to have fun, isn't that why we started it.

Great debate

I want to add to my original message.

I am not stating that every image taken has to have meaning and context, and sometimes it is nice to let go and have fun.

At the moment I personally have gone from one extreme to the othet. Two months ago I had loads of time to take pictures. Now I have limited time and what's more I am finding it difficult to concentrate on the pictures I want to take.

But then again, I read an interesting article a while back which suggested that as a photographer becomes more accomplished she/he (political correctnes) somewhat loses the abilitiy to break out of ruts and become fresh. It is said that it is very difficult to unlearn what you have accomplished.

With that in mind yesterday I took my camera to work with me and on the way home in the dark and rain I threw caution to the wind and snapped (yes snapped) random shots out of the car window without much attention to focus or composition. I decided to do this because the author of the above suggestion believed that it was a useful excersise when one becomes in a rut or say bored.

Many people would argue that it is not valid to take photos in that manner, and as usual a while back I would have agreed. As I develop and read more about the subject I come across more and more extremely solid justifications for taking such action and what's more it comes from people with substantial authourity not from horrendous sources such as the "PROS' on DP Review.

So I am now going to review my images from yesterday and see what I have got. The one thing for sure though is that I had fun doing it. Does it have merit ?

Yes and No.

Lovely. I thing this is my favorite from your people's shots. Except for your children's shots. It has a 20's feel. :)

I love this shot.

I am all for pursuing new directions. Leaping around. Experimenting. But please make the photos interesting as well. Photos of roadside advertising hoardings could easily be quite dull. Great documentary or reportage photographers have to be great photographers too.

As to this shot - I very much like the composition. The way the eye zigzags through the four people. I like the social interactions portrayed. I happen not to like the processing.

What a debate here... one could think, some guys here take photography too serious ;) but it`s also fun, isn`t it! and you, Dave, you are a great photographer and I´m enjoying your work every day :)

Good one! I almost feel like the guy in the background is the main subject and the two in the foreground are more like supporting elements to put him into a context. Very nice indeed.

Like the other have said ... there really is a story .. a few actually; like the movie "Coffee and Cigarettes" there are a couple of monotone stories developing at once. I especially like that guy in the background lighting a cigarette.

I'm terribly confused about what the debate going here actually is. Anyone care to sum it up?

While I'm waiting for that I'll throw my random two cents in, because heck, I'm always up to talking about the medium.

Personally, I think the photoblog has limitations as a medium. I'm not putting the photoblog down, man, I love my photoblog. But the way you display images and the context you put them in is as much a part of the editorial process as photoshopping the image to turn the raw data into the picture you wanted.

Sometimes I get frustrated a little with the linear nature of the photoblog format. I used to post whole galleries at one time and put up a notification. When you do that, it makes more sense to view images not as distict wholes, but as parts of a bigger picture or idea.

I've pondered on starting a photography/literary magazine just so I would have a place to publish a different kind of photoset. Maybe I will someday, when I have time. ;-)

****************************************

I'll also chime in with John on the issue of how it becomes difficult to try new things when you become accomplished. I think part of the reason for that is because there are less new things to try. I don't want to continue doing things that I know don't work, and so tend to avoid a lot of techniques with serious flaws. The challenge as a photographer, as you learn the craft and what goes on and a more fundamental level, is to take that increased understanding and use it to create something new and perhaps better.

I can see the benefit of forcing yourself to engage in something random occasionally, just to startle yourself out of the norm. But I think you will be better off in focusing your experiments. Createa scenario or a challenge and try to solve the problem. Set up controlled experiments like, how many ways can I present the same subject? or how many different way can I light the same scene without changing the angle or lens on my camera. I think those are better ways of breaking out of the mold than simply doing things at random.

************************************************

Well, that was a long rambling response. Dave, I like both todays and yesterday's images. My reasons are simple. The subjects in both were caught in moments of genuine emotion. Regardless of how the model's may have actually felt, their expressions are true. I find that little window into the heart of humanity interesting.

I feel quite guilty today for having absolutely no time to join in with this discussion – I've been flat out since first thing this morning and still have a load of things to do before I can go to bed – but have enjoyed reading through all the good points you've made. I'll try and pick up on some of them over the next couple of days.

To add to the discussion, I'd like to add a link to an article I wrote last year.