Be SEEN 12/18/2010

December SEEN

Arlington Theatre Santa Barbara, CA

I know it is December and only a few nights before Christmas, but photography can never wait. A good friend once told me, “You have to get it while the getting is good.” That means no matter what else is happening, if there’s something good to make photos of, go get it.

I like to say, ”Don’t edit now.” Meaning, while you have your camera with you, and that should be all the time, (wish I could take my own advise) if something is attracting your attention, make the exposure. If you edit while you are looking through the lens and decide to not make the exposure you can’t edit it out later. I developed this theory while driving alone from Idaho back to California. I would see these amazing vistas from the driver’s seat. I began to think, “Hey, I should stop and take a photo”. But, I didn’t stop and the vista was gone. Soon after, as I was driving along, I started thinking about why and how I was editing myself. By not stopping and taking the time I had already edited out any possibility. Instead, I began to stop the car and make exposures. I stopped and smelled the proverbial roses.

All this is a round about way of letting you know that even if you think you are busy Christmas shopping, party going, decorating or whatever excuse you can come up with as to why you can’t take the time (we all do it), I will be out there making some images and happy to help you do the same.

On Saturday, December 18, 2010 the sunset will be around 4:48pm. Early enough to get some shopping done and still have time to make that party. Up near the Arlington Theatre on State Street, the City of Santa Barbara puts up a Christmas tree full of lights. Nearby business also have extra seasonal lighted decorations and of course the Arlington is lit beautifully all the time. I will be working on High Dynamic Range style exposures and will be happy to introduce or have conversations about HDR with those who are interested.  As usual I will be there to help with inspiration, composition, and exposure if you wish.

Brooks will already be closed for the school year so we will not be able to go to the Brooks Institute computer lab as a follow up. This will help you get to the party on time.

I will be parked, hopefully, on Sola Street between State and Chapala. Look for the Airstream trailer. That will be our headquarters. I will be there by 3:30pm, getting parked and scouting camera positions.

I'll see you there. 

For more of my work, visit my website www.eliotcrowley.com. 

Butterfly Beach November 20, 2010

Be SEEN 2

Our last gathering went very nicely at the Santa Barbara MIssion. One comment I heard was, “Do all these have to take place at sunrise?” Sunrise is a very nice time to make photos. The light is great, and there are fewer people around. Sunset is also a wonderful time to shoot, there are just usually more people around. 

However now with the time change, sunrise is even earlier. So, that answer is a no. The next SEEN will be a dusk to sunset time at Butterfly Beach in front of the Four Seasons Hotel. 1260 Channel Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93108. 

Sunset on the 20th of November will be at 4:51pm. Shooting from about an hour before to about a half hour after is prime time usually. It is frequently called the golden hour. Weather is always a factor and sometimes, no make that usually, weather makes creativity stretch. This SEEN will go on rain or shine. Check the weather to be prepared. Plan to arrive around 

3:30-4:00pm.

Personally, I have always liked Butterfly Beach for portraits. The setting sun, sky and ocean as a background help simplify the images. Also there are wonderful palm trees to add in to photos for a dramatic vertical line, not to mention the unique wall that is right there above the sand which also lends strong horizontal lines. 

Since the sun will be going down to the right side of this scene I usually bring along some strobe lights to light up my subjects. I will have some of my lights but I recommend you bring yours too if you have any. Mine will be available to use with my instruction and help on a first come basis. This could be a great opportunity to make that family Christmas Card.

Besides portraits (my favorite) there are beach scenes, candid photo of people just out walking along the sidewalk (think blur or panning). Sometimes really cool cars can be parked strategically. Of course the Four Seasons is just behind you and over to the left is the Coral Casino with it’s lighthouse. Photo opportunities abound.

Look for the Airstream trailer parked there. We will be using it as our headquarters. At 6:30 pm we will be in Room CL4 at the Cota Street, 27 East Cota Street, Santa Barbara, CA  campus of Brooks Institute to review the afternoon’s captures. Please remember, no food or drinks are allowed in the computer lab.

To see more of my work, visit www.eliotcrowley.com

Chris Orwig

Panoramic multi-frame of Jesusita Fire Santa Barbara, May 2009, Photo Eliot Crowley

A guy I know and admire is a fellow teacher at Brooks Insititute named Chris Orwig. While Chris is a really good teacher he is much more intricate to be called just one thing. Chris is also a photographer and a man of thought. An example of his thought process in combination  with his ability to communicate with a camera and be a teacher all in one is a new online video of Chris at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsUXSRuV61o&feature=channel

If you are interested in photography and art, and the art of photography take about 5 minutes and give this a look. I was impressed immediately. 

The next SEEN is being scheduled for November, be sure to check back to find out where we will be making photographs and of course the computer lab time at the world renowned Brooks Institute.

To see more of my work www.eliotcrowley.com

Be SEEN

Inaugural SEEN

Santa Barbara Mission 

Once a month a new blog entry will be posted with a time and place of each “Seen”. This will be the opportunity for collaboration between you, your camera, and Eliot Crowley. Eliot is adjunct faculty at the world famous Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California. Eliot has a MFA degree in photography and over 30 years experience as a professional photographer.

At each SEEN, Eliot will be available for conversation, collaboration, and help with exposures and compositions of your photographs. These SEENs will usually last only a few hours near sunrise or sunset. Afterwards, those who want, can join Eliot at one of the classrooms at the Brooks Institute’s Cota Street Campus where Eliot will help with downloading or “ingestion” of your images onto your portable media, discuss digital asset management, Photoshop’s sliders, advantages of RAW exposures, composition and generally discuss the day’s captures.

The first “SEEN” will meet 10/9/10, at the Santa Barbara Mission, 2201 Laguna St, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (http://santabarbaramission.org/page/maps) at 6:30 AM. We will shoot for 2 hours and meet back together at Brooks Institute at 1:00PM for a critique.

See you there,

Eliot

To see more of my work visit my website at www.eliotcrowley.com