That's a Judgement Call

Some of my favorite moments were never recorded by camera.

Sunsets lighting up housing tracts, billowy clouds hanging over parking lots, a child reaching up to hold his parent's hand - these are all shots that I've enjoyed, but didn't capture.

Why not?

Sometimes it's because of our selective vision. For example, those three-dimensional clouds hanging over a Safeway store are indeed beautiful. But the foreground isn't. So either I have a shot of just clouds and blue sky, or I have a shot of clouds, blue sky, and a supermarket parking lot. Unless something spectacular is happening there, the shot just isn't going to pass muster.

So I enjoy the clouds, and then go about my business.

The child reaching up for his parents hand, well that's a different story. People are nervous about photographers taking pictures of young ones in public. It creates suspicion. It makes people uncomfortable.

To be honest, I don't want to ruin the moment. So I let the child feel secure holding his mother's hand, and continue with my shopping.

This raises one of the most difficult questions in photography for me personally: When is it appropriate to take a picture, and when not? In the past, as a photojournalist, I sometimes intruded when I would have preferred not to. These days, I'm more conservative in my shot selection.

The bottom line is, I have many wonderful moments in my photo library - and just as many that never made it there. That's OK.

Because I'm a photographer. I see moments that others miss. I got to experience them with or without a camera. And many of those mental snapshots have stayed with me for life.

The real gift of becoming a photographer is learning how to see.

Whether or not you click the shutter,

that's a judgment call.

-Derrick

Prom Night

At 6:30 PM tonight I will be heading to a house not far from my studio, that will be full of excited teenagers dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns.

First and foremost, my job will be not to embarrass my boys in front of their friends. My second job, and the one I'm more concerned with at the moment, is to photograph couples shots of these young adults before they head out to their prom.

The only camera I've held since my shoulder separation, and then my second dislocation, was an iPhone in my left hand. Under normal circumstances, that would not be the camera of choice for tonight. So I had to come up with a rig that will allow me to shoot while keeping my arm securely attached to my scapula.

Little did I realize back in 2010, when I conceived of the nimble photographer, that my years of practicing nimbleosity would pay off this way. But tonight it will.

Everything that I need for this assignment will fit in my Lowepro Urban Reporter 150, which I'll carry over my left shoulder. Inside I will have an Olympus OM-D E-M10 with the very light 14-42mm EZ power zoom. I'll also have the Olympus FL-300R portable flash unit.

My plan is to stabilize the camera on the lollipod, which is very light and extends up to chest height on me. I'll add the MeFOTO ballhead with mini Arca Swiss removable plate to make composing the shot easier.

I can position the camera on the lollipod at a height that my right arm can reach the shutter button while still remaining secure in the sling. I'll use the articulated LCD screen to compose the shot.

In my left hand I will hold the off-camera flash which will be controlled by the built-in flash on the E-M10. Since it will still be light outside, I don't think I'll have to use diffusion. I'll just balance the ambient lighting with the flash illumination and drawdown the power of the strobe a stop or so.

I've tested this rig here at the studio. It's amazing how well it works. The Olympus E-M10 is light enough so the lollipod can stabilize it, giving me that extra hand I need.

Of course I'll write about my experience and how it all goes. I'll also share some pictures from the shoot. But the way things are looking now, this one-handed shooter should be able to capture some very nice couple shots tonight, thanks to his training as a nimble photographer.

Now all I have to do is make sure I keep my mouth shut.

And try not to look too gimpy with my Tyrannosaurus rex shooting style.

-Derrick

Every 15 Minutes

I was a speaker yesterday for the Every 15 minutes event held at Santa Rosa High School in California.

How I found myself standing there at a podium in front of 2,000 students, teachers, administrators, police officers, and emergency rescue workers, wasn't because of my photography background. It was because my son Zach was participating in this very emotional and important program.

Every 15 minutes a teenager is killed in a drunk driving related incident. 

It feels abstract when stated like that. So this program attempts to make it real by staging an reenactment that lasts for two days, ending with a funeral for the children who died in the accident.

My stepson, Zach, was one of those teenagers in the crash.  A police officer and a chaplain visited my studio to inform me of the incident. And then I was asked to write a letter to Zach expressing my feelings for him. After all the letters were reviewed, I was asked to read mine at the staged funeral.

Even though this was a reenactment, it didn't feel that way. And it's almost impossible not to get caught up in the emotion that comes with the thought of losing your child to a drunk driver. 

I learned a lot about myself over those two days. And it certainly drove home the idea that our children need to feel like they can call us at any time, from any place, when they feel like they need help.  Don't get in any car that doesn't feel safe. Ever.

It's a standing free pass. 

If necessary, I would drive to the other end of the country, to retrieve a child to make sure he was OK. 

Zach and his brother need to know that. 

Yesterday, I told them so in front of 2,000 people. 

And I will them again, and again,

And again.

-Derrick

Idiot

OK, I'm not the best patient in the world.

I admit it. 

But yesterday, I did something that was stupid, even for me.  My right shoulder was finally starting to feel just a little better. The sling had become annoying beyond all description. So I loosened it a bit. Not too much. Just some.

For the first time in nearly a week, the world seem like an OK place.  I was almost comfortable. I was getting more work done. I could see light at the end of the tunnel.

As I got up from the couch to get something to drink, I extended my right arm just a bit outward.  I later found out that you're not supposed to do that with a dislocated shoulder.

In a flash, my arm was engulfed in fire. Again. 

"Oh no," I thought. "What did I do?" 

What I did was re-dislocate my shoulder.  Back to ER. Once again in x-ray... then the doctor working on me trying to get my arm back in the socket.

Everyone I talked to asked me what I did. 

"I'm an idiot," I answered. 

And today is the first day of my recovery, again. 

For future reference, when the doctor says, "Keep your arm in a sling until I tell you otherwise... "

Just do it.

 -Derrick

When to Buy a New Laptop?

I saw that Apple just refreshed their MacBook Air laptops.

I've been waiting to see the latest models because I have a heavy summer of travel ahead of me. Along with my iPad mini, I'll need a nimble laptop so I can use Aperture and Lightroom while on the road. 

It's always a hard decision with computers for me. When to upgrade?

I try to be logical. I even make a Pros and Cons list. Here are some of the factors I consider:

• Processor speed - Will I be able to do my work faster?
• Connectivity - Upgrading from USB 2.0 (existing) to Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 will allow me to use my new hard drives.
• Features - The new MacBook Airs have features that my 2010 model doesn't, such as a backlit keyboard.
• Price - Apple actually lowered the price $100 while improving their performance.
• Age - Generally speaking, I try to update my machines every 3 years.

In all honesty, a new laptop isn't sexy. It's just a tool I need. 

I've done my Pros and Cons list, and the results are overwhelming Pro.

And yet, I hesitate.

It's like investing in a new set of tires for the car.

Boring.

-Derrick