Doing photography with personnal or professional assignation

Photo Manon Paquette

Doing photography on purpose whatever it is is to be "on assignation" meaning there is a task (subject), there is a medium (photo), there is a follow up (by diffusing and sharing your pictures). So be on assignation is not a so call professional or strictly journalistic affair. It can involve everybody under some specific circonstances. This is why every types of photographic devices are pertinent to use on assignation assuming the fact they are available and fully operational. For sure the final purpose of your pictures may dictate some technical considerations in doing the choice of your equipment.

But at the end the importance to have a photo result to share is paramount and more pertinent than every other technical aspects. On assignation, "Get a picture first" must guide you in your preparation and execution of your task. And keep in mind that a camera is simply a tool helping you to produce your imagery.

The challenge to produce suitable pictures that answer a specific need can be exhilarating for certain people or simply frightening for others. Yes the pressure is there but it is important to lower as much as possible the "bad" pressure and keep the motivation involved in the production of your project.

Working with photojournalists during several years I had the chance to observe, develop and apply a personal approach regarding on assignation mandates. During the film era it was almost impossible to verify on place your production output except in using small low resolution instants photographs done with Polaroid tests. Now digital photography allows us to do post-check on the spot and to correct  or repeat your results almost instantly. On the other side the time between picture taking session and transmitting them has been reduced considerably and post-production opportunities are less available to photographers. Many automated photo correction softwares are now designed to respond to that new demand but often with the prejudice of preventing more original creativity.

Here are some mottos that I have develop over the years when I am planning a photo project:

Be prepared (materially) meaning be in shape, wear the right clothing and equipment including your back up material;

Be introduced by having the contact, the good credential and by assuming the right follow up with people involved;

Be documented, knowing your subject and its last development may be capital for your approach;

Be smart and stay aware of the context of your subject;

Be result oriented by acknowledging your needs or the needs of your mandate;

Be persistent and make sure to plan some back-up production;

Be aware especially about any security manner about the context you are working;

Be versatile to any in place adaptation or change of your planning;

Be systematic and make sure you follow most if not all your requirement;

Be sensitive about your subject since it can oriente your creativity to new directions.

And be prepared to invest yourself again and again because you will have the opportunity to learn, try and achieve new ways to fulfil an assignation. Even after these past years to have a certain amount of different assignations I am still ressenting the excitation (and by extension the insecurity) of doing a new assignation or photo project.

At the end what is left of your picture is simply its own impact to the viewer and
this is the most relevant aspect of it.

Lastly every photograph can develop its own style or signature from its own experiences. It is only a matter of believing on his or her ability to do so. Creativity is not an "elite" prerogative of the few but a basic characteristic of all the humanity and others living things.

We do photography on purpose (even for ourself) and doing photo projects may be one of the best way to illustrate that simple fact.

The Walking Twins: Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm & 35-100mm Mega O.I.S.

Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega O.I.S. &
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 35-100mm F4.0-5.6 Mega O.I.S.

A pocket pair for everyday everywhere travellers!

Behind the fact that the traditional camera users tend to be older it is a universal phenomena that most of the people regardless of their respective ages want to be more mobile. In doing so we are looking for devices or equipment with less inconvenient in size and weight. You just have to look at the sport and outdoor accessories evolution since two or three decades to be convinced.

Compaticity in photo equipment is an historical quest since the beginning of this new medium. Some photo experts or enthusiasms have and still denigrate the ability of using smaller devices and obtain quality photo results. This debate was particularly fierce during the golden age of 35mm film. Today we know for sure the futility of these assertions.

Digital photography is another step to the direction of creating compact, simpler and performing cameras and the introduction of the micro 4/3 image captor format has contributed to establish the credibility of it. Today M4/3 camera system is world widely used and appreciated. For sure in the vast photographic universe there is always place for larger format as it has been proved by the reintroduction of "medium" captor format by Hasselblad and Fujifilm preceded by the Ricoh-Pentax offer without forgetting the digital backs designed by Phase One.

Olympus and Panasonic have been the commercial pioneers of the M4/3 format cameras. They have designed very compact devices with different interpretations and priority intended uses. Moreover they develop accordingly an optical offer that suit the compactness primary idea of the new format. Today we will look at a typical lens combination available from the Panasonic line-up.

Smart and Compact

A small reminder in the recent time-line of the different Lumix models recalls us the Panasonic first introducing of the GM1 and GM5 successor model declinations. They were very small M4/3 cameras and Panasonic had rightly associated these ones with their newest Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 Mega O.I.S. diminutive in size standard zoom lens. (see my GM5 report). Soon after Panasonic added the Lumix G Vario 35-100mm F4.0-5.6 Mega O.I.S. tele-zoom lens as a complement of the first one. The whole package is simply the correct expression of many of us consider the real purpose of the compact M4/3 format system introduction.

The Panasonic pair lenses are contracting lenses for easy equipment carrying. The Lumix G Vario 12-32mm Mega O.I.S. will be considered by many photographers as their primary lens since it deliver a very useful wide angle of view of 84 degrees similar to the 24mm lens into 24X36mm film format. That wide angle of view is rightly appreciated by many as a very fine and creative contextual lens for street travel, interior or social photography.  On the other end of the zoom 32mm focal length you will obtain a narrowed 37 degrees angle of view which is practical but won't have the same versatility compared to others bigger trans-standard zoom lenses such as the Lumix G Vario 12-60mm option. You may consider the 12-32mm more as a wide to normal focal lenght utility lens. No lens hood has been included by Panasonic for the 12-32mm although you may find one from independent manufacturer such as JJC. The filter size diameter is 37mm and could be considered for adding some kind of optical protection  or special effect filter. My only complaint is that Panasonic didn't "standardized" its filter size between the 12-32mm and the 35-100mm F4.0-5.6. I would also love that Panasonic have been added the automatic camera shut-off option when you are contracting the lens to its storing position. Lastly no manual focusing ring of the lens. That "flaw" can be partially compensated by using the pre-focusing  option  on the camera and than reframe your picture thereafter.

Using the Lumix G Vario 12-32mm lens more extendedly over the years prove to be a very handy optical device for doing photography "on the spot". Image results are pleasing and could be shared or presented without complex. Even if the 12-32mm have a small maximum aperture you can rely on its ability to do good interior pictures, thanks to its internal optical stabilization combined with the camera in-body counterpart if available. This is a good urban traveler option. The very compact design assimilated with more amateur camera models and in doing so give you a more discrete presence regarding the people surrounding you. If you add a ranger finder style camera the intimidated factor will decrease a lot. For sure quality won't be at the same level compared to to the higher and bigger lens models offered but for most of the digital presentation channel the difference should not be noticed. As usual I never pretend to analyse lenses or cameras on a purely technical point of view knowing that there already exist a lot of more competent people that do so over the Web universe.

The Lumix G Vario 35-100mm f4.0-5.6 Mega O.I.S. can be assimilated as the compagnon lens of the 12-32mm if you are looking for that focal length range. The Lumix 35-100mm F4.0-5.6 is a compact optic that can be slip in a coat pocket or in a hand bag without adding volume or exceeding weight. This 2 inches long lens will give you an angle of view variation between 34 and 12 degrees. It comes with a lens hood and you can add a 46mm size filter if you wish (As already mentioned this 46mm diameter is different from the 37mm size of the Lumix 12-32mm). The stabilization lens and cameras options are very essential tools to be activated when you are using the Lumix 35-100mm f4.0-5.6 lens mainly because of its modest maximum aperture and its long focal length.

While I have been a strong adept of small focal fixed telephoto lenses such as the Lumix 42.5mm f1.7 OIS and the Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8 lenses I consider the Lumix G Vario 35-100mm F4.0-5.6 variante as a very good substitute product. For sure it lacks the shallow deep of field characterized of the larger maximum aperture of the two prime but that flaw can be partly compensated by the longer final 100mm focal length of the zoom lens. Because of its inherent compactness the Lumix 35-100mm fF4.0-5.6 is again a very non-intruse lens that facilite the casual picture session. In my view there is no quality issue regarding the image output of this lens. And again stabilization option is a key factor for reaching beautiful picture results. Because of its particular medium telephoto focal length the Lumix 35-100mm f4.0-5.6 can be a real composition tool with a good isolation and compression of the main subject.

As I have already mentioned in the past I consider the mirrorless camera category as the real modern successor of the basic idea of a compact camera device with the interchangeable lens option. A kind of Leica legacy of our today world. For sure direct Web connectivity has to be addressed by the different M4/3 format camera manufacturers in the near future to respond to our actuel need of personal communication. But at least the basic of the photographic technique parts are fulfilled already.

Yes the Panasonic twins Vario G 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 and 35-100mm F4.0-5.6 Mega O.I.S. are representing a very attractive and competent combination for compact photography.

 

Photo Basic Instincts

What is the best camera for you? For sure the camera you bring with you and take pictures with it!

It may be common sense to bring a camera with you and to take pictures but it is not by far always true when you are observing all the so-called photographers. Many love to play and pretend to be great photo artist and like to flash with expensive pieces of equipment. That last two or three-decade tendency had flourished around the world at a point that real “day-to-day” photographers seems to be an animal in process of extinction with the exception multi-phone snap shooters mostly self shooters.

Urban Sky Scape

Cameras are nice media expression tools and as a tool intended to be used on the main purpose of taking pictures. And take pictures must have some kind of purpose by itself (to look at them, to show them, to share them, etc.) So it bring us back to a debate not on to select or use a camera but when you will use it except for showing to the other fellows (camera shops, clubs, schools are good for that!).

No technically perfect but perfect expression!

Good habits

Learning to interact with your camera will help you a lot to mastermind the medium and will become a second nature to do photography. Take time to play with your tool, to try the functionalities and to discover the full potential of it and there is a lot in it. Go see some “users” reviews that are presenting interesting results obtained during photo sessions. Keep your camera “on sigh” and it will be easy to fulfil most of your photo temptations. Take pictures of your surrounding to find angles, moments, compositions, or exposures that will reinvent the interpretation of your day-to-day world.

Digital is cheap

Yes digital photography is very cheap even if you want to get first class equipment. You just have to watch and wait for the best opportunities to buy products (see my other article about this: http://photodanielm.blogspot.ca/2015/11/over-paying-for-novelties-or-sub-paying.html )

You can take all the pictures you want and keep them first on your memory card. For editing your computer or tablet will work perfectly. On a regular base you can duplicate your photo files to an external hard disk for future references. But remember the real pictures that are lasting are the one that are still shared and all the others are past and forgotten memories.

Museum are very special space to experiment

Experiment yes but better Persist

You have to experiment to find your own way of photo expression. It is true at first but you must also persist in your search to explore and refine the interpretation of your subject. Get a fine shot at first glance is lucky but it is very difficult to repeat this everyday and everywhere. You must understand in your way how you can reproduce the process of doing the pictures that are pleasing to you and your public. So take pictures, take pictures and retake pictures, again and again.

Edit a presentation and share it

B&W add a lot by graphic expression

So you have a lot of provoking pictures. What is the next step? The next basic step is to encourage yourself to do more photography and as humans we need human reconnaissance. To get that the only way is to present and share your pictures with others. Put pictures on your walls, share over social media, open a Web account, create your own blog, and share your experiences with forum, other blogs and public photo files. Get reactions from others that will motivate you to follow your own path in accordance or not with the public eyes.

And don’t forget that you are a kind of unique person that cannot please to everybody.

Be ready, be interest and press the shutter!

Explore the medium, the subject, the mood

Photography is a medium among other forms of expression. The great artistic representations are the one that the subject transcends the medium. By seeing a picture you trigger a psychological process that will initiate a minded personal quest. So you have to consider things or subjects over the photograph by itself. It is asking a more fundamental task regarding the purpose of doing photography or other forms of expression.

find your own way, explore, repeat, share...

and more important have fun!

Panasonic Lumix GM5: A journey to Greece

The Panasonic LUMIX GM5 is seen by many as a very diminutive M4/3 format camera which is so small that it allows you to bring it into your (large!) pocket. Combined with the tiny Lumix G Vario 12-32mm lens, it give you a winning package for urban projects or visits to architectural sites and museums.

During a recent visit to Greece and Athens  I was able to really appreciated the compactness and the non-intrusive aspect of the Lumix GM5.

Athens Individual Transportation dominated by small motorcycles with or without helmet (!) 

A Visit to Acropolis

Acropolis under long and extensive restauration

Salute to Parthenon

Acropolis Museum

Just beside Acropolis an architectural museum jewel

National Archaeological Museum

Kinetta Beach Resort