Visiting the Photography "Holy Land ~

Last week I visited the George Eastman House in Rochester NY -- something I had dreamed of for most of my nearly 40 years in photography. It's more than just a huge collection of cameras and photographs - one of the largest in the world - but more importantly, it's a preservation, and celebration, of the people and technologies that shaped our profession.

My daughter Sara had just completed her Masters Degree there at the University of Rochester/George Eastman House. She spent her entire first year at the house, where she obtained her museum certificate in Film Preservation, and then completed the academic course work on campus. What a great opportunity for her, and it gave me this once-in-a-lifetime chance to get an insider's tour of the GEH, its museum and its archives.

The camera on the right, for example, is the very first one produced by Kodak. It's amazing to look at it and touch history, and imagine the kind of revolution it created in photography. We have a direct visual link to our past because of this and the finishing process offered by Kodak. Ordinary people made extraordinary images of their lives, and those who saw the art in it -- Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Steiglitz, Strand, Dorothea Lange and so many others -- were my inspirations.

It was good to feel like a kid again and get that rush of excitement that made me pursue photography in the first place. 39 years later, I'm still energized and amazed by it, even though I now use a computer instead of a cold-lighthead enlarger. Museums don't just preserve the past; great ones, like the George Eastman House, also point the way to the future.

Share your experiences?     dhuttphoto@comcast.net

Let's Go For A New Photo Challenge ~

Time sure has a way of getting away from you, especially if you're like me and would rather spend it outdoors instead of in front of your computer. My studio partner and photography motivator (as in, "get busy!") reminded me how long it had been since our last photo challenge, which was to produce a photograph that somehow embodied the concept of soft. The topic this time around? Stripes. 
I have always found that the simpler a concept may sound, it's that much more difficult to actually realize. It's easy to look at the word stripes and think t-shirts and zebras, but we're looking for something deeper and more subtle.

The staircase photo above is my initial entry. I love to work with lines (stripes?) and geometric form; and, as with a lot of my recent work away from the studio, this was taken with my trusty iPhone 4s. And I really like this photo on the right; it's Whitney's submission and is a terrific image with strong photographic elements and a touch of whimsy. It has that special "HDR" look that I like so much.

So get out and try on some new ideas and ways of seeing things. Anything goes. No rules, no limitations. Just inspiration.

It's nice outside. Think I'll go out and shoot.

                                                       Send me your shots!  dhuttphoto@comcast.net

Later amigos!

The Video Project ~

Last week we spent a day (a very long day) in the studio working on an instructional video about studio lighting. It's being produced by the Pacific Northwest Center for Photography and my good friend Sharon O'Keefe as part of a series of instructional videos she's planning. One thing is for sure: I'll never see what the big attraction is about being in front of the camera!

That's Sharon on the left, conferring with our Final Cut-certified videographer Brenda Manookin. They're either going over the shooting script or the lunch menu, can't remember which!
It's hard to convey just how much work goes into a production like this. I have a huge amount of respect for Brenda and her skills; video production, especially at this level, is such a mystery to me.

But I was really impressed to see that the cameras she was using were Canon 7Ds -- the same camera I use! Of course, they were connected to some pretty sophisticated sound equipment, but great image quality is what we both want in the studio, and these let Brenda shoot at a full 1080p.
I have always loved doing lighting workshops, and over the years have done hundreds of them. I really want photographers to get to know the studio and how creatively fulfilling studio portraiture can be, but I also want to dispel some of the mystery that makes it a little intimidating. It's a fun and accessible skill that I hope this video will convey!

What have you been working on? I hope you've been having as much fun as I have (yes, as nerve-wracking as acting in the front of the camera can be, I had a blast!)

Anything to share? Doesn't even have to be 1080p!
dhuttphoto@comcast.net


Later amigos!

The Girl With The Red-Striped Hair ~

Sometimes, maybe when the planets line up just right, I get the chance to shoot a portrait session with no agenda in mind. Not a business portrait, not a magazine shoot, not a modeling portfolio; just an "anything goes" hour or two. Such was the case last week with my dear friend and favorite model Tiana.

Actually, Tiana wanted me to get some shots of her while she had this fantastic red coloring in her hair, and I was more than happy to oblige. I'm drawn to distinctive looks like this and the challenge to capture the essence of the person in front of the camera without resorting to kitsch or formula.

More than any other kind of photography, I enjoy making portraits, especially in the studio. What I like in particular is the interaction with the sitter, and when I teach my lighting and posing workshops I like to stress the intimate quality of a really successful portrait.

A portrait, then, is something more than just a picture of a person. The photographer and the viewer invest a part of themselves in the image; when this is successfully done, the portrait becomes a work of fine art that can stand on its own, and will be a powerful and moving image. Think of some of the finest portraits of Halsman or Karsh, or contemporaries like Mary Ellen Mark or Steve McCurry.
That's the goal I strive for every time I'm in the studio; someday I may actually achieve it, but in the meantime I truly enjoy the journey forward. It's not about being, it's about doing.

I hope you may start seeing portraits as a truly artistic form of personal expression, and make some again. And share! Nothing I'd love more than to see some here.

Right here:  dhuttphoto@comcast.net.      

Get busy.

Later amigos!

another day on the job ~

This is one of those rare but happy occasions when my core training business, teaching digital imaging in dental clinics and labs, intersects with my studio photography interests. I was invited to make portraits for the Clark County (Washington) Dental Association to use on their Members website. I've worked with dental professionals all around the country for several years now, and alway have fun with projects like this.

The set-up is pretty straight forward, and one that I sometimes set up for clinics to use for their own client portraits, something pretty common with the higher-end family and cosmetic practices. Good clinical intra-oral photos are a standard in any practice, but a really well made portrait that shows the beautiful results of cosmetic or restorative dentistry really sets a successful practice apart from others. There's real artistry in both endeavors.

Making a good head-and-shoulders portrait for business & web is a common project, but one that still needs your creative chops. When I teach studio lighting, I try to convey that it's an important fundamental, and the starting point from which to let your imagination take off.
Isn't that what it's all about?

I love people pictures! Send me some of yours to post?
You know where: dhuttphoto@comcast.net
Later amigos!

My photo in the Soft category ~

Ok, this is my thrown gauntlet to my studio partner

Whitney: my official submission in our current challenge, soft. You may recall how we have always given these obscure & abstract artistic challenges to each other as a way to stay fresh and try to see the world in unexpected ways. A couple months ago we opened up our friendly little competition to all of our friends and photographers who follow our respective blogs, and that particular topic was red.  This time around we want to see how we photographically interpret the concept of soft, and there are no limitations, constraints, or preconceptions to anyones individual interpretation. Other than it be a new image, made specifically for the challenge. And last night, after a meeting downtown, I was walking back to my car and was taken by this rainy, watery scene down in the inner SE of Portland. I call it "Waiting For Batman". Don't ask me why. Just somehow popped into my head when I was standing there in the rain. Taken with my iPhone 4S.

And speaking of meetings, here's a shot of my business partner Dave Carsten, caught in a somewhat pensive pose as we figure out details of the video we're working on. As some of you may know, my core business is a trainer & consultant in digital photography in the dental profession, and we're in the initial stages of our project. I'm thankful to be working with some top pro's in the field, up here in Portland and in California. But it should be fun!

Have a photo to share? (or video tips??)  dhuttphoto@comcast.net

later, amigos!

Get out there and shoot!

It's been a very eventful week, capped off by a surprise celebration of my 60th birthday! And ahead of that, I got to spend a couple days with one of my favorite photographers: my brother Jim. I just don't often take the time to get out of the studio and shoot outdoors, so when I do -- particularly in the company of a challenging photographer -- it's going to be a good time.

We didn't start out with any agenda other than to look at shapes and colors and textures, and make the best out of what we encountered. And to keep the cameras dry -- you gotta love shooting in Oregon in the winter!
The week prior to that I had the opportunity to try out something a little out of the ordinary: shoot with a Hasselblad V-series lens on my Canon 7D!

My friend Bryce Hoeper is an incredible photographer and a collector of all things film-based, so I borrowed his 80mm V lens and a Canon adapter. The focal length compared very closely to my Canon 85 f1.8, but of course required some old techniques -- remember stop-down metering?

But is was certainly fun to play with again and brought back a flood of wonderful old memories. It doesn't matter how much I shoot with my digital SLR, I will always have a soft spot for medium format. I probably should have cropped Tiana into a square just for old times sake! I want to do some more work with the Hassy lens, but even at a glance I was marveling at its clarity and tone. They were truly unique.

So go grab something old (like me?) and shoot something new!  And if you'd like to share it, you know where:   dhuttphoto@comcast.net

Later, amigos!

Alternative cameras ~

When I was sent this photo as a submission to the "soft" challenge, I was immediately struck by three things: one, it beautifully interprets the soft theme, two, it's an absolutely beautiful portrait by any standards, and three, it wasn't even done with a camera. Well, a conventional camera, anyway. Our friend Tori Bascue made this on her cellphone, in this case an Android Atrix 2 smartphone. It absolutely knocks me out, and shows how a creative and talented eye can turn something like a cellphone into a powerfully expressive tool.

So my post today is doing double-duty, talking about all these terrific images that have been sent to us as part of the soft challenge, and also a discussion about our smartphone cameras. Every photo on this post was made on one. These photos on the left are from big bro Jim Hutt, using his iPhone 3Gs.

This sunset is a wonderful image, no matter what kind of camera it came from. That it was made on a cellphone makes us appreciate all the more its potential for personal expression. And since we always have it with us, I think we'll see a whole new body of spontaneous, adventurous, exciting work.

I had uploaded this photo by Whitney on my last post, but really wanted to revisit it. She took it through her windshield on one of those rainy days we had a couple weeks ago, using her iPhone 4S; a little photoshop work, and a result that looks so much like a 19th century platinum print. By any measure, it's a beautiful photograph; haunting and brooding, evocative. Whitney likes the Ansel Adams quote:  Chance favors the prepared mind". The right light, a good eye, and a smartphone. Who'd have thought?

Lastly, here's a photo of my friend Ashley that I took just a couple weeks ago, a snapshot really. Unposed, unselfconscious, just a quick situation where I thought the light was good. I use the iPhone 4S too, and have a number of photography apps, although I find myself using one called "Pudding Camera" more often than not.

Someday, I might actually use my iPhone to make a phone call.

What are you using? What are your favorite photo apps? Hey, if you have your smartphone fired up, send 'em to me! You know where: dhuttphoto@comcast.net.


later, amigos!

Some SOFT samples...!

A few days back Whitney & I suggested a new photo challenge; the theme: soft. Here are some beautiful images that suggest some wonderful interpretations. This colorful photo of dancers (including my two nieces!) was taken by by sister Kitty. The warm, soft light silhouetting dancers in a classical pose is really lovely.

Whitney just sent me this photo, which I believe she took with her iPhone (and suggests to me a topic for my next post!). This is a really beautiful image, which evokes the etherial and haunting qualities of a 19th century platinum print. Definitely a soft image, but the result of a clear vision.

And what collection of photos designed around the concept of soft would be complete without a shot of a kitten? And particularly, one wrapped up in an Angel Soft tissue bag? It's cute, it's funny, it's a kitschy homage to the obvious; and that makes it delightfully successful!

Here's a shot I took this summer, a popular view of the Columbia River Gorge. I admit to being a mostly-studio shooter, but light of any kind intrigues me, none moreso than the fading pastels of late evening.
Where day meets night, where sea meets the shore, where light touches dark: really beautiful things happen at the edges.

What are you dreaming up? May we see?

dhuttphoto@comcast.net                toodles, amigos!

But SOFT! What light.....

.....through yonder window breaks? Ok, it's a cheezy Shakespeare reference, but one that's intended to introduce our newest photography challenge: soft. You recall a couple months back Whitney & I issued our "red" challenge, and now here's our new one. Soft. We're going to shoot -- and invite you to shoot -- images that in some way embody whatever you interpret that word to mean. You can be as literal, figurative, alliterative, fantastic, ironic or just plain weird as you like. There are no limits. Ready, set...go!

And this was a great day for me in another respect as well, as I enjoyed some time with my dear friend Sharon O'Keefe at iWitness Gallery. Sharon is the founder of the Northwest Center for Photography (www.pnwcp.com) and this beautiful photography gallery. The Center offers an incredible range of programs and workshops, including some Studio Lighting workshops that I conduct at our studio. My conversations with Sharon turn always and inevitably to what we love about photography, what (and who) inspires us, and what challenges us. 

iWitness Gallery is currently exhibiting the work of Portland photographer David Zaitz, wonderful and humorous works which remind me of the fun of photography. And that gets us back around to our newest challenge: a great way to remember that along with everything else -- the need to expand our horizons, to hone our technique, to learn new skills, even the need to earn a living -- we are committed to the proposition that we can also enjoy our craft.

So shoot and share! I look forward, as always, to seeing your creativity at work (and play!). 

Oh, and for the record,  "...it is the east, and Juliet is the sun"

You know where I am!  dhuttphoto@comcast.net.  

Toodles, amigos.

Happy New Year! ~

So let me start this post right out by apologizing for neglecting it for such a long time! The holidays are over, so I can't use that as an excuse any more. But I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season. And as this picture suggests, last night was a wonderful New Year's party thrown by my friend Laurie Excell and her husband Frank. For all of us, it's the highlight of the year! I mention this because Laurie's images literally leave me breathless, and inspire me to continually strive to be a better photographer.

So I sat down this morning, the first day of 2012, and started going through my own archives to look again at what makes me enjoy being a photographer, and post some work I've never shared here before. So much of the time I'm behind the camera doing lighting workshops in the studio, or teaching digital photography to my client dentists. I love doing all that very much, but I overlook some opportunities to just get out, look, and shoot. So that's going to be my New Year's resolution: do more, shoot more, look more, enjoy more. Plus: give credit to the photographers in my life who inspire me everyday.

Laurie, of course, is just wonderful; as a photographer, an artist, a person. She conducts workshops all around the world and is the Photo Equipment Advice Desk Guru for NAPP. We used to work together many years ago at Pro Photo Supply in Portland, and would often bring in photos to share with each other and critique. You can't imagine how much I miss that. I highly recommend you follow her blog: www.laurieexcell.com/blog.

My friend/mentor/studio partner Whitney Stevens is also a cherished source of inspiration. Her studio work -- portraits, maternity, boudoir, children -- is extraordinary; her lighting and posing is so fluid and immediate it can't help but take away your breath. And then, of course, the photography challenges she gives us: remember Red? When you give yourself and others a challenge to step outside your comfort zone to find new ways to see things and create images, you're going to be better at your craft.

And my brother Jim Hutt, a supremely talented photographer who supports his habit with a private practice in psychology -- although  those two things seem oddly, and happily, synergistic. Hardly a week goes by that I don't open up my email and see something new from him. His wanderings around the San Francisco bay area, near his home: the scenery, the people, the wildlife; all of them focus sharply in his eyes and camera, and make images that simply dance.
This will be another resolution: I will seek out the work of other photographers where ever I can, and take pleasure in sharing in the vision and energy of my many talented colleagues. I'm looking forward to keeping this one!
And as always, I welcome you to send me your own images to share here. Not to critique, not to analyze, not to judge; just to enjoy.

May 2012 be a year you find new, exciting, crazy, confusing, challenging, exciting, questioning, provoking, wistful, and beautiful images. And that they bring you joy.

toodles!       dhuttphoto@comcast.net

Inside the Portrait Studio ~

We had another terrific lighting and posing workshop at our studio earlier this week, again hosted by my friend Jordan Sleeth from Advance Camera. With six students and five hours, we have plenty of time to cover a lot of ground and get tons of hands-on experience. Courtney Stevens was our model for the evening, and she was just great -- and incredibly patient!

Working in the studio has always been the most fascinating aspect of photography to me. It boils photography down to its essence: pure light. What I really love doing is have the students put down their cameras for a few minutes and just look.

We watch as light and shadow do a little dance on our model's face, and create such a range of texture and shape, motion and emotion, that the seemingly simple act of making a portrait becomes something much more creative and intimate. Ultimately it is this that I want to impart more than anything else.

The Intimacy of a Portrait ~

I'm getting prepared to do a lighting workshop today at the studio, and this prompted me to reflect on the qualities we look for in a really fine portrait. What sets us apart from the garden-variety, ordinary, and every-day kind of photo? Did we nail the lighting? Are we building dynamic, interesting poses? It's all of this, but yet something more: we need to step over the barrier that exists between the photographer and the subject. We need to appreciate the inherent intimacy involved in creating the portrait, and that exploring this is what will allow the viewer to end up knowing more about that person than about the photographer. Simplicity and empathy are more effective tools than props and fast lenses to achieve something memorable; my goal is always to create the sort of image that through the years, people will always stop in their tracks to view it. I think this portrait that Whitney created recently is a wonderful example of that.

I took this portrait of my friend Monterey a few years ago, and have always loved the joy and spontaneity that she shares. These are what make a portrait truly timeless and beautiful, no matter who you are photographing or even what kind of camera equipment you have. Get close! Take your time! Listen, and observe. Every human on earth shines with a beauty that is there for you to find and reveal.

And share?  dhuttphoto@comcast.net 

If you'd like to see more images from Whitney's session, open this link to her blog:  http://blissstudio.net/blog/?p=3870 

Sauvie Island, late Fall

I thought I'd post some of the shots I took about a week ago out on Sauvie Island - probably autumn's last gasp around here. We took a couple of long hikes, and at times the trails were so covered over with fallen yellow leaves that we were literally slogging through them. And, so typically Oregon, just gray skies and lightly falling rain. I love this time of year!

The past couple months have been fun for me, as I've given myself some challenges to get out of the studio and just pick up the camera and start looking. Actually, seeing. I think it's been good exercise, and has helped to re-charge the creative batteries back in the studio, too. Plus, many of my friends have been sharing their photos with me here, and that's been a terrific joy for me.

I'm going to be continuing our discussion about looking at photographs, and how we go about presenting our work. This has been a wonderful, challenging direction this blog has taken, and I continue to look forward to your input. And your photos. Everything I read and see from you inspires the heck out of me, and makes me realize just how high the bar is out there for truly creative, beautiful photography.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Dave        dhuttphoto@comcast.net

For Discussion ~ How Do We Look At Photographs?

I brought this up on my last post, but really wanted to revisit this topic in greater detail. Are we cheating ourselves out of fully enjoying and appreciating photography? When we were using film and paper, everything had to be printed and we were used to the idea that we would visit galleries to see beautifully printed photos. That experience could be a very moving one, as photographers took great care in making and presenting their work.

I have always thought, as the son of an artist, that viewing any artwork - a painting, a sculpture, a photograph - was a most intimate experience, forged by the necessary connection between artist and viewer. The artifact we look at is directly from the artist's hand. Are we getting the same experience from a computer monitor?

As a photographer who has exhibited - and loves nothing more than to see photos exhibited - I think we're missing some intangible, but very real qualities that don't express well with a computer. Things like the texture of the paper, or the size of the image itself: is it on a grand scale that invites awe, or something small and delicate that draws the viewer inward? Art demands our attention, not just a fleeting glance.
Don't get me wrong, I shoot exclusively digital and am delighted at the potential for sharing images that it offers. These wonderful black & whites, recently made by my brother Jim Hutt, are a perfect example of that. But I'm hoping that we take time to develop our printing skills, taking advantage of the incredible media that's available to us, and taking the time to visit and encourage the galleries that are exhibiting photographs.
Your thoughts?  Mine do tend to ramble.....

We're Still Seeing Red ~

Here's a photo taken by my 13 - year old niece Becca with her mom's new Nikon. She's just discovering her interest in photography, and took our "seeing red" challenge quite to heart! I wasn't that much older than her when I first starting taking pictures with my dad's old rangefinder Yashica, so I'm excited to see her go at it!

Here's an image my sister calls simply "cool red wall", which she took while out shooting with my niece. This is what I love about photography, and about giving ourselves artistic projects that focus our attention to details we otherwise miss while going about our daily lives. Seeing art in the world around us is the ultimate human talent, and we don't always need a camera for that. But capturing it is sublime!

I love this old barn image that Becca took: the warm tone, the rough textures, and the old tree that's chewing up the roof. You have to wonder how many people go past this without ever seeing it. Becca, I hope you continue to use your eyes and your camera (or your mom's!) to photograph your world. It's inspiring for all of us who practice this craft!

Wholmer, redux

I posted this image by Will Wholmer a couple weeks ago, but that particular file was pretty low-res and just didn't do the shot justice. It's such an incredible photo that I wanted to see it here with the quality it deserves. I thought about it today as I drove under this beautiful bridge on my way to shoot some of the Oregon fall scenery on Sauvie Island ~ hopefully, some images to follow! But it also got me thinking about how we view photographs these days, and whether it's on a blog or Facebook, I just don't think the computer monitor gives us as good an experience as seeing the same image beautifully printed and properly displayed. I'd love to see this gorgeous photo of Will's up in a gallery someday. I'd pay to see it. So would you.

Red Round 3

We're still getting some interesting submissions for our "Red" challenge, and it's wonderful to see how creative people respond to artistic challenges. It's great to just get out and shoot, and for me, it's just as great to sit back and look at others' photos. Here's a couple from my big bro Jim.

He took these red-themed photos in Old Town Fort Collins, Colorado. Accompanying him was our 13-year old niece Becca, who is turning out to be  a wonderful photographer as well. We're going to see some of her photos here soon, I think! Jim, like me, is a Canon shooter, and these were taken with his 40D. I really love his style of shooting and printing, which makes me think he just has a lot of fun with it. The Joy of Photography shouldn't be only a book title, it should be the way we approach our craft very day.

And that got me to reminiscing about my earlier days working with digital photography! I took this shot way, way back when... with a Nikon 995. Remember those? They were sweet indeed. I took this shot of a flaming red Japanese maple in my front yard in Portland, and wondered how it might have held up after all this time...

I hope you're holding up well after all this time, too!  

D

Viewers' Choice!

Alright, this should be fun! Here's the Red photo that Whitney shot just yesterday ~ and I have to say, it's beautiful! I love having these self-imposed "assignments"; it really brings out the creative mojo that we sometimes miss in our day-to-day shooting. And we're leaving the voting up to our friends here in the blogosphere - - what do you think?

This one below is mine. I like it. I like Whitney's better.

And by all means, this light-hearted informal contest is not over. It never really is, because it's something to continually work on. And you guys out there: send something over! Not only do you get the benefit of exercising your creative muscle in the company of your fellow photographers, but there might -- just might -- be a coffee in it for you.  Can't tell me you can pass that up.....

Let me know which one you like the most!

RED Results!

I had a chance to get in to the studio a few days ago to spend some time composing a red-themed still life shot. It was a creative "shot in the arm", which is exactly what Whitney & I have in mind when we create these kinds of self-projects. In this image, I wanted to juxtapose a little bit of red with a starkly green background. I tried dozens of simple compositions and dozens of lighting options, but I kind of like this result best. I rarely do still lifes, but wanted to stretch myself a bit. Regardless, to me, the studio is the most fun, most challenging, most creative place on earth.

But sometimes, a delightful image is just hanging outside your door, waiting for you to open your eyes and see it. This fuschia is a case in point -- hanging from a basket just outside our back door, still looking beautiful in mid-October (you gotta love Oregon!). Sometimes I get so fixed on shooting in the studio that I don't always see the simply beautiful images all around me. This is diffused available light (again, Oregon!) captured using a Canon Macro lens, and interpreted using onOne software.
And I couldn't leave without adding a photo I took of my incredibly lovely nieces Becca and Katie. I was in Denver last week conducting a workshop and spent a day up in Loveland with my family.  The beautiful window light created an opportunity to make a simple and serene portrait. I hope Whitney notices the wall is red, too.

What have YOU been working on?  Whatever it is, I hope it's been something that has your creative juices flowing.  Just not on your computer, ok?

That's what coffee is for.  Later, amigos!     Dave