Making a Photo Series: Easier Than it Seems

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how much a photo series can say! The combination of three or more photos, I believe, composes a series. It can be an accumulation of photos over a long period of time with a similarity such as a common theme/meaning, a photo-journal of a certain time period, such as a vacation, with common visual aspects (like composition or colour), a collection of prints of the same subject from different perspectives, and much more- basically, the possible themes/ideas dictating a photo series are limitless.

If the unlimited world of possibilities doesn't compel you to begin a photo series of your own, the fact that minimal effort can be required to do so should certainly be a motivator. When you are out and about, it's just not convenient to bring your camera everywhere or take photos all the time. Taking one or two photos per day during your travels, dates, or social outings can be a lot easier than trying to catch every potentially great shot: that's why you may want to keep a certain idea or theme in mind wherever you go. Keeping in line with a theme can generate a great series of photos, portraying change, adventure, growth and/or the passage of time. Plus, they're totally fun to look through later, once you've put them together.

You can arrange your work in consecutive order of time, by place or depending on the mood the photos portray; play around and see what works best for a particular series/journal, keeping in mind, again, that there really are no limits or rules. Enjoy yourself!

Here is a series of photos I've put together of my boyfriend, Ado, during our outings and travels over the past few years. Pardon the varying quality of photos, since they weren't all taken with the same camera (I used whatever I had at hand). Nonetheless, I hope people are able to appreciate the idea and cohesion behind the series.

Brussels, Belgium

Cascais, Portugal

Antwerp, Belgium

Sofia, Bulgaria

Porto, Portugal

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Barcelona, Spain

... And here's one of us together in Brussels because DAMN IT I WAS THERE TOO

That "Crooked Chic" Look

For a long time, I was getting frustrated with how much trouble I was having getting a straight shot. I later discovered that Picassa has a great feature that straightens photos, one of the few modifications even a photo-edit-minimalist like myself would be ok with. So I used it. A lot.

Then, one day when I had nothing better to do (good old college days), I began looking through some old photos and stumbled on to some crooked shots I forgot to straighten. Much to my surprise, I really liked them!

Take a look at how the slant of this photo conveys movement.

One of my favourite photos: it's much less eye-catching when straightened.

Sometimes, you will find that leaving your photos for a while before editing them allows you to become emotionally detached and, therefore, more rational when looking at them later. This really helps because, while we tend to be very self-critical, when we distance ourselves from our work- looking at it as though we are looking at someone else's work- we are less eager to find flaws, thus better equipped to judge it. Now, our mistakes aren't as obvious or bothersome as we previously thought, and our flaws as photographers are what make us unique.

Unintentionally crooked photos have sort of become my thing since I've realized that it can actually look better sometimes (sorry, OCD people). Not only does it look like the subjects/objects in the photo are "coming at you", but it give the photos a unique perspective and, sometimes, even the illusion of movement. I highly recommend not straightening all your photos, embrace the imperfections. 

This is an example of the "coming at you" look I was talking about.

Structural/Shape Repetition in Photos: a Treat for the Eyes

Structural repetition can be beautiful because it not only draws the eye in, directing us to the focal point, but it can also creates the illusion of distance.

Continuous shape-based patterns get smaller the further they are, really emphasizing the spacial differences between point close by and afar. This is the underlying reason such phenomenons in photos are so visually appealing; we observe the "start" (closer end), "end" (farthest distinguishable point from the camera) and the focal point in less than a second of viewing it. This is almost a relief for our eyes, as it requires no struggling (ie. squinting) to find all the important elements, as opposed to other "busy" photos.

Many shots with multiple elements and a large viewing range may give us a headache as we visually pick through all the different aesthetic elements, looking for some sort of que to aid in our comprehension of the "big picture". Structural repetition patterns, however, are easy on the eyes- and whether you are a fan of this type of photography or not (I personally am not), you have to admit that it's pleasing to look at!

About Me

My name is Maša, and I’ve been an alcoholic for four yea--  I’m totally kidding, I do film photography with a Kiev A4 camera.  

I'm not usually the selfie type, but . And yes, unfortunately I always make that face when taking photos.

I’ve been photographing artistically for about four years now, during which time I’ve lived in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (my place of origin), Sofia, Bulgaria and now Vancouver, Canada (again).

I believe in photography as an honest, creative means of artistic expression, and I don’t believe in Photoshop. Any modification that doesn't reflect reality or can't be done in a dark room is a no-go for me: I stick with minimal to no photo modification.

Anyhow, as a result of my nomadic nature, I'd like to think I have good friends all over the world. Also, I have an awesome boyfriend and a disturbingly cute pug named Popeye: they are my biggest muses.

My boys!

This is my first blog, so pardon the simplicity. As all the photos used in this blog are my own (except for the ones used as visual aids for the historical article about my camera), I would really appreciate being asked permission if you would like to use them. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy everything this blog has to offer, and I welcome any comments and suggestions. Thanks for reading!

Street Art in Subject-Background Interaction

Be it a strikingly controversial picture or a unique cultural peisage, it is always really enjoyable to stumble upon well-done street art. Passing by as someone is hanging around it can be even better.

Graffiti (or Street Art, if we are being politically correct) has such a strong impact not only on its place of illustration, but on the photographs taken of it. Graffiti has the power to make people in such photos look like they are part of it art itself, causing the subject and the background to melt into one artistic canvas.

One of my personal favourites is culturally symbolic art, adding originality to the photographic end result.

Girl walking by and not paying attention to graffiti that says: "Try not to forget." in Portugal.

In addition, it's always fun to find a common theme in some of these street art inspired subject-background interactions. My theme in Istanbul, for example, was eyes because it felt like they were everywhere.

This panda looks like he is about to mug this girl, and I love how this adds personality to the shot.

Here's the thing about graffiti: it is unique and makes for great composition, but has a short lifespan. The next time I returned to Istanbul, every single piece photographed above was gone. That's why it's rewarding to capture it, for both the photographer and the street artist (as this prolongs the life of their art and its message). 

Photographs of people with street art backgrounds combine to create so much flair and originality by: 

a) being photographs: in themselves capturing a unique moment,

b) having original street art pieces in them, that mark a certain time (because they are short-lived), thought and/or comment on society, and

c) capturing a person interacting with the street art in such a way that may never be repeated again.

All these elements combine to create one-of-a-kind photographic treasure!

Finding the Beauty Within the Mundane: An Eye for Detail

Sure, not everyone has a great “canvas” to work with, but part of being a photographer is making the best of your surroundings... And the other part is having an eye for detail; finding the beauty in the ugly or mundane. 

It’s always useful to keep a lookout for small details that make an interesting photo, whether it’s composition, texture,  an abstract setting, colour, or something else.

Look around, and you may notice something unique, like a rainbow crossing your path.

Some of my favourite "ugly" things to photograph are old, run-down buildings. Not only are they hauntingly beautiful in and of themselves, but they can have interesting graffiti or other new elements on them, telling a story of change or progression.

This building is so majestic, standing tall- if it wasn't for the broken glass at the top, you would almost think that it's still inhabited (and by a king, no less)!

A closed-down bazaar in Istanbul.

 Nature is always inspiring (and this is coming from someone who isn't the outdoorsy type)! Trees may have the largest number of different angles to photograph, and they make for great composition most of the time. Water, too, whether it's an ocean, lake, or just a puddle, makes great photos- especially when reflections are involved. Use these to your advantage!

Trees swooping down to make some great shapes at this festival.

A simple detail like colour repetition can make an astounding shot.

Always remember to look up or down! There could be some small, visually-appealing aspect you are missing out on by only looking straight ahead.

It's good to remember that making certain photos black and white makes all the difference, too. It can get rid of visually distracting elements (such as extremely bright colours) in the background, help emphasize the focal point, and is a valuable tool for adjusting composition while cropping or learning how much to up the contrast in a photo. 

Playing around with all these tricks can be fun, and help you see those boring, same-old places in a new light through your photos.

Four Key Points to Keep in Mind When Photographing Still Life and/or Nature

When photographing still life and/or nature, there are several different elements that can make the photo intriguing.  In the moment, most people just point and shoot at something that catches their eye for whatever reason, be it a serving of food or a glowing sunset. However, knowing what makes these types of shots intriguing; what to look for when aiming to take still life/nature photos, can make all the difference in your work.  So, what should you keep in mind?

Texture! This applies especially when you are photographing landscapes like terrain or ocean, or materials like wood and rusty metal. You want something that will pop; both figuratively, as in grabbing your attention, and literally looking like it is 3-dimensional, coming at you in such a way that you can almost feel it by touching the photo. The more different textures, the better. This works for abstract photographic styles, too, since not being able to distinguish quite what the textures are makes pictures that much more fascinating. Plus, texture looks great in black and white photos!

Perfect Symmetry OR clear deliberate asymmetry. Either your focal point is flawlessly centered, drawing the eye in, or it is off-center following the rule of thirds (and evidently that way because you wanted it to be; not looking like an error in judgement). The rule of thirds doesn’t mean that the whole object/landscape must fit the photo, or that it must be exactly at the 1/3^rd or 2/3^rd line, but it require the composition be considered when making (or later cropping) the shot.

If you must be that person that tweets all their meals, at least consider the composition. #StopBeingADouche 

Perspective. Your point-of-view matters more than you know. Catching something at an odd or uncommon angle makes the photo that much more visually attractive to the viewer. Think “From what angle have I never seen this?” or “Which angle could possibly make this object unrecognizable?”. There’s definitely a fun element in these types of projects, and it’s great if you are in a creative rut- doing something that hasn’t already been done to death may just be what you need to get your creative juices flowing!

Note how the worm's-eye-view angle makes this photo more unique.

This is a monument honoring the fallen of the second World War in Sarajevo.
This angle is great at demonstrating the graffiti on the side, to show irony.

Shadows. Playing around with light and shadows is a great way to create the illusion of depth, which brings another element to the story your photograph is telling. Shadows have the ability to distort and misshape, or to enhance and emphasize the features of your focal object in such a way that it can look like anything; from far away to close, tiny to large, life-like to 2-dimensional. If you don't know where to start: outdoor statues or monuments make great subjects for experimenting with shadows. 

The Kiev 4A: A Brief History and an Introduction

After the end of WWII, the USSR seized the Contax tools and the Zeiss factories in Germany as part of the war reparations. They took the tools and all left over parts, along with a bunch of the German engineers, and transferred them to Kiev, Ukraine. There, the Contax\Zeiss cameras went through a few minor modifications to become the Kiev III and, eventually, the Kiev 4. The Kiev 4 comes in the regular 4 (has a light meter)and the 4A (no light meter).

Check out these stats for the Kiev 4A basics:

Camera Name	Kiev 4A
Manufacturer	Kiev
Place of Manufacture	USSR
Date of Manufacture	1958-1980 (my serial # seems to indicate that it was made in 1977)
Focusing System	Coupled rangefinder (90mm base length; coincident image) 1.0x magnification factor Viewfinder shows 50mm frame of view. Zilch eye relief.
Lens Mount	Zeiss Contax RF bayonet compatible Standard lenses: 52mm f/2 Jupiter-8
Shutter	Vertical slat focal plane shutter 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000 of a second and "B". Self-timer
Metering System	None
Flash	External cold shoe PC cable connector on left side 1/25 sec X flash sync
Film type	Type 135 film (35mm standard)
Battery type	none
Dimensions and weight	Body: 150mm x 79mm x 45mm, 560g Body+lens: xx x x x xx mm, xx g (w/ 50mm f/2)

These cameras usually come looking like this, though they can be customized by changing the skin or painting them (shown below).

The sharpness of the basic 35mm, 50mm and 85mm lenses is well established, plus Kievs come with these awesome leather cases (part of which stay on the camera with the attached leather straps, so you feel bad-ass).

This is how you focus on a Kiev.

These cameras even have timers which, based on the effort it takes to get your subject in focus, I find pretty lolzy.

To finish, here are some known quirks of the Kiev 4A model. Firstly, don’t adjust the shutter speed without first winding the camera! When changing to a slower shutter speed, rotate counter-clockwise. This will energize the slow-shutter speed mechanism (you’ll fell it when you move from 1/60 to 1/15 and slower). For B and 1/30 sec (which is the unmarked X-sync speed), rotate clockwise.

In addition, the irregular distance between the individual frames, thought relatively harmless, seems to be another kink.

The final quirk of a Kiev is one I have grown quite fond of; from time to time, these cameras have their dysfunctional moments... It's difficult to explain what exactly that means, but suffice to say that it can produce these odd, once-in-a-lifetime mystifying photos. It's part of the magic of analog photography. 

This is an example of the "magic" I'm referring to. Though it may seem like the back cover of the camera wasn't put on properly, causing some light to leak through the bottom of the film, this possibility is eliminated due to the other photographs in the set looking normal. How could light have leaked into only one shot? The really interesting part, though, is that it looks like the people in the photo are reacting to the light (the woman on the left seems to be shielding her eyes, and the couple on the right seems to be looking towards it), but there was nothing actually there at the time I took the photo... Magic. :-) 

If you are really interested in learning to use a Kiev 4a, please check out this Users Manual at DVDTECHCAMERAS.COM that someone has so graciously taken the time to translate into English, bless their hearts. Original illustrations included! Link below.

http://www.dvdtechcameras.com/manuals/cameras/k4/k4.htm