LUCIMA Podcast

Talking about gripes! Philosophical ones at least.

1. Heavy dependence upon technology

2. Some benefits come with technology

3. Staying current and how often do you update?

4. Using technology to keep things fresh

5. It's an incremental advantage/improvement that doesn't "rock my world"

What accounts for the different look of the new images created with Capture One as part of the workflow?

- Compounding of little adjustments with new tools (in conjunction with old tools).

- 10 parts vision, 1 part post-production

Improving my understanding of lighting:

- Natural light doesn't mean you have to be lazy

- Create 2-light setups in natural light environments

In this podcast, I delve a little deeper into Capture One and talk about the specific differences that comprise of the tangible visible difference that I asked about in the Facebook Workshop Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/185656974814125/) . Here are the notes:

- default sharpening

- default noise reduction

- "a bunch of little files"

- Capture One vs. Lightroom programming

- integrating C1 into my workflow

- hybridized system like Trillian/IM+ for chat

- C1 color wheel vs. curves

- C1 has more refined control over details. Lr is just a little "harsher" in its control over transitions of shadows/highlights.

- C1 is like Apple? Lr is like Android? Am I wrong?

- Stay tuned for Part 2.5!

This podcast is about my experience with Capture One. But in order to fully explain my experience and why I'm even looking at Capture One, I have to give you an account of my hardware/software up until this point. This means telling stories about my storage setup, specifically the OWC Helios Accelsior PCIe 480GB which serves as my scratch disk (https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Thunderbolt/PCIe_Chassis/Mercury_Helios_Accelsior_E2/Buy_Now). I talk about my raw/non-raw workflow and how I think about post-processing in general (linear vs. circular editing). Midway through the podcast I turn my attention to the specifics of Capture One and how I am integrating it into my own workflow. The conversation turns into an analysis on RAW and general post-processing workflow.

This is a podcast about how I think through questions and answers. A little "behind-the-scenes" look at how I think. If you're so inclined.

Question: Where did you learn about posing models or are you fortunate enough to have models that already know what looks good?

SD card failure update.

(Re) Examining a few assumptions in my workflow that I haven't looked at in years. Raw converters, Lightroom/Capture One, Photoshop, autofocus modes. Talking about adopting (other) new technologies.

As a small extension to our previous conversation(s) Art and Process talking about mental perspectives change day-to-day and how to ensure that it doesn't ruin your mojo.

In the context of shooting a couple tests in one day, I put the new Sony A7RII through the gauntlet and give you guys some very early feedback.

Oh and my Sony 32GB 94MB/s card corrupts during the shoot. Thus putting me behind the 8-ball and forcing me to get creative for the rest of the shoot.

Maybe I like that pressure? Blessing in disguise?

Check out (https://www.facebook.com/groups/185656974814125/) for the original post for this reaction.

Read this first before listening to the podcast: This was supposed to be a podcast. I recorded it and it sounds horrible. Therefore you’ll have to suffer through the written form of the podcast.

In the last podcast, I looked for some redeeming value to my perspective of “my pictures are not special”. This post is my final response to that perspective.

If you’re thinking, “But you came up with that perspective?” you are correct. Basically I’m talking to myself. What else is new?

This is also the written response to the podcast we had with Carey Hess and Dondee Quincena in the studio.

It’s also my reaction to Tabatha being embarrassed that her pictures might reveal too much about her and my contrasting opinion that mine say nothing about me.

And if it sounds like I’m talking to/about you, don’t take it personally. Honestly it’s mostly rhetorical (read: I’m talking to/about myself). You’ll understand when you listen to the followup podcast with all the examples I give. The podcast has already been recorded. I just have to edit out this written portion because like I said, I can’t stand the way it sounds.

/breathe

Imagine for a second that life has no meaning. Could you live with that?

In the golden age of self-adulation where everyone thinks everything they do has a paramount effect on the universe, where we overanalyze every action, where everyone wants their own reality TV show... What if I told you your life meant nothing. That nothing you do has any real consequence. That you'd be forgotten in 2 generations if not immediately after you'd passed. That you think too much. Too much of yourself. And too much of your work. Or maybe just too much. Period. That you ought to stop thinking. Stop wondering what other people will think. Or God forbid how many likes you'll get. Could you for then just shoot for yourself?

And for once (or at least since you first started) give yourself the freedom to shoot without consequence?

While it might seem like a pessimistic perspective to think that our lives and/or work amount to nothing, the idea that we might be nothing could liberate us from the fear of retribution that holds us back. Think back when you first started shooting. Were you ever afraid you wouldn’t get enough likes if you took a bad picture? Or that you'd lose followers if you posted something off-topic? Or that you wouldn’t gain as many followers if you posted less frequently? Nope. You just did what you wanted to do.

And you were happy.

Why? Because you weren’t governed by fear. And you hadn’t signed your life over to [insert favorite social media].

But fear isn’t “bad". It has its purposes. But in times of relative peace there is a lack of “real” fear. And in the absence of “real fear", people create “fake fear". Things that they obsess about but aren’t real. Like not having enough followers on social media.

Why? Because in times of relative peace, most people underachieve their potential. We get complacent with living comfortable lives. But deep down inside we believe that we were born for greater purpose to fulfill some destiny. In fact this is exactly how Stan Lee got rich and famous. Preying on people's desire for purpose and destiny. But unlike Marvel (and DC Comics) origin stories, people generally fail to find real purpose and destiny to our lives. Why? Because the things we come up with aren’t real.

Maybe we were wired for simpler purposes? Because historically, even without superpowers mankind’s purposes were simple. Food. Shelter. Water. Protect your family. Try not to die.

That was all the purpose we needed to lead a fulfilled life.

And so the greatest tragedy of the current generation of people is that we over assign value and meaning to things that don’t deserve such value or meaning. Like social media. Or creating pretty pictures.

So when I say “it means nothing” in reference to my pictures, it’s because it means nothing. It does not represent me. It is not the end all be all of statements about me. It is but a minutia in the grand scheme of things. I let it go and I move on.

But I'm not saying our lives are meaningless. I'm saying that the meaning we look for is generally artificial. Trying to find meaning in our pictures. Trying to find meaning in how people respond to our pictures on social media. It’s not real. It’s only real in our heads. But sadly it's negatively affecting the way we feel. We either think we're more important than we really are, or less important than we really are. Neither of which is accurate. The correct answer is it doesn't matter. We've assigned meaning to something that should not be assigned such value, merit and/worth. The value is in doing. The merit is in the act of creating. The worth is intrinsic. That worth exists outside of us and social media. And regardless, is probably overstated by us all.

I suppose what I'm against is false purpose. Kinda like false deities. We should all live with purpose. But living under the pretense of false purpose is pointless. The sooner we realize that the sooner we can do what will truly make us happy. And what would make us happy?

Shoot more. Think less.

Round 2! FIGHT! :)

Goddamnit, I just listened to this podcast and I can't remember a word of what I said. Either I didn't say anything important or I simply wasn't listening to myself. I wonder if I should be offended? Either for not saying something more memorable or for not paying attention. Thinking about this hurts my brain.

Well if I missed any references that I was supposed to document, let me know!

Gallery shows, art, process

Do the pictures tell the audience something about me that perhaps I'm not aware of or that the audience isn't aware of? Either obviously or subliminally?

Maybe nothing? But if push came to shove I might say it tells you that I'm highly left-brained. And that's why I don't see my work as "art"?

Honestly if you really want to know how I come up with these pictures, it's all in what I say (here) combined with what I do (there). Doesn't get any clearer.