Goodbye to 2012 - Looking Forward to 2013

So . . . as I prepare to say goodbye to 2012, I'm taking a few minutes to reflect on what an incredible year it was in so many ways.

January saw a trip to New Orleans for ImagingUSA; who knew Kirsten and I would find our rings in "The Big Easy"?

February marked the one year anniversary of surgery and a year of being cancer-free. I proposed to Kirsten and she said yes!

In March, my family and I celebrated my mother's 89th birthday. It was wonderful to have everyone together for dinner with her.

April opened another season at Target Field . . . love going to see the Twins, no matter what.

At the end of May, I said farewell to the students I'd been working with at Hill-Murray School. Some graduated and moved on to college while others would stay, but when Mr Sherman retired, it brought an end to 2 years of volunteering as a bw photography /  darkroom instructor (for now, anyway.)

June opened a new year of high school seniors through the studio. I just love working with you all throughout the summer!

Wedding bells rang at the American Swedish Institute in July. Kirsten and I exchanged vows on the 7th in front of an intimate gathering of family and our closest friends. We then moved on to a party at Republic in Minneapolis where we were joined by over 70 friends and family. We truly felt all of your love and support!

August marked a trip to Atlanta for the annual PPA Charities Board Meeting, along with a busy month photographing hs seniors before school began.

September opened with a Labor Day trip to Duluth, MN. We visited Kirsten's sister and her family, drove along the North Shore of Lake Superior for a day, then came back and celebrated my son Joseph's 21st birthday with his friends. (It's been a long time since I've been at a bar with 40+ college kids!) It was a great weekend.

The end of September and beginning of October was a bittersweet time as Mom lost her 8 year battle with cancer. There were lots of tears and laughs as we saw family and friends who came to pay their respects before we laid her to rest next to Dad.

November . . . Thanksgiving with a new twist as we celebrated with my family at my sisters' lake home, then headed west about 45 mins to do the same with Kirsten's family the next day. I love spending time with family. I also became involved with a BNI business networking group; I'm now connected to a wide range of talented professionals in a variety of fields.

Which brings us to December . . . We opened the month another year older for both Kirsten and myself (both of us have early  December birthdays.) We enjoyed Christmas with both of our families, missed my mother dearly, and began to look forward to the changes that 2013 will bring to our lives.

What will those changes be? If I told you that, it would spoil all the fun!

Stay tuned . . . 2013 promises to be busy, exciting and better than ever.

Happy New Year!

- David Grupa

Fun Facts and Thanksgiving Thoughts

Is Thanksgiving Day Just the Day Before Black Friday?

We have all been taught that the first Thanksgiving Day celebration occurred in 1621, when the Pilgrims sat down to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. It was their first here in the New World, and it was said to have been attended by 53 Pilgrims and 90 Native Americans and lasted three days!

While the 1621 events were probably not of a religious nature, the colonists of that day were accustomed to regularly celebrating "thanksgivings"— days of prayer thanking God for blessings such as a bountiful harvest, the end of a drought and other occurrences.

Years later, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed November 26, 1863 to be a national day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens". Since that time it has become the official beginning of the "holiday season" in the US.

Yet, the focus seems to have fallen from Thanksgiving Day and being thankful for what we have, to Black Friday. Getting up in the middle of the night or camping out days in advance has become as much a part of the weekend as the turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing. It has been said that "Only in America will people trample each other for sales, exactly one day after being thankful for they already have."

(I know, the post right before this one is a Black Friday special as well . . . I still have to make a living, ya know!) ;-)

So . . . let me offer a few options for giving thanks and being grateful:

• Consider volunteering. So many of us have talents for which we should be thankful; let's spread that wealth around and teach our kids that it's not always "all about me."
• Share things where you have extras. There are lots of places looking for warm clothing this time of year. The Minnesota Twins and Justin Morneau sponsor a coat drive in the Twin Cities; I'm sure there's something in your area as well.
• Donate items to a holiday toy drive. I always approached this as another opportunity to teach my kids about the importance of sharing and being thankful for what they do have instead of what they don't. They were responsible for setting aside a percentage of their allowance for a charitable purpose. We'd go shopping and choose items that would make great gifts for kids their age. (As a bonus, it clued me in to the things that they wanted for themselves; it made my Christmas shopping easier.)

Michael Symon, Cleveland restauranteur, chef and co-host of "The Chew" said about Thanksgiving Day "My restaurants are never opened on Thanksgiving; I want my staff to spend time with their family if they can. My feeling is, if I can't figure out how to make money the rest of the year so that my workers can enjoy the holidays, then I don't deserve to be an owner."

Before you gorge yourself with everything delicious this Thanksgiving Day afternoon look around your table and give thanks for the people with you, the food in front of you and the memories of those who are no longer with you. Don't forget to say a prayer of thanks for the blessings afforded you over the past 12 months.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

- David

(featured image: "The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth" (1914) By Jennie A. Brownscombe)

Yup . . . Even Olympic Photographers Have Bad Days.

Even though we're smack in the middle of senior portrait / wedding season, I can't help but think of the long hours being put in by the photographers covering the Olympic Games in London.

The poor guy in this video looks like he's running on caffeine as he attempts to figure out why he's not getting any images of the Japanese gymnast who just finished his routine. "Camera is on . . . battery shows full charge . . . oh yeah, here's the problem . . . "

A Website Targeted at Faux-tographers Who Steal Images of Photographers.

One of the things to love about Facebook is the variety of material you can find there. Photographers old and new can always pick up a tidbit here and there about ways to enhance their work, website and products.

Of course, Facebook doesn't come without a bit of drama from time to time. In the past few weeks there was a controversy over an Arkansas photographer who was enhancing her own website; not by using techniques found online, but by using the work of other photographers that yes, she found online. The friends of the victimized photog came to her defense, blowing up the FB page and phone of the "stealer" with comments and links exposing her deeds.

Born from this fiasco is a Tumblr site dedicated to exposing these thieves, appropriately named "Photo Stealers". It depends on readers to submit the names and websites of people who are using other photographers' work (and website text) as their own. Viewers can send a tip using the Submission Form. Hopefully, this will help put a stop to (okay, help somewhat curb) this illegal activity.

Thanks to FStoppers and PetaPixel for links and info contained here!

Most Days, I Really Don't Feel My Age.

Here's a funny story to end the week with a smile . . .

For the past 2 years, I've been volunteering at Hill-Murray School helping out in the black and white photography class. We're teaching basic skills as well as processing film and printing in the darkroom. Yes, in this digital age it's definitely "old school", but the kids are learning about lighting and exposure and how it correlates to the appearance of their final images.

Since we're also using older film cameras, I keep spare batteries in an old film canister in the desk drawer. Since I buy them in bulk and they don't come carded, it just keeps them all in one place.


So this week, a student comes in because her light meter wasn't working. After checking to make sure she had the camera turned on, etc., I decided to replace the battery. I took the canister out of my desk drawer, popped off the top and replaced the cell. As I handed it back to the student, she thanked me and then said "Wow. That's really cute -  I didn't know they made Tupperware containers that small!"


I guess I really am this old.


Have a great weekend!


- David

Happy 110th Birthday, Ansel Adams!

February 20th marks the anniversary of the birthday of legendary landscape photographer, Ansel Adams. Most everyone associated with photography as a profession or an art form has at least heard his name or seen his magnificent works.

Like many of us in the profession, Adams was bitten early in life. He first visited Yosemite National Park as an early teen; during the trip his father gave him a Kodak Brownie Box Camera. The next year, he revisited Yosemite on his own, this time with a better cameras and a tripod. That winter while working part-time for a San Francisco photo finisher, he learned to love the darkroom as well.

In the 1930s, Ansel Adams became a vocal supported of preserving the wilderness; his photographs and testimony before the US Congress played a vital role in designating the Sequoia and Kings Canyon areas as national parks.

"Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space. I know of no sculpture, painting or music that exceeds the compelling spiritual command of the soaring shape of granite cliff and dome, of patina of light on rock and forest, and of the thunder and whispering of the falling, flowing waters. At first the colossal aspect may dominate; then we perceive and respond to the delicate and persuasive complex of nature."

— Ansel Adams, The Portfolios Of Ansel Adams

His lasting legacy includes helping to elevate photography to an art comparable with painting and music, and equally capable of expressing emotion and beauty. As he reminded his students, "It is easy to take a photograph, but it is harder to make a masterpiece in photography than in any other art medium." (Wikipedia)

Today, on the 100th anniversary of the birth of this talented artist and photographer, each of us in the profession should pause for a moment and reflect on the beauty and importance of what we do and how Ansel Adams has been - even in a small way - an inspiration to so many photographers across the world.


- David Grupa

Resolve to Be Better to Your Clients in 2012

If you're one of the many professionals who are tired of seeing overworked images that make portrait look artificial, then you'll enjoy this video by Jesse Rosten. While it's a total spoof on the professional tool we all know and love, it makes a strong statement about how we view beauty in today's society.

More importantly, it should cause every professional photographer (and "faux-tographer", as well) to pause a minute and think about the amount of "editing" and post-production work we do on our images. Are we enhancing the beauty of our clients, or hiding it behind a myriad of actions and effects?


Make 2012 the year to be true to both your clients and your art.



Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Louis Daguerre 224th birthday marked by Google Doodle

A Google Doodle has been created to honor Louis Daguerre, who devised the daguerreotype, the first successful form of permanent photography.

The French physicist developed the process for transferring photographs onto silver-coated copper plates.  Photo: GOOGLE

The search engine's home page honors the French physicist, who developed the process for transferring photographs onto silver-coated copper plates.

In the mid-1820s, Daguerre was looking for a way to capture permanent images that he saw in his camera – a large box with a lens on one end that shined an image on a frosted sheet of glass at the other. But nailing the chemistry took a lot of work.

First, he invented the Diorama in 1822, which was used to showcase theatrical painting and lighting effects.

In 1826, fellow Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce took a photograph of a barn, but the process took an eight-hour exposure. Daguerre formed a partnership with Niépce, according to the Franklin Institute, and ten years later learned how to permanently reproduce the same image in only twenty minutes.

His discovery was made by an accident, according to the writer Robert Leggat, who said Daguerre put an exposed plate in a chemical cupboard in 1835 only to later find it have developed a latent image.

Daguerreotype photography was born. (The name, of course, refers to Daguerre himself.) Each unique photographic image was made on a silver-coated sheet of copper exposed to iodine, developed in heated mercury fumes, and fixed with salt water.

Using Daguerre's photography method, naturally-moving subjects needed to remain completely still because the long exposure would take several minutes to allow the slower process to be able to capture – and focus on – the image.

The new process was unveiled at the French Academy of Sciences in Paris in 1839.

It became the first commercially successful was of getting permanent images from a camera.

The Google Doodle, marking Daguerre's birthday of November 18, 1787, features a traditional image of an early family photograph with the heads of the figures in the image replaced with the letters that spell out Google.

Sources: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/google-doodle/8898339/Louis-Daguerre-224th-birthday-marked-by-Google-Doodle.html
http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2011/1118/Louis-Daguerre-photography-pioneer-honored-with-Google-doodle



 

When Was YOUR Last Time?

As if I don't already have enough on my plate, I was flipping though Facebook friends today and looking at their profile images and it got me thinking . . . 


We invest a lot of effort and energy (not to mention $$) into convincing our clients why they should use a professional photographer, but what about us?


How recent is your last family portrait? Do you actually have a large print displayed in your own home, or is that just something we show off on our studio walls to help convince clients it's something they* need?


Better yet, when was the last time you updated your own professional headshot? What's the image displayed on your Facebook profile? Are your clients viewing a quality photograph of yourself, or are they seeing something that doesn't accurately reflect your professional reputation?


Everyone knows another photographer that you can pick up the phone and call. Maybe it's time you plan a "play date" with that person and update each other's images. It not only improves your appearance, but puts you in the client's position and gives you an opportunity to see how someone else works!

A Great Day To Celebrate For So Many Good Reasons!

Every year on July 4th, Americans everywhere celebrate the birthday of our nation. We do it in many different ways, with picnics, parades and fireworks. There was always something deeply special about this day; from the time I was a little boy all through adulthood and watching my own boys celebrate. I love the excitement.

I'm also a lover of quotes, so today I've selected a few lines to share from various people in all walks of life who - in my eyes - have really shared what Independence Day is all about.

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism." ~ Erma Bombeck

However, we also raise our flags proudly and celebrate the brave men and women who, for the past 235 years, have stood in defense of this freedom. The sacrifices they have made - many giving the ultimate sacrifice - allow you and I to enjoy our days and live our lives without fear. We don't constantly have to look over our shoulders or worry about the oppression of radical governments. Life in this country is pretty darn awesome.

"How often we fail to realize our good fortune in living in a country where happiness is more than a lack of tragedy." ~ Paul Sweeney

And finally, I think back to a moment I shared with my sons during the 7th-inning-stretch of a ballgame. After we finished singing our traditional "1-2-3 strikes your out", the following verse of a familiar song played on the stadium speakers. My boys both stood and sang out loud, after which one said to me "Dad, I really like that song."

"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me." ~ Lee Greenwood

God Bless the USA!

- David Grupa

Who's Your Hero? Whose Hero Are You?

For as long as I can remember, I've always loved baseball. When I was little, my dad bought me a plastic bat and ball and we'd play in the backyard. We'd watch the Twins on our old black and white TV and root for Bob Allison, Camilo Pasqual, Tony Oliva and of course, Harmon Killebrew.

When I was 5, Dad took me to my very first Minnesota Twins game at the old Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington. I can still remember my excitement when I first heard the PA announcer's voice over the stadium speakers; "For the Twins, Number Three, Harmon Killebrew!"

At that time, the Twins would host an annual "Camera Day" promotion during which fans were allowed on the track surrounding the field while the players would walk around and pose for pictures. My dad and I went to one of these games one year; I must have been about 8 or 9 years old. Mom had loaded a roll of black and white film into a 35mm camera for me and after some brief instruction, Dad and I left for the stadium. We found our seats, then Dad sat in the stands and let me go onto the field to take pictures of the players. I found a spot in the right field corner and waited while the players made their way around the grass. As Harmon Killebrew approached, I re-checked all of my settings and practiced focusing so I'd be sure to get a great shot. Right about the time he got to my spot, a man from behind pushed in front of me with his kids to get them in a photo. I was panicked! As the players were walking away, I began to think I had missed my chance.

Suddenly, I heard a voice - Harmon Killebrew's - say "Sir, would you mind stepping to the side so the gentleman behind you can get a picture?" The man who was in front of me moved over and Harmon looked right at me and said "That's a pretty fancy camera you have, young man!" I replied softly "it's my mom's."

Harmon posed for me with his hands on his hips, smiled and said "She must trust you very much to let you use it!" I got my photograph and left the field feeling pretty special.

Years later, he'd share a similar magical moment with my own son while at Twinsfest. As we waited in the autograph line, he looked at Joseph (who was wearing his Twins cap with a Baseball Hall of Fame pin on it) and said ""That's a pretty neat pin you have on your cap! Have you been to the Hall of Fame?" Joseph told him that he hadn't, but that he and I were planning a trip there later in the year for Kirby Puckett's Induction.

Harmon looked at him and said "You're going to love it; it's a very special place. I hope I see you there." Needless to say, a few kind words made the entire day for a 9 year old boy (along with his dad!)

Harmon Killebrew died from esophageal cancer this past Tuesday, May 17th. Last night, the Minnesota Twins hosted a Memorial Service at Target Field. Former teammates, family and fans were in attendance to fondly remember the man whose nickname "Killer" contrasted his calm, gentle demeanor. From his welcoming smile to the autograph that has become known as one of the best in baseball, Harmon Killebrew was not only the face of the Twins organization, but an ambassador for baseball to fans all over. It was an awesome tribute to a man who meant so much to so many people over the past 51 years of Minnesota Twins baseball.

To me, it was a fond farewell to a man who earned his status as a childhood hero early, then proceeded to add to his Hall of Fame legacy as time went on.

Over the past week as tributes poured in from former teammates, opposing players, sportswriters and fans, I paused to think of how many lives this man touched over the years. And at times such as these, I always wonder what I will leave behind. What will be my legacy? What will those, whose lives I have had the opportunity to touch with my craft, remember about me?

What's your legacy? What have you done to make someone's day?

I don't want to wait to find these things out. I do have the power to affect these things, beginning today and every day until I leave this world.

Thanks for all of the great memories, Mr. Killebrew. You will be missed, but never forgotten.

- David Grupa

(Double-click any image to enlarge.)

How Do You Portray Your Business?

Let's start this week off with a smile. I was going through the "What the Duck" comics the other day when I ran across this one. It struck me as funny, because I feel the artist hit the nail on the head.

 

Maybe I just don't understand some people. As photographers, we get together at conventions to share ideas, get charged up and find inspiration to bring back to our studios. Yet, it seems that these gatherings also turn some people into Eeyore. (You remember, the eternally pessimistic donkey from Winnie the Pooh.) The conversations with these people can be depressing!

"Hey John, how have you been?"

"Terrible . . . business is down 30%; customers aren't willing to invest in quality portraits. The darn camera-mommies are ruining it for everyone!"

Ok, so perhaps we occasionally do this with other studio owners who also understand the plight. After all, we need to support each other. It's always easier to blame someone else than to admit our own shortcomings.

When it becomes a problem is when we take it outside of our own photographic community and have these conversations with clients. We project a negative image of not only our business, but ourselves as well. Who wants to do business with Eeyore? No one.

Photographic artist and lecturer Monica Sigmon gives a great example during her program. She talks about a local Chevy dealer and his attitude (during what has been a devastating economy for the automotive industry.) Running into him in a local restaurant, she asked him the same question. "Hey John, how have you been?"

It was his reply that surprised her. "I'm great, Monica! Business has never been better; people are really pulling out of this slump and buying new vehicles. Last week was awesome!"  Needing some service on her own vehicle, she brought it into the dealership and while making small talk with one of the salespeople, she mentioned her conversation with the owner. The salesman looked at her with a somewhat surprised look on his face, wondering aloud if she had spoken with the right person.

The point here is that had the owner of the business painted a bleak picture, he may have driven away any potential clients with his negativity. Instead, his upbeat attitude enticed Monica into bringing her vehicle in for needed service.

Who wants to do business with Eeyore? No one.

We all talk about photography being what we love. We don't make anyone or anything we truly love the subject of complaints and negativity. This should be the case when talking about our profession and businesses as well.

Smile when you talk about your business!

- David Grupa

(Enjoy "What the Duck"? See more of Aaron Johnson's work at www.WhatTheDuck.net)

College Credits for a Class on Cell Phone Photography?

Since shortly after the birth of film and cameras, schools and Universities across the world have offered classes in photography ranging from technical skills to artistic endeavors to just plain basic taking better pictures.

Just about everyone has a camera on their cell phone, so in addition to learning to take better pictures, students will also be taught to realize "the full gravity of what's at their fingertips and the power they can have," Immaculata University communications professor Sean Flannery said.

Working in tandem with professional photographer Hunter Martin, who teaches the more technical side of photography (lighting, composition, etc.) Flannery will deal with the ethical side of carrying a portable recording device in today's society. In addition to the artistic aspects, such subjects as privacy, voyeurism and appropriate usage of images in social media outlets will be discussed.

"I think it's part of our responsibility . . . to teach kids how to use this tool," he said. "It's really no different from teaching proper use of a videocamera in a broadcast news class."

Courses in cell phone photography are not unique; NYU has offered a cell phone video class each fall for the past 2 years. University officials at Immaculata believe theirs differs in its role of addressing the associated ethical aspects.

Flannery and Martin plan a campus art show in April to exhibit the students' cell phone photos.

A private Catholic university that serves about 1,000 full-time undergraduate students, Immaculata is about 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

- David Grupa

Mame-Cam; Novelty Gadget or End of Excuses For Not Having a Camera With You?

So I'm prowling through a few of the online photo areas which I frequent and came across this item from Japanese USB item-manufacturer Thanko.

The Mame-Cam can capture both still and video images while weighing in at only 11 grams. Silly? Perhaps . . . but with a point of usefulness. While it's hardly a full-featured DLSR, you can still capture video in 640×480 resolution, pictures in 1600×1200 and records audio in mono quality.

Currently, it's only available in Japan. However, if you want one badly enough, you can get one from GeekStuff4U for under $200.