Photo Education
From the Archives – Sea Kayaking in Pacific Rim National Park
As I suited up, I was beginning to wonder if my camera was going to survive. The winds were easily blowing 40-50 knots, and torrential rain was coming down sideways. It was wet–REALLY wet–and in all honesty I had never shot in such extreme conditions. After all how well could a 2 gallon ziplock bag, jimmy-rigged with half a roll of duct tape really protect thousands of dollars worth of gear? It was early October in Pacific Rim National Park near Tofino, British Columbia, and the first storm of the season was bearing down.
On the inside I was elated. Extreme conditions were exactly what I was after since we were shooting sea kayaking related images for Sealline, whose products are designed to keep gear dry in less-than-ideal conditions. It’s these challenging shoots, when I don’t know the outcome, that are most rewarding . . . kind of like climbing a mountain for the first time. At the time you wonder why you are subjecting yourself to such challenges but in the end, the discoveries along the way and feelings of accomplishment when you get home make it all worth while.
Lessons Learned: Embrace challenges and don’t be afraid to improvise. In the end my camera survived, proving a little ingenuity and the right frame of mind go a long way in creating images. By using the wind to my advantage, I was able to almost fully protect my gear on the leeward side of my body allowing me to photograph my subjects as the weather impacted them and their gear.
What Matters Now – Insight from 70 Big Thinkers
I am a huge fan of Seth Godin, a forward-thinking, best-selling author and self proclaimed “agent of change”. His daily blog is extremely thought provoking, and I cannot recommend his books enough, especially Tribes, The Dip, and Small is the New Big. This week Seth announced a free e-book he organized with wisdom from over 70 big thinkers. It’s truly insightful, and I recommend it for all who are inspired by a different way of thinking. Check it out (download here). It’s free, inspiring and well worth reading. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
Adventure Photography by Michael Clark
I recently found out my good friend Michael Clark’s new book Adventure Photography is now available through Amazon. As a small contributor to the book and a close friend of Michael’s, I had the privilege of getting a sneak peak at the book. It is packed full of information on shooting a variety of adventure sports and life as a freelance photographer. In addition it showcases loads of Michael’s award winning images making it ideal for both aspiring photographers or anyone with a passion for adventure sports.
Here is the book description from the publisher, Lark Books:
This beautifully produced guide by Michael Clark is the newest entry in the Digital Masters series, as well as the first book on a fast-growing photographic genre: shooting today’s popular extreme outdoor sports, from mountain biking and ice climbing to surfing, kayaking, and more.
Clark is one of the world’s most respected adventure photographers, and he offers sage advice—gained from years of hard-earned experience—on equipment, techniques, and the specific skills required to get in on the action. Learn to capture fast-moving subjects and deal with harsh conditions and horrible weather—even when you’re hanging from ropes and riggings in a squall. Of special interest is the Portraiture and Lifestyle chapter, which covers increasingly in-demand techniques.
The book can be ordered through Amazon here.
From the Archives – Sailing the Beagle Channel
When I first laid eyes on the S/V Victory I was in love. She was one of the coolest, pirates-of-the-carribean lookin’ wooden schooners I had ever laid eyes on, and she would be my home for the next few days. Having never spent the night on a sail boat I was very much looking forward to adventure ahead. Immediately upon seeing her for the first time I new somehow I had to convince the captain to let me climb the mast to capture some unique angles.
Forty-five feet up I began to wonder if I had made a mistake. The gentle rocking of the boat seemed mild on the deck, and I was a climber. How hard could it be? My lack of sailing experience hadn’t accounted for the fact that the motion would be amplified ten fold this high on the shrouds. Hanging on as I whipped back and forth, I looked down feeling less and less confident that the 350 lb deck hand I nicknamed “Tiny” and his pseudo hip belay would hold tight should I fall. I replayed the conversation I had with the captain 30 minutes prior. “Climb at your own risk but be forewarned if you fall into the water you’ll likely die of hypothermia before I can drop sail and get back to you.” Gotta love Chile. In the US with that kind of risk I’d be lucky to convince the captain to let me stand on deck.
Two months prior to this, a random e-mail appeared in my inbox asking if I would be interested in covering the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race at the southern tip of South America. The S/V Victory was our means of transportation to a remote checkpoint along the Beagle Channel during the race. It was there the teams would exit the longest trekking section of the race in which they traversed a portion of the seldom visited Darwin Range. When I said “yes” to the assignment, I had no idea of the adventure that would ensue. Like the other journalist covering the race, I assumed my primary role was capturing the racers and their adventures, not having my own like sailing on the Beagle Channel. I guess that is probably one of my favorite things about life as a freelancer photographer: the constant unknown of what lies ahead.
Lessons Learned: Always trust your gut feeling about a particular situation no matter what obstacles you face. Immediately upon seeing the S/V Victory I knew I wanted to capture some unique angles of the adventure at hand. In addition to climbing the shrouds, I convinced the captain to let me crawl out on the bowsprit, and photograph the S/V Victory from it’s onboard zodiac. In the end, intuition served me well. Not only was I able to capture some great images but I ended up licensing one of the photos created to Patagonia for use in their 2008 global holiday catalogue and website.
Graphic Design for Photographers – Part 1, The Logo
As I mentioned in my last post, I recently hired Brian Hoff, a freelance graphic designer, to help me refresh the look and feel of Mike Tittel Photography. Up until now I had done all of my design work myself, and, like many photographers, I believed I was qualified since I was a “creative” myself. I realize now the wrongness of my assumption! Brian has taught me so much about good design and opened my eyes to a new way of looking at things. His vision has been so beneficial that it inspired me to share some insight I gained from working with a professional. (And give you a sneak peak at the new logo.)
Before I hired Brian I felt my website looked a bit dated and needed some refreshing. I envisioned a cleaner and more contemporary look. The new logo had to fit well with how I viewed myself as a photographer, as well as the direction I hope to head in. That’s where Brian came in. In addition to discussing these things with him, I also filled out a questionnaire on his website which you can see here. He used my responses as inspiration and got to work.
After a fair bit of bouncing ideas back and forth I chose the following logo, which in the end, turned out to be the very first concept Brian provided.
Although we are still implementing the logo into other projects (more posts on that later) I have already learned a ton of valuable lessons.
First, the font can say a lot. For the base of my new logo we used a font called Knockout by H&FJ font foundry. Brian chose this font based on it’s weight and thickness which play nicely with the adventure and action sports I photograph. It also has an extreme feel which I believe makes it more memorable. After deciding on the font, Brian modified the “M” by creating an implied, yet contemporary-looking camera to give further insight into what it is I do. This subtle element was critical to my logo since I decided to drop the “Photography” that previously had followed my name from my main website. The emphasis now is more on my name. Since most photographers are recognized by their names, my new logo helps make “Mike Tittel” more clear, while still subtly implying the “Photography.” Being this calculated in my logo design was a huge change for me. In the past I simply chose a font that looked pretty.
Second, tone down the color. Logos are a lot like good photographs . . . sometimes less is more. This is especially true when it comes to colors. To bring a modern, fresh feel to my new logo Brian very selectively used a new toned-down burnt orange, replaced the old black background with a lighter, slate grey and introduced white into my new color scheme. Very slick, if you ask me.
Third, versatility is key. As Brian says, a good logo should be extremely flexible. It should look good and remain readable at various sizes and work as well in black and white as it does in color. You should also be able to use it both horizontally and vertically. Again, this was another big change. I had never given the versatility of my logo any real thought before working with Brian.
Finally, a good designer provides more than what you thought you needed. Brian’s professional guidance has encouraged me to think about things I would have never considered. For example – the favicon. It’s small, simple and nice way to add a little something extra, and make my website that much more memorable. Furthermore Brian has provided every possible variation and coloring of my logo. Moving forward I am covered no matter what need may arise.
My refreshed website and the new blog should launch around the end of the month. When it’s live I’ll put up another post with the considerations that went into each of those projects as well. In the meantime pay a visit to Brian’s website, The Design Cubicle. It is an amazing resource for information on graphic design and inspiration. Check it out, and tell him I sent you.
**Update – October 5** Brian just posted his own write up on the design process for my logo from his perspective. Check out the article on his blog here.
Mike Tittel Photography
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