Wrapping up photography for the year.

Wrapping up photography for the year.

It's the end of another year and things have gone quite well. Not really sure if I should brag, boast or be humbled by all that has happened. Maybe it's all three and more but I truly had a good time shooting photos this year.  Been to several events, met some new people and learned more. With photography if you don't learn something or try something new, did you fail? I got out of my comfort zone , stepped into a new comfort zone, loved it!

The change has been great, for example being at track side infield during a stock race. Being in turn three as a car spins out and heads right at you. Even going to a hill climb on a whim and being at the top to see motorcycles going 3.2 seconds in 110 feet. Whoa and the wooded areas during a motorcycle/atv hare scrambles, being inches away from being squashed.

Tri-City Speedway-Thanks Tammy and Kevin

The new people I have met, awesome people I tell you. Take Drew and the crew at Cahokia Creek Dirt riders for letting me climb up at the hill and coming back for vintage bike day. The vintage bike day I met Bill, one of the coolest guys out there and  got me a spread in ARHMA.org magazine I think. Plus the CycleUSA magazine published a few shots and Chuck the man, fantastic read on the article.

Talked Tim from Belleville Honda into letting me get down in the infield for flatrack racing at Belle Clair, oh almost forgot then he crashed at the Springfield Mile while I was there shooting photos, thanks to IMDA for hosting.  Out of the city and to southern Illinois to check out Matt's track, nice and going through some growing pains but this will be worth it, will be heading back.  

Steve Nace KART racing

The craziest thing was going to see Steve at the Illinois fairgrounds for in KART racing, just blew my mind. Always my favorite place to go Splinter Creek, met quite a few new people, the staff are great there. So many riders/drivers I have met, two stick out the most for me, I'd like to think of them as the best thing to hit my lens. Met up with some photographers as well, Paul from up north doing up the FreeMotoPix.com comes to my mind. Gonna have to head north one day to see how he is doing.. Thanks to everyone that has let me photograph them at these events.

Springfield Mile 2013

Going to start the year off in a event that I can't pass up. The Speedway bikes racing on ice are my favorites and that how think I should do the year full throttle no brakes. Hmm, maybe I should try my luck at making a movie, kinda like On Any Sunday. Just wanted to wrap this blog up for the year and get ready for the next. Maybe I will see at track side and if so wave as you go by. Conclude, thanks for a great year and hello to a new year.

Print up some photos in a book but who should I have do it, Artisan State.

Print up some photos.

This year has been great for me, in a photography sense. I really like heading out to the new adventure scenario for photography. Most of the time it's the same stuff like a wedding, family photos or just hitting up the nature scene. This year I really pressed hard to get out  for something different, something my peers are not doing. So, let's go racing ! I headed to Tricity Speedway in Granite City, Splinter Creek in Fosterburg, Midwest Atv in Marion, Cahokia Creek in White City, Belle Clair in Belleville and one of the coolest places and race the Springfield Mile in Springfield. 

Over 600 photos at the Springfield Mile race, that is about normal for me at the races. Grabbed the Canon T70 and some expired color Kodak film as well, man did they turn out great. The colors of the riders, bikes and the dirt flying up in the air. After seeing these photos, someone posted on a common social media site about this company doing a little black book. I dare clack on the site in fear of being some bogus site, but I did.

Shayna Texter Racer 2013

Artisan State offered a "Little Black Book" for twenty bills and 16 cents, sound to good to be true, right. Well it was pretty good deal for me, twenty pages of mix digital and film shots of the race, the full page photo looks great, it's called a flush mount. Heavy, thick and colors are they way I sent them,  you say they didn't change any thing, that's correct. Imagine the person doing all of these racing photos for a company that specializes in wedding stuff, think they were scratching their head,ha.

Springfield Mile race 2013

The books are not really for a on the shelf sell type but more of a gift type of book. I gifted myself a really nice "Little Black Book". If your in market to do up some prints and want  a nice show piece or coffee accent, try them. Here is the link for you.

Artisanstate 

Editing tools for photography, more like a small lie.

Editing tools for photography, more like a small lie.

  These tools really improve your photos, no really they do. Well maybe they do and maybe they don't but still everyone uses them at one time or another. From the person who spends days on one photo or the person that spent ten minutes on cropping out something.  The abuse and the lack of when to edit is obvious when you see so much of these days. More or less the gist is what to use when editing photos, what do you use and why? In today's world of photos everyone is snapping photos and dumping them to the internets with out any concerns for others eyeballs.  Persons that does edit some of the photos prior to posting to the internet is  always trying to convey a difference from the original content of the photos taken. We all  want a better looking photo and the world deserves it, right. Take the phone photo of that hamburger and throw on some cross-process and vignette and bam the lie is there for all to see. If you look at a large corporations you don't see a lot the hipster-y stuff but instead more technical editing, a very large array of spectrum of editing out there. 

   What tools should you use? How do I pick the right tool/software? First go and look at at everything, magazines, advertisement on signs, billboards, menus and on and on. Get familiar with what looks good to you and what looks like something you want to avoid. From this point on you need more than one tool, go to a mechanics garage, see all of them freaking tools. They don't use only pliers for every job, or a hammer . Be a fact they are not only using many tools but many different brands. You are aware that many editors use a primary software but there is always another software. One may do vignette with a slider or a larger color wheel or different brushes  but each one has something you may need. Take a photo, edit in one software, then edit in another and try it another, results are similar but each adds another element to your edit. So, you need more than one tool. .

   Having  several tools/software programs is essential  and don't let some ass munch convince you that you need to spend hundreds of dollars just to edit. You should considered asking others on what software they use and if they only use one, avoid them. Most likely those people feel above others and are far superior, or to afraid break away from whatever trend they follow, example PS CS6 and Bamboo.  Those people feel the need be very pretentious and lack a lot but do love to over edit, with the rave of how great they are. That last sentence is very common in the photography arena but a tool is a tool, right. Ego plays a lot more to the editing process, than you may think. Ok, blah.

  Go for the  editing tools like Getpaint.net, Getgimp.com, Microsoft's photo manager, Picassa and Elements. Don't let people tell you these tools suck, they work great. I have had people tell me that these tools suck and it's always from someone that doesn't know how to use it. Software engineers have spent decades on creating these tools. So, the suck most likely comes from a user, whom really needs more of a status symbol versus good editing tools.  Go find the tools on the internet or go to store or wherever but you need several tools . Create at the magic lie for your photos, this maybe the only lie you can do, so do it well.

The tragedy you see in the news one day. Photographer gets trample to death by  flowers, a photographer took another photo of flowers and they uprooted and trample all over the photographer. Photographer dies from over saturation, while taking a photo of a rainbow a photographer stared into the rainbows color to long and gets saturated. Photographer gets paper cut from a photo when scrolling thru an internet album.

Lenspens cleans the lenses, gleaming glass

Lenspens cleans the lenses, gleaming glass

I was out and about in Belleville and did a quick stop at Creve Couer Camera. I wanted to get something to cleanse the ol' lens, if you know what I mean. Really after those two nights of stock car racing, it really needed it. I have in the past just used the micro clothe but there was always some residue. I grabbed a Lenspens and ran for the door, giggling away. 

Okay, I read the instructions and simple enough to use. Hold the lens firmly, dust with brush and begin to apply Lenspens all over in circle motion. For the tough spots try the HOT BREATHE trick, awesome result, quick breathe and then apply, bam gone, Ring ,ring the wife calls and ask me what I am doing. I tell her that I am busy with my hands going around in circular motion, she paused and became quiet. I then had to explain to her that no tissues will be used for the cleaning and everything is now a handy dandy Lenspens cleaned.

LensPen for the cleanest lens in town.

It does well, removed any debris and oil from the lens. Note caution though, the bristle do break off and can become lodge in the camera. I found this out by cleaning the mirror, one look through the view finder I see a bristle and freaked out. I eventually got the bristle out and the scare avoided.

Truly a need to have in the camera bag, clean right before a shoot or after. I say, yeah get you one, it can't be any worse damage to your lenses, if your like me on cleaning. I have used t-shirts, snot rags and anything clothy.

Link to their site: LensPen.

Basic essentials for Foreclosure Real Estate photography.

Basic essentials for Foreclosure Real Estate photography.

Some of the basic items for getting photos of foreclosed, REO and other real estate are a easily obtained at any store. Such as a camera, ink pen, some kind utility knife, batteries both rechargeable and not. You can get any of the items at just any store or when in a pinch at a gas station.

Cameras need not to be a DSLR but more of the better point and shoot type. The DSLR are to cumbersome and require extra care, you need some thing light and fast to grab. The DSLR also has a terrible time with battery life as well as the point and shoots but the point and shoots battery can be swapped out quicker. The point and shoot really needs a decent zoom, flash components and date and time stamp ability. Time stamp isn't always required but may be needed but the date is a must for photos.

Batteries for the point and shoot need to be the standard double A style, very common and can be purchased at just about any where. It doesn't make a different on brand, just due to the fact that the batteries eventually crap out. So, get some rechargeable ones and use those mainly but having an extra set of regular batteries for back up or in a pinch is always nice. I use a portable charger in my vehicle, on my way out, toss the rechargeable ones in and by the time you get to your destination they are ready to go.

Camera, Batteries, Pocket Knife, Ink Pen and Charger.

Other items I like to keep on myself are the pocket knife and inkpen. The pocket knife comes in handy for removing any ties or strings and some times plucking a lock open. The inkpen, well if you need to really know why, then maybe you shouldn't have one in your possession. Great for log in sheets or writing down a phone number or just letting someone borrow it.

Going into these types of home can be very dangerous, sometimes they are stash houses, squatters, unwanted animals but general empty and full of cobwebs. Any way watch your steps and be careful.

This is batman..........toys from previous occupants. 

Photographing Foreclosures

Photographing foreclosures can be a nightmare.

    Some asset manager sends you an email telling you that they have a new property and would like you to go and check it out. Normally the asset managers have little or no information to offer up, but most of the time they just are not willing to give information out. You head out to the property, given the info you have it's going to be a mystery.

Front Shot of house on stilts.

    You pull up to the property sweating in fear that some home owner is going to chase you off, luck be with you and it's vacant. Grab your keys and start heading for the door. Keys work and push the door open but before you go in you wait for the cock roaches finish falling and anything else that runs free. Stepping over the trash and adjusting to the stench,

Bedroom with dresser.

you start shooting, two shots of each room, the breaker, the furnace, and any damage. The whole time you creep through out the house hoping some one is not hiding in the house and the dead cat in the basement doesn't come alive and eat you.  You carry a three size D battery flashlight as if it's the best protection for you but most of the time there is really nothing in the house. Mean while you still need to get those photos done and you notice the is a barn, shed or some kind of out building you have to  check out as well. You get there and WTF there is a dead horse, dead dog, wasp and or it's full of junk and trash , I like it when it's an empty out building. 

Kitchen and trash.

  Some photos I have taken over the years have netted me a nice collection. One of the stranger things is the left items of people that did live at the property. You find some personel items  like family vaction photos, food, and the most odd stuff is always in the bathroom. The stuff people buy and do in a bathroom amazes me.  

Is this your bathroom

 Photos of the property needs to be what your asset manager thinks they need. Some basic photos are front, left, right, rear, mechanicals, address, trash in the house, at least two photos of each room, roof and street shots. This is only one part of the photos that you eventually will be getting, soon there will be trash out before and after photos, marketing photos and any repair that is going on. 

   Enjoy a few photos of some foreclosed properties, oh believe me these are the tamest ones I could post.

The Canon PowerShot SX160 IS review for Real Estate

 A quick review of the Canon SX160IS PowerShot camera.    
 One the most versatile cameras for Real Estate photography, it has all the needed options. Easy to handle, easy to store and meets the requirements of getting all of the shots. Simple to use and not also the power to be a great standard in your gear bag.

Street Views Canon SX160IS

      Let's discuss power of the the two AA batteries that make for convenience anywhere your at. I use six AA rechargeable batteries , always two of those batteries in the car charger. Depending on the brand and the age of the batteries, the camera with flash on can be drained quickly. When the flash is not in use the the batteries can last quite some time,
      The options of 640 x 480 is a must when shooting real estate foreclosures. The photo quality is better than expected at that size. Zooming in it gets pixel but that's a good thing, most other cameras try a corrections at that size and detail is lost. Why the size, storage is the biggest issue. If you can imagine that close to hundred thousand photos a week uploaded to an Asset Management company.

Kitchen Canon SX160IS

       You can look at Canon's website for greater detail but this is the camera that comes complete out the box ready to work. Real estate foreclosures, huds, reo, fannie and freddie properties all standards in common. The camera is AA power, can do 640 x 480, SDcard and date stamp,  and most other cameras are dropping the AA and using there own battery style. Losing the 640 x 480 and or the quality is so bad you can't see anything, the SD card pretty common and the date stamp is not an option on a lot of them.
The only thing it needs is the ability to shoot RAW but the Macro is great and the Auto option is a plus. In low light like any camera has difficult time focusing. 

Low Light CanonSX160IS

   Wrap this up, I took a pass on Nikon L26 because the very poor quality at 640x 480. The Canon SX160IS is a very useable camera and work horse for getting those real estate foreclosures photos. Don't take my word for it but I do like this camera.
All of the photos are straight from camera and as you can see it performs very well. Thanks for reading this quick review on the Canon SX160IS.