Questions & Answers

Hey!

Here are some questions I am frequently asked by people I meet or by friends on Instagram…I hope my answers might help you and give you some interesting or useful information. If you have a question, or more than one, that is not asked here, please feel free to email me anytime: ray@rayariasphotography.com; or send me a direct message on Instagram: @rayariasphotography

Which is the best camera brand?

They are all excellent. All of them. I will repeat it again…ALL OF THEM ARE EXCELLENT. You can prove this to yourself…search the internet for “Sony Artisans of Imagery,” “Canon Explorers of Light,” “Nikon Ambassadors,” and “Fujifilm X-Photographers”…look at the images those photographers took with each brand…all of the images are great, right? So there it is…proof that it does not matter what brand of camera you use.

So, how do you choose one?

I always tell people the best way to choose a camera is to go to a store that lets you hold the cameras....pick them up, look at them, hold them in your hand for a bit…and choose the camera for which you like how it looks, and, especially, you like how it feels in your hand. If you like how the camera looks and how it feels in your hand, the more likely you are to carry it around and use it. The more you use your camera and shoot photos, the better a photographer you will become.

What camera do you use?

I now use Sony: The A7RIII and A7RIV. I had always shot with Canon, which I loved, before I switched to Sony. But again, they are all excellent…Sony, Canon, Fuji, Nikon, etc.

Why did you switch to Sony?

At the time, I was mainly shooting street photography. The Canon camera I was using, a Canon T6S, literally sounded like a canon when I pressed the shutter…it was loud! And, therefore, sometimes the sound of the shutter attracted unwanted attention. So, I really wanted a silent shutter, which the Canon cameras did not yet have and would not have for at least a year. When the Sony A7RIII came out, which had a silent shutter (plus a very high resolution, which I also wanted) I jumped on it and made the switch.

Why did you want a camera with high resolution?

Because sometimes I crop my images. With the high resolution of my cameras, I can crop my photos quite a lot and still have good image quality. If you are someone who never, or rarely, crops, then high resolution is not important at all.

And here is something you should keep in mind about camera resolution. You know those big Apple® advertisement posters you have seen at bus stops and subway stations, and even on huge billboards on buildings, showing a photo “Taken on iPhone”? They look pretty good, right? The newest iPhone takes only 12 megapixel photos. Apparently, more than enough resolution for billboard size photos.

©Ray Arias. Woman Applying Makeup in Subway Car, NYC - April 2019

Sony A7RIII; Canon 85mm; f1.2; 1/250; 320 iso

What lenses do you use?

I use Sony G Master and Canon L lenses (I adapt the Canon lenses to the Sony cameras. I kept the Canon lenses when I switched to Sony, because I still love those lenses).

What lens would you recommend for someone starting out in street photography?

I would recommend one of these two lenses...the 50mm f1.8 prime lens, or the 24-105mm f4 zoom lens.

The 50mm f1.8 lens:

- Delivers excellent, high quality images.

- Small and light.

- Very good in low light.

- Good bokeh (“bokeh” means the nice, out-of-focus background).

- Also good for portraits/fashion.

- Field of view is close to what we naturally see with the human eye.

- One of the most inexpensive lenses.

Also, the lens is not too wide...When you first start out in street photography, you will be nervous. If you use a wider lens, such as a 35mm or 24mm, you will need to be very close to your human subject when you shoot. So, because you are nervous and shy, you will most likely not get close enough, and you will be shooting from too far a distance with those lenses. With a 50mm lens, you do not need to be right on top of a person.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, considered by many people to be the greatest street photographer ever, only shot with a 50mm lens for almost all of his work.

The 24-105mm f4 lens:

The biggest advantage of this lens is that it gives you great versatility....you can shoot at 24mm for wide angle shots...or zoom to any focal length, all the way up to 105mm, for subjects that are farther away.

The main disadvantage, compared to the 50mm, is that it is bigger and heavier, and not nearly as good in low light as the 50mm f1.8.

The 24-105mm f4 lens was the main lens I used for about the first year of my street photography. I loved it and still own it.

©Henri Cartier-Bresson

Which is your favorite lens?

All of them, really. But lately I do especially love the 135mm f1.8 G Master.

So, which lens do you use most often?

I almost always carry two lenses...the 24-70mm f2.8 G Master, and the 135mm f1.8 G Master.

I use this setup for both my model shoots and my street photography. Of course, sometimes I change the lenses I carry and use, depending on my feeling that day or what I want to achieve.

Do you use protective filters on your lenses?

Yes, I do…but only when I am doing street photography, because there is more of a possibility of me damaging my lenses when I am constantly walking around. One time, I hit the front of my lens against a subway turnstile as I was walking through, and the filter cracked…the filter saved the front of my lens. When I shoot models, however, I always take the filters off to ensure the clearest images possible.

What editing software do you use?

Lightroom, Photoshop and Snapseed. Mainly Lightroom.

What type of camera bag do you use?

None. I just use regular backpacks or crossbody bags (I add some padding to protect the camera and lenses). I do a lot of street photography, and I do not want to be walking around the city with a bag that screams “Expensive camera inside!”

What type of computer do you edit on?

A Windows laptop by HP.

What memory cards do you use?

I use SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS II. My cameras have dual card slots, and I put two 128 gigabyte cards in each slot. When I am shooting models or events, I set up the cameras to write to both cards at the same time, for backup redundancy (that means, if the primary card fails or breaks, the second card still has all of the images that were shot, so I lost nothing).

What external hard drives do you use?

WD (5 terabytes) and Toshiba (8 Terabytes).

How do you backup your images?

As soon as I arrive home from a shoot, the very first thing I do is download the photos from the SD card to a separate 5 terabyte hard drive. I maintain three backups. I keep the original files on the 5 terabyte drive (and I buy another drive whenever the prior one fills up); I also backup the photos from the 5 terabyte drives onto the 8 terabyte drives; plus, I keep an additional backup in the cloud (Google Drive) of my most important images.

How do you set up your camera when you go out to shoot street photography?

I always set my camera to “Aperture Priority.” That allows me to set the depth of field I want (depth of field = how much of what is in front and behind your subject is in focus…shallow field, or deep field [deep field = everything in front and behind the subject is in focus]). AND…I always have the camera set to the lowest aperture number, for shallowest field of focus. For example, if the lowest aperture number that my lens allows me to go is f1.4, then that is what I set my camera to. There are two reasons I do this:

1 - Since I always set my camera to the lowest aperture number, I ALWAYS know what my camera is set to. So, if I need to quickly raise my camera to take a shot, I do not need to look at my settings to figure out what the camera is set to….I already know. And if I suddenly wish to increase the aperture number, I know in which direction to quickly turn the dial without even looking.

2 - I always know that my camera is set for shallowest focus. So, if I quickly decide that I want more of the scene in focus (deeper focus) I simply turn my aperture dial. I do not need to look, or guess…I already know where I am.

Who is your favorite photographer?

Sebastião Salgado is my all-time favorite photographer, of any genre, and he is believed by most people, me included, to be the greatest documentary photographer ever (btw Salgado never wanted shallow depth of field in his photos…he always wanted absolutely everything in the photo to be in focus).

Vivian Maier is my favorite street photographer.

Albert Watson is my favorite fashion photographer.

©Sebastião Salgado

©Vivian Maier

©Albert Watson

You shoot fashion, street photography and portraits…which is your favorite?

I love them all, really. I love all types of photography. I even shoot landscapes and still life, but I rarely show them. Basically, I just love to create beautiful and interesting images, no matter what the subject is. And I love to look at all types of photography and art.

Does a person need a “professional” camera to take photos at a high level?

Of course not. There are professional, published photographers, and photographers of top photo agencies, who have shot on phones, point and shoots, etc. What “professional” cameras and lenses do, is they provide you more options for creativity. However, they do not create great images….a great photographer creates great images, no matter what camera she or he uses. I know everyone knows this…but it is easy to forget when we are constantly bombarded by advertisements and YouTube videos that promote the newest “greatest camera ever!”

By the way, take a look at any beautiful or impactful “professional” photo taken earlier than, let’s say, the year 2000 by any professional or famous photographer, photos that have been published in major publications, shown in galleries, and held in collections at famous museums…there are thousands of such stunning photographs, in color and black & white, going back about 100 years……any “amateur” DSLR or mirrorless camera you may have purchased within the last five years is WAY more advanced than any of the cameras that were used to take those photos.

What are your thoughts on film vs digital?

I shot a lot of film in the past. I loved Kodak Tri-X and Ilford black & white film. I even processed and printed my own photos. It was great and fun. But digital became a revelation for me…because of the ease and low cost. Yes, film looks beautiful. But so does digital, if you do it right. And film is a never ending cost…constantly buying film, constantly paying for processing. And you need to wait to get your processed photos back. Yes, there is a certain charm in needing to wait to see how your photos came out, it’s like opening a little present when you get the prints back from the lab….but that charm quickly diminished for me when I started with digital. I love being able to shoot and then see my photos right away as soon as I get home (I never look at the photos I take until I get home…I never look at the photos on my camera screen when I take them, because it becomes a distraction). I also like that I never have the thought in the back of my mind, as happens to people who are taking shots on film, “Each of these clicks is costing me money.” I can shoot a million digital photos, and each of those photos costs ZERO.

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That’s all for now! Please scroll down to see some more of my photos, along with the camera, lens and settings I used to take them.

If you have any questions that were not answered here, please email me, or message me on Instagram at any time, and I will be very happy to answer them for you.

If you have not subscribed to my free newsletter, please do so. It is informative and educational, and I do not sell anything at all.

Until next time…keep creating and expressing yourself!

©Ray Arias. Woman in Washington Square Park, NYC - May 2019

Sony A7RIII; Canon 85mm; f1.2; 1/8000; 100 iso

©Ray Arias. Rachel in the Brooklyn Transit Museum, NYC - November 2019

Sony A7RIII; Canon 50mm; f2.2; 1/60; 1000 iso

©Ray Arias. Times Square Subway Station, NYC - October 2019

Sony A7RIII; Canon 85mm; f1.2; 1/125; 500 iso

©Ray Arias. Sierra on the Brooklyn Shore, NYC - September 2020

Sony A7RIII; 35mm; f5; 1/800; 100 iso

©Ray Arias. Through A Bakery Window, Chelsea, NYC - January 2018

Quote:
”When I make a picture, I make love.” - Alfred Stieglitz

©Alfred Stieglitz

Podcast: Fear Is Destroying Your Creativity

Fear kills creativity. True creativity comes from fearlessness. If you are afraid of being rejected or of not being accepted, then you will not fully express yourself…and you will not be as fully creative as you could be.

(This podcast is also available through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.)

Here is the transcript for my friends who do not understand spoken English, or those who simply prefer to read rather than listen:

People, how are you… Let's talk about fear. Fear kills creativity.

True creativity comes from fearlessness.

So, what is this fear? Where does this fear come from? It comes from your desire to be accepted and recognized. This desire is what causes the fear, because you will be afraid that you and your work will not be accepted and recognized and applauded. This is the same as the fear of being judged, and the fear of rejection.

©Ray Arias. Woman on the sidewalk, NYC

If you are afraid of being rejected or not being recognized for your creations, you will not fully express yourself as you want, and, therefore, you will never be as fully creative as you could be. You will limit and alter your creativity and your creations in order to please others, in order to be accepted, in order to be judged favorably. You will not truly and authentically express yourself.

The French painter, Henri Matisse (1869 - 1954), said "Creativity takes courage."

Henri Matisse, “Luxury Calm and Pleasure” 1904

Henri Matisse, “La Danse” 1910

Sylvia Plath (1932 - 1963), the American poet who won the Pulitzer Prize, said “The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

Since most of us are on Instagram, I will relate this to Instagram. Instagram limits creativity for many people. The desire for likes and followers causes fear...the fear that creating and posting what you really want to post will not be popular. So, you create and post things that you think people want to see...for example, certain scenes, certain props such as umbrellas and hats, certain colors. And you will repeat this over and over, creating the same type of things, even though they are not what you really want to create, in order to try and get more likes and more followers and more comments. You are seeking approval. Never truly creating, and expressing and showing what you want.

There are big Instagram accounts, photographers, with tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of followers...their posts are completely similar. If you took ten photos from three of those photographers and removed their name, and showed those photos to people, even people who know the photographers, they wouldn't be sure which photographer created which photos. Because the photographers are basically imitating each other.

Let's be clear, for Instagram...are you using it for business? Such as being an influencer or selling your own products? If so, then of course you want to maximize your reach and the number of followers, because that gives you the chance to sell more.

So, if your main motivation is to sell something, a product or service, then posting what you think people want to see is the right thing to do.

However, if what you want to do is to create your own art, express yourself, and show THAT to people, then you absolutely need to be true to yourself, and not give a thought to "popularity."

Of course, I understand the desire to be recognized, and to have as many people as possible see your creations....I want it, too....but this is a very slippery slope, and you can quickly become trapped.

The true artist creates art for art's sake. The true artist does not think "I am going to create THIS, in order to get THAT." Not true artists nor true creators. They create to create, and to express themselves. Not for some reward. The rewards are a secondary consideration.

©Vivian Maier (1926-2009). I believe her to be the greatest street photographer, ever. She never told anyone about her photos…they were only discovered after her death.

And by the way, make no mistake, it is the true, fearless creator who usually becomes recognized and famous. Those creators and artists are actually the ones who usually DO get something...for example, fame and fortune. So, if you really want to make an impact, your best chance is to be your unique self, your authentic self. Because no one else is you...no one else. And no one else can create as you create.

There is a famous fashion photographer, Albert Watson, one of my favorites. One of his first assignments was for Harper's Bazaar. They wanted him to shoot the famous film director, Alfred Hitchcock. And they wanted the photo to be of Hitchcock holding a platter with a cooked goose on the platter. Instead, Albert Watson shot the famous director holding a raw, plucked goose by the neck. That photo was a big sensation, and it launched the photographer's career. So, it is because he used his own creativity that Albert Watson became a famous, wealthy photographer. He has shot over 100 covers of Vogue and multiple covers for many, many of the world's famous magazines...shot many famous people. I read a story that he sold his New York City apartment a few years ago for over $20 million. That's how wealthy he has become. It is all because he shot as he wanted to shoot. Many other photographers would have just shot as they were told, and we would have never heard of them.

©Albert Watson

Just think of the truly famous unique artists that you know or have heard about...the work of those artists have withstood the test of time, and will continue to do so.

Photo of Andy Warhol. ©Albert Watson

Children. Let's look at children as an example. I've mentioned children in a prior post. They are true creatives. When they create, they have no thought of others, no thought of rules, of approval....they sit with their crayons, or their paint, or wooden blocks, and they just create freely....according to their feelings, according to what they want to make.

My nephew drawing in the street. Photo taken by his aunt ;-)

There is a reason many religious writings, and many religious figures, many mystics and philosophers and wise people have recommended throughout the ages to “become as a child.” Because children don't compare themselves to others, they are not self-conscious, they freely express themselves. Their minds are free. Only as they get older does the poison start to seep into their minds...eventually causing them to become the prisoners that most of us are.

Free yourself.

You are a prisoner of others, if you care what they think and if you want their approval. Stop being a prisoner of others. And it is a self-imposed prison. You are the one throwing yourself in prison.

This prison manifests itself in most people’s lives, in basically all areas...how they dress, the cars they want, the homes they want, how they behave, what they say and do not say...all of it...they live their lives with the constant thought of "How will I be perceived." "I want people to think I am SOMEBODY."

So, they are now those other people's slaves...they are the mental slaves of others.

This is what marketers and advertisers take advantage of...your fear, and your desire to be seen as someone special. "Buy this car, and men and women will admire you." "Drink this drink, and people will think you are cool." "Use this smartphone, and people will think you are special."

Everybody is special, in their own way...if they ARE themselves.

If you want to be truly special, if you really want to be somebody, then, stop caring whether someone you don't know thinks you're special. Then you'll truly be special, because everyone else around you is a prisoner.

You will be one of the few free people walking the earth.

Let's get back to creativity. You need to be free of fear in order to be fully creative. I mentioned children...how they are fully free. But as an adult, you actually have an advantage over the simple freedom of a child, and don't get me wrong, that simple freedom is tremendous. It is a TREMENDOUS thing to have. But this advantage that you have as an adult, combined with that freedom (if you can free yourself), really boosts your creativity. And this advantage is EXPERIENCE.

As an adult, what you've experienced in your life can amplify and expand your creativity. Everything you've ever experienced...Your triumphs and failures. Your achievements and frustrations. Your joys and disappointments. Your loves, your hates, your tears, your laughter, your heartbreak...everything that has made you YOU. Only you have those things.

Use it all. You can let those memories and emotions from your experiences come up in you, and flow through you directly into your art.

All of your experience can come across in your creations, in your art, in your ART OF LIVING....if you allow it to. If you don't restrict yourself. If you free yourself.

Set yourself free.

Free....yourself

That's it.

©Ray Arias. Woman in Times Square, NYC

Podcast: Do Not Tell Yourself "No"

One of the biggest mistakes people make in their lives, is not asking for what they want. They think to themselves “I will probably get ‘no’ for an answer.” So, they do not even ask. What they have essentially done is…told themselves “No.” This is a tremendous mistake.

(This podcast is also available through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.)

Here is the transcript for my friends who do not understand spoken English, or those who simply prefer to read rather than listen:

Hello people.

I want to talk today about asking for what you want. I had planned to talk about street portraits, and how to ask people for permission to take their photo. But I then thought, the words are easy. You just walk up, smile, and say "Hi, you look great. Is it ok if I take your photo?" Or, you do not even need to speak, you can simply raise your camera, point to it, and then point at the person...the person will understand what you want, and will either nod "yes" or shake "no."

So, if the words are easy, and pointing is even easier, then why do people have such difficulty. And the reason is that...mentally, the photographer thinks that the person will probably say no. And, therefore, they actually never ask, because people are afraid to hear "no."

If you do not ask, then what you have actually done is said "no" to yourself.

What you are basically doing is denying yourself the opportunity for a "yes" answer.

This is a tremendous mistake.

And you are not alone. There are many photographers who stop themselves from asking for what they want, because they pre-judge and think that the person will say "no."

And people even do this in other areas of their life. It is such a mistake that, if you can stop yourself from committing that mistake, your life in general, not just taking street portraits, should improve tremendously.

© Ray Arias They had been riding around the Washington Square Park fountain. Not satisfied with the candid shots I had taken, I walked up to them as they came around again and asked them to pose.

© Ray Arias She was walking down the street holding her dog like that. I simply pointed at my camera, then at her, and she nodded “Yes.”

You should never tell yourself "no." If you see people that you want to photograph, simply ask them. Let THEM say "no," do not tell yourself "no." You have no idea what that person will actually say, unless you ask; but, if you tell yourself "no," then, of course, it is 100% that the answer is "no."

I can practically guarantee you that, of 20 people on the street that you ask for a portrait, at least two, four, six, maybe even 16 of them will say "yes."

And as I said, even in everyday life, people tell themselves "no" all the time. For example, someone wants to ask for a raise at work, but she thinks "Well, the answer will probably be "no." So, she does not ask. Do you see? She told HERSELF "no." Maybe, the answer from her boss would have been "yes." But, she never allowed for that possibility; instead, she gave herself a "no" answer.

Another example...a man finds someone attractive at a party or bar, and he wants to go up and speak to the person, meet the person, and maybe that will lead to the start of a relationship. But he thinks to himself "Well, that person probably will not like me, or maybe is already in a relationship," or whatever the case may be. So, he does not talk to the person. The person never said "no" to him...he said "no" to himself.

Again, this is a tremendous mistake that people make in life.

Let the other person answer you. Maybe it will be "no,"...but maybe it will be "yes."

Even if you are convinced that the person will say "no" to you, ask anyway. Get into the habit of asking for what you want.

I can practically guarantee that doing this will change your life.

© Ray Arias I spoke with them and asked them to pose.

© Ray Arias He was stopped at a traffic light as I was walking past. I stopped, pointed at my camera, then pointed at him. He nodded “Yes.”

If you go through life asking for what you want, you will receive "yes" answers many times. You will certainly receive more "yes" answers, than the 100% "no's" that you give yourself.

This is one of the secrets to success in any endeavor.

I heard a story about someone who is wealthy, and they say that the reason he became wealthy is that he always asked for whatever he wanted. That was his secret.

If he wanted something, he would ask for it. Always. That person obviously never told himself "no."

It does not mean he got everything he asked for...not at all. What it means is...he never denied himself the opportunity for receiving a "yes" answer. He would ask for what he wanted and see what the response was. Either "yes" or "no.

But if he had behaved like many of us do, and he told himself "no" and never asked...then, of course, there is no possibility for "yes." And his life would have been very different.

I will give you an example from my own life. My first job was in sales, and we would be given a stack of cards. Each card had a name and a number of a person to call, to try and sell the company's services to that person. Amazingly, many of the sales people would look at a card, and they would decide...based solely on the name or phone number on that card...that "This person will probably not buy." And they would not call that number. They would put that card at the bottom of the stack, and would look at another card to call. The best salespeople NEVER did this. They would pick up the first card, look at the number and the name, and simply call...always. They never tried to guess how that person might react. They would call and see what happened. These were the most successful sales people.

Think of little children. They ask for what they want, always. Even if they have been told "no" before. They always think, "Maybe this time I will get it." "Mommy, can I have a cookie?" "No, you had one earlier." Later, the child asks again, "Mommy, can I have a cookie?" "No, sweetie, you already had one." Later, the child asks again, "Mommy, can I have a cookie?" Mommy finally gives in, "Yes."

Even receiving only 10% "Yes" answers from people throughout your life, for the things you ask for, is infinitely better than 100% "no" answers that you give to yourself by not even asking.

Never tell yourself "no."

Wayne Gretzky, the greatest goal scorer in the history of the sport of hockey, would always take a shot at the slightest opportunity to try and score a goal, because, he said, "You miss 100% of the shots you do not take."

I hope this message helps some of you.

I am confident that, if you always ask for what you want, without pre-judging and assuming what the answer will be, that your life will improve tremendously.

I wish all of you great happiness, and all the best in the world.

© Ray Arias I spoke with him before taking his portrait.

Podcast: Ignore All Critics

Create your photographs, your art, in any way that you want. Express yourself as you want to express yourself, ignoring all critics and “rules.”

(This podcast is also available through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.)

Here is the transcript for my friends who do not understand spoken English, or those who simply prefer to read rather than listen (the transcript has been cleaned up a little from the spoken word, to make it easier to read):

People, how are you? I have been meaning to write quite a few blog posts...and one thing has led to another that has prevented me from doing so, due to time constraints and everything else. So, I have decided to record the posts and create these little podcasts.

Hopefully, it will help some of you.

So, I am starting with this one, because a photographer friend of mine, just a few days ago, asked me...what he said to me was...that someone told him they didn't like his style. And that maybe he should edit his photos more, using Lightroom or some other program.

And my friend asked me, "Is it okay if I do not do that. Is it okay that I do not use Lightroom, and do my photos the way I want to do it." And I said, "Of course it is. You know, you have to do your photos the way you want to do them. Your style is your style."

And he's a good photographer. But he started to doubt himself, because of what this person said.
So I wanted to talk about this, because there must be other people that are having doubts about what they do. And it's very important to ignore all critics.

No one knows your mind…no one knows your heart…no one knows what you've been through in your life…what you've loved...what troubles you've gone through...your joys...your tears... everything.
So, no one can tell you how you should express yourself. And you need to do things the way you want to do them.

You know…when color photography first was invented, or started to gain traction, the serious photographers of the time thought it was a joke. Only “serious” photographers shot in black and white. Only black and white photography was art.

So, color photography was basically mocked by the supposed experts at the time. And there were photographers who wanted to shoot in color...and they did…and, they were not taken seriously. Of course, now, as time went on, they were recognized for the great artists and groundbreakers that they were…people like William Eggleston and Saul Leiter. Now they are praised and their photographs are famous.

© William Eggleston

© Saul Leiter

Could you imagine if they had listened to the critics, and not done their color photography, and stayed only with the black and white?
You know, it's a triple disaster...Number 1: they did not express themselves the way they wanted to, they did not create what they wanted. Number 2: their tremendous careers would never have happened. And, Number 3: we all would have lost out on seeing the wonderful works they created.

So, can you also imagine...the photographers that did want to do color...but they did not do it?…because they heard that it was “not serious,” and they heard that it was not “true art.” That only black and white photography was “serious.”
Can you imagine how many people ruined themselves in their photographic career, because they never attempted what they wanted to do, because they listened to someone else. There is no doubt there are people out there who would have been famous photographers and would have had great careers....and it never happened, because they stopped themselves. So, they lost, and we lost, because we we will never see the work they would have created.

And I'm not saying you should do this to gain any type of fame or anything like that…again, that doesn't matter. What matters is expressing yourself. How many artists were not even recognized in their lifetime?...look at Van Gogh.
When it comes to art: of course you want people to appreciate your art…but the importance is in expressing your true self, and people appreciating that.... actually, whether they do or they do not.
Gaining any type of fame or money…that's a side benefit.

Can you imagine Pablo Picasso creating a portrait, and showing it to a critic...you know, before Picasso was famous....and he said "Look, what do you think of my portrait?" And the critic looks at it and says, "Pablo, are you crazy? How can you put someone's nose on their foot? How can you put someone's ear on their shoulder? And look at this, the person's face is pointing backwards. This is ridiculous. Go, go make a proper portrait."
Could you imagine if Picasso listened to that? And altered the way he created his art, and did not express himself the way he wanted to?
What a disaster that would have been.

© Pablo Picasso

© Pablo Picasso

Do you understand? And again, how many artists DID limit themselves, because they were afraid of what someone might say? And they did not express themselves the way they wanted to?

So, I'll give you a little anecdote about my own photography. You know, when I started my Instagram, I only did black and white street photography, that was it. It was only black and white…and it was only street photography. And I wanted to do color. And my account grew pretty fast [when I only posted black and white photos]. But I wanted to do color, and I said to another friend, "I'm going to start posting in color. And I am pretty confident that it will hurt my account. I think I will lose some followers, and my rate of growth will slow, maybe even stop completely.”

And my friend said, "So, don't do it." And I said to my friend "Well, of course, I AM going to do it. I want to do it. I want to, you know, I want to express myself in color. I want to shoot color photographs. I like colorful photographs."

Of course, I could have just done it for myself and not posted it to Instagram, but I like showing what I do, and I like the little Instagram community, and I like the friends I've made on Instagram. So of course, I'm gonna post it to my account.

But I found it interesting how his first reaction was, "don't do it,” instead of the reaction being "Well, who cares if your account grows or not, express yourself".... that is what should have been his first reaction. But his first reaction was "Don't do it.”

And by the way, it did hurt my account...my rate of growth did slow, and I did lose some followers.
But after a period of time it went back to growing again. So I really didn't lose anything. If I had NOT done it, THAT would have been the big loss.

My first color photo posted on Instagram. © Ray Arias

You have to express yourself the way you want to do it. Ignore any rules…”you should do it this way"..."you should do it that way." I've said a few times in my written blog posts that there are no rules. And there ARE NO RULES when it comes to art, and when it comes to expressing yourself.

And it is the rule breakers that people remember, anyway. Not all of them, you know…not everybody's a rule breaker that creates beautiful work…but many of the people we remember, are the people who did things differently. Whether it's a photographer, or a painter, or a writer, or anything else, such as musicians. You have to be true to yourself.

There was a band called "Rush." You know, a rock band. And my understanding is that they were getting popularity in the beginning, and they would do things their own way; and when they started to gain some popularity the record company wanted them to change...to do a little more of the things that were considered a little more popular...and they refused. And they continued to do it their way, and of course they became super, super famous.
I have no doubt, if they had changed, they would have been ruined.

And that's just one example there. I'm sure you have all heard examples of people who went their own way, and it was the right thing to do. And it's ALWAYS the right thing to do.

Whether you are recognized or not, whether people like what you did or not...expressing yourself, the way you want to express yourself, is ALWAYS the right thing to do.

You know, life is short. It's long and it's short, you know, depending on how you look at it.
And you need to live it the way you want to, and not be influenced by people who…again…people who don't know you...don't know what you've been through...don't know what you know...what you've experienced…what you've felt.

So, that's it.

I wish all of you the best in the world.

Crop Those Photos, Baby!

"I'm not taking a photograph, I'm making a photograph." - Ansel Adams

I want to talk about an important subject, which inspires disagreement...cropping photos.

"Wait, Sensei...what is cropping a photo?"

Cropping a photo means to cut out edges of the photo in order to improve the photo, or to improve the composition.

I want to say this right now...there is absolutely nothing wrong with cropping your photos.

“Why, Sensei?”

Because...THERE ARE NO RULES.

This is the main idea I try to impart here in my blog posts and in my conversations with other photographers…there are no rules.

It is your photo, your art…you can do absolutely anything you want... whenever you want...in any way you want.

(Let me be clear here, though...if a photographer crops a photo, or manipulates it in any way using Photoshop or some other method...but claims that he or she did not do so...then that photographer is being dishonest. There is nothing wrong with manipulating an image any way the photographer wants....but, she or he cannot lie about it. And this is especially of utmost importance with regards to documentary photography and photojournalism.)

So, to continue about cropping photos…

There is a well-known and popular YouTuber/photographer, Jared Polen, who has been around for years. His videos are very informative, and I have learned some things from him, and I do like him and his videos. But...he takes every opportunity to say that he never crops his photos. What he is basically saying is..."I'm so great, I don't need to crop." This is ridiculous.

Many great photographers crop, many legendary photographers crop, many famous photographers crop…photographers have always cropped, from the earliest beginnings of photography.

There is another popular YouTuber/photographer, Sean Tucker. I also like his videos very much. He posted a video on cropping, in which he explained that there is nothing wrong with cropping. And he explained that he does crop sometimes. Ok, so far, so good.

But, when he said that he cropped, he said it in an almost apologetic manner..."I crop just a little bit...to just tighten up the composition a little." (I'm paraphrasing him).

Why does he need to qualify the statement that he crops? Either it is ok to crop, or it is not ok…no matter how much. If you say that cropping is ok, but then you quickly say that you only crop occasionally, and only crop a little bit...why are you making excuses for it? Why do you feel compelled to make sure you say "only a little?"

Again, I like both of these people, and I like their videos and what they do. My issue here is with their comments on cropping. And I'm only using them as an example because they are popular and have big followings...there are many other photographers who claim they don't crop, as if that makes them special.

So, let me just clearly say it here…I crop whenever I want....as much or as little as I want. I do not hesitate for a moment.

If I think it will improve my image, I'm cropping it. Period.

It is very important to understand that there is absolutely nothing wrong with cropping your image. In fact, it is one of a photographer's key tools and techniques.

I will prove it to you in a moment. But, first, in case you forgot, remember...

THERE ARE NO RULES! ;-)

You do not need to take my word for it...here, below, is just a short list of famous, legendary photographers who are known to have cropped their images. I have also included some of their famous, cropped, images. This is just a tiny list I'm giving you...there are many, many more great photographers, past and present, who have done it, and who continue to do it.

"I would cut any inches off my frames in order to get a better picture.” - Walker Evans

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.” - Ansel Adams

Here are some famous photographers who have cropped their photos:

Ansel Adams - considered by many to be the greatest landscape photographer ever.

Henri Cartier-Bresson - legendary pioneer of street photography.

Arnold Newman - famous master portrait photographer.

Elliott Erwitt - legendary street and documentary photographer.

Edward Weston - He has been called "one of the most innovative and influential American photographers"...and "one of the masters of 20th century photography." The first photographer to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Alfred Eisenstaedt - Famous photographer for "LIFE" magazine.

Robert Frank - Legendary documentary photographer. Created the book "The Americans," one of the most influential photography books of the 20th century.

Dorothea Lange - Famous documentary photographer. Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Walker Evans - legendary photographer. Many of his works are in the permanent collections of museums.

This list could go on and on.

And here are some famous photo examples for you, showing how the photographers cropped them:

Arnold Newman (1918-2006), legendary portrait photographer.

Arnold Newman

Arnold Newman

Arnold Newman

Elliott Erwitt (b. 1928), legendary documentary photographer.

Elliott Erwitt

Elliott Erwitt

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), legendary master and a pioneer of street photography.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Do you see?

Crop to your heart’s content. If it is good enough for legendary master photographers, it is good enough for everyone else, too.

Take Many Pictures!

One of the biggest mistakes you can make, especially in street and travel photography, is not taking enough photos of whatever scene or subject you are shooting. You need to take A LOT of photos.

If you only take one or two shots, you could easily not have the best photo you could have taken:

1. You may miss focus

2. The exposure may be incorrect for that one or two shots

3. You shook the camera, thus causing the image to be blurry

4. The scene improved, making for a much better photo...but, you didn't take the shot, because you "already took a couple."

5. The person you were shooting may have blinked, causing a bad shot

6. The person or persons suddenly gave an awesome expression or gesture, but you missed it, because you had already stopped shooting

"But wait, Sensei, great photographers don't need to take many photos, they are experts." That is not correct, Grasshopper.

Most, if not all, great and professional photographers take an unbelievable amount of photos of their scene or subject:

Steve McCurry, legendary photographer and National Geographic magazine contributor, would shoot hundreds of rolls of film on an assignment. National Geographic photographers would regularly shoot 300 to 600 rolls of film on each assignment. Each roll of film was 36 exposures...so, that equals 11,000 to 22,000 images shot, just to get the 5 - 20 photos that would be printed in the magazine.

Steve McCurry, Agra, India 1983

Steve McCurry, Rajasthan, India

Steve McCurry, Rajasthan, India 1983

I read a story about Sebastião Salgado, the great master, and my all-time favorite photographer. He had visited a village and taken photos. Later, a reporter spoke to one of the villagers and asked him what he thought of Sebastião. One of the villager's responses was "I was surprised by how many photos he took."

Sebastiao Salgado

Sebastiao Salgado

Sebastiao Salgado

Garry Winogrand, considered by many to be the greatest street photographer ever...in addition to all of the photos he had shot and printed during his life, at the time of his death (at the age of 56) it was discovered that he also had 2,500 rolls of film which he had shot but never developed, 6,500 rolls of developed film that he never printed, and about 3,000 rolls for which he only made contact sheets. It is estimated to be over 300,000 pictures!

Garry Winogrand, New York, 1955

Garry Winogrand, New York, 1964

Garry Winogrand, Park Avenue, New York, 1959

Robert Frank, another legendary master, traveled around the United States taking photos for what would eventually be made into a book. The book was called, The Americans. It is considered one of the great photography achievements and it made him famous. The book contains only 83 photos…but he took over 25,000 pictures!

Robert Frank, Elevator, Miami Beach, 1955

Robert Frank, Times Square, 1947

Robert Frank

Do you see?

In the film days, at least there was the excuse that film cost money, and getting the photos developed and printed also cost money...so, it was at least understandable to try to take as few photos as possible.

But, now, with digital cameras, the cost of a photo is ZERO. You can take the photo, process it with an app, and share it online...at no cost. There is absolutely no excuse now to not take many pictures in order to make sure you get the big winner.

Just shoot and shoot and shoot. Later, look through your photos and simply keep the best ones. Deleting the bad photos costs you nothing...and no one will ever see the bad photos.

If another photographer thinks he or she is special and tells you "I don't need to take many shots to get what I want"...just remind yourself of the truly special photographers: McCurry, Salgado, Winogrand and Frank (and many other legends…too many for me to list here). Taking many shots was no problem for them…in fact, they did it on purpose.

So, never, ever, hesitate to take "too many"...or, feel that you are less of a photographer for doing so. There is no such thing. In fact, try to take too many, in order that you become accustomed to it.

It is infinitely better to go crazy and shoot hundreds of photos of a scene...and come away with one great image, and delete the rest...than to only take a few shots and know that you made a mistake and missed getting that awesome photo. No one is going to look at your mediocre photos and say "At least you didn't take too many."

People will remember you only for the great shots, and they will never think, for even a second, about how many shots you took to get them.

On a similar note…

If you come upon a scene, and you are not sure whether the scene is worth photographing...JUST SHOOT! You have lost nothing if you do not end up with a great photo.

But...if you realize later that you missed a great opportunity...that is a disaster. THE SCENE WILL NEVER BE REPEATED...YOU MISSED IT...FOREVER.

Wayne Gretzky, the legendary hockey player and goal scorer, said he never hesitated to just take a shot, because... "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Just do it.

Phone vs Big Camera

Many times, people have asked me whether their phone camera really is “good enough” to take truly great photos. Even though they have seen great phone photos on Instagram and other places, they still doubt, because they really don’t understand why, or what that actually means.

So, here I will try to explain it to you.

The fact is, your phone can take excellent photos, and you can create stunning images with it. But…there are limitations.

I will not talk about the option of having and using more than one lens (and other accessories) for people using big cameras, because they are not necessary for taking great photos, and it will needlessly complicate what is really very simple. I just want you to understand the most basic underlying reason.

So, here is what causes the main limitations of a phone camera, which you might already have known, but don’t know why:

A phone camera has a much, much smaller image sensor. The sensor needs to be small, because the phone is small.

Bigger cameras have differing sensor sizes, but they are all much bigger than a phone’s sensor.

“Full-frame,” “APS-C” and “micro four-thirds” are the three sensor sizes found on most cameras (Full-frame is the biggest of the three).

“Does that mean the bigger camera is better, because of the bigger sensor?”…Yes!...and...No!

“Wait. What?”

I’ll explain…

Although the phone’s camera sensor is tiny, it can take outstanding photos, just as outstanding as a big camera. There are countless stunning photos (award-winning photos; photos published in major magazines and newspapers) that have been created with phones:

Adam Stevenson

Sony World Photography Awards 2020, National Award for Australia; taken on iPhone

Also, there are many well-known professional photographers who shoot with their phones:

Julian Calverley

Professional commercial and advertising photographer (Mercedes; Land Rover).

Published a book of iPhone landscape photos, titled, “#IPHONEONLY”

"Sooo, then…Why is the answer also ‘Yes,’ … that the big camera sensor is better?”

Because, the smaller image sensor of the phone's camera limits some of your creative options and flexibility…both before, and after, you’ve taken the photo.

For example...

1. The focusing of the phone camera, many times, is basically stuck at infinity.

When you take a picture, basically everything in the photo, near and far, is in focus (infinite “depth of field”). You cannot make adjustments to the camera in order to blur some areas before you take the photo (yes, I know some phone cameras have “portrait” mode, but that is not the same thing...Portrait mode is a software imitation of true “depth of field”).

"What is depth of field, Sensei?"

It is how far into the distance the photo is in focus (what parts of the photo are in focus).

With a big camera, before you take the photo, you can change the depth of field to be farther, or more shallow, depending on what you want. Therefore, you can keep some parts of your photo in focus, and blur other parts, in order to make the main subject of the image stand out (for example, blur the background to emphasize what is closer).

Thus, you have much better control with a big camera over what is in focus.

Here is an example of deep depth of field…almost everything is in focus:

Ray Arias

Here is an example of shallow depth of field. Only the subjects closest to the camera are in focus:

Ray Arias

2. The phone's photos show more “noise” when taken in low light.

"What is noise?"

In simple terms, noise is the tiny dots that you can see in the photo...the more “noise,” the more or bigger the dots.

Usually, this makes the photo not look as nice as it could...but, not always! Sometimes noise looks good. Noise is also called "grain," and many photographers like grain to be present in their photos.

Ray Arias

3. The phone's photos show more noise when cropped.

"What is cropping?"

Cropping is cutting out edges of the photo that you don't want to see, in order to remove distractions and make the photo look better. You do this with the "cropping tool" in a photo app, such as Snapseed, or software, such as Photoshop. The more cropping (cutting) you do, the more noise will emerge and be visible.

With the big camera’s bigger image sensor (and, usually, higher resolution…”megapixels”) you can crop more freely without worrying too much about noise becoming visible in the photo.

Ray Arias

Phone photo - Google Pixel 2 XL

I cropped it to fill the frame with the nuns.

4. The phone's photos show more noise when enlarged to make big photo prints.

For example, with the big camera you might be able to enlarge the photo to 16 x 20 inches (40.64 x 50.8 cm), or larger, and there may be almost no noise (grain). With the phone, you might already start to see noise in a 5 x 7 inch (12.7 x 17.78 cm) print.

"But, does that matter?"

Not really! However, that is a discussion for another post. (I will give you a hint...the bigger you make your print, the farther away from it people will need to stand to look at it and take it all in.)

5. If you try to "zoom" by pinching the screen on your phone, the photos will have...YES, YOU GUESSED IT!...noise.

The more you "zoom," the worse the noise.

"Goodness! Is there a solution?"

Yes…you “zoom” with your feet...meaning...you walk closer to your subject ;-)

This is also the same solution for the big camera…you would zoom with your feet (unless you have a zoom lens attached). Although, with the bigger sensor, you also have leeway to crop the image…that would make objects appear closer (but noise may start to appear, depending how much you cropped).

(BTW...I have zoom lenses, which I basically never use. I almost always use a 24mm, 50mm or 85mm lens, and I just zoom with my feet when needed.)

Ray Arias

Phone photo - Google Pixel 2 XL

I did not need to “zoom” on this photo…the person was standing right in front of me ;-)

6. The phone's photos have less “dynamic range.”

"Jumping firecrackers! What is Dynamic Range!?"

In a scene with uneven light (some very bright areas and some very dark areas), it is how much of the black (darkest area) in the scene, and how much of the white (lightest area) in the scene, the phone can capture with detail.

"Why would this matter?"

Because...when you use a photo app, or Photoshop, etc., to make adjustments to uneven photos taken on a big camera that has good dynamic range, you can still bring out a lot of detail in the blacks (shadows) and whites (highlights) of the photos, which at first you could not see.

With the phone, there is a limit to how much you can do this. If you take a photo in uneven light with a phone, and you end up with pure black, or pure white, areas in which you cannot see any detail…you will not be able to fix that. (You have, surely, seen this in photos...such as photos of sky and clouds, in which you cannot see the cloud details because the bright sky is completely white...“blown out.”).

“Isn’t there anything I can do?”

Yes. When you focus on your phone, you do it by tapping on the spot you want to set in focus. Many phones also allow you to also tap a second time, to select the spot that you want to set for “exposure.” For the second tap….tap on the brightest spot in the scene. That should make the brightest area “expose” correctly when you take the photo, thus keeping the details visible in that area. Professionals almost always expose for the brightest spot.

(You will probably see the the rest of the scene become darker….but that should not be a problem. Because, you should be able to brighten those dark areas with whatever photo app you use after you have taken the photo.)

Here is an example of a “blown out” sky, and one that was exposed correctly:

Ray Arias

Part of the sky is “blown out”

Ray Arias

Cloud detail is visible

Now...here are some positives of the phone:

1. It's tiny! It fits in your pocket…it doesn't look like you're pointing a bazooka at someone…and, it's much less noticeable if you are trying to take candid shots.

2. It is always with you. So, less of a chance of missed moments.

3. If you take the photo in good light and don't crop or zoom, the photo quality is excellent. Basically, just as good as a bigger camera. No noise!

4. You can make adjustments to the photo immediately, right on the phone, using any photo app (you don't need to import your photos to a computer, as you do with a big camera).

5. If you want, you can immediately post your photo to social media from your phone; or text or email it.

6. You can make phone calls 😜

And…just to keep things balanced, here are some positives of the big camera:

1. If you shoot in very low light, or uneven light, or you need to crop, the photo quality can still be fantastic. Not too much noise!

2. You have more options and flexibility with how you can take your photos, and how you can make them look afterwards. For example, depth of field; shadow/highlight detail.

3. Huge selection of lenses, of various abilities, available to you.

4. You can usually customize your camera extensively.

5. If you are ever stranded on a deserted island, you can crack coconuts with it 😜

The above is not a full list of possible advantages and negatives of phones and big cameras; but, to me, they are the major points that matter most, and which many people don't really know about or understand.

Again, people always hear…"phone photos are just as good as those taken with a big camera" or "big cameras take better photos"...but no one really explains why, or why not. That is why I wanted to write this post.

So, in conclusion…

You just need to remember…

If you take the same photo with both types of cameras in good lighting conditions, and you do not crop the photos, or greatly enlarge them, then both photos will look equal in quality.

Once you change things, however (the lighting is not bright enough, or is uneven….you crop the photo….you enlarge the photo too much) that is when you will begin to have problems with the phone's images.

So, if you have a phone as your camera, that is absolutely fine...as I said and showed above, there are professionals, and amateurs, who use phones to create fantastic images. Therefore, you…“Me?” Yes, you!…can create stunning, award-winning, publishable photos with just your phone.

Just keep in mind the limitations that I’ve pointed out here…and you can then work around them to create awesomeness!

Gabriella Cigliano - iPhone Photography Awards 2019 Grand Prize Winner

Lens Sharpness

Lens sharpness…

Ahh...one of the secret ingredients for photographic excellence. Without the sharpest lens possible, your photos will simply not be as good as they should be.

That is the conclusion that you would most likely reach from reading or watching lens reviews on the newest “must have” lenses.

Sure enough...once you've read or watched enough of those reviews...you will want to purchase the sharpest lens you can afford, maybe even go into debt to get it. Because, you are told, it is "super sharp!" "The sharpest lens we have ever reviewed!"

Which is, of course, the purpose of most of those reviews...to convince you that you need to spend your money to acquire that sharp lens. If you do buy it, they imply, your photos will be so much better, so much more “professional-level.”

It is all misleading.

Throughout photographic history, a great many beautiful and important fashion, landscape, portrait, street, and fine art photographs...published in major magazines and displayed in galleries and museums all around the world...have been created with "un-sharp" lenses. Many of those images hailed as masterpieces.

Paolo Roversi, 2003

There have been a great number of famous photojournalism and documentary images, created by legendary photographers, past and present, which have helped to raise awareness of important issues and possibly helped to end or shorten suffering…images that have been less than sharp. This did not diminish their impact.

Don McCullin, 1968

You, most likely, have seen many of these images yourself…and they have touched and moved you.

Having your images be as sharp as possible is not a requirement for them to be great, compelling and powerful.

Just look at paintings. I doubt Rembrandt worried about how sharp his brush was ;-)

All you really need is a lens that is “sharp enough,” not the sharpest lens in the world (and the average person looking at your photos would not know the difference, anyway; and, even if they had the ability to tell the difference, or even cared, they would need to put their eyeball up against the photo…no one does this).

The lens, or lenses, you have right now are “sharp enough.” Ansel Adams, arguably the greatest of all landscape photographers, wrote that any modern lens is sharp enough. He wrote that in the 1930’s.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1932

I had someone ask me…”I need a new lens, and can afford one that costs $300, but there is a really sharp lens for $800 that I keep hearing about...should I use my credit card for the $800 lens?” No. Buy the $300 lens…you will be able to create just as many great photos with that lens, as with the $800 lens.

So, please do yourself an emotional and economic favor...forget the reviews (“Look what happens when we take a photo of a brick wall and zoom in 1000%….now you can see how sharp!”)…and ignore the hype about the newest sharp lenses.

What really matters for great photos, is this (not in any particular order...and not all are necessary in every photo):

• Is the photo beautiful or interesting?

• Does the photo tell a story?

• Does the photo have emotional impact?

Saul Leiter, 1952

Saul Leiter, 1959