Among my friends, neighbors, and family I have assumed the position of being the go to guy for all questions photographic. I generally consider this a good thing in that I enjoy helping people take better photographs. I also like helping them use their equipment to its full potential. I am by no means a camera snob, that is to say in my opinion a decent photograph can be taken with most equipment today. There are limits to what equipment can do, and the better the gear, the better the potential photograph can be. A good cell phone camera with 8 mega pixel resolution can make a very decent photograph of say 5 X 7 inches. When you get up to 10 or 12 mega pixels and you know what you are doing, and take care in making the shot, a very decent 8 X 10 can be produced. This assumes that your lens is clean, horizon is level, you are careful framing the shot, you watch for edge and background distractions, and have selected the proper white balance. When we begin to talk about advanced amateurs and professional photographers the discussion changes. The digital SLR'S they use are engineered for producing quality images. Its not only about mega pixels at this level. Issues like lens quality, file format, shutter speed, sensor size, and a host of other settings to numerous to mention here affect the image capture. After the captures are on the memory card, photographers then process the session. This is referred to as post processing in the industry, and this is the point where the road to a framed work of art splits into many branches.

Some photographers work for minimal time in post processing. They will adjust the contrast and brightness, do some minimal cropping, tweak the color, and remove a distracting spot here or there. There goal is to spend their effort on the capture. There work demands that an expertly produced photograph arrives where its intended and looks good as quickly as possible. Sports photography and photo journalism are two examples of this type of work.  Another way of working is to produce a good capture where all elements correctly reproduced, however the camera is just the first step in an extensive post production edit. It is planned,  going into the process there will be plenty of work done to the image to make it stand out in some way. Either for fine art, or commercial end use. In both cases, a talented photographic artist controls all the variables to produce the desired end product.

As consumers we are flooded with images every day. These days the quality of the work we see is very high and quite dramatic. We have become accustomed to these images, (and video) and it increasingly takes more and more drama to get our attention. The images we look at have become hyper-real. Sunsets are more dramatic than life, fashion models are thinner, taller, and have smoother skin than life, and those plates of gourmet food have super real color and make our mouths water at first glance. Our view of the world we live in has become dull and apathetic. We are over exposed to the dramatic image, so much so that real life seems a dim version of the images we are exposed to. There is another side effect that has made its way into our consciousness, we label all outstanding images as being "Photo-shopped".

I make it a point to look at lots of photographs from many different artists and disciplines. My appreciation for the fine image covers different styles and subject matter. I hold no prejudice in whether an image is heavily edited or very lightly tweaked. What determines if an image works for me is my initial reaction and the emotion stirred up by the artists work. I am a bit saddened when I hear someone refer to a work as being "Photo-shopped". Its as if there is some magical program that can transform a camera image all by itself. Implying that the photographer is somehow less talented because of post processing. The most important aspect of viewing an image is, does it make you think, move your emotions, or question a belief. Talented photographers are responsible for the whole process of creating their work. From image capture to post processing and framing, their decisions make the finished piece either successful or not. Consumers of images need to view images with a bit more openness. Photographs are different than "real life". Even what looks like a straight image is still edited in some minor ways. Many people love a fine black and white print, and look at them as if they are a purer form of photography. The world is not black and white, you are looking at an abstraction. When we look at and enjoy a painting, we bring an openness to our conscious mind. Our expectations do not hinge on how close to reality the artist was able to get. In fact, it was the invention of the camera that freed painters from realistic renderings, and allowed for abstractions. When you view photographic work bring a sense of openness. Allow time to be with an image and look inward at the emotions it stirs in you. The photographer that signed his or her name to the work is responsible for what you are looking at. Their selection of the tools used is of little importance in my opinion. Comparing the image to real life is of little importance unless the work is meant to document reality, and that is a whole other topic for this blog.

I make it a point to review my own work on a regular basis. From time to time, I go over my "keepers" and deconstruct the work I've done. I look at patterns in subject choice, and anything else that links the work. Its a good way to keep my creative GPS calibrated. There is something about abandoned and decaying architecture that always gets me to squeeze the shutter button. The question that comes to mind is why am I so fascinated by it, especially when our society puts high value on all things new?

The most obvious reason that comes to mind first is the form and textures that can be found in abandoned buildings. Steel, brick, wood, plaster, and ceramic materials all begin to change as soon as maintenance ceases. They take on additional unintended color and textures, each material at a different pace. Surprising results take place when two substances that once sat side by side in harmony, now sit as polar opposites. If you look and concentrate enough, you can find rust and soil marks that resemble faces, dogs, cats, and other objects. Painted wood surfaces change very fast. Peels and blisters catch stray shafts of light and wonderful textures are the result. Colors fade and loose saturation, while at the same time taking on new hues born out of the decay. It is a challenge to work at such low light levels with bright shafts of light piercing the room. Here the challenge is contrast control, and getting detail in the dark areas while taking care not to blow out the highlights.

Another element that draws me to these decaying gems is the very fact that they are no longer considered of value. I think about the optimism that went into the planning and construction phases. Skilled craftspeople and long hours went into this creation. This building had purpose and dreams built into it from the ground up. Now, reconstruction and preservation costs rule its future. These days it takes a person of vision and stamina to take on a preservation project that can take decades, with fund raising the governing force at work.

I enjoy the surprises in store for me once I am inside one of these gems. There are forgotten objects, still sitting right where they stood when the door was last shut tight. A cup sits on a bathroom sink, an antique labeled aspirin bottle on a shelf, old shoes in a closet, and pots and pans in a kitchen. Many years ago I was fortunate enough to gain access to Ellis Island just before the reconstruction began. In those days the Department of the Interior administered the site. I was in a section of the basement when I discovered an ironing board still set up, and right next to it a sapling tree growing in the light of a window. Walking around and exploring revealed a chair with a coat draped over the back and a pair of gloves sitting on the chair. How long have they been there? Who left them there? Later that same day I found myself walking through the Great Hall. Keep in mind no reconstruction had yet begun. As I walked this wonderful room the only sound was the echo of my footsteps, above me a ceiling of the most impressive tile work. The deep silence broken only by the sounds of the building, and distant New York City. All four of my Grandparents walked through here, as did my Mom. I was shooting film at that time and I vividly remember the loud echo of my camera shutter as it bounced off the walls and ceiling. Standing very still, being very quiet, I swear I felt the presence of those brave people who passed through here with their dreams.

The allure of abandoned buildings is strong in me. There is no escaping the photographic potential evolving as these building constantly change. My artistic side will never tire of the color, texture, form, and play of light within decaying buildings. There are obvious questions that arise also. Does our society place enough value on our own past? Are economics going to continue to be the force behind whether these buildings survive or not? Have we evolved into a society that sees everything as disposable? Are we willing to forget our past?

In the November 2013 issue of Popular Science, I learned that the Chicago Sun Times is in the process of laying off all of its staff Photographers. The paper plans to use news wires, freelancers, and photographs taken with cell phones as source material. This has me thinking just how they would go about making this work. They would need a collection point somewhere in their office, as well as a method to edit incoming data. In addition, a filtering system is needed to check the validity of incoming work. Someone would still need to post process the work that is scheduled to be published. This involves things like resolution, size, sharpening, etc. The technical aspects of this process are not that difficult and they do not have to re-invent the wheel to get this to work. What grabbed my attention is the level of accuracy and truth attached to the incoming work. Committed and dedicated Photojournalist are a special breed of Photographer. They place themselves into an unfolding newsworthy situation, and then begin the process of covering the event. In the front of their minds, is the goal often referred to as "the shot". They silently ask themselves, what one image tells this story accurately, can sit on the front page, and communicate story content to the reader? From experience, they know somewhere in that shoot there is an image, and they work for that shot. Friends often ask me, "why do those photographers need fifty shots of the same subject?" The answer lies in the content of the story, and mining out just the right image that will accompany the text and illustrate the storyline perfectly. A staff photographer builds a trust relationship with his editor who knows the quality and truthfulness of the work they produce.

I am both a photographer, and a consumer of photographs. I know that photographs can distort or reveal the truth, and that the integrity of the person doing the editing determines how this all works out. In the pre-digital photography era, the general public was less knowledgeable about the darkroom techniques used to enhance photographs. Credit was given to photographs as being truthful. This credit was not always deserved. In the field of Photojournalism a code of ethics is applied, both with the shutter button, and at the editor's desk. There have been instances where careers were threatened because an object that "cluttered" the shot was removed. The times we live in challenge this time honored work ethic. There are plenty of examples where the one thing missing from a news story seems to be ethics. This trend is not new. There always were organizations and people who claimed to be news people, but had other priorities than truth on their minds.

Truth is a very difficult quality to recognize. All of us take in information through our five senses and our brain processes that into thought. Because of family, biology, and experience we all develop unique personal filters. We all have a personal viewpoint that colors how we process information. If we are seeking the truth about the world around us then wisdom tells us we need many sources of information. We need to remove our emotion as much as possible when we compare these sources in search of the truth. This process is not an easy one nor is it something we humans take to that eagerly. Our mindset is that the truth should not be that hard to recognize, it is however, especially

these days. The unsung hero's of journalism work for the most part, known only to those who make a point to find out who they are. They sometimes take risks most of us would not. If Photojournalism is compromised in the name of budget concerns, the truth will be even harder for us to find in an homogenized news cycle.