In recent weeks, a steady and intense discussion has been ongoing among the professional photographers in the online network I belong to.  Adobe Corp.,  the firm that created and markets many software programs used by creative artist in producing digital products has changed the way they will make most of their software available to their customers.  Previously, professionals like myself would purchase software on a disc and install it on our computer.  The upgrade cycle ran in 18 to 24 months increments.  That is to say that a new improved version would be available for purchase at that time.  Depending on what new tools and improvements were in the new software we'd either make the purchase or choose to skip this upgrade and wait for the next one.  Their software is the number one sought after tool because, simply put it is the best tool.  This quality comes at a hefty price and is not a casual purchase.

There is a new business model now in effect.  While there are still a few programs available for purchase, most of their stable of products are now on a monthly lease plan ranging from $19.00 to $50.00 us dollars depending on the tools you require to perform your craft.  The software is downloaded and installed on your computer, (internet connection required), and it checks in and validates itself once a month with Adobe.  This new method of distribution is called the "Creative Cloud".  Also available is Cloud storage for your files if desired.

Emotions have been high in the ongoing online debate I've been witness to.  Two camps have emerged in the discussion.  There are those that are on board, are eager to have all the latest updates always installed, and don't mind the monthly cost.  On the other side of the fence are those that have been loyal customers for many years, and enjoyed using the best creative software.  In many cases they did not purchase every upgrade. only major ones.  They like the idea of having the installation discs on hand for re-installs.  They also feel taken advantage of by this new sales method.   The monthly cost for Photoshop only is $19.00, and you can make the case that  some of us spend more on coffee in a month.  That would be missing the point though, it is nineteen per month forever.  There are questions floating about concerning file format compatibility and other technical issues.  I suspect that these concerns can be dealt with.  

The larger companies in the creative world will benefit from this distribution plan.  The latest up to date program will always be available on their workstations.  They avoid installation issues, and smooth out their software cost.  The single owner professional serves as creative talent, software manager, and tech help.  They will absorb the monthly cost into their prices.  They will be the ones explaining to their clients why photographs cost so much.  Many of these single owner professionals will look to other companies for alternative software.

Adobe Corp. benefits by smoothing out the upgrade cycle and the cash flow.  No more peaks and valleys associated with new releases need be dealt with.  There will still be tech help available but not to the extent needed when boxed software is sold.  I suspect that the major reason behind this "Creative Cloud" distribution plan is that most of their products are very mature with most of the bugs worked out.  I also suspect that they've run out of the "sexy new tool" reasons to upgrade.  

As of now, I am running up to date Adobe software.  I am taking a wait and see approach.  My questions?  What happens when some future version of Windows no longer will run my version of Photoshop?  Will it be a monthly lease via Adobe?  Will companies like Corel fill the gap with a product that is up to snuff?  I don't know as of now.  I am working at staying neutral and open right now.  I just can't seem to shake the feeling of being taken advantage of by Adobe because of lack of choice.  They've given me no options.  A lot like some of the other non photographic companies I do business with.  We'll talk some more about this somewhere down the road. 

Sitting in the warm Spring Sunshine on a quiet afternoon, listening to the song of life, I am in awe of the beauty that is all around me.  The soft sound of the gentle breeze, the call of unseen birds, and the aroma of the blossoms of early May enforce the feeling of being reborn.  It is an especially beautiful time of year.  I want to capture it all in a bottle and save it.  I started to think about photography, and my personal choice of Black and White as my favorite pallet.  It seems counter intuitive to think in Monochrome, and it made me smile a bit. 

The early masters in my chosen craft had little choice in those days, it all was black and white.  These Photographers were Chemists, technicians, and most of all artists.  They trained themselves to "see" in monochrome.  Form, texture, shape, and the play of light is what motivated them to work their craft.  Many books have passed though my hands in appreciation of how the masters composed and created so many classic images.  There is something about these lovely silver prints that is compelling.  From shadow to highlights a full toned print communicates so much emotion and appreciation of subject matter. 

Life in our culture is fast paced and demanding.  So demanding in fact that our choice of visual entertainment reflects this fast pace.  Many of us have lost the ability to slow down, breath, and absorb what is right in front of our eyes.  What catches our eye and causes us to stop has to visually scream at us to get our attention.  Current day media reflects this by dazzling visuals, and editing. 

I am a contrarian at heart.  My natural instinct is to go against the tide, to swim upstream.  My choice and favorite medium is Monochrome.  There is a element of nostalgia in a black and white print.  There is also an emphasis on texture, shape, tone, and light.  My goal is to cause the viewer to stop and spend some time with my work.  A fine black and white print, matted and framed properly, hung in adequate light gives its gift over and over to the owner.  A brief glance can turn into a longer gaze, calm the mind, spark a memory, and a brief imaginary journey. I am drawn to architectural details.  Especially those that have some historic value.  I often think about the original owner, and what stories this doorway could tell if only it could speak.  In my Ellis Island work, I can imagine the hope and optimism of the people that passed though the Great Hall, for instance.  What went on in their minds as they passed the Statue of Liberty and entered the gateway to promisland America?  When did their fear give way to excitement?  The Great Hall is an imposing room to stand in.  The tile work and arches say to the new arrival, "you have arrived".  In my Eastern State Penitentiary work, you can feel the power of the structure.  I chose the tone range to convey a bit of the emotion the arrivals must have felt as they entered.  I am working on a personal project at the White Hill Mansion, in Fieldsboro, NJ.  This Revolutionary era home has a lot of stories, and even more questions to convey.  I chose a mix of Monochrome and Color both to convey my emotions of this historic building. Its been said that all of a Photographers work is autobiographical.  While I control what work I choose to show, how my work gets interpreted is out of my control.  It is not uncommon for me to hear unintended meanings attached to a particular photograph.  I encourage this by keeping my titles neutral. The following quote illustrates this point very well I think.  "Sometimes you can tell a large story with a tiny subject." -Eliot Porter

RIDING THE RIVER OF CHANGE

Ever so slowly the cold grey of the Winter season gives way to light. In small bits at first, then more noticeable, the Sun begins to warm the Earth. I visited family in New Hampshire this Easter weekend. Signs of change are easy to see. The first cracks of soil, bits of green poke through ever so tentative. Buds on branches that just recently looked dead to the human eye are everywhere. In the Greenhouses of Heron Pond Farm, trays of young plants are warmed by the Sun. It is an optimistic season full of the promise of light, warmth, and that marvelous green color I love so much.

I never get tired of the colors of Spring. After a long Winter mostly dominated by Grey skies, I am eager for the explosion of color that is just around the corner. My eye is especially attracted to all the different shades of Green. Warmer Temperatures, dark Blue skies, and the fresh healthy vegetation that will color our world soon, make a person glad to be alive. Melting snow, and Spring rain fill the streams with runoff, and provide wonderfull photographic potential. Just a short drive of a few hours brings the streams and hills of Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut to the lens of my camera. I am especially attracted to how the new green colors of Spring contrast against the textures of stone and wood. Add a little of just the right light, the sound of a rushing waterfall, and my mind is absorbed into the moment that Nature has provided me.

The rush of change this time of year in the Northeast corner of America is impossible to ignore. At this writting it is a quiet transformation. Soon, more color will fill nature's pallet in the form of Forsythia. I love it because it strikes the first blow to the grey of Winter, and because it belongs to the Olive family. Change is everywhere, especially inside of me. I see things more now than ever. Returning to a favorite photographic location with new vision, I see it differently. How long has the Moss covered boulder been there? Looking at a grassy field, there are textures, colors, and movement that is poetry. The sound of the wind in my ear is music. It is challenging to try to pack that emotion into my camera lens.

I've embraced a point of view, and worked it into my photographs. Absorbed and concentrating on the technique of producing a photograph can make you miss a few things. This becomes obvious when I return to a former shoot, and see it in a fresh way. My subject has not changed, I have. There is power in really listening and seeing. Seeing is different than looking. Seeing involves using your eyes, mind, and concentration to feel the essense of what your looking at. When you observe an emotion attached to what it is that you are seeing, the next thing is to feel all of it, and then try to get that into a photograph. This process sounds cumbersome and lengthy, but the more I use it the quicker it all happens. This is not however, how the people around me function. Like a busy beehive, everyone has their own stuff to do.

Artists, and I use this term broadly to discribe all creative endevours, put a frame around their subject. Stop and look at this! Beauty, suprise, irony, political point of view, and a host of other things are communicated through their work. The Artist comments on and gives meaning to the World around us. These words by Georgia O'Keeffe sum it all up very well. "I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for."