Front Element Photography

Photographer Focus: BrandKnewMe

kylemullaney — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:59:05 +0000

For our second installment of Photographer Focus we sat down with an awesome photographer from Canada based in Taichung Taiwan; he goes by the handle BrandknewMe. BrandKnewMe is known by some as Kyle. Kyle specializes in HDR photography.

Name: BrandKnewMe

Age: 30

Location: Taichung City, Taiwan

Favorite Types of Photography:

Landscape
Portraiture
Street Photogprahy
Wildlife
High Dynamic Range (HDR)

Processing Tools:

Lightroom
Photomatix

fePhoto: Where do you go to learn more about photography?

BrandKnewMe: I love podcasts like TWIP (This Week in Photography) and I also look to the great tutorials at Lynda.com

big buddha

fePhoto: Are you knee-deep in any projects?

BrandKnewMe: I am always working on my other obsession, web design. When I am not out with my camera or in the digital darkroom I am buried in CSS Edit and WordPress.

dragon

fePhoto: What camera are you carrying and what other gear are you using?

BrandKnewMe: I have been using a Nikon D90 for over a year now, and I’m really happy with it. I have been saving my pennies to invest in a few new lenses because I’d eventually like to move into a nicer body. I tend to use my 18-105mm lens more than my other lenses mainly due to convenience, but when I break out my 50mm 1.4 I kick myself for not using it more. I often get dirty looks from my 70-200mm for not dusting it off enough. I guess there’s a time and a place for everything though.

monkeys

fePhoto: Well if you need help giving that 70-200 some work I can help out with that. Where did you get your start before your D90 and your lonely 70-200 f2.8 (sweet glass)?

BrandKnewMe: I’ve always been interested in photography. When I first started out, I must’ve went through a dozen point and shoot cameras, because I would bring them everywhere I went. I was always eager to take photos, even before I knew how to post process them. Above all, I’ve always been fascinated with gadgets in general, so it was just another toy to add to my repertoire.

taj mahal

fePhoto: You moved from point-and-shoot cameras and no understanding of post-processing to using an awesome camera, the D90, and some sweet glass. At the same time you found HDR photography. What drew you to HDR photography?

BrandKnewMe: High Dynamic Range photography started to come to the forefront when I saw a photo by Trey Ratcliff of StuckinCustoms.com. It blew my mind. He still does. He posts a photo a day on his site and in my opinion, he’s the best HDR photographer out there. Seeing his work has motivated me to push my photography to new heights.

Actually, I came to HDR photography before my move to a DSLR. Back then, all I had was an old Olympus 720sw point and shoot which wasn’t the greatest or easiest camera for HDR photography. I was constantly trying to keep my camera movement to a minimum and still maintain the 3 exposures. It didn’t always goes as planned and post [processing] was always a nightmare.

I’ll always remember that day when Trey released a tutorial explaining how he post processed his work. I noticed how much easier it was to produce HDR images using RAW images and bracketing, so I felt it was time to upgrade. The Nikon D90 followed shortly after which opened up a whole new world of photography for me.

New Delhi

fePhoto: You discovered HDR photography and learned how to process your images from Trey Ratcliff. Why HDR photography? I know that it can be a lot more work than simple one click photography.

BrandKnewMe: The thing about HDR photography for me is that a lot of times I take a photo of somewhere I have been, and when I try to show my family or friends, I feel that the photo doesn’t really portray how my mind’s eye felt being there. Especially when travelling around Asia. With HDR photography, it helps me store that memory in a very deep and real way that I can equate to how I felt taking that photo or experiencing that scene for the first time. I truly get pleasure out of it. With each shot I take, I can never really guess how it’s going to turn out, because it picks up details that not even I could pick up while taking the shot. These days, if I’m not out racking up actuations, I don’t think I spend a single day without opening up either Photomatix or Lightroom on my iMac.

pushkar monkey: waiting, wondering, wishing

fePhoto: When you get home from taking photos and you sit down to proces whats your workflow?

BrandKnewMe: I start by managing all my photos in Adobe Lightroom, then bring them into Photomatix. After I’ve processed a HDR image (saved as TIFF), I’ll bring it back into Lightroom. Photomatix is merely a program to help you achieve that greater dynamic range. Lightroom is built to do all the heavy lifting afterwards. There is a lot of debate to which program is better, Aperture or Lightroom. Both are great, but for me, it’s Lightroom. I like the workflow better, and management of photos. Recently, I’ve been trying to organize my photos into separate catalogs which helps Lightroom run a lot smoother on my machine. I must have over 30,000 photos in my library, all itching to get out in some way or another.

pushkar

fePhoto: What is your favorite photo so far?

BrandKnewMe: I would say my favorite thus far is the one of Laotian kid who wanted to sell me a bird for a buck. The shot of the dirty bathroom is up there as well. It was taken in an abandoned apartment building I found, which was extremely creepy walking around inside of. There were people still squatting there, and lots of memories people left behind in that place. I feel that photo really portrays how I felt skulking around looking for those shots.

Buck for a Bird

fePhoto: Does HDR photography of people differ from landscape and architecture?

BrandKnewMe: Taking HDR images of people is very difficult, and they never seem to turn out right, so I was extremely happy when I finished that one.

abandoned classroom

fePhoto: Lastly, What advice would you give new photographers?

BrandKnewMe: The best advice I try to give people is try to cover as much ground as you can. Be it, getting out every day to get at least a few shots, talking with others, or viewing other people’s work. Look at as many photos as you can, and try to visualize how they took that photo, because seeing great images can motivate you.

The photos that you have seen from India are from Kyle’s (brandknewme) most recent trip. I have been holding this interview until he returned and had time to get his photos processed. For more photos from India and the many places Kyle has visited or simply found here on our little island home check out his galleries at brandknewme.com. You can also order prints and customizable photo books at his site.

You can find Kyle on flickr at brandnewme and on the twitters also at brandknewme.

feChallenge #8: Light

kylemullaney — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:09:44 +0000

The past week has been busy. Between trying to edit photos of Joe and his family trying to save a failing hard drive, (where all my photos are), and everything ramping up for a week off we have been busy.

This weeks challenge was Light. I was going to take a creative/abstract approach but I stuck with a basic interpretation.

Kyle

Joe’s

Light

feChallenge #7: Emotion

kylemullaney — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:01:34 +0000

It has been a busy week here at fePhoto. My partner in image making, Joe, became a father. With such an awesome event as this Joe had a great chance to get some pictures of emotion and I think his works great!

That's RIGHT!

More!

feChallenge #8: Light

A Good Word From Mr. Scott Bourne

kylemullaney — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:43:18 +0000

Scott Bourne often says great things and offers great tips about photography but today he in his post “Share the Love” he hit a home run my way. He said that when he started in photography he received a lot of discouragement, he was told it was “just a phase” he was going through. Then comes the big hit:

More than 37 years later, I’m still stuck in that phase. And part of the reason is that just at the right time, here and there I received a tiny bit of encouragement from just the right person.

What ever your business what ever your trade it is still the same you need a little bird in your ear saying, “Jia Yo Jia Yo” as the Chinese say it or as we say, “keep going.” The phrase, in Chinese, literally means add gas or oil. In other words keep that fire fueled don’t let it burn out. You have come this far don’t pull up short! Inherent to the phrase is, You are doing well. Keep fighting.” Whether winning or losing there is something to be finish a goal to meet. We all need encouragement to achieve our goals.

We all need encouragement to achieve our goals! We all need to be told, “Job well done!” SO go share it! Tell someone you love they are doing a good job! You never know when you need it and you don’t know how much they may need it now.

Share you love.

Please check out Mr. Bourne’s full article and many more great tips at photofocus.com

February 2nd, 365 Project

kylemullaney — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:00:55 +0000

I found the gentleman doing Taichi in a local park. While Taichi has a mystical/religious aspect, it arose from martial arts. I enjoyed watching him preform the beautiful movements. With each motion I could picture another person in harmony. As he preformed what would be block I could see the imaginary attacks. It is quite peaceful to watch.

Taichi

fePhoto Challenge #6: Machines

kylemullaney — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:44:54 +0000

Joe and I were late getting the photos up for last week. When we did get them up we had forgotten the challenge for this week. Joe decided the challenge would be, “Machines (people do not count)”. These are the results:

Joe

: Truck

Kyle

Machine

Next week fePhoto Challenge #7: Emotion

Join in the fun at our Flickr Group: fePhoto

365 Days with Front Element

kylemullaney — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:48:08 +0000

365 Days with Front Element.

Front Element Challenge #5:Lines

kylemullaney — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:12:23 +0000

The challenge this week was abstract; lines. We simply needed to get a picture that involved lines. Here is what we came up with:

Kyle’s Picture

Lanterns in HDR

Joe’s Picture

Landing Strip

Got A Mentor?

kylemullaney — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:38:02 +0000

I have linked a great post from Mr. Scott Bourne about having a mentor. No matter what field you are in get a mentor. Mr. Bourne says:

Mentors help you learn the value of your mistakes, and give you exposure to ideas you’d spend years trying to find on your own. They help you establish a solid foundation and build up a rapport as you work toward the common goal of developing into the best photographer you can be.

Mr. Bourne also says seasoned vets should consider mentoring young photographers. That is the reason I am looking for a photography mentor. If you are interested let me know.

Mr. Bourne Posted a follow up article here: How to Find a Mentor.

Note: I have made the previous post sticky so that Ya-Hui’s feature stays up a little longer.

Photographer Focus: Ya-Hui Lin

kylemullaney — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:00:49 +0000

This is the first in what will be a regular feature on Front Element Photography. We are calling the Photographer Focus. This gives us a chance to highlight an Amateur photographer who is is making great photos. Our first brave photographer is:

Ya-Hui Lin

Age: 27
Location: Taiwan
Webspace: @flickr.com

Ya-Hui Lin is a amateur photographer based in Taiwan. As you will see from her photographs she enjoys various types of photography including: landscape, portraiture, street photography, journalistic, and wedding photography. Ya-Hui’s interests vary more than her preferred photography styles! A few of her interests include: travel, mountain climbing, and painting. Ya-Hui took a break from her busy schedule to answer a few questions.

FE: When you see a cool photo or a particular style of photography what resources do you use to learn more?

Ya-Hui: I approach learning in several ways. I look at lots of photos on flickr but I also like to go to art-dept.com. I also have several books that I like to use two of which are The National Geographic Field Guide and The Photographers Eye by Micheal Freeman. Lastly, when I can I like to check out Russell Brown’s conferences on photo editing.

In India

FE: What gear are you using now?

Ya-Hui: That is an interesting question. On the digital side I am using a Canon 5D. Lens wise I like my sigma 12-24 because it lets me get great landscapes. My 50mm 1.8 is great in low light. I am also carrying a:

Canon 100mm f2.8
Canon 17-40mm
Canon 18-55mm (kit)
Sigma 70-300mm

On the compact side I carry a Fuji WP Z33. When I feel like going old school I pull out my Minolta TC-1 and shoot some film.

FE: What is your favorite piece of gear?

Ya-Hui: I love it all. You know each thing has it’s own use. Now, I am planning on getting the Canon 70-200mm F4.

Sun moon lake 日月潭

FE: Why draws you to photography? Why do you enjoy it?

Ya-Hui: I simply love photography. I am not a professional, I just want to take my ideas and create images from them. I also want to capture moments in my life and preserve them as memories. The most important thing is that I can take pictures for the people I love. Unfortunately, I have a bad memory and Alzheimer’s Disease is common in my family. I know it might be a little crazy and I might not have the same disease, but if, (the probability is low), one day I don’t remember anything, my pictures might help me remember.

Find the way out 出口

FE: Do you have a favorite subject? A favorite place to go and take pictures.

Ya-Hui: I usually follow my instincts. If the mood is right I take photos. I don’t have favorite subject or place to make photos.

大屯山夜曝 | Datun Mountain Night Air

FE: If money were no issue where would you go to shoot?

Ya-Hui: If money were no object I would like to stay in Amazon for three weeks. I would shoot the life style there and portraits of the people. There are also some unique animals and plants I want to get some pictures of; just thinking about it gets me excited.

A Wedding

If you want to see more of Ya-Hui’s work you can visit her on Flickr.com. You can aslo contact her through mail on flickr.

Danshuei Fisherman's Wharf 淡水漁人碼頭