Why developing film is not a creative step of the process

Unless you are shooting large format and treating each image differently, I’d say no, developing film isn't a creative step.

Many people follow the indications from the manufacturer or some online recipe.

Others experiment with different developers, dilutions, time, agitation... and eventually settle on a formula that gives them the results they are looking for.

Most people just drop their film off at a lab.

In my case, I usually push my film 1 or 2 stops to create the aesthetics I want. It's a foundation that all the images from the roll will share.

This is equivalent to apply a preset in Lightroom or other editing software, something I wouldn't call creative.

In my opinion, it's when we compose, edit and print the image that we can be the most creative.

The power of adding up

When I started running, I thought it was about keeping a fast pace for as long as I could. Push myself to the limit, rest a few days, and repeat.

I didn't realize that more frequent but less intense exercise leads to better results. Doing it again tomorrow instead of taking the day off makes you stronger.

We usually underestimate the power of adding up.

That's why snacking -and not big meals- makes us gain fat. That's why one cigarette won't kill you, but smoking everyday will. That's why one avocado toast a day will cost you thousands of dollars over time.

I believe the same applies to photography.

Instead of (better yet, in addition to) pursuing a few incredible images a few times a year in a faraway land, why not try to create something every day wherever we are.

At first, it might look like we haven't done much. It's only over time that our efforts will start to add up, and we'll start to build something bigger than we ever thought.

Motivation comes from action

We believe that we need motivation to do something. Motivation leads to results. Thus we seek to be motivated, yet fail most of the time.

What if it was the other way around? What if our actions defined our motivation?

Then, all it'd take for us to be motivated is to do something.

The world needs you

I've been told many times -especially when working with film- about the right way to do things.

"Look at the masters", they say. "Do what they did", they repeat.

"It was all academic. You were taught to paint like somebody else, made me not want to paint at all. You want to paint your own way!"

Georgia O'Keeffe said it better than anyone else. Using just charcoal, she created beautiful -but radical for her time- abstract drawings. That wasn't what she was supposed to be doing. And yet, she became one of the greatest American artists of the 20th century.

Look at the masters, and then "kill" them and carve your own path. The world doesn't need another Ansel Adams or another Henri Cartier-Bresson.

The world needs you.

Summer downtime

The summer is always a slow time for me and my photography. I don't like the heat, and it's just too bright out there. I usually take some time to finish old projects and start new ones, something I can't really do when I'm on the road.

This year, I'm taking some time to work on old images, prints and (finally!) 2 upcoming books. I can't wait to share what I'm working on with you.

I haven't gone on a photography trip for almost 2 weeks (if we don't count the morning I spent at Chain O'Lakes), and I'm starting to have withdrawals.

This doesn't mean I haven't been making new images, though. I always -always- carry a camera with me. So even on days when I'm spending time with family (say, the 4th of July), or days when the most exciting thing I do is going on a walk around town, I'm still able to photograph something.

These are some of the images I've made during the last few days here in Indiana.

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Forever a beginner

Experience doesn't matter when it comes to photography. If it did, all the greats would've created their best images at the end of their careers. That's rarely the case.

Actually, I'd argue that experience makes us and our art predictable. The more we do something, the less likely we are to try something new.

I believe we should strive to be beginners forever.

Image of the Month, July 2019: "White Moon"

Finally, a new addition to the Image of the Month collection. I wasn't able to add any new images for the past 2 months as I was on a road trip across the US.

Goods news is, I have brand new pictures that I will be adding during the next few months. White Moon is the first of them.

That's not by chance. This is probably my favorite image from the trip, if not my favorite image ever.

I made it on a beautiful morning at the White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico. You can watch the video where I make it here: Minimalist and abstract photography heaven: White Sands, New Mexico.

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two sizes

For the first time, I'm offering this image in two different sizes: 6x6" and 8x8". I've been experimenting and they both work with my images, so I added the option to the whole collection.

The matt and frame are 12x12" for both print sizes.

shipping included

Shipping is free to the US now. International shipping is a flat rate of $14.95.

one year of Image of the Month

The first Image of the Month, "The last of winter", went on sale exactly 1 year ago. This will be the last month I offer it at its current price, which will increase by next month.

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artist contract

A new image will be released every month and offered at a reduced price during that time. After 30 days, it will be sold at full price. They will never be on sale at any time in the future, the rate during the first month will be the lowest, ever.

want to know more?

You can find more information about how I create my images and all the details about pricing on The Art and Craft behind my prints.

"White Moon" is available for purchase here.

Street photography from Detroit, Michigan

This video is a little bit different. Some street photography POV from Detroit, Michigan.

How losing weight has made me a better photographer

Let’s talk about health and how it relates to photography. I’ve lost quite a bit of weight in the last year and I believe that has made me a better photographer in many ways. 

You don't have to explain your art

We create because we love creating.

Sometimes, there's no need for an explanation or a deeper meaning. No need for a grandiose project or a long-term vision.

It can be all about the act of creating something new.

Scars of war: my RX100, three months later

A few months ago, I decided to update my older RX100II and bought the newer RX100VA. I love the form factor and the high quality images this camera makes.

The video coming out of the RX100VA is nothing short of incredible, and I've been using it intensively for my YouTube channel since I got it on my hands.

Within the last three months, it's been through a lot - and it shows. It's got multiple scars from different trips and adventures:

1. The rubbery part where you rest your thumb has been falling apart since the camera got really hot in the deserts of Arizona.
2. The screen protector is shattered (and I'm hoping it's just the protector). It happened when I dropped the camera while taking pictures under Corona Arch in Utah.
3. Sometimes I still find sand from the Grand Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. Or maybe it's from when I dropped it in the white sand of southern New Mexico (I also lost my ND filter there).
4. This gap next to the viewfinder is the newest addition. It happened when I, once again, dropped the camera. This time in Detroit, Michigan.

One could say the camera is falling apart. I say, those are scars to be proud of. A camera is meant to be used, not to be left on a shelf.

If you think this is a lot of damage after just three months, you don't want to know about the beating my previous RX100II got. And it stills works (mostly)!

I've used the RX100VA every single day, it's been to many places and I've made images I'm very proud of with it. And a lot of videos.

The condition of a camera can tell you a lot about the photographer. Get yours out as much as you can and make those images!

How I avoid the temptation to shoot in color

As you might know, I make my images in black and white - and all the grays in between.

Sometimes when I'm out shooting, the colors are too beautiful to ignore. Many people wonder why I don't capture the scene that way.

The thing is, I do. A lot of my work is in color. I'm talking about the 200+ videos on my YouTube channel: over 2 years worth of trips, hikes and other adventures, all captured in color.

While making those movies, I try to compose every frame as if it was a photo I would take in color.

That's how I avoid the temptation: I don't, I shoot in color too.

Hello, old friend

I'm back in Indiana, and that means I finally got reunited with my old friend.

This Bronica SQ-Ai is the original one, the one I used on my several trips across America. It's made photographs in many states, from Washington to South Dakota.

Unfortunately, I don't have a WLF to go with it, and I only have 2 lenses: the 80mm f/2.8 and the huge 250mm f/5.6. I'm also lacking a cable release and my beloved orange filter.

I can't wait to take it out there, though.

A beautiful sunrise in Pacifica, California

I knew I had to make an image of this pier the moment I saw it for the first time. I had to wait just a few hours for the right conditions, though, so I woke up early and drove to Pacifica just before the Sun rose.

It was a beautiful morning.

Coffee with Om Malik

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A photo Om took of me with his new Ricoh GR III

I had the pleasure to meet Om Malik a few days ago in San Francisco. We had a nice chat about photography, and he wrote a few words about it.

Om is a fantastic writer and photographer, you should definitely check out his blog and Instagram.

Going through a compositional phase?

A few days ago, I realized that my last images on Instagram were very similar to each other. Compositionally, I mean.

The subject was different, the location was different, the time of the day they were taken was different.

The composition technique was the same, though: a line going through the frame -in this case from top left to bottom right- splitting it in two, one part being empty (and dark) space and the other showing the actual subject.

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Those subjects are as different as the Golden Gate bridge, Mt Hood, a lighthouse, a vulture and a deer. For some reason I decided to frame them all the same way. And they all are very recent images of mine.

Was it just coincidence? Maybe a "compositional phase"? Is that even a thing?

Realism is overrated

Why I believe that realism is overrated.