Great Photo Book

I’ve recently discovered the excellent book Blue Planet Run, which I came across after seeing photographer Rick Smolan’s TED lecture.  He’s the guy behind the “Day in the Life” series of photo books that were so ubiquitous awhile ago.  Anyway, Blue Planet Run is a book he created, full of amazing photos, statistics, and essays about the worldwide water crisis.  It was originally offered as a free e-book, and after a little hunting around, I found a pdf copy of it to download on RapidShare.  It seems to be virus free and is definitely worth having a look at, either in hard copy or e-version.

Working as a Humanitarian Photographer – Ethics and Images

(For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.)

The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), “a professional society that promotes the highest standards in visual journalism,” has a code of ethics that all members are required to endorse.  Whether or not you are a member, I think that they are excellent guidelines for any photographer working in the field, documenting people and humanitarian situations.

Campo Nuevo, Jalapa, Guatemala

While they appear to be common sense principles, they need to be listed and occasionally reviewed because they are sometimes challenging.  For example, the first one is “Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.”  As anyone using high-speed continuous shooting mode knows, a facial expression can change in a split second, and the difference in the resulting images can be dramatic.  They may tell completely different stories or give opposing impressions of the subject.  There are many other examples of how composition, point of view, and time can change the perceived reality of an image.  Which representation is most accurate?  The photographer must act as an editor and decide based on all they know about the subject and the situation.

San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala

The third one is equaling challenging.  It reads, in part, “Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one’s own biases in the work.”  Of course a humanitarian photographer in the field doesn’t want to turn the subject into a stereotype, but in many ways they are working against a lifetime of education and image viewing.  As I discussed in my previous “Exotic vs. Real” post, those in the developed world grow up learning to see the developing world and its people as exotic and colorful, but this is often far from the reality.  A photographer cannot simply decide to portray a subject without bias and preconceived ideas, but he or she must dedicate themself to learning as much as they can about the subject, their life, culture, and situation.  Cultural biases are so deeply embedded one often does not even realize they are there and simply assumes all other humans think and feel the same way.  For example, in a classroom when a student gives the wrong answer, a teacher often asks another student to correct them and give the right answer.  In certain cultures this action is deeply offensive and insulting, and would never be done by a teacher.  It is impossible to know and understand how those in another culture think – expats living a foreign country for years will verify this.  But one must make the effort to learn as much as they can about the cultures they work in, and to recognize the multitude of biases they carry with them.

San Antonio Aguas Calientes, Guatemala

The third standard also says “Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects.”  In addition to the numerous layers of meaning and importance this has as an ethical guideline, this is also an excellent compositional guideline.  Show the context of the subject and the environment around them.  This is why photojournalists often work with a wide angle lens such as a 16-35mm.  By doing this, the photograph gives a more complete story of the subject, and it often makes for a more interesting composition.

San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala

The fourth guideline has been a subject of discussion in the media in response to the images being shown from the earthquake in Haiti. “Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see.”  Images of dead and unclothed bodies have been prominently shown in newspapers and websites, and have offended some viewers.  The Public Editor of the New York Times gave an excellent response and defense to this controversy in this article.  One of his responses, which I have often read from other photographers and have experienced myself, is that the subjects very often want the photos to be taken and to be seen.  They want their story told, and they themselves have no method or channels for effectively telling their important story.

As far as treating subjects with respect and dignity, nearly all humanitarian photographers, including myself, speak these words in some form on their website.  But what do they really mean, in the field?  For me it means treating the subject with respect and dignity both in the interactions with them, and in the representations of them in the images.  As I’ve written about before, it starts with not entering into a situation with the camera to your face, immediately snapping shots.  The photographer should first introduce themself, talk with the subject, or communicate as best a possible.  They should explain what they are doing and why.  And even before that, as mentioned above, it means educating oneself in advance about the people and culture.  It means trying to understand the situation from the subject’s point of view, and then striving to capture that visually.  There are an infinite number of visual realities that can be taken of a subject and a situation, but it means capturing and presenting the one that both tells the story and celebrates the subject.

Campo Nuevo, Jalapa, Guatemala

The final NPPA ethical guideline that I will address here is the fifth one, “While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.”  There is a difference between photojournalism for the media and humanitarian photography for a client.  A humanitarian photographer may be posing a subject in order to get a portrait or to show a certain component of a project.  But that does not mean the humanitarian photographer cannot follow this guideline as well.  I believe that in many situations, an unaltered, uninfluenced shot will make a more natural, and thus much stronger image.  In my work I have found that it is often easy to disappear into a situation, and become the fly on the wall.  While subjects may initially strut and pose for the camera, or begin to act self-consciously, if you just stay in place, and let a minute or two pass, they will begin to ignore you and forget you are there taking photos.

Open Windows, San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala

I encourage you to have a look at the other guidelines I have not discussed here and think about how they apply to your work.  Please leave a comment, ask a question.  Let me know what has been helpful, and what you’d like to read more about.

For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.

Becoming a Humanitarian Photographer, Part II

(For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.)

In my previous post about starting out as a humanitarian photographer, I discussed how to go about creating, planning, and executing your own self-assignments, in order to gain experience in the field and begin to develop a portfolio of work. In this post I’d like to discuss some resources that can help you develop in a different way. An important part of being a humanitarian photographer is understanding what humanitarian aid organizations aim to do, the issues they address, and the people and populations they work with.

San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala            photo by dojoklo

A great place to get a broad view of the important humanitarian issues in developing countries is the TED website, which presents a ongoing series of “riveting talks by remarkable people.” Each one I’ve watched has been interesting and enlightening, and they are worth searching through to find the topics that most interest you. Here are a few of my favorites that relate to humanitarian work:

Start with Hans Rosling’s “Best Stats You’ve Ever Seen.” Through his innovative, visual, and dramatic use of statistics, he begins to tear apart myths and preconceptions about the developing world.  His other lectures on poverty, AIDS, and Asia are equally as interesting and worthwhile.

Bill Gate’s lecture on “Mosquitos, Malaria, and Education” gained notoriety in the media with his tactic of releasing of mosquitoes into the audience.  Through his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he is focusing his money, attention, and shrewd business sense to tackling some of the largest and most important humanitarian issues of today.

Paul Collier’s lecture on the “Bottom Billion” addresses the ways we can, and must, close the gap between the rich and poor.

Wade Davis is an anthropologist and ethnobiologist who has spent his career studying indigenous cultures.  I highly recommend reading his books, including Light at the Edge of the World:  A Journey Through the Realm of Vanishing Cultures.  In it he celebrates and speaks to the importance of the fascinatingly diverse ways cultures have chosen to exist on this planet.  In addition, the book contains stunning photos Davis has taken on his adventures around the globe.  Some of these thoughts and photos are part of his lecture on “Endangered Cultures.”

There are many other lectures on these types of issues, so be sure to check out the links and suggested lectures after watching the ones I’ve listed.  There are other lectures that aren’t directly related to humanitarian topics which are however very interesting and may help to expand your thinking.

Malcolm Gladwell is always helpful in shifting the way one thinks about things, and his talk on “Spaghetti Sauce” is very entertaining.

Robert Sapolsky, who spends a lot of time studying primates, has interesting and surprising insights into what does, and doesn’t make humans unique.

VS Ramachandran’s talks on the brain, including “The Neurons That Shaped Civilization” are also quite fascinating.

And finally, I can’t leave you without a photography related lecture.  James Nachtwey’s “Searing Photos of War” will be an eye-opening and inspiring presentation for any aspiring photojournalist.

I have to warn you, watching one lecture typically leads to another, and they are quite addictive.

For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.

Interview with a Humanitarian Photographer

Check out LensFlare35.com for a great interview and narrated slideshow with humanitarian photographer Karl Grobl.  He discusses how he started out, his experiences traveling and working in developing countries, and the stories behind some of his favorite photos.

Solola Market, Guatemala                      photo by dojoklo
190mm, f/4, subject distance 10m (image cropped)

For related posts, check out other entries in the Humanitarian Photography category.

Why You Shouldn’t Buy the Kit Lens

OK, I admit, the title of this post is purposely overly dramatic. The truth is, I don’t know if you should buy a digital SLR with the kit lens or not.  That was partially a cheap ploy for attention and Google searches. But the reality is, Canon and Nikon don’t know what you are taking photos of and how you work, so just because they pair a lens up with the body you want, don’t assume it is the right lens for you and your work.  You may save some money at first, but if you soon upgrade and replace the kit lens, and then toss it aside and rarely use it again, you’re really not saving any money.  (It should tell you something that when you read forum posts from people discussing kit lenses, you discover the most common phrase is “I bought the kit lens, but…” typically followed by the words “soon replaced.”)  You don’t need a “starter lens,” whatever that means.  You need a lens that does what you want.

For additional posts about lenses, see Best Lenses for Travel and Humanitarian Photography and Fixed vs. Variable Aperture Lenses.

So I’d like to raise some issues that can help you make a better, more informed decision if you should get the kit lens or if you should buy just the camera body, and purchase a different lens.  (A “kit lens” is a lens that is sold together with a dSLR camera body, as a package – as opposed to buying the camera body only and selecting your own lens.)

San Francisco, Peru – Shipibo Village
1/640, f/5, ISO 200, 105mm

If some of the digital photography terms in this post are new to you, check out this great glossary for assistance.

There are several routes to follow regarding buying lenses. One common path seems to be to start out with a single, all purpose zoom lens, like the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, that takes you all the way from wide angle to telephoto. Then when your experience and needs change and develop, you might get higher quality zooms with more limited range, such as a wide angle zoom, a standard zoom, and/ or a telephoto zoom. Somewhere along the way you may throw in a couple prime lenses, and then maybe upgrade the zoom lenses to the professional series, or get a super expensive, giant telephoto if your work requires that.  There are a million sites that address everything about lenses, so I don’t wish to repeat it all here.  But one thing is for sure:  they can’t tell you which lens you need.  You have to figure that out yourself, and hopefully this post will help you do that.

One thing to keep in mind with lenses is that you almost always get what you pay for. With more expensive lenses you often get features including:

• better sharpness throughout its full range of focal lengths and apertures
• better sharpness, color, contrast, and image quality across the image frame, from the center to the corners
• higher quality construction
• higher quality glass and coatings to prevent flare and internal reflections
• larger maximum apertures
• fixed maximum apertures (read about what this means in this other post)
• better durability
• Increased dust, water, and weather resistance
• image stabilization (designated IS on Canon lenses; VR on Nikon/Nikkor lenses)
• higher quality auto focus mechanisms
• quieter and faster auto focus
• full time manual focus (ability to override auto-focus for manually tweeking focus while remaining in AF)
• internal zoom mechanisms – meaning the lens does not extend when you zoom – which also allows for better weather sealing
• metal lens mounts (the part that screws onto the camera) for better durability, sealing, and electrical connections (cheaper kit lenses often have plastic mounts that wear and then the lens wobbles and loses electrical connection)

One notable exception to this rule of price=quality seems to be Canon’s 50mm f/1.8 II for under $100. From what I’ve repeatedly read, the quality is exceptional, although the build quality seems to be what suffers.  Also, since higher quality lenses typically contain more internal lens elements, they are often heavier than equivalent cheaper lenses.

If you are new to learning about lenses, you may wonder why you shouldn’t just buy a relatively inexpensive lens that takes you from 18mm or 55mm all the way to 200mm or 300mm and covers all your needs. The general answer is that lenses typically can’t maintain high quality throughout a huge range like that. If you have a high quality camera, you are better off sacrificing some of that zoom range for better quality through a more limited range.  And any dSLR with 15, 18, or 21 megapixels will show the shortcomings of cheaper lenses due to the high resolution of the sensor.

Ucayali River, Peru
1/400, f/6.3, ISO 100, 105mm

So, to choose the lens that is right for you, first look at what you plan to or typically take photos off. What range of zoom or individual prime lenses best fit these needs? If you have lots of recent photos, look at the EXIF data to see what focal lengths got the most use. (Make sure you take into account sensor sizes and crop factors though. A photo taken at 55mm focal length on your digital compact may be the equivalent of 55mm on a camera with a full frame sensor, like the Canon 5D, but will likely not be the equivalent of 55mm focal length on a 1.6x crop factor size sensor of a Canon Rebel, 60D, or 7D.  You may have to do some research and some math and figure out what the equivalent focal length is to make sure you are comparing apples to apples.)

When I was initially upgrading from an all purpose zoom to higher quality but more limited range zooms, I put all my favorite and most successful recent photos in a folder and then opened that folder in Adobe Bridge. In the “Filter” panel, I expanded the “Focal Length” list, and saw the number of photos taken at each focal length. It quickly became apparent that I was always working at the extremes of my lens, either at 28mm or at 105mm, and then the next highest concentration of images was around 50mm and 85mm. What this metadata told me was that I needed a wide angle lens for those times I was working at 28mm, and also a telephoto lens that started around 80mm and went up to 105mm or greater. Knowing from experience that I often wished I could get much wider than 28mm, and seeing in the EXIF data that when going wide I rarely went above 30mm or 35mm, I chose a 16-35mm wide angle zoom lens. Also knowing from experience that I often wished I could zoom in much closer than I was able to with 105mm, a 70-200mm lens was a great solution. With these two lenses, I have the wide and telephoto ranges covered. But the EXIF data also showed a concentration of images from 50-65mm, so this tells me perhaps I should consider a 50mm prime lens. I can make up the difference of 50-65mm by “zooming with my feet,” as they say.

Cusco, Peru – Inti Raymi 2007
1/500, f/4.6, ISO 100, 21mm (digital compact)

If you don’t yet have enough experience or past images to know which range of lenses will best fit your subject matter, look at photographers who do similar work. Professionals usually list what gear they use on their website – look for the “equipment” or “gear” link. If you are into travel, look at what Bob Krist and Nevada Wier use. If you are into landscapes or birds or sports, look at your favorite pros in these areas (sorry, I don’t know too much about these areas). If you favor international humanitarian photojournalism (as I do), look to Karl Grobl and Ami Vitale, or any number of other working pros. If you can’t afford or are not ready to invest in the professional series lenses that they use, determine the closest equivalent in a less expensive lens.  Or another approach is to look at the types of images that draw your attention, the types of images you wish to emulate.  See if the focal length is listed under the image (this is often done in photo magazines and books), or with images on Flickr view the EXIF data.  If it is not listed, just determine the focal length more generally.  Are the images you admire and are attracted to close-ups, details, or faces with blurry backgrounds?  These are typically made with telephoto lenses – lenses that range from 70mm to 200mm, 250mm, or 300mm.  Or are they all encompassing wide shots, landscapes, or environmental portraits?  These are usually taken with wide angle lenses or  lenses that range anywhere from 10mm or 18mm up to 70mm or 85mm.

There may be 2 or 3 lenses that fit in your desired range, so the next step is to head to the photo store. Have them pull out the camera body you have or want, and then 2 of the similar lenses. Try them both out, and you may quickly see which one you favor. One may be much heavier than the other, or just feel more comfortable in your hands. There may be a significant difference in size. When I went to look at the 70-200mm, there were 4 to choose from: it came with or without image stabilization and with f/2.8 or f/4 aperture. I knew I wanted the IS, and even though it was significantly more expensive, I knew I wanted the f/2.8 since it is generally considered better for a variety of reasons. However, the moment the guy placed them side by side on the counter, I was relieved I had not ordered it sight unseen. The f/2.8 is gigantic. It is a cannon, (not just a Canon) and it weighs a ton. I knew I would not want to haul that thing around, have it around my neck or in my hands all day, and that I would probably begin to dread its weight very quickly. So I went with the f/4 (Canon EF 70-200 f/4L IS), with its very similar optics and performance, and half the weight. I sacrificed a little “speed” and compositional possibilities (as well as bragging rights) with the f/4 aperture, but based on how I knew I would be using it, it was worth the trade off. However when comparing two similar wide angle zooms, side by side and in my hands, I chose the heavier one. Its shorter focal length at the wide end and its wider aperture, which would be beneficial in the low light situations I would be commonly using it, were more important to me that the weight.

Whichever lens you get, be sure to get the optional lens hood (they come with L-series lenses) and a high-quality coated or multi-coated UV filter (such a the B+W brand).  The lens hood will help shade the lens to prevent unwanted lens flare (although lens flare can sometimes be used for a great effect when desired), help protect the lens from bumps and drops, and will make you look cooler and more professional!  Have a look on my post about The Best Lenses for Travel Photography which specifies the applicable Canon lens hood and filter size for several lenses.

Lake Titicaca, Peru
1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 400, 105mm

If you still can’t decide, rent the camera and both lenses, or just the lens you are leaning towards, and try them out for a weekend. As far as all the other comparisons between lenses, do research on-line. Avoid forums that debate the pros and cons of various lenses but are subject to subjective judgments. Look for sites with actual side-by-side reviews and comparisons. I’ve listed a few links at the bottom.

Don’t rule out a prime lens as your first lens either. The 50mm used to be the “kit lens” back in the 35mm films days, and for a good reason. It is called a “normal” lens, meaning “the way it renders perspective closely matches that of the human eye.” (Gary Voth). Also, its large maximum aperture – often f/1.4 or f/1.8 – means it works great in low light situations, as well as creates dramatic background blurring. Gary Voth has written an excellent post about the 50mm, “The Forgotten Lens,” describing its numerous other benefits.  He also addresses the issues of a 50mm with a full frame vs. cropped frame digital SLRs.  The couple of photos on his post may be enough to convince you he is on to something.

On a final note, I’ve read of people being concerned about buying lenses that overlap, for example having a 24-105mm and a 70-200mm.  These 2 would overlap, and thus potentially serve the same purpose, in the 70-105mm range.  I don’t think this should be a concern at all, for a couple reasons.  First, the lenses may not act exactly the same optically at the same focal length due to the lenses’ minimum apertures or their focusing “sweet spots.”  More importantly, there are so many situations where you can’t or don’t want to change, or even carry around a variety of lenses, so consider each lens’ range independently of your other lenses.  If you were walking about in a city taking photos, a 24-105mm would be great range, and more convenient than having to change lenses every time you wanted to zoom past 70mm.  Of course if you have 2 bodies, you may have to reconsider this philosophy.

I go into further detail about the best lenses for travel and humanitarian photography in this post where I discuss specific lenses in the different zoom ranges of wide, standard, and telephoto, as well as choosing the best one lens for travel.  That post will also benefit those looking for a general, all-around lens.

If you plan to purchase any equipment, I encourage you to do so through the referral links I’ve set up with Amazon.  Use the product links throughout various posts, or just use this one and go directly to Amazon using this link to the Canon Lenses or this link to the Nikon lenses.  Purchasing through my site or through that link will help support my blog – thanks!  And for those of you across the pond, click here for my referral link to Amazon UK.  If you are in another country, click on one of my Amazon links, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on your country for your local Amazon.

Great sites for lens reviews:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://photo.net/equipment/canon/

Please leave a comment, ask a question.  Let me know what has been helpful, and what you’d like to read more about.