These meetings are incredibly valuable to us at the studio and we learn tremendously from each other. My studio staff from album designers, photo editors, the studio manager, and our photographers all sit down together as we hear from the editors which shots work and which to omit. Like this we can constantly hone our skills and update our style. A great part of the meeting is viewing each other’s recent work and discussing how the photo was taken and this is where we can learn new tricks that a photographer might have discovered. Seeing everyone’s work is inspiring for the whole team and creates a great creative energy. This is also a time to address any feedback we get from our clients. I like to make sure everyone is aware of any and all comments we receive at the studio.

This time around a big topic of discussion was detail shots. Apart from photojournalism we like to get incredible still-lifes. With weddings being more and more creative these days the details create some really interesting shots. In a book they can pull the whole feeling of the wedding together.
 
Being able to sit in a room with a team of like-minded professionals that all share the same enthusiasm for their work is an exhilarating experience and I believe these meetings are integral for a creative business to thrive.

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I had to download it and shot around during our creative meeting yesterday.

via (Swismiss)

The much anticipated Whitney Biennial opens today to the public. This exhibit highlights lesser known artists that are expected to set the temperature for the next two years in the contemporary art world. This year there are 55 artists showing, 4 of which are photographers, I am especially excited to see the youngest photographer (23) Tam Tran’s work.

While Biennials are always affected by the cultural, political, and social moment, this exhibition simply titled "2010” embodies a cross section of contemporary art production rather than a specific theme.

Click here for more. 

Tam Tran

After going live with the post, my in-house photo editor asked me if I was sure about having such a strong opinion on retouching? "Of course", I replied, and she proceeded to remind me of how much "post" imaging work we do at the studio. Believe me it is no small amount.

Being Creative

There is a fine line where image alteration and photography as a medium, blend. Image retouching by definition means either the "correction" or the "enhancement" of a photograph or the subject(s) within. You can call it "manipulation" or just an artist "creating". James Cameron's Avatar was created solely on manipulating photos/videos and it is being heralded as a breakthrough in technology.  To me this is artistic creation, not so much when it is shaving off some lbs here or there and hiding less-than-perfect skin. 

Retouching is controversial worldwide, even celebrities are coming out saying they are unhappy with how much their images are altered. Lets face it, almost every picture is going to get retouched and it is what my clients expect of my studio and we are happy to do it.... to a degree. The point of contention comes with the amount of image altering that happens. 

As a photographer I am out there, taking pictures recording a very real world. Photography in its fundamental nature does that, and the camera can be unforgiving. However before a photo is ever even taken the photographer makes several creative choices and this will likely alter the outcome of the photo. Just properly lighting a shot takes years to master. 

For Example:

Where do I point the camera?

Do I walk around the subject to be photographed and change the background and therefore the context entirely?

Do I apply a shallow depth of field, thereby throwing most everything except a choice area out of focus?

Do I use the existing lighting or do I alter it?

The Manipulators

Let's pause for a moment and give applause to a certain trade, the actual retouchers! I know quite a few, they usually operate in relative anonymity only known to a handful of photographers and magazine editors. There are some real artists out there in our particular niche. They provide an incredible service to our community and are the ones that "perfect" the photograph. They are very skilled in their work and deserve some credit.

I watched a short video piece on the NY Times site on retouching it was suggested that magazines should list the retouchers right alongside with the photographers, makeup artists, stylist, and so on. In certain circumstances that might be appropriate, especially most magazine covers. 

The question is not, to retouch or not to retouch, but more when and how much is acceptable?

Jake McBride, currently on assignment covering the 21st Winter Olympics, was recently named one of "Australia's most renowned and prolific snow sports photographers this country has ever seen" by Chill Factor Magazine. To see Jake's full interview go to Chill Factor Magazine. Jake's Olympic coverage is updated daily on Mountain Watch. 

Shaun White celebrating his victory with his long time coach.

This camera was designed by Shree Nayar at the Computer Vision Laboratory at Columbia University. He designed this camera with a mission in mind; he wanted to create a digital camera that was geared towards children as a means to express themselves but also as a powerful educational tool. Below are 3 points taken from BigShot’s Mission statement. I think this is such an incredible idea and cant wait to see how schools and children interact with these cameras.

• It should be designed as a kit for assembly by students. The assembly process should not only demystify the workings of the camera, but also expose students to various science and engineering concepts.
• It should include features that cannot be found in other cameras, allowing students to explore new creative dimensions.
• It should be low-cost, with the potential to serve as the basis for a scalable social venture. Bigshot has been designed with these goals in mind.

Bigshot Camera

Massimo Vitali’s incredible work is currently on display at Bonni Benrubi Gallery. It is only there to March 6th so if you can get there you should! I am a huge fan of his work as I am sure you will be too.

The camera is a machine without feeling or opinion and we believe it is a tool to portray the truth. Society as a whole has learned that this is no longer the case. Practically every image you see has been altered in some form. We need to ask ourselves where to draw the line in digital retouching.

My philosophy? Light retouching, yes. In a news context, no

When you change the original intent of the photo, retouching has gone too far. Altering images in photojournalism is an example of where the magic of Photoshop crosses an ethical line and heats up the retouching debate.

Photojournalism has long been regarded as being truthful. The images we see in the papers, television, and online that are considered journalistic we tend not to question their integrity. These days we are seeing more and more cases where these newsworthy images are being doctored. This in turn changes how the public trusts this profession and makes the professionals question the business they got into.

Below are images that came out in the Daily Mail UK about how Iran had altered this photo to conceal that a missile had failed during a test. You can see in the second image they added the failed missile, according to the Daily Mail it was to make sure not to show weakness.

To read the full article click here

We all know by now there is tons and tons of retouching happening in magazines especially in the fashion world, I will write a whole other post on this and what is happening in France with their effort to change this.

Today I want to talk about Brad Pitt’s cover of W magazine where the amazingly talented Chuck Close shot several close ups photos for the feature. NO retouching was done, on the insistence of Brad Pitt. Now he is a handsome man, and I have to say this would be easier for men than women. But I do have to point out that it was a rare and brave move for an actor in Hollywood.

Our new website has been live for a little over 2 weeks now, and what a busy couple of weeks it has been. To put it mildly it's been raved about by many in the industry and clients alike so far. This project started last August and everyone involved in it thought we'd get this out in about 6 weeks. How wrong we were.

The primary obstacle was to improve on a site that already scored highly on aesthetics. I pretty much told my web developers to do most of the same that my old site did. There was definitely some head-butting and there were at least two occasions when I picked up the phone and wanted to call the entire project off only to change my mind during the conversation, because of the charisma and intelligence of .... my brother!

Yes, the web developer behind all of this IS my brother Roland. He is running a startup company in Austria doing all sorts of geeky internet backbone stuff (quite brilliantly so). When he decided to take on this project he collaborated with the graphic designers from Abloom with whom he shares his office. We were truly telecommuting: Skype video and Google Waving. However, oddly enough, we got the bulk done during a ski trip in Austria.

So here it is. The new site. Roland: thank you so much for all the work and hours you put into it. I couldn't be happier and more proud that we worked on this together! Bro, you rock!

In my first "Light, Camera!" blog entry, I wanted to explain why I want to have entries devoted to different topics of interest. Over time, I'll speak about aesthetics in "The Bigger Picture"; about great ideas in "Inspirations"; photographic techniques in "Light, Camera!"; and keep you updated with "News", so you know what to look for from my next Studio blog post. I'd like to think that we have something worth sharing with those who are seriously interested in photography. That said, I hope to speak to novices and serious photographers alike -- that is, people who have a passion or simply a curiosity about the art of photography that they wish to explore. People growing, learning, cultivating their interests in the field. So, we'll try to strike a balance between the basics and sprinkle it with some advanced tips.

Let's start with the pure fundamentals. From photojournalism to fine art photography, and everything in between, all photos have these things in common: light, lenses, and cameras. Naturally, skill, technique and the mechanical nature of what goes into a photograph and what's important in a great photo all vary greatly. In fact, photography is so ubiquitous that even the most basic phone camera still works with those 3 essentials: light, lenses and cameras. Even the best artistic photographers work with the basics to take great photographs.

For now, let's discuss the key element: light. Without it, there's no photography. It's often forgotten as THE most simple and crucial ingredient. No wonder, what with our modern gizmo automatic digital cameras. They help us out with their technology to manage light for photos, but they all still need light to take pictures.

Light can be either from an artificial source (flash, strobes, tungsten lamps, etc.), or from natural sources-- most likely the sun. Artificial light is a future "Light, Camera!" posting. Let's talk about the sun in today's post.

The reason why most cameras do reasonably well in regular daylight is because most camera manufacturers build easy-to-use cameras for outdoor photography. Think about it -- it's outside and daytime that most people take photos of their kids, their beach or ski vacations, etc. Manufacturers know this and build settings to help support it.

During summer sun or a foggy autumn day, the sun's natural light is the best element for distinct and memorable images. Direct light is when the sun is out and on you, not necessarily during the brightest of blue sky days. In fact, the most common misconception is that you'd have to have a perfect sunny day to take perfect pictures. Actually, while a beautiful blue sky day is like chicken soup for the soul, it poses its own challenges. In fact, the pictures might also turn out too 1950's postcard-like. However, a good photographer does not always require a cloudless day to get enough light and take great shots.

The tips below deal with that cloudless sunny day:

Tip #1: Choose the right time of day (when possible)

The angle of the sun is different depending on the time of day. Noon--when the sun is at its highest point, is a very unflattering light for humans -- the morphology of the face when standing upright causes some VERY unflattering shadows: eye sockets become dark, long shadows under the nose, etc. It's not just noon sun-- even the 3pm sun during the summer solstice has a similar high angle. I'm sure most people have heard of the Golden Hour, and it's called that for a reason. While you don't always need a picture perfect sunset, the later part of the day is the most flattering. Not only because the light comes in at a lower angle, but also, in an urban setting the sun might illuminate the sides of buildings or walls, thus reflecting the light as a soft light source, generating some very beautiful lighting effects.

Tip #2 Late afternoon or first rays?

For photographing people, late afternoon tends to be better. As a photographer, you should start taking pictures well before the day is over and figure out the best angles by the time the light is right, which is usually during the last part of the day. Compare that with early morning photography. You are talking about taking the same shots at 5, 6 or 7am depending on the season, and who doesn't have puffy eyes during that time of the day? However, if your field is landscape photography, there is a certain dewy quality in the first sunlight that you don't have during the last part of the day. If you're a National Geographic photographer, you should set your alarm clock to 4am.

Tip #3 How to shoot at noon, if you have to.

There are situations of course where one has to take pictures at noon. The brunch with your in-laws is happening, well, during brunch time. If it has to be outdoors, try to shoot under foliage or an awning. Anything that blocks the direct sunlight from above should work. However, watch out for the background. If the background is sunlit, it might get too over-exposed.

Tune in next time! "Light, Camera!" is on deck, and I'll continue our light discussion soon before moving on to lenses and cameras. Thanks for listening, and I look forward to future discussions here, or elsewhere online.

For the love of photography,

-- Christian Oth

That is a question I asked myself many years ago as I was getting started in photography. Back then, I was pouring over the mountain of great work, original ideas and then-current work in magazines. As a student I was in awe of what the pros were producing. I was fortunate to study under Jose Picayo, who by then already had a remarkable career in fashion photography. His opinion was to merely look at fashion shoots in magazines and try to copy exactly those shoots.

Copycat? No, not really; as a student I learned that just by trying to copy those images I got inspired, and went off on my own tangent. The logistics of producing a photo shoot and the actual choices that present themselves by just doing it, offered, as I soon found out, infinite ways to be unique.

Little by little, I built up my own repertoire of taste and aesthetics. Many times I saw work that inspired me and then when it came to taking pictures of certain subjects, some of those images stayed in my mind, but new possibilities presented themselves by just doing it.

Over the years I have worked for, with, and now mentored some amazing photographers and I have seen this incredible path again and again. Just doing it does absolute wonders. The images are almost always new! How is it possible to surpass the current work now? Just do it - to borrow from Nike's tagline. That, and loud music!

Christian Oth

The last time we re-designed our website was only 18 months ago, but we felt like we had to stay current with today's communication needs. First and foremost we wanted to add a blog. Then we realized that our photographer's work needed to be featured in a better way - so one thing led to another... and voilà a new website is born.

The new site not only features gorgeous weddings, but it's also a dynamic resource about photography, and more. Register with the site, and you can enjoy and share our new "Favorites" feature -- our one-of-a-kind tool that will be useful to many, as we continue to bring more stunning images to our site. "Star" any image to create custom slideshows that you can share with your friends, use as inspiration as you plan your big day, and help guide you as you choose a photographer. For fans and journalists, you can follow the evolving talents and style of our photographers.

Having been in this industry for a number of years we thought that we had something valuable to share with couples planning their wedding. We have been so privileged to work with many talented and distinguished vendors -- planners, designers, florists, make-up artists and musicians. We have also shot at the top venues in NYC and across the globe for a bevy of unique clients. If you find a resource on this site, you can trust that it's a good one - useful, tasteful and helpful.

New functionalities and resources will evolve over time. Bookmark our page as a valuable, concise and easy-to-use resource. No clutter, I promise.

Christian Oth

Time to stand up for what I believe in, before other voices drown the best intentions out.

You may be wondering why I’m creating a blog so late in the game of 2009. Especially a blog that stands up for great work – not only in the realm of photography, but also aesthetics and tastemakers in all fields, from around the world.

Recent interactions with the Christian Oth Studio brand online have made it clear that I need to represent the Studio, supported by my name and reputation, but this goes far beyond just my name above the door. Christian Oth Studio was founded on an idea, an ideal to become the standard-setter in wedding photography, and to a point, we’ve achieved that. It was incredibly humbling when I was named one of the “Ten Best Photographers in the World” by Photo District News in 2007.

I was floored by the news. An achievement of recognition after five years of hard work redefining wedding photography with fresh narrative. A triumph. Yet with challenges that raise the bar ever higher….

And such accolades I didn’t achieve on my own. In fact, all the people who have joined the Studio also believe in setting industry standards. We are all in pursuit of a level of excellence that is legendary. Every photographer here explores new approaches to deliver revolutionary work.

Going forward, we’re taking this quest to improve to the next level. Across every aspect of our work, our relationships and with every client or subject. Christian Oth Studio will come to mean stellar photographic work – for events, weddings or any photojournalistic, action, or fine arts photography or for any editorial purpose.

We stand behind all of our work, which includes the linear thread through all of our influences, education, experience and technique, to always go beyond, delivering fresh shots that are memorable pieces of art.

Stay tuned as we turn up the dial on Christian Oth Studio….Many, many more ideas, opinions and straight talk about Photography to come. Welcome to the BIGGER PICTURE of Christian Oth Studio.

Christian Oth