Detroit Photographer - Paul Manoian Photography » Discussion

iPhone 365 Project January Recap

Paul Manoian — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:06:01 +0000

I’m now one month into my 365 Project for 2010 and I am thoroughly enjoying it. A 365 Project is one where you take post a single picture for each day of the year. It has really forced me to expand my vision and capture common-day items from a new perspective. As I suggested in my Day 28 iPhone 365 Project post, I believe there are three keys to a successful 365 Project:

Always have a camera with you
Always look for interesting light
Always take the shot

If you’ve considered doing a 365 Project but haven’t yet started, what are you waiting for? You don’t have to have an expensive camera for a 365 Project. You only have to have a camera, film or digital. In fact, I know one person that even does there’s with a Polaroid and his photos are absolutely fantastic.

I chose to use my iPhone because I always have it with me. In addition, I can take photos with it anywhere (e.g. restaurants, at the mall, etc) and I just look like “some guy with a camera phone”. My Canon DSLR would definitely draw attention in places where I’d rather blend in. By the end of the day I usually have multiple photos that I can filter through and select one to post on my 365 Project blog.

If you haven’t seen my iPhone 365 Project, please check it out and let me know what you think. There’s a little something for everyone! Here are 5 of my favorites from January:

iPhone 365 Project Day 13: Detroit, MI Sunset on I-75

iPhone 365 Project Day 14: Ford Field - Home of the Detroit Lions

iPhone 365 Project Day 19: Greek Orthodox Church Bell Tower

iPhone 365 Project Day 22: Livonia Observer and Eccentric Loading Dock

iPhone 365 Project Day 29: I-96 Sunrise in Detroit, Michigan

iPhone 365 Project Observations

Paul Manoian — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:50:58 +0000

I’m now a week into my 365 Project and I’m enjoying it so much, I’m wondering why more people don’t do their own!

The purpose of a 365 Project is to document a year of your life using a single photo each day. I believe all photographers should partake in a 365 or similar Project as it helps hone and enforce your skills. Even so, they are meant for everyone! Anyone with a camera can do a 365 Project!

The photo below is from Day 8: Sunlight Through Evergreen Trees:

iPhone 365 Project Day 8: Sunlight Through Evergreen Trees

Why would I do a 365 Project?

Document a year of your life (Perfect for documenting baby’s first year!)
Great way to share photos with friends and family
Less effort than keeping a journal
Improve your photography skills

How do I do a 365 project?

Use any camera to take a photo a day
Upload your photo to the internet for sharing with friends and family

While I use my own blog for my 365 Project, you can also simply upload your daily photos to Facebook or Flickr. In addition, there are now a number of websites, and even an iPhone app, for building your own 365 Project.

The best part is that no special equipment is required. You do not need professional equipment nor do you need special gear of any kind. In fact, I’m doing my 365 Project entirely using my iPhone. Yes, a simple camera phone! While the image quality isn’t on par with a DSLR, you can still capture amazing photos with your camera phone. Would you have known the photo above was taken with a camera phone had I not told you?

So, go ahead and start your own 365 Project. You don’t have to start on January 1st, you can start any day of the year that’s convenient. Also, don’t worry about missing a day along the way. Do you can and enjoy what you do!

What is Most Important When Selecting a Photographer?

Paul Manoian — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:55:18 +0000

As 2010 quickly approaches, I am evaluating my clients’ needs and determining where my attention should be focused in the new year. A few months ago, I wrote an article on what to consider when selecting a photographer.

I’ve asked a number of people for their input on Twitter on what was the most important trait to look for and received some excellent responses from @jeffbobick, @thetrudz, @forestgrovemom, @smithography and @briannaphelan. I’d like to thank each of them for their insight!

Now, it’s your turn! What are the most important traits you consider when looking for a professional photographer?

NOTE: If you would like to see something else added to the list, please leave a comments below and I’ll let you know when I have added it.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Poll: Where Did You Go for Your 2009 Holiday Card Photography?

Taking Time to Give Back

Paul Manoian — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:37:48 +0000

I have been recently inundated by local groups asking for donations of goods for the needy. However, while most of them are worthy, I also believe the potential is somewhat limited. That is, if you donate food or clothes, it is ultimately going to help to a single person (or two). I have been seeking ways to reach out and help a broader group.

I have a special place in my heart for children’s organizations and am interested in working with local charities and non-profit organizations this holiday season to raise funds. I believe one of the better ways to do this is through silent auctions. Organizations that properly advertise and promote their silent auction have the best opportunity to raise the most captial from the largest audience. In fact, auctioned items may bring in 2-3 times the face value of the item in many situations. This money can then be used to help hundreds instead of tens. Of course, other opportunities exist as well.

I want that to give back to the community this holiday season by donating my services as a professional photographer. If you represent a charity or other non-profit organization in southeast Michigan, please contact me. Let’s talk.

Happy Holidays!

Best Portrait Photography in Detroit, Michigan

Paul Manoian — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:43:12 +0000

Best. There can be only one. WDIV Detroit 4 ran a contest this summer called 4 The Best to find the best businesses in southeast Michigan. The contest drew a huge response and 180,490 votes were cast.

And the winner is …

Paul Manoian Photography has been voted Best Portrait Photography in Detroit for 2009!

I am completely overwhelmed right now as this has been such an amazing experience. It’s one thing for my clients to say I’m the best photographer, but to actually be voted the Best Photographer is a completely different experience! I am so thankful that I was nominated for Best Portrait Photography let alone be voted #1!

Thank you! THANK YOU!!

For me, as a professional photographer in Michigan, the best part has been reading the comments and recommendations from my wonderful clients! Here’s what a few of them have had to say:

I’ve worked with a number of photographers before, and I’ve never seen anyone work so adeptly with lighting, texture, and creative composition as Paul does. He’s amazing with his subjects, puts them immediately at ease, and that comfort translates incredibly well into his portraits. His portfolio is the best I’ve ever seen, and he’s a young photographer, commercially-speaking. Paul has an incredibly bright future; his raw talent is more than obvious. — J.V.

Paul is very technically talented, but is also incredible with children. He was consistently calm, patient and engaging even when my children became distant and unresponsive. He was able to pull their interest back to the photography session with his humor and kindness. The photographs are beautiful and capture my children’s individual personalities perfectly. — K.M.

Paul gets amazing, candid, images that show off the personality of each person perfectly! — J.P.

Paul took pictures of my 3 year old triplets – he did a fantastic job. He picked a good setting, and we can’t be happier. Getting three 3 year olds to do anything is a feat – but to get some great pictures of them, showing their “natural” smiles was wonderful. — E.R.

Paul is very talented and hard working. He is always trying to find the right shot for the right child. He is very patient and cares very much about the people he is photographing. — C.M.

He is a true artist. When you see his final product, you can instantly tell they were taken by a professional. His prices are very reasonable and he has a great website. I have and will continue to recommend Paul to friends and family. — P.J.

He has a way of capturing children in a way that almost allows you to see what they’re thinking. His poses are creative and his ability to capture the subject(s) at just the right moment is truly a gift! G.T.

He is a wonderful photographer. Took fantastic pictures of our engagement and outdoor wedding. It was wonderful how he captured just the right moments and helped make our day perfect. Thank you. You will be our photographer for life. Thanks! — P.R.

How Do I Select the Right Photographer?

Paul Manoian — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:28:08 +0000

Ever since I started this photography blog, my readers in other states have regularly asked me what to look for in a professional photographer. While what makes one photographer better than another is subjective, I believe there are some universal items to be considered regardless of the specific photographer and subject. As a professional photographer, my goal is to create art that my clients will cherish for generations. They deserve nothing less.

In answering my readers’ questions, I’ve seen patterns that suggest there are four basic items to consider when selecting a professional photographer to create portraits for your family and children. In order of importance, they are:

Approach and Style

The first and foremost consideration when selecting a professional photographer is their overall approach and style. These can vary widely from “department store snapshots” with little to no creativity using a static backdrop and “recommend” you sit in a specific “pose” (that’s what the guidebook tells the clerk to do) all the way to a professional “lifestyle” photographer that will meet you at a selected location and capture you and your children being themselves in a familiar environment. There are pros and cons to both: the results from the former tend to look unnatural while the latter truly allows your kids to be kids; however, the latter may also have to be rescheduled if the weather is not cooperating. Similarly, places like “department stores” will try to get you in and out in 15 minutes because there are other people in line while professional photographers are willing to spend hours with you and your family to capture natural expressions.

You may not know which style is right for you, so take your time and browse the photographer’s online portrait and wedding gallery. After deciding what you’re looking for, speak with the potential photographer in advance of scheduling anything. Discuss a few shots that you have in mind and listen to what your photographer has to say. But, stay flexible! More times that not, the impromptu shots are the family favorites!

Bond and Trust

The second consideration is a little more difficult to define. To get photos that truly exude joy, it is important for you and your family to be able to form a bond with your photographer over the long term. If you are having younger children photographed, it is critical that they be able to trust your photographer. If not, the discomfort will show on their young faces in each photo. Watch how your children and family interact with the photographer. How is the photographer’s tone? Is he patient with everyone? Is he comfortable around children and teenagers? Is he truly able to form some level of trust with them? If not, it will show in the photos. Obviously, at “department stores” and other similar snapshot corners, you get what you get.

Schedule and Availability

The schedules of newborns, young children, teenagers and working adults are extremes. It is important that you work with a photographer that understands these differences and is willing to give your family the time and patience they deserve. Don’t settle for a photographer that schedules sessions back to back every 30 minutes. You are only setting yourself up for second and third best. A reputable professional photographer will allow time for the small disasters that can occur during a session without making you feel rushed. Time to change diapers, bottles for newborns, snacks for kids and clothing changes should be allowed and even encouraged. Similar to forming trust, if your family feels rushed, it will show in the photos. A good photographer will set aside at least 1 to 2 hours for you during your session. Take your time. Your family deserves it!

Personal Investment

The range of professional portraiture prices is as varied as there are styles. When you are discussing rates with a professional photographer, be sure to ask about sitting fees, print finishing and mounting options, minimum order amounts and time frames for viewing/selecting proofs. Remember, you are working with a professional and they are putting more time into your portraits than you realize. This includes things like:

Phone time with you to discuss ideas, locations, clothing, props, scheduling, pricing, etc.
Session prep time (30 mins – 1 hour)
Travel time to and from the session location
Equipment setup and tear down time
90 minutes-2 hours with you and your family
30-60 minutes to download your digital proofs and back them up
2-4 hours to edit and white/color balance your proofs for your online gallery
30-60 minutes to process your order and send it to the lab
30-60 minutes to process your final prints and package them

In short, don’t select a photographer that doesn’t take your family’s portraits at least as seriously as you. You are considering a professional because you realize the difference they can impart on your family portraits. Don’t settle for less.

Is Digital Photography Faster Than Film?

Paul Manoian — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:50:27 +0000

In the first and second posts on my series of Digital Photography Myths, I discussed two of the greatest myths I regularly see with digital photography: Myth #1 – Digital Photography is Cheaper Than Film and Myth #2 – Digital Photography is Easier Than Film. The fact is, I disagree with both statements and belive they are both myths. If you’d like to know why, I suggest you take a look back of the previous articles. In this article I’m address the myth that digital photography is faster than film.

Of course, “faster than” is a relative thing. There’s no arguing that plugging a digital camera directly into a printer (e.g. PictBridge) is extremely fast. But, I’m not addressing the consumer aspects of at-home printing. Rather, I’m talking about the process of actually taking photos, processing/editing them and creating real prints using a process that exposes light sensitive paper and runs it through a chemical process, not one using an inkjet printer. The output from an inkjet printer is not a “photograph”, it’s a high resolution printed picture.

So, as I’m sure you’ve now quickly surmised, the process to create a photo from a developed film negative or processed digital file is the same. Once they’re both given to the lab, the time until the final print is in your hands is practically the same. If you go to a 1-hour photo place, you’ll get your prints in an hour; film or digital. Likewise, if you send them off in the mail to a lab on the same day, you’ll get the prints back in the mail … on the same day. Similar processes give you similar results. Clearly, the difference is in the process of taking that actual photo and getting it ready to give to a lab.

In the film world, the process was quite straight forward. Simply shoot a roll of film, rewind and remove it from the camera when the last exposure is taken, hand the roll to the guy behind the counter and the photo lab and wait for prints. However, now you have a computer to deal with. As I mentioned in my post regarding the myth that digital is easier than film, it is up to the photographer to white balance, color balance, crop and sharpen each photo. If you are shooting in a RAW format, the above steps are mandatory. Even if you are shooting your images in JPEG format, you still need to crop and sharpen each photo for optimal results.

On top of that, there’s the time to download the images from your camera’s SD/CF card, sorting through the digital “negatives”, cataloging and renaming them so you can find them again later, making a backup, etc. All of these take time. Once you get the prints back, you’re still going to review them in detail (whether digital or film) and separate the “keepers” from the “tossers”. Sure, you may have more “tossers” with film at that point, but pulling out photos once they’re printed is a quick process.

The point of all of this is that digital really isn’t any faster than film. I’m putting far more time into post production than I did with film. People expect instant results, but there are so many new steps the photographer must go through that don’t directly correlate to film, film really has digital beat. The color/white balancing and exposure adjustment steps existing in the film world, but it was up to the lab to take care of it for you when they developed the prints.

Even with all that, I’m a control freak with the photos I take. I want the absolute best for my clients! Digital allows me the creative freedom to create exactly the type of heirloom they deserve. But, let’s face it, the process is slower than it ever was with film.

What are your thoughts?

Best Portrait Photography in Southeast Michigan Nominee

Paul Manoian — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:37:37 +0000

WDIV Detroit 4, the local NBC affiliate, is in their last week of the “4 the Best” competition and I am still in the running for the Best Portrait Photography category! This has been an amazing experience and I am so thankful that I was nominated for it. I must admit the whole event has taken me by surprise as it is an extreme honor to be nominated! Thousands of votes have already been cast, but there’s still one week left (Voting continues until midnight Monday, August 31st).

If you have not already done so, please take a minute to vote here: http://www.paulmanoian.com/vote

For me, as a professional photographer in Michigan, the best part has been reading the comments and recommendations from my wonderful clients! Here’s what a couple of them have had to say:

Paul did a fantastic job taking shots of my sons. The pictures came out great and really captured the unique personality of each boy. Thanks, Paul! — D.C.

Paul was so wonderful with our twins. He let them “be kids” and still captured beautiful pictures while they were together playing and splashing in the water. He is very kind and patient as well. — S.V.

Paul created the most beautiful photos of my daughter with her children. I have never seen any one else capture their specialness. His work captivates. — V.F.

Paul took pictures of my 3 year old triplets – he did a fantastic job. He picked a good setting, and we can’t be happier. Getting three 3 year olds to do anything is a feat – but to get some great pictures of them, showing their “natural” smiles was wonderful. — E.R.

Is Digital Photography Easier than Film?

Paul Manoian — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:47:38 +0000

In the last post on my series of Digital Photography Myths, one of the greatest myths I regularly see with digital photography is that it is easier than film photography. Unless you’re only referring to a situation where you are plugging your digital camera right into a printer (e.g. PictBridge) to make prints, it is simply is not so.

Long gone are the days of the little yellow huts in supermarket parking lots. Even so, those huts represented the best of times for film processing. Any consumer could simply shoot a roll of film and drop it off at “The Hut”. Then, as if by magic, fresh prints would show up in your mailbox within a few days. Simplicity defined. As long as you could load a roll of film and lick an envelope, you could expect processed prints.

The actual magic happened at the film lab where technicians carefully tweaked the exposure for each print in the film development process. Unfortunately, now that everything is digital, it is completely up to the photographer to ensure the exposure, white balance and color balance are correct for each print.

Similarly, ordering different size prints used to be as easy as putting an “X” in the appropriate checkbox on the film processing order form. However, in the digital realm, the electronic file must be resized, resampled and sharpened for each print size to ensure optimal results.

So, how do you “resize, resample and sharpen” the electronic file you ask? By using your trusty computer, of course! You never needed to know a single thing about computers, software, etc before this whole digital thing, but now it is mandatory if you want to crop or tweak any of your digital files. In fact, new skillsets are now required. So much so, that Digital photography has been one of the driving forces behind the demand for Adobe Photoshop professionals and graphic artists around the world.

Hey! But digital photography is WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) isn’t it?! Sure, you can see the photo you just captured on the 2.5″ LCD on the back of your camera. You could even use the LCD to take the shot, but I do not recommend it for optimal results. Unfortunately, nearly everything looks sharp on such a tiny LCD. As a result, you will likely not know how blurry your images are until you transfer them to your computer and look at them.

A film camera is an extremely simply device. A lens, aperture/shutter and a method to advance the film. A digital camera has the same components, but it also has menu screens nested multiple levels deep. Sure, a digital camera may have more controls over a film camera, but it is also much more complicated to master and get a professionally finished product.

What do you think?

Is Digital Photography Cheaper than Film?

Paul Manoian — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:53:09 +0000

As I wrote yesterday, one of the greatest myths I see with digital photography is that it is cheaper than film photography. With digital, it is true that you can delete poor images only pay for those that you actually print. But, I’m not referring to just the cost of a film roll and its subsequent processing. There is far more involved in digital photography than just the cost of the physical materials.

Today, you can buy an entry-level consumer digital SLR (DSLR) with a kit lens for around $700 where it’s possible to get a autofocusing 35mm SLR with lens for nearly half that. You could buy and process a LOT of film for $350!

In addition, you can store your negatives and prints from your film SLR in an acid-free shoebox for a whopping ten bucks. If you don’t want to erase your DSLR’s memory card (i.e. your digital “negatives”) each time you fill it up, you will need a computer to store the electronic files as well as the proper software to manipulate the digital images if desired (e.g. Adobe Photoshop is $700)

You will also likely need a LOT of available disk space to store the multi-megabyte files a digital camera is capable of generating. While digital storage is easy and convenient, data preservation is not. Ongoing backups and archives are needed to battle the expectedly short life of our current digital storage methods (approximately 10 years for CD ROMs and magnetic based systems like hard drives).

Microfilm has a life expectancy of 500 years and is used for archival purposes today. While this makes sense for film, dumping digital data to an analog format does not since most of digital’s benefits would be lost. A book or image printed on acid-free paper could easily last 500 years if properly stored … there is no digital equivalent.

Digital photography has revolutionized how we take and share photos with friends and family around the world. But, it is not cheaper.