Editorial | Sterling E. Stevens Photoblog

I recently shared this anecdote during a photography tutorial with the Avent Ferry United Methodist Church in Raleigh. This stemmed from my first photography blog on Sept 2, 2007, eventually to be edited and sanitized for publication in ArtSync Magazine’s Spring 2011 issue, titled, “Shhh…Just Shoot!

Upon the moment of my arrival, I immediately fell in love with National Arches Park. It was a spontaneous, unplanned excursion after being convinced to make the side-trip while visiting a fellow photographer in Durango, Colorado. Following an entire day of road travel from Denver, hearing “You must go to Moab, it’s only three hours away from here!” seemed relatively infallible logic. As a photographer accustomed to the rolling hills labeled as mountains in the Appalachians, I began an unforgettable journey through east Utah, navigating among the most unique series of natural formations, outcroppings, and canyons I had personally witnessed. One of the most famous and photographed formations on park grounds is the Delicate Arch. Two footpaths to view this wonder stem from a nearby parking lot. Because I arrived near sunset, I took the quicker and less intimidating uphill hike to view the arch from across the canyon. Despite being in good physical shape and already having three days to adjust to the high elevation above sea level, the walk left me slightly winded with all of the camera equipment strapped to my back. Upon reaching the top of the climb, the Delicate Arch and its immediate surroundings were in clear view. Beyond the arch were tiny specs of people grouped throughout the area. As the sun began to dip behind the western mountains, a thunderous sound of applause resonated from across the canyon. An adjacent photographer and I exchanged surprised glances upon hearing the clapping. Wow, I thought, the sunset must be so unspeakably beautiful to evoke such an emotional response — I must see that tomorrow! I decided to stay overnight in Moab and take advantage of the extra day to witness the effect of morning daylight on the landscape that I could not see the previous evening.

Early the next afternoon, I took the longer and moderately strenuous 1.5-mile hike in 95 degree heat to witness the Delicate Arch up close and personal. The entire 90 minute was worth it. Laid before me was an expansive rock amphitheater from which to take in the awesome scene. Immediately beyond this natural seating area is a large patch of sloping land. At the canyon’s edge sits the arch with views of the landscape beyond. Travelers also recognize that it is one of the optimum locations within Arches National Park to receive cellular reception. As I began to unload my camera equipment, a young woman in her early 20s was chatting it up on her mobile phone. “Oh my God, you won’t believe where I am! I’m in front of one of the most photographed places in the world. There are a few guys with cameras here. I’m at like the top of a mountain and can’t believe I get reception here! I can’t get my phone to work anywhere else in the park.” She paused only to respond, “Yeah, I know, right!” Out of morbid curiosity, I flipped open my own mobile phone and was amused to see I had four bars — the best reception I’d have during my entire travels. The time said it was approximately 3:30 pm. Not wanting to be bothered by random phone calls, I turned my phone off. There were perhaps 10 or 15 people around, including two other photographers with tripods.

I was glad to have arrived early because it is inherently difficult to shoot a photograph of the Delicate Arch without people in it. As more people arrived, visitors and their families would pose in front of the arch or sit directly on it. I found myself occasionally frustrated with capturing a clean shot, but there remained several hours to shoot. I discovered a nook with an advantageous viewpoint within the natural amphitheater and patiently camped.

The Delicate Arch (2007)

Over the next few hours, the entire area became teeming with hundreds of visitors, including a slew of photographers with their assorted equipment. The shutterbugs were an amusingly serious bunch whose intent was clearly to capture the exact same pictures that many millions of other photographers before them already took. I began to take more time to observe the people around me rather than the color transformation the arch would soon undergo. I was exposed to many international visitors and languages over my two day visit to the park. At the Delicate Arch, fellow photographers found it equally frustrating to find a clear capture and many were sharing their internal misery by mumbling and exchanging annoyed glances. An adjacent photographer gesticulated with impatience toward the arch as another group of tourists took snapshots in front of the it. He expressed his irritation in French, a language I had long forgotten since high school, yet what he said translated in any tongue:“I wish they’d get out of the way, what in the world are they doing?”

I chuckled and grinned in response, shrugged, then replied, “Yeah, I know.” As the photographers became increasingly restless, I remained more interested in the new social dynamic than the natural scenery. Yet more travelers continued to pose for photos in front of the arch, seemingly oblivious to the growing grumbling collective. As the sunset caused deep shadows on the glowing red landscape from the rocks behind us, a group of at least twenty photographers frantically waved towards the people in front of the arch, yelling in at least five different languages, “C’MON GET OUT OF THE WAY — MOVE!” The United Nations could never achieve such levels of international unity. Suddenly aware of the irritated mob of photographers, the other visitors scurried away from the Delicate Arch.

That’s when thunderous sounds of applause echoed through the canyons.

Though I considered the experience a humorous testament to the human spirit, I have a few recommendations to photographers when visiting any tourist attraction:

1. Travel during the offseason. The best time to shoot popular tourist attractions is between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Cheaper travel during the nine-month window between September and May is an added bonus! Further, there are some dramatic opportunities in shooting photographs with fall colors, winter weather, or the first hint of spring.

2. Arrive early and stay late. Whether you plan a trip during the summer travel season or not, know what to expect. Be patient and be willing to go early and stay late to avoid crowd interference, not to mention fellow photographers. Besides, the hours surrounding sunrise and sunset typically offer the best natural light to shoot.

3. Venture off the beaten path. You don’t have to capture the same photograph everyone else has. Accept the challenge as an artist to portray something you may not
have considered before.

4. Just shut up and shoot! As photographers, the notion the world is our studio does not grant us ownership privilege. We certainly did not create these natural wonders and every person with a camera phone has the same right to enjoy these publicly accessible sights as well-equipped photographers. Perhaps our pictures could take on greater meaning if we humbly took in these awesome sights rather than strutting around with our egos.

5. Visit less touristy areas. Last September, I visited the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, a lesser-known national park in New Mexico, and experienced the benefits of shooting rugged landscapes as the only visitor present in the entire park. (You read that correctly, I had the whole place to myself!)

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument (2010)

“Look, I Did It All Inside the Camera!”

I used to be confused about this, but I’ve made my mind up on this one. As a relative newcomer to photography, I’m confused by how it’s regarded by various groups of professionals and amateurs alike. My ignorance to the field often makes me hesitant to express my developing opinions. I’m specifically befuddled by the idea of unaltered ‘Straight Out of the Box’ digital photography (which I shall henceforth acronym as SOB) as the ultimate state of photographic expression as opposed to some re-tooling with various photo-editing programs.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen photographers brag about how they took their picture “without any digital editing at all”, or ridicule the idea that someone would dare use RAW and/or Photoshop to develop and post-process their image. These individuals take such fierce pride in what they openly declare as the purest state of photography that it stuns me into silence every time I hear it. What – you did it all in the camera? Should I give you a cookie? Maybe a “U Done Good” badge of photographic excellence? Hang my head with contrite shame because Adobe programs litter my desktop taskbar?

When witnessing the perpetual debate that surrounds SOB photos, I’m often reminded of how often in human history we’ve battled over the estimated future impact of technological advances. For example, consider recording devices in our education system. Did you know that when certain educators started implementing the idea of using lead pencils and parchment as opposed to chalk and board, this stirred great controversy? When students began to replace their pencils with ink pens, purists cried that it would bring doom to our schools and universities. With a little bit of research, anyone can find heated debates when other technological advances such as the calculator and computer entered the equation. Now a decade into the 21st century, laptop computers dominate the educational landscape without any question to how they’ve become integrated.

So let’s return to photography and how technological advances apply to its application. There will always be immediate uproar over new technology, how it’s implemented, and its validity. Yet what makes SOB photography particularly peculiar is that this concept never existed until the advent of the digital camera. As someone still forming personal ideas and directions about my photography, I’m dumbstruck as to how anyone can reasonably present this as an old-school idea practiced by ‘true photographers’.

I took my first and only photography class fifteen year ago. Photoshop 4.0 was on the verge of being released and my university just spent an unholy $10,000 to purchase a digital scanner that had the unique ability to scan 35mm slides at a decent resolution. The college course was B&W; photography and we gained experience shooting a 35mm camera, as well as darkroom development and processing techniques. To this day I still think I’m trying to wash out chemical stains from my hands. Nothing about that was out of the box. There were all sorts of decisions to make before the film was loaded into the camera to after we removed it from the canister, and boy did I suck at it. I can’t tell you how many rolls of film I ruined or my frustration with keeping dust off my final prints. Take into account various film manufacturers, film types, chemical processing choices, exposure techniques, and the tricks-of-the-trade, the combination of what a person can do in developing a photograph before and after the shot is taken is incredible. If these possibilities did not exist, then photography could never be considered its own creative art form. They’d all look exactly the same. Entire books have been published regarding what Ansel Adams did after the film was OUT of the camera, can you imagine how the SOBs would berate this guy if his photography work on the internet he was a new name today?

Therefore, if the idea of Straight Out of the Box photography didn’t exist before the digital camera, how can any person call this an ‘old-school’ method and immediately discredit any other possibility? I think the real crux of the issue isn’t to necessarily dismiss other means of photographic expression and reproduction, but rather to debate what is considered to be ‘valid’ photography versus photomanipulation, or share concern of an over-reliance of Photoshop to save poorly captured shots. I believe it’s essential that photographers understand the capabilities of their cameras and maximize the potential of their equipment while shooting, but it does not eliminate the validity of digital processing or its possibilities. Film and digital technology both have their pros and cons, completely dependent on the medium itself. Heck, the choices we make utilizing programs such as Photoshop are similar to, and often duplicates, those made in a traditional darkroom. Our decisions are further guided according to how we’re using the photography – as journalism, marketing, artistic expression, or simply preserving a memory. What remains critical is the creative decision process rather than the tools we choose to employ.

So please SOBs, stop complaining about the destruction of photography, because there’s nothing pure about your ideas either. The same thing was said at the advent of color film. Photography isn’t going anywhere and is arguably more prevalent than ever. The environment just reinforces the challenge for photographers to find their own distinct viewpoint to pursue and share. Everyone’s got a particular opinion, so get back to doing whatever it is you do best! With every technological advance comes new interpretations of old mediums. As the debate regarding the validity of digital photography and processing rapidly dissipates, we’ll see wider acceptance that we are dealing with an entirely different medium of reproduction and treat it as such. That doesn’t make it right or wrong, better or worse, it just IS. It’ll be interesting to witness the continued and yet unseen evolution of technology and photography, as photographic artists continue to increase their boundaries and maximize the digital medium.

Just like they did with film.

Category Archives: Editorial

Just Shut Up and Shoot!

S.O.B. – “Straight Out of the Box” photography