Tag: smartphone photography

Liberté. Égalité. Fraternité. Vive la France.

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I’ve been thinking all weekend about what kind of post I wanted to write. At first I thought about writing about the anger that I felt when I heard the news, or the sadness and grief that I still feel, but in the end I realized that the most important emotion for me to hold on to was a feeling of hope for the future.

 

It’s easy to feel angry or sad or scared. Sometimes it isn’t as easy to feel love or peace in the face of such horribly violent acts. I spoke to my father on Friday and he said something to me that helped me to cut through those feelings of anguish: “Always remember that there will always be more good than bad in this world”. He reminded me that it’s important that in these times of darkness, we do not forget the foundations of our humanity. In a way, it’s good to feel grief and sadness over the loss of our fellow humans. It reminds us that we aren’t completely desensitized to the violence that can happen in the world. It reminds us that we care.

 

I think that far too often we get stuck on arguing our opinions about if and how we should retaliate whenever senseless acts of violence rock our world. I have decided to recuse myself from that discussion and leave it up to the people in charge, for now. So instead of opening the door to a political or moral debate, I have chosen to send out into the universe some peace that I believe this world is in desperate need of.

 

As many of you already know, I studied abroad in Paris when I was in college. It was the most enchanting experience of my life thus far. I absolutely fell in love with the vibrancy of Paris and its inhabitants. It was an absolute dream come to life. I know that there will always be a special place in my heart for the enchanting city of lights and all of the people who illuminate it. And so, to my French copains, I extend my deepest sympathies and condolences. As an American, I am proud to stand by you in your time of need just as you have stood by America throughout history in our times of need and revolution.

 

While Paris has been the closest hit to home in recent memory, do not forget the innocent people living in the countries that these terrorists call home. They have to either live with the terror or make an attempt to flee into a world that is quick to condemn them.

 

The take away that I would like to highlight is this simple message: We are all human. We all bleed and we all feel. We are all mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, neighbors, and friends. When it seems like there is so much hate to overcome in this world, remember the wisdom imparted to me by my father; the good in this world will always outweigh the bad.

 

– Hazel

 

Photo © 2015 Hazel Arroyo

 

Photo of the Day (26 September 2015)

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Happy Saturday Everyone!

This morning I find myself thinking back to my time in Paris, so I thought I’d share this Croque Campagne from Café de France in the Place d’Italie area. This lunch was special as it was my first meal in Paris. I don’t know if it was psychological because I knew I was in Paris or if it was the result of the French affinity for butter, all I know is that everything I ate there just tasted better and, impossibly, happier. What I wouldn’t give for a warm baguette on this grey morning.

– Hazel

Photo © 2015 Hazel Arroyo

Smartphone Food Photography

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I’m sure you’ve seen those people. You know who I’m talking about. Those people who seem to have an errant need to photograph every waking moment of every single day with their smartphones. You may have noticed that this need has extended itself to meal time. While some people may scoff at how vain people can be, to the point where they photograph their food instead of eating it, I see it differently. While having adventures abroad, I found that taking pictures of my food was a ritual which has been a blessing in disguise. By taking images of the enticing and occasionally strange foods I’ve eaten, I inadvertently created a reference point in time for myself. Whenever I look back on an image of a meal that I had, not only am I able to recollect the amazing flavors that I was tasting at the time, but I am also able to remember the amazing company that I had, as well as the fond memories that I now share with those people. It is because of this that I am able to look at a plate of bangers and mash and smile with fondness and regard for an amazing set of people that I would have never otherwise met.

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My first tip: set the scene properly. When taking these pictures, attention to detail is likely to be one of the most important skills to have. The most obvious but often times forgotten parts of setting the scene is to clear and remove as much refuse from the table as possible (assuming you are eating at a table). In the case of street foods where a table is not in use, ensure that the background of your image (whether it’s a building or a street or a sidewalk) is clear of any refuse or anything that would create distraction in your shot.
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For the casual food photographer who simply looking to capture the moment, this is probably enough preparation for your shot. However, if you’re looking to garner a higher quality image from this, it’s probably best to also ensure the aesthetics on the plate or other vessel in which your meal has been presented to you. For this, photographer discretion is best used. Each dish will require different types of fluffing, per se, in order to make it most aesthetically pleasing. (A sandwich will require a different type of attention than a salad or soup.)
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Next, a decision needs to be made by the photographer. Depending on the venue that you are in, as well as the meal you are photographing, the angle of the shot must be decided. Most often, a straight down birds-eye view will do the trick. However, if you are looking to change the tone of the image or include parts of the scene around you to enhance the memory, a side or diagonal view may also do the trick. For this step, as well as the previous step, photographers’ judgment comes into play due to the unique situations that are presented with on-site food photography.
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Now, to filter or not, that is the question. While some may mock the use of a smartphone filter, I argue that a filter can actually be quite useful if the intent of the photograph is to preserve memory. A filter may allow a more obvious visual representation of the feelings and mood of the moment. Because of this, I believe that filters have a unique function within the realm of food photography. However, if you are disinclined to use a filter I would highly recommend that you at least consider color correcting or correcting the shadows and highlights of the image whether on your phone or in another program such as iPhoto, Photoshop, or aperture.
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Do you take pictures of your food? If so, is it all of the time, on special occasions, or on travel? Any additional tips or tricks that you have for food photography on a smartphone? Let us know in the comments section below.
– Hazel
Photos © 2015 Hazel Arroyo

Parisian Coffee

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On the summer between my second and third years of college, I went to Paris for a short-term study abroad program in Comparative French Literature. During my time there, I discovered that my favorite thing to do in all of Paris was to sit at cafés to read and watch people pass by. In particular, I loved the location and atmosphere at La Contrescarpe. (Why they had ‘Cambridge Tavern’ coffee cups, I will never understand). La Contrescarpe is a café on the Southern end of Place de la Contrescarpe just off of Rue Mouffetard in the Fifth Arrondissement. Rue Mouffetard is a small, lively street that is full of cafés, shops, food marts, bars, and restaurants, all of which have apartments for a few stories above making you feel like you are walking through a man-made canyon. The street is entirely cobblestone and, for most of the day, is closed to motor traffic. The energy on this one street exemplified to me the spirit of the average Parisian: friendly, happy, helpful, and enchanting. While walking through, it feels as though you are wandering around some sort of an animated musical from a children’s movie. (If anyone has seen Anastasia (1997) it absolutely feels like the song the characters sing as they wander through Paris). This feeling culminates at Place de la Contrescarpe: a small roundabout lined with cafés and shops with a fountain in the middle situated a few blocks away from the Pantheon. Every evening that I spent at La Contrescarpe, there were two old men who performed accordion/fiddle duets for hours. They always seemed so joyous and would smile and laugh their way through the songs they played as they encouraged people to dance in the emerging moonlight. How could anyone not be enchanted by such a quaint, beautiful, and wondrous place?

– Hazel

Photo © 2015 Hazel Arroyo

Note: This picture was taken on an iPhone 4S. 

Lessons From Experience

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In this day and age, smartphones have become increasingly common among the general population. With this kind of accessibility to photography all of the time, it wouldn’t be a difficult leap for this to inspire people to pursue DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) photography, either as a hobby or as a profession. Yet, DSLR photography seems to be declining. Many ponder, “why should I carry around this large and conspicuous piece of expensive equipment when I could just take pictures with my phone”?

Personally, I find myself on the fence when it comes to deciding if DSLRs are better or worse than smartphones. For me, it depends on the situation and it depends on the individual. Smartphones have recently come out with increasingly sophisticated cameras. Case in point, at Apple’s press conference last week, they announced that their new iPhone will have 4K video recording capabilities. Almost every smartphone has a camera whose megapixels rival that of most DSLRs on the market. Smartphones are much more user-friendly than a DSLR which, at a glance, may seem intimidating to the average person. The bottom line is that smartphones have made creativity more accessible to more individuals. Smartphones have become a creative outlet for the masses who are only interested in taking a creative shot but don’t want to have to learn about the settings of a camera. The same could be said for other photographing alternatives such as point-and-shoot cameras and interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs).

Situationally, bringing a DSLR is not always feasible to the average person and smartphones have been able to overcome this boundary. Sometimes when attempting to travel light, forgoing your DSLR for something lighter may be a better option. But, it boils down to asking yourself, will you be okay with forgoing a better image for the sake of traveling lighter? Bringing me back to my original point: it depends on the person.

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So the question then remains: with all of the advancements and advantages of having a smartphone, point-and-shoot, or ILC, why then would anyone bother with a DSLR? To some, photography is not just a way for people to remember moments. To some, photography is a unique form of art that allows us to make something more of the physical world. Someone may look in a room and see just a room. A photographer may look in a room and see a whole world of possibilities. The camera is the photographers paint, brushes, and canvas all in one. Like any other artist, photographers need equipment that they are comfortable with, can manipulate easily, and can manipulate incrementally.

I would akin photography in many ways to video gaming. Both can be hobbies or professions. If someone is a casual video gamer, they probably have some game apps on their phones or might own a casual console such as the Nintendo Wii. A casual photographer if probably best suited by their high megapixel smartphone, a point-and-shoot, or an ILC. Now the more hardcore gamers might have several iterations of gaming consoles or may have even gone so far as to build their own computers specifically for gaming. Similarly, a hardcore photographer will most likely have a DSLR (or two) and be intimately familiar with each function that their camera is capable of. In the end, the opinion of the value of getting a DSLR varies depending on the level of commitment to the craft. For most, this probably rules out getting a DSLR because minute variations aren’t that important. For some, these seemingly minute variations are what make the difference between remembering a moment and capturing one.

What do you think? Have smartphones allowed for more creative people to express themselves? Have smartphones watered down photography with the selfie generation? Let us know what you think in the comments.

– Hazel

Photos © 2015 Hazel Arroyo