from the eMusings Archive...

Volume 13 • Number 3 • September 2020

Switcheroo!

by Huntington Witherill

And now, for something completely different. –Monty Python’s Flying Circus

Over the years, I’ve maintained friendships with a fair number of photographers. No surprise there. In what seems a perfectly natural behavior associated with the ongoing journey of exploration and self-discovery that photography entails, we photographers tend – to a greater or lesser degree – to associate and share experiences with those who travel a similar path. In a quest to gain additional insight, encouragement, fresh perspectives, and greater understanding in relation to a pursuit that has few, if any, strictly defined parameters – photographers are drawn to other photographers, much as they, themselves, are drawn to light.

One of the great things about being a photographer is the willingness of so many other photographers to openly share their acquired knowledge and working methods. It is a practice that, while not always the case, appears to be the norm within most circles of artistic endeavor. In fact, a long-standing tradition of mentorship remains one of the primary conduits through which the art and craft of fine-art photography has continued to be passed down, from generation to generation. Though admittedly, not every photographer is willing to openly share their “trade secrets” (whatever those are) it is rare to find a photographer who is not genuinely open to the prospect of freely disclosing the full extent of his/her gathered knowledge and insight.

Generally speaking, most all photographers who have progressed beyond the stage of “novice” come to realize that their work is not defined by the specific means, methods, or materials used to produce their photographs. Like most visual artists, photographers are best able to distinguish themselves through the imprint of their own highly developed and uniquely personalized sense of vision. And of course, because we all see and perceive the world differently – that unique sense of vision remains an indelible attribute that can not be readily adopted (nor even willfully pilfered) by others.

As one of my oldest and dearest friends (commercial photographer, Nick Gleis, who specializes in aviation photography) once retorted to a client who suggested he could achieve similar results to Nick’s… if only he had the same equipment that Nick uses – Gleis confidently responded by sharing one of the most highly coveted trade secrets of them all when he replied: “You might be able to buy my camera. But, unless you allow me to do the job you’ve hired me to do, you’ll never be able to buy my eye!” As individuals, our photographic vision is uniquely our own. And that is as it should be.

Among the photographers with whom I’ve enjoyed an ongoing friendship over the years is a fellow by the name of Mark Wainer. Mark is a highly talented photographer who came to the pursuit after a celebrated career as a world-renowned Orthopedic Surgeon, based in Santa Cruz, CA. Wainer’s photographs are both accomplished and wide-ranging, and they include everything from classic landscapes, to street photography. As one might come to expect, his approach to photography tends to reflect similar levels of attention to detail and purpose as would be required of any good physician.

Over the past couple of years, Mark and I have periodically shared our respective work and ideas through the application of one-on-one print critiques. It is an exercise that has served us both well, and through which we each continue to derive not only a sense of enjoyment, but also a high degree of constructive exchange. And of course, assembling under the guise of a print critique can also provide an excellent excuse to get together for the occasional friendly social visit. Or, perhaps I should say… that would have been the case, prior to the unwelcomed arrival of COVID-19.

A couple of months back (on June 18, 2020) during an otherwise routine telephone conversation, Mark reminded me that it had been awhile since we had conducted one of our regular print critique sessions. I agreed and responded: How about we try something completely different? Given that we were continuing to operate under mandated social distancing restrictions, the ongoing impediment seemed to suggest the opportunity for a different kind of print critique. It occurred to me that, because we both work digitally, (and could, therefore, easily exchange image files, online) instead of sharing and discussing our respective physical prints, in person, perhaps we should consider exchanging original, direct-from-camera RAW image files, with the intention that we each would post-process our own image, as well as the other’s original image, to completion, and then compare the results. Mark immediately shared my enthusiasm and, after laying out a few ground rules, we agreed to give the process a try.

Now, owing to the fact that I’m always looking for subjects to write about in this newsletter, I immediately thought – if this image swap idea proves successful, it stands to reason that other photographers might find similar value in conducting the exercise, for themselves. And, if such were to be the case, I’d also then have something worth sharing through the eMusings Newsletter. To that end, I concluded that I should not only take part in the exercise, but also attempt to document the experience for later presentation (as evidenced, herein).

In terms of the exercise, itself, we proceeded to establish a set of guidelines, among which was a stipulation that, prior to sending any RAW image files to one another – in effort to short-circuit the possibility that one might not (necessarily) be able to relate to the other’s individually selected and supplied image choice – we agreed that we each would initially supply three different images (exchanged via email, in jpeg form) from which to choose one of those images to post-process (using the original high-resolution RAW image file that would be subsequently supplied and transferred, via ftp). We also assigned the endeavor a conspicuously descriptive (if not hopelessly banal) working title: Image File Exchange Exercise.

With the initial setup now sufficiently conveyed, the next logical step appears to suggest the imposition of one of those obligatory fast-forward sequences (as a means to more quickly move ahead, in time). So, as they say in the spoiler alert industry: At the risk of letting the cat out of the bag – [insert speedy time-lapse footage here] – upon having now completed the exercise for the first time, I’m happy to report that the exchange has delivered well above and beyond our initial expectations.

The Image File Exchange Exercise proved to be not only a great amount of fun, but also noteworthy in terms of expanding (and potentially improving) our respective visualization and post-processing skills. Among its attributes, the exercise served as a means to force us both to be fully prepared to justify the reasons behind each of the myriad decisions made in terms of specifically how, and more importantly, why we had chosen to post-process one another’s image (and our own) in the manner that we did. And as might well be expected, one of the things that most immediately caught our attention (though it came as no particular surprise) were the demonstrable differences (both visual and procedural) associated with the various ways in which we had independently chosen to resolve what started out as uniformly identical images.

Upon completion of the combined post-processing, we exchanged the finished files and then spent more than an hour on the telephone (while viewing the images on our respective monitors) comparing, contrasting, and discussing the results of the completed exercise. We also spent a fair amount of time comparing and contrasting our individual approaches to both pre-visualization, and post-visualization. And of course, while the overall implementation and benefits of the Image File Exchange Exercise are not dependent upon any prescribed form of social distancing, the entire process was able to be carried out via telephone and the internet… so there’s that.

All things considered, we concluded that the exchange provided a surprisingly positive and worthwhile experience… far more so than we had originally anticipated. It turned out to be an exercise that unearthed a number of questions, insights, and revelations that normally do not arise during other more conventional types of print critique discussions. And in the end, we also concluded that we’d welcome an opportunity to repeat the exercise at some point in the future. However, no need to take my word for it. Here are some of Mark’s observations:

Because we all have different aesthetic ideas, working with another person’s photographs forced me to think outside my normal processes and creativity parameters. One of the most important benefits of the Image File Exchange Exercise was that it encouraged me to explore new digital post processing ideas and styles.

As an unexpected benefit, the exercise also helped to break what had been an extended creative lull that I had been experiencing, by generating a burst of creativity that continues to remain active nearly two months after participating in the exercise.

Finally, when we critiqued the images that we had processed, I learned several valuable processing concepts from our discussion, and they have helped me immensely to this day.

–Mark Wainer

While the Image File Exchange Exercise is probably not an original idea attributable to either myself, or Mark Wainer, we both remain confident that the above described procedure is one that has not previously been routinely practiced within any photography circles that we are aware of. As a group, photographers tend to hold their original negatives, RAW image files, and other source materials fairly close to the vest. The idea of exchanging an original high-resolution RAW image file with a colleague is, admittedly, not a concept to which most working photographers would instinctively find themselves being attracted. Yet, for the sheer variety of inherent rewards and potential benefits proclaimed, herein, we firmly believe that the Image File Exchange Exercise is an idea well worth any photographer’s serious consideration.

If you’d like to give the Image File Exchange Exercise a try, for yourself, find a fellow photographer with whom you feel comfortable sharing your work and ideas, and… have at it. A set of guidelines (which can help to facilitate the process) are freely downloadable as a PDF file, here: IFEE Instructions.

Last but not least… if you’d like to see the results of Mark’s and my own first attempt with the Image File Exchange Exercise, both the original and separately post-processed images can be viewed, here: IFEE Display Page.


Huntington Witherill