Title: The End 365/365

Description: My final 365 project image. I had been looking for a suitcase to use and after describing what I wanted to a friend, she managed to find this little gem in an antique store in Napa and picked it up for me. I printed some of my favourite 365 images on regular printer paper and arranged them so it looked like the case was stuffed full. My husband graciously agreed to be part of my photo and since I had been imagining this very image for about 6 weeks, managed to click it in about 10 minutes. This project definitely taught me how to become more efficient!

Photograph Copyright Jennifer Hardt

Catch up with Jennifer on her website, her blog, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

1. Tell us about yourself and the type of photography that interests you most.

My name is Jennifer Hardt of Sweethardt Photography, a natural-light portrait photography business based in San Francisco, CA. My first camera was an Asahi Pentax Spotmatic handed down to me from my dad when I was a teenager but it wasn’t until four years ago when my now husband gave me my first DSLR (a Sony A700) camera for Christmas the first year we were dating that definitely prompted me to take photos more frequently. When we moved to the US from Canada three years ago, I needed a creative outlet while waiting for my immigration to be finalized, so I signed up for a photography course at a local college to learn more about my camera and how to use it beyond the automatic settings. Inspired by my newfound knowledge, I started to think that this was more than just a passing hobby. I already knew that photography was a passion, and after reading Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers I knew that in order to get better at it, I needed to practice it daily. Frustrated that I didn’t know anyone in my new hometown to photograph regularly, I became intrigued by the concept of doing a self-portrait 365 (a photo a day for a year) which I completed in September 2010. That was a huge learning curve for me and I was hooked! These days I shoot with a Canon 5DMII – yet another gift from my wonderful, supportive husband! I guess you could say that he’s my biggest fan.

I really love photographing anything and everything, but photographing people is definitely a favourite – especially when they’re completely unaware of the camera. Young children in particular fall into that category…. they are not self-conscious like so many adults and their spontaneity lends itself well to the journalistic style that I gravitate towards. But I also love the wisdom that older generations exude. The wrinkled texture of their skin and the life experience visible in their eyes is a definite draw. I really do think that everyone is beautiful and I’m probably guilty of staring at strangers, to the point of rudeness, a LOT!!

2. If you could have a paid trip for 4 weeks anywhere in the world just to photograph and report back, where would it be?

This is a tough one because I have a very long list of places on this planet to visit but since I need to start somewhere, I would have to say Italy. There is nothing I love more than sitting down at a large table with friends over great wine, fantastic food and lots of laughter and conversation – especially when it’s alfresco. Traveling from the coast to the northern wine regions and everywhere in between, photographing both the beautiful landscapes and the people making the fresh pastas, pizzas and wine that I love so dearly would be remarkable to me.

3. Name two of your photography inspirations.

Growing up in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, nature has always been a big part of my lifestyle and is a huge inspiration in my photography. While studio work can be fun, I prefer the larger backdrop that Mother Nature provides even though that means working around the weather. I am constantly looking out the car window dreaming of one day shooting an Anthropologie catalogue in that field over there, inside that dilapidated old barn here or in that grove of lush green forest. My brain really never turns off!

Other inspirations come from watching movies, looking at fashion magazines or reading a really descriptive novel. All set my imagination adrift and I’ll sometimes wake in the middle of the night with an idea that has seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Because I’m still relatively new to the photography business, those concepts don’t always translate but there is no better feeling than when it does work exactly as planned. And of course, there are some happy accidents along the way too. The more I learn, the more I know what I don’t know. It’s an exciting journey.

4. What do you hope to convey to others through your photography?

To address the client side, I want my images of them to tell a story without the need for words. I want family to walk past that wall portrait in 10, 20 or even 30 years and still remember it like it was yesterday. I also want to convey the importance of photography, not just in our own lives but from generation to generation. When I was a teenager, our family moved to Saudi Arabia and a box of photos were seized and destroyed. We had been advised not to send them, but an error by the moving company resulted in that part of our personal family history being lost forever. Fortunately we were able to piece together a few photos from relatives but I still feel the loss to this day.

With respects to my fine art images, I want the viewer to come up with their own conclusions. My objective is to draw them into the scene by giving them a subject and letting them decide where it fits into the story and how it ultimately unfolds. I think an art piece becomes more personal in this regard. The story can be forever changing depending on their mood or through discussion with another person. People’s perceptions can make for some interesting conversation!

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Description: We took this photo in a market area on a side street in Madurai, southern India.  The image feels like a record cover from the 1970s.  The pink flower was a gift Audrey had given to the kids.

Photograph Copyright Uncornered Market

Catch up on all they share on their blog, Facebook, Twitter and a sneak peak at their photo gallery.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Description: Taken just after the Saffron Uprising in early 2008 while waiting for a delayed train at Taungoo railway station, Myanmar (Burma).  The warmth and pride in this photo was typical of the people of Myanmar.

Photograph Copyright Uncornered Market

Catch up on all they share on their blog, Facebook, Twitter and a sneak peak at their photo gallery.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Description: Taken at a political rally for Bolivian president Evo Morales in Tupiza, Bolivia.  You can see the crowd wrapped up in the emotion of his speech. Bolivia is such a beautiful place, but life is very difficult for many of its people.

Photograph Copyright Uncornered Market

Catch up on all they share on their blog, Facebook, Twitter and a sneak peak at their photo gallery.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Hi Peter,
I have a Nikon D90 with an AF-S NIKKOR 70-300mm 1:4.5-5.6G lens that came with it.  I am interested in purchasing another lens, with more zoom, for wildlife and sports shots.  What do you recommend? I don’t want to spend more than $2,000.  Less would be even better.  :)
Thank you,
Korinne

Korinne,
   You’re in luck that there are a few options in your range. If you want to get close and the 300mm you have now is not quite cutting it, I’d grab one of these;

• Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED Autofocus VR
• Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO DG OS HSM
• Sigma 50-500mm f/4.5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM SLD

That being said, I don’t shoot Nikon and have only had my hands on one of these lenses, the Sigma 50-500mm. What I am basing my recommendation on is your desire for longer range and willingness to spend more for quality. The good news is the Sigma 150-500mm is half of what you have to spend, but it is also the biggest lens.

All three have good reviews on Amazon and what you have to ask is how important is the lower end of the range? Normally I suggest choosing the lens with the shortest zoom range you can handle as they will tend to give better results. It’s not always true, but without having all those lenses side by side, it’s hard to test them.

If I were to go with a lens just for just wildlife and sports, I would start with the Sigma 150-500mm. I say start because a purchase like this should be given some latitude. You’re not just buying a 50mm. Honestly, I would rent the lenses from my favorite shop, BorrowLenses.com, for a 3 day trial when you can set aside the time. It will tell you more than this email can about how they feel in your hand (weight is important when shooting all day), how responsive the focus is (some people note the Nikon 80-400 is a bit slow) and how crisp the images are. In the mean time, here is a side-by-side comparison on DPReview.com to help with stats.

A note: the lenses are all at f/5.6 or f/6.3 at full zoom, making them a little dark. This is normal. The D90 has just ok noise reduction so shooting sports in non-daylight conditions might be pushing things. This is the nature of the beast (if you don’t want to spend $8000 on a lens). Just realize when you upgrade, the ISO noise performance will improve and make your lens feel newer by proxy. I used that 50-500mm on a Canon 7D with great noise reduction and was extremely happy with the ability to use higher ISO to compensate for the smaller maximum f-stop.

Let me know what you decide and how it goes.

pwc

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Description: We’re also known for taking food photos and profiling world cuisines.  While sea horse for dinner may not be everyone’s idea of a good time, the sea horse selection at the Wangfujing Snack Street in Beijing struck looked like it needed some attention.

Photograph Copyright Uncornered Market

Catch up on all they share on their blog, Facebook, Twitter and a sneak peak at their photo gallery.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Description: A man on the streets of Alexandria, Egypt.  Taken during the Tahrir Square protests in Egypt in December 2011. If there’s one photo that captures our experience in and hope for the Middle East, it’s this one.

Photograph Copyright Uncornered Market

Catch up on all they share on their blog, Facebook, Twitter and a sneak peak at their photo gallery.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Description: The jagged peaks of Cerro Torre in El Chalten, Argentina. When you catch them on clear days, the peaks and highlights of Patagonia feel like you can reach out and touch them.

Photograph Copyright Uncornered Market

Catch up on all they share on their blog, Facebook, Twitter and a sneak peak at their photo gallery.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.

Title: Maasai boy, Mto Wam Bu, Tanzania.

Description: This photo was taken just after the men of the tribe had discovered (and eventually killed) an Egyptian cobra that found its way into one of the huts.  Perhaps he was telling us to speak no evil, as we were already full up on bad omens for the day.

Photograph Copyright Uncornered Market

Catch up on all they share on their blog, Facebook, Twitter and a sneak peak at their photo gallery.

©2012 The Carey Adventures. All Rights Reserved.