Timothy Faust Photography » Digital Photography

Tripod Trepidations

admin — Fri, 28 May 2010 18:19:00 +0000

Anyone who knows me from my writing or has attended one of my photography workshops, knows that I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to using a tripod. In fact, I would rather have a good tripod than a good camera. A tripod is one of the few toys you can purchase that will instantly make your photography better. Assuming of course that you actually remember to bring it with you.

Which, of course, brings me to my story of a mountain biking trip to Fruita I recently went on with my wife, Carin, last month. We were only planning on doing a little mountain biking and heading back to Breckenridge, but an afternoon storm caused us to cut our plans short. Rather than just give up and leave, we took a drive in to Colorado National Monument hoping to get some photos of the sun setting just as the storm was clearing. I always have my camera bag in my car, but couldn’t find my tripod. I tore the car apart before remembering that I left it in the studio. So here I was, the king of tripod advocacy, without my tripod. To make matters worse, the weather and light came together for some incredible views.

I realized the only way to get a decent photo was going to be to place the camera directly on the ground, but if I do that, I need to make sure there was an interesting subject in the foreground. After a little searching I came across a depression in the sandstone that had filled with water from the afternoon rain. Using my hat, and some nearby stones, I was able to prop the camera up in front of the puddle to compose the shot. I also used the mirror lock up and self timer in order to minimize vibration. The image below was the result.

Sunset in Colorado National Monument

Inspiration

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:48:58 +0000

Where do you find inspiration for photography?

When it comes to finding inspiration for my photography, I can tell you that it comes from a lot of difference places, but I will start by saying where it does not come from: photography and bridal magazines. Each month, my PO box is packed with photography magazines such as, Rangerfinder, Photo District News, Popular Photography, PC Photo, Outdoor Photographer, Professional Photographer, and at least a dozen others that I can’t remember the name of. I don’t think I have actually paid for a subscription to any of them, although there are a few that I would. Somehow when you operate a studio and gallery, you end up on some list and the magazines just start pouring in.

It is not that I don’t enjoy reading these magazines, but most of the content falls in to one of two categories; the first being tools for turning you little home photo business into a multi million dollar a year business if only you buy a certain book, attend a certain class, or join a certain organization. The second category is how your photos will look great once you purchase new software, new cameras, or some other new toy that will make you the next Ansel Adams. I like a new gadget as much as the next guy, but the reality is that no toy I can buy is going to make me a better photographer.

If I really want inspiration for my wedding and portrait images, I stay clear of wedding and photography magazines. I find most of the images in those magazines somewhat stale. The fact is that the most innovative ideas are not emerging in those publications. They are seen elsewhere before the editor of a bridal magazine decides to include them, and it is only afterwards that they will appear in a photograph magazine.

When I want to see inspirational images, I look to magazines like Allure, GQ, and Vanity fair (especially an issue in which Annie Lebovitz has photographed the cover.) The fashion magazines have the newest most exciting imagery in them. This is where fashion starts before it is picked up by other industries. For me it doesn’t matter if I am doing a simple portrait of an infant or a modern wedding. I draw my inspiration from what is new and exciting to me.

If people want a more traditional image, there are plenty of other photographers that specialize in that. I want to make images that are art. Images that my clients want to see on their walls and shelves.

A fashion inspired image of a bride after getting dressed resting in a chair below a window

Living the Dream and Remembering to Work

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 19:26:07 +0000

People walk in to my shop in Breckenridge every day and remind me how lucky I am to be able to live the dream and turn my passion in to my profession, and they are absolutely correct. In reality, I don’t need any reminder as to how lucky I am. Photography has brought me into the lives of countless people, through portrait and wedding photography, and has enabled me to travel to far corners of the world and experience things that would have been impossible if it wasn’t for me being a professional photographer.

Out of the last year, I’ve spent over four months travelling in order to photograph. I spent a month of that time in Tibet, where I was able to stay in guest houses sipping yak butter tea while watching the sun rise on Mount Everest. I spent two weeks on a road trip to California with my wife, during which time, I alternated between days of photography and rock climbing. For nearly two months I explored New England during the peak of the fall colors. I have photographed 2 weddings in Nepal, one in Washington D.C., another on the beach in Southern California, not to mention countless weddings across Colorado. This to me is what living the dream is all about.

Sometimes, I need to remind myself of how this is all possible. Part of that is realizing that photography is only a small part of the equation. There are many things that most people don’t know about that are required in order for me to be a successful photographer. So much time is spent on budgeting, it borders on ridiculous. For instance, when I traveled to Asia this past year, I incurred a lot of expenses. I had to weigh the option of having a magazine pick up the tab, or paying for the trip myself and having more freedom to photograph what I want. Then there is the question of whether or not I could pay for the expense with income earned from the project. This is an exceedingly impossible task due to all the variables involved.

Also, there is this illusion that photographers are self employed. People say that it must be great to make my own hours. A lot of time it is, but I also work pretty hard. It isn’t unusual for me to work 20 hours each day when on a project or photographing a wedding. With wedding photography there are no second chances, do overs, sick days, or good enoughs. It has to be perfect the very first time. With each wedding, I photograph, hours of time is devoted to planning every detail ahead of time, because I know expectations are nothing less than perfection.

That all being said, I do love my job. I am getting to live my dream, but sometimes I need to remind myself of all the work that goes in to it, because the last thing I want is to become complacent.

Lewis Family Portraits in Breckenridge

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:16:18 +0000

Andrea and David’s Wedding

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:07:03 +0000

Andrea and David asked me to be part of their small intimate wedding at the Lodge at Breckenridge. They were a great fun couple to work with and the winter weather really cooperated for us making for some relatively warm temperatures and some great views of the mountains.

Breckenridge, Colorado – Ullrfest 2010

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:47:10 +0000

Once again we celebrated Ullrfest here in the mountains with “style.” Take a look at these slideshows from three of the bigger events of the week.

Ullr Nordic Party and Bonfire

Ullympics and after party at Salt Creek

Ullr Parade and after parties at Ullr’s and Gold Pan

Faces of the Himalaya Show January 9th, 2009 at Altitude Gallery.

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:30:00 +0000

I love the mountains and the outdoors, but my favorite thing about travelling (aside from eating exotic foods) is getting a chance to meet with people from different cultures around the world. Before leaving for Asia, I had planned on photographing landscapes, mountains, rivers, and ancient monasteries. However, after a few days of travelling through Tibet, I was really drawn to the people there.

In spite of living in relative poverty, the people of Tibet were friendly and open. They had a sense of humor about life that I was immediately inspired to photograph. The same held true for the people of Nepal. And although I was there for a relatively short time, I ended up returning home with hundreds of portraits of the people of the Himalayas.

Returning with all of these images made me feel like I had took something of value from the Himalayas without having given much back. While I was there I had the opportunity to visit a school for the blind built by Braille without Borders. It was amazing how little money it took to put a person through the school in Tibet. Equally amazing was just how much it could change a person’s life there. In a country like Tibet, a disabled person has few opportunities outside of begging.

My doctor here in Breckenridge had often told me about a clinic he had helped to build in the Langtang region of Nepal while he was there. And although I didn’t have time to travel there myself, I decided to donate the purchase price of the portraits I created to help benefit the school and the clinic he had built through Doctors to the World. The show, Faces of the Himalaya, has travelled to other galleries before finding its way back to Altitude Gallery this January, 2010. The sale of just a single print can put a student through the school for several months.

Event Information:

Date:	Saturday, January 9, 2010
Time:	4:00pm – 8:00pm
Location:	Altitude Fine Art Photography Gallery
Street:	107 N Main Street,
City/Town:	Breckenridge, CO

For more information, visit www.altitudegallery.com

Asher’s Three Month Portraits

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:16:04 +0000

If you have been following my blog, you know that I started photographing Asher only a few hours after he was born at the hospital. I will be meeting with him and his parents several times over the course of his first year to make images for a ‘Baby’s First Year’ album I will put together for his parents.

Rose Taguchi Wedding

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:37:55 +0000

This past fall I had the pleasure of travelling to Washington D.C. to photograph an old friend’s wedding. I’ve known Hideki since high school and when we asked me to come to D.C. to photograph his wedding to Tomoko, I was honored. This has been the 4th wedding I have traveled to photography outside of Colorado in the past few months, and it was a blast. The bride, Tomoko, as well as several friends and family members are from Japan, which gave me another great opportunity to meet people from another culture. For anyone who knows me well, they know that this is one of my favorite things about photography.

Getting Ready

Hideki's mother getting ready

Flower in Tomoko's hair

Tomoko getting ready

It was a lot of fun. After photographing them getting ready at the hotel in Roslyn, we drove over to the Lincoln Memorial where Hideki had proposed to Tomoko to do some photos there. Even though the memorial steps were very busy, when we walked around to the back side of the memorial, we had the place to ourselves.

Hideki and Tomoko behind the Lincoln Memorial

Tomoko in front of the George Washington Memorial Bridge

After photographing at the memorial, we went back to the Top of the Town in Roslyn for the ceremony and reception. The venue overlooked all of D.C. and the Potomac.

Hideki and Tomoko on the balcony of the Top of the Town

First Dance

Walton Ward Wedding

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:17:07 +0000

I was fortunate to be invited to photograph this couples intimate wedding which they celebrated with their children here in Breckenridge, Colorado. They held their ceremony along French Gulch in front of a mountainside covered in Aspen trees. Although it snowed for the last few days, the day of their wedding was one of those perfect Colorado bluebird days without a cloud in the sky. To see the rest of the images from their wedding, please click here.

Wedding planning by Element Events. www.elementevents.biz