Jason Kittelberger Photography Blog

Thoughts on Photography, Pop Culture & the Complexity of Life

Even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked…

Size Does Matter: Aspect Ratios, Image Sizes & Instagram

When it comes to Instagram and what image size to post I found myself confused. They are numerous recommendations online from a variety of sources. Some of those recommendations appear to be in direct contradiction while others are just clearly wrong. Even Business Insider, a seemingly reputable source, has at least one aspect of their suggestion wrong. Right in the middle of their article on the topic, they state:

A landscape (horizontal) photo should be in a 1.91:1 ratio.

They go so far as to post the following guidelines for different picture formats on Instagram, posting the incorrect aspect ratio for a landscape photo in the process.

*Incorrect aspect ratio calculation for landscape photos on Instagram*.

Do you see the obvious problem? A 1080 x 608 pixel image does not have an aspect ratio of 1.91:1. Does Business Insider not know how to do simple math? Clearly I won’t be taking any of their stock tips. The thing is, numerous sites seem to get this wrong as well. I assume they are all just copying information from each other rather than actually breaking out a calculator. Picmonkey gets it wrong. So does this site. At least Adobe knows how to do basic math. They suggest a landscape photo should have an aspect ratio of 1:91:1 with a size of 1080 x 566 pixels.

Darkroom Printing: Negative to Final Print

I recently posted an article showing an example where I edited a digital image in Adobe Photoshop. Starting with the original photograph straight from the camera, I showed how the image changed during each step of the process. I wanted to follow up that post with a similar article on traditional darkroom printing where I show the process of taking an image from the original film negative to the final print.

The Darkroom vs. Adobe Photoshop

With Photoshop, the rudiments of editing a photograph is fairly straightforward. While you can spend a lifetime learning the intricacies of Photoshop, you can learn the basics fairly quickly. Not only that, Photoshop allows you to experiment and see your changes in real time. Making a print in the darkroom is not that simple.

The learning curve with darkroom printing is very steep. You can’t step into a darkroom for the first time and emerge a few hours later with an acceptable print. It takes hours upon hours to learn how to make a competent print in the darkroom. Unlike Photoshop, you can’t quickly make changes and see the results. Making a print in the darkroom involves intuition and guess work. Nothing is ever exact and no two prints are ever the same. The nuances of creating a print can only be learned through hard work and experience.

The Nature of the Craft

It’s the difficulty and painstaking nature of the craft that ultimately makes it so rewarding. It’s not about clicking a button to see what happens but rather more about looking deeper and imagining what can be. It takes time. What can be done in Photoshop in a few minutes might take all day in a darkroom.

The process all starts with the film. The film you choose can have a big effect on the final print, from the grain structure and sharpness, to the overall tonality of the image. Developing the negative is an art in and of itself, but for now we’ll focus on making an actual print, assuming you are starting with an acceptable negative.

Photoshop Editing Example: Billiard Balls

When it comes to creating photographs, taking the actual picture is only half the battle. This has always been true, even long before the days of Adobe Photoshop. Editing with Photoshop just makes the process a lot easier. The photographs of Ansel Adams made nearly a century ago look nothing like the image captured on the negative. The final prints Adams made required painstaking hours in the darkroom, dodging and burning and tweaking contrast before the photograph you see hanging on the wall was ready for display.

Editing with Photoshop

Even photographers that didn’t manipulate their images as much as Ansel Adams still had to spend countless hours selecting, editing, cropping and tweaking their photographs before they were ready for the world to see. To think that manipulating photographs is a modern phenomena enabled by Photoshop and digital cameras is a fallacy. Photoshop has just opened the doors for quicker and easier edits as well as endless experimentation in real time. What took Ansel Adams hours now takes seconds.

The Definition of Fine Art Photography

I hate the words fine art photography and I think the main reason I hate those words is because I have no idea what they mean. The words seem so pretentious and grand, and defy any real definition.

A Snapshot vs. Fine Art

Some would argue that those words come from the need to differentiate snapshots and commercial photography from the kind of photography intended for museums and gallery walls. Others would say the words are meant to designate photography as some vital form of art, as if calling something art invariably makes it true.

I guess what bothers me is the infinitely wide range of photography that is declared as fine art. All that work doesn’t fit neatly into a little box and why should it? Still there seems to be some irresistible need to define it.

Knowing What You Want

I hear it often and every time I do it makes me cringe. It’s funny because the words are usually offered as some sort of high praise, but to me they’re nothing if not damning. But really, how often do you hear someone praised because they know exactly what they want?

Dead-enders still enamored with George W. Bush hold up his stubbornness and steadfast resolve as a of badge of honor. But it’s not only politicians and world leaders that remain true to their vision, it’s artists as well. I’ve seen second rate musicians praised for knowing exactly what sound they want the moment they step into the studio. And I’ve seen photographers and filmmakers lauded by cast and crew alike for knowing exactly what they want before the first frame is shot.

What’s Wrong with Being Wrong

I don’t get it. What’s the virtue in knowing exactly what you want? Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying you shouldn’t have any kind of idea or vision in your head, but what’s wrong with adapting and changing that vision. Why is there a need to know exactly what you want before you even start? What’s wrong with being unsure? What’s wrong with being wrong?

Popularity is Overrated

Last night I found myself looking at pictures. I was browsing through books at first and then at various photography sites on the internet. It’s amazing to me how people seem to crave some sort of manufactured validity. Of course everyone wants their work to be liked and appreciated and I completely get that. I really do. But what I don’t understand are the photography sites with the ridiculous ratings and all the fawning comments. As if a rating on the internet is a measure of self-worth or a sign of relevance, or a vapid comment of faint praise is more valuable that a thoughtful criticism. Popularity is overrated.

I know in society we’re programmed this way. We’re assigned grades, given bonuses, and awarded stars. But really, what’s the point of rating a photograph? It almost seems that to some people, the grade is the point, and the actual work and creative process is simply a means to an end. It’s only the rating that matters and any negative reaction is a vicious attack on their character and their very being. How silly.

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