M. Sargent Photography
Through The Lens
Putting Your Heart Into Your Passions
This week I am going to simply say, HOLY COW!
The last few weeks have been incredible. And my time has been spent focused on some pretty incredible happenings.
Diving right into things, Over the last month I have received invitations to be a guest writer for a couple of popular photography based websites. I gladly accepted these invitations, and began doing something I never thought I would be able to do. Writing has not been my strong suit, and although I maintain this blog, my skill as a writer is by my own standards not up to par.
With that being said, I started this blog under the advice of my oldest friends Jim and Barb Anderson. By doing this and following there suggestions, it has presented these guest writing pieces for my personal brand. Simply said, Thanks Jim and Barb for your insights and suggestions.
So first off http://dslrblog.com/ which is part of the 7×5 network asked me to write a guest piece. After doing so, I was informed that the piece was well received. The comments left regarding the piece was also humbling as it was really my first attempt at writing. Some of the comments:
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Posted January 24, 2012 at 7:24 pm by Paul Rainer | Permalink
That is a stunning photo. The night and the lighting gives it a beauty that definitely would not be found in day light.
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Posted January 26, 2012 at 11:40 am by Abigail Winters | Permalink
Great story and wonderful image. Thank you for sharing.
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Posted January 26, 2012 at 11:46 am by Fred Stuart | Permalink
Excellent post and great imagery as a result of your patience.
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Posted February 1, 2012 at 7:10 pm by Paul Cunningham | Permalink
Incredible imagery. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and your tips.
Here is the link to the article the published. http://dslrblog.com/tag/mike-sargent/
With all of this going on I was also contacted by Abe’s of Maine .Now in the world of photography, this is a big deal from my standpoint. They thought enough of my images to ask me to write a piece. This is also done and after some suggestions from my contact he has forwarded the piece to the editor. It was communicated to me that he liked the piece and would inform me when it was published. I will put up a link on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/M.SargentPhotography as soon as I get the word.
On top of all this, I t had become clear to me that I needed to make a change regarding the M.Sargent Photography Mobile. My 2006 ford truck was killing me with fuel costs. I had decided that it was time for a change. For years I had always wanted a Jeep Wrangler. Not that it was the best choice, but a long story short, I have my Jeep and I want to thank the sales team from the Basil auto group. http://www.basilresale.com/ These guys worked their asses off to make this happen and I respect that. Give them a shout if you are in the market and tell them, Mike Sargent sent ya. Steve, Mike, Chris, Thank you again for your efforts.
Now that I have given you an update let’s get to the reason for this blog. This shot turned out to be a favorite of mine. After my trail walk, and unable to capture any images of regard. I strolled back to my truck and proceeded to return home. Along the way I spotted these geese, setting up a nesting area. As you can tell by the photo we still had some snow on the ground, and these two had made the recent migration back to the Iroquois refuge. Pulling off the road, I grabbed my camera and set up for a shot. Returning home I immediately imported the image into my computer, and I began to enjoy this shot the more I looked at it. After doing some light editing in Adobe Lightroom, I began to develop a biased opinion regarding this shot.
In summary,
I have to say that for the most part Things of late have been incredible. My hard work and my images contain my passions for photography. I cant wait to see what else 2012 will bring. The proof is right here, that putting you heart into your passions is always a good thing!
The shot Canon and Sigma lens combination, 400 iso, shot at f 5.6 at 1/400 of a second. Light color correction and sharpening performed in Adobe lightroom.
As always thanks for reading, and I look forward to your comments and feedback.
My best,
Mike
My Quest for a Red Bellied
A tremendous greeting to you and welcome to this weeks post. What’s snapping?
This week I am going to share with you a story regarding a photo that took me a week to get. By rites the subject of the photo was a fairly common visitor but nailing the shot proved to a little more difficult than I had expected. First and foremost the goal of this shot was to show the detail and color patterns that this bird posses. In particular I wanted to show in the photo, the red color that is present in the Red Bellied Woodpeckers eye. I knew that to do this I would have to do some planning and some research before I even touched the camera.
The plan started off with observation. I watched, and recorded the times this woodpecker would hit the feeders, and began to see a pattern. Based on the information I had collected, It was decided that I would snap this photo in the nine o’clock am hour, as the lighting was perfect, and the woodpecker was always on time for his breakfast. Phase two was positioning. I needed to ensure that my presence would not detour the bird from visiting the feeder. I decided that the best place for me to be to catch the shot was in my cellar. I would be out of sight and able to shoot through an open window, and being that most cellars are dark, any movement on my part would be hidden from a bird’s-eye view. Next up was the selection of a lens. My requirements for this photo would demand the use of a super telephoto lens and I went with the Sigma 100-500mm super zoom.
The research and steps taken, payed off. This is the photo, and here is the setup.
Red Bellied
Canon and Sigma setup. ISO 400, f-stop was 8 , and the shutter was 1/500 of a second.
To some, this may seem like a lot of work just to catch a shot of a simple woodpecker. What I am getting at here by explaining all the steps I took to catch this shot, is the fact that prior preparation always prevents piss poor performance. Any photographer worth his salt will always survey in advance the environment he plans on shooting in. By taking these steps in advance he is ensuring a quality photo. Some will say that is the mark of a professional. Personally I don’t know about all of that, but I do know that the steps I took regarding this photo, were worth it, in the end. On the flip side, often times you cannot preview an environment, but when you can it helps you to prepare for those times in which you can not. In the end prior preparation will simply make you better.
In summary, a photographers goal is always to capture images that are eye-catching. Research, and understanding light is key to capturing quality images, as well as a good comprehensive understanding of your camera’s settings.
SHOOT THE LIGHT!
I hope you have enjoyed the post, and please, tell me what you think about the photo. Until next week.
My best,
Mike
Right Place / Right Time
An outstanding New Years greeting to you, welcome to this weeks post. Very early on in my photography career, I knew that I wanted to combine my love of the outdoors with photography. With this being done, I have spent several hours afield, waiting for subjects to appear for my lens. A quick fix when photographing birds was to bring the birds to me.
Mission accomplished.
Cardinal in winter
With an airport in my backyard, I found that the only difficult task when photographing birds was keeping them in one place long enough to catch the shot. The shot, F -5.6 shutter 1/500th
iso 400. Until next week, I am off to go catch some shots. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think of the shot.
Mike
2011 My Year in Review/ HAPPY NEW YEAR
A joyous and prosperous Happy New Year to you.
2011 has been a year of ups and downs and despite the downs, all things considered 2011 shaped up to be a pretty good year. Photography has once again played a major role in my life, and it never seems to disappoint. This year I shot more weddings than in years past and by the look of things 2012 is going to be even busier. As most of you reading know, I have always been geared to be more of a wildlife scenic type photographer, but it would seem that because of what I do and my philosophy of photography practices, there happens to be a few people out there that like the way I do business. All of this adds up to good things for everybody evolved and it is my earnest pleasure to provide people with exceptional quality at an affordable price. Now I almost sound like a car salesman, selling myself, but the fact of the matter is, I don’t do a lot of advertising when you consider the market and how competitive it is. Every wedding I have ever shot has been by referral or by direct contact , through social media sites, and the occasional friend who inquires about me shooting their wedding. The old saying in play, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink, I prefer to allow the horse to go to water and drink by his/her own free will. Now please don’t consider my use of the old saying as the comparison to people as horses, but the effective philosophy plays a major role in selling yourself as someone who is considered to photograph an event as important as a wedding.
Moving on lets talk about 2011 and some major events that took place in my practice. We have touched on the wedding photography, which has been incredible, but one of my proudest moments for this year was the fact that I had won some recognition from a orginization I belong to, known as the New York State Outdoor Writers Association. This prestigious group of professionals sponsors a photography contest for its members known as the Janice M. Kessler Memorial Photography contest. This contest is part of the excellence in crafts competition, and to my delight I placed in several of the categories for photography. Considering the competition I once again must state how honored I was.
2011 Found me doing something with photography that I had never done before. I was contacted by a family member and asked if I would be willing to donate some photos for an auction type charity event, that supported cancer research. Well they didn’t have to sell me on the idea, when I heard about their cause I was all in. Several personal benefits came from my decision to donate to this event and one was the reconnection with long time friends, who assisted me on putting together a donation to be proud of. The results of our efforts produced some very positive results. The charity had raised some substantial funds when selling tickets for the two photos we donated. Once again I felt a great swell of pride and happiness for being able to give something back.
Next on my proud moments, my involvement with the Silent Night Project. For one year and as time allowed, I provided some creative input as well as the photographs to be used in that short video which sent a very powerful message. Now although the video did not go viral as we hoped, it did in fact reach to date, 679 people and from my perspective that is a pretty cool thing to do. In short at first I was not to excited about the project until I heard the voice of a very talented singer. Kerri Piepenburg. Her rendition of silent night was a sign that I was meant to be involved with this. Just in case you have not seen it and would like to check it out, here is the link Silent Night Nothing’s Right . What impressed me most with the results of this video was the comments. So many understood the message and the comments regarding my shots were humbling.
With so much success seen in 2011, I have made the decision that it’s time to give back. I leave you now with some photos from 2011 and my wishes for a safe and prosperous 2012.
Michael
Night shot of Peace bridge
Buffalo Skyline
- Grand Island Bridge
Silent Night Nothing’s Right// The Release
A Tremendous Monday to you , welcome to the post.
After a year in the making, I am pleased to announce the release of the Torquil Studio Film, Silent Night Nothing’s Right. It is our earnest desire that understand the message within the video and enjoy it as much as we did producing it. Please share this video with your friends and family whom you feel would enjoy it. Thank you for your support .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nuJprtFHsk
Michael
Silent Night Nothing’s Right Part 3
Greetings Everyone,
With Just a few days to go before the release of Silent Night Nothing’s Right, please allow me to update you on the status of our progress. Over the last year we have spent a lot of time and effort putting together what we hope will be a well received message to the world. With just a few minor issues to work out, we are officially ready. So some of you may be asking the question, Why are we doing this, and what for? To answer that question allow me to respond with a very simple reply. First off the release of Silent Night is not to promote what is all ready a world full of gloom and doom. It is in fact meant to make each and every one of you aware of the beauty that surrounds you, and despite the way of the world, looking at things in another perspective may change your entire outlook on life for the better. The second reason this is being done is an experiment. Over the past year I have built a highly engaged network of followers and fans using social media sites like Twitter and Facebook just to mention a few. Being a total nerd I have purchased some software that will track just how viral the video will go and the sources of traffic that pushed and or shared the video. In addition I have also asked my network to share retweet and help us make this video trend and go viral. I believe that this will happen. The goal of our efforts is to put our work and our brands on the map and allow us to continue to do some great things and hopefully, we can make a few dreams reality, not only for us, but for a few incredibly talented people that we have engaged over the last year. Once we achieve our goals Torquil Studio’s will be working on several concepts for the production of some highly entertaining, genre specific productions.
Through the Lens, Shoot 2 Thrill, are just a few of the projects we will be working on in the future. We also will be working with local business to produce and develop commercials, as well as promotional material. So in short, lets just see what direction this takes MSP.
My shot of the week, The Buffalo Skyline. I shot this photo for the Silent Night Project. The info, shot at f-10 with an iso of 400, and a shutter speed of 5 seconds. Tripod was used for stabilization. To note we were on the waterfront elevated in a watch tower. It was cold! But the shot was worth enduring the elements.
Buffalo Skyline
As always thanks for reading and please tell me what you think of the photo.
MIKE
Silent Night Nothing’s Right Part 2
Well here we are again, being ten days away from the release of Silent Night Nothing’s Right, I am finding that between my real job and my projects , the time is flying by. I am excited, and slightly overwhelmed as we approach the release date. We still have a lot to do, Including this post which is the start of my task list. First up, I want to share with you a second shot of the Grand Island Bridge. This photo was taken the same evening, but I used a different time setting to capture it. Instead of a full 30 second exposure, I cut the time down to 15 seconds and this was the results. Although the sky has some grain, the subject of the photo was crisp and sharp.
Grand Island Bridge at 15 sec exposure
Next on the agenda is the “PROJECT”
I wanted to take this opportunity to give a very special thanks to a very talented young lady. She is an undiscovered talent, and was sent to us by a power that we just can’t understand, but it was clear to us that after we met her and saw just how much talent she possesses, we were destined to do this. Kerri-Ann Everett-Piepenburg contributed to the project by singing the song Silent Night . Her spine tingling vocals were so controlled, I was impressed, when right out of the gate she nailed the song in studio the first time. It showed us her passion and experience as a vocalist, and for the life of me I can’t understand why no one has picked up on her talents until now. Kerri, we at Torquil are going to do everything in our power to show the world how talented you are.
I also have to give a huge mention to my followers on Facebook and Twitter. You are going to make this happen, and I want the world to know that this would not have possible without you.
So in closing, with many tasks on the list, I bid you an excited farewell.
Stepping the game up!!!!!!
Michael
Silent Night Nothing’s Right
Ok Ladies and Gentleman, A tremendous greeting to you all. I would Like to welcome you to my latest post, I am Michael Sargent and you are reading my blog.
Without any delays, let me dive right into this post. For the past year I have been involved in a thought-provoking project known as Silent Night Nothing’s Right . The point of this very short film is simple. This time of year means many different things to many different people, and what our film does is make you well aware of just how we as a culture have not changed much over the last several years. Now without going to deep into the film, allow me to point out my role in the making of this. I was asked by Torquil Studios CEO John Wragg if I would be willing to provide him with some stunning photos that he could use for this project. After hearing what he had planned I gave him my full participation and was even able to create some content for the film based on my own creative thoughts. John and I traveled around the Western New York area photographing some of beautiful man-made objects to show the viewer, that despite the state of the country, and our world for that matter, we have beauty all around us, we only need to take the time to see it.
Ok so let me explain to you the inspiration behind this. John was out christmas shopping last year with his wife. They were in fact at a local mall, and within the mall it was the usual scene. People were out in the masses spending their hard-earned money on gifts for their loved ones. Many were smiling and enjoying the christmas music that is a main stay in many malls across America.
John however couldn’t help but faintly hear the sound of the local newscast and as his attention focused on the news, his mood became saddened by what he was hearing on the telecast. Despite the holiday season he realized at that moment, despite all of our advancements, things are still the same in this world. Thus the birth of the Silent Night Project. Simply put, this short film will again mean many different things to many different people, but one thing is certain, the more things change, the more they stay the same. We suspect ,that what you see and hear in this video is not just centralized to our little part of the world, it is in fact what goes on all across the country if not the world.
Very shortly I will be posting a video explaining in more detail about why we decided to produce this, as well as explain to you the whole Torquil Studios, M. Sargent Photography connection and the reason for what we are doing. The film is scheduled to be released on 12-12-11 and it will be posted on You-Tube, and yes I will be posting the link all across the web using my social media platforms. What I ask of those who follow me is to take a look at the video and share it . I have learned that the people who follow me on twitter are truly and incredible group. The support they have shown me is a clear indicator that the power of social media is highly relevant and great things are to be had by using these platforms. Once released my hopes are that the video will go viral. I will be hashtagging #silentnightnothingsright , and hope that you all will follow suit. So without any further running of the mouth let me thank my Facebook fans as well as my twitter peeps. We can show the world the Power of Social Media.
Now on to one of the photos you will see. This shot is of the Grand Island bridge. One aspect of my photography is the ability to capture long exposure shots with very low lighting. This aspect of photography has always been one of my favorites for the simple reason that our eyes can only capture so much. By shooting a slow exposure you get to see things in a whole new light. This is one aspect of photography that I have excelled at and some of my most commented about shots are ones that have been taken in low light situations. So on to the setup. We scoped out the area to determine the best location for the photo and although a side shot may have been suitable, I made the decision to snap the shot in between the two bridges. The photos I shot are far different from what you could see with the human eye, but it is a clear example of the term “Shooting the Light”. During the set up I found the sounds coming from the traffic going over the bridge incredible . It sounded like something out of a science fiction movie. After setting up I used the camera’s built-in light meter to determine the settings I would use to snap the shot. The shot itself was a thirty-second exposure, with an aperture of F-28 and an iso setting of 200. I did in fact use a tripod for stabilization and here are the results.
Grand Island Bridge
On that note, I hope you enjoyed the post. and as always I look forward to your comments. In closing I hope you will take the time to view and share the short film Silent Night Nothing’s Right once released. We have put a lot of time into this and it is our hope that you enjoy it as much as we did producing it. Until next time, Here is my wish for a safe and joyous holiday season. Once again thanks for reading.
Mike
Michael Sargent
M.Sargent Photography
Low Light and Low Life’s
Greetings,
In today’s post, I am going to share with you a photo that is going to be used in a somewhat controversial video, that is going to shake you and reveal the reality of we as human beings. Lets take a look at things and come to a realization that our country is a mess. The economy is terrible, our government has taken a direction that no longer represents the people, and the average person is struggling to make ends meet. As most, I also find myself making tough choices. Simply and in summary I have to ask myself why? Is this how we do things in America now? Has anybody looked into solving the real problems that we as citizens are enduring. A story was recently shared with me regarding our local town board meeting, and although I personally have not looked into it, I was a little disturbed by the information that was shared with me. It seems that our little township recently had a board meeting. This was an open meeting and many people from the town were in attendance. One topic of discussion was property taxes, and assessments. It was proposed that taxes were to be raised in the area of four percent. Despite public outcry our leaders went ahead and voted in favor of the tax increase. Now here in Orleans county which is considered to be one of the most depressed areas of NY, people are really struggling. So let me pose this question. Why do our leaders feel that it is responsible to raise taxes on people who are barely making ends meet. In recent months, all I have heard about is entitlements and how we as people have come to expect things that we have not earned. Lets look at reality for a second. What does our township do that justifies these increases? Like most branches of government the trend is spend spend spend. It is our tax dollars they are spending and personally I don’t feel it’s right for them to do so based on the way things are in the world today. Although unconfirmed It is rumored that our town supervisor is one of the highest paid supervisors in the state. My response to this is really, for a little town Like Shelby, Ny. No wonder he worked so hard campaigning for votes. Who wouldn’t want a job that pays 70 grand a year in this economy. Now that the election is over, I suppose we wont see him again until the next election.
So this brings me to the photography part of this blog. To be a photographer you have to see things differently than most. It is truly not what you see but how you see it. Even though things are in bad shape right now, I want you to try to take a step back just for a moment and be mindful of your surroundings. We live in a world of natural and man-made beauty. Although we each have our own struggles, there is beauty all around us, if we just take the time to see it, by doing so it may just change your perspective, and allow you to refocus on what is truly important. My job as a photographer is to capture both the beauty and the reality of life. So without any further delay I want to share this image with you in hopes that for a minute you will put aside your thoughts and troubles and enjoy something that I felt was a beautiful sight.
Night shot of Peace bridge
A friend of mine and myself set off one eve in an attempt to capture some images for a project we are working on. One of the photos we decided to use was of the peace bridge. The goal of this shot was to catch the contrast of colors and the reflection of light that casts on the Niagara River. As always I like to explain to you the settings I used to shot this. The camera was set to take a 30 second exposure, using an iso setting of 400, with a f-stop of 28. The results right out of the gate was this image. To note, I should have set the iso to 200 as I feel that in reflection in may have caught a better image. I also need to stipulate that this image was shot off a tripod with a 2 second shutter delay, and I used no lens stabilization other than the tripod. After the shutter closed, the anticipation I felt before viewing the photo was at an all time high. I hit the button on the camera to review the photo, and to the delight of myself and my company, I felt a real feeling of accomplishment as we walked away knowing that we had just experienced a rare moment in photography. Low light shots are difficult, and generally it takes some experimenting with the camera to capture images like this. For me to get it right on the first try boosted my confidence in the low lighting capacity. As always you must learn to SHOOT THE LIGHT. A feat that I feel I have excelled at. Whats you’re take? Did I get it right?
So let me say this as I come to a close on this post. Yeah things are tough right now, we are all experiencing difficulties in our lives trying to make ends meet. When things seem like they are at their worst, take a step back and look at the world around us. There is beauty in everything, we just have to find a way to see it. Better days are coming, until then, endure.
As always please share this post with your friends, and please leave me your comments. I enjoy reading them and interacting with you.
Until my next post, take care and may your lives be enriched.
Michael
M.Sargent Photography
WWW.MRSARGENT.Com
A Father’s Pride Coming Together
There can definitially be something said about persistence and the swell of pride that a father feels when he sees his only son achieve success in his own endevours. In addition, it is truly amazing how a family can come together, just to get things done.
So let me lay this out for you, as some of you may know I come from a long line of outdoorsman and we happen to be hunters. Although you dont see me yet,…. on weekly television, my harvests over the years have been notable and based on what I have been taught, and learned through experience, I have passed that skill set on to my son. This past weekend, we were hunting in New Yorks Southern Tier region, and Sunday Morning happened to be a great day for Daddy’s Special Boy! Around 8:30 am He called me to notify me that he had arrowed a deer. He also said that he was going to wait for a half hour before tracking it because, he felt the shot may have been a little low. At this point I was excited for him. Five minutes later I received a text message ( Ah, Modern Technology) from him stating, he had just arrowed another. My excited turned to jubilation, because I knew he had turned into that alpha predator that he had worked so hard to become. I informed him I would be down to help him out shortly, and give him his due congratulations.
Once arriving back at camp, I had noted that he had one deer recovered and spotted him looking for the other. I began thinking mmm, problems. He explained to me that he was having trouble finding the deer, and that his blood trail was spotty at best. We recreated the scene and my son had done as he was taught. Blood spot, toilet paper, The trail was a clear indicator of the direction the deer was going. Based on the evidence, I knew we had a dead deer walking and a decision had to be made on which part of the forked road to take. By this time my Uncle had arrived back at camp from his morning hunt, and we employed his skills as well. Now knowing what I know regarding deer and their habits, a wounded deer rarely goes up hill. We agreed that our elusive deer had to have gone towards the corn field in search of cover. This is were the reading gets interesting. Somehow, some way , I have been given two gifts by the hunting gods. I know where to put a stand and I have a unique ability to spot blood. I did in fact pick up the trail, and the trail was through the thickest nastiest briar patch, and you can bet I have the cuts all over to prove my dedication to the recovery of this dear. Now two hours had past, and still no harvest. We had lost the trail again, and I was starting to become frustrated.
Now after venting some minor frustration, with a few choice colorful metaphors, I had begun walking the edge of the field, in between the briars and corn in the hopes that I would pick the trail back up. At this moment I looked to my right and inside the briars I could swear my eyes caught movement. Then I saw a twinkle and knew that we had a deer bedded in these briars. Calling out to my son and uncle, they confirmed my suspicion, we knew we had found my sons second deer. We ethicially harvested the deer, and begun the task of feild dressing.
Here is the part of the story that makes me proud as a father. My 17 year old son, had doubled down sucessfuly and after a two hour ride home, we knew the work was only begining. We process our own deer for obvious reasons ( A butcher never goes hungry) and honestly we feel that we do a much better job, and save a few jacks in the process. Having to return to work that night, I knew that it was going to be a long night based on what tasks we had ahead of us. My wife, daughters, and my parents all pitched in and we had the deer processed in no time. I was extremely proud of my son as well as my daughters who dug right in and helped with the boning out process, and between us, I was able to get a 2 hour nap before going into work.
This was by far the most incredible weekend I had experienced in the woods in a long long time. This is why I became a photographer. I will always have this image to look back upon, and it will help me relive that very special day. The shot: taken with a Canon camera, and ISO of 400, an aperture of F-8, with a shutter speed of 1/500 of a second. I also used an external flash to avoid shadows caused by the high sunlight, and the cover of the canopy.
Wade Sargent and Dr. Randall Gilbert
I hoped you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. Never giving up, and being able to relive your life through your son is one of the greatest gifts a son can give to a father . Congratulations Wade, you have made your Dad very proud, and for my girls, I am very proud of you two also. Most girls these days would not have helped and gotten their hands dirty. What can I say I am a lucky guy, and a father who is very, very proud of his children.
DECCAYEAHS,
Michael
M. Sargent Photography
