Thursday, May 31, 2007
Stock Photography
My stock agency didn't think this image was compelling enough to have any commercial value. They're in the business, so they should know better than I do. Then again. the value of a photograph could be in the eye of the beholder.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Fill the Frame
Sometimes the easiest what to get your point across, or to leave no doubt as to the subject matter of your photograph is by filling the frame.
Here I tried to get most of the Golden Gate Bridge squeezed into my view finder and little else. This bridge is such a well know icon of San Francisco that it doesn't really need anything to provide context for it. My goal was to create an image just a little different than the usual fare.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Whimsical
Sometimes you run across something that brings a smile to your face. Why not share?
This chalk art just jumped off the pavement. Enjoy!
Monday, May 28, 2007
An Outlet
My day job requires me to sit in a rectangular grey box some call a cubical. There's nothing cubic about it, though it does possess a certain scientific oddity where the passage of time comes to a near standstill.
Sometimes I fancy that I'm in Dr. Who's Tardis, but the only real traveling that I'm doing is in my imagination.
This is where photography comes into play for me. When I'm behind my camera all my concerns vanish. I'm in the moment. As for post processing? Photoshop, take me away. I'm Gone!!!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Expression
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Sailboats
I've been photographing sailboats for a long time. It's not as easy as it looks. First off they're moving, so I opt for handheld rather than using a tripod.
I like to isolate as few boats in my images as possible. When you're shooting a race boats tend to be in groups, so a little patience and knowing what to expect is required.
A faster ISO setting may help, but I found that I don't like the associated digital noise. What usually works best for me is an ISO of 200, shooting at F10 or F11 with a shutter speed at around 1/350.
Most sails are white, so you want to try and capture detail in the sails without seriously underexposing the rest of the image.
The last thing to keep in mind is your horizon. Keep it level unless it is your intention not to (for artistic and/or dramatic reasons).
Is this a lot to concentrate on while photographing moving objects? Sure, at first. Practice and it will get easier.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Character
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Abstracts
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Simplicity
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Research
Spend a little time getting to know the area you plan on shooting. What time does the sun rise and set? Where does it rise and set? When are the high and low tides? What type of vegetation is in the area? What is the weather going to be like?
The answers to these question will go a long way in helping you spend more time making the kinds of images you want and the having the right equipment to do that.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Subject Matter
You don't always have to go around looking for subject matter, sometimes it comes to you. A sudden change in weather that brings with it a cloudscape full of color, the change in seasons that cause the garden to burst into a spring display, and so on.
Keep you camera with you. Then you'll be ready to capture and share these scenes and make some of your best photographs.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Clutter
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Critters
A challenge in a class of its own is photographing critters. Pick up a camera and see how uncooperative the family cat is. Fido might be a different story, but I doubt it.
After that exercise, move out into the wild. You'll get lots of near misses, blurry photos, and numerous other surprises. You'll also learn the value of telephoto lenses.
To make good photographs of Animals get to know their behaviors. Read up on them, be prepared and be patient.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Early Start
Monday, May 14, 2007
Silhouettes
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Stillness
There's a stillness at the end of the day, just as the sun sets that has a magic to it.
It was a joy to find myself with camera and tripod in hand on this day with no one around but these three sailboats. The ocean air and approaching sunset had a real calming effect that set the mood that I tried to capture here. Nature lit up the sky and really showed off.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Movement
Friday, May 11, 2007
Landmarks
Thursday, May 10, 2007
All Angles
Though it might seem obvious, you'd be surprised at the number of people that take their cameras out snap a few shots of something they like and then move on.
It just doesn't occur to them to walk around their subjects and look at it from different points of view to see if there are any others photographs to be made. There are, and it's worth the time to explore your subject.
The reward will be in the results!
Besides, the Golden Great Bridge is such a fun subject...
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Luck
I think that making a good photograph is 99% hard work and 1% luck. Being in the right place and the right time and being prepared will improve your images.
I don't think the owner of this boat feels lucky though...
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
Patience
Night photography is a lot of fun, but you do need patience. You need to find the spot you want to shoot from in advance and then get there early so that you can get your equipment set-up.
The hard part is waiting for the lighting to change.
I tend to use this time for a bit of reflection.
The results can be rewarding in more ways than one.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Something New
Well, I'm back! I'd like to say it's nice to be home, but I'm not sure yet. After a short trip to San Francisco (it's been nearly a decade since I was last there) - my goal was to try a shoot from a few new locations. This is one of them, a place called Baker Beach.
As you can see it's a great location for sunset shots of the Golden Gate Bridge. What I hadn't planned for was the guy playing Frisbee nude from the T-Shirt down, the couple doing the wild thing (or some strange form of beach blanket bingo), and the woman body surfing naked (and from the looks of her, that water was cold) - and NO I didn't take photos of any of this.
Live and let alone. It was a good trip, just too short!
Friday, May 4, 2007
Heading Out
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Photoshop
Have a sound foundation in photography. It will serve you well to get a good image out of your camera, so you need to understand DOF, Shutter Speed, and ISO. Know how the are inter-related and how you can use them creatively. When you do, then you can get creative.
Instead of fixing it later in Photoshop, use the time you saved from NOT having to fix things on more creative endeavors. I think you'll find the results much more rewarding.
Road Trips
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Focus
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