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.

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.

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!

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!!!

Expression

What is it that you're trying to say? Do you know, or are you just pressing the shutter?

What I'd like to say with this image is thank you for your sacrifices! You are not forgotten!

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.

Character

People, objects and scenes all have their own character. Sometimes you can make a photograph with all three. Other times just trying to capture the character of just one conveys a sense of time and place, telling a story all its own.

Abstracts

I think that the parts of things can be much more interesting than the whole. Throw in some colour and see if you can create something compelling to look at.

Yes, this is the front of a vintage red American Car. I like a little nostalgia along with my shape, lines, and curves...

Simplicity

A little simplicity in life. More moments like these doesn't seem like too much to wish for. Does it?

Only Passing Through

The moment is gone the instant we are aware of it.

Such is our lives.

Backroads

The journey is the reward.

For a Psalm...

Man is like to vanity:

his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

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.

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.

Clutter

I try to avoid clutter and use as few elements as possible when trying to convey a sense of place or tell a story. It's like trying to name a tune in as few notes as possible. Can it be done? Sometimes...

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.

Early Start

I like to get out early when try to make photographs. For two main reasons: The lighting is great, and there aren't a lot of people awake yet. This lets you make the most of warm morning lighting and take your time composing a good photograph.

Silhouettes

One of my favorite subjects to photograph are silhouettes. They add a bit of mystery to a composition, and in my opinion, make things much more interesting.

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.

Movement

Capturing movement in low light has its own challenges. I tend to shoot a lot of images, constantly changing settings to see what works best. My goal is to try and create an image that defines the essence of the moment. Can it be done? I'm not sure, but that doesn't stop me from trying.

Landmarks

Landmarks can be fun to photograph like this shot of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. They are icons that provide a sense of place. The challenge becomes to try to find a new and/or different why to photograph them. You may not always succeed, but then again it doesn't hurt to try.

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...

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...

Beauty

Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it. Confucius

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.

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!

Heading Out

Well I'm off on the road for couple of days... I'm not sure what photographic rewards I'll bring back other than something I didn't expect. The adventure is half the fun.

Fun

The great thing about digital photography is that you are free to play with your images and have some fun. Splash...

Night

Night time isn't when you put your camera away. There are plenty of things to photograph, fairs, festivals, street scenes, and Cityscapes. Take your pick...

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

Road trips are filled with unexpected photo opportunities. Make use of the U-Turn, as you may never pass through again, and you can be sure the lighting won't be the same. Like they say opportunities look bigger going than coming, try not to miss them.

Focus

Just like the dancer is absorbed in the dance, the photographer should be focused on creating their images.