Sign of the Times

Sometimes there's an image to be made right under you nose.

The neighbors had been gone and their driveway was filling up with newspapers. I didn't think much about it until I walked by and saw that they were partly covered with fallen leaves, exposing just a fraction of the headlines about the financial crisis.

The leaves and headlines seemed to compliment each other perfectly. Good thing I had a camera with me.

Waiting for some wind

Often we're left to find our own direction and how we get there is up to us.

In the mix

Been there, done that!

Not really an excuse to not try something again.

Sometimes going back to a place you've photographed before will produce vastly different, or even just improved images.

Outdoor photography has too many variables to control, so on top of just being a challenge, it's filled with pleasant surprises.

Standing Up

I've been working hard at mapping all the photos that I can. Geotagging images may seem like a boring and tedious task, and for the most part I guess it is.

But look at it this way. How often have you looked for something on the internet and come up empty handed? More than once I bet.

So if you have the ability to contribute, even in a very small way, by providing some content why not.

It's all about content, and it really does help me to get the feel for what an area that I'm going to visit looks like when other photographers have mapped their images.

I try and return the favor by mapping what I can.

There are GPS units now that attached to DSLR's and some new cameras that have this function built in. In the not too distant future I can see all cameras coming with built in GPS and all the mapping will be automatic.

Until that point, I'll do my small part and share some of the world as I pass through.

Heading to Sea

Knowing what to expect when you shoot a particular subject and having the right equipment for it will go a long way in helping you get better results.

It doesn't hurt to constantly look around you as well. The most compelling images aren't always the ones right in front of your lens.

Exposure Check

I often run into other photographers at the beach trying in essence photograph the same thing that I'm there for. Everyone brings a slightly different point of view to the subject, so I find it instructive to watch and learn from what they focus in on.

Old Town

We don't have to take things so serious that we can't have some fun once in a while. Get a little creative and play with your images.

Glimmer of Light

There's nothing like being able to take in the sunrise to start off your day.

Spring Field

Spring is here, but you wouldn't know it by the weather. I've been trying to make the rounds and see what's in bloom and start on some Spring photography. I guess I'll go with the old adage that good things come to those that wait.

Stumped

Sometimes you take pictures of things and you're just not sure why. Don't be afraid to play around with them in post. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Putting it all together

I was trying to create my own theme for iGoogle, and all was going well until I hit the submit button.

That's when I got the error that said "There was something wrong with your theme input".

Try and try as I would, I could not get it to work.

I did some research and found that I'm not the only one having this issue. I really love google, and this is the first issue I've had with any of their products.

All I can say is that I hope they get this problem fixed quickly.

Tell me nothing's wrong

There are places where the light works in your favor. To take advantage of them, you need to be there at the right time with the right subject matter.

A tough one

Variety is the spice of life. Explore different subjects and see what they have to say. Your endeavors may not always pay off but you'll learn something along the way.

Tag, You're it

If you slow down and look around you, there should be many little slices of life worth capturing.

Lenten Mission

I had this idea to try something a little different last night. Around Easter the church drapes a purple cloth over the cross in front of the Santa Barbara Mission.

I thought I'd try making an image of that (the cloth draped cross) just after sunset with the Mission in the background.

The Mission is lit up at night, but the cross isn't and would need to be lit by flash.

So, that is exactly with I did. I lit the cross with my flash and finished my 2.5 second exposure with the Mission and waning light in the background.

As you can see, I need a little more practice. I was just happy that the concept will in fact work.

Lost in Art

It's always nice to see some one absorbed in the creative process, where art and artist become one.

Looking into the light

I got to play with some off camera flash. Not the greatest shot, and it's no easy task getting a cat to cooperate, but I was able to get some practice in.

Matters of the Heart

If you seen something unusual, something that catches your eye, it would probably make a good photograph.

Pets

Our lives wouldn't be the same without pets and the joy they bring to our lives.


-- Post From My iPhone

Last Gas

The nice thing about digital photography is that it allows us to quickly document part of our past before it's gone completely.

BlogPress

This post is my 2nd test of mobile blogging. It's a bit of a challenge, but that's mostly because I'm not used to it.




As you can see, this app seems to have all the tools one would need to get the job done.



I think I'm going to like this!

-- Post From My iPhone

Pandora

I seem to be on a roll today. I've been procrastinating for some time about giving Pandora a try... After reading a post by Thomas Hawk yesterday, I decided to take the plunge.

Let me just say that I love the service and the iPhone app that allows you to use Pandora on the run. It's great being able to have this service when I'm mobile.

I won't go into too much detail about this service as Thomas Hawk covered about everything in his very detailed post.

The Slough

There are times of day when the light will work to your advantage. Late afternoon is one of those times.

This is a Test

Just trying this out.


I've been looking for a blogging app for my phone and this one seems to be the one that will work for me. It's called BlogPress.

It's fairly straight forward and I just needed to set up a couple of things so that I can include pictures with my uploads. Once that was done I was able to start posting right away.

-- Post From My iPhone

Nautical Reflections

Reflections are a nice subject matter. They give a slightly different view of the world around us. When you start to look for them, you'll notice they're everywhere.

After Burn

Nature offers an endless variety of subjects.

Coral Casino

I decided to take a walk along a deserted beach and was glad I did.

Heading back just at sunset I was confronted by this scene. As the sun was setting it was being reflected off a glass wall, creating a gold band just below the silhouette of a tree.

This provided just a little bit extra to add some interest to this shot.

Dusk

Just after sunset the glow in the sky provides an opportunity for photographers to play with longer exposures. There's still enough light in the sky to make images, provided you leave the shutter open longer.

I like to explore these opportunities along the coast when the tide is low. It allows me stand in the tide pools recording the breaking waves over longer intervals of time, making them appear almost as a mist.

Gypsy

I was able to play with some off camera flash. This was my goal for the weekend, the trouble was that I was having trouble finding a model.

Thank goodness for the family pet, tough they don't really cooperate very well.

I sort of liked the challenge of it.

With the cat napping on an old piece of cloth in front of an open window I was able to put a flash unit to camera left and wait a bit until the sun came in from behind for back lighting and take a few shots.

I like the results but need LOTS more practice.

All in all, I really can see how lighting comes into play and improves what would otherwise be a very dull shot.

Washed Up

I like photographing items found along the beach and try to use the available lighting.

In this case I think I would have been a lot better off if the seashell was on the sand with breaking waves in the background and NOT shooting an it sitting on a rock from right above.

This image doesn't really work for me. So, I've got to try again and do something different.

Nautical Dream

We rested in a safe harbor and took some shelter before the storm. Little die we know it would be ages before we would do this again.

Heading Out

Repeating patterns work well in photographs. They tend to reinforce themes and hold a viewer's interest a bit longer.

Sun Biker

Maybe a great magnet pulls
All souls towards truth
Or maybe it is life itself
That feeds wisdom
To its youth

Spring

It sure seems like it's been a long Winter, but it wont be that long until Spring is with us.

The Crossing

Water can add a lot to a photo. The way it captures light and reflects things gives images a whole different look. It's one of my favorite subjects.

Worse for the Wear

Old, abandoned, and weathered buildings make great subjects. They reflect the goals, ambitions, and ideals of different times.

What they say about the times, both when they were built and their current condition says much about us.