Seating For One

Coppertoned

Striped Light

Walk Atop Cadillac

Pink Poinsettia

From my visit two weeks ago.

Tree's Splendor

Santa's Hat

Merry Christmas!!!

Presents Under the Tree

Here's hoping the holidays bring you all happiness and joy!

Stairway to Cones

The Three Gift Bags

The importance of choosing the right “white balance” for your photography session. If you rely on the camera’s automatic settings (should that be an option), this could cost you. That said, there are times when you may want to adjust the settings to something other than what you see -- to purposefully alter the image’s colors. Be deliberate, be calculating, and be meticulous if and when you choose to this. Why? To better help you understand what alterations to the baseline result in. The more you experiment and learn -- the more you knowledgeable and creative you can be.

Soda Fountain

Found objects and impromptu photo shoots with people I know are still my favorite approaches to photography.

Trojan Chest Plate

Chrome-toned and ribbed. Photography is about balance -- not just in the final image, but in how one composes. There is something to be said for developing a project or thoroughly observing a subject. At the same time, subjects tend to speak quite clearly, and if the photographer listens, then the strongest images will present themselves immediately.

Benched

Approach a subject fresh. We become accustomed to seeing everyday sights in the same manner. One might think this means we grow to know the subject matter quite well. In reality, people often form an initial mental image and lock this in as the singular visual association. Try something new and deliberately change your perspective.

Day of Craft

Time to get together with family and friends to make holiday decorations and enjoy lots of great chocolate. This year I made a family delicacy that fits the bill.

Light the Seneca

There are people, places, and objects I could return to for the rest of my life to photograph and enjoy every moment. The inspiration they instill in me is limitless.

Trim the Tree

Traditional white for the simple elegant look? Or strings of multi-colored to create a bit of mood lighting? With the latter you also get to watch the ornaments take on different appearances, especially if the lights are set to blink.

Bird's Eye View

Rust to blue. Relic and nature.

Snow Torn Field

Tunnel vision. It is important to step back and see the whole picture. Take in the grandness of it all. Appreciation for individual qualities and points of interest is good, but if one forgets to observe the interaction between objects and their environment, then one’s understanding is incomplete. Don’t lose sight of your own connection to the world around you. Enjoy life.

Bird of Prey

One of two I’ve seen in action at my house. Though even when I don’t see them, I know they are out there, watching…waiting. I have yet to capture the second frequently visiting hawk on film. If you are patient enough, you will witness the hawk switch the talon it perches on in order to tuck one in its feathers to keep it warm.

Gifts

I’m not a big fan of staging photos. Even when working with people, I am about saying, try this and then seeing what happens -- I like the natural poses -- seems more comfortable, more relaxed, more real. I do work on trying to better learn more starting poses, where to place the arms, how to direct people a little though. I’ve been fortunate over the years -- most of the people/friends I’ve worked with have a bit of performer or actor in them and it allows them to run with it and my images to benefit from that. And, I think it allows them a little more fun at times, at least I hope that it does. I bring this up as I have begun my indoor still life journey again. This is not an example of my staging, but a fortunate happening upon on my part on my mother’s birthday. This week you will see my new still life imagery appear in my blog though.

Christmas Bulbs

Just one of nature’s such offerings. Another being fireflies; of course, that speaks more to Christmas in July. Sometimes the review of a day’s photographs can surprise you. A shot or shots you thought would be quite good turn out to be lacking in some way, but then a long shot -- a shot on a whim -- turns out to be the one you like.

Pastel Skies

Painting with light.

The search for the next “beautiful”.

A passion for and a connection with the subject.

These are the constants.


(In this case, sunset was the beginning of the day.)

Rocky Shore Lighthouse

Photography at times, like life, is about taking risks. That doesn’t mean being reckless -- depending on the situation, one should exercise caution and good judgment. Still, have confidence in yourself. Believe that you can overcome the obstacle, the fear, the challenge. Draw on your strengths, be the person you want to be -- don’t just dream…. Achieve! Think of those who inspire you. Perhaps through your triumph and leading by example, you will inspire others.

Have a Catch

Americana. Done well, it can be outstanding and evoke a sense of pride, a feeling of nostalgia, or generate historical interest.

Day of Remembrance

It has been 5 years since I’ve laid eyes on the farm. Inevitably, things change. People change colors when they repaint a house, rip out the landscaping to put in something their own, and so on. There are certain places from my past that I choose not to return to because I know this will be the case with each and every one of them. Why spoil the fond lasting mental image in my head by replacing it with something new and not of my time there? Sometimes photos we take do not find themselves classified as art, but there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes it is those that document and freeze a moment in time that achieve a value to us that is priceless. For me there are many such photos of the farm.

Sign of the Season

It’s that time of year when the holiday decorations start showing up around the house. Here’s a favorite that’s been out as long as I can remember.

Good Tidings and Joy

I can’t stress enough the importance of carrying your camera with you at all times. For instance, Thursday when I left work there was a great sunset going on and the clouds and sky lit up with purples and reds as a backdrop to the bell towers of a church. Had I my camera with me I could see the shot perfectly, but I had neglected to put it in my bag that morning. Here is a photograph I have because I kept my camera with me when visiting friends over the holidays.

Distractions are like spokes

Imagine you are the axle. You drive the wheels to get yourself somewhere. Between you and the rotation of the tire are the spokes -- and those are all the distractions in life. They are always there, it’s just a matter of how you cope with them. In my case, it’s an ongoing battle, but I continue the good fight.

The 8-5-1

While the out and about “on location” exploration is good and can be both fun and successful, let’s talk about another side of photography -- the project. Creating, developing, designing and bringing to fruition a project can be quite rewarding. Still life, doing portraiture work with someone, choosing a theme, a photo essay, or countless other concepts -- all options.

Pods Galore

Whether it resembles something from a sci-fi film or appears an organic sheet of sorts draped atop a crop of boulder shaped objects, it is the pattern and unity that captivates me. Yellow speckles fuse together rolling green mounds. Rather than being the product of deconstruction, this image is all about construction.

Deep in thought

A fresh bale of hay, full trough of oats, or perhaps running free across an endless green prairie and finding a cool stream for a refreshing drink of water. Still, the look is more serious…maybe concerned…or remembering a past heartbreak.