Wednesday Morning in FLA

Tuesday Evening in FLA

Ambient

Moon

I spend so much time looking at the light that I rarely remember to look up... Seems to be a insanely useful photography tip....

One Click of the Shutter

One click of the shutter, that is it; that is how to take a great photo for the most part.

The photo I posted today is my favorite photo of this trip so far. Is it a great photo? That’s up to you as the viewer to decide. As for myself, I like it…a lot.

The compositional process started about 12 hours before I clicked the shutter. Wednesday evening after a sushi dinner & movie (Sherlock Holmes ~ excellent) with my wife, this photo happened to be an inspiration in my head. Microbrew beer is good for the compositional soul. British import, full-bodied hoppy beer: my creative muse.

Workshop: NOW BOOKING

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Tuesday Evening in FLA

f/22, ISO 100, 10 second

Moment

Current Reading: The Place That Scares You by Pema Chodron
Current Music: Guitar Trio by Paco De Lucia, Al Di Meola, and John McLaughlin
Mood: Imaginative
Sounds: Wind rustling through the trees
Smell: Pine
Temperature: 53 degrees
Thoughts: New technique for ambient photos (See HERE)

Nature Dreamscape Series

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and I spent it will all of my loves: my wife, my daughter and nature. The day started off with a long hike through the woods that took me arounnd the perimeter of a lake.

Having the opportunity to spend February in Florida is a different encounter in nature for me. The colors of February light are filled with soft blues, strong greens and diffused yellows. The greens are multi-layered with deeper shades, hues and saturations than I have ever seen. The morning light breaks through moss-blanketed trees reflecting off the white sand. These colors give off the sense that you are walking through a dream.

This got me thinking about my approach to my work on this trip. My photographs are much softer and wispier in contrast to the sharp focus and strong lines of my previous work. Its nice to notice this shift in style as an after-effect in the work as opposed to having it pre-planned or forced. Photographing without a defined goal is a rare thing for me…and very enjoyable.

My thoughts about this work were confirmed over coffee with Elizabeth later in the day when she referred to this body of work as my “Nature Dreamscape Series”…I like that...a lot.

Coffee on Valentine's Day with Elizabeth. There were no diamonds given as gifts but a soy latté says Love just as much (it does right?). Conversation and time alone with “E” is my connection to the divine. In the afternoon playing in the park with “little e” is our product from the divine.

Thursday in FLA

Cold

This is my first winter in a different climate; shockingly odd experience.

7am awakened by the Florida yellow sun. In Pittsburgh it would have been dark shades of gray slowly turning into brighter shades of gray. I am discovering that there are two types of winter colds. Pittsburgh’s cold is a still and deep cold and Florida's cold is a shifting and unsettling cold.

To my Pennsylvania friends with the snow-covered towns: sorry, I’ll take FL cold any day over shoveling my driveway.

Chilly short morning walk with my daughter today, had to turn back because of winds. My 4 year old almost became the cutest kite ever when the wind practically lifted her off my shoulders.

Next on the photo-agenda dusk shooting…

Photo of the Week

Soil

For the past few days I have been taking my morning walk through a marsh or a swamp or maybe even a small lake, not sure what the correct word is for the land that I have been walking on. The Earth itself has not been tampered by man; rarity of all rarities. Every time I get the chance to walk on land that has not been excavated by man and machine it is always a wonderful thing for me.

To be an American and a photographer, to have the opportunity to walk on soil that has not been disturbed by the modern world is an atypical and breathtaking experience.

To see some photos (Click Here)

Sunday Morning in FLA

Time Off

~ Next post will be on Tuesday the 9th. Will be in Florida for the rest of the month working on stock photography.

Photographing in Manual Mode, So What

One of the things I like best about owning my own business are those rare days of a perfect life.

During conversations when people find out that I am a photographer their response is always the same: what a life. True, it’s a good life.

People believe that I work two or three days a week. If the camera is not in my hands then I am not working (oh how I wish that was true).

In my workshops one of the main points that I drill into the students' heads is
“ The least important thing you need to take a photograph is the camera.”

Second point:
“photograph the light first and compose the subject second.”

Third, as of yet unreleased drilling point,
“give up on using the word perfection and replace it with the word practice.”

Photography is the art of seeing, observing and creating something new...daily. There is no beginning or end to my workday; I am thankful for that.

After a morning of e-mails, internet research and photo editing I went for a walk, a very cold walk with my dog. During this walk I had this thought – photographing in Manual mode, so what? For the better part of my photography career I have been taking it as a point of pride that I shoot in Manual mode and that I am a creative problem solver of light...so what... blah, blah, blah…..that’s what you are supposed to do dummy, nothing to brag about.

It was a rare perfect day ~ it’s a great feeling when the ordinary becomes profound.

I Love This….

Moment

Current Reading: Being with Dying: by Joan Halifax
Current Music: ipod on shuffle
Mood: Vibrant
Sounds: Barking dog
Smells: Coffee
Temperature: Currently 16 with a low of 19 (?????)
Thoughts: How often do you give a complete answer to a question but do not answerer the question completely? Notice your perspective…