Focal Point

It really does matter where the camera is focused.  Learn to manipulate your focal location.  Isolate a point and align your focus point on it.  Half press your shutter release and then recompose your frame as needed.  You don't have to just point at the subject and let the camera decide where to focus.  You do it.  It will make all the difference in the World.

Folly Fish Camp

Folly Beach, South Carolina.

I was in the sand early in the morning.  Tripod set up and stabilized, sipping a large Cup O' Joe: cream and four Splenda is my thing.  These two chairs were positioned for the father/son fish camp.  Behind them was a cooler for bait, undoubtedly shrimps and squids.  Can I saw "shrimps and squids?"  haha- I just did.  There was a coffee steaming for them both.  Maybe one was hot chocolate.  The dad worked the baiting and casting of these two lines.  He then stood them into the rod holders.  He took three steps back and stood beside his son.  I watched the whole thing happen nearly in slow motion.  It brought a big smile to my face.  They were sharing a beautiful memory.  Moments later I was focused on the sun drenched chairs silhouetted in the bright warm sun.  Happy accident... the bird flew right into my frame with perfect timing.  In hindsight, I wish I had approached these two and gotten an address for them.  I would love to be able to share these photos with them for their life's scrapbook.  I've done that many times before for people. This morning it slipped my mind. Maybe I just needed a little bit more "Joe" to wake me up for that thought.

Under Ravenel

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Not a normal crop for me when I take flora photos.  I think you know by now that I like the "up in it" G. O'Keefe style.  Not this time.  The very shallow DOF took the  background and faded it into a color field only.  This makes the flower POP out and into your face.  This was at the new Mount Pleasant park area under the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston.  There is a fishing pier, children's playground, walking trails across the bridge (2.5 miles?) and a war memorial.  It was a beautiful place to spend some time.

Gulf Fritillary- a longwing.

The flurry of flutterflies fanned fantastically and foraged lantana.

It was a beautiful sight and needed a small place in my mind.

Of A Feather (IOP)

Morning Gulls. Isle of Palms, South Carolina.

Daybreak at Folly.

Daybreak. Fishing Pier.  Folly Beach, South Carolina.

Sullivan's Island

I started my day in the sand.  The warmth on the morning sun was magnificent as it climbed into the sky.  The breeze and salty air was the perfect medicine.

Where's the Beef

I was asked about this photo again.  It was taken in Caldeira on the island of Terceira in the archipelago Azores off the coast of Portugal.  The road I was on was about three feet below the pasture with a basalt lava rock retaining wall. I walked right up to it and the cow peered right at me.  The others could not be bothered. I positioned low and under making special consideration for the suns position.  I knew I would get white out and sunspot conditions...  it was desired.  Mmmoooooooooooooo

WhoSkew

Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

In historic downtown Charleston there are houses that are current residences still.  These establishments are some are 250-300 years old.  Many are maintained and refurbished in like original condition.  But some face structural challenges as result of ground stability and weathering.  This is one of my favorite doors near Battery Park.  It has been maintained in a shifting and natural state.  It look clean and sound... but it is crooked.  The door is hung level but the porch and frame have shifted considerably over two centuries.  What a feat to see first hand.

Scene By Night

I was pulled up to a curb one night with my headlights casting a small distance through a field.  Some twenty years from me was an old fence at the grass line.  I had my camera and my trusty lil travel tripod and jumped into action.  There was a fine contrast I could see in this.  I shot these in B&W and focused in on the woodgrain.  The long exposure captured great detail in the fence post and allowed for some arbitrary movement in the tall grass.

Linked Impact

There is something fascinating about rusted metal.  I'm not sure what it is... but I fall victim fairly often.  The "as is" coloring and visuals on the first photo is untouched.  The second is "warmed" a bit bringing reds, oranges and life into the composition.  How about a little B&W conversion with a little flagrant manipulation on the contrast slide?  This makes it pop is areas that were less appealing before.  Detail in this finds new accents but it does lose the iron life of the others.  Which is more appealing to you?

Snapshots are Slapshots

You have done it.  Stood over a birthday cake to take a photo of it for posterity.  Snapshots like that are like amateur documentaries.  Where is the art in it?  You wanna be a photographer?  Then constantly remember what I've said about this: "Take the photograph that nobody else sees."  Get low and close.  Do something different.  Now for the record- I took one of those lame shots of this cake too ;)  Sometimes you just gotta do it for the other people involved.  Get YOUR photos too though.

Flightless Dragon - camera color adjust

Ever wonder what all the settings do on your camera?  Ever wonder how they work and what they actually change?  PLAY WITH IT!  Haven't I said that before?  You must learn the range of capabilities your own camera has.  Your creativity will grow ten fold when you learn to manipulate your tool (the camera).  Here is a poor unfortunate dragonfly that didn't choose a clear path one evening last week.  I was driving in light rain in the low country of South Carolina.  He got the smackdown from my Jeep grill.  At any rate...  I snapped off these photos in late afternoon lighting.  The first has the camera set to "auto" in the color mode field.  The second photo is taken with the "cool" choice and the third on... you guessed it- "warm."  As you can see- it alters natural coloring of the subject and manipulates the ambient lighting.  This can change mood in many cases. PS- don't forget to change your camera settings back to default to you start off correctly the next time.

Apologies...

I was busy this week preparing for several weeks away from home.  This weekend I have been ill and just haven't felt up to speed.  Thanks for the well wishes. I'll bounce back and post again soon.  Hang tight.

JAS.

Here is a sample image comparison. The first image was taken in "sepia" mode using the conversion algorithms inherent to the Panasonic Lumic DMC-FC18. The second image was taken in full color and converted using the Google Picasa tool. There have been no adjustments to clarity, contrast or coloring. This goes to show what I have been saying. You must know your tools and how to use them. Some aplications and variations work in some cases. Other tools work better for different effects. When you are procesing images in your head, the camera or at your workstation... make sure you know whether a screwdriver or a hammer is the right one to use.