Basic Image Manipulation

Image manipulation is much easier these days.  Digital Darkroom software can put user friendly tools at the fingertips of beginner photographers. Learning the in's and out's of these programs will be essential in developing your craft.  In the past where we used trays of chemicals, stop and wash baths to develop film and print paper copies of our images.  Now we transfer them to a computer and get busy on them.  Here is a flower image I took and ran several different processes on.

1. Contrast enhance

2. Sepia toning

3. B&W conversion (green)

4. B&W conversion (red)

C.O.D. (clover of the day)

Photo Flashback: HS

I recently was at a high school watching and photographing some sporting events.  While I was there I noticed several students walking around with film cameras.  Undoubtedly photo students- what kid would be carrying a film camera around these days otherwise?  I had a flashback to my HS photography class and it's assignments.  Everything was shot in B&W on ISO400 Kodak Tri-X or the new (at the time) T-MAX.  We had to see everything in shapes and contrast and shadows and grays.  That foundation taught me so much.  This day I set out to "re-enact" a photo assignment.  I choose to photograph the bleachers at the football field.  I wonder if I would have seen them the same way some 20 years ago?

Sweet Dreams Baltimore

At night, the big red "Domino Sugars" sign, literally the size of a basketball court, glows from the refinery rooftop. Like the Orioles and crab cakes, the Domino sign screams Baltimore. It costs $100,000 a year to power and to keep the 1950s-vintage neon tubes in good repair. In this town, rich in the physical remnants of its working past, that's money well spent: a blazing reminder that people and machines still make things.  

Fuzzy Beans

I was driving through some farmland today in Maryland and these photographs jumped right out at me.  A peanut on a stick?  Hairy pea pods?  A little research at the USDA site led to me understand what soybeans look like in the field.  Maybe I managed to see them a little different than the average farmer.  I hope you enjoy.

OEC: Cheap Glass

My daughter and I love the quaint historic part on Old Ellicott City, MD.  We've taken several photo excursions into the antique stores along the main road.  Sometimes there are maritime wares, old furniture or figurines to snap shots of.  I did see Elvis recently right?  So this last trip I decided to use props.  I walked around the store using depression ware, cut glass and castings to produce interesting results.  The light bending and coloring through this cheap glass work created wild and interesting lightscapes.  The shallow DOF added attention to details in the intricacy of the glass itself.  It was a self imposed assignment.  Pick a subject and run your creativity, tools and ability through the paces.  You may surprise yourself with a grand happy accident.

i saw elvis

There I was... in the presence of greatness...

Bull Thistle +/- 500ft.

Bald Mountain, Shenandoah Range. George Washington National Forest near Harrisonburg VA.  With an altitude of 3680' there is some magnificent stuff happening there all the time.  I was there over the weekend having some trail rides in my Jeep Cherokee. We had a BLAST!  I found some Bull Thistle with early morning dew still clinging to it t around 10am.  Then 500ft. up when we got atop of Bald Mountain the wind was blowing steadily.  It was 37deg. and the fog/clouds were freezing molecules atop themselves in the direct wind.  What a wild image.  The flowers were still in color and unprepared for the onslaught.  It was fantastic to see.

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.