Blocking out the Sun

Ideally, when photographing your want the sun at a low angle.  This means capture times either need to take place two to three hours maximum after sunrise or two to three hours maximum before sunset.  In between that time, the light is not ideal, especially if the sun is out in full force.  So what are you supposed to do if you want to capture something and the time is not ideal?

Can the Sky Be Your Subject?

When shooting sunsets, sunrises, storms, etc., a lot of people shoot the areas surrounding the sky.  But what if the sky was so awesome that it could stand alone in a image?

The Perspective of Repetition

Perspective and repetitive pattern in photography are two ways to bring interest into your subject and make your images more compelling. Combining both of these at the same time can yield some interesting results and if done right produce a captivating image.

4th of July Freedom

I have a bit of a special place in my heart for the fourth of July. It might have something to do with that fact that I was supposed to be born on that day, and it was 1976 (yes aging myself) so I have the whole bicentennial thing going as well. I did come a few days early though. But I digress.

The Power of Penumbra in Photography

What the heck? Penumbra, umbra (isn't that a store?), antumbra...basically they are all parts of a shadow. A shadow is key element that makes a photograph powerful. After all photography is about seeing light and part of light is the absence of it or shadow. Shadow plays a key role in photography due to producing depth in a photo or adding a second dimension to something that otherwise would appear flat. The length of the shadow also can produce an interesting element to an image. It all depends on the light source and its angle.

Static Movement

Movement and energy go hand in hand, but it is not something you see incorporated into stationary objects very often. Luckily as a photographer, I have the ability to bend the rules a bit and use my camera to convey energy in something otherwise static.

Focus on the Small Stuff

Contrary to the saying "Don't sweat the small stuff," sometimes in photography you want to focus on the smaller stuff. I am not talking about macro or close-up photography here but the things in nature that don't appear so grand due to their size. In this case, waterfalls that are formed from small streams. For many of you the grand waterfalls are the awe inspiring ones, but sometimes if you take a good look at the small ones, there is awe there too. In the below awe-inspiring photograph the waterfall is about one foot drop. Focus on the small stuff.