Archive for February, 2008
It's just a blur
When I first started taking photos, I strived for the sharpest images possible. I wanted the widest depth of field and the crispest details. Once I started expanding my art, though, I began to experiment with blurring. One example we’ve all seen before is light trails from cars. It’s easy to do; set your camera [...]
Just Say Click
Sometimes, you just don’t have time to spend with a personal creative project. Sometimes, your weekend consists of 13 hour days at work, and you’re too tired to pull out the camera. So try taking photographs without one. Composition is a visual exercise; no camera is needed. You can do it anywhere: driving your car, [...]
12 Things to Photograph…
It’s not often I subscribe to a blog based on one post, but this was an excellent article. You’ll photograph lots of subjects and reel off tens or even hundreds of thousands of images before you lay down your camera for the last time. Some of those pictures will be memorable; a few will serve [...]
SlideShow Pro
I’ve recently purchased the Slideshow Pro plug-in to Lightroom, and updated my Signs of Katrina album. Take a look and let me know what you think.
Artsmoke
Photographing smoke is a great exercise in creativity, since there is no wrong way to do it and a bazillion ways to do it right. That being said, there are a few guidelines that make it easier. I like to use incense sticks (or "joss" sticks) as my smoke source. It provides a steady source [...]
Color and Emotion
The goal of most art is to provoke an emotional response from the viewer. Fundamentally, art is the communication of emotion. In photographic art, nothing provokes an emotional response better than color. Show a person a black and white image of a gruesome automobile accident and they will be disturbed. Show that same image to [...]
The Bathroom Exercise
One of my all time favorite books for inspiration and creativity is Photography and the Art of Seeing by Freeman Patterson. In it, he discusses principles of composition and visual design, and provides techniques and exercises for exploring untraditional concepts. He also talks about barriers to seeing, and how to observe, imagine and express your [...]
DAM it!
Have you ever said something like this to yourself? "I remember taking a wonderful sunset photo last year, and now I need a copy of it. Where did I put the file?" C. C. Lockwood once told me that he spends at least twice as much time managing his images as he does taking them. [...]
Lensbaby
One way to force encourage yourself to look at photography in a new and creative way is to use an unconventional lens or camera. Back in the long ago days of film, many people turned to the Holga toy camera. Plagued by vignetting, light leaks and a plastic lens, it still managed to produce some [...]
Look for the unexpected
I do a lot of photo shoots were I know the type of image I’m expected to get. Sometimes they aren’t particularly exciting, but it’s what I need to do. A customer might want a particular look, people might want a standard group photo, or a business person might want a conservative headshot. Those are [...]
