Good Morning Seattle

Week 39

Good Morning Seattle

October 1, 2010

I'm finding that much of photography is simply being at the right place at the right time on the right day in the right conditions... etc, etc, etc. Some of that is skill, knowledge and experience... some of that is just plain luck. You are best served by thorough planning - knowing the anticipated weather conditions, lighting and subject matter as best you can before heading out to try and capture a shot. This does not give any guarantees that what you are hoping for will manifest. It tips the odds in your favor, however. Seattle is one of those places that you want every advantage you can get. It's not everyday that you are privileged to see the scene above, with Mt. Rainier posing as a backdrop for the city's skyline. More often than not, it's shrouded in clouds, and fog or misty rain in the city makes the landmark disappear. A little bit of planning and paying attention to forcasts, etc. helped me out here, and I was thrilled to get a series of images at dawn last week - including the one you see above. Enjoy.


image taken with Canon 5D MII, 24-70 2.8L lens, 1/15 sec @ f/22, ISO 100

...in the Details

Week 38

...in the Details

September 22, 2010

Last week I found myself on Carmel Beach in Carmel-By-The-Sea, and looking down. There are lots of interesting subjects to photograph here - birds pecking for morsels in the sand, the beautiful Pacific crashing against the beach, famous Pebble Beach Golf Links and a wide variety of people there as tourists or enjoying where they live. What drew my attention though, was the sand. It wasn't especially different from sand on most American beaches as far as I can tell, but it wasn't that intriguing me. I was thinking about how incredibly intricate the individual grains are.

Now if you're like me, you don't often think about sand in terms of the individual grains. The image above was composed with the idea of allowing for context and identification, but also to show a level of detail not usually observed. You can see the extensive variety of colors and shapes and relative sizes the individual grains represent. Many are similar, but none are identical.

I think we frequently consider people this way. We assume because an individual is part of a people group, they are like all others classified in that people group. The truth (if we pay attention and look closely) is far from this idea. Sure, there are commonalities in culture, activities or physical features at times; but each person, each grain (if we pay attention) was created and molded uniquely and cannot be replicated. My hope is that we would keep this in mind when we make judgments on others that we think are justified. After all, what people-group are you in? What are the things you think are mis-understood about your people-group, and about you?

image above taken with Canon 5D MII, 24-105 4L lens, 1/1600 @f4, ISO 100

Sedona

Week 37

Sedona

September 15, 2010

There are some places in the world that are just more beautiful than others. Sedona, I'd argue, is one of those places. Last week I had the joy of camping and shooting in and around Sedona, AZ for the better part of 2 days, and it wasn't nearly long enough. Some would argue you can "see" all that Sedona has to offer in a couple of days. I suppose you could hit the highlights, and feel satisfied that you've been there, but to really experience Sedona, I think 3 to 4 days would be a minimum. 

 

I found myself at a loss as to what to do with my limited time there, because so many of the hikes and features in and around Sedona are breathtaking and desirable to take in. Luckily, after a morning of shooting around Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, I stopped in to a local shop/cafe called  The Hike House owned and operated by Greg and Gracie Stevenson to pick up some supplies and catch up on work during the harshly lit mid-day sun hours. I say lucky because Gracie and her very friendly staff not only helped me find what I needed, but as I was noticed considering a book on Sedona's best hikes, offered to introduce me to it's author who happened to be sitting on the front patio of the cafe. After a quick but very pleasant and informative conversation with Dennis Andres, author of Sedona's Top 10 Hikes,  I sat down to make use of the Energy Cafe's complimentary WiFi to get caught up. My overall experience was fantastic, and if you are traveling through Sedona, make time for The Hike House & it's Energy Cafe, you won't be sorry!

It was the same afternoon that I made the short drive and modest hike out to Cathedral-Red Rock Crossing where I captured the image above. The setting sun afforded a beautiful light cast on Cathedral Rock, and a shallow wade across the creek allowed for the stunning reflection you see. One of many arresting vistas, this is certainly not the first image of its kind, but it is one of my favorites.

I hope you enjoy the image, and by all means - get to Sedona!

image taken with Canon 5D MII, 24-70 2.8L lens, 1/60 sec @f8, ISO 100

Elvis Sighting...

Week 36

Elvis Sighting...

September 12, 2010

At the end of last week I started a business trip to Phoenix by flying into Vegas, renting a car and making a road trip out of the deal. Now having been to Vegas a dozen or so times, I don't know that I've ever seen the king. I know, I know... how can that be? I don't know, but this trip I had two Elvis sightings - one at the $7 steak place (I had to try it... was actually pretty good!), and the other was here at the welcome sign. He looks pretty good for being dead. 

I always found it interesting how people could persist in a belief (such as Elvis being alive) that although possible, is incredibly improbable. Maybe it's a fascination with mystery. Maybe it's exciting to think of the surprise and revelation that he is alive after all these years. I realize that for many, this is just an extended fantasy of sorts, one born out of a sincere appreciation for Mr. Presley's music and cultural contribution. For most, though, I think it's something different.

I can't help but think that all of us have a little of this need to believe in us. As if we're born with it, this longing, this seeking, this fascination with mystery. Almost like we're pointed toward believing in that which is unexplainable, and the manifestation of this is what we sometimes see in the tabloids - UFO's, superstitions, the paranormal... Elvis alive.

I have my own ideas on what this is all about, maybe you do too, but one thing I think we can all agree on. Elvis is alive and has been in Vegas this whole time! I have the pictures to prove it! 

image taken with Canon 5D MII, 24-70 2.8L lens, 1/400 @ f11, ISO 400

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Only in Santa Cruz...

Week 35

Only in Santa Cruz...
September 3, 2010

Ok, so you might see this somewhere else. Maybe. But here in the Bay Area, your best shot is to head down to the Santa Cruz Boarkwalk. On a shooting trip last week, I intended to get some interesting shots of the rides, colors, and fair-like feel of this California landmark, and was able to capture what I set out to.  After spending time taking in the sights and sounds of the Boardwalk, my shooting companion and I headed up north of the boardwalk proper. It was here we met a new friend (we'll call him "George" for the purposes of this blog. Rightfully, I have no idea what his name is... though I promised him 10% if I made a million dollars from this photo, so someone out there hold me to it should that come about.)

George clearly liked to have fun. His kind of fun was hiding in a garbage receptacle and reaching out to startle passerbys by exclaiming "give me all your money!". His buddies were just around the corner, and got just as much a kick out of this as George did. Keep in mind, this is in broad daylight along the main walkway, and it would be tough to see how anyone would take him seriously. While I didn't give him all my money, I did offer up a little bit as a thanks for letting me take a few shots... and truthfully, for his originality :).

image taken with Canon 5D MII, 24-105 4L lens, 1/100 @ f6.3, ISO 400

Comfort Zones

Week 34

Comfort Zones
August 26, 2010

Every once in a while I think it's important to go outside of our comfort zones.  Maybe that means taking a risk that we don't know for sure will work out that way we want it to. Maybe that means participating in something in which we don't have confidence in our own abilities. Maybe it means remaining open-minded to an idea that we don't understand. 

The image above was taken as part of an unconventional media project conceptualized by artist Trina Merry. Trina does body painting (among other visual arts) and wanted to explore the Hispanic celebration of Dia de Los Muertos in this piece. Most of the set was shot against a gray studio backdrop with slave strobes and a couple soft boxes on hot lights. A tripod and slow shutter allowed for the motion in this image. 

Now I've done work with Trina before, but the work is a bit outside of the norm for me, and something I like to do to force a different perspective on my work. This photo along with the other images I captured during the session got me thinking about the idea of comfort zones, what they mean to us, and how they impact us as people.

Comfort zones can allow us to have a "safe" place to be, where we know and are accustomed to our surroundings, confident in our ability to navigate in an environment that is predictable. It doesn't sound too bad until you consider that along with these positive things can come a stifling of ingenuity and creativity, suspicion and fear of those people or ideas outside of our comfort zone, and an intellectual isolation that can repress learning. 

I believe that stepping outside of our comfort zones can lead to a number of things: Professionally, we can develop broader skillsets and understanding of our business or industry.  Personally, we have chance to overcome assumptions and fears and even learn a bit about ourselves. Spiritually we can grow to have a deeper understanding of our faith or beliefs, and greater appreciation for others'. The downside is that it can be... well, uncomfortable.

I've heard or read a number of quotes I like regarding comfort zones (and similar ideas). Each of these speaks to entirely different aspects of us and our comfort zones, and my purpose here isn't to exhaustively explore the idea. Rather, it's to share a few thoughts and maybe get you to consider what your comfort zones are, why they are what they are, and what you can do to step outside of them.:




"Comfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort."
Peter McWilliams




"We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are."
Max DePree

"We rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."  Romans 5:3-4

image taken with Canon 5D, MII, 24-70 2.8L lens, 1/10 @ f10, ISO 800

Learning

Week 33

 

Learning

August 18, 2010

This past week I had the opportunity to attend a workshop put on by Mike Larson.  Mike is a wedding and lifestyle photographer, international speaker, and overall a super nice guy, and I feel privileged to have spent a couple days learning from him. The image above was one of many taken as the workshop participants all took turns directing the models, applying some of the things we were taught that day. While I can't take credit for direction on this shot, I loved the lighting and motion in the image all the same and so thought I'd share it with you.

One of the things I liked most about the workshop was the focused approach Mike brought. He spent time giving us some useful tools and knowledge from his years in the business, but didn't overload us with an unmanageable amount of information, just for information's sake. Could he have been more broad in what he covered with us? Probably. Would that have made the workshop better? Well, I'd argue no, not for his target audience, which was photographers in the first few years of their business. Mike stressed a few key ideas (as much if not more based in character than strategy) throughout his time with us, and gave us tools to accomplish the ideas he proposed.

I think we all too often go through life with an information-hungry attitude and forget to focus. We skim the surface of the ocean of information and experiences available to us and forget to dive into something with depth and intention. As a result, we look back over years of living with memories of pop-culture, 24-hour news network shows, and social network updates. I'd encourage you to explore ways to go deep into something that interests you and serves others. It could be intellectual, athletic, spiritual or otherwise, but I think the memories you create doing so will be much richer and provide a greater satisfaction with the journey you are taking.

image taken with Canon 5D, MII, 24-105 4L lens, 1/160 @ f4, ISO 100