Heeeeere....Lizard, Lizard

Week 43

Heeeeere... Lizard, Lizard

October 26, 2010

So last week I'm sitting in my office, slaving away at edits when this little guy decides to sneak up behind me. I almost stepped on the poor thing as I jumped up to go into the kitchen and make some grub. He was small and so I didn't see him, but surprisingly he didn't move. At all. I thought I'd perhaps scared him to death. Or he was asleep. Do lizards sleep? Anyway, thankfully I didn't step on him, but he did seem to be begging for a modeling gig, and wasn't going anywhere, so I scooped him up on a piece of paper and put him on my drafting desk and in front of the camera for his very own paparazzi session. I was a little disappointed with his enthusiasm. He's no Geico spokesman, but he patiently let me shoot away for a couple of minutes until it was clear he wasn't going to dance, or talk, or move at all and I got bored. Off he went to the back yard, where with a little prompting with a stick to his tail, scurried off, proving he was indeed still alive. I wonder if he'll relate this experience to his buddies as something akin to an alien abduction?


Image taken with Canon 5D MII, 24-105 4L lens, 1/25 sec @ f8.0, ISO 400

Blue Ridge View

Week 42

Blue Ridge View

October 19, 2010

This view was my reward for a pre-dawn hike last week up Sharp Top, one of the Peaks of Otter off of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Southwest Virginia. I spent 8 years living in the Shenandoah Valley, and minutes away from country like this, just a bit north in fact of this very spot. If there are any regrets of that time it is that I didn't spend enough time in these beautiful mountains.

I love this sunrise shot for several reasons; the muted fall color, the still-hidden sky and low-lying cloud blanketing the ridge beyond all play into this interesting intersection of lines, curves and color that is the well-worn Appalachian range.

Image taken with Canon 5D MII, 100-400mm 4.5L lens, 1/160 sec @ f16, ISO 400

Anywhere, USA

Week 41

Anywhere, USA

October 11, 2010

I feel fortunate to be able to travel. I've said it before I'm sure, but the traveling part of my profession is pretty cool. I get to visit with friends and family, make new friends, see new and beautiful places, and be exposed to the many, many subtle subcultures out there....

The image above was taken on the Georgetown Waterfront in Washington, DC at sunset as I was finishing up a shoot with some dear friends there in the capital city. DC is definitely one of those places I could see myself living if I were not in the Bay Area. In fact I have lived there, and it's an amazing area. I've also lived in Maryland, Virginia (all over), North Carolina, Michigan, and of course California. My prior career moved me around a lot, and I had a chance to experience living in some different environments than that in which I was raised, and I think that has been valuable. You gain perspective that way.

Another thing I've realized is that of the many places I've traveled, I can't think of any of them in which I wouldn't enjoy spending more time... even making my home there. There are so many things about the places we go and see to love and appreciate. As a general statement, there is beauty and culture anywhere you go. We may have to shift our outlook a little, but if we can move beyond the grass is greener syndrome, we really can be awestruck by what is right around us, regardless of where we are. It's a choice. Whether it is where you are living, or what life is giving you, you have a choice to look around you and see beauty, culture and uniqueness, experiencing it all and appreciating what it is teaching you; or you can constantly be looking to the next thing, what someone else has where they live or in their life and miss what is right in front of you. What will you choose?


Image taken with Canon 5D MII, 100-400mm 4.5L lens, 1/6000 sec @f5, ISO 400

Kid Power!

Week 40

KID POWER!

October 6, 2010

ABLE TO SCALE LARGE PLAY CASTLES IN A SINGLE BOUND! UNCONSTRAINED BY THE UN-TIED SHOE! UN-SHAKEN BY THE GRASS STAINED KNEE AND FILLED DAILY WITH SUPER-HUMAN ENERGY! IT'S THE BOLD...THE FEARLESS...THE SOME-TIMES SASSY...

... KID!

Kids are pretty cool. I mean, as humans go, they are generally straight-forward, tell-it-like-it-is kinda folks that harbor few suspicions, subscribe to few stereotypes, and if encouraged and cheered on, are for the most part self confident, generous little people. I suppose the idea is front of mind for me as I've spent a fair amount of time with friends and clients in the past week that have kids of their own. The image above is from one of the shoots I had, and I thought the pose represented the topic this week pretty well.



image taken with Canon 5D MII, 24-70 2.8L lens, 1/125 sec @ f8, ISO 400

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