Self Assignment...

Iris - Lebanon, NH

Every once in awhile I like to challenge myself.

Today's "self-assignment" was to find and photograph at least two visually interesting subjects within 50 feet of my home.

Further more... the goal was both shoot and post-process the photos within 30 minutes start to finish. 

The genesis of this challenge came from a conversation I was having with a friend the other day.  I had been trying to explain to him what it was like to work as a news photographer in the mid-19080's when you had to shoot an assignment, process your film, edit negatives, make prints and write captions under a deadline.

While the technology of producing and distributing photos over a network has changed wildly in the past 30 years... some things have not.  You still need an eye for composition and content.  You still need (some) technical skills and you need to be able to function effectively under a deadline.

This image was shot with a Samsung mobile device and processed using PhotoShopExpress.  While I'm not a huge fan of shooting with mobiles the results can be good properly handled... and since it was also raining during this challenge to myself... I didn't really want to expose my DSLR's to the wet weather.

"Umbrella 3"

"Umbrella 3"

Recently I spent a few minutes shooting a display of umbrellas in a local retail location.  And to be honest I was inspired to make these photos by the work of a very good friend of mine.

I was attracted to the different colors, patterns, textures and the mixed lighting present.

Situations like this offer endless opportunities to try shooting at different angles and focal lengths to create different compositions.  The mixed light sources (in this case daylight and industrial track lighting) can be used to enhance the colors in your photographs.

This is part of a series I did using an Android device and PhotoShopExpress.  I plan on returning with a DSLR to follow-up on my initial shooting of these colorful subjects.  

Stay tuned :-)

"Sea Grass" - Bunche Beach, FL

"Sea Grass" - Bunche Beach, FL

This image was shot early one evening as I was walking the beach in search of sunset photos... which weren't happening.

Turing my camera and attention inland and away from the ocean, I shortly came upon this composition.

What makes this photograph appealing to me is the sense of warmth, peacefulness and tranquility it conveys... which were the exact feelings I had while walking the beach that evening.

Over a year later I can still feel the gentle breezes off the water swirling around me and the warmth of the setting sun on my back.

A combination of compositional elements come together to make this image work.  Shooting somewhat tight on the grasses gives the photo an abstract and texture while the alternating strips of shadow and sun creates an almost 3 dimensional sense of depth.

Shot handheld with a Nikon D90 camera and Nikkor zoom lens... although I forget which one :-)

"Sunset Stroll" - Bunche Beach, Fort Myers, FL

Sunset Stroll - Bunche Beach, Fort Myers, FL

This shot was made a couple of years ago during a casual evening of shooting at the beach.  It’s an example of what can happen with a little luck.

I had made about a dozen shots of this fairly dramatic sunset… trying to catch different patterns in ripples of water to play off the composition and shape of the clouds above.  All were good, but not great shots.  Something was missing but I wasn’t quite sure what.

However as soon as this young girl came into the left of my frame and continued walking down the beach… I knew that the missing element was the “human” element.  She added a sense of scale, motion and tranquility to the photo.

I shot 3 frames of her walking away from me down the beach… with this being the best.  The playful position of her arms, foot just catching the splash of a passing ripple and her reflection in the water make this photograph complete.

Shot with a Nikon D90 and 18-105 Nikkor lens.  

"Barnacle Encrusted Shell" - Sanibel Island, FL

Barnacle Encrusted Shell - Sanibel Island, FL

This photo was shot on an early morning walk along the "City Beach" on Sanibel Island.

I had forgotten to pick-up my cameras before driving from Fort Myers to the beach and only discovered I didn't have them when I got there.

"Midly" upset and armed with only an Android device I decided to try and make the best with what I had.

Although not of nearly the technical quality I would have gotten with my DSLR's... I still think this is a decent shot and an example of what can be done by anyone with the technology commonly available today.

Door Knob, Enfield NH.

Old Door Knob - Enfield, NH

A few years ago while traveling I was attracted to the texture of the wood and the layers of dust on this (apparently) unused door.  It seemed like the perfect place to spend a few minutes exploring with my camera.

I spent about 10 minutes shooting various details of the door knob and wooden panels and ultimately decided I liked this composition the best.

Initially I thought this shot would stand on it's own without any post-processing but it just wasn't happening. The lighting was to flat and the range of color throughout the original image was to limited.  I tried a black & white conversion but that still didn't make the image "pop" and catch your eye the way I wanted it to...so it sat unseen in my files for the next 5 years.

Enter the age of "apps"... which didn't even exist when this photo was first shot.  Yesterday using PhotoshopExpress I experimented with increasing the color saturation throughout the image and pumped up the contrast a bit resulting in the final image above.

Although I don't feel apps should be used as a crutch in the making of good photos... they can be a useful tool.  What's possible in photography is changing almost daily and it would be foolish to ignore that.  Applying new technologies to older photos can breathe new life into images that didn't quite "make it" before on their own. 

Shot with Nikon D90 and 105 Micro-Nikkor lens.  Post processed in PhotoshopExpress mobile.

Android Simplicity

Paper Lanterns - PowerHouse Mall, Lebanon NH

Sometimes it's actually pretty incredible to me what you can do with a cell phone camera and a free photo app these days.

As someone who started their photography career using manual everything cameras, film and needing a darkroom plus 2 hours of time to see the results of a shoot... it's pretty amazing.

This photo was shot on the fly with an Android device and post-processed in Adobe PhotoshopExpress.

All in about 5 minutes :-)

While not gallery quality... what the average person with little to few technical skills can produce today both scares and impresses me.