Moss & Pine Needles on Forest Floor

Moss & Pine Needles on Forest Floor - Cardigan Mountain, 

This photo is one of a series I did a couple years ago exploring the colors, patterns and textures of the forest floor.

Shoot while hiking on Mt. Cardigan in Orange, NH it features elements of all the above.

My style of photography tends to focus on use of long lenses (a result of my years shooting sports) or looking for the patterns, colors and textures that occur in Nature and "zooming-in" on them to produce a different and visually interesting composition.

Shot using a Nikon Coolpix 8700 camera using close-up mode and a very slight amount of user controlled fill flash.

One of the biggest challenges in making this photo was all the black flies that were trying to eat me alive while I stood still long enough to grab the photo.

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.

"In the Weeds"

"In the Weeds"

This image is a good illustration of the interesting effects you can get shooting in mixed lighting conditions.

Shot late in the evening along a rural roadside it combines elements of backlighting and mixed color balances. 

Backlighting is a technique that can be used very effectively to highlight the main subject in a photo from a darker background.

The rich greens in the foreground are a result of the warm (colored) evening sun backlighting the weeds while the cooler blues are a result of having no direct sunlight hitting the background, which is largely in shadow.

This image is basically "straight from the camera" with minimal post processing in Nikon CaptureNX.

Old Main Bell Tower

Old Main Bell Tower - Penn State University Main Campus

The Old Main bell tower is instantly recognizable by anyone who has attended or visited Penn State... and it is no doubt one of the most photographed sites on campus.

The challenge for any photographer is how to shoot it in a new and visually interesting way.

This photo was an experiment in trying to do just that.

While not for everyone... this photo was post-processed in Nikon CaptureNX using the "Levels and Curves" adjustment to vary the intensity, density and value of the original colors.

Purists, traditionalists and straight shooters will probably not care for the result or techniques used to get there... but there is no doubt that digital manipulation is a technique that is here to stay.  It's at least something worth experimenting with next time you're shooting the "Same Old".  The results could surprise you.

Overheard...

Would You Really Want This Women as Your Personal Assistant?

I don't normally make a habit of eavesdropping on other people conversations... but sometimes they make it to easy.  And sometimes they are just to funny & I'm glad I did. :-)

Overheard recently in a public place:

Women on phone - "Yeah, I was driving my bosses car and this little yellow light just came on that says "Tire Pressure Low"... how do I make it go out"?

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.  

Hummingbird

Hummingbird

Hummingbird

Good luck sometimes plays a significant part in making good photos.

Despite using professional equipment and having a high level of technical skills, every (honest) photographer will tell you that some of their best photographs are the result of just "Getting lucky".

That was the case in this photo.   This was actually shot near dusk and during a light drizzle.  My expectations were not high while shooting but the birds were putting on a good show while feeding so I figured, "Why not?"  Like a few other posts this photo is a good illustration of shooting tight to maintain maximum quality while still allowing some cropping options.  The lens used was a mid-range telephoto shot wide open (out of necessity in low light) and to create the shallow depth-of-field which directs you eye to the main subject.

Shot using a Nikon DX format DSLR with a 300/2.8 ED lens wide open.  On board fill flash used. 

Duck - State College, PA

Duck - State College, PA

After many years this photo is still one of my favorites. 

This is an example of shooting tight to maximize image quality.  The challenge when shooting this tight is to maintain a "useful" composition which still gives perspective editors and art directors some options on how to use your photo.

This photo also illustrates the use of a wide aperture and shallow depth-of-field to focus attention on the main subject.

Shoot with Nikon F3 and 400/3.5ED Nikkor lens... probably close to wide-open.  Original on Fujichrome 100

"Weathered Metal 1"

"Weathered Metal 1"

This photo was taken as an exercise in use of texture, color and composition to transform an everyday object into something visually interesting and different.

This is part of the handle on an old barn door.  The handle probably dates to the early 1900's and the door was obviously in need of painting. 

However both the weathering of the metal and paint over time made for an interesting composition.

Photo shot using Nikon D90 camera and 55/2.8 Macro Nikkor lens.

Sunset - Mt. Cardigan, NH

Sunset, Mt. Cardigan, NH (Fall 2013)

Sunset - Mt. Cardigan, NH

This photo was made on Mt. Cardigan in Orange, NH.

Shot on the way down from the summit during a full moon hike it is an example of a classic silhouette and near far composition.  The shot would not have worked as just a sunset with nothing in the foreground to add some interest.

This photo was shot using a Nikon 8700 camera using a long exposure and mini-pod.