Perfect is boring and uncreative.
Photoshop is a very well designed product and its influence could be directly attributed to the demise of creative photography.
Or it might be the salvation of creative photography.
A perfectly exposed photo that is razor sharp in focus delivers exactly what is presented without interpretation.
A properly flawed image delivers emotion.
Shoot what you know.
Summer is winding down and it is time to pay tribute to a summer favorite.
Beer tastes best in the summer, either after mowing the yard or playing darts with close friends in a bar.
The traditional Japanese haiku is three line poetic form with 17 syllables, in a 5-7-5 syllable pattern.
Technically, it should also include a juxtaposition of two images or elements and a seasonal or time reference.
A simple hiaku tribute to the golden nectar.
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There is no disputing the benefits of the digital image age. It provides instant feedback, greater creative control, cost, etc.
However, as good as digital is, there is a singular drawback. Film produces grain, digital produces noise. They might look similar, but they are completely different animals.
And for many photographers, film grain was a desired effect that rarely exists any more.
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Contre-jour is a photography technique in which the camera is pointed towards a light source. This creates a backlit effect and hides details, causes a stronger contrast between light and dark. It emphasizes forms and shapes and minimizes details.
Shooting in shadows is similar, but it considered more of a low-key effect as opposed to a true silhouette.
In any case, it forces the viewer to draw their own conclusions about the details that cannot be seen. And any photograph that forces the viewer to think just a bit longer is an effective photograph.
The flood runWeekend bad boys and bad girls. They are loud, kind of obnoxious and it isn't uncommon that somebody might get killed in an accident each year. And yet, it is one of my favorite photo opportunities each year.
The Flood Run is a motorcycle event that occurs twice each year (spring and fall) and has a route around Lake Pepin, but the police on the Minnesota side are unfriendly toward the event, so the bikers tend to stay on the Wisconsin side.
What makes this an especially fun photography event is the opportunity to be really creative in composing the photos. Whether you shoot long or short, direct or reflective, it just inspires trying things a bit different.
Enough about technique, style and technical minutia. This entry is about the fun of photography.
Everyone of us who enjoys photography does it because we enjoy photography. That might seem like a redundant statement, but it isn't, if you think about it.
We like looking at photos we have taken for any number of reasons, but the bottom line is it creates a feeling of satisfaction.
So, what is so special about the photo above? It is only special to the photographer and that's okay.
The idea that the town of Richland Center, Wisconsin would use lasers to enforce speed limits might seem a bit harsh, but you probably shouldn't challenge it because the consequences are probably too high.
What are some of your favorite photos? What about these photos made them special to you?
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Leading lines are a favorite photography composition technique. It pulls the viewer into the image and creates drama that might nor otherwise exist.
Leading lines are everywhere and easy to find. You just need to be aware of how a slight adjustment of your photography point of view can include or accentuate a leading line.
There are two ways to manipulate time.
The first is to locate a wormhole. A wormhole is a portal in the universe that allow a "short cut" in time. A wormhole allows an individual to travel either forward or backward in time. Outside of 'Star Trek', wormholes exist in theory only. So let's assume this is not a practical option.
The second and more practical option is with either short exposure or long exposure time-lapse photography.
This edition of Small Talk will provide a simple 'how to' in taking a long exposure photograph.
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My first reaction to this comment is, well, if you have to ask...
Okay, let's reset and make sure we are all talking about the same thing.
Curves have been a fascination for humans all the way back to cave drawings.
But what exactly is the fascination? Let's explore this a bit and ramble about other topics...
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Pretty pictures are just that; pictures of a slice of time. Fine-art photography has additional elements and one of these elements can be vignetting.
Vignetting takes place when the outer edges are darker than the center, which creates "hot spots" and the eye is pulled towards the center. Many years ago vignetting was considered an image flaw and an artifact of cheap lenses and cheap filters.
Today, for many situations it can be a desired effect, but like anything else, it can also be abused.
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