Lens choice modifies the mood and impact of your photos. My first thought shooting this group of almost Spring fitness seekers was with a telephoto view to compress their figures against the chaotic water falling over Hoover Reservoir as the background. I chose a point on the entrance road leading to the parking lot at [...]
An annual assignment for me is the Arnold Sports Festival where as many as 17,000 athletes compete in about 40 sports. This will be my 16th year shooting the weekend having made the transition from processing color film in a utility closet to a staff of six photographers all shooting digital and delivering photos in [...]
I’m always looking into Oprah’s eyes. Well, at least one day a month I look into her eyes. I lean in close, pulling her to me so I can see into her eyes without distraction. I focus close examining her pupils, looking for signs that will show me some of her secrets. Looking for any [...]
I’m usually an advocate of a clean, crisp arrangement of objects in photos. This wasn’t one of those times. The rolling ridges of this farm field, a lowered roadway where I stood and an overcast afternoon sky all contributed to a difficult setting for good photos. I’ve used the house in the background in a [...]
This is not the photo I intended for an afternoon shoot. It’s better. The plan was a quick stock shoot of a young model dressed as a cowboy in a field of fresh cut and rolled hay and straw. We had four shirt changes, some gloves and a few other accouterments to make some style [...]
Today’s lesson uses flash in a near-noon daylight photo to create an image balancing daylight and fill-flash. The girl is standing in open sun coming through an opening between two trees. The spot was chosen because it put her right hand in the soft shadow of one tree and her head in the open sunlight. [...]
It’s been a very busy day of doing everything but little time for actually taking pictures I can tell you about. I’d put together this post last night and filed it away as a draft with plans to finish and post earlier this morning. That idea fell apart at sunrise with a phone call for [...]
There was limited time to shoot this blurred image of a local city worker completing his afternoon task mowing the unused portion of the cemetery and city lots near my home. He appeared to be nearing the end of his shift and had the mower in overdrive quickly moving closer tome with each pass. I’d [...]
Every year, as I ponder my new year’s resolutions, I always try to find the one photo that best describes how I met last year’s promises. The process keeps me grounded in success and helps me determine realistic goals for the new year for creating better photos. This year’s best photo is of a young [...]
Being a good photographer means more than having technical skills. It means more than understanding light. It means more than understanding composition. It’s easy to learn these things. What is important is arrive early and stay late. Not matter the job, no matter the subject, no matter the need. Get there before everyone else and [...]
Welcome to Lessons for New Digital Photographers where seasoned professional photographers will help you become better at the craft of … [Read More...]
