Rewards Of The Day

 

 

 

“If you are out there shooting, things will happen for you. If you’re not out there, you’ll only hear about it.”

~ Jay Maisel

 

 

 

Vineyards, Napa

 

 

 

“Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.”

~ Yousuf Karsh

 

 

 

Appreciation, Big Sur

 

 

 

“I see something special and show it to the camera. The moment is held until someone sees it. Then it is theirs.”

~Sam Abell

 

 

 

 

Grasses, Big Sur

 

 

 

 

“Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.”

~ George Eastman

 

 

 

 

Clouds, San Francisco

 

 

 

 The Weekly Photo Challenge is Reward.

Portraits And The Rule of Thirds

In portraiture, rather than centering your subjects, imagine a tic-tac-toe board and place them where the imaginary lines intersect.

 

 

 

 

Kevin

 

 

 

Hug the Ocean

 

 

 

Going Fishing

 

 

 

“There is no better time to crop a bad composition than just before you press the shutter release.”

~ Bryan Peterson

 

 

 

 

Mahout

 

 

 

Discovering

 

 

 

 

 

“I work from awkwardness. By that I mean I don’t like to arrange things. If I stand in front of something, instead of arranging it, I arrange myself.”

~ Diane Arbus

 

 

 

 

Here Kitty

 

 

 

 

 

At Rest, Chiang Mai 

 

 

 

Andrew

 

 

 

 

“For me, the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity.”

~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

 

 

 

 

The Weekly Photo Challenge is “Rule of Thirds”. 

 

Symmetry

 

 

What makes a photograph compelling? This is a question I ask myself whenever I am shooting. Creating balance in a composition is the trick and there are times when it really pays off to center the subject symmetrically. 

 

 

 

 

The bow of the boat leads your eye to the fascinating limestone karst formations on Halong Bay in Vietnam. 

Ship’s Bow, Halong Bay

 

 

 

Staring into the eyes of a Great Horned Owl is mesmerizing and choosing a centered close-up accentuates his intense gaze. 

Look Into My Eyes

 

 

 

Subjects in threes create a pleasing symmetry. 

French Quarter Blues

 

 

 

 

 

Textures and colors are the focal point in this image of a wrought iron gate. 

Recoleta Iron, Buenos Aires

 

 

 

 

 

Columns are an interesting challenge in composition. 

Columns and Door, Legion of Honor

 

 

 

 

 

Shooting a mirrored landscape reflection is a great way to use symmetry.  

Maroon Bells, Aspen

 

 

 

 

 

This church door in Sydney called for a centered composition that made the lines, details and colors stand out.

Church Door, Sydney

 

 

 

“One doesn’t stop seeing. One doesn’t stop framing. It doesn’t turn off and turn on. It’s on all the time.” ~ Annie Leibovitz

 

 

 

 

 

The Weekly Photo Challenge is Symmetry.

 

Scale: National Parks

 

 

Have you ever visited the National Parks at peak season? 

The good news– including a well-placed person in your frame provides the needed perspective to appreciate the landscape.

 

 

Monument Valley is a spectacular place. I loved the touring trucks coming up from the valley at sunset giving a true sense of the massive size of the iconic “Mitten” Buttes. 

Day Is Done, Monument Valley

 

 

 

Thanks to this hiker, the image has some scale. 

A Perfect View, Bryce Canyon

 

 

 

 

The colors and formations are otherworldly in this scene. The small slice of road and the car help contribute to a sense of scale in this Badlands landscape.

Yellow Mounds and Road, Badlands

 

 

 

 

The Badlands National Park is one of the most interesting places I have ever photographed. I often push the human form toward the edges in landscapes creating visual tension and interest. 

Two, Badlands

 

 

 

It’s an amazing experience photographing the Grand Canyon, however, the images often lack scale because the landscapes are immense. The people on the rocks across the canyon give a sense of the enormity of the scene. It’s a little bit scary, too.

Vast and Tiny, Grand Canyon

 

 

 

 

This image is an interesting combination of human form, man-made trails and the natural beauty of the hoodoos and pines. 

Trails and Hoodoos. Bryce Canyon

 

 

 

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”  

~ Gustave Flaubert

 

 

 

 

 

The Weekly Photo Challenge is Scale.

Urban Nature

 

 

“Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.”  

~ Peter Adams, Sydney

 

 

 

 

 

When I analyze a scene to frame in my lens, I often see nature’s colors and patterns in black and white. The details and tones of these leaves were a great example of a monochrome moment.

Leaves, Russian Hill

 

 

 

I have admired these rugged trees at Baker Beach in San Francisco for years. The unique shapes, the texture of the bark and the linear patterns on the hillside make for a captivating landscape. 

Tree Grove, Baker Beach

 

 

 

I found this Bougainvillea brightening my walk on city block in San Francisco. A quiet nature scene coupled with a little urban grit. 

Red Flower and Fence

 

 

 

San Francisco’s crown of natural beauty within an urban environment is The Presidio. An early morning walk among the trees is a peaceful escape. I can smell the Eucalyptus when I look at this image.

Eucalyptus and Morning Sun

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Weekly Photo Challenge is Depth.

Moonset at Sunrise, Golden Gate

 

 

 

 

Photography is a unique form of expression. Capturing a moment in time which reflects your vision in making the image is the creative challenge. 

When I shot this photograph on a stunning San Francisco morning, I was thrilled by the soft light on the city and bridge at daybreak and moonset. 

 

 

Golden Gate at Moonset and Sunrise

 

 

 

The Weekly Photo Challenge is Express Yourself.

Napa Valley Serenity

 

 

Photographing Napa in the winter months is a very different experience compared to the summer when the vines are loaded with grapes and the roads are crowded with tourists. Now, the vines are bare, the understory is green and enjoying the quiet vineyards is extremely serene.

 

 

 

 Leading lines play a large role in photographing vineyards with an abundance of compositional choices. 

Under the Vines

 

 

Napa Vineyards and Early Morning Fog

 

 

Vineyard Rows

 

 

 

From the hilltop, the patterns and colors of the vineyards are amazing. A long telephoto gave me a tight crop on the linear details and the pop of red from the last of the grape leaves. 

Vineyard Patterns

 

 

Napa Vineyard Rows

 

 

 

I love shooting nature’s details. 

Last Cascade

 

 

Grape Leaves and Sun

 

 

Late Day Sun and Grape Leaves

 

 

 

 

 I found some rows of early mustard seed blooming in one vineyard. I’ll be going back soon when the mustard is in its full glory.

Vineyard and Mustard Seed

 

 

 

Late afternoon sun and the simple detail of the vines. A promise of the summer’s harvest. 

Afternoon Sunlight Under the Vines

 

 

 

 

 The textures in the fence post and gnarled vines called out to me to convert this image to monochrome.

Row 20, Napa

 

 

 

 

For more images of Napa Valley, please click here.

 

 

 

 

The Weekly Photo Challenge is Serenity… now.