Ideas and Imagery #14

I like simplicity if I can get it in a frame.  My goal is to distill an image down to its simplest form.  Sometimes that means moving your feet.  Other times it means changing focal lengths.  Regardless, it takes a bit of patience and attention to the parts of the frame that aren't the main subject.

This is not always an easy task, especially if your subject is moving through the frame.  I tried for 10 minutes to get a picture of this sculpture that I liked, but it wasn't until the security guard walked by that I felt like I had anything.  The primary colors and scale are what I like best here, but the effect is maximized by the simple background and space in the image.

Ideas and Imagery #13

I love the tones in this image, but it didn't start out in black and white.  In fact it's interesting to see how an image evolves between capture and presentation.

This image in color never really connected with me, and as such I moved past it and focused on other images.  During the process of editing down for the website, I revisited every photo in my catalog, so this image got a second chance.

Going back over older pictures is a common and often fruitful exercise for me.  There is no telling what you might do differently given the chance.  My eyes have grown accustomed to seeing black and white image potential in color photos in the time since taking this photo.

I find as I gain more experience in editing photos I want to go back and rework older photos through the filter of my recent experience and the results are almost always beneficial to the image.

In this case I switched to black and white and the photo came alive.  It's good to be flexible!

Ideas and Imagery #12

Photographing downtown Portland never really gets old for me.  It always seems that there is something new to see, be it a change in the light, clear reflections, or dynamic weather.

In this case, I really liked the reflection on the water, and the red light coming from the towers of the bridge, and the lines that lead to the US Bankcorp building.  I also love Portland's bridges, which there is no shortage of.

I feel like I get to take pictures of the most photogenic state in the US.  What a beautiful place Oregon is.

Ideas and Imagery #11

I spent the better part of a day walking along the Willamette River looking for a Great Blue Heron to shoot.  I walked 3 miles up and then back along a trail and was not optimistic about my chances to even see a heron this day, let alone get a shot.

However, as I was getting closer to my car I came across this heron on the bank.  I was about 100 ft. away shooting with a 300mm focal length, and quickly fired off some frames to make sure that I got some photos before he flew off.

After a few minutes, I was surprised to still be shooting.  I figured out why it was ignoring me when I shot this photo.  This heron was standing on a large concrete pipe picking fish off as they emerged into the river.  This unlucky bluegill was one of three fish I watched the heron eat in 10 minutes of shooting.
 

Ideas and Imagery #10

This image was a result of an exploration of lighting for texture.  I have some old books that I love because of the feel and materials used in making them.  Old books are tactile and rough, and made to last.

This book is an old hardbound copy of Gulliver's Travels.  As you can see, its edges are rough, and its pages are thick.  I was trying to create light that brought out the feel in the paper.  A bare strobe was placed camera right, just above parallel to the page, which really brought out the book's texture, and gave some very dramatic shadows as well.

This is probably my favorite still life I've shot.

Ideas and Imagery #9

The Great Seattle Taxi race!

I was walking along Pike Street in Seattle and I saw a slew of taxis all coming toward me at the same time.  It looked like the Indy 500 of Taxis.  They were all different colors from different companies and I couldn't believe they were in such a a tight formation.

I wanted to get the red car further into the frame, but as you can tell from the angle of the shot, I am on the edge of the sidewalk and to get the red car framed might have made this my last photo.  I don't think the cars behind these were likely to stop.

I had my camera already set for street movement and was able to get a few shots off before they sped past me.

Ideas and Imagery #8

I often hop in the car during late fall and early winter mornings and drive to see if I can find something visually interesting. Results from these trips are variable to say the least, but this is where I often find some of my best photos.

This shot was from a foggy morning driving through the farmland south of Oregon City. The old tractor and puddle caught my eye going past, so I stopped. The rest of the frame supported the tractor, and I loved the result.

Part of the process of photography is learning how to see potential images within the clutter of ordinary things. Doing this at 55 mph has been a great exercise, and has yielded some great results.

Ideas and Imagery #7

Sometimes you come across shots that don't need any explanation.

Ideas and Imagery #6

Sometimes you have a plan and a shot in mind that goes well, sometimes a great picture materializes right in front of you.  On this day it was the latter.

I never want to be the guy to say "I wish I had my camera", so I try and stay prepared.  I was driving to work and fog was hovering over the river as it often does on crisp fall mornings.

Once I reached a patch of fog that was lifting I made my way down to the Willamette River to see what I could capture.  It was a beautiful morning, and the sun was beaming through the trees on the other side of the river.  I was furiously taking shots of the trees, dock, and river while the light got better and better.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw this boat on the horizon, and was thrilled to see fishermen rowing and trolling along in the light.  It was like something from a painting.  I got two of my favorite shots from this scene.  The first was shot looking head on at the boat with its oars extended and dripping on the water surface.  The second was this shot from the side.

I'd like to say that I created this shot, and in a way I did by having my gear and being observant of my surroundings.  I envisioned the river, light, and trees, but I never could have planned this shot of the boat.  I guess luck truly does favor the prepared.  I'm just glad I had my camera.

Ideas and Imagery #5

I received a request today for a Cannon Beach photo, so here it is.  I don't have a lot of shots from there, but I'm sure that will change some day.  I'm looking forward to the next chance I have to shoot on the beach.