Resources for the Photographer

Super Sized Lunar Eclipse

December 9, 2011 in East Lansing, Michigan, Recommended Information

Have you picked out your spot to look at or photograph the blood red moon tomorrow morning before dawn? Trust me, I’ll be worth it. Set you alarms early, have a bag with coffee, food, and warm clothes packed already, and roll out of bed to see it! The moon already looks larger than usual.

Check out the link below:
Super Sized Lunar Eclipse

Here is a photo I took during the last one visible to me in 2008:

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Getting a new angle on classic photo spots

October 24, 2009 in Arches National Park, Tips and Tutorials, Utah

When photographic classic scenes, it is often temping to simply take the shot and walk away. Sometimes we get so caught up in making sure that we get that shot that everyone else gets, that when the light is good we are satisfied with only having that key image. A classic example is Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park in Utah. The arch is like the unofficial mascot for the state of Utah. It is on the license plates of the cars, and it seems that every photographer has a picture of it. You may finish the Delicate Arch Hike, finally get a good view of the arch, mess around with some settings, maybe wait for the sunlight to hit the arch just yet, snap the photo, and be satisfied that you have added this classic scene to your own personal collection of landmarks. You may go home and compare your image with maybe some of your favorite photographers that inspired you and be proud of it!

This is all great, but I urge you to take that classic photo, and then try to take at least two additional photos with a composition you have NOT seen many times before! For a quick example, I took the typical photo of the entire Delicate Arch, as seen on top. However, after that, I made sure to test my own eye for photography and looked for some other ways to compose the shot that I havent seen as much, which allowed me to take the photo on the bottom. When all is said and done, I ended up liking the photo on the bottom much more than that classic shot of the full arch. The photo on the bottom gives you a better feel of the surroundings of the arch, the laccolith mountains in the background, and the textured backdrop and to me is more pleasing to the eye.

So next time you are at some classic spot and see what all the photographers are taking shots of, make sure you take that shot, but then afterward, turn around and look for something new, you might surprise yourself with the result!

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Morning vs. Afternoon Light, why the coffee is worth it

September 21, 2009 in Grand Teton National Park, Tips and Tutorials, Wyoming

Mormon Row barn, Sunrise

Mormon Row barn, Afternoon

When I was in the Tetons, I insisted that we wake up at 5am to head out to the Mormon Row barns for sunrise. My family, who I dragged out with me, moaned and groaned and didn’t understand WHY photographers had to get to these places so ridiculously early. Although I didn’t get the best light, the difference between the photograph I took that morning, and the one I took later that afternoon convinced them that getting up at 5am is definitely worth it. You may have visited the barns mid afternoon, and took this second shot and thought it was still pretty good, however you may not realize the shot and colors you COULD have gotten if you had just mustered up the strength to unzip that sleeping bag in the early morning.

I still like the second shot that I took the same day but later in the afternoon, but the mood is totally different than the morning shot. The colors are saturated, the red wood of the barn is front lit and the details really come out.The afternoon shot has a much moodier feel, and really accentuates the fact that this is an old, shadowy barn.

So next time you are in a beautiful place, and know of somewhere you really want to photograph… re-think that afternoon visit that works with your schedule for the day, wake up before dawn, make a large pot of coffee, and try to beat the sun. Not only will you probably meet some pro photographers there as well, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much a difference that golden hour around sunrise will make!

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