As Young as Springtime

There is a beautiful wooded area not far from where I live. For a few weeks in the spring the undergrowth is dominated by beautiful blue flowers. I try to go for a walk through this sea of azure when they are blooming every year.

This year I took the ‘ole camera with me. I find it challenging to photograph the woods, and this shot might not have enough of a focal point.

It leaves the door open for improvement!

I do like how the tree trunks to the left and right of the image frame the shot, and the sun.

Don’t forget, if you want to learn to take HDR photos like this, I have a free HDR tutorial.

Finding Subjects to Photograph

One challenge I face as a photographer is finding interesting subject matter.

If you go to Tokyo, Paris, San Francisco, or other “tourist” type destinations, there are by definition, lots of interesting things to see and photograph around every turn.

Some photographers have a genuine talent for turning the ordinary into a work of art. I’m continually amazed by the photographs that some street photographers can create.

So that’s something I strive for, at the same time I try to look for those “hidden gems”. I think that this Church in Decatur, Illinois, the “Soy Capital” is an example of a beautiful building amidst the industrial-agricultural machine of Decatur.

In the processing of this shot, I’m also experimenting with a lomophotography-esque look.

Psst!: If you haven’t already checked it out, give my HDR Tutorial a thumbs up on YouTube.

I was able to visit this Church a few months ago whilst on a visit to DC.

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

The most striking part of this church is it’s size. It’s the largest Catholic Church in North America. Although there are more beautiful churches, it’s size and stateliness give it an appeal all it’s own. If I remember correctly, this picture was taken about half-way up through the Church, which might give you a sense of how truly huge this building is.

1. ⌉ http://www.nationalshrine.com/site/c.osJRKVPBJnH/b.4764147/k.9FF6/Architecture.htm

Unfortunately, he ceased to be a real film-maker about half way through the filming of Return of the Jedi. (Why Ewoks? Why?)

He may have realized he was out of ideas, and for a time he did everyone a favor by not coming up with any new content, a rule he broke when he produced the train wreck colloquially known as the Star Wars Prequels.

Indeed, prior to the aforementioned prequels, rather than have original ideas or do anything creative, George made money by re-releasing his movies both in the theatre and for home viewing.

He sold the original Star Wars Trilogy on VHS, the THX Trilogy on VHS, the Special Edition on VHS, the DVDs, the Star Wars Trilogy Theatrical Edition, the Original Trilogy on bluray, the Prequel Trilogy on bluray, the complete saga on bluray, etc. He also released the movies in the theatre when they went to the special edition, and most recently, in 3D.

If I had to guess, I’d say he’ll be releasing a 3D bluray complete Star Wars trilogy for $100+ in the near future.

He is a master of getting people (like me, until the prequels) to buy the same thing over and over again, without adding any real value.

Now stay with me, this relates back to photography!

I remember before one of the Star Wars VHS releases, probably the Special Edition, there were some interviews in which George, in an attempt to justify going back and monkeying with the original trilogy, states, “A movie is never finished, only abandoned.”

When I was in Jr. High I thought, this is a pretty cool quote, George is so deep and awesome.

I recently learned that George actually stole this (without attribution) from someone who did have creativity and origional thoughts.

It was actually Leonardo da Vinci, who shared this wisdom some 500 years earlier: “Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

And now we come full circle. I find myself going back to my earlier photos, and seeing how I could have processed them differently, or composed them differently. Now I can’t always go back and retake a photo, I can go back to the raw images and reprocess them.

Part of me rails against it, but part of my perfectionist side demands that I go back and “fix” them.

But don’t worry, I’m still taking new photos! In fact, I have a photo from Washington, DC that I’ll be sharing this Tuesday (email subscribers will hear about it first). But in the meantime, here is a photo that I recently “remastered.”

Swirling Sky

Do you want to learn how to take HDR photos, like the one above? Check out my HDR Tutorial by clicking here.

In Central Illinois it is cold and cloudy and dark. I still go out and travel around and find new shots, but last weekend I was hunkering down, and I took some indoor photos.

These aren’t going to be breathtaking, but I think they provide some interesting subjects, and helps me to branch out a bit into a sort of minimalist still life.

But don’t worry! The HDR photos aren’t going away.

In fact I’ve got some great shots coming up, should be posting those later this week or next.

Rotary

Illumination

Back to the Sixties

Discovering Alaska

I’ve only been on one cruise in my life. I went with my family up to Alaska.

It was amazing.

Words can hardly describe the beauty of this frigid and rugged land.

I found this shot while digging through the archives, and decided to give it a retro look. Because…

I’ve been watching Ken Burns: The Civil War (shameless amazon affiliate link) over the past few weeks. It is an incredible documentary on the United States Civil War.

The black and white photographs shown throughout the series, taken at slow shutter speeds with primitive cameras, are stunning, simply stunning.

It’s further proof that you don’t need a lot of tech to capture amazing moments.

Even though I still jump on the gear train, and want to buy the latest toy, like the new Nikon D800, classic photos are good reminders that subject matter and composition are infinitely more important than gear.

Let me give you some back story for this image…

I was visiting my sister in DC, and we got to spend some time walking around the city.

The most prominent building is of course the Capitol Building. It’s one of the first things you focus on.

It is an imposing and intimidating structure. You almost feel it might envelop you as you approach.

At the same time, the DC area feels rather intimate, as no building can be taller than the Capitol Building.

As I walked around Washington, I felt as though I was stepping back through history, surrounded by the mystique and grandeur of the monuments honoring great heroes of the United States of America:

• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• George Washington
• Abraham Lincoln

I also saw the White House, Supreme Court, the Pentagon…

I was truly awestruck; filled as it were with a patriotic reverence.

As my sister and I walked up the gentle rise approaching the Capitol Building, we stopped several times so I could take photos. Looking back over the National Mall, we commented on the power of the buildings and how we were proud to be American Citizens.

We reached the steps of the Capitol, taking in the stately seat of the United States Government.

Then I noticed that someone had left an empty juice bottle on the ground.

Thats when it hit the fan.

I was flabbergasted!

My sister was incredulous!

“NOBODY puts trash on MY Capitol!” she cried.

And she picked up the bottle and placed it in the appropriate receptacle.

Show some class people!

Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her.

Pianissimo - My Kid Brother at the Piano

I took piano lessons when I was a kid.

I wasn’t too bad either, for a seven year old, or however old I was.

But, my instructor was so focused on precision and being perfect, that I didn’t develop a love for the instrument, and quit.

Any talent or skill must first be loved, before it can become great.

I’m glad to say though, that my dream has been lived out through my brother. He can play many songs that I’d enjoy being able to play, songs such as Rhapsody in Blue, The Entertainer, and Claire de Lune.

This photo was taken while he was playing.

Watching PBS as a kid and reading books about the planets, learning about the space shuttle and apollo missions. One of my science classes in Jr. High focused strongly on study of the solar system. I took an astronomy class in college and even did a report for a Philosophy of Engineering class regarding manned exploration of Mars.

This winter, in the cold and bleak, I was bored so I decided to turn my camera to the stars. Amazingly (to me) you can see the Orion Nebula (albeit dimly) through a moderately zoomed lens. You can probably see it with the naked eye if the sky is dark enough.

So I thought this was pretty sweet, I started researching telescopes, and ways to mount a DSLR to them, equatorial mounts, the whole bit.

Then I remebered the hubble space telescope, and checked out the website at spacetelescope.org. As it happens, the Hubble space telescope has taken a rather famous image of the Orion Nebula. Below is an animation showing my photo of the Orion Nebula, versus Hubble’s.

I guess a gazillion dollar telescope orbiting space is going to take better pictures than me.

Who’d a thunk it?

Check out a larger version of the Orion Nebula (taken by the Hubble Space Telescope) here.

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