Bird Bath

This was a fun shoot out with the children back with my then new Pentax K200D in 2009.  Ducks were just happy as a lark while we sat there sweating away in the August heat of Northern Virginia.

I wanted to include this photo for two reasons.  The first was something said by Brooks Jensen of www.Lenswork.com a little while ago in a podcast.  He said a photo is an evolving piece of art.  Our technique and personalities change over time, our knowledge increases and tools change.  Since we have these incredible "negatives" to work with we have the opportunity to remake works into something more contemporary or "better" using those tools and knowledge over time.  That is exactly what I did here.  I took an image and updated with the knowledge I have now, to hopefully make it "better" than it was before.

Mr. Jensen's discussion of reflective visits to past work made me think about was how we as a society often get wrapped around the next new thing.  I'm feeling that right now...The D600 is on a wicked good sale for about 24 hours and its 24MP of full frame goodness and increased dynamic range are beckoning me like the Christmas star!  But do I need it?  Is it going to make me better...or do I still have lots to learn here with my Pentax K5.  I'd venture to say no it will not make me a better photographer...and the only thing it would do is give me more to learn!  Does my current gear limit me?  Well yes...and no.   I'd venture to say the biggest thing holding me back is the lack of attention I'm placing on learning from each frame and edit I make.  I should be applying those lessons to maximizing the potential of future shoots.  The limits of my camera are not the factor holding me back from making great images.  I am am the largest limiting factor.

So is the image above perfect?  Nope.  It is better than it was in 2009 though.  And I have a photo shoot coming up in a few hours that I need to apply a lesson in highlight control to...that is the lesson I need to apply today to a 10-12AM outdoor photo shoot!

-ehw

PS  Lenswork is both a very nice website, and a highly reflective podcast available on iTunes.  Mr. Jensen is extremely good at making these podcasts meaningful to the development of the artist in you.  I also hear some very good life lessons coming from them on a regular basis.  I highly suggest you take the time to listen in.  You might become as hooked as I am!

Definition of long shadows

I've been reading about what long shadows are, and I've watched for them...but this one morning was a really cool example of what they can look like.

You can see the early morning sunrise here has a really short angle of incidence with the earth, and for just a few minutes those posts look like something from the Giant's house Jack visited.  Each of those cross beams are maybe 9-12 inches apart, yet on the ground the shadow is about four to six feet apart.

The moral of the story is that as a photographer we have a narrow window to play with light like this each day if the sun comes out to play.  If you stay alert we may be able to capitalize on treats like this to make some interesting compositions.

-ehw

Southern Christmas Glory!

The lights were on in St. Mary's as they prepare for Christmas last week.  It was a combination of lights, pine wreaths, and palm trees!  After so many Christmas pasts up north, this was a new perspective on the season for me.

Thankfully the symbols of Christmas are all there, and it was those symbols that tied me in with every other season I've enjoyed.  The round Christmas wreath of pine symbolizing the eternal God, the celebratory red has many other joyful meanings, and the lights fighting back the darkness as we near the winter solstice all made me feel like I could be anywhere preparing for the Lord's arrival.  Those common symbols are so important since they convey a message from one generation to the next.  They made me feel right at home in their midst.

It was a lovely night for a walk amidst such splendid sings of the season.

-ehw

What is your travel camera?

I am traveling right now with my Pentax kit and my Olympus P&S. After listening to all the camera podcasts during my drive I had to wonder what some of my friends were using when they travel. (St Mary's first church, one of the oldest in Georgia. Pentax K-5, Sigma 17-50 F2.8 EX OS) [polldaddy poll=6749711]

Build a home to fly free

This summer my father found he had a shallow spring at the corner of his property.  So he had it dug out to make a pond, and then left and overflow drain to keep the creek flowing regularly.

One consequence of building a pond on the farm was that wildlife now gets a new home to flourish in.  This lovely bird is one that took up residence in the pond area.  On the grace meter... I will happily give this one a 10 out of 10!

This reminded me of the movie "Field of Dreams" when the hero is told, "Build it and they will come."

Instead of a baseball field, my father combined some diesel powered bucket loaders with nature's life giving water to make a new home for some of God's creation.  A home to which animals flock to and obtain strength to fly free towards their dreams.

I hope we can all find the springs of life God put around us, and build them up using the tools God gave to glorify his name.

-ehw

Perspective Changes

After shooting several people in the Model A truck over a few days, I had to literally find a new angle to shoot the truck.  Looking up I saw the mirror, and decided to have some fun with it.

I like the photo, but the reality is that you cannot tell if this is an old truck, a Jeep, or a go cart.  So I learned something about perspective in reviewing this shot.  The first lesson was if you keep looking around you can find interesting perspectives of a subject you missed before.  This perspective change may not however meet the goal of the image's sponsor to show off people in a clearly identifiable Model A..  In this case I have a cool photo, but it does not scream, "Cool Model A!"

-ehw

Sheep teach photojournalism!

Dinner time was calling these sheep, all only a few weeks old, to come with their mothers to dinner on a Virginia farm.  The sheep were pretty well mannered about everything....although some did find a way to get more than others!

After dinner my children held several of the lambs, helped get their water ready and did a few other tasks for their aunt and uncle who raise them.  When we were done, the babies were left in the heated barn to protect them from a strong cold front that hit that night.  The little lambs needed the extra protection, just because we don't want to lose any of them!  Just minutes after we left I missed an opportunity I'd wanted to capture for years on the farm, the birth of a lamb.  The last pregnant mother gave birth to two more lambs.

I have to say that is one of the hardest sets of challenges facing photographers wanting to capture a realtime photojournalism story:  We have to be there, the conditions need to be "right" and we have to be prepared for those two conditions to collide before us.  This gets even harder if you want to make that moment art.

I think that is why, even though I love all types of photography, trying to capture the beauty of life in its own moment is my favorite type of photography bar none.  I love the challenge and the reward that comes from these adventures, and I say quite a few prayers of thanks when I see the moment captured in my frame.

-ehw

Virginia Farm Sunrise

I received a quite a bit of grace last week visiting my parents...

Great family times, great children, extended family visits and quite a lot of photo opportunities.

Of the five days we spent on the farm only one gave me good morning light.  It was a chilly morning, but don't those always seem to be the best?  The chill making you remember you are alive and better move quick?!

Well my mother was feeding my youngest and said. "I love sunrises."  So I grabbed my camera, and a final sip of coffee, before I jumped out the door camera in hand.  My mom did not know I was out the door until my 10 month old spotted me out by the barn working the scene trying to find a shot.

I hope it brightens your day!  It sure did mine! It ended up being one of my favorites from the week.

(For the techies: In Camera HDR, supported on a makeshift bean bag of potting soil, edited by a quick trip through iPad Snapseed. Pentax K-5 with a Sigma 18-50 EX F2.8 OS)

-ehw

Chasing Dreams

My Dad had a dream all his life to own a farm and a Model A. He's worked hard and planned well so he now has both. He's finishing his fourth year out there the wine and horse country of Virginia on a farm. He grows his own vegetables, and hay for lambs now while still working his day job. This fall he finally found a Model A. All weekend long he had guests to the farm riding around in the little 1930 Model A truck. I of course recorded each visitors ride. It was fun to see their smiles and amazement at how different travel would be if we went back 80 years to that small little truck.

Today on our ride back to Georgia my wife and I discussed the value of dreams. We see their benefit in providing purpose to our frenzied lives. We see the dispirited nature of those without dreams, just waiting to be lead by others to a promised land. We also discussed that sometimes our dreams need to change because who we are does not really line up with what it takes to get make the dream reality.

In the end we determined for us achieving dreams by leaving faith in God and family behind were just too much for us to bear. We also examined our own lives, and realized how by listening closely to whispers of the Holy Spirit, we changed course several times to bring us to where we are today. We agreed that it is very good for us that we did acknowledge and discern what those whispers had to say. Our current dreams are very good ones indeed, and have our little family in their circle.

So chase your dreams, but don't be afraid to look and see if other chapters may be a better fit for you!

-ehw PS If any photos on this site touch you, please let me know. I am now able to sell them as part of my photographic dream!