Masthead header

Tag Archives: countdown

number one

Well, here we are. Nine pictures down and one left. I have to say, it’s been fun looking back at some of my favorite pictures from the last few years and thinking over the circumstances that brought them to be. And for number one, I couldn’t be happier with the memory it brings.

one year later
one year later

Does it show? Haha. I know, I know – it’s not fair that I chose a shot that I’m a part of to be my favorite. But who could blame me? Our first anniversary and a fun, moody shot! Frankly, some of the effect came from poor planning on my part. I had intended on taking a picture before we went off to dinner, but things just didn’t work out that way. Once we came back home, the sun had already been down for an hour or so. So, you work with the light that you have on hand. I set up some remote flashes and experimented, but nothing looked quite right. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was just not working. The final product that you see came from a realization that a lot could be said in a picture that didn’t show off our faces well. It’s all about body language! So I just used our doorstep overhead light. What you see matches what the natural eye would get. Even better, the high contrast and warm, tungsten light help make this picture look and feel like a memory – exactly what it’s meant to be as a portrait of “our first anniversary”.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my informal little countdown. Time to look forward to exciting things yet to come! Pay attention right here to continue to see what the latest is, hear about fun opportunities, and more…

View full post »

annnnd…we’re back

Back from the deep, dark, abyss of the non-internet world! Hah! The reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated.

Seriously, though, it’s good to get back into the swing of things and tend to my poor, neglected (but never forgotten!) blog. Plus, with only two photos left in my original top ten of the past countdown, we’ve got some business to finish. It’s been a busy start to the summer, but I’m looking forward to the second half of the year and all that’s to come. Some exciting stuff on the horizon including free stuff! More to come…

So, on to number 2! For those of you who have kept up with me over the past 3 or so years, this one will come as no surprise:

waiting
waiting

This shot, in a way, started it all. I was helping out at a friend’s wedding, doing some audio-visual technical stuff and lugging my camera along for whatever opportunities jumped out at me. At this point, I had only begun to be serious about taking photos and had limited gear and experience (thank you, high school journalism – pah!). While I was fiddling around with some computer issues, the lovely bride and official photographers popped into the room to take some shots nearby an open window. They chose a spot to pose, and while an assistant helped set her dress just right, I looked up and noticed the awesome soft lighting the photographer had wisely spotted. More than that, I noticed that the wall she was standing next to was creating a great, seamless backdrop – like the kind you’d use in an actual studio. And to top it off, there was a beautiful grace to this “prep” moment that begged to be captured. So in the midst of preparing to take a posed shot, I fired off a few frames to grab the candid. So while the picture looks posed, it’s actually very much not. The bride’s position? She’s looking down at the person who’s fixing her dress.

Taking a look at this after the fact, I was overjoyed to see the results and felt spurred on to keep at it. Even better – I was humbled to share this with my friend (the groom), and hear his total delight. Is it a perfect picture? No. Room for improvement? Always. But encapsulating beauty in a moment that would never come again and would have probably otherwise been quickly forgotten – that’s just fantastic. It’s what I love about photography and it’s the kind of thing I’m always on the hunt for! For that reason, this one will always be high on my list. 🙂

View full post »

three.

Aren’t vacations great? The only problem with visiting interesting locales, though, is the temptation to squeeze in as many sights as possible. Sometimes my vacations end up being as tiring as a regular work week, what with all the activity! That was the case when we visited DC late last year. So much to see, so little energy. Lots of history to take in, not enough hours in the day. Number 3 on my little countdown is one of the most photographed and famous buildings in America: The Capital.

the real usc
the real usc

To be honest, this shot took me completely by surprise. I had been by here earlier in the day and taken a few, but nothing too spectacular came up. After taking a tour of both sides of congress, we came back out and started to head off to call it a day when Kare asked me if I wanted to get any more pictures of the front of the building. I sort of shrugged my shoulders and said, “Well, I already took a few so I don’t need more, but why not…” And boom, the magic hour hit – dusk. Just the right amount of cloud cover, just the right amount of fading light, and to top it all off – almost nobody around. Boy, what a difference a few hours makes. Just goes to show ya – there’s no substitute for patience (though honestly in this case, I had none and just got lucky) and good light.

It also helps when buildings and monuments are well-lit at night specifically for viewing:

jefferson
Jefferson Memorial

lincoln
Lincoln

Oh, also in case you were interested, this is what the inside of the dome looks like in the Capital building. Easily could have made my countdown, but I figured 1 DC picture is enough:

The Dome

View full post »

four.

Ah, the sights, smells, and sweetness of Hawaii. How can you go and not bring your camera? No surprise then, that there are two photos from the islands in my informal top ten. This time we’re looking at an early night/after dusk shot taken on the Big Island of the lava flow from KÄ«lauea. We got a chance to visit the prolific volcano back in 2008 after its crater explosion, including some incredible night-time viewing of its encounter with the ocean. Fun fact: The NPS estimates that as of January 1994, 491 acres of new land had been added to the island via lava flow. Unsurprisingly, ocean-front real estate near the lava flows go for ridiculously low prices, often selling for the price of a car!

firewater
firewater

The exposure here is a nice, long 13 seconds – long enough to capture the billowy plume of smoke/steam in a sort of dreamy state as it moved, and long enough to capture both the fiery lava and the white stars. I particularly love how the glow of the lava reflects off of the steam, creating rich orange with deep black shadows – that’s contrast and depth, baby! Still, the sight is so fantastic that you’ve got to see it for yourself. Most photos simply don’t do it justice.

View full post »

five.

Short one for today!

Ah, the wonders of off-camera flash. Ah, the beauty of well-crafted wood. Two things that are wonderful to behold when done properly, two things that are fun to learn about. Ok, so I don’t intend on becoming a carpenter or a luthier, but still – how cool to see something as “ordinary” as a tree (though beautiful as it is) get crafted into another kind of beauty.

v
v

The problem with photographing these nice instruments, however, is high-gloss finish. That’s where an off-center soft light saves the day. If not for this, all you’d be looking at is a white glare. And with Koa (the type of wood pictured), half of the beauty is revealing the almost 3D grain present in certain angles of light.

[Koa is a type of Acacia tree that grows only in Hawaii – do we need any more reasons to love the islands?? Of course, because it is scarce and grows in just one place, there’s a great need to preserve and minimize consumption.]

Interested in replicating this kind of lighting for instruments or whatever? I can’t recommend checking out strobist.com enough. It is one of the most learning-friendly photography blogs/communities out there and will revolutionize the way you light photos. Cheers!

View full post »