For those of you who’ve been reading my blogs, you’ve heard me say that no matter where you live, there’s no shortage of fascinating subjects and compositions. Sometimes they’re literally in our backyards; other times they’re just down the road. The key to finding them is to be receptive and observant. This fall has not…
Spider webs are pretty amazing structures from an engineering standpoint. The silk strands nearly rival steel in terms of tensile strength (roughly defined as the greatest amout of stretching that a material can undergo without breaking). The silk is also highly elastic, enabling the webs to withstand all manner of forces. No wonder material scientists…
There’s lots to look forward to in October in my neck of the woods—fall foliage kicks in, the temperature and humidity drop (eventually), and then there’s the annual Somerville [Massachusetts] Honk! Festival. Now in its 12th year, the festival was founded by an activist band to promote peace, social justice, and civic engagement. Since its…
Earlier in the spring during a trip to Boothbay Harbor, Maine, I was enthralled with the fog surrounding the docks near the center of town. I discovered that fog presents unique photographic challenges and was hopeful that a second planned trip to Maine (this time for a wedding) would provide more opportunities to apply what…
Some photographers immediately process their images when they get back from a shoot. Who wants to wait to see what goodies lie on the camera’s memory cards? Others advocate waiting a while before looking at them. The passage of time offers perspective, and perspective is often a direct path to the delete key. I generally…
The moment you take a photo, you step into the composition. And if the image is successful, others will be able to do the same when they view it. The photo moves them emotionally or whisks them into the scene through their minds’ eyes. The power of “moving people” was recently reinforced for me when…
When photographers talk about “night photography,” they’re often referring to images of stars, northern lights, and celestial phenomena light years away. In this blog, I’m focusing on terra firma and objects close at hand — window displays, storefronts, and the like. Shooting with fast lenses (Fujinon 56mm, f1.2 and 35mm f1.4) and a camera (Fuji…
I usually don’t take pictures of bugs, but a praying mantis graced our back porch this morning, catching my photography eye. The critter materialized from nowhere—it was just there, clinging to a window screen. The insect’s sleek electric green body stood out against the dark screen, where it almost appeared to pose elegantly for a…
During a recent trip to Boothbay Harbor, Maine, I was hoping to catch a dramatic sunrise over the ocean. But when I looked out the window at five that morning, there was no creeping sunlight. In fact, everything was blanketed in dense fog. The trees in the backyard were vague, ghost-like forms and afloat in…
Most of my photography is “opportunistic” — I’m rarely without a camera and I take photos of compositions that catch my eye as I go about my daily life. Less often, I’ll plan a series of shots (e.g., close-ups of water drops on plants or the products in a boutique specialty store). The result of…
Peter Kinder - This portfolio proves you’re right about opportunistic shooting. You’ve convinced me to return to B&W. It’s a fascinating challenge. Thanks!
Steve Bennett - Thanks for commenting, Peter. Do I sense a Fuji x100F in your future? If so, great — it packs fabulous optics and electronics in a small, discrete package. I rarely walk out the door without mine, even if I’m carrying other gear. As for B&W, I do love color — when it’s justified. About half the images in this post were in color. The begonia image was all about the reddish/magenta hues and the photos of the parrot screamed (literally!) for color. The majority of my street images that include people are in Black & White. Night shots can go either way for me. B&W is naturally suited to nighttime images. But colors sometimes punctuate the composition and become important spot elements. I’d love to see some of your new work!
Stace - Love the parrot!