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I'll be posting some random thoughts here about my photography: my travel plans, technical information behind some images, stories about how certain pictures were captured, etc. The timing of the postings will also be random as my priority is capturing new images rather than writing about existing ones. I hope you will feel free to comment on any of my postings and I appreciate you taking time to read my entries.
Bring Your Own BackgroundLast week, I visited the Chicago Botanic Garden. Thankfully, there are a few greenhouses at the Botanic Garden. It was enjoyable spending a few hours in a tropical environment while the outside temperature was just above zero degrees. Most of my time was spent photographing desert plants. I found this small flower at the end of a thorned stem to be interesting. The flower is about the size of one of my fingernails!
Unfortunately, I don't know the name of either of these plants. Although identification signs are placed in the ground to identify each plant, there are so many plants and signs that I often had trouble telling which sign belonged to which plant! For these two pictures, I elected to use a black background. This was not accomplished using Photoshop. Rather, I held a small piece of black foam board behind these plants. The black foam board separates the subject from what would otherwise be a distracting background. It simplifies the image and focuses the viewer's attention on my primary subject--the plant. Neon Maze Wins Photo of the Day!This morning, my "Neon Maze" picture won Imaging Resource's "Photo of the Day". CLICK HERE to view Imaging Resource's Photo of the Day page. This photo was captured a couple of months in the Mirror Maze of the "Numbers in Nature" exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
This marks the 24th time that one of my photographs was recognized by Imaging Resource as its "Photo of the Day". Click here to view the other 23 winning entries over the past three years.
The Piano ManI've taken an interest in photographing libraries. Click here to view some of my favorite images from libraries throughout the United States. During my recent road trip through the Capital Cities of the Southeast, I visited the Nashville Public Library. Often times, photography isn't permitted inside libraries. I believe the reasoning is that some library patrons are not comfortable being photographed and that the photographer can be a distraction in an otherwise quiet and peaceful setting. I usually just start shooting and hope that I won't be approached. In the case of the Nashville Library visit, I was fortunate to shoot for about 20 minutes before being told that photography wasn't allowed without a permit. I asked how to go about getting a permit. The public relations employee was very helpful and issued a permit within about 15 minutes. She said I now had full access to photographing the library--provided that I agreed not to sell any of my images. I agreed to those terms. Now that I had permission to shoot, I could take my time and set up my tripod in a number of interesting locations. One of the more interesting areas is the main staircase at the back of the lobby.
For the longest time, the problem with composing this photograph (and many others to follow in this area) was that a man was standing next to the piano while reading. Given that there are comfortable chairs and reading rooms everywhere--I assumed that he would soon move out of the frame to another location. So, I photographed other sections of the library instead--the main lobby, the large reading room, some closeups of artwork, etc. When I returned to the staircase area about 45 minutes later, the piano man was still standing there! I set the tripod up for this image about 15 feet from where he was standing--while he's standing at the back of the piano facing the camera. Yet, he still doesn't move! Of course, I have no right to ask him to move--so it's a waiting game. After quite some time, he eventually moves to an area right of the frame and places the book on a railing--and keeps reading from there. I was then able to capture the above image along with several others in this general area.
Better BeamerMost times when I visit Tropic World at the Brookfield Zoo, I use my Better Beamer flash extender to photograph various primates. Tropic World in an indoor exhibit. Although there is a large skylight, the lighting level remains relatively low most of the time. I find that using the Better Beamer along with my Nikon SB-900 flash unit provides some significant advantages for this kind of wildlife photography:
Setting exposure with the Better Beamer is simple:
The Better Beamer is portable and easy to store in my camera bag. I attached the SB-900 to a RRS (Really Right Stuff) flash bracket when using a long telephoto lens to ensure that the light does not get blocked by the lens. The Better Beamer attaches to the flash bracket in seconds.
Here is an example of an image recently captured using this approach:
Neither Snow, Nor Rain..."Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." That's the unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service. During my last road trip through the Capital Cities of the Southeast, I made it my motto for a few photo shoots! The first stop on my trip was Nashville, Tennessee. Unfortunately, my day in Nashville was filled with cold and rainy conditions. For much of the day, the temperature was in the mid-30's--just above the point where the rain didn't transition to snow. Since I had just one day there, I decided to try to overcome the conditions and shoot in the rain. In some ways, the rain is an advantage. By taking pictures in less than ideal conditions, the subjects are rendered in a way that is somewhat out of the ordinary. These subjects have been photographed under bright, sunny conditions countless times. Here are a few from Nashville:
The weather during my time in Charleston, South Carolina was also miserable. The rain was coming down hard while I finally found parking in a garage downtown. The forecast was for rain all day, so I was hesitant to walk out of the covered garage. It was also very cold outside. Since I had just one day to take pictures in the historic downtown of Charleston, I opened my umbrella and started walking. In the end, there were times when the rain let up or stopped for a while. While the skies remained overcast, I concentrated my efforts on subjects more suitable for the conditions. I find that subjects can become more colorful under diffused lighting. Here are a few from Charleston:
Several of my photographs from Nashville and Charleston were captured with my camera and tripod positioned under my umbrella! Another tried and true strategy for capturing pictures during adverse weather conditions is to select indoor subjects--and there were plenty of those to choose from in these two cities.
Westcott PlazaScouting is an important element of capturing good photographs, particularly when traveling to new and unfamiliar places. Scouting involves discovering interesting subjects. It also involves identifying good vantage points as well as determining what time of day might work best for a subject. Finally, it helps to take as many of the logistical surprises out of the equation in advance--such as where to park. Florida State University While walking the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee, I was on the lookout for an iconic image of the gateway to the campus. I wasn't sure what the area was called, so I tried looking over the campus on my phone using Google Maps to locate it. After a few tries, I eventually found what I was looking for--Westcott Plaza. I wasn't sure what time of day would be best for photographing the plaza. But, it was getting late in the day so I drove to the site in hopes of getting a shot at sunset. While there, I learned a few things. The subject is backlit late in the day. Parking is challenging. And, the plaza is packed with people! I left without taking a single exposure. Based upon what I learned, I planned a return trip for sunrise the next day. My reasoning is that the plaza should be empty at sunrise on a Sunday morning. I also knew of a good parking spot from the night before. I checked an app called "Photo Sundial" by Rick Sammon to determine how the light would be hitting the building at sunrise that morning--and everything looked good to go. The next morning I arrived at the location on schedule and captured the following images. It was just lucky that the fountain was operating and illuminated that early on a Sunday morning:
The Forbidden PictureDuring my last photography road trip, I visited Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. I planned to be at the Monticello later in the day to catch the warm afternoon light. My research indicated that the building would be lit best right before sunset that day. I arrived at the visitor center at about 1:00 PM. Unfortunately, it was a very cold and overcast day. I hoped that the skies would clear by sunset. In the meantime, I upgraded my scheduled tour to the extended "Behind the Scenes" tour. I figured it was best to be indoors as much as possible. And, I'm also interested in Thomas Jefferson. Before taking the shuttle from the visitor center to the Monticello, I enjoyed my time at the museum and the theater. The complex is much larger than it was when I first visited Monticello in the early 1990's. At some point, I had about 30 minutes to kill before my shuttle ride to Monticello. I decided to walk through the forest behind the visitor center to capture a few photographs of the foggy woods. While I was shooting, I was surprised to see two security guards walking toward me. They asked me what I was doing. I explained that I was killing some time before my tour started and thought the forest might be a good subject given the foggy conditions. I also pointed out that I had checked the photography policy on the Monticello website and had also confirmed that policy at the visitor center. The policy states that photography is not permitted inside the Monticello, but is permitted on the grounds. I also explained that the forest where I was standing was a shuttle ride away from Monticello--and that this forest shot could have been taken practically anywhere in the Appalachian Mountains--and doesn't really scream Monticello in any way!
After more discussion, they said I could take pictures of the exterior of the building as long as I didn't sell them. After I agreed to that (after all, commercial photography is prohibited by policy), they continued to advise me not to post them on my website--even if they aren't for sale! That, I didn't agree to. This image of Monticello was captured just before sunset. Obviously, the fog never lifted. In fact, it just kept getting thicker. But, I think the foggy conditions provided me with a more unique picture of this iconic building. Although I captured just a few pictures during my afternoon at Monticello, I enjoyed the tour immensely and walked away with a couple of pictures that I liked as well.
Downtown MontgomeryWhile visiting Montgomery, Alabama, I hoped to capture an image of the skyline. I thought that the Alabama River would make an interesting foreground. My challenge was finding the right vantage point. This challenge is typical for me when arriving in a new city. The middle of the day isn't usually the best time for photography. While in Montgomery, I used some of this time to try to find a location for my cityscape shot later that night. Google Maps is a powerful tool for locating good vantage points. Several locations looked promising. However, none of the initial locations that I identified panned out. I've marked two of these locations on the map below (#1 and #2). After failing to find a suitable location on my own, I stopped by the Montgomery Visitor Center. The woman at the information desk was very helpful and gave me a few more ideas. She thought that the Capitol Oyster Bar (#3) might provide the perspective I was looking for. She mentioned that there was also an abandoned tower a little further down the river that might be good. So, I went to the Oyster Bar. That location didn't work either. The vantage point was too low. I had a great view of the river, but the downtown area wasn't visible enough. I noticed an overpass behind me. I drove back and forth on that highway over the bridge. The vantage point looked good (#4). But, there was no place to park the car. The highway was busy and traffic was moving fast.
I noticed that there was a very small church located just off the exit ramp (on Lenora Street). My next task was to determine if it was safe to access the bridge. I did a dry run of the walk up the exit ramp and to the middle of the overpass. The shoulder was wide enough for me to feel reasonably safe--but I also knew that I didn't want to be on the bridge for long. The other task was to determine if the area was safe enough. The area around the church was rundown. In the end, I determined that the area was mostly industrial and that the place area would be vacant during my short stay. I left downtown Montgomery about 20 minutes before sunset to drive to the church. I parked and quickly walked to the spot on the overpass that I scouted hours earlier. I captured three or four frames (timed between bridge vibrations from traffic) and then quickly walked back to the car. Here is the image:
Was it worth it? I thought so. At least it's not a photograph that every photographer who visits Montgomery will have! Going FishingJust over a year ago, I purchased the Sigma 15mm fisheye lens. Fisheye lenses have limited application. But, when a scene calls for a fisheye, there's no other lens that will do the job. I've found the fisheye to be particularly useful when photographing architecture. The lens yields a 180 degree angle of view. That's significantly wider than the 114 degree angle of view offered by my Nikon 14-24 lens at its widest focal length.
This ultra-wide field of view enables me to capture more of the interiors that I visit. Often times, no other lens will capture the entire inner dome of a State Capitol building. As an added bonus, the fisheye lens is most suitable when photographing subjects that are round or feature curves.
I found that I needed my fisheye to capture the entire stadium from this vantage point:
Sometimes, I like to use the fisheye to introduce curvature to make the scene look more wacky or otherworldly:
After shooting with the fisheye lens for more than a year now, it's become an important tool for me that is always in my camera bag. The lens is compact and very light. It's amazingly sharp. And, it rarely has any issues with flare--even when shooting directly into the light. I house many of my latest fisheye photographs in a separate collection within this website. CLICK HERE to view more of my fisheye pictures. When Sunlight is an Issue IndoorsDuring my recent road trip through the Capital Cities of the Southeast, I photographed many interiors. When I approach a building to photograph the interior, I always take a look at the sky. Many times, I'm taking pictures inside a room with windows on an outside wall. The direction of the sunlight can greatly impact the dynamic range of the exposure inside the room. I usually prefer a cloudy sky for the diffused light it provides--especially when shooting inside Capitols and churches. Here are a couple of examples of this: Alabama State Capitol As I was shooting pictures of the Capitol's dome from the floor of the rotunda, I noticed that a couple of the murals were practically blown out due to the bright light streaming in from the windows:
I tried a couple of approaches to deal with this. First, I spent quite a bit of time on the rotunda floor waiting for clouds to pass over to diffuse the light. Also, I tried bracketing multiple exposures to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image. But, the light was so bright on the murals that there just isn't enough information to capture in that section of the picture--no matter how much I bracket my exposures. I returned later that afternoon only to experience the same problem. I would have gone back at night, but the building closes before sunset. However, I did return the next morning and captured a much better image under very overcast skies along with a bracketed exposure:
Georgia State Capitol I visited the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta on a very bright, sunny day. My access to the House and Senate chambers was very limited. The doors were locked. I was fortunate that an employee opened the door to the balcony for me. But, I was only able to shoot for a few minutes while the employee stood by my side. So, I had to deal with the harsh sunlight without the option of returning for more favorable conditions. This is the best image of the House of Representatives chamber that I could create under the circumstances:
Creating this image required bracketing seven exposures each one stop apart. However, the light coming through the shutters is still very harsh. On the other hand, the Old Supreme Court chamber is located in a different wing of the Capitol and does not receive this direct light. I find the lighting in that image to be much more appealing as the light is much softer and more even throughout the frame:
Throughout the trip, I found that sunlight often had a big impact on the quality of my interior shots. While photographing churches, people would often mention to me how the church is most beautiful when the sunlight shines through the stained glass windows. While the stained glass windows certainly look nicer when they are lit, strong sunlight usually makes the windows too bright--removing most color and details from the glass. I prefer a bright and overcast day when taking photos inside most interiors with windows to the outside. |
