Insights and musings about photography and the creative process
Photo of the Day: Evening Contemplation
A Buddhist monk atop ancient temple ruins pauses at sunset for a moment of reflection. Buddhism and Hinduism alternated as...
A Buddhist monk atop ancient temple ruins pauses at sunset for a moment of reflection. Buddhism and Hinduism alternated as the dominant religion in this part of Southeast Asia for much of its history and many temples were converted or modified several times to suit the reigning theology. Angkor Archeological Park, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Photo of the Day: Band of Brothers
The photo of the day is this image of three young mountain goats pausing before crossing a creek near Glacier National Park, Montana.
Three young mountain goats pause momentarily before crossing a creek swollen with Spring runoff. Near Glacier National Park, Montana.
Photo of the Day: Call of the Wild
The photo of the day is this distinctive bugle of the bull elk heralding the arrival of the autumn in the Rocky Mountains.
The distinctive bugle of the bull elk heralds the arrival of autumn in the Rocky Mountains.
Photo of the Day: Camera Friendly Culture
After a morning of photography on the streets of Jaipur, India, I was hungry and stopped for a bite at a small restaurant. While I was waiting for my food to arrive, I noticed these...
After a morning of photography on the streets of Jaipur, India, I was hungry and stopped for a bite at a small restaurant. While I was waiting for my food to arrive, I noticed these two young men framed in an opening in the wall of the kitchen. They noticed me too, but instead of turning away or showing annoyance, they looked directly at me and stood still as if posing for my shot. I made a few exposures and gave them a smile and a wave. They smiled back and went on with their conversation. One of the many things I love about photographing in India is that Indians, in general, are not the least bit camera shy. In fact, I often get stopped by strangers who ask me to take their picture. Sometimes they want to see the shots on the back of my camera and other times they just smile and walk away. Quite a contrast from other cultures that are not so camera friendly.
Photo of the Day: Sunrise Sentinel
A mature Great Blue heron (Ardea Herodias) in full breeding plumage enjoys...
A mature Great Blue heron (Ardea Herodias) in full breeding plumage enjoys the warming first rays of daylight in the Florida Everglades.
Photo of the Day: King of the Rockies
The photo of the day is this image of nature bestowing a magnificent crown upon a mature bull elk in his prime.
Nature bestows a magnificent crown upon a mature bull elk in its prime.
Photo of the Day: Faces of Bayon
Pre-dawn mist adds to the enigmatic character of Bayon temple (Cambodia). Nearby Angkor Wat is more famous, but Bayon has always been...
Pre-dawn mist adds to the enigmatic character of Bayon temple (Cambodia). Nearby Angkor Wat is more famous, but Bayon has always been my favorite remnant of the Khmer empire. The most striking feature of Bayon is the face towers which contain giant identical faces carved on all four sides (in most cases) of each tower. Many scholars believe that the faces are representations of the King Jayvarman VII for whom the temple was built to honor. There are about 200 carved faces in all.
Seeing in Color
Here's a great (unintentional) example of how color, or more particularly, the color of the light can...
Some like it warm
But maybe you're too cool...
Here's a great (unintentional) example of how color, or more particularly, the color of the light can impact the mood of an image. I went to the Venice Beach Pier the other day to do some scouting for a photowalk I'm leading this weekend. I wanted to catch the last rays before sunset but I got there a little later than planned and the sun was disappearing below the horizon by the time I reached the base of the pier. Looking northwest 'up' the shoreline, the light reflecting off the wet sand caught my eye. I raised my camera, composed and made a few exposures. Pretty standard stuff...but still pretty. Then I turned around and saw that the view 'down' the shore also looked interesting. I especially liked the lines of foam some of the waves made as they rolled onto the beach. I shot a few more frames and moved on. Later, as I was reviewing my haul on the computer, the thing that jumped out at me was the difference in the colors of the two groups of images. The upshore shots which included the sunset sky and its warm light reflecting off the water look completely different than the downshore shots which are dominated by deep blue tones from the twilight sky. The thing is, I made all of these images from basically the same spot just facing different directions, and when I check the time stamps, there's only a 5 minute difference from the first to the the last frame. I won't try to describe the mood of either set of shots or even offer an opinion about which one is 'better'. These are things that are different for each viewer. But it's hard to deny that the two feel dramatically different...and it all comes down to the color of light.
By the way, if you are in the LA area this weekend and want something fun to do, join us for our Venice Beach Photowalk. It's part of Worldwide Photowalk Day. The walk happens on Saturday, Oct 1 and we will start at the base of the Venice Pier at 5pm. Hope to see you there!
Photo of the Day: Chai Barista
A chai wallah (tea vendor) puts on a bit of performance in preparing his special...
A chai wallah (tea vendor) puts on a bit of performance in preparing his special blend of tea, spices, milk and sugar. Pouring back and forth between pots is necessary to cool the tea to drinking temperature but an element of showmanship is definitely part of the process, also.
Photo of the Day: Last Cast
The photo of the day is this fisherman who seems oblivious to the spectacular sunset happening around him. Owens River Valley, Sierra Nevada.
A fisherman seems oblivious to the spectacular sunset happening around him. Owens River Valley, Sierra Nevada, CA
Photo of the Day: Newspaper Rock
Various cultures dating back several thousand years have left their mark on a sandstone slab now known as Newspaper Rock in southeastern Utah. If you get a chance to photograph rock art, try...
Various cultures dating back several thousand years have left their mark on a sandstone slab now known as Newspaper Rock in southeastern Utah. If you get a chance to photograph rock art, try using a polarizing filter. By eliminating glare, the polarizer greatly increases the contrast between the picotgraphs and background.
Photo of the Day: Prayer Flags at Nam Tso Lake
The five colors of traditional Tibetan prayer flags represent the elements of fire, water, earth, wind and sky. Namtso lake in the background is the highest...
The five colors of traditional Tibetan prayer flags represent the elements of fire, water, earth, wind and sky. Namtso lake in the background is the highest salt water lake in the world at an elevation of 15,479 ft (4,718m). It is also one of the most sacred bodies of water in Tibetan Buddhism and many pilgrims come to Namtso to circumnavigate its shoreline, which is no easy task as the lake is approximately 70km long and 30km wide.
Photo of the Day: Kebler Colors
The aspen grove at Kebler Pass is recognized as one of the largest living organisms in...
The aspen grove at Kebler Pass is recognized as one of the largest living organisms in the world. Aspens do not produce seeds like other trees. Instead, they proliferate by vegetative regeneration, meaning the roots of one tree spread and sprout new trees. All of the trees of a given colony are clones of one another and the boundaries of a given colony become clear in autumn as the entire colony changes colors simultaneously.
Photo of the Day: Raptor Wings
A Himalayan Griffin vulture (Gyps himalayensis) in flight. Perfection in design is exemplified in...
A Himalayan Griffin vulture (Gyps himalayensis) in flight. Perfection in design is exemplified in the wings of this large raptor. Mother Nature has a way of making man's designs look so simplistic and inefficient.
Photo of the Day: Chai! Chai!
It's always a good time for a tea break in India. Masala Chai, or just chai (spiced tea), is indisputably the...
It's always a good time for a tea break in India. Masala Chai, or just chai (spiced tea), is indisputably the national beverage of India. Chai wallahs (tea vendors) are found on just about every street corner and alleyway in its cities. Good wallahs maintain a loyal following and some make a bit of a show out of the preparation of their product. Black tea is combined with spices, milk, and sugar to create the sweet concoction that satisfies the soul of a nation.
Photo of the Day: Shoreline Sunset
It's hard to know which conditions will produce a spectacular sunset. Skies that seem promising often fizzle out to muted tones while others that...
It's hard to know which conditions will produce a spectacular sunset. Skies that seem promising often fizzle out to muted tones while others that look plain in daylight explode with super saturated colors. I was lucky that the latter happened one winter evening as I was exploring the shoreline of Lake Cachuma with my camera.
Photo of the Day: Lotus Bloom
The photo of the day is this image of a perfect Lotus blossom, as beautiful as it is transient.
The perfect blossom is as beautiful as it is transient.
Photo of the Day: Shiva On Wheels
Holi, India's Festival of Colors, is a riotous celebration of the arrival of Spring. Enthusiastic revelers 'play Holi' with handfuls of colored powders that...
Holi, India's Festival of Colors, is a riotous celebration of the arrival of Spring. Enthusiastic revelers 'play Holi' with handfuls of colored powders that are thrown, rubbed, and smeared over everything and everyone. Holi is not a spectator sport, participation is mandatory. Rich, poor, tourist or local, no one is exempt. But it's all in the spirit of celebration and good fun. In fact, another name for Holi is the Festival of Sharing Love.
Photo of the Day: Morning Devotions
Chanting, meditation, and scripture reading are all part of the morning...
Chanting, meditation, and scripture reading are all part of the morning rituals at Tidrum nunnery in Tibet. "Oh, my Buddha!" I thought when this incredibly atmospheric scene presented itself after stepping through an innocuous door in the nunnery. I didn't want to be disrespectful and disturb their activities, but I knew this was a special moment, so I tried to make myself as small and quiet as possible. A few of the nuns noticed me but didn't seem to mind me making my pictures. I think I exposed about a dozen frames or so before quietly slipping out.
Photo of the Day: Follow Me
Surefooted mountain sheep (Ovis dalli stonei) must learn from an early age how to navigate treacherous...
Surefooted mountain sheep (Ovis dalli stonei) must learn from an early age how to navigate treacherous terrain. Stone sheep in Northern British Columbia are one of four species of bighorn sheep native to North America.