Insights and musings about photography and the creative process
Photo of the Day: Sunbeam Sanctuary
As a worker takes his meal break, a shaft of sunlight reveals the...
As a worker takes his meal break, a shaft of sunlight reveals the flour dust-filled atmosphere inside of a Tsampa (barley flour) mill in rural Tibet.
Photo of the Day: Cycle of Fire
The photo of the day is this image of fire & rebirth as part of a natural cycle that ensures healthy, diverse & sustainable forests.
Fire & rebirth are part of a natural cycle that ensures healthy, diverse and sustainable forests.
Photo of the Day: Landscape in Lavender
With Winter snows retreated to the mountaintops, the valley floor is carpeted in a profusion of...
With Winter snows retreated to the mountaintops, the valley floor is carpeted in a profusion of Spring blossoms. Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana.
Photo of the Day: Fish Creek Canyon in Fall
A carpet of gold drapes the walls of Fish Creek canyon at the height of...
A carpet of gold drapes the walls of Fish Creek canyon at the height of autumn in Steamboat Springs, CO.
Photo of the Day: Pilgrimage to Lhasa
The photo of the day is this image of Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims as they inch their way to Lhasa to gain karmic merit.
Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims inch their way toward Lhasa through a series countless prostrations to gain karmic merit.
Photo of the Day: Thorpe Mountain Grandeur
Oaks, aspen, and evergreens combine to create an explosion of color that is...
Oaks, aspen, and evergreens combine to create an explosion of color that is as brief as it is dramatic. Fall colors in Colorado and most of the West are spectacular but are usually dominated by the yellow/gold of turning aspen leaves. Finding patches of contrasting colors is one way of adding interest to your compositions.
Photo of the Day: High Noon Harvest
The photo of the day is this image of Tibetan farmers using traditional methods to separate chaff from grain during the barley harvest.
Tibetan farmers using traditional methods to separate chaff from grain during the barley harvest.
And the Winner Is...
Announcing The Art of Seeing Venice Photowalk contest! Stay tuned for our next photo contest.
Wow, I never thought that choosing the winner of the Venice Photowalk contest would be such a tough task. But you guys submitted so many fantastic photos here and on Instagram that picking “the best” one had me pulling my hair out...and I have precious little to spare :)! For the sake of my scalp, I think we will leave such things up to a vote in the future.
At the end of the day, though, something kept me coming back to this amazing shot from Senthil Kumar. There are a lot of things I love about this image; shooting the bowls empty was a great idea and the beautiful light and undulating curves remind me of sand dunes. It’s also a great example of the difference between taking a picture of something and making a photograph using the available elements. Ultimately, like all successful pictures, it just works.
Taken By: Senthil Kumar
Congratulations, Senthil! Your prize is an 11X14 mounted enlargement of your winning image. You also receive a one year KelbyOne membership and your image will be forwarded as our location’s entry into the Kelby competition for additional prizes. Good luck!
Very honorable mentions go to:
Taken By: Willie
Taken By: Ivan Boden
Taken By: Susan Liepa
Taken By: George K.
Thanks again to everyone that submitted and took part in the Photowalk! Be sure to check out our Meetup Page for future events, workshops, and contests like this!
Ken
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.