Looking for a Birthday Party Activity?

This afternoon I will be speaking about photography at a middle school. As I put the finishing touches on my presentation, I’m realizing this material would make an awesome birthday party activity! It can be tweaked to suit any age group, ranging from young children through adults. This can be used as a standalone basic photography workshop. It can even be used as an introduction to photography at the start of a one-on-one hands-on session.

The presentation I give today will be a little under an hour long and includes a series of Steps to Create a Great Photograph. These are tips which can be used by students with any type of camera. The content could be tweaked to fit just about any age group or to accommodate special interests. Material can easily be added for a longer presentation. If given a few hours, we could include hands-on experience and advisement.

Contact me if you’re interested!

Dancing with the Daffodils

After a few rainy weekends in a row, we finally have a chance to enjoy warmer temperatures and some sunshine!  The sky is blue, the grass is green, and colors are popping up everywhere. Yes, it’s true — Connecticut is finally blooming! 

This weekend Mike and I made our annual journey to Laurel Ridge Foundation in Litchfield.  In 1941, Virginia and Rémy Morosani planted a field of daffodils at Laurel Ridge ”for all to enjoy.”  Over the years, the daffodils have spread and it is really a wonderful place to visit, whether you are there for photography, a springtime walk, or just to get lost in thought.

Turning onto Wigwam Road makes me giddy with anticipation.  Every year we drive down the narrow road, wondering whether the daffodils are peaking. It’s tricky to predict the timing, as daffodil conditions seem to be extremely localized. It’s so breathtaking to suddenly look to the left and see such an immense field of daffodils just waiting to be photographed. I love the magical moment of realization that it is their peak!

Yesterday was the day!   The lighting was perfect, too. When we first arrived, the sun was behind the clouds creating very even lighting. It was very early so there were only 2 other cars there. I immediately ran thru the field to get my landscape shots before more visitors arrived.

As we wandered through the field, the sun decided to peek out from behind the clouds. The light became very dynamic, changing constantly. There were times of beautiful, strong light and times of perfectly even light. Great conditions for photography! Shadows add dimension to some photos but can ruin others. Yesterday’s lighting (and a good reflector) allowed each photo to be taken with the most appropriate light.

What an awesome way to spend a morning! Want to experience it yourself, at least on screen?  The majority of the daffodil photos on my website were taken at Laurel Ridge.

There is not much explanation of the history behind Laurel Ridge, but there is a William Wordsworth poem etched in stone:

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze…

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

My heart was certainly dancing with the daffodils yesterday. I hope my photography can give you a small sense of that feeling.

Photography Quotes

I am preparing a photography presentation and have been searching for the perfect quotation to use.  While I haven’t found “the one” yet, I did come across several interesting quotes worth sharing.

“It is only by loving nature, and going to her for everything, that good work can be done; but then we must look to her for the materials for pictures, not for pictures themselves. It is nature filtered through the mind and fingers of the artist that produces art, and the quality of the pictures depends on the fineness of that filter.”
- Henry Peach Robinson

“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.”
- Diane Arbus

“The urge to create, the urge to photograph, comes in part from the deep desire to live with more integrity, to live more in peace with the world, and possibly to help others to do the same.”
- Wynn Bullock

“You’ve got to push yourself harder. You’ve got to start looking for pictures nobody else could take. You’ve got to take the tools you have and probe deeper.”
– William Albert Allard

“If I saw something in my viewfinder that looked familiar to me, I would do something to shake it up.”
– Garry Winogrand

“Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.”
– Ansel Adams

“There can’t be an object and one who sees the object. That which sees and that which is seen are one.”
- Richard Hittleman

“The two most engaging powers of a photographer are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.”
- W. Thackeray

What a Long Winter…

And what a challenging winter for photography.

I planned to spend a lot of time outside shooting this winter.  With no snow at all before Christmas, the winter got off to a very slow start.  This meant no photos of snow-covered holiday decorations.  No visits to Jones Family Farms to explore the beautiful farm and see the Christmas trees covered in snow.  Those were two things I was really looking forward to this year.

Once the snow finally did arrive (on December 26), it was unrelenting. 

At first, it was great.  I was starting to get into a groove of shooting at Southford Falls every weekend.  I beefed up my cold weather wardrobe and was finally comfortable spending a few hours outside in frigid temperatures.  I even bought my first pair of snowshoes!  I was on the path to some really beautiful winter photographs.

Then the ice arrived.  With many feet of snow on the ground and a thick layer of ice on top, it was actually too dangerous to be outside shooting.  I learned this lesson when I must have fallen between rocks at Southford Falls.  Suddenly I found myself in snow up to my armpits in an empty state park, watching the sun begin to set. 

Both my camera and I made it through that experience just fine (and I even continued shooting the rest of the park that day).  When I got home, I realized it was time to put my winter photography on hold just until conditions were a little more favorable.

Ice-coated snow stayed on the ground long past the final snowstorm.  Once it melted enough to be out shooting again, the snow was not so photogenic.  I kept waiting for a fresh coating but it never came.

Spring is on the way now.  Most of the snow has melted, though it will probably take another week of warm temperatures to finish up the job.  We have officially entered mud season.  Though the temperatures are warmer and most of us would love to be outside, the conditions are not great for photography.  This is a wonderful time to get caught up on all the things I tend to neglect while I’m busy shooting.

In a few weeks, I will head down to the NY Botanical Gardens for some outdoor flower photography.  Then the real fun begins again! 

Black Friday: A Quick Business Plug

As always, it’s hard to believe Thanksgiving has come and gone. We have officially entered the holiday season!!!

Just in time for the holidays, I am offering a special on prints ordered from my website, www.intricateperspectives.com.  Use coupon code 2010HOLIDAYS for 10% off an order of $30 or more!  The offer is good through 12/31/2010.

I also have many of the photos from this gallery already framed and/or available as greeting cards.  Contact me for more information.

Enjoy the holidays!

Weather and its Effect on Photography

Let’s say Saturday was going to be bright and sunny with a gorgeous blue sky and no clouds in sight. Sunday was going to be a cloudy, overcast day. Which day would you go out shooting?

For much of my work, I would choose to shoot on Sunday. Surprised? Let’s talk about my rationale.

Bright, sunny days can pose significant challenges. Lighting is very harsh, with a huge contrast between the bright sun and shade. Many shadows are cast, which can be a distraction in your photos. When photographing people, your subjects might squint because the sun is in their eyes and there could be shadows on parts of their face. If you are photographing nature, details might be lost in the shadows cast on your subject. Exposure can also be tricky, as you will need to be careful not to overexpose the brightest spots while also not underexposing the shadows.

On the other hand, a cloudy day can create a very pleasing light. The clouds act as a diffuser, spreading the light more evenly and creating a beautiful soft filtered effect. Macro photos taken on a day like this will reveal amazing details. If you are photographing people, this is a very flattering light. Some cloudy days also carry with them a naturally enhanced saturation level which brings life to your images.

So this is why I would choose clouds over blue sky… most of the time.

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. Harsh lighting from the sun and the extreme shadows created on a bright day can certainly be used to your advantage. In proper conditions, this lighting can create dramatic images, perhaps by using shadows to help emphasize the size of an object. An unappealing white cloudy sky does not matter if it is not shown in the frame. Blue sky can make a stunning backdrop and there are times when a particular photo really requires this weather (think: bright yellow sunflowers against a dark blue sky). White puffy clouds (or an interesting cloud pattern) are great for landscapes. They add interest to a part of the photo which would be pretty boring with a monotone sky.

Fog is another wonderful condition for photography. It can be used to photograph a subject which has been difficult to isolate from its surroundings. For example, maybe there is a great old tree which just does not stand out when other trees are in the background. Add fog and viola! The subject is now isolated and you can create a photo which presents a stronger message. Fog also conveys a sense of mystery or dreaminess.

As a photographer, you need to learn the characteristics of different weather conditions. Then learn how to best work with them. When used to your advantage, the weather plays a key role in creating amazing photos.

Mystical Waters

One of my favorite photography projects to date is my “Mystical Waters” collection. This collection began a few years ago aboard a Caribbean cruise. As we sailed through beautiful shades of blue, I became fascinated with the color of the water and the patterns on the surface of the ocean. I spent much of the cruise photographing the water. Crew and passengers noticed my obsession with the water and began asking what I found so fascinating. Many thought I was looking at fish, dolphins, or some other form of marine life. Everyone was stunned when I explained my project.

In October I found myself in the Caribbean once again and decided to pick up where I left off. This time, I also experimented with sunrise and sunset shots, which resulted in some amazing colors.

This project is still a keeper. It’s lots of fun to shoot and I really love the end result. I also have a few variations on this theme in mind for the future.

“Sunrise Ripples”
© 2010 Intricate Perspectives