Stuffed Dog

The great thing about photography as an art form is it’s the workingman’s medium: Unlike painting, pottery or the other art forms, anyone can take a great photo. I mean it: anyone. I’m not saying that everyone does take great photos, but the point is that they can. This is the difference stemming from digital camera technology. It has leveled the playing field for all photographers. The camera now does the labor; you just point the thing and push the button at the right time. If something didn’t quite turn out right with color or lighting, chances are you can correct it in Photoshop later.

Now, I know that there’s more to the process for pro photographers – or even serious amateurs like myself – but the fact is if you give a halfway decent digital camera to even a child, he or she can be taught to aim and shoot it and sooner or later come back with some decent shots. The fact that you don’t have to pay for film allows total amateurs to shoot hundreds of shots at no real out of pocket cost, and odds are, given a hundred shots or so even an idiot manages to get a good picture or three in the bunch. That’s just odds working in your favor. You can argue whether or not this is a good thing for photography in general, but it is what it is. Now we are all photographers – or at least we think so. And to me, it’s exciting because it means you can go out, buy a nice camera, learn how to operate it and then take great photos. This makes our art accessible to the public and it means the art will continue to grow and develop in new and creative ways.

Here is a shot I took of a stuffed animal at an antique store in Belleville, Illinois that anybody could’ve taken. There was no special lighting set up or manipulation of the subject matter. The dog was just sitting there among some old toys and dolls. It was shot with natural lighting and cropping was done with the camera lens, not Photoshop. Another example of me seeing something, framing it in my mind and then capturing it with the Nikon. I hope you like … Be sure to click on the photo to view the hi res version.

A stuffed dog in an Illinois antique store waits to find a new owner.

Minnow Watching

Photographed my oldest daughter swimming in the creek and looking for minnows. In the heat of summer, the creek is the center of our universe. And if not the creek, then certainly the city pool. It’s a blessing having both. Options are always a good thing …

Shot at 1/160s at f/6.3, ISO 200. Used a filter for color saturation. Click on the pic for the good version of it.

Looking for minnows in the shallow waters of Dry Creek.

Front Porch

White spindles on the front porch.

Ever take a photo that for some reason or another seems to capture your eye and imagination? This one did for me and I’m not sure why. I don’t think it’s much of  a good photo, really, but it seems to fascinate me the more I look at it. You probably think it sucks, and that’s why opinions aren’t worth much. Click on the pic for the better version.

Big Brother & Little Sister

The little sister and her big brother get along quite nicely together.

Bought myself a new Nikon zoom lens off eBay and this was one of the first shots from it. Sometimes when you’re shooting portraits, your “best” shot isn’t the same as your favorite shot. This was one of my favorites from a series taken of my oldest and youngest kids together on the front porch. I had another shot that turned out better if you were preparing the portrait for sale to a client, but I prefer this one where she’s looking away from the camera and it appears more candid. Randomness and “the moment” are important elements in any good candid shot.

Carnival Ride at Dusk

This shot was taken at the county fair as the sun was going down over the midway. I like the motion evoked in the photograph. Movement, action and blur are elements I often try to play up in my photos, depending upon the subject matter. I am a firm believer in handholding the camera and using available light, no flash – probably a result of my journalism background – and I only use a tripod or fill flash if it is a special situation where it is really required.

I have this thing where I find it a challenge to try and capture great photos with the bare minimum of equipment. I believe that every photo shown on this blog to date was taken with a Nikon D40, which is by no means a pro’s camera. It goes to show that anybody can take great pictures if they know their camera and what it can do, know how to compose and crop an artful shot, and know how to process effectively in the back end. Everyone wants to rush out and buy $2,000 worth of high quality photography equipment, when in fact all you need to do is learn how to shoot. Would I like to have a Nikon D3? Sure, but why spend that kind of coin when my photos aren’t going to turn out that much better anyway? In the end, it’s worth it to spend your time and money on good lenses and a proper education in photography and Photoshop. Unfortunately, most amateurs spend their money on the equipment but not the education. This isn’t snobbery on my part, just an observation.

You can find on the Internet some unbelievably beautiful photos taken with an iPhone. I love and admire that. It’s about the art itself, not the medium through which it is captured.

Sometimes you enjoy a shot because it bends the rules of photography. Maybe it isn’t tack sharp, or the blur is being used in an artful way. This is one of those shots for me. It’s like enjoying a painting not for the subject matter but for the lines or colors.

Be sure to click the photo for a higher resolution version.

The lights go round and round on this midway ride at the Crawford County Fair (Cuba, MO).

Lucky Yawn

Lucky is the name of one of our cats. Lucky is also what I was when I happened to be taking photos of him and he let into this huge cat yawn. It couldn’t have turned out much better, timing-wise. Success in photography is one half technical ability and the other half being in the right place at the right time and prepared to shoot. Always have your camera in hand and keep an eye on your settings, and you’ll end up with some great shots. Later on they’ll talk about what a great photographer you are, not how lucky you were just to have gotten the shot off.

Click on the photo for a higher-res version.

Lucky the cat lets out a huge yawn.

Schwagstock 44 – Day 3

Photos from Day 3 at Schwagstock 44 – Camp Zoe, Mo. It was Sunday and many of the festival-goers had either bailed already or were doing so that morning. We broke camp early on, and my friend, who drove up from Louisiana, had a bad truck tire and had to put on the spare before he left out. He was gone by late morning, and I spent the midday hours hiking to a remote location of Zoe I had not seen before and taking some landscape shots.

This is slideshow 3 of 3 from the Schwagstock 44 festival, last in the series of shots I took with my Nikon D40. Includes shots of “Badass Hill,” the “secret” Stage #3 tent at Timbuktu being broken down, and a graveyard I found along my walk. There is a Tom Dooley (1860-1923) buried at Camp Zoe, which is pretty odd. Enjoy …

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