Category Archives: Photography Techniques
Photographing the Moon Eclipse 2008
It was freezing cold outside. And dark. Not the kind of dark that just comes with night but the dark that happens when the earth passes between the sun and the moon. It was February 20, 2008, and I was in our new temporary home in Gaston, Oregon, an hour west of Portland, in time […]
Cherry Tree Blossoms, Seattle Arboretum
The Seattle Arboretum is a glorious place to wander year around, but in the spring, the rows and rows of flowering trees are wonders to behold. I often led many nature photography tours in and around Seattle’s most famous park, a long green belt that starts near the University of Washington and Museum of History […]
Photographing Hands
I love photographing hands. I should dig through my collection and do a gallery post of nothing but hands. While old sages say eyes are the windows to the soul, I think hands speak even louder about a life lived. My own are covered with memories, scars from injuries, adventures, and risks survived. I’ve long […]
Azaleas in Bloom, Bellingrath Plantation, Alabama
The azaleas in bloom are spectacular across the south. These are from the Bellingrath Plantation Gardens near Mobile, Alabama. Scrub flowers like these are hard to photograph. Closeup, the challenge is depth of field. Further back, it’s the clutter. It’s hard to keep the images simple while being interesting to look at. This flowering azalea […]
Bellingrath Plantation Home, Mobile, Alabama
I loved visiting the Bellingrath Plantation home and gardens near Mobile, Alabama. They have an amazing art gallery in addition to the beautiful art collection within the unusual house. But the gardens… The gardens are exquisite no matter what time you are visiting, but they are at their peak in the burst of spring and […]
Hot Pink Azaleas, Mobile, Alabama
Azaleas, rhododendrons, I love flowering shrubs and trees. These azaleas, photographed at Bellingrath plantation garden near Mobile, Alabama, were a color that tested the digital camera’s ability to record. It’s almost surreal. I underexposed a bit to bring out the darker tones of the purple, and moved in with the camera on a tripod as […]
A Rainbow of Colors in Tulips, Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
When working the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, I always look for contrasting rows of colors. This garden section of Rodengarten near Mt. Vernon, Washington, had interesting rainbow tones of yellow, pink, reds, blacks, and whites. I chose to do this vertically to compress the feeling of the stripe patterns of colors. Conveniently, shadow fell across […]
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival: Tulip Picker on the Horizon
A spotted this tulip picker on the horizon in the pre-dawn light of Mt. Vernon, Washington, during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. With the brightening sky behind him, I was able to underexpose the image to create a semi-silhouette effect, a dramatic image of a Mexican collecting the tulips up to put into boxes and […]
Closeup of Red and Yellow Tulip, Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Among the many beautiful photographs of the tulips from the International Skagit Valley Tulip Festival held annually in the Mt. Vernon area of Washington State, I love it when I can find a simple tulip and focus on just the color and micro patterns in the image. Tulips are such powerful symbols of Spring for […]
Behind the Scenes: Lacy Trees in Winter
Winter is one of my favorites, and trees coated in snow is top of the list. I captured these ancient trees along the pond at the farm in Gaston, Oregon, where we stayed the first two years back in the Pacific Northwest. Their twisted and gnarled branches were perfect for creating a lacy effect with […]
Adorama Academy: Online Photography Workshops
Adorama Academy is the online “photography workshop” program for the popular camera equipment and supply store. They have expanded their online educational programs and feature some top notch photographers and experts sharing their expertise in photography. Highlights include: Focus on Landscapes Clean your DSLR sensor Create the illusion of depth in landscape photography 10 common […]
Sunset and Forest Fires
Driving up towards Yosemite National Park in California, the sunset turned incredibly intense. Recent forest fires had left particulates in the air which turned the sunset intense reds and oranges. Brent VanFossen quickly pulled over, looking for any subject to frame as a silhouette against this vibrant backdrop of color and found he was in […]
Arabic Books in the Markets of Istanbul
I recently stumbled across this photograph I took in one of the many markets of Istanbul, Turkey, and I wanted to share its story with you. We love photographing markets. Everywhere in the world we travel, we look up open air, covered, above ground, underground, and ancient markets. Fish markets, cheese markets, meat markets, clothing […]