That’s the Point
Vivid Imagination
I like this one because it feels like a still from a science fiction movie. Beware, the landcrawler approaches!
Capturing a Mood
Yup, still dreading the holidays.
A Form of Flattery
There’s a local photographer whose style I am very jealous of— all warm light, boho, and cottage-core. As you can imagine, she’s very popular and getting more so each day. And just like every other also-ran, I wonder, what does she got that I don’t got? Mostly, I think , a lighter touch.
This is an attempt to capture what she does. And it does not capture it all. I suspect the issue is that we literally see the world differently, both physically and mentally.
I wonder if anyone’s ever done a study on the physical difference in photographers’ eyes and how that effects their photos? For example, I’m legally blind in one eye and have almost normal vision in the other. An eye doctor told me that my brain disregards most of the information coming from my bad eye. Which makes me wonder about how I perceive depth compared to other people. I also have poor night vision- how does that effect how I see shadows and contrast?
Another Field, Another Photo
Another example of it’s about light and subject and not the location. This is an empty field next to a half-filled office park out in the suburbs. And it is gorgeous because of the subject and golden hour. Wait til you see the ones with the water tower— with great light like this, it’s almost as good as having a castle in the background.
I started with this photo because I think it really evokes Andrew Wyeth, and I love that.
Ginger Rogers
This was a fun shoot— but also one where I really learned that morning shoots in a cemetery don’t quite work. The gates don’t open on time. You’re stumbling around in the dark at the start, then the light gets too bright too fast. And if it’s a Sunday, there are work crews in bright orange vests. But I think we made it work. A lot of credit goes to the model. And also Humperdinck the Skull— he always gives good face.
Both/And
One of the harder things for me to learn when taking a photos was knowing when it’s about the subject and when it’s about the location. This is a great cemetery, but this photo is about the emotion of the subject. Which makes this a “you can’t even tell where she is” photo. More impressive when “where” is in front of dumpster, but it takes the same skill everywhere.
I am now working on taking photos that are about both the subject and location. I’ve added a 35mm to my kit to help with this. It’s a challenge since up til now I’ve only used 55m and 85mm with my Sony. But it’s a lot of fun.
Leave in Place
One issue to consider when taking a photo is not just what to leave out and what to leave in. For example, the tree on the right. I chose to leave it in my composition for a sense of place and also, I hope, a feeling of claustrophobia and a little creeping dread.
Modern Horrors
The 21st century, like all centuries, has its many many downsides. But one thing I do like is the gift of the search engine. Back in the day, trying to find obscure information was very much, “Hey do you remember… No, it was… C’mon, they…”. But now, all I have to do is run a search on “1970s horror film studio,” and I get back, “Hammer Film Productions” (among others)/. Yes, thank you!
Shrub Hat
No, this is not the most original photo. But sometimes, you just want to ask a model to push back and wear a shrubbery as a hat. Look- flowers!
Flowers, and the Moon 
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