Diptych of Chairs on the Beach

Diptychs are one of the aspects of photography I am particularly drawn to.  If you are not familiar with diptychs, they are pairs of photographs that have some relationship to each other whether a matter of continuity, contrast, similarity or otherwise compliment each other in some interesting manner.  I have posted several diptychs previously which can be found by typing “diptych” in the handy search bar at the top of the page.

The diptych featured here is composed of two photographs I shot while walking along the Potomac River in Southern Maryland.  Although the shots were taken at different points along the beach and separated in time by several minutes, I believe the composition works due to the continuity of the subject as well as the beach, horizon and cloud configuration.  I am also drawn to the minimalist composition of this pair which leaves your mind to wander.

I did not plan this diptych, but when processing the photos, it was clear they belonged together.  Just another one of the happy coincidences that I love about photography.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Minimalist Photography–Checkout John A Downey Photography II

If you type “minimalism” in the handy search bar at the upper left corner of this page, you will find that for some time I have been exploring the idea of minimalist photography.  Different people have different views of what this means.  For me, I am happy to continue exploring it and defining it on my terms.  In other words, I am experimenting to define what minimalism in photography means to me along with what works, and what does not work.

Extremely helpful to this exploration are my conversations with good friend and fellow photographer John Downey (John A Downey II Photography).  John recently posted a couple of articles featuring some excellent minimalist photography:

Impending Storm – Minimalist Photography in the Gulf of Tadjoura

Minimalist Photography #2 – Abstracts of the Gulf of Tadjoura

I refer you to John’s work for several reasons.  If you are exploring any particular form of photography, there are a few things that can be very helpful:

1. Look at work of people who are doing similar work; it can help you refine your preferences as well as provide inspiration.
2. Discuss with a friend – critique and refinement of your approach through dialogue (i.e. my discussions with John) with a good friend can be revealing and very helpful.
3. Shoot – shoot a lot – then take some time to think about it with a friend.  Collaboration is fun!
4. Take your time – you are not in a race to define your style or approach.  I know John agrees with me on this; it is all about the process of getting there, not the destination.

I am confident you will see and hear more about my exploration of minimalism.  Stand by for more fun.

Have fun and go make some great photography,

Craig

San Francisco Fishing Fleet at Sunrise

The hour or so surrounding sunrise is my favorite time to shoot.  The light is magical, and sometimes the world makes a truly painterly impression.  These photographs of the San Francisco fishing fleet are a great example.

These shots were taken just after sunrise.  With the sun low on the horizon, the light is softer, and the colors otherworldly.  The pastel hues of these photograph mimic the cotton candy vendor at the county fair.  Although these are both HDR shots, I did not intentionally alter the colors and what you see is pretty close to what I remember.

The next time you get a chance, get a cup of coffee, take a stroll at sunrise, and be ready for pleasant surprises.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Minimalist Photography from Isle of Palms South Carolina

I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a few days last week and weekend in Charleston South Carolina.  Charleston is a beautiful city and I am anxious to return.  I was doubly fortunate to have a beautifully foggy morning on Isle of Palms, just a few minutes from Charleston.

As many of you know, I am increasingly fascinated with the minimalist approach to photography…just type “minimalism” into the search bar at the top, and you will see a number of articles I have posted on the subject of minimalism. 

As is normally the case, the fog was very useful in achieving the minimalist aesthetic I was searching for.  The fog does a wonderful job of masking distracting elements and thereby simplifying the composition.  If you type “fog” into the search bar, you will find a number of examples of how fog adds to a minimalist approach to photographic composition.

I have a few more interesting photos from Charleston I will be sharing shortly, so check back soon.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

California’s Golden Gate Bridge

This post continues my recent theme of photography from Northern California.  Today’s photographs feature the Golden Gate Bridge taken from the Marin Headlands. 

My timing for these photographs was about as good as it gets…by coincidence.  My wife and I had just spent the day driving the coastline from well north in Mendocino county and arrived to beautiful views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco just moments before sunset.

With the sun low on the horizon, I was treated to beautifully saturated colors, a dramatic sky, and wonderfully formed shadows.

The Golden Gate bridge is a beautiful structure and draws tremendous crowds to the Marin Headlands.  I have some more shots from the San Francisco side, but will save those for another time.

All photographs are hand held three exposure HDR images taken on a Canon 5D, 24-105mm f/4.0L, various focal lengths, f 8.0, ISO 100, and various shutter speeds.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Northern California Seascapes

Just add water and you get a better photograph.  I am particularly drawn to seascapes, nautical photography, and water in general.  The shots featured in this post were taken on my recent visit to California and range from Point Arenas to the north and south to the Golden Gate Strait.  For each of the four photographs featured here, I provide a related tip for improving your seascape photography.

Tip 1:  Get the lighthouse off center.  This is a basic compositional point, but how many shots have you seen of lighthouses centered in the photograph.  As you can see from the example in the first photograph (Point Arena Light), by composing the shot with the lighthouse in the upper right corner, there is greater context and room for some interesting foreground.

Tip 2:  Use the coast as a leading line.  The photograph above of the coastline heading out toward Point Reyes naturally leads the eye through the photograph.  Use the natural lines of the coast to draw the observer through the composition.

Tip 3:  Use HDR for sunrise/set shots on the water.  The wonderful colors your eye sees during those dramatic sunsets on the water is difficult to reproduce in the camera.  Shooting in HDR gives you the opportunity to come closer to what you saw when you took the shot.

Tip 4:  Include objects that provide a sense of scale.  Seascapes can be confusing when there is lack of a reference point for scale.  Scale references help the mind understand relationships, distance, and size.  In the photograph of San Francisco taken from the Marin headlands, there are several scale references; the two people in the foreground, the sailboat at the left edge, and the faint rows of houses mid-frame on the left.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig