Washington DC Waterfront

I am regularly amazed at the number of people, both area residents and visitors that are unaware of the DC waterfront.  In addition to the picturesque vistas such as the photograph above, the DC waterfront has a lot to offer.  Being a retired Coast Guard Officer, I am regularly drawn to the waterfront – maybe just a little bias.

Bias or not, the DC waterfront is a wonderful place.  With several marinas, a thriving live-aboard community, a fantastic seafood market, the Arena Stage theater, a metro station, shopping, walking distance to the National Mall, and easy access to the highway, the DC waterfront is convenient and an under rated area of Washington DC.

In my ideal world, I would (and may) move from my Capitol Hill row house to an condo or live-aboard barge home.  Why?  Well, I listed several of the many attractions of the waterfront.  But most of all it offers an appealing opportunity to simplify my life.  Being an empty-nester, I find that downsizing and simplifying my life a worthy goal.

If you live in the DC area or are visiting.  I highly encourage you to visit this interesting corner of Washington.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

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

Tall Ship on the Potomac

I arrived yesterday at our humble crab shack on the Potomac river to begin a lengthened holiday weekend.  Shortly after arriving, I looked out through the haze to the yet cool waters of the Potomac to see a tall ship sailing under power toward the Chesapeake bay.

With the haze and excessive humidity, I knew a nice sharp shot would be impossible.  Even had I been able to shoot the ship crisply, the haze coupled with the complete overcast left very little texture to add drama to the photo.  Given these limitations, I decided quickly to go with minimalist approach.  With a sky that amounted to a huge soft box, I decided to use this negative space to draw attention to the subject. 

I find the photos appealing because of the simplicity, the clarity of subject identification, composition (giving room in front of the ship for movement, and including only a slice of the water/horizon), and that the photo does not provide too much information (lots of room for viewer interpretation or questioning).  However, I will admit that I may be approaching or possibly falling over the minimalist precipice.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Muir Woods in Black and White, and a Wrap up of Northern California

Since my wonderful trip to Northern California in January, I have posted a number of articles featuring the photography from this visit.  Sadly we have come to the end of the line – at least until I visit again.  The photography featured in this post comes from Muir woods.

Before talking about Muir woods, Here are links to the previous posts from San Francisco, and north to Point Arenas, Sonoma Valley and Napa.

California Wine Country in the Fog

• California Wine Country in the Fog Part II–Black and White Part II

Northern California Seascapes

California Cows are Happy Cows

California’s Golden Gate Bridge

• The Golden Gate Bridge–Black and White
• The Golden Gate Bridge–Black and White Part II
• San Francisco Fishing Boats–Details
• Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, at Sunrise
• Alcatraz at Sunrise
• San Francisco Fishing Fleet at Sunrise
• San Francisco Street Car Diptych
• Minimalism–Foggy Field at Point Arenas California

If you are displaced Northern Californian, I hope these posts satisfy your need for familiar and beautiful scenes from the bay area.

We took a very invigorating hike through Muir woods – about 5 hours of hiking which seemed to be up hill every step of the way.  The enormity of these redwoods is difficult to describe or even capture in the photography.  Sure, people benches and other objects provide a certain sense of scale, but even so, they do not convey the majesty of this beautiful park.

Muir Woods National Monument was established by proclamation of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. Consisting of 295 acres, Muir Woods becomes the 7th National Monument, and the first created from land donated by a private individual.  The Monument is named after naturalist John Muir, whose environmental campaigns helped to establish the national park system.

Aside from the massive scale of these trees, one of the very interesting things you notice early on in your trek is the fire scaring on many of the trees.  In some cases, the fire has actually hollowed out “caves” in the base of the tree – many large enough to walk into.  What makes this even more interesting is that although this scaring looks fresh, the last forest fire that occurred in Muir Woods was over 160 years ago.

The average age of these tremendous trees is between 500 and 800 years.  However, these are just youngsters in comparison with the elders estimated at over 1,200 years old.  These old redwoods can stretch as high as nearly 400 feet.  The tallest tree in Muir woods is considered a runt at 258 feet.  But trust me, when you are standing at the foot of these giants, I dare you to distinguish a 300 foot tree from a 400 foot tree.

If you have the opportunity to visit Muir Woods, you will not be disappointed.  The views are spectacular and unforgettable.  The trails in the park are reasonably well marked and well maintained.  The layout of the park is well suited for a casual stroll or other more ambitious options.  If you want a little burn in your glut’s, Muir Woods can help.

The last two photos are here to help provide a sense of scale.  As you consider these two shots, keep in mind that these are the “babies” running along a ridge line.  The elders are down in the valley and simply dwarf these infants in both girth and height.

Thanks for joining  my tour through a small and beautiful slice of Northern California.

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

Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, at Sunrise

Like many of the other San Francisco Photos I have posted in this series, the photographs for today were taken at sunrise.  The light was perfect and therefore the colors were just amazing.  Those of you who have been reading my blog for sometime are well aware of my bias toward black and white.  However the brilliant colors in these shots were too compelling to ignore.

All of the photographs here are three shot HDR images.  In part, this explains the vivid color.  But trust me when I tell you that the native settings in Photomatix Pro (HDR processing software), the colors were so intense they were not only hyper-real, but overwhelming.  When processing these photographs, I backed off the saturation in Photomatix Pro, and then again in Lightroom.

Hopefully, I am convincing you that shooting at dawn (or dusk) is a creative gift.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

The Golden Gate Bridge–Black and White

I am doing my best to live up to my commitment to improve on the time between taking a photo and processing it.  At times during the last year, I have been behind by as much as a full year.  This photo comes from the last of the collection of photographs taken in California during a visit in January.  Only four months behind…not so bad.

One benefit of not processing my photos immediately is that once separated in time and/or space from the original photograph, I am more capable of looking at the photograph more critically, and less emotionally.  Even making a first pass of processing then returning to finish in a week or two can improve my ability to produce a better photograph.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Refocusing on Minimalism

Before my recent sidetracks to improve my food photography and shoot the heck out of the Washington DC cherry blossoms, I intended to dedicate some time to further exploring minimalist photography.  I still have several more posts focusing on the cherry blossoms, but this weekend I plan on dedicating time to shoot minimalist photography.

Speaking of the cherry blossoms, it appears that the Capitol Hill wrestling match over the budget will end in a stalemate tonight.  The relevance to the cherry blossoms are the Cherry Blossom Festival permits for activities set for this weekend.  Without a resolution to the budget, the National Park Service either cannot or will not honor the permits for the Cherry Blossom Festival.

However, I just heard rumor that the DC Police are stepping up and taking responsibility for the events and the permits will be honored.  I have no idea of the mechanism or requirements for doing this, but BZ to the DC Police.

To begin my rededication to exploring minimalist photography, these shots were taken this afternoon along the Potomac River in Piney Point Maryland.  It was raining while these shots were taken and a crab boat was working the waters.  The unfocused shots turn the crab boat invisible, but it is there – trust me.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms and Sunrise at the Jefferson Memorial

Each morning I have made a pilgrimage to photograph the cherry blossoms ringing the tidal basin adjacent to the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC. I never get tired of this.  In order to challenge myself creatively, each day I take a different lens – and only one lens.

By limiting myself to a single lens a couple of things happen.  First, rather than towing along a bunch of gear, I have a free hand to hold my coffee.  In addition to this principal benefit, I am challenged creatively within the constraints of the lens I chose to bring.  This is a very helpful exercise.

For this visit to the cherry blossoms, I used the Canon 50mm f/1.8 II.  I love this lens, and in my opinion, it is by far the best value in the canon line up.  If you know of anyone considering moving from a point and shoot to a DSLR, I recommend they buy the camera as a bare body.  Don’t pay the extra cash for the kit lens.  Rather, spend $100 for this great lens.

Check back soon as I continue to document my daily trips to the tidal basin.  And just for good measure, here is a photograph that does not include the Jefferson memorial.

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

The Beauty of Minimalism

Some of the most visited articles I have posted are those featuring descriptions and examples of a minimalist approach to photographic composition.  I won’t list all the articles here, but if you search on minimalism in the handy search bar at the top left corner, you will find them quickly.

In addition to responding to your “voting by visits,” I have a second reason for more minimalism posts – I found more photos that fit the genre.  More precisely, I had a milestone event yesterday when I completed the processing of all 2010 photographs.  While this may not seem a big deal, I completed 2009 in July of 2010.  During my processing of the final photographs for 2010, I found a number of minimalist photographs.

Each of the photos in this series features the common theme of a simple subject and an uncluttered background.  This form of minimalism uses composition to eliminate or minimize distracting elements thereby giving the subject the opportunity to take the spotlight without competition.

Visit again later this week for another visit with some minimalist photography.
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