2011 July 4th Fireworks on the National Mall, Washington DC

I am not a big fan of fireworks photography, but nonetheless, I cannot resist.  This year’s temptation was particularly difficult to ignore.  My wife (Chef Sue), won tickets for lawn seats just a couple of blocks from the location the fireworks are launched.

Trying to avoid the cliché fireworks photography, this year I decided to focus more on the light reflections in the smoke rather than the fireworks proper.  The result is the set of photographs I am sharing here.

I find these photographs more reminiscent of an exploding galaxy, or some of the photographs produced by the Hubble telescope.  I was fortunate to get these shots.  The wind was light, but blowing in the right direction – away from our location.  Any other direction, and I would have been unable to capture the lighting in the smoke.

So here is the takeaway:  If you are photographing something that is sure to be photographed by hundreds if not thousands of other people, take a moment to look at it differently.  Use your creativity to see something different.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

National Cathedral, Washington DC, at Night

For quite some time I have had a lingering shoot on my photography work list that I just never seemed to get around to checking off.  In January I was finally able to make it happen, and made it out of the house very early on a Saturday morning to photograph the National Cathedral in Washington DC at night.

For a long time I had visualized the shots I wanted.  The key parts of the shoot included shooting at night, shooting in winter when the trees were barren, and shooting on the weekend when I could easily find a parking spot.  Combining these three prerequisites with the need to get up well before sunrise kept this shoot on my work list for much longer than most other planned shoots.

My shoot was successful, and these are a few of the photographs I was able to make.  I particularly like the way the stark trees interplay with the cathedral.  And with very little color information, it made complete sense to process them as black and white.

Each of the photographs are 5 shot HDR images taken with a Canon 17-40mm f/4.0 L at 17 mm.  I am also pleased with the HDR processing.  I am finally closing in on my goal of producing HDR images that don’t look like HDR images while still taking advantage of the real value of HDR; bringing out the details in both the highlights and shadows.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Christmas in Washington DC–The White House and National Christmas Tree

Christmas is no longer sneaking up on us.  It is flying straight at us with the laser like precision of a Tom Brady pass.  With just a few days left, I am hustling to finish processing my Christmas themed photography.  In order to dedicate more time to processing, I will be brief.


The first photograph in this post (the National Christmas Tree and the White House at night) was a terribly difficult shot to get.  As I mentioned in the post “Christmas in Washington DC-US Capitol at Night” the conditions were not great; very cold and 15+ knot winds.  Windy conditions are always a challenge when shooting long exposures.  In this case it was exaggerated further because this shot was taken at a 400mm focal length (Canon EF 100-400 f4.5-5.6 L which, BTW I am selling…send me a note if you are interested).  To get this unobstructed shot, I had to set up at the base of the Washington Monument, and use every bit of the 400mm focal length.


If you are unclear why use of the 400mm introduces a new level of difficulty , I will explain.  At such a long focal length, it takes only a small amount of camera movement to shift what you see through the lens.  At 400mm, If I move the camera just a few degrees, the White House would no longer be in the frame.  With a 17mm wide angle lens, I could move the camera nearly 80 degrees and still have the White House in the frame.  In summary, at 400mm, just a tiny bit of camera shake (wind, flapping cable or camera strap, shutter movement, or even breathing) would make the photograph unusable.


I still have a few more groups of photos to post before Christmas.  Visit again soon, and enjoy the rest of the photographs.




Have fun, and go make some great photography.
Craig

Christmas in Washington DC–US Capitol at Night

Continuing the Christmas in Washington DC series, here are some night photographs of the US Capitol and the Capitol Christmas tree.  I have to admit there was some challenge in getting these shots.  Exposure control at night is an continuing challenge.  But even more challenging was the wind. 

 

When I took these shots, the wind was blowing at 15+ knots which made keeping the camera steady during 2 to 5 second exposures a bit difficult.  The fact that it was about 30 degrees F did not add to my patience when coupled with the wind.

 

While enduring the cold, I also took some shots of the National Christmas tree in front of the White House.  These shots were even more difficult for reasons I will explain in an upcoming post.

The colors from the Christmas tree and the reflections off the frozen reflecting pool are key features to these photographs.  However, I am including the following black and white photograph.  Even though the colors are important to the photograph, I think this black and white shows an interesting perspective.

 

We are quickly closing in on Christmas, so I have just a couple more posts to round out this series on Christmas in Washington DC.  I hope you are enjoying.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Revisiting Photos–Time Can Help

I have written several times about my workflow and the fact that my photographs usually get several reviews, often at times quite distant from each other.  So here is an example.

In January, I posted a somewhat snarky entry “I Don’t Shoot Sunsets (Except in Aqaba Jordan).”  The photos featured in this post are the same photos I posted in January…except that they have gone through another round of editing.

In addition to catching a couple of spots from sensor dust, time away from the photos have given me a slightly different approach.  For the most part, the revisit resulted in some desaturation, lowering the contrast a tad, and a bit of color correction.  In summary, a more subtle approach than my first round of editing

I provide this example along with an endorsement to not hurry through your post - processing.  In addition to suffering from tired eyes, your photos can suffer from the difficulty of removing yourself from the emotions tied to the time and place the photo was shot.  Time helps a great deal in overcoming these challenges.

Have fun, and be patient with your images.

Craig

More Experimenting with Fireworks Photography

I have wonderful neighbors that look for any excuse to launch fireworks.  This being Labor Day weekend seemed to be one of those perfect excuses.  No complaints on my part – they are always entertaining, and another opportunity for me to experiment further with photography.

My experimentation comprised two components; 1) rather than my normal choice of a wide angle lens (17-40 would be my natural choice, or 24-105 if I were further away), I stuck with my committed relationship to my 50mm, and 2) rather than stick to my recommendation of a 5 – 8 second exposure (see my recommendations for shooting fireworks - “Independence Day Fireworks”), I extended the exposures to 30 seconds.  All of the photographs in this post were shot with my Canon 50mm f/1.8 II at ISO 200, f/5.6 and 30 seconds.

As is normally the case, I was happy with the use of the 50mm.  Nice sharp shots even with the long exposures.  However, I did not have enough room to get the shots I wanted and keep all of the bursts in the frame.  A wide angle is certainly a better choice when you are up close and personal with the display.

I was pleased with the results of the longer exposure.  By extending the exposure time, I was able to draw more color and definition from the background and introduce a strong gradient in the sky which in turn highlighted the horizon.  This combination provides greater context for the fireworks.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Deepening Understanding in a Blur

Most photography you see is crystal clear and tack sharp (a favorite term for photography geeks).  In fact, with the advent and exponential advances of digital photography, it seems like we are mistakenly in pursuit of perfect focus, resolution that would allow one to dissect Cindy Crawford’s mole from a crowd shot at a L.A. Lakers basketball game (does she even like basketball?), and sharpness sufficient to cut diamonds.
In my opinion, we are obsessed, and missing the point.  Art does not require all these harsh terms and equally harsh outcomes.  Often, art moves you in exactly the opposite direction.  In like manner, telling a story through photography can often push you away from the edge of the sharpness cliff. 
A very simple example is something I learned taking photographs about 25 years ago.  I was a young Ensign on a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter and wanted to photograph helicopter operations.  A couple of months after taking the shots, finishing the patrol, sending the role to the lab, etc. (yes, a bit different than today’s instant feedback) I could see a helicopter miraculously floating over the deck with rotors perfectly still.  It did not look right…rotors have to spin for a helicopter to fly.  The next patrol, I went about the same process of photographing helo ops, but this time I closed the aperture and slowed the shutter speed.  the result was still a helicopter in air over the ship’s deck, but the rotors were a spinning blur.  Visually, this made sense.

The photographs featured in this post speak exactly to these combined components of sharpness (or lack thereof) in context and forgetting the obsession to have a razor sharp photograph (as a general rule/obsession).  Both shots come from Time’s Square, NY.  This is one of the most energetic places on the planet.  There is constant motion, noise, activity, and the entire world coming together in one place.  A photograph of Time’s square should attempt to capture this energy.  I chose to do so by letting the energy flow through the blurred motion combined with some intentionally overblown lights.
Have fun, and go make some great photography!
Craig

July 4th Fireworks Wrap up from Piney Point Maryland

In my last post I suggested some tips for fireworks photography.  This post is a wrap up of the 4th of July weekend and a few of my shots from the festivities of last night.

Unlike other forms of photography, shooting fireworks is truly a matter of experimenting as light conditions change, and timing (sometimes known as luck).  The key to fostering luck (and timing) is anticipating the next launch, and shooting – a lot.

Another key aspect of this photography, as is the case with all photography, is composition.  For these shots I was fortunate to have the beach and waterline as a leading line, some foreground activity, the subject (fireworks), and some background explosions to add interest to the scene.

I hope you enjoyed your Independence Day celebrations and had the chance to do some shooting.
Have fun and go make some great photography.
Craig

Independence Day Fireworks

People love fireworks.  In my neighborhood, any good excuse to light the sky brings out the pyromaniacs.  Photographing fireworks will account for a lot of shutter snaps this weekend, and not wanting to be left out, I went out to the beach last night and set up the tripod for some of the “warm-up” displays.

I have plenty of photography featuring fireworks, so once again, the challenge was to find something unique or particularly attractive other than the average shot.  I was attracted to the first shot because of the perception of the person being engulfed in the explosion.  No worries, it just appears that way because of the long exposure; no one was injured.

I like the second and third shots for several reasons. 1.  I like the water reflection and the milky appearance of the water resulting from the long exposure.  2.  Including the flag in the shot is appropriate for the celebration, and 3. The onshore wind made for some interesting light streaks.
So here are some tips for shooting fireworks this evening:

1. Use a tripod and a remote shutter release to eliminate camera movement.  If you don’t have a remote shutter release, you can use the exposure release timer, but you may miss some shots.  As a last resort, careful manual release will work.
2. Use a wide angle lens, particularly if you are close to the fireworks.  Your goal should be to fill the frame with the light and include some reference objects to provide scale.
3. Turn on the camera’s long exposure noise reduction.
4. Use a low ISO; 100 to 200
5. Set your camera to manual and experiment with different aperture and shutter speed settings.  I like exposure times of between 5 and 8 seconds which allows you to capture the launch trail, explosion, and movement of the light. After selecting the time, I shifted the aperture until I arrived at the exposure I was looking for.  In these cases, it was 5.6 on my 50mm f1.8 lens.

Go make some great photography, and don’t get too close to the fireworks.
Craig

Stars Over the Dock

I was out on the dock last night taking some photography of fire works.  It was a beautiful evening with cool temperatures and a clear sky.  I was so engrossed in shooting the fire works that it wasn’t until they had ended when I realized the sky was full of stars. 
I like this shot for a number of reasons.  One of which is the minimal light.  This is something I have been intending on exploring a bit – a kind of dark, moody, minimalist feel.  I will let you know how it goes.
Have fun and go make some great photography!
Craig

Fun Photography on Memorial Day Weekend

Photographers have a tendency to focus their work on things they find important, beautiful, tell a story, make money, or fit within some framework of photography that is consistent across their body of work.  This makes very good sense – it is good to work within themes and bring focus to your work.  However, sometimes it is a good thing to just have some fun with your photography.  Act like a child, and just play.

The photographs in this post have little in common other than I took these shots while just having fun on Memorial Day weekend.  The first two shots are something fun anyone can do with a tripod.  There are plenty of photographers who have used this technique.  It is a well developed area called light painting and can be very creative.  These shots are a much less creative in comparison to the really unique work of light painting…my daughter and her friends just having fun with sparklers.  It is amazing how a box of sparklers can still entertain a group of 20-somethings!

The next two shots resulted from some play with my Lensbaby coupled with the macro lens.  The lens baby system is really designed for play and experimentation.  With all the interchangeable bits and pieces, the possibilities are endless.  In this case the result was an apparent ridiculously short depth of field.

Have FUN, and go make some great photography.
Craig

Fireworks in Aqaba

Just the other night I was sitting on the balcony outside my hotel room in Aqaba Jordan doing exactly what I normally do…smoking a cigar, enjoying a glass of wine and listening to podcasts.  In addition to enjoying my favorite vices, I was doing a little photography. 
Facing my hotel is another hotel with similar balconies angling toward the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea.  I found the view interesting because of the repeating patterns formed by the rooms in addition to the overlaid pattern formed by the guests turning on the balcony lights as they enjoyed the evening – like me.  So the first photograph represents the “why” of having my camera set up in the first place.  The next two photographs are a happy coincidence that resulted from having my tripod and camera in place.

I am not a big fan of fireworks photography, but since the camera was already there, I figured “why not?”  This leads to two points I am obliged to address; 1) why I am not a fan of fireworks photography, and 2) fire works are all about color – why did I decide to process the photography in black and white?
I am not a fan of fireworks photography because of sentiments I hold that are similar to sunset photography (see my post titled “I Don’t Shoot Sunsets (Except in Aqaba Jordan)”)  On one level, I find fireworks photography cliché.  More importantly however is my recognition that getting fireworks photography “right” is a very difficult thing.  In addition to the obvious challenges with timing and exposure, fireworks are just big flashy bangs unless they are set within an interesting context that gives them a sense of purpose and scale.

The two photographs shown here are essentially the same composition, but I think they clearly show the point I was making (I am not suggesting these are particularly noteworthy fireworks photographs, but they are illustrative).  If you accept my premise that a happy snap of an exploding rocket in the middle of a black sky is not particularly compelling, you can see how composition and other elements of interest make these two photographs much more interesting.  Adding interest to this composition, one could consider the following as contributors;

• the fireworks are off-center on the third
• there are the equivalent of two horizons at roughly the bottom 1/3 and top 1/3 formed by the upper limit of the Aqaba city lights and the top of the mountains in the background
• the flag pole on the right flying the flag of Jordan draws your eye through the photograph to the right
• the repeating patterns of the hotel rooms on the left with the single balcony light energized draw the eye through the left of the frame.

I hope you enjoyed my happy coincidence.  Oh, and by the way, regarding the second question of “why black and white fireworks photography?”  The answer is simple – I was more attracted to the black and white version that accented the silhouette of the mountains.  In the end, it really helps if you enjoy your final product.  So processing choices should be something that leads you to an appreciation of the photograph even if you cannot articulate a reason other than “I like it.”
Have fun and go make some great photography!
Craig

Times Square – Perpetual Motion

This post concludes a three part series of photographs taken in New York and focusing on the Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square.  In my ideal world, I would dedicate an extended period to shooting in New York.  At every turn, there are interesting people, compositions, and light that I would love to spend a great deal of time exploring.

Life is not so kind to afford me the time to crawl through the nooks and crannies of New York and capture what I see, or the interesting aspects we can find in the ordinary.  So for now, I have to settle for this…but I will be back!

As was the case with my prior post and explanation of the Brooklyn Bridge, for most of these shots I chose to keep a reasonably good level of motion in the final photograph.  New York has a unique energy, and the movement in the photographs helps capture this perpetual restlessness.

I hope you enjoyed this quick tour of Times Square.
Have fun, and go make some great photography.
Craig

Abu Dhabi Side Streets at Night

On this visit to Abu Dhabi, I am having a great deal of fun making photography as candidates for my “Unfamiliar Abu Dhabi” project.  Just a couple days ago, I went out for an evening walk with the intention of getting some night time street photography,  This post features a few photographs from that walk.
The first shot shows a common scene on the side streets of Abu Dhabi – one of the hundreds of small restaurants with a back door open to an alley where delivery bicycles wait for the next order.

This shot is of a butcher relaxing in front of his store – large animal pieces hanging in the front window.  At this size, it may be difficult to tell, but the subject of this photograph is standing in front of just one of many butcher storefronts.  This is very common in Abu Dhabi; similar or identical businesses tend to be grouped together.  I have not yet determined if this is an organic situation, or there is an unseen planning component that placed the groups of business together intentionally.

This photograph captures a number of the elements that are iconic representations of Abu Dhabi’s heart.  In the background there are number of high rise buildings representing the unmistakable wealth of Abu Dhabi. 
Just in front of the buildings in the mid-ground at the left vertical 1/3 point is one of the ubiquitous mosques that are never out of view thanks to the foresight of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. 
Finally in the foreground we have three additional elements that clearly represent the state of Abu Dhabi.  To the left we have both refuse, and a man sitting atop a stack of cardboard while talking on the phone.  The man is one of the many poor in Abu Dhabi who have come here to seek a better existence than in their home countries of India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan or other countries where the opportunities for a laborer to work and earn a living are challenging at best.
The last element is the spool of electrical cable – clearly representing the unrelenting development and construction in Abu Dhabi…the principal source of work for men like the one sitting on the cardboard.

The final shot is similar to others I have made and posted to the blog – the minaret of a mosque set against a background of construction.  One an icon to enduring stability and the other representing perpetual change.
All of the photographs featured in this post were three shot HDR taken with a tripod mounted Canon 5D and 17-40 f/4.0L and post processed in Photomatix Pro and Adobe Lightroom.
Go make some great photography!
Craig