Waterfalls Photography

We recently returned from our second trip to Shetland. Awhile back I wrote about comparing an organized photo tour with a self-guided trip and you know what? My original feelings were only reinforced. We really like the idea of setting up a home base and working from there. This flight was our first ever time that our luggage got misplaced. I’m willing to bet it went to Bergen without us as there was a plane from the same airline loading for there when we arrived.

We had to purchase a few things to get us going but the horrendous weather was the real issue. It was so windy and cold we really didn’t have the clothing to do very much. Our luggage caught up to us by day 4 and we were set with our rain gear and some more layers to deal with the low teens temperatures we were experiencing. All things considered, I would rather be in some northern destination than sitting on a Caribbean beach any day.

One of my favourite images came from a hike we did in the rain. There is no bad weather, just poor choices in clothing they say.

Confederation Bridge in Black and White

I like a good black and white image. The trouble is that not all images work as well as others but I feel that this one works quite well. The use of black and white helps us to look at more, we see the forms, shapes and lines much easier for one thing.

Photo of the Week # 225

I’m old enough that I have shot film. I remember the days of taking film to the store and having to wait to see my pictures. Back at that time, my pictures were just snapshots but that anticipation of seeing those prints was there just the same. Nowadays, what do we do with photos taken? The vast majority live out their days on a hard drive somewhere and don’t see the light of day. Some get put on Instagram or some other social media to collect likes.

I believe that there is something missing from so many workflows these days……..prints. There is nothing quite like holding a print of your work in your hands, something substantial for your efforts. Lately both my wife and I are taking advantage of our hard work and we have printed out a few of our things to hang in our home. What a feeling of satisfaction comes from that!

Obviously we can’t print out everything we do, we don’t have enough walls, but once in awhile you have that special piece that you just want to see large. Surely you have photos that mean something for various reasons, trips to far off places, family times, or just a special photo that you’re proud of. Why not make up a print and hang it on your wall, or maybe give away as a gift? In my opinion, the print is the final step in the photographic process, don’t just store those images on a hard drive for no one to ever see.

Photo of the Week #220

The shot below is a shot I made in southern Utah. With all the famous places in southern Utah, this one might not be as recognizable as others, but that’s one of the things I like to do. Millions of people have images of Monument Valley (so do I), but sometimes you find places that are just as beautiful as the iconic spots but not as “peopley”. Since photographers began sharing their work online, some places are now inundated with people, all lining up to shoot the same photo that thousands before them have already got. You know the old story…..when all the peole are busy looking in one direction, sometimes all you have to do is to look the other.

Concert Photography: Three Songs at a Time

I was looking through some photos the other day and noticed my first concert photography attempt was in 2006 so it’s been about 13 years that I’ve been doing it in one way or another. It’s been a fun and interesting journey and I love every minute of it. I’ve worked hard and learned a lot over those years.

“First three songs, no flash” are the instructions you typically are given prior to the shoot. That’s all you get, after the third song we are escorted back out of the venue, that’s it. I often have to explain to people that I don’t even get to watch the show, but it’s true in many cases. An exception to this procedure is festivals. Bands often do away with restrictions at festival shows.

The image below is of Danielle Nicole Schnebelen of the Danielle Nicole Band. I had the opportunity to shoot this super talented person after a long time of following her music. Most photographers I know have a bucket list of sorts that they wish to shoot and Danielle was one of mine.

Danielle Nicole Schnebelen