Scarcity of Thinking
See ... THINK ... visualize ... plan ... compose ... capture. This is how I go about capturing most of my photos. Sometimes more successful than others. But I continue to practice deliberately. In his essay "Essay on the Principle of Population" in 1798, the English pastor and economist, Thomas Malthus discusses his principles of scarcity thinking. This made me think of the "Scarcity of Thinking". … [Read More...]
The Use of the Diagonal Line in Photo Composition
I received this photo on the left from Carlene Ehlers from South Africa. She has also submitted several other photos, which I will try to critique over time. She saw the empty bottle in the crevice, realized the potential of the bottle to be of artistic value, and of course, took the photo. Her question is: “How can I improve the photo”. Before giving my comments, I want to stress that I endeavor to give an … [Read More...]
Decisions on Composition
Decisions on Composition This photo was recently shared on Facebook, and only afterwards I realized that it will serve as a great reference to illustrate the decision-making process in composition. I think I have mentioned this before: The science of composition is a subject that can be studied, and anybody can learn how to apply the rules of composition to his/her own images in order to enhance it, and make … [Read More...]
The Recommended Color Space for Online Posting
The Recommended Color Space for Online Posting: I saw a post in the Lightroom Help Group on Facebook where a person mentioned that there is a color differentiation from the photo on his computer to the photo he posts in Facebook. This is normally the issue when you edit your photos in a different color space than Adobe sRGB, which is the recommended color space for posting your photos online. I must stress, don’t … [Read More...]
“Seeing” as a Course Offering in the Photographic Curricula of U.S. Community Colleges
Seeing has been realized as one of the most important aspects in photography, but has yet to be taught as a subject in the photographic curricula of U.S. community colleges1,2. In Pictorial Effect of Photography3, (1881) Henry Peach Robinson states: “The most obvious way of meeting with picturesque and beautiful subjects would be the possession of a knowledge of what is picturesque and beautiful; and … [Read More...]
Black & White Photography: Converting your Photo
My first blog post for 2014! A new year and my quest for photographic excellence continues. My wish is that you will take the journey with me. Black & White photos has a unique place in the art world, and also in photography. It allows more room for interpretation than the color photo. Earlier today Kevin La Rue (V.P. Marketing for MacPhun Software) and I discussed black and white photography … [Read More...]
Take Your Photography to the Next Level: Camera Settings
Recently my wife and I had the opportunity to visit Maui in Hawaii. This photo of the old dilapidated pier was taken at the Mala boat ramp in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. The deteriorated and rusted ruins falling into decay just asked to be photographed. It was a bright and sunny day and the photo could easily be overexposed. As can be witnessed in the photo on the left. Bracketing was used to … [Read More...]
Night Photography: Get Rid of the Noise
This photo of Santa, and his beautiful Christmas tree was taken on Knobhill Road, San Marcos and is part of my Christmas Lights collection. In general people find it difficult to take high quality photos at night. The big secret lies in the way you handle the light, and of course, the editing. When it comes to the exposure, I make use of my in-camera histogram to make sure that I have captured as much … [Read More...]
