I felt two toned.

“NONE SHALL PASS” 2010

 

“The Street” 2010

 

“WESTER” 2010

creativeLIVE Free Portrait workshop!

So the fine folks at creativeLIVE are going to be offering up a free workshop via the WWWs to your computer. This is a child portrait workshop with Tamara Lackey. While this isn’t my cup of tea and may not be yours either it’s still awesome to see this kind of education and experience being shared on such an open platform.

 

CreativeLive offers all kinds of classes for creatives in various fields. And they run them FREE over a specific period. Then the recorded classes are offered for download at a dirt cheap price, really.

This whole thing was is the effort of Chase Jarvis and pal Craig Swanson. Major props for the efforts to bring their knowledge and talents to us for some brain picking goodness.

Photo Ninja Practice.

I wanted to go out and shoot on a cloudy windy day (I know, I know). I wanted to do this because I wanted a challenge and some practice. The light is constantly changing and if you are working with people or animals so are they. Combined this makes for a very intensive photographic ninja work out.

You need to be constantly aware of the clouds and suns location the factor in your subject location and the party can get crazy. It is also important to pay attention to the wind direction. This will affect the direction in which shadows will be cast by clouds, tress and the like. As well as blowing hair and clothing both of which can make or break your shot.

If you shoot in Auto you are just doing yourself and that nifty camera a disservice. Slap the dial to manual and get to clicking.

 

Here are a few examples of the day’s labor:

1/400″ F8 at ISO 200

1/200″ F3.5 @ ISO 200

 

 

1/250″ F7.1 @ ISO 200.

 

Notice that the speed is not very different? But If I shot the first image at 1/200″ instead of 400 it would have been BLOWN way out. It was good to get out and practice and stare at my wife for a few hours!

Go Ninja up you Photo Skills Kids.

CupCakes And Cars?!

So for a little awareness rasing for Sweet Dreams Inc we headed over to a local car show. I brought a camera of course.

The front end of a very nice old Ford chop top.

The single greatest car IMHO. The Chevy Bel Air. My love. And this one had a engine that could power a small city for a day.

This “whip” was one mean looking SOB. Gave me that Cali hotrodder vibe so toned to match.

Some random gear on the side of an old Model T. Pretty classy car, saddle bags and all!

Philly has gone to the birds….

You just can’t keep them out. Even underground subway stations. Must be the odd smells and dim lighting.

 

Valley Forge on a whim.

Last night we headed over to Valley Forge Park after work. Pretty amazing this is all five minutes fro the day to day grind.

Thanks.

The Wayside. Mailining more.

As continuation of the previous posts regarding the area in which I call home. The more I search for these run down and neglected parts of town the more I learn.  About my neighbors and the tiny worlds created within a town’s limits. 

 

Thanks. Hafe.

 

The Mainline part 2

Just a few more selected pics from the ever evolving look into my community.

MAINLINING. The hidden side.

I like the area I live in, don’t get me wrong. But this slice of the world is very confused as I see it. It seems like people are so caught up in an image that the actual image is blurred, for them. I want to show the decay and neglect in my backyard. Not to expose some underlying problem with society as a whole. But rather to confront those blinded by the new boutique or trendy hot spot.

Go to Google. Search The Mainline and you will get “The Mainline” of Philly. Ferrari, Maseratti, Porsche and Range Rovers (Driven by a 16 year old or two). It’s all fine and frankly if you have the cash spend it. I want a Ferrari, BAD! But the interesting thing to me is the dealership is straight across the way from a dilapidated building that squatters stay in. And in some respects these buildings have a beauty that the multimillion dollar homes half a block over don’t.

I hope to produce this into an ever expanding series that may expand into a collection. For Prints please email me for info.

 

Thanks .

I Shifted My Tilts Real Good. Like.

As my first foray into the realm of Tilt Shift photography I decided to work with the amazing city of Seattle. It seems the busier and more congested you can make your frame the better the end result. This process is all about manipulating the focal point and depth of field so the more to play with the better. This is a circus act of a technique that if done right can really bring some character to the image. Or it can just make you feel like you spent the night drinking peppermint schnapps.

This is all done within Photoshop from pictures taken with a standard lens. Alas the cost of a tilt shift lens hasn’t made a valid case yet.  Let me know how much I missed the mark!

And a few bonus images from the Hood River, Or area.

The below image is one of my favorites. The solitary feel it gives is pretty cool. A foot bridge that is usually crammed with people from all over the world. For this tiny moment was all for one.

Thanks.