by tmoffett | May 29, 2010 | Color, Family, Photo tips, Portraits
Simple Life
I’m going to break from the landscape images I have been showcasing lately, and post something completely different today. I was looking back through my files the other day and came across this image that I made when testing a new camera a while back. I know, this is just a snapshot of my daughter when she was 2, but there are some good things that we can learn from it. What is it that makes photographs of people, whether it be a formal portrait or just a snapshot, stand out from the rest? Lighting? Background? Cropping? … All of these are very important, however one thing, in my opinion, that we must watch for is the eyes. If the “eyes are smiling” and they are well lit, then they will overshadow some of the other flaws of the image. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and by having them well lit and looking good, we, the viewers, are drawn in to the image.
by tmoffett | May 28, 2010 | Color, Landscape
Foggy Evening
Evening light is wonderful! Once the sun sets, you are left with light only from the blue sky, which can be incredible. This particular evening the fog was hanging over the ocean and the blue afterlight left the rocks enshrouded in mystery. It was a wonderful feeling. Completely engulfed in the feeling, I made my best attempt to capture the mystery in this image. I hope you feel the same feeling I felt when I was there.
by tmoffett | May 27, 2010 | Color, Critique, Landscape, Photo tips
The Falls
In the Spring, when the runoff is at its peak, a trip to Shoshone Falls is a must. While descending to the falls, I noticed this small waterfall off to the side. Thousands of people were down at the main falls, so I stopped here for a few minutes to photograph in solitude. After a creating few images of the whole falls, top to bottom, I just wasn’t happy with where it was going. I stopped and thought about what was really drawing me in, and it was just the base of the falls, the flowing water and the mist. I focused my vision to that, and this is what I came up with. I love the interaction of the water with the rocks. Strong, sharp solid rock and smooth flowing water in the evening light. Life just doesn’t get much better.
by tmoffett | May 24, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Ocean Waves
Water. Power. Beauty. The motion of water, captured in a still image is a beautiful thing. The past few months have been intrigued with water-land interactions. This image was shot while on a vacation in Kauai in January. We were walking along the beach just outside of our hotel one evening and came upon this reef just offshore. I watched the waves for quite some time, mesmerized by the motion created as they crashed into the reef and washed over the top and flowed softly back into the ocean. I could see the beauty and feel the power of the ocean current.
A photograph, a piece of art is about feeling. Yes, it must be technically executed to near perfection, but without feeling it is only a pretty picture. I want my images to allow the viewer the privilege of feeling what I feel when I am photographing. Ideally I want more than one of the senses involved. With this photograph, can’t you almost feel the mist on your face, smell the ocean breeze, want to reach out and touch the water? What do you feel when strolling along the beach? If a stirs an emotion within you, then it is a successful image.
by tmoffett | May 21, 2010 | Color, Landscape
Stanley Lake Sunrise
Stanley Lake is a favorite destination for our family camping trips. The scenery is beautiful and the fishing not bad. I love both, and it just happens that the best time of day for fishing and photography is the same. Needless to say, I struggle with this. Do I take camera or fly rod? Most mornings the camera wins out.
by tmoffett | May 12, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Evening Waves, Ecola State Park, Oregon
There is not much better than an evening stroll on the beach with the one you love! It’s even better when you have a camera to capture the light skimming across the waves as they crest then crash into the shore. It was a beautiful, cool evening near Cannon Beach where I was captivated by the waves. Christeena and I were out shooting together and having a great time. I kept coming back to the waves. As the sun lowered in the western sky, it just kept getting better and better. Timing the waves to get the perfect lines leading to the rock formations was critical, and challenging. Waiting and watching, that is the name of the game so often in landscape photography. That is the beauty of it!
I love being in the outdoors. I could wait for hours watching, feeling, hearing, smelling. I get all of my senses involved when I am out with my camera and try to capture images with feeling. When successful, the viewer becomes totally engaged in the image. They can see what I see, hear what I hear and feel what I feel. That is my goal. Not always am I successful. When I am,though, it makes all of the effort worthwhile. It is as though I am able to share a piece of my soul with the world.
Technical data: Canon 5D, 70-200 f/2.8L @ 165mm f/8, 1/60 sec., always on a tripod!
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