by tmoffett | Sep 22, 2010 | Black and White, Composition, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Ebb Tide, Ona Beach, Oregon
This past summer was very productive. I had many opportunities to photograph and not a lot of time to process the images. Here it is the middle of September and I am still working on files that were shot several months ago. I just processed this image last night, and as I was reviewing my files, wondered how I missed this on the first round of editing. The shapes, the reflections, the storm moving in, it all seems to work together.
The first time I went to Ona Beach I got all set up, camera on the tripod, composed and then came the downpour, before I even got off an exposure. I had never seen a storm move in so fast as that one did. So I went back the next day. It was incredible. The stones on the beach, carved by the water as it came and went with the tide, were dotted with pockets of water left by the receding tide, surrounded by mossy growth unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was really cool. The light was low and soft, as the sun was covered with light clouds. It had been raining but was starting to break up. I couldn’t have asked for a better day at the beach. And this beach, I could go back to over and over and never tire of it.
The calm after a storm as the clouds lighten and the sun begins to break through, the smell of fresh, clean air and the soft light, these are feelings that I like to show and have the viewer feel in my landscape photographs. If I feel them, I can create them. It is all about photographing from the heart. If I am constantly thinking about the technique to be used, then I will fail to capture a feeling or emotion. I must know the technical aspects of the process intuitively. It must be a part of me, then, and only then will I begin to create images with meaning. Many photographers think that it is all about technique, when really it is all about feeling. I must feel the image first, then I can create it.
by tmoffett | Sep 16, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy, Ramblings, Uncategorized
Rocky Shoreline, Seaside, Oregon
Have you ever had one of those days that got off to a rocky start and went downhill from there? I know I have. We all do. How we handle those days can make all the difference.
I asked my students the other day to write about what motivates them to do the things that need to be done but they don’t like doing. We all have things that are motivators. Recognizing what they are is the first step in being able to really utilize them for our benefit. I know for me, if something just isn’t going right, if I read personal testimonial statements from my clients. To see how happy they are with their investment always seems to pick me up and get me going again.
I think that it is all about attitude, our attitude, that can help get us through the tough times. As Dewitt Jones says, “Celebrate what’s right with the world instead of wallowing in what’s wrong.” By looking on the bright side, we can overcome most anything and end up better off because of it. This relates to both life and photography. Many times I have been out photographing and I just wasn’t seeing anything. I made excuses, “The light’s not right, The scene is boring, If there was only a tree right there, etc.” When I find myself in that situation, if I catch myself making excuses, then I try to sit down, take a deep breath and change my attitude. When I do, I often go back out and find something wonderful to photograph.
I remember a trip to Oregon just over a year ago. We arrived on the coast and were met with fog. Dense fog. the light was flat. Everything was gray. It wasn’t what I was expecting. I was disappointed. After the first day, I realized, “I am going to be here for a week. Don’t waste it. Find the beauty in the fog!” So I did. We had a wonderful time and I came home with some amazing images. Not what I had expected to shoot, but great images nonetheless.
Success is all in your attitude!
by tmoffett | Sep 15, 2010 | Photographic Philosophy, Uncategorized
Marina, Astoria, Oregon
I am right at home in the landscape. I love photographing the land, and water, in a delicate and simple way. The peace and quiet of a forest, the rich colors of a sunset over the sea or a majestic mountain peak at sunrise. That is where I feel at home.
We were at the marina in the late afternoon on a stormy day with camera in tow, so I forced myself to try to photograph. I struggled. The busyness I saw through the viewfinder was confusing me. I didn’t know what to look at. Simplifying the scene was a struggle. I had to work. I finally felt the image. I had isolated a bit of quiet in the bottom and right side of the image, the ships and clouds overhead on the left. I feel good about the image, but man, did I ever have to fight inside for it. I found it difficult, but rewarding.
By getting outside our “box” we force ourselves to grow, both as a person and creatively. It is important to do this to keep from getting stale. Even though we love what we do as artists, we must on occasion force ourselves to step out of our box and find something else. It will keep us fresh. We will find new work to do. It is just all around a healthy thing to do.
by tmoffett | Sep 14, 2010 | Color, Photographic Philosophy, Random images
Strolling the Promenade, Seaside, Oregon
Taking time to explore new possibilities in our photography is an essential element in keeping fresh. It is so easy to get stale and bored, even with our own work, if we never shake it up a bit. It really doesn’t take much time to explore, but the benefits are tremendous to our creativity.
On a recent trip to Seaside, Oregon, Christeena and I went for a stroll on the Promenade. It was a cool evening with threatening storm, but even with that it was a wonderful evening. As we walked, I began photographing. No tripod, not even stopping to set up. Just walking and shooting. Very much not the norm for me. I usually am all about setting up on a tripod and picking apart the composition before pressing the shutter. I use a spot meter to make sure that the exposure is perfect. This was so different, yet quite refreshing. I set my camera to a long shutter speed, put the camera up to my eye and started walking. The camera shake was unpredictable but inspiring. The motion in the image creates a feeling of speed, the tilt of the lens indicates motion. It is wonderful.
No, I haven’t changed my style. What this experience did do, though, was refresh my mind and get me ready for a few days of my style of photography. It has also got me to thinking about how many possibilities there are to pursuing creativity in out photography. So let yourself go. try something new. You just may find that you like it!
by tmoffett | Sep 11, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy
Vortex, Shoshone Falls
Normally I like to blur my photos of running water, but on this occasion I changed my mind. The water flow was so high that blurring the motion of the water going over the falls caused the whole image to look mushy. With streams and waterfalls I prefer a lower flow rate as that will create a nice ribbon effect with the bands of water. When slowing the shutter down with this much flow, the ribbons of detail disappear and everything becomes white. With this in mind, I decided to speed up the shutter and freeze the motion of the water as it went over the edge. I thought it was an interesting perspective, one that I have not seen before.
by tmoffett | Sep 7, 2010 | Color, Landscape, Photographic Philosophy, Ramblings
Morning Calm, Lake Lowell
I had not been out to photograph just for me in a couple of weeks. I had a need to get out and make some exposures. Anywhere. It didn’t even matter if the photographs were very good. I get that way sometimes. I feel that I need to do something, so I do it. Saturday morning was that day. I arose at 6:00 and grabbed my gear and went. I ended up at the lake just before sunrise. It was beautiful. When I arrived, I could only see one boat on the water, and it sat motionless. Must have been fishermen. There was not a wave on the water. The only disturbances were a few fish jumping just off shore. The water and sky were filled with subtle pastel colors. I soaked in the feeling. It was refreshing to the soul. I walked and thought and meditated. I photographed. Life is good.
Not long after shooting this image, more boats arrived and the water got choppy from all of the action. The noise level increased dramatically as people arrived for the holiday weekend. The sun rose and the light quality diminished, but I had my fix. I beat the rush. I made photographs. I cleared my head. I am now ready to tackle whatever life throws at me, and if it gets tough, I’ll go photographing again. It is my therapy. I love life.
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