Since photographers don’t really have weekends to chill, I try and take a midweek “weekend day” to chill. For me, there is a certain meditative quality to just walking around, finding scenes and things to photograph. Photography in this way becomes an almost Zen-like experience -- you are focused but without the stress of concentrating. It allows for detachment, while still creating. This is also where the value of personal projects comes in.
I find it hard to relax when I am truly doing nothing - I have to be involved with something. I appreciate the Read more inside...
It is an adventure to be experienced - going up in a hot-air balloon. The most recent time was at the NJ Festival of Ballooning this year, as part of a photo group, arranged by Unique Photo here in NJ. If you haven’t been, check Unique Photo’s schedule for the next one (next year), as well as all the other photo activities and outings they arrange.
The first time I went for a hot-air balloon ride, was as a surprise arranged by my friends when I visited South Africa in 2014. For that trip, I only brought along a Fuji Read more inside...
That crazy bokeh there is via the Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 (B&H / Amazon), taken at widest aperture, giving this wafer-thin depth of field. Even though this is a new lens, I would classify it as a classic or vintage lens. It is manual focus, and gives that delicious look to images exactly because of that DoF and bokeh. In terms of the composition, I like how the blue lights in the foreground is echoed by the same lights in the background.
How this photo session with Anastasiya came about ...
My friend, Parker J Read more inside...
Photographing semi-candid portraits out on the street
Not quite "street photography", but rather a semi-candid portrait out on the streets, I love the resulting photograph. It encapsulates a few of the typical New York elements for me - colorful vibrancy and attitude.
Late this afternoon, as usual when I had finished with a corporate headshot photo session in the Wall St area of New York, I waited out the peak time traffic by roaming around the streets with my camera. This young woman graciously waited a few seconds for me while she took selfies with the Fearless Girl - there were Read more inside...
B&W infrared photographs have a distinct look - green foliage go white and blue skies go dark. Then there are the unusual tonality when some things are unexpectedly darker or brighter than you expect. This is all part of the adventure of shooting with B&W infrared. The most typical B&W infrared images that you tend to see, are the landscape images with the ghostly white foliage. My own preference is to explore New York with my B&W infrared camera. The imposing cityscapes of NYC, and the random opportunities make it Read more inside...
Opus 40, near Saugerties, NY, is a large open-air environmental art-piece that took 37 years to construct. Sculptor Harvey Fite (1903-1976) created this epically huge sculpture, which is a sprawling series of ramps and platforms, with a central monolith.
Helping with a Fashion photo shoot on the site, I took a few minutes between sets to take photographs of this place, using my infra-red B&W camera - a Canon 5D mark II that has been converted for infra-red by Life Pixel, with an 830nm deep B&W IR filter. The stark beauty of the place Read more inside...
While I was compiling my list of Best photography purchases of 2015, I went back to another post from a year ago - Personal photography projects for 2015 - and I realized I had done none of these. None. Zip.
Mostly, it is that in the quieter winter months it is easier to plan these things ... and then as the new year progresses, work and commitments escalate. I simply ran out of time and opportunity to do these things - or became involved with other projects and events.
Some of these ideas mentioned in the 2015 post, transpired Read more inside...
Themes & context in Boudoir Photography - on the streets of NYC
The model in this striking image is my friend, Jessica, a boudoir photographer. Her pose is intentionally this strong and assertive. The concept here is part of an on-going project she had planned for a long while now. She had asked me to collaborate with her in taking the photos. The main idea behind the project (and these are my words and interpretation of what we had discussed) - women are objectified in society, but there is a disconnect in how people respond (or don't) to provocative posters and images of Read more inside...
After a long hard winter and a slow warming up to summer (and a busy schedule), I finally squeezed some time to wander around New York City again with an infra-red B&W camera. I tried it out once during winter, but it just didn't work - without the sun and without heat, the images were dull and flat. Nothing there. Infra-red B&W needs bright light and contrast.
Infra-red B&W photography seems dominated by landscapes where the trees and grass turn white, and the skies darker. But what I like about using this camera in Read more inside...
An informal portrait with the 85mm lens - Sarah S.
Like pretty much every photo geek that I know of, I carry a camera with me wherever I go, for my personal photography. Now when the photography isn't for an actual planned shoot or professional shoot, but just for fun walk-about - then the choice of gear somehow becomes more involved. What lens should I take - wide, normal or tele. Fixed or zoom. The bulk and weight become considerations - you don't want to schlep around too much gear.
Creativity and motivation quickly dissipate when your back and feet start to hurt from a camera Read more inside...
