Snap of the Month: March, 2015

Background: New family asks for engagement/family photos in Nebraska.

Thoughts: While I don't want to be pegged as a family photographer, I have enjoyed the family shoots I have done. It's challenging coming up with ideas on the fly especially in a city in which you don't live, but it also allows for more spontaneity and opportunities to try new things (cliche, I know, but damn it there is truth in it). The little girl in this picture just decided to up and grab mom and dad's hands like this. When moments like this occur, I feel really lucky to be around with my camera because the people I'm working with are naturals and I am able to capture a sweet, spontaneous moment that isn't forced. When we're allowed freedom, the pictures come out much more natural and reflective of the family as a unit, or at least how they want to be remembered as a unit.

Snap of the month: September, 2014

Background: Climbing trip to Yosemite brings unexpected opportunities.

Thoughts: I've always wanted to get a good reflection shot and I was finally blessed with the opportunity in Tuolumne Meadows. I could not have asked for a better day. Moments like this are why I am more than happy to add the extra weight to my backpacking pack and bring my big camera. The sacrifice is nothing compared to the reward.

Snap of the month, August 2014

Background: Went to Burning Man again this year. This was The Temple.

Thoughts: When shooting someone else's art work, I feel like I'm almost cheating. It feels as though all of the hard work has been done for me already! For example, here I just rolled up on a sunny day and BOOM! the picture presented itself. When shooting artwork, it feels important to find a new angle or a new take on it that others haven't. I say, find the angle that best expresses what you see in the piece. For example, The Temple to me is a very spiritual place; it is beautiful and full of emotion. This photo I think expresses a lot of happiness and the beauty of the place. I'm sure hundreds if not thousands of others captured The Temple from a very similar angle, but the way I chose to edit and the exact angle are all mine and are my expression of what the temple means to me.

Snap of the Month: July, 2014

Background: Mountaineering trip to the Bugaboos in British Columbia over the Fourth of July.

Thoughts: If you are going out to play in nature, make sure that at least some of your shots do your journey justice. This photo is exactly what it appears to be.  He was precariously perched on the top of a large rock that was on the way up to the summit of Pigeon Spire.  Wind howling in our ears and threatening our every move piled on top of the crazy 500 foot drop on either side of this rock, but look at that view!  Make sure that if you're out in nature and enjoying its sheer awesomeness, that you snap at least one or two pictures that demonstrate that.  This picture was taken with my point-and-shoot and I couldn't be happier.  Yes, it could be technically better but I think it definitely does justice to our surroundings and the activity that put us there.

Snap of the Month: June, 2014

Background: I love backpacking.  It's my favorite outdoor activity.  What I love about it is that it provides me with ample opportunity to take as many pictures as I want of whatever I want.  I like shooting plants and landscapes, but what I really love shooting is animals.  Bugs, reptiles, large mammals, you name it and I like to shoot pictures of it.  Yes, even the creepy, scary, disgusting stuff; it all has something to offer.

Thoughts: In order to get a really decent animal shot, you need to stabilize your camera.  If you have a fancy camera with detachable lenses, then the option exists for you of purchasing lenses with image stabilization built in.  If this is not an option for you, making your own "tripod" is a great practice.  Most people have point-and-shoot cameras that dictate how quickly an exposure is made by your camera for a particular situation.  You need a little cooperation from the animal in question (i.e., for it to not be running everywhere) and all you have to do is set your camera on a rock, set the camera on the hood of your car, or squat down and become your own tripod.  Any of these options will help your photos to come out sharper because the camera will be steadier for longer.  It helps to eliminate as much motion from your end as possible since the animal will be moving around enough for the two of you.  So, the next time you're out and you see something interesting, try to stabilize your camera on whatever you can; legs, rocks, ground, chairs, car, etc.  It will help to improve your image quality without buying a better camera.

Snap of the month: May, 2014

Background and Thoughts: There is a tulip garden in my neighborhood and I had never noticed it until I was walking around on a Friday night pondering none of life's big questions.  It was right upon my normal strolling route, but for some reason I'd bypassed it all these years.  This spring, however, I finally noticed it and took advantage of some early morning light.  I used my telephoto lens to capture this shot because using tele- lenses for shots like this (includes portraits) achieves a very nicely blurred background with the subject in sharp focus.

Snap of the month: April, 2014

Background: So, I'm technically cheating because there are two photos here and one of them I took on May 1 but it helps to illustrate a point.  I've been attempting to rely more on my phone camera for spontaneous pictures.  I can't have my large camera on me at all times, so I've embarked upon a quest to get better pictures from my phone.  I have what is now considered an "old" Android phone (it's almost two years old).  The camera on it is five megapixels and your standard phone camera.

Thoughts: I've been attempting to get better photos out of it by understand its strengths and weaknesses.  For example, it's pretty good for really close-up shots.  Because the lens is a wide angle lens, it works well for small details, as evidenced by the flower photo below.  Also, understanding that I can change the focal area by simply clicking the spot on the screen that I would like to be the main focal point is a seemingly minor thing, but I think it's something a lot of people, including myself, neglect to do when we're taking pictures with a phone.  Finally, I've started editing on my phone a bit but always wait to see the final product on a desktop screen before publishing to anything.  Pictures that look great on my phone are going to look a bit different when enhanced on a desktop screen. This means patience and the ability to dissuade a trigger happy finger but it's well worth it.