Entering contests can be a way to sharpen your photographic skills. It can teach you how to edit your photos and push you to become a better photographer. But what does it take to win? I’ve entered many contests and even won a few. I’ve even been a judge also, so I’ve been on both […]
Many photography experts will give the advice of not to copy or imitate the work of the masters or other photographers you admire. They will tell you to find your own style and forge your own way. This is true but what they don’t tell you is that this advice is for advanced photographers and […]
Fall leaves is the subject of this month’s Readers Photo Challenge assignment. With the season’s shortened days and colder weather, Autumn colors are coming into view all around us. Nearly all types of photos can be enhanced by early morning/late afternoon light but even more so with fall leaves. The inherent warm glow of those […]
The current Readers Photo Challenge assignment was about faces. Landscapes and nature are the most popular subjects for most photographers. Taking pictures of people can be out of the comfort zones of many people. But for this challenge readers stepped up, faced the music and overcame any reluctance they may have had and came up […]
Learning how to make a manual exposure is an essential step if you want to really learn how to get the most out a DSLR camera. However, it’s a step that most people get tripped up on. The concepts takes some practice to understand but mostly it’s the terminology that really confuses people. There are […]
If you want to become a photographer the best way to improve skills is to take a class. From community colleges to online instruction, there are some great classes you can take. But not everyone wants to be a full-blown photographer. Maybe you just want to take better pictures, whether you use a fancy DSLR […]
The newest Readers Photo Challenge assignment should be as clear as the nose on one’s face. The subject is “faces.” Taking pictures of people can be problematic for many photographers. Even those who are adept at photographing landscapes, nature or architecture can be stymied when it comes to people. You don’t need fancy equipment to […]
The current Readers Photo Challenge assignment was water drops. While summer time doesn’t normally see much rain in these parts (we had a morning that left just a smattering of drops), readers found some creative ways of capturing images of water drops. Sixty-nine photos were sent in by 12 readers. Here are some the top […]
On Labor Day weekend my family and I decided to take a little trip to escape the valley smoke and triple-digit temperatures. We decided on a day trip, someplace within a 2-hour drive. But where to go while still maintaining social distancing protocols? We had been to Half Moon Bay a few times before and […]
The ones that got away
I remember one the first times I covered a prep football game as a young photographer. The quarterback faded back and threw the ball in a beautiful arc. It sailed gracefully in the air and the receiver made a perfect fingertip catch. I remember it so vividly because when the play was over I realized […]