The beginning of December is the start of the holiday season and already many people have put up their Christmas lights. Some displays are pretty spectacular and you may want to take some photos of them. Here are a few tips to get the best pictures you can. Avoid using a flash. Either you will […]
Readers Photo Challenge: Beyond a shadow of a doubt “Shadows” was the subject of the latest Readers Photo Challenge. Although a shadow is intangible and has no weight or substance in and of itself, optically it can carry a lot of heft in a photo and can make a bold visual statement. Seventeen readers sent […]
“Who knows what creativity lurks in the hearts of men. The Shadow knows.” – paraphrased from the 1930s “The Shadow” radio drama. “Shadows” is the subject of the latest Readers Photo Challenge assignment. Shadows are intangible and lack physical substance but can make bold visual statements nonetheless. Shadows are pretty easy to shoot. No special […]
We have seasons for hunting, the weather and sports but one for sunsets? Sunsets happen literally every day so how can there be a season for them? During fall, because of the natural shortening of the days, sunset comes earlier in the day. Instead of sunset occurring at nearly 9:30 p.m during the height of […]
I recently visited my old alma mater Sacramento City Photo department. About a year ago they completed a new facility that’s completely different from what I knew when I took photo classes decades ago. Instructor Paul Estabrook (who himself is also a graduate of the program) gave me the 5-cent tour. There was a large […]
When we travel we all like to take pictures to capture the memories of the trip. It’s always preferable to find or wait for the best light of the day. That usually means the quality of light that one finds early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Sunlight at those times usually has […]
A few weeks ago I covered the announcement of an at-risk youth school run by the National Guard, called the Youth ChalleNGe program. The Guard plans to convert vacant buildings at the Sharp Army Depot in Lathrop. California Army National Guard Brigadier Gen. James Garbielli led a small group of dignitaries and media on a […]
Sometimes there you can encounter some beautiful light but because of positioning or other reasons, you can’t always use it for your specific job, but that doesn’t mean that it always has to go to waste. I recently had an assignment to photograph the Reconnect program in Stockton. Operated by the Probation department and the […]
Big name singers and many mid level performers can spend a lot of time, effort and money on lighting for their shows. Good light can add drama, beauty and even entertainment to a performance. At best, musical artists of lesser financial means often have to do with perfunctory lighting or none at all. While looking […]
Here’s an example of what the blue hour can do for your photographs. Just this past weekend my family and I took a mini vacation to San Diego. A light summer rain had fallen earlier in the day, and in the evening we went to dinner at the Old Town Mexican Café in the historic […]