People
1 + 1 = 3
A mother and father’s wedding rings look huge when placed on the toes of their newborn son.
During our first photo op, our son and daughter-in-law placed their wedding rings on the toes of Samuel – their first child, our first grandchild. Sammy was 1 week old at the time of this photo.
See a larger version of this image by clicking on it.
Family in the Woods
I photograph a lot of different subjects – sunrises, lighthouse, birds, bugs, flowers, scenic landscapes, etc.; just browse through this website. The one subject that intimidates me and always proves to be my greatest challenge is people.
I can go to shoot one of my favorite lighthouses at sunrise and if the finished product doesn’t live up to my expectations, no big deal. They’ll be another day and another sunrise. The only person who is out anything is me and the only real loss is my time. When I photograph a sunrise, I’m trying to capture a moment. With a portrait, you have to first try and create “the moment” and then successfully capture it.
When photographing people, I’m not the only one who has a stake in the outcome. Others are investing their time and come with their own expectations. If I take fifty shots of a sunrise and I mess up some camera setting or I just don’t like the way any of them turned out – nobody knows but me. When you take fifty shots of a person, make them go through a battery of facial and body contortions, you’d like to have something of value to reward their patience and effort.
This photo is from a family portrait session last fall. A great group to work with – and a good lookin’ bunch, too. I like the way this turned out, but it comes in low on my “satisfaction” scale. There are a number of technical issues that spoil it for me (I won’t bore you with the specifics). I did a lot of post processing, trying to overcome those issues, and it’s still not quite there.
The good news is, each portrait session is a learning experience. And, as they say…”Practice makes perfect.”
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo.
Digital Divide
A father-daughter moment – dad browsing with his iPhone and daughter browsing “old school.”
Sometimes a “moment” just happens. This photo was taken in May of 2011 while visiting family. There were a number of other people in the room, visiting, laughing and having a good time. I was down on the floor focusing my photographic effort on the little girl, snapping pictures and didn’t really notice the symmetry between her and her father in the background until I saw it on my computer screen.
This image actually took a good deal of work and digital magic. Beyond converting it to monochrome, there was another person in the shot and a fourth person’s foot that I had to remove to isolate my subjects.
To get a better view, click on the photo and larger version will open in another browser tab.
With Dad – in color
A few days ago I posted the B&W version of this portrait. I’m posting the color version so you can compare. I like them both, but I can’t decide which I like better.
To view the B&W version, click HERE. When you do, it will open a new browser tab and you’ll be able to easily bounce back and forth between the two and formulate your own opinion.
With Dad
The eyes of this child are hypnotic. It’s hard for me to look away…all the while, wondering what she might be thinking.
This is a father and daughter – part of a family of five I was working with for a family portrait. He was carrying her as we walked to another setting in the outdoors.
To view a larger version, click on the photo.
Sentinels – Fishing in the Fog
Like sentinels with bayonets drawn, two fishermen are on high alert, ready for the bite. These stalwart anglers are fishing for salmon in the early morning fog. Their lures are plying the waters of Lake Michigan, off the pier at Algoma, Wisconsin.
To get a better, larger view – simply click on the photo.
Sara
pho·to·gen·ic [foh-tuh-jen-ik]
adjective
1. forming an attractive subject for photography or having features that look well in a photograph: a photogenic face.
When you look up the word “photogenic” in the dictionary, you should see Sara’s photo.
No doubt about it. Some people are photogenic. I’m blessed to have a wife that is one of them. However, she’s not always willing to jump in front of a clicking camera. I usually have to do a little coaxing.
This was a shot from the Happy Birthday to Me session.
Happy Birthday to Me!
It was my birthday (55) yesterday and when my wife asked me what I’d like to do, I told her I wanted to get outdoors and take a new photo of ourselves. I take a lot of pictures, but rarely capture both of us together.
We had an enjoyable afternoon, a fun time…and I’m pretty pleased with the result. Isn’t she a beauty! (Inside and out) I’m a blessed man!
You can see a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo.
Future So Bright
I don’t often take photos of myself…but I made an exception this time. Of course, my choices were limited since I was the only one around at the time.
It was a morning last February and I was on the beach at Kewaunee, WI hoping to catch a nice sunrise. I took several photos and then, for something different, I decided to step into the shot. A tripod and wireless remote for my camera makes this possible. It’s still not easy to get the placement right when you’re not behind the camera.
To view a larger version of this image, simply click on it.
Bright Eyes
On a trip to Green Bay’s Botanical Gardens, hidden among the foliage, I happened upon this precious, delicate flower. I believe, among all the beauty of the gardens, this was the best image I captured that day.
It’s taken me some time to post this photo because it took a lot of work to present what you see now. What you don’t see, from the original, is a triangle-shaped shadow that ran from her eye, across her nose, to her lip – created by the leaf near her eye. You also don’t see the tripod and jacket on the ground that was protruding from behind her head. Obviously, this wasn’t a planned, posed shot, but an on-the-fly capture.
This is my friend, Lindsey. She has the personality to go along with those dimples and smile.
To get a better view of those bright eyes, just click on the photo.