Character matters! It’s very important to me when taking a photo. If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time you may think I really like old things. In reality, I don’t select subjects because they’re old but because they have character. The term character has many meanings. The meaning I’m referring to is about those distinctive qualities that sets it apart and holds…
I recently led a photo deconstruction discussion about altered reality photography at one of the local camera clubs. It got me thinking about how altered reality photography can make you more creative in all of your photography efforts. This creativity boost clearly comes from trying new things but more importantly if comes from learning new things. The Photos Wind Dancer was my first attempt at…
On my recent road trip, I went old school. That is, I visited two old schools. Old, as in one-room schoolhouses. The kind only of few of us actually experienced. The two schools are only 20 miles apart. Likewise, both are well preserved. There is, however, one significant difference. Often, some governmental agency or a historical society maintains these well-preserved old schools. However, it’s not…
The first photo stop on my recent road trip was an old farmhouse. Although in very poor condition, the early morning sun highlighted its character. I bet that “back in the day” it was a very nice house; the kind of house that was a welcome sight when you returned home. It’s the kind of house that you think of as “home”. Because of this,…
Mom is dead. Three simple words. Simple, but profoundly heart-breaking. There is no sugar-coating that reality. Last Tuesday mom passed peacefully at 101. She lived a long and full life. However, a long life is not always an easy life. The past few years have been tough for her. At 95 with their ability to live independently declining, mom and dad moved into an assisted living…
Death and dying surround the Immanuel Lutheran Church. Across the road, you have the old cemetery with burials starting in 1882 and continuing until as recently as 2018. The old church and school are still standing but are slowly decaying. Next to the church and school is a row of large dead trees. Even in death they stand guard. As you’d expect, time takes its…
What made my recent road trip especially enjoyable was being able to shoot three old churches that have been on my “bucket list” for a long time. On the list of photo ops that I mentioned I also rank them on how good they might be. This comes in handy when you have more opportunities than time. Sometimes you have to make difficult choices. When…
We recently visited the sailing ships at the Maritime Museum of San Diego (MMSD) while visiting our daughter. The MMSD has a nice collection of ships, most of which you can go on and a few that also give harbor tours. They have 4 sailing ships, 2 submarines (1 Russian and 1 US), 2 steam-powered ships, and 2 powered ships. Of this collection, four vessels…
I like to take an alternative approach to nature photography. I’ve never been into what many people consider “real” nature photography. I’m not suggesting there is anything wrong about nature photography. Everyone has their own particular interests but nature photography, as most people consider it, just happens not to be one of mine. Before I go further, a word or warning. A lot of what…