Known for innovative and experimental architecture Chicago is a great town if you love architecture. Famous architects such as Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Frank Lloyd Wright, just to name a few, have buildings there. It is home to stunning buildings; the Rookery, the Sullivan Center, Union Station, Willis Tower,…
Mike Disfarmer was portrait photographer in the small town of Heber Springs, Arkansas. His career spanned two world wars and the Great Depression. He created simply wonderful portraits that documented the people of Heber Springs during that period. Like now-renowned street photographer, Vivian Maier, Disfarmer was “discovered” by a stroke of luck that saved them…
After visiting Vicksburg National Military Park and the Vicksburg National Cemetery (my wife’s great-great-grandfather who died in the Civil War is buried there) we took an indirect route back home. Along the way we stopped at St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge near Natchez. My wife is a bit of a “birder” and I like…
Let’s face it; camera gear is expensive. We all save up for that special piece of gear we wanted until we finally go ahead and make the buy. Then we start wondering, “Did I get the best deal? Did I overpay?” Fortunately, price watch (PW) sites can help us get the best deal and save…
Death Valley certainly isn’t the kind of place you’d normally think of where you would go to photograph a beautiful scene such as Darwin Falls. The name “Death Valley” instantly brings to mind a harsh, inhospitable environment. The perception is not without merit. Consider some of these Death Valley weather facts from the National Park Service….
I recently wrote about how I made my decision on whether or not to switch to a mirrorless camera. While writing the article I was struck by the strange mis-branding of mirrorless cameras. I find it very strange that the manufacturers market the camera using the term “mirrorless” as the defining nomenclature. They’ve chosen to…
While exploring a small central Texas town I came across this beautiful wall that just grabbed my attention. It’s a wall, just a simple wall with a bricked-up doorway. But it has weathered in such a way that it beautifully reveals its colorful and textured past. Standing in front of it, you can imagine the…
Photographer and photojournalist, Dorothea Lange is a famous for documenting the lives of people during the Great Depression as part of a Farm Security Administration program. She traveled across the country recording the effect of the Depression on the lives of so many. In the photo on the right, you can see the camera she…
I recently posted about looking at a scene and visualizing it in black and white. So now that we’ve taken the photo, we need to do the post-processing needed to achieve what we visualized. Specifically, we’ll talk about the importance of managing color in our B&W photos. Whoa! Did I really just say managing color…
