“Making a Photoshop collage is a defined yet flexible process.” One can approach this with complete spontaneity, like a child with a crayon, or with a methodical approach as seen here. For client work, I first create a sketch, then once approved, I begin to create or search for my existing visual elements. This technique is called ‘Pre-Visualization’, because one must first think of what one wants to create. It’s a … more >>
“When your subject needs the human element, why not step into the composition?” While on the phone during a walking break, I saw these pleasing branch shapes casting shadows on a concrete wall. I liked the shadows but needed another element. I stepped into the photograph, recomposed, and took several shots with my iPhone 4s. I am sometimes amazed at how this little 8-megapixel iPhone camera can make such interesting photographs that might take over … more >>
“Creative Photography with Any Camera” MARCH 14 – 17 : Santa Fe, NM “Join me to capture the beauty, history, and nature in and around Santa Fe!” No matter what your photography experience is, this workshop will inspire and give you hands-on instruction to master camera settings, use intuition to capture the best moments, artfully compose shots, edit and organize images and create slide shows, prints and web galleries. You’ll … more >>
This year’s New Year Wish card is a starry night sky from a photo I made on compact camera. The scene is a very chilly night at pristine Lake George near the base of Mt. Rainier. Here’s the story: My campout at the lake was a spontaneous decision made late in the day. I had just been camping with my sister and nieces. Something was tugging hard at my mind to solo on the mountain but I … more >>
“I have a confession. I’ve been addicted to very wide angle lenses for over 30 years, and I have no intention of quitting.” There is nothing quite like the inclusive sweep of a photograph made with a wide angle lens. I find it intriguing how wides see the world so much differently than my own eyes. The characteristic distortion of wides, when used creatively can create inviting and dramatic images. I started my own ‘habit’ in 1974 … more >>
“Wherever I go, I seek compositions that artfully interpret subjects and the ‘feel’ of the place they inhabit” On a recent road trip down the Oregon coast, I spent a day at infamous Canon Beach. To say that it’s a magical and photogenic place is an understatement. The surrounding public-access coastline draws over 20,000 people a year, yet much of it can easily be seen with hardly a soul upon it.
“Nothing gets my poetic creativity flowing like photographing water reflections in morning fog.” I love that fog coats everything in moist dew, and love exploring compositions where foregrounds softly fade into backgrounds. It also melds together two of my favorite sounds: seagulls and foghorns.
“Photographing a landscape from a low angle perspective helps me illustrate subjects in nature.” When photographing the land, I shoot traditionally and also look for a unique perspective or point of view. Low vantage points are often overlooked, and are often truly rewarding. Before getting close with my camera to capture the details, I use my body position to try various ways I might view the subject. To the causal onlooker, I must look insane with my … more >>
“Beauty is not just in the details, but in all things observed with an intent to really see.” I’ve always been attracted to patterns, from the tiny cracks in weathered paint to the aerial graphic patterns of farmlands seen from a window seat on a plane. One fine summer day I was driving from Boston to teach my annual summer workshop at Maine Media Workshops in Rockport. Passing some smooth green fields and perfect ponds, I … more >>
Welcome to “Notes From a Creative Soul”. I share my travels, tips, creativity and my expertise. I’ll post stories, images, techniques, tutorials and information about my group and individual photography workshops. I invite you to subscribe to this blog (or use the orange RSS link at top), and please share it freely so that others will enjoy and hopefully contribute. I can promise you will enjoy the show for months to come. As a bonus, … more >>
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