IT’S WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY WEEK
Make a photograph that’s surprising. One you haven’t seen before. That’s the challenge to give yourself every day. Just don’t be this guy.
Next week, a look at today’s “photography”.
Category: Photography Blog
CHECK EACH BOX TWICE
That’s what I do for everything. “Never assume anything” is my motto. The reasons for doing that could fill a book, but it would be a depressing read. So, I’ll just add, “Don’t fall down.” That’s probably easier to relate to.
AVOIDING THE CROWDS THIS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
The best way to do this is to avoid traveling during memorial day weekend altogether. I would say the same for most of the summer. However, we don’t all have that much flexibility in when we can get away.
There are a couple of spots I’ve found recently that are relatively free of tourists. That excludes all the National Parks BTW. That time in space is long gone. Yet, if you get up super early and get off the beaten trail (code for off-road), there are locations with incredible photography with no one around. Here’s one: Alabama Hills, CA.
CHOP WATER, CARRY WOOD
Yes, I know, it’s “chop wood carry water”, but this version could work too. Especially if it’s ice your chopping in winter to boil on a fire, fed by the wood you carried in.
Thinking outside the box is why I get hired. I don’t go in search of photographs I saw on somebody’s website or social media. That’s been done to death. I’m looking for backgrounds, weather, and vehicles that have never been composed together in one image. Or I’m looking for a series of images that tell a story that follows the original text I wrote to reinforce what I’m wanting to say. Continue reading “”
EARTH DAY
The boreal forest is dominated by coniferous trees like pine, spruce, and fir, and is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers. It constantly releases millions of tons of oxygen to the atmosphere. It’s also the world’s largest land biome and a significant carbon sink, storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide in its trees, soils, and peatlands. ATTENTION, YOU MIGHT WANT TO KEEP THIS AROUND.
R.I.P. JIM BRANDENBURG
National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg has died at age 79 in Minnesota. He was an amazing landscape photographer with integrity that is all but absent in todays world of digital scenic image capture. He once spent a month exposing one frame on a roll of film per day – un-orchestrated and un-manipulated. They were all great. Only Ernst Haas and Frans Lanting approached his ethics when it came to nature portrayal and conservation.
APRIL FOOL
My approach to finding new cars and car owner stories for my editorial clients has changed over the past ten years. There has been a significant increase in the frequency of encountering fake owners and/or fake cars that has put me on guard. Fortunately, so far, I have identified these problems early enough in the process that I haven’t become a part of their ruse.
My goal as a writer will continue to be vigilant and committed to only bringing the best car stories to publication with integrity. I’m all for the underdog, but nobody wants to be a part of a scam, including my editorial clients.
THANK YOU PAT LONG AND PORSCHE 356 REGISTRY MAGAZINE
Porsche 356 Registry magazine editor Peter Bodensteiner was kind enough to approve an assignment I proposed to photograph and write about someone I’ve come to know over many years. Pat Long is a Porsche factory race car driver and co-founder of the Luftgekühlt brand. It was a blast riding along with him in his 356 and creating portraits at his favorite hang out, the Rock Store on Mulholland Hwy near Los Angeles. Good times!
THANK YOU TO ALL THE AUCTION HOUSES
I’ve been keeping very busy this season photographing some beautiful cars going to auction. It’s not a big part of my work, which is commercial ads and editorial magazine jobs, but it’s fun and it keeps me flexible!
PANO COVERS!
Looking back over the past decade, I’m grateful for the many cover photos Porsche Club of America has published of mine! Here are some of them. Click image to make larger.
R.I.P. CONTANTINE MANOS
Constantine “Costa” Manos passed away peacefully at age 90 last week. He was a brilliant pioneer of color photography and a member of Magnum Photos. Along with Ernst Haas and Alex Webb, his color work influenced me deeply.
PERSONAL WORK 2024
Followers of my blog know that at the end of each year I post a series of three personal photographs made at a non-assignment single location. Here’s a selection from one evening last month on the east side of California’s Sierra Nevada range.
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE
Every so often I get an inquiry from someone I know who has a friend who wants to be an automotive photographer. I like to help others when I can, so I usually start with something like this:
Success means something different for everyone. For me it means being paid well for doing what I truly believe I was meant to do.
As you know, I have been and continue to be very fortunate working non-stop in the automotive media business. That doesn’t mean I am any less compassionate to those starting out. Here’s why. Continue reading “”
11-11-24
R.I.P. PAUL CAPONIGRO
A famous photographer who was under-appreciated has passed away. I own three of his signed prints but never met him. In my opinion, Caponigro was the Ernst Haas of B&W photography.
(Photo: Galaxy Apple by Paul Caponigro)
10-20-24
THIS SITE HAS BEEN CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE BEST AUTOMOTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOGS AND WEBSITES IN 2024
Feedspot ranked this page #7 out of the top 35 car blog sites for 2024. I’m very honored of course and honestly a bit shocked. I began this site in 2010 more for myself than anyone else, so it’s always a surprise to see how many folks visit. It began as a great way to keep writing regularly as an automotive journalist, and it still fulfills that role. Thanks for visiting, and thanks to all at Feedspot for this distinction.
TIPS FOR BETTER PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Study the classics – Great paintings can inspire you to try new lighting.
Shoot frequently and for yourself – Don’t care about what others think.
Live a life where you’re open to new ideas.
Don’t include too much – Choose your foreground and background carefully.
Eliminate distracting elements that don’t contribute to what you are inspired to portray.
Wait for a gesture, the best moment when the subject reveals themselves.
Technically, for tight close ups, a long telephoto set at f/5.6 to f/8 is the way to go. Cell phone photos in wide mode are horribly distorted for portraits.
Tell a story – Environmental portraiture requires even more forethought than a tight composition. With a moderate wide angle to normal lens, only include in your frame that which adds to the story you want to tell. Simplify!