Christmas

Here's a photo or two that I stole from our tree. Let me know what you think.

Please view those photos in larger format...the thumbnails look really bad. Let me know what you think.

roses

Bad news...my nikon lens is out of commission. It's been in the shop for about 10 days now waiting on a part. I just couldn't quit taking pictures for that long so I strapped on an old sigma kit lens for my film camera.

WOW...total poop is what I call that lens. It wasn't all that great when it was on a film camera, but the digital really brings out the worst in that thing. Soooo, I apologize for the lack of sharpness in the photos...it really was the lens this time.

Pictures are made, not taken

Want to know the difference between a photographer and someone who happens to take pictures? A photographer makes a photo, and everybody else just takes them. Let me start by saying that I have by no means arrived as a photographer, quite the opposite in fact. I'm simply pointing out that a beautiful photo can be made of an ugly subject if the camera operater has some creativity and skill.

In the same way painters use color, photographers use light. Check out the example I've included of the pears. The pear on the right is a fine photo. It is technically perfect, good exposure, good color, etc, etc. The pear on the right is not fully illumated, has no shadow detail, but it is more interesting. By putting the light off to the side of the pear instead of straight on, a photographer is able to create visual interest. If you hadn't noticed, this is the same pear shot from almost the exact same angle. I "took" the photo on the left, I "made" the photo on the right. So there you have it...

Me

Shadows

Fun with water

Pears

First post ever

Well, I'm a blogger now. Kinda weird. I have no idea where any of this stuff came from, and I'll probably change it later. But, It's late and I'm a little punchy. All I really wanted to do is post some photos from my new D40.