Merry Christmas-My Wish for You.

I want to take this time to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas or Holiday Wishes and a very Happy New Year. Thank you for all your wonderful well wishes and comments to this blog throughout the year.

This past year has been a hard one for me. As my regular readers know, my father and step mother both passed away earlier this year. I miss them both dearly. There is not a day that go's by that I don't think of them both, particularly my dad. I often find myself wanting to call my dad and than realize that his gone. Instead, I just do it mentally.

This will be my first Christmas without my father and I find it hard. I know over time this will lessen, but it just doesn't help this year. My father and I had a very close relationship, he always encouraged me and provided moral support when I was starting my business and when things got slow. My dad was my biggest fan.

I encourage all of you take the time to tell those in your life that you love them. It's a lot easier to do now rather than later, you know what I mean. Anyway, let me take this time to thank each and everyone of you for reading my blog, I appreciate all your comments and I hope you continue to read my posts in 08.

I want to wish my wife Debbie and son Chris a Very Merry Christmas, thanks so much for all you do for me. I'd also like to wish my 3 sisters Merry Christmas as well, I know this has been a tough year but things will get better, so they say...

What Makes Good Composition?

As photographers, we have the ability to control our viewer's eye through several creative techniques at our disposal. It's not good enough just to say, use good composition.

Good composition is made of several element working in unison. Focus is certainly important, actually it's the use of use of depth of field rather than the actual subject your focusing on. Another is the use of Light within the photo to direct the viewers eye. Our eye usually go to the brightest object within the photo. By making your intended subject the brightest object in the photo, your view will be directed there. Finally there is the uses of Leading Lines to guide your viewer eye through the photo.

Using leading lines to guide your viewers eye is what I would like to discuss today. It has been my experience that using a wide angle lens is a good and easy way to accomplish this. Let’s take a look at a few examples to illustrate this point.

This particular photo was shot for an oil & gas client just east of Denver, Colorado. There are actually two elements being used to draw the viewers eye to the worker in the photograph. Light and Leading Lines are both being used to direct the viewers eye. The graphic lines of the lower pipe moving into the photo as well as the upper tanks descending lines. We also have the bright sunrise at the horizon working for us, our eye's will first go to the brightest spot within the photo and than leading lines will keep you there.

Let's take a look at another photo illustrating this point. Again I am using a wide angle lens to create more leading lines within the photo. I've exaggerate the size of the computer screens by placing them close to the lens. As the screens move further away from me, they become rapidly smaller thus causing a directional line leading to the operator at the controls. I have also used Light to draw the viewers eye to the operator as well.

Seldom will it be just one element used to create a photograph with good composition.

I'm constantly looking for these different elements available to me when photographing. Often having to put objects into my shots to achieve my desired results. When your lighting a scene you obviously have the Light issue in control. As far as spotting or creating those leading lines, being familiar with the various effects that your lens can achieve will help greatly.

In an earlier post Using Foreground Elements, I discuss using foreground elements to direct the viewers eye. Take a moment to review that if you like. Hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. DT

Read More about Leading Lines in Photography

Funny How Things Happen

It was the work of Ansel Adams which got me interested in photography back in the late 60's. I taught myself the zone system and B/W printing, his work was and still is an inspiration to me.

Back when I was 18 years old during summer brake, I went shooting along the California coast for a week by myself. I was sitting in my car in a parking lot at Point Lobos State Reserve on the Monterey Peninsula when just behind me, Ansel Adams pulled up in his car with the license plate ZONE V. He was there in the park shooting with Marie Cosindas, they were where testing SX-70 Polaroid film.

It was a thrill for me to meet him and to have him sign the books of his I had with me at the time. What a wonderful experience it was to talk with such a talent, I will never forget that moment.

I bring this up because I've just had another one of those wonderful experiences. Do to a typo in my last post, I received an email (actually 2) from a photographer who's work I have admired for years. That email was signed, Bob Kirst. I thought to myself, this can't be Bob Kirst the photographer, could it? Not many photographers named Bob Kirst you know. I linked to the url listed at the end of his email, and to my surprise it was "The Bob Krist".

Besides pointing out my typo, Bob said that he was a big fan of my blog. Honestly Bob, that blew me away. I've been a big fan of Bob's work for years, I never imagined receiving an email and such a nice compliment regarding my blog. I took this opportunity to pick up the phone and call Bob directly.

We had a wonderful conversation and a few laughs. What a great guy.

Earlier in my career, I found a book that Bob wrote regarding location lighting. The book was an inspiration to me, I learned a lot reading his book. The book title is "Secrets of Lighting on Location". Do yourself a favor and pick up this book if you don't already have it in your library. I've read and re-read this book countless times when learning location lighting. I know you'll enjoy it.

It's strange how life is, you just don't know what the day will bring! It's so wonderful to meet/speak with people you admire, and it was a pleasure for me to visit with Bob Kirst.
DT

They're So Young

I've spent the last 2 days talking with high school students at a school close to my home. I spoke to 3 class totaling about 65 students, perhaps a handful full appreciated the info I provided. It was a good few days and I'm happy to have had the opportunity to do so.

Looking into the faces of those young people reminded me of my early beginning's shooting on the high school paper and yearbook. I left each class the advise to follow their passion what ever it is, they'll be happier with their life if they do.

Tomorrow I'll be taking my nephew (my intern) to The Camera Obscura Gallery in Denver to see an exhibition of photos by Steve McCurry.

Steve's work has graced the covers of major magazines as well as National Geographic. I'm sure you remember this cover shot on NGS, one of my all time favorites.

Steve's career was launched when he disguised himself in native garb and crossed the Pakistan/Afghanistan border into the rebel-controlled Afghanistan just before the Russian invasion. Steve emerged from there with rolls of film sewn into his clothes with the first images showing the conflict. His coverage won him the Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad.

After visiting the gallery, we'll be heading over to the Denver Convention Center to view portfolios of this years graduation photography students from the Art Institute of Colorado. I'm invited every year to attend, the kids enjoy working professionals coming in and reviewing their portfolios and the hope that we might employ them after their graduation.

I also wanted to take just a moment to thank all of you that have left comments on my blog. I appreciate all of your comments, I truly enjoy hearing from each of you. DT

Go for it!

I'm very fortunate to have a career that I love. I don't dread going to work at 3 am when I have an assignment to shoot and I don't count the days of the week looking for the weekend.

There was a time in my life, like most everyone, when your uncertain as to what career you'll pursue or what you'll do for a living.

Will that choice of career be the right one for me or not? We all know someone, maybe even yourself who has studied and graduated with degrees that are not being used in their current careers. Sound familiar?

I've been thinking about this a lot recently. I have a lot of opportunities to speak with young people about making career choices and I enjoy doing so. I enjoy sharing my experiences and the choices that I've made in my life and career. One group of people I enjoy speaking with are high school and college students. I remember what a confusing period of time it was for me.

This is a very competitive world with vast opportunities everyone. I know that I would rather be doing something I love as a career than dreading going to a in some office cubicle M-F, that's just not for me. I want young people to know that they can follow their dreams and be happy doing what they love, whatever that is. Being a pro ball player, sale associate, doctor and heck, even a photographer. The important thing here is that you pursue something that you are passionate about. Life is to short not to do what you love.

This coming week I will have an opportunity to speak to 3 groups of high school students studying photography. I met with their teacher several weeks ago, I was very impressed with their program. The students are developing their own film and printing in a professionally equipped darkrooms.

I contacted the school in regards to speaking with their students. I know, that if I had met someone like myself when I was their age, I may have found myself sooner than I did. It wasn't until I was 27 years old that I discovered what it was that I had been looking for. The short story about my start is HERE.

When I was in high school in the early 70's, the only people coming to career days where the armed forces. If only I had met a working professional photographer back than and learned that you really could make a "good" living shooting pictures...who knows where I'd be today. Life works out in funny ways. I don't mean to ramble on, but it is my hope that I will make a connection with some young individual that is looking for some direction in their live and may began considering a career in photography.

I remember clearly the time when I "KNEW" what I wanted to be when I grew up. A tremendous weight was lifted off of me, and I had direction for the first time in my life. It's not easy growing up, as I stated earlier, the world is very competitive but there are so many opportunities available to all of us.

If your a young individual seeking a career in photography I'm excited for you! There are so many areas of specialties in the field of photography to consider, wedding photography, portraits, editorial, advertising and corporate. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know where my interest are. You can see my work HERE.

I chose corporate location work for the following reasons. I love to travel, I love the challenge of often creating something out of nothing, I love to learn new things and I love the "creative freedom" that corporate work allows me. The majority of my work is self directed, meaning that I rarely travel with an art director or other creative representative. My clients hire me because I am very pro-active when it comes to taking photos. I don't wait for things to happen, I make them happen, I'm hired to create images. I'm given some general direction for the photography that the client or design firm is looking for and I am expected to deliver. Quite honestly, I consider myself an art director with a camera.

Another reason why I like corporate work is that there seems to be more stability. Companies will always need their assets and personnel photographed. I believe this is particularly true when it comes to corporate annual report work.

I know you've seen those posters before, "If you dream it, you can become it" or something like that. Just do what you love and the money will come.... You'll be a happier person for pursuing your dreams. Just do it!

iPod MoJo

If your a traveler like I am, you've seen this view before. Why is it I always sit over the wings? and I'm not talking about the exit row.

I spend a lot of time flying around the country on various assignments which leaves me with lots of free time on my hands. While I was on my most recent trip, I realized how much I use my iPod while traveling.

I currently have a video iPod which allows me to download video podcasts and store photos on to it. One of my favorite past times while flying is watching podcasts and listening to music (Van Halen of course).

What I like about the podcasts is that it is a way to continually educate myself about a verity subjects. I love learning new things all the time. One of my favorite podcasts has to be "Lightroom Killer Tips" hosted by Matt Kloskowski. Matt works with NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) You can find his podcast through iTunes. It's great to learn new things while having to sit on an airplane. A few other podcasts that I enjoy watching are Radiant Vista and PhotoWalkthrough, both available through iTunes.

Another wonderful use for the iPod other than podcasts and music is the ability to store your portfolio on it. You never know who you might meet during your travels, perhaps someone who hires photography services. It could happen! I have a complete portfolio of my images stored on my iPod for just that occasion should it happen. If you don't know, I use to be a flight attendant and a passenger on my flight (professional photographer) changed my life! You can read the story here. So you really don't know who you might run into, when opportunity knocks, be ready!

The screens on these iPods look great, and now apple has a larger touch screen version. I looks much like the iPhone with a larger screen. I've put a link here to see it. At some point I may pick one up, I hope my wife is reading this.

I can't stress enough how important it is to continue your education. I've been shooting a long time and I still seek out new information regarding photography. I actually have plans on attending two workshops in the next few months. I've been signed up for months and can't wait to attend. I'll let you know who's workshops I'll be attending in later posts.

More to come. DT