August 18, 2009
“Lightning Strike”
My first attempt ever at photographing a lightning strike. We had a thunderstorm and this was the perfect opportunity to practice. Let me tell you that your reflexes aren’t going to cut it, at least not mine. I set my camera on a tripod and just shot long exposures, hoping to get lucky. I eventually did, just in time before the intensity of the storm decreased. Next time I will be more prepared for it. All in all I must say that it’s pretty easy to get decent photos. What I unfortunately didn’t have was a good composition. If only I was into photography when I hiked through the Alps or other European mountains with my parents. Such dramatic thunderstorms and sceneries. I will go back.
August 17, 2009
“The Gas Stove”
Another one of those shots where I’ve had to get creative in a very limited amount of time. Instead of lighting something, how about taking a shot of something that produces its own source of light? Fire is a fascinating one and our gas stove produced the perfect subject. Because of the brightness of the flames, anything else became dark, what I was after. The ease of isolating the subject from its environment made for a more powerful photo.
August 16, 2009
“Tired Tires”
We were driving to Sugar Loaf, in Orange County, when I spotted this mount of tires on the side of the road. I find those types of subject inspiring and knew exactly how I’d frame my shot before I stopped to take it. I took my time to expose it to the right so I’d have as much information as possible when developing it later in raw. I was very happy with the sharpness and might actually print it. So much detail in the tires, you can read everything.
August 15, 2009
“It’s A Long Story”
I used a flash for that one. The light in my office was just too dim and I wanted to retain enough detail so I had to use a lower ISO. Jasmine was great. She totally understands when I take a photo of her, poses and comes to see the shot on the LCD screen afterwards. It shows that she was really enjoying herself during that mini photo session. The little angel has a high sentimental value. It’s a gift of my beloved grandmother to Jasmine. Unfortunately, she passed away a couple of months before she was born. That wooden angel, hand carved in Germany, has a story of its own, but I don’t want to bore you with it. In the background, one of my favorite rugs. I will probably use it in future shots.
August 14, 2009
“Shark Encounter”
First visit to the New York aquarium. A very disappointing experience, not worth spending money on. One would think New York City would have an aquarium it can be proud of. It ranks amongst the worst I’ve been to so far, and I’ve seen quite a few. Boston, in comparison, has a beautiful one. Don’t miss it if you go there. An advantage of the shark aquarium being tiny though, was the ability to take photos of the same shark over and over again as it was circling around its home. Jasmine really liked that big fish and was trying to grab it. Actually, the shallow depth of field gives the illusion that she is petting it.
