A self portrait taken with my new Verizon Dare.
Another New Toy
photography
Comments Off
Jul 312008
Feeding Time
photography
Comments Off
Jul 212008
A small Paper Wasp nest came to life under our stairs recently. Probably about 20 wasps live there (for the moment), and I was able to get my camera right in their little faces early this morning while it was cold and they were basically inactive.
In this shot, the wasp on the left has just flown in to the nest and approached the wasp on the right. From behind the lens it looked like they were just sharing information via an antenna dance. Upon examining the photos afterward there was food sharing going on. If you zoom in close on this image you can see them sharing the food he just brought in.
View huge
My Fear of Clowns Is Not Irrational
photography
Comments Off
Jul 172008
Me, at the age of one and a half. This was taken in March or April of that year, so it is NOT a Halloween costume. Other than my lingering fear of clowns (coulorphobia), this event has been erased from my memory.
Scanned from a Kodachrome slide.
Photographers’ Rights
photography
Comments Off
Jul 162008
During my year of intense photography I was only questioned five times. After the first time I learned what my rights were and now carry around this sheet in my camera bag. Other good resources:
http://www.krages.com/phoright.htm
http://www.kantor.com/useful/Legal-Rights-of-Photographers.pdf
Here are the five situations, how I did react, how I would have reacted if I knew my rights, and the outcome.
Monterey Airport
This is the one that really gets me, and if I understood my rights better I would have reacted differently. My son and I were standing just outside the fence at the airport photographing cool planes. We were next to the MillionAir terminal, which is where many private planes use as their main terminal. One of the Gulfstream jets was boarding some people and a security guard who was with them came over to me. Through the fence he asked me what I was doing there. I told him “taking pictures of planes” (duh). He then told me not to take any pictures with tail numbers in them. I said okay. After he left I kept shooting (tail number or not). He had no rights regarding my photography at all. I was on public land and could shoot whatever I wanted to. I could have zoomed right in on his face and fired away, I could have shot all the pictures I wanted of his clients and their plane. I was unsure of my rights at the time, which is what prompted me to learn more. If it happened today I would politely explain that to him, and probably take a picture of his plane just to make my point. Then he’d probably punch me, rights or no rights.
This is the one that really gets me, and if I understood my rights better I would have reacted differently. My son and I were standing just outside the fence at the airport photographing cool planes. We were next to the MillionAir terminal, which is where many private planes use as their main terminal. One of the Gulfstream jets was boarding some people and a security guard who was with them came over to me. Through the fence he asked me what I was doing there. I told him “taking pictures of planes” (duh). He then told me not to take any pictures with tail numbers in them. I said okay. After he left I kept shooting (tail number or not). He had no rights regarding my photography at all. I was on public land and could shoot whatever I wanted to. I could have zoomed right in on his face and fired away, I could have shot all the pictures I wanted of his clients and their plane. I was unsure of my rights at the time, which is what prompted me to learn more. If it happened today I would politely explain that to him, and probably take a picture of his plane just to make my point. Then he’d probably punch me, rights or no rights.
Petco
The second time I was shooting in one of their stores an employee came over and told me they didn’t allow photography in the store. He was very nice about it and I was happy to stop shooting. I love the shots I got that day.They were totally within their rights and I quit shooting.
The second time I was shooting in one of their stores an employee came over and told me they didn’t allow photography in the store. He was very nice about it and I was happy to stop shooting. I love the shots I got that day.They were totally within their rights and I quit shooting.
Hollywood & Highland Center (Kodak Theatre)
I was shooting late at night, but the mall was still open. I was trying to get a self-portrait in some mirrors hanging within a set of escalators, so I was riding the escalators up and down and up and down… A young security guard came over and told me they didn’t allow photography there. This isn’t true, since it’s a tourist trap and people are taking pictures there all day. Though I didn’t believe her, I was polite and simply asked “Why not?” She stumbled for a moment and then said they were afraid the security cameras would be in the pictures and that would compromise their security at the mall. Okay, there’s a million holes in that reasoning, but I was done shooting anyway, so I thanked her for letting me know and turned to leave. She then thanked me for being so nice about it. Since I was on private property, they do have the right to not allow me to take photos, and to kick me off the property if I continued. So she was within their rights, even though the reason was really bogus. I would have liked it if she just said I was creeping them out and had to stop.
I was shooting late at night, but the mall was still open. I was trying to get a self-portrait in some mirrors hanging within a set of escalators, so I was riding the escalators up and down and up and down… A young security guard came over and told me they didn’t allow photography there. This isn’t true, since it’s a tourist trap and people are taking pictures there all day. Though I didn’t believe her, I was polite and simply asked “Why not?” She stumbled for a moment and then said they were afraid the security cameras would be in the pictures and that would compromise their security at the mall. Okay, there’s a million holes in that reasoning, but I was done shooting anyway, so I thanked her for letting me know and turned to leave. She then thanked me for being so nice about it. Since I was on private property, they do have the right to not allow me to take photos, and to kick me off the property if I continued. So she was within their rights, even though the reason was really bogus. I would have liked it if she just said I was creeping them out and had to stop.
Auto Parts Yard
This was in LA. I paid my entrance fee, signed a document that I didn’t read (I assumed it was about how to collect and pay for parts) and went in with a backpack filled with camera stuff. I spent about 45 minutes taking pictures and being pretty conspicuous about it, including standing on top of cars to take wide shots. When I was leaving they checked my bag and saw all the camera stuff. The gate person asked if I took pictures and I admitted I had. She then said I needed to talk to the Manager and had me follow her back out to the yard. The Manager told me photography wasn’t allowed there. I was expecting more, but that was it, so I turned and left.They were within their rights to not allow photography there, with or without notice. It was probably in the sheet I signed though. However, even though I took pictures they aren’t allowed to inspect my camera, make me delete images or confiscate cards, film or equipment. So the most the Manager could really do is tell me not to take any more and kick me out, which is basically what happened (except I was already leaving).
This was in LA. I paid my entrance fee, signed a document that I didn’t read (I assumed it was about how to collect and pay for parts) and went in with a backpack filled with camera stuff. I spent about 45 minutes taking pictures and being pretty conspicuous about it, including standing on top of cars to take wide shots. When I was leaving they checked my bag and saw all the camera stuff. The gate person asked if I took pictures and I admitted I had. She then said I needed to talk to the Manager and had me follow her back out to the yard. The Manager told me photography wasn’t allowed there. I was expecting more, but that was it, so I turned and left.They were within their rights to not allow photography there, with or without notice. It was probably in the sheet I signed though. However, even though I took pictures they aren’t allowed to inspect my camera, make me delete images or confiscate cards, film or equipment. So the most the Manager could really do is tell me not to take any more and kick me out, which is basically what happened (except I was already leaving).
Healdsburg Bridge
I was shooting night shots of the bridge around 11pm, and on a moonless night it was pretty creepy in this small, dark park. After I had been there about 20 minutes a police officer parked nearby and walked down with his flashlight in my face. He saw I was taking pictures, so he was really nice to me. He explained that the park closes at sunset and that it isn’t a safe place to be. He then asked how much longer I was planning to be there. I had gotten my shot and was happy to leave at that point anyway, so I told him that and started packing up. I really appreciated how nice he was, and I felt like he was there to protect my stupid self rather than harass me.
I was shooting night shots of the bridge around 11pm, and on a moonless night it was pretty creepy in this small, dark park. After I had been there about 20 minutes a police officer parked nearby and walked down with his flashlight in my face. He saw I was taking pictures, so he was really nice to me. He explained that the park closes at sunset and that it isn’t a safe place to be. He then asked how much longer I was planning to be there. I had gotten my shot and was happy to leave at that point anyway, so I told him that and started packing up. I really appreciated how nice he was, and I felt like he was there to protect my stupid self rather than harass me.
Yellowjackets
photography
Comments Off
Jul 122008
We were eating dinner outside the other evening and were raided by about a dozen yellowjackets. While shooing them away I shot a few pictures of one of them chewing off a bit of meat and carrying it away. I decided to try and get better pictures, so today I set out a chunk of chicken to attract them back, and sat in wait for my models. Eventually a few came, along with a curious fly. (click on images to see full size versions on flickr)
Coming in for a landing, and starting to chew:
The curious fly, and leaving with a chunk o’ chicken:
Interesting creatures.
My APAD Top 10
photography
Comments Off
Jul 102008
This was incredibly hard to do. Sarah asked me what my top ten pictures were and I felt compelled to figure it out. But here they are in chronological order:
Bunny Goes Flying (7/18/07) – This is probably my favorite picture of them all. I was sitting in the copilot seat of a friend’s Bonanza flying to LA and noticed my shadow on the wing. There wasn’t any question what had to be done, and I started shooting. Gary never questioned what was going on next to him.
Bolex Camera (7/24/07) – If I shot this today I’d get rid of the bright white blown out floor, but I love the image anyways. The picture is a tribute to my dad and the first movie camera I used as a kid, so there’s personal emotions built into this one. Plus I think it’s just purdy.
Windmill (9/21/07) – This image got panned by a judge in a competition I entered it in because it broke the rule of thirds and is totally symmetrical, which is exactly why I took it and why I love it. I use this as my desktop image on my laptop.
Tumbling Dice (12/14/07) – You might think I got lucky to get boxcars on this roll, but I took hundreds of photos to get this one. Just playin’ the odds. I’m especially proud of this because it didn’t use any fancy equipment. Just a flashlight and the built in flash on my camera. This is one of my most popular pictures on flickr.
Game Over (3/25/08) – Lacrosse is a great game to watch, and a lot of fun to photograph. I learned a lot about action photography at Kevin’s games, but this is my favorite lacrosse picture by a wide margin. I like that one of the players is off to the side, the low sun, the vivid colors, and especially the wide crop. I got a 14″ wide print and matted and framed it for Kevin’s room and it looks great.
Magic Hour Stairway (4/10/08) – Taken in the hour before sunset on Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay. I love the color and composition and the amount of detail that came out. I was using a Canon 40D that I rented for a shoot I was doing for a friend – it went on my wish list that day. That was a great time to be roaming around a decommissioned naval base, I felt like I couldn’t shoot fast enough to get all the shots that were possible there.
Student Team Photos (5/7/08) – There’s a lot I like about this (composite) photo. First off, it’s all my students so that makes it awesome right there. Second, all my studying of lighting paid off. This was shot with a single strobe bounced off the wall to give a softer light, and a long exposure to get the powerpoint slides on the screens. Third, to get them and the screen image in the same shot I had to use this really low camera angle (I was lying on the floor) and I needed them to lean into the camera to get their faces from shrinking – this ended up creating a really fun pose that brings out a lot of their personalities.
Golden Contentment (6/17/08) – This one was a tough call. Shane was my favorite subject and I had a lot of images of him to choose from. Laying on the lawn with tennis balls, sticking his head out the car window, puffy hair after a bath… he’s a star. This image was from a really fun day we had on the lake, and it says a lot to me about what a special dog he is.
Kite’s View of Mt. Tallac Peak (6/24/08) – After 14 years of going to Stanford Sierra Camp, I finally did the hike to the top of Tallac. I planned this one months ahead of time and bought a kite aerial photography kit and learned how to use it, all with the hope that the wind would be right up there to get this shot. I felt great about doing the hike, and being able to get the shot was a giant thrill for me. I beamed about this one for days and still brag about it to anyone who will listen.
The End (7/7/08) – If my last photo of the project wasn’t on my top ten list I would feel like I failed. I tried to apply a lot of what I’ve learned to this shot both in technique and in storytelling. And it made the list.
22,000 Photos, and other Stats
photography
Comments Off
Jul 102008
I just dug through Lightroom and pulled out some numbers that I thought were interesting about my last twelve months of photography.
From 7/9/07 through 7/8/08 I shot over 22,000 photos (averaging about 57 a day). I didn’t track my time (thank God), but a conservative estimate would be that I averaged at least a couple of hours a day between shooting, processing and uploading pictures. So this was probably a 800 to 1000 hour project. Please note – I tried to do more than take snapshots here!
Most of the pictures (about 70%) were with my trusty Canon 10D before I dropped it down the stairs. Another 13% were with the new replacement Canon 40D. 15% were with my Olympus waterproof point-and-shoot, and the remaining few were from my phone, a flatbed scanner or screenshots.
I got my Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro for Christmas, and shot over 4,000 photos with it. Not all of those are macros, it’s a great portrait lens, too. I also shot about 4,000 photos with my super-wide Tamron 11-18mm lens. The rest of the shots on my 10D were with a Canon 28-200mm lens (which I didn’t like, but was still sad when it broke into three pieces at the bottom of the stairs).
About halfway through the project I saw the light and started shooting everything in RAW format (rather than jpeg). My files are huge, but I have the original unprocessed data and have tons of latitude for adjusting color, exposure, sharpness, etc. in post. Total storage for all my pictures is about 100GB (33GB from last year, 67GB from this year) – well beyond my patience for burning them to DVDs, so they’re backed up on multiple disks. (I only delete really awful shots.)
My #1 source for inspiration was flickr. I know, it’s supposed to be books of photos by the masters, but hey. I also learned a ton about lighting from strobist.com, which I would say is mandatory for anyone serious about photography. I did a lot of the exercises and shared work in the strobist group on flickr.
I joined the Palo Alto Camera Club last August, and really appreciate the face to face interactions around sharing and critiquing work. I did a number of photo-field trips with PACC, and also did one with a group of local flickr fanatics (I’m planning to do more of these, too).
Photo books were very helpful, the best two being “Light: Magic and Science” by Hunter, Biver and Fuqua, and “The Moment It Clicks” by Joe McNally. I learned an enormous amount from both of these and they definitely made my pictures better.
A Picture A Day – DONE!
photography
Comments Off
Jul 092008
One year ago today I took on a “Picture A Day” project with the goal of shooting 366 (leap year!) reasonably good pictures and posting them for the world to see.
On Monday I finished that project, and never missed a shot.
First 
to last… 
Along the way I acquired new equipment, flew a kite with a camera hanging from it on a 9700′ peak, went underwater, did a self-portrait while wakeboarding, got kicked out of five different places, broke a Canon 10D, froze time, stretched time, went to places I never would have gone, shot pictures for a movie, got a few accolades, met tons of new people, became addicted to Flickr, learned how to light, and ended up a much better photographer.
The results are on flickr and also on my apadblog.
Before that project I was an occasional blogger (just look at the history here), but I ended up doing a post a day on apadblog, sometimes about the photos and sometimes about the circumstances around the photos. I’m now moving back over to this blog and will continue with that style. This week I’m going to be talking a lot about some of the experiences I had and lessons I learned (intermingled with a few new photos).
