fourpointedstar

Every journey starts somewhere, and while I’d taken some baby steps, my photography journey started with Don Frisque. Way back in 2005, we spent many evenings together. I would teach him how to use his iMac, and he would teach me how to use my camera.

Don was a well regarded and award winning member of the Wisconsin PSA, and honestly, I owe much of my technical knowledge of photography to an excellent foundation that he set for me.

Don’s interest in photography did not wane even as his health did. Every few months, I’d get an email from one of his sons “my dad really likes seeing your photos” and there’s not really a better compliment than that.

That’s a life goal, right? …to make sure that the people that you spend time with know that you love who they’ve become.
Thanks Don.

.

.

Film Scores are meant to make you feel a movie scene more deeply, to tie you into a character, emotion, moment, or plot point in a way that facial expressions and dialogue may fail. The best film scores can stand on their own without the movie, and I listen to film scores as my background noise during work and often while I drive.
.
For years, I have wanted to travel to Europe to see Hans Zimmer conduct a concert live; he’s truly one of the best film composers of all time and perhaps can be compared to John Williams in influence.
.
When Hans Zimmer announced his North American tour, Sarah said “let’s go see him for your birthday this year!” He was performing in Chicago, but we both noticed that his Seattle performance was on my birthday – and Sarah has wanted to take me to Seattle because she has enjoyed that town so much.
.
I was giddy, and honestly, Seattle helped build my excitement; we had a fantastic time; I think I could spend a week in Pike Place Market just enjoying all of the vendors, and I could probably spend another two days photographing the Ghery designed Museum of Pop Culture. There’s no “opener” for Hans Zimmer, you sit in your seat waiting…
.
I loved all of it, from the opening vocals from House Atreides, to the Wonder Woman suite, to the Pirates suite and everything in between; Hans has 30-50 different musicians on stage at a time to perform the various pieces. It’s part symphony orchestra, part vocal virtuosos, and part rock band – and each musician has been selected by Hans.
.
…But as the Man of Steel suite played – it moved me. The intensity and build of that score and the climax was an emotional experience for me; I was almost in tears. It was simply incredible – in a way that I can only feel through music.
Oh, and the last performance (before the encore) is a Lion King medley. You have not experienced the Lion King until it is performed live by Lebo M with a chorus.
.
(No, I don’t have a photo, no photo could hold a candle to the concert.)

see more

see more

… a little note about my 2017 eclipse images…
Both of the above images were shot with the solar filter. Since it was overcast on and off during the entire eclipse, I switched between solar filter, ND8 filters, and using f/22 with a high shutter speed. I had both my D600 and my D7000, with my 80-200 f/2.8 and 70-300 f/4-5.6 with me. Although I’d only used the solar filter twice before, and despite my ignorance, the clouds, and my location far from totality, I’m quite happy with the images that I did capture.
Lastly – the D7000 is a crop frame, so it’s images appears much more zoomed in.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it’s often difficult to define why something is beautiful for one person and not for another.  However, I have found a few general principles that should help you build a better photo:

1.  Pick 1 object to focus on.  Find a single point of interest, and build your photo around that Subject.  If possible, frame your photo so that no other object competes with your chosen Subject.

2.  Place that Subject on one of the points described in the Rule of Thirds.  There are many fantastic descriptions of the Rule of Thirds, and it’s likely the more pervasive rule in photography.

3.  Use leading lines to point to the Subject, or to show motion for the Subject.  Leading lines help draw the viewer into the image and center their gaze on the Subject of your image.

4.  Fill the frame of your photo with the Subject and objects that compliment the Subject (like leading lines).  

Using the suggestions above won’t automatically produce a better image, and there are many times when you can ignore each of the suggestions.  Your photograph is an extension of your artistic taste, express yourself and don’t let someone else and their suggestions or rules define your art.

• Joshua L. Smith • November 2015 •

You’re stuck.  You like photography, and enjoy capturing the world around you, but you’re not sure how to get started or restarted.  Here’s a few tips that might help:

1. Go to a familiar place (town, park, or public building) and take photos that remind you of memories at that location.

2. Collect small objects (shells from the riverside, dry leaves, crayons or marbles) and arrange them.  I have quite a few interesting photos on my iPhone of a collection of seashells that I collected from the shore of the Fox River. My daughters enjoy photographing those shells as well.

3. Challenge yourself to take a photo each day that relates to a subject; black & white, bumpy, or ball – it doesn’t matter.  Get your creative juices flowing.

4. Choose a subject, location or object and photograph it repeatedly.  You could change the scenery, technique, perspective or style for each photo.  One of my friends took a photo  each month of a particular location in the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  Another takes photos of glow bracelets in different scenes.  I have a collection of photos of staircases that I’m working on, and with each photo of staircases that I take I learn just a little bit more.

5. Choose an area of personal interest (windmills, sports, children) and build a portfolio.  Here’s how I would build a portfolio:
a. Print your 3 best or favorite images from each photography activity.
b. Add them to your portfolio.
c. When your portfolio reaches 15-25 images, remove the weakest images, keeping your portfolio below 15-25 images.
d. Mentally note why those removed images are weaker; perhaps even write that reason down.
If you shoot one activity each month, in 6 months you’ll have a portfolio of your best images; and if you keep up this process, in a year or two, you can look back at the rejected images and see how much you’ve learned and grown.

6. Join a photography club.  A few years back, there were very few options for photography clubs, but now that excellent digital cameras are inexpensive and with the popularity of smartphones and Instagram, there are many options photography groups:
– a local Photographic Society of America chapter
– CACCA in the Chicago area (free to attend, pay to compete)
– Join a photography Meetup (most are free)
– Instameets (Instagram gatherings)
– your local library might have a photography club
– even national/state/county parks will often have a photo club
Some groups will focus on meetings and instructional information, some on competition and judging images, while other groups will focus on activities.  Try a few out and meet some local friendly photographers.

Photography involves picking up your camera and capturing the world around you; you don’t need to make it more complex than that.  So pick up your smartphone, pocket camera, or SLR and capture your world!

• Joshua L. Smith • November 2015 •