How Many Does It Take?

Sometimes it takes a bit of work to get the photo you want.The shots below are four out of the twenty five I took. Sometimes things just don't go right!

 The wind blew at the exact moment I released the shutter. Wind = Blurry.

 Wind again. Moved the flower out of location just as I clicked.

Almost, but the right side of the frame is too blurry.

My favorite of the bunch. I can see areas that are out of focus, and the background is a little overexposed, but there's something about the way the flower and the wood grain turned out that I like.

More Dump Bin Rejects

Breaking the Rule

I recently read a quote by a very successful photographer that stated "Take photos of everything, but only publish the best." The idea being that you want to showcase your talent with quality photos. Well, I'm just beginning and I don't have a large election of 'great' shots yet, but there are photos I would like to share. 

So here is a collection of my "dump bin". These photos are shots I like but I am not happy with due to the composition, the focus, or some other reason. These are all taken at Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area in Prince William County, Virginia. 

Editing

I usually don't like to edit images. I enjoy the challenge of trying to get a good photograph that can stand on it's own without any retouching. However, I'm not a purist that believes you shouldn't manipulate a photo to achieve the desired result. Sometimes a color correction or crop can save a not so hot picture. All of the photos that have appeared on this blog so far have been untouched - I simply downloaded the images off the camera onto the computer and then compressed the files to allow for quicker loading onto the 'net.

The below photograph is a decent shot I took one morning while searching for photo opps. I was visiting the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg, Va and noticed some hawk-like birds fishing. I moved up the river to get closer to the action but I was only able to get within 100 yards of the soaring and diving birds (I think the birds were ospreys). The largest zoom I have is a 300mm lens and while that lens can reach out and touch, it just can't pull off a great shot of moving birds 100 yards away.

After a bunch of patient waiting, I managed to snap a series of photos as one of the hawks hovered high above the river, picked his prey, and then closed his wings to dive straight down into the water. With the distance and inadequate lens, this is the result.

Not a very close shot. You can see the bird and you might be able to make out the fish clenched in the talons. I wasn't happy with the result after spending so much time sitting in the middle of a river on a cold rock, so I decided to play around with the image.
I cropped the original photo to remove a large amount of the unnecessary river and rocks. I adjusted the exposure to add a bit of light and tweaked the color. I'm still disappointed that I didn't get a sharp, bright, up close shot of one of these birds hauling a fish out of the water, but that's the beauty of photography - there's always another day to try again!

Dramatic Shadows

I've done a little light reading through some photography books. Several sections I've read tell me that I can add an interesting effect with "Dramatic Shadows" - using strong light on one side of a subject's face while the other side remains darkened. So I tried a few shots of Jack while he was sitting in the sunshine.

I don't care for "Dramatic Shadows".

Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars...

Today I tried to grab a few good flag shots. This proved harder than I thought it would be - the wind has to be blowing enough to billow the flag but not too hard, as the flag just snaps and ripples. The sun needs to be bright enough to bring out the colors but not so bright that the light blasts through the fabric. And the timing and framing need to add some value as well.

I visited Marye's Hill in Fredericksburg, where a large flag flies above the cemetery and battlefields. I snapped over forty shots of the flag from different angles and in different styles. Here are a few results.

The flag photo below is a decent shot, but lacks a few things to make you want to look at it. The sky is bland, the flagpole is not vertical and distracts the eye, and the flag itself is not fully presented to the viewer. Overall, a very 'deletable' photo.

The shot below is a bit better. The sky has a bit of depth that is provided by the use of a polarizing filter. The polarizer does rob the flag of it's bright colors. I probably could have adjusted the settings to make up for the polarizer. The perspective is more interesting with just a bit of the flagpole showing, but the flag has too many shadows across it's face from the wind rippling the fabric. Overall, a possible 'keeper', but still no wow factor.
The last photo is my favorite. The flagpole has been removed completely by zooming in tight with a telephoto lens. The sun and wind combined in just the perfect fashion at the precise moment the shutter was released, allowing the motion of the fabric to be wavy and without shadows. The colors are bright and the lines are sharp. This picture is a definite winner in my book! Feel free to comment or criticize if you agree or disagree - I need the feedback!

Rebels and Yankees

I've been brushing up on my history as I seek out photo ops. I never cared much for History during school, but being able to walk through the land where so many vicious battles took place brings the old lessons into a new light. To imagine the cannons roaring, the men yelling and firing, and the horses reeling with wild looks in their eyes brings the war into sharp relief in my mind. The sheer loss of life during many of these battles is overwhelming. We routinely hear about groups of 20-30 soldiers dying during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of the battles during the Civil War resulted in many thousands of fighters dying in one afternoon. Much of the ground I walked in Chancellorsville would have been covered with fatally wounded soldiers. Quite sobering to realize that many of the graves in the cemeteries have headstones indicating that upwards of 30 soldiers are buried in each plot.

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On a lighter note, I posted this photo of a cannon because I had to work at getting the picture. The cannon in the previous post is perched atop a hill on one side of what used to be a large farm field. The cannon above is 1200 yards away, aimed to return fire towards the top of the hill. I walked the full 1200 yards down the hill, across the open field and back before I realized that there is a park road that connects the two locations. I could have saved myself the torturous hike if I had consulted the map before setting off! So enjoy the results of my walk!

Black & White -vs- Color

I find that I often struggle with the decision to take shots in color or in monochrome. Sometimes the photo just works better without color. For example, look at this Civil War era iron smelting furnace. In color, you see the different colors of the rocks, the green of the trees, and the sharp white of the cap that the National Park Service placed on top.Now look at the black and white version. Same shot composition, just missing the color. I like the simplicity of the shot - no green grass or trees to pull the eye away from the furnace and your imagination can place the furnace into the past.
As a quick history lesson... This stack is what is left of the largest iron creating furnace that existed during Civil War times. There used to be a bridge/catwalk that allowed carts to dump the ore into the top of the furnace. The whole mill was built up around this area and stood several stories high. The mill was known for producing the highest quality iron, and that iron was used for many purposes before, during, and after the conflict. One of the items that was produced in large numbers during the Civil War were cannons. Which brings us to the second set of B&W -vs- Color photos.

Again, these two shots (pun intended,Ha!) of the cannon were taken from the exact same location, seconds apart. I can't decide which I like better. The green of the grass seems to add to the picture, rather than take away as it did in the furnace picture. The color of the grass also works well with the patina of the cannon barrel. To me, the black and white of the cannon seems to be stark and cold. I guess the overall decision comes down to what I'm trying to convey through the shot.

What do you think? Do you prefer color or black and white? Does it depend on the photo subject? I enjoy shooting both in color and in B&W, so you'll see a mix as the posts continue.

Be Vewwy, Vewwy Quiet - I'm Huntin' Lizards

How Much Is That Doggy in the Window?

More....

Newbie Randomness

Welcome!

Welcome to the dumping ground for my photos! I hope to capture unique views of everyday things, as well as improve my picture taking abilities as time passes. Feel free to comment on the composition of any of the photos, or suggest topics you'd like to see me photograph. I hope to update the pictures often, as I am having fun with this new camera and I like to share the results!