David’s Blog
Spring Tulips!
Since it is cold, dreary and miserable here in the Northeast I thought I would post some very Spring tulip pics. These were all taken one morning in the Keukenhof Garden, an internationally famous garden in the Netherlands, I visited a couple of years ago. April is tulip season in the Netherlands so if these photos interest you I would get ye' to Amsterdam...
Makes you Think
This post is going to a bit out of the ordinary, even for me. I want you to go to a very short video at this web address- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOl4vwhwkW8&feature=youtube_gdata_player It is ingenious and simple and so very effective. It doesn't take much to have a big impact in this world- just the intention to try. That, a soda bottle, some...
Polarizer for Fall Colors
Tis that time of the year again, a favorite time of year for all photographers, when the forests across the country conspire to put on a fireworks show of colors. From red and yellow vine maples of the far west to the gold and orange aspens in the Rockies to the red, yellow, orange, amber, purple and rusts of the east, October and November are a...
Gotta Read This
It is not very often that I find something so compelling, so beautifully written that I feel it necessary to share on my blog. Brenda Berry just posted a wonderful article about a encounter she had with a little girl while photographing in Tanzania Here is the link: http://bberryphotography.com/2011/09/she-matters-2/ This is a great example of the power of...
Foreground-again
I'm back on one of my favorite topics- foreground. But this time I'm not going to write so much about the value of foreground ( adds drama, impact, balance to your photography) but more on getting close and really emphasizing the foreground. This is one of the most common mistakes that I notice in landscape photography- yes there is foreground but the...
Story and Advice- No Charge
Ok, ok, ok- one funny heart attack story but that's it! 7am and I am in the cardiac operating room in Corvallis, Oregon, lying on my back, the cardiac surgeon standing at my side looking at various monitors. I think he may be trying to get a clear picture on ESPN but I can't be sure. His nurse is at my feet removing my socks and any remaining dignity I...
Vermont Update
I have been getting a lot of questions about how Vermont is going to be this fall. People are contacting me asking what effect tropical storm Irene will have on the October photography season. My answer is: none, the storm will have no lasting effect what so ever. The odd thing about Irene was that in Vermont there was almost no wind so the forests,...
So I’ve been thinking…
So I've been thinking, which usually means that I have been thinking odd thoughts. I've been thinking about the role collaborators have played in my career and how I have greatly benefited from them. Over the last 25 plus years I have collaborated on major projects with John Shaw, Wayne Lynch, Bill Fortney, Bruce Morrison, Rod Barbee, Jeff Wendorff, Scott...
A Tad Wet Here
Vermont has been in the news lately. Yes it was wet here last weekend. Here in Danby we got about 7" of rain. Yes, there are many roads and bridges that were washed out and yes travel is a bit inconvenient but this is Vermont and we don't let any stinking rainy day dampen our spirits! Just another reason to get out the tractor or excavator or shovel and...
Sometimes you get lucky
Middle of the day, August, on the beach, needing shots, light is terrible. That just about wraps up my summer photography. But I can't just walk away, I have got to get some images for the book. So what do you do? I have two choices the way I see it: either be grumpy and leave and curse the photo gods for their cruelty or wander around and praise those...
Photographing Lighthouses
Since we are on the topic of lighthouses I thought I would share four suggestions on how to get your best shots. These may seem obvious to you now but when you are out in the thick of battle some things become a bit less obvious and your composition will suffer. First- If you are doing a grand scenic shot choose a composition that includes water (and rocks...