What I learned about photography during 2016

Every year I learn something new about photography. Sometimes what I learn is simple and sometimes what I learn really opens my eyes. What is most important is to keep learning. So here's a list of insights about photography I gained this past year.

1.  Old lenses are just as good as new ones...they're just cheaper to buy.

2.  It is good to look through your old photographs to see how far you have come...and to verify how far you still need to go.

3.  Stick to what you know to perfect it, but do not be afraid to branch out and try new things.

4.  Focusing on a project regardless of its scope is more efficient than taking random pictures and relying on random chance.

5.  Take notes and write about your experiences in the field. Keep them in some kind of journal or blog, then take time to read back through them from time to time.

5a. Don't worry about your writing skills, just write...your skills will improve over time as will your understanding of photographic principles. The writing helps you understand what is happening.

6.  There is a difference between being 'Well Dreamnt' and creating experiences by following your dreams.

7.  Photographing in the middle of the day in bright sun is actually okay provided you do it wisely and understand how to use the sun to your advantage.

8.  Even small weddings are hard to photograph effectively by yourself...but they are also very rewarding to do.

9.  Backup everything right away...and keep extra SD cards available...they can fail on you.

10. Share you work with others and always be open to critical review...others see your work differently and can provide insightful criticism.

11. Spend lots of time admiring other photographers work, but review it from the persepctive of 'How did they do that'...and then see if you can duplicate the technique.

12. Not all photography has to be a work of art. Snapshots are important family history pictures.

13. When photographing a group of teenagers...feed off their energy and use their energy to generate those magical moments.

14. Teenagers are great!

15. Shooting with off camera speed-lights doubles your potential as a photographer. Use them creatively and avoid the cliche.

16. Big skies are amazing but sometimes difficult to find in Kentucky.

17. Photograph everything...don't just always shoot the ordinary subjects. Look at the world with a creative eye and even a static display can become a work of art.

18. Harvest time can provide some fantastic photo ops.

19. Not everyone is as enthusiastic about photography as you are...but that is okay.

20. and finally....Find some time to just have fun with it and don't worry about always having to create a great image. The great moments will come...but when they don't, just have fun.

Indian Summer

Fall..a time for change...a season of transition, possibly my favorite time of year for many reasons. No other time does the array of colors adorn the landscape. Reds, greens, yellows, orange, and brown all provided in vaious shades and intensities. The same can be said about the weather, cool crisp evenings, blustery days, blue skies and clear vistas are just some of what is instore, but no other time does Indian Summer wrap itself around us with a cloak of warmth and color.

When the fall colors arrive, I believe they were created to allow the sun an opportunity to vibrate with excitement, to show us another side of life where brilliance and tone become the standard. As a photographer, one simply has to take advantage of the moment, for the moment will not last. Before long Indian Summer fades into a slumber, not to be stirred from its sleep until the next fall season.

My favorite time of year, well more often than not, it is the one I find myself in at any given moment, yet today served itself well as I discovered myself absorbing the soothing fragrance that is Indian Summer, allowing its warmth to cleanse what ailes me, to suspend me above old wounds, to slow down for a while and remember what is good about life.

Nbr 6 - What I like About This Shot - Super Moon Above the Corvette Museum

Seems to me we've had several Super Moon events in recent times. Seems like each time they say we won't see this again for X nbr of years...then before long another one appears. Doesn't make much difference in the scheme of things except to provide a photographer an excuse to get out and take some interesting shots.

I've photographed the moon dozens of times, mostly when it is not full because the shadows of a partially lit moon bring out a more interesting array of features. Full moons however, have an almost mystic complexity to them. It is the kind of complexity where one is drawn into its mystery. It is not difficult to photograph the moon as long as you approach it with the right set of exposure values. What is more difficult is to place the moon inside an interesting composition, one where its mystery, its history, its magical properties are all inner woven into the fabric of the composition.

This image was taken during the latest and greatest 2016 super moon event. To be honest, I wasn't even contemplating getting out to photograph it until a friend called me and asked if I would join him and another person at the Corvette Museum to photograph the event. It turned out to be a good decision. For several months, years really, I've wanted to photograph the Sky Dome and pinnacle portion of the museum as it is a unique archetechural design, just never made time to do so. The Sky Dome, if you recall, is where the sinkhole opened up and dumped 8 beautifully restored Corvettes into the abys. Five of those cars were completely destroyed with no hope of being re-restored. The standing water sits in the bottom of another ancient sinkhole and there are several other ones nearby. So there is a bit of historical and geological significance with this location.

I must admit something here, well two somethings really. First of all, yes the moon did appear above the museum and it was magnificent. Secondly...it wasn't exactly in this location. It was close, just a bit further to the right off the frame from this angle. Also, the Sky Dome image was taken before the moon appeared, to take advantage of the twilight sky and reflection in the water pool. I also used a one-stop graduated neutral density filter to bring the sky and its reflection into exposure sync . A separate shot of the moon was captured with a longer focal length lense and superimposed it into this composition slightly to the left of where it actually would have been. Had you been standing at a slightly different angle a few yards to the left, the moon rise looked very much like this but would not have been reflected in the water. I simply took my artist perogative and moved it slightly to create a more interesting composition. Some purist will frown at me for having done this. Frankly, I'm not concerned about it. The technique is nothing new or unethical and the end result speaks for itself and reflects the true nature of this magical moment.

So having clarified the situation...What do I like about this image? Compositonally it is very strong. The color contrasts between the Sky Dome and the sky create a vibration of opposing colors. The moon simply places the composition into a unique moment in time and adds a spectacular element of interest...and yes, it really did look like this for the most part, and that is what makes it a fun image.