Tucquan Glen, revisited

I've tried making it down to Tucquan for the last couple of weeks. One of the problems has been parking another is that the snow is at least knee deep on the trails. With the snow melting a little bit I was able to park but had to spend 45 minutes to dig myself out. With hip waiter's on I trudged through the creek. It was definitely wroth the trip. I've got two season's of this scene and will be getting a spring and summer shot in time. Hope you enjoy

Nick

Red Reflections

With the temps about to climb back up into the 40s in the next couple of days. I made sure to take full advantage of last nights snowfall. I spent the morning in Lancaster County Park. With the snow on the trees and the calmness of the Conestoga River really enhanced my favorite covered bridge in the county.
Hope you enjoy
Nick

Light: Quantity & Quality

"Learning to capture Light will make

extraordinary images from ordinary subjects." -Ed Heaton

Hopefully Ed you don't mind me using your quote for my next little segment. This month it's all about lighting. This is subject that I'll admit that I'm no expert in, I take away when I should add and add when I should take away. To understand Light you have to understand that it falls into two categories: Quantity & Quality.

Quantity has to do with exposure, or intensity of illumination. We control that with aperture, (the amount we let in) and shutter the speed that we record the light. Quality is the mood of the light, warm or cool, harsh or soft.

We used to have to use a gray scale card to measure light. Some still use a hand held meter, but thanks to the digital age most of it is taken care of in camera. But a helpful hint, something I'm doing alittle more is to carry an 18%gray card with me to get a better reading. Because even with all of the camera technology they can still miss true light.

Quality is measured with the way the light comes in: Side lighting, Front lighting and Back ligthing. On a bright sunny afternoon it's a harsh light with no shadows, but morning and late afternoon there are long shadows and warmth. Cloudy days give a soft diffused light which is perfect for a long shutter. And just because the sun goes down doesn't mean you have to stop shooting. If you live in a city there are endless possibilities of night shots. The images above are images I used for side lighting with shadows. I like to keep the light on the side for the shadows. To me they add an extra dimension.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Dramatic Sky

Over the last year I've taken a keen interest in clouds. Especially when a storm is moving in or clearing out. The lighting combined with the clouds for usually a brief moment can provide a spectacular scene. Last week we were socked in with rain. This scene lasted about two minutes then it was all blue sky's. And I was lucky enough to be outside.

Hope you enjoy

Nick

Flower Close up

My bought these bulb type flowers at Market a couple of week's ago. I keep forgetting there name's. The last several day's it has felt like spring has sprung with all of these flowers popping out. I spent the shooting this one try different backgrounds, types of light and techniques. Here I a 30 sec exposure at f-45. During the exposure I rolled the lens in and out of focus to get this soft look to it.

Hope you

Nick

Fern Macro

I've really enjoyed some of my macro experiments. Most of the time though it doesn't work out but it's an on going learning experience. Fern's are a fascinating subject especially in the woods if you can avoid poison ivy that grows around them. I've really become a fan of the spores that grow on the back of there leaves. This leaf I cut out of my backyard and set up a little studio in my office to shoot it. It was too cold outside. Hope you enjoy

Nick

Seeing & Photographing

"Seeing is not enough; you have to feel what you photograph."

--Andre Kertesz

One of my goals throughout this year I want to do a lesson/blog. Not only does it keep my own mind sharp but also it helps other people out. I plan on doing this once a month. As a Photographer you need to see what your photographing and determine the best way to translate it in to an image. Now there's a number of things that I'll get into later on this year that you have to take into consideration: exposure, lighting, depth of field, etc. Seeing what your photographing is important but you also have to feel what your shooting. Shoot what moves you: people, wildlife, sunsets etc. Being prepared helps with being in the right place at the right time as well as being familiar with your subject helps bring out a great image. Go out and scout and area out ahead of time. Also what plays along with seeing is how to best bring out your subject: framing converging lines etc.

One of my favorite shots to take during the fall foliage season is a shot with leaves on a rock with the water going around them. If there was no water the shot is a very good one. Everyday I go out to my back yard and look at the Lancaster skyline. It's a familiar scene about a month ago the dark clouds provided a great background to the direct light.

Hope you enjoy.

Nick