Here be Dragons — 100mm | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/100
I’m a Game of Thrones fan. I’m a macro fan. I’m a black and white fan. So for my money here goes the trifecta. I know many folks appreciate my wide angle landscapes—the sweeping shots of the dramatic sunsets that readily pop-up along the Jersey shore. Those are great, and I love getting out there and making those photographs. But what excites me the most is getting up close and personal with the micro world at the business end of a macro lens. Old school handheld shooting I can couple with the drama of shallow depth of field and its smooth bokeh, finishing with a moody black and white photograph rendering just enough mystery and pause into the final frame. It is in these most I feel most capable—most inspired.
And as far as Game of Thrones is concerned—am I on point in seeing a dragon here, or is that just me? Better yet? Season 5, episode 4 airs tonight!
You have no power here — 100mm | f/5.6 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/1250
I’ve been spending much more time shooting on Long Beach Island of late. It’s the ice in particular that has brought me there. There’s just something to that juxtaposition of Winter’s grip imposing its will on Summer’s paradise.
Yesterday brought me to Surf City, Harvey Cedars and Barnegat Light. And while I did most of my shooting with my cellphone, I did manage to train my macro lens on this icy railing staring straight into the setting sun. In my own head, the primary icicle reminds of my love of maps that began as wee lad. All I see is the penninsula of Cape May County, New Jersey jutting southward, driving Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean apart.
A tip of the old cap to Jon Carr for calling out the railing. Were it not for his instance I most certainly would not have bothered. You can see his interpretation here.
I’ve taken 6,386 photographs with my DSLR this year—short ~250 that were deleted immediately on account of poor quality—and easily my lowest total since I began shooting January 1, 2012. For some perspective, I took well over 25,000 pictures that first year but don’t let the lower total fool you; I’ve no doubt become more selective in my shooting—ditching spray and pray tactics in favor of a more established process. Thanks to the experience I’ve gained over the past three years, 2014 represents my best year as a photographer. I launched this website in a rare spat of motivation on January 18, 2014, and I’ve processed and posted 136 photographs (and counting at the time of this posting) since. I thought I’d share with you my personal favorites from throughout the year.
Winter has its ways — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 3 Bracketed Exposures
Winter has its ways | Taken: January 23, 2014 | Location: Antoinetta’s Restaurant, Cedar Run Dock Road, West Creek, NJ
Two things stand out from last winter once dates flipped to the January side of the calendar: 1) Polar Vortex cold, and 2) the great sunsets it wrought. As a sunset landscape photographer early 2014 brought the goods to the New Jersey coast, rendering multiple standout sunsets each week. This reality will be reflected over the next few shots in the series, but this particular photograph stands out for me as my favorite sunset shot I’ve been lucky enough to make—not just this year but ever.
What really makes it a standout for me is the coupling of the frozen bay and the lines it creates with the deep purple and scarlet red sky that I covet so much. The marching clouds moving steadfast out of the southern vanishing point splay out in almost winged fashion as they moves off screen to the top left. There’s just so much sweetness happening right here.
I’ll leave you when the summertime — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures
When rich pastels, a smattering of snow pack, and water still as glass come together you have all the ingredients of a great sunset photo opportunity. All you’ve got to do is compose it, breathe, and fire. With this shot, aside from the great colors, I like the way the pink clouds racing across the horizon to the left are counterbalanced by the angle of the water moving off screen to the bottom right. It brings the right kind of movement and balance to the photograph that makes it a standout for me.
This title is lyrically inspired. Having been one of the coldest winters I can remember I was listening to Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and the line “I’ll leave you when the summertime” just stuck with me.
The path before me — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures
The path before me | Taken: February 7, 2014 | Location: Cedar Run Dock Road, West Creek, NJ
More cold, more great sunsets. Here’s another shot from Dock Road, taken about 1/4 quarter mile west of Winter has its ways above. To make this photograph I set my tripod about 18 inches off the ground, set back about two feet from where that small tidal pool spills out onto the pebbles in the foreground. That opening is only about two feet wide. That’s where the magic of the 14mm wide angle comes into play, making the whole scene larger than life as it pushes everything back toward the vanishing point; in this case driving all eye movement to just right of center along the horizon.
A subtle loss of clarity — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/15
A subtle loss of clarity | Taken: February 18, 2014 | Location: Great Bay Boulevard, Little Egg Harbor, NJ
Hey, alright! The first photograph in the not sunset division. I love black and white. Growing up as a wannabe photorealist pencil drawer I did just about everything in black and white. Resorting to other mediums only as mandated by the art teacher. And while color has grown on me in surprising ways, black and white will always hold a special place.
Specific to this low key black and white landscape I was going for a moody, dead-zone February vibe. Coupled with this lazy shutter trick I sometimes try where at slightly sluggish speeds—1/15 of a second in this case—I pan the camera across the horizon, holding the camera steady turning only at the hips from left to right. Executed correctly—which is equal parts luck, voodoo, and skill—it can create a really cool ethereal effect. With this shot, the soft undulating water ripples move me peacefully through the photo despite its apparent darkness.
Your day breaks — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures
Your day breaks | Taken: February 22, 2014 | Location: 13th Street, Ship Bottom, NJ
I am not a morning person. That means I miss just about all the sunrises. This is probably a fail on my part considering I have the whole of the Atlantic Ocean like 6 miles to my east. Lucky for me on February 22nd I was awake. I can’t remember what made that morning different from any other in terms of waking up early, but hey, it paid off.
When I was composing this shot I wanted to capitalize on two key features: 1) the dune fence arcing from left to right, and 2) the sweeping cloud diving in from the top right corner that eerily reminds me of one enormous looming moon. The curving trajectories of these two features play so nicely together, achieving the balance I seek with my work. Of course this is all enhanced as its backlit by gorgeous sunrise light.
More lyrically inspired titles—the opening line to the Beatles “For No One” seemed perfectly apt.
And hey, let’s here it for February 2014!—this marks four selections for the month, the most of any month in this retrospective.
Barnegat Bay dockside — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures
Here’s my runner up to Winter has its ways as second best sunset photo of the year. I dig everything about this picture. The way the blues and pinks work together; the subtle movement to the colors reflected in the bay; the cotton candy clouds drifting the sky; and the foreground marked by knotty boards and one small stone. It’s a minimal composition that I’m definitely proud of.
It starts with one — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/400
It starts with one | Taken: June 27, 2014 | Location: My house, Manahawkin, NJ
Gear change. Time for a run of flower macros. This is really how I got my start with a camera in 2012. For much of that year I shot macro exclusively, focusing mostly on flowers and bugs. And while I’ve since grown up as a landscape photographer, I still really enjoy making the small world big with macro.
In this shot I’ve pulled a lot of personal favorite styles together. Black and white processing; low key mood; minimalist subject with one yet-to-bloom daisy; and a shallow depth of field. I want the eye to play between the soft grey shadow to the left of the offset daisy bud to the right, highlighted in the glow of an offscreen light source. It’s a simple scene, and that suits my style just fine.
The last of us — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/250
The last of us | Taken: September 5, 2014 | Location: My house, Manahawkin, NJ
Fact: purple coneflower is one of my all time favorite flowers to photograph. Their size, color, and shape make an ideal macro candidate. This little guy is potted in my backyard, and he was still standing tall into September. Knowing its time was coming I went for the camera. I had about 10 more minutes of afternoon light before the sun would slip behind my house, turning off the light source. Shooting handheld I set my focus to just sharpen the petal tips, letting the rest of the flower fall into soft focus and bokeh. The result? One of my favorite flower macros of the year.
I’d love to see you in that dress — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 500 | EXP 1/1000
Here it is, folks. My number one favorite shot of the year. Starting with a single Klondyke Sunny Red in Ben Wurst’s front yard wildflower bed, I made a handheld macro photograph aiming directly at the flower from its waistline if you will. What struck me staring down the barrel of my viewfinder was how much this beautiful flower made my mind’s eye behold a graceful dancer twirling the most beautiful cocktail dress. With consideration toward the wonderful femininity inherent in this photograph, I went with a proper high key black and white treatment to accent the softness and sensuality that is this photograph.
This shot I made is a total departure from my normal photo M.O. That no doubt is what makes it even more special to me, and why it stands atop my 2014 list.
Barnegat Lighthouse, easily the most famous landmark within ~30 miles of my house. I don’t get out there to photograph nearly enough, and this represents one of only three Old Barney shots I’ve posted. Lucky for me the sunset and subsequent blue hour was jamming on September 22nd. I posted up with my tripod out on the jetty rock figuring it would provide my best vantage point and composition for this time of year. Seconds before I periscoped my tripod head northward to make this shot above, I was panned to my left taking this wonderful sunset. The light was crazy, rendering one of the best skies of the year. Some days you just get lucky.
Watch the spray — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/50
Watch the spray | Taken: October 12, 2014 | Location: Surf City, NJ
For me this shot is more about the moment. With the tide out and the dampened sand too soft, using the tripod was not an option. Wherever possible, whenever possible, however possible, my goal is to shoot landscape fixed to a tripod. With the added stillness it assures, and my penchant for bracketing multiple exposures, it’s an absolute must. But sometimes your surroundings are not wont to accommodate. On this October evening I decided to not only go handheld but to get a little reckless (by my OCD camera standards). Here’s an excerpt from the post:
There was a lone piece of jetty rock set about 6 feet away from the main jetty. Between waves I was running up to the rock, dangling my camera about 3 inches from the sand, and trying to time the shutter with water spray firing off said rock. Since I was shooting a mere 15 inches from the jetty rock, the big risk was getting myself and my camera out of there before the spray got to me. All went well, and I got a sweet shot.
On matters of hobbits — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/30
On matters of hobbits | Taken: October 18, 2014 | Location: Batsto Village, Hammonton, NJ
Get thee to Batsto Village in Autumn. Tucked away in Wharton State Forest it’s a wonderful place to visit, capturing an 18th century town frozen in time in the middle of the Pinelands. I was lucky enough to photowalk the grounds with a few friends just as the maples were beginning to fire with all their orange, red, and yellow fury. Juxtaposed with the still green grass washed in late day sun, the place looked great. I made several keepers in just about 90 minutes of shooting, but this one is my personal favorite. It’s fun and it breaks the rules a little bit—with blown out skies, crooked horizon and odd angles. But sometimes breaking the rules is the best course of action in your photo work.
That’s it. We made it. Stepping back through the year was tons of fun—far surpassing expectations. I’m already looking forward to doing it again next year.
And how about a shout-out for the south Jersey? Every photograph here was taken within 25 miles of my house. If you toss the Batsto shot at the end, that drops down to about 12 miles. So many great spots right in my backyard. Be sure to check out my best of work from 2015 and 2016.
The late day sun was pouring in. Casting a splendid glow upon the withered remains of my Japanese maple leaves. I’ve got a hundred or so of these bad boys that refuse to let go and find their final resting place in the dirt. At about an inch and a half in size these tenacious leaves make an excellent macro subject. Inspired I ran inside and fetched my camera, fixing my macro lens as a soldier would fix bayonets. Of course that’s a ridiculous notion but my mind can get pretty ridiculous. I digress.
From the get go I knew I wanted to go black and white. Even with the rich golden light, I figured a low key black and white would really accentuate the story being told by this leaf. I wanted to set a sharp focus on the leaf tips alone, which struck me as the fingertips of an aged hand. The soft focus allows the eye to fade back into the picture, filling in the wrinkled, gnarled details for ourselves. Our own lives and our own mortality are inextricably linked to the unstoppable passage a time. Time being a concept that will forever fascinate me until the moment I can know it no more.
Last night I was tagged on Google+ to participate in the #fivedayblackandwhitechallenge that’s been running strong for the past couple of weeks. If nothing else it’s coincidental that yesterday was the first day it popped in my mind if I’d somehow get tagged for this. I was on my way to work. Sure enough that thought was manifest by day’s end. For anyone unfamiliar with Google+ it’s a wonderful place for photographers. It’s where this hobby started for me, and for that alone it will forever be remembered fondly by this guy, ghost towns be damned.
Onto the challenge: I love me some black and white. I really do. Back in my Studio Art days in high school it was my wheelhouse. Colors were scary. Black and white might as well have been the blanket of one Linus Van Pelt. 15 years later and suddenly into photography, color has, perhaps ironically, taken me by storm. Past inhibitions are strangely gone and color has become a strength. Life is nothing if not odd.
All that setup being said, black and white remains a passion of mine. As much as I’ve learned to harness the power of color in all its vibrant glory, nothing takes me away (sorry, Calgon) like a stunning black and white. That’s where my envy rears. In that vein I am very excited about this challenge. My inner critic, though, is concerned that it will be hard to make great black and whites on purpose and on demand.
I guess we’ll see what the next five days have in store.
Grooving on some sunshine — 100mm | f/3.5 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/60
I took this on Friday so I’ve been a little lazy in getting this posted. My plan was to post this for #floralfriday but hooray laziness. That was sarcasm. Mostly.
Each season, for the past three seasons anyway, I make a point to photograph my backyard quick fire hydrangea in the early Fall; after its white petals bleed out to soft pinks and purples, but before said petals fall to the ground for winter quarters. This was the product of my annual rendezvous.
Just a Silver-Spotted Skipper snacking on some sedum — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/160
Here in New Jersey we’re just about out of scenes like this for the season. As the Autumn veil descends life begins its annual retreat. Through the ebb and flow photography encourages the capture of singular moments that otherwise slip by riding the sands of time. These moments simultaneously give us both something to remember and something to look forward to. It’s wonderfully circular.
This shot pushes the soft focus about as far as I like to go. Perhaps too far. Given a mulligan I’d try to bring the eye into sharper focus. As it stands it’s the wing edge that gets the very narrow field of sharpest focus. Which is interesting in its own right. Photography doesn’t always have to be perfect to be beneficial. Sometimes things are just good enough.
I’d love to see you in that dress — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 500 | EXP 1/1000
I’d be lying if I said I consciously set out to get this kind of shot. What started as a run of the mill macro shoot turned into a shot I’ll proudly claim as my own. Just looking—and falling into—this shot overwhelms me with flowing imagery; a striking ballerina spinning that stunning dress with a confidence all her own.
What’s interesting is this shot represents several departures from my shooting norms. Rarely do I center a subject, and rarer still do I go for the brightness and glow of the high key style. But once again breaking the mold rewards with unexpected dividends. I’m sure there’s a lesson in that. In the meantime let’s all celebrate her dance.
The last of us — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/250
Just a guy getting in the very last his purple coneflowers have to offer. My potted echinacea are last men standing (barely), and I wanted to get in some eleventh hour shots before final decay.
As afternoon light was pouring in over the rooftop I grabbed the camera and went for a slightly upward perspective shooting from a crouched position. With one good flower left I wanted to really go for a sharp cut-off with respect to depth of field, drawing attention to the ends of the front four petals. From there I’d let a low key workflow and buttery bokeh tell the rest of the story.
