More From Vermont
March 25th, 2019
In addition to Ayn I also worked with a local Vermont model while I was on this shoot. Chrystal Hutchins did a great job and we got some fine photos both with her and with her and Ayn together.
This waterfall was really lovely.
And that’s it for this shoot.
Ayn and the Green Mountain State
March 18th, 2019
Some photos from a great road-trip shoot with Ayn in Vermont.
Vermont is an incredibly beautiful state. It’s hard to miss with the lovely landscapes everywhere.
Add a great model like Ayn and results are pretty much guaranteed.
More to come from this trip.
Testing…testing…
March 7th, 2019
These photos were a test. Angie agreed to help me try out a new lens I’d just gotten.
I’ve been hunting for a good soft-focus lens for my Micro 4/3 cameras. I have an old single-element lens that I’ve used for many years that is just about perfect. It’s Nikon mount, but can be easily adapted to Micro 4/3. But, it’s a 100mm lens. That worked well on full-frame Nikons. It was manageable on crop-sensor Nikons where the effective focal length was 150mm. But on Micro 4/3 it is effectively a 200mm…and that’s just a little too long for most of what I want to shoot with it.
I heard of some cheap lenses used for surveillance cameras that were sharp stopped down, but get softer as they are opened up to their maximum f/1.4. I got a couple of them to give them a try. These are the results.
My verdict is: close, but no cigar. These lenses are ok, but they aren’t going to produce the soft results with the kind of highlights that I’m looking for.
Angie, on the other hand, is definitely wonderful, as she always is. Thanks Angie!
French PHOTO Strikes Again
February 28th, 2019
Once again one of my photos has been selected as a winner in the annual contest sponsored by French PHOTO magazine. I’ve lost track, but I think this may be about the 18th time I’ve had a winner in this contest. The magazine claims that it’s the largest photo contest in the world, with around 50,000 entries each year, so I’m always very pleased when I win.
That’s the winning photo above. The model is the lovely Angie who has been working with me almost (but not quite) as long as I’ve been entering this contest. She remains one of the most beautiful models I’ve ever worked with.
My good friend Dave Rudin found the magazine with the winners and sent me this snap shot of my photo in the magazine:
Mr. Rudin was also a winner this year. Here’s his snap shot of his winner:
Variations on a Place
February 23rd, 2019
I did several photos of Areia at this one spot at Starved Rock State Park.
I found the different feel of these interesting, so instead of just picking one, I decided to share the series with you.
I guess the one above is the “classic” photo with Areia in a pose.
But I really like the “in between” photos better. They seem more alive and real.
And, of course, being that it was a hot day, Areia just had to get wet.
A Favorite Model in a Favorite Place
February 20th, 2019
Starved Rock State Park, not far from Chicago, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the US, if not the world. I love visiting and shooting there. It’s always a bit of a workout. There are steps, sometimes wood, sometimes carved out of the stone, that lead down into the canyons. As they like to say, “140 steps down, 280 up.”
Working at Starved Rock is made even better because I’ve often been able to work with one of my favorite models, and one of the nicest people I know, Areia. This was one of those times.
We had a lot of fun hiking around and looking for new places where we hadn’t already shot. I’ve worked at Starved Rock enough times that finding new spots to shoot is beginning to become a challenge. But I think I’ll keep going back. Things are always changing in places like this.
Even the same spots can produce new photos when you see them with new eyes and your model is talented and beautiful and works to find interesting poses.
Or sometimes it is just a great place for a portrait.
More to come from this shoot.
Is It Hot Enough For You?
February 13th, 2019
Nevaeh Lleh and I visited some other spots out in the desert in addition to Joshua Tree. It was very hot all the time we were in the desert. Hot as in highs around 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures like that limited what we were able to do. We did nearly all our shooting in the early morning, then headed to air conditioning to survive the afternoons. The photo above was taken at an art place near Joshua Tree. We couldn’t resist when we saw that broken-up figure.
After Joshua Tree we headed on down south to the Salton Sea. If you don’t know the story of this weird result of failed engineering you should check it out. I’d wanted to work with a model there for years, but the timing had never worked out. Nevaeh Lleh knows her way around there and was an excellent guide. The time is past for really doing much work among all the devastation, but we found a few places to make some photos.
After the Salton Sea we headed on down to Salvation Mountain, Slab City and East Jesus. We did this next photo in one of the sculptures in East Jesus.
We ended our time in the desert with a visit to the Anza-Borrego Desert. I’d heard a lot of great things about this wilderness, but I quickly learned that the summer is no time to go there. Did I mention that it was hot? Even the Rangers had abandoned their posts. Because of that we really couldn’t find much information or help finding good locations. We wandered around a bit and did a few photos, but mostly we just tried to stay in the air conditioning. I might have to make a return visit here at a better time of year.
We found this one trail where Nevaeh Lleh couldn’t resist a little clowning around. You may need to click on the photo to be able to read the trail marker…We never did find where she was supposed to wash…
More From Joshua Tree
February 7th, 2019
As promised, here are some more photos of the amazing Nevaeh Lleh from our shoot at Joshua Tree.
We did some other things after our visit to Joshua Tree. You’ll get to see what in my next post.
Nevaeh Lleh at Joshua Tree
January 31st, 2019
I’ve been saddened to hear about the damage done to Joshua Tree National Park during the government shutdown. It is a beautiful place and deserves our respect and protection.
So I thought I’d share some photos from my last visit to this amazing place. I was fortunate to have one of my favorite models with me for this trip, Nevaeh Lleh.
By the way, if you plan to visit Joshua Tree I highly recommend the famous Joshua Tree Inn as a place to stay. It’s beautiful and so much more than just a motel.
Much more from Joshua Tree and other places in the vicinity with Nevaeh Lleh to come in future posts. Stay tuned.
Wet
January 18th, 2019
I’ve learned that these two of my photos will be included in the exhibit “Wet” at the Darkroom Gallery in Vermont. The juror for this show was Elizabeth Opalenik.
It looks to be an excellent show. All you Vermonters should go check it out. It opens February 7 and will be up until March 17.
