21. January 2009 by Friedhelm.

“Mother Nature” is our best creativity teacher. This drop created incredable forms just the split second before it fell to the ground.

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20. January 2009 by Friedhelm.

Portrait Photography can be a lot of fun like this photo in a 1920s costumes.

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19. January 2009 by Friedhelm.

This image was created during a “normal” portrait shooting session. Sometimes color really gets in the way and the photos strength and structure become visible after you edit it in black and white.

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18. January 2009 by David.

Most of the time when a photograph is blurred it’s because we were not holding the camera steady enough. I blurred this one on purpose to give a painting like effect. With my camera on a tripod and using a slow shutter speed, 1/4 of a second at f10, I zoomed in while pressing the shutter button. It took several tries to get the effect I wanted but that’s one of the benefits of digital, you can experiment without any additional cost.

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16. January 2009 by David.

This was taken on a very cold afternoon in Yosemite Valley just as the sun was setting.

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15. January 2009 by Friedhelm.

This is an interesting image. One sees a carousel moving. One cannot recognize the figures because they are blurred by the motion. The blades on the top are moving parallel to the rotating figures however they are sharp. How do you create an image like this?

The answer is relatively simple. You use two different light sources. The rotating figures receive their light from the candles that are continuously burning. The blades are frozen through an indirect flash which only produces light for a fraction of a second and only affects the blades that are in the shade of the four candles.

An interesting side effect is that though the rotation of the blades the camera sensor also receives light from the candles creating a transparency effect on some of the blades.

Moving and fixed subject combined with a steady and a flash light source created this image!

Have fun with your pictures!

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14. January 2009 by Friedhelm.

It rarely snows in the Central Valley but there is frequently surface frost in the winter month. Flowers suffer under that frost but during the day many of them recover. For a photographer the early morning hours are a paradise of opportunity. The above flower was photographed in the early morning hours around my neighborhood during my exercise walk. The frost is already melting and you see the water drops on the flower.  Enjoy!

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13. January 2009 by Friedhelm.

Bridalveil Fall

Photographing in Yosemite can be a challenge. The cold temperature not only has an impact on your body, it also has effect on your camera gear. Especially the battery life shortens quite a bit when photographing in freezing temperatures. It is a good idea to bring plenty of battery power, appropriate clothing and most important of all, never go out in the wilderness just by yourself!

Happy Shooting

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12. January 2009 by Friedhelm.

This picture was taken at the Merced Game Refuge right at sunset. The branches and the bird form a wonderful silhouette against the orange colors of the sunset. Come back and see a new picture every day!

David and Friedhelm

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