The northern end of the Olympic Peninsula has a lot to offer a photographer. There’s so much undeveloped natural beauty here that it can be overwhelming. Unlike other places I’ve lived, the problem often isn’t that there’s nothing new to photograph but rather figuring out how to access new areas. With that in mind, I’ve […]
Most people see the business end of photography, things like headshots and portraits, as a commodity. Most of us seem to think that anyone with a quality camera can point it at someone, hit the shutter, and be done. That’s not really how it works. There is an interpersonal process of having your photo taken, […]
Beyond business, my interest in photography has always been about art. I love to both find and create beautiful things. Photography allows me to bring these interests together. As a photographer, you use things you find to create beautiful images. I enjoy the time spent looking for things to photograph as well as the time […]
I love and hate work. I feel like I have been working since the day I was born and I’m tired of it. I feel like without work, I couldn’t understand the world. Work has dragged me down into the deepest depths I have ever been in, emotionally. But work has lifted me into the […]
The many times I’ve hiked the Pacific Crest Trail I was always hosted by Barney “Scout” and Sandy “Frodo” Mann. They open their home to hundreds of hikers every year, providing not just a place to crash for the night but also a pickup, dinner, a ride to the border and plenty of information and […]
I took the best photo of my life today. I came down from the mountain and loaded it up on my computer. When I brought the photos up on my screen, they were just trees. Bummer. But it felt so good when I took it, it looked so good on my camera’s LCD. This is […]
So much of the photography content on the Internet is about one thing: people want to be better photographers. At the lower levels of the hobby it’s fairly easy. There are a lot of concrete skills and general tips to pick up and integrate that are available: completing tutorials for Lightroom, learning some basic design […]
Focal point is a term that photographers and photography blogs throw around continually. “Create a focal point,” it’s said, “it should be the first and last place the eye goes in your image.” That’s true, of course, but like most important things it’s easier said than done. A strong focal point is better thought of […]
I’ve been doing this long enough that I honestly can’t remember why or how I started. I mean, I remember my origin story… but as an adult I also know that is probably a distillation and summary of what exactly went on. There are no easy lessons now. Here are my fifteen year lessons: Photography […]