Black & White – Page 2 – Photogeek Blog

Living in Shadow.

The key to living is to never allow yourself to stop learning. It’s an essential part of growth and navigating lives challenges. When I think of some of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a photographer. I often think of an exchange with a friend and fellow photographer. Shortly after our friendship began , our passions were shared. We met up to talk photography, amongst other things, while sharing our work. His critique “What did a shadow ever do to you?” regarding the rather flat nature of some of my studio images. Made me think and ultimately, start a journey that turned my fear of failing to a love of shadows.

Thought

Finding your Zen, Meditation, Mental Health, Minimalism

As I sit hear in the window enjoying the rain. I look forward to the weekend in hopes that the ever changing weather will relent to our wishes that it be bright, sunny and welcome to all that respect its beauty. I remind us all, including myself, to enjoy every moment, place and the people who improve your life with their mere presence.

Keep them Guessing.

abstract, Art, Canon R6 Mark II Mirrorless, Interpreting Art

For what it’s worth. My wife has always been my harshest critic. So, when I shared this image with her last night, I got, what I’d consider, a pretty good reaction, when she said, “I don’t know.” “What the fuck is that?” I found it cool, because so much of what we/I photograph is instantly identifiable.

Composition

Art, Industrial Photography, Manual Mode, Sculpture, Street Photography

Below is an image I took outside our condo. As a born and bred New Yorker, I immediately thought of the cities countless bike racks. Having never seen a bike locked to it. I’ll assume it’s a sculpture. With some serious down time, I feel my immediate surroundings are providing little inspiration. With time on my hands and an itch to get out there and shoot. I’ve decided to take some steps to get back to the basics of focusing and composing. Here’s to the weekend.

The Beauty in our Mistakes

Art, Beauty, Dramatic Lighting, Studio Photography

I was digging through some old folders with the intention of deleting images and sessions that either have’t held up over the years or never served their original purpose. When I came upon this image, I paused and thinking the old me would’ve immediately deleted it, and how the current me was grateful that I didn’t. Though, in all likelihood, the blur and silhouette were caused by my studio lights not firing correctly. As I found myself revisiting this shoot, I was reminded how some of my mistakes, or hat of my gear, have turned out to be favorites.

Looking Back; Municipal Waste

Concert Photography, Lightroom 4, Music, Music Journalism

I’ve been going through some old picture folders (Something I’ve been doing as I have come to realize some aspects of my photography are coming, or have come to an end.) and deciding what to delete and what to save. During this process I’ve found a number of photos that were never edited or just needed a bit of TLC. Going back about ten years. I found some images from a Municipal Waste V.F.W. show. At the time, I knew nothing, other than the name, about the band. Something I grew to love, considering all the times I became a devotee to a band I was seeing and hearing for the first time. Upon coming across images from that particular show. I took a few minutes to make a few adjustments and do a little cropping. Thanks to my newly acquired Lightroom knowledge, I was pretty happy with the results.

But Still…

Finding your Zen

As exhausted as I might be from our move back to the east coast, my mind can’t help but think of photographing and documenting my new surroundings. A new town or city will do that, and both Washington DC and Virginia offer many visual opportunities. And as we move from two nights of hotels in both Seattle and DC to our temporary Amazon apartments, I couldn’t help but grab my camera and 50mm lens to experiment with some of the light and shadows in our apartment and spooky hallway.

Once Upon a Toilet

Art, Interpreting Art

When I got up to go to the bathroom before leaving the Starbucks headquarters located in the SODO area of Seattle, my wife looked up at me and laughed before asking “Are you going in there to take pictures?” I frowned as if to I was reacting to some ridiculous question from a half out of her mind crazy lady. “Pffft” I quickly replied as I rolled my eyes before wandering towards the facilities. Though relieving myself before the ride home was my key reason for my sudden departure. Bathroom-1 My wife’s knowledge of how incredibly predictable I can be, had me reaching towards my back pocket to ensure I was indeed carrying my iPhone.

When you enter a room, whether it’s a cheap hotel, a lavish ballroom, someones living room or a bathroom. You are sure to get a sense of what went into the thought process and overall design. Bathrooms are by far the most overlooked when it comes to proving anything more than the basics. However, when you walk into one where you can tell a lot of thought and artful attention went into creating a space that is often overlooked when it comes to art. So after making my deposit, thoroughly washing and drying my hands. I took a moment to capture an image of the sink that extended throughout like a brook and the lighted mirrors that adorned the wall above. Note the contrast and shadows disabling the flash gave me.

Day Trip to Vashon

Canon Lenses, Canon lenses and equipment, Exploring, Pacific Northwest

Just prior to the New Year, we took the ferry to Vashon island. Though small in the grand vastness of things. We found a lot of interesting things once we drove off the ferry. With an essential downtown hub that offered good food, culture and most importantly, great coffee. We more than enjoyed our little day trip. Aside from the excellent coffee, we found a bakery, a couple of art galleries, a book store and a lot of local history to keep us both informed and entertained. I didn’t reach for my camera until we stopped for coffee before the trip home. What I did capture while enjoying my fresh cup of beans made my stay feel all the more memorable.

Piano

Poolside Dining

Dramatic Lighting, Finding your Zen, Pacific Northwest, Seattle

One might ask. “What’s better than ordering delicious four dollar Vietnamese sandwiches on a Saturday afternoon?” How does doing so at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant that offers billiards and an open bar while you wait, sound? Okay, so I did leave my camera bag in the car and was forced to rely on my iPhone 7 for proof. That won’t keep me from sharing.