Don’t Miss an Opportunity

Don’t Miss an Opportunity

by | Jul 18, 2011 | People Portraits

Portraits
Holidays like the 4th of July are fun for all ages. Not only is it a great time to spend with friends and family and to enjoy great food while celebrating our nation’s independence, but it also presents opportunities for photographers from the seasoned pro to the hobbyist. It is a great time to practice a variety of different shooting situations and photo skills or just catch that idea that has been rattling around in your head.

I caught this portrait while we were celebrating the 4th at my brother’s house with family and friends. My father is the type of guy that just likes to have fun. He is a big kid with a zest for life that is hard to find. So this was the perfect shot of him doing what he does.

Instead of killing the shot with a flash, you just use the fireworks as your only light source. I had this photo set to a manual shutter, meaning as long as I held the release, the shutter stayed open. I just guessed on the amount of time to hold it open and hand held the camera as still as possible.

Total Lunar Eclipse

Total Lunar Eclipse

by | Jul 18, 2011 | Nature

Nature PhotographyI had to put this one on here just because it was so cool to experience. This one was the lunar eclipse that happened in December of last year. This one was special because it was the first total eclipse to happen on the winter solstice since 1638 and only the 2nd in the “common era”.

I almost missed this driving around trying to find just the right spot. I figured this event was cool enough to stand on its own without some cool surrounding. I drove back home just in time for it to start, which ended up being around 1 am. So Mogley (my dog)  and I laid out on the grass until 3 am or so in freezing temperatures watching something that hasn’t been seen for a long time. It was a cool experience.

These were tough to get because there was zero light, a subject that is 250,000 miles away and some shaky frozen hands. I did get a few and they’re some of my favorite photographs.