In this week’s video we talk a little about composition. What is a well composed photograph? Tune in to find out.
In this week’s video we talk a little about composition. What is a well composed photograph? Tune in to find out.
This past weekend I met a group of Civil War re-enactors at the Canal. After talking to the men honoring the 7th Pennsylvania Reserves from 1861 I learned a good deal about what drives some to go into Living History representations. Very thoughtful fellows. Hope you enjoy:
Can a photograph change the world? Not likely. At least not directly. I mean, we do still have outrageous horrors taking place all around the globe as we sit here and read these words. The powerfully moving photographs from Nazi concentration camps did not prevent the genocide of Rwanda in 1994. The photographs of the agony suffered by millions in Bangladesh in 1974 hasn’t removed famine or starvation from the planet. The image of a naked, screaming Vietnamese girl– her skin burning from napalm– may have had somewhat of an impact on America’s role in the Vietnam War, but the U.S. and other countries continue to wage foolish, unnecessary wars to this very day.
Photographs cannot change the world. But people…if they want to… can. And photography at it’s most sublime level can move people to want to. The photographs in this short video by COOPH are worth your time. It is worth your time to find a few minutes to sit quietly and take in what some photographers have done and are doing in this world; to understand that as a visual and empathetic species we can indeed be moved.
What a photograph can do…what photographs do…is touch people in ways they never thought possible. And when you can move one person, you can move others. And when you move others you can, maybe, possibly, change the world.
What are some of the more important things to consider for good wildlife photography? It’s not as complicated as some might think.
Although hiking the Billy Goat Trail was more of an effort at 52 than I remember it being at 22, I did make it to the end! I’d forgotten what a spectacular hike it is. Definitely going back again soon.
Hope you enjoy this video.
Did you know that with nothing more than your pop-up flash, a soup spoon and the back of an 8×10 photo you can make a pretty decent softbox-like product shot?
It’s true. Here’s how: First, you’ll need to put the flash on manual and crank it up to quarter or half or full power depending on all your other settings (I’ll leave it to you to figure all that out, as each situation may be different).
Next, place the spoon in front of your pop-up flash and angle it in such a way as to redirect the light backwards onto the backside of an 8×10 photo which itself is angled to re-redirect that light forward onto your product. It takes a little practice to get the angles correct, but when you’re in a pinch it’s worth the effort!
Here’s an example:
And here’s an example of the set up:
Give it a go and feel free to share your results. Happy shooting!
-MK
What is Mather Gorge?
This is the first in my new weekly series on YouTube celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service. Tune in as I share my favorite National Park entity, the Potomac River Gorge! (Also, photography tips!)
U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has ruled that there is no First Amendment protection for recording or photographing police officers unless you are clearly protesting their actions. Weird, I know. But here are his own words:
This Judge thinks observing and recording police is against the law!
This means if you wanted to, say, take that groovy new camera you got for Xmas down to The National Mall and make a video–accompanied by stills–of your hometown for your YouTube friends and followers, and you wanted to include everything you think that makes up the fabric of your DC life experience: museums, Memorials, restaurants, galleries, parks, tourists, cityscapes and yes even police officers, Capitol Hill Police, Park Police riding by on horseback… you know, just observing the daily life of your city… this judge thinks you are not protected by the First Amendment! He thinks it would be OK for the police to arrest you and fine you for the innocuous act of taking their picture or making a video that happens to have them in it.
Is this a great country or what?
Here is the ruling in full. You should read it.
https://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Mark-Kearneys-decision.pdf
Back in October I went down to the river for a little exploring and shooting. First stop, as usual, was at the overlook deck on the Maryland side looking for vultures and herons. What I actually found there, however, looked to be a pretty intense commercial video being shot. Camera guy in the water, kayakers on cliffs and crashing through some amazing whitewater…so what the heck, I thought, I’ll stick around and see how it all unfolds!
Little did I realize my friend Jason Beakes was the feature of this video. I learned from him it was a spot for Finlandia Vodka. Steve Fisher, kayaker and documentary film maker was shooting it and Cory Richards, adventure photog for NatGeo was there as well as a sort of narrator/host of the commercial. Check out the finished product…
Also, I made few behind the scenes photos. Very cool time.