Category Archives: Landscapes + Waterscapes

Just Shut Up and Shoot!

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I recently shared this anecdote during a photography tutorial with the Avent Ferry United Methodist Church in Raleigh. This stemmed from my first photography blog on Sept 2, 2007, eventually to be edited and sanitized for publication in ArtSync Magazine’s Spring 2011 issue, titled, “Shhh…Just Shoot!

Upon the moment of my arrival, I immediately fell in love with National Arches Park. It was a spontaneous, unplanned excursion after being convinced to make the side-trip while visiting a fellow photographer in Durango, Colorado. Following an entire day of road travel from Denver, hearing “You must go to Moab, it’s only three hours away from here!” seemed relatively infallible logic. As a photographer accustomed to the rolling hills labeled as mountains in the Appalachians, I began an unforgettable journey through east Utah, navigating among the most unique series of natural formations, outcroppings, and canyons I had personally witnessed. One of the most famous and photographed formations on park grounds is the Delicate Arch. Two footpaths to view this wonder stem from a nearby parking lot. Because I arrived near sunset, I took the quicker and less intimidating uphill hike to view the arch from across the canyon. Despite being in good physical shape and already having three days to adjust to the high elevation above sea level, the walk left me slightly winded with all of the camera equipment strapped to my back. Upon reaching the top of the climb, the Delicate Arch and its immediate surroundings were in clear view. Beyond the arch were tiny specs of people grouped throughout the area. As the sun began to dip behind the western mountains, a thunderous sound of applause resonated from across the canyon. An adjacent photographer and I exchanged surprised glances upon hearing the clapping. Wow, I thought, the sunset must be so unspeakably beautiful to evoke such an emotional response — I must see that tomorrow! I decided to stay overnight in Moab and take advantage of the extra day to witness the effect of morning daylight on the landscape that I could not see the previous evening.

Early the next afternoon, I took the longer and moderately strenuous 1.5-mile hike in 95 degree heat to witness the Delicate Arch up close and personal. The entire 90 minute was worth it. Laid before me was an expansive rock amphitheater from which to take in the awesome scene. Immediately beyond this natural seating area is a large patch of sloping land. At the canyon’s edge sits the arch with views of the landscape beyond. Travelers also recognize that it is one of the optimum locations within Arches National Park to receive cellular reception. As I began to unload my camera equipment, a young woman in her early 20s was chatting it up on her mobile phone. “Oh my God, you won’t believe where I am! I’m in front of one of the most photographed places in the world. There are a few guys with cameras here. I’m at like the top of a mountain and can’t believe I get reception here! I can’t get my phone to work anywhere else in the park.” She paused only to respond, “Yeah, I know, right!” Out of morbid curiosity, I flipped open my own mobile phone and was amused to see I had four bars — the best reception I’d have during my entire travels. The time said it was approximately 3:30 pm. Not wanting to be bothered by random phone calls, I turned my phone off. There were perhaps 10 or 15 people around, including two other photographers with tripods.

I was glad to have arrived early because it is inherently difficult to shoot a photograph of the Delicate Arch without people in it. As more people arrived, visitors and their families would pose in front of the arch or sit directly on it. I found myself occasionally frustrated with capturing a clean shot, but there remained several hours to shoot. I discovered a nook with an advantageous viewpoint within the natural amphitheater and patiently camped.

The Delicate Arch (2007)

Over the next few hours, the entire area became teeming with hundreds of visitors, including a slew of photographers with their assorted equipment. The shutterbugs were an amusingly serious bunch whose intent was clearly to capture the exact same pictures that many millions of other photographers before them already took. I began to take more time to observe the people around me rather than the color transformation the arch would soon undergo. I was exposed to many international visitors and languages over my two day visit to the park. At the Delicate Arch, fellow photographers found it equally frustrating to find a clear capture and many were sharing their internal misery by mumbling and exchanging annoyed glances. An adjacent photographer gesticulated with impatience toward the arch as another group of tourists took snapshots in front of the it. He expressed his irritation in French, a language I had long forgotten since high school, yet what he said translated in any tongue:“I wish they’d get out of the way, what in the world are they doing?”

I chuckled and grinned in response, shrugged, then replied, “Yeah, I know.” As the photographers became increasingly restless, I remained more interested in the new social dynamic than the natural scenery. Yet more travelers continued to pose for photos in front of the arch, seemingly oblivious to the growing grumbling collective. As the sunset caused deep shadows on the glowing red landscape from the rocks behind us, a group of at least twenty photographers frantically waved towards the people in front of the arch, yelling in at least five different languages, “C’MON GET OUT OF THE WAY — MOVE!” The United Nations could never achieve such levels of international unity. Suddenly aware of the irritated mob of photographers, the other visitors scurried away from the Delicate Arch.

That’s when thunderous sounds of applause echoed through the canyons.

Though I considered the experience a humorous testament to the human spirit, I have a few recommendations to photographers when visiting any tourist attraction:

1. Travel during the offseason. The best time to shoot popular tourist attractions is between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Cheaper travel during the nine-month window between September and May is an added bonus! Further, there are some dramatic opportunities in shooting photographs with fall colors, winter weather, or the first hint of spring.

2. Arrive early and stay late. Whether you plan a trip during the summer travel season or not, know what to expect. Be patient and be willing to go early and stay late to avoid crowd interference, not to mention fellow photographers. Besides, the hours surrounding sunrise and sunset typically offer the best natural light to shoot.

3. Venture off the beaten path. You don’t have to capture the same photograph everyone else has. Accept the challenge as an artist to portray something you may not
have considered before.

4. Just shut up and shoot! As photographers, the notion the world is our studio does not grant us ownership privilege. We certainly did not create these natural wonders and every person with a camera phone has the same right to enjoy these publicly accessible sights as well-equipped photographers. Perhaps our pictures could take on greater meaning if we humbly took in these awesome sights rather than strutting around with our egos.

5. Visit less touristy areas. Last September, I visited the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, a lesser-known national park in New Mexico, and experienced the benefits of shooting rugged landscapes as the only visitor present in the entire park. (You read that correctly, I had the whole place to myself!)

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument (2010)

2012 in review!

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Thank you so much to everyone for making 2012 a fruitful, successful year. I’m truly blessed to have the best clients and supporters that I could ever hope for, to get to see, partake, and share everything I’ve been able to. These are my favorite photographic memories of the last year. Again, it’s been a thrilling ride, so thank you and see you in 2013!

In North Carolina


Outside North Carolina




On the job

Don’t Skip Arkansas, Part 2 – High and Dry

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You read my previous two blogs from this trip, right? Of course you did, but in case you didn’t:

I was pretty stoked to see the natural scenery in the Ozarks. The first location I stopped by was Petit Jean State Park, which has Cedar Falls. After 45 minutes of hiking, I finally reached the waterfalls to find…this trickle. The outlines on the photo illustrate how wide the falls normally are.

The next day I went to Falls Branch Creek at Lake Catherine State Park in Hot Springs and got this:

During my second leg through Arkansas, I met up with an amateur photographer named Peggy. She wanted to learn more about photography, so she tagged along with me one morning while checking out some waterfalls. We left early morning from Fayetteville out to the town of Natural Dam (you’ll never guess what it’s named after). But before we got there, there were some cows in the mist that demanded to be photographed.

One Arkansas Morning (2012)

We arrived at Natural Dam another ten minutes away. The cool thing about the formation appears man-made, but it’s natural. I was excited to get there, but was just slightly disappointed at the water flow. Normally the entire dam would have water falling, but the drought meant only intermittent water spouts here and there.

However, you can freely stand on top of the dam, which is not a normal condition.

So you can already tell where all this is going. Devil’s Den State Park? Dry. Pig Trail Falls? Barely there. High Bank Twin Falls? Couldn’t find it. Turner Store Falls? Not even there anymore. As a result I wound up skipping some waterfalls I originally intended to visit, but some places are SO cool I had to check them out. One of them is called the Glory Hole (no snickering). Basically you hike down to the top of a shallow cave formation with a large hole on top, formed by what I’m sure is hundreds to thousands of years of water streaming through it. You can hike down further to the cave and look up at the hole while the waterfall falls through it. Sounds cool, right?

It’s a difficult location to find and had to perform a decent amount of research to mark it on a map. When you arrive, it’s a moderate 25 minute hike down, but a killer on the way back up. After all the failures with waterfalls I had to give a shot!

And crossed upon the mighty, mighty Glory Hole.

So there was another set of falls I wanted to see that required me to get up at 3 a.m. and drive two hours to get to Haw Creek. I had seen pictures of this wide expansive waterfall, similar in width to the Natural Dam but was scared at what I’d find. Screw it, it was a cloudy day with nice autumn colors and I’m here, so why not?

There’s a campground adjacent to the falls and I arrived while it was still dark. I heard the sound of water, so that was a good sign. As the sun rose and I could see more clearly, it was obvious the falls were not as forceful as usual. In fact, much of the creek had pulled back. However, the scenery was so gorgeous anyways – and quite frankly – different than it normally was, that I had a ton of fun with it. I met a very friendly local Arkansas photographer while I was there and we talked shop for a little while, discussing our different travel plans in the area.

Again, the outlines portray what normally would be there.

The thing that made these pictures different than normal is a lengthy horizontal rock shelf that forms deep shadows in the crevices below. There’s something it I can’t put my finger on that seems to add so much to the imagery.

Every year I take a picture that for whatever reason, seems to stand out from the rest and Haw Creek provided the backdrop for this one. You can see how the creek receded at the top of the rock ledge, you can easily walk up there without getting your feet wet. There was only one major flow of water, and a minor one further back, but I happened to have been there during peak autumn colors and it worked. So I’m glad to be there when I did, no matter how all of the other falls worked out. Being a photographer is about patience and timing.

Haw Creek (2012)

On the way out of the area, just down the road near Pelsor, I discovered an abandoned house that is so apparent from the road that I’m certain a slew of other photographers had preceded me here.

Broken Memory (2012)

And more shots I took along the winding, rural mountain highways.

Haunt (2012)

The Ozarks (2012)

Also made the drive (5 miles of it almost completely vertical in my 2-wheel drive Toyota) to Hawksbill Crag. I came during the middle of the day, so wasn’t too concerned about pulling off a shot. If I remember correctly, it’s about an hour hike, some of it hugging the bluffs so tightly, you can see straight down. That’s not an exaggeration – I mean STRAIGHT DOWN. Probably not for hikers dumb enough to be too addicted to their cell phones. I had been sneezing the entire morning and didn’t want to be the first person to plunge down the rocks below because his sinuses couldn’t act right.

Because of how dry everything was I decided to skip Triple Falls and just visit Roark Bluff. Before I get to those great bluffs, I must temporarily pause for the truly ugly part of the blog. For those of you who do not already know, I am black; this is normally unimportant even with its funny quirks here and there as a traveling photographer. Upon learning I was from out-of-state, I was warned by several very kind people not to tread through Harrison, Arkansas, the largest town in the area, due to its racial history – and more critically – its racial present. A mere 30 minute drive away from Roark’s Bluff, the town has the nearest collection of major hotels in the area, rental cars, many restaurants, and of course, gas stations. However, they live in the past and are more than happy to keep it that way. It wasn’t until I returned home to North Carolina and did further research that I figure out this is where the Ku Klux Klan is headquartered. The town has ZERO black people and 13 Latino – not 13%, but a baker’s dozen. The ridiculousness of these people are of cartoon-like proportion, but they are very real. Needless to say, I heeded the advice, took no chances, and in all seriousness share this information for others’ benefit and safety.

Warning: If you are not white and visiting Buffalo River National Park, AVOID HARRISON. I am dead serious here, I am not paranoid nor am I joking about this. Don’t be stupid.

If you ARE white and want to avoid this place out of general principle, fine, but I’m certainly not going to hold it against you if you must go there. I just have to deal with a little reality here. Besides myself, I did not see another racial minority in this entire region and the only reason I was there was because I’m on vacation. I traveled solo and had no issues during my travel through Arkansas, but anyone this affects really must use their brain.

Gas: Fill up in Jasper or in Huntsville, where the King River County Store is located.

Food: Jasper has some places, but the King River County Store is a great place to get local food and convenience items. Don’t let the intermittent sight of Confederate flags throw you off – they’re nice, friendly, inviting country folks who cook some great local food that hits the spot, all of it sure to clog your arteries. The address is 22784 U.S. 412 Huntsville, AR 72740

Sleep: Obviously you can camp at Roark Bluff, Camp Orr, and other locations along the Buffalo River. If you’re a prissy traveler like me and demand a mattress, you’ve got some driving to do. Eureka Springs is an hour northwest. US 540/ AR-21 through Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, and Bentonville is approximately 1.5 hours to the West. Clarksville along I-40 is one hour to the south. There are some local hotels in Jasper but I’m not familiar enough to give you advice on that or anything to the east.

(click the map above to enlarge.)

It was a pleasant afternoon and Roark Bluff is gorgeous. The river was dry so a lot of it has receded; I didn’t go down into the river bed since I didn’t have a camping permit. The last photograph was actually taken at twilight. There wasn’t a full moon or anything, so I packed it up and headed back to Clarksville, from where I’d leave for Memphis TN the following day.

Roark Bluff (2012)

Like I said in the last blog post, I had a real blast in Arkansas. It was relaxing and though I didn’t capture all the photography I wanted, was a nice break in a new place. There’s a possibility I’ll be returning there in the near future for commercial work, so…until the next time.

Don’t Skip Arkansas, Part 1 – It’s really nice out there.

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When I planned this latest trip, I knew I’d hit Memphis and Dallas, but noticed there was this state in-between: Arkansas. What in the world is in THAT state? So I asked my Facebook. After several people suggested driving through without stopping, many friends stepped in to make recommendations, which launched my planning for visiting the northwest part of the state.

After spending a combined 8 days in the region, I traveled enough of northwest Arkansas to fill two blogs worth. I highly recommend checking out this gorgeous state, excepting the town of Harrison and some other outliers – I’ll get to that in the second part. However, to everyone who suggested I simply skip the state, I present you with this very mature response:

NANANANANANEEEEEEEENER, NANANANANANEEEEEEEENER

Moving on – if you’re a die-hard American conservative or Republican, I realize you’re feeling a bit sensitive post-election, so you may want to skip the first few photographs.

To everyone else, man, the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas is pretty sweet. There’s simply no other presidential library like it, and sustainable at that. I can’t wait to see what the Obama one will eventually look like.

DISCLAIMER: I accept no responsibility if you have to go to the emergency room after reading that – it’s your own fault.

Okay, the rest of you can rejoin the blog narrative now. Usually I’m able to pick out something to document in any city, but Little Rock didn’t inspire me at all. In fact I didn’t take many pictures during the first five days of my trip, so I don’t know if I was just too exhausted, weary of taking photographs, or what; sometimes you just need a break. I also checked out Hot Springs, Arkansas, a city that is an ode to Art Deco. Again, didn’t really take any shots here except these apartments (below) that don’t even fit into the city. I mainly just wanted to see it as a tourist. There’s a nationally historic row of bath houses, most active, that shows how Hot Springs really lived up to its name. I’d love to see this area have some sort of economic revival it could use it.

Got to see the architectural wonder Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs and its metallic knockoff the Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista. Couldn’t really take pictures at Thorncrown since they have rules about where you can go – though that would’ve been awesome – but at least got to see it in person, which is the important part.

Wal-Mart is headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas and lemme tell you – there are Wal-Marts EVERYWHERE in Arkansas. Driving through Fayetteville, I easily drove past six different Wal-Marts in about 15 minutes; all different types too – it was the first time I had seen Wally World grocery stores. The Walton family fully funded the Crystal Bridges American Art Museum in Bentonville. Pretty neat structures. I’m on vacation, one of the few times I really shoot for leisure, so was a bit bummed out with the poor weather, overall dry conditions that affected the waterfalls, and not being able to capture Thorncrown, particularly at night. At least I had Crystal Bridges, right? During my first visit, security was cool and initially allowed me to take pictures of the outside of the building, but during my second visit security was not so cool (boo, hiss). However, it’s their house, their rules and you have to respect that even if it they seem to be making it up as they go along. So before getting too in the dumps about it, I called it a night – there was no need feeling further frustrated. These are the few captures I managed there though.

Crystal Bridges (2012)

I did much exploring the natural Arkansas landscape and hiking while I was there. While driving between two locations, I stumbled across a sight I’d never seen before at an industrial plant in Russellville. At first glance, I thought it was a slew of palettes, but instead it was an immense field of stacked railroad ties. I was so enthralled with it, I attained permission from the company to shoot photographs there and had conversations with a couple of the men who worked this particular area. At first I thought they’d treat me kinda weird, but I think they could clearly tell I was interested in what they were saying and was more than happy to talk about their jobs. Lemme tell you something, the workers I talked to at this plant LOVE their jobs, LOVE who they worked for, and took obvious immense pride in their work. It turns out this plant is the largest railroad tie manufacturer in the nation. They explained to me how they cut, stacked, and allow the wood to cure before shipping these ties throughout North America. As a railroad fanatic, the kid in me found it to be fascinating.

Stacks (2012)

These are a few more scenes I stumbled across on the many long drives through the Ozarks. There’ll be a few more like this in Part 2!

Left (2012)

Arkansas was pretty cool. Most folks very warm, friendly, and accommodating towards me. Had a few quizzical looks at the Yankee hat and camera gear, but whatever. I met a bunch of people, some through Couchsurfing, others while hiking, and had a good conversation with a fellow photog while at Haw Falls. One of those I met tagged along during a morning drive checking out some waterfalls which I’ll get to in the next blog. I ate a ton of great food, but probably not a single vegetable the entire time I was in state.

Of course, there are some cultural oddities that this Jersey boy will never get used to. This safely qualifies as one of them.

The above billboard may not seem weird to anyone in rural areas, but I guarantee you a bunch of people RIGHT NOW are thinking, “REALLLLLLLLLLLLY?” See you in Part 2!

Summer 2012 – The In Between

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Woohoo, my 101st blog post! When I began this blog I was purely an amateur fine art photographer who practiced architecture as my full-time job. Four years later I’m a professional photographer who does a bit of architecture on the side. The bittersweet part of becoming professional is that I rarely get to shoot all the things I purely shoot for fun. So on the occasion I have that chance, I certainly savor the moment. It’s been a busy summer with many jobs and a lot of travel on the behalf of my clients. These are a few photos I’ve managed to capture in between.

This morning scene with dissipating fog was captured a few hundred feet away from a commercial shoot I had about 30 minutes outside of Winston-Salem. As I waited for the sun to rise and light the east face of my building, I turned and saw this sight down the road. I realize the ‘tree in a field’ is cliche, but I still consider it beautiful to see in person. So I snatched up my other camera, swapped a lens, and jogged over to capture this scene – then jogged right back to start my architectural shoot.

Sunrise over East Bend (2012)

I had an evening architectural shoot that had to be cancelled, so since I was in a photography mood and had a full moon, used it as an excuse to go downtown. That night I took a different view of the former Progress Energy (now Redhat) building than I did last year.

Raleigh Lights (2012)

A few weeks later I traveled near downtown in the morning to take a tilted photo of an old auto sales building.

Dew Motors (2012)

In late July, I took a rare stab at portraiture at the request of one of my friends, Kestrel.

I had obligations for three different clients between Winston-Salem and west North Carolina. On my most recent work-related trip, I took an extra day or so to visit places I didn’t get to see during my last trip to the mountains. I stayed near downtown Asheville where I captured a long-exposure on Tunnel Road.

Tunnel (2012)

Okay, so let me tell you what happened AFTER taking this photograph. It’s near 11pm. It’s a dimly lit area and I’m heading back to my car which I left at the hospital complex. I’m dressed in a t-shirt, shorts, Yankees cap, and bulky backpack with tripod strapped to it, slightly sticking out. It’s dark, it’s late, and I have a lot of expensive equipment on my back so I’m especially cautious.

As I returned towards the hospital campus, a car sides along next to me, the window rolls allllll the way down, and a white man, seemingly in his 60s is trying to get my attention. The area is well-lit but totally empty on the weekend. Drawing on all of my previous experiences walking around urban areas at night, I’m thinking to myself, Oh crap maybe it’s a doctor and he’s wondering what I’m doing in the area, immediately proceeded by Holy cow, what’s he doing rolling his window down like that, is he nuts?!

In a guarded manner I asked, “Yes, can I help you?” which for my followers outside of the southern USA, roughly translates into, “What you looking at?”

That’s when I notice what I presume to be his wife in the passenger seat, with an unfurled paper map as he inquired, “Yeah, uh – do you know where Patton Avenue is?”

Chalk that up as something that’s never happened to me before. To put this in proper perspective – since the age of 18, my experiences walking to destinations at night have been radically different, treated with much suspicion, no matter how safe or unsafe the area may be. It’s happened with police in major metro areas, it’s even happened repeatedly on my own college campus walking back to my dorm room from the architecture building at 3 a.m – wondering what I’m doing. When I was an amateur photog city patrol drew weapons on me in broad daylight only to be relieved I was just holding a camera (good story, laughs had by all). As a photographer, particularly one who captures the isolated urban and rural settings I prefer to shoot, you’re accustomed to attracting suspicious eyes. However, as a black photographer often mistaken for younger than my age, I’ve come to expect being interrupted with double the frequency – with or without a camera in hand. So I’m accustomed to getting stopped by SOMEBODY in public or semi-public areas. The last thing I’m anticipating is being asked for directions.

Already taken aback (which is no easy feat) and having helped them out, the couple then went out of the way to offer me a ride – which by then must’ve made my jaw DROP. I politely declined, partially because I was almost at my destination but also I didn’t want this nice couple to begin thinking that offering strangers a ride at 11pm was a good idea – even if it was only Asheville. I’d hate for it to become habit forming and have to see their kind, unassuming faces plastered on the 10 o’clock news, you know? In the current American sociopolitical climate, it was a refreshing relief and certainly provided me a bit more faith in humanity, even if as a temporary respite.

The next day I had the time to take two easy to moderate hikes that I didn’t get to take last fall, one to Linville Falls and the other to Crabtree Falls.

Linville Falls (2012)

Lastly, this was at an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway or a highway close to it. Think it was Highway 221. All I remember is I got asked for directions here too.

2011 in review.

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It’s safe to say 2011 has been the most frenetic year I’ve experienced since becoming independent. It was also the first time in two years I had the enough time to travel for leisure. I got to travel through 19 different states, visiting many friends and family whom I don’t get to see often enough. These are some of my favorite photographic memories from the past year. As always, sincerely thank you for your continued support through the years and here’s to the new year!

In North Carolina


Outside North Carolina



On the job

2.5 days in the hills

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I intended to spend 4-5 days in the mountains of west North Carolina. In typical fashion, I went up during weekdays to avoid insane weekend crowds; nothing seems so counter to the natural beauty of autumn colors than two hours worth of traffic backup along the Blue Ridge Parkway, you know? Unfortunately, due to how early the fall colors arrived and oncoming rain, that trip got cut short to 2 1/2 days. I only had time to see half of what I wanted to see, especially the waterfalls, which I’ll likely save for a spring or summer trip. Fortunately, colors were about peak in the Asheville area and further south. This is some of what I did get to see and shoot with the limited time I had.

I made attempts with panning by strapping on an ND8 filter, narrowing my aperture, and shooting long exposures between 1/2 and 2 seconds. It seemed like an interesting idea so figured I’d give it a whirl.

Really not sure how I feel about them, so I was happy to go back to some more traditional stuff.

Reach Out (2011)

These were some waterfalls I was able to drive and hike to. First is Cove Creek Falls:

Looking Glass Falls (2011)

Standing on Triple Falls (2011)

Cascades III (2011)

French Broad Falls

Of course, it was just a matter of time before I swerved from nature towards a combination of environment and built structure.

Living Waters (2011)

Though disappointed in cutting my trip short, it was beautiful and I had fun on my little break. Catch you around next time.

Photography on a Cloudy Day

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How many times have you ever thought to yourself, “It’s cloudy and looks like it’s about to rain, I’m not going to shoot today.” I’m not referring to dramatically stormy days either that litter the “most popular” fields in every social media art website, but to dreary overcast days that makes you just want to sleep in.

Remember that as complex as photography gets, it boils down to one very simple overarching idea. Photography is the recording of light. Whether it’s the effect of light from a specific source, reflected off a surface, or non-visible light such as ultraviolet or infrared, that is IT. I always try to bear that in mind when shooting. Though I’m not a huge fan of cloudy days, I’d never qualify using my camera then as inherently better or worse than a sunny day – just different.

What’s the best time to shoot on an overcast day?

Like a sunny day, shoot anytime; it just depends what you choose to photograph and your artistic preference. The nice thing is you don’t have to worry so much about taking pictures outdoors during a “poor light” time of day. My personal favorite time to photograph when cloudy is opposite to how I consider a clear day. Early in the morning and evening tend to possess much less light, so pending your camera’s ability, you’ll need to increase your ISO, slow your shutter speed down, and/or widen your aperture. You may even require a tripod. It allows opportunities for your greatest dramatic contrast between a dark sky with colors or highlights contained within your photo. However, you’ll get the maximum amount of diffuse light at “high noon” (you’ll notice most of the example shots are midday). The impact of time of day on your photography varies according to how light or murky the atmosphere above is.

Barren II (2011)
ISO-100, F8.0, 1/320s, 1:35 PM CST

Black and white photography
One of the few things that actually sunk in from college professor during a B&W film photography course (g.o.y. 1995!) is that cloudy days provide excellent opportunities for black and white photos. It essentially turn the sky into the world’s largest softbox. Sure, we see in color and our digital camera sensors are recording in color, but the soft-balanced light, combined with less light bouncing from non-reflective surfaces can have quite an effect traditional black and white photography.

Power (2011)
ISO-400, F8.0, 1/2500s, 1:39PM CST

Speaking of soft-balance light…

Ever shoot flowers or other foliage on a bright day versus a cloudy day? Diffuse light creates lower contrast and makes colors pop than if the subject matter was reflecting bright sunlight. Colors appear more saturated. That makes it great for subject matter such as portraits, still-life, and waterfalls. I won’t pretend I understand all of the physics, but the reason colors seem more vivid stems from the same reason we see color in the first place – a combination of reflected and absorbed light by a material. For a scientific explanation, here’s a good summary about the physics of color on Wikipedia. Also check out the book Light Science & Magic. It’s in my personal library and effectively explains the effect of light on objects and materials in a digestible graphic and verbal manner.

By the way – forgot to pack the neutral density filter or polarizer in your camera bag? A cloudy day will help negate blown highlights and reduce the impact of light poking through the top of foliage at slower shutter speeds.

Greater apparent detail

As just mentioned, all materials have varying properties of reflecting and absorbing light. Photography doesn’t record absorption, but opaque surfaces tend reflect as intensely or cast definite shadows when the originating light source has wider dispersion. That’s why there are all sorts of Tupperware-shaped doohickeys to purchase for your flash and ginormous umbrella thingies to fasten to your light stands. Therefore, when a material such as wood isn’t reflecting as much light, your eye picks up a greater amount of detail in that material. The apparent difference is even more so with our camera sensors because they don’t possess the vast dynamic range of our eyes.

5 Cents III (2007)
ISO-100, F4.0, 1/640s, 12:50 PM EST

Photograph in 2D!

Okay – maybe not really in two dimensions. However a less-defined shadow allows you to consider things in profile you might’ve ordinarily looked at in full three dimensions. Sometimes sharp shadows are your friend and on other occasions they’re your enemy. However with those high-contrast shadows no longer streaking across, take the opportunity to scope underneath natural and human-made canopies such as shallow tree cover and roof structures.

Character (2011)
ISO-640, F3.5, 1/250s, 12:46 PM EST

Silhouette
Cloudy days can turn the sky into one expansive back light. Play with how objects form against it.

ISO-200, F8.0, 1/60s, 7:03 PM EST

Reflective surfaces.
My favorite impact of cloudy days are on reflective surfaces such as water and especially glass. You don’t have to worry about direct sunlight blowing out part of your photograph and I find the effect when you strip away the color to be beautiful.

The Pyramids (2011)
ISO-100, F22.0, 1/15s, 1:23 PM CST

Composition and cropping
Use that blank canvas to create wide expanses or segments/slivers of negative space you wouldn’t have had with a blue sky.

Under the Bridge (2011)
ISO-100, F8.0, 1/400s, 1:14PM CST

It could rain (gasp!) –
- and that’s not a bad thing. These days, digital cameras are much better than they used to be and have greater resistance to water and professional equipment is considered air-tight. It can handle more than a few raindrops. Besides, the few moments before and after a rainstorm can add some drama that you weren’t getting when it was simply overcast.

Back Alley (2009)
ISO-400, F8.0, 1/100s, 10:24AM EST

Post-processing
I realize some “purists” cringe at anything post-processing, but I’ve made up my mind about S.O.B. photography a long time ago. Vignetting and playing with the S-curve, among many other development techniques, can aid the visual impact for seemingly mundane scenes. Play with it and see what you come up with.

Like many amateur and professional photographers, I get a thrill from interpreting urban and rural environments. Often overcast days reveal subject matter to evaluate and study that I’d otherwise miss on perfectly nice days. So don’t let a little down weather ever discourage you from satisfying your urge to shoot!

Opinions and facts (ha!) are subject to change. Suggestions? Corrections? LOLs and snide comments? E-mail info@sestevens.com

June 2011 – Few and far between

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Well now that I’m back on the ground in Raleigh for the past few months, I’ve been concentrating on developing my business here. Which means not only are the “for fun” shots are few and far between, I don’t even bother looking at them until a month later. So these are from sometime in the middle of June.

The first was a morning trip through rural North Carolina about an hour east of Raleigh.

These are the fearless intrepid photographers that I got to tag along with, Maria and Jackie!

I’ve actually never traveled through this area. The conditions we traveled in weren’t prime for photography, but it allowed ample opportunity to scope the region. I think it’s a place I’d like to get lost through eventually for a day. We’ll see when that’ll actually happen!

Character (2011)

The second shoot was at a place I had never really gone either – Lake Crabtree out in Morrisville. I spent an hour with the Raleigh Outdoor Photography Club at sunset. Clubs like these typically provide convenient scheduled excuses for me to take a break.

This is Sam Upchurch, who is an AMAZING photographer. He also has a lot of cool gadgets. I strongly resisted the temptation to yank that chair and use it for myself.

Sunset over Lake Crabtree (2011)

That’s it for now. I probably won’t have too many leisurely outings until the fall season!

The Burg. The Port. The Beach. The Ville.

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This blog basically covers some of my travel between October 23 and December 8, 2010 – Spartanburg, Shrevesport, Myrtle Beach, and Nasvhille. Ready? Here goes:

SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA

Trespassing at an abandoned truck stop across the street from my hotel:

Abandoned IV (2010)

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA

I hadn’t traveled to Shreveport since visiting with my parents as a teenager. There’s a riverside with a slew of pretty tacky casinos (great food though!) While there, I was very fortunate to have an extra day to roam around by myself and explore downtown a bit:

My black and whites are getting grimier and moodier with every shoot. I’ve been trending this way for the last year and I’m unsure exactly why I’m doing it. Yet.

406 Cotton (2010)

Hotel 6 King Street (2010)

Hotel (2010)

And of course, you know I have to show tagging some love:

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA

You’d think a trip to the Carolina coast, even in November would be relatively warm, right? WRONG! I woke up at a 5 a.m. to capture the Second Street Pier at sunrise. It was 25 degrees Fahrenheit with a bitter wind chill down into the teens. As I shivered uncontrollably with tripod, camera, and remote trigger in hand, I thought to myself, “So this is what death must feel like.”

Second Street Pier (2010)

By sunset it was much warmer in the low-40′s. This is a scene at the Myrtle Beach State Park Pier. I was actually parked at a different pier when the colors came ablaze and I could see this scene in the distance. Driving to the pier would’ve meant taking about 15 minutes to travel by car, park, and pay a fee to enter the park and get to the pier. Time was of the essence, so I ran (yes, ran) about 1/2 mile with my camera equipment and tripod slung over my shoulder to catch this scene. It’s stunning I didn’t collapse, really.

I’m not sure what happened here…whether I accidentally bumped the tripod, triggered the camera while adjusting or what, but the result of this capture seemed interesting.

And this is the finished “polished” photo.

Sunset over Myrtle Beach (2010)

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Nashville. Man, what to say about that. It reminds me a bit of Los Angeles. Huge music scene, respected art scene, and ugly as sin. I didn’t bring myself to capture any of the iconic downtown buildings, though with more time, I might’ve considered it. The afternoon I arrived and parked downtown, I exited my vehicle and caught a baseball lying on the curb:

Love the Game (2010)

…then walked downtown a bit.

Nashville has a slew of industrial and old mercantile and manufacturing facilities that I would’ve loved to explore further. I think it’s enough to merit a return trip just for those buildings.

If you’re an architect or have studied architecture, or visited Greece, you must be like…WTF? Yes. That is exactly what you think it is. It’s an precise true-to-scale replica of the Parthenon in aggregate concrete, the only one of its kind outside of the actual Greek Parthenon. So I had a bit of fun toying with it in black and white.

That’s it for now, everyone enjoy their holiday season and have a great New Year!