Category: Blog Posts

Another successful Road Trip adventure, another weekend with the grandkids. It doesn’t get much better than that. Of course it would have been nice if the temperature had stayed above freezing but – let’s not nitpick.

Rebecca and I took Benjamin and Destiny on another camping trip, this time to a very familiar destination. We drove the 120 miles to Joshua Tree National Park, specifically the Black Rock campground near the NW corner of the Park.

This is our sixth Road Trip to Joshua Tree and our second with grandkids. Nearly five years ago we took the three oldest grandkids, Rey-Rey, Alyssa & Roman to the same campground and on the same hikes.

Rebecca actually felt better hiking now than back then. She’s in much better shape today and able to climb and easily keep up with the kids despite appearances in the photo above.

Whenever we hike I look for opportunities to take portraits. I love environmental/outdoor portraiture. Weddings are fun, engagement photo sessions are more fun but …. the most fun is outdoor portraiture.

Plus, the kids are more than willing to “ham it up” or just pose for pictures. It’s quite rewarding to take the grandkids hiking, to get them to push through a tough hike (more on that later) and reach the summit. Here’s a photo of both groups at the summit of a short, ~2 mile hike on the High View Nature Trail.

As  usual, we arrived late Friday afternoon. With the days as short as they are there really wasn’t much to do. I got started on a fire while Rebecca made dinner. Neither of us finished before the sun set and, as is the case in the desert, once the sun went down the temperature plummeted. It was so cold no one wanted to sit around the fire with me. That’s the curse/pleasure of having a propane heater in the van.

The next morning before we started our hike we saw this water spigot with a frozen puddle – testament to the sub-freezing temperatures. Thank goodness for the van.

So the sun is up and we set off on a 5-mile West Side Loop trail. The fun begins at the water tank with Benjamin deciding on his own to strike a fun pose. He must have seen that done somewhere else because it was totally his set up.

Five miles is a reasonable hike even for 7 and 5 year olds. But, trouble was brewing when we hit a long, uninteresting, sandy, uphill stretch of the trail. Ben had his head down, Destiny stopped to complain, and we had a long way to go.

So we stopped for a break and, sure enough, Ben takes off with a new energy climbing off trail. Rebecca worked with Destiny – notice she had insisted on taking her basket and bunny despite my suggestion to leave it behind.

Ben and I set up some jumping photos and, to no one’s surprise, Destiny decided to join the fun. It was amazing to see the kids moods change. After the pit stop the trail changed to an up and down trek through small canyons. They were literally running down and up and down and up with Rebecca and I barely able to keep up. Part of that stretch was shown in the first photo from this post.

Their struggles on the trail were mental, not physical. Unfortunately the last portion of the trail, before the campsite was in sight, was another stretch of interminable sand and sand with nothing to keep their minds occupied.

We came across an elderly lady sitting alone partially wrapped in gold reflective super insulation emergency rescue blanket  which reflects back body heat to help prevent hypothermia. Her husband had left for assistance. She was in reasonable spirits – mostly she was embarassed that she had badly sprained her ankle on the steep sections we had just finished. After chatting with her for a time we passed by the rescue crew on our way back to the campground.

While Rebecca made supper Destiny and I did a little campground exploring. Here she’s sitting in the campground electric vehicle.

This time we had supper before the sun set. I didn’t even bother starting a fire – it was clear again everyone preferred the van’s comfort.

The kids were ready and raring to go on the short High View Nature Trail Sunday AM. We made it to the top with no issues and no complaints.

On the way back down I took a few tries at the panorama function on the new Sony NEX-5N. It’s clear I’ll have to learn the nuances of this but I was able to capture the essence of the desert scene.

And the kids had enough energy to climb a few rocks before we headed back to Laguna Niguel and the creature comforts of home. All in all – another great trip with grandkids.

Be sure to join us for our next Road Trip Adventure. In the meantime, check back for our weekly Tuesday Photo Tips. Better yet – be updated automatically when we post Road Trips or Photo Tips by “friending” our Facebook site.

You may also want to browse the resource articles on our site covering basic and more advanced photography topics. There are also tips covering topics such as preparing for family or infant/child portrait sessions. If you would like a topic covered just jot it down in a comment or send us a note.

Today we celebrated Yahir’s eighth birthday. As always, the kids gathered and Rebecca made it a special day.

Yahir is my Little Brother from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County organization. Yahir and I have been matched for nearly a year and, to be honest, I couldn’t have imagined a better match. Yahir and I started the relationship with a few field trips. On a trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach I discovered that Yahir loves to take photographs. Gee whiz – I can relate to that!!.

Of course Rebecca and Yahir hit it off immediately. They enjoy being together learning at the Discovery Center in Santa Ana or relaxing on a boat dock in Newport Bay.

After one of the early outings we brought Yahir to the house to meet Benjamin and Destiny. To say they bonded immediately would be an understatement. Of course, the gig was rigged. Mario Brothers is big on Yahir’s list of favorites so we went out and bought a Wii-2 with Mario Kart bundle. I even got in on the fun for a short time. Details of that are described in this earlier post.

We celebrated his birthday at the house. and, of course, the boys rushed to the Wii. I took the opportunity to take a quick portrait of Destiny. It was a sunny day so she obliged my request and posed in front of the French Door. A sprinkle of fill flash mixed with a bright window and cute youngster and out pops a high key portrait.

The kids went out to the backyard and played a spirited game of hide and seek from the camera. The small tents took a beating but fun was had by everyone, including the photographer (that would be me)!

I was able to wear them out sufficiently to get a quick group portrait. Once again, no lighting except on camera flash toned down with flash exposure compensation. All of these “snapshot” photos were taken with the Sony NEX-5N handheld camera that I’ve been shooting a lot since it showed up in Rebecca’s Christmas presents stack.

Dinner was both simple and popular – burgers with macaroni and cheese on the side. Kids loved it and, to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t complaining either.

After the gourmet dinner it was time for cake, ice cream and presents. Yahir did a masterful job blowing out the candles.

After some more hi-jinks during cake and ice cream it was time to open the presents.

Boys will be boys but Ben let up long enough for Yahir to read his card.

Of course Rebecca found the perfect gifts – a Mario Brothers sweatshirt and a camera pouch for Yahir’s recent Christmas present.

We sure are lucky to have met Yahir. He’s the most well-mannered 8 year old we’ve ever met. It’s our pleasure to spend time with him – the grandkids are always asking when he’ll be back.

Here’s looking forward to another birthday celebration next January. Happy Birthday Yahir!

Rebecca and I took a trip to the Phoenix area this weekend. It’s a trip we make once or twice every winter. My parents are “snow birds”. They make an annual migration from their home near my birthplace, Chicago, to the warmer environs of Sun City West.

We always take the van so we can steal away in the evenings and have some privacy. They have a fold out bed in the computer/laundry room but ….. believe me the van is much more comfortable.

It used to be we would take them on an excursion to “see the sights” but my parents aren’t as mobile anymore. The trip to Sedona was the last real excursion we took and that goes back to 2004. They are eight years older now and far less mobile.

My father turned 88 years old a few months ago. His doctor gave him six months to live a few years back. He’s getting more frail, no doubt, but “rumors of his death are greatly exaggerated”. He’s home-bound now – not that he was ever the adventurer – and my mother is his primary care giver. Mom turned 83 recently but you wouldn’t know it the way she runs  around with all of her social and charity work.

In putting together this post I realized just how few pictures I have of my dad. I counted 15 in my entire photographic catalog. The photo above with Destiny from 2007 is my favorite. She’s now five years old and makes regular appearances in this blog.

Sunday AM breakfast after church is a ritual. My boys, Doug (on the left) and Kyle joined us last year and will join us again in March when we make another trip to Sun City West.

I bought tickets for all of us (except Dad) to see the Angels play the Texas Rangers at their preseason stadium in Surprise, AZ – just a few miles down the road. We used to go to an Angels home game in Tempe every year but that involves a cross-town drive and traffic is just horrible in and around the city.

We usually arrive on Friday evening – it’s a 370 mile drive down I-10 thru the desert and 120 miles into AZ. We’ll spend a couple of hours catching up with Mom – Dad is usually in bed by the time we arrive. In the photo above Mom is checking out a bevy of new photos of grandkids and great grandkids. The iPad is such a great tool for that.

Her dog Max lives on her lap and is always nearby. Mom pampers that dog beyond belief.

Saturday was spent working on Mom’s new computer. Rebecca helped her set it up and reload the Microsoft Office suite of programs. Her prior computer was something like six years old. Mom hasn’t caught on to the Internet age quite yet but she does use her computer to track bills, investments and her charity work.

Here’s a nice shot of Rebecca with my Mom. That’s our van/get away in the background. This photo was taken Saturday early evening on our way to a restaurant. Dad didn’t go – no surprise. I haven’t seen him out of the  house in over a year.

Funny story – we left for dinner at 4:30′ish expecting we would easily “beat the crowd”. No such luck. We checked out the Red Lobster – one hour wait. So we headed to Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Surprise. Well, surprise, surprise there was a 45 minute wait there as well. I’m telling you – that area is hopping with people everywhere.

I dropped Rebecca and Mom off at the front door and then went to park. On the way thru the parking lot I was nearly run over by an elderly man in a hurry to find a Handicap parking space. Oh well – what are you going to do?!?

We left as usual Sunday. Traffic was very light as it usually is in the Winter months. Take this same trip in the Summer and all bets are off.

We stopped at a Rest Area on the way and I couldn’t help myself – I had to “scratch the itch” despite the dearth of photographic opportunities. I just love taking photos and have to “get my fix” regularly. What can I say?

Join us for our next Road Trip Adventure to Joshua Tree National Park. In the meantime, check back for our weekly Tuesday Photo Tips. Better yet – be updated automatically when we post Road Trips or Photo Tips by “friending” our Facebook site.

You may also want to browse the resource articles on our site covering basic and more advanced photography topics. There are also tips covering topics such as preparing for family or infant/child portrait sessions. If you would like a topic covered just jot it down in a comment or send us a note.

I just checked and found that this is the seventh post covering exposure. It makes me wonder – how could I write so many posts to cover one topic?

I’ve wandered a bit – three separate posts on shutter speed?!? I’ll just say exposure covers a lot of ground and leave it at that. Today’s post will be the finale – unless I decide it would be useful to summarize the highlights of these seven posts. That could lead to a very long-winded post, indeed!!

Today we will explore small apertures which, unfortunately, are designated by large (not small) f/#s. For those inclined, this Resource Article explains f/#’s but let me cut to the chase.

The concept of f/#  is very, very useful to photographers, astronomers, Department of Defense, …. you’d best just take my word for it. All you need to understand is this: no matter what camera, no matter what lens, an aperture setting of f/4 represents the same amount of light/exposure – always!! An f/4 setting on the Hubble telescope is the same as f/4 on your point & shoot. The apertures will be different in size but each will present the same amount of light to the telescope/camera. Check out the free article for details if you’d like.

The photo above demonstrates a classic use of small apertures (large f/#). Landscape photos are shot with small apertures to ensure the foreground, middle ground and background are all in sharp focus.

The entire scene is in sharp focus in both of these landscape vistas. In photography parlance this is called large depth of focus (DoF). Compare that to the shallow DoF typically used in portrait photographs as detailed in last week’s post.

Both of the vistas were shot at f/22 meaning the aperture was tiny. That tiny aperture necessitated a slow/long shutter which, in turn, meant a tripod was needed. A landscape photographer will sink a princely sum for a stable tripod – to the tune of several hundred dollars if they require a light weight version.

Tiny aperture, large f/#, large DoF shooting is also very common for macro photography as shown in the psuedo-macro flower photo. Once again, tripods are required when the tiny aperture necessitates a long/slow shutter.

A large DoF isn’t always necessary. Take a peek at the two photos from a trip Rebecca and I made to the Big Apple. Both were shot at f/3.5 – a near-wide open aperture. The DoF achieved was perfectly adequate for the fire station – there’s not much depth in the photo. In contrast, the same f/# in the subway portrait demonstrates a shallow DoF and a blurred background – just as planned.

By the way, if you’ve never been to Manhattan you’ve gotta go – what a great place to photograph and experience. The fire station shown above is located minutes from the World Trade Center just across the Brooklyn Bridge. On September 11, eight brave men from Engine 205 rushed into the building to rescue others. Follow this link and give tribute to those heroes that gave their lives in service of all of us.

OK – now I’m choking  up  …. sorry but it’s such a moving scene, location, experience. You’ve gotta go – take our word for it.

Here are a couple of other photos from NYC that demonstrate how to choose an aperture to tailor your DoF. The fire escape was shot at f/7. The statue at the Rockefeller Center was shot at f/20 by necessity. Pick your aperture based on your needs – no reason to shoot with a tiny aperture (e.g. f/20) unless you need a large DoF.

One more side note – when you visit the Big Apple be sure to check out the view at “The Top of the Rock” (i.e. Rockefeller Center). Look to the South for this view:

Turn 180 degrees and see this view of Central Park:

And, if you’re timing is good, walk down Broadway avenue and enjoy the wonderful variety in humanity – melting pot indeed!!

OK back on topic – here are two more photos exhibiting wide DoF achieved by shooting in aperture priority mode and choosing a large f/#.

The wind toys are another matter. For this photo I chose a small aperture to force the camera to choose a slow shutter speed. My reasoning – I wanted to show the spinning wind toy and it worked, at least for the distant toys. However, the large wind toy in the foreground was mostly lit by flash and hence, as discussed in this post, it’s spinning motion was stopped by the short flash exposure.

Another long post complete. I hope you were able to suffer through it and gain a bit of comfort with large f/#’s and DoF.

Feel free to comment or show off some of your own compositions that illustrate this tip. In the meantime, stay tuned because more Tuesday Photo Tips are right around the corner. Better yet – be updated automatically by “friending” our Facebook site.

PS - This is one of dozens of photo tips in our continuing Tuesday Photo Tips series of posts. There  are other resource articles on our site you may enjoy covering basic and more advanced photography topics. There are also tips covering topics such as preparing for family or infant/child portrait sessions. If you would like a topic covered just jot it down in a comment or send us a note.

This is the first of the final two posts in our series covering the exposure triangle. In the first post we introduced the exposure triangle (ISO, shutter speed, aperture). We then discussed how ISO impacts the selection of shutter speed and aperture. We covered shutter speed in three separate posts (slow shutter speed vol1, slow shutter speed vol2, fast shutter speed). Today and next week we will cover aperture.

In a lot of ways aperture is the most important leg of the exposure triangle. Aperture priority is, arguably, the most useful camera shooting mode for most situations. In aperture priority you tell the camera which aperture value (small or large) you would like to use. The camera’s computer then determines the appropriate shutter speed to achieve the correct exposure.

Your choice of aperture will affect the photo in many ways beyond exposure. In today’s post we will look at how shooting wide open (wide aperture = low f/#) can be used to achieve an affect that will improve your photographs – especially family portraits.

Before we go there let’s look at situations where shooting wide open is required. In an earlier post we showed an example of how high ISO and wide apertures allowed photographs in a neo-natal intensive care unit. We see another example in the photos above. These were taken inside the Hearst Castle – no flash photography was allowed. High ISO and a wide open aperture was required to properly expose these photographs.

The low light level inside Sky High Sports – “The Trampoline Place” in Costa Mesa – also requried a wide open aperture to capture the photograph above.

A wide open aperture is also required when a very fast shutter speed is used to “stop the action”. This is how professional sports photographers work. You will see professional photographers on the sidelines with wide (and long) lenses which allow them to use fast shutter speeds to eliminate subject motion blur.

Let’s now discuss another variable that is controlled by the aperture you choose. It’s called depth of focus (DoF) and it will have a dramatic effect on your family portraits. The two photo panels below demonstrate this variable. In both photos the left panel exhibits a large DoF. A shallow DoF is illustrated in the right panels. Can you see the difference in the level of background blur. With proper settings and composition a high DoF photo will have all elements, near & far, in sharp focus. With a wide open aperture the DoF will be reduced leading to a blurred background which is preferred for many situations.

In today’s post we’ll focus (pun intended) on wide-open apertures which result in low DoF. This technique is used to isolate subjects as shown in the photographs below. Yes, I still enjoy monkey’s and toy trucks!!

Shallow DoF is especially useful in portraiture. The photos of Rebecca at Crystal Cove were shot wide open to intentionally blur the background.

The same technique was used for the engagement photo taken at the five-star Montage hotel in Laguna Beach. With the shallow DoF in the teenage portrait session you wouldn’t know the photographs were taken at a local city park.

Point & shoot cameras offer limited control of aperture and DoF. When you use the portrait shooting mode your camera will choose a wide open aperture for you. If you choose landscape mode the opposite is true – more on that in next week’s post on aperture.

Because DoF is such a powerful tool for tailoring and improving your photographs we will post a more in depth look at other variables that have a major impact on DoF.

Baby portraits often employ shallow DoF. Wide open apertures can also be used to creative effect. In the photo of Rebecca I focused on her mirror reflection and shot wide open throwing her a bit out of focus.

We hope this understanding of aperture control will motivate you to use creative exposure modes – specifically aperture priority. The added control of DoF will lead to improved family portraits.

Feel free to comment or show off some of your own compositions that illustrate this tip. In the meantime, stay tuned because more Tuesday Photo Tips are right around the corner. Better yet – be updated automatically by “friending” our Facebook site.

PS - This is one of dozens of photo tips in our continuing Tuesday Photo Tips series of posts. There  are other resource articles on our site you may enjoy covering basic and more advanced photography topics. There are also tips covering topics such as preparing for family or infant/child portrait sessions. If you would like a topic covered just jot it down in a comment or send us a note.

We took a chance on a new campground for this month’s Road Trip and we scored big. Not only was the campground very close – a mere 75 miles from home – but it was very well equipped. Dos Picos (Two Peaks) County Park, 50 miles northeast of  San Diego, will become a regular given the proximity and campground amenities. More on that in a  bit.

It’s always fun to bring grandkids with us on our Road Trips. This time we brought Destiny. Shortly after we arrived Destiny and I took off to explore the immediate area.

After a short hike we discovered a well equipped playground. Destiny was having fun, the sun was setting, and I pulled out the newest camera in our arsenal. You may recall we first broke out this tiny powerhouse of a camera and discussed it’s attributes in this Road Trip to Anza Borrego post. It is now our “go to” camera for Road Trips.

When you  can produce photos of the quality shown below using a camera that fits in the palm of your hand you know you’ve found a winner. Speaking of winners – you can’t beat these two. You can’t help but feel safe in those loving arms.

I started this post with mention of the campground amenities. It’s very rare for us to “plug in”. We avoid RV campgrounds. Well, this campground is the exception.

We run our “luxuries” (small refrigerator, reading lights, satellite radio) off the house battery in our van. When we need to charge our iPad/camera/phone we turn on the inverter and steal a bit of charge from that large marine battery. No need to worry about the battery charge at Dos Picos. The majority of sites have electric hook up. And yet the sites are large and appealing. Top that off with free showers and you’ve got a great campground.

You can find those amenities at RV parks but you won’t often find the combination of amenities and large, wooded campsites. Dos Picos is surrounded by ranchland and steep rocky slopes which preserve its secluded atmosphere. This just doesn’t look (or feel) like your typical RV campground.

The campground is dommianted by majestic oak trees which produce prodigious amounts of acorns this time of year. We were awoken numerous times with the sound of acorns falling on the van. With the quiet environment, an acorn falling produces quite a bang. Destiny found a stock pile of acorns.

With the short days of winter you need a campfire to play and stay warm before retiring. Of course if you have a child and a campfire you inevitably have to throw in marshmallows. Here we see Destiny preparing and devouring one monster marshmallow.

Saturday morning, after a leisurly breakfast, we spent some time just goofing off. Photos like these are always fun to capture.

After our leisurely AM we took off for a hike.

It was a nice short hike, perfect for a child – especially when the trail ends at the playground

Destiny showed Rebecca around and was brave enough to scale the tallest features.

Destiny insisted we take the trail back to the campground and we were happy to do so.

Saturday afternoon was more of the same – relaxing fun around the campground sheltered by a canopy of oak leaves above and under foot.

Destiny helped clean the van on Sunday AM.

We then took another short hike to a wooden structure that had no real utility except for fun times and great photos.

It was a great weekend at a great campground that we’ve added to our list for future Road Trips. If you live in the area, there are very large day use and picnic areas. If you plan to camp – one caution – this campground fills up fast during the summer months. We suggest you visit soon, before the crowds arrive.

Be sure to join us for our next Road Trip Adventure to Joshua Tree National Park. In the meantime, check back for our weekly Tuesday Photo Tips. Better yet – be updated automatically when we post Road Trips or Photo Tips by “friending” our Facebook site.

You may also want to browse the resource articles on our site covering basic and more advanced photography topics. There are also tips covering topics such as preparing for family or infant/child portrait sessions. If you would like a topic covered just jot it down in a comment or send us a note.

Welcome back to this multi-post discussion of camera exposure. We’re headed for the final turn with the finish line in sight.

Recall that our first post introduced the Exposure Triangle (ISO, shutter speed, aperture). We used a bucket of water and hose analogy to describe the interplay between the three exposure “knobs” you have control over. The photo below was used to display two vastly different aperture settings.

The second post discussed the use of ISO settings which determine the light sensitivity of the sensor or film in your camera. Recall that camera improvements in high ISO performance have led to a new paradigm allowing pictures that could not have been captured just a few years ago such as this photo of Rebecca and Jeremiah in the NICU at Mission Hospital.

We wrote two posts which discussed slow shutter speed. In the first of those we introduced camera shake as the villain responsible for many of  your unusable photos.

We also introduced a rule of thumb defining minimum shutter speed (i.e. you must keep your shutter speed at or higher than the focal length (aka zoom) of your lens). Check that post for some examples of this.

The second post on shutter speeds introduced some creative uses of long exposures.

It also introduced a very useful and intermediate-level skill called “dragging the shutter” to help reveal background elements when photographing with flash.

Today we will finish our review of shutter speed by discussing fast shutter speeds. It will come as no surprise that fast shutter speeds are used for freezing motion in scenes with fast moving subjects. You may recall from this post that flash can help to freeze motion. Today we’ll limit our discussion to stopping action using fast shutter speeds.

Photographers at athletic events typically use fast shutter speeds. The photos at this equestrian event were shot with a shutter speed of 1/2,500 sec which, if  you’re so inclined, is 400 microseconds. A moderate shutter speed (say 1/500 sec) would not have resulted in a tack sharp (pun intended) photo.

However, the surfers below were photographed at 1/500 sec with very acceptable freeze motion results.

The photos of Destiny jumping from a bench show an interesting affect – both were taken at 1/100 sec. For the left side panel 1/100 is adequate (barely) because her motion is reduced at the peak of her jump. The same shutter speed is not nearly fast enough for the right hand panel. Her motion is greater at that moment as she accelerates to the ground. Hence, there is an obvious increase in the subject motion blur. Hey, it’s just physics, right?

Of course you don’t need a jumping subject to incur unwanted motion blur. In the photo below a family friend leans over to laugh with another friend. Notice the blur caused by the motion of her hands and hair. I should have minimized the blur by turning up the ISO to allow photographing with a faster shutter speed.

Here are a few other photos showing the utility of fast shutter speeds to capture and freeze motion – whether it be the Blue Angels, a kayaker navigating the rapids or Supercross and/or Moto-X superstars.

As a segue to next week’s post I show the two photos below. In both the fast shutter speed allowed me to shoot with the aperture wide-open. Shooting this way results in a limited Depth of Focus (DoF) – the topic of next week’s Tuesday Photo Tip.

Feel free to comment or show off some of your own compositions that illustrate this tip. In the meantime, stay tuned because more Tuesday Photo Tips are right around the corner. Better yet – be updated automatically by “friending” our Facebook site.

PS - This is one of dozens of photo tips in our continuing Tuesday Photo Tips series of posts. There  are other resource articles on our site you may enjoy covering basic and more advanced photography topics. There are also tips covering topics such as preparing for family or infant/child portrait sessions. If you would like a topic covered just jot it down in a comment or send us a note.

I had time off between the holidays so I decided to do what I enjoy – take photographs. I wasn’t looking to bag an award winning shot. I didn’t get  up hours before dawn to catch the “good light”. I just went out to  have fun.

When you live a few minutes from Dana Point harbor and Salt Creek Beach it’s pretty easy to capture some “keepers”. Today’s post I’ll run through a few shots with a few thoughts on each.

The first excursion was to Dana Point harbor. Taking a peek at the million $$ yachts is always a fun trip to fantasy land. A few years ago Rebecca and I kayaked around the harbor to get up close & personal. Today I stuck to the boardwalk.

I remember when I took this photo I was “concerned” that the man in the frame (bottom left) would spoil the shot. I waited and took a second shot when he was out of frame. When I got back to review shots I was primed to “toss” this one.

Surprise, surprise, I decided I liked it. I’m not sure why – maybe it just puts the viewer in the frame walking along the boardwalk. I kept this one and tossed the other.

The right hand panel is a study in lines with the  vertical sails and diagonal line of the pier/access running across the frame. Nothing spectacular – just practicing composition skills.

As I said, there are many, many expensive boats and yachts. I didn’t plan to photograph any – I had actually done the “up before dawn” routine to bag a shot of a yacht in San Diego. I did not expect nor try to best that shot, shown below.

I took the shot below as an afterthought. I worked it in post processing to improve my high dynamic range (HDR) processing skills. I left this photo with the HDR look – I didn’t try to tone it down.

This photo of the flags was also HDR-processed. My intention was to keep this as photo-realistic as possible while still showcasing the extended dynamic range. I think it worked – practice makes perfect.

The right hand panel is a snapshot in time that captures the energy at the beach. It embodies everything I love about the beach.

There is energy in the scene – the woman is about to leap into her friends arms. The dog is busy shaking off the water from its last jaunt in the harbor.

Then you have the peaceful scene with the paddle boarder and his dog. And all of this is bathed in beautiful, warm sunlight – what’s not to like.

The three photos below are an interesting study in color and lines. I took the photo because of the dynamic lines. When I got back I decided the color was a distraction so I turned it to black & white.

On the advice of my uber-creative granddaughter (Daisy) I tried a duotone image. Personally I still like the B/W version the best. How about you?

I did catch a “keeper”. Dana Point is the home port of a replica tall ship (American Revolution era). I caught the Spirit of Dana Point in harbor at sunset and came away with this shot.

The next day I set out to Salt Creek Beach. It’s just up the road (PCH) from Dana Point and is an even shorter drive. There aren’t as many scene elements at the beach but I did capture some surf-themed shots.

While I enjoy silhouette shots, especially at sunset with a golden sky and clean reflections, my favorite photo from Salt Creek  is actually the lone surfboard.

The lighting is good and, once again,  I love the reflection from the wet sand but … there are too many distractions (people) on the beach to suit my taste. They detract from the “lone surfboard” theme.

I’ll end this post with a surfer heading out to do what he enjoys. That’s how this post started.

If nothing else I hope that this post inspires the photo enthusiasts in the audience to just go out and photograph anyone/anything/anyplace. You’ll enjoy it and likely end up with a few keepers.

PS – If you didn’t already know, we publish a weekly “photo tips” post geared for the novice and hobbyist. There are literally  dozens of photo tips in our continuing Tuesday Photo Tips series of posts.

Also, there  are resource articles on our site you may enjoy covering basic and more advanced photography topics. There are also tips covering topics such as preparing for family or infant/child portrait sessions. If you would like a topic covered just jot it down in a comment or send us a note.

In the meantime, stay tuned because more Tuesday Photo Tips are right around the corner. Better yet – be updated automatically by “friending” our Facebook site.

This is the fourth in a multi-part series on Exposure. The first post introduced the three corners of the Exposure Triangle – ISO, shutter and aperture. Since then we’ve covered the ISO corner and began a discussion of slow shutter speeds.

Today we will continue with that topic. We will cover fast shutter speeds next week and follow with a post (or two?) on aperture settings (small & large maybe?).

Recall that choosing the correct ISO is the first step to ensure the correct exposure is achieved while allowing shutter speeds and/or apertures that “work” for the scene.

Last week we discussed a landscape photographer. He/she must work at low ISO to ensure completely noise-free photos. The low ISO was one reason they work with slow shutter speeds (long exposures).

Today we will look at some creative uses of long exposures.

The photos above were taken in near pitch black conditions at Joshua Tree National Park, a local site Rebecca and I visit every year. We will be camping there in February.

Turning night into day requires very long exposures – both used 30-second exposures. There are photographers that excel in this with better examples of nighttime photos including vistas of the Milky Way or star trails highlighting the  being common.

Slow shutter speeds can also lead to subject motion blur as shown in the photos below. The left panel is Times Square in NYC. The slow shutter (0.3 sec) was used to properly expose the image at a low ISO.

The motion blur of the people walking isn’t overly obvious because they are walking straight at the camera. The vehicle blur is more pronounced — they are moving faster.

The indoor waterfall at a Las Vegas hotel was photographed with an even longer exposure to allow the water to stream across the frame.

The photos below use subject blur to impart a feeling of motion. The bicyclists were whisking by our campsite at Big Basin Redwoods Park in central CA. Check out this post or this one for more examples of and techniques using motion blur.

The Ferris wheel at the Irvine Spectrum was lit and running with holiday lighting to boot.

Sometimes it’s just fun to play and see what you get. That was the case with the colorful streak photo below. The camera was panned across the scene during the 2 sec. exposure.

For the life of me I can’t recall where this photo was taken. I know from the metadata that we were on a trip to San Diego. Maybe that lack of detail adds to the appeal – I’m not sure — but I like the mystery & implied motion.

The second panel is a lens zoom technique I was practicing a few years ago using Rebecca’s Christmas decorations. During the 1 sec exposure the lens is zoomed in or out (I can’t recall) to create this interesting effect.

I’ll close this post with a relatively advanced technique, “Dragging the shutter”, that you can try if you’re willing to play around in manual mode. This will work with many point & shoot or other compact cameras.

This is a flash technique that captures background detail by using a long shutter (dragging the shutter).

Dragging the shutter in this case meant using a 1/4 sec shutter speed. Now we know all about the pitfalls of camera shake but here’s a situation where it doesn’t apply.

How were we able to ward off the evil villain — camera shake? Korina & Luis are predominantly exposed by light from the flash. The burst of light from the flash is over in 1/1,000 sec.

Bottom Line: there is no need to worry about camera shake when your portrait subjects are exposed by flash. Bottom Line2: It’s always best to use proper techniques to minimize the amount of camera shake.

The background sees very little light from the flash (see this post re: flash vs. distance). If this had been shot at the standard flash exposure of 1/60 sec they would be sitting in a “dark cave” void of background details.

By using a slow shutter the background is reasonably well exposed. It may be a bit blurred from camera shake but frankly, who cares.

Your camera may have a picture mode that attempts to “drag the shutter” — check your manual for details. The best way to achieve this look is to take full control of your camera settings by shooting in manual mode.

Try it — you’ll love it.

Another post on exposure — four down, three to go?!? I hope you’re finding this useful. Try to check back to get the whole story. I’ll probably put up a summary/highlight post when we’re done covering the details.

As always, feel free to comment or show off some of your own compositions that illustrate this tip. In the meantime, stay tuned because more Tuesday Photo Tips are right around the corner. Better yet — be updated automatically by “friending” our Facebook site.

PS - This is one of dozens of photo tips in our continuing Tuesday Photo Tips series of posts. There  are other resource articles on our site you may enjoy covering basic and more advanced photography topics. There are also tips covering topics such as preparing for family or infant/child portrait sessions. If you would like a topic covered just jot it down in a comment or send us a note.

With two newborns ready to celebrate their first-ever XMAS we knew it was going to be a special holiday season.

Let’s start off a few days before XMAS when Rebecca and I visited Laurene and the grandkids before they left for Arizona.

We enjoyed a surprise dinner and cake celebrating Rebecca’s birthday. While Laurene made tamales Rebecca took a few photos of the grandkids. After dinner we held the obligatory cake/candle/song ceremony. Doesn’t Rebecca look thrilled?

The next holiday event was the annual Christmas eve dinner at Dan & Diane’s. Nathan stole the spotlight. He was awake, happy and receiving  all the attention.

I was able to snap a photo of Nathan on his own. I decided to process it with this vintage look – after all, that smile is a classic.

After dinner the kids played “find the pickle”. Shannon had troubles again this year. Dan and Doug gave it their best shot. But Kyle held on to his crown and is the reigning champion for another year.

After a few days of house cleaning and food prep XMAS morning finally arrived. The first order of business, as always, is for the grandkids to open presents. Ben & Destiny are well versed at this; they ripped their way through presents before being sent off to change into holiday clothes.

While Rebecca made final preparations for the family onslaught I took a drive to Costa Mesa and picked up Yahir, my Little Brother (OC Big Brothers organization). Yahir grabbed a miniature remote control car set on his way out the door. It was a big hit with Ben.

Don’t you think Ben “cleans up” nicely. You’ve gotta love that tie? Wait till you see Destiny’s festive dress (coming up). Way to go Amy.

If you’ve been reading earlier posts you may recall that Yahir showed a real passion for photography on a field trip to the LB Aquarium of the Pacific. That made the choice of gift easy. In the picture above Rebecca is helping him with his new point & shoot camera.

In the meantime family started arriving fast & furious. Here we see Kyle “zipping” into the garage with his new Suzuki 600. He loves the new motorcycle jacket. It’s a present that  will get a lot of use.

Daisy & Doug showed up. It’s clear someone remembered her favorite color. Daisy has committed to using the $$ gift to further her college degree.  We’re certain she will do just that.

Shannon & Dan had a XMAS moment or two (or three) playing with Nathan. This snapshot has to rate as the best Normal Rockwell picture I’ve ever bagged.

We did a few “arranged” (dare I say posed) photos before Amy & the kids headed out to visit the in-laws. Check out that dress – Destiny is just too cute.

It was tough but we were also able to get a photo with both “first-timers” semi-happy, semi-erect and looking in the direction of the camera (mostly) at the same instant.

By early afternoon things were winding down. Roman held up a wall with his eyes (mostly) closed. He ended up  joining Daisy on the sofa to “surf”.

But the day was far from over. Rebecca’s sister and family were due to arrive soon and, when they did, the tempo and fun picked up again.

It was getting late when the now-annual Skype phone call to Rebecca’s brother (& family) in Tennessee was connected. Everyone took turns “talking to the monitor” and XMAS greetings were passed over the ether.

So, as you can see, it was a long, family-filled, memorable XMAS day with multiple generations present – just the way we like it. We hope you had a similar holiday with lots of time spent with family & friends.

Rebecca and I would like to offer our best wishes to you and yours for the remainder of the holiday as well as going forward into 2012. We hope our paths cross soon.