Choosing Finishes in Post Production

It always amazes me how the story an image tells changes depending on the finish you apply to your image. Let’s take, for example, this image I shot of the Hotel del Coronado. To me, it provides a glimpse into the past. The tonal range of the photo suggests a film camera; something appropriate for a vintage resort. Perhaps it is a stormy day, yet it has warm tones so it is a bit of a mystery…

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Shooting in May Gray and June Gloom

“Silent Sentinel”

May Gray has definitely settled in for those of us that live along the coast and we can expect June Gloom to follow. As a photographer, my work is all about the light and usually color. I absolutely love sunny days, blue skies, and blue water and the vibrant images that can be created in those settings. So what to do in May and June? Well, in the spirit of lemonade from lemons, our annual marine layer presents some wonderful opportunities to see our world in a slightly different way.

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Shooting the Crew Classic

Every spring, a convoy of trucks towing trailers filled with state of the art shells and long oars descend on Mission Bay. Then come the busses filled with athletes from schools all across the nation. Finally, SUVs and minivans pull into the parking lots, disgorging excited parents wearing all forms of college attire. That’s when we know it is time for the annual San Diego Crew Classic.

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Patterns in Nature

While many photographers set out looking for the big landscape image, I find myself more drawn to the details. That’s right, I have a passion for patterns and color. Perhaps its because there is no shortage of variation and surprise in what nature shows us. Seeing these patterns requires one to simply slow down and look more critically at our surroundings. We have a natural ability to process thousands of details when we look out the window. But what happens when we break these down into individual elements? Magic!!

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“Seashells by the Seashore”

“Seashells by the Seashore”

Remember those trips to the beach when you were just a little kid? You would walk along the shoreline with your little green bucket swinging from your hand as you scanned the sand for a beautiful shell to add to your sandy collection. Maybe it was a whole sand dollar, or perhaps a jewel toned shard of shell. Everything was a treasure. You would bring them home, hose them off, and line them up on the warm bricks to dry. What is is about collecting seashells that is timeless?

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Imagery for Outdoor Areas

“Silent Shroud”

Remember when photos were something you got in packs of 12 or 24 from the drive up Kodak Fotomat? Your options consisted of rounded corners or normal corners. If you had a really special image, you could go to the local photography shop for a paper enlargement made in their darkroom. Oh how far we’ve come from those days. Today, the options are incredible…

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