Photography

Nothing calls for Monochrome Photography like an Aspen Tree.  I finally understood when I saw these.  The way they shine in any light and contrast against even the brightest sky makes for perfect cold black-and-white photos.  What I need is a large stand of big trees.

I shot these young trees on a late November afternoon.  Perfect timing.

My daughter-in-law has always supported my photography; she is always willing to sit for me.  I've had some success but capturing how I see her escaped me until this shot, taken during one of our coffee dates.  She was my daughter's college best friend and part of the family, long before my son showed interest.  She proved that angels live among us, entering Jay's life at the perfect time.  She saved him.

Nikon D850, 50mm, f2.5, 1/25, ISO-100, RAW

Mushrooms are one of my Things.  When I began looking for them, I realized that Mushrooms are everywhere.  I don't attempt to classify them, but I can't walk by a good one without taking its photo.  I shoot them with my camera set on "Vivid."  It's like the Kodachrome of digital photography.

It is amazing to me how few photos I have of my son as an adult; I took hundreds of photos of Jay as a child.  I need to fix this problem.  This one is from my granddaughter's birthday party a couple of years ago.  I dig the hat and his Carnegie Mellon bowtie.

I've taken photos of this beautiful woman twice, once for her Father's birthday, and again in Charleston when I was there for a VMI-Citadel game.  Both sessions produced some of my favorite portraits of one of my favorite people, but that was years ago.  I need to work with her again.

Our Native American guide pointed out shapes and forms at Antelope Canyon.  I saw Light and Changes.  I bracketed, checking out each setting until I found the best one for each location.

My photos are unique; the wind, rain, and floods constantly change the canyon.  Where I stood, my camera angle and settings, and the time of day determined what I recorded.  I like that.  It made the place even more beautiful.

Nikon D5100, 22mm, f4, 1/30, ISO2800, 2 November 2018 1430hrs

The day after Christmas, 2017, I took a few shots of SS to test my new 50mm lens.  I was happy he agreed.  The man has such an interesting face.  I took it in Available Light, which worked nicely.  I should have shot from a little farther back.  The tree lights are a little distracting, though I like them.

We met him on the Internet way back in 1999 or 2000.  He has become a member of the family.  We enjoy time down in Tennessee on his farm.

Proof that one man's junk is another man's photo subject.  My wife and daughter love to scour Luckett's Store for fun things.  I like visiting with my camera set on monochromatic.  I search for working period cameras.  I haven't found one worth buying . . . yet.

There are few people I love as much as this lady.  I consider Sally one of my few best friends and believe she must have the most beautiful legs and cutest feet on this planet.

I took these photos when she visited us in Church Crookham, England, in 1988 or 89.  I shot about three rolls of Tri-X and destroyed two by turning on the wrong tap and rinsing in hot water.  This photo is one of the few I managed to salvage. It took all of my Photoshop skills.

To celebrate my 2018 retirement, we took a trip out West.  It is beautiful out there but after a while, all you want to see is some damn trees!  Enough with the red rock formations already!

East of Park City Utah, we drove through Wasatch National Park.  It was cold, but we kept driving up to find snow and trees.  It gave me a chance to channel my inner Ansel Adams.  I shot this in color and Photoshopped it in Black and White.  That's allowed in 505 Photography.

Nikon D5100, 18mm, f10, 1/250, ISO-200

During my last Turkish Summer, I met and photographed one of the sweetest and most beautiful women I have ever met.  A former model, Sevda ran Divas Ajans in Izmir.  She put me to work photographing her business and adopted me as a cultural orphan, including me in work, family, and friend activities.  She taught me more about taking photos of women than anyone else.

I took a few good portraits of her.  That wasn't difficult; saying goodbye was.  Over twenty years later, she remains a true and faithful friend.

I love Savannah.  It is a photographer's paradise.

I took this for a Charlottesville Photographer's Group photo contest.  The theme was "Filthy Facades."  I didn't win. The shot that won was a bench covered in potted flowers.  The "judge" said she liked the colors.  That was my last day in the group and my last photo competition.

I once used this photo as an example of my work.  It is from a series of film photos I took of Ann just before I left for Kosovo.   I have always had a bit of an old man crush on her.

Still a big part of my family, she is usually present at Neel gatherings, trying her best to bring me into the 21st Century.  She'll never win.

Astronomy became my hobby through my father; he gave his boys the Universe.  I'm working on my astrophotography bit t's not there yet.  I've been lucky a few times.  I shot my first Comet, Neowise,  while in Manhattan, Kansas.  I took this here in Charlottesville.  

Another comet in my life, here for a season, then gone, former Kadet and friend Ryan, was my perfect photo subject for a short while.  Life interrupted the collaboration.  Marriage, babies, and work took her away to another state.

That's normal, I think, but I miss her.

Will I get to photograph her again?  I asked an all-knowing seer.  "Outlook Not So Good"

Who doesn't love a good lighthouse?  I'm an East Coast Boy hunting for them all.

This was one of the best portraits I have ever taken, perhaps the best.  I took it during my last tour of Turkey in the Summer of 2001.  This is Gülümser, a young mathematics teacher, just finishing her degree, beginning her new life.

She was a happy, intelligent young lady with beautiful curly hair, a gentle laugh, and a quick wit.  This photo expresses how I remember her, and I love how the smoke from her cigarette frames her face.

Sadly, the original, taken in color, was lost in a hard drive crash about four computers ago.  This is a copy, of a copy, of a copy that I found tucked away in an old Picasa file.  The photo is lost, and I've lost touch with the girl.

Back Up Those Photos, Sports Fans!