Craig Corl Photography

Cape May New Jersey Beach

2012-02-24T09:12:00.001-05:00

My life is pretty hectic these days leaving less time for photography and posting. I am adjusting and will be back on schedule soon. In the mean time, here are a couple of shots from Cape May New Jersey. I visited friends Don and Beth on New Year’s day and took a tour of Cape May (and a couple of nice wineries).

The starkness of a beach during winter matches well with black and white photography. The desolate beach seems even more so when seen through the perspective of black and white.

See you soon. Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Dragon Handlers at 2012 Washington DC Chinese New Year Parade

2012-02-09T09:31:00.001-05:00

The Chinese New Year parade was recently held in Washington DC. I arrived a bit early and found one of the Dragon teams practicing for the parade. I should have known, but never consciously realized that the dance of the dragon is choreographed and requires dedication and practice.

Come back soon to see more from the parade.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Occupy DC Eviction Showdown Wrap Up

2012-02-03T09:54:00.001-05:00

In my last two posts (Occupy DC Eviction Showdown–or Not, and The Face(s) of Occupy DC) I documented the events of the Occupy DC eviction showdown that wasn’t. Today I am wrapping up this short series with some additional photography that tells another part of the story from that day.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

The Face(s) of Occupy DC

2012-01-31T09:18:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I posted a series of photos from the anticipated eviction showdown between Occupy DC and the U.S. Park Police (Occupy DC Eviction Showdown–or Not). Today we are taking a look at the face of Occupy DC. With all the hours I have wandered around the Occupy DC encampment talking with the protestors I have found their views are as diverse as their photographs. The only consistent them that runs through all these conversations is a distrust in government they believe has created and perpetuated a system of wealth inequality.

I also found that the dynamics of the Occupy DC protestors are a bit more complicated than they may appear on face value. In addition to the varied views held by individuals, there are groups within the encampment with similarly diverse concerns – and they don’t necessarily agree. There is an anarchist group, there is a group focused on homelessness, another that believes the income inequality has led to unbalanced representation in government, others that support any number of conspiracy theories, some that believe in governments ability to do more for the “99%,”and yet others who have difficulty presenting a coherent argument. And the list goes on.

I also found that within the Occupy DC factions, there exists a power struggle. Several times I heard complaints that one group was getting more air time with the press and was therefore driving the message. Plotting and scheming sessions are common. And lets not forget one of the most prominent divides – those who favor an aggressive approach and those who support a more passive approach to the protest. This divergence in philosophy was quite evident in views of how to handle visits by the U.S. Park Police.

The remainder of this post is devoted to the many faces of Occupy DC.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Occupy DC Eviction Showdown–or Not

2012-01-30T17:46:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend, the Occupy DC encampment received notification that enforcement action for their residence in McPherson Square would begin at noon today – 30 January. I arrived at McPherson Square at about 10:15am to document the day’s events. Upon my arrival, the protestors were outnumbered 3 to 1 by the media. The police were conspicuously absent.

At about 11:30 am, a small group of police took a tour of the park, surrounded by protestors and media, but no enforcement actions were taken. I remained at McPherson square until 2 pm during which little more than dancing, singing, chanting, tenting of the monument, extensive media interviews, a press conference by a police representative, and a lot of mucking about occurred.

I will let the photography tell the rest of the story, but a couple things caught my attention. First, it was clear that the protestors are not of one mind. When the police visited, there were equal numbers antagonizing the police and others demanding that no attention be given their visit. Second, as I stood in the mass of reporters, cameras, and video jocks, it was clear to me that nothing would happen when the witching hour of noon approached. With complete media saturation, it would have been unproductive to highlight protesters being herded off in restraints or use of force against the more aggressive faction of the protestors.

Here is the rest of the story in photos.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Part 2

2012-01-18T06:12:00.001-05:00

In my last post, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, MLK Jr. Day 2012,I shared some photography of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial taken on the holiday of his namesake. Today I am sharing a few more photos from that shoot.

I decided to present these separately because the two groups of photographs are dramatically different and tell very different stories. The previous set is an intense portrayal of monument and the man it represents.

These photos tell a partial story of how people interact with the memorial.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, MLK Jr. Day 2012

2012-01-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

Today marks the first day visitors to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial can celebrate the legacy of civil rights leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. at his memorial which opened in the fall of 2011. With the expectation of tremendous crowds, I decided to visit the memorial on Sunday.

Enjoy the photography, and take a moment to consider the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Part II: Cover Art for “Feel” by The J.O.B. (Jim O’Ferrell Band)

2011-12-30T08:59:00.001-05:00

In my last post, I shared some cover art candidates for “Feel” by The J.O.B. (Jim O’Ferrell Band). Here are the balance of shots I sent along for the band to consider. The idea behind the photos is feel the light. Enjoy.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Cover Art for “Feel” by The J.O.B. (Jim O’Ferrell Band)

2011-12-27T08:59:00.001-05:00

Over the last couple of months I have been working with The J.O.B. to produce artwork for soon to be released songs “Guardian” and “Feel.” With a new set of flashes and a model (my son and soon to be USAF Officer), I was presented with some new opportunities for inspiration and creativity.

The lyrics to Feel talk about light, possibilities, and the feelings and understanding between people. The ideas of “Feel” and “light” inspired a photo shoot focused on feeling the light.

From a photographic perspective, this was a bare bones shoot. The shots were made in my garage with a single light. The garage was completely darkened and I used the base piece of a yard shed as a back drop because it was black and non reflective.

After a few test shots, I found that I had to close the garage doors, turn out the lights and shoot in the dark to get the effect I was looking for. The main challenge of shooting in the dark was focus. If you have not noticed, cameras do a really poor job of focusing in complete darkness.

To overcome the focus problem, I turned the lights on, dialed in the focus, and marked a spot on the floor for the camera distance. I then set the focus to manual (so it would not change), and began to shoot.

The shots shown here represent half of the keepers. Come back soon to see the rest…as well as the J.O.B.’s final selection for “Feel”

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Scenes from Occupy DC

2011-12-23T09:03:00.001-05:00

With the paying part of my life occupying much of my time along with all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I have yet to revisit the Occupy DC encampment. However, I still have plenty of photos to share.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Volvo – Worth Every Penny

2011-12-20T09:48:00.001-05:00

With the holiday season in full swing I have not carved out the opportunity for much photography – with the exception of playing with my new lighting gear and food photography (Craig’s Grape Adventure). To make matters worse, I have to deal with my badly crumpled car.

Last week I was struck by a deer in Southern Maryland. It was about an hour after sunset. I was driving about 50 mph with my wife in the passenger seat. Suddenly my headlights were filled with a nanosecond flash of a deer racing across the road. The blur of fur came at the same time as the tremendous thud of impact. It happened so quickly there was not even time to brake.

Gratefully we were uninjured and the car performed flawlessly. Despite the tremendous shudder and unsightly damage, the seatbelts not only locked, but cinched us back into the seats. Amazingly, the car did not swerve or even give the hint of loss of control – it tracked perfectly straight as if nothing happened. I will be without my beloved Volvo for a few weeks, but am immensely grateful none of that time will be spent in a hospital. Thank you Volvo!

Finally, if you have not yet picked up your copy of Craig’s Grape Adventure – Loving Life with a Skillet and a Corkscrew, follow the link and take care of that last minute Christmas shopping. It is easy, you will get the book before Christmas, and you will make a food and wine lover happy with nearly 500 pages of stories, great recipes and wine pairings.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

More Photography From Occupy DC

2011-12-13T10:23:00.001-05:00

My last visit to the Occupy DC camp was several weeks ago. I have it on my work list to visit McPherson Square later this week. In the mean time, here are a few shots I have not yet shared.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Playing With Your Food (Photography)

2011-12-09T08:31:00.001-05:00

This week is very exciting for me. I finally moved from natural lighting and a do-it-yourself lighting rig for food photography to the world of flash photography. Thanks to the generous donations for my recent book “Craig’s Grape Adventure – Loving Life with a Skillet and a Corkscrew” I was able to upgrade my lighting kit.

Before making my purchase of the Yongnuo YN560 flashes and the Yongnuo RF-603 wireless flash triggers I researched flashes, talked with photography friends, read reviews, and shopped for best prices. I first concluded that with food photography as my principle use for the flashes, I would not need to go to the expense of purchasing TTL flashes. With static photos, a manual flash is the best choice giving you full creative control over the quantity and quality of the light. TTL flashes can be used in manual mode, but why pay for something you don’t need? In essence, you set up your shot, set the power and zoom on the flash after a couple of test shots (or triggering the flash and using a light meter to set power and exposure), and you are ready to go.

From my experience with testing various lighting configurations for my food photography, I wanted a three light kit. Two lights for side lighting, and a third for backlighting. Why? By applying light from three angles, you are able to wrap light around the subject and bring greater dimensionality to the photograph. I also knew I wanted to use radio frequency remote flash triggers. When I shoot food photography, it is real food – that I eat. Using the RF triggers, I am able to quickly set up a shot, get the work done, and quickly move the gear to the side so our dinner party can enjoy the creation.

My decision to go with manual flashes also saved a boatload of cash. The Yongnuo YN560 flash sells for $75 on Amazon. The RF triggers sell for $35 a pair. In total, I have about $300 invested. Compare this to $450 for a single Canon 580EX II. When I decide to move to more dynamic situations (i.e. moving subjects or situations in which I cannot take the time to set up the shot in a controlled situation) I will likely purchase the 580EX II, but for now, the manual flashes are completely adequate.

The photographs you see here are test shots and not the end of the story. I was not at home when I took these shots and did not have umbrellas or other diffusers to shoot through. In other words, these are all bare bulb shots. I was able to use a little trickery by bouncing the light, but the addition of diffusers will result in softer light, controlled specular highlights, and even greater flexibility with the quality of the light.

As I play more with my food, and my lighting setup, I will be sure to share my results. If the food you see here is making you hungry, head over to Craig’s Grape Adventure for hundreds of recipes, wine pairings and more food photography.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Occupy DC Black and White Photography

2011-12-06T07:55:00.001-05:00

On the day after Halloween, I made my first visit to the Occupy DC tent city at McPherson Square in Washington DC. I continue to visit the camp every couple of weeks to document the changes in the camp – like the next shot – my last visit found the University of the 99% was established. I can’t tell you about enrollment or faculty. Sorry.

I was intending to hold on to these shots for a while, then publish a series. However, after reading the news yesterday, of the protestors building a two story wooden structure that eventually led to a conflict with the DC police and several arrests, I decided to share several of the photos.

The guys above and in the next shot were new additions upon my last visit, and had a nice new white enclosure from which they were able to talk to passersby about their economic perspective – and hand out flyers for their landscaping business.

The eclectic gathering of people that make up the Occupy DC protestors is quite interesting. I was happy to find the Latinos were well represented.

I have a whole pocket full of photographs from McPherson Square. I intend to continue shooting as long as they save. Come back soon for more from Occupy DC.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Guardian by the J.O.B.

2011-11-29T11:00:00.001-05:00

I am very honored by a recent invitation to continue artistic collaboration with The Jim O’Ferrell Band. Lead guitarist Jason Crawford recently sent lyrics to the upcoming single Guardian – and once again swore me to secrecy.

The lyrics convey the image of an ever vigilant entity, a guardian angel, a superhero-like presence. From a photographic perspective, this is a fun place to start.

The two photos are a couple of the concepts I sent to Jason. As always, I am excited about the artistic collaboration and am already enjoying the process. The second single I will be working on is “Feel.” Again, the lyrics invoke some fantastic imagery of light and shadow.

Stand by for more reports on this project and my work on “Feel.”

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Plan B 3.0

2011-11-24T08:39:00.001-05:00

Today is Thanksgiving - I hope you all have a wonderful day and have the opportunity to spend it with your family as I am. I chose the photograph for today because of the juxtaposition of our national day of turkey indulgence to this fellow engaged in a hunger strike to end carbon emissions in 2012 (or so his sign says).

I took this shot moments before sunrise as I was walking to the Occupy DC camp at McPherson Square. It was the day after Halloween which accounts for the interesting lighting on the Whitehouse. The West entrance and drive was decorated for Halloween with webs and other scary stuff along with the lighting which cast spooky shadows on the Whitehouse.

If the first shot is a Thanksgiving photograph, the next version is more aligned with the Halloween motif. After processing in color, I decided to try another version in B/W to set a darker mood.

If you happen to be meandering around the Whitehouse today, hand this guy a turkey leg or some leftover Halloween candy. You can also let him know that while dramatically limiting carbon emissions is a good idea, it is not likely to happen in 2012 – so have some turkey.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Lincoln Memorial – One Up, One Down

2011-11-21T08:54:00.001-05:00

Living in Washington DC, I am often challenged with photographing and processing subjects I have seen thousands of times. Frequently I find myself asking how can I make something new and interesting of a subject I have shot hundreds of times. In the case of this photograph, I was wandering around DC on a foggy morning and had no intention of shooting the Lincoln Memorial.

As I was walking to another location I wanted to shoot, I looked over and saw these two men – one walking up the steps and the other coming down. This interested me for two reasons; 1) rarely is the Lincoln Memorial so devoid of visitors, and 2) the juxtaposition of one man going up and another coming down.

I cropped the photo to this panoramic composition to further accentuate the two subjects in front of the memorial. I am a firm believer in cropping to suit your vision – don’t be afraid to crop, and don’t feel constraints of “standard” sizes.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Barn in the Morning Fog–Southern Maryland

2011-11-17T08:29:00.001-05:00

This photograph of a lonely barn in the morning fog blanketing Southern Maryland is a result of my mantra to always have my camera at hand. I was off to play golf one weekend, and passed by this barn. Thanks to anti-lock brakes, I quickly came to a stop without the drama of screeching tires.

The processing for this photo started with a three shot HDR and a round trip to Photomatix Pro. I processed the photo in color, then sent it off to Silver Efex Efex Pro 2 for the black and white conversion. This approach let me shoot directly into the sun while holding detail in the shadows (such as the shade side of the barn), and bring definition to the clouds, fog, and field.

The two lessons from this shot are 1) keep your camera with you if at all possible, and 2) don’t be afraid to combine post processing techniques to get the result you are looking for.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Washington Monument in the Fog

2011-11-14T08:31:00.001-05:00

It has been over a week since my last post. My apologies. I was working hard on finishing my eBook, Craig’s Grape Adventure – Loving Life with a Skillet and a Corkscrew. I made the deadline, and the launch of the book exceeded my expectations. With Christmas on the horizon, the book makes a great gift for the chefs and wine fans in your circle of friends.

With the book kicked out of the nest, I am ready to get back on my routine of photography adventures. Today’s photo of the Washington Monument in the fog combines my attraction to minimalism with fog – two things that go hand in hand.

While mucking around DC in the fog, I also stopped by the Occupy DC camp. I will be sharing some photos from the McPherson Square tent city later this week.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

A Couple More Photographs of the U.S. Air Force Memorial

2011-11-03T10:02:00.001-04:00

In my last post, “The U.S. Air Force Memorial–Can it be Made Interesting Through Photography?” I wrote about some common criticisms I hear about it. In an attempt to moderate these criticisms I posted several photographs in the hope of bringing out some of the beauty of this memorial.

I am sharing a couple of photos in this post that did not quite fit with the first. The title photograph is a diptych comprising two of the memorial spires. Quite different than the previously shared photos, I thought to present this separately.

The next photograph also differs due to maintaining the color in post processing.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

The U.S. Air Force Memorial–Can it be Made Interesting Through Photography?

2011-11-01T11:29:00.001-04:00

Among my friends, including many who are active duty or retired Air Force Officers, I rarely hear compliments for the U.S. Air Force Memorial located in Arlington Virginia overlooking the Pentagon. On the contrary, I hear statements such as “too big,” “inappropriate location,” “inconsistent with other memorials,” and of course, “what a piece of post modernist crap.”

Personally, I am indifferent. However, the one comment that draws my attention in small part is that of consistency with other military branch memorials. Most people are familiar with the Iwo Jima Memorial, also known as the U. S. Marine Corps War Memorial. This memorial honors the Marines who have died defending the United States since 1775. The Iwo Jima Memorial is located near Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC.

Maybe less familiar is the Navy Memorial located in Washington on Pennsylvanian Avenue NW between 7th and 9th streets. According to the Navy Memorial website, “The United States Navy Memorial is home to the Memorial Plaza, which features Stanley Bleifeld's famous statue, The Lone Sailor. The Lone Sailor, a tribute to all personnel of the sea services, overlooks the Granite Sea, an exact replication of the world's oceans. Surrounding the Granite Sea are two fountain pools, honoring the personnel of the American Navy and the other navies of the world. The southern hemisphere of the Granite Sea is surrounded by 26 bronze bas-reliefs commemorating events, personnel, and communities of the various sea services.”

The Army is more complicated. Apparently if the Army wanted you to know where the Army Memorial stands, they would have put it in one of their manuals. The fact of the matter is that there is no single memorial celebrating the Army as a whole. There are not one but two Army memorials near the White House. One depicts a winged figure of Victory and was dedicated in 1924 at 17th Street and State Place NW. The other is a gilded flaming sword erected on the Ellipse in 1936.

These monuments memorialize the exploits and soldiers of specific Army divisions: Victory honors the 1st Division, the sword the 2nd. Neither celebrates the Army as a whole, nor do any of the scores of other monuments at battlefields and Army posts across the country, which honor individual units or divisions.

Finally, we come to my proud service, The U.S. Coast Guard. Similar to the Army, the U.S. Coast Guard does not have a single memorial celebrating the U.S. Coast Guard as a whole in the Washington DC area. Rather, the U.S. Coast Guard is memorialized by smaller monuments, plazas, plaques and the like dispersed around the country and the world. Included among these is a 36 x 32 relief at the Navy Memorial…thanks for the nod. Like the Army, many of these memorials remember specific acts of heroism, historic events, or tragedies associated with a specific ship, aircraft, unit, or person.

Contrasting each of the service monuments to the U.S. Air Force memorial, those who taking the position of inconsistency may have a point. I will leave the judgment to you. For now, lets return to the starting point of this discussion. If you are one of those in the camp who believe the U.S. Air Force memorial is a “post modern piece of crap,” I have included a series of photos here that will hopefully moderate your assessment. Once again, I have to leave that to your judgment. Stay tuned, I have a couple more to share later this week.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Chocolate Crème Brulee Action Photography

2011-10-28T09:19:00.001-04:00

As I close out the final punch list to complete my soon to be released eBook “Craig’s Grape Adventure; Loving Life with a Skillet and a Corkscrew,” I am photographing several the recipes I failed to shoot on the first go around. Stay tuned to my other bog, Craig’s Grape Adventure, for announcement of publication.

Last night I prepared and photographed an open faced steak sandwich with grated celery root and leek, and truffle macaroni and cheese. Chef Sue decided to contribute to the meal by preparing chocolate crème brulee.

I always try to include some “action” photography when shooting for Craig’s Grape Adventure. This is not an easy task as I play both the role of chef and photographer. It is complicated further because the lighting in our kitchen is not ideal for photography. The kitchen is not large enough to both cook and set up lighting, so I am stuck with a combination of natural light from the windows and the installed lighting.

The amount, or level of light is adequate, but the lighting comes from several sources, each having a different temperature. First we have natural light from the windows. Add to that the halogen lights installed under the cupboards and the range top surface light. Finally, the overhead lights are compact fluorescent. The various light temperatures are a challenge, but can be handled in post processing with just a bit of difficulty.

The chocolate crème brulee photography was made easier by bringing the chilled bowls to the dining room table for caramelizing the sugar. With my food photography lighting rig around the table (doesn’t everyone have a dining room table photo studio?) I was better equipped to control the quantity and quality of the lighting.

Check back soon at Craig’s Grape Adventure for the chocolate crème brulee recipe and wine pairing.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Times Square De-saturated HDR

2011-10-26T06:27:00.001-04:00

I am not a fan of heavy handed HDR and have posted my views several times in the past. So here I am, producing a couple of photographs that run completely contrary to my previous rants. I’m ok with that, and I have a reason.

Like all “rules” or guidelines for photography, including composition, it is good to have a foundation on which to base your photography. When you step outside these self-imposed bounds, it is good to do so intentionally. In other words, it is ok to break the rules, and it is best to do so with purpose and intention.

The two HDR photographs of Times Square featured in this post were shot in August 2011. Just yesterday I finally got around to processing them. As I was running the photographs through Photomatix Pro, the practically empty Times Square coupled with the clouds and the street shining from the drizzle, led me to choose a heavier application of tone mapping than I normally prefer. I quickly became attracted to a grungier look for the scene which seemed consistent with the conditions.

To add further to the gloomy feel I was trying to achieve, I de-saturated the photographs aggressively and added grain.

As a final word, I remain opposed to heavy handed HDR. On the other hand, I can imagine particular scenes, such as these from a sparsely populated gloomy Times Square, when use of the technique and produce interesting results. HDR is a great tool when used judiciously and appropriately.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Hugo Chavez Before and After Cancer

2011-10-24T12:10:00.001-04:00

Having lived in Venezuela for three years, I still keep up on the news in this beautiful country. I was just surfing the web and came across a Guardian article “Hugo Chavez; Free of Cancer.” I encourage you to follow the link for a current photography of Hugo Chavez as he proclaims his full recovery form cancer.

I made the photos featured here in 2004 and 2007. I leave you to draw your own conclusions from the comparison.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Washington DC Waterfront

2011-10-20T09:36:00.001-04:00

I am regularly amazed at the number of people, both area residents and visitors that are unaware of the DC waterfront. In addition to the picturesque vistas such as the photograph above, the DC waterfront has a lot to offer. Being a retired Coast Guard Officer, I am regularly drawn to the waterfront – maybe just a little bias.

Bias or not, the DC waterfront is a wonderful place. With several marinas, a thriving live-aboard community, a fantastic seafood market, the Arena Stage theater, a metro station, shopping, walking distance to the National Mall, and easy access to the highway, the DC waterfront is convenient and an under rated area of Washington DC.

In my ideal world, I would (and may) move from my Capitol Hill row house to an condo or live-aboard barge home. Why? Well, I listed several of the many attractions of the waterfront. But most of all it offers an appealing opportunity to simplify my life. Being an empty-nester, I find that downsizing and simplifying my life a worthy goal.

If you live in the DC area or are visiting. I highly encourage you to visit this interesting corner of Washington.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Virginia Wineries

2011-10-18T09:09:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, my wife Sue and I made a last minute decision to head out of the city, drive West, and take in a balloon and wine festival. It was a pretty good plan as far as last minute decisions go. Unfortunately, the further West we drove, the stronger the winds blew. By the time we were near to the balloon and wine festival, it was clear we would see no balloons in the air. The wind was a steady 20 knots with gusts over 30.

We immediately formed plan B and and pulled into the first winery we came across. Except for the wind, it was a beautiful day. Bright sun, temps in the low 70s, and the leaves were showing their first signs of color. We were also fortunate enough to find some grapes still on the vine…along with a few that had been resting in a bottle for a few years.

We visited several wineries and were pleasantly surprised by each of them. It was about four years ago since giving a good look at Virginia wine. Four years ago, I was not particularly impressed. Even more recently I have paired and written about a couple of Virginia wines on my other blog; Craig’s Grape Adventure. I was not flattering. I noted that while improved,Virginia still had some work ahead to mature the industry.

The real treat of the day was our visit to Delaplane Cellars. We tasted five wines; two Viogniers, a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Franc, and a red blend. I was taken aback. All five were excellent wines. The 2008 Maggies Vineyard Viognier was among the top Viogniers I have experienced.

With an arm full of wine bottles, membership in yet another wine club, and a sense of satisfaction in knowing Virginia wines deserve further investigation, we drove back to DC. Delaplane Cellars convinced me that great wine can be made in Virginia, and that there are talented winemakers making serious wine. Thanks!

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

The Food Photography Coup

2011-10-13T10:07:00.001-04:00

In February 2011 I launched a second blog “Craig’s Grape Adventure” dedicated to my exploration in the kitchen and the wine rack. When I started Craig’s Grape Adventure I did not have a grand plan of what I wanted to achieve. However, over the last eight months, my adventures in food and wine pairing have flourished. It is really no surprise it is doing so well – I was able to combine my passions for photography, food, and wine.

The shift of focus in my photography was one of the unexpected outcomes of launching Craig’s Grape Adventure. Since February, the sheer numbers of my photographs have shifted dramatically to food photography. Over half of my photography is now dedicated to food. While I continue to enjoy many genres of photography, food photography now has a distinct purpose for me. Having a purpose and focus for my photography is both motivating my work and by virtue of raw numbers, improving my photography.

While I had expected this shift in raw photography volume was occurring, it did not really hit me until I set out to write this post. While considering a topic and looking for new photos ready to post, I realized that everything in the on-deck circle was food photography. Having realized that food photography had executed a bloodless coup, I decided to run with it. I’m certainly not giving up on the rest of my preferred subjects and ongoing projects, but for today we have food photography.

The next step to improving my food photography will be the addition of new lighting gear. At present I am getting decent results using a couple of home-spun diffusion rigs and basic work lights you find at a home improvement store. While adequate, this gear is not very flexible, and the lights present a few challenges with color correction. I’m not unhappy, but know I can do better.

I hope to add two or three strobes with soft boxes in the near future. With this gear I hope to improve the flexibility in setting up shots, enhance portability, address the color correction issue, and gain greater control over the amount and quality of the light.

In the mean time, I will be dreaming and researching the best approach to strobe lighting for food photography. Be sure I will let you know when it happens and will be talking about the results.

Finally, if you want to read about the food you see in this post, along with wine pairings and recipes, please visit Craig’s Grape Adventure.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Snapping Turtle

2011-10-10T08:58:00.001-04:00

While sitting in the garage, smoking a cigar and watching football, my wife got my attention and said I had to come see the turtle. Turtle? Not thinking much of taking a look at a turtle, I reluctantly complied with my wife’s excitement. Turtles are pretty common around our home on the Potomac River, but this one was definitely out of the ordinary.

Mr. Turtle was huge by comparison to our normal shelled visitors. The photo does not do justice in providing a sense of scale. Only the grass gives a slight sense of size. However, think of this for a sense of scale – the head was the size of a softball. Tail included, this turtle was nearly three feet long. Not wanting to risk the chance of Mr. turtle sprinting at my camera and taking a bite, I shot at a safe distance of about 2 feet.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

H Street Festival 2011 Washington DC

2011-10-07T12:14:00.001-04:00

I started a new job this week and am behind on my normal posting schedule. In the interim I am posting several photos from the H Street Festival 2011. We had a great time eating our way through the festival and enjoying the never ending cast of characters.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Justin and Rusty–Black and White Shots from the Garage

2011-10-03T07:03:00.001-04:00

In early September I met and became friends with Jackie and Steve who were buying a number of prints from my Southern Maryland Photography gallery. The photography was printed, framed and delivered in time for Jackie’s promotion party which I attended this past weekend. Jackie hired a couple of talented young men to perform at her party – another photography opportunity for me!

The photography was little challenging to say the least. Due to the passing showers, Justin and Rusty were forced to set up in the garage. In general, garages do not make good photo studios. This was made even more challenging because Justin (guitar) had his back to the open garage door which meant the lighting was dominated by back-lighting.

Having only my camera and no lighting gear, I pressed on and did my best to take advantage of what I could. With the less than optimal lighting, some odd backgrounds to deal with, and uninteresting or even distracting colors, all the photography was processed as black and white through Silver Efex Pro 2.

This was my first run at processing a group of raw photos through Silver Efex Pro 2, and led to a couple of discoveries with respect to work flow. First I started with my normal workflow of importing all the shots into Lightroom. Next I proceeded with my normal process of selecting and rejecting shots. Then I went to work on individual photos. This is the point where the workflow diverges.

At first, I went directly to Silver Efex and made the black and white conversion. With the round trip to Silver Efex complete, I found that some Lightroom work was still warranted – such as cropping, and using the spot removal tool.

I quickly found that these Lightroom adjustments are best made before processing in Silver Efex Pro. In the end, I discovered the only Lightroom adjustment best left for post Silver Efex Pro was noise reduction. Because I was shooting at ISO 800, there were a couple of shots with underexposed areas that benefited from applying the Lightroom noise reduction tool.

I remain completely enamored with Silver Efex Pro 2 and the level of control and added creativity it offers for processing black and white photography.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

“Messenger” Single Released by the J.O.B. (The Jim O’Ferrell Band)

2011-09-30T13:06:00.001-04:00

Run, don’t walk to the J.O.B. website, or itunes and get your copy of the new single “Messenger.” The J.O.B. has once again created something truly special you are certain to enjoy.

Sure, I have a slight bias – I like seeing my photography pop up on my iPhone when the song comes on. But for the moment I will put my bias aside and tell you these guys are beyond good, and this song highlights their strengths as musicians and story tellers.

The lyrics are haunting, and represent another great example of artistic story telling set to music that deftly amplifies the message and the mood. The gritty voice and acoustic guitar of Jim O’Ferrell are perfectly supported and echoed by the original craftsmanship of lead guitarist Jason Crawford.

This song is a must have for your music collection. Like I said, run, don’t walk to the J.O.B. website and support this refreshingly original band.

Finally, I would love to hear your thoughts on the cover art with respect to how the photography compliments the music.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Silver Efex Pro 2–Comparison of a Few Photographs

2011-09-28T08:40:00.001-04:00

I have been viewing Silver Efex Pro with a touch of envy for quite some time. Recently, Nik Software released Silver Efex Pro 2, and I finally made the commitment. I am so happy I did.

For the regular readers, my bias toward black and white photography is no great surprise. After having played with Silver Efex Pro for just a few minutes (literally!), I can’t believe I was so cheap that I did not purchase this software earlier.

Until now, all my black and white conversions were accomplished in Adobe Lightroom. I have been pleased with the results. But this satisfaction is like having enjoyed hamburgers your entire life without the knowledge of the bliss that comes from adding sautéed onions, mushrooms, and cheese. With these new ingredients, you can never return to a plain hamburger.

The real case for Silver Efex Pro 2 is the incredible level of control it provides during the conversion to black and white. This post is not intended to be a tutorial or review of all the Silver Efex Pro 2 features, but suffice it to say the possibilities are accessible, expansive, and exciting.

I have included two versions of each photograph to highlight some of the capabilities of Silver Effex Pro 2. In each case, I have placed the version from Silver Efex Pro 2 first, and the original Adobe Lightroom conversion second.

in each case, I spent less than two minutes in Silver Effex Pro 2. I selected one of the presets, applied a couple of global adjustments, and one or two local adjustments. Local adjustments are accomplished through “control points” that allow a great deal of local flexibility including easy dodging and burning.

I am looking forward to spending some satisfying time learning the real capabilities of Silver Effex Pro 2. In the mean time, I am extremely pleased with the ability to improve my black and white conversions with very little effort and knowledge.

If you are a fan of black and white photography, Silver Efex Pro 2 is definitely a tool you will want. Even the round trip from Lightroom to Silver Efex Pro 2 will not be an annoyance once you experience your new level of black and white conversion control.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Saint Clement’s Island Maryland

2011-09-21T07:56:00.002-04:00

On March 25, 1634, the first English settlers under the Baltimore proprietorship sailed to Saint Clement's Island on the Ark and the Dove. March 25 is now commemorated as Maryland day. The settlers chose Saint Clements island because as an island it offered a natural element of security and was initially believed that the 640 acre island could support the settlement. The settlers soon determined the island was not sufficiently large, but remained on the island while they negotiated with the Yaocomico indians for land to establish a permanent settlement.

One of the fascinating facts about the island is that the 640 acres found by the English settlers has eroded over the past nearly 400 years to its present size of 40 acres. The shores of the island have since been stabilized with stone bulwark to preserve the remaining 40 acres.

The island has a long history that included a base of operations for blockading the Chesapeake bay during the revolutionary war, a strategically important site during the civil war, attempts to turn it into a resort island with a grand hotel for vacationers from Washington, an Army installation, artillery range, home to an important navigation aid, cannery, farmland, and a steamboat landing.

St. Clement’s Island, or Blackistone Island, as it was called for nearly 200 years, became an important location for wartime blockades. During the Revolutionary War, the British used the island as a base of operations, supporting a blockade of the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River, while looting the nearby waterfront plantations. The British again took possession of the island during the War of 1812.

Dr. Joseph L. McWilliams took possession of the island through a land trade deal in 1850 shortly after the federal government had appropriated funds to erect a lighthouse on the south end of the island. At this time the island was known as Blackstone Island, and the lighthouse built was duly named Blackstone light. During the Civil War, the lighthouse made St. Clement’s Island very important to the Union blockade, which attempted to stop the flow of supplies into Virginia from southern sympathizers.

In 1864, Confederates launched a raid to dynamite the lighthouse. But due to the pregnancy and health of the keeper’s wife, the commander chose only to destroy the lens and the lamp, and take the oil. The Blackistone Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1932. Its interior was destroyed by fire in 1956, and the Navy razed the remaining walls a short while later. Community organizers reconstructed the lighthouse in 2005 in close proximity to the 40 foot cross commemorating the settlers and their search for religious freedom.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Aerostars at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Air Expo 2011

2011-09-19T08:33:00.001-04:00

This is my third and final post from photography taken at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Air Expo 2011. If you missed the first two installments, here are the links:

One of the aspects of shooting the Aerostars and the Blue Angels I really enjoyed was the ability to eliminate all the distracting elements that might enter the composition and focus on the beauty of the performance. The compositions are clean – sky, smoke trails, and planes. Simple and unconfused.

Even better, from a photographic perspective, the day was uniformly overcast with no discernable clouds to muddle up the shot. In general, I am a big fan of large dramatic cloud formations – particularly for landscape photography. For street photography and other types of shots, overcast is perfect because it makes for nice soft light even during the middle of the day. Although this certainly is not street photography, the soft overcast worked wonderfully.

Speaking of street photography, this past weekend we enjoyed an afternoon at the H Street Festival (H Street NE, Washington DC). Check back later this week for some words and photography from this fantastically food filled urban festival.

Until we visit the Air Expo next summer, I hope you enjoyed this photography.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Launch of New Web Gallery for Craig Corl Photography and My Philosophy of Selling Photography

2011-09-15T09:05:00.001-04:00

For the last year I have been playing around with setting up a web gallery for viewing and sale of my best photography. One such test site is a gallery dedicated to Southern Maryland photography; Southern Maryland Photography by Craig Corl. The Southern Maryland Photography gallery has a beautifully clean interface and is hosted by SmugMug. I chose SmugMug based on recommendations from fellow photographers who had flattering things to say about the interface, ease of use, and the ability for visitors to purchase photography directly from the site. All I had to do was sit back and let the money roll in.

I have been very happy with SmugMug and have sold a respectable number of prints. Here is the catch – while I am paying for e-commerce capability and integrated printing, all of my sales have involved personal contact. I have yet to make a sale and have the proceeds miraculously show up in my bank account. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy and actually prefer the personal interaction. But why am I paying for these unused services? I believe one of the reasons I am not riding the auto-deposit wave is that ordering a print can be a daunting task. There are tons of options with respect to the print medium, size, price, mounting hardware, framing, etc. that would make even a serious photographer’s well trained eyes cross in confusion. Compound this with the fact that most of the people purchasing my photography simply find something appealing and would like to have it hanging on the walls of their home. They are not photographers and find dealing with ordering photography as appealing as filling out their tax statements. The 1040EZ form is a piece of cake compared to ordering a print.

I find the person to person method much more approachable. Not only do the buyers get to talk to me directly about the photography and develop a relationship, but I can cut through the mind numbing photography purchasing maze and offer some advice based on what they are trying to achieve. Framing materials, paper, printing process, matt color and size, grouping, etc., are all things I can either help solve or make completely transparent to the buyer. Oh, and to make things even worse, only about 50% of my photography is a standards size. In other words, I am a firm believer in cropping photography to achieve the desired composition. This approach nearly always results in non-standard proportions. Not all printing companies deal with custom sizes easily…death to online sales. In the end, it makes more sense to deal at a personal level, and along the way, we may even get together and have a glass of wine.

Another important aspect of online sales is pricing. When I set up the Southern Maryland Photography gallery, I set prices for each photograph proportioned to the print size. Blanket pricing such as this runs contrary to my philosophy of selling photography. Blanket pricing puts quality photography out of the reach of many household budgets. I prefer a pricing model that is aligned with what people are capable of paying. Printing and framing are not inexpensive and can still be a challenge for many people. However, I am committed to do may part to make art more financially accessible with my model of “pay what you can.” This model is a sum of three components:

The cost of printing and framing.
A small margin for my effort of ordering and shipping/delivery.
Pay what you can to the artist.

The third component is the only variable, and I have yet to be disappointed. I have sold prints, shot family portraits, shot events, and made personal and professional portraits based on this model and have been more or less fairly compensated in every instance. Those who could not afford what might be considered “market rates” were balanced by those who were grateful enough to be generous. I find that people want to be treated fairly and generally feel the same obligation to treat others fairly. So until I am consistently and dreadfully proven otherwise, I plan on sticking to the “pay what you can” philosophy. I don’t want to discount the value of the artist – me – in making the photography, but I want to create a just space where people can afford access to art while fairly compensating the artist.

Without the benefit of a catchy segue, I return to the subject of my new photography gallery. I have decided to host the best of my portfolio on 500px.com. I am still building the gallery, but you can visit Craig Corl Photography to see the work in process. You cannot buy my photography from this site. However, you can take the preferred route of finding photography that appeals to you, contact me, and we can chat.

For those of you who have visited Southern Maryland Photography by Craig Corl and are considering a purchase, don’t worry. The site will remain active through the end of the month (September 2011). Most of the photography from Southern Maryland Photography by Craig Corl will migrate to the Craig Corl Photography gallery.

When you get the opportunity, visit my web gallery – Craig Corl Photogrpahy – and let me know what you think. Your thoughts on my pricing model are equally welcome.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Blue Angels at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Air Expo 2011

2011-09-12T15:42:00.001-04:00

Photographing an air show is nothing but fun. Shooting it on my farther-in-law's boat at the end of the runway with a cigar and glass of wine is even better! This is my second installment from the Naval Air Station Patuxent River and features some photography of the Navy’s Blue Angels performance. I had intended to save this for the last in a series of posts, but found I could wait no longer.

I did not fact check the story, but I was told the Blue Angels fly essentially “stock” F-18s that have exceeded the number of allowable carrier landings. In other words, carrier capable aircraft have a limit to the number of landings they can perform. Upon reaching this limit they are retired from carrier duty for what I would guess is structural safety concerns. Makes sense. However, what makes less sense is that once they have seen the end of their useful carrier service, they are turned over to the Blue Angels.

I don’t know about you, but if I were pulling the maneuvers these highly skilled jet jockeys were making, I would not be excited about flying a “leftover.” Regardless of the planes they are flying, the Blue Angels put on a great show. Here are a few more shots of their performance.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Final Album Artwork for The J.O.B. Single – Messenger

2011-09-09T07:22:00.001-04:00

I am very excited to share with you the new album artwork for the soon to be released single “Messenger” by The J.O.B (Jim O’Ferrell Band). I have been working with lead guitarist Jason Crawford over the last couple of months to compose an image that provides a visual background for the lyrics. As we progressed through the project, I posted several times to discuss the process and give a behind the scenes look at the creative process that ultimately led to the final product you see above. For the full history, visit these posts:

So the purpose of this post is to wrap a bow around the project and recap the fun highlights of the creative process. First of all, although Jason and I have never met, it was a real pleasure working with him. Projects like this are always more enjoyable when you are working with good people. I’m sure we will get together sometime for a beer or maybe Jason will venture up to DC for one of my signature wine pairings.

The great challenge and fun of this project was creating an image that evoked the essence of the lyrics. We started by Jason sending the lyrics (sorry, still can’t share those, but the single will be out in a couple of weeks – check iTunes or visit The J.O.B. website). What I can say is that the lyrics speak to a deep level of connection between people – much of it unsaid and below our radar of our consciousness. Jason then pointed out a couple of the photos from this blog that hint at the concept and sent a couple of photos from other sources he was also attracted to. Armed with this information I began shooting. I actually shot quite a bit, but only sent those photos for consideration that I thought reflected the heart of the lyrics.

Adding to the fun and challenge of creating the “right” photograph was the fact that I was dealing with abstract ideas – and I had no idea of the music supporting these very powerful lyrics. While the lyrics are full of vivid images, they remain abstract until the shutter is clicked and the band starts playing. In the end, Jason selected the photograph below.

This shot was created by setting up my camera on a tripod and taking a series of shots as people moved in front of me. The shots were all set at a sufficiently slow shutter speed to blur as the people walked by. I then combined the photos by masking in the passing people while the background remained static. My interpretation of this photograph in the context of the lyrics is an unseen connection between the people as we race through life unaware until someone illuminates those connections.

Having become a fan of The J.O.B. and their uniquely enjoyable style of Americana Rock, I encourage you to find them on iTunes, pull out your coin jar, and purchase “Messenger” when it is released in a couple weeks. I have not yet heard the final production, but these guys are good and put a great deal of thought and talent into their passion for music. I am confident it will get 5 stars on my iPhone playlist.

I hope to continue this creative relationship with Jason and The J.O.B. and soon be writing about the next single release in the coming months.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

B-25 Panchito at Naval Air Station Patuxent River Air Expo 2011

2011-09-07T07:30:00.001-04:00

I had a great photography weekend. In addition to several wine pairings that will soon show up on Craig’s Grape Adventure, I took advantage of some great photographic opportunities at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Air Expo 2011, along with a visit to Saint Clement’s Island. I will be share more of this photography over the next week.

For today, I am focusing on a few photographs of Panchito, a World War II era B-25 bomber. Panchito is one of the few remaining near 10,000 B-25s that were produced before and during World War II. The Panchito and B-25 Mitchell have a long and storied history including the Panchito flying on the day of Nagasaki bombing with a view of the mushroom cloud, and one that crashed into the Empire State Building in the fog in 1945.

Come back soon for more photography from the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Air Expo 2011static display as well as some photography of the Blue Angels in action.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Union Station and Washington DC Metro: Repetition as Leading Lines

2011-09-02T07:44:00.001-04:00

I have written separately about using leading lines in photographic composition and repetition as a composition tool. In this post, we have examples of the two composition techniques in combination. In other words, examples of repetition forming leading lines that draw the viewers eye through the photograph. In the first example, a photograph of the Union Station Metro, there are leading lines in abundance – the ceiling pattern, escalator, train tracks, and the ceiling seams.

We are naturally drawn to consciously or subconsciously discern patterns – it gives us another level of information about our environment. When repetition and leading lines are combined in photography, the result can be very compelling.

In the second example, taken at the Farragut North Metro Station, we have some of the same elements along with the dimples, lights, and tiles in the floor.

Moving outside of Union Station, the repetition of arches and lamps again form leading lines that guide your eye through the photograph.

Finally, moving a bit further outside of Union Station, the line of bikes at the Capital Bikeshare rack are yet another example of repetition forming a leading line.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Hurricane Irene Crushed Cars in Washington DC

2011-08-28T13:24:00.001-04:00

For those of us living in Washington DC, Hurricane Irene made her visit, departed, and is now harassing New York. With golf out of the question on “the day after Irene” due to debris on the course, I decided to make a tour around DC to survey the damage. Fortunately we were spared from much of the forecasted impact. However, some poor folks were not as lucky.

As I toured the city, I found little of interest to photograph until I returned to my Capitol Hill neighborhood. Here I found a number of trees knocked down with unfortunate consequences for the cars trying to support them. Gratefully, my car was among the untouched. From what I could tell, none of the damaged and crushed cars involved injuries to people or anything other than the car and some uprooted sidewalks. Cars and sidewalks can be replaced.

With little additional to add, the remainder of this post is dedicated to documenting the damage in Southeast and North East Washington DC.

Beware of trees during hurricanes. And until the next storm visits, go make some great photography.

Craig

New York Upper West Side Pigeons

2011-08-25T09:06:00.001-04:00

As I was moving some photos around this morning I found these two photos I failed to include in the New York “Zoom Rack” series. Here are links to the rest of the series:

Zoom Rack Photography in New York (including a description of the zoom rack technique)
Times Square Zoom Rack Photography
Zoom Rack Photography of New York Taxicabs

Both of these photos are different from most of the zoom rack photography I took while in NY. First, most of the photographs I made were uncharacteristically (for me) in color – they passed my test of color adding information that was important to the composition. Second, the first of these photographs features two types of apparent motion – the effect of motion brought on by the zoom rack technique, and the motion of the pigeons in flight.

The second of these two photographs is also ripe with leading lines. The lines in the sidewalk lead your eye through the photograph, and the light lines created by the zoom rack technique bring your eye to the center of the photograph.

Once your eyes have readjusted to normal photography, I will likely return with another set using this approach and some scenes from around Washington DC. While talking about upcoming cool stuff, I recommend you check out my other blog “Craig’s Grape Adventure” tomorrow when I will post a very exciting wine pairing with tuna prepared three ways – tuna and avocado tartare, seared tuna with mango salsa, and toasted fennel crusted tuna with fresh vegetable quinoa. I am anxious to prepare this delicious progression, photograph it, and of course – enjoy it.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Union Station Washington, DC Black and White

2011-08-23T08:57:00.001-04:00

Last week, Jason from the Jim O’Ferrell Band (the J.O.B.) suggested Union Station in Washington DC as a potential subject for the cover art of the single “Messenger” which they are now recording. Easy stuff. I took a walk over to Union station and got some shots.

The next photograph is an alteration of the first. With the intent of reflecting the haunting lyrics of the “Messenger,” I decided to add a texture to muddle things up a a bit and add a mysterious feel.

I doubt that a photograph taken in portrait orientation will make the final cut, but here are a couple of shots from Union Station in a different orientation. The repeating patterns of pillars, windows, scallops, and other architectural elements make Union Station a great subject – whether shooting in landscape or portrait orientation.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Zoom Rack Photography of New York Taxicabs

2011-08-18T07:40:00.001-04:00

This is my third and final installment of Zoom Rack photography from New York. Here are the links to the previous two, in case you missed them:

Zoom Rack Photography in New York (including a description of the zoom rack technique)
Times Square Zoom Rack Photography

For this final post in the series, I decided to focus on the iconic New York taxicab. Nostalgia draws me back to the days of the Checker cabs in NY, a true icon, but at least they remain the same color.

As you can see from the previous photo, use of the zoom rack technique can result in some interesting abstract results. In this case, there is just enough information to give context (the Times Square Marques in the background) and the yellow of the cab to let you know this just might be a New York taxi.

Unlike more normal bias toward black and white photography, these photographs were processed in color. With the subject of NY taxis, it would be difficult to respect the bright yellow paint if processed in black and white.

In addition to the yellow of the cabs, the motion introduced by racking the zoom, makes for some interesting bright light trails that are more interesting in color than black and white.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Times Square Zoom Rack Photography

2011-08-12T09:12:00.001-04:00

If you are puzzled by the term “zoom rack photography” take a look at my explanation in a previous post; Zoom Rack Photography in New York.

I will have a couple more posts in this series. For this post, I am sharing photographs of Times Square in New York using the zoom rack technique. Times Square is perpetually filled with activity, energy and movement. The zoom rack technique works well in this setting by exaggerating the motion.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Zoom Rack Photography in New York

2011-08-08T10:08:00.001-04:00

Earlier this year, my good friend and fellow photographer John Downey (John A Downey II Photography) introduced me to a photographic technique I decided to play with during a trip to New York over the weekend. I don’t know that the technique has a name, so I gave it one – zoom rack photography. The technique is conceptually pretty simple, but it takes practice to get it right.

The technique involves composing a photograph using a zoom lens at a short focal length then simultaneously “racking” the zoom to a longer focal length while depressing the shutter button. Easy stuff, right? But wait, there is more. The real challenge of executing this shot is a sufficiently long shutter speed that allows you to rack the zoom from a short to long focal length. My experience with this in NY led me to conclude that the optimum shutter speed was 1/4 of a second. To get a decent exposure at this shutter speed generally means lowering your ISO and increasing your f-stop (high number/small aperture). If you are shooting in bright sunlight, even your lowest ISO and highest f-stop may not get you to 1/4 second shutter speed. In bright light, you may have to add a neutral density filter.

The next challenge is stabilizing the camera. The amount of stabilization will depend on the level of clarity you are trying to achieve. This type of photography intentionally blurs most of the photograph. However, you can increase the clarity by good technique (bracing your arms), steadying the camera against a solid object (like a lamp post) or using a tripod. All the photographs in this post were hand held or braced against something solid.

One of your first impressions of this form of photography may be that it looks somewhat like photography made with a Lensbaby. I would not disagree but would point out two aspects that distinguish this approach. First, because of the longer exposure time, objects in motion are further accentuated with motion – like the cyclist in the previous shot. Second, you get some unique effects I can’t as easily account for such as in the following photograph. I don’t think I could recreate this photograph using a Lensbaby. The smoky, ghostly steaks coming off the buildings while keeping most of the shot in relatively good focus is not something the Lensbaby is built for.

Like any photographic technique, this is certainly one that can be overdone. However, used judiciously and in compositions amenable to the technique, you can add another fun tool to your kit. Later this week, I will post more shots from NY using this technique – just to be sure I have overdone it.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Two Concept Photographs for the “Messenger”–The J.O.B.

2011-08-04T10:06:00.001-04:00

After a good night’s sleep aided by my last culinary adventure (see Craig’s Grape Adventure tomorrow when I post Trinidad Doubles with Cucumber Chutney and Trinidad Pepper Sauce Paired with 2010 Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc), I set out before sunrise to work on some photography for the new single “Messenger” to be recorded by The J.O.B. (The Jim O’Ferrell Band).

The photos featured here represent several of the concepts I have discussed with Jason Crawford (electric guitar extraordinaire) including the ghostly images of the subjects evoking an unconscious connection among them. The purpose of this post is to discuss how I captured the images.

The first component is that of capturing the subjects in motion – leaving them with a ghostly blur. This requires a long enough shutter speed to allow the blur to develop. This is why I was out the door early. I do not have neutral density filters (dark filters that limit light arriving at the sensor), so I had to rely on taking the photos under low light conditions to maintain exposure and achieve a sufficiently long exposure to capture the motion.

The second challenge was getting enough bodies in the photo to achieve the crowded bustle and energy I desired. To do this, I composited 10 to 15 shots for each photograph. More precisely, I set the camera on a tripod to maintain a constant composition, then took a bunch of shots as I saw people in the positions I envisioned. In post processing I started with a base photograph, overlayed the other 15 or so shots, and then masked in the subjects to get all the bodies in the same shot.

Stay tuned for further updates on this project.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

New Album Art Project for The J.O.B. (TheJim O’Ferrell Band)

2011-08-01T10:52:00.001-04:00

In April I wrote a short post about working with The J.O.B. to produce a photograph for the band’s single “Nowhere.” The project was a great deal of fun, and you can see the original post at Nowhere by The J.O.B. I also encourage you to visit The J.O.B. at their website where you can connect with them in all the usual social media outlets, listen to their music, and download their latest single, “Nowhere.” Speaking of the music, if you like original rock with great story telling, you will become an instant fan of the J.O.B.

Recently I received a note from Jason Crawford (blazing electric guitar and rocking artistic crafter of the band’s heart pounding lead guitar work) announcing the J.O.B.’s return to the studio to record their next single “The Messenger.” Jason asked if I would be interested in helping with the artwork for the new single – “The Messenger” - I thought about it for quite some time, maybe a microsecond, and signed on. Jason sent me the lyrics to “The Messenger” (sorry – top secret stuff that you will have to wait a short while to enjoy) so I could start the creative process of seeing a fit between the photography and the song. From my perspective, the photograph must play a role in adding to, or supporting the story told through the lyrics – a visual component of the storytelling and a wonderfully enjoyable challenge.

While I can’t share the lyrics, I can tell you they are powerful, symbolic, and rich with images. I had to read the lyrics several times, each time my “wow” impression was amplified. From a photographic perspective, the lyrics are a bonanza of mental images supporting the central theme; each line adding another layer of photographic potential.

Jason and I are now deep in the collaborative process of exchanging ideas, commenting on photographs that may contribute to the composition of the final product, and even discussing the photographic techniques that will achieve the aesthetic that matches the vivid images in the lyrics. I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge and the collaboration. The photograph at the top of this post is one of the shots we have discussed and contains several components likely to find their way into the final artwork.

As I find interesting aspects of the creative process to share, I will keep you updated. I promise to let you know about the final product, and most importantly, the release of “The Messenger” by The J.O.B.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Lions Can’t See Zebras and Ryan Can’t See Color

2011-07-30T10:08:00.001-04:00

The title of this post is not precisely true, but they are motivating factors for writing this post and once again advocating for one of my preferences in photography – black and white. My son, and near clone formerly known as mini me (had to drop that when he crossed the 6’ mark), is partially color blind. I say partially, because although he often confuses colors (name vs. what the rest of us see), there are some colors that remain prominent. Ryan is also a budding photographer and finds his challenge with color frustrating. This is a particular issue during post processing when it is normal to make some color correction and adjust saturation.

Several months ago, Ryan approached me stating he was not confident in his photography because he sees colors differently than most of us. He feared that he might make color corrections that are unrealistic or even destructive to the photograph. I suggested two strategies. First, he could consider having someone critique his work and offer their opinion regarding his fears of adjusting the color or saturation in a way he did not intend. Second, I suggested that he avoid color – process his photography in black and white – an environment that suits his comfort and competence. While accepting this advice in the manner of a thoughtful young man, he decided to continue pursuing his question with other photographers. I think he expects to find a pair of glasses or a magic pill to remedy his color deficiency…he likes color and wants to maintain that aspect of his photography. I don’t take this personally, and encourage my children to question everything.

Related to Ryan’s challenge is that of the lion in pursuing lunch – the zebra. I was just listening to a discussion about lions and zebras that started with the premise that due to the stripes on zebras, humans (other than Ryan) see zebras sticking out like sore thumbs due to the strong vertical lines and the contrast between the black and white. However, the discussion I heard stated that lions are color blind which makes the zebra’s stripes very good camouflage and confounds the vision of the lion as the stripes blend into the black and white surroundings. The lion’s challenge is made even more difficult when the zebras are found in a herd. Apparently the vertical stripes meandering in various directions further confuse the lions ability to distinguish among menu items.

The photography featured in this post has little relevance to the subject other than it is black and white. Two of the photographs come from the Port of Spain, Trinidad, waterfront, and the other two are part of a project I regularly pursue – Unfocus on DC. I find great beauty and interest in black and white photography and would be quite satisfied if that were my only option. Like Ryan, the lions are challenged in achieving their objectives. The lions are still able to have lunch through either luck, skill, using other senses, or some form of adaptation overcoming their deficiency in perceiving color. I am confident Ryan will do the same.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Washington Nationals Park During Construction

2011-07-25T07:58:00.001-04:00

Although I live in Washington DC, just a over a mile from Nationals Park, I have to admit to not being a baseball fan. It is not that I don’t have affection for the home team, but I simply don’t have the patience for baseball. For me, baseball is somewhat like the NBA and NHL that suffer from too many games in a season for anything less than fully dedicated fans to get their heads around. I generally reengage with these sports when playoff time comes – when every game is significant. The idea of every game being important is what makes the NFL more appealing to me. With fewer games in the NFL (and all college sports), each game takes on greater significance.

However, my views on baseball and other sports are not the subject of this post. The purpose is to share some photography of Nationals Park during construction. Nationals Park opened in 2008. These photographs are all stitched panoramas taken during the late spring of 2007.

I have not shared these photographs previously because they do not show well in this format. But being the middle of baseball season, I decided to go ahead and share these with my baseball loving friends. From a photographic perspective, there are two characteristics of these photographs of note. First, the photographs are composed of 5 to 7 individual photographs stitched together to form a single panoramic photograph. Second, my choice to process the photos as black and white.

I chose black and white because it enhances the industrial feel of the composition, and because most of the color information in the photos came from construction and safety equipment. Neither of these components added anything to the composition.

At the writing of this post, the Washington Nationals are in next to last place in the National League East with a record of 49 wins and 52 losses. Lets hope they improve their season before the playoffs come, and I tune back in to baseball.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Graffiti–Art, Destructive, or Just an Interesting Background?

2011-07-22T08:30:00.001-04:00

Graffiti is a topic for which I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I have seen beautiful and creative artwork that is well composed and sometimes even well placed. On the other hand, there are plenty of examples of less artful graffiti that is improperly placed. These are the extremes, and from my experience, there is plenty of room between these two points.

So lets take this idea a little further. The following graphic presents a simplified model for classifying graffiti based on the location appropriateness combined with the creative or artistic merits of the graffiti.

Creativity	Cool, but why here?	Wow!
Creativity	Go Back to School	Practice at home
	Location Appropriate

Based on this model, the pinnacle of graffiti is a highly creative, composed, and artfully executed work placed in an appropriate place. As with any piece of art, each of these elements are highly subjective and are bound to be viewed differently from person to person. Much in the same way, you might judge my photography with appreciation, or you may find it lacking in any number of characteristics.

Of course, like photography we could make this much more elaborate by judging the materials used, the technical execution, the appropriate use of color, symbolism, composition, and so on. But honestly, when you are walking down the street, you probably judge graffiti in a more simplified manner – much like the matrix I have proposed. I will also allow that many people find graffiti as destructive and not worthy of any meritorious assessment. This view is one held by those who believe graffiti is nothing more than an emblem of urban blight, misguided youth, or gangs marking their territory – another symbol of urban decay.

Lets change gear to graffiti and photography. With respect to photography, graffiti can be an interesting backdrop. You have undoubtedly seen glamor or fashion photography featuring a beautiful model in a grungy location with graffiti in the background. This has little to do with the proposed evaluation matrix, but it speaks to the use of graffiti to set a mood or an aesthetic for the subject of the photograph.

For example, the context provided for the skateboarders in the photographs in this post make these shots more interesting than what I may have found at some squeaky clean suburban skate park. The graffiti provides a context that is complimentary vs. the contrast of a slinky model in a red dress.

In summary, I have now planted a seed in your mind – the next time you walk down a street and see some graffiti, I dare you to not judge it with respect to creativity and location appropriateness. Along the way, I hope I have planted a seed with respect to your photography. Find some interesting graffiti – become an amateur urban archeologist - and use it in your composition. It can be a valuable and free backdrop.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Black and White Photography from Angel Falls, Venezuela

2011-07-19T11:26:00.001-04:00

This morning, I was wandering through some of my photographs and realized I had shared only a couple from a trip to Angel Falls in Venezuela. As I wandered through the Angel Falls collection , I immediately saw this as another discussion about processing photographs as black and white rather than color.

In this case, my reason for choosing black and white was to maintain an aesthetic consistent with a place lost to time. If you want to visit Angel Falls, you will need to fly to Caracas Venezuela, take another flight to Puerto Ordaz on the Orinoco River, another 4 to 6 passenger plane from Puerto Ordaz to Canaima (located at base of Salto Sapo), overnight in Canaima, then take a motorized hollowed tree (like those above) from Canaima on a 4 hour trip to Angel Falls where you will hike another mile through the jungle to reach the base of Angel Falls. Canaima and Angel Falls are protected as part of a national park, but even without this protection, the remoteness would likely still keep this rugged part of Venezuela relatively untouched. For me, this timeless place demanded a similarly timeless black and white rendering.

Canaima is the last thing that looks remotely like civilization. Once leaving Canaima, the only signs of humans are the occasional huts belonging to the Orinoco Indians, or the odd camp site on the banks of the Rio Churon, into which Angel Falls flows or the Carrao River that runs from Canaima to Angel Falls.

The beauty revealed on the boat trip is beyond description. The scale is difficult to get your head around, and as you travel up the river, each bend brings another spectacular view.

Here is the difficulty of the scale; the photo above shows a side view of the Angel Falls plunge which measures over 1/2 mile. It is tough to put a 1/2 mile waterfall into context.

The primitive beauty of this remote area of Venezuela is something you should enjoy if you have an opportunity. The last couple of photographs were taken from our plane as we flew back to Puerto Ordaz.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Umbrella on Black–More Motivation for Minimalist Photography

2011-07-14T15:11:00.001-04:00

Over the last few days I have been browsing the photography on 500px.com that have been recognized as either popular (peer rating), editors choice, and the “upcoming” photography that is gaining recognition. I was very happy to find a number of excellent photographs using a minimalist approach to subject and composition. I was even more pleased to find quite a few within this minimalist collection that focused on seascapes – a particular appeal to me.

The reason I mention my browsing and admiration is the value I find in studying the photography of other photographers. In addition to the inspiration and the ideas for my own photography that can emerge, I find it a good way to judge my own photography in comparison. With the emphasis 500px.com places on showcasing only your best photography, it is fertile ground for inspiration, ideas, and comparison.

My only hope is that 500px.com is able to maintain these standards of excellent photography. At present, the only mechanism employed by 500px.com to ensure these standards is an appeal to our competitive nature through the rating system which might also be viewed as playing on our egos. However, over the long run, I am skeptical this will be sufficient. Without some level of editorial control or oversight, it is quite possible, and even probable that 500px.com will go the way of Flickr and become a dumping ground for family photos and stupid animal tricks. There is nothing wrong with silly cat photos – but they should be kept in their place – like Facebook.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Craig Corl Photography on 500px.com

2011-07-12T10:03:00.001-04:00

I recently heard about the photography gallery site 500px.com. This best comparison for this site is Flickr. Actually, it is nothing like Flickr, but with Flickr being the default photo sharing site, it is a good point of comparison.

500px.com actually predates Flickr. Flickr skyrocketed in popularity for everyone from the mom shooting happy snaps of the kids to professional photographers. 500px.com has taken the slow road to gaining our attention, but I believe it will soon be a strong competitor to Flickr, particularly among serious photographers.

There are a number of points of departure for 500px.com and I will talk about a few that are important to me. First, 500px.com caters to and encourages serious photographers. The folks at 500px.com encourage photographers to upload only their best photography and discourage use of the site as a repository for everything on your hard drive.

Second, they have a highly customizable portfolio/gallery function that is very elegant and looks like a professional online gallery rather than the less than elegant hodgepodge offered by Flickr. You can check out my gallery at http://craigcorl.500px.com/#/0. Related to this benefit is the ability to easily view relatively large photos that highlight the quality of your work.

Finally, 500px.com employs a set of algorithms that rate your photography based on views, comments, and ratings of other photographers that is biased by age. In other words, the rating of a particular photo decays with time. This encourages photographers to update their portfolio with new work and thereby ensure continued refreshing. It also promotes some healthy competition and regular feedback regarding how your photography stands up to other excellent photographers. I encourage you to checkout 500px.com and of course, visit my gallery as it builds.

The final note for today is a change I made to this blog over the weekend. Back in February I decided to give Google Ads a shot. This program permits Google to place adds on your blog in exchange for revenue gained from viewers following those links. My first impression was that the ads cluttered the page. While not enamored with this clutter, I proceeded to give it a try in the hopes I would gain a few bucks to support my photography habit. Since February, my Google ads account accumulated a grand total of $5. My conclusion was that the payback was not worth the clutter.

Over the weekend, I disabled the ads, and added a donate button (top right of the page) that would allow readers to support my work. The donate button is back-ended by PayPal’s secure exchange system so you have confidence it is legit. I don’t plan on following the NPR semiannual fund drive model, but if you like what you see and read, a small donation to support the many hours I put into this blog would be greatly appreciated.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Ghosts at the Fireworks

2011-07-08T08:45:00.001-04:00

Today’s photograph was taken just before the fireworks began on the 4th of July. It was taken at 9:10 pm, with a 30 second exposure. I was fortunate to have no wind at the time which kept the trees in sharp focus along with all other stationary objects. Those things in motion (people mostly) are blurred and in some cases it appears as though ghosts are walking through the crowd.

There are lots of fun things to do with long exposure photography. If you are experiencing a creative block, try some long exposure work. The possibilities are endless.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

2011 July 4th Fireworks on the National Mall, Washington DC

2011-07-06T11:11:00.001-04:00

I am not a big fan of fireworks photography, but nonetheless, I cannot resist. This year’s temptation was particularly difficult to ignore. My wife (Chef Sue), won tickets for lawn seats just a couple of blocks from the location the fireworks are launched.

Trying to avoid the cliché fireworks photography, this year I decided to focus more on the light reflections in the smoke rather than the fireworks proper. The result is the set of photographs I am sharing here.

I find these photographs more reminiscent of an exploding galaxy, or some of the photographs produced by the Hubble telescope. I was fortunate to get these shots. The wind was light, but blowing in the right direction – away from our location. Any other direction, and I would have been unable to capture the lighting in the smoke.

So here is the takeaway: If you are photographing something that is sure to be photographed by hundreds if not thousands of other people, take a moment to look at it differently. Use your creativity to see something different.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Do It Yourself Light Box for Food Photography

2011-06-29T08:30:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week I posted a related article titled “Do It Yourself Lighting for Food Photography” that discussed inexpensive and easy to construct light diffusion panels and lighting along with some tips for using this equipment to best effect for food photography. In this post we will look at a table top light box (or light tent).

The previous photograph shows my tabletop light box setup that cost about $10 to construct (reusing the sheet and spring clamps from my diffusion panels, and using the same lights). I made this a bit larger than the commercially available light boxes and constructed it from two square frames (25” per side using 3/4” PVC) with a single tube on the back connecting the two side panels. Commercially available light boxes are generally smaller and range from roughly $30 to $100. Commercial light boxes are essentially a cube of translucent material stretched on a wire frame with one side of the cube open (think of a box with an open top which is set on its side).

I prefer my setup over a commercial light box for several reasons:

Low cost
Larger (better dimension for food photography)
Greater flexibility (I can choose to close the top by draping another sheet or leave it open, I can choose to drape the material across the bottom of the box (or not), or could choose to expose any side of the box (or cover it).

So the real question is “why use a light box?” Also, why would you want to use a light box rather than the diffuser panel set up I discussed in “Do It Yourself Lighting for Food Photography?” One reason is convenience. The light box setup is quick and easy…a slight advantage over the diffuser panels. Second, the flexibility I noted above. Third, the light box gives me the opportunity to light from the rear (either blowing out the background or controlling the light to add further dimensionality to the subject). These advantages apply equally well to product photography.

For me, the most important advantage of the light box is the ability to control reflections. Because nearly all my food photography includes wine, controlling reflections from wine bottles and wine glasses can be a serious challenge. The light box is an elegant solution.

Glass reflects – you can’t cheat physics. However, you can control what is revealed in the reflection. A light box goes a long way to giving you the tools to exercise some measure of control.

If you want to see the full coverage of the wine and taco photos featured here, go to Craig’s Grape Adventure tomorrow for the article on wine pairing with DC food trucks, and next week for a report on Casino Royale night including the 1998 Jacquart Blanc de Blanc Brut.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Do It Yourself Lighting for Food Photography

2011-06-27T09:48:00.001-04:00

As many of you who follow my other blog, Craig’s Grape Adventure, where I write (and photograph) about food and wine pairing, I have put a good amount of energy into building my food photography skills since the first of this year. In pursuing this type of photography, I quickly learned that I would not be able to rely on the natural lighting I prefer for the rest of my photography. Not wanting to blow a mound of cash to set up a good food photography lighting rig (yet), I decided to go the DIY route as an interim measure.

I followed a three step process:

Constructing two PVC diffusers.
Finding the “right” amount of light.
Experimenting with the direction of the light.

First, I constructed two diffuser frames from PVC. I constructed a large free standing unit that consists of a 42” square frame with support legs that bring the diffuser frame to table height. This is a simple matter of cutting PVC to length, and connecting the joints with elbows and tees. I constructed a second 30” diffuser frame for table top use – short legs so the unit could sit on the table. Next it was a matter of draping bed sheets over the frame and securing the sheets to the frame with spring clamps.

Continuing with the budget theme, I used halogen work lights I’ve had for a number of years. Note; using lights that are not white balanced will require you to adjust your in-camera white balance or adjust in post (possibly both – I manage color correction in post). Not a big problem, just something to be aware of.

Getting the “right” amount of light was a matter of experimentation that involved moving the diffusers varying distances from the subject and moving the lights varying distances from the diffusers. I don’t have a magic formula for this. There are a number of variables, including the amount of ambient light, so I encourage you to experiment until you get the lighting effect you are looking for.

The last step is the most important – the direction of the light. The key to good food photography is giving the subject a three dimensional feel (the zucchini and red pepper above are good examples). In other words, straight on lighting (from the direction of the camera) will result in a flat image. As you move the light source to the side and back of the food, you begin to manage the light and shadow resulting in the addition of depth and dimension to the subject. I spent the better part of an afternoon experimenting with this.

Because all food is not created equal, the location of your lighting can vary from subject to subject. Said another way, food is not all the same shape, and adding depth and dimension to a banana is different than a piece of toast, a bed of rice, or an apple. Through my experimentation, I found that to bring depth and dimension to the composition, the lights were never in front of the 3 o’clock and nine o’clock positions. Using a two light set up, I frequently have one light at the 3 or 9 o’clock position and another further behind the food at say 10 or 2 o’clock.

If I don’t have time to play with the lighting for a particular dish (i.e., people are waiting to eat), my default is 3 o’clock and 10 o’clock. This may not be “perfect",” but it yields solid results without much thought or effort.

You don’t need to spend a bunch of your hard earned cash to get satisfactory lighting for food photography. After pulling the work lights from the garage, I invested about $20 in this lighting set up. The real challenge in this rig is taking the time to experiment with light intensity (distance and more/less layers of sheets) and lighting location. You can do it.

Too see more of my food photography and some mouth watering food and wine pairings, please visit Craig’s Grape Adventure.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

A Few Thoughts on Family Portraits–it’s all about Emotion

2011-06-22T06:12:00.001-04:00

Back around the first of the year, one of the regular readers of this blog, Natalie, sent me a note and asked if I would photograph her family. Fortunately I didn’t have to explain to Natalie that “sure, I can do it, but the style you see on my blog is what you should expect.” Natalie had been following my photography and asked me to photograph her family based on my approach.

Everyone was onboard with my approach, we quickly worked out the pesky little details, and we met in mid-May for the shoot. We ended up shooting on a rainy, overcast and otherwise nasty day. Perfect! The passing rain gave us time to sit around and chat, and when the rain cleared, the clouds remained – a wonderful big soft box providing some great lighting.

Natalie and here family were great subjects. Not only is this a remarkably attractive family, pulled from the pages of L.L. Bean, they made shooting easy. In other words, they are a family that obviously liked each other and interacted in ways that allowed me to just click the shutter at the right moment.

So here is my advice for family portrait photography:

Find a family like Tony and Natalie’s.
If you are not fortunate enough to get a close relative of Tony or Natalie, proceed with the rest of the list.
Place the family members in close proximity – gotta get them all in the frame.
Wait for them to interact.
Click the shutter.
Congratulate yourself on a successful shoot.

Okay, not exactly what you expected. The point I want to make is that you can find and follow all the rules or guidelines for posing, composition, lighting, blah, blah, blah, but if subjects are posing rather than naturally interacting, laughing, joking, and otherwise just having fun, you will be missing the best shots.

Sure, as the photographer you can tell a joke and get a reaction, but it is so much better when Tony tells a joke, and his son reacts to him. If you, as the photographer, can move toward invisibility, and the family is having fun, you have a winning equation. To get to some level of invisibility, you need to spend some time with the folks you are shooting. Spending some sincere time getting to know each other makes the experience easier and more enjoyable for everyone. Making new friends is definite plus.

Thanks so much to Natalie, Tony and your two wonderful children for letting me share this little slice of your life.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Photographic Wrap-up of the 2011 US Open

2011-06-20T06:39:00.001-04:00

As many golfers had hoped, Rory McIlroy redeemed himself from the Masters meltdown and won the US Open in spectacular fashion. At the same time, the good folks from Guinness made a few extra bucks at the pubs in Rory’s hometown of Hollywood, Northern Ireland. Congratulations Rory.

Although not up to the withering pace set by McIlroy, several notable performances were recorded in the final round including Kevin Chappell (-5), Peter Hanson (-4), Carl Schwartzel (-5),and Louis Oosthuizen (-4). And lets not forget Sergio Garcia who hung in with a –1 for the day to finish at –5 and tied for 7th. Jason Day (-3) continued his excellent play to end at second place at –8, 8 strokes off McIlroy’s 16 under par finish. Happy father’s day Mr. McIlroy!

Our wrap up post features some environmental shots from the US Open, and a creative conceptual shot as the title photograph (top of the page). While at the Tuesday practice round, I tried to make several unique photos that capture the game while moving to the abstract. This was the best of my efforts. The shot was made by increasing aperture to f/32 and decreasing the shutter speed to 1/28 while shooting at a focal length of 200mm. This is an example of breaking the rules – intentionally. Without the context of golf, this photograph is undecipherable. However, in the context of the US Open, the imagination kicks in and makes it understandable.

One of the things I truly enjoy about the US Open, and the PGA tour in general, is the way players are treated as they should be – it is a pure meritocracy. Rory was cheered with abandon. All the players, regardless of their country of origin were welcomed warmly and applauded for their performance. Golf seems to break down boundaries not seen in other sports. Golf fans appreciate excellence. Period.

If you have not been following along with my posts from the US Open, here is your chance to go back and see some photography of select golfers you may enjoy.

Miguel Angel Jimenez
Phil Mickelson
Dustin Johnson
Sergio Garcia
Ernie Els
and finally, some black and white photography from the 2011 US Open

I hope you have enjoyed the photography from the Us Open. The Open has certainly inspired me. I played at Patuxent River Naval Air Station’s Cedar Point golf course over the weekend with three excellent scores (all things are relative). I shot 80 on Friday, 81 on Saturday, and had a great father’s day gift on Sunday – a 77. These scores will not make the cut on the PGA tour, but my golf buddies will be sure to enjoy this – my handicap will be suffering for some time as a result of these scores. Less money in my wallet, and more in theirs.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Black and White Photography from the 2011 US Open

2011-06-19T08:37:00.001-04:00

Several regular readers of this blog have questioned me regarding my photography from the US Open. All the questions asked why I was shooting everything in color knowing my bias toward black and white photography.

It is true that I prefer black and white photography. My decision process starts with viewing the photograph, from time of clicking the shutter button, as black and white. I then go through a process that may lead to processing the photograph in color if the composition satisfies several criteria. These decision points ask whether the color adds any meaningful information, and is the color distracting from the subject.

With respect to the recent 2011 US Open Photography, I had two reasons for keeping the color. First, when you view golf photography there is a natural expectation to see lush green grass. The highly saturated green from a well maintained golf course is a clear part of the mental image one expects. Second, golfers are known, for good or bad, for wearing brightly colored and sometimes quite outrageous clothes (go see some shots of John Dailey, Ian Poulter, or Ricky Fowler for a good examples of the more colorful). I thought it was important to capture some of this color of the game.

So in response to my friendly and helpful critics, this post is dedicated to black and white photography from the 2011 US Open. I encourage you to return to the previous posts from this week, all color photography of the US Open, and form your own opinion of the relative merits of color vs. black and white golf photography.

Today is the final round of the US Open following some exciting play on Moving Day. There was some interesting movement on Saturday, none of which did anything to shave away at the lead of Rory McIlroy who now leads the field by eight strokes – two better than the end of day results from Friday.

Among the notable movers on Saturday were outstanding play by Lee Westwood (-6), Jason Day (-6), Robert Garrigus (-3), Fredrik Jacobson (-5), Matt Kuchar (-2), Sergio Garcia (-2), Kyung-tae Kim (-2), Henrik Stenson (-2) and Bo Van Pelt (-3) to round out the top ten.

There were also several players that had an opportunity but moved dramatically in the wrong direction including Robert Rock (+5), and Phil Mickelson (+6).

Aside from the record setting play by Rory McIlroy, the outcome today will likely be influenced by the weather. With rain over night and the threat of more rain during the day, the rough will become even more of a penalty for those not finding the fairway, and the greens even more receptive and slower which will allow the field an opportunity to attack the pin even more aggressively.

As I am writing this, I am looking out on the Potomac from my secret Southern Maryland lair and witnessing a torrent of rain. Not only will this rain affect play at the Open, but it is also diminishing my plans for hitting the links this morning. Depressing.

I have a few more photographs from the Open to share, so check back soon as I wrap up my coverage. And finally, best wishes to Rory on continuing his record setting play and redeeming himself from the tragedy of The Masters.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Ernie Els at the 2011 US Open

2011-06-18T16:13:00.001-04:00

It is now Saturday, and the third round of the US Open – known as moving day – the day when players are trying to move up the leader board and position themselves for the final round on Sunday. Unfortunately, 41 year old South African Ernie Els is not on the course today. At six over par, Ernie was asked to pack his bags when he did not make the Friday cut of four over par.

Ernie, aka The Big Easy, is a big guy with a seemingly effortless swing. His size (210 and 6’3”) and the fact that he is a former rugby player make the nickname appear quite appropriate.

By all reports, Ernie is a very personable guy and a fan favorite. The fans above certainly appreciate Ernie taking a moment for autographs. However, if you scroll back to the first photograph of the post, his downward look, appearing almost dejected, may have been a foretelling of his performance in the first two rounds of the US Open.

With a world ranking of 122 and an impressive 9th rank in greens in regulation, we will likely see Ernie redeem himself from this cut in short order.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Sergio Garcia at the 2011 US Open

2011-06-18T07:31:00.001-04:00

Today we enter the third round of the US Open with Sergio Garcia tied for third place at two under par and nine strokes of Rory McIlroy’s lead position at 11 under. I did not see Rory at the Tuesday practice round, but I spent some time following Sergio. Sergio and the rest of the field have their work cut out for them after two record setting rounds by McIlroy.

I don’t rub elbows with the pro golfers, but it was obvious that Sergio has a lot of friends on the tour. After he finished the 9th hole and was crossing the practice putting green to the 10th, he made his playing partners wait several minutes as he hugged, shook hands, and otherwise greeted each of the 20 or so other players on the practice green.

I don’t know many Spaniards, but having spent three years living in Venezuela, I can tell you this is a common scene among the Spanish speaking countries of South America. Everyone gets a warm greeting. Honestly, I found Venezuelans and the rest of South America to be the warmest and most welcoming people I have ever met. And if you have the chance to sit down, have a drink and chat, you will have a friend for life.

Best wishes to Sergio, and I hope he contributes to making the final two rounds of the 2011 US Open memorable.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Dustin Johnson at the 2011 US Open

2011-06-17T11:59:00.001-04:00

Continuing with my series of photos from the 2011 US Open, Dustin Johnson is today’s featured golfer. Dustin is another exciting golfer who is emblematic of the new crop of young golfers making their impact on the PGA.

We are now witnessing the process of the “changing of the guard” as this group of young players are routinely challenging, pushing, and often surpassing the elders of the game. This group of young players is adding new excitement to the game with their crushing drives and aggressive style of play. While this aggressiveness can be very entertaining, it can sometimes work against them as we saw at last year’s final round at the US Open when Dustin disintegrated after holding a three stroke lead going into the final round. The nightmare began on the par 4 second hole, and within three holes he dropped his three stroke lead to three strokes behind the new leader. And it got worse. Johnson ended up with an 82, five strokes in back of winner Graeme McDowell.

More recently, the youngster Rory McIlroy’s meltdown at 2010 Masters followed a similar path. At the ninth hole, MIlroy held a one shot lead when the nightmare began with the 10th hole triple bogey. He lost another shot on the 11th, and two more on the 12th. After shooting 80 in the final round he ended up in 15th place.

Although both Johnson and McIlroy have created a couple of memorable collapses, memories I’m sure they are trying to forget, I am confident they will be around for quite a long time and overcome these defeats with spectacular victories. As a matter of fact, I am watching the second round of the US Open while writing this, and McIlroy is now five under par for the day through 14 holes and holds an eight stroke lead over another young gun – Zach Johnson. The young guys make this game interesting.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Phil Mickelson at the 2011 US Open

2011-06-16T09:07:00.001-04:00

This is the second installment of photography from the 2011 US Open and today I am featuring another one of my favorite golfers – Phil Mickelson.

Phil makes my list of favorite golfers because of the excitement he brings to the game. Phil brings this excitement by taking risks, making seemingly impossible shots, and pulling off miracles with his short game. Prior to Tiger’s recent troubles, his exciting play was even more spectacular during the infamous duels between the two. During the period of Tiger’s dominance, Phil was always there pushing and challenging. This kind of rivalry (not always friendly) makes for great golf course drama.

The final shot in this series is a triptych of Phil practicing one of his patented flop shots over a bunker to a pin just a couple yards deep into the green. What you don’t see in these shots is that the ball went nearly straight up and landed with nearly no roll, just a few short feet from the pin.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Miguel Angel Jimenez at 2011 US Open

2011-06-15T12:52:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of attending the Tuesday practice round of the U.S. Open Championship being hosted by Congressional Country Club. The great part of attending a practice round is that cameras are allowed – unlike the tournament rounds beginning on Thursday. I also enjoy the practice rounds because the crowds are manageable and the line at the beer tents are short!

Over the next few posts, I will be featuring some of my photography from the US Open. Today, I am focusing on Miguel Angel Jimenez, one of my favorite golfers.

Miguel is at the top of my list of favorites for a number of reasons. Not only is Miguel a great golfer, but he hits the mark in a number of other categories that make him special. Miguel has a great sense of humor – listen to any of his interviews and you are sure to get a chuckle. Miguel smokes cigars which means he is a lot like the rest of us golfers – taking a nice stroll in a beautiful park, enjoying the scenery, and enjoying a nice cigar.

Finally, at age 47 he falls directly into my age group. I feel compelled to root for the “old guys” on tour and am always pulling for him.

Come back soon to see more photography from my visit to the US Open.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Diptych of Chairs on the Beach

2011-06-13T09:16:00.001-04:00

Diptychs are one of the aspects of photography I am particularly drawn to. If you are not familiar with diptychs, they are pairs of photographs that have some relationship to each other whether a matter of continuity, contrast, similarity or otherwise compliment each other in some interesting manner. I have posted several diptychs previously which can be found by typing “diptych” in the handy search bar at the top of the page.

The diptych featured here is composed of two photographs I shot while walking along the Potomac River in Southern Maryland. Although the shots were taken at different points along the beach and separated in time by several minutes, I believe the composition works due to the continuity of the subject as well as the beach, horizon and cloud configuration. I am also drawn to the minimalist composition of this pair which leaves your mind to wander.

I did not plan this diptych, but when processing the photos, it was clear they belonged together. Just another one of the happy coincidences that I love about photography.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Patuxent River Naval Air Station Triathlon–Run

2011-06-10T11:57:00.001-04:00

This is the last in my three part series of photography from the Patuxent River Naval Air Station Triathlon.

If you missed the first two, you can find them here:

I am very happy with the photograph above. I was able to get the runners face nice and sharp while using a small aperture to slow down the shutter speed and introduce some motion blur. The motion blur was increased a bit as I panned with the runner causing the background to blur. The runner is the overall winner amongst the women. I don’t recall her name, but I know she absolutely crushed the women’s field, and was only one minute off the pace of the winner for the men.

I was a bit distracted by the time the runners started coming in (by distracted I mean hiding in the shade to save some of my now lobster-red skin), so I don’t have a bunch of running shots. However, I have several detail shots from the transition area to share.

I hope you enjoyed this little slice of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station Triathlon.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Patuxent River Naval Air Station Triathlon–Bike

2011-06-08T08:24:00.001-04:00

Welcome back to part two of my mini-series of posts featuring photography from the Patuxent River Triathlon. Today’s post will focus on the bike leg of the race.

Similar to the case with the swim, the bikes and clothing are plenty colorful. However, I believe these shots work much better in black and white. For example, the first shot of the post has a couple of distracting elements when viewed in color; a) the green of the grass and background trees that bisect the photo, and b) the yellow of the center line cutting through his bike. While these are not horrible flaws, when processed as black and white, they become complete non issues.

If you scroll back up to take a look at the second photograph, you can see a good example of a traditionally framed cycling shot. The components to this composition include a) leaving “room” in front of the cyclist so he visually has a place to go (imagine how awkward it would look if the front wheel were on the right edge of the composition with a bunch of open space behind the bike), b) I used a sufficiently slow shutter speed to blur the wheels a bit – introducing a sense of motion, and c) further enhancing the sense of motion by panning the shot and introducing more motion blur to the immobile parts of the composition.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Patuxent River Naval Air Station Triathlon–the Swim

2011-06-06T07:30:00.001-04:00

Back in the day (I think it was a Wednesday), I used to go to triathlons to compete. This weekend I went to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station Triathlon to support Chef Sue (my wife), Gunslinger Teji, and Triathlon Buddy Brian. Back in the day, Brian and I trained and raced together with religious fervor. Quite impressively, Brian is still racing – and racing well. At a shade over 50, He won his age group and was not far off the leader’s time – quite impressive. Chef Sue and Gunslinger Teji were there with the intent of finishing; both accomplished their goal. Congratulations.

Triathlons are target rich environments for photographers, so I took advantage of the opportunity. I do not claim to be a sports photographer and definitely tend toward a more artistic interpretation of anything I shoot. This triathlon is no exception.

So what distinguishes my “artistic” interpretation of a triathlon from what one would normally expect from a sports photographer? While taking the photography, I probably would not have been able to tell you. But in retrospect, as I look through the entire group of photos, I see several trends including:

lots of shallow depth of field
composition that fills the frame rather than larger environmental compositions
about half of the photographs were processed as black and white – an artistic choice
detail shots

With so much activity and being surrounded by interesting subjects, I shot a lot. My hit rate (shots I felt worthy of keeping) was also pretty high. For this reason, I will cover the race in several posts. Obviously, this post focuses on the swim.

From a photographers standpoint, triathlons are generally started in good light. Triathlons normally start early in the day to avoid the heat of the day. With a 8 am start, I was lucky to have some great light (relatively low on the horizon) for shooting. It became progressively harsher toward the end of the run, but overall, light is an advantage for early morning race starts.

The choice to process photos as black and white is not always an easy one at events such as this. One of the cool things at triathlons is the rainbow of colors. Swim suits, swim caps, bright blue water, race shirts, bikes – all full of color. Still, I find that black and white works with many of the shots.

Stand by for more posts later this week covering the bike and run portions of the race.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Army Navy Country Club in Bloom–Golf Course Landscape Photography

2011-06-02T08:02:00.001-04:00

These photos are dated by a month or so, but I thought to share them although the blooming trees have since taken on their summer foilage. Over the last couple of years, I have been photographing the golf course at the Arlington campus of Army Navy Country Club with the intention of highlighting the beauty of the course during different seasons.

In addition to the blooming trees featured in these photographs, a key element for me is the sky. In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of good landscape photography is an interesting sky. A completely overcast sky with no texture is uninteresting. Clear blue skies with no clouds are only slightly more interesting. A sky featuring a variety of cloud formations always adds more interest.

And when you don’t have an interesting sky, just eliminate it from the composition.

Now that summer has suddenly arrived in Washington DC with temps in the mid 90s and our legendary humidity, I am forced to be a bit more selective in choosing which days to golf. But I will not be deterred!

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Pouring Wine Sideways–Defying Gravity

2011-05-31T07:44:00.001-04:00

The first photograph in this post is the title photograph from my other blog – Craig’s Grape Adventure. If you have not visited yet, I encourage you to do so. On Craig’s Grape Adventure I share my experiences with food, wine, and pairing along with some phenomenal recipes and plenty of food photography. There are thousands of food blogs, wine blogs, and pairing blogs meandering about the internet galaxy. Craig’s Grape Adventure is distinct among this large group because each pairing comes with a story, the “why” of the pairing, extensive photography, and I discuss the failures as well as the successes.

Several people have asked that I talk about how I made this shot, so here we go. The setup was pretty simple. First I set up a light stand with a crossbar and clam to hold the glass upside down as shown in the next photograph. I used a large white reflector as the background which also served to bounce light back through the glass and pouring wine. I used an Elinchrom 250 light (modeling light and strobe) at the 8 o’clock position with a bounce off the rear reflector and a second reflector at the 4 o’clock position. The light was triggered wirelessly using the Elinchrom wireless system.

I used a Canon 24-70 f/2.8L mounted on my Canon 5D which was all mounted on a tripod and triggered using a cable release. The cable release is an important part of this setup because this was a one man operation. In other words I had to make the pour and take the shot at the same time…left hand operating the camera, right hand pouring. The next shot shows that my coordination was further challenged by having to accurately aim and land the pour into a pot (rather than deal with a big mess). For all you wine lovers, don’t worry, no wine was sacrificed in the making of this photograph. I used water.

The final challenge to this shot was capturing an “interesting” stream of water. Every time I poured, the stream looked a bit different. The result is that I took a bunch of shots then settled on the exposure I liked the best.

Finally, in post processing I rotated the image 90 degrees, cropped to capture the relevant parts, and hiked up the highlights to washout the background. Voila! Overall this was a fun and creative exercise. Now my mind wanders to “what else can I do with spilling wine?”

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Tall Ship on the Potomac

2011-05-27T13:19:00.001-04:00

I arrived yesterday at our humble crab shack on the Potomac river to begin a lengthened holiday weekend. Shortly after arriving, I looked out through the haze to the yet cool waters of the Potomac to see a tall ship sailing under power toward the Chesapeake bay.

With the haze and excessive humidity, I knew a nice sharp shot would be impossible. Even had I been able to shoot the ship crisply, the haze coupled with the complete overcast left very little texture to add drama to the photo. Given these limitations, I decided quickly to go with minimalist approach. With a sky that amounted to a huge soft box, I decided to use this negative space to draw attention to the subject.

I find the photos appealing because of the simplicity, the clarity of subject identification, composition (giving room in front of the ship for movement, and including only a slice of the water/horizon), and that the photo does not provide too much information (lots of room for viewer interpretation or questioning). However, I will admit that I may be approaching or possibly falling over the minimalist precipice. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig