Charleston Palmetto Sunset

 Added to January 30, 2019
Jan 302019
 

Straight photography is a skill, there is no doubt about that, but many times it really is simply about being at the right place, at the right time, and having the ability to see the shot before you even lift your camera… This was one of those moments.

I was out on a walk and noticed a palmetto tree in just the right spot. I knew that if I walked far back into White Point Garden, I could align part of the sky directly behind the tree. Basically, by changing your location you can literally move the sky. I then zoomed in with my 200mm and exposed for the sky to create a silhouette… This simple image truly represents how I feel about Charleston living. (and nearly 6,000 people on Facebook agree!)

Fake Lunar Eclipse

 Added to January 21, 2019
Jan 212019
 

Last night was the Super Blood Wolf Moon. Silly photographers were up late, standing outside in the cold for hours trying to snap the best Lunar Eclipse photograph, and I’m over here like – I know Photoshop.

I’m just kidding around, of course. I went out many times and it was a beautiful sight… Still, this post begs the question – What if I wasn’t honest? Imagine if I said this was my shot. I photographed the full moon through a telescope, so the detail is amazing. No one would think I was lying. It is hard to know what is real these days.

Vintage Film Cameras

 Added to January 17, 2019
Jan 172019
 

Being a photographer shouldn’t end at simply taking pictures. You should be obsessed with your medium. Where did it all start? What was a photographer like years ago? How did it feel before everything was digital and automated and almost errorless?

Years ago, I developed somewhat of a habit in buying old cameras, but I also made it a goal to shoot with every one… Digital is great, but the “feeling” you get when you look down into a TLR, or extend the bellows of a Kodak, or pull the sheet out of a Polaroid – that “feeling” is why I really love photography.

Photoshop Pattern Actions

 Added to January 13, 2019
Jan 132019
 

Over the past few months I have been building a set of Actions in Photoshop in order to help with automation of my patterned works. I don’t like the idea of using an app or someone else’s work methods, so it was important to me to start from nothing then conceptualize and build each one by hand.

As you can see in this image, I have created a LOT of Actions so far, each to do something different and specific to the photograph. My workflow involves running one, two, or many of these Actions in different ways, then starting over if I am not happy with the outcome… This is a long exposure photograph of sparklers, mirrored, blended, and formed into a highly complex patterned mandala.

Vector Graphic Patterns

 Added to January 8, 2019
Jan 082019
 

I have been spending a lot of time in Adobe Illustrator lately. There is something exciting about vector design, and perhaps it is the geek in me that enjoys working with geometry and numbers. That said, flat graphics can get a little boring, and so I have been enjoying the use of simple gradients to trick the eye into thinking a scene has depth… Interesting how such a complex three-dimensional pattern can be achieved with only a few simple clicks in Illustrator.

The Dreaming State