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| It is all about the journey |
| I get asked pretty often if I always carry a camera and photograph everything that I see when I'm out and about. I don't. I'm an intentional photographer, when I'm a photographer I'm a photographer. When I'm not making images for a reason then I'm not a photographer. I need to take in the surroundings and enjoy what I am seeing in order to do a good job. Sure, I could make some fun photos doing snapshots but that isn't my thrill.
Making memorable photos is a creative process for me. A few years back I had a long discussion with a professional friend and we started talking how it would be great to be able to walk up to a scene and know right away how to make the best photo. The more we talked the more we decided that would be pretty horrible, it would take all the creativity out of photography. We'd be following a formula and all the photos would look the same. Being able to try different camera settings, lenses, angles, compositions and seeing the light is what creative photography is all about.
Then the more I thought about it the more I realized it is the same with life. We are often in such a rush to get to the destination that we fail to enjoy the ride. I've decided that I really need to enjoy the journey more. I was in a panic to get this newsletter out before I went to Venice at the end of February. I wasn't getting it done and decided that was OK. I don't think anyone had a sad day because my newsletter didn't arrive Feb. 28. I would rather do it right than rushed. I need to make more things about the journey not the destination. But I will get the March newsletter out in March! |
| | | Iceland is looking as good as ever |
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In February I made my fourth trip to Iceland in less than a year. There is a reason it has become one of the top tourist destinations in the world: the place is spectacular to see and photograph. I lead off this newsletter with a picture from Diamond Beach where chunks of glacier wash up on a black sand beach. It looks different each time I go. In fact, when I shot that picture there were huge pieces of glacier on the beach, many 10 feet long. We went back the next day and they all were gone, only small bits of ice scattered across the beach. We went into a rare black ice cave, which was amazing to see but very difficult to photograph. Then we went to a blue ice cave, which makes for better photos and I made a photo I really enjoy. Toss in the Aurora, towering snow covered mountains reaching down to black sand beaches, glaciers and waterfalls and it is easy to get mesmerized by Iceland. There are so many things to experience and photograph. You can read about more my trip on my blog at https://lorenphotos.com/2019/02/15/a-great-iceland-winter-experience/ I'm going back in August, that workshop is sold out but I've scheduled another one for February and of course I'll go back in August next year. |
| | Heading to Cuba in 2020 In January I mentioned that I was planning a trip to Cuba next year and it is all set up. I'm working with a Latin American based company that has done many Cuba excursions and we're going from March 14-22, 2020. Sarah McGharagan, a photographer who is their U.S. representative, will be on the trip to make sure everything runs smoothly. She made the photo above. Like all my trips I keep the group size small, I'm only taking 10 on this workshop. The trip is proving to be popular, there are only two spots left. Read more at https://lorenphotos.com/mevents/cuba-photography-workshop-march-2020/ |
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New York City Weekend Workshop I have a fun weekend planned starting on Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7 in the Big Apple. I hosting a workshop and we'll concentrate on photographing the big city. We'll hit some of the usual spots like Central Park and Brooklyn Bridge areas but there are also some special surprises like the Tartan Day Parade and a huge public pillow fight in Washington Square Park. I provide transportation in my 12 passenger Sprinter van, so it will be easy for everyone to get around. You can make the 75 minute commute into the city from New Jersey with me each day and I've arranged hotel space in New Jersey at a much lower rate, or you can stay or meet in New York. Read more at https://lorenphotos.com/mevents/new-york-photography-workshop-weekend/ |
| | Post processing in the digital ageOne of the realities of digital photography is that post processing has become as important as good camera technique if you want to bring out everything you can from your images. Every picture requires some work, although it may not be a lot or take more than a minute or two. Adobe's Lightroom has become the standard for image organizing and processing, so I teach a couple of different Lightroom classes. Getting the Most Out of Lightroom is a full day class to get you started and I'm offering it again on March 30. My three hour Advanced Lightroom digs deeper into the program and concentrates heavily on the Develop module. It is on Saturday, June 1. |
| | Novice Bootcamp On May 11 I leading and exciting workshop in Somerville, NJ. I call it Novice Bootcamp but what it is really about is getting out and learning what your camera does. There are so many menus and buttons on our digital cameras that we get overwhelmed because we think if something is there it must be important. Well that just isn't the case. All of the great things they have jammed into cameras really only help you with the basics of your lens, aperture and shutter speed. In the Bootcamp we'll dig into the basics and discuss what you need to know bout your camera and what you don't. We do all of this with a combination of classroom and getting out and using your camera. It is a lot of fun and will take the intimidation out of photography. Read more at https://lorenphotos.com/mevents/novice-photography-bootcamp/ |
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Upcoming workshops
• Aug. 17-23, Iceland Summer Photography Workshop, Reykjavik, Iceland
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| Personal mentoring
If you want to improve your photography, learn more about your camera, get a better handle on Lightroom or Photoshop, or need help with your photo business, then I can help you with one-on-one mentoring that is customized to fit your needs. Read more.. |
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| There are some tricks to shooting reflections |
| Making pictures of reflections can be tricky. The light isn't always doing what you think it should be. Unless you are shooting into a real mirror, the reflection is always darker than the main subject, which can cause some exposure problems. Some photographers use split neutral density filters to darken the main subject so the two will be closer in exposure. I find that is now easier and sometimes better to do it in Lightroom.
You probably want to make sure you are getting everything in focus. That requires plenty of depth of field, so I find it best to use a wide angle lens, which gives you greater depth of field than a telephoto. Getting your aperture around f/16 also helps get everything in focus. You also have to decide if you want anything in the foreground in focus, if you don't then it is much easier to get the reflection and main subject in focus since they are essentially the same distance away when it comes to focus.
I have found that getting low will many times will let you see more reflection. Before adjusting my tripod I bend down to see how the reflection will look and see the angle I really need to be at to get the most reflection. The best reflections occur when there is bright light on a subject that is behind the reflective surface. No matter whether it is water, metal, glass or anything shiny, a smooth surface will give a better reflection. Ripples in water can look pretty cool too, so I don't give up just because the water isn't smooth. |
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