vision

Photography: This I Learned is True

Jeff

“I guess I’m trying to say, grab anything that goes by.
It may not come around again.”
— John Steinbeck —

 

I am not a professional photographer. I am a hobbyist. I enjoy beautiful photography and the beauty to be found in the “vision” of others. We can all visualize the same vista, but the gifted photographer can find the ultimate beauty in the scene. This is very difficult. Having said that by way of introduction, this post is about something quite different.

Most of my photography is of the landscape or scenery genre. What this means is that we often spend a full day hiking in remote locations to see things that many will never see. My joy and pleasure is to capture a photograph that will, in some way, bring that beauty to those who view the photograph.

Here is the truth that I have learned by being a photography enthusiast. If you have a camera with you and you enjoy photography. When you come across a scene that calls to you, stop everything and take the picture.

There have been many times in my past that I said to myself: “I don’t want to stop now. I will take that picture on the return trip.” It may be a variation of this theme, but it has happened a significant number of times.

This is the truth that I have learned. Most of the time that scene will not be there when you return. The clouds will move, the light will change, your mood will change, your vision may be altered and the picture you envisioned will remain a vague memory.

Having regrets is a terrible thing and I have a good number of photography regrets of pictures I wished I had taken when I had the opportunity. When the vision appears – when the moment strikes you – stop what you are doing and take the picture. Even if it turns out to be a disappointing capture, you will reduce the number of regrets you have for those photos that might have been. There is little or no downside to this. You will have some very good memories and a perhaps a few remarkable pictures because they encase your vision; your idea of beauty.


Case in Point

We visited Yellowstone National Park. This was a bucket list trip for us and we hiked all day every day. There was no time to waste and no time to be tired. We waited for this a long time so no matter what, we awoke early and went on our way!

When we arrived at the Mammoth Springs area of Yellowstone, we were only five miles from Gardiner, MT. We knew from others that there was a great pizza place there and a variety of stores: supermarkets, hardware stores, pharmacies, etc.

After a day at this location, we received a warning from our car that the battery in our fob needed replacement. Our Subaru has no manual override for starting and we had fears of being stranded in this remote location without a way to start the car. It is the fob or nothing. Obviously this made us a bit nervous so we took one afternoon off to headed to Gardiner.

Just as we were leaving the park with Gardiner in plain view a few blocks away, we came upon the Roosevelt Arch. This is a wonderful tribute to Theodore Roosevelt who was a national park visionary. I was worried about finding a replacement battery for my fob and I really was anxious to see which vendors in town might have it. I was very focused on that issue.

On the other hand, the cloud pattern was interesting and the sky was blue. I forced myself to pull over to take a picture of the arch. There were people standing in the way, but I waited. I cannot claim that I wasn’t distracted, but I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.



Although I would not declare this is a great picture or one of my best photographs, it has been very popular on various websites. More than anything else…it has helped me avoid another photography-related regret.

To summarize my photography truth , don’t wait to take a picture. Carpe diem when the moment strikes! There is a reason a scene resonates with you. Don’t wait. Take the picture and avoid the regret of what might have been.


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Metadata
Capture time: 12:21 PM
Capture date: Sept. 13, 2018
Exposure: 1/640 sec @ f/9.0
Focal Length: 18mm
ISO: 200
Camera: Fuji X-T2
Lens: XF18-55mm, F2.8-4 R LM OIS
Edited in Lightroom

See more photography posts HERE and visit Jeff’s Instagram site HERE


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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2020



Photography: A Pathway to Creativity

Jeff

It is hard to explain how fascinating and interesting photography is for me. I have discovered that it is one of the most flexible creative outlets. Most people I meet don’t appreciate the depth and variety of photography and related graphic art forms. For now, let’s not discuss whether or not photography is a true art. In my opinion it is!

This is a photograph I took at Europa Point in Gibraltar. It was a beautiful clear day with one of the bluest skies I have seen. On a day such as this, onlookers can see Morocco across the Mediterranean Sea. It is the closest point between Europe and Africa.

The lighthouse juxtaposes beautifully against the surroundings of the ultra blue sky and Mediterranean Sea. I find it very striking.



The above photo stands alone as a nice rendition of the scene, but perhaps it would be even better if rendered more like a line art painting or drawing.



There is software available the allows the photographer to express his or her artistic vision in a variety of graphic formats. This is a hybrid of photography and painting albeit via digital manipulation.

Perhaps the artist’s real concept of the scene lends itself more to a watercolor.



The landscape has such contrasting colors of lights and darks. Would a black and white interpretation be interesting?



With a bit more training and skill, the photographer can add a slightly different yet compelling artistic vision of the lighthouse.



I have tried to explain how photography has opened my creative flow and I believe it can do the same for others. If you are trying to find a tool to unleash your imaginative powers and that can develop into a passion, you might want to pick up a camera and start creating!



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NOTES:
One of the beautiful aspects of digital photography is that the photographer can see the results very quickly. There is no film to send to the developers. A version can be seen on the camera’s LCD immediately (in most cases) and a true rendition later on a computer.

Once I retired, I began to apply myself to photography. It has always been of interest to me and now it has grown into a serious hobby. I am not a professional, just a photography enthusiast.

So…where is Gibraltar and Morocco?



Map Via

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Metadata

Original Photo

File Name: 000029_Europa Point Lighthouse, Gibraltar_0971.tif
Capture time: 12:30 PM
Capture date: May 14, 2018
Exposure: 1/350 sec @ f/5.6
Focal Length: 44mm
ISO: 200
Fujifilm X-T2
18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS

Edited in Lightroom & Photoshop

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Check out Jeff’s Instagram account for more interesting photos!

Read more photography posts HERE


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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged #please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2020 JBRish.com



Photography: My Shot – Earthen Details

Jeff

“The devil is in the detail.” — Gustave Flaubert

 

Not only is the devil the the detail or details, as a photographer I find inspiration and beauty in the details. I am not the best photographer and have little hopes of attaining that title. I enjoy photography for many reasons, but let me address just one.

A significant benefit I receive from my photographic hobby is learning to see. We all look at a multitude things every day; perhaps millions of things if we could count them. But how many of us actually “see” those things at which we are looking?

Photography has given me an appreciation for taking my time to look at an object or a scene. I now search for the details; the small things that make the location or item special. The picture below was taken at Cathedral Gorge State Park in Nevada. If you are going through that area, I recommend it as a very picturesque and worthwhile stop.

While at Cathedral Gorge, I hiked among the canyons created by the eroding clay hoodoos. They were very intriguing in their other-worldly appearance.

This specific grouping of hoodoos served as a collection point for a number of tumbleweeds and these earthen structures created a chimney-like opening where they piled one on top of the other to make an amazing composition.



What struck me was the beautiful coloring and the synchronicity of the two natural aspects, i.e. the eroded clay hoodoos and nature’s tumbleweeds. They came together to form a wonderful, natural image – nature as artist!

I love the textures of both the formations and the tumbleweed. The brown tones bind them together to create, what in my opinion, is an artistic rendering.

Seeing the opportunity, however, doesn’t necessarily mean a photograph is going to successfully capture it the way it appeared to the observer and therein lies the beauty, the challenge and the motivation of photography.

I can’t think of a better hobby for people seeking to express their creative souls than that of photography.

 

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Metadata

File Name: 0000199-Tumbleweed plays among the hoodoos – Cathedral Gorge, NV
Capture time: 9:55 AM
Capture date: June 13, 2019
Exposure: 1/30 sec @ f/13
Focal Length: 20mm
ISO: 125
Camera: Nikon D3300
Lens: 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

Edited in Lightroom

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Check out Jeff’s Instagram account for more interesting photos!

Read more photography posts HERE


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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged #please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2020 JBRish.com



STATUS QUOte Picture Quote – 20191122

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOte Picture Quote

“There are only 3 colors, 10 digits and 7 notes;
it’s what we do with them that’s important.”
– Jim Rohn –

 

Picture Rendered Via

 

 
See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE


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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2019 – JBRish.com


Photography Quote — 20180606

Jeff

Today’s Photography Quote

 

“There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.” – Ernst Haas

Learn more about Ernst Haas HERE!

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Every photographer develops a style and favors particular subjects such as landscapes, astrophotography, architecture, etc. Through their choice of subject matter, they capture images and process them to match their creative vision.

Some photographers have such a distinctive style and vision what when you see one of their shots, you know it. The quote above reminds me of our individual approach to the broad field of photography.

Of course I am not speaking about myself or my photographs, although the photograph above is representative of my “style” and “vision.” I captured this scene because of the deep shadows and the reflections. I find reflections and how they are distorted by the object on which they are reflected quite interesting.

For many viewers, the scene may not be obvious at first because of the abstract nature of the reflections in the slow-moving stream. I hope that readers will stop to examine the scene to grasp and appreciate the content.

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Photo Metadata

File Name: _west fork trail_oak_creek_canyon_IMG_0073.CR2
Capture time: 12:24 PM
Capture date: November 9, 2015
Exposure: 1/160 @ f5.0
Focal Length: 7.24mm
ISO: 100
Canon Powershot SX50HS

*Edited: Lightroom

 
See previous STATUS QUOtes Photography Quotes HERE


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All content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross – 2018


Finding and Developing

Your Artistic Genius and Vision

Jeff


“The Earth has a soul. I record the moments when it expresses itself in ways that move me.”
— Karen Hutton —
Photograph by Jeffrey B. Ross
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For those who have followed my photography posts, I have some information you may find of interest and motivational. In any creative endeavor there are several factors involved. I would like to quickly address just two of them.

Tools of the Trade – If you are a musician, sculptor, quilter, painter, stain glass artisan, etc., you understand that there are tools you will need to be successful. Having the correct tools, however is only a start.

You could place a piano in front of me, even the best, most expensive piano available, and I would not be able to play it. I might be able to learn to play it eventually, but I couldn’t do it on my own. I don’t know the difference between the white keys and the black keys. I am aware that there are pedals on the base of the instrument, but I don’t have the faintest idea of what they do.

You could cajole me, bribe me or threaten me, but no matter what, I just couldn’t do it. That is because I haven’t learned the tools of the trade. I haven’t learned how to apply and use the means of the craft.

The first essential element for any creator, therefore, is to completely understand the tools required and how to use each one of them to their fullest. That is perhaps why Malcom Gladwell in his book Outliers, suggested that 10,000 hours of deliberate practice would be necessary to achieve expertise. There is much argument about the number of hours and how Gladwell derived this theory, but suffice it to say that much practice and study would be needed to become an acknowledged expert in one of the arts. And much of those hours would be practicing to effectively use the tools and potentially even inventing new ways of applying them.

Vision – This, in my opinion, can be the more difficult part. Many art students begin by copying the drawings and paintings of the masters and after some time, they become proficient, almost perfect copiers. This, however, does not make them an artist.

To become an artist, one must develop their own unique vision of the world. Once that vision is understood and realized, then it is time to take the tools of the trade and apply them to create their style through their art so the world can appreciate, recognize and enjoy their craft and unique signature.

If this has piqued your curiosity and you are interested in photography or any creative endeavor, then let me suggest you follow Karen Hutton’s series “The Everyday Genius of Your Artist’s Voice.” I admire Karen and I have been following her blog for a while. I find her posts very motivating and insightful. Some of the concepts will be “fuzzy” at first until you have tried to apply them to your own creative universe. After you begin to apply them and really think hard about them, the clarity should evolve.

While Karen focuses on the vision and art of photography, the same advice can be applied to most creative undertakings. Once you get to her blog, you will realize how diverse her background is and why she is able to guide people through this process.

I will make it easy to get started. All you have to do is follow these links to the first set of articles in the series. Once at her site, subscribe and you will receive the rest.


The Everyday Genius of Your Artist’s Voice: Part 1


The Everyday Genius of Your Artist’s Voice: Part 2, Preparation


The Everyday Genius of Your Artist’s Voice: Part 3, Appearance


The Everyday Genius of Your Artistic Voice: Q&A


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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross – 2017