Category Archives: General
POTD: Kristin in a Stairwell
Kristin in a Stairwell
Kristin wanted to do some photos that didn’t look “senior picturey”.
Nature Photography Workshop in Colorado, September 27-28
Nature Photography Workshop in Colorado
My nature photography workshop in Estes Park Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park is just 3 weeks away. I am so excited, I can’t wait.
POTD: Photographers at Twilight
Photography Field Trip, Twilight, Gibraltar Island
The first evening of our photography workshop for OSU on Gibraltar Island, after some intensive classroom explorations we went out to north point to shoot at sunset and on into twilight. I captured this image of several photographers silhouetted against the evening sky.
POTD: Photography Workshop
Photography Workshop, Gibraltar Island
This is one of my favorite photos from the nature photography weekend at OSU’s Stone Lab on Gibraltar Island.
“What Will I Be Given Today?”
Old Wooden Fence
You can blame this (sort of) on Dewitt Jones (I have written about Dewitt before). I pass this fence almost every day as my dog and I walk to the park, but I pay it almost no attention.
In Memory of James Foley
Journalist James Foley. Photo by Rick Wood.
Back in the 80s I was a freelance photographer and writer for the Yukon Review, a small town newspaper in Oklahoma. As a part time journalist I didn’t face anything more dangerous than the possibility of being run over by a football player while I took photographs from the sidelines. I did get to rub shoulders with and learn from some fine professionals and I feel a certain kinship to the profession. It saddens me to note the passing of each “conflict journalist”, the brave souls who put themselves in harms way to bring us stories from the war torn parts of the world.
Kristin at the Park
Kristin with a backdrop and backdrop stand.
Sometimes I haul a lot of equipment to a portrait shoot. I have worked with a lot of models and I’ve noticed that only about 1 out of 10 offers to help carry my photo gear. So an offer to help with my gear usually takes me by surprise and I take note of the thoughtfulness. This young woman is one of the 10%.
Creating “Visual Reminder Photos” on Your Camera
Digital Contact Sheet
There are a lot of reasons photographers create “visual reminder photos”. It’s not unusual for me to hand my camera to someone else to take pictures. When I do, I usually leave myself a visual reminder by taking a picture of my hand before and after the other person’s photos. Visual reminder photos can also be used to mark panos and other photos you need to find quickly and easily. One sports photographer I met used them to mark touchdowns and other critical plays. With a photo of the receiver high in the air catching the football (and no field markings due to the angle of the photo), it may not be obvious later (amidst hundreds of other photos) that this particular catch was a touchdown, or set up a game winning play. Some news photographers use visual reminders to quickly find special photos or favorites they want to locate later. During fast moving events it takes too long to write a “fav 2457” note on a 3×5 card. It is so much faster to create a visual reminder photo right after photo #2457.
World Ranger Day, July 31, 2014
World Ranger Day
Happy World Ranger Day!
Over many years and at many national parks and monuments I have had good encounters with helpful rangers and other employees of the U.S. National Park Service as well as park rangers in Canada. Today is a good day for me to say thanks to park rangers and other park service employees for the excellent work they do.
Vegetarian Spider?
Spider with pea in a kitchen sink
I found this common house spider in our kitchen sink, hanging on to this pea which was suspended from an overnight web. The spider wasn’t moving at all so I touched it gently with the tip of a pen to see if it was alive. It quickly ran up a strand of its web. I left it alone and it eventually came back to the object of it’s interest, the pea. It was time to take some pictures.
Order Early from Amazon: A Cautionary Tale
Amazon’s initial “in stock” statement.
A two day book delivery promise from Amazon can turn into 2 1/2 weeks. Or longer.
Simple Steps to Better Portraits
Portrait in the Park
This photo is pretty close to a “to do” list for portrait photography. Focus on the eyes. Shoot in soft light. Have the face at a slight angle. Use a short telephoto focal length. Have the camera lens just above eye level. Use a non-obtrusive background. Give the subject something to do. Move in close for extra impact. Portrait rules to be followed and broken. So when do you follow the rules and when do you break them?
When Two Heads are Better Than One: Compositing Wildlife Images
Red Winged Blackbird, composite image
When you just can’t get the right pose out of a wildlife subject, compositing two images together may be just the right ticket to the image you want.
Sisters: Color Correction with Adobe Camera Raw
Sisters.
The best way to insure excellent color in a portrait is to begin by setting a custom white balance on the camera, but that isn’t always practical. That’s when Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) comes to the rescue.
Famous Photos: On the Moon, July 20, 1969
NASA Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Walking on the Moon
Photo details: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot, walks on the surface of the Moon near the leg of the Lunar Module (LM) “Eagle” during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the Lunar Module (LM) “Eagle” to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the Moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) “Columbia” in lunar orbit.
Sending astronauts to the moon seemed like an amazing thing in 1969. They landed 45 years ago, July 20, 1969. Like millions of others, I was glued to the TV set.
My Photos on the Body Balance Fitness Site
My Photos on the Body Balance Website
Sarah asked me to do some photos for her fitness website which was in the planning stages at the time. We had a great time working together. I learned today that her site is now online. It still makes my day to see one of my clients use my photos on their site! This is a screen capture of my photos on two pages of her site.
POTD: “A Moment of Discovery”
A Moment of Discovery
When you are photographing very active children around 2 1/2 years of age, it is often best to just follow them around and let them do their thing, rather than try to “pose” them. I followed my grandson around my backyard for almost an hour, taking pictures and hoping to get just the right image. To get the best point of view I needed to be on my knees. Spending that much time on your knees is hard on the knees, but what else can you do? When you photograph children you need to be down on their level.
Making the World a Better Place – One Kind Deed at a Time
My thanks to the people who put this message together.
Nature Photography Workshop in Colorado
Nature Photography Workshop in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.
I am very excited to announce my first nature photography workshop in Colorado. I have been doing classes and workshops in Michigan since 1995 and more recently in Ohio and Alberta Canada, but this is a first for me in Colorado.
The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.â€
From the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776. Written by Thomas Jefferson (1762-1826). 3rd US President (1801-09).
More images (including Thomas Jefferson’s original draft and George Washington’s personal copy) and the complete text follows the break.
Happy 4th of July!
U.S. Flags, Westerville, Ohio
POTD: Model in Ivy
Model in Ivy
When a beautiful NYC model says “I am in Ohio for the week if you are available to shoot”, the correct response is  “I would love to do another shoot!”
More Photography Books to Review
Astrophotography Books by Allan Hall
Publishers and authors have been sending me complementary copies of their books. This is a new thing for me. They are hoping I will give them a favorable review on one of my websites, and they really are hoping some of their books end up on one of my “Best of the Best” lists (see the links below).
Famous Photos: 70 Years Ago Today
D-Day, June 6, 1944. Photo by Robert Capa.
This is Robert Capa’s iconic photo of D-Day, June 6, 1944. He was dropped in chest deep about 100 yards from the beach. With bullets flying all around, Capa struggled to get to shore with three cameras, took photos along the way, and helped drag a wounder soldier out of the water.
Famous Photos: Tank Man & Tiananmen Square
“Tank Man” by photojournalist Stuart Franklin.
25 years ago, pro-democracy demonstrators, mostly students, spent several weeks in Tiananmen Square in central Beijing China.
POTD: iPhone Photo of a Dandelion
Dandelion photo with an iPhone and an olloclip closeup lens.
I was out testing an olloclip iPhone accessory and using the closeup lens. I am quite pleased with the capabilities of this little accessory.
Manuscript: Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
The conclusion of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address in Lincoln’s own hand. Click to see a larger version.
This is the famous conclusion of Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address from the only known manuscript in Lincoln’s handwriting. This is a photo of the bottom of page four.
POTD: Kristina – Model, Actor, Spokesperson
Kristina Jimenez, model, actor, and spokesperson.
I have worked with this model/actress/spokesperson several times and she is a dream to work with. This photo is now on her comp card and she sent me this note:
“Thank you so much for this shot Jim! This photo is now on my comp card for acting/hosting/commercial work! For anyone needing headshots, Jim Doty Photography is a GREAT photographer to work with! Thank you again!!”
Tomorrow is the Big Day in Grand Rapids
Michigan photography workshop, May 17.
Tomorrow is the big day for my photography workshop in Grand Rapids. Can’t wait! I had a great time doing the same workshop last Saturday for OSU Mansfield. The reviews were excellent and they have already booked me back again this fall. I am sure Grand Rapids will be just as much fun and just as exciting. There is one spot available if you want to sign up.