Kristina in the Snow
The white snow in a winter scene can and often does fool a camera meter into underexposing a portrait, so here are the steps to take to get the right exposure. I throw in a few portrait suggestions too.
Selina, Downtown Columbus Ohio. Windchill 4°.
You would think a windchill of 4° Fahrenheit (-16°C) would be too cold for a photo shoot, but not with some models. We booked this January shoot weeks in advance so we knew it would be cold, but we had no idea how cold until the day arrived. Here’s the story behind this image and how to work with a model when it is so cold.
Kristina at Christmas
On Christmas eve I found myself doing Christmas portraits for Kristina’s portfolio. She is a friend of mine who is a model and actress in L.A.. There isn’t a lot of space in my studio when the Christmas tree is up so I had to improvise a bit with the lighting and I needed to get the right mix of flash and ambient light for the look I wanted.
Christmas Lights, Easton Shopping Center, Columbus, OH
‘Tis the season and there are a lot of Christmas lights out there to photograph. It is fun and easy, and with a few tricks up your sleeve there are creative things you can do. Many of these techniques can be used on other lights throughout the year, so this is a good time to practice your skills for photographing lights.
Kroger Panorama. Graceland Shopping Center, Columbus Ohio. November 12, 2013. Click for a larger version.
I’ve done a lot of commercial panoramas for clients as diverse as KOA Campgrounds and Crown Plaza Hotels. When I am on a commercial assignment I follow all the right steps and use all the right equipment. For the Kroger pano above I did everything right.
But there are times when you are doing your own thing and decide at the last minute you want to try a pano. You might get lucky trying to do a handheld panorama. I will tell you how to increase your odds of getting a good handheld pano.
Sunny on the Sofa, Columbus Ohio. December 17, 2015.
Our dog Sunny didn’t sit, lay, or sleep on the back of the sofa until our “granddog” Jack came to visit. Jack loves the back of the sofa so Sunny picked up his back of the sofa habit from Jack. This is my favorite photo for today’s date.
Stephanie, Columbus Ohio. December 16, 2016.
To my eyes, a mother looking forward to the birth of her child is one of the most beautiful sights on the planet. That is why I love baby bump photography.
Autumn Leaves, Columbus Ohio. December 15, 2015.
I was surprised these colorful autumn leaves were still hanging around this late in the year, so I got out my iPhone and took a picture. This is my favorite photo for December 15.
Perseid Meteor photographed from Rose Hill Cemetery west of Lamoni, Iowa. 4:55 am CDT, August 13, 2018. Cropped from the original image.
Tonight (Dec 13-14) is the night of the Geminid Meteor Shower. This article will tell you what you need to know to photograph what should be the best meteor shower of 2018.
Sarah, Downtown Columbus Ohio. December 13, 2006.
In my “favorite photos” folder, all of my favorite photos for December 13 are from photo shoots with Sarah and Lela Rae, two of my favorite models to work with.
The River Walk, San Antonio Texas. December 12, 1992.
The River Walk in San Antonio is a great place to be most any time of year, and certainly at Christmas. You can tell this is a long exposure from the blurred boat. This is my favorite photo for December 12.
Children with Santa, Worthington Ohio. December 11, 2006.
We were at a mall in Worthington Ohio, and children were visiting with Santa. Such a great looking Santa and happy children. This is a quintessential Christmas moment. I asked the mother of these two children for permission to post this photo on my web sites.
Tracks in the Snow, Columbus Ohio. December 10, 2017.
I went out one morning after a light dusting of snow and found these tracks. This is my favorite photo for December 10.
Graceland choir members fill the stage at the Shaw Family Auditorium.
Combine an excellent selection of musical numbers with beautiful performances and you have the recipe for a musical Christmas feast. The Graceland University choirs and orchestra, under the skilled direction of Sara Blessing and Jack Ergo, did themselves proud Friday night at the Shaw Family Auditorium in Lamoni, Iowa. The evening was filled with beautiful musical renditions.
Cougar, Wildlife Prairie Park, Illinois, December 9, 1995.
My favorite photo for today’s date happens to be one of my all time favorite images. The intensity in the face makes this photo. It was a bitter cold morning with a windchill of -40 degrees. I was in my heaviest winter clothes and I still got chilly in the brisk wind..
The Graceland University orchestra and choir, Lamoni Iowa. December 7, 2018.
It was my happy privilege to photograph “Christmas at the Shaw” at Graceland University. This photo of part of the orchestra and choir, along with the director is my favorite photo for December 7.
Anoush Anou, Columbus Ohio. December 6, 2016.
This is my favorite photo for December 6. I was working with Anoush Anou, a professional model from New Zealand who has relocated to Ohio.
Graham Parsons and the Go Rounds. The Strutt. Kalamazoo Michigan. Dec 4, 2009.
I was in Kalamazoo for a fashion show followed by a series of local bands in concert. This photo of Graham Parson and the Go Rounds ended up being my favorite photo of the evening, and one of only two favorite photos for this date in my “favorite photos” folder.
Terran, Iowa. December 1, 2018.
Our grandson Terran at three weeks old. My favorite photo for December 1.
Favorite Photos, November. Click for a larger version.
Here are my favorite photos for the month of October. The story behind this “favorite photos by date” project is here.
Cadence, Columbus, Ohio. November 30, 2007.
This photo has special memories for me, which is why it is my favorite photo for today’s date. It is one of my all time favorite portraits.
I have a collage of nature and landscape images headlining the home page at JimDoty.com. It gives the impression I am primarily a nature photographer. I decided I also needed a portrait collage that would say “Yes! I do portraits!” This is what I came up with. Each one of these images has a story.
Bryce Canyon
Winter provides some wonderful photo opportunities in our national parks. So if you haven’t gone into hibernation for the winter, here are the best national parks to go photograph this winter, grouped by state from the west to the east. There are a few bonus locations thrown in too. At the end I give you my “best of the best” list.
Family portrait, Ohio. November 28, 2014.
Yep, my favorite photo for today’s date is another family portrait, taken four years ago. It is the time of year families get together and do pictures.
Bryce Canyon After An Overnight Snowstorm
Cold and snow can cause a lot of damage to your camera gear. Something as simple as taking pictures outside and then bringing your camera inside your house or car can cause hidden damage that won’t show up until days or weeks later. The simple steps in this article could save you hundreds of dollars in repair bills.
Sarah Ellis, Window Blind Shadows, Columbus, Ohio. November 27, 2007
This is my favorite photo for November 27. Sara Ellis and I were working together to create images for our portfolios. This is not only one of my favorite images from our photo session, it is one of my all time favorite portraits. The light and shadows were created by sunlight shining through a window blind.
Orion’s Belt and Sword Scabbard and the Orion Nebula
There is a whole world of things to photograph after the sun goes down. Cityscapes at twilight and after dark. Landscapes in the late evening light. Thunderstorms. Fireworks. And then of course, there is astrophotography. The simple stuff is simple to do (once you have learned how to do them) and all you need are a camera, lens, and tripod. For some astrophotography you will need specialized but not very expensive equipment like the $300 sky tracker used for the photo above. The challenging stuff is hard, complicated, and expensive to do if you want the kind of eye popping photos that you see in Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines (you should subscribe to one or the other or both if this is your thing). No matter what you want to do, the books below will get you started. And if you just like to look at the night sky, I recommend some books for that too.
Terran, Iowa. November 26, 2016.
My grandson Terran was sitting at the dining room table. Nice and warm late afternoon sunlight was streaming in a window and every once in a while his face was in the light. I liked the light and grabbed a camera. Every time the light looked nice on his face I clicked the shutter. At one point he turned his face toward the light to say something to someone. Click. This is my favorite photo for November 26.
Granite Ledges and Otter Cliff, Acadia National Park, Maine
Your camera falls down a mountainside and off a cliff. An unexpected wave drenches your valuable photo gear in salt water. Your photo backpack is stolen from your home, motel room, or trunk of your car. To add insult to injury, you learn your homeowner’s insurance will not replace the value of your damaged or stolen gear.
Ashly Elliott (left) and Daryn Nowlin (right) sing “Here Right Now” from “Ghost the Musical”.
This guest article also appeared in the November 21, 2018 edition of the Lamoni Chronicle.