Grand Canyon at Dawn, Arizona. December 2, 1985.
Landscapes photos are rare for me in December since we aren’t usually traveling unless we are going to see family for the holidays. But in 1985 we were driving across country on I-40 to spend Christmas with family in California. The Grand Canyon isn’t far from I-40.
Family portrait, Lamoni, Iowa. December 21, 2016.
I have two favorite photos for this date. The first is a family photo from two years ago.
Jennifer at the Piano, Worthington Ohio. December 20, 2009.
This photograph was spur of the moment. Jennifer played the piano at church for a Sunday morning service and I decided after church that I wanted a photo of her playing the piano.
Dina, Columbus Ohio. December 19, 2007.
It is December and most of my favorite photos are of family, friends, and models. My favorite photo for December 19 is this image of Dina, a model in Ohio. I used one studio light to camera left, bounced out of an umbrella, to create the semi-high contrast light. The camera was right on the floor to catch some of the reflection in the hardwood floor.
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.
Sunny, Columbus Ohio. December 18, 2017.
There are only two photos in my favorite photos folder for December 18, and both come from walks with our dog Sunny. The first photo is at the end of our walk a year ago today and he is looking up at me with an “I want something look”. Probably he wants a treat. This is my favorite photo for this date.
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.
Holly, Easton, Columbus Ohio. December 14, 2006.
A long time friend was visiting us and we were out enjoying the Christmas lights. I decided it would be nice to take a picture of her surrounded by all of the lights.
Chinese Lens Ad on Facebook
Don’t waste your money!
The short story: You can buy this same exact lens on Amazon for $10 – $15, or on eBay for $3 – $4. Don’t pay the $37.99 price in the ad. The lens quality is lousy. Lots of people have been ripped off by some of the companies selling these overpriced lenses.
Sandy Hook Elementary, Newtown Connecticut, December 14, 2012.
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..
My online photographer’s buying guide is one of the most comprehensive on the internet with 75 articles covering almost every aspect of photography.
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.
Burning Bush, Ohio. December 3, 2018.
It was December 3 and this burning bush by our front porch was the last bit of fall color in our front yard. Fall is my favorite season of the year and I hate to see it go, so I captured this image with my iPhone.
Terran, Iowa. December 1, 2018.
Our grandson Terran at three weeks old. My favorite photo for December 1.
Sunny’s Territories, 2008-2018.
When our rescue dog Sunny came from Iowa to Columbus, Ohio to live with us, he stayed pretty close to home.