Soccer. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
Two of the keys to a good sport photography are action and intensity. This photo has both. I take a lot of sports photos to come up with a few images like this one. I used a Canon 20D and a Canon EF 100-300 DO USM lens.
THE 4TH OF JULY
Fireworks over Yukon Oklahoma on old U.S. 66. Photo © Jim Doty, Jr.
“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.”
From the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776. Written by Thomas Jefferson (1762-1826). 3rd US President (1801-09).
To see an engraving of the original and George Washington’s personal printed copy, go here.
to read the entire declaration, click the page 2 link at the right
VENUS AND SATURN AT TWILIGHT
Venus and Saturn at Twilight. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
As I drove back to Seattle from Mt. Rainier National Park, I was watching Venus, the brightest object (except for the the moon) in the western sky this month. Saturn is the dim planet at the upper left. I wanted something to put in the foreground and decided I needed a row of evergreens. I couldn’t take too long since the sky was getting darker and I would begin to hit towns and city lights. This was the best bunch I could find that wasn’t completely obscured by clouds.
Venus and Saturn are moving towards each other and will be less than 1 degree apart on the evening of June 30.
Data: Canon 5D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L lens at 105mm. ISO: 100. Aperture: f/5.6. Shutter: 4 seconds.
STORM CLOUDS OVER MT. RAINIER
Storm clouds over Mt. Rainier. Photo © Jim Doty Jr
This photo was taken at 9:05 pm local time, 19 minutes after the sunlit photo two posts down.
After the last sunlight faded from Mt. Rainier, the mountain no longer looked interesting in the flat light. So I took photos of the light on the clouds in the sky (one post down). Later on I looked back at Mt. Rainier and I liked the dark, layered look of the storm clouds that were moving down over the mountain.
Data: Canon 5D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L lens at 84mm. ISO: 100. Aperture: f/8. Shutter: 1/8 second.
LIGHT IN THE SKY, MT. RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
Light in the Sky, Mt. Rainier National Park. Photo © Jim Doty, Jr.
The dramatic light on Mt. Rainier was gone, but there were still some nice things going on in the sky before the color faded completely. I used a 15mm, semi-fisheye lens (with a 180 degree diagonal angle of view) to capture as much of the sky as possible. This created the exaggerated curvature of the tree line.
Data: Canon 5D. Canon EF 15mm lens. ISO: 100. Aperture: f/8. Shutter: 1/60 second.
THE LAST KISS OF SUNLIGHT ON MT. RAINIER
The Last Kiss of Sunlight on Mt. Rainier. Photo © Jim Doty, Jr.
It rained most of the way from Seattle to Mt. Rainier National Park and chances of seeing Mt. Rainier looked slim indeed (see the Daisies photo below). But I am determined and it was my last evening in Washington before flying home.
At the bridge over Kautz Creek (southern edge of the park), I looked to my left through the clearing in the trees, and my jaw dropped open. The clouds had parted just enough to let a little bit of sunlight kiss the upper ridges of Mt. Rainier.
I quickly pulled into the parking lot just east of the bridge, grabbed my gear, and rushed back to the bridge. I took a few handheld “insurance” shots just in case the light disappeared before I could set up properly. (That has happened to me before.) Then I set up my tripod, put a double bubble level on the camera, and changed the camera settings so I could to do things “just right” for optimum image quality and a big print. This is my favorite landscape photo of the trip.
It wasn’t long before the sun dropped, the dramatic golden light faded and turned flat and uninteresting, and the clouds began to descend over Mt. Rainier.
Data: Canon 5D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L lens at 105mm. ISO: 100. Aperture: f/8. Shutter: 1/30 second.
DAISIES ON A RAINY DAY
Daisies near Mt. Rainier National Park. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
My plan was to shoot this field of daisies with Mt. Rainier in the background but the weather was not cooperating. Mt. Rainier is sitting above the tree line but it is obscured by clouds. When mother nature doesn’t provide what I planned on shooting, I try and work with what mother nature provides.
Colors can be quite nice and saturated on a rainy day. I set up in the meadow and waited. The clouds thinned enough to allow some diffused sunlight to brighten the daisies. I had a few minutes to shoot and the nice light was gone.
Data: Canon 5D, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L lens at 24mm. ISO: 100. Aperture: f/16. Shutter: 1/13 second.
BEST GUIDE TO ADOBE CAMERA RAW (ACR) SOFTWARE
Bruce Fraser’s guide to Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) software is one of the most highly recommended, and deservedly so. It is an excellent book. If you work with RAW files out of your camera and have ACR software, I highly recommend this book. This link will take you to the version for Photoshop CS3 (links for earlier versions are on the next page).
PHOTO OF THE DAY: YELLOW LADY’S SLIPPER
Yellow Lady’s Slipper Orchid. Michigan’s U.P. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
Several years ago, another photographer told me there are a lot of Yellow Lady’s Slippers in early June along U.S. 2 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This year is the first time I’ve had a chance to be up there in early June and photograph them. Just drive drive west from the Mackinac Bridge on highway 2 and watch along the side of the road. It was raining steadily when I took this photo. I had a large umbrella to protect my camera gear and keep the rain from moving the orchid. I got wet.
LAKE MICHIGAN SUNSET
Lake Michigan Sunset. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
It rained all the way along the drive from Detroit to Mackinaw City in northern Michigan. Chances for a nice sunset looked slim.
It was overcast in Mackinaw City just before sunset, but the sky began to lighten in the west. The clouds thinned a bit and the sun peaked through momentarily and disappeared. Things began to happen and a drab sky turned into a nice sunset. A good thing. I rained all the next day.
“It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” Don’t give up on a sunset, even if chances look slim.
Q&A: CANON 5D “PICTURE STYLES”
DESTRUCTIVE AND NON-DESTRUCTIVE CAMERA SETTINGS
Many digital cameras provide you with a lot of set-up options before you ever click the shutter. Some of these options are destructive to the image data, limit what you can do with the file later on, and limit the quality of the final image. A visitor to one of my websites sent an e-mail (below) about the problems he has run into with some camera settings. My answer follows the question.
MEMORIAL DAY, IN REMEMBRANCE . . .
Cemetery, The Presidio, San Francisco, California. Photo © Jim Doty, Jr.
Memorial Day began unofficially in a variety of places as people felt the need to recognize those who gave their lives in the Civil War. Memorial Day was officially declared on May 5, 1868, when General John Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic ordered a day of observance when all Union and Confederate Graves at Arlington National Cemetery would be decorated with flowers on May 30, 1868. One state after another adopted May 30 as a Memorial Day observance until all of the Northern states had adopted May 30 by 1890. Many Southern states had picked different days to honor the Confederate dead.
“TRAVELS TO THE EDGE” WITH ART WOLFE – DON’T MISS IT!
Torres del Paine, Chile. Photo © Art Wolfe
Art Wolfe is a world class landscape, nature, wildlife, and cultural photographer. I have admired his work for years. Through his books he has become one of my most important photographic mentors. When I lived in Michigan and taught photography at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, one class session each term was devoted to watching and discussing his instructional video that was filmed in Alaska. If I could go on one-on-one photo expeditions with any five photographers of my choice, Art Wolfe would be one of them.
CANON EF vs EF-S LENS CONFUSION
A recent discussion at a popular web site reveals the continuing confusion over the differences between Canon EF and EF-S lenses. Bad advice from camera stores does not help.
IMAGE QUALITY TEST: CANON 20D/30D vs CANON 5D
Does the Canon 5D provide an increase in image quality over the Canon 20D/30D? The debate goes on in forum after forum. When I am asked that question, my usual answer is: “The Canon 5D provides a bigger image, not necessarily a better image.” The text and images that follow will illustrate what I mean.
Q&A: LENS CONVERTERS FOR DIGITAL POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERAS
The two questions that follow are about wide angle and telephoto converters for the Canon G6, but the answers apply to many of the digital point-and-shoot camera that uses adapters to add focal length converters.
AT LAST! GREAT PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING BOOK IS NEWLY REVISED
LIGHT: SCIENCE AND MAGIC is one of the very best books (some would say it is THE best book) on photographic lighting. If you intend to be seriously involved in studio photography, this book should be on your required reading list.
WORST DIGITAL COMPOSITES
In a rare awards sweep this week, I am presenting Rolling Stone with the top prize for the seven worst digital composites in an online magazine special.
MONITOR CALIBRATION SOFTWARE
“Why don’t my prints look like the photos on my monitor?”
Unlike film, digital photos have no color. They exist only as a series of numbers on hard drives, CDs, DVDs, and other storage media. A variety of devices such as monitors and printers convert those numbers into colors for display on a screen or dyes and pigments on a print. The problem is that five different devices can convert the same numbers into five different colors.
REVIEW: CANON EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM LENS
The new Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4L IS lens
The new Canon EF 70-200 mm f/4L IS USM lens is now available. This is a great lens!
COMPUTER NIGHTMARE: Not-A-Virus.Exploit.ByteVerify
PHOTO OF THE DAY: ORGAN AND ORGANIST
Organ and Organist. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
DUNN’S RIVER FALLS, JAMAICA
Climbing Dunn’s River Falls, Jamaica. Photo © Jim Doty, Jr.
Dunn’s River Falls cascades 600 feet down to the Caribbean. Dunn’s River was featured in the first James Bond movie, Dr. No, and has been used in other films. One of the top tourist attradctions in Jamaica is to climb the falls (or at least the stairs that parallel the falls).
to continue, click more
PHOTO OF THE DAY: PYRAMID PROPOSAL
Keith and Nicholle’s Pyramid Proposal. Photo © Jim Doty, Jr.
Busloads of tourists were visiting the Mayan ruins at Altun Ha in the country of Belize, Central America. After the standard tour, a bunch of tourists headed back to the air-conditioned buses, the souvenir shops, or somewhere in the shade, while a number of us climbed to the top of the Temple Pyramid on the south plaza.
Everyone was enjoying the view when one man dropped to his knees and proposed. The very surprised woman said yes and he gave her a ring. Everyone cheered. Congratulations to Keith and Nicholle!
As they like to say in Belize, “It was UnBelizeable!”
PHOTO OF THE DAY: SUNSET AT SEA
PHOTO OF THE DAY: SUN DECKS
Ahhh! CHRISTMAS!
Santa and children. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
Ahhh! Christmas!
I was strolling through a local mall when I found – to my great surprise – Santa! (I could tell who he was by the name on his belt.) He was visiting with two adorable children. They chatted and I took pictures. (The mother gave me permission to use this photo on my web site.)
to continue, use the page links to the right
CHRISTMAS GIFT RECOMMENDATIONS
It is the time of year that I get asked a lot of questions from people who are buying gifts for the photographers, or from photographers wanting to drop hints. (In this post, “photographer” means anyone who likes to take pictures.) “What is the best book for . . . ?” “What are the best point and shoot cameras?” “Is there any really good image editing software for less than $100?” Many of those questions are answered in the posts that follow. Happy Gift Giving.
BEST BOOK: PHOTOSHOP RETOUCHING
Very short list:
Katrin Eismann and Wayne Palmer’s Adobe Photoshop Restoration & Retouching (3rd Edition) (Voices That Matter)
If you know your way around Photoshop and are looking for an excellent book on retouching with Photoshop, this is it.
to continue, use the page links to the right
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Short List:
Christopher Grey, Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers
Jeff Smith, Posing for Portrait Photography: A Head-to-Toe Guide
J. D. Wacker, Master Posing Guide for Portrait Photographers
to continue, use the page links to the right