Famous Photos: 70 Years Ago Today

D-Day, June 6, 1944. Photo by Robert Capa.

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.

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POTD: Kristina – Model, Actor, Spokesperson

Kristina Jimenez, model, actor, and 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!!”

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Tomorrow is the Big Day in Grand Rapids

 

Michigan photography workshop, May 17.

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.

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Portrait in the Park #1

Erin

Portrait in the Park

Update July 24: I decided to take a second look at this portrait and I turned it into an article on Simple Steps to Better Portraits.

It all started Saturday when this young lady said to her mother “We have great portrait light today. Is Jim available?”  It is interesting to note that she knew from past photo shoots that cloudy bright days made for beautiful portrait light.

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“Do You Have a Horizontal Version?”

Early Morning Snow at Bryce Canyon

Early Morning Snow at Bryce Canyon

I was reminded once again this week that having both horizontal and vertical versions of the same scene can be the difference between dollars in your pocket and nothing at all. Magazine editors usually prefer vertical photos for the cover. Calendar editors usually want horizontal photos (depending on the format of the calendar).

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Photography in Big Bend

Sunset, The Window, Big Bend National Park

Sunset, The Window, Big Bend National Park

Late April through early May is a great time of year to be in Big Bend National Park. Flowers are in bloom (assuming some rain), temperatures are warm but not yet insufferable, and best of all, the sun sets in “The Window”.

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The “Heartbleed” Bug

The Heartbleed Bug has created vulnerabilities in about 66% of all internet online servers, including major sites like Yahoo. On a scale of 1 to 10, this is an 11 according to security experts. The odds are good that one of the sites you have logged in to has been affected, exposing your personal information (name, user name, password, credit card information etc.).

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A Photography How To: “Jewel Box Lighting” at the Franklin Park Conservatory

Bruce Munro: Light. Franklin Park Conservatory

Bruce Munro: Light. Franklin Park Conservatory

Jewel Box Lighting is the art of combining lights, lighted buildings, or lighted objects with a deep blue evening sky. It is a great way to do photography and the exhibit this week at the Franklin Park Observatory is a wonderful opportunity to practice this technique and come away with some unique and memorable images.

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Photographing California Poppies in April

California Poppies

California Poppies. Fremont, California.

There are a lot of places to photograph flowers in April, but one of the two best destinations for nature photographers is California for the poppies. (The other destination is the Texas Hill Country.)  April is prime time although you can find poppies as early as late March in some areas. As an added bonus, there are a host of wildflowers blooming all across the Southwest from California to Texas.

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First Day of Spring!

Wyoming Ground Squirrel. Moraine Park, Rocky Mountain National Park.

Wyoming Ground Squirrel. Moraine Park, Rocky Mountain National Park.

The calendar says today is the first day of spring, but is it really? Depends on where you live. It still looks like a lot like winter in far northern climes and up at high elevations. No matter where you are, Happy First Day of Spring!

This Made My Day!

FB Post

FB Post

This totally unexpected comment showed up on my Facebook photography timeline this evening. Kristina is an agency represented professional model/actor and we have worked together on several photo shoots, the most recent being Christmas Eve. So this comment totally made my day. In fact it made my week!

“Where Were You When You Took Those Photos?”

Mount Rundle, Two Jack Lake

Mount Rundle, Two Jack Lake

Today I was asked by a client where I was when I took some photos in Banff National Park. I was able to provide him with the exact locations, complete with marked satellite images. It is a good idea to known where you were when you created your most important images, and the more specific the information the better. It is good info to have for your own use and sometimes it can make the difference between whether or not one of your images is published.

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