Sunday, September 9, 2007

Creative Close Up Photography Workshop


In preparation for my "Creative Close Up" Photography Workshop this November sponsored by Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna, Virginia, I picked up a bouquet of flowers and created a little studio in my backyard to produce some new images and showcase different techniques for the class. Click here to visit my website for registration details. The front image was made with a Nikon D200 and a 105mm Macro lens with a 25mm extension tube. I waited until the sun sank very low in the sky and began to illuminate the petals of this carnation. There was a slight breeze blowing and in order to capture a sharp image, I had to take about twenty shot to get it right. I intentionally chose a wide open aperture of f4.5 for very shallow depth of field and carefully focused on an edge of the petal with dew drops creating a very soft and romantic image.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Labor Day Morning at Great Falls Park





Great Falls National Park has been an ongoing project this summer for me. I have spent every Saturday and Sunday morning,when I am not out of town or teaching workshops, in the park building a portfolio of new images. I got up early this morning to head out and do some shooting. Although the sky was crystal clear which is not the best weather for making dramatic landscape images, I was able to come away with some nice shots. I decided just after sunrise to turn my attention to capturing some intimate scenes as the sky was less than ideal for the "Grand Scenic". Here is a couple of my favorite images from this morning.



For anyone who is interested in mastering there skills in Landscape and nature photography, I will be leading workshops and tours in the Mid-Atlantic this year and into 2008. In fact, this autumn I am teaching a few workshops through Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna, Virginia. "Capturing the Grand Landscape" will take place on October the 13th and 14th and "creative Close Up Photography on November the 3rd. Click here for the complete listing of Nature photography workshops.