Articles about photography, shooting, “photo finishing” and sharing prints and digital images, with samples and examples. I’m especially interested in harnessing technology to create, edit and publish creative endeavors. (Can I see that picture you took?)
I love taking pictures. That’s it. Everything else comes after. I enjoy that part too. If you do it right, it’s a lot of work … that you love.
— David.
Always more tips and tricks and life snapshots to come….
Some recent posts:
Happy 360 Christmas lights –Actually more lights than that, but VR-style. - What do you do for the holidays when you want to go somewhere (or even just Out) and share the joy, but you really just shouldn’t? After setting up the Christmas lights, I took my extra time and had some fun with the Samsung Gear 360 (2017) camera, and spent a little learning time* to... Continue Reading →
From Stormy To Sunny - I suppose if we had a choice between the two that’s the direction many would pick, and that’s what the sky did for me the day of this Thanksgiving timelapse. Creatively speaking it worked out quite well in this instance, but I have written a lot of songs that were inspired by going the opposite... Continue Reading →
Sometimes Creative Work Feels Like This… - You spend a bit of time out in the open air, and it belongs to you: wide open spaces of creativity and experiments. No responsibilities or destination, no demands. And then everything rolls in with little warning, and you become overwhelmed at the majesty and insistence and speed of it all. And all you can... Continue Reading →
Pointing (Cameras) At Things - That’s what photographers do, right? At a most basic level, in hopes of pointing out things. Sure, there are all the technical skills that make your image better, or coherent. Plus a basic understanding of composition, somewhat steady hand, the literal ability to focus — if you aren’t doing avant garde shapes on purpose. But... Continue Reading →
You’re Number One - Just know that sometimes, in a big or small way, you are number one. Not always all the time, but we all get to take a turn. —–David P.S. And sometimes when we feel like number two, it’s just because we are moving up in the line. P.P.S. Taken with my Note 8 using the... Continue Reading →
How’s Your Perspective? - As a photographer and father, I strive to see the world from as many angles as I can. For images, it’s to see or show something new, fresh or compelling. As a parent, it may be to keep my kid safe or find our way to a new adventure. In all cases, even bringing video... Continue Reading →
Fly Boy Picture - Another portrait. Word is getting around! Again taken with my Samsung Note 8, this time edited a little with Snapseed. He was on the window for a good half an hour so we thought perhaps he was dead, but as soon as I came in for an extreme close-up he took off. And yes,... Continue Reading →
Can Do Candid Mantis - I’m available for portraits and headshots. Just had a short session with this guy in the front yard with my Note 8. My best Tip for shooting suddenly moving targets is to grab a shot as soon as you can frame it, even if it’s not the best angle or composition. Because of the subject... Continue Reading →
My New Phone Is Not Magical - Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fabulous phone. I had to replace my much-loved Galaxy Note 4 because it was shutting off unexpectedly, even when the battery still had a charge, even when it was plugged in overnight. A factory reset was no help. So for reasons, I got a Samsung Galaxy Note 8. And... Continue Reading →
Hello, Snacking Shelled Fellow - I was having dinner with friends and they have turtles in the backyard. No, they have tortoises, because turtles tend to water and tortoises are land dwellers. Apparently they like snacking on hibiscus flowers, so my daughter laid a path to draw them out of their nest area. Being the photographer always looking for angles,... Continue Reading →
Love Makes The World Go Round - AKA Round things I saw while walking around. It’s the wife’s birthday, which circles back every year. This week we were making loops around the Phoenix Art Museum and a mall at the Biltmore. And it occurs to me how much human beings like round things like Mickey Mouse’s ears and scoops of ice cream... Continue Reading →
Everyone Needs A Repurpose In Life - Playing with a new video tool called Lumen5 today, that I think may just be out of beta. They use AI to help you quickly create social videos out of existing articles, or from scratch if you so desire. At least that’s the promise. Premise? In real life, of course, a proper polished product takes... Continue Reading →
Wait, Video With Words On It? Cameraphone Tips Revisited - Here is a video version of an early post on cameraphone tips and editing, updated with a fresh look and more pictures than ever! Welcome to the video era, again! (Been happening since movies were invented, then TV, then TV again, then 3D and VCRs and DVDs and HD and Streaming and — it’s not... Continue Reading →
Bark! Insert Dog Pun (And Video) Here - Amy the Dog in “Dog Years,” a movie made with Google Assistant. A few years ago I wrote * about how cool this app was and how easy it made it to share pictures and video snippets in video form. It’s better and worse, but still neat and still only on Android and iOS. Click... Continue Reading →
Luminarias Schuminarias? OR Christmas in April? Fools! - FLASHBACK: PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED PICTURES! We make an annual visit to the Luminarias at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden during the holidays, and I have too many photos, and while organizing things, came across a duplicate draft of this old post still hanging out. The ORIGINAL POST about my Trial Trail Mixing It Up is HERE.... Continue Reading →
It’s Creepy Coffee Time! - I don’t drink coffee, but the women in my family do. This is what it feels like as an outsider. I made this on my phone a while ago, possibly using the built-in Android camera, but I don’t recall, and I just wasted a lot of time trying to figure out how to make the... Continue Reading → Creativity Rains Down - Or to quote the movie “Arthur”, “Sometimes I just think funny things.” Got this one on camera and memed it for you. Really that joy of discovery is the thing that gets you through the day, even if you only do it for an audience of yourself. —–David P.S. She claims she thought it was... Continue Reading →
Fake It Until You Make It Is Terrible Advice For Artists - What does it even mean? Try hard until you succeed? No, that would be fine. Is it some perverse sexual wordplay? Well, art is art, but no. So, pretend that you can do something until you do? That’s great if you’re in an 80’s movie*, but really, if you are trying to make something…. Wait... Continue Reading →
March To The Beat Of Your Own Steel Drum - Taken during the downtown Phoenix Festival For The Arts. The featured image is a portrait rather than a wide angle, and gives a great example how framing can create a different mood and feeling with the same subjects. Here he seems empty and alone, maybe even ignored. In the portrait there is height, perhaps something... Continue Reading →
Ennui Or Entropy - Sometimes you’re just not excited to do a post, or you pretend to yourself that you don’t have the energy, when really you have energy but you want to do something else with it; for example, sit on the couch and watch television and read your iPad. And sometimes your phone battery is just dead... Continue Reading →