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Momentary Light Photography

Capturing Light in Memorable Photographs

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    The World in Caricature – A Study in Communication

    August 29, 2019

    My dear friend Bruce Smith is a wood carver/artist/instructor extraordinaire. I do not use that phrase lightly. Bruce has a PhD in Communication, which is not the least bit surprising because his carvings communicate.

    I have had the distinct pleasure of knowing Bruce and his wife Brenda for over twenty years. My wife and I have shared many relaxing meals together, and their friendship has been one of our great joys in life.

    Bruce is also a musician, wood burner, and sketch artist. His easy-going manner and excellent ability to instruct even allowed me to make some carvings which actually look remotely like what I intended, quite a feat, I assure you!

    I offered to photograph these carvings because not only are they incredibly nuanced in their detail, but they each have their own special story to tell. Beautiful and expressive, they reflect in caricature people we have known.

    The Banker above is one of my personal favorites. Notice the placement of the hands, the cigar, the curve of the mouth – all so expressive! And of course the pot belly and the balding head merely add to the story being told!

    Norman Rockwell was famous for painting life scenes in caricature, capturing moments which were both very real and yet larger-than-life. When I see Bruce’s carvings I cannot help but see these same attributes. 

    Take time to study each one and enjoy (and then visit his Facebook page to follow his work). Enjoy!

    (click here to visit the gallery)

     

     

    Black and White, Monochrome, News, Philosophy of Photography

    Monochrome (or Why I am Compelled to Shoot Black and White)

    August 12, 2019

    Monochrome becomes a way of looking at life. Allow me to explain. As a person who lives, as most of us do, in world filled with color – why would losing all that color be of interest? Granted, many of the photographs on this blog are in color, and they are photographs I treasure.  Let’s be honest, a butterfly just does not look as beautiful in black and white as it does in color!

    As beautiful as colors may be, however, they can often be busy and/or distracting. Sometimes color gets in the way of seeing — really seeing the essence of an object or person or scene.

    I started off my serious photography as a photojournalist/newspaper photographer back in the days when color in papers was still a novelty. (And yes, the Earth was cooling and dinosaurs roamed the planet!) Now newspapers themselves are becoming a novelty, but that is a subject for another day! Shooting almost totally in back and white film taught me to “see” in monochrome – it’s not hard really, it just takes a bit of time for one’s brain to convert the color image from the eyes to the mind’s monochrome-trained eye.

    As a fan of Ansel Adams and the exposure system he perfected, The Zone System, I learned to “see” elements of various scenes as they should be placed within the Zone System. This allows for maximum photographic creativity and interpretation. The same system can also be applied to color images, but my use was primarily black and white.

     

     Take the two examples from above: to me, at least, the monochrome image cuts away the distraction of the ubiquitous green, allowing one’s eye to focus on the barn in all of its dilapidated splendor [click on each image to see it larger].

    As another example, think of Hollywood glamor shots of the 40s and 50s – in their heyday black and white was used almost exclusively, and the images were magnificent! Humphrey Bogart was mysterious and dangerous as Rick, while Ingrid Bergman was absolutely stunningly beautiful in those stills from Casablanca.

     (Image in Public Domain)

    Black and White images cause our minds to fill in information, much the way radio theater used to do. They  often ask questions of us, challenge us, or tell a story in a way that grabs our attention, whereas the same photograph in color might not.

    I have uploaded my first series of monochrome images, the first of many such galleries, I suspect. One of the many wonderful things about photography is the wide-ranging way one can convey beauty, and for me, black and white photography is a joy all its own! – Cheers, Robert

    (click here to view The Monochrome Series 1 Gallery)

     

    Butterflies, Krohn Conservatory, Nature, News

    The Butterflies of Ecuador Series

    August 11, 2019

     

    One of the most popular annual displays at the Cincinnati Krohn Conservatory is their Butterfly Exhibit. Past years have included Butterfly displays from Madagascar, the Caribbean, and the Philippines,  just to name a few. Finally this year I made it in time to spend a very enjoyable evening photographing specimens from South America.

    Butterflies are rather challenging to photograph because of their flitting ways! Just as you are about to press the shutter button, flit, and they are on their way to the next flower or leaf.

    Besides being so colorful and full of varying and intriguing markings, some specimens show completely different markings on the outside of their wings as compared to the inside!

    The Blue Morpho is one such butterfly, and he likes to keep his wings together while resting, so that beautiful pale blue is hidden. Suddenly there is a flash of blue as he lifts into the air, and the chase is on! Those little fellows almost wore me out trying to get a few photographs of their wings spread open, but I prevailed and finally caught a few shots.

     

    The butterflies were not shy about landing on people either! One young lady’s hair seem to be of particular interest, and another butterfly landed on my friend’s shirt. Both butterflies were thoughtful enough to hang around and allow me to take a few photos – perhaps they were “mugging” for the camera?! In fact, the more I study the pictures, the more I think it is the same butterfly. Talk about a ham!

     

    While there is no substitute for capturing those serendipitous butterfly moments out in nature, the ability to see and enjoy such a wide variety of species under one roof is quite a treat. I highly recommend a visit to the Conservatory if you happen to be in town late spring/early summer, you will not be disappointed! – Robert

    (click here to go to the Butterflies of Ecuador Gallery)

     

     

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