Damascus Color

Damascus, VA  -  2014

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Bigger Is Not Always Better

Thompson's Store, Saluda, NC  -  2014

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Thompson's is the oldest continuously operating grocery store in the state of North Carolina. In business since 1890, the store has operated at its current location since 1940. Take that, Food Lion!

Last Month

Lakeshore Tree, Buncombe County, NC  -  2014

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One from last month before the colors left us.

Sharp Is Good; Soft Is Sometimes Better

Winter Dock, Asheville, NC  -  2014

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Lens makers always tout the purity of their glass, the precision of their grinding, and the resultant sharpness of their lenses. The clarity and sharpness of modern lenses is amazing, but is sharp always better?

Sharpness is good. If it's not there to begin with, there is really nothing you can do to put sharpness back in to an image after exposure. The various sharpening tools and filters contained in image editing software merely modify the pixels already present. These tools can give the appearance of sharpness, but if it ain't there, it ain't there.

I'm glad for the quality built in to the Zuiko lenses on my Olympus cameras. However, I find myself often softening images in post production, especially in portraits. The "show every pore and wrinkle" clarity my lenses are capable of does not usually flatter adult subjects, especially women. Even with younger adults and teens, a lens that reveals every skin blemish is not the positive that the camera ads make it out to be. Softening, or outright obliteration in post production is often called for.

Landscapes and other nature shots are where I most appreciate the fruit of the lens makers craft, but even there I'm sometimes tempted to soften the image a bit. I like the look of many of the pictorialist photographers of the early 20th century. Sometimes I try to replicate that softer look as in the photo above. The sharpness of today's lenses actually makes it even harder to duplicate the look of soft focus lenses of a hundred years ago. Softening a sharp photo is not as easy as just clicking on a softening or blur filter. Still, getting the softer look right is easier than trying to make a soft photo sharp. My hat's off to you Mr. Zuiko!

Early Bird Photography

Morning Cattails, Buncombe County, NC  -  2014

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Getting up, and getting out early offers many advantages for the photographer. The most interesting light occurs both very early and very late in the day, but you're less likely to run into other people in the early morning hours. I'm not anti-social. I just prefer not to have people in my nature shots, or have to compete with others for that perfect spot to set my tripod. Early on a Saturday morning when most people are sleeping in is a great time to get out alone with your camera.

Sometimes it's just too easy.

I got the opportunity to do portraits for some newlyweds Sunday afternoon, Yam and Brent Burke. I am used to having to work, sometimes very hard, to get the best from people for their portraits. Sometimes with young children it can be a real battle; some adults aren't much easier. Then sometimes you get a couple in their early twenties, still enjoying the bliss of a recent marriage, and man, you're photographing on Easy Street!

Mr. and Mrs. Burke (I'm sure they're not quite used to that designation yet) arrived on time to our outdoor location, full of enthusiasm and ideas. I love it when my subjects have some ideas and poses they want to try. Yam even had some example photos on her phone to show me. This couple was very willing to experiment with my ideas and theirs, and we had a good time trying several "action" type shots. Not all of them worked exactly as we envisioned, but all three of us had fun experimenting. The only trouble I had from these two is when they both started laughing during a kissing shot. Sometimes it's necessary for a photographer to be tough and demanding, so I made them do it over and over until they got it right!

Brent and Yam, Canton, NC  -  2014

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I chose one of the more traditional poses we did to show here. Altogether, we got about 15 keepers, including some they want to use for their first Christmas card. Sometimes portrait photography can be a lot of work. Sunday, it was just a lot of fun.

Fall Is Fading Fast

Inglorious Ending, Asheville, NC  -  2014

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