2010 a Year in Review

Wow... I am so glad 2011 is upon us and 2010 is in the past; like many of you out there. I think the photo above somewhat represents the year.  It had many challenges, but some of those challenges brought growth and forced me to make some changes.  Looking back the good times, and photos I am proud of, came from some obstacles that I had to overcome.  Some I myself put in front of me as a means of change and to break out of the box a little.  So lets get to it!

I have seen myself grow in so many ways, through my photography, as a conductor and as a person.  I feel like I am starting to find my way in this crazy world, or at least am happy with where I am at and what I am doing.   I am very introverted and don't like conflict so I tend to stay away from possible confrontations, and sometimes interactions all together.  That has started to change this past year and this blog, for instance, has been a great place for me to share and to put myself out there.  I have also been more active on twitter and facebook, and commenting on other's blog posts;  which scored me a camera bag from a blog post on Tiffinbox.org. (A great resource by the way).  These interactions have lead me to be more confident in what I do and have led to some future work.  I have also since met other photographers and had some great conversations; one was really impressed with my work! Ahhh!  To get a compliment from another photographer who has been in the business a long time is a big thing, well at least for me!  I hope my face wasn't too red and the smile to big when he saw a print of mine.  I guess taking a compliment is something I will have to work on in 2011.

Photographically, I feel I have taken some huge gains in my craft and the results prove that.  It has been growing all a long but I have really noticed it's growth this past year and I will share some images in a bit but would like to thank only some of those for their inspirational blogs and content that has given me the spark to go for it.  These are just a few of the many that I look at everyday.

Don Giannatti with Lighting-Essentials
Zack Arias
Chase Jarvis
Skip Cohen with Marketing Essentials
Trudy
David duChemin
Seshu with Tiffinbox.org
David E Jackson
Jack Hollingsworth
Scott Bourne at Photofocus
Everyone at The Photography Corner






Now lets get to the photos! Starting with somewhat of a chronological look at the portraits I have taken this year.

    

Here are some favorite Fine Art shots I got this year.

Thanks 2010 for a great growing experience, now on to bigger things for 2011!

Packing Light

I want to make a point to say that I am not a gear head but having the right gear is important.  I don't have a ton of gear but I make use of what I do have.

I recently did a review of the LowePro Fastpack 100 on a forum I am apart of; Photographycorner.com, and found that I love this bag mainly because it is small and fits my current gear selection.  It kind of forces me to pack light.  I think learning to pack for a photo shoot is essential and is part of your style.  I see it as: bring what is needed to make a comfortable place for the client.  Too much gear may scare the subject, if they are not in front of the camera that often; making it about the photographer and his/gear. I like to know my clients needs and then adapt what I have for gear to those needs.  Also doing research on locations and coming up with a shot list helps me figure out what exactly I need to bring I'm not bashing those photographers who bring everything, I just think packing lighter can have its advantages, especially for on-location portrait photographers working on their own.  I don't want to be fumbling with bags stands and too much equipment.

To add to this I am going to do a quick review of the Digital Holster 50 (not the V2.0), from ThinkTank Photo and how I am working it into my "packing light" scheme.  First I would like to thank Seshu (@picseshu) and David Jackson (@davidejackson) for choosing my comment on David's "Open Letter to a Local Photographer" post on Tiffinbox.org, and for providing this bag to me.  I really enjoyed that post by David and didn't even know there was a prize involved, but thanks anyway.

At first I thought this bag was going to be way to big for my current needs.  I only have a Nikon D50 and my largest lens is a Sigma 70-300.  I have tested the fit with that lens on and with the lens hood attached.  It  does have snug fit but what can I use this bag for; it appears it is a single purpose bag?  Like I said above, I like to know what I am bringing and plan ahead so I don't have multiple bags.  This seems to only fit a camera with large lens one it; although I could probably put a smaller lens under the lens hood with the given padded separator.  I have not had a chance to actually use it in the field but I think I will find a use for it.  Maybe when on a hike and want to keep a long lens on and be able to access the camera easily with a small pack on.  The construction seems very sturdy and durable, and I have heard great things about ThinkTank Products so this a my first experience with one.  The strap is very comfortable and I like the non-slip feature, it actually works.  The built in rain cover is a great asset and I may use that for other bags that I have.  This would not be a typical bag I would shoot out of for a portrait session, unless I had another body with a long lens.

I will probably use both bags for what what they were intended for but I would like a more practical bag for everyday shooting, one that can carry multiple lenses and strobes.  The Holster is a great idea and I will find a use for it but feel like it is too much bag for my little camera.   Although the D300s looks like it would fit nicely in there with a battery grip, maybe I just need the gear to that fits better in it.  Time to start saving up for an upgrade!

Winter in a Tourist Town

I had to bring my car in for some maintenance and brought my camera along to keep me occupied while it was being worked on.  I ventured down to the main strip knowing that everything was closed up for the winter.  This town is usually crawling people during the summer but being there in the decollate off season had it's unique photo opportunities.  Here are some shots from that walk.

Umbrellars?