Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Morning Light Can Turn 2-D Into Almost 3-D


This image of steps leading into the US House of Representatives with the Capitol Dome in the background is an example of how light can increase dimensionality (is that a word?) of a photo. I took it at 7:30 AM, soon after sunrise, so that the light was coming almost parallel to the ground. This creates areas with bright highlights and dark shadows, adding to the depth.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

US Grant Memorial


This dramatic memorial, at the base of the US Capitol steps in Washington, DC, looking out over the Mall, is in honor of Ulysses S. Grant. Built in 1902, it is the 2nd largest equestrian memorial in the world. The central figure is Grant on his horse, guarded by lions at the base of the statue. At either side is a grouping of cavalry soldiers seeming to leap out of the metal they are made from, charging into the middle (and perhaps down the mall for a swim in the reflecting pool). The high contrast between shadows and light in these photos are from the strong morning light shining almost perpendicularly.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

How the seemingly ordinary can be extraordinary



Robert Adams, an American photographer, is the latest winner of the Hasselblad Award. Here's a story and some of his pictures on NPR. Adams photographed the "New West" as it was described in the 1970's when suburban sprawl started to become a dominant theme in previously sweeping landscapes and gas station signs began to compete with cactus. His images are a mixture of man made and mother nature's adornment to the landscape.
The award is from the Hasselblad Foundation,based in Sweden and a collection of his works will be on exhibit there this summer. Previous American winners include Ansel Adams, Richard Aveden, and Cindy Sherman.
Hasselblad's fame is in producing high quality medium format cameras that are a favorite of nature photographers, including Ansel Adams. Medium format negatives are 600 cm wide (compared to the 33 mm film size familiar to most). Advantages are images with great detail and little noise, but the cameras (and film if non-digital) are very expensive.

Saturday, April 4, 2009


Photo show at the Marketplace at East Falls