Keep Shooting!

The title of this post stems from a common question I get (and others I'm sure) when out shooting. That question is "Get any good pictures?". I often reply "I'm working on it". Well, the other day, a man replied back "I guess you'll get something good if you keep shooting long enough".

To a degree, this is true. You can't get a good photo if you don't go out and shoot. You have to "keep shooting". But it certainly isn't blind luck either.

The shot above was taken after two SCUBA dives that didn't yield any "great" images. I then shot wildflowers in the remaining sunlight. Ok, but nothing too inspiring. I then scouted three different locations before choosing my final shoot for the day.

And the sunset certainly delivered! I did get a little lucky with the vivid colors, and the calm ocean and lack of wind allowed for a relaxing session. I did not have to worry much about waves and salt spray on my camera gear. But I kept shooting, and came home with a keeper.

Rediscovering the Past

My recent focus on landscapes along the coast has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience, an epiphany of sorts. I have found inspiration in the coastal beauty near my home and the exploration involved in finding new locations has rejuvenated my photography.

In this process, I enjoy scouting out beaches and coves I have never been to before. Discovering a spot that has existed for millennium but is brand new to me is indeed very exciting. Kind of like that feeling you get when you start dating someone you really like. I am infatuated with finding new spots.

But the last couple days, I have found myself going back to spots I felt I knew, places I camped at and visited frequently, albeit in my youth over a decade ago. The top shot is from Davenport Cove, the beach directly in front of the town. The shot below is from Scotts Creek Beach, just a few miles north of Davenport.

Scotts Creek was a favorite camping place of mine and later was a field site for an intertidal class I took in college, so I have many fond memories from here. It is truly inspiring to find new beauty, and to see a familiar place with new eyes looking for ways to capture all the angles and light.

Now, I am rediscovering the past, and it's like running into an old friend. There's so much to catch up on.

Spring Has Sprung

I've been catching up on my sleep as the sunrises these days have lacked some serious "umph", Instead, I've been noticing all the flowers I drive by on the way to work.

Specifically, there are some dense poppy groupings within walking distance. So on my lunch break yesterday, I sat down on the sidewalk and zoned out on some poppies.

At first, I was shooting with my new 35mm f1.8 lens and getting some nice "in their element" kind of shots. Then I started noticing the subtle shades of yellow on some of the individual flowers. I switched to my 105mm macro lens and stacked a combination of Nikon's 5T and 6T diopters for increased magnification. It really is enjoyable for me to sit and create something abstract out of a common sight.

And for those wanting more technical details, I was shooting hand held in Aperture Priority Mode so I could have the ultimate control over the depth of field. The camera then chooses the shutter speed. I made sure to keep an eye on the shutter speed, though, as it was windy out, and if it got too slow, I would need to change my ISO to maintain a fast enough shutter to freeze the movement.

I also kept an eye on the camera's histogram. Metering can be tricky in bright sunlight, and occasionally, I had to dial in exposure compensation, both positive and negative depending on the conditions, to get the results I wanted.