Photography Journal

Capturing and Editing Holiday Lights

16 Dec 2020
It’s that time of year! The streets are filled with holiday decor, lights, and magical scenes. Capturing the season can be fun and sometimes challenging. Here are some quick tips for photographing holiday lights. Get outside right after sunset, during the “ blue hour.” This time of day is a…

Holiday Gift Guide

19 Nov 2020
What should be on your photography holiday wish list? Each year I try to share a few of my favorite photography gear and tools. I hope you find something new for yourself or a photo idea for a friend. Camera Gear: One of my favorite gear items is my camera…

Photoshop - October Creative Editing Updates

23 Oct 2020
Added Sky and Blur Background and a texture in the grass. Before Image Have you checked out the latest Adobe Photoshop updates? I have been playing around with some of the new features and how I can use them with creative editing. There are three updates that I will share…

Lightroom Update: Color Grading

21 Oct 2020
Adobe just launched a new update to the Lightroom Develop Module, and I love it! The new feature is Color Grading and it replaced split toning. This tool allows you to gain precise control over the colors of shadows, mid-tones, and highlights in an image. The tool also offers global…

iOS Creative Editing

19 Oct 2020
Before After Creative editing or painterly editing is a way to add an artistic look to your images. Creating these images can be made with normal editing programs like Lightroom or Photoshop, but using an iPad or iOS device provides unique ways to create these magical images. I use these…

Seascapes with Intentional Camera Movement

24 Sep 2020
I recently was able to take my first vacation in 2020 and headed to the coast of South Carolina. I love to get up early to capture the sunrise and create abstract seascape images at the beach. Abstractly capturing the sea brings out the emotions of the waves, the depth…

Editing Texture Images

16 Sep 2020
This texture photography series has focused on defining texture photography, how to capture textures, examples of where to find textures, and now I will share some final editing techniques. The following tools can be found in most editing programs, and I will show examples using Adobe Lightroom. Editing Basics: Contrast: …

Where to find texture to photograph

16 Sep 2020
In the previous post, I reviewed comparing texture photography to textures in abstract and impressionistic art, how to compose, and shoot textures. Textures are everywhere; we just have to take time to slow down, think about how to capture them, and showcase their detail. Here are some ideas to get…

How to Capture Textures

09 Sep 2020
Texture Photography is a way to add more depth, creativity, and abstract qualities to your portfolio. Texture can be the focal point of the image or a part of the image that you bring to attention. Remember, from my first post that textures bring out emotions; they visually describe what…

What is Texture Photography

31 Aug 2020
Texture is a significant part of nature and abstract photography. This blog series will focus on what we can learn from art about texture, techniques to photograph texture in nature, and creative methods to capture texture Let’s start with understanding texture photography. Texture photography is about taking images that focus…

Create Impressionistic Garden Images

27 Aug 2020
I love to create abstract, impressionistic, creative images in the garden. Using the technique of intentional camera movement will help you achieve this look in the camera. In a prior post, I shared how to capture ICM images in landscape scenes. The techniques are similar, but let’s review the best…

Tame the Greens

19 Aug 2020
The color green is abundant in nature. It is a color that evokes powerful emotions. People usually connect the color green with growth, renewal, abundance, peace, and security. It is said to be the most soothing and relaxing color for the human eye to view. Think about the various shades…

10 Minutes A Day

17 Aug 2020
Are you just getting started with photography? Are you uninspired, in a rut, or lacking creativity? Have you tried a 365 project in the past and failed? No matter where you are as a photographer spending just 10 minutes a day with your camera can help you grow, improve your…

Favorite Close Up Photography Gear

10 Aug 2020
I will admit I am not a camera gear aficionado. I don’t like to carry a lot of camera gear. I want to keep it simple. I spend my time reading and studying the art of photography vs. the technical details of gear. However, it is critical to our craft…

Creative Technique - Pep Ventosa Technique

02 Aug 2020
Creative Photo and Editing Technique – Pep Ventosa Method The artist and photographer, Pep Ventosa’s work are inspiring, alluring, and exciting to try to emulate. His work is a process of walking all-around a subject taking photos and then combining them in Photoshop or a similar stacking/layer program to create…

Rainy Day Photo Ideas

31 Jul 2020
It’s been raining for days! Don’t let the weather get you down. Try some of these simple photography ideas to make the best of the weather. Freeze Objects Place flowers, fruit, or sliced lemons in a freezer container. Fill the container halfway with water and let it freeze. Once frozen…

Intentional Camera Movement - Landscape

29 Jul 2020
A creative technique when you are out shooting any landscape scene is to capture it abstractly. Intentional camera movement ( ICM) is easy to produce and can give you a different perspective of the shooting location. I also like to save these to use as textures with other images. Here…

1O Ideas for a Photo Walk

28 Jul 2020
This is a great time to try something new in your photography, stepping out of the norm to explore and expand your skills. A great activity is a themed photo walk of your neighborhood or local area. Walking and shooting with a theme can help you focus on something different…

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