Jarrod's Photography Blog

NEW BLOG

Jarrod — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 14:38:51 +0000

Howdy. I have my site up on ZenFolio now and I have moved my blog there too. All the content here has been imported there and all NEW posts will go on the ZenFolio Blog. So, this is the last post here. Please visit the blog here:

http://www.sliver-photo.com/blog

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My Little Scientists

Jarrod — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:18:31 +0000

Since getting my new lens I figured I’d try to improve my skills at shooting people. I really only had that one shoot of Jana for the hat site some time ago and from then on it has been mainly my HDR and landscapes. So, I figured what better place to start improving but at home with my boys. They are perfect subjects.

In this set of shots; Baedon, Treyton and I had returned home from hiking around our housing development collecting specimens for Trey’s Microscope. They were completely into the whole process of making slides and seeing things they never knew existed. We dissected an earthworm and made slides of its segments and a few more from leaves they had collected. These shots are candid as the kids didn’t really know I was there shooting. Well, they knew, but paid no attention to me. I primarily used 1.8-2.8 aperture and a low ISO to keep the shots smooth with a very shallow depth of field ensuring I had the artistic blur with the exact piece of the shot I wanted in focus. Of course, I used my new lens, the 35mm FFL on my D90. I did a little post-processing in LightRoom adding some vignetting and adjustment of the colors to give it a somewhat rustic and muted feel. I love their expressions and their genuine interest in what they are seeing and doing. My favorites are the shots with both of them in them with one reacting to what the other one is seeing… priceless.

Video Slideshow

Gallery

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Bull Dorado

Jarrod — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:58:42 +0000

While Jana fought this fish for 40 minutes, I was snapping away. The fish was off the stern of the boat…not sure how far away. Hardest part was trying to anticipate when the fish would come out of the water. Thank goodness for continuous frame mode. It was my first time really trying to capture a leaping and tail-walking Dorado…challenging to say the least. I had seen plenty of pictures in my time…amazing pictures. So, this is my attempt. My first try. Regardless of how the pictures turned out, it was amazing to see. I used Jana’s D90 for this with her super-duper 70-200mm 2.8 lens.

And here she is fighting the crazy thing!

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Skippy and the New Lens

Jarrod — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:38:32 +0000

I got the lens (35mm FFL 1:1.8G DX) I wanted for Christmas and since Jana got her new D7000, I got her D90. I am stoked as I have been without a DSLR since mine was stolen in Ecuador earlier in 2011. And, that one was a D70 so this is a step up!

I was messing with my new lens this morning and Skippy happened to be around. So, I snapped a few shots of him harassing me. He’s a great subject and I think these shots do a good job of showing what this lens can do. A lower ISO and FFL with a very shallow depth of field make for some spiffy shots of Skippy)

Watch out! He's a biter!

Guard Dog!

Click on the images for full-sized image file.

Post-Processing using LightRoom – vignetting, saturation reduction.

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More Museo Soumaya

Jarrod — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 20:41:36 +0000

Here are a few more captures of the Museum at Plaza Carso. Different angles and different lighting.

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Museo Soumaya

Jarrod — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:05:52 +0000

My office is in Plaza Carso which is adjacent to the new Museo Soumaya in Mexico City. It is quite the architectual feat that´s for sure. I won´t go into the details of the construction but suffice it to say that it was pretty amazing to watch them construct this week by week. Once complete, it instanatly became one of the prides of Mexico. The reflection of light and angles created by the curves and shadows is quite amazing. I snapped a few pics of the museum during construction and from various locations in and around the office. Here´s the latest:

Museo Soumaya - Sunrise

Previous photos of the construction…

Museo Soumaya

Images taken with iphone 4 using ProHDR app with minor post-processing in-app (gamma) and noiseware.

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Lion Standing Vigil Over His Pride. Kind of…

Jarrod — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 16:04:10 +0000

SkippyJon Jones. Fierce, Aggressive and completely harmless

SkippyJon Jones - Protector of the Barnes Family (yeah, right)

Equipment – D70, 50mm FFL f/1.8

Settings – Manual, Spot metering, Raw, 50mm f/1.8, exp. 1/800

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Havasu Sunsets

Jarrod — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:26:36 +0000

This past week, we were treated to some of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen. Lake Havasu is one of the most beautiful places in Arizona and quite possibly, the world. Complex rock formations, striking colors of every earthy tone imaginable and of course, the water and the sky. We even saw coyotes coming down for an early morning drink and turtles, spawning bass and a plethora of waterfowl are plentiful. Just an amazing place. I was able to capture these phased shots of the sunset from atop Sandpoint.

This one is a day later from the main point at Cattail cove on the other side of the mountain:

Can´t wait to come back in June.

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Puerto Madero HDR

Jarrod — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:42:27 +0000

I captured a few HDR scenes while in Argentina last week. Most scenes I shot were lacking the necessary exposures to create an image I was happy with. The few that made the cut are below.

View from my hotel...Buenos Aires rooftops

Downtown

Puerto Madero

Puerto Madero...again

Looking forward to my trip to Ecuador. I will borrow Jana’s D90 and her two lenses.; a 50mm f/1.8 and a 24-70mm f/2.8. My kit lens just ain’t cuttin’ it anymore.

Oh and of course, a few HDR Hat shots…the Goorin Bonanza. My travel lid!

Goorin Bonanza and Travel Journal

A travel staple

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Buenos Aires, Argentina

Jarrod — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 05:55:42 +0000

I finally had some time to really concentrate on shooting on my recent trip to Buenos Aires. My hotel was about 8 blocks from Puerto Madero and I had some time during the late evenings to walk the boardwalk with my gear. Buenos Aires is a beautiful city and Puerto Madero is really something…especially at night.

Night shot of Casa Rosada

Casa Rosada

Seal on Gates of Casa Rosada

Frigate Presidente Sarmiento

Puerto Madero at Dusk

Night falls on Restaurant Row

Long view down the River

Puente De La Mujer

I know there are a few of the same subject but the angles and vantage points were different based on position and light. Buenos Aires is a beautiful place. When I return, I hope to be sporting something better than a D70 with a cheesy kit lens! :)

Here is proof I was there…self portrait with my trusty infared remote (Thanks, Mark Menditto!) which was essential to some of the long exposure shots I had to take. When in doubt, meter and have a tripod handy….

Self Portrait - Puerto Madero, Argentina, 2011

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Tribute To The Trumpet

Jarrod — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 04:50:24 +0000

Yes, I was a band-geek. I played the trumpet from 5th – 12th grade. Jazz band, symphony band, marching band…you name it, I did it. I still pick it up every once in a while but I am not as good as I used to be. The old chops have forgotten how to really belt out a tune. So, tonight, instead of playing it, I figured I’d let the trumpet play without making a sound. ahahah..corny, huh? But seriously, the trumpet was the reason I met my wife (she was in band too) and I must admit, back in the day…I was pretty good. So, I took some artsy shots of my old companion. It was always a bright spot in my life and I think these pictures capture that.

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Tolantongo

Jarrod — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 03:58:49 +0000

I finally had a chance to take the DLSR with the tripod out and do some HDR work this past weekend. I only got two good scenes but they were of some pretty great material. These are shots of the hot mineral river that runs through Tolantongo. We spent this past weekend there and Jana and I made a special trip out early Sunday morning without the kids to take some pictures. These are three shot composite images. EV -1. 0 and +1. Tone mapping was not as aggressive as I usually make it since the colors were really there already. It was an amazing place. You can see the write-up and more non-HDR Pics of the trip here.

Waterfall - Totaltongo (HDR)

Hot Mineral river flowing at the base of the gruta (HDR)

Oh, and one non-HDR shot. All I have to say is metering is magic. This is one of my favorite shots.

River flowing from La Gruta (non-HDR)

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Unexpected Art

Jarrod — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 03:00:53 +0000

Can you guess what this is?

Unexpected Art

It is a close-up of my tub of hair gel in my office with the sun and buildings in the background. I had come back from fixing my hair (since I wear hats into the office) and as I sat it on my desk, it caught the light. I thought it was cool and abstract. It´s a composite image (two image composition) with a touch of saturation and contrast to exaggerate the boldness. Art is all around us if we look closely and take time to notice the little things.

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Random

Jarrod — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 22:52:45 +0000

Clouds at sunset in Santa Fe

I have not had really any time to really get out and shoot. Especially not with the DSLR. I am usually roving about with my iphone and suprisingly, it takes pictures that, with a little work, are actually ok. I found a cool HDR program (not the native function with the iOS) and that, coupled with an effective noise-reducer application, provides a decent workflow for images I capture around the city or as I travel. So, here is a taste of what our adventure here in Mexico has been like. Nothing special, just kinda´neat.

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The Boats of Xochimilco

Jarrod — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 05:52:47 +0000

Xochimilco is located in the south of Mexico City and is home to the mounds of fertile soil surrounded by numerous canals. The main attraction is these brightly colored boats that are propelled by a man with a big stick. I did a write-up on our trip there on our Mexico blog so if you want to know, click here. This is just a picture I took with my iphone and then post-processed a little to adjust lighting and some noise.

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Hats In The Belfry ‘Look’ Contest

Jarrod — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 04:56:09 +0000

I am probably on the hatsinthebelfry.com site two to three times a week so when I saw this blog entry about a contest with a chance to win a hat…I was IN. I don’t consider myself a fashionista or anything, but, I certainly think I know what looks good with my hats. So, here is my submission to the contest:

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Work Featured on HATSINTHEBELFRY.COM

Jarrod — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:41:39 +0000

These Creative Shots for Hats in the Belfry online store were something I did for the folks over there as a thank you for great service at their MD shop (Annapolis). That little gesture evolved into a freelance gig with their shop. The folks at Hats in the Belfry are great and I’m excited to be working with them. Some shots are set to be featured as posters and advertising, but here are a few of what is on their site now. My photos have graced their designer focus page, the Men´s fedora page and the Bailey collection page. I took some screen snaps of my work on their site.The shot to the right is currently featured on the FEDORA page on their website and the shot below that is on the main page. Screenshots below.

Be sure and check out their site – http://www.hatsinthebelfry.com

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Mexico City

Jarrod — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 04:55:09 +0000

Views from my temporary apartment. Rainy season makes for some striking cloud shots.

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Hat Portfolio

Jarrod — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:31:35 +0000

Hats in the Belfry asked me to take some shots of hats that I had purchased from them recently for use on their site. They had asked for shots of the hats themselves and then a few with them being worn. Here is the finished portfolio for the first shoot. The portolio focuses on two fedoras: The Belfry Ellington and the Bailey Rubell. Both hats are very different and were shot in environments and styles that matched their look and image.

PORTFOLIO

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Hats Part III

Jarrod — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:10:58 +0000

So it’s no secret I’m into hats. I think the last few posts let the cat out of the bag on that one. My collection is growing and more importantly, so is my ability to incorporate my love of hats into photography. I am working with the greatest hat shop in world, HATS IN THE BELFRY, to provide creative images of lids they carry or that I’ve purchased there. They are fantastic people and their selection is second to none! Their online store is great too!

Most recently, two new hats found their way into my collection. Here are some samples of the shots I produced to showcase the quality, style and “feel” of each one:

The Hats in the Belfy “Ellington” -a formal hat made of wool…only the best materials and craftsmanship go into this line of “Purple” hats from Hats in the Belfry. It’s best paired with a suit, formal blazer outfit or trendy/dark jeans and a matching vest. It’s an attention getter. I know from experience!

Like it? Get it here – http://www.hatsinthebelfry.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=h&Product_Code=murino-fedora-belfry-ellington

The Bailey Rubell - a fantastic summer hat. It’s eccentric and bold in styling yet casual enough in feel and look to be worn with shorts and a T. It’s perfect for summers here in Arizona.

Score a Rubell here: http://www.hatsinthebelfry.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=h&Product_Code=bailey-rubell-81720

More pics to come as I put together a more formal portfolio of shots for Hats in the Belfry. If you haven’t checked out their shop…do it! You won’t be sorry!

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Love of Hats 2

Jarrod — Sun, 23 May 2010 01:24:18 +0000

I finally got around to taking some stills of my entire collection. I know, corny…but, I really do like hats and I’m stoked at my latest addition…the Dapper Dan. See below for a gallery of my hats. Laugh all you want, but they are SWEET!

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Love of Hats

Jarrod — Thu, 13 May 2010 23:10:36 +0000

About a year ago I really got into hats. The death of my grandfather in early 2009 was the catalyst. He, along with my great-grandfather, wore hats most of the time. I really do like how a hat makes a statement and I wish the 20′s era would return where hats were part of everyday fashion. My collection is growing a little every few months but I do have a favorite. It’s a Goorin Brothers, which at this point is my favorite “maker”. I got it in Annapolis earlier this year at Hats in the Belfrey. The model is “Bonanza” and it’s a plaid fedora. The inside has a pattern of guns and a western theme. Interestingly enough, the caricature of the man wearing the hat in the pattern looks like my Grandpa! I travel with this hat most of the time and wear it to go out. Here are some shots I took of it in the hotel when I was in Tacoma for Business last month…the polka-dot couch was just too cool to pass up…I thought the contrast of colors and patterns was pretty cool. Yes, I like this hat that much!

Here is a shot my wife took of me rocking it right after I got it (location – MD State House):

Me and My Goorin Brothers "Bonanza"

Hats are Happiness

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One Night In Tacoma…

Jarrod — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:41:17 +0000

I recently traveled to Tacoma, Washington for work. The client meeting was on Monday morning so I flew into Seattle on Sunday evening and then drove down to Tacoma. Fortunately, I had some time to explore the city with my camera..it had been a long time since I had been out just to take pictures. First, I headed right down the street from the hotel..Commerce Street to be exact. The area was peppered with old brick buildings and very unique street fronts. Reminded me a little of the row-homes in Baltimore just not as colonial. I also came upon the UW campus which was very pretty – Cherry blossoms everywhere. I then drove to Fife just outside of Tacoma and drove along the train tracks just taking it all in. Once I got back into the city it was dark and I spent the time down by the water (Puget Sound). I had some dinner and then walked down to the fishing pier. It was just nice to get out and explore a new place with my camera. Before hitting the rack Sunday night I walked down to the Courthouse to get some night shots of some very cool buildings. HDR came in handy for those. Here are some select shots of the city and what it had to offer.

The HDR shots are part of the gallery above but I put them down here too so you can see how HDR differs from a single-exposure night shot.

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Mathew from Mathews

Jarrod — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:16:58 +0000

Quite some time ago, I made a promise to myself to “live in the moment” and take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. I live by this and apply it to every aspect of my life; from a simple interaction with a server at a restaurant and especially in my professional life. But, this post is about applying that to a situation I never thought I’d ever have the courage to pursue. The situation? Asking a total stranger if I could photograph them. Why would I do this? Well, let me set the stage: I was driving to San Diego from Surprise with my family and as we always do, we stopped in Gila Bend for a cup of java. I just so happened to pick “Love’s” this particular evening. We drove up and parked right at the front of the store. Before I got out, I noticed a man and his dog sitting on the sidewalk in front of the store. Time was about 7:30pm PST..it was dark and the store was busy. The man caught my attention because of his appearance. He was a man that looked as if he’d lived a hard life. He had a tired and aged face that was tattooed here and there with symbols and markings. His hairstyle was interesting as well: Middle of his head from front to back was completely bald…then on each side of the “lane” were carefully manicured mohawks running the length of his head. He had a bandanna around his forehead. His eyes were narrow. He was dressed in a leather vest and on his right arm, a leather sleeve. He was sitting there with a large dog and his backpack. He had various trinkets and tags around his neck. He was pierced - lip, ear and tongue. I could just tell by looking at him that he was a ‘walking story’ and probably had so much to say. But, even after this inspection and assessment, I made no effort to interact with him. I simply went into the store, got my coffee and came back out. But once I got back in the car and was actually ready to drive away, I turned to my wife and asked her if she would mind if I went and talked to him to ask him if I could take his picture. After all, we had another 4 hours to drive and we had 3 antsy boys in the car…this was highly unorthodox and went against every aspect of family travel protol. She approved and I went for it. I could not in good conscience leave without talking to this man and photographing him.

Before getting the camera, I walked over and I introduced myself. I informed him that I was an amateur/hobbyist photgrapher and couldn’t pass up scenes that were unique, intriguing or curious. I explained to him that I was very interested in his story and was very taken by his look. I then asked if I could take a few shots of him and learn a little about where he’s been and where he’s going. He consented, but only after asking if I could possibly give him a ride to San Diego. Interestingly enough, the pictures are really a minor and secondary aspect of this entry. The true beauty of this interaction is that I took the time to approach and engage this person. By appearance, he was not someone you’d really want to interact with. We are taught all of our lives, to avoid people like this. He was “hard” looking, was a hitchhiker and seemed unkempt. However, with this experience, I proved that age-old addage that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Let me take you through what I learned from this man; things I know that many people that have crossed his path know not because they were afraid to engage him.

His name is Mathew and he is from Mathews, LA. He was heading to San Diego and was at Love’s looking for a ride west for this, the last leg of his journey. He said he wanted a fresh start and some good weather. His dog’s name is Tai Chi – he informed me that this was Chinese for ‘Balance’ (which I knew, but I didn’t let on as I sensed it gave him great pride to share that fact). He said his dog was his rock and his companion and kept him on-track and motivated. He said that what I saw before me in the form of a dirty backpack and a cardboard sign were all he currently had to his name. His cardboard Sign read, “CAL”. As I continued to converse with him I started noticing little things about him that made him even more intriguing. Things like the lines in his face, the shape of his eyes and the small tattoos on his face and arms. Beyond the physical and visual characteristics of Mathew, what he had to say and how he said it were equally interesting. As I finished taking pictures I asked him if he had an email address. Which I might add, made me feel strange to be asking a nomad if he had an email address…but, since technology allows folks to have a virtual address they can take with them anywhere; even Mathew had one. His email address was a story in itself. He said it was essentially the Spanish word for bogeyman. He said that it wasn’t the traditional definition though…he said it was a concept that defined him. He stated that is was the idea that people judge first and assume the worst and that all things in a specific light or view are “bad”. But, he continued, even if the surface is different or scary, if you probe, you will find out that things aren’t really what they seem. He said this is how he sees people seeing him. They see him as scary and someone to be avoided…like the bogeyman. But, if they’d just stop and chat or get to know him, they’d see he was just another person living their life with a shared understanding and respect for right and wrong. I have to tell you that this last piece of our conversation moved me. I had taken the chance and mustered the courage to not only approach a stranger, but an interesting and intimidating stranger at that. I am truly thankful for having the opportunity to meet and chat with Mathew.

Photographically speaking, this has opened up a whole new world for me. I usually, if not exclusively, shoot landscapes wildlife and architecture. But, with the recent encouragement and guidance from Mark Menditto as well as this experience; I can see myself pursing more “people” projects. It has also left me with a greater respect for the craft of people photography. The photo is only part of the story…in order to get a shot, you have to engage the subject; and by doing so, you learn the person’s story and that makes the images stronger.

I learned that getting over the fear of engaging subjects and not caring about how others view you as you work to get the shot you want in the location you want. I this case, there were people everywhere and it was a busy storefront. I’m sure there were plenty of people that walked by as I worked with Mathew that were confused and perplexed. But, I was completely focused on Mathew and didn’t really even think about what was happening around me.

So, thanks to Mathew for being there at the Love’s in Gila Bend. Thanks to Mark Menditto for his recent comments and his confidence. And thank you to my wife for letting me shoot with her camera…I used her D90 with a 50mm 1:1.8D lens. My D70 wasn’t with us on this trip.

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US Capitol and Annapolis

Jarrod — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:21:55 +0000

I had the privilege of traveling to Annapolis, MD for work the last week of February. Aside from it being unbearably cold, it was a great trip. I had packed my camera on the off-chance I would have some time to get some shots of old town Annapolis and Washington DC. I had very little time and no tripod but still did what I could. I was able to get down to Pusser’s down by Ego Alley and then walked up to the State House. I was focusing on HDR, but with no tripod, it was a challenge. I ended up finding walls and surfaces where I was able to stabilize the camera in order to get the shots necessary to compose the scenes. . I was also able to get to Washington DC one night and took some night shots of the capitol building.

Here are some regular shots of Annapolis – it’s a beautiful city with history and charm at every turn. We drove to a parking lot on the harbor and had lunch at Pusser’s – a great restaurant right on the water. After that, We walked up this street hitting all the shops and ended up at the Governor’s House and the State House.

Pusser's (Jana at the table)

Downtown Annapolis

Maryland Governor's Mansion

Maryland State House

Here are the finished HDR shots from Annapolis. I had to set my camera on walls and benches in order to stabilize to get the multiple exposures. It was windy and cold so this was quite challenging:

Small house on the State House Property

HDR shot of the Bar in Pusser's

State House (HDR)

Front of State House (HDR)

Here are the shots I was able to get of the Capitol building. Jana and I took a cab from the restaurant on E street to the Capitol. It was windy (30mph+) and under 30 degrees. We froze! But, that didn’t stop me from gettin’ some shots.

US Capitol

Capitol Building

Closer View

Gallery of All Shots

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Close to Home…

Jarrod — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:22:02 +0000

I was on my way back from my Doctor’s appointment today and about 1/2 mile from home I noticed that the sunset and the clouds were painting a great scene across the sky. Since I was so close to home, I just pulled into the driveway, grabbed my camera and tripod and headed back to a spot about 1/2 mile from our house. Here in Surprise nestled between the sub-divisions, are working farms and ranches which make for great foregrounds for the amazing sunsets we get here. I was able to snap a few scenes and took them back for processing. I only shot 6 scenes but the coolest thing was that this was only 1/2 mile from my house. I didn’t need to travel or get all prepared for this shoot. Sometimes, a close, simple locale and some spontaneity can go a long way.

Processing Notes: My workflow includes My HDR application, a freeware noise reducer (which I use occasionally to reduce color noise prior to HDR processing) and Photoshop Elements (used primarily for color adjustments, specific actions as well as some cropping if needed).

And here are the results of this impromptu shoot. These HDR Images are comprised of 3 exposures (-1, 0, +1 EV (using AEB)), Matrix Metering Mode, Aperture priority, manual focus, f/22 and processed with Dynamic PhotoHDR 4.01 and Photoshop Elements 7.0.

Looking west to the White tanks - Cattle Ranch

Looking North across the canal

West - sunset over the white tanks

Ghost Truck - Truck went through my scene on the 2nd exposure - kind of a cool effect

Sunset - looking west across a farm to the white tanks

Awesome Cloud formations over a farm (facing south)

Gallery of the photos is here:

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Past Photo Review

Jarrod — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:42:11 +0000

I was digging through my archives and discovered some of my favorite images from 2008 and 2009. I am hoping to shoot new material in 2010, but for now, the review of some of my fave images will have to suffice…enjoy.

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Cyclocross and Photoshop

Jarrod — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:06:46 +0000

As my wife’s photography endeavors take off, I am the lucky recipient of the tools of her trade. Previously I used Picasa and Fireworks for post-processing and image correction. Now we have Photoshop [elements] and with my broken pelvis, I’ve had lots of time to work with it. My first activities were finding some great actions and learning to work with layers and layer masks. Quite amazing. I’m still learning but I did want to share some of what I was able to do with some of the pics I took out at the AZ state cyclocross championships.

All the pics I took from the event (all riders accounted for) are located here.

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Praying Mantis

Jarrod — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 20:46:27 +0000

I captured this Praying Mantis that visits our patio Bistro lights during the summer. It hangs out and grabs moths out of the air as they come near the light. I took this with my tripod with a lower shutter speed.

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Shell Canyon

Jarrod — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:06:41 +0000

Since I broke my pelvis back in October, I haven’t had the ability to really shoot or focus on photography (or anything else that requires mobility for that matter). Well, that is until We went to the desert for Thanksgiving. Being on crutches I knew I would be limited in terms of where I could shoot. But, thanks to 4 wheel drive and some family members, I was able to get back into Shell Canyon and get some shots just for fun. Here’s a shot of me all bundled up about to head up the canyon for the shots…it was COLD!

Shell Canyon is the Canyon right off of S2 in Southern California in the Anza Borrego Desert. My grandparents have some property there and we’ve been coming here to ride mcycles and quads since I was a baby. So, the area, formally known as Ocotillo, holds some special memories for me. HDR is a great way to capture the true beauty and contrast of the canyon. The colors are amazing. It’s a geologists paradise due to the many types of rock and soil around. Paleontologists from all over come here to fossil hunt as well. But, I was here for one thing…some HDR scenes. As I had mentioned, I was able to get to the mouth of the canyon with the 4wheel drive ‘Burb. Then, I did the all-terrain crutch thing! It was challenging but with my dad toting my gear, I was able to get a few shots. And here they are (images are combinations of 3-4 shots at (-2) -1, 0, +1 EV):

Once I am healed up I will be investing in my cable release and a better tripod – need that to really start capturing more dynamic scenes that require 5-7 shots with +/- EV.

Gallery:

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Lance Armstrong

Jarrod — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:12:38 +0000

So this isn’t really a photography related post but I did get some cool pics of Lance when he signed my Books at Borders last Sunday. I did a complete write-up of the experience here: http://jarrodandjana.com/newsite/?p=407

A gentlemen in line took this shot of Lance and me in the same frame with him signing my book. I am the guy on crutches on the left. The camera was just on auto so I had to do a fair bit of post-processing to get what you see below. The focal b/w filter is appropriate in this case as Lance is the Man! I had been waiting for that moment for over a decade!

Lance signing my Book

This is a pic I shot of my two books with one of them open to the page he signed.

My Books

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Beauty Abroad

Jarrod — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:59:24 +0000

I went to India and Singapore on business in late September. I had been to Singapore 3 times before in 2006 and focused on architecture shots. This time, I did not bring my SLR. Instead, I brought a little point and shoot – all-be-it a nice one, it wasn’t an SLR. But, it had enough options to get a few decent shots. I of course am a huge fan of tone-mapping and HDR so I took the following pics knowing I’d be doing pseudoHDR (tone-mapped single image).

Hoping to get out to shoot sometime in the future but work, family, travel and now my injury have been dominating my time lately.

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Clouds Take Center-Stage

Jarrod — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:45:22 +0000

One of my favorite things to shoot is backlit subjects. Not really the staged kind but the naturally ocurring type where you just happen to be in the right place at the right time. Well, I had one of those times this past weekend. I was out on the lake on the boat and was heading in right about sunset and the sun dipped behind this cloud formation. It cast this eerie glow and sent sun streams out of the top. It was awesome!

The rays of light, the highlights and the contrast just blew me away. The reflection down the center of the water brings the light into the foreground in a subtle yet effective way. The darkness of the shore adds a layer of solidarity and strength to the otherwise glowing/relaxed composition.

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Fun with HDR

Jarrod — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:15:39 +0000

I still haven’t been able to get out and shoot so I dug into my archives and breathed some life into some old photos.

: Taken at Mcdowell Mountain Park – True HDR. 0EV and -2EV exposure set - tone mapped – clean mask run in post-processing to soften clouds and give “painted” feel

Taken in late spring at the White Tank Mountains. Single image at 0EV - pseudoHDR - tone mapped.

Single image - 0EV - pseudoHDR - tone mapped. Several "clean" filters run against image in post-processing to give it a very smooth and subtle painted look.

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Lake Pleasant Pseudo-HDR

Jarrod — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:33:04 +0000

I have not been able to get out and pursue any projects lately so when I took the family out to the lake this past Saturday I wanted to get some landscape pics to “play” with in DynamicHDR. Here are the shots I came out with – they are manipulated using my HDR software along with some post-processing to address noise. These are all single-image compositions using tone mapping in HDR software (pseudo-HDR).

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The Beauty of Beer

Jarrod — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:15:48 +0000

I am not one to really be into prop-shooting or stills but I took a minute to shoot a pint glass with beer yesterday and dare I say, I like the way it turned out. The beer is a home brew that my boss sent home with me when I was in Dallas the first week of June. I liked the colors and the way the focus was on the head of the beer and the rest of the glass and background are out of focus. It reminds me of those prints you see on walls in bars. I converted the shot to b/w as well.

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Digital Effects – Spice Up That Old Material!

Jarrod — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:13:58 +0000

Since I haven’t been able to get out and really shoot lately I figured I’d reach into my archives and “play” with some older shots. The beauty part of digital is that there is literally no limit to what you can do with an image. So, I went back to some of the images that stood out to me. These were taken in April of 2009 at my Grandpa’s Ranch in Ramona, CA. I love that place as there is so much to photograph. In their native form the pics were OK – nothing special. Not bad, but not great. So, I pulled them into my editing software (DPHDR 4) and began messing with different filters, polarization, detail settings, hue, shadows, etc. So, here they – pics from the archives, all dressed up for your enjoyment

Day Lily - Single image tone-map with clarity process run to smooth it out

Purple Daisy - single image tone-map with color boost

Chain against fence - Glare filter and hue adjustment

Apple Blossom - warp filter (manual point)

Bird of Paradise - Shadow enhancement and motion filter

Taking the usual and creating something unusual and different is one of the greatest things about digital photography. Staying creative and “playing” helps me branch out and pursue other areas of digital imaging which is a great way to keep it exciting when you can’t shoot new material.

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More Desert HDR – Ocotillo, CA

Jarrod — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:40:12 +0000

It’s been some time since I’ve posted but I haven’t been able to get out and shoot in the past 8 weeks or so. Finally, over Easter, I was in Ocotillo and took my eldest boy, Trey, and my cousin, Weston, to Shell Canyon for a hike. I brought along the camera and tripod just in case I found some material to shoot. I ended up getting just two scenes – but I think they are really cool. Shell Canyon is on the North End of Ocotillo just West of Plaster City. It has towering walls and great color. It’s a geologist and palaeontologist’s paradise with fossils everywhere and really cool rock formations and sandstone. To show the power of HDR I included the 0.0EV shot of each scene. Without HDR, the 0.0EV shot would be what we would be left with. Having the 0.0EV shot and the finished HDR image side-by-side speaks to the versatility and capabilities of HDR.

But first – Here’s some snapshots I took as we hiked and explored the canyon. We left my Grandpa’s Property in town and drove on a 2 mile paved road to the quarry. Then from there, it’s a 1.5 mile drive (4×4) to the entrance to the canyon.

Looking Back to the entrance to the Canyon

Weston and Treyton hiking through the Canyon

Treyton, Weston and I in one of the caves in Shell Canyon

Tarantula Hawk

And here are the two scenes I shot on the hike:

Shell Canyon - 0.0EV Shot

Shell Canyon - 3 images @ -1, 0, +1 EV

And, the 2nd Scene (True demonstration of HDR capability – lowlight in shooting location with bright light in background)

Shell Canyon Cave - 0.0EV

Shell Canyon Cave HDR - 5 images @ -2, -1, 0, +1, +2 EV

Thanks for visiting. Gallery of all pics in this post is below.

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Random

Jarrod — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:49:26 +0000

I haven’t been able to get out and shoot in quite a while so I figured I’d share some of my previous work. Nothing special, just some images I come back to time and time again.

Clouds over Safford

Storm Over Roper Lake (Safford, AZ)

My Little Fisherman

Historic Raffles Hotel - Singapore

Sunset - Roper Lake (Safford, AZ)

Gallery

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Behind the Lens

Jarrod — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:10:31 +0000

My older brother snapped some candids of me working the Grand Canyon for my HDR project. Kinda’ interesting to see what one looks like behind the lens. It’s a view photographers rarely think about or see. I was happy he shot these as it does capture the grandeur of the scenery and venue I was shooting.

This shot is a goofy one but kinda’ cool ’cause on three sides of me (behind me, and to my left and right), there is no less than a sheer 800 ft + drop….if I goofed it up, I would have died. Cool!

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Grand Canyon Candids

Jarrod — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:47:49 +0000

I always forget to share the “personal” side of my projects and my good friend Mark Menditto reminded me that many times, that’s where some great photos and story lines originate. Behind the scenes of my Grand Canyon HDR project was a circus comprised of my brother, my mom, my brother’s friend and my 3 boys (ages 5, 2, and 1). It was a wonder I got any shots at all with all the commotion and antics. So, here’s a glimpse into what was going on behind the lens as I tried to capture the canyon.

Baedon and Greyson tied to the fence while we unloaded the car

Unloading and preparing for the Day (Yavapai Point)

My Brother, John and his friend make their way down a make-shift trail for a better view

And this is where they were headed. I made my way down here with all of my gear and got some great shots.

My Mom (Grammie), took one picture the whole time we were there - and I snapped a pic of her taking it. From then on, she was on kid-duty

Baedon really enjoyed the trip...can't you tell?

Treyton had a great time...even if it was freezing cold!

So there you have it. I will post some additional pics my brother took of me as I framed and composed shots. But, these candids really capture all we went through on this trip.

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McDowell Mountain Park

Jarrod — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:42:37 +0000

After one of my races a few weeks ago, I found some time to take the camera and get a few shots. It was a very stormy day so the clouds and darkness made for some dramatic shots. I like how the shots are dark and soft at the same time. I purposely processed them in a way that exaggerated the darkness and crispness of the scene. It was cold and the air was wet….the sun peeking out of the clouds made for some dramatic shadows and plays on light. The “vintage” sort of feel to the shots I think adds some depth and approachability:

I also tried out a new digital processing filter/technique that came with the new version of my HDR software. This gives the feeling of being in a deep whole and looking up into the sky…kinda’ cool.

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Grand Canyon HDR Project

Jarrod — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:40:28 +0000

I had the chance to travel to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on February 7th. Although slightly distracted by my kids, I was able to shoot quite a few scenes and complete my 2nd HDR project of the year. The shots are from Yavapai Point to Mather Point and along the rim trail between those two points. The full write-up as well as final results of the shoot are posted on the Project Page here.

I’ll simply say that the Grand Canyon is an amazing and humbling place. Never have I felt so small and insignficant – the depth and breadth of the environment is just enormous. If you are an outdoor or landscape photgrapher, you must visit this locale and shoot it. It’s a must for your portfolio.

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Rocky, the Desert Banded Gecko

Jarrod — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:50:54 +0000

As you may have read in past posts, we have two Desert Banded Geckos that we collected in the White Tank Foothills near our house. They are doing well and enjoy the hot rock and feasting on crickets. They are nocturnal so we have a lamp with a bulb that simulates moonlight – this entices them to become active and stimulates breeding as well. I snapped these pics of Rocky, the male, during a feeding session. They have really cool coloring and are viracious feeders.

Lunch is served.

Hiding Out

I’ll try and get some shots of Sally when we feed them next.

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Beautiful Skies

Jarrod — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:43:04 +0000

I snapped these about a week ago and never posted them. They are HDR images composed of 3 photos @ -1,0,+1 EV.

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Desert At Dusk – B/W

Jarrod — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:10:26 +0000

This is my first HDR B/W image. I was surprised at how “deep” the photo seems. The sun really stole the show This was taken when we headed back out to the White Tanks to collect a mate for our male Desert Banded Gecko, Rocky. We were successful – we found a female and Trey named her Sally. We have two Striped Tail Scorpions as pets as well.

Sunset - HDR / black,white

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Sunsets, Cacti and Bugs…Oh My!

Jarrod — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 01:27:55 +0000

I am fortunate to live in the far-west valley near Phoenix. Just about 7 miles from the White Tank Mountains. The main road leading to the park actually enters the foothills before you get into the park. So, it’s easy to just park before you get to the park to avoid the fee. The shots you can get from outside the park are awesome. Today, the eldest of my 3 boys, Treyton (5 yrs old), and I jumped in the car and headed out for a little late evening photo shoot. I had worked most of today and needed to get out in the wilderness and escape! Parking off the road before the park puts you right in the thick of the towering Saguaros, Creosote, Cholla and other interesting desert foliage. I went primarily to just get some more experience shooting into the sun for my HDR work. We went about 4:45 pm, just in time to catch the sun dipping below the mountains. Here’s what I ended up with:

Once the sun was down and I had some material, Treyton wanted to look for bugs – he loves bugs and anything slimy. So we spent a good 30 minutes searching the desert terrain for bugs and such. We made out like bandits. I fortunately had my camera so I could document our findings. Have a gander at what we found in this short time:

Desert Centipede

Stripe tailed scorpion

Desert Banded Gecko (He now lives with us

We of course found the typical grubs, beetles and other less-interesting insects – but those are very common and not really picture-worthy. We were really lucky to find these specimens considering it was cold and getting dark. It’s times like these I remember how neat it is to just be able to go out of our neighborhood and find true nature and wildlife.

So not only did I get some great shots for my HDR endeavor, I was able to spend some quality time with my kiddo searching for bugs and critters. It was just a fun time. Kind of a goofy post I know but I love pictures of wildlife…especially macros so it’s cool when I can get my own. Plus, my kid was really enthusiastic about the whole outing. A great end to a great Saturday

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Remember the Alamo

Jarrod — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 02:59:53 +0000

I went to San Antonio on business in April of 2007 and was fortunate enough to have an evening free to wander the city with my camera. The hotel I was staying at was about a mile from the Alamo. I actually had no idea how close I was to it and I was surprised to know it was right in the middle of the city amongst the shops and hotels. With my new found love for HDR and tone-mapping, I couldn’t help but work with my original shot. I personally like both shots very much and the side-by-side comparison really demonstrates the power of tone-mapping.

Alamo (single exposure (1/30s, f/4.0, aperture priority, matrix))

The Alamo (Tone-Mapped)

You can draw your own conclusions as to how the tone-map affects the overall image and scene. I love how the HDR process (even tone-mapping single images) provides infinite creativity and dynamics to the photographic medium and process.

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White Tank Mountains HDR Project

Jarrod — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:15:29 +0000

I was finally able to complete my first project of 2009. This was an HDR project focusing on the setting sun and dramatic landscape at dusk. The White Tanks are near my home and very accessible. It was the perfect environment for this project. I was very eager to apply what I’ve learned in the past few weeks and nothing beats being out in the wilderness focused on your craft. Everything else just seems to melt away as you traverse the terrain, concentrating on and scrutinizing all the scenes around you. I will be posting my projects as pages beneath the PROJECTS header on the main page.

Access the Project page here. You will find work flow and field notes as well as the gallery of finished work.

I welcome any and all feedback. Thank you for visiting and happy shooting.

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HDR Buildings

Jarrod — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 04:24:20 +0000

These are HDR images I shot of buildings in Singapore. I walked the city one afternoon just to find stand-out architecture. Singapore has no shortage of wonderful and interesting buildings to shoot. It’s varied past and culture is evident in the people, the architecture and the food. Malays, Indians, Europeans, Chinese and Koreans make up the bulk of the population and the old English sense of propriety combined with the asian refinement and posture make for a very unique location. A photographer’s paradise for sure.

Asian Civilizations Museum

Church

Performing Arts Center

Singapore Court

With some of these it seems like you’re in Colonial Boston! Quite the dichotomy when you can get fish-head soup on the corner or enter a Chinese Temple behind you What a great place!

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Butterfly

Jarrod — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 02:06:22 +0000

My first love is wildlife and landscape photography so when I went to Singapore and had a chance to spend some time on Sentosa Island, I was elated to find a butterfly garden among the attractions. I took several shots, one of which is a Betterphoto.com Editor’s pic. But my favorite is this little gem:

It was a good shot but then I tone mapped. The single exposure captured most of the dynamic range in the scene so it worked out pretty well. Wildlife in HDR and tone mapping can be difficult because most of the time, the subject(s) is/are not static. In this case, I was lucky that one shot was all I needed and equally lucky that the butterfly seemed content to sit on the rock while I invaded its space cushion for the shot.

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Triangles

Jarrod — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:53:40 +0000

Geometry is such a big part of our lives. But, most of the time (unless it’s our profession (architect, civil engineer, etc…)), we don’t notice its presence. When shooting architecture and buildings; geometry: lines and angles, are the focus…especially when framing an abstract scene where lines of perspective and geometrical shapes are the basis for subject. One in a while, geometry makes an appearance unintentionally and can add some cool attributes to your scene. Take this shot for example:

HDR Image (5 source images)

I shot this on my first true HDR project at the tail-end of December 2008 in Ocotillo, CA - I was really taken by this old house – it was abandoned and weathered – I liked the color and contrast – the peeling paint, the rough wood, the sun-bleached drapes. Once I got the images back home and began processing for HDR I noticed the perfect triangles in the photo. Not only in the shadows and structure but the sky! So cool! As you view the image from top to bottom you go from blue to gray to white…natural progression as you are drawn into the image. This is one of the things I love about photography…just seeing that house was cool – capturing it for the colors and contrast was even better but processing with HDR and seeing the nuggets of geometry and harmony in lines and color is just AWESOME! I’m still working on my technique but this sure was a fun shot and I was very happy with the multi-faceted features and dimensions of the image.

Final image was created using Dynamic Photo HDR – I merged 5 images (+2, +1, 0, -1, -3 EV) and used the “eye-catching” profile in the software. I aligned and adjusted curves slightly. I used multiple exposures and HDR post-processing as this was shot in glaring late morning light – HDR gave me that blue sky, great shadow depth and detail in the concrete and wood. Sequence photos (source) are in the gallery below.

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Ghosting & HDR

Jarrod — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:48:20 +0000

Ghosting is the result of items in your scene moving while capturing a series of images (between shots). In some cases it can be a good thing – like with water. But with clouds, plants/trees and people, it can create a sloppy and unwanted look in your photo. Here’s an example of how ghosting created some sloppiness/haze in a shot I composed over New Year’s using three different shots:

Example of Ghosting

You can see that the Creosote bush in the left-foreground has haze around the branches. That is essentially the wind moving the branches between frames – not good. If it weren’t for the ghosting it would have been a pretty good shot. So how do you prevent it? How do you fix it?

Well, to prevent it you have a few options. For starters, don’t shoot on very windy days like I did Next use rapid framing – most D-SLRs support the ability to take a series of shots using auto-braketing in quick succession – therefore reducing the amount of time between shots. Another way is to use a cable release so you aren’t manually depressing the shutter-button. Even that can cause minute shake that will be noticeable in images from shot to shot that are eventually combined. As far as fixing: some HDR programs like Photomatix have ghosting correction so you can correct it in your post-processing. But, remember, as Mark Menditto told me, “The more you do in camera, the less there’s for post [-processing]” – wise words from a wise man! These simple tricks can help stabilize your shooting platform and your in-camera workflow so you can get the best shots for the time you spend on your project.

Thanks for reading…I hope to be able to start a new Project soon and incorporate all I’ve learned from various sources in the past week. I’ll be making a trek to the White Tank Mountains in the evening to get dramatic sunset shots as well as get material for more HDR work. Stay tuned!

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Snow In Arizona?

Jarrod — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:20:08 +0000

Being from Southern California and now living in Arizona, Snow is a novelty to me. It’s something I’ve been exposed to before but I certainly like being able to leave it behind. Not only is snow fun to play in (especially now that I have three young kids), but it also opens the door to an entirely new subject with respect to photography. I’ve not done any serious work using snow or ice as subject matter but last winter, my family and I visited my Grandparents at their vacation spot in Pinetop, AZ just out of Showlow. Most pictures I took were snapshots of the kids in the snow and of family – nothing worth posting here but certainly worth having on the family site for family and friends (and us) to relive this special time. I was reviewing a few of the shots I had taken last year and a few caught my eye. They weren’t great shots and needed some oomph – so I figured I’d tone map them. Essentially single image HDR.

I loved the juxtaposition of the ice and the Rock – the water beneath the ice looks like glass and the resulting reflection draws you in.

I love the stark contrast of the red wagon and the white snow. The wheel adds some great shape and complexity to the scene as well.

These images are a perfect example of why I love photography as well as the HDR process. Taking everyday items and surroundings and giving them the proper presentation to solicit and invoke interest and emotion.

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HDR Introduction

Jarrod — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:50:36 +0000

I became aware of the HDR technique in July of 2008 when freelance photographer, Mark Menditto (mendittophoto.com) shared some of his HDR shots from New York. They were stunning. My main complaint with respect to my shots was that I couldn’t get vivid enough shots…I was taking OK pictures but exposure and detail just never seemed to be there. I shoot primarily outdoors – wildlife, landscapes and architecture. In those conditions I always battled with under/over exposure and lighting. I have a Nikon D70 so it’s not like I was lacking in equipment. Once I saw HDR I knew I was hooked. I soon learned it was more of a work flow and it was the merging of good photography form and technique (proper ISO, framing, composition, etc…) and the process by which a series of images with variance in EV (+/-) become one HDR image. I played a little with some Demo tone mapping programs and created some tone mapped images (from one exposure). They turned out pretty well. But I wanted to do the real thing.

In December of 2008 I rekindled my quest to master HDR by purchasing a good book and a great HDR program. I spent a few weeks reading, researching and experimenting. I got the fundamentals under my belt by understanding the Exposure Variance capabilities of my camera. I can bracket using a specific program that alters EV or I can manually step up or down as necessary and now know how useful the histogram is! I was able to create some true HDR images at the tail-end of 2008 and I was very happy with the results….here’s an example:

Here are my source images:

-3.0 EV (Properly Expose Sky)

0.0 EV (Standard Exposure for mid-tones)

+3.0 EV (Expose Foreground)

And here is the finished product (Merged the 3 images, aligned and tone mapped).

I could have been more aggressive in the tone mapping but I like to retain some degree of realism. Note also that it was windy this day so I have a little ghosting in the shot as the bushes moved in the wind between frames.

I really consider HDR the reason I fell back in love with photography. With the endless possibilities of subjects, EV combinations, Flash altering, etc…, I think I have a creative outlet for the rest of my life. For reference here is the book I purchased and the software I use:

Complete Guide to HDR Digital Photography

Dynamic Photo HDR Software

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Tone Mapping Single Image (HDR) – My introduction to this technique

Jarrod — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:25:35 +0000

These images are simply tone mapped. They are not multiple exposures using +/- EV settings. So, it’s very simple HDR – but, HDR nonetheless as I was able to capture the full dynamic range of the scene in one exposure. As I learn more about the histogram and full DR of each scene, my later work is more advanced. I didn’t have a tripod for any of these shots and they are tone mapped using a single exposure as the source.

Taken in Ramona, CA – as you can see by the “noise”, the ISO was too high. I’ve gotten better at this

Another Ramona, CA dragonfly…they sure are pretty!

I took this in Singapore in 2006 – I love this shot….the motion is very cool!

This was taken at the Safford Cemetery in Arizona – My Great Great Grandparents are buried here. The tone mapping just brought the sky to life…awesome!

These images below were taken on Mt. Graham and at Roper Lake. All taken on the same trip.

And this one is taken in Ocotillo, CA – Simply a rock but when tone mapped, the rock springs out and the sky erupts with life!

So there you have it – my first exposure to HDR (tone mapping single exposure). I was hooked after this. I did review a great post on the process of using one image and tone-mapping to created HDR….you don’t always need multiple images representing the same scene with +/- EV.

From “Before the Coffee” Blog:

1. I often see posts that say “tone mapping a single image is not true HDR.”

Our primary goal as a photographer is not to capture HDR image sets with little thought about the scene. But through scene awareness we should concentrate on capturing the FULL dynamic range of the scene. It may take 3, 5, 7, or 9 images OR it may take just 1 image.

Single image tone mapping is not an inferior technique to the full blown HDR process when the single image captures the full dynamic range.

So where is the going? Process the full image set to HDR but also try to process a single image in the set. Choose the image based on the histograms and what areas of the image are important. I like to take 5 images at 1EV spacing so I have more options to chose from. There is one thing for sure, when you tone map a single image, ghosting and alignment issues will never be a problem.

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Disneyland at Night

Jarrod — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 05:42:40 +0000

One of the things I like to do is take pictures at night. I love the soft tones of streetlights and such coupled with the smoothness of a low ISO – not to mention the challenge of working with low-light and long shutter speeds. It just so happened I took the family to Disneyland at the tail-end of 2008. I have three boys ages 5, 2 and 1 so not a lot of time for artistic shots. However, on the night of the first night we were there I was alone with the camera and I found some interesting things to shoot. I didn’t have a tripod but that wasn’t a problem…sometimes all you need is a stationary object to plant the camera on. So, here is what I was able to capture. Buildings at night…nothing quite like it

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The Beauty of Buildings

Jarrod — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:13:26 +0000

One of the things I like most about photography is that is allows us to look at every day things differently. Sometimes stopping by something we see every day or consider ordinary and looking at it through the view finder can yield surprising results. Take buildings for example. Most of us take them for granted…we see them every day and are too busy to notice them. But, if we stop and look closely the true beauty starts to come out. Architectual patterns, details as well as structure/design become apparent. Couple that with time of day and you set the stage for dramatic shots. Have a look at these I shot in Singapore, San Antonio and here in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Cycling Action is Hard to Capture

Jarrod — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:22:16 +0000

When I’m not racing I am usually behind the view finder. I don’t get too many opportunities to shoot races since I’m in most of them. But, in 2008 I stuck around after a few races after mine were over to work on my panning and action photography. I still have a lot to work on but at least these show where I’m headed. I love the motion in the pictures…it really captures the power and speed. This is probably my weakest point in photography so I’ll be working hard on it in 2009.

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Nature and Still Life

Jarrod — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:28:19 +0000

Here is proof you don’t have to be in exotic locales to get interesting shots and subject matter. In this gallery, I have shots from my Grandparents house in Ramona (3 acres of rural country) as well as some shots from around Ocotillo in the Anza Borrego Desert of CA. These were taken in my first few years of photography so you can see I was still learning. The coolest thing about these shots is they take every day, ordinary things and turn them into captivating images. Enjoy!

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