Christmas Season Photos

Get out your cameras. It is a great time of year for all types of photography. Have you tried night photos in the colorful lights of your city? If you take your photos around twilight time the camera meter will probably work well with no special adjustments.

Then there is always the trees. Try getting in close to catch the wonder of all the lights and colorful ornaments.

Then there is always the fun of capturing blurred backgrounds behind an in-focus foreground. Smoothly blurred backgrounds in photography are called "bokeh" a term derived from Japanese.

Of course everyone will have the cameras out for Christmas gatherings with families. Be prepared for once-in-a-lifetime shots as children and adults enjoy this wondrous season. For more of my photography and blog entries visit www.danwrayphoto.com.

Time to Vote!

I voted. Have you?

Local Artists

The Falling Rivers Gallery on Main street in Albemarle has been described as a hidden treasure in this region. Among its attractions are the inexpensive art classes offered by participating artists in the Gallery. This week I photographed a class taught by visual artist Vicki Galloway. The class is called "One Stroke" and it provides beginning painters with the opportunity to learn basic strokes for things like flowers and leaves.

If you might be interested in an art class some time, contact the Falling Rivers Gallery and get on their contact list. They can be reached by phone at 704.983.4278 or email at 
fallingriversgallery@yahoo.com

Get out and about with your camera while you can. The Fall season is a great time to explore and record your experiences.

Catch the Fever

Well "The Hunger Games" is just about all my younger teen talks about these days. The DVD is now out and WalMart has already sold out of them. Now there is an abundance of Hunger Games stuff that one can buy. So if you need a current photo project how about capturing some of the Hunger Games action. There is an art contest about to start about the book and movie but photography is not allowed, unfortunately. But nevertheless, the photographer can look for opportunities to capture some of the hype and enthusiasm. Here is an example, my daughter with a Mockingjay pin on her favorite hat.

Feel free to contact me with photographic questions or suggestions at: dansphotophile@hotmail.com, or visit my web site at www.danwrayphoto.com

Taking a Break

Two men take a well deserved break behind the Off the Square restaurant in Albemarle. This happens to be right outside the door of the Falling Rivers Gallery where I was on duty that day. Always keep a camera handy if you want to document local life.

Email me at dansphotophile@hotmail.com, or visit my web site: http://www.danwrayphoto.com

There's Just Something About Fog

I have been fairly active on Flickr lately. It is fun to post photos and join groups. The huge volume of pictures on Flickr is overwhelming, some excellent and some just vanilla. Recently I posted a photo that I took years ago while on a trip in Maine. It was taken on slide film so I converted it to digital by scanning the slide. The scene was one that might not have gotten any attention were it not for fog. The whole valley and road in the scene was overlaid with a gentle, but not too dense fog. After posting the picture, which I converted to Black and White, I noticed it got some attention and good comments. Then I started noticing that a lot of photos with the atmosphere provided by fog were getting attention. Then I noticed that my daughter grabbed a rather pedestrian shot I took on a local country road and used it for a screen shot on one of our computers. Again it is fog that makes the difference, as you can see below. Photographs need something to create a feeling, a story, an atmosphere, and for some pictures fog is the ticket. If I can, I try to get out with the camera whenever there is fog. Most of the time that means having the camera with me as I travel. As I have said before in this blog, it pays to keep a camera with you as much as possible. 

 

 

Write me with questions or comments at dansphotophile@hotmail.com, or visit my web page at www.danwrayphoto.com or search DanWr on Flickr.

Seeking Fresh Inspiration

Sometimes we go long periods without picking up the camera. We don't feel inspired. We experience a dry spell. I am speaking to those who use their camera for more than just record keeping, and family memories. There are various ways to rekindle interest in photography, but I am going to suggest just one. Start a photo project. A photography project can be anything that interests you. It can be about the special people in your life, or some organization you belong to, or an issue that matters to you. It can be about living things or non-living things. One summer some years ago I needed a project so I decided to photograph the entire life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly. It took me two or three months to complete the project but it was most satisfying, and a great learning experience. Here is an example of some of the photos in that project.

Do you have questions, or a photographic topic you would like to hear about? Contact me at: dansphotophile@hotmail.com