Posts Tagged ‘photo’
Slow Fishing
A few weeks ago I took BabyGirl up to Lake Isabella for a Father/Daughter Camping and Fishing weekend with some friends from school. We camped along the shores of the Kern River and participated in the annual Lake Isabella Fishing Derby. Despite our best efforts, the fish just weren’t biting in our little corner of the lake. Although BabyGirl did get one fish almost ashore before it shook free. The only good part of a slow fishing day is that there’s plenty of time to shoot photos!
To view the entire gallery, use the password, “Isabella”.
Desert VW
A few months ago I was introduced to the night photography of Troy Paiva. He has spent years photographing old cars, airplanes, and abandoned building across the American Southwest. What makes each photograph come alive is the use of light painting. I was struck with the beauty and power of his work and decided to try out some of his techniques.
I travelled to Ocotillo Wells on a moonlit night, where I knew that my brother-in-law had an old VW van on his property. I set up my Nikon D300s for ISO 200, f/16, in bulb mode. Using a remote trigger, I opened the shutter for approximately 2 minutes. During this time I walked into the frame, opened the passenger door and manually fired my red-gelled SB-600 5 times throughout the van’s interior. I then shined an LED flashlight on each headlight for a three-count. Finally, I painted the driver’s side of the van with the flashlight to eliminate a shadow that was being thrown by a nearby RV.
The light over the horizon was not caused by a recent sunset (it was 10:30pm). That is light pollution from Borrego Springs and Palm Springs behind that.
Photo: “Who Can Restrain Pleiades or Know the Laws of the Heavenlies?”
Lately I’ve been inspired by the night photography of Troy Paiva, David Petty, and others. It’s amazing the effects that you can get with a long exposure and some simple lighting. This photo is a simple long exposure (30 seconds), using the ambient light from a nearby building to light the cross. And yes, for you fans of late 80′s, early 90′s prog rock, the title is from the King’s X song, “Pleiades”, from the Gretchen Goes to Nebraska album.
I’ll be sharing more more night photos here on johnwkillinger.com as I continue to explore the possibilities. I plan to shoot in the desert a few times this winter and spring and can’t wait to see the results.
New Photo: Welcome to Dana Point!
One of the things that I love about night photography is the ability to add a sense of motion and excitement to what is by all accounts, a still medium. The solid, motionless bridge stands in contrast to the flurry of cars as they literally streak by, leaving nothing more than the trails made by their headlights or tail lights to mark that they were ever even there. This was accomplished by placing the camera on a tripod and opening the shutter for 4 seconds (at f/11).
Happy Birthday BabyGirl!
BabyGirl celebrated her birthday at the beach. It was too breezy to light the candles, but we went through with the singing and “blowing out the candles” anyway. Thanks to all the friends and family who made it a fantastic party!
Photo Tip: Shooting Fireworks–Know from Whence the Wind Blows
There are a lot of great posts out there that discuss the tips and tricks of shooting fireworks shows, especially around July 4. Most discuss aperture, shutter and ISO settings (I prefer F/11, 4 seconds, ISO 250). These are all great, but one point can be easily overlooked, as I discovered to my dismay this past Independence Day: wind direction.
In an effort to enjoy the day personally (in contrast to obsessing over the perfect shot all day), I chose my shooting location based on convenience: both to its proximity to the party I attended earlier in the evening, and to my desire to not fight traffic and the throngs of people who would be gathered near the launch site itself. I “compensated” for this convenience by making sure that my camera settings were dialed in before arriving, and bringing lenses of various size and focal lengths. There was just one problem…
