I’m a big gear head. Ask anybody who knows me. A few years ago it was drones, but that’s just not enough anymore (at least in terms what my gear can do for me). There’s always going to be the creative intuition that one has to have to separate themselves from competition and at that point EQUIPMENT DOESN’T MATTER. The motivating factor behind getting new gear should be to take advantage of features/capabilities that your current gear can’t provide. Well, absolutely none of my gear could do this! I’m just gonna leave it there and let it speak for itself.
architecture
Bicentennial
One of my assignments today for The Winchester Star was to shoot an open house type event for a big farm in Clarke County. I got there and all I wanted to do was shoot the house itself! You can’t send a real estate photographer (that appears to be my calling these days) to an event at a 200-year-old farm house and expect him to avoid shooting the farmhouse, right?! What an awesome place. They’re celebrating all year – check it out one weekend.
My assignment wasn’t to shoot the house itself so I didn’t have the proper tools with me, but this scene just jumped out at me. What an awesome little reaading nook in the basement at the bottom of the stairs.
Point of View
One of the first things I try to instill in my photography students is to change up the stereotypical way that they take a photograph. Most people view the world from essentially the same vantage point, but as a photographer you need to break that mold of seeing “as usual.” Some of the most interesting images (at least IMHO) are ones that take full advantage of a different point of view. Go ahead, take that picture you were going to take from the standard photography stance (standing, feet slightly wider than shoulder width with one in front of the other for more stability, camera level, SNAP!). Now that the obligatory image is out of the way, move around and get into some unconventional positions and take the more interesting images. It’s always cool to see a familiar scene from a different point of view, isn’t it?
The flagship buidling of the Handley Reginoal Library in Winchester, VA
Hmmm…
I Took the opportunity to shoot a little bit while I was at The Handley Library this evening. It’s been a while since I shot there and I’ve been meaning to get back and do it properly.
Things that make you go “hmmm…” | Order a print of this image.
PMS
That’s my high school. No, not PMS, the school in the images. Although it IS now called Wilbur S Pence Middle School. Local folks call it Pence – Pence Middle School. Fun, huh?
I graduated with the class that was the last to attend all four years in this building. Coincidentally, my mom graduated in the class that was the first to attend all four years in this building. Cool.
Graduation
Just over 50 days until we’re done with high school as a family. Wow, that’s going to be a big piece of the puzzle that’s missing. Moving on to act II and getting ever so close to that empty nest!
How many different ways can I shoot this iconic cupola? I’m determined to find out.
Wicked
Gotta get back into shooting every day. Slacker! <— Spoken in the best Principal Strickland voice you can muster.
I haven’t been consistent with my shooting these days and since I’m pretty much back to normal here at Cedarmeade Studios, I’m making that my goal moving forward. I may not post every day, but I’m going to shoot every day which will inevitably lead to posting more. At least that’s what I’m hoping.
Is that the “something wicked” that’s coming this way? | Order a print of this image.
Compression
Before anybody gets too upset, the camera was really nowhere near the cupola. Photographers use compression all the time – it’s what makes objects in z-space look so much closer than they really are. A longer lens will make the objects’ relative size so drastically different and they appear closer to each other. I was using a 400mm lens (which, on my crop frame camera is essentially a 640mm lens). I was probably 40-50 meters away from it.
I always err on the side of caution. I quickly grabbed this shot and then got the heck out of there.
It’s Not OK!
We devote an enormous amount of time and effort to improve our craft. To develop our own style. To create art. We put ourselves out there, sometimes in very vulnerable situations.
When I say “we” I mean Creatives – anybody who creates. It could be paintings. Perhaps videos. How about crafts or wood carvings? For me, it’s photography.
And those “vulnerable” situations I mentioned have everything to do with this phenomenon called the interwebs. Internets. The internet folks.
For most Creatives, their art is their main source of income. It’s a business. It’s a job and a career. It was a choice. IT’S NO OK, PEOPLE, TO EXPECT US TO ALWAYS GIVE IT AWAY FOR FREE! You don’t expect to walk into your local grocery store/pharmacy/department store and walk out without paying do you? Why is it any different with photography? IT’S NOT. I’ll continue to consider freebies and I’ll make decisions based on my own business model and expectations at the time, but don’t get upset if I come right back at you with a link to purchase a commercial license to use my work.
The experts say that you need to have a web presence these days. A social media presence. Ok. Done. That opens up a can of worms doesn’t it? So how do I keep people from taking my images and sharing them elsewhere? There’s no way you can catch everything. It’s a pretty vulnerable situation indeed. Here’s my thinking:
- I post an image to a social media platform (an actual image, not a link) – I expect people to share it if the desire hits them. That’s the way it works.
- I post an actual image to my blog (here at cedarmeadestudios.com) – I expect people to “like” it or share it. That’s the way it works. By the way, all the images on this site are posted with a Creative Commons License.
- I post an image to my online galleries (cedarmeadestudios.smugmug.com) – I expect people to purchase those images if the desire hits. It’s an online store people. This screen grabbing has got to stop. IT’S NOT OK! Just because an image is on the internet does not mean it’s “up for grabs.” IT’S NOT OK. Did I mention that already. Technically it’s stealing.
Like I said, I can’t catch everything. It’s impossible. I have, however, discovered multiple issues where an image of mine is being used (one from my online galleries) and I have no record of it being purchased. That’s stealing people. IT’S NOT OK!
But the latest issue (the impetus behind this post) has really got me heated. Angry. Downright pissed off! And I’ll be addressing the issue with the guilty party. I’m hoping that it’ll be a simple “Oh wow, I’m so sorry.” but I feel this goes beyond “simple.” Who knows, maybe this person will approach me after I post this – we’ll see.
I discovered one of my online gallery images imbedded in a Twitter feed. I have no record of it being purchased. And credit was given to someone else for having created it! WTF?!
IT’S NOT OK!
I’ve steered clear of watermarks, but perhaps I’m on to something with this one. Maybe you’d like to order a print of this image – the actual image with no watermarks.
Recipe
Look through your fridge/pantry and find all the leftovers, open bags of unused veggies, miscellaneous cans of soup and meat that needs to be used soon and just throw it in the crock pot. Turn it on high and you’ve made yourself a meal, right? Yeah, I just did that with this photo. Ha!
By the way, I’d throw that meal out and order a pizza…
Historical
Gonna have an image on one of those historical plaques you always see near historical monuments and buildings. Cool.
This image will be on the historical plaque outside my church in Old Town Winchester, VA.
Split Tone
Ever wonder what the split toning can do in Lightroom? Scroll down to see the “before” image.
Pretty boring “before” image
Worthy
I took the new GoPro out tonight to determine if it’s worthy enough to be considered a decent camera in my photography tool box. I’ve made my decision. What do you think?
The “Beacon of Light” all decked out for the holidays. | Order a print of this image.
Broad Side
So is this the broad side of the barn that everybody’s always talking about? Guess I CAN hit it…
Graffiti
So it’s not graffiti. I thought it was something like a senior hallway that changes every year or something like that. Nope, it’s a wall of constellations. Yeah, look really closely. I always wondered what it was. And I’ve always wanted to take a photo of the cupola through the glass hallway. Here’s both – well, sort of…
The “bridge” at John Handley High School. | Order a print of this image.
Beacon of Light
Yep, that’s what they’re calling it.
It’s been a while since I actually shot something other than aerial. It felt creative.
Rise and Shine
This is how I started my day – actually about an hour and a half prior to this. Long day for me.
HLSB (Shenandoah University’s Health and Life Sciences Building). | Order a print of this image.
The English Channel
So we took a tour of Handley High School today. We, who have a child who is a current senior. We, who have a child who is a recent graduate. We took a tour of Handley today. It was sort of cool. A little weird, but cool.
We’re trying to get our daughter to start referring to the English hallway as the English Channel. We want to see if we can start something. A tradition of sorts. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.
One of the really cool “new” hallways on the tour of the school today.
Restoration
Originally opened in 1948 and involved in a recent overhaul and restoration since very early 2009, the Triangle Diner is just sitting there. For the longest time it was an eyesore of a construction zone, which surprises me because it’s extremely visible to the hundreds of thousands of visitors at the annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. It’d be cool if it were to open like their Facebook page has been saying since very early 2010. Can’t wait until it’s back – it’ll make for some great images. And I suppose it’d be a neat place to eat.
The Triangle Diner near Handley High School in Winchester, VA. | Order a print of this image.
Up
After a while, it becomes difficult to tell what’s up and what’s down. 219 steps to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
See a bigger version of this image.
Cedarmeade Studios 