Life's a Beach - And a Bitch

Look | Sensory Inspiration

If I am at the beach I am in the water.  Even if the temperature is, well, overly refreshing.

Beach Fences

The cold water shock followed by hot sun warming set my vision alive.

The View From Here

What's right with this picture?  I am at the beach... working!  Nothing like shooting first person stock photography. The image title comes from the name of my photo-consultant friend Selina Maitreya's audio business guide for photographers.

Chillin

Lifeguards Kevin Aufiero and Brendan Adams survey Duxbury (Mass.) Beach.  As I endeavored to fill my frame with storytelling details, I thought of two photographer friends, both facing the death of family members.  As I strained to compose so that Mr. Aufiero's nose crested the horizon line, salty tears rolled down my salty cheeks.  And as I shot a burst of frames to catch sunbathers walking up the ramp, I dedicated this image to my grieving photo buddies.

Tech Tips: Nikon D700, 24-70mm, ISO 200. Beach Fences is an in-camera multiple exposure treated with Topaz Adjust, a plug-in for Photoshop CS4.  ©2010 John Nordell

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Adventures in Location Lighting: Photo Studio in a Car

Create | Bring Into Being

The remains of life had been accumulating on the dashboard of my car.

Delicate Seed

A dandelion puff, a mussel shell, a dried pea pod, sunflower seeds, burrs, a maple seed and a butterfly's wing formed the collection.

Fractal Wings

The day before this shoot, late light raked through my car's interior giving the items glow.  I had the light, but not the time.

Dashboard Diffusion

The next morning, I drove my car around an empty parking lot, angling it just so to mimic the light I had seen the evening before. I used a paper napkin to diffuse direct sunlight coming in from the right.

Like a Shell and Seeds on a Pod

 Placing these items on my pant leg added just the right background texture.

Inside Looking Through

Light is the currency of photography.  A little napkin helped me get paid.

Tech Tips: Nikon D700, 60mm 2.8 Micro Nikkor, ISO from 200-800.  With Fractal Wings I used the following technique:  Try removing your lens (best is a fixed focal length), set the aperture to wide open, hold lens close to the camera, experiment with angling the lens slightly and use shutter speed for proper exposure. ©2010 John Nordell

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A Visit with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh plus Mistakes are Gifts

Look | Sensory Inspiration

Seated on my left,  Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh is doing calligraphy.  To my right, a Buddhist nun is pointing out the window and saying: "Look deeply at that blue sky.  Have you ever really looked at a blue sky?"  I follow her instructions.  Man, the sky looks blue!  Talk about present moment awareness.

Green Chakra

I encountered the meditation master and his followers 8 years ago on assignment at a monastery in Woodstock, Vt.  Photographing this week, the experience still resonated deeply as I stood on a bridge spanning the Connecticut River, surrounded by blue sky, blue water, green trees and green bridge superstructure.  New Hampshire on one side.  Vermont on the other.

I suggest taking several deep breaths and looking at the blue sky.

Spanning and Connecting

While digitally processing this multiple exposure of the bridge and Brattleboro's brick buildings and spires, I simplified the image elements.  The trees and their river reflections thrilled me as I felt they echoed the serenity that emanates from the paintings of my friend Julia Purinton.

Feeling fully alive and fully in the moment - two key ingredients for creative exploration - I decided that instead of layering multiples exposures on top of each other, I would layer three exposures, but selectively block portions of each frame with my fingers.

I Am Sun

In my excitement, I forgot to set my camera to layer the shots, so I ended up with three distinct images, rather than one comprised of three overlapping planes.  I assembled the result in this triptych. See it larger.

This error opened a new way seeing for me.  I explored it.

Breakthrough

I treasure the encounters photography has brought into my life.  I stay connected to Thich Nhat Hanh's calming influence with one of his books:  Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Every Day Life.

TechTalk: Nikon D700, 24-70mm, ISO 200. Spanning and Connecting is an in-camera multiple exposure treated with Topaz Adjust, a plug-in for Photoshop CS4. The assembled images were shot at 1/25 sec and f22 while I shook the camera. ©2010 John Nordell

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Ever Wonder What it is Like Being a Zoo Animal?

Enjoy | Delight in Life

One of my stock agency editors asked for travel images.  Kids at landmarks with cameras.  Found this shot at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, MA.

Tiger Hunting

"What a picture! Oh, that is perfect." A gorilla is right up by the exhibit's glass and am I trying to concentrate on taking a picture while this cameraless guy behind me yaks to the world at large.  "That is going to be great. What a picture. What a situation! It is perfect!"

Looking at Self

Peacocks strut free around the zoo as if they own it.

Peacock

This one stood still as I got close and overlapped multiple exposures.

Spiked Zoo Gate

Making the most of flat light and a gray sky, I intentionally overexposed the image and converted it to black and white to achieve this look.

I wonder what it is like looking out from behind the bars, studying gawking human specimens.

I also wonder about human similarities with zoo animals, how we can be caged by our preconceptions of others, for example, or let fears shutter our creativity. 

Do you see any connections?

TechTalk: Nikon D700, 24-70mm, ISO range 160-320. Peacock is an in-camera multiple exposure treated with Topaz Adjust, a plug-in for Photoshop. Grayscale conversions in Lightroom. ©2010 John Nordell

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