Clouds as a Subject
After a storm passes and the rain stops, I almost always head out to photograph clouds. Shooting black and white film with an orange or red filter on the camera produces dark skies and white clouds—an effect I like. In composing, I make the sky two-thirds or more of the picture because, to me, the […]
Being Partly in Control
Professional portrait photographers control every aspect of a formal session, including location, background, light, pose, expression, clothes and more. I like the results they get, but I can’t do that when I photograph my granddaughters. It’s never an actual “portrait session” anyway; more of a half-minute opportunity to grab a shot before they move on. […]
Always Something on the Embarcadero
There are many areas in San Francisco that are always good for photography—the Mission, the Castro, Union Square, etc.—but for a combination of scenery and a range of activities, the Embarcadero is the best. I go there often and proceed to simply walk up and down, starting at the Ferry Building, and always find good […]
Film Likes Light
I read that piece of advice several times when I recently went back to shooting film. It’s true—when a subject is strongly lit, it’s easier to produce a black-and-white print with good contrast and details. So I’m attracted to subjects that are bright, especially if they’re surrounded by a darker background. Leaving Livermore last week, […]
France on Film
On a recent trip to France, I took my film camera and two lenses, a 35mm and a 50mm. That’s it. I bought some slow-speed, high-resolution black and white film in Paris and used that on the trip. I did also use my phone for some snapshots in color, but photographed all the scenes I […]
Rewards of Getting Out
I’ve gone to Lovers Point Park in Pacific Grove with my camera many times. It’s a photogenic spot with waves breaking on complex rock formations, a small swimming beach, surfers, and a lawn with twisted trees. Even if I don’t come across any unusual subjects, it’s worth a visit. This past visit, though, I did […]
Three “Portraits”
All three of these are portraits, more or less. The first is an environmental portrait of a fellow photographer at the seashore in Pacific Grove. Clearly a portrait, but he’s relatively small in the frame. This was taken with my medium-format film camera. This is a street portrait of two women selling cosmetics at an […]
R-Evolution Statue at Night
More than once, I’ve photographed the R-Evolution statue on the Embarcadero in front of the Ferry Building during the day. It’s a striking work of public art. I read that it’s illuminated at night, so I went into San Francisco on Saturday night well before nightfall to see what it looks like after dark. I […]
Skipping the Parade
I’ve photographed the Pride Parade in San Francisco many times, so I skipped it this year. But late in the afternoon, I decided to go into the city to do some street photography. The parade was long over, and most of the crowd was gone. I wandered around City Center with my film camera and […]
Unposed Portraits
I like to photograph my granddaughters, but asking them to pose is almost always a mistake. They’re too young to understand the concept of posing, so the posed portraits I get aren’t what I’m looking for. My family was at a cabin recently where there was a covered porch with good light and a plain […]