Cloudy Seascapes
Early on a recent afternoon in Pacific Grove, I saw a striking pattern of cirrus clouds over the ocean, so I grabbed my camera and headed to Ocean View Blvd. to look for a foreground. I knew about this gazebo, so I headed there first. I then walked a short distance to this spot overlooking […]
Street Portraits on Fisherman’s Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey is for tourists—lots of seafood restaurants with barkers outside, T-shirt shops, candy stores. There are also local musicians who hang out there, and other street vendors. On a sunny day last week (which can be rare), I went to look for some photos. I had my Rolleiflex hanging around my neck. […]
Finding a Theme—Accidentally
On a recent visit to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), I took my camera, not really expecting to shoot much. Once inside, I took a few photos of the artwork, then of people and artwork, and then realized that, without looking for one, I’d found a theme. Standing at the far end […]
Photographing on the Monterey Peninsula
I’m spending a lot of time in Monterey and Pacific Grove. There are lots of good subjects there, and I’ve been capturing them on film, in black and white, and making prints in the darkroom. What I haven’t been doing is scanning the negatives, so I finally got around to that today and scanned several […]
Going Analog
I’m shooting black and white film almost exclusively nowadays, and processing and printing it in the darkroom. I find the hands-on craft of it more rewarding than digital. Here are several recent portraits shot on film. I do have to scan my negatives to be able to post photos on this site, so these images […]
Clouds Again—But Different
Whenever I see lots of clouds in the sky above the reservoir near my home, I grab my camera loaded with black and white film and my orange and red filters, and go looking for compositions. This past week, the type of clouds were not the usual post-storm cumulus, but cirrus, high and wispy. Here […]
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, […]