Playing with Light

Sometimes it's just fun to go play around with flashes and capture one of John's pieces. We set the recently completed sculpture of fish outside on one of his work tables. I then set up individual flashes around it, adjusting each one independently in order to highlight various aspects of the shape. I believe we worked for only about an hour, as is usual. It just feels good to simply play around and be creative.

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Sun Blinded

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Sometimes it's nice to just go photograph something, anything, just for the sake of doing so. ​These short, one hour shoots I do with Center Ground Studios really help loosen me up a bit. Today's challenge was to quickly capture the scene in very harsh lighting but still be able to see the details. I couldn't even see my LCD screen so everything was just set up on intuition. Is it perfect? Nope. I see how I could have made it better but that's not the point. It's the same as spending time in the gym, or out on the mats training in martial arts. The repetition helps hone my skill. I'm not getting rich doing it, but it fulfills me. I'm coming to realize I'm terrible at business because my desire to create drives me to do just that, create, whether or not I get paid.

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Tiny Ninja

Yesterday I had a fun shoot at Infusion Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness. For about an hour I captured images of the tiniest of warriors as she had fun. I wish every photo session were as much straight forward fun.

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Slippery Rock Creek

Just one week or so ago we were playing along the shore of my favorite section of stream in the entire world. I have to admit I'm already missing it. While I've been going here for nearly 40 years there was a very intensive period in my 20's when I was along this section at least once/week, if not more, for two years. No matter the weather, from icy wet rains to super humid summer days I'd fish this section. While a lot of "chubs" were often caught I pulled a fair number of trout and small mouth bass from the water. I know all the best little nooks and crannies where they like to lurk, waiting for food to travel downstream. There are times I miss fishing, but it's the stream itself I truly wish to be near.

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The Kid

My wife's been away on business having left the very next morning after our vacation (which really sucks but it's our life). This has meant the kid an I have been spending a lot of time together. Although I shot this at the Carnegie Museum of Art while we were in Pittsburgh, it captures what I have to say about being with her. Being her father is the simply the most amazing thing I have ever done. Last night after dinner we spent a good bit of time outside. First we played tennis in the driveway, hitting balls off the closed garage door. She then scootered while I walked and we went to the playground at the schoolyard about 1/4 of mile from here. After that we watched a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode, "Manos: The Hands of Fate" while she took a bath and I just relaxed. As I sent her off to school she was shuffling around like the crazed Torgo. She's just such a clown! I'm a very lucky man.

Isn't It Flat Out There?

It felt good to get back to some of my routine after having been gone. A good friend of mine lives about an hour northwest of me. He's a brand new father, doing the daddy daycare since he works at night. His Brown Belt test in BJJ is coming up soon so I have been going to his home training room to act as an "Uke." In other words, a practice dummy.

As I drove home I found myself winding along the ridges of the Driftless. I stopped to take this photo of Blue Mound State Park from the west. I cannot think of a better way to answer the common question I get when back in Pennsylvania, "Isn't it flat out there?"

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Trail Through the Clouds

With an elevation of around 2,700' (835m) the Laurel Summit rises like a wall running North-South. The clouds bunch along the ridge line, shrouding us in mist. The continuous sound of dripping water from the trees into the many standing, tannin stained pools tattoo out a rhythm. The soft, diffused light emphasizes the vibrant greens of the many mosses that cling to the trees and line the trail. They muffle our steps so we can hear the tiniest of birds as they flitter through the damp forest winds.

#laurelsummit #laurelhighlands #wolfrocks #forbesstatepark #highlands #hikinginclouds #forest #naturalpennsylvania #wildernessculture #outdoorlife #getoutside #liveoutdoors #getoutstayout #getoutthere #naturelover #lifeoutdoors #optoutside #loveoutdoors #outdoorsy #outdoors #nature_perfection #scenicpa #travelpa #explorepa #theoutbound #ventureout #in2nature #thegreatoutdoors #naturewalk #getoutdoors