It’s always great to check out other photographer’s blogs or websites for inspiration and ideas that I can use in my own practice. I recently saw a link to these family portraits on Facebook and I couldn’t stop looking at the photos! It gives me inspiration to let my creativity flow and force my daughter to be my muse. OK, she may be more helpful once she can stand up on her own, but then I’m putting her to work! This Bay Area photographer, Jason Lee, uses the power of portraiture as a way for his two daughters to stay in touch with their ill grandmother. Apparently his girls help him come up with the wacky ideas for these unique and witty family portraits and have a blast doing so! I love them all, but really adore the bubble bath and sledding photos. Take a look, I promise you will love them.
I’ve always had a serious travel bug–my favorite sound in the entire world is having my passport stamped– and I have been feeling a little home-bound lately thanks to my darling one year old. This often leads me to daydream about recent adventures, and this image has been my desktop wallpaper for the past week. Today’s photo comes from an amazing trip to a water camp on the Okavanga Delta in the Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana. Baines Camp is constructed entirely out of tin cans and local wood. The camp teams up with a local guy (a Boston transplant actually), who spent several years training elephants at zoos or for movie appearances. Over 20 years ago, he adopted 3 elephants that had been orphaned due to culling operations and settled with them on a farm in Botswana. Because they have been raised by humans since they were babies, we were able to get up close and walk with these truly incredible animals. It can be hard to capture their sheer size on film, but I think this detail shot (not using much of a zoom lens, just framing what was close to me) of Jabu gives an idea of their size and beauty…just look at those eyelashes and the rough detail of his ear. Get out there and explore…Happy Friday!
Jabu, Botswana, 2010
Today’s image comes from one of my all time favorite spots, in one of the coolest modes of transportation. Can you guess where I photographed this lovely azure sky?
1. On this day trip, I needed my passport.
2. In July, there is still snow on parts of the 48 mile main road through this National Park (which just celebrated its 100th birthday.)
3. This image was taken from something built in the 1930’s- and it still runs today.
4. The sky gets a lot of press in this part of the world.
Post your guesses and I’ll post the reveal by the end of the day.
Happy Friday the 13th (the 2nd out of 3 this year!)
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Excellent guesses! And the answer is…
Red Jammer, Glacier National Park, Montana, 2010
The view is from the seat of a famous Red Jammer, the cool buses that operate in Glacier NP and Waterton Lakes NP (just over the Canadian border). Each 25 foot long bus cozily seats 17 and the canvas top can be rolled back (quite a lengthy process) to reveal this framework on the roof line. I took this on a chilly August day during a trip with my mom, which included traveling on the famous Going to the Sun Road and crossing into Canada for high tea at the famous Prince of Wales Hotel. Everyone was huddled under blankets but happy to be cruising the park under a gorgeous sky. It’s hard to explain, but you can’t stop staring at the sky in Montana- it feels twice as big as anywhere else that I have visited. I attended photography school in Montana, and I’d highly recommend a trip to Missoula, Flathead Lake, and Glacier National Park if you are looking for a great adventure in a pristine, jaw-dropping spot. Here are a few snaps:
The field of photography is always changing. Just when you’ve conquered Lightroom 3, they come out with 4.0…and so on. So it’s important to keep learning, adjusting, and adding new skills. This week I’ve been tuning in to a webinar, The Fundamentals of Photography, hosted by John Greengo and Creative Live. It included 4 full days of classes that cover things I haven’t thought about in ages– depth of field charts, analyzing histograms, and so on. It’s always good to brush up on basics and learn new techniques from other photographers. The accessibility is also incredible- viewers sent live questions from all over the globe in real time. Someone in Holland was watching in the middle of the night and sending in questions! The videos can be streamed live on an i-pad or computer. Each evening, the videos and downloadable pdf’s of handouts for each different section are posted and available for purchase. Pretty cool. It only proves that you never stop learning. I can’t wait to tune in over the coming months for tips on post-wedding workflow, lighting, and marketing!
I’m not usually a huge fan of photographing flowers. But walking around New York right now you can’t help but stare up and smile at these signs of spring. I photographed this branch yesterday afternoon at the always gorgeous Riverside Park, where a stunning mix of pink, white, and purple trees frame meandering pathways. Upon first glance I thought this image was too busy. But then it started to grow on me- the different layers, the bend of the branches, the spring sky…I’m a sucker for the change of seasons. Happy Friday!
Bursting Branch, Riverside Park, New York City, April 2012
Is this from Denali?
Lake Louise?
On the bus from Glacier to Waterton Lake National Park?
Totally forgot about thoses buses! I miss Montana more than usual lately. Thanks for the reminder. And great shot!
What a great memory Sarah and beautiful shots! I am ready to go back and visit. Nice shots to reminisce!