Austin, Texas: Night

I always want to do more night photography. Living in a small city, there’s not a lot of opportunity to grab night images like I’d like to.

Thanks to Austin, however, I had a great chance to tour around a decent-sized city to capture light, shadow, and color. My co-worker and I also stumbled on a commercial filming shoot taking place on 6th Street, near Voodoo Donuts, which provided an interesting behind-the-scenes view into a commercial production.

This night out inspired me so much that I thought, hey, Detroit’s not that far away. It might be worth a visit to get more of these kinds of photos. 

The trip also inspired me to continue working on a long-term night photography project closer to home. More on that soon. 

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Digicam Winter & Nature Hike: Canon PowerShot SD750

This weekend, I made a thing.

It’s funny to see the recent digicam craze. Everything old eventually becomes new again, and sure enough, it’s the classic point-and-shoot camera’s time to shine.

So, after a big snowstorm this weekend, I hiked into the Kate Palmer Wildlife Sanctuary here in Jackson, Michigan, to take my trusty Canon PowerShot SD750 on a photo walk in the woods. I also shared a few classic and recent shots with the PowerShot – a camera I used for years, on many trips, from 2007 up until I bought my Canon Rebel T1i in 2010.

Bringing it out into the woods reminded me of a few things:

  • The files hold up decently, but man, my modern photography eyes are spoiled. There’s so much chromatic aberration, shadow noise, and corner softness with this 35-110mm lens.
  • It is nice to have a tiny, pocketable camera that you can carry anywhere. I used it quite a bit over the holidays because of the flash and the size.
  • “Unfussiness” should be a guiding light in more modern cameras. The Ricoh GR series comes close to this level of simplicity. Truly: point and shoot.

I can see the charm. These younger generations want something imperfect. Film is difficult and expensive, so classic digital is the practical (and affordable) way to go.

This PowerShot will stay with me until it’s dead. It’s still fun to bring it out once in a while and remind myself that, for a long time, this was the best I had.

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The Quiet Season

The Quiet Season by Dave Lawrence

I like my holiday season to be truly peaceful.

Quiet music, winding down the to-do list, cozy days at home catching up on movies, and looking back on the year that was – that’s my ideal Christmas.

Yes, we have the spirited family get-togethers and the hustle of Christmas morning with the kids. There’s all that shopping and cooking. But mentally, when I think of Christmas, I think of a quiet season—peace on Earth, goodwill toward men, that kind of thing.

This year, I’ll use the quiet to plan ahead to next year and develop some ideas.

  • One that’s been simmering for a while now is the idea of turning my creative portrait projects into an ongoing series. Instead of just artists and musicians, I could expand the scope into other creative arenas.
  • I also want to experiment more with video: how-to walkthroughs, on-location tours, and even video profiles of people. I do it all the time at work, so there’s no reason why I can’t try it for personal projects. 
  • Finally, I’d like to bring back the idea of a studio where I can invite people in and take their portraits. Hang a sheet, grab a light, and fire away.

There are always more ideas than time and energy to see them through. That’s just how I work.

But mulled long enough, like a fine dark wine or some spiced cider, good ideas get better with age.

Settle in. Enjoy the season. See you all in the new year. 

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Austin, Texas: Riverside

Here on the (other) Colorado River in Austin, Texas, it’s nothing but activity: boats taking tours up and down, joggers running past, couples getting their portraits taken.

Now we’re in the drab winter months, right before the holidays, and these photos – and this whole trip – make me miss the sunshine.

My conference hotel was on the south side of the river. A quick hop over and I was in downtown Austin.

The river made for a good orientation spot and a spectacular view.

Shot on the Canon M6 and a few EF-M lenses

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Christkindlmarkt

One of my favorite kinds of street photography is to show up in a busy place where a bunch of people are gathered.

It’s probably a dash of event photography, and a splash of being somewhere where you know it’ll be busy.

And ’tis the season, right? So I stopped by St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church’s Christkindlmrkt – a European-style Christmas market with delicious German treats and lots of merriment. I had to do some Christmas shopping, and last year I visited a Christmas market in Ann Arbor and really enjoyed it. This year, I figured it’d be fun to try something new.

Knowing it may get pretty crowded, I brought along my Canon M6 and a few lenses. I snapped on the 22mm, 32mm, and 56mm on each consecutive lap around the church, opening up my aperture as it got darker.

Lots of kids, lots of families, and tons of gifts for Catholics. And all around, the smell of bratwurst on the grill. Perfect.

While the rain melted all the snow, and the temperature was getting warmer, it was still festive enough to feel the Christmas spirit – and enjoy a beer and a brat.

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Austin, Texas: Colors

Back to Austin, Texas, and this time, I’m focused on the colors—especially these strong sunset colors that I saw on my walks around town.

I try to embrace black and white photography. I really do. But color speaks to my eye and heart. And when the southern sun sets on these vivid hues? Love it. 

What’s funny is most of these photos were taken within a couple of blocks’ distance. I didn’t have to go far to find the good stuff.

Shot on the Canon M6 and EF-M 22mm f/2 lens.

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She’s A Beaut

You know what time of year it is.

Time to drive out to the country, pick the best of the best, shake it off, wrap it up, and drive it home to decorate.

It’s Christmas tree time. Red and green time. Fresh air and pine sap scent time.

We finally got some snow time.

Shot on the Canon M6 and EF-M 22mm f/2.

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