Walk Downtown
Walk Downtown – Royal Oak, Michigan
photography
Place of Rest
Place of Rest – Prehistoric Forest, Irish Hills, Michigan
Read my write-up on the abandoned amusement park.
How to Avoid Photography Tips
While tips may be the worst form of education, the best form is exactly what you need to avoid them: experience. Go out and shoot more.
CJ with the wisdom. Experiments are good, and help with learning, but if tips are all your reading (or sharing), you need to get out more.
Tycho in Concert
I always describe Tycho as sounding like a day on a California beach set to music.
And not just the audio; their visuals tell a definite story. So I was pretty excited to see them last Friday in Royal Oak, Michigan, at the Royal Oak Music Theater.
For one, they don’t come to town very often. Heck, they don’t tour often. As soon as I saw they were heading to town, I snatched up a ticket.
But two, I love shooting live music, and any chance to photograph a band with such a visual vibe is an adventure.
Tycho did not disappoint. They drip with cool summer days, surf-side acoustics, and enveloping color and sound. They’re great musicians as well.
The problem? Concert goers who lit cigarettes and try to shove their way to the front row. I was second row, and felt a responsibility to those in front of me to help them enjoy the show unmolested. One 17 year old girl who tried wedging her way to the front, after a few shoves and blocks, called me “old” and said I looked like her dad. Fair enough – but you’re still not getting up front.
I’ll say I’ve never had a worse concert-going experience than I did at the Tycho show. The music and performance? Great. Perfect. The crowd? Miserable.
Still. Tick this one off the photographic bucket list.
Where the River Flows
Liberty, Michigan
Michigan’s Grand River starts right here at this little waterfall a few miles from my house. It’s a great place to watch the seasons change.
A Good Haul
A typical lineup of abandoned photos from one house, in one afternoon.
Two stars for the keepers, and then I get to editing. There were about 70 total photos from this particular abandoned house. From there I narrow it down to about 30 keepers. Only about 5-10 of the remaining 30 will ever appear in public, but hey, I like processing. What the film guys got out of the darkroom, I get with Lightroom.
I may wait a while and comb through them one more time. Given some distance, I’ll catch things that I missed before, or have second thoughts about a so-so photo.
A good haul. Lots of great shadows and light shafts.
Lean A Little
Liberty, Michigan
Shot with the Helios 44-2 58mm f/2, hence the slightly medium format look.
Spring Has Sprung
Horton, Michigan
Sunny days, 60 degree weather, and everything is sprouting. It’s no wonder spring is my favorite season.
Classic Film Look
Film emulators still have a ways to go to really get that classic film look. Amazing set.
Around the House
I’m lucky. My house has a lot of windows, giving it an airy feel most of the day. But when the sun sets, the house becomes a pretty magical place.
It’s not like the harsh morning light coming in the front of the house, facing East. No, this evening light gets filtered through the oak and pine trees in the back yard. It’s softer, more welcoming. Our hearts turn West.
I love that feeling when all the lights are off in the house, and it’s just the sunset light coming into the house. It makes for a beautiful way to do the dishes, looking into the backyard and watching the birds and squirrels do their thing.
It makes the backyard a lovely place to be, too, come sunset, every season of the year.
The weather won’t let that happen just yet. But the sun is back, and it’s thinking about us. You can tell. It’s creeping back into life apologetically.
I’ll be sure keep the windows open.
