Changing Perspective
I've been distracted by my new flying cameras. It's a whole new world when you can place your camera anywhere!
When DJI released their first Phantom drones a few years ago, I looked closely at getting one but they seemed more toy than tool. In the first iterations, the drones were just expensive ways to put a GoPro camera in the air. With later versions, they evolved to include proprietary cameras with better and better quality. When the Phantom 4 was announced, I caved and bought one. From the first flight I was hooked. One of the persistent frustrations with being a photographer is reaching the best spots for compelling compositions. I've hacked through thick brush, crawled up and down steep bluffs, and waded countless creeks to put my camera in a good position. Suddenly, I had a decent camera I could comfortably locate just about anywhere. The thrill of watching a scene come together on my iPad as I gently nudge my into position is immensely satisfying. If I simply kept the camera on the drone pointed straight out, I could find countless opportunities to take new and exciting photos. Fortunately, the pivoting gimbal on the drone allows me to aim camera down as well as out, and the top-down perspective has opened up a whole new world of interesting compositions. Streets become patterns, trees take on new forms, and shadows are now characters in new stories.
Truth be told, the arrival of a drone in my photography life has left me hesitant to use my "terrestrial" cameras. Once you have the freedom to put your camera anywhere, it's hard to be satisfied with two-dimensional photography. My Sony still gets use, but not nearly as much as it used to.
As I further explore aerial photography and videography, watch for tutorials and other instructional items here.
Blog Archive
I love soccer and recently I had the opportunity to shoot a couple of matches at the University of Portland, home to the Pilots, legendary powerhouses of collegiate soccer.
On our road trip through the Sierra Nevada, we spent a couple of days in Yosemite National Park. Here are some of my images from that all-too-brief visit to this incredible place.
On my recent road trip with Jeff Carlson, I spent an afternoon photographing Bodie, California, an abandoned gold mining town from the 1800’s. This post contains some of my images from that visit.
I’ve started a podcast with my good friend Jeff Carlson. This is a short story of how it came to be.
I just finished building my home office. It’s been a three-year slog filled with hard lessons and small victories. In this post, I talk about the process of turning a very old room into a modern creative space.
My camera has a mode where it will combine numerous images into one mega-resolution image with incredible detail. I tested this time-consuming way of shooting by photographing old boats in Coos Bay, Oregon. In this post I explain the process, my workflow and how the images turned out.
The Hawaiian island of Kauai is paradise. I spent a week there and came home with thousands if images. In this post I review the trip and share my photos. Grab an umbrella drink and enjoy!
If you can slow down and linger, your life will be better and maybe your photos will be too.
Iceland has ice, go figure. In this post I write about my glorious morning on “Diamond Beach” in southern Iceland, where amazing chunks of glacial ice tumble about on a rocks beach for photographer’s amusement.
I’m not sure my trip to Iceland was a good idea. What do you do when the trip of a lifetime leaves you wondering if it was worth it?
On my trip to Iceland, I bopped around the island in a bright green camper van. Here’s my trip recap and review of living my best #vanlife in the land of fire and ice.
I’ve been flying drones for a while now, and I love the freedom a flying camera affords. Why climb a mountain when you can fly up it?
When it comes to camera gear, a lot of photographers will tell you that it's not about the gear. They'll say that the person behind the camera is more important than the technology. I don't think the relationship is that lop-sided. Let me explain.
This year's workshop is in the books. Here is my take on a week in the San Juan Islands with some of my favorite people.
I didn't plan to shoot the Great American Eclipse, but I did it anyway. And I would do it again!
I've been distracted by my new flying cameras. It's a whole new world when you can place your camera anywhere!
I just wrapped up my annual photography workshop. This time we explored the Palouse, a land of incredible beauty and not-so-great hotels. Here is my recap.
There are a lot of babies out there, and I'm not talking about the tiny human kind. In this post I ponder the need to listen to the complainers of the world.
When making photographs, we often forget to not be boring. My friend Gino Barasa reminds us all not to suck.
It's been over a year since my last In my Bag video and a lot has changed with my kit. Here's a fresh look at what I use these days.