The Story Behind the Photo

During my trip to the west coast of Michigan, I located this lighthouse and immediately fell in love with it. This is the Big Bay Lighthouse. It is in the process of becoming a museum. Lighthouses are an endangered species, as GPS on ships have virtually eliminated them. I was able to photograph this point of view, by walking out on another section, of slippery rock. The wind made my tripod setup very difficult. I waited around for about an hour before the wind subsided and I was able to click the shutter. The moment came just before the storm arrived, at 2:53 p.m. Canon 5D ...16mm...1/100 at F9 ISO 100..As always, Happy Shooting !

Florida Birds 2009

In November of 2009, I arrived in Florida over the Thanksgiving weekend to take some photos at some of my favorite locations. This was not a great time to visit as most locations were not very active. But, it was good to getaway and great weather to get outdoors. This runs about 4 minutes. Comments welcome...Crutch

Photo Tip of the Week

Hope everyone has a great New Year !


What is the most difficult of all seasons to photograph? Winter, of course! It seems that more photographs are discarded in the winter than any other season. Why? Because the average tone of a snow-covered landscape is far lighter than a medium gray. So, photographs of snow are often underexposed. The rule of snow photography is very simple. "Most of your photographs will probably turn out too dark, if you let your meter be your guide." There is also an old saying, "If it is bright, add light." Remember, you must switch to manual mode, so you can over expose the snow. Start with at least 1 & 1/2 stops over to fool the camera. If you photograph snow on an overcast flat day, all you will get is a dull, light-gray photograph... no matter what you do. Photography during the winter is a challenge, even for the most experienced photographer. So, don't get discouraged, keep learning from your mistakes and keep practicing. As always, Happy Shooting !

Crutch

Zion National Park

In March, of this year I visited the Zion National Park in Utah. This is an amazing place that I would highly recommend if you go out west. Here are a few photos from that trip. This video runs 5 minutes. Comments welcome. Happy Shooting !



Crutch

The Story Behind the Photo

This was taken at my favorite place to shoot birds. The Venice Rookery, in South Venice, Florida. I had been watching this couple for several hours as the male kept leaving and returning with sticks for nest building. He would hand off the stick to the female and take off again, only to return with another stick or twig. This continued all day. I was lucky to get this shot at 1:57 in the afternoon. Shot with a Canon 5D and 400mm with a 2x converter at 800 ISO. The camera was set at 1/1000 sec at 7.1. Comments welcome...and as always Happy Shooting !

Photo Tip of the Week

Warm Up Those Tones !
Have you ever noticed that your shots sometimes have a cool, clammy feel to them? If so, you're not alone. The default white balance setting for digital cameras is "auto", which is fine for most snapshots, but it tends to be a bit on the "cool" side. So, when shooting outdoor portraits and sunny landscapes, try changing your white balance setting from auto to "cloudy". That's right, cloudy. Why? This adjustment is like putting a mild warming filter on your camera. It increases the reds and yellows resulting in richer, warmer pictures. I leave my cameras on cloudy 99% of the time....Try it and as always Happy Shooting !

Crutch

Hensley Settlement

In mid October, I was lucky enough to be included in a group that was invited to the Cumberland Gap Historic Park. The park is located on the Kentucky - Tennessee border. Dr. Jim Ford, Jim Ross, Pete and Liz Michael and myself were to be escorted to the top, to photograph the Hensley Settlement. To visit this part of the park, one must be accompanied by a park ranger. No vehicles allowed and one must make a short hike to the settlement. If you ever get this opportunity, take it. The weather was a bit foggy, as it had rained the day before. Everyone was excited at this opportunity to have this place to ourselves for the day. This short video will give you and idea of our experience. Special thanks to Ranger Scott Teodorski, of the Cumberland National Historic Park and volunteer, Dr. Gary McKenna, for hosting this photo shoot. I would be remiss, if i did not thank all the staff, of the park, for the excellent job of preserving and protecting this historic site, for future generations. As always, your comments are welcome and encouraged. Happy Shooting !