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posted by James on 01/10/12

A Restful Afternoon

The afternoon was gloriously peaceful as I strolled along with my family down a country lane after a short hike to a quaint, yet picturesque little waterfall in the valley. We were visiting friends in Canada near Peterborough, Ontario. Down by the waterfall, the dense forest of northern conifers and hardwoods lent to a shadowy, almost mysterious ambiance; but up here, on the ridge of the hill, the late afternoon sunlight sent it’s golden shafts through the forest canopy, filling the atmosphere with a peaceful glow.

As we sauntered past a small clearing where this Thomas-Kinkade-like home sat bathed in light, I couldn’t help but notice the accented colors in the backlit scene. The trees broke the directness of the sun just enough to dissipate any glare from the sun while still letting in enough light to set the house aglow.

Setting up the camera and choosing an appealing exposure wasn’t difficult due to the generous amount of available light. This gave the image sharpness and clarity, adding to the vibrancy and hominess that were all factors in why I chose this picture to be 1 of only 12 images used for Lenspiration’s 2012 Calendar.

Take advantage of the New Year Calendar Sell Out: for quantities of 10 or more, buy calendars at 75% OFF for $2.99 each, plus get FREE SHIPPING! Clearance available only while supplies last.

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posted by James on 01/6/12

Butterfly Brilliance

I remember clearly the peaceful, bright Sunday afternoon in Gageum-ri, South Korea where this picture was taken. It was not necessarily the taking of the picture that I remember so clearly as it was the location at which I took it.

You see, after church on that spring morning earlier this year, the Moon family invited me to go with them on a field trip. And this was not your typical outing. It was an eye-opening, soul-stirring excursion to the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. As I stood gazing across the Han River marveling in the fact that I, an American with innumerable freedoms, honorable responsibilities and the independence to travel when and where I pleased could stand with overwhelming tranquility while looking on a land of complete oppression and poverty, I couldn’t help but remember the words of Scripture so applicably written: “If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for He that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they” (Ecclesiastes 5:8).

The colorful flowers covering the landscape that so attractively complemented the lively swallowtails flittering about in their habitual routine stood in stark contrast to the poignant mood of the place. However, there is hope even for places like North Korea. As is seen in history, and as Abigail Adams pointed out in this letter to her husband during the early stages of the birth of freedom as we know it today, “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; but the God of Israel is He that giveth strength and power unto His people. Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

And He wills to be a refuge for all. This message of hope was one of the main reasons why I chose this picture to be 1 of only 12 pictures chosen for Lenspiration’s 2012 Calendar.

Take advantage of the New Year Calendar Sell Out: for quantities of 10 or more, buy calendars at 75% OFF for $2.99 each, plus get FREE SHIPPING! Clearance available only while supplies last.

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posted by James on 01/3/12

Cold of Snow

When West Virginia gets snow, it usually doesn’t stick around unless it’s January or February, the coldest part of the year in the Appalachians. And when it comes, it transforms the dull, brown landscape into an incredibly beautiful winter wonderland.

I remember taking this picture back in 2007. It hadn’t been snowing for long, but it was one of those days when you knew it would snow for a long time. The snowflakes were small, the wind was crisp, and the clouds in the sky lay solid as a slate. Bad news for most folks, but as a photographer, I guess I’m not normal. It is not often that I take pictures while the snow is falling, but in this situation, I was in a sheltered area and could take my time without taking precautions for the protection of my camera. I experimented a bit with flash to capture the falling snow, but I found that a shutterspeed of 1/8th second captured the movement best without making the flakes too obvious or too camouflaged.

As I was quite close to the refuge of a warm interior (and thus not quite aptly dressed for the elements of the not-so-warm exterior), I took just enough time to capture what initially drew me out into the cold, and promptly returned to the cozy interior of my abode when I was satisfied. And yet, the decisive decision to leave temporary comforts produced 1 of only 12 pictures chosen for Lenspiration’s 2012 Calendar.

Take advantage of the New Year Calendar Sell Out: for quantities of 10 or more, buy calendars at 75% OFF for $2.99 each, plus get FREE SHIPPING! Clearance available only while supplies last.

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posted by James on 01/1/12

Bridge Over the Ice

January 21, 2011 was a bitter cold evening. As I recall, the temperature hovered around 10 degrees. It was fairly clear, the moon was full and a nice blanket of snow covered the ground, so I ventured directly from my office into the cold with camera, tripod, and shutter release in hand. However, after only about 20 minutes, I was thoroughly frozen and went back inside to thaw out and settled in for a late-night in the office.

But that’s when I got a call from my friend Brandon. He too loves photography and he must have seen the full moon as he was returning from work. Knowing how cold it was, I almost declined his invitation to spend some time outside taking pictures together, but I knew this was a rare opportunity, both in spending time with Brandon and in shooting snowy landscapes under a full moon.

The location we chose to shoot at was this quaint, little bridge on the campus where both Brandon and I worked. I liked the reflection of the lights on on the ice because it introduced warmth to a composition that would otherwise be completely frozen. I set up the tripod in such a way to get the camera fairly close to the ground, and then composed the shot to cause the curve of the left bank to draw your eye to the bridge. I used the shutter release to reduce vibration during the 20 second exposure.

The decision to make people higher priority than projects resulted in more than just the blessing of spending time with Brandon; that late-night photoshoot produced 1 of only 12 pictures chosen for Lenspiration’s 2012 Calendar.

Take advantage of the New Year Calendar Sell Out: for quantities of 10 or more, buy calendars at 75% OFF for $2.99 each, plus get FREE SHIPPING! Clearance available only while supplies last.

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posted by James on 12/31/11

Home in the Hills

Happy New Year!

I took this a few days ago, knowing that I’d have to take down the Christmas lights soon. No snow came like I was hoping for, but I think pulling away from the house and up the hill a ways helped loose distractions that snow would normally have covered. It wasn’t pitch black yet, so the sky came out very nice and saturated, and I really like the moving clouds made to look the way they do with the multi-second exposure. The tree limbs were accidental, actually, though I think they add a lot. Considering all the above, plus the fact that the camera was balanced on the top of an 8 foot ladder, I would say the picture is nothing short of a marvel!

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