Assignment: Intro to Class -- Skip Williams

Excited about the class, especially after our initial session last Friday. Meeting Barbara and everyone a pleasure. The description of the class as "exploring landscapes" with our cameras is not just a description, but a challenge to each of us and as a team to not just look but actually see.

 I have been taking photos for many years initially with my Dad's 1930s era Kodak Brownie twin lens reflex and later in High School working on the annual and newspaper staff. My first SLR, an Pentax Spotmatic, was given to me by my Grandparents while college. I have been using a digital SLR for the last 7 years or so.

At our first meeting I decided that I need to get serious about isolating motion and picking a deliberate focus point. Among other things this means I must re-introduce myself to my tripod. It will mean that I must be more deliberate in setting up the shot, paying attention to not just the composition but improving my technical approach and consistency.

Do to work and an interest my wife and I have in traveling for pleasure, I have had the opportunity to explore photography around the world.

It would be hard to find a more intriguing landscape to explore than the Potomac.

I look forward to meeting everyone at the Great Falls Tavern on Friday.

-- skip


https://skipwilliamsphotos.smugmug.com/Nature/Fall/Fall-Mushrooms/i-N79cMWj/A

My friends' 2 top favorites and a few more.

Hello. I am an economist and I am starting to learn photography. I feel that I learn a lot by looking at images and comments in blogs.

In lieu of images for the first class, here are the top 2 as per my friends' selection followed by a few more images.

Old Town Alexandria 

Hirshhorn Museum

After seeing some of Barbara's prints of landscape of nature in one class, I had to get out from my urban comfort zone and try shooting nature. Thanks to Barbara, I learned about Eliot Porter, an American photographer that brought color to the world of black and white photography. Got Mr. Porter's book entitled "Intimate Portraits" and that is where I am.

Ball's Bluff Battlefield National Park

And while I am struggling with focus, depth of field, composition, and everything else, Barbara brought to my attention some tiny beauties. Here are some of these gorgeous incredibly resilient beauties.

 I have a Canon 6D with only one lens 24-105mm IS STM. All of the above were taken hand held with Canon 6D except the one at night in Old Town Alexandria.

Looking forward to learning a lot in this class!

And this is a hoatzin (doing what hoatzins do):

Welcome to the class blog - Fall 2017

Now in its 10th year!

Here's a link to the Class 1 doc

Great Falls VA side before and after rain

Many thanks to all for sharing your really amazing images, ideas, and excellent observations as to how to improve mine (decompress, decompress, DoF, DoF, contrast, solid exposure...I will practice)

PLEASE, please post your work in this blog. I will study your images and learn from them. Many thanks in advance!

I hope our paths cross again!

Tried to take a photos of the same site before and after it rained at Great Falls VA side. Of course, I did not quite got it but one can still the effects of a dry winter on the river and the effects of the rain of spring. I tried to reduce overexposure in images below.

Before the rain April 28, 2017, 7:30am: boulders have little water going over them. One can see the boulders over the horizon.

After some rain May 17, 2017, 9:30am: boulders in the horizon disappeared under the water

more water going over the boulders on the right.

Many (many) thanks to Barbara and everyone in class!!!

Rosalinda

Rising Waters, Roosting Vultures and Sunning Frogs Along Muddy Shores

From Great Falls to the C&O to Carderock, there are so many hidden treasures out there to explore.

Dyke Marsh, Lock 10, and GW Parkway