Writing and Blogging

I enjoy writing articles about photography and events. I've written several lens reviews, a series of articles on composition, and some reviews of various events around Oregon and Washington. I've been so busy this summer, though, that I've fallen behind on the list of articles I've been meaning to write, but I'm sure as soon as the winter rains set in, I'll be able to catch up pretty quickly.

I have review articles on the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS, the EF 16-35 f/2.8L and the 24-70 f/2.8L lenses pending, as well as a review of the Canon 40D and the Canon 1DsMK III camera bodies in the works. As I've never reviewed a camera before, that should be a fun challenge.

I'm also planning to write an article about Crater Lake (if I can ever get back down there to shoot), an article on Barefoot Glamour, and maybe a basic studio lighting primer.

Other plans for the year are a potential Glamour Workshop, some pin-up shoots in the fall and winter, and at least one fair or festival. I might also hook up with my friend, Jim, and see if I can do some band venue shooting. That's quite challenging and he's been practicing for a few years now and seems to have it down to an art. I want to learn some new tricks from him.

I'm also open to suggestions about new writings. If any of my readers (all 3 of you) have any ideas of what you'd like to see me write about, please, by all mean, let me know. I'm always looking for new ideas and concepts.

Writing

I enjoy writing. I'm not sure whether that's because I enjoy the process of communicating my thoughts and ideas, or whether it's simply that I enjoy the process of crafting the words, sentences and paragraphs together into coherent wholes that convey those thoughts and ideas. I also enjoy photography, and therefore when I write, I generally write about my photographs, about my cameras, lenses and other equipment or about the people, places and things that I have photographed in the past or want to photograph in the future.

Lately, I've been writing a series of articles for my personal webite. A list of those articles can be found here: Writings and Articles. I'm concentrating on lens reviews right now, and it has been great fun to go back through my extensive archive of photos to find images that best exemplify the characteristics of a particular lens. The image to the right, for example, is used in an article about the Canon 28-70 f/2.8 EF L lens, which has been my workhorse lens for over 5 years. I have an entire list of additional articles on equipment that I'm slowly, but surely completing, and I'm always looking for new ideas for articles.

This image is taken from my review of the Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 EF L IS lens. The image shows just how sharp this long zoom can be even when it is wide open (maximum aperture) and at its longest focal length. The image also shows that the lens has good bokeh (the quality of the background blur) and color saturation.

The image itself was taken at a mid-summer celebration party in 2006. Although the party had a pagan theme, there were guests from all religious stripes in attendance, and the event included costumes, body painting, fire dancing and excellent food and drink (very important for any party). It was really a fun photographic experience, and I enjoyed shooting the event for the group and sharing the images afterwards, and I had no idea at the time that I would be writing an article about both of the lenses I was using at the event.

So, I look forward to writing the articles, and I hope that those that stumble across my personal website find them useful and informative. During the holiday break, I expect that I will be able to finish at least two or three more of the equipment articles and at begin writing a new article about photographic lighting tips and techniques.

Favorite Lenses

I enjoy using different lenses on my cameras. The primary reason I bought my first Single Lens Reflex camera was the fact that I could change the lenses on the camera to choose the one most appropriate for the subject I was photographing. Although I've owned many Point and Shoot (P&S) cameras (and I still do), my tool of choice is still a Single Lens Reflex camera with interchangeable lenses.

I went digital with my photography in 1998 and at that time the only economically feasible digital cameras were Point and Shoots. Digital SLR's at that time cost many thousands of dollars. I still shot film, but what I really wanted was the convenience of digital combined with the versatility and image quality of a DSLR. That didn't occur until late 2000 with the release of Canon's D30 DSLR (Nikon had a DSLR earlier, but since all my lenses were Canon, it wasn't an economically viable option for me). With the release of that camera I had my wish and I've since expanded my lens collection significantly.

As I was shooting some photos this weekend for a lens comparison article I'm writing, I realized that there are few lenses that are just wonderful for photography and have to be listed as my favorites. One of these lenses is the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 with which the posted photo was taken. This lens is a great deal because for the money you got a wonderful low-light lens with fast auto-focus and great image quality. It's big brother, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II can produce better image quality and has lower light capability, but at a significantly increased price and with slower AF speed.

As you can see from the image here, this lens is quite capable and produces lovely images. I almost sold it last year, but pulled it from my "to sell" list at the last minute. I'm certainly glad I did.

Mark

Beginning the New Year

I have no resolutions, but I hope that I have some determinations. The 2nd half of last year saw much tension at work, some minor health problems, and some personal issues that needed to be resolved. As a result, I didn’t so much in the way of creative endeavors - writing, photography, or otherwise. I did get to photograph the Portland Pirate Festival in October, but I skipped the Shrewsbury Ren Faire in September, Orycon in November, and most of the holiday parties. New Year’s Eve was spent quietly at home watching movies. Over the next several entries, I intend to catch up on the 2nd part of of last year, and I hope to establish a rhythm for updating this journal in the new year

2005 - My Photography in Review

On the website Photography on the Net, there’s a thread that asks the members to post their best 2005 photograph. I thought I might participate, and I started looking through my archives of photos. You know, I was sad to find that I didn’t have any photographs that I would have been willing to submit to such a peer review. That’s just sad.

If I look back at my archives from previous years, I have several strong contenders for great photographs. This year, however, I was just too distracted by other matters. The year started off with an altercation between two of my kids, resulting in the arrest of one. Not good. Then, my son was sent to Afghanistan. My wife was sick and hurting all year long, and I had a daughter full-time in college all year long requiring extensive financial support.

Most days this year, I just wanted to get through the day without any new problems. So, my mind wasn’t really on photography. We did go to a few fairs and festivals, but honestly, my heart wasn’t into the events. I’m really hoping 2006 will be better. I’m giving Wendy a trip to Hawaii for Christmas (travel dates to be determined), so that should start the year off right. And we have a grand-baby due in June - that should give me plenty to photography in the 2nd half of the year.

So, I’m hoping 2006 will result in a new creativity for me - better photos, a brighter outlook on life, and renewed energy. I wish the same for everyone who happens to read this.

First Thoughts

I'm new to the process of blogging, but not to the concept of keeping a journal of thoughts. I spent 20 years in the submarine fleet and during that time spent a lot of time at sea. During those many patrols, I kept journals to record my thoughts and feelings, and in many ways those writings helped to ease the stress of those long, isolated months at sea.

I'm not, however, at sea anymore. It many way, though, writing still helps to ease the stress of daily life, and so I'll try blogging for a while. I'm not sure where I will go with this, but it seems like an opportunity to share my unvarnished thoughts and ideas.

Fortunately, not only will I be able to write, I will be able to share my photos with those who visit here. I have the great fortune to live in a beautiful area of the country, with some wonderful photographic opportunities, especially in the summer months.