A Year Ago This Week : Morning Catch and All in the Details

This blog went daily a year ago and I have been fortunate to have a lot of new followers come along for the ride since. Here are two of the more popular posts on this blog from a year ago this week.

I was on my way to photograph the SavageMan Triathlon last fall at Deep Creek Lake, MD, when I saw this fisherman in the fog just after sunrise.

Taking fishing photos at the lake is my thing so I had to stop and spend some time getting this image. I feel a kinship with fishermen perhaps because anglers and photographers both share a passion for rising before dawn. Ok, maybe its more a need than a passion. If I could get great light like we do in the moments before and during sunrise at lets say 8:30 A.M., I could settle.

I remember once a few years ago I gotta out of bed a little late and arrived at a foggy fishing hole about 15 minutes after sunrise. The two fishermen I was photographed yelled across the water to give me grief for not being out with my camera as the sun was rising.

The morning this photo was taken was very foggy, which always adds some drama to the scene. I shot the breeze with the gentleman fishing and snapped some photos for a while before moving on to the triathlon.

All in the Details

An important aspect of wedding coverage is getting strong detail shots, from the all important rings to the design on the napkins printed for the reception. I shot the above ring photo while covering a wedding in Washington D.C. a few years ago.

It can be helpful to bring small props or backdrops along for shots like these. The morning of the wedding I slipped a small plastic heart that my wife stores makeup in into my camera bag just in case.

That afternoon, as the groomsmen were getting ready, I had an opportunity to use the heart while photographing the rings. I noticed a red scarf on a table in the hotel room where the guys were getting dressed and asked if I could use it as a backdrop. I placed the ring, the heart and scarf on a chair near a window and composed my image.

This is one of my personal favorites. The photo has graphic appeal (“love” adds to the story) but the writing does not overpower the rings, which should be the main element of the photo. The soft window light is pleasing and did not add in any harsh shadows and provided enough separation between the red heart and the red backdrop. The design on the scarf it subtle yet adds an extra element of interest.

I think the key to detail or product photos is to keep things simple. You do not want the viewer to struggle to figure out what you are trying to show or say.