Welcome to My View

After being absent from My View of a few weeks, I hope that I’m back on a regular weekly basis. It has been an extremely busy winter and spring with Inspirational Weekend and regular workshop schedules of The Mindful Eye.

During the last couple of days that I was in Savannah, after our Composition Intensive Workshop, I met a young man at B&B Ale House. His amazing smile and presence, as well as the light in which he was sitting, attracted me. I talked to him for a few seconds and asked if I could photograph him. He was gracious enough to sit for me for a few minutes. His name is Matt and he is stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, located on Ft. Stewart, just outside Savannah.

I always worry about the young soldiers that I meet or see coming and going in airports. No matter what our individual political beliefs, I know we all are concerned about the soldiers. I always send a little prayer for their safety when I see them. Matt, where ever you are and wherever you go, stay safe out there. And, thank you for being so gracious.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

A Young Soldier

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Savannah, GA
B&B Ale House
May 2, 2010

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 50 mm 1.4 lens, f/1.8, 1/90 sec, ISO 5000, handheld

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While I was in Nashville on the weekend of April 17-18 for our Inspirational Photography weekend, I got the chance to hear one of the most amazing guitarists I’ve ever heard. He is a young man by the name of J.D. Simo. He plays, among others, with the Don Kelly Band at Robert’s Western World on Broadway in downtown Nashville. It’s well worth a trip to Robert’s just to hear J.D. play. He’s 25 years old, cut his first CD at age 16 and is blowing everyone away with the way he plays, from blues to country. Just google him and see.

This is a shot that I got when JD was doing his solo for Ghost Riders last Saturday night.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

JD Simo and Don Kelly

Nashville, TN
Robert’s Western World
April 17,2010

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 16-35mm L lens at 35mm, f/2.8, 1/350 sec, ISO 5000, handheld

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Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh (Blessings of St. Patrick’s Day upon ye!)

This year is rapidly getting away from me. My travels this year, so far, for The Mindful Eye have taken me to Seattle, Miami, Washington D.C., Jekyll Island, Austin, Phoenix (with at stop in Tucson for a few days) and on to Savannah next week. As you might guess, I’ve had little time for shooting and processing images.

On this St. Patty’s Day, I dug into my archives and found a image I made of my favorite Irish troubadour, Gabriel Donohue, taken last October as he was performing at Kevin Barry’s in Savannah. Going along with the theme of of musicians started in January, I felt it a most appropriate image to wish you all the Blessings of St. Patrick’s Day.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all and, especially, to all my friends celebrating in Savannah!!

Gabriel will be performing at Kevin Barry’s again May 3 – 9. If you are in the Savannah area during this time, stop by and treat yourself to an evening of great music.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

Gabriel Donohue
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh

Savannah, GA
October, 2009

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 135mm 2.0, ISO 3200, f/2.0, 1/125 second, handheld

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Hello and welome to My View for January 10, 2010.

Welcome to the first My View Post of the New Year

As the new year and decade are now underway, I searched my files for an image that might be appropriate for a fresh start. And, I found one.

Back in September of last year, I had the pleasure of visiting friends in Wisconsin and hearing a band that was new to me — although not new to my friends. Their son is in this band. The band is Fresh Cut Collective and I heard them play in Milwaukee one night in early September. Although I did not consider myself a huge fan of hip-hop music, they managed to win me over after just a few songs. The energy this group brings to the stage is highly contagious.

I chose an image of my friends’ son that I hope shows the kind of energy this young band exudes.

Wishing you all fresh new ways to look at your everyday environments as we go forth in this new year!!

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They make me a better photographer, aid my growth as a person and offer me new experiences.

Fresh Cut Collective #1

Milwaukee, WI
September, 2009

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 50mm 1.4, ISO 6400, f/2.8, 1/90 second, handheld

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Just a reminder to check out our Inspirational Photography Weekends coming to a city near you. Discounts are available for groups.

Hello and welome to My View for Friday, June 12, 2009.

Hello Everyone,

Happy Friday!!

I feel as though I’m getting caught up on My View and will go back to posting once a week starting on Sunday evening. Thank you for your patience with me during the hectic spring workshop season.

One of the great things that came out of the March, April, May series of workshops is that my teaching partner and friend, Craig Tanner, took a “next step” with his music. A long-time guitarist, he finally worked up the courage to play in front of other people and began playing at some of the open mic nights in Savannah. Today’s image is one that I took late one night as Craig and two new musician friends were just jamming in Franklin Square.

Here are Adam, Craig and Jeff making beautiful music in Franklin Square just after midnight on a lovely Friday night during the Street Portraiture workshop.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome.

Franklin Square Musicians

Savannah, GA
Canon 5D, Lensbaby Composer lens, f/2.0, ISO 3200, 1/30 sec, handheld.
Composite of three images

A Larger view.

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Hello and welome to My View for Thursday, April 23, 2009.

Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you enjoying Spring.

I finished the Foundation in Photography for Women Workshop in Savannah last Sunday with a group of wonderful and awesome women. It is always courageous to say “I’m a beginner” and dive right in to a world of new terminology and technology to learn a new craft just because you love it. These ladies were just great. I thank each and every one of them for the opportunity they gave me to do something I love — teaching.

On Wednesday, Craig Tanner and I began the Jekyll Island Workshop on this beautiful island with another group of great people. We finish this workshop at noon tomorrow. On Tuesday of next week, Craig and I will be back in Savannah for the Street Portraiture Workshop.

Today’s image is one of someone that I’ve gotten to know in Savannah over the past few years who is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever known. If you’ve followed The Mindful Eye for a while, you will recognize him. This is Isaac Heyward. He is one of the most positive people I’ve ever met in my life. He has been blind for 47 years, yet never mentions his blindness as being a problem. Craig was recording Heyward’s answer to a question, standing near him with the recorder. Craig’s reflection is in the window.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome.

Isaac Heyward

Savannah, GA
Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 50mm 1.4 lens, ISO 100, 1/350 sec, f/1.4, handheld.

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Hello and welome to My View for Sunday, January 11, 2009.

I hope your first full week of 2009 went well.

Today’s image is another from New Year’s Eve in Savannah of one of my favorite bands, The Trainwrecks. The band was playing at Club 51 degrees where there are a series of different colored stage lights that change while the band is playing. This image caught the green stage lights illuminating the band almost completely. The colorful lights at the bottom of the image are the happy accidental result of flare into the lens from the stage lights.

I appreciate all of your comments and suggestions as to how to improve my images they serve to make me a better photographer and person.

Thank you for visiting My View and I hope your 2009 is off to a great start.

In the Limelight

Club 51 Degrees, Savannah GA
Canon 5D, 50mm 1.4 lens, ISO 3200, 1/250 sec, f/1.4 handheld.

Based on your feedback about the “blue orb” in the image (a stage light that was coming up), I reworked the image so that the blue has a color more in line with the overall green/yellow in this particular image. I’d love to have your feedback on this version.

In the Limelight 02

Markus’ Solution to the hard metal reflector of the stage light.

After we all discovered that it was the hard, sharp look of the metal reflector on the stage light that was bothering us — actually think Markus discovered that first — he very kindly sent me a copy of his version to fix it. I’m posting that here and I think you will like it much better. Thank you Markus for playing with this and discovering the “real problem” and for sharing the solution. It definitely helped me look at things in a bit different way when trying to figure out a problem with an image.

Markus’ Limelight

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Hello and welome to My View for Sunday, January 5, 2009.

Happy New Year Everyone!! Welcome to 2009!!!

I had the pleasure of spending New Year’s Eve in Savannah with friends, enjoying the sounds of four of those friends, one of my favorite unsigned bands, The Trainwrecks. The band was playing at Club 51 Degrees on West Congress Street. The club had a series of colorful lights and lasers that displayed throughout the show. As the lights changed, they created a different color setting for the band, making it a fun venue to photograph.

This shot of Jason Bible, lead singer, guitarist, harmonica player and song writer for The Trainwrecks, was made with the Lensbaby Composer. At just the right angle, the stage lights created a flare ring of light in the lens. I stood in the same spot and shot a series of images, one for each of the different colors of lights as they came up. This image is a composition of shots created when each of the red, purple, aqua blue and green lights were on.

I appreciate all of your comments and suggestions as they serve to make me a better photographer and person.

Thank you for visiting My View. I wish for you all the things you desire in 2009.

Rocking In 2009 with The Trainwrecks

Club 51 Degrees, Savannah GA
Canon 5D, Lensbaby Composer with 2.8 ring, ISO 3200, 1/45 sec, handheld.
Composite of four images

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Hello and welome to My View for Monday, November 17, 2008.

Two weeks ago, I attended the 9th Annual Pow Wow held on the grounds of Stone Mountain here in north Georgia. I love being at this Pow Wow. This year, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many more youngsters taking part in the dance contests and just being a part of the community.

This image was taken during one of the intertribal dances. I had noticed the gentleman before and watched as he entered the ring carrying a young girl. She was a bit timid and clung to her Grandfather as he gently danced her around the circle. There was such a bond of affection between the two and it was a beautiful sight to see this Grandfather introducing his granddaughter to the Pow Wow.

As always, your comments and critiques are most welcome. They serve to help make me a better photographer and a better person.

Thank you for visiting My View.

Grandfather’s Care

Stone Mountain, Georgia, November, 2008
Canon 1Ds Mark II, Canon 100 mm 2.8 macro lens, ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/1500 sec, handheld.

Hello and welome to My View for Sunday July 6, 2008.

Craig Tanner, one of my best friends and the person with whom I teach most of the workshops with which I am involved, passed an important milestone last week. He completed his first full year — 52 weeks — of posting images most every day on his photography blog, Light Diary.

Having been at this for only six months myself and posting once a week, I know what a huge time commitment this is. I want to offer my sincerest congratulations to Craig on this accomplishment and for continuing to teach and inspire all photographers with his photo blog. And, I want to personally offer my sincere gratitude to him for continuing to teach, encourage and inspire me in my career as a photographer and for giving me the enormous opportunities that he has.

Once of Craig’s mantras is that productivity = creativity. If you take the time to browse Craig’s Light Diary, you will quickly see this is true. Not only is he extremely productive, he has produced some of the most creative images I’ve seen in the last year. My most favorite of these is his series of the Port Aransas pier.

Craig, thank you for giving all of us a full year of inspiring photography. Thank you for being such a dear friend to me and for continuing to inspire me to be a better photographer — and a better person — every day.

Congratulations on your first year of Light Diary!!! I anxiously await another year of your most beautiful work.

“Craig”

Sweetwater Creek State Park, Georgia, June 2008
Canon 1Ds Mark II, 50 mm lens, f/2.5, 1/60 sec, ISO 320, handheld
Combination of two images to simplify the background

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