Photography Blog

Straggler in the Redwood Forest

31 Jul 2015, Posted by P.J. Oswald in People, Places
A photograph of a young boy walking through a redwood forest, far behind a group of adults that have passed on ahead.

My son William is just a couple of years old, and he’s growing every day. But he’s got a lot of catching up to do if he ever wants to get as tall as these redwoods.

As you can see from this photo, he’s also got some literal catching up to do.

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Seashells (Not) By the Seashore

30 Jul 2015, Posted by P.J. Oswald in Things
A curtain of vividly colored seashells gathered on Hawaiian beaches dangles from string, giving particular focus to a purple oyster shell.

I’m no beach bum. I can handle approximately 10.3 minutes in the sun before I start to sunburn. At the start of summer I told my doctor about our plans to visit the Big Island of Hawaii in the coming weeks. “Buy a rash guard. Long sleeves,” she said. It was more of a command than a piece of advice. Point taken.

Despite my low tolerance for sunlight and beaches, I love the snorkeling opportunities that tropical islands offer. To gaze at the vibrant colors and aquatic life underneath the waves is otherworldly. It slows my pulse and makes my mind race all at the same time.

How unexpected then that I would see so many of these underwater colors before dipping a toe into the water! (more…)

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Nighttime Photography That Shines — in Six Steps

28 Jul 2015, Posted by P.J. Oswald in Uncategorized
Long exposure nighttime photography upon the shores of North Lake Tahoe as the stars begin to shine.

Is your camera roll filled with hundreds of dim and blurry nighttime photos?

I’ll bet you’ve hit the same wall that I did in capturing nighttime photography whether you snap your photos on a smartphone or a fancy DSLR camera. And if your story is anything like mine, you might have resigned to thinking that photography is best left for daytime. And you’d be wrong. Don’t give up on nighttime photography!

Some of the most interesting shots you’ll ever take will happen “after hours”. The mild nighttime light offers you a whole new look at that person, that landscape, that environment, or even that starry sky. If you slow down and follow a few steps, a whole new world of nighttime photography will open up to you. That, and you’ll hit the trash button on your camera far less often.

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Smartphone Saturday: Rushing River

25 Jul 2015, Posted by P.J. Oswald in Places
A wintertime landscape photo of the South Yuba River in Northern California.

No need for a full post today. Smartphone Saturday means you get the best unedited, simple photos from my trusty Lumia 1020 smartphone. 41 megapixels of glory!

Today’s photo comes from the South Yuba River near Truckee, CA. It was my birthday, and my friend Steve and I made the 2 hour drive up the mountains for a bit of outdoor photography. We geared up in a light dusting of snow, wondering just how cold this February morning would remain. Fortunately, the snow stopped and we set off to see what we might find. I was especially excited to put my new lens to work. But even as I was loving the speed and light of that new lens, I still managed to grab this shot of the cold water of this rushing river with my phone…

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Snips and Snails

23 Jul 2015, Posted by P.J. Oswald in People, Places
A young boy crosses over the tall grasses of coastal sand dunes at Bodega Bay in Northern California.

The heart of a little boy challenges him to climb a little higher, to dig a little deeper, and to see what is just around the bend. That drive for adventure is insatiable. It often results in mom gasping or clutching her chest in fear. Meanwhile, Dad roots for the little guy, albeit quietly so he doesn’t make mom even more upset.

There were plenty of moments like this during that weekend in June.

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