Getting out of a rut

 I have been feeling one-dimensional shooting flowers.  Nothing wrong with shooting flowers, but I am much more than a flower photographer.  I got Andre Kertesz's book Diary of Light in today through Library Loan and it is inspiring.  He took a camera everywhere and he has all these wonderful photos.  I want to be like that and I am, I just don't always post them and sometimes it is pretty heavy on the flowers.  Today, I went to Uplift to see singing time which didn't happen because it was slideshow and group photo day.  But before things started there was happy music playing and people were dancing and I was sitting by this dude on the front row who was not dancing.  Nothing wrong with dancing but I am not a dancer.  I only dance to embarrass my kids. I took his photo because I felt a connection with this kid. No high tech gear just workable equipment and a knowledge of a moment of shared experience with a stranger.

The moment always dictates in my work.  What I feel, I do.  This is the most important thing for me.  Everybody can look, but they don't necessarily see.  I never calculate or consider;  I see a situation and I know that it's right,  even if I have to go back to get the proper lighting.  - Andre Kertesz

Ben Hansen

watching a slide show

Uplift Session 3 Group photo

Photo info- Nikon D700, Nikon 35mmF2, edited in Adobe Lightroom

Photographing with Josie

Tonight we had to go to Walmart because we were out of toilet paper.  Driving home down Park Avenue I saw this locomotive sitting on the tracks in this wonderful light.  I dropped Julie and Jamie at home and Josie was out shooting photos so I got her to go back with me to see if the light was still good.  Rarely do you see something and go back a few minutes later and it is still good but I lucked out tonight.  

 I took Josie with me because she has shown a passing interest in photography this week.  She actually is taking a photography class this fall when school starts back.  The yearbook teacher and my friend Dr. Tod Traughber has been teaching the photography class at Harding Academy and he has developed some really pretty good photographers.  I am excited for Jo to take the class and to see if she likes it or not.  I haven't looked at her photos yet but i bet she got some good ones.  Also, I am completely spoiling her by letting her shoot with a Nikon D3s and a 35mm F2 lens.  I shot all my images with an old Nikon D700 and a Tamron 28-200 lens.  It really is not about the equipment it is about the vision you have and the work you do to capture the vision.

Nikon D700

This camera is touted as one of the worst kept industry secrets ever. I had no idea a new camera was coming from Nikon. The D700 is a mini D3 with a full frame sensor and all that awesome lowlight capability and a built in flash to use with the CLS. Also a new flash the SB-900. It is a good time to be a Nikon photographer.