As we celebrate our independence today in the United States of America I thought it would be appropriate to share how proud we are of our flag and what it stands for on this day.
Category: Color
The Negative Positives Double-Exposure Film Exchange
I took part in a film exchange last month for the facebook group Negative Positives Film Photography Podcast. The plan was that we would be paired up with an unknown photographer and we would share a roll of film to create double exposures. Shaun Nelson collected names and paired people up. My photo partner was Sherry Christensen from Canada. She supplied the film (Kodak Ektar 100) and shot the roll. She then mailed it to me for me to shoot and I was in charge of processing and scanning the film.
I was pleasantly surprised how well these turned out. There are a few that I really like that I have included here. This was a great way to meet photographers and get a feel for what they like to shoot. The only rule we set was we were to shoot all frames in landscape. We also tried to line up our fame lines. It didn’t quite work out but I really like the overlap. She warned me her shots would be from around the farm house so I wanted to be be sure to add some color and urban scenes. I really like the eye looking through the door of the grain bin above. As I look at this image I’m reminded of the many many hours I spent inside these grain bins shoveling grain in the hot summer heat. I wouldn’t pass growing up on a farm for anything these days.
Photographer #1
- Name: Sherry Christensen
- Location: Canada
- Camera: Pentax MV with 50mm lens
Photographer #2
- Name:Scott Smith
- Location: Utah
- Camera: Leica M6 TTL, 35 & 50 mm lens
We used Kodak Ektar 100 film. It was developed by Replicolor in Salt Lake City, Utah. I scanned the roll using a Epson Perfection V700 scanner.
Morning Shadows
Morning Shadow, Idaho, 2017
NYC Commuter
NYC Commuter
Commuter deep in thought as he works his way through Grand Central Station in New York City.
Vinyl
It’s an analog/old school kind of day. Spent a few hours looking for some new vinyl while shooting some black and white film in my #leica M3 in my newly rebuilt 1970 Ford F250 truck.
Be Kind to each other
Please be kind to each other.
Hawaii Sunset
This would have been just a typical Hawaiian Sunset but just at the right time this family launched their boats and paddled off right in front of us. I overheard people complaining that they ruined their “perfect sunset” but for me I was excited and captured them at this moment just before the sun disappeared. Look for the opportunities to add a human element to a photograph to give it more impact and meaning.
Signs of Fall
I’ve been resisting that fall is near. When I see these at the grocery store that means that halloween and fall are right around the corner. The seasons seems to come and go a lot quicker than they used to.
The Perfect Shot
What drew me to make this photograph was the expression on the woman’s face. She was trying so hard to get the “perfect picture” of Niagara Falls and making sure she held her camera just right. After developing the roll of film I noticed that the little girls shorts match the woman’s shirt giving them a connection.
On the Trail
It’s been a little while since my last post, lots going on with a busy summer to just needing a break from social media. I’m happy to report that I’m back and will be sharing more personal images with stories. Images are made to share, not stored on a hard drive. Stories are also important and make the image more alive. Some stories will be brief others a little longer.
Today’s image is of my youngest daughter taken in New York last year using my Leica M6 on Portra 400 film. I love the filtered light and the path curving out of the frame to the left. The red and blue colors draw the eye to that part of the frame then continue down the path. Thank you for taking the time to slow down and read this. We are bombarded with images every day, it’s nice to slow down and truly enjoy them.
Selphie – Niagara Falls
These types of scenes are getting more common and easier to photograph. These two had no idea I was right behind them documenting their experience at Niagara Falls, Canada.
New Leica M10
Leica released the new M10 today. Two things I really like about this compared to my M240 is the larger viewfinder and the dedicated ISO wheel on the top. I don’t anticipate I will be switching to this body, my M240 body is 5 months old and will last me for a long time. It’s nice that Leia builds their products so well I don’t have the desire to need the latest release.
Well done Leica on the improvements. (image courtesy of Leica)
Colors – New York
Taken on a recent trip to New York. I really like how the yellow and red colors pop in this image.
Cowboy
Cowboy, Jackson Hole Wyomong
Veterans Day – 2016
Thank you to all who have served and are currently serving this great country. The image below is special to me, it’s one of my grandpa(far right) taken in 1915 during World War I. It’s one of just a small handful of images I have of him.
Venice – Slice of Light
Today’s configuration: Leica M(240) with Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4
Venice is one of my favorite places to photograph. I spent a few days there last year and would love to go back for a week or two next time. This was taken early in the morning as the locals were heading to work and school. The shaft of light was gorgeous and I had to document what I saw.
Street Photography – Salt Lake City Utah
Today’s configuration: Leica M(240) with Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4
I ventured out with fellow photographer Shaun this past weekend for a little street shooting in downtown Salt Lake City Utah. We’ve hit a bit of a warm spell so it was nice to get out of our winter hibernation and enjoy the city. I’m starting to like this type of photography and will be venturing out more in the coming months when I have time. It’s no wonder many of the street shooters use a Leica camera. I setup my camera to use hyperfocal distance focusing which allowed me to just concentrate on composition. Street photography is harder than I thought, these images are not that great but I thought I would at least share a few that I liked. The image above is my favorite from the evening.
Winter Scenes from Wyoming
We decided to spend New Years at the cabin this year in Wyoming. When we arrived it was -20 Fahrenheit, so we spent most of the time indoors but were able to get out in the afternoons to enjoy some fresh air. My favorite time to shoot is just before sunset so I stopped at a few places in Thayne and Afton of places that caught my eye.
Today’s configuration: Leica M(240) with a Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4
Golden Spike National Historic Site
During the holidays I was able to take some time to go visit the Golden Spike National Historic Site. It’s about an hour drive from my house and is located in the middle of nowhere Utah. It was a cold, cloudy & snowy day but well worth the time to make the trip out there. I won’t get into detail what the place is but it’s where the Central Pacific Railroad met up with the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869 to complete the first trans continental railroad across the United States. The conductor would drive the train down the tracks then back again to give the spectators a show. I was able to capture some audio of the train as it went down the line and then returned.
That's a Wrap
I made it a goal this year to document the small things around me where I live. As I’ve looked through the few photos that exist from my childhood I’m interested not only people but the “things” in the picture. They probably don’t mean much to most people but I think my kids and grandkids will be interested one day. My wife has started her 2-3 day marathon of transforming our house back to the pre-holiday state. She loves the holidays and this is just a portion of what is being put back into storage for 10 months before it starts over again.
Juxtaposition
jux·ta·po·si·tion
ˌjəkstəpəˈziSH(ə)n/
noun
-
the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.
Peach Days Car Show – Part 2
Visit my previous post to get some information on the peach day’s car show. Continuing with more cars but this time with color and digital. These are a few of my favorites shot on my Leica M.
Enjoy, thanks for stopping by
Reflection-2
Originally posted on Instagram, follow me
Reflection
Originally posted on Instagram, follow me
Salt Lake City Utah at Sunset
Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a Create LDS Media photowalk in downtown Salt Lake City Utah on top of the LDS Church Office Building. The observation deck is on the 26th floor which gave us an awesome view of the valley. The image above is my favorite from the evening, I’m a sucker for long exposure dusk photos. While we weren’t able to get a great sunset picture due to a storm on the west horizon, this long exposure is pretty amazing. I had a great evening getting to know new people and reacquainting with some old friends.
Light Chaser. Story Teller. 
You must be logged in to post a comment.