Filed under: photos

Patience and Portraits

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I love taking pictures of people. Since I don't have a lot of experience taking "posed" or "portrait" type shots of people, the challenge I keep facing is that it's hard to find people patient enough to endure a photoshoot with me. I run around trying different things, changing the lighting or the perspective or the background. People tend to want a photographer who has experience with portrait photography, but the only way to get experience is to find people patient enough to let me practice. It's a vicious circle.

Flickr Slideshows

Apparently, as of yesterday, Flickr added a little more spice to their slideshows. You can now view video in a slideshow.

The part I like, (and this functionality may have been there for awhile now,) is that I can more easily embed native Flickr slideshows on a web page.

Very cool.

Weisendanger Falls

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Weisendanger Falls
Originally uploaded by pdxsurreal

I've been watching some of the [pdx] Flickr folks posting amazing waterfall photos lately. One of them, Tildabelle took me up to Weisendanger Falls last weekend to show me the ropes. Apparently, the key is in the filters... A circular polarizer filter and an ND filter were necessary to cut enough light for a long (6 seconds or so,) exposure. None of her filters fit my lenses, so she loaned me a couple of hers to try out. (Note to self: Need 10-22 lens.)

I'm pretty sure I'm hooked. Just need to stock up on filters.

For anyone interested, Weisendanger Falls is up past the top of Multnomah Falls. Just head up the trail, and keep going. It really isn't that far. If your kids can make it to the top of Multnomah (mine made it when she was 10,) then they can definitely make it to Weisendanger.

The views are incredible, the water is clear and cold, and the whole hike is just a series of great photo-ops.

Rush

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Rush Originally uploaded by pdxsurreal He sits quietly, crystalline flakes sting his face as the sound of the rushing water saturates his ears. He wonders when the day will come when everything is right again. For a fleeting moment, he finds peace.

Old Photos

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Heather and I
Originally uploaded by pdxsurreal

I started the time-consuming task of scanning old photos in. It's wild going through old photos... All kinds of memories. When we're kids, all we can think about is growing up. If we only knew how easy we had it back then. :) This photo is of an old girlfriend and I back in 1990. I still talk to her today.

This is a perfect example of why everyone should take pictures at every opportunity. They tell stories we forget.

Snow

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Snow One of the things I miss most about Montana is the snow. There's something about driving to work early in the morning after a big snowfall. The snow deadens sound and reflects moonlight.