Saturday, December 31, 2022

Heceta Head Lighthouse In Fog

A Beacon Of Hope


We have reached the end of another year. I hope that you made many happy memories and took lots and lots and lots of photograph along the way.

Wishing you joy, success, good health, deep passion, and the fulfillment of your dreams in 2023!



a photo of heceta head lighthouse in fog oregon coast





Camera:    
Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lenses:     GF 45mm f/2.8


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved


Friday, December 30, 2022

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Haystack Rock At Dusk




a photo of haystack rock at cannon beach oregon at sunset dusk



Wonders of the Pacific Northwest


Camera:    
Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lenses:     GF 45mm f/2.8


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved


California Sunset

Path To The Waves


I took this shot from a trail that led down a steep incline toward the water. There aren't many places in the Big Sur area where you can get close to the ocean. A lot of the coastline is on private property, and trespassing is strongly discouraged.

I was delighted to find a trail that went down so far. I hadn't explored this spot before, and I wanted to see what was visible as I got close to the edge. I wasn't looking forward to climbing back up to my car in darkness, but I didn't have to worry about that yet.


a photo of the sunset on the big sur coast in california




I discovered that the view at the edge of the water wasn't particularly spectacular. The vantage point was too low. I climbed back up the hill a little way until I reached this position and took shots in different directions.

This was the most dramatic view, but it was a complicated shot to capture. Setting a tripod up on a steep incline is always a challenge. There was a lot of vegetation, so there wasn't a lot of firm ground where I could place the tripod legs. On top of that, the wind was strong and getting rather chilly. I didn't have a good place to stand, so I had to bend my body in strange ways to compose and focus the shot. My feet got sore from clinging to the sloping path while recording long exposures.

Was it worth it in the end? I'll let you be the judge. It was an experience. Thankfully, the climb back up to the roadway wasn't as bad as I expected.


Camera:    
Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lenses:     GF 120mm f/4


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved


Pigeon Point Lighthouse

Visiting A Friend On The Coast


I have spent a lot of time photographing Pigeon Point Lighthouse over the years. I've learned a lot about photography on my visits to this iconic tower, about light and composition, about weather and focus, about attaining critical focus in a variety of conditions.

Anytime I plan a trip to this section of the California coast, I make sure to stop by and spend a little time with my old friend.


a photograph of the pigeon point lighthouse in california with spring flowers
Pigeon Point Lighthouse With Spring Flowers




a vertical photo of the pigeon point lighthouse tower




a photo of pigeon point lighthouse at sunset in northern california




Camera:    
Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lenses:     GF 45mm f/2.8 (photos 1 and 3)
                GF 80mm f/1.7 (photo 2)


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved


Friday, August 12, 2022

Remembering Galen Rowell

Discovering The Possibilities


I had a casual interest in photography as a young adult. When I was growing up, my family had a black and white television. I got my most vivid view of the world through photographs published in magazines.

Cameras fascinated me. I was always a fan of gadgets, and cameras seemed like marvels of precision and craftsmanship. They also had the almost magical power to capture moments for later review. I dreamt of buying a nice camera one day and using it to take pictures of seashores, sunsets, and lighthouses. I subscribed to photography magazines and read them eagerly each month.

But the dream had to wait. I didn't have the expertise or the financial resources to pursue photography seriously. The camera ads in the magazines were more confusing than helpful. The myriad of choices seemed overwhelming.

I took snapshots with point and shoot camera. I recorded family events and short trips, and dropped the film off at the drugstore to be processed. The prints were reminders of places and events, but with rare exceptions, there weren't artistically impressive.



a photo of pfeiffer beach big sur california at sunset
Pfeiffer Beach Sunset - Big Sur, California




One day, while visiting a museum, I happened upon an exhibition of photographs from the Tongas, a rain forest in Alaska's panhandle. It was a surprisingly moving experience. The photos were beautifully colored and highly detailed. It was hard to imagine that such images actually came out of a camera.

The photographer was the late Galen Rowell. Rowell was a seasoned climber and wilderness enthusiast. He traveled the world capturing images of remote and surprising places for National Geographic and similar magazines.

These were impressive locales, but the magic of Rowell's photos was in their vivid colors, stunning detail, and surprising juxtapositions, like dramatic skies and rugged foregrounds. Rowell liked photographing in what he called "last light," a post-sunset glow of dim but saturated colors.

I found these qualities fascinating. I was immediately obsessed with this style of photography. I wanted to figure out how he had captured these breathtaking images and hoped that one day I would be able to make photographs of my own using a similar approach.

I drove to my local Borders, bought a few books about photography, and started studying. I bought a reasonably priced Nikon with a serviceable zoom lens, along with twenty rolls of the film that Galen preferred, and I got to work. Every week, I was shooting, experimenting, making mistakes, trying again, and learning all the time.

Sadly, I never had the chance to meet Mr. Rowell. He died in a plane crash on August 11, 2002. That was twenty years ago as of the writing of this post. Coincidentally, I am now the age that Rowell was when he passed away.

Inspiration is one of the most wonderful things that can happen to a human being. A magical moment can change the trajectory of our lives, taking us in directions that we never thought possible, leading us to places and experiences that we could never have imagined.

The Tongas exhibition set my photographic journey into motion. Seeing Galen Rowell's dramatic images printed in all of their finely-detailed glory was more than an inspiration. It was an awakening. It introduced me to possibilities in image making that I would never have imagined possible and to a fascination with the art of photography.



Camera:    
Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lens:         GF 30mm f/3.5


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Cleopatra's Needle

Egyptian Obelisk In Central Park



a photo of cleopatra's needle egyptian obelisk in central park new york





Camera:    Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lens:         GF 80mm f/1.7


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

A Plane Flies By

Golden Hour On Central Park West



a photo of the new york central park west at sunset with a plane in the frame





A view of the El Dorado and Central Park West during a dramatic summer sunset.



Camera:    Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lens:         GF 120mm f/4


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Belvedere Castle At Sunset

Stone and Stormy Skies



a photo of belvedere castle in central park new york city at sunset
Belvedere Castle At Sunset



Architecture is grand, but nature is the finest artist.


Camera:    
Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lens:         GF 80mm f/1.7


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

Fast Times At The Guggenheim

Motion Pictures

I enjoy capturing motion with a still camera, rendering moving objects as smears of color, as though they were created by sweeping a paint brush across a canvas.

The effect stands out against a sharp, well-focused background, especially when the background contains a recognizable landmark.


a photo of the guggenheim museum in new york with a speeding car





a photo of the guggenheim museum in new york with a moving taxi





a photo of the guggenheim museum in new york with a speeding car





Camera:    
Sony a7R IV
Lens:        Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

Thursday, April 28, 2022

NYC in Black and White - Part 3

Three Views Of Midtown



a black and white photograph of new york city architecture by daniel south
Vernal Equinox





a black and white photo of people walking on fifth avenue new york city
277 Fifth Avenue





a black and white photo of new york city skyscrapers
Lofty Intentions





Camera:    
Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lenses:     GF 80mm f/1.7
                GF 23mm f/4


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved

Monday, February 28, 2022

NYC in Black and White - Part 2

Drama in Darkness



a black and white photo of a tall building in new york reaching toward a con trail
Reaching - New York (2022)




a black and white photo of the roosevelt island tram cable car in new york city
Cable Car - New York (2022)




a black and white photo of new york skyscrapers with reflections
Contrast - New York City (2022)




a black and white photo of an ornate church in new york city
Ornate Church - New York (2022)




Camera and Lens:
1, 2, 4:    Fujifilm GFX 100S, GF 80mm f/1.7
3:            Sony a7R IV, FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved


Sunday, February 27, 2022

NYC in Black and White - Part 1

Manhattan In Monochrome


a black and white photo of the queensboro bridge in new york city
Queensboro Bridge and Cable Cars - New York (2021)




a black and white photo of the san remo apartment building in new york city
The San Remo - New York (2021)




a black and white photo of modern architecture in new york city
Between The Lines - New York (2022)




a black and white photo of the united nations complex in new york city
United Nations Complex - New York (2022)





Camera:    Fujifilm GFX 100S
Lenses:     GF 120mm f/4
                GF 80mm f/1.7
                GF 23mm f/4


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright © 2022 Daniel R. South
www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved