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| Passing Gondolier - Venice |
Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikon AF-S Nikor 24-70 f/2.8G ED
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Copyright 2014 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Passing Gondolier - Venice
A Sense of Place
Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikon AF-S Nikor 24-70 f/2.8G ED
Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikon AF-S Nikor 24-70 f/2.8G ED
Sunday, December 1, 2013
The Other Side of the Island
The Charm of New York's Neighborhoods
Skyscrapers. High-rise apartment buildings. Landmarks, lights, and sights - New York has it all. Tourists flock to Times Square and Rockefeller Center, stroll along Fifth Avenue and Central Park South, and aim their cameras at the Chrysler Building and the World Trade Center. The grandeur can be intoxicating. The experience, unforgettable.
New Yorkers and frequent visitors enjoy the famous sights just as much as the tourists do. But there's a more intimate side of the city - neighborhoods that retain the charm and character of decades past.
I love to photograph New York. A big part of that adventure is discovering the city's hidden secrets, lesser known places that still catch the eye and captivate the imagination.
The photo above shows a style of architecture that I have come to appreciate while meandering through the busy streets of Manhattan. These four or five-story building typically feature shops on the street level, apartments above, and intricate iron fire escapes.
The façades can be quite colorful. I love how direct sunlight - which hits this row of buildings for at most only a few minutes per day - brings out the colors, textures, and details.
My first attempt at this shot didn't work out well. I realized afterward that I had forgotten to put a memory card into the camera. The images vanished as soon as I turned the camera off.
I returned a week later, wedged my tripod between a couple of parked cars (one of which was waiting to pull out!), focused, finalized my exposure settings carefully, and clicked six or seven shots as cars passed by in various patterns. I like this one the best because of the even distribution of the passing cars across the frame.
Unfortunately, these lovely buildings are disappearing. Each year, many of them are torn down to make way for large and more modern structures. I look forward to photographing more neighborhoods like this one - before they all disappear.
Camera: Nikon D800E
Lens: PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5
Skyscrapers. High-rise apartment buildings. Landmarks, lights, and sights - New York has it all. Tourists flock to Times Square and Rockefeller Center, stroll along Fifth Avenue and Central Park South, and aim their cameras at the Chrysler Building and the World Trade Center. The grandeur can be intoxicating. The experience, unforgettable.
New Yorkers and frequent visitors enjoy the famous sights just as much as the tourists do. But there's a more intimate side of the city - neighborhoods that retain the charm and character of decades past.
I love to photograph New York. A big part of that adventure is discovering the city's hidden secrets, lesser known places that still catch the eye and captivate the imagination.
 |
| City In Motion - Classic New York Architecture |
The photo above shows a style of architecture that I have come to appreciate while meandering through the busy streets of Manhattan. These four or five-story building typically feature shops on the street level, apartments above, and intricate iron fire escapes.
The façades can be quite colorful. I love how direct sunlight - which hits this row of buildings for at most only a few minutes per day - brings out the colors, textures, and details.
My first attempt at this shot didn't work out well. I realized afterward that I had forgotten to put a memory card into the camera. The images vanished as soon as I turned the camera off.
I returned a week later, wedged my tripod between a couple of parked cars (one of which was waiting to pull out!), focused, finalized my exposure settings carefully, and clicked six or seven shots as cars passed by in various patterns. I like this one the best because of the even distribution of the passing cars across the frame.
Unfortunately, these lovely buildings are disappearing. Each year, many of them are torn down to make way for large and more modern structures. I look forward to photographing more neighborhoods like this one - before they all disappear.
Camera: Nikon D800E
Lens: PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Copyright 2013 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
Saturday, November 23, 2013
City In Motion - The Inspiration Behind The Photographs
Reflection and Possibility
Urban photographers like to work with reflections. Modern cities are endowed with a generous supply of glass panes and shiny surfaces.
One evening in the summer, I noticed a black marble wall. I pulled out my camera and experimented with shots of the reflections of passing people and the vehicles.
It was an interesting idea, it presented technical challenges. There wasn't much light at that hour, and the dark surface absorbed most of what was available.
Even with a highly sensitive modern digital camera, I was struggling to set a shutter speed that would freeze the motion of my reflected subjects.
My mind began to search for solutions. I considered trying again with extremely fast lenses and using special noise reduction software.
And then I said to myself, "Stop!"
I realized that I was thinking in a habitual ways. I was solving the same problems in the same way, using the same thinking that I had been using for years. It was time for a break, time to set my automatic responses aside and approach the problem from a new perspective.
What if I couldn't freeze the motion of passing objects? What if I let them blur on purpose?
Legendary photographer Ernst Haas used motion blur creatively in his images. Search online for a copy of his photograph, La Suerte De Capa, captured in Pamplona, Spain in 1956. It's one of my all-time favorite photographs in part because it defies common practice. Instead of freezing the motion in the frame, Haas enhanced its impact on the final image.
I began to the see a possibility. I didn't necessarily have to fight to freeze my subjects. If I cold capture motion effective in the frame of a still photograph, I could use it to show the dynamic pace of life in New York City.
Empire State Building: Nikon D800E, PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5
Grand Central: Canon EOD 5D Mark III, TS-E24mm f/3.5L
Urban photographers like to work with reflections. Modern cities are endowed with a generous supply of glass panes and shiny surfaces.
One evening in the summer, I noticed a black marble wall. I pulled out my camera and experimented with shots of the reflections of passing people and the vehicles.
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| Empire State Building - New York City in Motion |
It was an interesting idea, it presented technical challenges. There wasn't much light at that hour, and the dark surface absorbed most of what was available.
Even with a highly sensitive modern digital camera, I was struggling to set a shutter speed that would freeze the motion of my reflected subjects.
My mind began to search for solutions. I considered trying again with extremely fast lenses and using special noise reduction software.
And then I said to myself, "Stop!"
I realized that I was thinking in a habitual ways. I was solving the same problems in the same way, using the same thinking that I had been using for years. It was time for a break, time to set my automatic responses aside and approach the problem from a new perspective.
 |
| Grand Central Station - New York City In Motion |
What if I couldn't freeze the motion of passing objects? What if I let them blur on purpose?
Legendary photographer Ernst Haas used motion blur creatively in his images. Search online for a copy of his photograph, La Suerte De Capa, captured in Pamplona, Spain in 1956. It's one of my all-time favorite photographs in part because it defies common practice. Instead of freezing the motion in the frame, Haas enhanced its impact on the final image.
I began to the see a possibility. I didn't necessarily have to fight to freeze my subjects. If I cold capture motion effective in the frame of a still photograph, I could use it to show the dynamic pace of life in New York City.
Empire State Building: Nikon D800E, PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5
Grand Central: Canon EOD 5D Mark III, TS-E24mm f/3.5L
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
New York - City In Motion - 11/12/13
See the World. Differently.
Well, the date is finally here, and after three months of shooting, I am proud to announce the debut of New York - City In Motion.
This collection attempts to capture the dynamic, fast-moving pace of New York City in creative ways using the unique qualities of still photography.
I'll be writing extensively in the coming months about the making of this collection and the inspiration behind the images.
To view the entire collection in high resolution, please click here.
Thank you as always for your continued interest and support!
Busy Intersection: Nikon D800E, PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5
Forty Yard Line: Canon EOD 5D Mark III, 70-200 f/4L IS
Well, the date is finally here, and after three months of shooting, I am proud to announce the debut of New York - City In Motion.
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| Busy Intersection - New York City In Motion |
This collection attempts to capture the dynamic, fast-moving pace of New York City in creative ways using the unique qualities of still photography.
 |
| Forty Yard Line - New York City In Motion |
I'll be writing extensively in the coming months about the making of this collection and the inspiration behind the images.
To view the entire collection in high resolution, please click here.
Thank you as always for your continued interest and support!
Busy Intersection: Nikon D800E, PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5
Forty Yard Line: Canon EOD 5D Mark III, 70-200 f/4L IS
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Copyright © 2013 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
Monday, November 11, 2013
Color. Outside of the Lines.
City In Motion - 11/12/13
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Copyright 2013 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
See The World. Differently.
City In Motion - 11/12/13
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Copyright 2013 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Sun Dial and Tribute Beams
9/11/2010
The massive, seven-foot tall sun dial was designed by sculptor Robert Adzema. Its location on the Hudson River provides unimpeded views of Lower Manhattan.
Blue tribute lights beam skyward each year on the 9/11 anniversary. Visitors line up at the edge of the river to pay their respects and snap photos of the lights and the New York skyline.
It's amazingly quiet here at dusk in mid-September. There's a prevailing sense of reverence and an appreciation for the value of life.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
The massive, seven-foot tall sun dial was designed by sculptor Robert Adzema. Its location on the Hudson River provides unimpeded views of Lower Manhattan.
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| Sun Dial and Tribute Lights, 9/11/2010 |
Blue tribute lights beam skyward each year on the 9/11 anniversary. Visitors line up at the edge of the river to pay their respects and snap photos of the lights and the New York skyline.
It's amazingly quiet here at dusk in mid-September. There's a prevailing sense of reverence and an appreciation for the value of life.
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Copyright 2013 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
Saturday, October 5, 2013
National Parks in Peril
Casualties of Governmental Gridlock
The United States government is in the midst of a budget crisis. The National Park system was one of the immediate casualties. Rangers have been furloughed, concessions have been shuttered, and these beautiful parks are now closed to the public.
Hopefully, the crisis will be resolved shortly so that the parks can return to normal operation.
When the issues have been resolved and the parks are once again receiving visitors, please make it a point to spend some time seeing one or more of these amazing national treasures.
Nature should not be held hostage by bickering bureaucrats. Unfortunately, the political process does not always consider the costs and consequences of short-sighted decisions. It might be a good idea to visit our National Parks before they are thrust once again into operational peril by self-serving politicians.
Grand Canyon: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II
Yosemite: Nikon D800E, 24-70 f/2.8G AF-S
Death Valley: Canon EOD 5D Mark II, 70-200 f/4L IS
The United States government is in the midst of a budget crisis. The National Park system was one of the immediate casualties. Rangers have been furloughed, concessions have been shuttered, and these beautiful parks are now closed to the public.
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| Grand Canyon at Sunset |
Hopefully, the crisis will be resolved shortly so that the parks can return to normal operation.
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| Yosemite National Park from Tioga Road |
When the issues have been resolved and the parks are once again receiving visitors, please make it a point to spend some time seeing one or more of these amazing national treasures.
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| Zabriskie Point Sunrise, Death Valley |
Nature should not be held hostage by bickering bureaucrats. Unfortunately, the political process does not always consider the costs and consequences of short-sighted decisions. It might be a good idea to visit our National Parks before they are thrust once again into operational peril by self-serving politicians.
Grand Canyon: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II
Yosemite: Nikon D800E, 24-70 f/2.8G AF-S
Death Valley: Canon EOD 5D Mark II, 70-200 f/4L IS
Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!
Copyright 2013 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
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