Monday, March 31, 2014

Stairway Atop The City Walls, Dubrovnik

The most impressive walled city that I've seen in my travels is Dubrovnik on the southern coast of Croatia.


a photograph of a stairway atop the city walls in dubrovnik croatia
Stairwell Atop The City Walls, Dubrovnik


I captured this shot as the morning sun cast a shadow bisecting the stairway.


Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens:      Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM


Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2014 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Springtime at Big Sur

Cattle Grazing at the Point Sur Lighthouse

Ah, the green of the California Coast! What a welcome sight after a long, cold winter!


a photo of cattle grazing near point sur lighthouse california
Cattle Grazing at Point Sur



Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens:      Canon EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM


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




a photo of a gondolier in venice
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

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.



a photo of classic new york architecture
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.



a photo of the Empire State Building in New York City in Motion
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.




a photo of Grand Central Station in New York City showing Motion
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. 



a photo of an intersection at night in new york city with traffic trails
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.




a photo of a football kickoff showing the players in motion in new york daniel south 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


a photo announcing the upcoming new york city in motion photography exhibition by daniel south



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


a photo announcing the upcoming photography exhibition new york city in motion by daniel south



Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2013 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved