Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The Lesson of Tag and You're It!
This blog typically isn't about photography advice or instruction, but today I sold an image and it was a great lesson to not be a lazy photographer. You see we all love to go to interesting locations, make beautiful pictures and play with cool gear. Some of the geekier among us even like to spend hours in the software that has become the bane of the digital photographer. After all that, it's awfully easy to forget about an important housekeeping task... tagging your images with captions and keywords.
Captioning and keywording is electronically assigning descriptive words to your image. The who, what, where of an image as well as the attribute, emotion or feeling it evokes are all keyword examples. It isn't exciting, it doesn't make you say "wow" or give you that rush you get when you've made an image you love. But, if you're putting your images on the web, tagging is one of the strongest tools you have to get your photos seen because keywords are part of the secret sauce that make the Google world go round. I've sold two images in the last couple of months thanks to keywords, captions and good old Google images. Check your website and your blog and make sure you're doing everything you can to help people can find your good work!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas!
These ornaments have been in my family for as long as I can remember. I hope you all enjoy special holiday traditions this season. Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Home for the Holidays
Last week I took a drive north of the notches to Stark, NH, a small village in Northern New Hampshire on the edge of the Nash Stream Wilderness. The Upper Ammonoosuc River flows through town and is spanned by the Stark Covered Bridge. The bridge and Stark Union Church are both part of the National Register of Historic Places. At the opposite end of the bridge, The Stark Village Inn bookends the scene. Even the most jaded among us can tune in to the Holiday spirit with the right inspiration. If you're stuck in neutral with the holidays, maybe this helps. Stark is a beautiful and peaceful place and sets the right tone for the season. Barely 20 miles from where I grew up, it felt like I was home for the holidays.
Check out the Stark Village Inn. Support local business in Northern NH and enjoy hiking the Percy Peaks, the Kilkenny Range or the Cohas Trail as well as swimming in my favorite childhood spot at Christine Lake. The Stark Village Inn doesn't have a website, but here's their Facebook page...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stark-Village-Inn/449012015401
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Arizona Revisited
Jerome, Arizona
Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona, Arizona
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
The Obligatory Foliage Post
Fall was a little elusive for me this year with a dull start to the foliage, unseasonably warm weather, rain and a constant time crunch. Last Saturday was an attempt to change all that and while conditions weren't perfect, here are a few images made during the day's wandering. Bring on the snow!
Lary Brook
Shelburne, NH
Lary Brook
Shelburne, NH
Lary Brook
Shelburne, NH
Lary Brook
Shelburne, NH
Forrest Brook, Madison Cascade
Madison, NH
Lary Brook
Shelburne, NH
Lary Brook
Shelburne, NH
Lary Brook
Shelburne, NH
Lary Brook
Shelburne, NH
Forrest Brook, Madison Cascade
Madison, NH
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Sandwich as Seattle
Last weekend I got out with a friend to make some early fall pictures. For the non-New Englanders in the crowd, it was raining buckets. We decided to meet in Sandwich, NH... a super quaint village with easy access to several wilderness areas. Good photos were few and far between, but the day wasn't a total bust. I made one image that I like. In the constant rain, I also did a thorough test on the weather sealing of my camera gear and validated that buying the expensive stuff is well worth it. Best of all, I enjoyed fine dinner and spirits as well as equally tasty conversation at the mighty Corner House Pub. After all, choosing to meet in Sandwich wasn't all about photography.
Cow Cave
Sandwich Notch, NH
Cow Cave
Sandwich Notch, NH
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Metal Prints
I've become really fond of metal prints. I have one hanging in an exhibit at the Mount Washington Art Association Visual Arts Center right now. I recommend metal prints to people all the time and they typically have never heard of them. Everyone always asks, so let me clarify. Yes... metal... real live aluminum. It's a special process where dye is infused into the metal and finished
with a high gloss. The process makes colors look amazing. The prints
have a 1/2 inch foam block on the back and are designed to hang on the
wall as is. They float slightly off the surface of the wall, creating a
really flattering shadow line. And that's one of the best parts... no expensive framing and they're ready hang right out of the box.
Here's an example. This is one of my images prepared as a corporate gift. The images are branded to the company and it's a great example of a float mounted metal print. Four of these beauties will be shipped out tomorrow.
Just about all the images on my website are available as float mounted metal prints. To learn more about float mounted metal prints, check out this link sponsored by the professional lab that I use to fulfill all orders on my website... Bay Photo.
Here's an example. This is one of my images prepared as a corporate gift. The images are branded to the company and it's a great example of a float mounted metal print. Four of these beauties will be shipped out tomorrow.
Just about all the images on my website are available as float mounted metal prints. To learn more about float mounted metal prints, check out this link sponsored by the professional lab that I use to fulfill all orders on my website... Bay Photo.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
For Deeko
While I never played organized hockey, many of my earliest and best memories of growing up revolve around the sport. Berlin, New Hampshire is just a Sunday drive south of the Canadian border and has historically been a paper mill town with a predominantly French-Canadian population. Hockey is a foundational part of the place. For many years, the south end of Main Street was spanned with a sign made up of two huge hockey sticks and an equally large hockey puck replica with white letters that said "Berlin, NH Hockeytown USA". Friday nights was always ice skating at the Notre Dame Arena. Pick up street hockey at St. Joseph's School and ice hockey at the outdoor rink behind the police station was a daily ritual. Usually a freezing cold daily ritual. Frozen tennis balls hurt like hell when you take a slap shot in the thigh.
This is a picture of the Berlin High School Hockey team from around 1950. My dad, Richard Viger, is the handsome guy with the sporty hair second from the right in the first row. Everybody called him Deeko... a take off on Dick (back when this was still an acceptable nickname). Folklore says that Deeko was a pretty exceptional hockey player with full ride scholarship letters. It's probably true. I've had people I didn't know recognize my unique last name and ask if he was my Dad, following on with a comment about how they loved to watch him play in high school.
Deeko ended up signing a different type of acceptance form and the Navy got to enjoy his athletic skills instead. Despite his time on an aircraft carrier, my dad retained his love of hockey through out his life. Memories of my Dad are memories of hockey and vice versa. He was always a fan and would take me to high school games for as long as I could remember. The Berlin Maroons were a semi-pro team in my home town and we'd take in their games as well.
My Uncle Romeo and ma Tante Grace ran a small gas station/convenience store on the West bank of the Androscoggin River where the James Cleaveland Bridge now stands. Dad and I would often visit to sit in their little office and watch the Canadiens on a 13 inch black and white television that was up on top of a tall file cabinet. Romeo was a Canadiens fan and would only watch hockey on the French-speaking channels we could get from Montreal. The patter of the announcers in a language I didn't understand, the pale blue light from that TV, Guy Lafleur's smooth command of the rink and sitting at my Dad's side with a thick, curved 10 ounce glass bottle of Coke in my hand are still vivid memories to me. I don't know how old I was... maybe five.
While Uncle Romeo liked the Canadiens, at our house, it was the Bruins. Located just about midway between Montreal and Boston, the whole town had a similar split allegiance. People were passionate about it... the kind of stuff that bar room fights are made of. The Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 1972 when I was six. This was the era of Phil Esposito, Gerry Cheevers, Terry O'Reilly, Derek Sanderson, Ken Hodge and other iconic Bruins players. And of course, Bobby Orr. A Bobby Orr biography was one of the first books I remember checking out of the library as a kid. The Sher-wood hockey stick I bought at the arena, my Bobby Orr waste paper basket and an autographed Johnny Bucyk postcard were prized possessions at the time.
My Dad and I made an unbelievable trip to the Montreal Forum for a Stanley Cup game with the Bruins... it must have been during the 1978 finals. We were only a few rows off the ice and it was amazing. That trip gave me quite a story to tell my friends when we stopped at Gagne's store on the way to 7:00 pm Catholic Mass... also in French. No wonder we spent the 50 cents our Mothers had given us for the church's donation basket on hockey cards. Despite the strong French Canadian Catholic influence in the community, hockey was religion and Catholic charitable salvation seemed insignificant compared to the chance of getting a Rick Middleton or Jean Ratelle.
By the time I hit junior high, my interests were elsewhere. Maybe it was part of teenage rebellion for something that such a big part of my Dad. As an adult, I can I say enjoy hockey, but I don't follow it all that closely. In fact, I'm betting I could name more players of that early 70's line-up than of the current Bruins roster. Last winter I took my young sons to their first high school game and it felt like closing a circle. Our garage was renamed "the Garden" because of our evening hockey games and soon they were wearing Bruins winter hats. I had a great time watching the Bruins win the Cup last season. It seemed the way hockey should be played.
A few weeks ago I was sitting with a new friend and was invited to take pictures at a Stanley Cup event. At first, it didn't sink sink in. But driving home I was taken off guard by how excited I was. When I thought about it, I knew why. The Stanley Cup is the ultimate hockey icon and, for me, hockey will always represent home and my Dad. Spending the night with the Stanley Cup three feet from me was like re-visiting my childhood... it was like having my dad by my side. I haven't heard his voice in a long time now, but when I reviewed the almost 1,000 photographs I took that night, His slow, second generation Franco-American twang would sometimes pop into my head saying "Hey Joey... you got to touch the same Stanley Cup as Bobby Orr." Awesome!
On with the photography...
Joe Ricchio from Food Coma TV
The fantastic crew at Krista's. I was in their way all night long and they were so nice to act like it was their fault, usually offering to get me something to eat or drink in the process.
If you are ever in Cornish, Maine, make sure you visit Krista's Restaurant. And even if you aren't in Cornish, make a special trip. It's a really wonderful place with exceptional food and people. Special thanks to Krista Lair for asking me to make these photos of a special night for her and the town of Cornish. Also, thanks to Jim Bednarek for his generosity in bringing the most amazing sporting tradition to small town New England hockey fans!
Krista Lair and Jim Benarek |
RIP Gardner.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Feeling Minnesota
It was gray with intermittent rain all week in Duluth. Most folks were complaining, but I was happy. The clouds were amazing.
Lake Superior
Duluth, Minnesota
Lake Superior
Duluth, Minnesota
Monday, September 12, 2011
Interesting Statistics and The Great HDR Debate
Last week I posted this photo of Thompson Falls in Pinkham Notch, NH. I described how it was a high dynamic range image or HDR created by using software to combining the tonal values of five separate exposures. I also related that I was sort of luke warm on HDR.
Over the weekend, I offered up a single image of the same location shot at the same time. This photo is not an HDR. One long exposure from the camera with gentle software tweaks to color and contrast.
This
I posted both images to the same exact Flickr group, wrote a blog post on each image and shared those blog posts on Facebook and Google+. I hadn't planned on doing an analysis, but I realized I have some data, so here we go...
Over the weekend, I offered up a single image of the same location shot at the same time. This photo is not an HDR. One long exposure from the camera with gentle software tweaks to color and contrast.
This
I posted both images to the same exact Flickr group, wrote a blog post on each image and shared those blog posts on Facebook and Google+. I hadn't planned on doing an analysis, but I realized I have some data, so here we go...
- Both images have received just about identical numbers of views so far on Flickr and on Facebook.
- The HDR image has generated more comments.
- There have been enthusiastic comments about both images
- The Thompson Falls HDR image was favorited on Flickr and the non-HDR image was not
- The non-HDR image has more Facebook likes than the HDR version (4 vs. 2)
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Congratulations to Mountain Running World Champions Kasie Enman & Max King!
Kasie Enman of Huntington, Vermont and Max King of Bend, Oregon claimed the titles of Mountain Running World Champions at their races this morning in Tirana, Albania. This is the first time the US has won double gold at the World Championships. Enman is the first US woman to ever win Gold at the World's. Max and Kasie are also the US Champions having won the title at the US Mountain Running Championships in North Conway, NH at Cranmore Mountain.
You can see great photos from the race and get more details at the USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Facebook page and the US Mountain Running website
Congratulations to both Kasie and Max as well as all the athletes and coaches on the US team! Here are a couple of Max and Kasie's photo highlights from the US National Championship race.
You can see great photos from the race and get more details at the USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Facebook page and the US Mountain Running website
Congratulations to both Kasie and Max as well as all the athletes and coaches on the US team! Here are a couple of Max and Kasie's photo highlights from the US National Championship race.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Sans HDR
A couple of days ago I posted an HDR photograph of Thompson Falls in Pinkham Notch. While I'm not convinced high dynamic range is the way to go, the voting public generally liked it based on views and comments here on the blog, Facebook, Google+ or my Flickr photostream. I have to admit, that I like the quality of the rocks in the foreground of that image.
So I figured why not grab another photograph from that same shoot earlier this week and offer it up with no HDR and see what happens. This is a single exposure with "normal" color correction and sharpening in Lightroom 3. Once again... I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thompson Falls
Pinkham Notch, NH
So I figured why not grab another photograph from that same shoot earlier this week and offer it up with no HDR and see what happens. This is a single exposure with "normal" color correction and sharpening in Lightroom 3. Once again... I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thompson Falls
Pinkham Notch, NH
Thursday, September 8, 2011
HDR... ehhhhh
Sooo, ahhh, this HDR thing. High Dynamic Range. For the uninitiated, and highly simplified, HDR is the combining of multiple exposures to present a dynamic range that encompasses the lightest and the darkest tones in a scene. In many ways, it brings the capability to create an image more consistent with what the human eye can see. You may have experienced this for yourself. You see a scene with detail in the shadows, but when you try to photograph it, the shadows are pure black. That's because the human eye can perceive a higher dynamic range of light than film or digital camera sensors. And that's where HDR comes in.
The thing is HDR, like any technology really, can be used for good and for evil. It can be used to make a beautiful photograph and you might not even know it's HDR. Or... HDR can create technicolor yawns that attack your eyes relentlessly like a bad science fiction movie. I don't like that style so much but people still seem fond of it. So.. I'm a bit conflicted about this HDR baloney. This evening I made a few pictures and here's my HDR debut. It was made by combining five images, each one a bit under a stop apart from the other.
Ehhh... I don't know. You be the judge. I'd love to hear from you.
Thompson Falls
Pinkham Notch, NH
The thing is HDR, like any technology really, can be used for good and for evil. It can be used to make a beautiful photograph and you might not even know it's HDR. Or... HDR can create technicolor yawns that attack your eyes relentlessly like a bad science fiction movie. I don't like that style so much but people still seem fond of it. So.. I'm a bit conflicted about this HDR baloney. This evening I made a few pictures and here's my HDR debut. It was made by combining five images, each one a bit under a stop apart from the other.
Ehhh... I don't know. You be the judge. I'd love to hear from you.
Thompson Falls
Pinkham Notch, NH
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Nashville Honky Tonkin'
It's 6:20 pm on a Thursday night and Roberts Western World is already jumping with one of the best guitar players I've seen in a long time.
Lower Broadway nightlife
Welcome to the Ernest Tubb Record Shop.
Yup. Those are real live records. Vinyl for spinning wax on the wheels of steel and lots of 'em.
Ernest and the boys
The Ernest Tubb Record Shop
Nashville Skyline
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