Title: Miss Leslie.Time flies and this past week I had the chance to catch up with a friend from my youthful past. Leslie and I go way back - like Top of the Rock, Punk Rock Hill and various other Grand Rapids moments of the past.We met up at our old stomping ground/ coffee house (Kava House) and eventually figured out that it has been 15 years since we last seen each other in person. Yes, we have been Facebook stalking each other but nothing can replace being right next to the person in the same space. There were tears, there was a lot of laughing, and there was a lot of catching up. We talked about everything from life lessons to who we are now as adults.I toured her sassiness around Grand Rapids and showed her the vast change from the last time she dropped in. We drank sangria at Stella’s and I even showed her some of my photography. She mourned the loss of Scavenger Hunt, where she once was a dedicated employee and we finished the night of properly at San Chez for some tapas. It was the perfect day and I have to say that in all honesty I did not want her to leave to go back home to Knoxville, TN. Looks like a Southern Exposure road trip is in order for this ‘mo!

Title: Miss Leslie.

Time flies and this past week I had the chance to catch up with a friend from my youthful past. Leslie and I go way back - like Top of the Rock, Punk Rock Hill and various other Grand Rapids moments of the past.

We met up at our old stomping ground/ coffee house (Kava House) and eventually figured out that it has been 15 years since we last seen each other in person. Yes, we have been Facebook stalking each other but nothing can replace being right next to the person in the same space. There were tears, there was a lot of laughing, and there was a lot of catching up. We talked about everything from life lessons to who we are now as adults.

I toured her sassiness around Grand Rapids and showed her the vast change from the last time she dropped in. We drank sangria at Stella’s and I even showed her some of my photography. She mourned the loss of Scavenger Hunt, where she once was a dedicated employee and we finished the night of properly at San Chez for some tapas. It was the perfect day and I have to say that in all honesty I did not want her to leave to go back home to Knoxville, TN. Looks like a Southern Exposure road trip is in order for this ‘mo!

Title: Courtney “Best Barista Ever” Marie.I doubt there will ever come a day where I’ll outgrow taking photos of baristas. Here is a shot of Courtney Marie / MadCap Coffee, Grand Rapids - Michigan. 

Title: Courtney “Best Barista Ever” Marie.

I doubt there will ever come a day where I’ll outgrow taking photos of baristas. Here is a shot of Courtney Marie / MadCap Coffee, Grand Rapids - Michigan. 

Title: Ted “The Hipster” Bingham.I really like how this portrait of Ted Bingham and his bike turned out… photo backdrop is the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Enjoy. 

Title: Ted “The Hipster” Bingham.

I really like how this portrait of Ted Bingham and his bike turned out… photo backdrop is the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Enjoy. 

Title: Standard-Bearers.You could never get these facial expressions in a posed shots… this photo embodies everything I like about candid portrature. 

Title: Standard-Bearers.

You could never get these facial expressions in a posed shots… this photo embodies everything I like about candid portrature. 

Title: A Level Playing Field.7 Simple Steps for Amazing Parade Photos1. LOCATION. Get in the front row. Everyone wants to be in the front row at parades but, if your goal is to get good pictures, you really really want to be in the front row. There is a time and place for “backs of peoples heads” shots… and a parade is not one of them! Keep in mind you also need to get to the parade location early and scout out the best location - so no sleeping in on parade day. Also, you can’t really move once it starts. Whatever is in your background will be there for every shot you take. Put some care into selecting what kind of background is on the opposite side of the parade route from you.2. BE AWARE OF THE SUN. Take note of where the sun is (or where it will be during the parade.) The last thing you want is to be facing, and shooting, into the sun. Any strong, direct light shining onto your front lens element will cause lens flare. This will usually ruin your pictures.3. AIM FOR EVEN LIGHTING. Your best bet would be a lightly overcast day but you can’t control the weather. One alternative is to get into the shadow of a tall building and adjust your camera’s white balance for shade, to maintain color fidelity.4. GET DOWN LOW. Okay… you’ve found your position along the route with even light and a pleasing background and are in the front row, now you need to get down low. Sit on the ground if you can. Shooting up at the parade floats will have you shooting over the heads of the people standing on the opposite side of the parade route. This means they will not be in the background of every picture you take. When our eyes are looking up at something, it seems larger. This translates into a grand scale for subject matter. And last but not least, being down low is a different vantage than most people are used to seeing. When your photos show something different or show a subject from a different light it automatically makes your pictures more interesting.5. ANTICIPATE YOUR SHOT. Parades are in motion and always moving - keep a close eye on your subjects as they move down the parade route. Plan your shot before taking it, know what you are looking for, and anticipate the right moment.6. GET CLOSE - OR USE A ZOOM LENSE. Don’t be obsessed with having the whole float visible in your frame. Zoom in on smaller details or single characters. This will make your pictures more exciting and the broader whole will still usually be suggested in the final image.7. FILL FLASH. Not all parades take place during the day or as a parade goes on you may run into the need for artificial lighting - be prepared to supply some. At the end of the day… it’s all about being respectful to people around you. That is the hidden step and taking these 7 suggestions into your data banks will help that everyone has fun. I mean a parade is suppose to be fun right?

Title: A Level Playing Field.

7 Simple Steps for Amazing Parade Photos

1. LOCATION. Get in the front row. Everyone wants to be in the front row at parades but, if your goal is to get good pictures, you really really want to be in the front row. There is a time and place for “backs of peoples heads” shots… and a parade is not one of them! Keep in mind you also need to get to the parade location early and scout out the best location - so no sleeping in on parade day. Also, you can’t really move once it starts. Whatever is in your background will be there for every shot you take. Put some care into selecting what kind of background is on the opposite side of the parade route from you.

2. BE AWARE OF THE SUN. Take note of where the sun is (or where it will be during the parade.) The last thing you want is to be facing, and shooting, into the sun. Any strong, direct light shining onto your front lens element will cause lens flare. This will usually ruin your pictures.

3. AIM FOR EVEN LIGHTING. Your best bet would be a lightly overcast day but you can’t control the weather. One alternative is to get into the shadow of a tall building and adjust your camera’s white balance for shade, to maintain color fidelity.

4. GET DOWN LOW. Okay… you’ve found your position along the route with even light and a pleasing background and are in the front row, now you need to get down low. Sit on the ground if you can. Shooting up at the parade floats will have you shooting over the heads of the people standing on the opposite side of the parade route. This means they will not be in the background of every picture you take. When our eyes are looking up at something, it seems larger. This translates into a grand scale for subject matter. And last but not least, being down low is a different vantage than most people are used to seeing. When your photos show something different or show a subject from a different light it automatically makes your pictures more interesting.

5. ANTICIPATE YOUR SHOT. Parades are in motion and always moving - keep a close eye on your subjects as they move down the parade route. Plan your shot before taking it, know what you are looking for, and anticipate the right moment.

6. GET CLOSE - OR USE A ZOOM LENSE. Don’t be obsessed with having the whole float visible in your frame. Zoom in on smaller details or single characters. This will make your pictures more exciting and the broader whole will still usually be suggested in the final image.

7. FILL FLASH. Not all parades take place during the day or as a parade goes on you may run into the need for artificial lighting - be prepared to supply some. 

At the end of the day… it’s all about being respectful to people around you. That is the hidden step and taking these 7 suggestions into your data banks will help that everyone has fun. I mean a parade is suppose to be fun right?

Title: Honor System.One of my favorite images I took from downtown Grand Rapid’s Memorial Day Parade… I had to share this one! Reminds me of when I was once a Boy Scout - ah, the memories.

Title: Honor System.

One of my favorite images I took from downtown Grand Rapid’s Memorial Day Parade… I had to share this one! Reminds me of when I was once a Boy Scout - ah, the memories.

Title: Window Frames.Sample image of the in-camera HDR functions of the new Canon EOS 5D Mark III… what I love the most about this HDR shot is that it’s not what one normally thinks of when hearing the letters HDR. The Mark III produced a crisp, clean, and not overly saturated and color-shifted photo. Win, win. 

Title: Window Frames.

Sample image of the in-camera HDR functions of the new Canon EOS 5D Mark III… what I love the most about this HDR shot is that it’s not what one normally thinks of when hearing the letters HDR. The Mark III produced a crisp, clean, and not overly saturated and color-shifted photo. Win, win. 

Title: Wrangler.I’m still trying to figure out why I like this shot of a Jeep Wrangler so much… I mean hello it’s bright and yellow, but there is just something about it.  

Title: Wrangler.

I’m still trying to figure out why I like this shot of a Jeep Wrangler so much… I mean hello it’s bright and yellow, but there is just something about it.  

Title: Multiple Personalities.We all know I love my Canon EOS 5D Mark III… I mean hell I can’t stop talking about it. One of the new features I’m really enjoying is the ability to do in-camera digital “multiple exposure”. You can combine up to 9 exposures and the way the Digic 5 processor put them together is nothing less than stunning. The new chip really takes into count multiple exposures and replicating the same principles of doing so with film. White/sparce areas become washed and darker areas lay on more expanse for images to pile on. One added bonus is the Mark III saves all the images individually as well, so if you want just a single image from the mix, you are NOT out of luck - something that you can’t do with a film camera!So there, I love my 5D Mark III… but then you already knew that! Total digital SLR hotness.

Title: Multiple Personalities.

We all know I love my Canon EOS 5D Mark III… I mean hell I can’t stop talking about it. One of the new features I’m really enjoying is the ability to do in-camera digital “multiple exposure”. You can combine up to 9 exposures and the way the Digic 5 processor put them together is nothing less than stunning. The new chip really takes into count multiple exposures and replicating the same principles of doing so with film. White/sparce areas become washed and darker areas lay on more expanse for images to pile on. One added bonus is the Mark III saves all the images individually as well, so if you want just a single image from the mix, you are NOT out of luck - something that you can’t do with a film camera!

So there, I love my 5D Mark III… but then you already knew that! Total digital SLR hotness.

Title: Storeroom.A variant of yesterday’s blog photo - today’s photo places the focal point on the Wolverine Company Store branding in the window, not on the shoes. However, you can still make out the shoes in the reflections and bokeh. But the shoes are almost a second thought or bonus feature, where in yesterday’s shot they were the full attention grabber.This goes to show you that where you place your focal point in photography plays a very important part in the mood/intent of your photo in an instant. So always keep this in mind, always!Enjoy. 

Title: Storeroom.

A variant of yesterday’s blog photo - today’s photo places the focal point on the Wolverine Company Store branding in the window, not on the shoes. However, you can still make out the shoes in the reflections and bokeh. But the shoes are almost a second thought or bonus feature, where in yesterday’s shot they were the full attention grabber.

This goes to show you that where you place your focal point in photography plays a very important part in the mood/intent of your photo in an instant. So always keep this in mind, always!

Enjoy.