Getting into "FACES".....

There are times I wonder why I resist taking certain kinds of photos.  Mainly "FACES".  For some reason or other faces have been difficult for me.  As most who follow my posts know, I mainly photograph landscapes, general nature (animals, insects, and an occasional geographic formation that is unusual.  Recently I have been trying to force myself to face my resistance and taking photos of  faces (not just human, but animal faces up close, insects up close, and things that just jump out at me as being something humans recognize as a face.  

I think one of the reasons I've avoided taking pictures of the human face is because sometimes people just aren't very photogenic and I've had a "slight" fear of upsetting someones feelings.  I've been trying different techniques that has helped eliminate the problem of non-photogenic faces. Filters and other on camera tricks help somewhat, as do post photo computer tricks... however I'm trying to take photos that do not require "tricks" and just relying on natural lighting and expression of the person or thing being photographed.  Here are some samples of some of the photos I've taken while trying to become more of a "face photographer".  You'll probably be seeing more and more of these kinds of photos over the next months (along with my usual landscape, and nature scenes).    .

Footnote:  Here is a quote I read recently by Roald Dahl, The Twits.....“A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose... but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”  Maybe that is a reason I've avoided portrait of people....  I might have been looking at what the World considers a perfect exterior and not remembering that the true value (beauty) of a person lies within their good character.  Trying to keep up with what others would consider beauty really was difficult as we're bombarded so much in the photography world with perfection and not enough character in a face.  You can look at a beautiful face and feel emptiness... or see kindness and compassion in an old withered face that has experienced much.  Over the next few months I'm going to be working on rediscovering that beauty in faces I photograph.  One can only try....

INSPIRE130+ photos Oct. 2013

This is a video of 130+ photos that I've done and showed at a recent photography showing along with several of my finished prints.  Some of the photos I have posted before - however, the majority are new or never before posted.  I hope you enjoy these photos and the music.  If you have a comment I would really like the feedback so that I may improve my next photo video.  For older photos you can log onto some of my other blogs on photography... ie...http://bmoore3photos.blogspot.com/  or onto YouTube at  http://www.youtube.com/user/Bmoore1945/videos.

August 23, 2013

By now the world has probably seen, heard of, or read about the horrific fire that is destroying the Sierra Mountains just to the East of where I live and where I spend a lot of time photographing and just enjoying.   The Rim Fire crossed the western boundary of Yosemite National Park yesterday between Camp Mather and Eleanor Lake and left a path of destruction along Highway 120 North of Yosemite to Groveland.  The Rim Fire (as it is called) has grown to over 105,000 acres -- or roughly 165 square miles -- it is soon going to start it's day of burning largely out of control through steep, rugged terrain. It has destroyed many structures and home and threatens an additional 2,500 homes.  Our family spent a week at Pine Mountain Lake this summer and that area is being evacuated now.  We have friends who live in the Greeley Hill - Groveland area.  I don't ever recall a fire more devastating to California that this fire and I pray for the safety of the people who live and work in this area, for those fighting the fires, and for the fire to end before much more damage is caused.  The way it looks now that is a BIG prayer...the blaze is just 2% contained and the winds are fanning the flames in all directions.  Groveland, Pine Mountain Lake, Buck Meadows,and all the little 'you just missed it' spots along the fires path will need all our support when this fire is finally killed.  It will take a lot of our support to bring this part of California back to the beauty we have know.  Please, if you get a chance to support those in the fires path... please do so.   Thank you from a neighbor in Modesto...

Nightfall shot of Half Dome

Here is a shot I took of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park this summer.  I've probably been to Yosemite a dozen times in the past couple of years and I never get tired of it.  I started going there back in the early 1960's and each time I go I see something new and different.  I don't think I'll ever tire of visiting this beautiful park.... be it in the heat of summer or the cold of winter; or the new growth in spring or the colors of fall... the park is a photographers dream come true.  You quickly understand why people say if you don't like the view... wait a while and it will change.  One visit the sky is hazy, the next a deep blue or filled with billowing clouds; and the granite rock walls will be dark and drab then burning crimson from the rising or setting sun. The valley is a never ending display of color and form and a view to stand back, drink in, and enjoy.  

Yosemite Valley looking up... Beautiful sky and clouds. 

As summer wraps up I'm again finding myself getting ready for photo competitions again.  Having time away for competing in competitions give me the time to just get out at shoot just for the fun of it (it's all fun, but during the nine months where I compete does cause me to have to focus on specific fields of photography.  During the summer months I can just hang out and take pictures of whatever floats by me.  Here is a Swallowtail butterfly from my garden.  It was very cooperative and stayed around for over ten minutes resting on my six foot tall Zinnias...

It won't be long before these butterflies will be heading south for the winter.

An altered view of reality and possibilities. Photography....

Have you ever wondered what different places would look like if the Earth suddenly had another flood?  Well, here are three photos I did that might give you a hint....   Yosemite Falls (in Yosemite Valley is just over 2,000 feet above sea level).   Mount Rushmore near Keystone South Dakota is just over 5,700 feet, and the last one would be a view of the full moon coming over the top of Mount Everest at 29,029 feet.

I like experimenting with photography and the many different effects I can create with my photos.  This is one of the new special effects I've been experimenting with recently.  It sure puts things into a different perspective when you take a photo of something you have seen many times and add a new feature to the photo.  Adding water really changes the view and reality of what was taken in the original photo and alters it to be something outside of what was really taking place when the photo was taken. Seeing things out side of the norm.  It tests you and allows you to just let your imagination roam.    

A Albinoni's Adagio (by William Moore)

My love of photography can only be surpassed by my love of music.  This video combines these two pastimes of mine into a project that I’ve been working on since 1968.  Back then I was in the Navy and stationed in Sicily, Italy.  Prior to entering the service I was a music/drama major in college.  After studying voice and acting (like many music majors and drama students) I came to the realization that my choices were really limiting me in what I would be able to do in life… so I volunteered for the Navy (like my father and grand-father before him did).  I wanted to see more of the world and grow up and figure out what I really wanted in life. 

After being stationed in Sicily I continued to take voice training and being in Italy, I fell in love with Italian music.  I had been in Sicily for about a year or so when in 1968 I was spending a weekend (which I did often) in Taormina.  On that particular weekend I heard a song that was sung by an Austrian named Udo Jürgen...  The song is an adaptation of “Adagio in G minor” by Tomaso Albinoni… originally written around 1708 then tucked away in Dresden until the city was bombed in February and March of 1945 by the British and American Air Forces….   The people of Dresden had evacuated and preserved most of its cities music collection and shortly after the war a guy named Giazotto's purported discovery of a tiny manuscript fragment and recreated the long forgotten music of Albinoni.   I was sitting in a restaurant and the recently released song was played in the background.  The song rattled around in my brain for 44 years when I decided it was time to do something about wanting to sing the song.  I had purchased a 45 rpm recording of the song after hearing it that first time.

It took months of searching and finally I found someone (Rene Jocharde of Austria) who knew the song and he (through Facebook) contacted me and sent me a German version of the sheet music and then later the translation into Italian.  From there I contacted someone (Chad Pippin of Modesto) who arranged for me to make a recording of the song.  Yvonne Thompson (whom I’ve known since 1975 and who is one of the best pianist I’ve known) recreated the feel and tempo of the song.  Chad Pippin added acoustic guitar and strings to the background, and I was off to the recording studio to record what had been on my mind all these years.  By this time 45 years had passed from the time I first heard the song until I was able to make this recording at age 67.  My version of the song was for my family – however, after hearing from many people that they liked the song and wanted me to post it, I made a version mixed with photos that I’ve taken (rather than the version I did with me singing that I did for my family) and this is the result.  I enjoyed finally being able to finish this project after so many years.  I hope you enjoy the video with photos.  Thank you for taking the time to listen and view the photos.