Walking the Dog

Thanks to my Flat-Coated Retriever Cali I get to see this end of the street on a daily basis. Most of the time it barely merits a second look. On rare occasions, however, there is something special that catches the eye. One night it was the way the fog played with the light from the streetlight. The next morning the moisture condensation from the fog had frozen on the leaves and remaining berries creating some interesting images. In both cases I took Cali home and retrieved my camera. Cali lacks the patience to wait for me to take pictures. Nevertheless, I am grateful that she takes me on these walks.





















All Images ©2009 Greg Petropoulos

More Fall Leaves

I did a some more editing and found these leaves interesting. There's not a lot of commentary I can add since the leaves really speak for themselves. I only wish I had started this project earlier in the fall in order to include more samples. I guess I'll have to wait until next year.





















All Images © 2008 Greg Petropoulos

Nothing special today. I just went out in the yard and gathered a few leaves. These are two that turned out well. Many failures. Not just today, but in my many past attempts as well. But I still think the simple subjects are the most difficult, yet most rewarding. Maybe I've been spending too much time reading up on Edward Weston. Recreating the beauty that nature presents is not an easy task, photographically speaking. Color and composition present unimagined challenges. While the leaves are beautiful on the trees or scattered on the ground, once isolated in front of the camera they cease to be part of a larger pallet of colors and textures.























All Images © 2008 Greg Petropoulos

Nature

Like flowers, I feel a certain level of guilt when I photograph nature. Again, nature brings a great deal of beauty to the table before the photographer pushes the shutter button. There is, however, a significant challenge in nature photography that diminishes my guilty feelings. Nature is big, and it takes a trained eye to focus on what is interesting and beautiful. Not everyone with a camera can do what Ansel Adams did, nor does every scenic vista translate well to the photographic medium. In the end, I have mixed feelings toward nature photography. The reality is almost always better than the picture. But there is a high level of skill and expertise (and in many cases, physical hardship), that goes into a good nature photograph. At this point I can only take credit for being in the right place at the right time, and having the insight to see the picture as it presented itself.