City and Country

And now for a breather...my own kids needed a break from having a lens in their face all the time but I still had a need to create.  This led me to dabble in landscape photography in order to keep shooting.  So hard to narrow it down to a select few but again I'll start with New York and end in Colorado with a few trips thrown in there as well.

View of Lower Manhattan taken from Governor's Island

View of Lower Manhattan taken from Governor's Island

I'm a huge fan of the blue hour--that time right after the sun has sunk below the horizon.  It's a great time to combine the mixture of warm and cool colors that the tungsten light and the cooler sky provide.  I also love to experiment with different shooting techniques such as free lensing and panning while using a longer shutter speed.  Free lensing is shooting while the lens is separated from the camera body.  It can create some beautiful bokeh.  Panning is the technique of shooting while using a shutter speed that is on the longer side either on a tripod or handheld.  It changes the scene before you almost completely and can simplify a messy background or can lend an abstract look to something as mundane as trees or buildings.  

The following images are from trips to Seattle, San Juan Islands, Moab, and Leadville.....

Strong lines and starbursts can add so much interest to daytime images when the light isn't quite as interesting.

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Mount Daley is a frequent subject in my Colorado landscapes as it is a very recognizable peak in Snowmass Village with it's diagonal stripe.

and here we end with a wintery scene taken behind the gondola on Aspen Mountain.  The kids are lucky to have the opportunity to do some snowshoeing here on a field trip with the school.

These photos have me itching to get out and shoot.  We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area of the country, with so many opportunities to create fantastic imagery.  Are you interested in a portrait session in one of these idyllic locations?

ready for some more portraits?

Again starting in New York and ending up in the Roaring Fork Valley.  Here are some images of my son.  He has a sweet smile to match his sensitive personality. 

 As much as I enjoy getting my lens in close to showcase his face and brown sparkly eyes, I also like to incorporate more of his surroundings.  I tend to keep a simple background since I seem to enjoy a clean frame.

the boogie boards were a huge hit on our trip to San Diego!

the boogie boards were a huge hit on our trip to San Diego!

and one more jump back to San Diego.....

Our move to Colorado three years ago was quite a transition from city living but we are loving every minute of it.  Our new house has some wonderful light as we are situated up high on a hill. Again the light from our north facing windows is beautiful.

Here is my son with a buddy exploring the grottos just off the Independence Pass.

Here is my son with a buddy exploring the grottos just off the Independence Pass.

Again, thanks for perusing some of my favorite personal portraits.  Next post I will give you all a rest from the direct gaze and I'll break out my favorite landscapes.  In the meantime please feel free to click on my social media buttons to see more work.  I have a flicker stream that goes back a while if you want to see more from NYC and my personal Instagram feed has some travel photos.  A business Instagram feed is in the works--stay tuned!