Viewbug Contest Award

Viewbug.com notified me today that I won the “Transportation Hub” photography award for my bus stop photo. The contest had over 4100 submissions of some really impressive photos from around the world. This was one of my very first night photos, shot in the early morning while driving to work one morning. The photo was taken at the Antioch BART station while it was still under construction.

At this point, I have no idea what my prize will be, but it will be in the mail soon. it does look like they did award 5 other photos in this same contest.

Best Street Photography of 2018

It’s the time of year when I post my “Best of”. This year I decided to select the images I like the most, without a limit of only 10. My best 2018 Street Photography work is at: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmoRzRPy

You can find my best Landscape images of the year at: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmxS3ikd

Old Sacramento Photowalk

I went on a photowalk with the “Chopstick Guys”. They always bring together a nice selection of models. The point of this shoot was to travel light and see what you can get with on camera flash, which I had never actually done before. I have always used off-camera lighting.

These are a few of my favorite images.

More with the Fujifilm X-T3

While I wait for Lightroom to support the X-T3, I have found a utility to convert the RAW files to DNGs that can be edited in Lightroom. Below are some random edited RAW DNG files from the last few weeks.

Testing the Fujifilm X-T3

I now have the Fujifilm X-T3 in my hands and I was able to take my first images. Overall the camera is very similar to the X-T2. A few under appreciated changes have made shooting with this new camera a joy to use. First is Bluetooth. I don’t have a need to sync my photos to my phone, but the Bluetooth connection has enabled seamless geotagging of my images, a feature I lost when I moved from Nikon to Fuji. The X-T3 also added an electronic 3D level, which is a nice feature when you are shooting handheld.

Another note. A lot of people have asked if you can use an X-T2 L bracket on the X-T3. I have confirmed the Really Right Stuff bracket does not fit. I contacted them and I am told pre-sales will start within the next 2 weeks for an updated L-Bracket.

Below are a few jpg images with minor edits. RAW support is not in Lightroom yet, so I am stuck working with jpg for a few more weeks. I can’t wait to start working with the RAW files.

Deer Creek Tribute Trail in Nevada City.

Acros film simulation.

Acros film simulation.

Acros film simulation.

The Book: Small Town Street Photography

I am now offering an 8x10 softcover 80 page street photography book, focusing on my best street images from the last 2 years. Priced at $24.99, it really is a great value.

http://www.blurb.com/b/8923947

Nevada County Corner Markets

Grass Valley and Nevada City have some interesting small town markets and grocery stores.  Below are a few I have found, so far. 

Architecture and Night

One of my photo projects has been to capture minimalist architecture. Below is a random collection of images that fit into this category. 

Nikon vs Fujifilm

Yesterday I returned to the Empire Mine State Park in Grass Valley, California to test out my new Fuji 18-55mm lens. I wanted to see what a Nikon D810 image (shot last year) looks like vs a Fuji X-T2 image from the same location. 

Shot with a Fuji X-T2 with the Fujifilm 18-55mm lens. Handheld with a high ISO.  Edited in Silver Efex Pro. f2.8, ISO 5000, 1/60th. (testing the OIS). 

Shot with the Nikon D810 with the Nikon 24-70mm lens. Tripod.  Edited with Silver Efex Pro. f18, ISO 400. 15 second exposure. 

While the composition and editing are a little different, I think this is an interesting comparison of these systems. I prefer the high contrast found in the Fuji image.  Which image do you prefer? 

Small Town Street Photography

When you think about street photography, most people think about New York, London or maybe even India.  You think about the busy big city.  I don't really have access to the big city, I have access to small California towns with only 3,000 to 12,000 people. That is small. But I have been able to find an endless supply of photo subjects. 

What we do have in this small community is festivals and tourists.  With tourists, the populations can grow by 10,000 or 20,000 people in a single weekend. This has helped me to develop my skills in an area of photography that is totally different from my traditional landscape photos.

Everyone dresses up for the Christmas festivals. 

I have been doing street photography for about a year and during that time, I have started to develop my own style, that involves wide lenses and in many cases close up candid captures. 

I have found some of my inspiration has come from London Photographer Craig Whitehead who is a master at finding unique angles, shadows and reflections. These are harder to come by in a small town, but I am always looking for something new on these tiny streets. I have also been inspired by the high contrast documentary style of Kevin Mullins.

Father and Son Time

It's the unique moments that you can capture with street photography that i like the most.  Being able to capture something that no one else can duplicate later keeps street photography interesting.  

If you want to see more of my street work, follow me on Instagram.