Beachscapes

Cape May Point Labor Day surf

The most photogenic spot I visit often is the stretch of the Delaware Bay beach in North Cape May, New Jersey, that I've known all my life. I enjoy shooting sunsets and rough surf there as my Facebook friends are quite aware. This is also the best place to try out new techniques and tricks in order to come up with new perspectives on the place and different-looking photos. Here's a round-up of ideas that you can use no matter what kind of camera you are using.

JUST BEFORE SUNSET, everything turns golden in other locations, too, but on the beach this is especially flattering light for people, dogs, and scenery with the sun at the the photographer's back.

Gladys at Sunset (Margaret Montet)

Shooting into the sun, we can catch some spectacular sunsets and silhouettes, too. Try positioning the subject in front of the setting sun: kids frolicking, boats sailing, dogs fetching, fishermen fishing, lighthouses and other iconic seashore structures are some of my recent silhouette subjects.

Fishin' (Margaret Montet, iPhone shot)

This is probably a good time to let you in on my big digital photography editing secret. I don't just take one perfect shot of a subject. I take many, changing settings and perspectives even when I'm not really sure what the result of the changes will be. Later on, I look through my shots and pick the very best to use or post. Based on what I just said in the previous paragraph, I would have thought that the best shot of these paddle boarders at sunset would have happened when they paddles in front of the sun (from my vantage point). My favorite turned out to be this one, just before they got to that spot. I'm really glad I took lots of extra shots.

Paddleboarders at Sunset (Margaret Montet)

THE BLUE HOUR starts about thirty minutes after sunset. I had been unaware of this concept until I read an article in the May2014 Outdoor Photographer magazine by photographer Kurt Budliger ("Get into the Wet Zone"). Budliger writes about the Golden Hour, extended shutter speeds for silky water, unspoiled sand at low tide, and this mysterious Blue Hour. Cool, I thought, I won't pack up and go home as soon as the sun goes down. I'll stick around and shoot in various directions and see what I get. Here's one of what I got:

The Blue Hour at the Delaware Bay (Margaret Montet)

It's fun to use props when shooting beach photos. We have to take care not to get sand into anything that might be harmed by it, and that includes props and regular photo gear. Keep the camera in its case while setting up shots with props, and maybe make some plastic-bag booties if you are using a tripod. The two props I experimented with recently didn't care much about sand, but my camera and lenses always care.

THE CONVEX MIRROR is a fun gizmo that I use to get interesting shots. Again, I take many shots and look through them later to find the best. Not only do I fiddle with camera settings, but I also move around a bit to adjust the angle between me, the mirror, and the subject I think I want to show up in the mirror. Here are some samples using a small convex mirror from the hardware store:

Convex Bay Sunset (Margaret Montet)

Convex Gladys (Margaret Montet)

Convex Margie and Gladys (Margaret Montet)

Then there is the repurposed PICTURE FRAME. This might be a cliche technique for snapshots of people, but I haven't seen it used much for landscapes. The idea here is the same as for anything that appears in a frame, whether it is art in a literal frame, or live entertainment on a stage with a proscenium arch, or a person's face surrounded by a floppy hat. The eye goes to whatever is inside the frame first. My cheapo plastic frame broke as soon as I tried to position it in the sand, but I was able to get some cool shots before it completely fell apart. In the future, I might drill a hole in the side of the frame so that I can stand it on my tripod or Gorilla Pod. I like this shot of the lighthouse with the gulls standing around acting naturally, and the beachgoers outside the frame. I wasn't paying any attention to them while lying on my stomach on my towel shooting this series of photos, but I like what the colorful people add to the shot.

Cape May Point Lighthouse and Gulls (Margaret Montet)

So you see, you can take some interesting shots no matter what kind of camera you have and a little creative thinking. Check out this guy:

North Cape May

Scrutinizing the Brooklyn Bridge through Nikon Glass

For me, the point of this photo tour was to learn more about how my Nikon can take photographs in low-light. I have a pretty good sense of what buttons and dials to mess with for sunlit and bright interior shots, but those low-light experiences, both interior and exterior, have evaded me so far. That the tour took place in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, some geography I've been wanting to explore, was a bonus.

That's Dave checking out a student's gear.

The deal-maker was that the tour was offered by a friend who I know is a really good photographer and teacher. Dave Simchock has an interesting story. He's originally from the Central New Jersey area, worked as an engineer in New York City and London, and then put that career aside to explore a life filled with travel and photography. In a relatively short period of time he grew a thriving career as a photographer and teacher in the Central New Jersey area. Unfortunately for me, he moved to Asheville, North Carolina, a couple of years ago. Fortunately for me, he offers photo tours in the Northeast a couple times a year, and, I overheard him this weekend talking about plans to move some of his courses online! Check out Dave's breathtaking photographs at his website, http://www.vagabondvistas.com/.

Now, back to Brooklyn. We started in the morning and took advantage of the morning light on the Brooklyn Bridge and the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan. Dave gave us some tips on shooting the bridge and skyscrapers, and some ideas for creating collections of photos based on colors, shapes, and themes. There was a lot to think about. I was thrilled to finally be on the Brooklyn Bridge, partly because of the David McCullough book

Watch David McCullough talks about the Brooklyn Bridge on PBS. See more from Brooklyn Bridge.

and partly because the designers of the bridge, the Roeblings, were from Trenton, New Jersey. This bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it was completed in 1883. It is a fascinating story, so if you're at all interested get your hands on David McCullough's The Great Bridge.   

It's easy to get some cool photos from the bridge in daylight: the famous bridge towers, the cables, the skyscrapers, the ships in the water, the other bridges, and the people on the bridge.

People watching on the Bridge

After some shooting in Lower Manhattan including a lesson in low-light interiors in a church, Dave brought us back to the Brooklyn side to pick up our tripods and head to Brooklyn Bridge Park for the highlight of the tour. This is what I was waiting for: the twilight Brooklyn Bridge shoot. Dave worked with each of us, but most importantly showed ME exactly which dials and buttons to manipulate on the Nikon to get the best shots of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. (ISO up to about 800, set the timer to two seconds, VR off, NR on, and TRIPOD) I'm thrilled with my photographs, and yes, I wrote down all those settings!  

Check these out (I took them!):

The Brooklyn Bridge at night

The Manhattan Bridge at twilight

 I even put together some shots from the day in a little movie:

The FACES Project

Every year, early in January, I pick some kind of project to focus on in that year. In years past, I've focused on photography, French, Latin, non-fiction writing, Shakespeare, and Dickens. Some years I go all out buying or borrowing books and videos, taking classes, and journaling about my endeavors. Some years are just the opposite, and I lose interest right away.

Last year's good intentions for reading Dickens evaporated quickly once I was busy with other stuff. The good news for Charles Dickens is that 2012 is the 200th anniversary of his birth, and the Free Library of Philadelphia (a reasonable commute for me) is hosting bunches of Dickens-related events: http://libwww.freelibrary.org/dickens/. This might jump start last year's project.

Dickens aside, what I really want to dive into this year is photography. I take a lot of photos of places, things, and animals, but I really don't do much with portraits. I am captivated by the photography of Steve McCurry who shoots gorgeous, exotic portraits for National Geographic and other high-profile publications. I went to New York to hear him speak a few years ago, and I was mesmerized by the projected images accompanying his talk. You have seen his work, too: stevemccurry.com. I have decided this year I'll concentrate on portraits. Faces. There's plenty of information for me to get started in the photography books and magazines I already own. I went searching through the photographs I already have and put together a small collection of faces.

While doing this, it occurred to me that animals have to be included in my collection because their faces are so expressive. I included three very different portraits of Gladys the Sheltie that look completely different to me.

The next challenge for me is asking people to let me photograph them. I am very shy about asking people for things, so this will be difficult for me. (I do have a few volunteers lined up already.) These will be realistic photos (not be glamour shots!) with experiments in lighting and backgrounds. If any readers are interested in scoring some free head-shots or profile photos please comment here or shoot me an email. I have no lofty plans for this collection, but if I do decide to publish online or in print, I will make sure to have permission on file. Stay tuned for updates on this, and wish me luck with the asking!

Cape May Free Photo Opps for Free

I just submitted a new article to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry's magazine, Twin Capes Traveller, about taking photographs in the Cape May County area. Of course I can't spill all the details of the article here, but I can suggest some cool (free) spots for my readers to try taking some great photos.

For great flower shooting, visit North Wildwood's Hereford Inlet Lighthouse and its amazing gardens. I hadn't explored this gem until last year when I read about it on Twitter. The Cape May County Park and Zoo in Cape May Court House is a nifty place to go for animal photos. Many of the exhibits are viewed from above, on cool overhead walkways. Back down south, the Cape May Point State Park is free and the best place to go for close-up views of the lighthouse. And if you are not worn out by now, check out the great sunsets at the (free) Sunset Beach. Technically this beach is in Lower Township, but it is south of the canal and seems like it is a part of Cape May Point, all the way at the end of Sunset Boulevard.

Now you know some of my Cape May photography secrets, but to read the rest and maybe learn some photo tips, head on over to either ferry terminal (Cape May or Lewes) later this summer and look for the little magazine that has my article. Oh, and the magazine is f-r-e-e.

Aesthetic Arrest

Dr. Stimson Carrow introduced the concept of Aesthetic Arrest in a graduate Aesthetics course at Temple University. My classmate Dori and I snickered on the Broad Street Subway after class at the weighty pretentiousness of the term, but it turns out that the concept swirled through the remarkable minds and out through the pens of James Joyce and Joseph Campbell. Far be it from us to question the significance of Aesthetic Arrest.This is that phenomenon of being so overwhelmed with a thing of beauty that you just have to stop everything and stare. It can be a work of art, a scene in nature or even an original thought manifested in a well-built machine. Most of the time, it sneaks up on you. It's almost spiritual, or even completely spiritual.

Aesthetic Arrest snuck up on me Monday. It rained all morning and into the afternoon, and the accompanying wind was strong enough to knock out my phone service. Then the sun came out and I took Gladys (the dog) for a walk along the bay. I brought my Nikon along so that I could shoot some winter beach scenes for another project.

The bright post-storm sunlight changed to that magical golden light that happens just before the sun sets. I love to photograph Gladys in that light, but I think that goldenness would make anyone look good. The clouds were spectacular, probably from the edge of the storm.

Gradually, as I shot some photos for my project, the lovely golden light morphed into an oddly dark, filtered light. The residual storm clouds were covering up the sun, ruining the sunset for those folks in parked cars up on the street. Some of those clouds looked rather threatening and I thought I should probably get Gladys and my Nikon home safe and dry.

I could not get enough, though. It was Aesthetic Arrest for sure. I had never seen the bay quite like this and I have been coming to this beach at every time of day, in every season, for decades. I took more than my share of gorgeous photos.

Anyone know of a good contest?

iPhone Photography

Twice this week, I've come across references to photos taken with iPhones. First, check out the Nov/Dec issue of American Photo. "Instant Gratification," an article on camera phone photography begins on page 56. We're not talking about little snapshots like the one I took of Fred last night after he ate the enormous cheeseburger

and got his picture on the wall of the restaurant, or the one of the Gladys after she covered herself in Post-it tabs.

The iPhone came in handy on this day to capture pictures of my poor dismantled car which was promised to me the day before. That's Oscar working on it trying to make me think he'd been working on it all along. I think he was surprised by the impromptu photo shoot, and I had my MINI back in a few days. (I'm still waiting for him to call about reapplying the stripes to the hood.)

Mentioned in the media lately, though, are iPhone photos taken by professional photographers who now consider their iPhones part of their standard gear. Think about it: you have your cellphone with you more than your big digital camera, so already it's more convenient. I just transferred my iPhone shots to my 17" laptop, and I'm amazed by their quality. The iPhone is not as klunky (that word always reminds me of Ernie on "My Three Sons") as a big digital camera, so it is easier to use in certain situations and easier to hold in creative ways. Since there aren't buttons and dials to experiment with, the emphasis is on the content of the photo rather than exposure, aperture, and the rest of those mysterious settings.

The articles I read this week about iPhone inspired me to look back at the photos I have taken since I acquired it in June. And that's the other thing: my old phone held about nine photos, but the iPhone can store many, many more.

I hadn't brought my DSLR to the Delaware Bay beach for this evening's sunset, but I did have my iPhone! What a great shot, huh?

If you've ever tried to get good portraits of pets, you know how they instinctively refuse to be cute while the camera's in your hand. I happened to have the iPhone handy to get these great shots of my girls.

Imagine how difficult it would be to capture this belly-rub face with a DSLR!

Then there was this amazing expert award-winning quilt at a recent quilt expo

And a more humble work of my own.

For more ideas and some tips on iPhone photography, check out this other article: "Photo Lessons from an iPhone" by Shelly Perry: http://tinyurl.com/yj4jr2w.