I owe my passion for photography to my Father, who would always take his Nikon camera with him on any of our family outings. Eventually he would let me take his camera and shoot whatever I wanted, we were always on the lookout for the "Ultimate Shot". Trying as hard as we could to capture photographs like the ones we would often admire in National Geographic Magazine. I purchased my first camera in 9th grade, a Nikon N2000 and I have been searching for my own "Ultimate Shot" ever since.
Of all of my photographs, which is my favorite? It's always the one I will take next.
Lighting Photography is all about capturing light, so naturally the quality of lighting is critical to create a beautiful photograph. The hour around sunrise and sunset is commonly known as the "Magic Hour". During this time sunlight is soft and diffused, and produces wonderful colors and shadows. This is the optimum time to be out shooting your next great photo. Sometimes its just not possible to shoot when the lighting is just right, so try using a polarizing, neutral density or graduated filter. These filters will help soften the harsh mid-day sun, cut through haze, and bring out the blue sky, allowing you to extend your shooting time beyond the "Magic Hour".
"At the heart of all photography is an urge to express our deepest personal feelings - to reveal our inner, hidden selves, to unlock the artist. Those of us who become photographers are never satisfied with just looking at someone else's expression of something that is dear to us. We must produce our own images, instead of buying postcards and photo books. We seek to make our own statements of individuality." - Galen Rowell
“A great photograph doesn't need to be explained, nor can it be described in words.” - Ansel Adams
"Plan on getting to locations early, especially if you are waiting for good light. I do a shoot before the shoot, so when the great light hits, I have a solid idea of what I want, what is working, and what I don't need to waste time on." - Jimmy Chin
"My photographs are cloaked with a strong sense of composition, a sense of light and direction from light, a sensitivity to textures and shapes and line, which I learned from painting, All the elements of design run through my photos. I think it's given me an advantage." - Art Wolfe
"Every photograph is a journey in perception, an exploration in seeing." - David Muench
“We have the ability to make images that will teach people about endangered species and places needing protection, pictures that can even change minds, and we have a responsibility to do it. Photographers just getting into wildlife photography, don’t quite understand they have the option to do more than just take pretty pictures.” - Thomas Mangelsen