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| Exercise Class In Central Park |
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Exercise Class in Central Park
Hot Summer Yoga
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
Friday, May 31, 2019
Liquor Store Taxi Cab
Dealing With The Unexpected
People sometimes ask me whether I have a favorite photograph. It's a fair question, but the simple answer is no. I've snapped a lot of pictures over the years under a wide variety circumstances, and they are meaningful to me in a variety of ways. It would be a daunting task to narrow it down to a favorite few hundred images.
But I do notice patterns when I look back over my portfolio and note the images that I find most meaningful to me personally. Often the photos that stand out involved some sort of surprise at the time of capture, and not necessarily a pleasant surprise.
I spotted this bright, colorful liquor store while strolling through the Chelsea neighborhood looking for subjects for my New York At Night series. I passed a number of interesting looking properties - stores, hotels, restaurants - but the view was always marred by physical obstructions such as parked cars, dumpsters, or scaffolding.
When I arrived at the liquor store, the view was completely clear. No cars were parked in front of it. But as I was setting up my camera and tripod, the yellow cab pulled up in front of the store and stood there for a while.
I figured that the taxi would move on quickly. Cab drivers have to work hard to make enough money to cover their expenses. They don't tend to take leisurely breaks. But this guy sat there for more than ten minutes as I waited. It seemed like an opportunity lost due to bad luck.
Over the years, I have developed a simple philosophy for incidents like this. Take the shot anyway. Include the obstruction. This gives me the chance to fine tune the composition and my camera settings. When (and if) the obstruction finally moves, I'll be ready.
The taxi finally did pull away, and I was able to take shots of the unobstructed liquor store, but the unobstructed shots were less interesting than this version with the cab. Take the shot anyway. Accept your circumstances and make the best of them. You can't always tell in advance which shot you're going to prefer.
One can imagine a scenario of why a cab driver might pull up in front of a liquor store. It's not a very positive scenario. Did this scenario actually occur? I'll leave that to the imagination. I'm not prepared to disclose all of the city's dark secrets.
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
People sometimes ask me whether I have a favorite photograph. It's a fair question, but the simple answer is no. I've snapped a lot of pictures over the years under a wide variety circumstances, and they are meaningful to me in a variety of ways. It would be a daunting task to narrow it down to a favorite few hundred images.
But I do notice patterns when I look back over my portfolio and note the images that I find most meaningful to me personally. Often the photos that stand out involved some sort of surprise at the time of capture, and not necessarily a pleasant surprise.
 |
| Liquor Store Taxi Cap - New York City (2019) |
I spotted this bright, colorful liquor store while strolling through the Chelsea neighborhood looking for subjects for my New York At Night series. I passed a number of interesting looking properties - stores, hotels, restaurants - but the view was always marred by physical obstructions such as parked cars, dumpsters, or scaffolding.
When I arrived at the liquor store, the view was completely clear. No cars were parked in front of it. But as I was setting up my camera and tripod, the yellow cab pulled up in front of the store and stood there for a while.
I figured that the taxi would move on quickly. Cab drivers have to work hard to make enough money to cover their expenses. They don't tend to take leisurely breaks. But this guy sat there for more than ten minutes as I waited. It seemed like an opportunity lost due to bad luck.
Over the years, I have developed a simple philosophy for incidents like this. Take the shot anyway. Include the obstruction. This gives me the chance to fine tune the composition and my camera settings. When (and if) the obstruction finally moves, I'll be ready.
The taxi finally did pull away, and I was able to take shots of the unobstructed liquor store, but the unobstructed shots were less interesting than this version with the cab. Take the shot anyway. Accept your circumstances and make the best of them. You can't always tell in advance which shot you're going to prefer.
One can imagine a scenario of why a cab driver might pull up in front of a liquor store. It's not a very positive scenario. Did this scenario actually occur? I'll leave that to the imagination. I'm not prepared to disclose all of the city's dark secrets.
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Notre-Dame de Paris
Le Coeur De La Ville-Lumière
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED IF
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
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| Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris |
Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED IF
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Santa Monica Pier At Night
Overcoming Excuses
I almost talked myself out of taking this shot. I thought of a number of reasons why it wasn't worth the effort.
- The sky was too dark.
- I had arrived at the location later than I had wanted to.
- The pier was mobbed with people.
- I wasn't sure how the moving rides would render in low light.
- The parking lot beside the pier was cluttered and unsightly.
- The sky was cloudy and marbled with strips of light.
- I was standing on a path with a lot of pedestrian traffic.
But I took the shot. I set up my tripod, framed a view that eliminated some of the clutter, focused, and bracketed five shots using some logic that I can't recall now. Then I packed up and walked around in search of a different location, somewhere I could take a "good" shoot of the pier.
The result is the image above, which currently is the most popular image on my Instagram account.
Overcome your doubts. Ignore your excuses. Get out your gear, set it up, and take the shot.
Camera: Sony a7R II
Lens: Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
I almost talked myself out of taking this shot. I thought of a number of reasons why it wasn't worth the effort.
- The sky was too dark.
- I had arrived at the location later than I had wanted to.
- The pier was mobbed with people.
- I wasn't sure how the moving rides would render in low light.
- The parking lot beside the pier was cluttered and unsightly.
- The sky was cloudy and marbled with strips of light.
- I was standing on a path with a lot of pedestrian traffic.
But I took the shot. I set up my tripod, framed a view that eliminated some of the clutter, focused, and bracketed five shots using some logic that I can't recall now. Then I packed up and walked around in search of a different location, somewhere I could take a "good" shoot of the pier.
The result is the image above, which currently is the most popular image on my Instagram account.
Overcome your doubts. Ignore your excuses. Get out your gear, set it up, and take the shot.
Camera: Sony a7R II
Lens: Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Central Park At Night
Color Of Night Series
If you enjoy quiet walks in the park and you prefer to avoid crowds, schedule your outing for a winter evening when the temperature is several degrees below freezing. You're not likely to have much company other than some nut with a camera.
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Stone Street With Christmas Decorations
A Warm Glow On A Cold Night
Stone Street is a popular after work hangout for young (or mostly young) Wall Street professionals. You could never get a shot like this in the summer months, when the street is packed with people.
Luckily for me, the January cold chases them all indoors. It still took a while to get the shot. People enter and exit the restaurants frequently or just pass through. One guy stood in my frame for fifteen minutes while taking a phone call.
But patience pays off. This is one of my favorite shots of the new year.
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
Stone Street is a popular after work hangout for young (or mostly young) Wall Street professionals. You could never get a shot like this in the summer months, when the street is packed with people.
 |
| Stone Street At Christmas |
Luckily for me, the January cold chases them all indoors. It still took a while to get the shot. People enter and exit the restaurants frequently or just pass through. One guy stood in my frame for fifteen minutes while taking a phone call.
But patience pays off. This is one of my favorite shots of the new year.
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2019 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
Monday, December 31, 2018
Restaurant Window - Christmas 2018
Wishing You A Festive New Year's Eve!
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2018 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
 |
| Restaurant Window - Christmas 2018 |
Camera: Sony a7R III
Lens: Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS
Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.
Copyright © 2018 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved
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