Focusing

100 Most Recent Comments
August 13, 2008	Heather August 20, 2008 - 9:35am Jeff, that's an amazing photo. Your perspective on it is perfect!
August 15, 2008	Heather August 20, 2008 - 9:33am Me likey
August 15, 2008	TK August 17, 2008 - 4:33pm Good to see you back in action buddy! Great post!
August 13, 2008	jeff August 15, 2008 - 9:28pm Thanks! I actually set the camera on one of the middle handrails of the moving walkway, which helped to keep it pretty steady. I spent a while lopping back and forth on the walkways doing this, experimenting with different exposure lengths between 5secs and 0.5secs. I was afraid security would think I was weird, so I stopped before I got a shot I loved. What I really wanted to get was someone frozen still (because not walking) with motion blur and color in the rest of the shot. But nobody stands on these things!! Everyone's in a hurry I guess. I chose this shot in part because of the guy on the right who stayed relatively still (at least for 1 second).
August 13, 2008	JimDrobish August 15, 2008 - 8:03pm Terrific photo! With a long, long exposure (1 sec)and a moving platform, I'm suprised there isn't more motion blur. I've seen this scene photographed by others (see URL) and I much prefer your result.
August 13, 2008	Brian August 14, 2008 - 2:12pm I'm glad to see you were doing something productive while on vacation and took this awesome picture. I love it.
July 1, 2008	Z August 10, 2008 - 10:36pm A month with no pics? Come on Jeffery! Get on it
July 1, 2008	Your loyal fan: JEA August 1, 2008 - 10:47pm The bar has been over for two days now, get back to it.
June 15, 2008	Heather July 20, 2008 - 11:49am Salivating.
June 29, 2008	Z July 13, 2008 - 1:41am That is just mean for the cat and you cause her unnecessary stress!!
July 1, 2008	Tony July 3, 2008 - 10:34am I'd like to see more from this series- I can't believe that the Mississippi has risen that high! Do you have any that you could compare to other 'pre-flood' pictures that you've taken?
June 29, 2008	Amy July 2, 2008 - 4:00pm First of all, that is HILARIOUS... Second of all, GREAT SHOT!
June 29, 2008	Tony June 29, 2008 - 12:00pm This is an awesome shot. I think this is one of the best fisheye shots you've taken jeff- plus it looks like some super cool ad for clothes or high end cat food.
June 29, 2008	Frank June 29, 2008 - 7:27am Great point of view!
June 27, 2008	Frank June 28, 2008 - 5:01am Interesting processing and very cool sky. I do like it.
June 27, 2008	jeff June 27, 2008 - 11:00pm btw, here is an interesting comparison
June 27, 2008	jeff June 27, 2008 - 10:56pm thanks. no, this was my wide-angle zoom.
June 27, 2008	Tony June 27, 2008 - 10:18pm Great clouds man! Is this a fisheye shot?
June 15, 2008	jeff June 21, 2008 - 6:46pm thanks! i will try to go find that tomorrow.
June 15, 2008	JerinDumb. June 21, 2008 - 5:09pm forgot to put the link in there.
June 15, 2008	JerinD June 21, 2008 - 5:08pm It's on a trail behind the art museum. If you walk behind the building (there's a parking lot back there), there is a path with a sign that will actually direct you to it. I did a little googling and found this for you. It actually gives good directions and background for why it is there.
June 15, 2008	jeff June 18, 2008 - 6:16pm cool! where eactly was this tree, now?
June 17, 2008	The Fan Club® June 17, 2008 - 7:47pm The MoBo Gardens are actually pretty good. The absolute best part is the "Boxwood Garden," which is far superior to any of the other gardens they have. I wouldn't mind seeing a photo of the noble Boxwood up in here.
June 15, 2008	JerinD June 16, 2008 - 7:27pm I was running through the forest in Forest Park today (don't worry, it was still light out) and there is little tree growing inside a hollow, tall tree trunk that might make for a neat picture. Also, though I said I was going to start making your photos my background, I'm skipping this one so I'm not hungry all day.
June 15, 2008	Tony June 16, 2008 - 12:22pm Well done Jeff! Nice shot! I really like the composition (the tongs and the charcoal bag are esp. nice touches...). But just like you, it's the content that gets me- I love me some barbecue!
June 14, 2008	aaron June 16, 2008 - 11:07am I like this one too. I think the artifacts add to this shot by enhancing the surreal/supernatural feel of the shot.
June 14, 2008	jeff June 15, 2008 - 7:34pm Thanks Uncle Jim. Well, the dark shadow and all around contrasty-ness is pretty much the result of editing. I think I am also responsible for blowing out the highlights. It's pretty tough with clouds, I think, to get the contrast and relief you need to show deatil without losing some of the high- and low-lights. Like I alluded to, I messed with this one for a while and never got completely happy with it, but Julie thought I should chuck it up here anyway. Thanks for the comments!
June 14, 2008	JimDrobish June 14, 2008 - 11:49pm Great photo! The dark shadows in the clouds make them ominous... very dramatic. Are the shadows the result of editing or is that the way they apppeared from the plane? Even with 3 photos you're still losing the highlights. The image might have benefitted from a wider range of exposures for the 3 photos. Does you're HDR software allow using more than 3 photos?
June 13, 2008	Z June 14, 2008 - 7:00pm I thought it was eastern Europe for some reason. Maybe the building!!
May 28, 2008	Kathryn June 14, 2008 - 6:22pm Jeff, My office building is just out of this picture on the left. Nice picture -- the river doesn't look hazardously polluted. - Kathryn
June 2, 2008	jrd June 10, 2008 - 4:19pm thanks tony! i really appreciate your comments. i guess changing isnt too bad. i just hope that i am adding something instead of just showing off my equipment (even you called me out once before for doing that with some of the macro shots). by the way, sorry for the lack of updates. i had a busy week and for the last few days i have been in south carolina without the means to really download and update much. i havent been taking too many photos down here, actually, but hopefully i will have just a couple new ones to post when i get back.
June 2, 2008	Tony June 9, 2008 - 11:39am Sorry, I've been meaning to respond to this for a while but it's been a busy week for me. I think that your ruminations above are interesting to say the least. When you think about creativity and longevity, how many people come to mind? It's hard to be constantly inventive. That being said, I do think that your photography has changed significantly in content and style since you started this wild ride. Your photos used to deal much more with people, you're right. Since getting the new lenses for Christmas and your birthday your view has changed- these lenses lend themselves to a 'grander' style of photography (esp. the fisheye) that leans away from portraiture. Personally, I don't think this is bad at all. I love the results you're getting with the lenses and I still love checking the blog everyday. Maybe I would phrase it a little differently Jeff- perhaps you're just trying to find your way. Any artistic endeavor is not a straight line- there's no final goal or ultimate aesthetic to be achieved. The fact that you're thinking about where your blog is going and trying to suss out what that means to you is part of the process of 'Focusing', if you will. I have no doubt that it will only go great places and I'm excited to be along for the ride.
June 2, 2008	Out of context is everything June 5, 2008 - 6:12pm "I love shooting kids, I don't know why. But it makes me feel creepy." But- just because you shoot them, doesn't mean you have to show it on the internet. Parents always like to see the results in any case. That, and informed written consent solves everything, even shooting your friend's kid. Of course, the day you ask for consent in writing before shooting a kid is the day we stage an intervention. -Brad
May 21, 2008	z June 4, 2008 - 12:56am Creepy bird..where my gun so I can shoot it.. wiat I do not have a gun..
May 25, 2008	z June 4, 2008 - 12:49am Where is creepy frodo in this pic (Frodo from the lord of the rings.. and YES he is creepy no matter what anyone says)
May 28, 2008	z June 4, 2008 - 12:45am This pic looks fake.. it looks computer generated.. not sure why (I know what you are thinking jeff... The pic is not fake, u r fake)
June 2, 2008	Z June 4, 2008 - 12:40am Nice pic.. it has personality... you've always being a weirdo.. aren't we all?
June 1, 2008	jeff June 3, 2008 - 1:08am that is interesting; now that i look at it i do think it evokes the feeling of morning rather than evening. This would have better as a 3 exposure HDR composite, i think. as it is, this is just the result of me working off of one hand-held shot. so a lot of the nice sunset color got lost; the sky in the original was mostly white. i tried to darken the sky and lighten the foreground, but i think it might come across as a little unnatural in the end. here is the original. thanks for the comments!
June 1, 2008	JimDrobish June 2, 2008 - 11:16am Nice photo! I like the angle, the composition, and especially the lighting. The Barn's not too light for me. It works to keep leading my eye back to the center of the photo. I thought you might have used Photoshop's vignette correction. There's some visual cue I can't put my finger on that makes the photo seem like an early morning shot. I can almost feel a chill in the air and imagine the dew on my shoes.
June 1, 2008	jeff June 2, 2008 - 12:57am yup, single shot hdr. if anything, though, i think i lightened the barn too much...
June 1, 2008	Tony May 31, 2008 - 11:42pm Did you HDR this one? I like the texture and detail that it has. Also, your mom's barn is just generally kickass.
May 28, 2008	very nice May 31, 2008 - 6:53pm
May 25, 2008	joe May 31, 2008 - 6:43pm it almost looks like the trees are on fire in the back, i was hoping for some crazy forest fire story
April 2, 2008	gertrude May 30, 2008 - 4:25pm HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that is so creepy!
May 23, 2008	jeff May 30, 2008 - 4:20pm haha, yeah i actually went through all the photos i took there looking for them, believe it or not! never saw them, though...
May 22, 2008	amy May 30, 2008 - 4:19pm wow! congrats jeff, that is amazing. i am so incredibly impressed with all of your pictures and your talent! keep it up :)
May 23, 2008	Heather May 30, 2008 - 4:14pm Wouldn't that be funny if your sunglasses showed up in one of your pictures? Kind of like where's waldo? They could be perching on any random place in that barn.... : (
May 25, 2008	Heather May 30, 2008 - 4:13pm Wow.
May 31, 2008	Brian May 30, 2008 - 4:06pm Just saw that Canon is having a big rebate sale on until July 19th. Thought you'd want to know.
May 28, 2008	jeff May 30, 2008 - 1:02am thanks jules, yeah i did a few things. first i want to add a few things about how this was taken: tony and i were walking back to our hotel and we go over this bridge across the canal when we both notice the sunset. my memory is that - without saying a word to each other - we both took out our cameras and stalked different ends of the overpass. the way the sun peeks out is on purpose: that is why the shot is not centered in the middle of the bridge. i walked down just to where i needed to be for the sun to only peek around the building at the end. i balanced the camera on the railing to get three identically framed exposures. i blended those in photomatix to get this nice image with both the buildings and the sun properly exposed. then i played in photoshop... i have different color curves on the sky and water and buildings to bring out the purples, oranges, greens, and blues, respectively.
May 28, 2008	Julie May 29, 2008 - 7:41pm I like the position of the sun, just barely still in view. And pretty colors. Did you do a lot of post-processing?
May 28, 2008	Tony May 29, 2008 - 1:58pm Come on out to the Berkshires my man, plenty of good photos out here!
May 28, 2008	Frank May 29, 2008 - 3:32am Beautiful sunset/cityscape. Wow!
May 25, 2008	jeff May 25, 2008 - 10:52pm for once!!
May 25, 2008	Julie May 25, 2008 - 8:29pm Also, I approve of your post-processing :-)
May 25, 2008	Julie May 25, 2008 - 8:29pm I like this one. It makes Forest Park look very colorful and pretty.
May 23, 2008	jeff May 25, 2008 - 2:17pm nice to have The Fan Club® back! thanks for the compliment.
May 23, 2008	The Fan Club® May 24, 2008 - 10:13pm Sorry for the lack of comments Jeff, but we've been in the middle of a move for a while. We're now settled down in San Antonio for the summer. But I actually really like this photo--probably because I am a fan of old tractors, carriages, and horse tack. The bright color of the wagon contrasts nicely with the otherwise earthed tones in the background. Quite dramatic. And of course, a little product placement!
March 1, 2008	Julie May 24, 2008 - 2:49pm this reminds me of skee-ball
May 19, 2008	joe May 23, 2008 - 11:48pm very nice snag in getting this picture; the straight on shot couldn't have been much better. It's very colorful and bold even with all the green.
May 22, 2008	jeff May 23, 2008 - 5:31pm thanks for the feedback!! the dof effect is actually somewhat intentional. I shot this on a angle originally - on both the "z" as well as the "x,y" plane. Here is the original. I kind of like the softness at the edges for this shot, but I hear what you are saying about nice, crisp macros. This photo actually has a little less of the extreme dof than most others I took, like this one. I find that the macro lens needs an awful lot of light... It's more or less impossible to take a handheld macro shot indoors without a flash - even at 1600ISO/f.2.8. Even the shot I posted (with flash) is 1600/f.4 - pretty sensitive. So, without a tripod, I typically find I am dealing with a very shallow focus plane for closeups. That's one of the reasons this shot is kind of cool, I think: you have both foreground and background elements that are only millimeters apart but that fall in and out of focus over a very short distance.
May 22, 2008	JimDrobish May 23, 2008 - 11:03am The image is soft on the sides. I think I would prefer the numbers to be sharp. I went back and looked at some of your earlier macro shots and the lens is sharp in the corners (see coins and money shot), so the softness here must be the result of the depth of field, but I'm a little suprised there's so much difference center-to-side. Is the surface flat? If it's dof, a smaller aperature would extend the range. On the other hand, maybe you prefer as is. What do you think?
May 22, 2008	JimDrobish May 22, 2008 - 11:58pm Hey Jeff congratulations on making your photoblog the great success that it is. Keeping a photoblog was a stroke of genius. It gives incentive and purpose to taking great photos and pushing your boundries. It also can give you some feedback/critque. I look forward following your progress as you travel the road to #400.
May 22, 2008	jeff May 21, 2008 - 11:54pm thanks buddy. btw, since i posted this i uploaded another little innovation: i changed the format of the nav buttons, date, and i added a caption. i found that i was adding captions in text anyway, so it was about time to do it formally. it's a pain to walk back through though and convert. for the time being, anything without a caption is just "number whatever the number of the post is"
May 13, 2008	jeff May 21, 2008 - 11:44pm thanks! fyi, here is what i am taking a picture of
May 22, 2008	Tony May 21, 2008 - 9:26pm Jeff, congratulations! I'm really proud of you man, this thing has just become so amazing to tune into. I love seeing where you are and how you've advanced. The highest compliment I can give you is this; you have developed your own aesthetic and style and it's addictive. I love seeing your shots and trying to think about why and how you've taken them. This post is awesome and a great way to commemorate your 200th. Good on you buddy!
May 19, 2008	Tony May 19, 2008 - 5:56pm I agree- I really like the shallow depth of field and how the colors in focus match the colors in the background.
May 19, 2008	Frank May 19, 2008 - 2:51pm Funny and very nice bird. I like the colours and I have a big smile when I saw this picture.
May 13, 2008	Frank May 13, 2008 - 2:48am Interesting details. Very nice macro.
May 12, 2008	jeff May 12, 2008 - 6:29pm thanks man, yeah i dont know. this was one of those situations where i felt like there was a good photo in there somewhere but i wasn't sure how to get it. all of those mounds spread out on those white sheets... i'm not sure I ended up taking the most evocative shot, but i tried a few different things. it would have been interesting to see what you would have come up with.
May 12, 2008	Tony May 12, 2008 - 6:04pm Great use of color- I love the repetitive image in all the other mounds of spice, and how you use color to focus us in on this one.
February 17, 2008	Rich May 11, 2008 - 5:38pm I assumed Unknown was talking about the bird... and by the bird, I mean the girl.
May 10, 2008	jeff May 11, 2008 - 5:11pm ha! very observant. Yes - I am shooting into a mirror.
May 10, 2008	Rich May 11, 2008 - 5:03pm Is this a mirror image? I usually part my hair on the other side.
April 11, 2008	Heather May 9, 2008 - 8:01pm That is amazing! I LOVE the photo - it would be great in a bar... Guiness would pay a lot for it :)
April 25, 2008	Heather May 9, 2008 - 7:57pm Oh la la !!! I didn't see the city museum on the itinerary for this weekend... however I'll be sure to pack some clothes that are safe for snagging and dirt and easy to be flexible in... best museum in the world... still need to get beers there :P
May 8, 2008	Heather May 9, 2008 - 7:55pm That's reallllly cool!
May 8, 2008	Frank May 8, 2008 - 8:18am Wow, great perspektive, very nice point of view.
April 25, 2008	The Fan Club® April 28, 2008 - 11:43am Tony is right...Jeff is lying in the caption...This is not the City Museum...It is the Joker's Lair right outside Gotham City.
April 25, 2008	TK April 28, 2008 - 1:15am For the record, I'd say it's more true that I like it when you post pictures that tell a story, or that have more value than purely their subject matter. But I also appreciate the aesthetics of a photo, balance, contrast, composition- the things that make a photo enjoyable to look at. I think that your captions are always helpful. I'm the kind of person who likes there to be a context, and your explanations of your photos help me to think about why you took them. Anyway. Also, I can't tell if you're messing with me on the explanation on this photo.
April 16, 2008	Brad April 20, 2008 - 11:58pm I'll sign the release. And though I do like The Fan Club(R) post-deconstructionist view of action, I'm not sure it plays to the pop-culture ad machine that has given us tri-tone iPod commercials (at least as far as "action shots" go). one suggestion: two people in the library. one motionless except for hands furiously typing. the other with still hands but rocking out to some sweet toons. you can call it the Dichotomy of Finals. It would work best with twins. or suits and masks.
April 16, 2008	The Fan Club® April 20, 2008 - 6:04pm The Fan Club has thought long and hard about this. We finally have a proposal for the "Action Shot Contest". Stage a photo ethernet cables and computer-wires, maybe wrapped in a coil with a cable modem in the middle of it. Now some might call this a still shot, but the wit is that inside those cords and modem is a whole world of action and chaos as literally trillions of bytes are transfered. If you want to be more conventional, give the camera a shake during the shot to induce a slight touch of blurring or motion. We are confident that the subtle wit and unique angle of this idea will land you Downunder.
April 16, 2008	z April 19, 2008 - 5:39pm it is spring so i do not think you will have hard time.. you can take a shot of a golf ball thast is moving, birds, animals in the zoo..etc.
April 16, 2008	jeff April 17, 2008 - 10:09am wow, those are some great ideas. i especially like the "jackhammer" one ;-) that's a good point about the background blur w/ a sharp focus on the subject, i think that would be a great effect. i dont think there is any extra credit for getting the apple logo involved, but you never know. i'll let you know what i come up with!
April 16, 2008	JimDrobish April 16, 2008 - 10:04pm I think the best "action" shots use blur to convey movement while keeping essential areas of the image sharp. Generally this needs to be done with a slow shutter and/or panning with the subject to blur the background. A flash synched to the rear curtain can also do this. A flash with a stobe setting can also convey motion though maybe not as well as blur. All of these techniques are challenging to get right. Sports seem to be a favorite target. Things like a runner with arms and legs blurred but their eyes/head sharp, or a tennis swing, or a baseball hitter/pitcher (are the Cardinals in town?) I've also seen some great action shots of auto, motorcycle, horses, or bicycle racing (any good races coming up). But almost anything that moves might be a candidate. Animals might be good and they wouldn't require a release (any friends with a dog that catches frisbees). Do cats move much??? How about a hard hat with a beer belly, cigar, and a jack hammer busting up something? I think that could be cool. Or a conductor leading a choir/symphony with their arms/baton a blur. Or maybe billiards. Or even thumbing the pages of the phone book to catch the pages in flight. Is there any requirement (or advantage) to incorporate an Apple product in the photo?
March 25, 2008	Z April 15, 2008 - 11:14pm To The Fan Club, don't be one of them... �They spoil every romance by trying to make it last forever.�
April 7, 2008	Z April 15, 2008 - 11:09pm i wish i was a male bee.. they do nothing but make babies and eat..
April 9, 2008	Z April 15, 2008 - 11:08pm how about a cocaine flower? http://www.drug-information-resource.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/thumb_coca_plant.jpg
April 12, 2008	Z April 15, 2008 - 11:06pm nice!!! honda commercial?
April 15, 2005	The Fan Club April 15, 2008 - 10:06am I assume this is the "government bee" pilfering the people of their earnings. Very deep symbolism.
April 14, 2008	The Fan Club® April 14, 2008 - 9:53am We approve.
April 12, 2008	Frank April 13, 2008 - 3:56am Beautiful and interesting. Very nice lights.
April 12, 2008	The Fan Club® April 12, 2008 - 10:51am Seriously!More product placement. Honda?
April 11, 2008	jeff April 11, 2008 - 12:41pm hey, i never said there was any left when i was done with it
April 11, 2008	The Fan Club® April 11, 2008 - 12:33pm Actually, this product placement is much better than the last one--mostly because it is a tasty adult beverage. The one sad thing, Jeff, is that you left so much of the wholesome Irish goodness in the cup. I always carry a straw to avoid such misfortune.
April 11, 2008	jeff April 11, 2008 - 1:47am Hey Brian! Here is the original. Not a whole lot that is different, actually. The colors you see were part of the background naturally. I leveled it and made a few minor adjustments, but this is not one I did a whole lot to. Thanks for the compliment, I really like the colors, too. I wasn't expecting to have that effect when I went fishing through my archives for this shot, but as I messed with it I saw that the surrounding colors were pretty cool and I tried to dial that aspect of the photo up a little. Incidentally, what you are looking at are two plastic Guiness cups nested in one another. The leftover stout in the bottom cup got squished around the full cup, which is what yeilds the dispersed suds effect.
April 11, 2008	Brian April 11, 2008 - 1:15am I love the colors on this one. Could you please post the original?
April 5, 2008	Angel April 7, 2008 - 5:27pm You're lookin' a little scale-y, jeff. moisturize, moisturize, moisturize...
March 28, 2008	JimDrobish April 2, 2008 - 7:16pm I've followed your photo blog for some time and I'm VERY impressed with your photos and your website! Your comments about editing an image ring so true I must comment. Edtiting is the irresistable Siren Song of the photographer. Sadly, great image seems to take more time in front of the computer, than behind the camera. Nevertheless, as you say the Holy Grail is to get it right in the camera. Even Ansel Adams would spend hours in the darkroom perfecting an image so you're in great company.
March 28, 2008	Frank March 28, 2008 - 5:30am Very cute smile.
March 25, 2008	jeff March 27, 2008 - 1:27pm yeah i dont know what my problem is; i think i like this caption better. didnt know anyone would notice but i guess i underestimate the vigilance of my fans ;-)