One of the rules I follow when photographing, especially landscapes, is to make sure that the shot is level. There are few things that can visually throw an image off quicker than a slanted horizon. When editing my photos, I painstakingly use Photoshop’s Lens Correction filter to ensure the shot is level.

There are times, however, when throwing a shot off-level can work in creating an artistic element to the photo. Today’s image of an LCD projector is an example of this technique. By shooting the subject at a close distance and an angle, the resulting diagonal lines add a bit of pizazz to what could be an otherwise boring shot. Give it a try.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/14, ISO 100

One of the fun things about photographing in a major urban area is the people you have a tendency to meet.

I ran into this unique young lady while shooting a bridal session in downtown Salt Lake City over the weekend. After watching the bride being photographed for a bit, she wanted her turn in front of the camera.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/200 second, f/5.6, ISO 100

Taken at Portage Lake, near Girdwood Alaska.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/500 second, f/8, ISO 125

girn (gûrn) intr.v. girned, girn·ing, girns Scots

1. To contort one’s face; grimace.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/200 second, f/4, ISO 250

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/13, ISO 125

Most people know what a Sepia Tone photograph looks like. But do they know that the term originated with the use of pigment from a fish cephalopod?

Sepia tone is a type of monochrome photographic image in which the picture appears in shades of brown as opposed to greyscale as in a black-and-white image. It was originally produced by adding a pigment made from the Sepia cuttlefish to the positive print of a photograph taken with any number of negative processes. The chemical process involved converts any remaining metallic silver to a sulphide which is much more resistant to breakdown over time. (Source: Wikipedia)

Now you have some useless photographic knowledge to impress your friends with.

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/200 second, f/5, ISO 100

Yesterday as I was leaving one of the fine dining establishments in my town (read: Taco Time), I noticed how the sun was hitting this patch of sunflowers. The light was great so I hopped out and captured a few exposures.

The resulting image is a nice representation of a field of sunflowers on a warm summer day. What the photo doesn’t show is the cell phone tower, parking lot and dumpster which surround the flowers.

Beauty is indeed everywhere, you just have to look.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/4, ISO 100

On Friday night I got the chance to re-live some of the music from my youth when I attended a Def Leppard concert in West Valley City. Concerts are usually full of great subjects to photograph and this one was no exception. But if you’ve ever tried to walk in to one carrying a large SLR camera with a long lens you will find that they don’t take too kindly to it.

This is one of the reasons I carry a small point-and-shoot camera, a Canon G7, in my kit. The G7 (which Canon recently replaced with the G9) is a high quality 10 megapixel camera in a small unassuming package. I simply dropped the camera into a pocket on my cargo shorts and walked right in to the show. The on-board image stabilization that this camera has is a nice bonus, especially when shooting in a low light environment such as a concert.

As for the concert, it was pretty cool. If I had had my preference though, Def Leppard could have taken the night off and let the opening band Styx carry the night :)

Canon G7 – 1/30 second, f/4.8, ISO 200

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/40 second, f/5, ISO 100

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/320 second, f/4, ISO 200