Photographs and time

Time is interesting. Every time I look at old photos of places we visited, our kids, family, etc. I smile and can’t help but feel nostalgic about it. But, when I look at these photos, the only thing I can remember from those moments is good and positive things. Even when I know that there are stories of frustration behind some of those photos, I can only think of the good times when I see them.

Capture moments of your family, of the places you visit, of random moments, and then look at them later. You’ll never forget the good moments when you see these old photos, and I am pretty sure you won’t remember the negative stuff. For example, we have run into issues and frustrating moments almost every time we travel, but those frustrating moments don’t come to mind when I see photos of those travels. Why is that?

People say, spend your time and money on experiences and not on things. I agree with that; however, take some photos or video from those experiences, at least one photo or a short video. You’ll treasure that a lot and for many years in the future.

Time almost always makes me forget about bad experiences, but the good moments, the happy moments, those memories always stay with me, and old photos or a video from those moments trigger even more happy memories. That is one of the reasons I love photography.

Photographs are, in my opinion, a time travel machine that takes you back to those specific moments and motivates you to seek new experiences and moments like that. A photograph is a fantastic time capture machine. Use it to capture moments and experiences. You won’t regret it.

Cannon Beach in Oregon, a must see when visiting Portland.

My family and I moved to Seattle back in January of this year, and about a month ago we made our first visit to this beautiful place called Cannon Beach. This is a lovely beach, there are plenty of places to park and walk around the long strip of sand. Cannon Beach is also the place for Haystack Rock, an unusual rock formation just feet away from the beach. Haystack Rock is a seasonal haven for tufted puffins. On a headland to the north, trails in Ecola State Park offer sweeping views of the ocean, coves, and a lighthouse.

The photos above were taken with a Sony A7III, and a Samyang 35mm, f/2.8 lens.

Gas Works Park in Seattle, what a gem!

Gas Works Park in Seattle is a great place to see Seattle’s skyline and South Lake Union. Gas Works Park is a public park on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant, located on the north shore of Lake Union at the south end of the Wallingford neighborhood.

Last weekend my son suggested going to this park, since our move to Seattle a few months ago, we’ve been trying to visit popular places. Seattle has a lot of awesome places, and it is close to many amazing mountains and other beautiful areas full of outdoor activities.

During our visit to Gas Works Park, the sky had amazing clouds, but it was still bright enough to enjoy the view. Below are some photos I shot during our visit to this park.

The photos above were taken with a MavicPro drone and a Sony AIII with a Samyang 35mm lens.

A snowy day in Seattle.

Last month, my family and I moved to Seattle, Washington after living in Austin, Texas for thirteen years.

Moving to Seattle was something my wife and I have been talking about for years, and last year we finally decided to sell our home in Austin and move to Seattle. One of the main reasons for the move was the milder weather in Seattle, and also the beautiful nature of Washington.

Well, it has snowed twice in Seattle since we moved in last month, and everyone tells us that this is very uncommon for the area. We don’t mind, at least not yet. My wife and I are fortunate to work from home, so we don’t have to deal with the traffic or icy roads out there.

Today, my kids and I decided to go explore and play on the snow at Denny Park in downtown. It was beautiful, the snow-covered trees and people playing with their dogs and kids just made it even more special. Here are some photos of our snowy Seattle day.

The Basics of Photography

This is a great time to get into photography. High-quality cameras are now accessible to most people, and getting an awesome shot is now more possible than ever. Let’s keep in mind that while easier, there is still skill and experience needed to get the most out of your camera.

In this post, I’ll describe two things you need to know to learn the basics of photography and take it to the next level; composition and exposure. If you are already an experienced photographer, then you can skip this blog post, and I hope you come back at another time.

Basics of Photography

In photography, you need to learn about composition and exposure to capture great photographs. At its most basic level, composition is the framing of the image and the composition of the subject/s within the frame of a photograph. Exposure refers to the amount of light allowed into the camera. Exposure is divided into three important items: Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO.

Composition

Composition is all about the way you want the visual elements in your picture to appear. Composition is subjective and there is no a single way to get it right, you have to feel it, and the best way to get better at it is to practice. However, there are some techniques you can follow to help you make your pictures better.

Composition example

1/125 sec | f/8 | ISO-100 | 19 mm

Look at the subject from different angles, pay attention to the light, shadows, and don’t shy away from getting down on close to the ground to get a different perspective. Continue reading →