Diamonds in a tree

Since moving into our house in 1996, my wife and I transformed the yard and landscape from a golf course pristine look into that of a Pacific Northwester theme with native plants, trees and ferns, so that the multitude of small birds, and squirrels can safely hide in and out of sight from the hawks and eagles that sometimes sore overhead looking for my daughter's small dog.

Throughout the years it seems the grassy areas have slowly gotten smaller and has been transformed into layers of vegetation of wildflowers, ferns, bushes, grasses and trees of all species ranging from pines, Blue Spruces, Willows, Aspens, Coastal Redwoods, Western Cedar to various varieties of Japanese Maples.

After spending about eights years growing up in Japan, I'm pretty fond of Japanese gardens which is spread throughout our backyard.  One of my favorite trees is the Cryptomeria Japonica, an evergreen tree, commonly known as the Black Dragon, Japanese Cryptomeria, Japanese Cedar or Sugi, the national tree, commonly planted around temples and shrines.

Most of the types I remember ranged from the Bonsai trees to those small ones grown in a pot or in gardens to the much taller trees that graced the temples and shrines grounds.

To complete our Japanese style garden, we found a small tree in 1997 at an outdoor garden center in Gig Harbor and planted it near a rising pathway constructed with railroad ties and crushed rocks. We were hoping the three-foot-tree would only grow a few inches a year, however, 15 years later it's grown like one of those beans that Jack traded for the cow, and now stands over 25 feet.

During Spring and Summer months, the tree, is green that gradually gives way to a combination of greens, purples and reds in the Autumn and Winter. So, you can understand why, besides taking pictures of Japanese Red Maples, the Cryptomeria has become one of my favorite subjects to photograph, especially during the rainy season, when water drops hang like suspended diamonds attached to the limbs and branches.

Yesterday while letting Toshi and Buffy out to chase squirrels, I notice the tree was covered in diamonds and while guarding the dogs from overhead predators, I decided to photograph the suspended beauty. All of the images were taken with an EOS-1Ds MKII, equipped with an Extender Tube EF25 and a 28-70mm zoom. Most of the images were taken with these setting:
Date: 1/26/13
Time: 11:34:11
Model: Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
Serial #: Lens 28-70mm: 50 - 70 (mm)
ISO: 800
Aperture: 2.8
Shutter: 1/250

The beauty in Simplicity

While working at the Florida Times-Union, a former picture editor, Charles Kogod, offered me a bit of advice during one slow news day. “Jim, just go out and shoot some pretty pictures!” Kogod knew what he was doing in nurturing and developing photographers as he ended up working for National Geographic as the Director of Illustrations in the publications division for many years.  To this day, he still works for them on a contract basis, as well as photographs, teaches and edits. http://www.charleskogod.com/.

30 years later, I still take Charles’ advice to heart when I head outside to find and shoot pretty pictures in rain, shine, snow and cold weather. With the weather begin in the low 20's for the past few days and with still more cold temperatures to come, the weather has created some really nifty looking frost covered subjects.

So for the past fews days while walking Toshiro, I've been carrying an EOS MKII Ds equipped with an Extension Tube EF 25 attached to a 28-70mm lens. This is one of my favorite walk about combos to take with me.
 
There's a park about a mile from my house that I like to walk him to that offers a variety of foliage to photograph. So, while constantly having to stop and wait for Toshiro to scratch, sniff and mark his territory as only a male dog would do, I look for pictures to take of foliage covered in a layer of frost.

This caused me to remembered a question a former photo instructor asked in class one day. "How many of you while out taking a walk, look at the ground?" He then said, "Next time look around at all your surroundings including the ground and see all the photos you're missing."

This is an expertise I use while taking the time to find a subject, watch direction the light, where it falls and how it illuminates my subjects. You'd be surprised at all the simple pretty pictures you can find to take.

Love to photograph what I eat

To me,  being a photojournalist was a dream job come true. I was able to travel around the world, visiting various countries not  only to photograph, but eat as well, so what could have been better.

I got married in 1980, to a women, who's mother instructed her to marry a man who could cook. Bazinga! After leaving the Navy in 1983, I followed her back to Japan, and a few yeas later the Azores and then to Panama, where I learned to cook some of those national dishes. Needless to say, Amy, normally comes home to good meals.

Since the Seattle Post Intelligencer closed down in 2009 and I wasn't assigned anymore food assignments, my love food and photography, eventually led me to combine both loves into one…food photography.

I try to keep photographing food simple, by using four EOS Speedlites, equipped with soft-boxes, snoots and various diffusers either mounted on light stands or sat onto of  various sizes of pots and pans.

Nowadays, I prepare meals with photography in mind. I know, it should be the other way around, but what the hell, it's all about texture, color and design. You can view my PhotoShelter Food gallery@ http://jimbryant.photoshelter.com/gallery/Food/G0000nl.wjhxARms/C0000VAH95fJa6BQ

Sometimes all it takes is one drop of water

While out walking Toshiro, our dog, and looking for photos to take, water drops were falling from the trees onto my head. When I looked up, I suddenly remembered what a former photo instructor asked us in class one day. "How many of you when out taking a walk, look at the ground?" Most of us looked around at one another and raised our hands. He then said, "Next look around at your surroundings and see all the photos you're missing. Take the time to see what direction the light falls and where the shadows are." 

One thing I noticed was not only the dolled water drops falling on my head, but the way the light reflected off  them as they hung like diamonds on the leaves, and branches.

Sometimes all it takes is a simple drop of water to stir something squirreled away in the back of your mind.

Japan's Nebuta Festival

It's Spring in Japan. The Cherry blossoms are in full bloom and its the beginning of the festival season. One of the most unique festivals I covered was Aomori Citiy's Nebuta Festival.  About 2 million partiers crowd into the city from August 3rd-7th to enjoy the after dark madness.  Huge illuminated floats paper-mache floats are pushed and pulled by merry makers and are surrounded by skipping and chanting dancers to the baka dori or fools' dance.  You can view more images at: http://jimbryant.photoshelter.com/gallery/G0000GTOhzh8Ov3I

Take the time to slow down and see

Over the years, photojournalists reach a point where they refine their personal approach to shooting skills. Each approach is different, but most of whom I have talked too all agrees that the basis a visual approach is the trained ability to see everything in great detail.

The late Frank Hoy, who I had as an instructor at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University taught his students an exercise in detailed seeing called the EDFAT – Entire, Details, Frame, Angles, and Time, a method I still use  today.

I organize a photograph in terms of using three categories: the establishing shot, the medium shot, and the close up.

One of the traits of being a good photojournalist is to slow down, observe on what's going on around you and then start making pictures. Many times I've just walked through a village, and watched without taking a picture, a habit that I still do today. While making images in a fishing village, I parked near the marina, observed what was going on and then started capturing images of fishermen working on their boats, offloading fish, preparing for the next day, net mending and fishing.

The old saying, “what you see you can photograph” only applies to someone who sees in detail. So take the time to make a short field trip as a practical test method. Sling your camera on your shoulder and carry it with you while you learn to see deeply and in detail during a short walking tour in an area where there are a lot of people, and then take pictures.