This was all done in about 30 minutes, on my couch with a white sheet from Evil*Mart as a background. Simple two light setup, using a lighting kit that all together cost under $500. When you figure most “professionals” use lights that costs thousands of dollars, it’s pretty amazing what you can pull off on the cheap.

Want to know how to do this? It’s easy, start here :: www.strobist.com

It’s a web site devoted to off camera lighting, on a budget.

One of the biggest single destroyers of good photos is the little pop up flash you have right on your camera. Get that thing off camera and your whole world will change.

Want to learn more? Keep an eye out on the blog, or I do offer 1 on 1 lessons, for a very reasonable price. Contact me for more details.

• White puffy clouds.
• Nice blue sky in between said puffy clouds.
• Low humidity in the air.

This is a very good sign for determining if your coming sunset is going to be either blasse’, or spectacular. After a while you learn to read the clouds. And tonight, I was right on the money.

Taken in Lancaster County, about 30 minutes from where I live.

I have mostly been a nature photographer. For the longest time, that is pretty much all I wanted to do. Leave me alone, away from people, and I’m happy. And there is nothing wrong with that. But after a while, you can easily get into a rut.

I’ve met many people along the way who stick to one genre, and that’s it. If they are nature guys, they never do portraits. If they are portrait folks, they never spent a second in the brush. That just doesn’t work for me.

If you find yourself in a rut, theres quite a few things you can try.

• Put the camera down, and pick up a small point and shoot, or better yet a camera phone. Try to make a picture out of the most mundane stuff around you
• If you shoot primarily studio portraits, head into the field with a model and some reflectors at golden light, and nothing else. See what happens
• Take your camera to a concert. Think you’re good with capturing birds in the wild? They have nothing on a sweating guitarist jumping around stage.
• When all else fails, it’s ok to put the camera down. I took a pretty long sabbatical from photography for most of 2007. And you know what? After picking it back up a couple months ago I feel I am doing some of my best work…ever. Honestly, right now I feel I am on a serious upswing.

The important thing to remember is keep moving. And most importantly, have fun.