Phoebus, Virginia

When I first arrived on the Virginia Peninsula there were some residents that called this place "Little Chicago". It was rumored that some famous and not so famous gangsters from the Prohibition era spent time here. Most notable some say that Al Capone spent time in Phoebus hiding from the police. I have no idea if its true and I have not verified it so who really knows. What can be verified is that this small section used to be an incorporated town in Elizabeth City County. It is located just outside of Fort Monroe. Phoebus has been a section of Hampton, Virginia since 1952.

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Wayne's World

Not the movie but my blog. As most of you know I am a big user of social media. Not changing but as of today I am really going to promote my space on the web. I'll try to keep it interesting so that you will keep coming back. Hoping to have some guess bloggers in the future. Promoting and helping others learn photography is the goal. Leave comments, just be sure to keep it clean.

Black and White Photography

How many of you have tried black and white photography? When I first learned photography all I had was black and white. Well, its what I could afford. I learned how to load my 35mm camera, develop my own film and process my black and white prints. Whenever I come back to B&W those memories return and the smell of "fixer" returns. Today, I enjoy using Nik's Silver Efex Pro 2. This photo was originally in color but I reprocessed it in B&W. It gives the photo a different look and feel.

Hampton University at night.

Hampton University at night.

Taking your photography to the next level

Almost everyone who gets serious about photography always asks the question "What do I need to improve or how do I take it to the next level". So, I will offer a few suggestions.

  • Take more photos, in fact shoot everyday
  • Look at the work of others....often
  • Study to work of the famous master photographers
  • Don't be afraid to ask for serious critiques of your work
  • Push yourself, shoot subjects that you are not comfortable with
  • Start and finish a personal project
  • View the numerous and free webinars that are offered by photo manufacturers
  • When you can AFFORD it, invest in Lynda.com or Kelbytraining.com
  • AdobeTV.com is free
  • Did I mention that you should shoot something that you normally don't shoot. If you shoot people, then shoot some landscapes. If you shoot birds, then shoot people.
  • Find more interesting subjects
  • Buying more equipment will not help....if you buy equipment invest in good lenses first
New York City skyline taken from Weehawken NJ

New York City skyline taken from Weehawken NJ

I'm back.....

If you navigate the web long enough you usually view a web posting like this one. Well since I've been gone I have migrated my blog which took much longer than I had anticipated. This blog is hosted by Squarespace and I have just upgraded to Squarespace 6. Loved seeing them at PhotoPlus Expo. They are really helpful and I look forward to what they will have to offer in the future.

PhotoPlus Expo

Thought I would share my experiences this year at PDN’s PhotoPlus Expo. For those of you who don’t know this is the biggest photo trade show in the USA. They offer somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 seminars and 250+ exhibitors. I’ve been going to this event for many years now. This years was Expo was very well attended. There are so many things to see I usually attend all three days. However, due to the Hurricane Sandy I decided to skip Saturday and come home before the weather got worse. 

This year is best summed up by Scott Kelby. Please read his blog post about his one day at the Expo. Here is the link: www.http://scottkelby.com/2012/my-day-in-new-york-at-the-photo-plus-expo-2/

The Expo attracts the movers and shakers in the photo industry. Most if not all of the photo equipment you see in the photo magazines will be available at this show. You get to talk to the camera manufacturers and other equipment representatives. Want to put your hands on new equipment? It was at the Expo. 

Just about any photographer you hear about these days was there. I saw Sandy Puc, Sue Bryce, Jay Maisel, Matt Kloskowski, RC Concepcion, Syl Arena, Peter Hurley and Matthew Jordan Smith. I spent some time talking to Jason Odell (Luminescence of Nature) and Steve Simon (author of The Passionate Photographer). I met and talked to Jerry Ghionis and his lovely wife Melissa. They were such nice people. Very genuine and down to earth. It was great talking and sharing with them. 

That’s it. If you get a chance you should attend next year. You don’t have to sign up for the seminar/classes but you can get “free” passes to the show floor. It’s worth the trip.

Posting some iPhone photos from the trip.

Taken with my iPhone

Taken with my iPhone