Self analyzing my photography styles

As I look over my growing collection of photos in iPhoto, I have several patterns I tend to follow. Of course, there are plenty of shots of friends and family, but then I have a lot of material that I prefer. I lean towards landscapes and nature photography mostly. The subject matter generally doesn't talk back.

I have a decent "prosumer" DSLR camera and two basic zoom lenses to cover wide angles to respectable distances. Recently, I picked up my first prime lens -- a 50mm f/1.8 which really should be the first lens for all photographers. With this, I can really push the depth of field technique. A second prime lens is on my wish list -- a 28mm wide angle.

Also, I started using a speedlight for better flash coverage instead of using the unreliable popup flash.

I have modest aspirations of having my material used for stock photography companies. I have pending applications at a few places, but even if they never pan out I'll still be out there clicking away.

So, here's the first in a series of my growing body of material.

Macros, or close ups

Sometimes, the subject is the "trees" instead of the "forest." Getting up close with your subject can give you more rewarding results. The first is the side of a log cabin barn at Keystone Colorado. Its texture fascinated me and I felt the story was better explained in a tight shot rather than a wider one to capture the entire cabin. The second is the base of a tree that had been struck by lightning, causing it to split down its trunk. The exposed fibrous elements were best captured in a closeup rather than a possibly more understandable wider shot.




Future posts will cover depth of field experiments, candid subjects, the rule of thirds, elongated perspectives, and ideas that were great but didn't quite work out.