When and When Not to Quote

There are no rules for good photographs,
there are only good photographs.
Ansel Adams

Without trying to sound like a snob let me make an observation - there are times and situations and Blogs where it would be better to not quote someone who was a master of his craft. In my travels around the web today I came across a blog for a photographer who I'm sure has the best intentions and loves photography and who used the above quote as the top section of their page. However Adams was someone known for his painstaking attention to detail in a manner he himself called "pre-visualization" a method of imagining what the finished image / print would look like and then before you even took the lens cap off you knew exactly how you approach your subject with regards to composition, exposure, development and printing.

Too many people armed with little more than a camera feel that if they "love" photography and if photography is their "passion" then they can be excused from understanding and employing the tools of their trade such as composition, exposure and subject matter. Poorly composed and executed images of cute kids are the mainstay of the photostore at Wal Mart not the realm of the professional photographer. If you really are passionate about photography invest time and tears into learning how to master it.

Gary Player, perhaps the Tiger Woods of his era, was once approached by a fan who prefaced his adulation with, "Man, I just wish I could play as good as you do."

Player replied, "You want to play as well as me? It's easy. Just spend hours every day hitting that ball until your hands bleed and then you'll be on your way."

Ansel Adams developed a very methodical approach to creating an image. He carried an 8x10 (or larger) view camera on the back of a mule ascending parts of the natural world to record images that to this day are icons in photography, even define how we see places like the Half Dome. Years later he would marvel that he didn't get killed in doing what he did. One of his most famous photographs is "Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941" was created as he drove along the road and glanced out his window and saw an extraordinary and fleeting moment presenting itself to him.

Adams said he, "saw an extraordinary situation - an inevitable photograph! I almost ditched the car and rushed to set up my 8 X 10" camera. I was yelling to my companions to bring me things from the car…I had a clear visualization of the image I wanted but…I could not find my exposure meter! The situation was desperate: the low sun was trailing the edge of clouds in the west, and shadow would soon dim the white crosses." He felt at a loss to guess the correct exposure, but suddenly realized he knew the luminance of the moon and quickly took the shot. By the time he had reloaded another dark slide (film) the light had vanished.

To capture that image Adams used every rule he had formulated with his Zone System and what he knew about light and how to measure the luminance of the full moon.

So then what did Adams mean when he said there are no rules? I would think he meant that you can master the technical aspects of any trade and still not be an artist. Art comes from somewhere deep in your soul. But to have something to say and not know how to express that is perhaps the most frustrating feeling an artist can suffer.

To aspiring photographers I would counsel learn the rules, don't think that the world exists only in program mode. If you want to take average pictures than let the camera take them for you. But please don't talk to me about passion or love. And Photoshop can expand your vision but it won't make a bad idea better.

Learn your craft and practice it until your heart bleeds.

(If you'd like to learn more about how Ansel Adams created some of his most iconic images you would love to check out: Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs )

Do You Like to Give Sweet Things for Christmas?

A Sweet Idea For Christmas

A friend of mine has officially started a delicious little business called Sweet Symphony Cakes. I had her do a cake for my daughter Gabrielle with a Milly Cyrus theme and it looked as good as it tasted.

Gabrielle's Birthday Cake

Melodie, the owner, has sent out an e mail to her patrons letting us know that she has a seasonal special of 12 Truffles for $20 that she is offering as a Fundraiser for the Noblemen. Order by Sunday the 29th for a December 7th delivery date. She has cakes and chocolates and all kinds of treats. Plus in addition to her regular line up if you have a specialty item you want she'll make it. Her creations are definitely not something you want to taste if you're trying to go on a diet.

You can contact Melodie at 757.544.7034 or her e mail is: sweetsymphonycakes@gmail.com
Visit her web site for more info at: http://sweetsymphony.homestead.com/index.html

A Black Friday Tradition

For most people the Friday after Thanksgiving is a day marked by frantic shopping but for Eileen Hoffman and her family it's a different tradition. Ever since I photographed her son Michael about ten years ago I have gone to her house to photograph the family all gathered for the holiday. It's something I look forward to every year, in fact when I get my new calendar I always go to the Friday after Thanksgiving and mark the morning off for Eileen. Its almost like being an extended member of the family as I've watched the kids grow from crying infants who had to be held by an older sibling or cousin to young men and women. The only person I don't think has aged at all is her mother. She seems to have found a way to stop the clock.

It's Still Not Too Late

Christmas is a bare four weeks away but, thanks to digital, there's still time for sessions and printing for the Holidays. Here's some recent work shot in the last week. Family portraits, children and yes, even a pug Santa photo session.

Thank You is Always Appreciated

We're a busy people, we Americans are. But it's always nice to hear from a bride about her experience with me. Amy hired me long distance, sight unseen. I have that happen several times a year - a bride is planning her wedding here in Hampton Roads from afar and is doing all her research via the web, e mails and phone calls. When I can I always prefer to meet personally with someone; I've built a successful business that has spanned almost three decades of weddings and portraits and I think that is in no great part due to my personal attention. Because of our schedules Amy and her husband Ryan didn't get to meet me until the day of the wedding. Here's a note she recently sent me:

"Michael, thank you so much for taking such beautiful pictures. You were so quick that half the time I didn't even notice you there! You caught some very special moments that we will forever cherish. Even though we're not local I will recommend you to anyone that is. Thanks again!

Amy and Ryan Howard"

Notes like this encourage me that what I do matters greatly in the lives of others. Long after they can't taste the food, drink the wine or remember the music they and their children will celebrate that one special day over and over again because of my photographs.

Amy and Ryan had their wedding and reception at One Fish Two Fish.


The first time I saw Amy was when she arrived and her dad said, "There's your photographer!"

The first time I saw Ryan he was helping the DJ.
He was very polite and professional.

Amy and Ryan needed very little direction - I just watched and shot.

Happy Birthday USMC

semper fidelis

I realize that a Blog is supposed to be a marketing tool and that areas such as politics and religion and, well anything that isn't about your business and how great you are is to be avoided. However I think that most people who actually read a Blog want to know something about the person who's writing and not have to skim over a press release that's a carbon copy of every other "how to succeed with a Blog" article. And, heck - it's my Blog right?

Today is the 234th birthday of the Marine Corp. I'm sure that the other branches of the service have birthdays as well but this one is special to me. I never served in the military. I was 18 when the draft ended during the Vietnam war and like most kids my age I wasn't keen on going to Nam. My family is not a military family where I can point to paintings of Great-Grandpa who fought in the Great War or Great-Great Grandpa who fought during the War of Northern Aggression (I am from the South).

But my mother's dad, my Grandfather was a Marine. He served in the Sixth Marine Division in the Pacific Theater during WWII. The division was assembled in 1944 at Guadalcanal and was comprised of men from the 4th Marines, 22nd Marines, 29th Marines, as well as artillery from the 15th Marines. They saw action in places that many of us have never heard about except for one infamous island - Okinawa. Four men from the 6th were awarded the highest recognition our country gives to those who serve - The Medal of Honor. Of these four men three were awarded posthumously.

Private Robert M. McTureous, Jr. saw stretcher bearers "assailed by slashing machine gun fire" and "filled his shirt with hand grenades and charged the enemy occupied caves...diverting the heaviest fire from the stretcher bearers to his own person... He gallantly gave his life for his country."

Corporal Richard E. Bush who "although prostrate under medical treatment when a Japanese hand grenade landed in the midst of the group...unhesitatingly pulled the deadly missile to himself...saving his fellow Marines." Corporal Bush survived.

Major Henry A. Courtney, Jr. "braved a terrific concentration of Japanese gunfire...leading his men by example rather than by command" until he was killed by a motor round...He gallantly gave his life for his country."

Private First Class Harold Gonsalves "braved terrific hostile bombardment to aid his forward observer team...As they reached the front, a Japanese grenade fell close within the group. Instantly Private First Class Harold Gonsalves dived on the deadly missile...He gallantly gave his life for his country."

My grandfather never spoke of the war but my mother once told me a story about him - he was a Gunny Sargent. On the beach at Okinawa a soldier broke down and started ranting about not wanting to fight anymore. ("The battle of Okinawa proved to be the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. Thirty-four allied ships and craft of all types had been sunk, mostly by kamikazes, and 368 ships and craft damaged. The fleet had lost 763 aircraft. Total American casualties in the operation numbered over 12,000 killed [including nearly 5,000 Navy dead and almost 8,000 Marine and Army dead] and 36,000 wounded. Navy casualties were tremendous, with a ratio of one killed for one wounded as compared to a one to five ratio for the Marine Corps. Combat stress also caused large numbers of psychiatric casualties, a terrible hemorrhage of front-line strength. There were more than 26,000 non-battle casualties. In the battle of Okinawa, the rate of combat losses due to battle stress, expressed as a percentage of those caused by combat wounds, was 48%. American losses at Okinawa were so heavy as to illicit Congressional calls for an investigation into the conduct of the military commanders. Not surprisingly, the cost of this battle, in terms of lives, time, and material, weighed heavily in the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan just six weeks later.")

My grandfather grabbed a latrine bucket and made the soldier wear it while singing the Star Spangled banner for 30 minutes. When he told him to stop and remove the bucket he asked him what did he want to do now? "Go kill Japs Gunny! Anything but wear that damned bucket!" was the reply.

Yet my grandfather was the kindest gentlest man I've ever known. He never chided me for having long hair or playing rock and roll. He drove a bus for the city and played pool. He gave me his "tour book" filled with onion skin typed letters to grandma with words blotted out for security reasons. He gave me a Japanese war flag and a box of tea cups they found in a cave. He passed away the afternoon my son Malachi was born.

I have served many many brides who were marrying Marines. I once had the privilege of photographing General Nash's daughter's wedding and he was a Three Star General. When we were moving equipment in to the reception he saw me overwhelmed with boxes and asked if he could help. I laughed and said, "Yes. sir!"

"What's so funny?"

"I'm the grandson of a Gunny Sargent and I have a General carrying my stuff, " I laughed.

I've shot weddings for Corporals, Gunny Sargents, you name it. Marines have always treated me with dignity and respect. They are a joy to work with and for.

Now don't mistake me - I've never had a bad experienced with anyone in the service. If all I shot was weddings and family portraits for our service people I'd consider myself blessed beyond measure.

But I do have a place in my heart for the Corp. You see, my grandfather was a Marine.

(If you would like to learn more about the Sixth Marine Division visit this site: http://www.sixthmarinedivision.com/ )