Last night was the coming of the Super Moon.
When the moon in it’s elliptical orbit around the earth is at its’ closest and full.
It is about 14 percent larger than normal and especially when it is first rising nearest the horizon.
I was able to gain access to my old newspaper, the Orange County Register.
I was trying to make an image of an airplane as it passed through the Super Moon, unfortunately, this is one image I’ll have to keep trying for.
Enjoy and Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

Some provacative images from 2011.
Take a look and be inspired!
Oh Click anywhere on the type!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

I went on a field trip today with some advanced photojournalism students to the art district of Los Angeles.
The assignment was to find an image that was inspiring, photograph it and then be able to articulate why it was so inspiring.
I was able to find words on a brick wall that had been deconstructed, basically the words in the cracks were destroyed and it left just a few words.
I found the word, “weak,” and it made me think of how I don’t want to be weak.
Interestingly enough, this was only one of a few words that had survived. So, weak was strong and resilient.
Strange.
The colors and the textures were so alive and vivid it brought another layer or depth to this image.
Truly inspiring and a very different image that I’ve been able to make in a long time.
Be inspired!
Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

I want to share about event shooting and seeing good light vs. bad light.
Opening Day ceremonies at a local little league, and it’s hot.
The kids are sweating and waiting for the festivities to start.
Side light coming from camera right in the first image. Not really great light and very harsh on everyone.
That’s when I try what I tell all of my students, walk around and see what it looks like.
You never know.
I was rewarded with a couple of groups of kids that were backlit.
Back lighting can be beautiful light, if handled correctly.
Normally, strong back light can create silhouettes, but if you add more exposure, the light becomes soft and even on the subject’s side that is opposite the light.
For example:

See how even the light is on the faces of the two ball players?
There are no harsh shadows, only sweet open shade.
Did I say open shade?
Yes!
See their bodies create a shadow from the strong back light, and voila, open shade.
See how that works?
Let’s take another look.

Not a situation, considering the harsh side light, but look at the shadows on the players face.
It can be very distracting.
That’s why I looked around for some back light action.
I spied the pitcher.
Normally, silhouette city.
But add an extra stop to a stop and a half of exposure and it becomes a very nice image with soft even light on the subject.

Sweet and even light on his face and jersey.
The back light makes for a very dramatic background for the baseball as it is released from the pitcher’s hand.
Next time you try and photograph an event in bright sunshine, look for the back light and compensate your exposure, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Be inspired!
Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

Lately, I’ve been talking a lot about making a connection with your subjects, today I don’t want you to forget about lighting.
Sometimes, it’s just there to illuminate the scene, and sometimes it’s the star of the images.
In today’s post the light is the star.
I was asked to make a portrait of the CEO of a local charity.
I had seen some images that inspired me that use shafts of light falling on the main subject.
I was able to find a plain wall to serve as the background and I utilized one light with a modifier or snoot on the front.
I tweaked the light a bit so that it would fall on the wall and on the subject.
It worked rather well in that it was complimentary to the subject and turned out rather artistic, too.
All this with light being the star of the image.
I placed the subject in the upper right area of convergence to leave negative space to balance out the composition.
Notice how the darkness is balanced by the subject and vice-versa?
Look for the light to be the star in some of your images.
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

With my apologies to Ansel Adams, we have the moonrise over Anaheim Hills/Yorba Linda.
I saw the moon rising over the hill in the background, but before I could pull over and get my camera out, it had risen above the ridge line and was behind the power lines that you can see just below the moon.
I waited until the moon was clear and shot this image.
The moon illusion was in full force tonight. You know, that the moon looks larger on the horizon than when it’s in the sky.
Well, when I first saw the moon it was peaking over the horizon and man it looked huge!
As soon as it left the ridge, it looked smaller. Now scientists say that the moon is actually smaller, really check out wikipedia, when it’s near the horizon, than when it’s in the sky.
Not sure why, all I know is it looked huge to me! So I shot it!
Placed it in the upper left area of convergence and the cars in the lower left area.
There’s something primal about the full moon as it rises.
Every time I see this magnificent sight, I’m reminded of wolves howling and the need to be free.
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

How to choose which scene to focus on at an event is what I’d like to talk about in today’s post.
Events are great places to make images, but it can be overwhelming to say the least.
For example, Opening Day for a little league program.
About 500 kids, their parents and siblings and you have a recipe for sensor overload.
I start with the overall or establishing shot and work my way down, till I have the moment that I’m looking for distilled from large to a more manageable size.
Here’s the overall:

You can see how crazy the event was, with lots and lots of kids.
I was watching the ceremonies and noticed that each kid was being “high-fived” by the board.
That was my moment that I need to stalk.
So, I set up near the adults, but faced the kids and waited for just the right expression.
It wasn’t too long before I was rewarded.
A 8 year old was high-fiving adults with a lot of gusto and when he got in front of me, he let loose with a hard slap and a huge grin.
I had captured my moment of the event.
Hunting for great images at events doesn’t have to be intimidating or hard.
It takes thought and patience and experience to put yourself in the right place as many times as possible.
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

The past few days I’ve been talking about how to see different.
How to push the envelope and make photos that are beyond the normal and into better images.
Here’s another example that I recently made during a job for a client covering an opening day ceremony for little leaguers.
I noticed the color guard from the local police explorers unit practicing as I walked up to the event.
I hurried to find my contact and started making different images for the various assignments they had for me.
Suddenly, I was asked to meet the explorers who would be carrying the flag for the opening ceremonies.
I made a portrait, then decided to see what else I might come up with.
I shot a detail of their patch and a close-up of their faces, but it wasn’t different enough.
I needed to take my thinking and the shot to the next level.
It was about 10am and the sun was brilliant, shining in my eyes and it was already getting hot.
I shielded my eyes, and that’s when I looked down and noticed the shadow of the unit.
The flags were interesting and the hats were different shapes, I placed the whole shadow in the right hand side of the image with just the feet of the explorers showing.
I had my shot!
Stark, due to the monochromatic nature of a shadow and the muted earth tone of the ground.
I used the negative space of the field to off-set the shadow and create just enough of a feeling of off-centerness to make a stronger composition.
A different/unique feel to something that we have all seen many, many times.
That’s a pretty good definition of a next level image.
A different look or take on a scene or object that the viewer has seen so often that maybe they take it for granted.
The next level photo makes the viewer take a second look at the image to see it in a new way.
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

I shot this before watching the Oscars as my official guess of the night.
I was invited to a party that had food that gave homage to each film.
For example, The Artist featured black and white chocolate dipped strawberries.
Quiche for Hugo (France), Pizza for Extremely Loud…etc
I was able to make this image claiming in advance my pick for Best Movie, and hey, I was right.
Inspiration for photography is all around us and like photographer extraordinary, Jay Maisel, said (and I paraphrase), Just as a weightlifter works out everyday, so should a photographer.
Let’s get out there and shoot, shoot and shoot.
Flex those creative muscles and be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

The post today is about visual complexity.
When you add a human figure to most images, you can create visual complexity and context for the image.
Otherwise, there can be too much ambiguity.
Adding a human figure to an image helps the viewers to gauge size and can add layers or complexity to make the image that much more appealing to the viewer.
Here’s are first image without the man:

In the second image, the photo could be a 4X6 inch photo, but with the man in the first image, the viewer knows that the image is almost life-size.
I found this scene at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda.
My career as a photojournalist is tied to this place.
It was one of my first big assignments, back in March of 1990, when the library opened.
I was assigned to fly in a helicopter and photograph the mass of people who attended the opening.
Due to the number of living past and present presidents on-site, no air traffic was allowed below 3000 feet.
I recall the people looking like ants.
I was able to get my shot, while my co-workers struggled with red tape and the crowds.
Add human figures when possible for additional information for the viewer and a more interesting and visually complex image.
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS