I saw this scene painted on the side of a building in Los Angeles recently.
If only we could cage up hunger and throw away the key.
Interestingly, the image framed up better in a square format, rather than my DSLR.
I love that I was able to find a compelling image, compose it & make it even better.
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

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

A quick tip today about adding context to your photos.
What?
Well, a lot of images suffer from no context.
How large is that thing in the photo is probably the most common.
This is especially helpful in travel photography, where the setting might not be too familiar to a lot of people.
For example, in our lead image today, there’s a painting of what looks like Ghandi’s head on a wall.
Without the human form that is blurred and walking through this frame, the viewer has no idea how large this photo is.
It could be very small, yet the bricks could give us a clue or it could be massive.
That’s why including a human in your frame gives great context to your images.
Here’s the scene without our “friend.”

Sometimes, waiting for a very long time to include your human is part of the process.
Yet, when done right, it’s worth every minute.
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

As a visual storyteller, deciding what to show and what not to show is a skill that helps the viewer to quickly see the best part of any scene.
My example for today’s post shows the final image from a mural that we spotted on the street.
I’ve cropped into this mural that includes an owl, koi and a woman with what my daughter dubbed, “zebra vomit,” coming out of her mouth.
I’ve placed the woman’s eyes in the upper left area of convergence and her mouth in the lower left area.
The striped lines are in the lower horizontal. All this adds up to a very strongly composed image for the viewer.
Here’s what I started with, during an impromptu group shot.

It’s all up to the eye of the photographer.
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 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 left my cards in a client’s bag the other day and went to her home to retrieve them, her grandfather was there and showed me around his home of many many years.
It was like a treasure hunt.
Carvings, additions, plants and a lifetime of beautiful things were scattered throughout his home, front and backyards.
It was amazing!
I stopped long enough to ask what was going on in a small terra cotta pot.
“Oh, that’s just my wife’s fairy garden,” he said with a wave of his hand.
But I looked closer at this miniature masterpiece and was enthralled.
I almost walked by it and didn’t even notice it.
All in all, I think my wife and myself spent about 20 minutes with this beloved individuals.
You never know what you are missing, by just stopping to say hello to people or pass on a friendly gesture.
We are all connected and even the least of us matters, even tiny little fairy gardens.
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

One of the most spectacular buildings in Los Angeles is the Disney Concert Hall.
So beautiful and elegant, I was able to make a few shots recently during another shoot.
I wanted to show a few images to represent my vision of this beautiful edifice in the City of Angels.
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

This week a video was released by a father who photographed his daughter every week for 10 years.
An amazing feat and testament to patience and the will to stay the course.
When my oldest son was born, my mom took a polaroid of him every month on his birthdate. It was a great idea that I wished I had thought of and done. His first year of life is documented by these polaroids and my mom always showed up with her camera on the appointed date.

CLICK HERE
I think this is a great inspiration to get all of us to start documenting our lives.
Now we all can’t start and finish a project that lasts for ten years, but what about one that lasts a month?
Documenting our world can sharpen our photographic skills, help us to appreciate our lives and the people in them and help us to look back on our lives and have a visual record that can last beyond ourselves.
Look around your world and start documenting your life.
Start small and work up 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

My semester ended this week for my photography classes.
I was able to document each class, and the beginning classes were asked to jump.
I’ve always loved this shot.
Phillipe Halsman made it popular back in the 50’s when he was working for LIFE magazine and he started asking his subjects to do a jump for him at the end of his session for the magazine.
It got so popular that celebrities were offended if they weren’t asked.
So, he has Hollywood celebrities and political icons levitating for his camera.
I love seeing how many of my students can follow the mass exercise of everyone jumping on the count of three.
Take a look at the feet and see how many were able to join their peers.
Shot with my iPhone, 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