Blog - Capture Life Through a Geek's Lens - Jeff Smallwood Photography

Apr 15, 2012

So if a hiking trail by the Chesapeake Bay is named the "Bay Overlook Trail", is it too much to ask that it actually overlook the bay?

Misted Dandelion

Apr 9, 2012

digital editing photography technique

Children seem to naturally gravitate to yellow ones, and want to offer them as flowers. Whether you consider them a weed or just a part of the renewed growth of Spring, there's something whimsical and child-like about blowing on dandelions once they've gone to seed.

Apr 8, 2012

photography

This is one of those shots where I didn't stick to my original plan. I took 5 bracketed shots from this spot with the goal of tone mapping them through HDR. In the field the range of exposure was just so high, I wanted to ensure the deeper colors of the sky and the slightly lit underside of the pier could be seen together without the sun itself becoming overwhelming. Those shadows beneath the pier were so dark, it was just a really wide exposure range.

The Remains of a Cherry Blossom Day

Mar 28, 2012

photography

I took a few trips to DC this year hoping to catch even more photos of the cherry blossoms (like I don't have enough already). The scenes in our nation's capital this time of year are one of my favorite things. Alas, the weather didn't cooperate very well for my plans as I hit mostly cloudy and foggy mornings and never got the beautiful, colorful sunrise I was shooting for. The last day I went up was the exact peak of bloom. I spent more of the 5 hours exploring and looking for different shots with a few friends.

Chesapeake Bay Ferry Landing

Mar 20, 2012

adventures photography

Envision miles and miles of traffic in the 1930s-40s, waiting for hours to cross the Chesapeake Bay. Imagine the feeling of pulling up to this spot and watching with anticipation to glance the ferry on the horizon. It would provide safe passage across to Matapeake and the eastern shore of Maryland.

Dawn Is Worth More Than 98¢

Feb 29, 2012

adventures photography

I left the house in the dark in order to make it down to the end of Ocean City and get to the pier before the first light of day. For anyone that's been to Ocean City, MD, you know the main drag along the coast is packed with cars, people, shops, lights, hotels, motels, and marquees for over a hundred blocks in the summer. This early winter morning I passed exactly two cars on the entire stretch, from Delaware to the southern inlet...two cars!

On An Old Country Road

Feb 16, 2012

adventures philosophy photography

I was wandering south from Moorefied, WV toward Spruce Knob (the highest peak in WV and in the Allegheny mountains). Traveling alone provides a level of freedom you don't usually get (or at least I don't usually get), so I took numerous little detours as I drove, letting my eyes and heart direct me where to go. Where Rt 220 crosses the South Branch of the Potomac River, a little country road on the right caught my eye.

Stay Focused and Don't Look Away

Feb 11, 2012

adventures photography

Hanging out under this pier for sunrise created so many opportunities to shoot. It was a little frantic because I had numerous options and ideas coming to mind. I tried shooting from far back and up close, super wide angle and telephoto, underneath, from the side, with the sun and without, long exposures and short. You name it, I was scrambling to try 'em all

Break Through the Funk

Feb 7, 2012

opinion photography technique

I've been going through a period lately where I thought everything I took was crap. I was struggling to keep my eye and produce any shots I felt really confident about. A lot of scenes I was shooting just felt like lost opportunities once I looked at the results. In the past my reaction to feeling like this has been to back away, keep the camera out of sight and not push it. This worked before by allowing the creativity to come back on its own but I've never felt very positive about that approach.

Just Pull Over

Jan 20, 2012

adventures photography

I usually put in a fair amount of planning for sunrise and early morning shots, scoping a location, watching the weather, trying to pull it all together. This was definitely not one of those times.

Love Potion No. 9 (Datura Pod)

Jan 9, 2012

photography

I learned something totally new and surprising from taking this photo (the title is a hint). But first a little background.

Welcome to Pig Island

Dec 23, 2011

adventures photography

Nestled between Fowl Cay and Staniel Cay in the Exuma Islands, Bahamas, lies the spot affectionately named "Pig Island".

Years ago (I never found out exactly when) someone released pigs on the island which measures only about 1.5 km in size. The pigs have multiplied and survived over the years and are now quite the local attraction.

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