Just Because

Not all your photography has to be planned, preconceived, thought-out, loaded with irony, angst-laden, or created as a commentary on the socio-political landscape. While these photos certainly have their place, you can also create images that are simply there because they're pretty. If you see something you like, capture it!

Photos like this can be highly liberating - they're easier to create because you're doing something you like, and because you're responding to something that strikes you emotionally. Example: I was wandering around a local park, and the sky was gorgeous - full of dramatic clouds and excellent light. I stopped and took about 50 photos in a matter of 20 minutes. It didn't take any planning, only enough experience and skill to be able to create a decent photograph from a beautiful scene. I caught myself smiling through the whole process.

As Bryan Peterson once told me, appreciate not only simplicity in a photo, but also the sometimes simple act of creating it.

So go take some pretty pictures. It will feel like vacation :)

From my afternoon at the park:

Nikon D300s, Tamron 10-20mm f/4, 1/1000 sec, f/16, ISO 200
Adjustments: size, unsharp mask, curves, vibrance

Nikon D300s, Tamron 10-20mm f/4, 1/320 sec, f/16, ISO 200
Adjustments: size, unsharp mask, curves, vibrance