Houston – Page 2

Houston Strobist Meetup

01.22.2010 by James // Leave a Comment

The lighting presentation for the Houston MugtoMug went well this past week and i hope i shared some of my passion and love for lighting at the event. Now there is another chance to get some key pieces of lighting information to take home with you (like these guys are doing from some strobist experimentation in 2007):

I am pleased to announce that the Houston Strobist meetup for January is open to all who wish to either practice what we learned this past week, to share new projects that are built, or who just want to learn and practice how to light their photography. It will be at the Coffee Groundz once again, on January 24, 2010 from 6:30 to 9:30pm.

If there is anything you want us to work with you on, please leave a note here in the comments or on our Houston Strobist Flickr group.

Strobist 101 at the Houston MugtoMug

01.06.2010 by James // 1 Comment

I have been asked to speak and give demonstrations of off-camera lighting at the January 19, 2010 meeting of Houston MugtoMug at The Coffee Groundz from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. So if you have ever wanted to know how to add light to a portrait or other photograph besides the harsh, flat light of the flash mounted on the camera, then please come.

As an example of what I have been able to do since I started on the Strobist journey, please consider these Senior Portraits and other images:

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Backyard Nature – Identifying Trees

04.27.2009 by James // 1 Comment

It is fun to go to nearby state parks, the local arboretum, or even national wildlife refuges to learn and study and photograph nature. But, I also have a closer resource on hand – literally right in my back yard. It may not be the woods, but it’s enough to learn to start observing the world outside of myself by observing nature. Do you know what trees are in your back yard?

Why Learn to Identify Trees?

People learn to identify trees for different reasons. For some of us, it is recreational. For others, its about learning to landscape or manage their property better. Rich Mullins, one of my favorite poets and songwriters, used to suggest to people speaking of depression or anxiety that they learn the names of all the trees between their home and their work.

For myself, it is about learning to look outside of myself, and my world of screens and routine. I have to look – really look – at nature to learn from it, and this simple act of looking outside myself does wonders for my spirit.

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