The Orchard

Orchards have long been regarded as special places, so special that in past ages paradises were called “orchards.”  Paradise is a Persian word literally meaning “orchard” or “stand of trees.”

These “stands of trees,” mostly fruit trees, come up time and again in myth and legend, some more obscurely, and others we just take for granted.  References such as ‘the apple of my eye’ have deep roots in folklore associated with the apple being a symbol of love, friendship and purity.  In other situations the apple has been interpreted as being a symbol of temptation – Adam and Eve, or wickedness – the Wicked Queen trying to kill Snow White with a poisoned apple.  Where does that apple come from… yes, an orchard.

When out photographing in western Oregon  I came across a hazelnut orchard I knew it would be special place for me. When I pulled the car over to the side of the road it seemed like it was calling me in.   Even though it was a bright spring day and the newly budded leaves were glowing in the soft light, this orchard had a dark, sinister feeling when I walked into it.  The branches seemed like they were reaching out to grab you, while the endless rows of trees seemed to go on forever.  I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder expecting someone to suddenly “be there” but continued to carry on.  I took a lot of photos while in the orchard but this one seemed to sum up the feeling I had while being there.. dark and mysterious. 

Photography can have many “moods.”  I think one of the primary objectives of any photographer is to capture that mood and portray it I your image.  Whether it capturing the happy feeling of children at play or the mystifying feeling of an abandoned house it’s our job to capture the moment and pass that feeling onto our viewers. 

Until Next Time,

Forest for the Trees

I recently took a drive down to some of the most beautiful farmland in Oregon.  The area is considered part of the Willamette Vally consisting of Orchards, Vineyards, and other lush crops.  When it comes to life in the spring it's a sight to behold as the ground turns a brilliant green, the orchards explode with color, and vines start to show signs of life.

Needless to say my intent was to capture some of this spring beauty, so with high hopes I set out roaming some of the unpaved backroads in the area.

Click for a Larger Image

When I arrived at my destination I was not disappointed.  Winter wheat covered the rolling hills and surrounded majestic oaks that were just starting to bud.  Color exploded from many of the orchards while the grape vines were just beginning to bud out. So here I was in the middle of this beautiful farm country searching for just the right elements to photograph when something unexpected caught my eye.

I found myself driving down a gravel backroad gawking at the beautiful landscape around me.  I was particularly interested in finding "just the right" oak tree to photograph when I came across what seemed to be a small forest in literally the middle of nowhere.  It's unique beauty captured me but honestly it was totally unexpected.  Why would there be a small forest in the middle of farmland?

Rather than question the logic I changed my thought process and opened myself up to the new opportunity in front of me.  I spent quite a bit of time photographing this "unexpected" place and came home with some very nice and unanticipated images.

This image here turned out to be one of my favorites of the day.  It's also a reminder that you should always be prepared for the unexpected because you'll never know when it will present itself to you. I was so engrossed in looking at the individual trees, that I nearly missed the thousands of trees in the forest.  In other word, I nearly missed the forest for the trees.

Until next time,

Gorgeous Gorge

Spring in the Columbia Gorge has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Everything is lush and green and the streams, rivers and waterfalls are at capacity from all the winter rains.  If you ever get a chance to visit the area in spring don't pass up the opportunity.

Click to see a Larger Image

This image is from very early this spring.  There's still some greening up that's going on so I focused in on one of the small streams that runs into Eagle Creek.  The moss on the rocks seemed to be glowing from the diffused forest light so I made them the focal point for the shot.   This is one of those locations I could have spent the entire day at.  The sound of the water, the lush green moss, the mist in the error...  a place that just draws you in.  I'll definitely be going back to visit here again and again.

Be sure to take some time and find your "favorite place."  Taking a few minutes to just enjoy the surroundings will do wonders to refresh your spirit and help put this crazy busy world into perspective.

Until next time,

  

See more images like this at Jack Maloney Photography

Get Inspired at Simple Inspirations

Stand Strong

This image talked to me even before I pressed the shutter.  I was high above the Pacific Ocean on top of a sand dune near Pacific City, Or.  It was overcast and not looking good for any sunset images so I started looking for other opportunities.

Relentless
Click for a Larger Image

One thing that caught my eye was the waves pounding on the shore below me. I stood there watching for awhile amazed at how the rock could stand up to all the relentless battering it received.  Again and again, non-stop, 7/24/365…it took the beating and yet stood its ground, teasing the ocean to bring-it-on.

To get this image I isolated a couple of interesting looking rocks, framed them in my viewfinder, focused, and waited.  These rocks were literally covered with water every time a wave broke shore so it was going to be a timing issue to try and capture what I was looking for.  I wanted the image to show the motion of the relentless ocean and the steadfastness of the rocks... something that would take many attempts, some experimentation, patience, and a little luck. 

It all came together in this image.  The polished rock is still visible but you can almost feel the power of the ocean which is about to envelop it.  The result is a sharp image with a feeling of movement.  Exactly what I was going after.

That rock, like us, is bombarded constantly.  It has to deal with the elements, which seems relatively easy, compared to what’s in our path.  Advertisements (You have to BUY this), news broadcasts (look at the terrible things that happened today), work (have that report on my desk before you leave tonight), family ( I lost my homework, what’s for dinner), commuting (an accident on the 405 has traffic backed up…), and on and on and on.  But unlike the rock we have choices.  We can remain steadfast or yield to the everyday pressures.  We can deal with the battering by maintaining our resolve or lose control and get washed away. It’s always our choice.  Choose to be like the rock, stand strong and stay positive.

Until next time,

Color or Black & White

Roll Mouse Over Image

In the early days of photography all images were "Black & White."  Since color wasn't an option you worked hard to make the image the best it could be using the technology available at the time. And believe me, people did make the best of it. There are still images created back in-the-day that are considered "classics" and continue to be emulated (consider some of the famous Ansel Adams prints). 

In this digital age, photography has made a 180 degree turn.  Cameras are readily available, relatively inexpensive, and by default take all images in color. Sure, you can convert them to Black & White in photo editing software but you have to think about it before doing so.  The photographer has to make a judgement call as to which image to change (is it a "good" or "bad" image to convert) and then go through the exercise to carefully process it to bring out its best qualities.  While that may be fine for the seasoned photographer, many of us just don't take the time to see the possibilities of what that image can become and find it easier to leave it "as is" and go-with-the-flow.

This is also true about life… It's so easy to label something as "good" or "bad" ("black" or "white") rather than really giving it thought and looking at the whole picture. I find myself guilty of this more often than I'd like to admit. When I see or experience something, I'm quick to label and fit it into its own little box. However, most of what we experience can't be categorized as just "good" or "bad" or "black" or "white."  They are just situations that are part of life. They are a whole bunch of complex things that we somehow allow ourselves to get caught up thinking about in terms of only "black" or "white." By doing this we often miss out on the various depths or "color" of things. So we take things at face value and attempt to classify them into general categories limiting ourselves and the world around us.

Becoming more experienced with taking photographs really involves exposing yourself as much as possible, taking more shots than you may think are necessary, and experimenting. The same can also be applied to life.  Experiment by getting out of the box and not categorizing things as "good" or "bad," "black" or "white."  When we remove the limits on ourselves we open up the world around us to amazing possibilities.

Until next time,

-Jack

p.s.  Which image do you like better, color or b&w?  Let me know by sending me a comment.

View the large "Color" image here.

View the large "B&W" image here.

See more images like this at Jack Maloney Photography

Get Inspired at Simple Inspirations

Hiding in the Past

A few weeks ago I went on a field trip with my local Camera Club over to the Oregon coast (see previous Post). As a camera club, one of the things we like to do is to challenge our creativity. That was my goal when we stopped at the Air Museum in Tillamook, OR. 

The museum is housed in a WWII era building that was used to build blimps that patrolled the West Coast searching for enemy submarines.  Now it's home to various vintage aircraft and related memorabilia, mainly from the WWII period.

I spent several hours photographing various aircraft, old engines, and even the unique building, always looking for that creative shot.  However, there was one particular flying machine that caught my eye.  I found myself returning to it time and time again.  Why… I'm not 100% certain but my guess is that it brought back memories from some of the classic WWII movies I watched when I was younger. For me this was something hiding in my mind that I now was able to witness first hand. I knew right away that the BF-109 Messerschmitt would be the subject used to "stretch" my creativity that day.

To me this aircraft was the villain so I wanted the photo to somehow portray that.  Since it was sitting in the middle of a brightly lit building I knew it would be a challenge and force me to be creative.

BF-109 Messerschmitt
PLEASE Click for a Larger Image

There were several spotlights shining down on and around the plane so I decided to use them to my advantage.  By using a small f-stop (f-22) I could create a starburst effect and add some additional drama to the scene. I also took this image from a low vantage point, sitting on the floor with my tripod down as low as it could go. That also helped line the lights up right where I wanted them. Using a 24mm lens, I took several images using different exposures.  Those combined with some major post processing adjustments, helped me succeeded in getting the results I wanted...  Dark, Mysterious and Hiding in the Past...

Until next time.

-Jack

See more images like this at Jack Maloney Photography

Get Inspired at Simple Inspirations

Never Give Up

It was a cold rainy Saturday and I was scheduled to go on a field trip with my local camera club . We planned on stopping at two locations, the first one being indoors at an air museum , and the other at a "to be determined" location along the Oregon coast.

The time at the Air Museum was great capturing a lot of interesting images of vintage planes along with a WWII era building where they used to build blimps. Different and a lot of fun.

Then it was time to head to the coast… When we left the museum we were met with cold, windy, and wet conditions. Obviously not ideal weather for photography. After a short discussion with the group we decided to go forward with our plans, so off we went, hoping for the best.

We made the long drive on Highway 101 to the parking area near the trailhead going through various adverse weather conditions along the way. Once there we prepared for the hike to the beach doing our best to protect our camera gear and ourselves.  Luckily the trail was only a half mile or so long so it would be a fairly quick journey.

With both ourselves and our gear "rain-proofed" we headed down the trail.  We immediately found out that we'd not only be dodging rain drops but also all the water dripping off the 100' Cedar and Douglas fir trees that surrounded our path. While none of us said anything we were all thinking "what the heck are we doing out here," but we trudged on.

Then things changed… miraculously, at almost the exact time we reached the beach the rain stopped. We arrived later than we planned so we didn't have much time to locate our ideal "spot" and get setup so we all went our own directions hoping for the best.

I headed over to Short Sand Creek , a small river that feeds into the Pacific Ocean from this location. Because of all the rain the river was swollen and flowing extremely fast so safety had to be added to the equation when picking my spot. I always look for a foreground element that will hopefully draw the viewers eye into the image. This evening it was a large rock that I spotted right next to the river bank.

To get the composition I wanted, I had to stick one of my tripod legs into the river and hope it wouldn't get washed out (yes I was being safe!). I also chose a fairly low angle meaning I had to just about stand on my head to see what I was doing. With the light fading fast I finally had everything arranged and dialed in the way I wanted.

Please Click to see a Larger Image

Now it was a matter of waiting and hoping for the light to cooperate and it wasn't long before it did. A brief clearing at just the right time allowed me to capture this moment. 

It would have been easy to call it a day when we were leaving the museum but having that "Never Give Up" attitude allowed for great moment and a great photograph.  Inspiration also comes from being in the company of good friends who share your passion, will never surrender to the elements, and will do whatever it takes to capture that special moment.

Until next time.

-Jack

See more images like this at Jack Maloney Photography

Get Inspired at Simple Inspirations

Rough Around the Edges

Click for a Larger Image

Since returning from a recent photo trip to central Oregon, I can't stop thinking about all the rustic beauty found in some of the old rural structures.  A lot of folks would look at these as ruins or eyesores seeing them as a blemish on the landscape. Rather than dismissing them I decided to take a closer look and discovered that they are still holding on to their share of beauty.  Sure, they're Rough Around the Edges, but that's where the beauty lies.  All you need to do is look closely and open yourself up to the possibilities.

The photo above reveals the charm that can still be found in this rugged structure.  Battered by time it still clings to life and somehow seamlessly blends into its surroundings.  I'm not sure how much longer it will remain which makes this image all the more special. By capturing this brief moment in it's long history it will remain as a reminder of what once was.

Click for a Larger Image

This old shed has seen its share of neglect for some time.  But it still manages to share some of its past for those who will take a few minutes to look closely.  Stop, observe, and think of the stories it could tell...

Until next time.

-Jack

See more images like this at Jack Maloney Photography

Get Inspired at Simple Inspirations

Simplicity

Click for a Larger Image

There's a quote by Confucius that says "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."  When it comes to photography I sure can relate to this.  So when I start to get caught up in all the complex details I step back and remind myself that keeping things simple sometimes is the best approach to photography.

Simplifying a photo means to eliminate the nonessential elements so that the essential ones will stand out. This means that the compositions are simple, uncomplicated, and free of clutter. Having unessential elements in an image can have the viewers eyes wondering back and forth looking for something to settle on. Keeping the image simple is the answer.

The image I chose for todays post fits the simplicity bill perfectly.  This was a photo I took up in the Palouse area of Eastern Washington State. A very simple composition that is easy on the eyes and gives an overall feeling of calmness.  The clouds provide just enough drama to keep the viewer engaged.

Photography like life can be simple.  The key to both is realizing that when things start to get complicated it's time to step back and simplify the situation.  Sometimes that's not easy but it is always the best solution.  Simplicity truly is the ultimate elegance.

Until next time.

-Jack

See more images like this at Jack Maloney Photography

Get Inspired at Simple Inspirations