Roommates Portrait Gallery

August 25, 2015 in portraits

It was the first full day back in Iowa and in my apartment. So, I did a little photoshoot of about a half hour total with my friends! Theses are the resulting images from it all...

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Professional vs Amateur Photography

about a week ago

Photographers love to talk about and dream of the title of being a ‘professional photographer’. It stems from what I believe to be a pipe dream of ambition to break free from a more monotonous life. This ‘professional photographer’ that we all idolize is someone who shoots all the time, has the best images, makes a ton of money, and has all of the gear. This daydream is just as false as it is dangerous to our amateurism in photography. Plainly put, being a professional photographer isn’t all its cracked up to be. Let me explain…

My Best Landscape Photography of 2018!

about 3 weeks ago

I wanted to sit down really quick today and post something that sums up my best work of 2018, and go into a little detail of why I like each image. I have become more picky with what I shoot and what I consider a portfolio worthy image, so hopefully this will be a marker of that progression! This should be a bit more “off-the-cusp” than my other articles on here, but there will be a new one of those tomorrow to start out 2019 as well!

The Easy Way Out in Landscape Photography

about a month ago

In a world where there is more and more demand for quality images the challenge of creating enough as one artist becomes increasingly difficult. Posting on Instagram every single day a new composition that works isn’t always possible without cutting some sort of corners! What some have turned to in landscape photography is modifying the landscape to fit their needs. This could be done in many different ways.

Neuroaesthetics - Science Meets Art

about 3 months ago

Enjoying art is something we all enjoy in one way or another. We assume it is a subjective subject, but there may be an objective angle that we can observe art from. Perhaps art isn’t subjective at all? Neuroaesthetics is a scientific approach to art in the way it is both produced and consumed, and this gives us a basis for figuring out what makes art… Art!

Digital Photography vs. Digital Art

about 4 months ago

When looking at art, we know it is something that is appreciated for its aesthetic value or emotional impact on an observer. Digital photography has come especially close to blurring the lines recently, so let’s take a look at what makes these two mediums different.

Social Responsibilities of Landscape Artists

about 4 months ago

We, as landscape photographers, are artists and lovers of nature. It puts us in a very unique situation where we must serve the social responsibilities of both. This includes avoiding doing harm to the environments we enjoy, helping to protect them, and providing value above that in the art we create.

Looks Aren't Everything

about 4 months ago

Looks aren’t everything. What might be a trendy look today likely will seem gaudy tomorrow. Any relationship built entirely on aesthetics is unhealthy and this includes the art we create.

The Philosophy of Art in Photography

about 4 months ago

As a photographer, it is easy to get distracted by being just creative and become a visual factory churning out pieces. The issue is that they don’t mean much and it starts to look like I am just another ‘guy with a camera’.

What Art Buyers Gravitate Towards

about 4 months ago

It isn’t hard to tell from my website that I intend to sell prints of my work. It is my art, and I want to share it in the best way possible through having it be on the wall. While I have sold some prints in the past, I have noticed a trend in what people will pay for…

Hard Work vs Results

about 4 months ago

There is a lot of work that goes into one of my images. there is a story behind each one of the time on location and getting there as well as what went into producing the image itself. HOWEVER, …

Avoiding Landscape Photography Cliches

about 4 months ago

There are plenty of examples of cliches in photography. Most of them stem out of portrait photography, and I give my fiancé plenty of schtick for getting High School Senior Portraits on a couch in a field. Aside from couches in fields and railroad tracks which have recently plagued portraits, there are cliches in landscape photography I prefer to avoid.

Why I don't take photos all the time.

about 5 months ago

It is great to be out in nature with a camera. Unfortunately, most times that I am able to get out the light and the weather isn’t all that compelling.

The 'Need' for a Focal Point in Photography

about 5 months ago

We are constantly told, as photographers, to have a subject and focal point in an image. This is one of those fundamental rules in composition we all take on and accept during those formative first years of learning the art. It is also one of the rules you can break, if you are careful.

Ethics of Nature Photography

about 5 months ago

When out on the trail it is easy to get distracted as a photographer. We see something ‘shiny’ and want to go get it! The trouble is that this can often lead to some dangerous choices for ourselves and the environments we exist in.

“You must have a nice camera”

about 5 months ago

It isn’t ever meant to be an insult. You are trying to say something as a compliment and the first thing you could come up with was to focus on the thing we need in order to create the images. The issue is that it comes off as off-putting and misses the point of complimenting the work in the first place!

Photography's Influence on History

about 6 months ago

When people look at the imagery produced today it will surely not be with the same viewpoint we have today. The world is ever changing and the landscapes we love to photograph will likely appear very different.

What Happened to Landscape Photography?

about 6 months ago

In today’s crowded space of landscape photography there is a weird converging of styles. It almost feels as though everyone is trying to do the same thing over and over again for all the wrong reasons.

Part-Time Landscape Photographer

about 6 months ago

If you weren’t aware, I have a photography business centered around my landscape images. I sell prints! I don’t do it full time though, and that is ok. It takes a lot of work as it is!

Instagram Photography in 2018

about 6 months ago

So, is it worth it? Does Instagram’s evils justify the benefits of continuing to use the app? It is important to constantly be self-aware and reevaluate what it is worth to you. I know I am!

Color Theory and Psychology in Landscapes

about 6 months ago

When going out to shoot images as a landscape photographer there are a lot of things to take into consideration. Composition, light, and textures are all important, but today I would like to take a moment to consider color in images and how it plays its own theme.