Skateboarding is a phenomenal pastime. With both feet placed on a stretch of wood, aluminum, or plastic, riders are able to glide through the world and momentarily obtain a feeling of freedom. Often, skateboarders conceive new ways to enjoy the sport, even choosing to utilize nature. There are a number of ways skateboarders creatively use nature to command a sense of adventure in the wild.
Category: Brendan Taylor Filice (Page 1 of 2)
Earnestness, uncapped passion, and curiosity tend to produce incredible photos. The ability to point a lens at a person and capture their soul, or point it at an item and capture its presence is a skill that not everyone has, but it is something that every hopeful photographer can aspire to.
For some, photography is a just method by which they plug self-indulgent images and snapshots into various online networks, and for everyone else, photography is a visual art form. It’s a practice that’s realized through art and science, through the meaningful application of electromagnetic radiation and recorded light.
Photography is the ability to create durable images, and its existence services businesses, recreation, hobbies, communication, and the art, film, and video production industries. There are many ways you can inspire the creative photographer within, including discovering what things excite you and spark your creative juices.
Read a Book
Your first thought may be to pick up a photography book, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, attempt to seek out all types of content. Regard images you read in poetry, fiction, non-fiction and comics, and imagine what that work would look like. Do this while considering some of the techniques you’ve come across when examining the word of the greats.
Go on an Adventure
The thought of capturing things close to home may seem boring or mundane, so go elsewhere. Pack your bags and go on a trip. Take a weekend trip upstate with your camera out. Walk rural or mountainous terrain with your eyes and camera scanning the horizon, and attempt to capture that unfiltered beauty with your camera. Do this early, when the light is brightest and can offer you crisp photos of scenery.
Edit, Edit, Edit
Don’t settle for a photo and say good enough. Instead, keep your eyes open and stay critical. If you find a flaw during your post-photography editing session, consider using a different image or crop it. Follow your strength and abandon weakness. Find what works for you, and walk that line closely. Always feel open to experimentation, but don’t be defined by momentarily laziness or mediocrity.
Submission
One you’ve developed some pride in your work, consider submitting to a publication or competition. There are countless opportunities available to aspiring photographers. Both publications and competitions can lead to compensation –meaning that you’d be a professional photographer!
Design a Photographic Project
Rather than absentmindedly snapping photos, design a year-long project where you can focus your attention. Of course, you can stray from this a do break away projects but create a content creation schedule for yourself that will allow you to hone your skills. If you’re interested in portraits, then set a plan to search for attractive faces and gather a collection. Experiment with location, with intention, with execute -but make sure that the photo set is cohesive. Another possible project: consider visiting the same place over a long period, and take a picture a different time of day, capturing the evolving mood of that setting.
There are some other things you can do to improve your skill, including looking at light, considering composition and form, learning your camera settings, playing with color temperature, and learning how to use great editing software, such as Lightroom. You can also visit with a community of other visual artists interested in critiquing and improving one another’s work. These tips will help to develop your photographic style and voice.
Aaccording to Internet.org’s whitepaper, people uploaded 350 million images to Facebook each day in 2013. That’s a lot of pictures.
Now, imagine all of the images uploaded in Instagram every hour. Think about the tourists in New York photographing the Statue of Liberty. Think about tourists in India photographing the Taj Mahal, or in Brazil with Christ the Redeemer. In fact, think of all the iconic places around the world getting photographed and shared every second. There are so many images, and now think about all of the images of the past; the forgotten family snapshots, sometimes found as relics at thrift shops in piles. There are billions of photographs in the world, and now there will be exponentially more thanks to technology.
Technology is a tool that allows to experiment. Within the field, photographers take risks you couldn’t afford with film. It was too expensive and precise.
What is the role of photography in the digital age?
Our lives continue to become ever more connected. In that process, cameras will find their place in the “Internet of Things,” the coherent ecosystem of electronics that we use to help define our new technological existence. As more and more people use images to communicate on an everyday level, who knows how our world will change?
One of the inherit challenges about these changes is that photographer in the digital age makes everyone a professional. With a high-end camera and the right subject, great pictures are waiting to happen everywhere you go. You no longer need a teacher to guide you through the process of film processing and the terms of aperture, exposure, saturation, and so on. Digital photography also makes photography accessible and affordable to everyone. Even ordinary iPhones have high-tech cameras and built-in editing software. Now anyone can shoot quality images, edit them and share them.
However, great photography still requires the same hard work as it was in the past. It requires dedication, patience, creativity. In our new world of virtual reality and augmented reality, the best photographic artists must be willing to react to audiences who demand sophisticated imagery that is dynamic and responsive to change.
And maybe the next revolution in photography isn’t all about technology. Maybe it’s about what we see right in front of our eyes and how we show it. One of the best works this year was from Nico Young, whose collection of images about his friends, fraternal twins, was featured in the New York Times magazine. You can see “Inside Santa Monica High” online, see “Fraternal Twins.”
Whether you’re a more traditional photographer or one who enjoys the latest gear and gadgets, good photography is still the same. It’s documenting the present by producing an artistic interpretation of it. So part of you has to be a dedicated artist to be a professional.
Speaking of Instagram..you can follow Brendan @brendanfilice. Find more writing at brendanfilice.wordpress.com
Brendan Taylor Filice writes about the inspiration of photography and why landscape photography provides a powerful sense of place.
Brendan Filice’s favorite subjects to photograph come right from nature. Whether the sun rising and setting, or the ocean tides setting out at the end of the day, a landscape’s beauty is impossible to ignore.
Here are some of Brendan’s favorites from his collection.
This frame is created by the contrast of the industrial arc of the underpass with the distant horizon. The beautiful bright sunlight is countered by the darkness of the tunnel.
Hopefully generations and generations will have the opportunity to relish these splendors of nature. If we neglect the needs of our precious planet, our climate will definitely be in danger. We risk the future of these beautiful vistas. They will be nothing but distant memories, photographs from the past.
Landscape photography deftly captures a sense of place. It evokes feelings, such as memories of hiking in the woods as a young child or a beach vacation.
Anyone can be a photographer. Even if you’re an amateur photographer, personal photos will have an impact on you for your personal collection. The more photos you take, the more skills you’ll get with your camera.
For more on photography follow BrendanFilice.wordpress.com and see Brendan Filice’s photos on Flickr.
The photographer.
The one taking the photographer is the most important mechanism of the tool. More important than the camera, is our perspective.
Check out Brendan Filice’s latest blog post on BrendanFilice.Wordpress.com.
If you’ve ever browsed my Flickr, you know I spend half my life clambering around hiking trails in California. So what are my favorite spots?
- Mishe Mokwa Trail to Sandstone Peak
This trail is located in the Santa Monica Mountains near the border of Los Angeles and Ventura County. About six miles today, it’s a pretty unique trek offering views of the valley, the Pacific and the mountains to the east. If you know your geography you’ll catch views of mention Balancing Rock, and Split Rock. Sandstone Peak is the highest point in the Santa Monica mountain range. It’s worth it.
2. Kelso Dunes
Now this is a great spot for taking photos. You’re truly in a desert – away from the concrete city streets and busy beach. 4-mile hike up and over sand dunes in the Mojave National Preserve. It is the largest field of eolian sand deposits in the Mojave Desert, composed of light-colored quartz and feldspar that have eroded from the granitics of the San Bernardino Mountains. It’s a pristine area because it’s closed off to motor vehicles and only accessible to pedestrian hikers.
3. Barker Dam
Barker Dam in Joshua Tree was originally constructed by early cattlemen way back in 1900. This area is a favorite because it offers a variety of sites and activities for hikers. You can see many desert wildlife, including birds and even Desert Bighorn Sheep. There is a short trail from a nearby parking lot. A short distance to the west, you can see Native American petroglyphs. It’s also a good bouldering area with hundreds of rocks for climbing.
4. Rancho Palos Verdes Shipwreck Hike
The goal of this hike is to check out the Greek freighter Dominator, which ran aground at Palos Verdes point in 1961. If you’ve never seen a shipwreck, it’s an impressive site to behold. The rusted hulk of this shipwreck is scattered along a half mile of the shoreline. Be warned that it is a coastal hike, so it is over rocks the entire time and can be a bit of a slow scramble. The shoreline is tranquil and always changing, with tide pools and rock formations, and great views. Make sure to go at low tide and wear sturdy shoes or you will find your feet getting quite wet.
5. Bridge to Nowhere
Check out this feat of engineering, the arch bridge that was built in the San Gabriel Mountains in 1936 north of Azusa, California. This trip is recommended for advanced hikers, as the bridge is only accessible via a 10-mile round-trip hike or on horseback. The frequency with which the trails get washed out means that they are rough in places. The twists and turns can be exhausting so make sure to hydrate. First, although you can hike this year-round, there are different precautions you should take depending on when you want to hike here. This canyon has a long and storied history of deadly and destructive flash floods and you do not want to be here when that water comes barreling down this narrow canyon. If you hike in the warmer months, carry extra drinking water and be sure you eat snacks along the way.
Once you cross these hikes off your list, you’ll have an educated view of the diverse landscape of Southern California. Maybe you’ll meet a friend or two along the way.
Best of luck and keep in touch with all of your travels, by following Brendan Filice on Twitter and Tumblr.
No matter how much time I spend online, I will always keep coming back to my favorite site; Tumblr. When I first started using it, I realized Tumblr was more than a collection of blogs; it’s an intricate network of users who have developed their own language and many of us are still in our teens. Tumblr is an outlet to express and share and connect. It’s like one big digital art gallery; changing constantly as its users grow and more join.
But despite the collective energy that fuels Tumblr, there’s still a bit of a popularity contest that haunts it. Everyone wants to be a little popular online!
How can you achieve this elusive Tumblr fame?
To become Tumblr famous, you have to know your followers. Craft a clever username. Consider an aesthetic theme when designing your layout. Looks are important. Are you interested in a portfolio page to show off your personal work, a fandom blog, a fashion blog, or a writing-focused social justice blog? If you’re blog is focused on personal thoughts and quips, that’s fine – but remember that you’ll have to develop a following off of your own brand. Micro niche blogs like cate memes, Justin Bieber, and foodie blogs will get serious views and will continually get loads of followers for time to come.
You also have to post regularly. Post good content and post often. Tumblr has a great option where you can create drafts and then queue your posts. So, queue 300-500 images and post around fifty of them images every day.
This will make your blog really active and you’ll start to attract about 200 to 300 followers each day. But remember, you have to use the appropriate tags on these images or they won’t get noticed. If you’re just starting out, start with less images so your blog is not as “spammy.” Be consistent. It might take a few months to hang onto your followers, so remember to keep it up. Don’t stop posting!
Ok, but what exactly should I post?
Refer back your username, your blog’s title, and theme of your blog. Where do you fit in?What can you offer to your readers? Your posts should be concise yet eye-catching. This might only require a couple of lines. But those few words should be accurate and provide necessary background. Always give credit to the original source of the photograph because people on Tumblr are sticklers about credit. Also, don’t fear a little personal insight. People like to know there’s a personality to your blog.
Here are some general rules of thumb:
- Maybe because Tumblr followers scan their dashboards so quickly, videos and audio posts rarely rack up as many ‘likes’ and ‘reblogs’ as images.
- Additionally, long articles don’t attract as much attention as shorter, snappier entries. (This isn’t always the case, personal essays frequently go viral)
- Multiple images tell a story better than one image.
- Weekend posts tend to attract less traffic than those posted during the work week.
- Animated GIFs attract a lot of attention.
Most of all, have fun with it. Don’t get too hung up on your stats. You should use Tumblr because of a desire to connect with the online community. With authentic content, an active community will follow.
You can follow Brendan Filice on Tumblr and Twitter.
We take pictures to show the places where we’ve gone. We look at photography to explore our innermost dreams; the luxurious hotels we want to stay in one day, the mountains we want to climb, the creatures around the world we hope to see with our own eyes.
I encourage everyone to go on an adventure, inspired by photography itself. Your camera will be your guide. Your camera will be your compass. Prepare your gear, pick a destination (short term or long term) and commit to dedicated exploration of your subject through your lens.
- Prepare
You’ll want to be diligent in choosing your gear. It may be difficult to choose which camera gear to travel with. No one wants to miss out on that perfect shot because didn’t pack the right lens, but you definitely don’t want to overpack. When you are trekking across a the dewy field, every additional ounce will way you down and start to distract you when you’re trying to shoot. So when preparing gear, keep size and weight to the lightest possible. Remember, lightweight doesn’t mean poor quality. You can get cameras that can still focus and shoot great photos.
Just as important as choosing your camera and is choosing the location. If you’re lucky to have a lot of time to take for a vacation, and can go internationally, you can start exploring options by searching photography destinations on Flickr and 500px. Check out the map features that display pictures at popular destinations. Narrow down the spots you want to travel to, analyze the captions of the images, and connect with users to get more tips on the place. My best advice is get to know as much as you can before jetting off. Guide books and travel blogs are good to get a reference of the area, but I recommend reaching out to bloggers and even photographers who have taken the same trip. These people are your best resources.
2. Pack light, but don’t forget the necessities
We’ve all had that moment where we run out of batteries or lose charge. Pack light but remember essential accessories such as batteries and tripods. Carry equipment in a camera-specific bag with padded inserts. A waterproof cover is also smart to keep on hand. It’s fun to take long exposure shots when you’re traveling in the open wilderness, but you’ll need a tripod to hold your camera in place. There’s a lot of work going into new mirrorless cameras recently. These cameras are gaining in popularity because they provide dSLR-like performance in a lighter and more compact package. They literally ditch the “mirror” and images are recorded directly onto the digital sensor; cameras tend to be loaded with new technology, such as WiFi uploads and mobile phone connectivity.
3. Say “Yes”
Vacation is for sleeping in, but it’s also ideal for beautiful early morning light. The magic hour is a special way to photograph your new destination. Don’t miss the golden light and long shadows at twilight.Take advantage of the night (if the weather’s right) by setting up your tripod and slowing your shutter speed in order to capture mountainous or desert landscapes lit by the blue moon. One special destination is in the northern hemisphere, Iceland for example, where you just may catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis. It’s worth the wait.
Brendan Filice is the author of The Defining Images of Photojournalism. Follow him on Twitter and Quora.
Prepare to get sucked into night-long binges on these awesome websites dedicated to appealing toward photographers and artists. In the days of photography of yore, publishing photographs required a wealth of materials (and personal connections) to get an audience in front of your images. Nowadays, seeking inspiration in images you connect with is just a click away. Most of us already check Tumblr and Flickr obsessively. But it’s good to get off of these platforms periodically to dive deeper into what artists are gaining a certain popularity in the internet art world.
So, what photography websites stand out from the rest?
Government Archives
Tap and Susie Hawkins, married ex-slaves in Springfield, OH. Image from the Ohio History Connection
Prince Albert the Educated Horse with school children. Pay Streak Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition: Seattle 1909
That’s right, our government is the best curator of them all. Photography has proven its power in this country; influencing journalism and the course of history. The government hosts a variety of archives on its site linking to a plethora of images. These range to collections of African-American history (as ex-slaves in Ohio, pictured above) to a large collection of images of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, publicizing the development of the Pacific Northwest and showcased the famously trained horse Albert.
Booooooom
Booooooom started as Canadian Jeff Hamada’s curation project in the 2008, in the early days of similar sites like Tumblr. It’s writers cull the best works from up-and-coming artists around the world, listed in easy-to-navigate categories. It’s fun to explore and my favorite section is of course, the photography section.
Photographer Spotlight by Jeff Hamada: Susan Worsham
Lisa Bettany
When, Vancouverian Lisa was 21-years with Olympic dreams on the horizon, she suffered a life-altering figure skating accident. A close friend loaned Lisa a camera as a creative coping mechanism. Photography brought ignited her passion to heal and see the world. Her main site, lisabettany.com, displays her accomplishments since. She has been featured in Elle and Wired among many other publications. Her work is pretty impressive.
Mareen Fischinger
Mareen Fischinger is a great role model for anyone working on developing their professional portfolio. She’s deft at combining an aesthetic eye with the vocational requirements her job as a photographer demands. All while displaying it on an awesome site.
The Gordon Parks Foundation
Harlem Gang Leader, 1948. Gordon Parks, Gordon Parks Foundation
A simple search is often enough to find a collection of influential works. The Gordon Parks Foundation permanently preserves the work on their website’s archive of Civil Rights era photographer, film director, and writer, Gordon Parks.
Weegee
Another site that’s out there is Weegee’s archive, although a bit dated and unofficial. The best opportunity to find Weegee’s work is when his pieces are featured in galleries, but he was truly a master of capturing New York City at its strangest. Worth a peek.
Remember to follow me on Twitter for the latest updates.
Everyday, photographers flock to the glistening seaside or to the edges of the city limits for the perfect capture of the sun descending on the horizon. In pursuit of the perfect shot of the waves crashing on the golden sand, or light licking man’s impressive steel towers, photos of the sunset capture an indescribable moment of time; of that day, yet of eternity.
Every day the massive, hot, faraway, mysterious sun dips below the horizon . For a few hours, it’s gone from our sight. The big billowing ball of energy that gives us nearly everything we depend on; energy, food, electricity, and so on; takes a rest.
It’s the role of the photographer to frame this moment. There is a communal missed breath we take as humans when the sun vanishes; thinking perhaps, where did it go? Who can see it now? As questions of philosophy and science filter through our curious minds, the photographer can capture the raw beauty emitted by the eternal beast of the sun.
The artist Penelope Umbrico, has developed several works on the subject. She believes the lure of sunset photography is not quite an complex as one may think.
Umbrico’s work questions the sun’s power to enhance collectivity. For her project, she curated sunset photos from Flickr. Then, she cropped them to remove the surrounding context, whether it be the beach or a smiling portrait, leaving only the suns themselves. The resulting work is a vibrant collage that stands as a testament to our desire to preserve these “liminal moments as a social experience” as stated by Jonny Weeks in the Guardian.
Umbrico says “The sun is this incredibly powerful object, and there’s only one of them in our world,” she says. “The sun can kill us or give us health. It’s the symbol of enlightenment, it makes us happy – it’s phenomenal.”
Included are some of Brendan Filice’s images of the sunset, to add to the collective spirit of sharing our joy in the sun.
See the rest of Brendan’s images on Flickr.
Brendan Taylor Filice is a young Californian eager to influence the world through photography. Capturing beautiful moments with a camera for nearly a decade, he has always appreciated nature and wildlife. Brendan also appreciates the outdoors through experience as as a snowboarder, skateboarder and avid hiker.
