Photo of the Week: Sept. 11, 2013

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: I am currently reading a book entitled “Photo Wisdom,” which features interviews with 50 renowned photographers about their creative process. To my great surprise, the very first photograph in this coffee-table size, 200-plus page tome is a rather staid photo of a single ficus leaf, perfectly formed, yet brown and dry and laying on a plain, off-white background. Not much to think about, really, until you read the caption, which describes how the leaf was blown off a tree in Tel Aviv in the wake of a suicide bombing. The terrorist’s name and age and the date of the attack are also given.

I am still not sure what to make of this. My dilemma is an oft-debated topic about whether art needs commentary to deliver, enhance or clarify its message. After all, shouldn’t an image speak for itself, even if the message is open to many interpretations? And if it cannot, then hasn’t the artist failed to communicate his intent? And yet, paradoxically, I am stuck thinking and thinking about that leaf and those few words which empowered it as an image.

This week’s photo features the luscious, crimson seeds of a bursting pomegranate growing in Jerusalem. Images of the natural world do have important stories to convey. Sometimes, however, it is better to just sit back and gaze at the beauty, appreciate the miracle, and enjoy.

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TECHNICAL DATA: Camera: Nikon D700, handheld, manual exposure, center-weighted metering mode, f8 at 1/160th sec., ISO 400. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 28-105 macro zoom lens at 105 mm. Date: Aug. 11, 2013, 9:36 a.m. Location: Katamon, Jerusalem.

Photo of the Week: Sept. 3, 2013

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: One of the surest ways to get good pictures of people is to flatter them with your attention. By showing genuine interest in someone, a photographer can earn the trust of a subject and often regain a candid moment that is lost when the camera shows up. This is especially true for children, who love to show off their talents to attentive adults and will quickly lose themselves in an activity, creating excellent opportunities for sincere images.

Check out my gallery of unique shofar images on the JPost online

This young man was already quite adept at blowing the shofar when I asked to photograph him. And even though I was using a still camera, which doesn’t record sound, he blew true and put his whole body and soul into the effort. I was impressed and I told him so, which impelled him to keep blowing and gave me a chance to fire off additional frames. I was careful to choose a background that contrasted well with his dark hair and the black shofar and also turn him so the soft, diffuse sunlight, pouring in from under a tree, spilled gently onto his face.

May the sound of the shofar awaken our compassion as well as our ability to connect with family, friends and community in the coming new year. Shana Tova.

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TECHNICAL DATA: Camera: Nikon D700, handheld, manual exposure, center-weighted metering mode, f3.5 at 1/200th sec., ISO 200. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 70-200 zoom at 102 mm. Date: Sept. 16, 2012, 9:35 a.m. Location: Gush Etzion, Judean Mountains.

Photo of the Week: Aug. 29, 2013

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: Hot, dry, dusty summer days in Israel are an extreme challenge for landscape and nature photographers. Let’s face it, the land just isn’t at her finest following several months without a drop of rain. So when the grand landscape is not on display, I shorten my vision and look for the artful play of nature that can almost always be found right at one’s feet.

I am continually surprised by how much color one can find out in the wilds of Israel during summer, but you have to take notice with a practiced look. That means focusing your mind on observing and beginning to see past what you expect to see. Confused? You are, literally. Our mind often fools our eyes into missing what is right in front of us because we are visually programmed to see what we have already seen. So it takes a deeper awareness to reprogram one’s vision and see anew. It’s a mere matter of paying closer attention.

This photograph is an excellent example of that process. I found this single grass weed growing amongst hundreds of others, all glittering in the afternoon sunlight. As always, I began by following the light to an interesting form. Though it has fulfilled its purpose, having launched its seed, it still maintains a grace of form evident in the delicate curve of the stem and the gentle criss-crossing points at the bottom of the image. I used a macro lens to draw in close and blur the background into a warm palette of complementary earth tones. It may be nearly done growing, but it is far from being done giving.

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TECHNICAL DATA: Camera: Nikon D300, handheld, manual exposure, center-weighted metering mode, f9 at 1/800th sec., ISO 400. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 28-105 macro zoom at 105 mm. Date: July 31, 2010, 4: 24 p.m. Location: Judean Mountains near Tzur Hadassah.

Photo of the Week: Aug. 21, 2013

 

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: OK, so you’d be hard pressed to find a flowering tulip this week in Israel. But that’s only half the story. While setting up for an event Sunday night, one of these variably-verdant, curly-tailed critters stutter-stepped over my light bag and disappeared into a leaf pile.

To the chagrin of photographers, chameleons really do change color, making them hard to spot and harder to photograph when they blend in with their surroundings. Contrary to popular belief, chameleons do not change color as a defense mechanism, but rather in response to light, temperature and their emotions. Based on the green skin color of this chameleon, the outdoor temperature was likely a pleasant 25°C, excellent flower climbing weather. After giving the petals a healthy glance, he turned around (requiring an arduous 10 minutes), dismounted and went on his way.

As luck would have it, and luck often does help a photo get a lot better, the chameleon showed no fear and let me get very close with my camera. Purple and green are nearly opposites along the color spectrum, which means they contrast nicely and pair well together. In other words, our eyes find comfort in seeing them in tandem. I cannot help but laugh a little when I see this photo, partly because I find the creature’s features and pose to be amusing, but also from the joy of this brief yet colorful encounter. Just glad I wasn’t visited by a scorpion.

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TECHNICAL DATA: Camera: Nikon D700, handheld, manual exposure, center-weighted metering mode, f8 at 1/200th sec., ISO 200. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 28-105 zoom at 50 mm. Date: April 21, 2011, 11:48 a.m. Location: Efrat, Gush Etzion.