Photo of the Week: Sept. 12, 2012

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: The Dead Sea, for all its lack of life, certainly has a lot to give: therapeutic minerals, a booming tourist trade, breath taking vistas. Recently nominated as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World (it lost in the final, public vote) the region is a bounty of inspiring photo opportunities.

Since we are nearing the end of the month of Elul, the final month of the Jewish year, which is devoted to inner reflection and accounting, I thought this photo seemed seasonally appropriate as I reprise my column following a summer respite. Like many images found in nature, the difficulty often lies in accessing a safe vantage point from which to photograph. Stopping my car at the side of the road, I hiked through the heat and around sinkholes, kicked up a little dust and glided past a scorpion or two. I found stable ground to rest my tripod and frame the image, careful to add just a drop of exposure so the salt crystals would remain true to their bright, white color. In the end, it was worth it. I mean, really, how many countries smaller than New Jersey can boast a Wonder of the World finalist?

TECHNICAL DATA: Camera: Nikon D70, tripod mounted, manual exposure, center-weighted metering mode, f9 at 1/1,000th sec., ISO 200. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 70-300mm zoom at 145mm. Date: Dec. 25, 2006, 2:02 p.m. Location: Dead Sea shoreline near Ein Boqeq.

Photo of the Week: June 19, 2012

 

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: My love affair with the Pomegranate tree is seemingly boundless. Since landing in Israel 13 years ago and soon after buying a home with a single, mature tree in the garden, I have watched the trees bud, blossom and burgeon, moving regally through various growth stages until branches droop under the weight of mature, crimson fruits. Complementing the spring and summer drama, the trees bow out post-harvest with a golden display of fall leaves before settling in for a well-earned winter respite.

This is a close up of a flowering fruit, as they normally appear in late spring. Younger buds, pre-flower, are seen at the base of the main fruit. As I almost always try to do with leafy flowers, I looked for the backlit angle set against a dark background to make the subject “pop.” Exposure is critical so using a spot metering mode, I measured the highlights on the tips of the orange flower and set my aperture-shutter speed combination accordingly. I also composed the image with some of the foreground leaves and buds to give the image greater depth. The flowers eventually dry out and fall, but the fruit hangs on, perhaps destined to adorn a table come the Jewish new year.

TECHNICAL DATA: Nikon D70, tripod mounted, manual exposure, spot metering mode, f10 at 1/500th sec., ISO 400. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 28-105mm macro zoom at 105mm. Date: Mar. 22, 2007, 1:49 p.m. Location: Efrat, Judean Mountains, Central Israel.

Photo of the Week: May 9, 2012

“Photography, alone of the arts, seems perfected to serve the desire humans have for a moment - this very moment - to stay."

-Sam Abell

HOW I GOT THE SHOT:  For the first time since I started writing this blog, I am resending a photo I originally posted in January, 2008, before many of you joined my mailing list.  The location of this peach orchard is very close to my home and I have returned there on numerous occasions for portrait shoots and to relive the beauty I found there on that March day in 2006 and many times since.

Last month, at the height of the spring blossoming, I scheduled a photo session there and arrived to find the entire orchard had been cut down. Where the robust trees had stood a few days earlier, they now lay in neat piles, the beautiful flowers still in full bloom upon their branches. Immediately, something stirred in my heart, and after a few gasps, an awkward explanation to my subjects and a quick reshuffling of priorities, I completed my assignment.

Later, I began to reflect on why the scene had upset me. I am well familiar with vanishing landscapes, places whose visual grandeur is limited to a single season. I also understand that this land is used for commercial purposes. I don't know whether the trees had outlived their economic value or whether shifts in other agricultural markets warranted a crop change.

For years this has been one of my favorite photographs and an exhibition-size print hangs in my office above my desk. Now that irreversible change has set in, I realize  that my connection to this spot has as much to do with my success there as a photographer as its inherent beauty. And therein lays the potent power of photography. A photograph seals our relationship to a moment in time and place and the act of capturing that moment in a picture also makes it more special. We do our best to resist change but only a photography enables time to stand still. Or so it seems.

TECHNICAL DATA: Nikon D70, tripod mounted, manual exposure, evaluative metering mode, f16 at 1/125th sec., ISO 4800. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm zoom at 28 mm.  Date: March 29, 2006, 4:19 p.m. Location: Bat Ayin, Gush Etzion.

Photo of the Week: April 25, 2012

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: I am a photo opportunist, which is to say wherever I travel, including sometimes to routine local assignments, I invest a little time curiously wandering in search of new pictures. On the heels of a job at a local synagogue, I peeked into the sanctuary and discovered the bimah had been specially adorned for Independence Day. The unique design of the Israeli flag allows manufacturers to create flags of any length by elongating the dark blue stripes. Throughout the country one can see single flags which hang five stories or more on hotels and skyscrapers. Here, soft, diffuse light poured into the room from a wall of windows off to the left of the photo, offering plenty of light for a handheld exposure at a slightly elevated ISO. I composed the image with the flag off center to allow the inclusion of all the additional blue-toned fabric drapes.

The Israeli flag evokes special pride in me, not only because of its beauty and the rich symbolism of its design, but also because of the deep integrity of the nation it represents. As we move from mourning to merriment during the annual Memorial Day-Independence Day observances, Israelis can take great pride in our nation's continuing strength and ongoing contributions to the spiritual and material welfare of the entire world.

Please see my musical photographic tribute to Israel on Youtube.

TECHNICAL DATA: Nikon D700, handheld, manual exposure, evaluative metering mode, f4 at 1/100th sec., ISO 800. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 50 mm fixed focal length.  Date: June 1, 2011, 9:27 a.m. Location: Beit Knesset Tifferet Avot, Efrat, Gush Etzion.  

Photo of the Week: April 18, 2012

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: A few years ago I hiked the Tavor Valley down from Belvoir until I was chased out by a charging mother cow (horns and all) seeking to protect a young calf hidden in tall grass in the direction I was walking. I discovered I can run very fast with my 20-kilo shoulder bag and that my heart is strong. Once I altered my course the pursuit ended, but no apologies were offered. And I didn't get any memorable photos.

This time approaching the valley from the western side on a glorious spring day, results were different. White puffies floated overhead, seemingly close enough to reach out and touch. A stiff breeze bent wheat stalks covering the hills, which remain a vibrant green until late spring when the absence of rain browns the country's northern landscape. I like this shot because the colors are strong and the treeline provides a nice contrast and separation between earth and sky.

There are moments, as on this day, when I stop, stand still and applaud. Always it's for my children or hiking companions, to show them how deeply I appreciate God's handiwork and that looking alone is not enough. And because I didn't see a single cow until dinner!

TECHNICAL DATA: Nikon D300, handheld, manual exposure, evaluative metering mode, f18 at 1/400th sec., ISO 400. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 12-24 super wide zoom at 12 mm. Date: April 11, 2012, 9:46 a.m. Location: Above Nahal Tavor near Kibbutz Gazit, Lower Galilee. Special thanks to our guide, Eitan Cooper, for a fabulous outing.

Photos of the Week: April 5, 2012

HOW I GOT THE SHOT: One suggestion I offer students to build their picture-taking skills is to start a collection. Find something that interests you and snap a few frames whenever you encounter it. This provides not only motivation, but also creative inspiration. As one's library of images grows, there is a natural tendency to seek new and different ways to expand the collection.

As part of my nature photography portfolio, I collect wildflowers, yet most of my shots never emerge from digital oblivion. Assembled into this montage, however, they merge into a diverse bouquet of color and form that represents the spring season in Israel.

Wishing all of Am Yisrael a chag kasher v'sameach. Happy Passover.

Photos of the Week: March 23, 2012

HOW I GOT THE SHOTS: The Mighty Jordan. Or is it the Mighty Mississippi, I forget? Muddy Mississippi? I guess the Muddy Jordan will have to do. And it was muddy. I had to dodge large raindrops as well to keep my equipment dry, shooting one-handed while holding an umbrella aloft. Weather, any kind but hot and dry, is an outdoor photographer's best friend, always adding interest to the sky and landscape and challenge to the adventure.

Standing on a narrow bridge directly over the river, I waited out the rain to catch a shot with sunlight reflecting off the water. Although it was midmorning, a time when I shun photographing, the heavy cloud cover, wet ground and rushing water combined for a unique view of Israel's most important river. I cropped the image to bring the water into the photo from the lower right corner and lead the viewer downstream.

In the lower photo, I scrambled down closer to the water and framed the scene with a patch of mustard grass, helping to define the season the photo was taken. In both photos, I waited until the sun crawled out from behind clouds to add a little sparkle to the highlights on the moving water. Israel has been blessed with ample rain this winter, but the water will surely recede and the trees retreat from midstream to their usual spot along the bank's green edge.

TECHNICAL DATA:

Upper Photo: Nikon D700, tripod mounted, manual exposure, evaluative metering mode, f22 at 1/250th sec., ISO 200. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 28-105 zoom at 38 mm. Date: Mar. 16, 2012, 10:22 a.m. Location: Jordan River crossing at Kibbutz Neot Mordechai, Israel.

Lower Photo: Nikon D700, tripod mounted, manual exposure, evaluative metering mode, f11 at 1/2000th sec., ISO 400. Raw file converted to Jpeg. Lens: Nikon 28-105 zoom at 34 mm. Date: Mar. 16, 2012, 10:32 a.m. Location: Jordan River at Kibbutz Neot Mordechai, Israel.