The Joy of Christmas...

I just wanted to share a quick image from Christmas morning. This image is special to me for several reasons.

This is what Christmas morning is supposed to be all about; the unbridled joy of a child opening gifts from Santa. I wanted the focus to be on her expression and the emotion involved; that's why I went with B&W in this image...

As the new year approaches; I am taking a look back at some of my favorite images from 2009. You can take a look at them here on my Facebook Fan Page. Let me know which is your favorite. I would love to hear your feedback.

Have a safe and happy New Years celebration...

Ed

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

We had a rare December snowstorm this weekend, a week before Christmas. If you were on the edge of the holiday spirit, hopefully this was enough to push you over. Besides the record setting snowfall and my getting out and capturing some images; I was also lucky to witness something else, neighbors helping neighbors just because... Shoveling, snow blowing, sharing some "adult" beverages. It is nice to see that sort of thing anytime, just seem a little bit more special watching it unfold with Christmas lights as a backdrop...

Hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season so far, enjoying family, friends, and all the things that make this season special.

I am working on a gift of my own for all of my fans and supporters. Stay tuned for more info...

If you are on Facebook look me up at Edward Harding Photography and join my Fan Page... The rest of my Blizzard of 2009 images are there...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Shooting With Friends...

I had the good fortune to grab a few hours this morning shooting at Longwood Gardens with a few photo friends. Some I haven't seen in a while, and others I met for the first time... I happened to spot a note from Ed Heaton on FaceBook that he was heading there to try out a new Macro lens (looking forward to the results) and decided to take a ride over when I realized that my morning had opened up...

I was able to get some nice images; but I am really looking forward to getting to Longwood during the upcoming holiday season. Hopefully we'll meet up again, cameras in hand.

This image is called "5 & Friends"...

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving!

Have a great day! - Ed

Elise Takes the Wheel...

Had some fun with Elise yesterday... I wanted to get some pictures of her in her new hat. To make things interesting, I told Elise that she could pose and do whatever she wanted and I would just shoot. I also told her that the final picks where up to her at the end of the shoot.

We only shot for about 20 minutes or so, that was enough for Elise. I think we captured some pretty interesting images and she seemed to like being more involved in the process...

It was great Daddy & Daughter time and that was really the result I was going for; the images will just be memories of the time we enjoyed...

Have a great day! - Ed

Inspiration

Here I am 6 years later, still marveling at the passage of time... That tiny little being is becoming before my eyes... The reason and inspiration the re-ignition of my passion for capturing images...

Funny thing how life works... Two months ago to the day, we were morning the passing of my father. And today, we are celebrating my daughter's life and growth, and I swear that I see just a hint of my father in there...

Is this the greatest image? No... It isn't the most technically sound, nor artistically balanced. But, it does for me the one thing that a photograph is supposed to do, grabs a little piece of you, your heart, your soul, and your imagination.

Elise, now and forever my Scootlebug, happy birthday...

I love you - Daddy

Have a great day! - Ed

A Little Introspection...

I often get asked where I am when someone is looking at our family photos. After waiting a moment to see if the answer comes to them; I finally explain that I am the one behind the camera...

Behind the camera... The safe spot, the comfortable spot...sometimes all the technical knowledge can simply be a convenient excuse to remain hidden in plain sight.

Sometimes the creation of an portrait isn't just about the subject, it may be more about the photographer's unwillingness to put themselves in the firing line of the lens. More about the photographer capturing the vulnerabilities he feels on the face of another; wishing to share in the happiness witnessed in someone else's smile. The "it" that the photographer is trying to capture in an image is almost as varied as the reactions to it by each individual that views the finished image.

Creating the image above got me thinking about the "why" of portrait photography. What am I trying to convey? Will people viewing the image be able to understand what I was going for when I pressed the shutter? Questions that both only I can answer and time will tell...

The real reason for the photo above? I was trying out my new tripod set-up to get familiar with it at home rather than in the field. It is a Manfrotto 055XPROB with a 486RC2 head. The tripod has a unique center column that can be laid over horizontal while the camera is still attached. Very simple to operate, the construction and fit of the unit is fantastic. This will open up a lot of ideas as I can get a lot more creative with the camera handling abilities of this tripod.

Have a great day! - Ed

Foliage Fetish Satisfied

Satisfied in a big way...

After getting rained out yesterday morning; I spent the time getting some much needed new gear. I picked a new heavier duty tripod. Long overdue, and in the increasing wind before the rain hit, my old one almost dumped over with the camera on it - yikes!!!

Today however was the payoff. For me; I go out every time hoping to have any opportunity to capture something like the image I am sharing here. The light in this image only lasted about three minutes before fading again.

Three minutes to capture magic... Three minutes that makes the early outta beds, chilly air, and sometimes wet feet all worth it. Three minutes that have you drying your shoes and looking eagerly to the next chance to get out and capture some more...

Headless Chicken

I know... this is a Fall nature image in which there are no chickens, headless or otherwise.

I am referring to something that happens to me occasionally when I go out to shoot with no exact plan in mind. I know I want to capture certain images like landscapes, bodies of water, whatever... except I don't have a real firm plan of location or time.

I wind up spending more time looking for locations to shoot rather than actually creating images. Sometimes I manage to find myself at the wrong spot when the light is just right. Or I find the perfect vantage point and I have hours to wait until the light will be good, great except I don't have hours to spend...

Not sure if this happens to you; but thought I'd share this frustration of mine. It's something that you wouldn't see looking at my images; but I am sure everyone has gone through it at one point or another. Just know that it happens, and the best you can do is make the most of what you are presented with and then resolve to try and not let it happen the next time your photo impulse strikes...

Have a great day! - Ed

A Pleasant Fall Evening

I wanted to share an image from my outing this evening. The weather was perfect for a little sunset "Golden Hour" shooting. The foliage is almost there; and thankfully we didn't lose to much of it during the past weekend's 'Nor'easter.

I started at Marsh Creek State Park, and then headed over to Rt. 322 and headed north.

This image was taken a little north of Downingtown, just off the road were open space is butting up against new developments.

While shooting sunsets, the obvious direction to shoot is westward. However; it always pays to turn around and see what that beautiful light is falling on behind you. You never know what you may be missing...

The sunset was at my back when I captured this image.

Have a great day! - Ed

Evening Stroll

Despite feeling under the weather today; when my daughter asked me to take a walk with her and my wife before dinner this evening, I decided that I would. Of course I grabbed my camera (this is a photography blog right?), as I usually do.

Most times when presented with an unexpected outing like this (however brief) I like to go the simple route. Instead of grabbing my bag & gear; I just take my camera and one lens, my Minolta 50/1.7. It is a great length for a wide range of images and with a max aperture of f/1.7, it is especially good at shooting in the lower light of evening without having to use flash. The other thing I like about using a fixed lens (or prime) is that you have to think a bit more on your composition and zoom with your feet.

We were only out for about 30 minutes; but it was enough to get the appetites stirred up for the chili warming in the crock pot. Not photo related; but the chili was great coming home to on a cool evening...




Have a great day! - Ed

Unleashed and ready for Fall...

Here is a recent image from a family outing. Bach and Mozart are off their leashes and couldn't be happier! They are not the only ones enjoying the cooler temps and changing leaves... I too am hoping to have some opportunities to be a little unleashed myself as the Fall foliage season kicks into high gear. I am looking forward to discovering new vantage points to shoot from and visiting old favorites.

Check out my site for more images from this recent trip and stay tuned for Fall images and my Holiday Specials...

Have a great day! - Ed

Rainy Sunday Morning

After missing Saturday's sunrise; I resolved to rise early enough to catch Sundays...

Mother Nature had other plans in the form of rain. While I didn't venture out as some others I know; I did take a little time to create a few images in my favorite natural light studio, my kitchen counter.

For me, northern light always yields the best natural light images, especially still life images. My kitchen windows are northern exposure so I get great light in there to work with...

I call this one "Banana Moon".

Have a great day! - Ed

Evening Light

I have been itching to get some sunset images. Seems all I have been shooting lately are sunrises. I was busy and almost ran out of time this evening before I could get out. I tried to hook up with a local professional, Ed Heaton. Couldn't make that happen as he was already out (capturing stunning images no doubt).

Hopefully I will get to shoot with him again before too long. Great talent and just a good guy...

Here is one from tonight. Just drove up 322 out of Downingtown trying to find a spot...

Have a great day - Ed

Recent Happenings...

Well let's see...

My family and I have been dealing with a personal issue over the past couple of weeks that had put any photography far into the background.

That issue is slowly resolving itself...

My site is finally repaired and now I have to go through the exercise of reloading all my galleries, but I am getting there.

This image is from this morning. I wanted (read that needed!) to get out and do a little shooting. Wonderful sunrise at Marsh Creek...

Have a great day - Ed

Web Site Security Issue

If you have visited my site recently; you may have seen a warning page from Google; alerting you to the fact that my site is a "Reported Attack Site" and a possible source of malicious software.

I have been working with my hosting provider and Google security to get the matter resolved as quickly as possible. I hope to have the site back up and working shortly.

In the interim; you you can check out the latest new here at my blog and see my images at my online store.

I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Click here to visit my store...

Labor Day Sunrise

Trying to make the best of the cloudy morning. I started in Center City; but there wasn't much sun on the rise there...

Just before heading for home; I thought maybe I should take a quick detour up to one of my other favorite sunrise spots...

Here are the results...

Have safe and happy Labor Day! - Ed

Twilight & Beyond

Sometimes I forget one of the wonderful "side effects" of photography; being able to lose yourself in your shooting, while the stress and problems retreat for a time.
Concentrating on composition; studying the light, getting into the right spot, are all great for reducing stress for a little while at least...

Headed out hoping to capture some good light this evening; and maybe even capture the Moon in a cityscape.

Here is one from the outing, this is Philadelphia's Boathouse Row, just a few minutes after sunset.

Have a great day - Ed

Trying something new...

Wanted to share one from the other night. I was inspired by some images that I saw earlier in the day and decided to try to create some of my own.

The blue is not Photoshop; I set the White Balance to Tungsten when shooting to achieve this color.

I will try this again at some point. It is always good to stretch our creative muscles now and again...

Have a great day - Ed

First Day of School

My favorite little model starts school today. I am not sure who is more nervous; her or her parents.

I captured some images of Elise last evening; figuring it would be a lot more relaxed and the lighting better.

Preserving memories like these is one of the main motivators behind my photography.

Have a great day! - Ed

Saturday Sucess...

"Blue Note"

Check my site for others from today's shoot...













Well; after a less than spectacular start, the morning resolved itself nicely. I tried to shoot some sunrise images of Hot Air Balloons launching from a site near my home. At about 5:30 I figured that the fog had kept them away. But at least I know where they launch from when the weather is nicer...

Anyway, raced on over to try to get some sunrise over water images. Plenty of fishermen and fog, no trace of sun or sky...

Ended up heading down to Longwood Gardens and spent an enjoyable few hours...

Have a date with my honey tonight and then I will try it again tomorrow morning...

Enjoy your weekend - Ed

Ready for a Shoot...

Here is one from last month at Storybook Land. While I can't wait to get out and shoot some Landscape and Stock type images; I wanted to share this as an example of why I got so "in" to photography in the first place. Capturing family memories and leaving a visual history for my daughter, nieces and nephews, and beyond is what has been the driving force behind my constant quest to improve.

Hopefully the weather (among other factors) will cooperate this weekend and I can get some much needed lens time.

I look forward to sharing some of what I capture...

Ed

Finally Ready (I think...)

I am not sure if that is a "YAHOOO! I'm done!" face; or a "I'm losing my mind" face... either way, both have been a part of this process.

Click Here!
To check out the new site and online store....

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. I look forward to hearing from you.


Now maybe I can get back to actually making images...

Have a great day! Ed

Web Ready

I have been working on updating my web presence for a little while now. My original site was hosted through Betterphoto.com; and while the site looked good, it didn't offer quite the flexibility or options that I wanted. I decided to go in a different direction and host the site myself. It is actually a two site set-up; a front page portfolio type of site, and an online store. The store will allow customers order prints and products from one of the premiere printing labs for photographers, MPIX.

Hope you are all having a great summer!

A Forgotten Gem...

At least it is to me... Finished up with the archiving for a moment and got back to a little project I am working on using both still images and film. Ran across this one during the selection process and decided to share it. This was taken back in April of 2008. The pups had only been with us for a few weeks at this point. We took them for a evening stroll at the local park during the first really mild weather of the Spring. It was a case of a decent capture in camera; and some better post work to get the final image. Shooting into the sun, or trying to balance a dark foreground with a bright background can sometimes be a challenge. I was pleased with the results here; as I feel like I really froze a moment that our family will be looking back on fondly in the future.

Archiving Images

It is about that time again; usually at the start of each quarter, when I need to make room on my "C" drive. I go through all of my images taken in the previous months and cull out the obvious trash, and then burn the rest to DVD. I make 2 disks; one a "working" copy that is kept at my desk, and a "safe" copy that is (you guessed it) stored in a fire proof safe.

I also use a few external HDs for storage; but due to the file sizes of the original images, having them on an internal drive is just faster for loading etc. My 2nd internal HD is rapidly filling up with captured video. The video is from the last 6 years of family doings. I want to get it saved to disk first; then make a movie using both clips and images. I do not have any end date in mind for this and will not be stressing over it...

If you don't back up your images; start. If you make a single backup, make another one...

The toughest part isn't the first cut of images (they are usually no brainers). It's the second and third cuts that give you some pause. I have been told though that it gets easier the more times you do it; kinda' like cleaning out a closet.

The image above is from October of 2008, taken at sunrise on the beach in Avalon, NJ. Just wanted to share one as I am going through some older ones

First Post To My Blog...

"Orchids On White"

Taking the plunge and trying my hand at blogging... maybe a better way to connect to photography fans? I'll start off with an image taken yesterday. This is an Orchid that I picked up while shopping for veggies. I set it on / in my impromptu studio; the big window sill in the dining room, in front of the sheers...

Comments appreciated - Ed

"Orchids On White"