You helped me once - you can do it again

[Jacko]

I love your photos, Phil! thanks again.....

[Phil in Ottawa]

Originally Posted by Anna Tortuga

Wow beautiful pics! I think you'de LOVE to be here for Independence day ( Sept 15th), or Dia de los muertos ( Nov 2nd). I bet you'de take amazing pics of these 2 celebration days....

Thanks!

Unfortunately, I'll just miss both those celebarations by a couple of weeks as we're there Oct. 6-13.

I agree with you that El Dia de los Muertos would probably yield many great photo ops.

Oh well, maybe next year

[Joni102]

Beautiful work, I would love to have the talent to take photo's like you, they are brilliant. Thanks

[Phil in Ottawa]

Originally Posted by Jacko

I love your photos, Phil! thanks again.....

Thanks!

I'm just happy to share them with everyone

[Anna Tortuga]

Don't stop sharing now though!!!!

Originally Posted by Phil in Ottawa

Thanks!

I'm just happy to share them with everyone

[Phil in Ottawa]

Originally Posted by Joni102

Beautiful work, I would love to have the talent to take photo's like you, they are brilliant. Thanks

Thanks you so much Joni102

It's not that hard to develop a "talent" like mine (if you want to call it that).

Basically, you have to learn a new way to look at people and things.

The people I like to photograph are the ones that seem to tell a story just by the way they look or what they may be doing.

Take the picture "How Much Money Do We Have?" I posted above. By itself it's not that interesting a picture. Two girls in a shop standing next to a counter with the shopkeeper standing behind it. But it's the fact that they are counting their money that made the picture for me. It reminded me of my youth, going to the corner store with my handfull of coins looking for a treat.

Now, when you are photographing objects (buildings, flowers, whatever) you have to start seeing them as shapes and colours, instead of a building or a flower. Take this picture for example:



It's just the top of a building, but what I saw was the contrast between the orange arch and the beautiful blue sky. Simple yet powerful.

The picture "Looking In" which I posted above is arguably one of the best photographs I have ever taken. To me, it combines both the concepts I mentioned above. First, you have the two figures in the picture which adds a human element to the shot. But the fact that they are partially hidden by the wall makes it less a picture of a man and a boy and creates kind of a mistery as to what exactly they are doing. You want to ask "What are they doing?" or "What are they looking at both crouched like that?" or "What's in there that appears so fascinating?" (would anyone like to take a guess?) So that's the human element. But you also have the objects element. To me, the two figures, both crouched in the same exact pose, look more like shapes than people. Next, the angular lines of the concrete walls and sidewalk contrast to the rounded lines of the two figures. And then you have those awesome splashes of colour in the man's shirt and shorts, the white of the boys clothes, and the green, blue and red paint on the walls contrasting against the grey walls and sidewalk. I just absolutely love that picture (can you tell? )

Here's another thing. It's also very important to pay attention to the whole frame when you are taking a picture. Obviously you want to look at your main subject but you also need to be aware of what's beside, behind, above or below your subject. How often have you seen a nice picture of someone ruined by the fact they appear to have a telephone pole stinking out of their head? Or there's an ugly, overflowing garbage can right behind them. So, being aware of everything that will end up in the picture is something you have to pay attention to.

And this brings me to my last piece of advice (a definite pet peeve of mine). Be sure that whenever you take a picture, things that are supposed to be horizontal or vertical are in fact horizontal or vertical. I'm sure you've seen tons of pictures of people on a beach with a crooked horizon behind them. This happens when the photographer is paying too much attention to the subject and not enough to the background. The photographer makes sure that the person in the picture appears vertical, even though they may not be. And that throws the whole balance of the picture out the window because humans are conditioned to see the horizon as horizontal. When it isn't our brain registers that there is somehting wrong and that takes away from what could have otherwise been an excellent shot.

Anyway, I'm rambling so I'll stop. I get that way when I talk photography.

What you should do is look at a lot of pictures that you like and try to figure out what you like about them. Then go out and try to shoot similar pictures incorporating the same types of things you liked in the other pictures (lighting, colour, movement, whatever). Practice makes perfect as they say.

I hope this helps a bit. If you have questions, just ask

[Phil in Ottawa]

Originally Posted by Anna Tortuga

Don't stop sharing now though!!!!

Not to worry.

I'll actually have a whole bunch of new shots when I return from our trip in October.

So stay tuned

[Mrsfuzzmo]

LOVED the pics, but the last one in the "gallery" is kind of gross if you ask me. Maybe no one has looked closely enough at it. It aint pretty!

[mer]

great shots!

[tvlbabe423]

Such beautiful photography. I could stare at them for hours! Thanks for sharing!

[pv in wpg]

Great pictures Phil. I agree with going to Tulum, we went thru there this past trip in Feb there are great opportunities for some street photos.Here's a couple of mine taken in Playa a few years ago.

[Thor Henning]

Great photographs! I really enjoy them. Thanks for posting. I hope to see more.

[Phil in Ottawa]

Originally Posted by pv in wpg

Great pictures Phil.

Thanks pv and everyone. I appreciate your comments very much.

Originally Posted by pv in wpg

I agree with going to Tulum, we went thru there this past trip in Feb there are great opportunities for some street photos.

We'll probably spend some time in Tulum and we're toying with the idea of heading over to Cozumel.

Originally Posted by pv in wpg

Here's a couple of mine taken in Playa a few years ago.

Vey nice!

I love the interaction between the musicians. Very genuine smiles.

And the Maya mother and child are so beautiful. How can they not make a great picture.

Thanks for sharing

[yak]

not quite a local...

Actually, it's Phil himself, along with a birthday friend.



Phil, you're making me jealous with this October trip

[Phil in Ottawa]

Hey Jack! Long time no hear.

I was just asking about you on the Unofficial Barceló board the other day.

How have you been? Haven't seen you post anything in quite a while. Too busy diving?

So, is there no way you can make it down for the big Barceló group trip? Sure would be great to party with you again

Anyway, thanks for sharing that picture of me and "Wilson"