A Collection of my iPhone pics

Here are some of my iPhone images over the past months and a link to this page at the Best Camera app site.  Shooting these mostly random photos with my phone is at least a good exercise in being more aware of my surroundings for photos and looking at how light affects everyday subjects.  I think this might even help at times in the paying gigs.

 

My photos at Best Camera site

A Water Theme

I seem to be involving water in some way in my shoots lately.  I shot these two for a brochure BMW Manufacturing is doing that includes what goes on at The BMW Performance Center.  We shot these drivers on the track in the  late afternoon and on into the early evening.  Most of the time I shoot at the Performance Center is in morning light and the late afternoon and early evening light has a totally different feel to it.

A Little Water Helps

I shot a Lear jet for Stevens Aviation and for the photos at dusk the Donaldson Center Fire Department wet down the tarmac for us.  The water reflects both the jet’s lights as well as mine which is a big help to the image.  The colors in the sky at this time of day only last a few minutes so the pace is pretty quick at this point in the shoot.

Shooting with my iPhone

Here are a few images shot with my iPhone using globe trotting photographer Chase Jarvis’ new app “Best Camera” for the iPhone.  The application has some good features for toning your photos and you can even submit them to a live web gallery.  Users can then vote for their favorites and the best ones are shown on an updated “best” page each hour.

http://www.thebestcamera.com/

A Good Group

I did a recent shoot for a software company in Seattle for their print ads. The ads will feature some of their customers and how they use and like the software. We shot it at a hotel in Atlanta during their users conference and these are a few outtakes between the more serious ones.

BMW Magazine Shoot

I did a recent shoot for BMW Magazine at the BMW Performance Center in Greer, SC. The subject was Jim Millard who is a driving instructor at the center. We shot an early morning portrait under very cloudy skies and then went to the track. On the track I shot this photo with an “older” camera triggered by a remote. Jim was demonstrating drifting which is going through a curve without slowing and turning the tires and pretty much sliding through the curve. He’s an excellent driver as he did this maneuver flawlessly over and over until we got the photos needed.

The Economy or the Menu?

I pass by this closed burger joint most days and finally decided to shoot a quick photo with my phone. I don’t think most of us southerners were ready for New York burgers. The photo quality isn’t quite there, but it kind of fits the subject.

A Garden Web

©2009 FRP

Being a photographer makes you notice things, I guess, that others might miss sometime. I saw this spider web with the dew this morning in the garden next to our house. I went and got an extender for my macro lens and the sun was hitting it at a good time when I shot it. Btw – I think it was dew or it could have been from the sprinkler. Dew makes the photo a little more artistic so I’m sticking with that story.

A Sea of BMW’s

Well eventually they’ll be on the sea! I was in Charleston, SC this week for a couple of days on a shoot for BMW Manufacturing. Here the early morning sun reflects on the windows of X5’s and X6’s parked at the Port of Charleston before being shipped by sea to other ports around the world. The cars are first transported by rail from the factory in Greer, SC. to Charleston.

Stormy Skies

I was sitting on the deck at Seaease in Panama City Beach, Fl. under sunny blue skies Thursday afternoon and noticed a few small clouds in the distance.  After about 20 minutes a large storm made its way close to the coast, but then moved on out in the ocean  without raining on us at all.  You can see some rain falling along the coast in the lower left of the photo. This is another  iPhone image as I didn’t have time to get my camera.

Film to Digital Back to “some” Film

I think shooting digital is great and having more control over your images is a plus. However, I still miss shooting film at times and I’m going to try to shoot some again on jobs that let me do it. My Hasselblads are sitting idly in the closet, but I’m going to find a way to put them to use soon. I think shooting film, at times, will force me to slow down and to think a little more about composition. There’s just something about the tone and depth of field that I like better with my film cameras. Here’s a photo that i shot on film a few years ago of someone getting ready for a July 4th.

Looking Up

Well I was a couple of days late shooting this but gave it a try tonight anyway. Venus and Jupiter, lower right, are seen along with what was a crescent moon if I had shot it earlier. My neighbors didn’t even notice me in their front yard while I was shooting it. It is interesting though how the other stars show up well which I couldn’t see while attempting this photo. I’ll get another chance though in four decades.

A Colorful Night

BMW Manufacturing Co.’s Zentrum museum was mostly a shade of pink Friday night as the BMW Ultimate Drive made it’s final cross country stop in Greer, South Carolina.  The BMW Ultimate Drive raises money for the Susan B. Komen for the Cure organization to help in the support of breast cancer research.   The pink gelled lights, along with the Christmas lights, gave motorists on Interstate-85  a colorful view.

Cold Morning

I came downstairs this morning and saw that we had left the Christmas lights on all night on our two small trees outside our front door.  Since the temperature was in the low 2o’s this morning, there was frost on the windows which kind of  helped this picture.

The End of Another Era

 

I saw this story in the New York TImes about the end of the Polaroid.

When I was shooting film, Polaroids were the way to check the lighting setup and exposure.  I would save some of these tests for some reason and they usually ended up on my bulletin board.  For those that still want the instant film experience, FujiFilm continues making their instant film and cameras.  Just remember you’ll have to wait a very long 60 seconds.

iPhone Captures US Airways Plane in Hudson River

One of the first photos I saw on the web (Drudge Report) of the US Airways plane in the Hudson River Thursday was captured by an iPhone.  The photographer, Janis Krums, uploaded his photo to Twitter before helping rescue the  passengers.   Here’s a story about how he got the photo: NY Post story

I just retired my Palm Treo last week and now have an iPhone.  What a difference this phone is to use and it’s great because it synchs my calendar, contacts and everything else so much easier with my laptop.

Photographing Landscapes

I’m more and more drawn to shooting landscapes when I can and they’re usually something I see on a particular photo shoot.  Here’s one I did last fall in West Virginia that was just off an exit along an interstate highway and the second one was shot about a mile from my neighborhood.   Also, here’s a great photo site featuring some landscapes and other interesting photos: Sacramento Bee link

Magazine Cover Shoot

Here’s the cover of AMS Services’ magazine AMS Exchange that I shot last month in Atlanta at Beecher Carlson.  AMS Services is a Seattle company that provides software and support for insurance agencies.  The client b2 Management Solutions, AMS Services and the subject were all great to work with too!

Allison’s New CD

 

With all the news on  how bad the economy is these days, music is always a good diversion or escape.  One of my favorite musicians (and songwriters), Allison Moorer, is releasing a new cd on  Feb. 19.  “Mockingbird” might be the first cd I’ve bought in a while since I’ve usually been just buying a song or two online.  Her sister, Shelby Lynne, is an equally talented singer and songwriter and these two strong-willed southern women were both raised in Alabama so what’s not to like about them?  Check both of them out.

Here’s a photo I shot of Allison a few years ago.  

Greenville Roots

I went to great depths to get a photo of the roots of this tree.  It’s actually on the side of a hill at Greenville’s Falls Park.  It’s a great place to visit along the Reedy River and right in the middle of downtown.  It’s worth the trip!

What Bad Economy!?

Okay, I thought that would get your attention.  Yes, the economy does seem to be on life support, but there are some bright spots.  Here’s a photo I shot this week for BMW Manufacturing at their new assembly plant under construction in Greer, SC.   This plant will be producing their X3 model which is currently being made in Austria and of course their main assembly plant will keep turning out X5’s and X6’s.

The Masters!

As the weather warms and everything starts greening up and blooming, it means it’s time for The Masters in Augusta.  I enjoy it much more in front of the tv now, but I have some good memories of covering back when I was in shape and could tolerate the days of walking up and down the hills.  Yes, there are hills in Augusta.  Here’s one of my photos – Jack making a birdie on #17 on his way to winning his last Masters.

Hank’s Gravesite

I did a photo shoot this week near Montgomery, Alabama and had to take a little time to visit Hank Williams’ gravesite.  It’s up on a hill overlooking downtown and is well worth the trip.  He only lived 29 years, but had a lasting influence on music even though it seems lost on much of what is popular these days.  At least we have other outlets to hear his influences.

A Nice Ride

Here’s an image of a Challenger jet I shot this week for Stevens Aviation. We had the tarmac hosed down by the Donaldson Center Fire Department and then I shot it by walking around it with a strobe while my assistant covered the lens between pops.

Not Just Red – Real Red!

Anything involving firemen would have to include red I guess.  Here’s the entrance to Prattville (Alabama) Firefighters’ Local 4141 meeting place I saw during a recent shoot in the town.  The yellow curb goes well with the door and awning too.

A “Cataroma”

Our dog Tika usually growls and runs when she sees me with a camera.  For some reason, she didn’t this time and she posed with her newest plastic toy.  It’s not a real Corona, but is a “Cataroma Light”.  She hasn’t asked for a slice of lime yet.

Rolling Fireworks Store

I did another photo shoot in Alabama this weekend.  After finishing up Saturday afternoon I came across this fireworks store near Opp, Alabama on the way to the Florida panhandle.  An old trailer was converted for the business.  The back roads always offer some interesting subjects!

iPhone Pics

I’m spending the week with the family on the Florida panhandle. After seeing my friend Melissa Williams-Brown’s phone images on Facebook, I decided to try shooting with my iPhone while here.  I have been pretty happy with the results so far.  It has its limitations, of course, but for the web and when you just need a small file, it’s kind of cool.  I’ve even e-mailed the ones I like  to myself while shooting and then they’re waiting on my laptop when I get back to the beach house. Anything to be as lazy as possible while at the beach is good!