Maybe it’s the prolonged heat. Or the boredom from nursing a back injury.

A blast of light that turned a fairly dark tan wall into a projection screen caught my eye as I walked by. A wall mounted mirror in the bathroom to the right of this scene was positioned perfectly to reflect the setting sun coming through a window. The mirror fielded the light onto the wall.

This is what the camera captured – straight out of camera. Since my hand/arm with elbow bent holding the camera to the left of the shot is visible, I’m calling it a self portrait.

After noting the time of day, the next day I watched for this to happen again. But the sun’s change in angle over just a day’s time meant this was a once a year capture.

Remind’s me of Ruth Bernhard’s doorknob shot. Well, the circumstance, not the photo.

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The winner of the side mirror photography contest is Sarah Reagan’s photo, “Texas Road.” Sarah gets to choose between a $100 gift card from either Amazon or B&H Photo.  Congratulations Sarah!

Photo "Texas Road", by Sarah Reagan

Shot with a Kodak Easy Share camera, Sarah’s photo gives credence to the point I’ve made numerous times – it’s not about the camera – great shots can be had from inexpensive cameras. A little reminder of that: Great Photos from Really Cheap Cameras.

There were many captivating entries.

Shots whose background had no similarities with the reflection, like this photo of Monument Valley from Rex Nemo, were particularly interesting.

Rex Nemo. Monument Valley. Shot from the seat of his bike.

Pure beauty shots.

Dominique Levenberg. "Grand Teton" Taken from her Harley.

Rhonda Morris Schley: "A Look Back Down a Snowy Road"

Gretchen Sanders, "Sometimes, the farthest experiences are the closest to home"

Some showed the contrast inherent in many a road trip – that between the modern conveniences we flee and the peace and tranquility for which we press the pedal.

This from Karen Mallette. “During the same trip through the Southwest, we stopped at the McDonald’s in Page, AZ. As we got ready to hit the road again, I noticed the contrast between the “human” of the building, and the “Godness” of the red rock in the rear view mirror.”

Karen Mallette. McDonald's in the background. Arizona's natural beauty in the reflection.

More than once, the words “changed my life” were with the submission.  Music to my ears.

Shelda Mushroom Fountain Carlock's "Bonnaroo '10". "The road trip that changed my life."

The pet shots were fun!

Photo by Traci Quam Vosen

Photo by Sarah Clark. Sunrise at Canyonlands National Park.

Photo by Alison Turner. "Somebody is tired of camping and wants to go home."

And this from the ultimate road tripper of all -  J.R. Templeton, a hitchhiker, and a vanishing breed.

J.R. Templeton's "Leaving Colorado: A Hitchhiker's Perspective"

Shots that remind us of our own “last views”.  This one brought back a few poignant memories for me.

Kimmie Meaney's "Driving Away from the Old Family Home for the Last Time"

And a reminder of why we road trip – FREEDOM!

Alison Turner's "Freedom"

Remember, these photos are the property of their creators.  Do not copy or download either the photos or any of the text until you get permission from them. Please ask first.

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The first print comparison between Shutterfly and Snapfish resulted in a nod  to Shutterfly.  In the comparison color photo, the Shutterfly colors were vibrant and rich.  Skin tones were more realistic. Details were clearer.  Pop over and see the comparison, here.

Over the holidays I took a family photo that begged to be printed in Black & White. And since it was a photo to be used as a holiday card, professional printing wasn’t necessary. “So”, I thought to myself, we need to do another Snapfish vs Shutterfly print comparison – this time for B&W.

I see a lot of  photos termed B&W that are really a presentation of a rainbow of grays.  A perfectly printed and eye appealing B&W photo contains some pure black and pure white and everything in-between.  I often have more trouble getting the pure whites than the pure blacks – seems even more difficult with digital – so easy to blow out the highlights.  The Zone System, formulated and employed most famously by Ansel Adams, is an 11 zone system categorizing light. The system breaks down the continuous tonal gradation from the purest black to purest white into 11 equal sections.  Each section differs from the one next to it by one full stop. It’s too much for this post, but it’s an almost flawless method for printing B&Ws.  And if you’re serious about B&Ws, I recommend you learn the technique.

Machine printed B&W prints however are not intended to be a professional end product. It’s possible though to get a nice result, even something frame worthy.

Snapfish top photo. Shutterfly, bottom.

Snapfish on top; Shutterfly, bottom

An inspection of the prints reveals:

1) In the Snapfish photo, the shadow thrown by the street lamp on the left of the photo a bit over halfway down, with the main part falling on the hedge, is more defined than in the Shutterfly print with much crisper edges.

2) In the Snapfish photo, the columns of the building in the background are more white, likely falling within a Zone 8-9 category at their lightest.

3) The grass has texture as opposed to the Shutterfly photo where the grass appears a flat, mid-gray blanket.

4) The Crepe Myrtle bush on the right side of the Snapfish photo has more definition compared to Shutterfly’s. You can make out the trunks and the form, shape, and texture of the plant’s top is discernible against the columns. The same goes for the tree on the left.

5) The pansy flowers along the base of the hedge have definition in the Snapfish photo.  See flowers on left side of the photo.

Snapfish on top. Shutterfly, bottom.

6) Now to the people. Take a look at the pale coat. There is no yellow cast in the Snapfish photo. The buttons pop. Her belt has edges; you can make out the knot.  The insignia on the guy’s jacket on the right?  You can see it in the Snapfish photo. The faces are bright, well defined. Teeth are white. Hands are noticeable. They’re all wearing jeans.  In the Snapfish photo you get the the characteristic lightening at the knees, the whiskers, and hem lines  of the couple on the left. The couple on the right were wearing black jeans.  But even black jeans, unless they’re  being worn for the first time, have discernible weave and wear marks. You can see these in the Snapfish photo. In the Shutterfly photo, their pants are almost pure black and without definition.

7) Taking a look overall at the individuals’ expressions, in the Snapfish photo you can see what it is they’re squinting a bit at – the sun.  In the Shutterfly photo you wonder.

The Snapfish photo is the superior Black & White image in this case.

My experience has been that Snapfish prints light. But in this comparison, the photo has the proper contrast and exposure. This simple “they got it right” translates to a photo absent the flat, mostly gray/green blah of the Shutterfly print. The Snapfish photo is sharper in detail, crisper in contrast. It has definition and depth that result from the right balance between the lights and darks within the scene. The photo has life because you can see details of clothing, faces, texture of the grass, and trees – a recognition of substance. I asked Shutterfly to print a B&W photo and instead I got a flat, uninteresting photo with a yellow/green tint (can’t even call it Sepia). It suffers from both underexposure and too-low contrast.

One other notable difference?  Shutterfly prints on Fuji paper. Snapfish on Kodak.  Is there an inherent difference due to the paper?  I don’t know, but tune in to find out!

Links:

Snapfish

Shutterfly

SRTs perspective on photography

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While looking back is not my favorite perspective on life (I wallow rather than reflect), it’s a new year and straddling the fence of what lies ahead in the new year and what’s strewn behind from the year past is an acceptable occupation for the next day or two.  And since my imagination tank is running on fumes, we’re having a side mirror photo contest!  I love mirror shots.  They’re intriguing, often offering a view that eludes straight-on viewing. They can be deliciously deceptive or wackily interesting.  On every road trip I shoot something using one of these reflectors of what’s behind me, but there’s either water spots all over the mirror, a dust cloud making itself at home in the cab or wires crisscrossing the idyllic scene. The one below is a rare exception and is here only because I can’t make a post without a photo.

Post your SIDE MIRROR photos to the Solo Road Trip page on Facebook: here. [You'll have to "like" the page before you can post.]

Winners choice of a $50 gift card to Amazon or B&H Photo, neither of which are advertisers. SRT is an Ad Free site.  We’re willing to change that stance for a Dodge SRT or for much less, whichever comes first.

The contest runs until midnight January 15th.

Join the Road Trip Revolution at the Solo Road Trip Facebook Fan Page, here.

Your camera equipment was stolen in Portugal. A clumsy bauble above the Seine left the river owning the digital SLR. You own no camera equipment, but there’s something you really want to photograph on your upcoming trip. Lots of scenarios could result in a disposable/single use film camera landing in your hands. The good news is great photos (even artistic photos) can be achieved with the simple equipment.

My personal experience has shown there to be an advantage to carrying a disposable camera (my secret weapon is out!) – everyone thinks you’re a tourist with no serious photographic intent. This translates to an ability to capture moments that wielding more serious camera equipment can make difficult. A whole new world opens up to the holder of a disposable camera.

Disposable film cameras come in several ISO choices – 100 to 800, but at most convenience type stores (and even vending machines in Japan), you’ll be hard pressed to find anything other than 400 and 800, with 800 being prevalent. A flash is optional (and recommended). Various manufacturers make them today in a few “versions” – wedding, sport (waterproof up to 50 ft.), panoramic, and one with a zoom function, albeit a weak zoom function. Chances are if you’re purchasing one on the road, your choices will be limited to the most basic.

Despite the simplicity a point and shoot, fixed focus camera connotes, to get photographs you’ll be proud of, MORE work and creative thought is required – not less. Understand the camera’s limitations. They typically focus anywhere from 4-5 feet to infinity, and for the flash to be of use, you’ll need to be within 10-12 feet of the subject. Work within these restrictions though and magic can happen. And remember, the camera has nothing to do with how you see the world. Look for new perspectives and the single use camera will become your photographic friend.

Before we get into the tips, here’s something else to consider where disposables are concerned: kids LOVE them. Put one into the hands a child and prepare to be amazed!

While ALL the basic photography rules apply, there are a few things in addition to the basics that will give your photos from a disposable camera some WOW power.

Disposable Camera Pointers:

* Search for reflection. Reflection can be created from water, mirror or glass, the cone of an airplane, a pair of reflective sunglasses, or a rear view/side mirror. Use it for an artistic slant on common scenes.
* Panning the disposable camera can yield photographs with a bit of movement to them. It takes practice to know how quickly to bring the camera from side to side while you click the shutter, but it’s worth experimenting.
* Try using the headlights of a vehicle, or a flashlight to light your subject matter.
* Tilt the camera to capture scenes with a twist to the perspective.
* Take a picture of part/half of something. It’s a technique I’ve experimented with on occasion, and while it works best with close subject matters, it can yield a very interesting photograph.
* Assuming you sprung for the flash, use it! Backlit photographs, especially of people, benefit greatly from using the flash. Overall, don’t be afraid of using the flash. Unexpected effects will often be the result.
* Don’t be afraid of haze, fog, steam, or any condition that to the bare eye seems out of focus. Tack sharp is overrated.

Basic Photography Tips: (several of these tips are from Doug Henderson, 7 Tips from a Photography Pro)

* LIGHT….is the only thing you are photographing, so make it your prime consideration. Where is the light? How is it falling on your subject? What color is it? How hard is the light?
* Everyone sees the world at eye level. For your photos to stand out, find ways to shoot at anything but eye level. Stand on something, or get lower, even to the point of lying on the ground.
* Get off the beaten path, like the star ship Enterprise; BOLDLY GO WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE.
* Don’t be afraid. Don’t be timid. Never fear to ask anyone to do anything that will make a better picture; the worst they can do is say no, or maybe HELL NO.
* Tune in to the time and place. In the same sense that you can never swim in the same river twice, you can never shoot the same photo twice; the river of light is at a continuous ebb and flow. Let that moment speak to you, and then use your camera to take that message to the rest of the world.
* Shoot from your heart.
* If it’s not interesting, you’re not close enough.
* Don’t put the object of interest in the middle, a rule commonly called the Rule of Thirds. Offset the focal point.
* Look for symmetry of objects or a repeating theme.
* Walk all the way around something (if you can) to check out the various perspectives. You’ll be surprised at how the “backside” of things appears.

If you’re still convinced travel photography can’t be pursued with a disposable camera, shoot with one for 2-3 weeks at home. Sometimes it’s the simple exercise of carrying the camera around and tripping the shutter that overcomes our hang-ups.

P.S. It’s photography – have FUN!