Using Fog To Your Advantage

Hello again everyone! Thanks for returning to read more on my blog! I wanted to share a few pictures with you all and their significance to me. Recently I went on a retreat to Twin Peaks, CA for the weekend; and as if the retreat itself was not amazing in itself, I caught some lovely pictures on the decent of the mountain. 

To start, I want to just say that one thing I have learned through reading and especially with these pictures I am about to share with you, is that fog is a photographers BEST FRIEND!!! Fog is great for creating emotion and mood for pictures. It does not matter what you are photographing, if there is fog present, then you are going to get great photographs. So as I was saying, the retreat was great and all but I just didn't get a chance to really take photos. The peak was beautiful with sunshine and/or snow covering every square inch of the camp. It was too bad that I didn't get a chance to take the photos I wanted but it was not a complete waste. On the decent, within a matter of a mile or so, this fog rolled in and it was so surreal. It was so thick that it blocked the sun out but not thick enough to ruin all the fun. The visibility ranged from around 20 ft. to 300 ft. at the thinest of the fog. So as I was saying, on my decent, I finally came to a turn out and reached for my camera to sang a few photos. Let me tell you all that sometimes you grab the best photos when you are not even trying! Sometimes it is when you are just trying to snag a quick memory! Contrary to the previous statement, this first photo I took because it was so touching. I was snapping a few photos trying to dial in my settings and white balance when just as I nailed the settings I look to see where my friend Shelbie was and VOILA!!! I had to capture this moment and I think I did. It is such a natural photo with beauty and emotion saturating the picture from corner to corner. The lighting and setting was perfect along with her posture; allowing for the picture to really come together perfectly to give me what I think is one of my best shots thus far. 

Shot with Canon Rebel XTi 

ISO 200 f/4 1/320sec @ 27mm

Rebel XTi

ISO 100 f/3.5 1/50sec @ 18mm

Aside from these two photos, fog can really change your photos according to the time of day and the location. It is especially good to use when the suns rays can be seen through the fog. It can provide a mystic emotion to the pictures. In the next upcoming weeks I am going to try and provide you all with more pictures with the different ways fog can be used. Thanks for reading and check back for more blogs. 

What Sparked This Idea

Well everyone, this is my very first blog I am writing specifically for my present and future fans. To start, let me say thanks for even finding and taking the time to take interest in my ideas and my blog. Now that the mushy part is over... Lets begin with why I am starting this whole photography deal here. A few weeks ago, I found myself really down in the slumps with a lot of things in my life. Anyway, one morning I just woke up and realized that I had a little free time and decided to once again pic up my camera and venture out to snag some photos of the surrounding areas. I mean gosh, I live by the beach! C'mon! There is so much talent and such beauty surrounding me in Long Beach and Orange County. I come from a place where this stuff is hidden or but an idea to some. I decided to start sharing with the world where I live... I want to show people what I see here. I want to show that there is more to this area besides the coast itself. I wanted to take photos of people doing things they love to do; whether its surfing, skating, modeling, even just living... I want to show the highs and lows of this area. I love Long Beach and want to show everyone what it really is all about and the same goes for the Orange County area.

Long Beach, used to be a very broken place filled with poverty and a sky high crime rate. Since then, it has completely transformed into an oasis of beauty and one of the most diverse areas in the world. Every ethnicity can be found, every kind of background is present in Long Beach's finest. Orange County is no different in any sense. There is an amazing amount of talent to be found everywhere from the beaches to the Tuesday night street fair on Main St. in Huntington Beach. Music and all sorts of talent fill the air and walk the streets in Orange County. Now that I am going off on a tangent here, let me bring us back to the reason I am taking the step to pursue this idea of mine. I was in a rocky area in my life with so much at stake and I finally decided to do something for me. Something that I thought would be good for me and everyone else who wished to follow. I was sick of feeling low, like crap, and alone. I wanted to do something that I wanted to. I dug deep into my thoughts and experiences of the past and pieced back together what I remember making me who I was then. I decided to actually go big and follow through with something I really want to do. This now brings me to where I am at now at this very moment.

After collaborating with a few friends and using the resources that I have, I learned how to build a website and how to blog. In the upcoming weeks I will be working with her to provide exceptional photos and helping her expand in the process through photography. I am starting with free photo shoots to anyone in the area. I want to be able to provide free to no-cost service to anyone who wants photos of themselves or of any area of their interest. Photography is an art and I am an artist. A close friend of mine who is also a photographer in the area, Scott Borrero (SBPhotog.weebly.com) is working with me in the process in building this business. We should be coming together soon to join each other and have a very diverse and dynamic style of shooting. Initially I will be starting with a focus on action sports photography, head shots, and modeling. If you know anyone who is willing to model and work with really good and down-to-earth people, send them my way. I am looking forward to getting things rolling and showing the world what art is in my eyes. The camera is set, the lights are up and the stage is set for me and who ever else is willing to jump on board with this. Thank you for reading and keep an eye out for future blogs to follow me on my journey. Subscribe!!!