phawkinsphoto's PhotoBlog

Aloha Puff

2009-11-23T05:37:36Z

Peter, Paul and Mary sung about Puff the magic dragon living near Hanalei on the Hawaiian Island of Kaua’i in the early 60’s, I grew up listening to the song. Some thirty years later while on vacation with my wife on Moloka’i Puff worked his magic on a Hawaiian sunset. The thing is for several years I just saw a nice sunset until one day someone pointed out that I had a photo of him. ..... Aloha Puff

Kiss Rule

2009-11-19T06:12:26Z

For almost 30 years I have followed a simple rule in my photography. The kiss rule “keep it simple stupid”! From time to time when things are not working well for me I just have to remind myself os this simple rule. The great part is it is not just limited to the art of photography, When I apply it in every day life things just seem better.

Photography is my passion. -Alfred Stieglitz

2009-11-14T05:09:01Z

new images

2009-11-10T06:10:13Z

I've just uploaded some new images to my website! Follow this link to the New images section to see what I've posted http://www.phawkinsphoto.com/#a=0&at=0&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=0&p=0

Duluth Harbor

2009-11-07T06:00:04Z

Duluth, Minnesota is the worlds furthest inland sea port. Vessels from around the world visit each year to load grain, the port ships mostly Taconite pellets to the steel mills down the lakes. Taconite contains iron ore and is brought to Duluth from the Masabe iron range by ore trains. While many goods are shipped in and out of the Duluth Harbor its main good is Taconite. There is a new challenger that could out do Taconite some day, Giant Wind Machines and I mean the big ones. Each blade leaves the port on it’s own oversized truck, So just the blades and turbine take a minimum of four trucks to get from the port of Duluth to its final destination.

Are we really a better photographers?

2009-11-03T05:09:03Z

There are some subjects that I keep returning to year after year and some how I come away with new angles that I never thought of before. This is a result of personal and professional growth, the photographs I make present I could not have made before. These changes come out of more life experience and visual growth. What I mean by visual growth is that I spend a lot of time looking at other photographers work on the web both professionals and hobbyists, by doing this I hope to fine tune my own image making. If the last image we make is no better than one we have made in the past are we really a better photographers?

Roughing it Smoothly cover

2009-10-27T06:51:58Z

A new Cover Shot! The Motor home was added in to my fall color image.

Old Timers Cabin

2009-10-23T09:32:13Z

Digital photography has simplified a lot of what we do as photographers. It has made photo restoration much easier, and the ability of making a new image look old is a snap. The log structure was built by the C.C.C. back in the 1930’s and the my client was after a retro look for the building.

Ideas

2009-10-19T15:53:12Z

For many years I had this idea for a photograph of a stand of Birch trees in the fall. I have even tried the shot a half dozen times or so over the years, only to later look at the image and think that is not what I had in mind. Several failed attempts Of this idea all found their way to the trash. So the idea just simply stayed in my head until a couple of weeks ago. I was walking through one of the lager stands of Birch that I know of on my way back from photographing another subject. And there it was right in front of me, the image that matched my Idea perfectly. On this day I was very lucky, not only to have found the right location for the image but to have the perfect sky for it as well. I try to keep track of my image ideas in my head, and as a back up I have a folder on my laptop called shoot list (Ideas). I keep reading through these lists and adding to them constantly . I started my first list over twenty-five years ago, and I keep adding ideas and checking others off, The funny thing here is the lists never get shorter just longer. Years ago that first list got so long I had to split it into several shorter list. Today I keep list for every place I have ever been and even several places I want to go. I set my lists up geographically as well as by subject. For me that folder full of lists is invaluable in that there is no way to remember all of my ideas. As I read through them I some times think “What was I thinking” and other times I’ll say oh yea I know where I can make that image. Over the years I have heard of people writing their ideas down in note books, pads and blank books. The key is What ever works or you is the way to do it. and this method really works well for me.

1005

2009-10-16T06:44:47Z

1005 I seem to be drawn by old buildings, I have a hard time passing one by with out checking it out. Doors and windows on these buildings seem to have the most significant daw for me. Maybe its the weathering, the texture, who may have walked or looked through, I just know I am fascinated by them and probably always will be. This door “1005” is located on Route 66 in Tucumcari New Mexico, A town that has seen better days, and may see them again thanks to I-40. There are many towns, old farms, and buildings around this country just waiting to fall down, I just hope the most interesting ones can wait until I can photograph them, wishful thinking I know.