Never center the subject!  Everyone knows that rule.

I don’t like rules and I don’t like being told what to do.  So I was taken aback when someone told me that my image of the Angel Gabriel (Click Here) didn’t work because Gabriel was centered.  I had to disagree, that’s exactly why the image works!

I created the image above last week in San Diego, at LaJolla cove, its title is “Opposition in all Things.”  Yes, I know it’s centered, and yes I know that breaks the rules!  It’s not a masterpiece, but part of it’s charm (in my opinion) is that it’s centered.  I like it like that.

I do readily admit that I’ve had this fascination with centering subjects for more than a year now, and I quite expect that I’ll have a new fixation next year.  That’s okay, but what’s not okay is not trying something because of some dumb rule.

There are lots of “rules” in photography and I’m not sure who declared them rules, but I like to think of them as “vague suggestions.”  Sure they might make sense some of the time, maybe even most of the time, but certainly not all of the time!

If you’re ever going to find your own style (and for me that’s what it’s all about) then you must not follow the rules.  A fun exercise is to deliberately go out and break some rules.  A few suggestions are:

*  Wear plaids and stripes together

*  Run with scizzors in your hands

*  Go out into the WalMart parking lot and cry Wolf!

*  Center your images

*  Look in the mirror and say “I will ignore the rule of thirds”

If you’re looking for “Kodak Moment” then follow the rules.  But if you’re looking to create killer images, ones that grab and hold your attention, then break the rules and see what you get.  You might be surprised.

Cole

I just drove down to Las Cruces, NM for an exhibit of my work at the Preston Contemporary Art Center.  I was there for a week and had a fantastic time; the Preston Center is new and UNBELIEVABLY nice, the town is small, friendly and warm (it was 68 degrees one day) and it’s extremely affordable.

I had some good luck with my art while there and think I might have added a couple new images to my Harbinger series.  Above is an image I created of a Pecan orchard at dusk.

If you’d like to get away for a few days this winter, consider Las Cruces.  I think it’s about to be “discovered.”

Cole

Why is there so much cancer around us?  Is there really an increase in cancer rates or is it just talked about more?  Is it safe to microwave plastic ware?  Does organic food really help to prevent cancer?

I have so many friends, family members and associates with cancer that I ask myself these and many other questions.  Yes, we’ve improved the treatments for cancer, but it so often seems to come back.  Our treatments don’t seem to be addressing the root causes of the disease.

When I was a teen in 1971 we declared war on cancer, I think 20 years was the goal.  It’s been almost 40 years now and the cure still seems to elude us.

I had the chance to photograph a friend who has cancer, had a masectomy and is undergoing treatment.  These photographs are about the human side of the disease.

This portfolio is entitled “Linnie, a Portrait of Cancer.”

View the Portfolio

I just returned from a trip to Southern California and Death Valley.  I created a few images and had the best luck in Death Valley.  I hadn’t been for years and what a treat to travel there in the low season, there were extremely few people and mild 70 degree days.  It was a treat!

The image above was taken at Zabrinski Point, perhaps the most photographed location in Death Valley.  I’ve seen photographs of the photographers at Zabrinski point and they are packed in like sardines waiting for the sunrise.  When I was there, there wasn’t a single soul there, photographer or otherwise.

What impressed me most about Death Valley is how time stands still there.  The tentative title of the image above is “Time No. 1″

More images are coming from this great trip, so watch for the newsletter.  If you’re not receiving it, you can read past issues or sign up HERE.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Cole

Well folks, it looks like this blog has evaporated into cyberspace.  Sorry about that!

Primordial Soup – Bullard’s Beach, OR – 2008

I consider this my best image from the Bandon, Oregon trip.  It’s a 30 second exposure of the ocean and a swirling pool caught on the beach.  When using long exposures, you have to try a variety to get that exact right look.

This was taken using my Canon 1Ds Mark III and using my Vari-ND 8 stop filter along with a stacked Mor-Slow 5 stop ND filter.  These 13 stops of Neutral Density (ND) allow me to shoot at 30 seconds under the brightest conditions.  There are many challenges however, including holding the camera still for that long and people walking into your image.

View the other Oregon images

This is the Angel Gabriel.  I met him on the Newport Beach pier as he was eating French Fries out of a trash can.  He was homeless and hungry.  I asked him if he would help me with a photograph and in return, I would buy him lunch.

The pier was very crowded and I wanted to take a 30 second exposure so that everyone would disappear except Gabriel.  We tried a few shots and then Gabriel wanted to mess up his hair and hold his bible.  The image worked and the only people you can see besides Gabriel are those “ghosts” who lingered long enough for the camera.

Gabriel and I then went into a restaurant to share a meal; he ordered steak with mushrooms and onions.  When it came, he ate it with his hands.  I discovered he was Romanian and so am I, so we talked about Romania.  He was simple, kind and a pleasure to talk with.

I asked Gabriel how I might contact him, in case I sold some of the photographs and wanted to share the money with him.  He said I should give the money to someone who could really use it; that he had everything that he needed.

Then the Angel Gabriel walked away, content and carrying his only two possessions: a Bible and a bed roll.