Behind the Scenes - The Making of the Peeps Diorama

Just in case anyone is dying of curiosity, here's what the setup looked like for shooting my Peeps diorama:

• The backdrop is a 2x3' poster made from a real photo at the University of Chicago; the photo was shot in November, so I changed the sky in Photoshop using a nice blue sky image shot from an airplane window
• I used a wide-angle lens set to 17mm
• The tripod was critical, as I used a long 5 second exposure, triggered via a countdown timer
• I adjusted the tripod to get a low angle, slightly above the scene; I then adjusted the poster's vertical position so the gate in the distance aligned with the converging path
• My flash was not attached - I held it in my hand and manually triggered it during the 5 second exposure. The flash was pointed up toward the 8' ceiling in the room, providing a lot of great bounce light

Of course the family cat below the diorama served as my studio assistant - but for your own diorama, this would be completely optional.

When it comes to Peeps, art imitates life

It was the most delightful frivolity I've had in quite some time.  Responding to the University of Chicago Magazine's call for Peeps Dioramas was quite cathartic, actually. The challenge was to represent some aspect of the life of UoC. Of course all I could do is share a parent's perspective - a special memory of mine, now emblazoned in my memory in more ways than one:

"Now We Must Divide"

There are few milestones quite as memorable as when your child, now grown, heads off to college. As a parent of a Class of ’10 alum, that unforgettable moment occurred when the Dean of the College declared on Opening Day, 'Now we must divide…' The students all marched forward through the gate into their future as yet unknown, while the parents stood to the side, with Kleenex in hand, watching history unfold. In the background the air was filled with emotional tones from the Scottish bag-peeps. - JV

"Now We Must Divide" - University of Chicago Magazine 2011 Peeps Diorama Contest - Honorable Mention

Many thanks to the University of Chicago for the opportunity to share a memory - and hopefully a few laughs, too. Thanks for the "honorable mention", too.

The full article is available from the University of Chicago Magazine blog, and additional entries are posted on their Flickr set entitled "Peeple's Choice, 2011".

Frohe Ostern!

 

I made this photo into an Easter card for some German friends. It turns out, according to our friends, that the daffodil is a favorite Easter flower in Germany (similar to the popularity of the Easter Lily in the US). In fact, the daffodil is referred to as "die Osterglocke" (the Easter Bell)!

Whichever flower you celebrate with, I wish you a joyful and hope-filled Easter...

Every photo has a story

Speaking of the Golden Gate Bridge, this particular photo has a story:

We pulled up and parked in front of the breakwater at Fort Point (below the south end of the bridge). It's a great view, and this sea gull seemed more than happy to oblige me with a few photos. With the shutter speed set to capture the sea spray in mid flight, I was having a wonderful time.

...until the bird flew away! I thought to myself, "No, wait! I want to get one more..." but my thought was cut short by an enormous splash of water that hit my car, me (and miraculously, not my camera).

It turns out the sea gulls are not as stupid as one might think - and that it was not posing for me. Unlike me, the gull was carefully watching the incoming waves, and spotted the pending disaster that I was soon to receive.

Lesson #1: Never turn your back on the ocean
Lesson #2: Pay attention to what the subject is telling you. If the subject runs away, assume there is a good reason

Ah, the Golden Gate

Is it ever possible to get tired of taking pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge? So far, the answer is "no"...

I'm still discovering different angles and different lighting, and every day (and night) brings new possibilities:

If you've seen or have taken a great shot of the Golden Gate Bridge, please leave me a comment and link. I'd love to see your favorite "take" on this magnificent icon of San Francisco...

A Beautiful Day at the Pinnacles

It was a beautiful day at Pinnacles National Monument - just what we needed to rest our souls and reflect a little. I hope you enjoy some of the photos from our walk:

The wonderful thing about the Pinnacles in the spring is 1) it isn't blazing hot yet, and 2) there is a lot of beauty beyond the pinnacles themselves.

Ahhhh....