Photography and Wordpress, CSS, PHP, Photoshop and Dreamweaver Tutorials by Chase Adams » Photography

Puerto Vallarta:The Unnamed Pup

chase_adams — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:39:35 +0000

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
There is no telling if the dogs in Puerto Vallarta are free range or if they actually belong to someone. Everywhere you go in the city there are dogs that just…roam.

The Horse from Cofer Ranch

chase_adams — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:46:14 +0000

A horse is a horse, of course, of course, UNLESS it’s from Cofer Ranch. From a Collection of “Cofer Ranch: A Buffalo’s Home” Photographs.

Black Diamond Climbing Rope & Omega Pacific Quickdraws

chase_adams — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:25:12 +0000

For all of my fellow (twitter) climbers: First glance of a “product” shoot I did for my Black Diamond Climbing Rope & Omega Pacific Quickdraws.

Digital photography is killing me.

chase_adams — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:16:08 +0000

I have a confession: Digital photography is killing me.

I am torn between appreciation for the format and the incredible boom of people who are beginning to make their way into “professional photography”. I can’t say that I remember what it was like to be a professional photographer, because my experience as a professional before digital was confined to photoshop manipulation & level adjustments for Mylinda Knittel, owner/operator of Spring Street Studios.

Before that, however, I was what I would consider a good photographer. As a teenager I used a camera that was completely manual with exception of a light meter and I had a solid grasp on composition. It was hard to take photographs worthy of people’s wall. Now it seems that anyone can take a good photograph by simply pointing the lens in the right direction, and the camera does the rest.

Honestly, when I think hard about it, I really loath the idea that any Joe off the street can go lay down $500 and have the ability to take photographs for profit, when they don’t even know what “shutter speed”, “aperture”, or ISO mean.

Am I the only one who feels this way? Is it right to feel this way?

Apalachicola: The Last Great Bay, My First Photography Project

chase_adams — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:09:29 +0000

Remember when you used to have to load a camera with a little circular object called, “film”. I do. This is a small sample of photographs that were taken close to 10 years ago. They were shot on an old Nikon F2 (from the ’70s) 35 mm with iso 400 film. My family has always taken trips to St. George Island for vacation, and everytime we go I find something new to photograph. This is the fruit of my very first photography project from High School. It’s amazing to see how much my style has evolved, as well as how much the camera itself has evolved.

Cliffs of St. George

The “cliffs” in this picture were only about 3 feet high, but being able to take the picture from a low angle, and no people on the beach make it appear much more cliff-like than it actually was.

Shrimp Boat

This shrimp boat was docked in Appalachicola Bay, the last great bay of America.

Castles in the Sand

One of the most enjoyable pass-times of my father’s at the beach is building “unusual” sandcastles. This one was of his greatest works. It almost looks as if it is a real castle built in the bluffs of the Sea.

Rusted Chain

When I first saw this rusted chain I knew it deserved to be photographed. It has so much “character” and tells a much larger story of time & the Sea.

Rusted Chain: Alternate

Another view of the same character rich chain.

The Leica Project

chase_adams — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:35:29 +0000

I love photographs. They’re the only way I can consistently express myself to others. I can convey the beauty I see in life and it’s supporting cast simply by being in the right place at the right time. I get excited adjusting the aperture and shutter speed to get the right exposure, color & focus necessary to make the photograph uniquely my own.

Recently someone very close to me told me, “anyone can take good photographs.” I didn’t know how to respond. It was the one thing I always believed was a skill only practiced well by someone with technique and an eye for composition.

Although months have passed since that conversation, the statement has burned this question into my mind: Do I REALLY have a gift or is it something anyone can just “do”? Do I even have the gift?

I’ve decided to put down my fancy camera for a month. No bells, no whistles…Just my iPhone and an old Leica 35mm film camera. The Leica was a gift from my grandfather. He gave me an old photograph of him taken when he was my age that was taken with the very camera. I want to stretch myself and see if I have what it takes. I’ll put up a new roll every week, and see what I’m really made of.

Note: I am TRULY grateful FOR & TO the person who told me that.

PhotoJournal: North Ponto, Carlsbad, CA

chase_adams — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:48:08 +0000

I love California. Between the beautiful beaches littered with sea smoothed stones, the desert climbing (J Tree) & scrub brush, Rubio’s Fish Tacos & Jamba Juice’s Smoothies, you can’t go wrong. On my most recent trip to Cali, I went with my Fiancee (Jackie) & her brother Jonny to North Ponto Beach. The colors were majestic with the high rich “rusty” red cliffs meeting a white, sandy beach with smooth stones in all shapes & colors finally all filing into the beautiful blue hue that deepened in darkness as the sea went further out. I love California.

Jonny R.
Jonny lives the dream. He goes barefoot most everywhere, rocks the tanktop like it’s his business & surfs to his hearts content. I went to take some pictures from the jetty with my Canon 5d Mark ii and a Tamron 28-200mm zoom lens, and the pictures turned out pretty good. I won’t say I would turn down a water housing to have been IN the surf to snap some shots, but it turned out that I couldn’t even FIND one within an hour’s drive of Carlsbad. I was amazed. I won’t make that trip again without the water housing.