Tag: sense of place

Capturing a Sense of Place [Encore Publication]: A case study on how to integrate the natural surroundings into a creative photo shoot

Whether halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I strive to capture a strong sense of place in my work.  Most often we associate “sense of place” with images of indigenous people living close to the land, but this sensibility can be extended to incorporate the local natural surroundings into any creative images.  As I collaborate with local people close to my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m always seeking ways to integrate the intense beauty of our landscapes into my work.  Today’s post is a case study on this theme based on a recent shoot I did with a favorite movement practitioner, mia.

mia is an amazingly intuitive artist who improvises her movement by sensing the energy of the space around her, so we chose a glorious and deserted stretch of the central California coastline near sunset for our shoot.  We built in plenty of time, more than two hours, and I gave mia lots of space to move with very little direction on my part.  I had all my gear ready and was wearing beach attire myself so I could just let her create her art while following her and capturing her expressive movement using my own creative approach.

In the following images, presented as a photo essay with just brief captions explaining how they were made, I share the results of this collaboration.  You can view or purchase all of these images and many more in this gallery: mia beach shoot photo gallery.

My gear was simple: two camera bodies, one with a fast prime normal lens (and occasionally with a fast prime portrait lens), the other with a wide-angle zoom lens.  Obviously, these optics were selected so that I could alternate between capturing mia up close and documenting her motion within the broader environment.  All images were made with natural light only and were handheld.  A general piece of advice is to shoot lots of frames to ensure capturing your model during the moments when they express just the right sensibility, gesture, or emotion.  Memory card storage space is cheap and abundant, so always shoot more images than you think you need.

Using the wide-angle lens, I captured images of mia interacting with the space around her.  This “environmental portrait” technique helps create a strong sense of place.

Even with the glorious color palette of a California coastline near sunset, there were times I chose to render the images in black-and-white to achieve a timeless graphics art look.

Environmental portraits, full-body shots, and head shots are not the only options when shooting creative portraits.  Here I chose to capture only mia’s legs as she traced a circle in the wet sand.  Sometimes the part can be more interesting than the whole.

Shooting from a low angle just above the water, I captured a powerful vision of mia interacting with the ocean.  Obviously one has to be careful of one’s gear when choosing to shoot so close to salt water, but I love the resulting image made from this perspective.

Not every image needs to be tack sharp.  I like to create a sense of motion by using a slow shutter speed to blur the movement.  Here I was able to achieve a slow enough shutter speed by using my camera’s slowest native ISO setting along with a very small aperture setting, but sometimes in very bright light a neutral density filter has to be used.

Note that when shooting a backlit subject it is crucial to choose an exposure based on the light coming from the model rather than allowing your camera’s meter to choose the exposure for you (unless you are trying to create a silhouette).  Two techniques suitable for this situation are spot-metering on your subject’s body or dialing in at least two stops of exposure compensation.

As sunset approached, I shot a series of images using both wide-angle and closeup perspectives.  This shot nicely captures mia from a medium distance, close enough to see some detail in her expression while far enough away to include some sense of place.

The setting sun can evoke very powerful emotions.  It can be risky to include the sun in your images, so tread carefully.  Careless shooting into the sun can cause permanent damage to both the photographer’s eyes and the camera’s sensor.  This image was made moments before sunset under conditions I assessed to be safe, but if in doubt do not ever shoot into the sun.  

A wide-angle capture suggests mia’s celebratory motion as the sun sets, but she appears relatively small within this awe-inspiring natural environment.

At the moment of sunset, a parting shot is made where mia bids farewell to the day.  I chose an exposure partway between silhouette and spot-metering on mia’s body so as to show some detail on her expression while allowing the ocean and sky to shine.

I hope you’ve found these images to be inspiring and the associated tips to be helpful.  Now go out in your own neck of the woods make some images that integrate a sense of place into your favorite subjects!

Do you have techniques you use to infuse your local images with a strong sense of place?  Please share them here.

Want to read more posts about what to shoot while near home or traveling?  Find them all here: Posts about what to shoot.

Capturing a Sense of Place [Encore Publication]: A case study on how to integrate the natural surroundings into a creative photo shoot

Whether halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I strive to capture a strong sense of place in my work.  Most often we associate “sense of place” with images of indigenous people living close to the land, but this sensibility can be extended to incorporate the local natural surroundings into any creative images.  As I collaborate with local people close to my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m always seeking ways to integrate the intense beauty of our landscapes into my work.  Today’s post is a case study on this theme based on a recent shoot I did with a favorite movement practitioner, mia.

mia is an amazingly intuitive artist who improvises her movement by sensing the energy of the space around her, so we chose a glorious and deserted stretch of the central California coastline near sunset for our shoot.  We built in plenty of time, more than two hours, and I gave mia lots of space to move with very little direction on my part.  I had all my gear ready and was wearing beach attire myself so I could just let her create her art while following her and capturing her expressive movement using my own creative approach.

In the following images, presented as a photo essay with just brief captions explaining how they were made, I share the results of this collaboration.  You can view or purchase all of these images and many more in this gallery: mia beach shoot photo gallery.

My gear was simple: two camera bodies, one with a fast prime normal lens (and occasionally with a fast prime portrait lens), the other with a wide-angle zoom lens.  Obviously, these optics were selected so that I could alternate between capturing mia up close and documenting her motion within the broader environment.  All images were made with natural light only and were handheld.  A general piece of advice is to shoot lots of frames to ensure capturing your model during the moments when they express just the right sensibility, gesture, or emotion.  Memory card storage space is cheap and abundant, so always shoot more images than you think you need.

Using the wide-angle lens, I captured images of mia interacting with the space around her.  This “environmental portrait” technique helps create a strong sense of place.

Even with the glorious color palette of a California coastline near sunset, there were times I chose to render the images in black-and-white to achieve a timeless graphics art look.

Environmental portraits, full-body shots, and head shots are not the only options when shooting creative portraits.  Here I chose to capture only mia’s legs as she traced a circle in the wet sand.  Sometimes the part can be more interesting than the whole.

Shooting from a low angle just above the water, I captured a powerful vision of mia interacting with the ocean.  Obviously one has to be careful of one’s gear when choosing to shoot so close to salt water, but I love the resulting image made from this perspective.

Not every image needs to be tack sharp.  I like to create a sense of motion by using a slow shutter speed to blur the movement.  Here I was able to achieve a slow enough shutter speed by using my camera’s slowest native ISO setting along with a very small aperture setting, but sometimes in very bright light a neutral density filter has to be used.

Note that when shooting a backlit subject it is crucial to choose an exposure based on the light coming from the model rather than allowing your camera’s meter to choose the exposure for you (unless you are trying to create a silhouette).  Two techniques suitable for this situation are spot-metering on your subject’s body or dialing in at least two stops of exposure compensation.

As sunset approached, I shot a series of images using both wide-angle and closeup perspectives.  This shot nicely captures mia from a medium distance, close enough to see some detail in her expression while far enough away to include some sense of place.

The setting sun can evoke very powerful emotions.  It can be risky to include the sun in your images, so tread carefully.  Careless shooting into the sun can cause permanent damage to both the photographer’s eyes and the camera’s sensor.  This image was made moments before sunset under conditions I assessed to be safe, but if in doubt do not ever shoot into the sun.  

A wide-angle capture suggests mia’s celebratory motion as the sun sets, but she appears relatively small within this awe-inspiring natural environment.

At the moment of sunset, a parting shot is made where mia bids farewell to the day.  I chose an exposure partway between silhouette and spot-metering on mia’s body so as to show some detail on her expression while allowing the ocean and sky to shine.

I hope you’ve found these images to be inspiring and the associated tips to be helpful.  Now go out in your own neck of the woods make some images that integrate a sense of place into your favorite subjects!

Do you have techniques you use to infuse your local images with a strong sense of place?  Please share them here.

Want to read more posts about what to shoot while near home or traveling?  Find them all here: Posts about what to shoot.

Capturing a Sense of Place [Encore Publication]: A case study on how to integrate the natural surroundings into a creative photo shoot

Whether halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I strive to capture a strong sense of place in my work.  Most often we associate “sense of place” with images of indigenous people living close to the land, but this sensibility can be extended to incorporate the local natural surroundings into any creative images.  As I collaborate with local people close to my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m always seeking ways to integrate the intense beauty of our landscapes into my work.  Today’s post is a case study on this theme based on a recent shoot I did with a favorite movement practitioner, mia.

mia is an amazingly intuitive artist who improvises her movement by sensing the energy of the space around her, so we chose a glorious and deserted stretch of the central California coastline near sunset for our shoot.  We built in plenty of time, more than two hours, and I gave mia lots of space to move with very little direction on my part.  I had all my gear ready and was wearing beach attire myself so I could just let her create her art while following her and capturing her expressive movement using my own creative approach.

In the following images, presented as a photo essay with just brief captions explaining how they were made, I share the results of this collaboration.  You can view or purchase all of these images and many more in this gallery: mia beach shoot photo gallery.

My gear was simple: two camera bodies, one with a fast prime normal lens (and occasionally with a fast prime portrait lens), the other with a wide-angle zoom lens.  Obviously, these optics were selected so that I could alternate between capturing mia up close and documenting her motion within the broader environment.  All images were made with natural light only and were handheld.  A general piece of advice is to shoot lots of frames to ensure capturing your model during the moments when they express just the right sensibility, gesture, or emotion.  Memory card storage space is cheap and abundant, so always shoot more images than you think you need.

Using the wide-angle lens, I captured images of mia interacting with the space around her.  This “environmental portrait” technique helps create a strong sense of place.

Even with the glorious color palette of a California coastline near sunset, there were times I chose to render the images in black-and-white to achieve a timeless graphics art look.

Environmental portraits, full-body shots, and head shots are not the only options when shooting creative portraits.  Here I chose to capture only mia’s legs as she traced a circle in the wet sand.  Sometimes the part can be more interesting than the whole.

Shooting from a low angle just above the water, I captured a powerful vision of mia interacting with the ocean.  Obviously one has to be careful of one’s gear when choosing to shoot so close to salt water, but I love the resulting image made from this perspective.

Not every image needs to be tack sharp.  I like to create a sense of motion by using a slow shutter speed to blur the movement.  Here I was able to achieve a slow enough shutter speed by using my camera’s slowest native ISO setting along with a very small aperture setting, but sometimes in very bright light a neutral density filter has to be used.

Note that when shooting a backlit subject it is crucial to choose an exposure based on the light coming from the model rather than allowing your camera’s meter to choose the exposure for you (unless you are trying to create a silhouette).  Two techniques suitable for this situation are spot-metering on your subject’s body or dialing in at least two stops of exposure compensation.

As sunset approached, I shot a series of images using both wide-angle and closeup perspectives.  This shot nicely captures mia from a medium distance, close enough to see some detail in her expression while far enough away to include some sense of place.

The setting sun can evoke very powerful emotions.  It can be risky to include the sun in your images, so tread carefully.  Careless shooting into the sun can cause permanent damage to both the photographer’s eyes and the camera’s sensor.  This image was made moments before sunset under conditions I assessed to be safe, but if in doubt do not ever shoot into the sun.  

A wide-angle capture suggests mia’s celebratory motion as the sun sets, but she appears relatively small within this awe-inspiring natural environment.

At the moment of sunset, a parting shot is made where mia bids farewell to the day.  I chose an exposure partway between silhouette and spot-metering on mia’s body so as to show some detail on her expression while allowing the ocean and sky to shine.

I hope you’ve found these images to be inspiring and the associated tips to be helpful.  Now go out in your own neck of the woods make some images that integrate a sense of place into your favorite subjects!

Do you have techniques you use to infuse your local images with a strong sense of place?  Please share them here.

Want to read more posts about what to shoot while near home or traveling?  Find them all here: Posts about what to shoot.

Capturing a Sense of Place [Encore Publication]: A case study on how to integrate the natural surroundings into a creative photo shoot

Whether halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I strive to capture a strong sense of place in my work.  Most often we associate “sense of place” with images of indigenous people living close to the land, but this sensibility can be extended to incorporate the local natural surroundings into any creative images.  As I collaborate with local people close to my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m always seeking ways to integrate the intense beauty of our landscapes into my work.  Today’s post is a case study on this theme based on a recent shoot I did with a favorite movement practitioner, mia.

mia is an amazingly intuitive artist who improvises her movement by sensing the energy of the space around her, so we chose a glorious and deserted stretch of the central California coastline near sunset for our shoot.  We built in plenty of time, more than two hours, and I gave mia lots of space to move with very little direction on my part.  I had all my gear ready and was wearing beach attire myself so I could just let her create her art while following her and capturing her expressive movement using my own creative approach.

In the following images, presented as a photo essay with just brief captions explaining how they were made, I share the results of this collaboration.  You can view or purchase all of these images and many more in this gallery: mia beach shoot photo gallery.

My gear was simple: two camera bodies, one with a fast prime normal lens (and occasionally with a fast prime portrait lens), the other with a wide-angle zoom lens.  Obviously, these optics were selected so that I could alternate between capturing mia up close and documenting her motion within the broader environment.  All images were made with natural light only and were handheld.  A general piece of advice is to shoot lots of frames to ensure capturing your model during the moments when they express just the right sensibility, gesture, or emotion.  Memory card storage space is cheap and abundant, so always shoot more images than you think you need.

Using the wide-angle lens, I captured images of mia interacting with the space around her.  This “environmental portrait” technique helps create a strong sense of place.

Even with the glorious color palette of a California coastline near sunset, there were times I chose to render the images in black-and-white to achieve a timeless graphics art look.

Environmental portraits, full-body shots, and head shots are not the only options when shooting creative portraits.  Here I chose to capture only mia’s legs as she traced a circle in the wet sand.  Sometimes the part can be more interesting than the whole.

Shooting from a low angle just above the water, I captured a powerful vision of mia interacting with the ocean.  Obviously one has to be careful of one’s gear when choosing to shoot so close to salt water, but I love the resulting image made from this perspective.

Not every image needs to be tack sharp.  I like to create a sense of motion by using a slow shutter speed to blur the movement.  Here I was able to achieve a slow enough shutter speed by using my camera’s slowest native ISO setting along with a very small aperture setting, but sometimes in very bright light a neutral density filter has to be used.

Note that when shooting a backlit subject it is crucial to choose an exposure based on the light coming from the model rather than allowing your camera’s meter to choose the exposure for you (unless you are trying to create a silhouette).  Two techniques suitable for this situation are spot-metering on your subject’s body or dialing in at least two stops of exposure compensation.

As sunset approached, I shot a series of images using both wide-angle and closeup perspectives.  This shot nicely captures mia from a medium distance, close enough to see some detail in her expression while far enough away to include some sense of place.

The setting sun can evoke very powerful emotions.  It can be risky to include the sun in your images, so tread carefully.  Careless shooting into the sun can cause permanent damage to both the photographer’s eyes and the camera’s sensor.  This image was made moments before sunset under conditions I assessed to be safe, but if in doubt do not ever shoot into the sun.  

A wide-angle capture suggests mia’s celebratory motion as the sun sets, but she appears relatively small within this awe-inspiring natural environment.

At the moment of sunset, a parting shot is made where mia bids farewell to the day.  I chose an exposure partway between silhouette and spot-metering on mia’s body so as to show some detail on her expression while allowing the ocean and sky to shine.

I hope you’ve found these images to be inspiring and the associated tips to be helpful.  Now go out in your own neck of the woods make some images that integrate a sense of place into your favorite subjects!

Do you have techniques you use to infuse your local images with a strong sense of place?  Please share them here.

Want to read more posts about what to shoot while near home or traveling?  Find them all here: Posts about what to shoot.

Capturing a Sense of Place [Encore Publication]: A case study on how to integrate the natural surroundings into a creative photo shoot

Whether halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I strive to capture a strong sense of place in my work.  Most often we associate “sense of place” with images of indigenous people living close to the land, but this sensibility can be extended to incorporate the local natural surroundings into any creative images.  As I collaborate with local people close to my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m always seeking ways to integrate the intense beauty of our landscapes into my work.  Today’s post is a case study on this theme based on a recent shoot I did with a favorite movement practitioner, mia.

mia is an amazingly intuitive artist who improvises her movement by sensing the energy of the space around her, so we chose a glorious and deserted stretch of the central California coastline near sunset for our shoot.  We built in plenty of time, more than two hours, and I gave mia lots of space to move with very little direction on my part.  I had all my gear ready and was wearing beach attire myself so I could just let her create her art while following her and capturing her expressive movement using my own creative approach.

In the following images, presented as a photo essay with just brief captions explaining how they were made, I share the results of this collaboration.  You can view or purchase all of these images and many more in this gallery: mia beach shoot photo gallery.

My gear was simple: two camera bodies, one with a fast prime normal lens (and occasionally with a fast prime portrait lens), the other with a wide-angle zoom lens.  Obviously, these optics were selected so that I could alternate between capturing mia up close and documenting her motion within the broader environment.  All images were made with natural light only and were handheld.  A general piece of advice is to shoot lots of frames to ensure capturing your model during the moments when they express just the right sensibility, gesture, or emotion.  Memory card storage space is cheap and abundant, so always shoot more images than you think you need.

Using the wide-angle lens, I captured images of mia interacting with the space around her.  This “environmental portrait” technique helps create a strong sense of place.

Even with the glorious color palette of a California coastline near sunset, there were times I chose to render the images in black-and-white to achieve a timeless graphics art look.

Environmental portraits, full-body shots, and head shots are not the only options when shooting creative portraits.  Here I chose to capture only mia’s legs as she traced a circle in the wet sand.  Sometimes the part can be more interesting than the whole.

Shooting from a low angle just above the water, I captured a powerful vision of mia interacting with the ocean.  Obviously one has to be careful of one’s gear when choosing to shoot so close to salt water, but I love the resulting image made from this perspective.

Not every image needs to be tack sharp.  I like to create a sense of motion by using a slow shutter speed to blur the movement.  Here I was able to achieve a slow enough shutter speed by using my camera’s slowest native ISO setting along with a very small aperture setting, but sometimes in very bright light a neutral density filter has to be used.

Note that when shooting a backlit subject it is crucial to choose an exposure based on the light coming from the model rather than allowing your camera’s meter to choose the exposure for you (unless you are trying to create a silhouette).  Two techniques suitable for this situation are spot-metering on your subject’s body or dialing in at least two stops of exposure compensation.

As sunset approached, I shot a series of images using both wide-angle and closeup perspectives.  This shot nicely captures mia from a medium distance, close enough to see some detail in her expression while far enough away to include some sense of place.

The setting sun can evoke very powerful emotions.  It can be risky to include the sun in your images, so tread carefully.  Careless shooting into the sun can cause permanent damage to both the photographer’s eyes and the camera’s sensor.  This image was made moments before sunset under conditions I assessed to be safe, but if in doubt do not ever shoot into the sun.  

A wide-angle capture suggests mia’s celebratory motion as the sun sets, but she appears relatively small within this awe-inspiring natural environment.

At the moment of sunset, a parting shot is made where mia bids farewell to the day.  I chose an exposure partway between silhouette and spot-metering on mia’s body so as to show some detail on her expression while allowing the ocean and sky to shine.

I hope you’ve found these images to be inspiring and the associated tips to be helpful.  Now go out in your own neck of the woods make some images that integrate a sense of place into your favorite subjects!

Do you have techniques you use to infuse your local images with a strong sense of place?  Please share them here.

Want to read more posts about what to shoot while near home or traveling?  Find them all here: Posts about what to shoot.

Capturing a Sense of Place [Encore Publication]: A case study on how to integrate the natural surroundings into a creative photo shoot

Whether halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I strive to capture a strong sense of place in my work.  Most often we associate “sense of place” with images of indigenous people living close to the land, but this sensibility can be extended to incorporate the local natural surroundings into any creative images.  As I collaborate with local people close to my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m always seeking ways to integrate the intense beauty of our landscapes into my work.  Today’s post is a case study on this theme based on a recent shoot I did with a favorite movement practitioner, mia.

mia is an amazingly intuitive artist who improvises her movement by sensing the energy of the space around her, so we chose a glorious and deserted stretch of the central California coastline near sunset for our shoot.  We built in plenty of time, more than two hours, and I gave mia lots of space to move with very little direction on my part.  I had all my gear ready and was wearing beach attire myself so I could just let her create her art while following her and capturing her expressive movement using my own creative approach.

In the following images, presented as a photo essay with just brief captions explaining how they were made, I share the results of this collaboration.  You can view or purchase all of these images and many more in this gallery: mia beach shoot photo gallery.

My gear was simple: two camera bodies, one with a fast prime normal lens (and occasionally with a fast prime portrait lens), the other with a wide-angle zoom lens.  Obviously, these optics were selected so that I could alternate between capturing mia up close and documenting her motion within the broader environment.  All images were made with natural light only and were handheld.  A general piece of advice is to shoot lots of frames to ensure capturing your model during the moments when they express just the right sensibility, gesture, or emotion.  Memory card storage space is cheap and abundant, so always shoot more images than you think you need.

Using the wide-angle lens, I captured images of mia interacting with the space around her.  This “environmental portrait” technique helps create a strong sense of place.

Even with the glorious color palette of a California coastline near sunset, there were times I chose to render the images in black-and-white to achieve a timeless graphics art look.

Environmental portraits, full-body shots, and head shots are not the only options when shooting creative portraits.  Here I chose to capture only mia’s legs as she traced a circle in the wet sand.  Sometimes the part can be more interesting than the whole.

Shooting from a low angle just above the water, I captured a powerful vision of mia interacting with the ocean.  Obviously one has to be careful of one’s gear when choosing to shoot so close to salt water, but I love the resulting image made from this perspective.

Not every image needs to be tack sharp.  I like to create a sense of motion by using a slow shutter speed to blur the movement.  Here I was able to achieve a slow enough shutter speed by using my camera’s slowest native ISO setting along with a very small aperture setting, but sometimes in very bright light a neutral density filter has to be used.

Note that when shooting a backlit subject it is crucial to choose an exposure based on the light coming from the model rather than allowing your camera’s meter to choose the exposure for you (unless you are trying to create a silhouette).  Two techniques suitable for this situation are spot-metering on your subject’s body or dialing in at least two stops of exposure compensation.

As sunset approached, I shot a series of images using both wide-angle and closeup perspectives.  This shot nicely captures mia from a medium distance, close enough to see some detail in her expression while far enough away to include some sense of place.

The setting sun can evoke very powerful emotions.  It can be risky to include the sun in your images, so tread carefully.  Careless shooting into the sun can cause permanent damage to both the photographer’s eyes and the camera’s sensor.  This image was made moments before sunset under conditions I assessed to be safe, but if in doubt do not ever shoot into the sun.  

A wide-angle capture suggests mia’s celebratory motion as the sun sets, but she appears relatively small within this awe-inspiring natural environment.

At the moment of sunset, a parting shot is made where mia bids farewell to the day.  I chose an exposure partway between silhouette and spot-metering on mia’s body so as to show some detail on her expression while allowing the ocean and sky to shine.

I hope you’ve found these images to be inspiring and the associated tips to be helpful.  Now go out in your own neck of the woods make some images that integrate a sense of place into your favorite subjects!

Do you have techniques you use to infuse your local images with a strong sense of place?  Please share them here.

Want to read more posts about what to shoot while near home or traveling?  Find them all here: Posts about what to shoot.

Capturing a Sense of Place [Encore Publication]: A case study on how to integrate the natural surroundings into a creative photo shoot

Whether halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I strive to capture a strong sense of place in my work.  Most often we associate “sense of place” with images of indigenous people living close to the land, but this sensibility can be extended to incorporate the local natural surroundings into any creative images.  As I collaborate with local people close to my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m always seeking ways to integrate the intense beauty of our landscapes into my work.  Today’s post is a case study on this theme based on a recent shoot I did with a favorite movement practitioner, mia.

mia is an amazingly intuitive artist who improvises her movement by sensing the energy of the space around her, so we chose a glorious and deserted stretch of the central California coastline near sunset for our shoot.  We built in plenty of time, more than two hours, and I gave mia lots of space to move with very little direction on my part.  I had all my gear ready and was wearing beach attire myself so I could just let her create her art while following her and capturing her expressive movement using my own creative approach.

In the following images, presented as a photo essay with just brief captions explaining how they were made, I share the results of this collaboration.  You can view or purchase all of these images and many more in this gallery: mia beach shoot photo gallery.

My gear was simple: two camera bodies, one with a fast prime normal lens (and occasionally with a fast prime portrait lens), the other with a wide-angle zoom lens.  Obviously, these optics were selected so that I could alternate between capturing mia up close and documenting her motion within the broader environment.  All images were made with natural light only and were handheld.  A general piece of advice is to shoot lots of frames to ensure capturing your model during the moments when they express just the right sensibility, gesture, or emotion.  Memory card storage space is cheap and abundant, so always shoot more images than you think you need.

Using the wide-angle lens, I captured images of mia interacting with the space around her.  This “environmental portrait” technique helps create a strong sense of place.

Even with the glorious color palette of a California coastline near sunset, there were times I chose to render the images in black-and-white to achieve a timeless graphics art look.

Environmental portraits, full-body shots, and head shots are not the only options when shooting creative portraits.  Here I chose to capture only mia’s legs as she traced a circle in the wet sand.  Sometimes the part can be more interesting than the whole.

Shooting from a low angle just above the water, I captured a powerful vision of mia interacting with the ocean.  Obviously one has to be careful of one’s gear when choosing to shoot so close to salt water, but I love the resulting image made from this perspective.

Not every image needs to be tack sharp.  I like to create a sense of motion by using a slow shutter speed to blur the movement.  Here I was able to achieve a slow enough shutter speed by using my camera’s slowest native ISO setting along with a very small aperture setting, but sometimes in very bright light a neutral density filter has to be used.

Note that when shooting a backlit subject it is crucial to choose an exposure based on the light coming from the model rather than allowing your camera’s meter to choose the exposure for you (unless you are trying to create a silhouette).  Two techniques suitable for this situation are spot-metering on your subject’s body or dialing in at least two stops of exposure compensation.

As sunset approached, I shot a series of images using both wide-angle and closeup perspectives.  This shot nicely captures mia from a medium distance, close enough to see some detail in her expression while far enough away to include some sense of place.

The setting sun can evoke very powerful emotions.  It can be risky to include the sun in your images, so tread carefully.  Careless shooting into the sun can cause permanent damage to both the photographer’s eyes and the camera’s sensor.  This image was made moments before sunset under conditions I assessed to be safe, but if in doubt do not ever shoot into the sun.  

A wide-angle capture suggests mia’s celebratory motion as the sun sets, but she appears relatively small within this awe-inspiring natural environment.

At the moment of sunset, a parting shot is made where mia bids farewell to the day.  I chose an exposure partway between silhouette and spot-metering on mia’s body so as to show some detail on her expression while allowing the ocean and sky to shine.

I hope you’ve found these images to be inspiring and the associated tips to be helpful.  Now go out in your own neck of the woods make some images that integrate a sense of place into your favorite subjects!

Do you have techniques you use to infuse your local images with a strong sense of place?  Please share them here.

Want to read more posts about what to shoot while near home or traveling?  Find them all here: Posts about what to shoot.

Capturing a Sense of Place [Encore Publication]: A case study on how to integrate the natural surroundings into a creative photo shoot

Whether halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I strive to capture a strong sense of place in my work.  Most often we associate “sense of place” with images of indigenous people living close to the land, but this sensibility can be extended to incorporate the local natural surroundings into any creative images.  As I collaborate with local people close to my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m always seeking ways to integrate the intense beauty of our landscapes into my work.  Today’s post is a case study on this theme based on a recent shoot I did with a favorite movement practitioner, mia.

mia is an amazingly intuitive artist who improvises her movement by sensing the energy of the space around her, so we chose a glorious and deserted stretch of the central California coastline near sunset for our shoot.  We built in plenty of time, more than two hours, and I gave mia lots of space to move with very little direction on my part.  I had all my gear ready and was wearing beach attire myself so I could just let her create her art while following her and capturing her expressive movement using my own creative approach.

In the following images, presented as a photo essay with just brief captions explaining how they were made, I share the results of this collaboration.  You can view or purchase all of these images and many more in this gallery: mia beach shoot photo gallery.

My gear was simple: two camera bodies, one with a fast prime normal lens (and occasionally with a fast prime portrait lens), the other with a wide-angle zoom lens.  Obviously, these optics were selected so that I could alternate between capturing mia up close and documenting her motion within the broader environment.  All images were made with natural light only and were handheld.  A general piece of advice is to shoot lots of frames to ensure capturing your model during the moments when they express just the right sensibility, gesture, or emotion.  Memory card storage space is cheap and abundant, so always shoot more images than you think you need.

Using the wide-angle lens, I captured images of mia interacting with the space around her.  This “environmental portrait” technique helps create a strong sense of place.

Even with the glorious color palette of a California coastline near sunset, there were times I chose to render the images in black-and-white to achieve a timeless graphics art look.

Environmental portraits, full-body shots, and head shots are not the only options when shooting creative portraits.  Here I chose to capture only mia’s legs as she traced a circle in the wet sand.  Sometimes the part can be more interesting than the whole.

Shooting from a low angle just above the water, I captured a powerful vision of mia interacting with the ocean.  Obviously one has to be careful of one’s gear when choosing to shoot so close to salt water, but I love the resulting image made from this perspective.

Not every image needs to be tack sharp.  I like to create a sense of motion by using a slow shutter speed to blur the movement.  Here I was able to achieve a slow enough shutter speed by using my camera’s slowest native ISO setting along with a very small aperture setting, but sometimes in very bright light a neutral density filter has to be used.

Note that when shooting a backlit subject it is crucial to choose an exposure based on the light coming from the model rather than allowing your camera’s meter to choose the exposure for you (unless you are trying to create a silhouette).  Two techniques suitable for this situation are spot-metering on your subject’s body or dialing in at least two stops of exposure compensation.

As sunset approached, I shot a series of images using both wide-angle and closeup perspectives.  This shot nicely captures mia from a medium distance, close enough to see some detail in her expression while far enough away to include some sense of place.

The setting sun can evoke very powerful emotions.  It can be risky to include the sun in your images, so tread carefully.  Careless shooting into the sun can cause permanent damage to both the photographer’s eyes and the camera’s sensor.  This image was made moments before sunset under conditions I assessed to be safe, but if in doubt do not ever shoot into the sun.  

A wide-angle capture suggests mia’s celebratory motion as the sun sets, but she appears relatively small within this awe-inspiring natural environment.

At the moment of sunset, a parting shot is made where mia bids farewell to the day.  I chose an exposure partway between silhouette and spot-metering on mia’s body so as to show some detail on her expression while allowing the ocean and sky to shine.

I hope you’ve found these images to be inspiring and the associated tips to be helpful.  Now go out in your own neck of the woods make some images that integrate a sense of place into your favorite subjects!

Do you have techniques you use to infuse your local images with a strong sense of place?  Please share them here.

Want to read more posts about what to shoot while near home or traveling?  Find them all here: Posts about what to shoot.

Capturing a Sense of Place [Encore Publication]: A case study on how to integrate the natural surroundings into a creative photo shoot

Whether halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I strive to capture a strong sense of place in my work.  Most often we associate “sense of place” with images of indigenous people living close to the land, but this sensibility can be extended to incorporate the local natural surroundings into any creative images.  As I collaborate with local people close to my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m always seeking ways to integrate the intense beauty of our landscapes into my work.  Today’s post is a case study on this theme based on a recent shoot I did with a favorite movement practitioner, mia.

mia is an amazingly intuitive artist who improvises her movement by sensing the energy of the space around her, so we chose a glorious and deserted stretch of the central California coastline near sunset for our shoot.  We built in plenty of time, more than two hours, and I gave mia lots of space to move with very little direction on my part.  I had all my gear ready and was wearing beach attire myself so I could just let her create her art while following her and capturing her expressive movement using my own creative approach.

In the following images, presented as a photo essay with just brief captions explaining how they were made, I share the results of this collaboration.  You can view or purchase all of these images and many more in this gallery: mia beach shoot photo gallery.

My gear was simple: two camera bodies, one with a fast prime normal lens (and occasionally with a fast prime portrait lens), the other with a wide-angle zoom lens.  Obviously, these optics were selected so that I could alternate between capturing mia up close and documenting her motion within the broader environment.  All images were made with natural light only and were handheld.  A general piece of advice is to shoot lots of frames to ensure capturing your model during the moments when they express just the right sensibility, gesture, or emotion.  Memory card storage space is cheap and abundant, so always shoot more images than you think you need.

Using the wide-angle lens, I captured images of mia interacting with the space around her.  This “environmental portrait” technique helps create a strong sense of place.

Even with the glorious color palette of a California coastline near sunset, there were times I chose to render the images in black-and-white to achieve a timeless graphics art look.

Environmental portraits, full-body shots, and head shots are not the only options when shooting creative portraits.  Here I chose to capture only mia’s legs as she traced a circle in the wet sand.  Sometimes the part can be more interesting than the whole.

Shooting from a low angle just above the water, I captured a powerful vision of mia interacting with the ocean.  Obviously one has to be careful of one’s gear when choosing to shoot so close to salt water, but I love the resulting image made from this perspective.

Not every image needs to be tack sharp.  I like to create a sense of motion by using a slow shutter speed to blur the movement.  Here I was able to achieve a slow enough shutter speed by using my camera’s slowest native ISO setting along with a very small aperture setting, but sometimes in very bright light a neutral density filter has to be used.

Note that when shooting a backlit subject it is crucial to choose an exposure based on the light coming from the model rather than allowing your camera’s meter to choose the exposure for you (unless you are trying to create a silhouette).  Two techniques suitable for this situation are spot-metering on your subject’s body or dialing in at least two stops of exposure compensation.

As sunset approached, I shot a series of images using both wide-angle and closeup perspectives.  This shot nicely captures mia from a medium distance, close enough to see some detail in her expression while far enough away to include some sense of place.

The setting sun can evoke very powerful emotions.  It can be risky to include the sun in your images, so tread carefully.  Careless shooting into the sun can cause permanent damage to both the photographer’s eyes and the camera’s sensor.  This image was made moments before sunset under conditions I assessed to be safe, but if in doubt do not ever shoot into the sun.  

A wide-angle capture suggests mia’s celebratory motion as the sun sets, but she appears relatively small within this awe-inspiring natural environment.

At the moment of sunset, a parting shot is made where mia bids farewell to the day.  I chose an exposure partway between silhouette and spot-metering on mia’s body so as to show some detail on her expression while allowing the ocean and sky to shine.

I hope you’ve found these images to be inspiring and the associated tips to be helpful.  Now go out in your own neck of the woods make some images that integrate a sense of place into your favorite subjects!

Do you have techniques you use to infuse your local images with a strong sense of place?  Please share them here.

Want to read more posts about what to shoot while near home or traveling?  Find them all here: Posts about what to shoot.

Capturing a Sense of Place: A case study on how to integrate the natural surroundings into a creative photo shoot

Whether halfway around the world or in my own backyard, I strive to capture a strong sense of place in my work.  Most often we associate “sense of place” with images of indigenous people living close to the land, but this sensibility can be extended to incorporate the local natural surroundings into any creative images.  As I collaborate with local people close to my home in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’m always seeking ways to integrate the intense beauty of our landscapes into my work.  Today’s post is a case study on this theme based on a recent shoot I did with a favorite movement practitioner, mia.

mia is an amazingly intuitive artist who improvises her movement by sensing the energy of the space around her, so we chose a glorious and deserted stretch of the central California coastline near sunset for our shoot.  We built in plenty of time, more than two hours, and I gave mia lots of space to move with very little direction on my part.  I had all my gear ready and was wearing beach attire myself so I could just let her create her art while following her and capturing her expressive movement using my own creative approach.

In the following images, presented as a photo essay with just brief captions explaining how they were made, I share the results of this collaboration.  You can view or purchase all of these images and many more in this gallery: mia beach shoot photo gallery.

My gear was simple: two camera bodies, one with a fast prime normal lens (and occasionally with a fast prime portrait lens), the other with a wide-angle zoom lens.  Obviously, these optics were selected so that I could alternate between capturing mia up close and documenting her motion within the broader environment.  All images were made with natural light only and were handheld.  A general piece of advice is to shoot lots of frames to ensure capturing your model during the moments when they express just the right sensibility, gesture, or emotion.  Memory card storage space is cheap and abundant, so always shoot more images than you think you need.

Using the wide-angle lens, I captured images of mia interacting with the space around her.  This “environmental portrait” technique helps create a strong sense of place.

Even with the glorious color palette of a California coastline near sunset, there were times I chose to render the images in black-and-white to achieve a timeless graphics art look.

Environmental portraits, full-body shots, and head shots are not the only options when shooting creative portraits.  Here I chose to capture only mia’s legs as she traced a circle in the wet sand.  Sometimes the part can be more interesting than the whole.

Shooting from a low angle just above the water, I captured a powerful vision of mia interacting with the ocean.  Obviously one has to be careful of one’s gear when choosing to shoot so close to salt water, but I love the resulting image made from this perspective.

Not every image needs to be tack sharp.  I like to create a sense of motion by using a slow shutter speed to blur the movement.  Here I was able to achieve a slow enough shutter speed by using my camera’s slowest native ISO setting along with a very small aperture setting, but sometimes in very bright light a neutral density filter has to be used.

Note that when shooting a backlit subject it is crucial to choose an exposure based on the light coming from the model rather than allowing your camera’s meter to choose the exposure for you (unless you are trying to create a silhouette).  Two techniques suitable for this situation are spot-metering on your subject’s body or dialing in at least two stops of exposure compensation.

As sunset approached, I shot a series of images using both wide-angle and closeup perspectives.  This shot nicely captures mia from a medium distance, close enough to see some detail in her expression while far enough away to include some sense of place.

The setting sun can evoke very powerful emotions.  It can be risky to include the sun in your images, so tread carefully.  Careless shooting into the sun can cause permanent damage to both the photographer’s eyes and the camera’s sensor.  This image was made moments before sunset under conditions I assessed to be safe, but if in doubt do not ever shoot into the sun.  

A wide-angle capture suggests mia’s celebratory motion as the sun sets, but she appears relatively small within this awe-inspiring natural environment.

At the moment of sunset, a parting shot is made where mia bids farewell to the day.  I chose an exposure partway between silhouette and spot-metering on mia’s body so as to show some detail on her expression while allowing the ocean and sky to shine.

I hope you’ve found these images to be inspiring and the associated tips to be helpful.  Now go out in your own neck of the woods make some images that integrate a sense of place into your favorite subjects!

Do you have techniques you use to infuse your local images with a strong sense of place?  Please share them here.

Want to read more posts about what to shoot while near home or traveling?  Find them all here: Posts about what to shoot.

“His Prices are Insaaaaane!”: Offering deep discounts on unsold work from my recent solo exhibition

I’m dating myself by quoting Crazy Eddie’s electronics store commercials in the title of today’s post, but I did get your attention!  My seven-week solo exhibition, “Spirit of Place”, recently ended its run at Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park.  Much of the work is still available. I’d rather have these framed prints of my favorite images hanging on the walls of your home or office than sitting in a closet in my own house. Please take a look at the collection here: https://www.kadlerphotography.com/…/Cafe-Borrone-solo-exhi…/.  I’m offering a deep discount of $100 per piece. Any available 12×18″ print (matted and framed at 18×24″) will be reduced from $325 to $225. The large custom-framed alligator print (20×30″ matted and framed at 24×36″) will be reduced from $725 to $625. Please let me know if you see a piece or two that you’d like to purchase.  I will deliver directly to you at any location within an hour’s drive of the San Francisco Peninsula, and for those who live farther afield we can discuss the best way to deliver your framed print(s).  And do please share this invitation with your friends, family, and colleagues who may be interested in purchasing some art.

Spirit of Place: Travel Photography by Kyle Adler
 
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” – Mark Twain
 
Artist’s Statement:
I’ve heard grumblings that photography inhibits deep cultural learning and interaction when we visit new places. Our cameras, this line of reasoning goes, isolate us from the local people we’re trying to get to know. The lens, detractors believe, acts as a distancing device to turn locals into subjects and travelers into tourists. I disagree emphatically! Photography is a powerful tool for meeting local people and bridging the gap between their culture and ours, immersing ourselves even more deeply into the spirit of the place and the lives of the people who live there.
 
During the course of my travels, I strive to get off the beaten path, seek the authentic, and create a narrative that captures in images the unique spirit of each place and its people, as well as the universal truths that unite us all. My mission is to balance rendering the artistic beauty of the lands and cultures we visit with advocacy to improve the lives of the people we meet.
 
 

Biography:
Kyle Adler is a professional travel photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A recent winner of the prestigious international competition Travel Photographer of the Year, and shortlisted for the 2016 National Geographic Travel Photography competition, Kyle has been published in a variety of outlets internationally including National Geographic Online, CNN, The Telegraph, The Atlantic, Measure Magazine, the photography book eXtremy, and fine art and commercial photography sites. His images have been exhibited in the US, the UK, and throughout the world. The leading Polish photography site, “Szeroki Kadr,” recently featured him as a Photographer of Inspiration.
 
Kyle is passionate about helping fellow travelers improve their photography while learning to explore our world with greater cultural awareness and advocacy. He leads small group workshops and tours focused on learning to use the camera as a bridge to enhanced understanding of the land and people we visit.
 
While not traveling, Kyle shoots and writes for newspapers, magazines, travel publications, and private clients, with an emphasis on travel, performing arts, and cultural festivals. In addition to publishing a daily blog on travel photography, he is currently working
on a book project documenting in images the cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area. To view Kyle’s portfolio, please visit www.kadlerphotography.com, or contact him at kyle.adler.2@gmail.com.
 

“Kyle Adler belongs behind a lens. In the hands of a master, a camera can actually create connections with local people and bring their culture to life. Kyle creates stunning photo narratives of his trips.”
— Harriet Lewis, Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

Last Chance: Please come to the closing of my solo photography exhibition on Sunday

Update: My seven-week solo exhibition, “Spirit of Place”, is in its final days at Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park. Much of the work is still available. I’d rather have these framed prints of my favorite images hanging on the walls of your home or office than sitting in a closet in my own house. Please take a look at the collection here: https://www.kadlerphotography.com/…/Cafe-Borrone-solo-exhi…/. If you can come by the cafe this coming Sunday, August 19 between 4-6 PM to pick up your print(s), I’m offering a $100 discount per piece. Any available 12×18″ print (matted and framed at 18×24″) will be reduced from $325 to $225. The large custom-framed alligator print (20×30″ matted and framed at 24×36″) will be reduced from $725 to $625. Please let me know if you see a piece you’d like me to set aside for you to pick up next Sunday, or just drop by on Sunday from 4-6 PM and see what’s available then. Looking forward to seeing you there!  And do please share this invitation with your friends, family, and colleagues who may be interested in purchasing some art.

Please come see my photography exhibition, “Spirit of Place”, running through August 19 at Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park, California.
 
Spirit of Place: Travel Photography by Kyle Adler
 
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” – Mark Twain
 
Artist’s Statement:
I’ve heard grumblings that photography inhibits deep cultural learning and interaction when we visit new places. Our cameras, this line of reasoning goes, isolate us from the local people we’re trying to get to know. The lens, detractors believe, acts as a distancing device to turn locals into subjects and travelers into tourists. I disagree emphatically! Photography is a powerful tool for meeting local people and bridging the gap between their culture and ours, immersing ourselves even more deeply into the spirit of the place and the lives of the people who live there.
 
During the course of my travels, I strive to get off the beaten path, seek the authentic, and create a narrative that captures in images the unique spirit of each place and its people, as well as the universal truths that unite us all. My mission is to balance rendering the artistic beauty of the lands and cultures we visit with advocacy to improve the lives of the people we meet.
 
 

Biography:
Kyle Adler is a professional travel photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A recent winner of the prestigious international competition Travel Photographer of the Year, and shortlisted for the 2016 National Geographic Travel Photography competition, Kyle has been published in a variety of outlets internationally including National Geographic Online, CNN, The Telegraph, The Atlantic, Measure Magazine, the photography book eXtremy, and fine art and commercial photography sites. His images have been exhibited in the US, the UK, and throughout the world. The leading Polish photography site, “Szeroki Kadr,” recently featured him as a Photographer of Inspiration.
 
Kyle is passionate about helping fellow travelers improve their photography while learning to explore our world with greater cultural awareness and advocacy. He leads small group workshops and tours focused on learning to use the camera as a bridge to enhanced understanding of the land and people we visit.
 
While not traveling, Kyle shoots and writes for newspapers, magazines, travel publications, and private clients, with an emphasis on travel, performing arts, and cultural festivals. In addition to publishing a daily blog on travel photography, he is currently working
on a book project documenting in images the cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area. To view Kyle’s portfolio, please visit www.kadlerphotography.com, or contact him at kyle.adler.2@gmail.com.
 

“Kyle Adler belongs behind a lens. In the hands of a master, a camera can actually create connections with local people and bring their culture to life. Kyle creates stunning photo narratives of his trips.”
— Harriet Lewis, Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

Get ’em While They’re Hot: My solo photography exhibition is in its final week

Update: My seven-week solo exhibition, “Spirit of Place”, is in its final week at Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park. Much of the work is still available. I’d rather have these framed prints of my favorite images hanging on the walls of your home or office than sitting in a closet in my own house. Please take a look at the collection here: https://www.kadlerphotography.com/…/Cafe-Borrone-solo-exhi…/. If you can come by the cafe next Sunday, August 19 between 4-6 PM to pick up your print(s), I’m offering a $100 discount per piece. Any available 12×18″ print (matted and framed at 18×24″) will be reduced from $325 to $225. The large custom-framed alligator print (20×30″ matted and framed at 24×36″) will be reduced from $725 to $625. Please let me know if you see a piece you’d like me to set aside for you to pick up next Sunday, or just drop by on Sunday from 4-6 PM and see what’s available then. Looking forward to seeing you there!  And do please share this invitation with your friends, family, and colleagues who may be interested in purchasing some art.

Please come see my photography exhibition, “Spirit of Place”, running through August 19 at Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park, California.
 
Spirit of Place: Travel Photography by Kyle Adler
 
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” – Mark Twain
 
Artist’s Statement:
I’ve heard grumblings that photography inhibits deep cultural learning and interaction when we visit new places. Our cameras, this line of reasoning goes, isolate us from the local people we’re trying to get to know. The lens, detractors believe, acts as a distancing device to turn locals into subjects and travelers into tourists. I disagree emphatically! Photography is a powerful tool for meeting local people and bridging the gap between their culture and ours, immersing ourselves even more deeply into the spirit of the place and the lives of the people who live there.
 
During the course of my travels, I strive to get off the beaten path, seek the authentic, and create a narrative that captures in images the unique spirit of each place and its people, as well as the universal truths that unite us all. My mission is to balance rendering the artistic beauty of the lands and cultures we visit with advocacy to improve the lives of the people we meet.
 
 

Biography:
Kyle Adler is a professional travel photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A recent winner of the prestigious international competition Travel Photographer of the Year, and shortlisted for the 2016 National Geographic Travel Photography competition, Kyle has been published in a variety of outlets internationally including National Geographic Online, CNN, The Telegraph, The Atlantic, Measure Magazine, the photography book eXtremy, and fine art and commercial photography sites. His images have been exhibited in the US, the UK, and throughout the world. The leading Polish photography site, “Szeroki Kadr,” recently featured him as a Photographer of Inspiration.
 
Kyle is passionate about helping fellow travelers improve their photography while learning to explore our world with greater cultural awareness and advocacy. He leads small group workshops and tours focused on learning to use the camera as a bridge to enhanced understanding of the land and people we visit.
 
While not traveling, Kyle shoots and writes for newspapers, magazines, travel publications, and private clients, with an emphasis on travel, performing arts, and cultural festivals. In addition to publishing a daily blog on travel photography, he is currently working
on a book project documenting in images the cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area. To view Kyle’s portfolio, please visit www.kadlerphotography.com, or contact him at kyle.adler.2@gmail.com.
 

“Kyle Adler belongs behind a lens. In the hands of a master, a camera can actually create connections with local people and bring their culture to life. Kyle creates stunning photo narratives of his trips.”
— Harriet Lewis, Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

Get ’em While They’re Hot: Just two weeks left in my solo photography exhibition

Update: My solo show opened on July 1 and runs until August 19.  Most of the work is still available for purchase.  If you live in or will be visiting the San Francisco Bay Area, please come by the cafe any time during their regular open hours until August 19 to see or purchase my work.  I can meet you there if you let me know when you plan to visit.  And do please share this invitation with your friends, family, and colleagues who may be interested in purchasing some art!

Please come see my photography exhibition, “Spirit of Place”, running through August 19 at Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park, California.
 
Spirit of Place: Travel Photography by Kyle Adler
 
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” – Mark Twain
 
Artist’s Statement:
I’ve heard grumblings that photography inhibits deep cultural learning and interaction when we visit new places. Our cameras, this line of reasoning goes, isolate us from the local people we’re trying to get to know. The lens, detractors believe, acts as a distancing device to turn locals into subjects and travelers into tourists. I disagree emphatically! Photography is a powerful tool for meeting local people and bridging the gap between their culture and ours, immersing ourselves even more deeply into the spirit of the place and the lives of the people who live there.
 
During the course of my travels, I strive to get off the beaten path, seek the authentic, and create a narrative that captures in images the unique spirit of each place and its people, as well as the universal truths that unite us all. My mission is to balance rendering the artistic beauty of the lands and cultures we visit with advocacy to improve the lives of the people we meet.
 
 

Biography:
Kyle Adler is a professional travel photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A recent winner of the prestigious international competition Travel Photographer of the Year, and shortlisted for the 2016 National Geographic Travel Photography competition, Kyle has been published in a variety of outlets internationally including National Geographic Online, CNN, The Telegraph, The Atlantic, Measure Magazine, the photography book eXtremy, and fine art and commercial photography sites. His images have been exhibited in the US, the UK, and throughout the world. The leading Polish photography site, “Szeroki Kadr,” recently featured him as a Photographer of Inspiration.
 
Kyle is passionate about helping fellow travelers improve their photography while learning to explore our world with greater cultural awareness and advocacy. He leads small group workshops and tours focused on learning to use the camera as a bridge to enhanced understanding of the land and people we visit.
 
While not traveling, Kyle shoots and writes for newspapers, magazines, travel publications, and private clients, with an emphasis on travel, performing arts, and cultural festivals. In addition to publishing a daily blog on travel photography, he is currently working
on a book project documenting in images the cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area. To view Kyle’s portfolio, please visit www.kadlerphotography.com, or contact him at kyle.adler.2@gmail.com.
 

“Kyle Adler belongs behind a lens. In the hands of a master, a camera can actually create connections with local people and bring their culture to life. Kyle creates stunning photo narratives of his trips.”
— Harriet Lewis, Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

Join Me at an Artist’s Reception for My Photography Exhibition: Enjoy free wine, hors-d’oeuvres, conversation, and my travel images!

Update: My solo show is now officially open!  If you live in or will be visiting the San Francisco Bay Area, please come by the cafe any time until August 19 to see my work.  Read on for more details about the show and the Artist’s Reception to be held on July 10.

Please join me for an artist’s reception showcasing my photography exhibition, “Spirit of Place”, to be held this coming Tuesday, July 10, from 6-8 PM at Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park, California. This event is free and open to the public. Wine and hors-d’oeuvres will be provided by the cafe. No tickets are required, but it would help the event planners if you could mark yourself as “Interested” or “Going”, as appropriate. Please share with others who may be interested.
 
Spirit of Place: Travel Photography by Kyle Adler
 
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” – Mark Twain
 
Artist’s Statement:
I’ve heard grumblings that photography inhibits deep cultural learning and interaction when we visit new places. Our cameras, this line of reasoning goes, isolate us from the local people we’re trying to get to know. The lens, detractors believe, acts as a distancing device to turn locals into subjects and travelers into tourists. I disagree emphatically! Photography is a powerful tool for meeting local people and bridging the gap between their culture and ours, immersing ourselves even more deeply into the spirit of the place and the lives of the people who live there.
 
During the course of my travels, I strive to get off the beaten path, seek the authentic, and create a narrative that captures in images the unique spirit of each place and its people, as well as the universal truths that unite us all. My mission is to balance rendering the artistic beauty of the lands and cultures we visit with advocacy to improve the lives of the people we meet.
 
There will be an artist’s reception held on Tuesday, July 10 from 6-8 PM at the Café. Please join me for an evening of hors-d’oeuvres, wine, and conversation about the role of image-making in documenting what we all share and what makes us unique in the world.
 

Biography:
Kyle Adler is a professional travel photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A recent winner of the prestigious international competition Travel Photographer of the Year, and shortlisted for the 2016 National Geographic Travel Photography competition, Kyle has been published in a variety of outlets internationally including National Geographic Online, CNN, The Telegraph, The Atlantic, Measure Magazine, the photography book eXtremy, and fine art and commercial photography sites. His images have been exhibited in the US, the UK, and throughout the world. The leading Polish photography site, “Szeroki Kadr,” recently featured him as a Photographer of Inspiration.
 
Kyle is passionate about helping fellow travelers improve their photography while learning to explore our world with greater cultural awareness and advocacy. He leads small group workshops and tours focused on learning to use the camera as a bridge to enhanced understanding of the land and people we visit.
 
While not traveling, Kyle shoots and writes for newspapers, magazines, travel publications, and private clients, with an emphasis on travel, performing arts, and cultural festivals. In addition to publishing a daily blog on travel photography, he is currently working
on a book project documenting in images the cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area. To view Kyle’s portfolio, please visit www.kadlerphotography.com, or contact him at kyle.adler.2@gmail.com.
 

“Kyle Adler belongs behind a lens. In the hands of a master, a camera can actually create connections with local people and bring their culture to life. Kyle creates stunning photo narratives of his trips.”
— Harriet Lewis, Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

Join Me at an Artist’s Reception for My Photography Exhibition: Enjoy free wine, hors-d’oeuvres, conversation, and my travel images!

Update: My solo show is now officially open!  If you live in or will be visiting the San Francisco Bay Area, please come by the cafe any time until August 19 to see my work.  Read on for more details about the show and the Artist’s Reception to be held on July 10.

Please join me for an artist’s reception showcasing my photography exhibition, “Spirit of Place”, to be held on Tuesday, July 10 from 6-8 PM at Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park, California. This event is free and open to the public. Wine and hors-d’oeuvres will be provided by the cafe. No tickets are required, but it would help the event planners if you could mark yourself as “Interested” or “Going”, as appropriate. Please share with others who may be interested.
 
Spirit of Place: Travel Photography by Kyle Adler
 
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” – Mark Twain
 
Artist’s Statement:
I’ve heard grumblings that photography inhibits deep cultural learning and interaction when we visit new places. Our cameras, this line of reasoning goes, isolate us from the local people we’re trying to get to know. The lens, detractors believe, acts as a distancing device to turn locals into subjects and travelers into tourists. I disagree emphatically! Photography is a powerful tool for meeting local people and bridging the gap between their culture and ours, immersing ourselves even more deeply into the spirit of the place and the lives of the people who live there.
 
During the course of my travels, I strive to get off the beaten path, seek the authentic, and create a narrative that captures in images the unique spirit of each place and its people, as well as the universal truths that unite us all. My mission is to balance rendering the artistic beauty of the lands and cultures we visit with advocacy to improve the lives of the people we meet.
 
There will be an artist’s reception held on Tuesday, July 10 from 6-8 PM at the Café. Please join me for an evening of hors-d’oeuvres, wine, and conversation about the role of image-making in documenting what we all share and what makes us unique in the world.
 

Biography:
Kyle Adler is a professional travel photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A recent winner of the prestigious international competition Travel Photographer of the Year, and shortlisted for the 2016 National Geographic Travel Photography competition, Kyle has been published in a variety of outlets internationally including National Geographic Online, CNN, The Telegraph, The Atlantic, Measure Magazine, the photography book eXtremy, and fine art and commercial photography sites. His images have been exhibited in the US, the UK, and throughout the world. The leading Polish photography site, “Szeroki Kadr,” recently featured him as a Photographer of Inspiration.
 
Kyle is passionate about helping fellow travelers improve their photography while learning to explore our world with greater cultural awareness and advocacy. He leads small group workshops and tours focused on learning to use the camera as a bridge to enhanced understanding of the land and people we visit.
 
While not traveling, Kyle shoots and writes for newspapers, magazines, travel publications, and private clients, with an emphasis on travel, performing arts, and cultural festivals. In addition to publishing a daily blog on travel photography, he is currently working
on a book project documenting in images the cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area. To view Kyle’s portfolio, please visit www.kadlerphotography.com, or contact him at kyle.adler.2@gmail.com.
 

“Kyle Adler belongs behind a lens. In the hands of a master, a camera can actually create connections with local people and bring their culture to life. Kyle creates stunning photo narratives of his trips.”
— Harriet Lewis, Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

Join Me at an Artist’s Reception for My Photography Exhibition: Enjoy free wine, hors-d’oeuvres, conversation, and my travel images!

Please join me for an artist’s reception showcasing my photography exhibition, “Spirit of Place”, to be held on Tuesday, July 10 from 6-8 PM at Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park, California. This event is free and open to the public. Wine and hors-d’oeuvres will be provided by the cafe. No tickets are required, but it would help the event planners if you could mark yourself as “Interested” or “Going”, as appropriate. Please share with others who may be interested.
 
Spirit of Place: Travel Photography by Kyle Adler
 
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” – Mark Twain
 
Artist’s Statement:
I’ve heard grumblings that photography inhibits deep cultural learning and interaction when we visit new places. Our cameras, this line of reasoning goes, isolate us from the local people we’re trying to get to know. The lens, detractors believe, acts as a distancing device to turn locals into subjects and travelers into tourists. I disagree emphatically! Photography is a powerful tool for meeting local people and bridging the gap between their culture and ours, immersing ourselves even more deeply into the spirit of the place and the lives of the people who live there.
 
During the course of my travels, I strive to get off the beaten path, seek the authentic, and create a narrative that captures in images the unique spirit of each place and its people, as well as the universal truths that unite us all. My mission is to balance rendering the artistic beauty of the lands and cultures we visit with advocacy to improve the lives of the people we meet.
 
There will be an artist’s reception held on Tuesday, July 10 from 6-8 PM at the Café. Please join me for an evening of hors-d’oeuvres, wine, and conversation about the role of image-making in documenting what we all share and what makes us unique in the world.
 

Biography:
Kyle Adler is a professional travel photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A recent winner of the prestigious international competition Travel Photographer of the Year, and shortlisted for the 2016 National Geographic Travel Photography competition, Kyle has been published in a variety of outlets internationally including National Geographic Online, CNN, The Telegraph, The Atlantic, Measure Magazine, the photography book eXtremy, and fine art and commercial photography sites. His images have been exhibited in the US, the UK, and throughout the world. The leading Polish photography site, “Szeroki Kadr,” recently featured him as a Photographer of Inspiration.
 
Kyle is passionate about helping fellow travelers improve their photography while learning to explore our world with greater cultural awareness and advocacy. He leads small group workshops and tours focused on learning to use the camera as a bridge to enhanced understanding of the land and people we visit.
 
While not traveling, Kyle shoots and writes for newspapers, magazines, travel publications, and private clients, with an emphasis on travel, performing arts, and cultural festivals. In addition to publishing a daily blog on travel photography, he is currently working
on a book project documenting in images the cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area. To view Kyle’s portfolio, please visit www.kadlerphotography.com, or contact him at kyle.adler.2@gmail.com.
 

“Kyle Adler belongs behind a lens. In the hands of a master, a camera can actually create connections with local people and bring their culture to life. Kyle creates stunning photo narratives of his trips.”
— Harriet Lewis, Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel