CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2012-02-23 16:01:09 (5 comments, 3 reshares, 47 +1s)

Found this wreck while roaming the hills around Altamont pass. It seemed out of place not just because of the decay but because the location is surrounded by modern windmills.

2012-02-21 16:55:04 (9 comments, 2 reshares, 34 +1s)

Figured it was about time I got back to my "fuzzy/blurry" project. I was thinking the scene was missing something until this young woman walked by :)

2012-01-18 15:48:49 (18 comments, 6 reshares, 61 +1s)

I'm still spending all of my free time on renovations. I'm really getting photo withdrawl symptoms now :)

Here's another shot from last weekend morning at Capitola. After I enjoyed the twilight colors from the overlook, I made my way down to the beach and switched back to B+W mode.

2012-01-10 15:48:06 (21 comments, 3 reshares, 71 +1s)

A rare color image from me ... I wanted to show my wife why I wake up so early to go shoot. Even I was startled by the lovely color on the horizon.

You can't really see a proper sunrise in the SF bay area as the east bay hills obscure the horizon line. It was quite a serene moment, and people out for an early morning walk stopped for several minutes just to take it all in. The typical urban soundtrack wasn't on yet, just this incredible natural visual sight unfolding. This image captures the reason why sunrise is my favorite time of day.

2012-01-05 16:01:58 (12 comments, 3 reshares, 73 +1s)

I've been holding a hammer and drill more than a camera this past month. I made the foolhardy decision to help the contractor with some work during our kitchen remodel. At least I didn't injure my right hand shutter finger :)

Managed to visit the California Academy of Sciences museum over the holidays with the family. Pretty cool place with some interesting things to photograph, including this exhibit in the African Hall.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years!

2012-01-05 16:00:18 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 23 +1s)

Landscapes

2011-12-12 16:13:23 (38 comments, 16 reshares, 131 +1s)

I've seen many photos of Japan with tetrapods stacked against the shoreline but I've never seen them up close before. I thought using the T/S effect to miniaturize them would look cool, making them look like a giant's collection of jacks.


#PlusPhotoExtract curated by +Jarek Klimek
#BWFineArtLE curated by +Joel Tjintjelaar
#FineArtPls curated by +Marina Chen

2011-12-04 17:26:03 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 47 +1s)

2011-12-02 17:45:13 (34 comments, 9 reshares, 127 +1s)

Taking advantage of the heavy fog that blanketed the SF bay area couple of days ago. The sculpture is rather difficult to compose with as the left side of the frame is empty but luckily the sun burned through the fog to help sprinkle some magic on the scene.

#PlusPhotoExtract curated by +Jarek Klimek
#BWFineArtLE curated by +Joel Tjintjelaar
#FineArtPls curated by +Marina Chen

2011-11-29 16:07:37 (13 comments, 3 reshares, 63 +1s)

There was a fog advisory for the bay area yesterday. Translation: attention outdoor photographers, the ocean is calling you. I've shot this particular fence about ten times now and each time I've found it lacking somehow. This time there was enough texture in the sky and the birds stayed put for me.

#PlusPhotoExtract

2011-11-27 16:17:59 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 54 +1s)

Not much to say, just trying to go for a strange, moody feel.

#PlusPhotoExtract

2011-11-23 16:15:14 (24 comments, 2 reshares, 80 +1s)

View of the old Davenport pier from the safety of the look-out above. The path down looks ok at the top but it drops away close to the bottom ... crazy! I spotted the alternative route to the south that is accessible at low-tide, which is probably going to be the way I take if I dare to venture down there.

#PlusPhotoExtract

2011-11-21 19:30:38 (8 comments, 8 reshares, 13 +1s)

http://youtu.be/9D6nmgOsTKo

Wow, pretty amazing talent!!

2011-11-21 02:02:32 (22 comments, 4 reshares, 77 +1s)

It's been a busy couple of weeks at work, so I thought I'd take the chance to spend a Saturday morning with +Steve-Maxx landeros at Fort Funston. We both haven't been to this location for several years so it was a good opportunity to see how our perspectives of this location have changed over time.

#FineArtPls
#BWFineArtLE
#SquareSunday
#PlusPhotoExtract

2011-11-14 17:46:42 (16 comments, 0 reshares, 41 +1s)

Spotted this location as we were packing up from our Christmas photo shoot in Palo Alto. It was a nice change from landscape/ambient work, more challenging too as subjects do not tend to stay still longer than 1s.

Strobist info:
- Canon 580EX f/5.6 into white umbrella to above-camera-right
- Pocketwizard Plus II sync

2011-11-12 16:09:38 (26 comments, 4 reshares, 93 +1s)

View LARGE please :)

Raiding the archives for post-processing practice. This one is from my trip to Death Valley back in February. If it seems overly dark and lacking in shadow detail try viewing it large. I'm hoping there's enough detail in there to show up nicely during printing.

#PlusPhotoExtract

2011-11-10 23:14:14 (48 comments, 17 reshares, 164 +1s)

Love Thursday cuz it's #LongExposureThursday time, curated by +Francesco Gola and +Le Quoc.

I know this bridge has been shot to death but I still love how the fog completely changes the look and feel of it.

#PlusPhotoExtract

2011-11-08 21:15:17 (0 comments, 6 reshares, 32 +1s)

"Nature is painting ... day after day ...pictures of infinite beauty."

SOOC
I took this image in the Norris Geyser Basin (the hottest geyser basin in YNP) in the late afternoon while the sun was setting.
Standing in the middle of the hot steam, holding my breath against the sulphurous air and patiently waiting for a gap in the mist ...
Even if I had wanted to, there was no way to improve this image by any processing.

2011-11-06 17:39:38 (35 comments, 15 reshares, 120 +1s)

Legend has it that +Nathan Wirth was found close to the Seal Rocks as an infant, delivered to us by the photographic gods. He was swaddled in a blanket and a camera was found nearby. This magical spot was the site of many of Nathan's first life experiences, and to this day he continues to be drawn to them for reasons unbeknownst to him.

Whenever I'm at Sutro Baths, I can't help but think of Nathan and how he must've walked every square inch of this place, just so he could inspect every last rock fragment. As I'm shooting these rocks, I'm hearing Nathan's voice in my head: "see the rock, feel the rock, be the rock...". Thanks for the inspiration Nathan :)

#PhotoPlusExtract

2011-11-04 15:18:15 (23 comments, 7 reshares, 56 +1s)

My latest addition to my daydreams set (aka blur-mania). I took quite a bit of time in post with this one, didn't quite know what direction I wanted to take it. Would really appreciate people's opinions on this one, my wife thought it looked very spooky!

2011-11-04 00:44:15 (38 comments, 18 reshares, 113 +1s)

My contribution to #LongExposureThursday curated by +Le Quoc and +Francesco Gola. A shot I took earlier this year attending +Jim Patterson and +Joshua Cripps's seaside workshop at Santa Cruz.

#PlusPhotoExtract

2011-11-02 04:59:13 (7 comments, 2 reshares, 25 +1s)

Cream -- St. Louis, MO

2011-11-01 15:01:04 (15 comments, 3 reshares, 41 +1s)

The fog was rolling down the Marin hills but the sun was shining very brightly from the SE, which made composing towards the S difficult. These buildings were pointing the right way and I thought they gave the scene a very historical feel.

2011-10-28 17:18:15 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 5 +1s)

Photo art from masses of human bodies is amazing. The artist is +Angelo Musco

2011-10-27 14:51:16 (24 comments, 6 reshares, 105 +1s)

My contribution for #LongExposureThursday, currated by +Le Quoc and +Francesco Gola.

2011-10-27 06:44:50 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 28 +1s)

2011-10-24 04:37:24 (24 comments, 8 reshares, 81 +1s)

The fog was just too thick to pass up a couple of days ago. I'm still actively searching for locations for my continuing blur series but there are a number of LE seascape compositions I have my eye on if the right weather conditions arise.

2011-10-22 15:32:13 (10 comments, 3 reshares, 36 +1s)

More goofing around with extreme blur. It's fun abstracting with blur but after a while I find I have trouble composing regular non-blurred shots!

2011-10-16 05:24:54 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 20 +1s)

This lamp in "Design Within Reach" caught my eye. I liked how the shadows on the elements looked in combination with the concentric circles.

On a related note, I've been noticing quite a few posts/comments over on G+ regarding the legitimacy of phone photos. Personally, I think cameras are just light gathering devices. Regardless of the medium and post-processing effects, the captured image must still be able to stand on its own in terms of composition, story-telling and emotional impact. I can name tons of film-era processing effects that could be misused, thus rendering the effect purely as a gimmick. The same is true in the digital era. A camera is a camera is a camera ... it's always been the photographer that matters. Stepping off soap-box now :)

2011-10-14 14:51:29 (39 comments, 8 reshares, 103 +1s)

Playing around with the LensBaby plastic optic. It's pretty cool to use but I find the novelty can wear off quickly so composition choice is important. Personally I like the regular T/S effect more, but with this one I like the blur of the posts and the road. Thoughts?

2011-10-13 22:40:27 (1 comments, 5 reshares, 4 +1s)

My contribution to
#LongExposureThursday curated by +Le Quoc and +Francesco Gola is not a photo but a series of tutorials on long exposure photography and a FAQ. You can find it here:
LE tutorial pt. 1 : http://www.bwvision.com/2009/the-ultimate-filter-guide-for-your-long-exposures
LE tutorial pt. 2: http://www.bwvision.com/2009/the-ultimate-guide-for-long-exposures-part-2
LE tutorial pt. 3: http://www.bwvision.com/2009/the-ultimate-guide-for-long-exposures-part-3
FAQ - http://www.bwvision.com/2011/faq-long-exposure-photography

A long exposure and a B&W processing VIDEO tutorial is in the making, and besides that I will be a guest instructor for Vancouver Photo Workshop's director Marc Koegel Long exposure workshop in December in Amsterdam. I will specifically go into the art of converting color images to B&W using PS CS5 and Silver Efex Pro2. I will share... more »

2011-10-13 14:39:02 (30 comments, 8 reshares, 107 +1s)

Checking the archives for a long exposure shot for #longexposurethursday ... didn't take long :) Shot of the Children's Pool from La Jolla.

2011-10-11 15:07:26 (14 comments, 2 reshares, 50 +1s)

I'm sure most of you will have noticed by now that I'm shooting different subjects/styles. I love LE seascape work and the peace and tranquility that comes with being near water, but I'm feeling the urge to rebel and try my hand at other subjects (hence my deliberate move to explore other avenues of photographic expression). The tilt-shift/focus work I've been trying lately is really starting to resonate with me and I'm curious where this path will take me.

2011-10-10 01:09:20 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 26 +1s)

I wanted to get a view of the Transamerica Pyramid face-on with both "fins" in view. A little Google mapping and some wandering around Broadway led me to this alleyway. This image has quite a bit of context to it so it is really not keeping in line with my more recent work, but I thought I'd try to put together a collection of TAP images from various vantage points.

2011-10-09 21:20:58 (22 comments, 2 reshares, 33 +1s)

http://blog.batdorffphotography.com/blog/2011-bw-photo-contest-winners/

Heh, totally forgot about this contest :) I try not to brag too much as there are many other photographers here much better than me, but I thought I'd post this result, just this once. I placed 2nd but I don't enter too many contests so I'm happy with the result.

2011-10-08 05:10:51 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 24 +1s)

2011-10-08 04:45:26 (12 comments, 12 reshares, 20 +1s)

Saw this on FB and I wanted to share it here.

2011-10-07 22:04:45 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

If you're curious about how I create images, 500px.com just posted an interview with me.

A big thanks to the awesome +Andrey Tochilin and +Jennifer Tse for putting this together!

We're so stoked to be featured! :D

2011-10-07 06:22:44 (46 comments, 2 reshares, 74 +1s)

I don't know about other LE photographers but I find shooting architecture much harder than water. The choice of clouds is important to get nice soft lines, you need full sun for contrast and of course finding the right composition without having security guards harass you :). I'm not too sure about the clouds with this one, a little too thick. But man, this building is sure photogenic!

#LongExposureThursday

2011-10-06 00:16:59 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 14 +1s)

Workers at Apple staring into their iPhones. Everyone is quiet and subdued. No conversation. This man meant so much to this company.

2011-10-05 14:46:10 (6 comments, 27 reshares, 39 +1s)

2011-10-04 14:47:39 (21 comments, 1 reshares, 58 +1s)

The Vaillancourt sculpture/fountain in San Francisco really isn't the most beautiful art installation when you look at it as a whole. But as you walk into it and focus on particular sections you can find some very wonderful abstract compositions.

2011-10-03 01:51:21 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 44 +1s)

2011-10-02 04:13:33 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 26 +1s)

2011-09-30 17:19:29 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

First of all I think Michael's work – for me – belongs up there with the best of the best. I can look at his work for hours.
I can watch this video over and over and over again. Winter is just a month and a half away here in Alberta. And this video made me remember what I'm about to endure again for the next 5 months and how much fun it is to photograph pristine things.
Highly inspirational. It makes me wanting to grab my camera and go out and shoot snowscapes.

2011-09-30 02:38:14 (26 comments, 8 reshares, 86 +1s)

First of all, a big thank you to all that have added me to their circles recently. The strength of the photographic community here has surprised and humbled me.

Here's an image from earlier this year. It's proof to counter those who claim I don't/won't shoot in color (yes, you know who you are :)). Sunsets in Pacifica during winter can be quite dramatic. I was lucky to catch this shot just before I had to pick up my daughter from pre-school.

2011-09-29 06:03:13 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Please welcome +Steve-Maxx landeros to G+! Steve is a good friend and I've had the pleasure of shooting many sunrises with him this past summer. For those of you on flickr, you will probably recognize his work immediately. A true B+W master!

2011-09-26 17:50:18 (20 comments, 1 reshares, 62 +1s)

Had a great time shooting this Sunday morning with +Nathan Wirth, +Joe Azure and Steve Landeros. We met at Crissy field just as there was some color in the east sky, then the clouds slammed shut and we were back to regular SF gray. There was no fog but the structure of the clouds coming through the Gate were really nice! It was great getting back together guys (and nice to finally meet you Joe)!.

#monochromemonday

2011-09-24 05:06:22 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

I had not heard of DigitalRev until +Oracio Alvarado shared a link to the most recent video. The host makes the videos quite entertaining. I especially like these pro photog/cheap camera videos, great stuff!

2011-09-23 17:10:03 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)