Matt Schrier - Words and Photographs

Snowbirds

2012-01-22T20:16:00.003-05:00

It snowed yesterday, and for me that means either dramatic landscapes or birds. I chose birds, so I headed over to my local nature center to catch the activity.

Click on the image below to take you to a slideshow of a selection of nice photos I captured in the span of about an hour.

Main Site: Photography by Matt Schrier

Ocean City Morning

2012-01-18T20:24:00.005-05:00

It was a beautiful morning last weekend along the New Jersey coast. I like the winter trips to catch sunrises because the sun rises so late. A 7:15 sunrise allows me to wake-up as late as 5:00 and still get down there in time to position myself for a nice sequence of shots.

This morning the pre-sunrise color was not that great, even though I thought the light cloud cover would provide very nice colors. But I got a good 30-40 minutes of a fantastic post-sunrise sky. I was very glad to have this because it took me much longer than I thought to locate the old 59th Street pier. I thought I was going to completely miss any good shots but I was able to get a couple of very nice ones.

Below are two choice photos from that morning.

Site: Photography by Matt Schrier
.

Adobe Lightroom

2012-01-03T20:52:00.005-05:00

I have been a Photoshop user for years. Although I am not an expert I am able to execute most of the image processing that I need to do for my captures. But as powerful a tool that Photoshop is almost everything you do is tedious. Despite the fact that this software has been around for so many years it was never tailored or tweaked for ease-of-use. For example the image adjustment actions that are most frequently used (e.g. curves, contract, color balance, etc.) are always at least 2 clicks away in the menu structure. (Image -> Adjustments -> etc.)

I have known about Lightroom for a while, but never decided to actually purchase and use it. So when I saw this package for sale at a deep discount around Thanksgiving I just had to bite. I've just installed the software and have only used it for a few days, but I think I'm going to be very happy (and productive) with Lightroom.

For example Lightroom allows you to make quick B&W/monotone conversions of your color originals, as seen below. The process took me only a few minutes, and I had much more control over the process than I ever had before.

This is what the editing panel looks like. Each section contains nicely arranged groups of controls that make adjustments a breeze. All of this can be done with Photoshop but you need a lot of experience and/or training to get the same work done.

Original image files are not modified during the editing process. The adjustments are applied on top of the originals. This reduces excessive disk-space use, and prevents accidental over-writing of original files (which I am guilty of doing on occasion)

Lightroom has organizational tools that allow you to label and locate images much more easily even if your library includes many thousands of images.

There are many other benefits that I have not explored yet. I'll be learning these over the new few weeks and months. I expect to be more productive and to create a larger variety of images during this process.

Intimate

2011-11-19T15:18:00.003-05:00

It is now past the fall foliage season, and although we are not yet into the cold, barren months of winter the scenery has mostly lost its color and the morning air is very cold. On this morning I was on the lookout for some macro shots that required me to get "up close and personal" with the subject matter, possibly something involving frost.

After driving aimlessly for a little while I ended up at a small local pond that usually does not offer much besides the occasional heron or egret. I played around with different compositions and focus variations until I was able to create some interesting images of the wild growth along the water's edge in combination with the sun's reflection on the pond. I like the abstract feeling of these shots.

Main website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Prallsville Mill

2011-10-23T22:31:00.001-04:00

This is an iconic pair of buildings in Stockton NJ, right along the canal. A storm was brewing, and the lighting was perfect for just a short time. A few minutes later the dark clouds make this shot impossible.

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Heron in Flight

2011-10-18T21:46:00.003-04:00

Capturing birds in flight is a fun and exciting activity for a wildlife photographer. At a local pond I was "tracking" a blue heron near the water's edge. (Not really tracking - just sneaking up on it - but "tracking" sounds much more impressive) As I approached it, hidden by some weeds, I was ready with my 150-500mm lens. As expected my footsteps roused it and it flew away, but I was able to capture this image with water still dripping from its foot.

New Photos Posted

2011-10-09T11:11:00.002-04:00

I uploaded ten new images to my website, created over the past few months. Take a look.

(Click the image below)

Walkaround Tyler

2011-09-04T22:39:00.002-04:00

I tried something a little different. I drug myself out of bed rather early this morning and headed towards Tyler Park, walking down a different path than I normally take. I've stopped concentrating so much on birds and wildlife and am trying to look for compositions involving other subjects.

Below are two pretty common sights at Tyler park, and I worked them a bit in post-processing to highlight the central subject.

"Weathered Birdbox"

"Forever Yours"

Tyler Birds

2011-07-31T21:31:00.002-04:00

My postings are pretty infrequent these days. That's mostly because I've been spending much of my spare time working to lose a few pounds. So far so good in that department, but unfortunately that comes at the expense of my photography.

A few weeks ago there was a nice morning light so I was off to Tyler Park to see what was happening there. The birds were very active, and they let me get fairly close - with the exception of their nests (man-made bird boxes). When I got too close to them to shoot the baby birds I was quickly attacked by the adults. I didn't press the issue, and abandoned my efforts.

Here are a few shots from that morning.

Main Site: Photography by Matt Schrier

Ireland 2

2011-06-05T22:01:00.005-04:00

So its been a while since my original post on our trip to Ireland, and I want to follow-up with a few more photos and some thoughts on what worked well and not so well.

Ireland is a fantastic place. Outside of a few large cities this country lives up to its name - the Emerald Isle. The green fields and meadows go on for miles, usually dotted with numerous sheep or cows.

In no particular order here are things that worked out really well for us:

Great Weather - It barely rained on us at all. It did get a bit hazy, which put a damper on some of our sightseeing on the western coast.

Croagh Patrick - My wife and son climbed the same 2000 ft mountain that St. Patrick climbed. They were rewarded with fantastic panoramic vistas. I was not up for such a climb, since I was a bit hobbled with a knee injury. But I may try it if we return.

The car - We rented a stick-shift and of course drove on the left side of the road. This was no problem for me, even though I had some apprehension about it. We got great mileage in our diesel powered Toyota, so that took the sting off of the high European fuel prices.

The roundabouts - I love them. Why put a traffic light at an intersection when you can put a roundabout which leaves it up to the drivers to control the traffic flow themselves rather than forcing everyone to stop at fixed intervals.

Road Layout - All roads leads to town centers. This simplifies things - you usually don't have to think too hard to the main business district of a town (except for the bigger cities).

The seal on Achill Island - We found a lone seal at desolate Keem beach on the western end of Achill Island. He didn't care too much for us getting too close to him, but we managed to take a lot of pictures before he worked his way through the waves back into the sea.

Now for some things that could have been better:

Falling and Breaking a Camera - Yes, I did that. Three days into the trip I was (stupidly) climbing on a rock wall along a country road. I lost my footing and fell 2 feet onto the road surface. I had little chance to break my fall or shield my DSLR, so both my right knee and the camera hit the road hard. The lens on the camera took the full force of the impact and broke in half. The camera case cracked but survived in fairly good shape thankfully. My knee was seriously bruised, but I could walk. Fortunately there were no cars on the road at the time, or else I might not be here to tell the story.

The back-roads - No shoulders, lined with rock walls, curving this way and that. Driving any distance on the 3- or 4-digit numbered back-roads can be very frustrating. If you get behind a cyclist, tractor, or truck this can really slow you down for miles. Avoid these roads if at all possible

The Dublin Airport - Not user friendly. First of all no signage to the rental car return area. Then, we checked in on the ground floor, up two floors to the (slow) security area, then onto the US customs pre-check, which was back down to the ground floor, a long wait, then another security area. What a pain in the butt.

Driving expenses - Expensive gas, and the extra rental insurance (just to be safe).

Poor drive planning - A few days we planned for WAY too much driving. For example we attacked the Dingle peninsula AND the Ring of Kerry on same day. The Ring of Kerry is definitely a full-day trip, so we ended up back at the cottage near midnight, driving through the super-curvy roads of the national forest in the dead of night.

No GPS - In retrospect we should have bought the Europe maps for our Tom Tom for $70 or so. It would have been worth it.

Lodging - We stayed 6 days in a beautiful cottage west of Limerick, and cooked many of our own meals to save a good bit of money. The cottage itself was VERY affordable. But being so centrally located meant we had to drive a good distance each day, because we weren't really near anything. That reduced our sightseeing time and increased our fuel costs. But I still liked it.

Ireland

2011-04-22T22:03:00.003-04:00

Our family has just returned from a very busy 8-day tour of Ireland, which was concentrated mainly on the western side of the island. I will follow up with a list of things that went well for us, and things that didn't. But first, below are a few photos that stand out from the rest.

"Colorful Cottage"

"Taking a Stroll"

"Irish Hills"

Bing vs. Google

2011-04-01T13:42:00.003-04:00

Based on my website statistics I am seeing a much larger amount of traffic from Bing then I ever used to. Google is still the overall winner, but Bing is now in not-too-distant second place (ahead of Yahoo). For all the missteps that Microsoft has made over the years it looks like they've got something right here.

And what is Yahoo doing wrong? I don't really use them much myself anymore - as a web portal it's a bit too cluttered for my taste.

Avalon Sunrise

2011-03-23T22:02:00.003-04:00

It's getting harder and harder for me to drag myself out of bed at an ungodly hour to take the 1 1/2 to 2 hour drive to the NJ shore in the hopes of getting some nice sunrise shots. The rewards can be great, but the risk is getting down there and finding too many clouds in the way. I actually woke up at 4:15 AM on Saturday, checked the weather and found cloud-cover over New Jersey. So I went back to bed and I tried it again on Sunday. The downside to this adventure is that when I get home a few hours later I am really beat, and a shower and a nap are in order.

The sky was quite clear on Sunday (a little too clear - a few more fair-weather clouds could have created some nice colors). I set Avalon as my destination and I headed for this fishing pier. The sunrise ended up being quite nice, as you can see below.

After spending some time lingering along the beach I headed up to Brigantine to look for the foxes I had photographed last year. I saw a glimpse of a single fox, but no more than that. Oh well, maybe another time.

Facebook

2011-02-16T22:43:00.002-05:00

If you want a different way to follow my photography you can "Like" me on Facebook. Click the icon below (or to the right of my blog page) to take you there.

Site-wide 20%-off Sale

2011-02-04T11:21:00.002-05:00

I am currently running a sale on my website. All items 20 inches or longer are 20% off. This include loose, matted, framed and canvas prints. The price deduction is visible in the shopping cart.

Below is another image from a recent snowy day. The sheep at the Thomson Neely farm were forced outside of their protective barn as their food was being loaded into the feeder. Here they are forming a nice line as they head back in for dinner.

This panoramic image can be printed on traditional paper as well as canvas.

Site: Photography by Matt Schrier

Perfect Snow Day

2011-01-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

I love photographing snow scenes. There's something about the calming effect of a covering of that cold white stuff. But all too often the realities of a snowfall make it difficult to accomplish that photography. Extreme cold temperatures, wind, interference with mobility and parking, quickly melting snow covering, short duration weather events, and more. Too often heavy snowfalls make it nearly impossible to get out and get around. When I want to get out and shoot many parking lots have not yet been plowed, and I can forget about finding a small spot on the side of the road to pull over. Even the slightest of wind can quickly blow the snow off of buildings and trees. Anything more than a very light snowfall is difficult to shoot in since the snow melts immediately when hitting the camera and lens - it is almost like shooting in a light rain.

So yesterday's snow fall had all the elements coming together:

Fairly light snowfall in progress

No wind

Happening on a Saturday morning when I had no other commitments

Started around 7 AM, so roads and parking lots were accessible

Lasted most of the day

So I was out for about 2-3 hours, hitting many of the scenic Bucks County spots along the Delaware River and towards Doylestown. I did have to pack it in for some personal errands, but that is a fairly good amount of time. I did have to protect the camera and lens due to the melting snow, but that was the only thing working against me.

Below is the first of a series I will be posting from this day. I did have to park in a precarious spot along the side of the road to avoid a long walk to this field near the Thompson Neely Farm. It was snowing lightly at this point, but the distance to the horses makes it look like much heavier.

"Two Horses"

Sunset Grazing

2011-01-04T20:01:00.002-05:00

I was fortunate to recently capture the following image. I was driving northwest through Bucks County towards Doylestown and I passed by a large horse farm. I often pass by this farm and see tempting shots that I cannot take because there is simply no place to park along most of the country roads in this area. But on this day I spotted the setting sun from one corner of the property behind a lone horse was grazing in the enclosed pen. I parked on a cul de sac about 1000 feet away and walked to the scene.

I took a number of photos with my handheld 150-500mm lens on my new Nikon D90, and unfortunately many were trash because I was not paying attention to the auto-focus and how it was frequently locking on to the distant fence rather than the horse. So once I realized this I locked in a good focus with the A/M switch on my camera and took a number of "good" shots. I like this composition best of all the shots I took, since the sun was not too dominant and overpowering, and the horse's outline, as well as both of its ears, is clearly in the frame.

"Sunset Grazing"

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T17:50:00.004-05:00

As a gift to myself this year I upgraded from the Nikon D80 to a D90. This is not a significant upgrade but the features that I am gaining will be very useful to me. This includes more pixels, faster multiple frame shooting, and better noise performance. This means I will get better resolution, better selection of action shots (especially birds), and faster shutter speeds in many situations which allows for sharper images.

As I often do I purchased this camera secondhand, from a seller on craigslist. I find this a very useful way to buy and sell camera equipment, since it gives the buyer the ability to check out the equipment and the seller a chance to get cash in hand and/or a quick sale (assuming the item is priced right). There are other sites which are also specialize in camera equipment sales (such as fredmiranda.com) and I have used these as well. This time I just happened to find a lightly-used D90 listed at a very good price, so I wasted no time.

Here is a bird photo I took last fall. It has an ideal background - fully blurred, and a nice color as well.

"Tufted Titmouse"

Main Site: Photography by Matt Schrier

Photo Contests

2010-11-29T19:01:00.004-05:00

This has been a pet peeve of mine for years. It seems innocent enough. You find out about a photo contest, find your best photos, then upload them. Along the way you select "Yes" or "Agree" to every checkbox you encounter, never bothering to read what you're agreeing to.

You may be lucky enough to win, and that's great. But let's say you don't win (like most people) - what have you just agreed to? As an example here's an excerpt from the Smithsonian Magazine's latest photo contest:

"By entering the contest, entrants grant the Smithsonian Institution a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of the entries, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or subsequently developed, for any educational, promotional, publicity, exhibition, archival, scholarly, and all other standard Smithsonian purposes. Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit as feasible. The Smithsonian Institution will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses."

Sooooo ... for absolutely no compensation you are giving Smithsonian the right to use your image(s) in any way they want ... forever. Did I mention that you get not a dime from them for that right?

For some contests your entries are limited in size, which is a good thing because it limits the potential usefulness of your image by those running the contest. But the Smithsonian has no resolution requirement:

"Digital photographs should be taken at the highest resolution possible."

Oh, and maybe you're thinking they severely limit how many images you can enter. Nope:

"You may enter up to seven (7) photographs in each of the five categories with a total contest submission of thirty-five (35) photographs."

Thirty Five is a LOT of photographs. And you're just handing over hi-rez copies to a magazine to use any way it sees fit, forever, with no compensation.

Still interested in entering that contest? I'm not.

Feeney's Nursery

2010-11-28T14:48:00.003-05:00

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and for something new this year my work is included in a special item produced by a local landmark. Feeney's Nursery has created an "afghan" (aka a "throw" or blanket) with nine images of local Bucks County scenes, and one of my images is included. The image is a popular winter scene of Lake Afton in Yardley. They are selling it for only $59.99. As an added bonus the store is also selling copies of my prints.

Forgive the quality of the photos below, as I took them with my phone.

Closeup:

Site: Photography by Matt Schrier

A Very Nice Morning

2010-10-30T14:54:00.004-04:00

Now that I have some more reach in my lens "arsenal" I'm on the lookout for good bird photography opportunities. Now is a good time for this since we are in the fall migration season. Birds are on the move, and/or loading up on some good food.

This morning I spent the morning at the Conowingo Dam in Maryland. Here there are a large number of bald eagles that feast on the fish that make their way through the dam. The water of the Susquehanna River is fast moving and relatively shallow on the downstream side of the dam, and the fishing (for both birds and humans) is relatively easy.

I came away with a few good shots, and since this was my first time shooting birds of this type I missed a few due to lack of technique and experience with the equipment. That will all come in good time.

What's In My Bag

2010-10-27T23:41:00.002-04:00

I've made some adjustments to my camera equipment recently. This reflects on the kind of photography I am moving towards. Here's what I have now:

Nikon 18-55mm: This is my everyday lens, nice and sharp. Most of my scenic and landscape shots were taken with this lens.
Nikon 70-300mm: This is an inexpensive zoom lens that has its drawbacks but it lightweight and easy to use. It's not the newer VR version, but it gives me adequate coverage in this zoom range.
Sigma 70-200mm f2.8: This is a little larger - and heavier - lens, but it is "fast" (i.e. it has a wide maximum aperture) and focuses very quickly. I use this for medium-range shots that require either quick reactions (such as shooting people or large animals at relatively close range) or for low-light situations, such as my daughter's high school theatrical productions.
Tamron 90mm f2.8 Macro: This is a specialty lens. It is designed primarily for macro situations, although it can also double as a nice portrait lens. This is my "fun" lens.
Sigma 150-500mm: I just purchased this lens, to allow me to create better wildlife photos. It is quite large and heavy, and has some performance and usability drawbacks. But for the reasonable price I get a reasonably sharp 500mm reach with optical stabilization. This is something I'm going to enjoy for a while. I'm already lining up bird-shoot trips.

Previously I was using a nice Nikon 300mm AF lens for my wildlife shots, sometimes with a 1.4x teleconverter. But this either didn't get me close enough to the animals, or lacked sharpness with the TC. I've since sold the 300mm lens, but I've kept the TC although I'm not sure how well it works on this 150-500mm behemoth.

I also recently sold a 50mm f1.8 prime lens. I picked this up a few years ago but I rarely used it. It is an older Nikkor lens that operated in manual focus on my newer DSLR.

So I think I'm set for a few years, but you never know ...

Bucks County Backroad

2010-10-23T11:45:00.003-04:00

Autumn is a wonderful thing. Although the cool crisp air foretells the potential for more frigid weather to come, and ever larger heating bills, there is life in this season. The animals are actively finding all of the food they can, either in preparation for the long winter or for their upcoming migratory journeys. Also, plain scenes turn into beautiful ones, as with this back-road near Lake Nockamixon.

Active Egrets

2010-10-16T17:07:00.003-04:00

I spent about an hour at a local pond this afternoon, testing out my new Sigma 150-500mm lens on my Nikon D80. This was not much a challenge technically, mainly because of the bright sunlight and white subjects. My shutter speed was usually well over 1/1000 sec. But regardless the lens performed very well, and the egrets were active. Here is one of the better ones.

In Between Shows

2010-09-19T10:03:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I attended a very successful Doylestown Arts Festival, despite the Sunday morning rain that failed to dampen the crowds (and the exciting road bike rice).

Next weekend (Sept 25 and 26) I have the New Hope Arts and Crafts Festival. Hopefully the rain will hold off. It's a busy week for me as I'll be on a business trip most of the week, so I am spending this in-between weekend preparing for the show.

Below is a local photograph that is becoming quite popular. In this early morning shot of the historic Fonthill Castle I was fortunate to capture some lingering fog.

More Butterfly

2010-08-08T12:15:00.003-04:00

This butterfly image was taken at Northampton Township park.

Bunch o' Butterflies

2010-08-01T09:51:00.002-04:00

Taken the same day as my previous post. This one plant had about ten butterflies feeding on it.

Take Off!

2010-07-25T16:25:00.002-04:00

Wow - it's been a while since I last posted. Unfortunately I'm not getting a chance to photograph much lately. Plus I'm looking for some different motivation these days. I'm less interested in getting up at an ungodly hour, grabbing my camera, and taking a long drive unless I'm pretty sure where I'm going and what I intend on shooting.

I found active butterfly and moth activity at Tyler park this morning, but while shooting them I was fortunate to have an American goldfinch land on a bunch of yellow daisies. I got a number of good shots, but this last one topped them all - my first quality photo of a bird in flight.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Upcoming Show: Peddler's Village

2010-05-31T15:02:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted in a while, but it' time to remind you of two upcoming shows. Next weekend, June 5 and 6, I will be at Peddler's Village in Lahaska, Pa. My spot has moved since last year - I am now along the path between the lower area and the upper areas (near the ice cream shop). If you are in the area stop by to see what new work I have.

The following Sunday (June 13) I will be at Newtown Welcome Day. I am hoping for better weather than the last two years., which were both ruined by heavy rain.

Here is a newer image of some budding flowers. I tried a few different compositions of this bunch, and this horizontal rendition seems to work best. This is one of many images that I have used my 90mm macro lens to make. Without this lens I would not be able to get close enough to do these kinds of shots justice.

Beautiful Princeton

2010-04-25T18:40:00.002-04:00

We had a fabulous time in Princeton yesterday during the Communiversity event. This show drew throngs of people who took advantage of the great weather to partake of the food and drink and the many events for the kids. Below is a shot after I had set-up but before the people arrived.

I also wanted to post a photo I shot recently. As you know I try to look for unique perspectives on the subjects I shoot. Azalea bushes are very common, and their flowers don't really have distinctive features. But I really liked the way these flowers hung over this park bench. I used my macro lens to shorten the depth of field and provide some selective focus.

Spring Has Sprung

2010-04-11T10:02:00.002-04:00

There is a progression to spring, at least in the Northeast U.S. The very first sign of spring is the appearance of the crocuses. Then come the daffodils and other bulb-based perennials. Next come the flowering trees, including the yellow forsythia, followed by the emergence of leaves on the smaller trees. Later in spring comes the more hardier flowering plants, such as the rhododendron and the day-lilies. Then finally the wildflowers and the leaf-growth on the larger trees. I may not have the order perfect, but it's pretty close.

Due to the recent warm weather we've had I think the progression is moving pretty quickly. I am not able to get out to photograph as often as I used to, due to slight changes in work and family schedules. But this is a season where you can't procrastinate, since in a day or two the flowers on the plants or trees you've been wanting to photograph may be gone. (Summer is a different story - the same conditions can last for weeks).

Below is a beautiful pond scene near New Hope, Pa. I was hoping to find a nesting pair of swans here but they were absent this day. I don't know the habits of these birds, so I don't know if they've moved to another location or are simply migrating.

Main Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Central Park

2010-04-07T21:33:00.004-04:00

On a day-trip to NYC in January I was looking for unique images. If you've been to this iconic city you'll probably have seen the dozens of street vendors hawking photos of the city. These are not artists - most vendors are selling the EXACT SAME PHOTOS. I have no idea if these images are properly licensed for sale, but regardless I was looking for my own perspective, not some image I've seen a thousand times.

Walking through Central Park I was amazed by the trees along this main walkway called The Mall. The silhouette of the long, bare branches provided interesting scale compared with the crowd below.

First Round of 2010 Shows

2010-04-03T23:08:00.002-04:00

I start with my shows in about 3 weeks. My first is in Princeton NJ on April 24, and after a vacant May I have Peddler's Village June 5-6, followed by Newtown Welcome Day on June 13.

Spring is upon us, and I found this flowering tree at a local arboretum. One thing I like about it is the splash of background color.

Starfish

2010-03-23T15:45:00.002-04:00

This is another unique find of mine on the beach at Sandy Hook, NJ.

Beachcombing

2010-03-21T09:04:00.004-04:00

I took a trip up to Sandy Hook in New Jersey yesterday, not knowing exactly what I was planning to shoot. There are a couple of schools of thought in this regard. I've read that some people think you are more focused and can yield better images if you have a game plan in mind when you go out to shoot. In fact they say it is preferable that you take only certain equipment with you, say your 50mm lens, to purposely restrict your flexibility (in a good way). This will force you to think more strongly about composition since you can't just slap on a different lens to get the shot.

The other side feels that that can be too limiting, that you can be more creative if you don't have any expectations of what you are going to shoot. This allows your creative juices to flow when you are out shooting, being able to select any lens that is necessary to get the shot that you see at the moment.

In reality I think both sides hold water, and as you might expect each photographer can chose when and where to apply each philosophy. There are times when I just want to meander through a park, with only my cameras a "standard" lens, because I don't want to drag around my telephoto lenses and tripod. There are times when I'm going to a bird blind, and I know that I'll need my telephoto equipment, and possibly my tripod.

Sometimes I'll be heading to a new place or very varied place and I bring everything along. This was the case at Sandy Hook yesterday. I wanted to leave my options wide open. I brought my telephoto lenses because I know that there are ponds that ducks like to frequent. Of course my wide-angle lenses for the potential beach sunrise shots (yes I was up at 4:45 AM and on the beach by 6:30). But I really did not know what I would be spending my time shooting - this short trip was wide open.

In my bag I also carry along my 90mm macro lens. I never know when I'll need it, but it's very handy to have around. And it turns out I made good use of it on the beach, as I found a few interesting subjects that really required the macro lens to do justice to. These shells below were three of many such shells I found along the beach, along with the beautiful water-worn pebbles, and even a live starfish that the birds had not discovered yet. If I had gone to the beach without this lens I would have not have been able to make as many nice images as I did.

Main Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

New Show - Princeton NJ

2010-03-07T19:25:00.002-05:00

Every artist that sells at art fairs goes through the process of re-evaluating the shows that he or she participates in. I only commit to a few shows a year compared to full-timers, so I try to pick the best ones I can. There are a few shows in Princeton that interest me, so I'm going to try one this spring. Princeton University holds a Communiversity event throughout town and the campus. The show this year will be on April 24.

Below is an image I made of a yellow rose a few weeks ago. I like the composition, and this is one image that just does not work as a 8x10 or 11x14. The "native" aspect ratio of the image, which is the 8:12 ratio of my camera, is just right. Cropping it horizontally will ruin the photo in my eyes.

New Images Added

2010-02-20T17:39:00.005-05:00

I've collected nine images that I've made over the past two months and added them to my main website. As always these images can be made into traditional prints, canvas prints, and notecards. As you'll see these include a bunch of bird photos, two fox photos, and a Bucks County scenic.

View new images at Photography by Matt Schrier

Braving the Storm

2010-02-09T19:35:00.003-05:00

Another shot taken during last Saturday's snowstorm. These goldfinches are in their winter plumage and as you can see the wind is really blowing at this point The thick snowfall covers most other natural sources of food, so the birds are drawn in large numbers to the man-made sources. That makes life easy for us photographers.

Cardinal Closeup

2010-02-06T16:04:00.004-05:00

Over at the nature center the birds were very active today, right smack in the middle of the second major snowstorm of the season. I was able to move freely around the bird blind (there was nary another soul there today) and get some good closeups. Here is a nice vertical shot of a female cardinal on a feeder.

Main Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Snow Zen

2010-02-04T21:45:00.002-05:00

Although my style mainly consists of color nature and scenic images, I also like to see what I can do with black and white. The exploration of form and expression within a photograph is often referred to as Zen. This is my own off-the-cuff description - it is not really possible to get a specific description because its one of those things whereby "You just know it when you see it".

We received a little bit of snow a few days ago, and I found myself outside with my macro lens photographing a neighbor's tree. The close-up shots I made were interesting, but I also tried to explore the form of the tree. Even though most of this shot of the small section of branch is out-of-focus, I feel it does a good job in representing the form of the tree and conveying the contrast between the stark coldness of the wintry snow and the new growth at the end of the branch. My own attempt at Zen.

Main Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

The Foxes of Brigantine Beach

2010-01-24T09:14:00.004-05:00

In the shadow of the glitz and hustle-bustle of Atlantic City lies one of the most peaceful beaches along the NJ coast. Both the north and south ends of Brigantine beach are quite isolated from the residential areas, and there is no boardwalk to draw throngs of crowds.

I spent a beautiful morning recently along the southern end, where the casinos of A.C. loom across the water. There is a wide area of brush and dunes between the houses and the beach, and this is where I found a bunch of foxes making their home.

I didn't see all of them all at once. First there was just one that peeked out from the tall grass, then another. They stayed near the dunes as I was about 50 feet away on the beach. I was making some progress getting fairly close to one of them that was resting on a pile of sand and leaves. This one was gnawing on a piece of wood that sticking from the sand.

At this point the foxes became spooked by someone walking down the path through the dunes. I thought my morning was done here, and was planning to move on to another location, but I soon discovered that the foxes were not so easily scared away. They came back within a few minutes, and I soon realized that there were at least five different foxes in this area.

I continued shooting them for a while, and even when I decided to finally leave and move on they kept an eye on me as I was walking back down the path. One even made itself very comfortable in the middle of the path, as if to show me the way out.

This was a very enjoyable morning at this peaceful beach. It was the middle of winter, and for much of the time I could not see another soul up or down the beach. The constant breaking of the waves was very relaxing - these foxes have picked a great place to live.

Main Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Ocean City - New Years Eve

2010-01-17T10:58:00.003-05:00

We spent our last day of 2009 in Ocean City NJ. As many other towns do they put on a First Night event in which attendees pay a fixed price and get the chance to either see many different performances or (for the kids mainly) take advantage of hands-on fun such as mini-golf and kiddie rides.

Kathy's dance group (the Crossroads Irish dance group) put on a couple of performances for the crowds. The kids and I played mini-golf and saw acts such as Trout Fishing in America and Broadway by Request.

The weather was overcast and a little rainy, and before seeing Trout Fishing at the music pier I caught this image of the boardwalk stretching into the darkness. Without a tripod I managed to get one clear shot.

Bone Chilling Cold

2010-01-03T09:09:00.003-05:00

The weather is decidedly nasty to start the new year. Although there are parts of the country that are much colder, walking the dog in 20 degree weather in a blowing wind is not my idea of a good time. This kind of weather puts a real damper on my desire to get out with my camera and find something unique in the colorless, bare-tree environment that surrounds us.

So instead I'll post another work of digital art. I took this shot of a sunflower a few years ago, but it did not knock me over as a straight photo. I like it much better after massaging it in my digital darkroom.

Main website: Photography by Matt Schrier
.

Snow Robin

2009-12-27T09:34:00.004-05:00

I don't usually see robins in winter. I know that they feed mostly on worms and other creepy-crawly things they find in the ground, and around here the ground can be frozen for weeks if not months. At the local nature center we spotted them eating some of the winter berries.

I am trying some digital manipulation techniques these days, making use of the down-time that usually accompanies winter. Here is one example.

Holiday Greetings

2009-12-24T21:57:00.003-05:00

Photography by Matt Schrier

Winter is Almost Here

2009-12-19T13:35:00.003-05:00

The calendar says Dec. 19, but it sure feels like winter. Snow is falling heavily today in the Mid-Atlantic states, so I headed over to my local nature center to check out the bird activity. There were plenty of local bird species filling up on the bird seed and the winter berries. I think I'll be spending a fair amount of time outside this weekend, as the snowfall is supposed to last all day, and stick around for a while.

New Philly Pics Added

2009-12-06T15:07:00.003-05:00

I've added three new Philly images to my website:

Philadelphia Photos

Here's one of them:

Back to Philly

2009-12-04T22:36:00.005-05:00

It's been a while, but I've made a trip into the city of Philadelphia to begin producing some new work from there. For the last few years I've been concentrating on more natural settings, and also of birds and other animals. But I do enjoy the more scenic parts of the city as well, especially in the right light.

During the morning when our family is preparing for our day we often have a local news channel on the TV. They usually show a shot of the city from across the Delaware River from the riverfront of Camden, NJ. Frequently there is a beautiful sunrise that casts a soft morning light across the hulking buildings, making them look almost beautiful (if you can say that about a hulking building).

So that's where I headed, across the Ben Franklin Bridge (by the way a very beautiful bridge in its own right), to the area near the Adventure Aquarium. On this morning the pre-dawn light was quite nice, and some soft distant clouds provided a subtle backdrop to the skyscrapers. I took a number of "keeper" shots, but one that stood out for me was the one below, where I include the moon that stood far above. I don't usually make a concerted attempt to extract deep meaning from my photos, but there's something about this composition that makes me reflect on how small our world is in the big scheme of things.

From the Archives

2009-11-25T19:02:00.003-05:00

I often go back to my image files to see if there any shots I previously overlooked, or never completed processing. This image of the oft-photographed Jenne Farm in Vermont was made on a workshop trip a few years ago. In retrospect the reason I did not select this photo for my portfolio is because I didn't care for the composition in the "standard" aspect ratio. But after I cropped it for a panoramic I like it a lot.

Last Show of the Year

2009-11-20T07:52:00.003-05:00

Well it's that time of year. This weekend is my last show of 2009. I have been showing at the Archbishop Wood fall craft show for 4 years, and I a glad that many past customers stop by to take a look at the new work I bring back every year.

The show runs Friday night, 6:30-9:30, and then Saturday 10-4.

Below is one of my new prints that I'll have this weekend, one of those "instant favorites" that is hard not to like if you live in the Bucks County area.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T08:11:00.002-04:00

From Solly Brothers farm in Bucks County, Pa.

Website Updates

2009-10-28T19:36:00.004-04:00

For those frequent visitors to my site I would like to point out a few changes.

(1) I added a "Welcome" page, which for the moment is simply a photo of historic Fonthill Castle, with a link to the galleries page. I like this kind of website entry point, although I will be juicing it up a little in the near future.

Welcome Page

(2) I added a page that shows all of the framed prints that I currently have in inventory. I've done this primarily to give people a chance who have seen my work in person to take a second look. Link below:

Frames Page

(3) Finally, I've added some new prints to my galleries.

New Work

Below is one of the newly added images, which is of a babydoll lamb at the Cuttalossa Farm in Bucks County. This lamb looks so innocent and youthful against the large outline of its mother just behind it.

Drip Drop

2009-10-22T21:09:00.003-04:00

On a recent trip to the Poconos I found myself at the edge of a pond below some trees. The view across the pond was nothing special, but the water dripping from the trees above created interesting patterns in the water. When printed in a larger size the disturbances in the water can bee seen in all their glory.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Poconos

2009-10-18T20:36:00.002-04:00

I've taken my nearly yearly trip up north to the Poconos. I'm usually drawn to the Delaware Water Gap area, and this year I returned to the George W. Childs State Park, just a few miles from Dingman's Falls. This area has beautiful series of waterfalls tucked in a small valley/gorge. The light was very nice on this morning, and the air was still enough to let me use a longer exposure to accentuate the waterfalls.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Golden Morning

2009-10-11T17:37:00.005-04:00

As summer winds down we often get treated to foggy mornings. If you are prepared and put yourself in the right location to catch the sunbeams streaming through, you will have a good chance to make very nice images.

At my favorite local haunt I was fortunate to have the light fog hang around the trees while the full sun blasted from behind it.

I'm beginning to catch the fall foliage in Pennsylvania, and I hope to have some new images in time for my last two shows of the year. Stay tuned ...

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

New Hope Award

2009-09-27T19:59:00.002-04:00

The New Hope Arts and Crafts Festival was a mixed bag. Saturday's great weather was followed by some rain on Sunday. As always I met a lot of fun and interesting people, with many stories to share.

I was fortunate to receive the second place award in the photography category this year. In addition to the cash award it is very gratifying to know that my body of work is impressive enough to win an award at a high-end arts festival such as New Hope.

Below is a photo of me receiving the award.

I Spy

2009-09-21T20:00:00.003-04:00

Prepping for New Hope

2009-09-16T21:57:00.002-04:00

My last outdoor show of the year is coming up, and I'm busy selecting some new images to print. I've tweaked my presentation a bit over the past few shows, in an attempt to make browsing easier (and in the end to increase sales, of course). First of all I've produced two gallery-wraps (one which sold at the Doylestown show), to try a bit of a different effect. This format has become much more popular in recent years, and for certain images the result can be really beautiful. I've added them as an option on my website.

I've also left the smaller items home, in order to give me more flexibility in arranging my print bins. I've eliminated a table, which allows more room to move around, and allows customers to get closer to the works hanging on the walls.

The image below was made a few weeks ago in a local field. The flowers have died, but the birds were busy filling up on the remaining seeds. I like the early-day lighting, as well as the color tone of this image.

Doylestown Arts Festival

2009-09-14T08:25:00.002-04:00

We had a very nice day yesterday at the Doylestown Arts Festival. The weather was great, the crowds were overflowing, and the atmosphere was electric. After a few weather-dampened disappointing shows this year this show was a breath of fresh air.

I met a lot of new customers, and a few old ones. A few family members also took advantage of the nice day to stop by and support me (Thanks Leslie, Vince, Linda, Frank and Ellen).

This image below seemed to garner a lot of interest. Bucks County still brims with farming, despite the explosion of development over the past few decades. And our local historical connections are also well-appreciated. So this shot of sheep on a wet winter day at the Thompson-Neely farm, right across from Bowman's Hill near New Hope, resonates with a lot of people.

Next stop: New Hope Arts and Crafts Festival, Sept 26 and 27.

Young Heron

2009-09-06T08:26:00.002-04:00

While walking around my local nature center recently, on a quiet morning where I wasn't expecting anything especially interesting, I was startled when this young heron flew from near the path to a branch not too far away. Since he didn't go too far I was thinking that he wasn't really too afraid of me, so I calmly swapped lenses on my camera and prepared the tripod.

While I snapped some initial shots he preened himself for a while. Then he moved to this branch, above the walking path. Here I was able to inch closer and capture some clean shots.

I'm not sure what variety of heron this is, as I think his color will change as he gets older. It may be a white heron.

One lesson that I have learned while walking through natural areas is to always be prepared, and be wary of what's around you. I often go walking with a destination in mind, sometimes completely oblivious to what's around me. But then I may be startled by a deer or a heron or other large bird along the water's edge. At the very least have a medium to long lens on the camera if you have one.

What's Happening

2009-08-23T15:14:00.003-04:00

We're in the dog days of summer right now. It's been hot and humid, and frequently raining, for the past few weeks. A few nights ago we had a tremendous thunderstorm with very loud thunderclaps. No need to add water to the pool this summer, instead we're draining water out.

As far as photography goes, I'm trying to create shots of summer flowers before they wilt due to the summer heat. Some of the local fields of wildflowers have finally flowered to the point where they attract birds like goldfinches, as well as butterflies. The bird activity at my feeder has stopped almost entirely, and that's because they have moved on to more natural sources of food. Lately at my local nature center the birds are all over the wildflowers growing there. When the natural sources start to wane then I'll expect them to return to the feeder.

Below is a hawk that I discovered at a local park. He stayed on his perch atop a tall tree for awhile, apparently looking for signs of small animals for which to feed on.

Summer Morning

2009-08-15T13:50:00.002-04:00

I don't chase sunsets so much any more, but I do chase sunrises on occasion, or at least the post-sunrise sunlight. There are a few personal reasons for this. I believe sunsets look great with some other beautiful landscape scene for the sunset to accentuate, especially a water feature. And we don't have a lot of those in our area. Also, as beautiful as they can be, sunsets are quite common. So if I'm picking some time out of my schedule to spend photographing I'd like to work on subjects that are more unique.

As for morning light, I often find interesting things happening. Such as fog or animal activity. Also many people aren't up in the early morning hours, so the scenes I find are often very surprising to people. I like my chances of having the images being more impactive and unusual.

In the photo below the sun had been up for a while, but the fog had not yet cleared. This is the time when I find very dramatic images.

Collingswood Show

2009-08-07T13:20:00.003-04:00

This weekend I will be at the Collingswood NJ Crafts and Fine Arts Festival. The weather doesn't look too bad, considering all the rain our region has been getting lately. Saturday looks great. Please take advantage and stop by - I have new images and 2 new gallery wraps that I'm adding into the mix.

Rainy Phillies Game

2009-07-30T22:18:00.003-04:00

Ryan and I took in a Phillies game last Friday night, against the St. Louis Cardinals. They lost the game, but we still had fun. There was a rain delay to make things a little interesting. Here are a few shots from my Canon point-and-shoot.

Daylily Stamens Up Close

2009-07-29T21:14:00.005-04:00

In our neck of the woods daylilies are just about everywhere. They are so common that I usually avoid them - that's just me. But with my new macro lens I can bring out patterns that are normally overlooked. I was able to keep these images of the stamens quite soft which makes them border on the abstract. A nice pair, I think.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Bugs

2009-07-19T22:17:00.004-04:00

I recently purchased a quality macro lens, a 90mm Tamron for my Nikon D80. I already have a 70-200mm f2.8 made by Sigma that is branded as a "macro" lens, because it has the capability of a 1:3.5 magnification ratio. I haven't really attempted much macro photography, so I didn't really "get" why this lens doesn't do a good job as a macro lens.

First of all the magnification ratio is not all that much. "True" macro lenses can go to a 1:1 ratio - maybe more, although I'm not a lens guru so I don't know for sure. In addition the 70-200 creates a lot of chromatic aberrations when used wide open at close focusing distances. What this means is that funny colors start to appear around edges, more-so at high-contrast edges. This either ruins an image, or forces me to perform some surgery using software (something I prefer not to do).

So I bit the bullet and bought the 90mm Tamron lens, based on many good reviews I've read, including those on fredmiranda.com, and I've been giving it quite a workout. I now find that my opportunities for creating compelling flower photography have multiplied greatly. The image quality is fantastic.

And now that I'm able to work at much closer distances than before I'm now seeing more of a different sort of wildlife than I'm used to, as the photo below shows.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Fawning

2009-07-18T09:20:00.004-04:00

I found a trio of fawns in a field near Council Rock High School South. They were slowly working from one side of the road across to the other. I was able to get relatively close without them getting too skittish. After a little while they became uncomfortable and ran for the safety of the trees, where I grabbed this image of one of them.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Going For a Drink

2009-07-08T23:08:00.002-04:00

This was one of two elk we found working through some brush along a stream. This was near the Hidden Valley area of Rocky Mountain National Park. These animals do not react much to humans, even ones that get rather close. I guess that after the thousands of tourists they see each year they realize we're not really a threat.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Feeding Time

2009-07-07T08:23:00.003-04:00

I am not seeing much variety in bird species lately at the bird feeder. But the activity is incredible right now. We always have had nests in our trees and bushes and I think there are just as many if not more this year.

The other day I saw these younger birds take their spots on the old branch I have set-up near the feeder, and sat there waiting with their little wings fluttering. A few seconds later the mommy or daddy bird came from the feeder and fed the babies. This went on for a while. Very fun to watch.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Pikes Peak

2009-07-04T07:22:00.002-04:00

14,110 feet. That's the altitude of Pikes Peak near Colorado Springs. The drive to the top is slow but exciting. The drive down is also slow. You absolutely must keep your car is Low gear to avoid using your breaks. There is a break-temperature check station halfway down. I felt I was going too slow, based on the speed of other drivers, but my brakes were only 119 degrees - quite low.

We had a lot of partly-cloudy days, and that often yields beautiful sunsets.

Arches National Park

2009-07-03T10:29:00.005-04:00

First impression: Utah is a desolate place. We drove for hours and besides two or three small towns we did not come across much sign of civilization. You have to be careful to keep plenty of gas in your tank because it may be 100 miles or more before you see another gas station. (Disclaimer: We stayed in the eastern part of the state. Areas near Salt Lake City may be different).

Second impression: Utah can be very, very impressive. The drive north towards Arches National Park from the "Four Corners" area provides stunning scenery. The red rock formations were spectacular.

Arches National Park itself is pretty incredible as well. Although the arches are the main draw I was impressed more with other formations. The hikes are generally manageable, even for my family. I'll have to return some day for the 3-mile round-trip hike to Delicate Arch, preferably in cooler weather (it was near 100 degrees last week).

Below is a shot of the North Window arch. This was near sunset, but on the "dark" side of the arch. I like how the glow from the sunlight bouncing off the surrounding rocks illuminated the shadowy areas of the arch. I included the moon - hopefully it is discernible.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Moose Trio

2009-07-01T19:53:00.005-04:00

On our drive out of Rocky Mountain National Park we were treated to a rare display - a mother moose and her two babies were grabbing a snack and getting a drink only a few yards from the road. They were easy to locate - the gathering crowd by the roadside was a clear giveaway. While swatting the mosquitoes I was able to snap a few good shots before they meandered away from the crowd.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Drama over Estes Park

2009-06-23T09:36:00.005-04:00

We're two days into our Colorado vacation and so far it's been very enjoyable. We've spent these days driving and hiking our way through the Rocky Mountain National Park. I have a lot of great photos already, and I'll share them as time goes on.

But last night we were treated to an awesome lightning storm which rolled in suddenly just before sunset and lasted a couple of hours. Fortunately our motel provided a great vantage point for photographing this storm, which approached Estes Park from the east. It didn't seem to move much, so I had many good chances to capture the lightning.

This shot below was taken later in the storm, and since it had gotten dark I was able to stop down the shutter and make a 30-second exposure. I took many such exposures and got a few good shots.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Entering Summer

2009-06-10T19:05:00.007-04:00

The school year is just about over, and I've gotten through my first 3 shows of the year. Peddler's Village was a fine show. The weather was great and the crowds were plentiful and friendly. My next show isn't until August, which will be in Collingswood NJ.

I'll be traveling to Colorado in a few weeks with the family. Hopefully I'll find some time to do some shooting, but our schedule is full of sightseeing and outdoor activities. Depending on the weather the wildflowers should be near their peak, so I will definitely be on the lookout for them.

I've added some newer images to my website, including the image below. It is usually a challenge to approach a flower bed full of beautiful, colorful flowers, and find the composition that will be neat, clean, and powerful. One of the tricks to making very attractive images is to reduce the clutter, either by getting closer or by using a narrow depth of field. I used both techniques here.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Peddler's Village Coming Up

2009-05-31T17:04:00.005-04:00

Well my first 2 shows of the year were nothing to write home about. Although the crowds were OK at Ocean City the sales were not very strong. My pet theory about selling photography at the shore is that most people are looking for shore-related images. That doesn't surprise me, and I don't hold any ill will towards them. It's very natural for there to be a demand for such images from both residents and visitors.

My second show was Newtown Welcome Day, and for the second year in a row we were rained out. Not much more to say there.

Next weekend (June 6 and 7) is the Peddler's Village Fine Arts and Crafts show. Last year we had blistering heat, and I don't expect the same problem this year. Although I wouldn't be surprised if we got some rain - but don't let that keep you away. I should be in the same spot as last year.

Below is a new image of a mother and baby swan, in their nest along the Delaware and Raritan canal just south of Lambertville, NJ. I found out later that there is a second baby, probably hiding under the mother's wing. We saw this family a week later taking a swim in the canal. The father was very protective, vigilantly protecting his family by swimming along the water's edge when passerby's took an interest. We've seen enough episodes of "Funniest Home Videos" to know how aggressive swans can be, so we were careful not to agitate him.

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Dealing with the Gumblar virus

2009-05-26T18:40:00.006-04:00

As the administrator of my website I occasionally have to deal with such issues as worms, viruses, and other nasty stuff. My site is relatively simple and plain, by design (although I admit it could use a little pizazz).

Over the Memorial Day weekend I discovered that my site had been infected. Some bad code had been written into my main index.htm file. After a few hours of investigation I found that my main PC had been infected and this allowed the "bad guys" to get into my website and alter my files, with the intention of spreading their badness around to anyone who visited my site.

For those who are interested here are the gory details, as best as I know them:

My PC was infected by some malware (i.e. "bad software") that stole the passwords to my FTP account

I use a free FTP program (Filezilla) that actually stores passwords in a plain text file on the hard drive. This is a very nice FTP program, but the password storage makes it ridiculously easy for a rogue program to steal the passwords (see this link)

The rogue program installed a scheduled task that seems to grab the password(s) and send them to the "bad guys". They would then occasionally log into my account, and modify my files.

This virus is loosely known as the Gumblar virus. A web search will quickly reveal how serious of a problem it is.

I have cleaned my machine, changed my passwords, deleted the scheduled task, and uninstalled Filezilla. I hope I have this thing licked, but until a few weeks pass without an incident I'll be keenly aware of what is going on.

Let me know if you want more information about my experience.

Wildflower

2009-05-24T08:32:00.002-04:00

Recently I found some beautiful wildflowers along the Delaware-Raritan canal in NJ, between Washington Crossing and Lambertville. They were very photogenic: color, shape, simplicity, plus those "bells" hanging down. Once I identified a growth that stood out I worked the depth of field to capture the detail of this flower, while keeping the background mostly blurred. Anyone know the name of this flower?

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

Backyard Visitors

2009-05-17T13:17:00.005-04:00

There's always something new to observe out by the bird feeder. I frequently have the camera ready to go nearby in case I see something interesting happening.

The blue jays are often considered bullies, because of the way they attempt to scare off other birds. I have seen this happen a number of times. But now that the weather is warmer and worms and other insects are more plentiful some birds would rather dine on their selected menu items.

This blue jay sat for a while on our fence waiting and watching. He jumped down and plucked out a grub (or caterpillar or something) for a tasty snack.

And here are a few other colorful visitors. The first two are house finches. The yellow one is an American goldfinch..

Website: Photography by Matt Schrier

New visitor

2009-05-05T20:19:00.003-04:00

We have a new visitor to our bird feeder lately. As I've said before I'm not a "bird person", so I cannot readily identify this bird. My first thought was that it looked like a woodpecker. But instead of just guess I decided to go online.

I ended up at the site Whatbird.com to try and help me with identification. After entering the different criteria, such as bill type, color, etc., I think I narrowed it down.

It looks to me like a ladder-backed woodpecker, or possibly even a gila woodpecker.

The most interesting thing about this bird was what I caught it doing in the image below. He seems to be clearing out the smaller seeds in order to get to the bigger ones. I'm sure the smaller birds would find those smaller ones down in the grass. Quite unique behavior.

Newtown Show

2009-05-03T10:36:00.002-04:00

I will not be attending the Newtown Welcome Day show today, because of threat of rain. We were bombarded with rain showers last year at this show, and this year the radar maps look similarly bad. If you were looking forward to coming to this show please drop me a line and I'll be glad to set something up.

Go Phils

2009-04-20T20:48:00.003-04:00

My son and I attended our first Phillies game of the season yesterday. We had a great time - weather was great, crowd was fun, and the Phils won. I lugged my 300mm lens to the game and from the 13th row behind 3rd base I got a few nice shots.

First for the pre-game entertainment. It was the Phanatic's birthday (free t-shirts for the kids), so to celebrate they held a magic show on the field. It was kind of fun being mystified - and trying to figure out how they did the tricks.

Then the game. The pitcher was Chan Ho Park, and he had a mediocre game. By the fifth inning the Phils were down 4-0, although they were getting a few hits.

We decided to take a mid-game walk around the ballpark to get something to eat, and we found the 2008 World Series trophy on display. Too bad I wasn't thinking and stood right in front of the trophy - at least I didn't completely block it.

Here's the left-field display honoring long-time Phils announcer Harry Kalas.

Later in the game the Phils picked up the action and started scoring. Jimmy Rollins hit a late-inning pinch-hit home run that got the score to 4-3. Nice job J-Rol.

That took us to the bottom of the ninth, down by one run. After Ryan Howard got on base it was Raul Ibanez to save the game, and with a home-run shot to right field the Phils took this game 5-4. What an exciting finish.

Galleries Updated

2009-04-10T16:21:00.003-04:00

I've added about 11 new images to the galleries. This includes a few bird photos, and a bunch from my trip to Italy. The newly added photos are on my New Work page.

The following image was taken at Lake Maggiore, on the west side. The distant snow-covered mountains were spectacular - a few weeks later and I think much of this snow will have melted.

Lake Maggiore

2009-04-07T22:24:00.002-04:00

Another from Italy, this one taken in the town of Arona on Lake Maggiore. When I first arrived I was treated to a partially fog-covered lake, but the fog quickly began clearing and exposing this ancient castle, which I believe is Fortress Angera Castle. I was also joined by a local fisherman, in a small colorful motorboat. The result is the image below.

Although there was not a lot of color at this time of year, since Spring was really just beginning in this region close to the Alps, the cool mornings frequently produce a lot of interesting and dramatic fog. And there were still not many tourists and other visitors to these small towns, so the pace was really easy.

Impression of Italy

2009-04-05T21:04:00.004-04:00

I just had the pleasure of spending a week in Italy on a business trip. Of course I could not pass up the chance to photograph the areas I was visiting, which was Milan and the lakes region, including renowned Lake Como.

It was an incredible week spent with a friendly bunch of colleagues in various companies. Besides the productive meetings we were able to accomplish there were amazing sights, fantastic food, and historic Milan.

It will take a while before I get to process all of my photos, but I've attached one to get you started. I hope to pass along more photos and stories in the days ahead.

The town of Bellagio on Lake Como, taken from Lenno.

Getting Springier

2009-03-25T21:57:00.002-04:00

It's still cold here in the Northeast, even a week into Spring. But there are signs everywhere - Spring is here and its busting out. I stopped by the local nature center on the way to work recently and the bird activity was tremendous.

Here's a nice shot of a female cardinal among the pussy willows.

Happy Spring

2009-03-21T22:33:00.002-04:00

As I've said before I've found winter to be difficult photographically. I'm glad to have spring upon us.

I've decided to purchase a bird feeder for our yard. I enjoy photographing birds, and I thought it would give me a lot more opportunities if I could set up my equipment in my backyard instead of driving to parks and nature centers.

Near the feeder I have set-up a larch branch that has fallen in the trees behind our house. This will serve as a natural-looking perch on which to photographs the birds.

Here is one the early visitors. He and his friends sometimes like to take a big seed and fly away quickly, but other times they stick around for a while. I was surprised to find that the birds have taken to this feeder so quickly. I'm sure I'll have many nice new birds images this year.

Spring Approaches

2009-02-21T16:55:00.006-05:00

It has been a very cold winter in the northeast U.S. this year. I have not been able to find the time to photograph much in the past few months. I guess as I get older I become less interested in braving cold weather for any length of time.

Recently we've been getting a few breaks in the weather, so I've gone out to a local nature center to see what birds are around. Now I'm not much of a "birder", in fact I know very little about birds. I can only recognize the most popular kinds of birds, but I enjoy photographing them nonetheless.

As many nature photographers well know there are a few minimum attributes to a good bird photograph, and these are two that I concentrate on:
- Sharpness, especially the eyes
- Uncluttered background

Of course exposure and composition are also important, as they always are.

Below is a photo in which the background is cluttered, but I like the lines and how the direction of the bird's body flows with the branches. Even the direction the bird is looking is along the line of biggest branch. Now you wouldn't necessarily think about these things if you were simply trying to enjoy this photo, but I think little things like these can either make or break a photo.

Hiatus

2009-01-19T21:21:00.004-05:00

It may have seemed like I've been on a hiatus for a while. I have not posted any new images in a few weeks. Between the changeover from fall to winter, which is a difficult time to photograph scenery, and the holidays, I have not been highly motivated to create new work.

We have had a lot of cold weather, but not much snow. Today we were lucky to get a soft snowfall during the day. I took advantage and made haste to my local park to try and photograph the covered bridge there. I was able to get a few nice images, although the one I "wanted" was not possible since the higher water level prevented me from reaching the position I have used before.

I am finding photographing snow difficult. There is always a contrast between the brightest white, mid-tones, and the shadows. The sky was overcast today, so that lessened the contrast, but that can lead to drab images, especially of the gray sky. On the other hand a sunny sky would have pumped up the contrast to the extreme, making the scene very harsh. I think I prefer the overcast conditions, where I have more control on making adjustments.

Box Design

2008-12-24T10:44:00.003-05:00

In a followup to my previous post where I show my home-made box for transporting framed prints, I have put together a rough diagram of the design I used. It includes a materials list and a cut list. I have omitted the assembly since that is (a) more difficult to document and (b) should be self-evident to someone attempting to build a box like this. Just be careful to make the box as square as possible.

Below is the diagram. Click on it to make sure you are not seeing it compressed by Blogger.

I have not yet settled on a good lining material. I picked up some thin rolled-up blue foam insulation at Lowes, so I'm going to try putting that in. I'll let you know how that works out.

Spyware = Bad

2008-12-23T23:45:00.002-05:00

I've just overcome a bout with spyware on my main computer. And I must say: Spyware creators are Evil, and Thank God for smart people who provide great free tools to eliminate this evil.

One of my children visited a "bad" site and maybe clicked on a pop-up she shouldn't have. After a few hours of getting nowhere I found a site that recommended Combofix. This is a program that performs some real magic and it eliminated the spyware that other tools could not. It's not a commercial program - it's a freebie that someone developed with a very crude user interface. But it got the job done, and that's all that matters.

Thank you smart spyware-removing people.

Searching for a Clue

2008-12-19T07:54:00.004-05:00

I have recently begun keeping closer track of the traffic to my website. I am not using publicly available tools for this (why not - I really don't know). I keep my own logs and have developed some scripts that spit out some statistics for me. A few nuggets of information has some out of this.

Image-Based Searches

For one, and this was a little surprising to me, image-based searches usually resulted in very little follow-on traffic. Visitors coming to my site from, say, a Google or Yahoo image search typically only view that one photo that they linked to. They don't explore other parts of my site.

Now this is perfectly understandable. When you perform an image search, and click on a specific thumbnail that you find might meet your needs (whether it be to purchase a photo or, uh, "borrow" one for some other purpose) you are basically trying to confirm whether you like THAT PHOTO that you clicked on. You are really in the mindset of continuing your image search through the search engine, not exploring the target website.

At one point I was concerned with getting good rankings in the Google image search, but with this new information I'm not really that concerned any more.

Holiday Season

The other interesting piece of data is that during the winter holiday, i.e. the "gift-giving season", I seem to get a lot of subject-specific searches, and my sales during the holidays reflect that. When people buy photography as a gift I think the tendency is to buy a specific locational subject that the buyer believes the recipient knows and will appreciate. For example "Sea Isle Sunrise" or "Boathouse Row". I don't get a lot of "Fall Foliage" or "Waterfall" searches. Again - perfectly understandable.

Snow on Trees

One more interesting search that I get a lot of in November is for "Snow on Trees", or some variation of this. I have one particular image, shown below, that is a fairly good seller at shows, but not really that good online. But people search for this subject constantly. So what gives? My theory is that people are designing holiday cards or newsletters, either for their own personal use or for others, and they are looking for nice winter images to use for these. Although the quality and size of the image on my website is not appropriate for making prints, some people may find it acceptable for cards.

If this is true then I am sure people are stealing my images left and right, since I get no requests to license this image. It is nearly impossible for me to detect this (i.e. "enforce" my copyrights). And prevention measures are possible, such as making images much smaller on my site, going to a flash-based website, or slicing and dicing the image so it makes it harder to download manually. I am not inclined to do any of that for now, because I like the simplicity of my site - the way it operates, and the ease that I can maintain and update it.

Winter Project

2008-12-09T07:56:00.003-05:00

For the past few years I have been transporting my framed prints in cardboard boxes. The boxes were OK, but not really up to the job. They were not durable and did not protect the artwork. They were very susceptible to rain and wet ground, and storing them during the show was always a problem.

So I've decided to build my own carrying boxes. I've seen similar boxes by other artists so I basically "borrowed" their ideas.

It's a simple box design. I designed it with the following features:

Removable lid, to protect from rain (some boxes I've seen don't have a lid). The lid stays in place simply by placing the 1x3 wood pieces slightly over the edges, as seen in the last photo.

Lauan wood sides. Thin, light, and cheap.

2 inch "feet" on the bottom (the sides extend down to form the feet). In case of rain this will keep the artwork mostly above water level

Here are a few photos of a partially completed box. I will be putting in a soft lining material, but I have not decided on the material yet. I will also be putting on a protective finishing coat. Let me know if you want more information or the measurements/plans.

Indoor vs. Outdoor

2008-11-22T20:22:00.002-05:00

I just completed my last show of the year, and surprisingly the faltering economy has not really hurt my business too much. I'm glad that people are making a strong enough connection to my work that they are willing to spend their hard-earned money to take the prints home.

There are a number of differences between indoor and outdoor shows. The advantages of the outdoor are pretty obvious. Potentially larger crowds, and bigger and roomier space to display more of the artists' work. This should typically result in bigger sales.

But in some ways I'm starting to grow fond of indoor shows. One major advantage is the weather factor, or non-weather factor. Not getting rained on or getting your tent blown away is a fantastic feeling.

Another advantage is that it is more a more intimate setting. Well, let's say "personal" setting. In a large tent a person could walk in, browse for a couple minutes, and leave without saying nary a word if they keep their distance from me. But at an indoor show I greet visitors very quickly, since I am typically standing or sitting just a few feet away. This often quickly leads to conversation, which helps to put the visitor at ease.

I thoroughly enjoyed my last two shows, both indoors, and I look forward to more int he future.

Churchville Nature Center Growing

2008-11-17T11:22:00.002-05:00

I've just learned that one of my local photography haunts, Churchville Nature Center, will be expanding soon. A large chunk of adjacent land has been donated to them, and their visitor center is also going to be expanded.

Read about it below at phillyburbs.com:

Churchville Nature Center Growing

Busy Show

2008-11-11T08:52:00.003-05:00

My show last weekend was well attended. The crowds at Charles Boehm Middle School were pretty steady all day, right up until the closing minute. Thanks to all who stopped by for a chat or a purchase.

I think my set-up has greatly improved over the years. The frames I am using now do a better job of enhancing my work, and I was able to utilize the full space effectively with the addition of a new print rack. I have been using lights since I began the indoor shows, and they are almost a requirement for selling photography.

Below are some shots of my setup. My next and last show for the year is at Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, Pa. That will be Nov 21 (evening) and Nov 22.

Coming to a Close

2008-11-01T22:01:00.003-04:00

Fall colors are dwindling away. Bright colorful leaves are starting to morph into brown, at least those that haven't fallen to the ground yet.

Also, my show season is almost at an end. Just 2 more shows. Next weekend in Yardley at the Charles Boehm Middle School, and two weeks after at Archbishop Wood High School. I have a bunch of images from the season that I will be working onto the website and into my inventory.

Below is a recent image taken during a fantastic morning near Lake Nockamixon in Bucks County. Shooting nearly directly into the sun through the fog creates an image with little color variance, but creates a wonderful mood with the silhouettes of the horse and pony.

Something a Little Different

2008-10-18T22:37:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I struggle with autumn. The window is so small to take advantage of the best colors, and in addition due to my day job I can only spend quality photography time on the weekends. And when the weather is clear the sun arrives with full force quickly after sunrise. This can immediately create unwanted contrast, even when using a polarizing filter.

The other reason I struggle is finding creative ways to work in the color to quality compositions. I avoid making images of color for color's sake, unless there is something interesting going on in the photo. So with relatively few outings in the peak season I sometimes find myself under-performing, relative to what I know is possible during this season.

So this morning I am out at a local park, and the lake is full of geese preparing to continue their migratory journeys. As groups of them lift off from the water and head on their way I attempted to capture some of this activity. The sun did not cooperate today as some clouds blocked the "quality" light right after sunrise. So I did not get much of the geese activity looking horizontally across the lake.

But I did see the moon overhead, and with so many geese flying around I figured I would get some chances to include them with a moon shot. The image below is one such result. It does not represent the fall colors, but it is striking nonetheless.

Slippery When Wet

2008-10-15T21:45:00.002-04:00

During a recent trip to the Poconos I re-visited a semi-hidden waterfall that I found a few years ago. The walk down from the road is short but steep, and once at the bottom of the trail the waterfall appears from the side.

There has been a lack of rain this fall, so there is not much water in the area streams, and this waterfall was sparse as well. The image below is of a small part of the falls that had an interesting shape. As you can see the black rock is slick and wet, made even worse by the wet leaves and moss. I was being as careful as I could, recognizing the slickness and being only in sneakers.

But eventually, as I was heading back down the rocks I slipped. I managed to save the camera and tripod, and only one foot got wet, but my phone slipped out of my shirt pocket and into the water. Fortunately I was able to grab it within a few seconds and apparently there was no ill effect. What great engineering.

The colors in the Poconos are great this year, and I've even found some great shots down in Bucks County already this fall. And there's still a few weeks to go!

4:45 AM

2008-10-05T14:49:00.002-04:00

That was my wake-up time this morning. I headed up to the Poconos to take advantage of the emerging fall colors, and to get the good morning light I had to literally drag myself out of bed. There is still plenty of green up there, and peak color is still probably 2 weeks away, but I did find some pockets of color to work with.

Not So Still Life

2008-09-14T22:08:00.002-04:00

When compared with outdoor nature photography, which requires lugging equipment around, finding locations, waiting for the moment, (missing the moment), getting rained on, etc., creating still-life photographs seems like a no-brainer. Simply think of an interesting scene, acquire the pieces to put the scene together, put them together in a climate-controlled room in your house, light appropriately, snap a few shots, and voila! Great results! Right? Um, wrong.

Why not? Well for me, my brain just does not work that way. Maybe it's a deficiency in me, but I have a hard time creating an image from scratch. It's like staring at an empty canvas. I just have a hard time creating compelling still-life images, at least the kind that I have to assemble myself.

I guess my strength is what many people refer to is my "eye", as in "You have a great eye." I like having nature provide me with the starting point, from which I figure out what would make a great image. I can work around what nature provides, but I have a hard time replicating it on my own.

I thought of this as I was photographing a bunch of tomato filled baskets at a local farm. The shots I made reminded me of still-lifes, as if I could have brought the filled baskets to the farm myself and placed them in just the right spot. But instead I was fortunate to find about 15 baskets spread out along the edge of the field. This provided a number of possible image set-ups, and the one below is one that I like.

And I only had about 15 minutes before the pickers came back with their tractor to collect the tomatoes.