Behind the Scenes

No People!

Alan Goldberg

Comments 8

No People!

This is the interior of the Natural History Museum in London. All of the museums in this city are free, and that means they are constantly crowded. So, how did Jim get a picture like this with no people? He arrived at the ticket office one hour before they opened when no one was there. By opening time at 10 am, there were probably 200 people in line behind him. As soon as the gate opened, he went through a brief security check (because he had a camera backpack) and then rushed to the vantage point you see here. Jim had scouted the...


A Crash of Rhinos

Alan Goldberg

Comments 4

A Crash of Rhinos

Rhinos moving together at full speed are known as a crash. Even when they’re just hanging around enjoying the watershed, they’re called a crash because of their potential. Jim usually doesn't like to photograph herbivores as they graze. A much more effective picture is when they are alert, or ready for action as seen in their body language. However, this shot of three white rhinos in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya is one of his favorites because of the juxtaposition of the three animals. Notice the depth of field here. Everything is sharp from front to back, and Jim feels that's one of...


Composite in Blue

Alan Goldberg

Comments 2

Composite in Blue

This is a composite from Jim's recent Carnival in Venice photo workshop. He thought this costume was especially beautiful and wanted to do something unique with it. He photographed San Marco Square just after the lamps were turned off, and the resulting dawn image was very cyan/blue. Therefore, when Jim pasted the model into the scene in Photoshop, he used Image > adjustments > color balance to change the colors from a daylight white balance (Jim photographed her at mid-morning) to a color that matched the environment. He photographed the model with a 24mm focal length, so that meant he had to use a...


Yellowstone in Winter

Alan Goldberg

Comments 2

Yellowstone in Winter

Jim decided to do a photo tour to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons next January -- the best time to see these national parks -- so he thought he'd post a shot he took a few years ago at one of the geothermal areas in early morning light. He has always had mixed feelings about the hexagonal flare caused by reflections off the blades of the aperture inside the lens. Part of him thought they add to the picture in that they underscore how brilliant the light was; the other part thinks they are distracting. Backlit steam in a snowy environment always makes...


Grizzly Aggression

Alan Goldberg

Grizzly Aggression

Grizzly bears will stand on their hind legs to see greater distances, but they can also exhibit aggressive behavior by doing this just before an attack. Sometimes young bears will do a false charge in which they run at you and then stop. This is designed to intimate and strike fear in an opponent. Jim has been the recipient of both types of behavior, and trust him, these intimidation techniques work! Scared to death was he! He photographed this bear in the Alaskan panhandle in the 90’s when he was still shooting film with the Mamiya RZ 67. Unfortunately Jim had to...