Continue reading »]]> Looking for reflections and using them in part of a photographic composition is a fun exercise and encourages photographers to get out their comfort zone and get really low or really high and look.  FInding the reflections is one thing.  Framing them in an interesting composition is another.  It could be you make the image of just the reflection.

OR, perhaps you do a wide angle image in which the reflection is part of the forground.  This wider angle image shows what I mean.

If coming to the island of Maui and you want to go on a workshop/tour, check out Maui Photo Tours

Looking for a great gift.  How about a beautiful piece of art.

Continue reading »]]> While leading a workshop this week, I trudged off the beaten path hopeful too find still water and a reflection. I found this small bridge and stream and found my way to a location that allowed me to use the foliage as a fore ground element and serve as a diagonal line and draw the eye into the image.  The stream itself  has repeating diagonal line where the water meets the shore.

The line in the background where the bridge is forms a subtle but additional diagonal line, which happens to be the natural exit point of the image. Once the eye enters the image, it is drawn to the bridge located in upper left third, then flows like the stream through the image.

Please tell people interested in learning how to take better pictures, that Maui Photo Tours combines a fun island tour with a great photography education.  The company was created by Master Photographer Douglas Hoffman

Continue reading »]]> One of the things I love about photography is that it gives people, myself included,  the chance to be creative and try things.  For example, this week I had the pleasure of doing a landscape workshop and island tour with Megan. Throughout our day we visited what  a selection of  locations that offer iconic Maui views, with no crowds or large tour busses in the way.

We started at sunrise and the tide was very low, exposing the seaweed, and rock moss to the air.  These textures and colors are seldom visible as they are usually just under the surface. Large rocks that would normally be a natural surf break,   now contained small pools of still water.  This allowed me to try something new.

We also did some exercises on framing, lines of repetition, and rules of thirds in the bamboo forest.   We timed it just right as the rain stopped just minutes before we arrived.  The ground was wet and slick, but the light was soft.

We also found a spot that had a few fell tree’s with fungus growing on them.  Across the road Megan found some moss to photograph with a macro lens.

We also spent some quality time at one of Maui’s most beautiful and accessible waterfalls. Fortunately we timed it right and had the area to ourselves for about 20 minutes.

If you know someone coming to Maui, that loves photography tell them about Maui Photo Tours.  If interested in doing a underwater photography workshop in Indonesia or Fiji, or swimming with whales in Tonga, tell them about Professional Photographer Douglas Hoffman

Continue reading »]]>  

In this waterfall image I used the foliage on the left to frame the photograph.  The green leaves catch the eye and guide them into the three waterfalls behind.  This waterfall is along the road to Hana however be advised there is no parking.  Please respect other drivers and do not stop on the one lane road.  If you really want to photograph the falls go another 1/4 mile to a pull out on the left.

Learn about photography while you see the island with Maui Photo Tours.

Be safe live Pono.

Continue reading »]]>

One of the great things about doing a workshop at the beach in Maui, is the local residents that come by to bask in the sun.  Take this Hawaiian Monk Seal for example, its enjoying some quality “Maui Time”.   These  animals are very rare and on the endangered species list.  Just to see one is a gift of Aloha.

If you should happen to come across one enjoy the view, but please do not approach within 100 feet. As a protected species you could get fined if caught.  See more hawaiian marine life photography here

Continue reading »]]> Living in Hawaii, I see and endless wave of people with digital cameras. That makes sense as Maui is a world class travel & surf destination.  What does not makes sense is how many of these people have little if any idea what all the knobs, and dials are for. They simply just turn on the camera and start shooting. As a consequence many of these people are disappointed with the results they get.

Digital cameras are smart.  The problem is people do not understand how they work or the limitations of a digital CCD chip.  I admit understanding the technical side of photography is not as fun as the creative side, but  just knowing the basics can help make a big improvement.  This is why I suggest reading the manual.   Even if you only absorb 10% of the material, you will gain valuable insight as to how to set up your camera and what it can do.

Once you are familiar with how to set your camera you can take some online tutorials or participate in a workshop.  This way you can concentrate on the concepts being taught, not how to go from auto to manual mode.

Continue reading »]]>

This images was created in Makena Maui, and will be on display at the new location for Maui’s Waterfront Restaurant in Maalaea Harbor, Maui.  The restaurant moved into a much larger space, and I am doing all of the decor. There will about 40 pieces of photographic art printed on Aluminum, Canvas, and Fine art paper.

If interested in fine art photography or family portraiture on Maui

Continue reading »]]> I am the kind of person that reads a book with the intent to learn but somehow the information just seems to go through one eye, then out other. I learn better by doing it, than by reading how its done.  That  said, I have found it of  value to look at fine art & decor style photography in magazines and websites. I look at the image design and composition in an effort to understand why the image maker placed the subject where he or she did, how the negative space supports the overall design, and how my eyes move through the photograph. Is there something I would have done different?, and can I recognize any particular rule of composition.

Thanks to the internet there are countless online magazines, websites and blogs to check out to see photography.  Simply do a search for the kind of photography that interests you and go for it.   I also think its a good idea to search for styles and types of photography that do not interest you.  It does not matter if you like the photograph. What matters is that you see and learn different styles of design and composition so that you can try them with your style and see what works.

If you like landscape portraiture look up Ansel Adams, Galen Rowell, Art Wolfe, John Sexton, Tony Sweet  If interested in fine art photography  or  family portraiture check these sites out.