TRAX train at Temple Square

Temple Square Photowalk , a photo by Dornoff Photography on Flickr.

Last December Photowalking Utah did their annual Photowalk at Temple Square. This turned out to be the last Photowalking event I would be able to attend before moving.

I tried to get a few pictures of TRAX trains making the turn from Main Street onto North Temple and this was my favorite. Love the blur of the train and the lights of the police cruiser.

Making the Escape

Making the Escape
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

Last Saturday night, Photowalking Utah got together for another excellent photowalk, this one taking place in the Old Greektown area of Salt Lake City which is just west of the main part of downtown.

We walked past the Intermodal Hub then took some pictures at one of the old buildings that is soon supposed to give way to a new hotel. One of our group volunteered to play model so she got up into one of the windows of the abandoned building and did some poses.

This photo was taken at 400 ISO using flash to keep the shutter speed from getting too low.

Desert

Dirt over Mudd
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

When we were up in Logan my niece and her new husband made us a wonderful dinner and desert.

Since there will be a Photowalking Utah Mini-Clinic on taking pictures of food so I decided to take a shot of the lovely desert my niece made.

Not to make excuses about the quality of the picture, but I was sitting in a camp chair and could not move easily so I took a picture at the angle that was available to me.

Sometimes you have to compromise

Temple Square Night Picture
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

Sometimes you just have to compromise to get the picture you want.

This photo was taken during the Photowalking Utah event at Temple Square late last year. The photowalk followed another excellent presentation by Rich Legg about night photography and since I had little experience taken night shots I was eager to give some of his excellent tips a try.

So where did the compromise come in?

The main focus of this picture was the Temple itself. However, you also have the statuary in the foreground which was also going to be a major part of the picture.

If you focused on the temple itself, the statuary would be in blow out overexposed. If you focused on the statuary, then the temple would be too dark.

The compromise was finding a setting in the middle that would not blow out the statuary too bad but also would have a good shot of the Temple.

Almost a year ago...

Moran Eye Center Research University of Utah
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

February will mark the one year since I attended the first Photowalking Utah event which was held at the Moran Eye Center Research lab at the which is on the University of Utah Complex.

This event event really re-energized my love of photography. While I never stopped taking pictures, in the last few years I really slacked off while other things took priority.

What is ironic is all that happened in attending this event. It was a day of wet snow. After the Photowalk, I had to go to work which I wasn't really looking forward to.

At this time I still had only a Kodak P&S digital camera. I took my two Nikon N75's with me but wouldn't you know that the batteries died in both camera's after just a couple of minutes!! So instead I was stuck taking pictures with the crapy Kodak P&S.

I sure felt intimidated with all these people around me with their expensive DSLR cameras but I persevered. (I need to point out that no one made me feel intimidated that was all inside me!!)

The event went well and after our tax refund came in, I too had a DSLR.

Yesterday there was another photowalk but I had to miss this one because of my work schedule but everyone I have been able to attend has been fun, informative, and a opportunity to meet others that are either in the photography field or enjoy it.

Setting Goals for 2009 and thanking some...

Photowalking Utah Temple Square
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

This photo was taken at Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City on December 8th. I was attending the Photowalking Utah event and this was one of the pictures I took that night. Before the actual Photowalk, Rich Legg did a session on improving your night photography.

So how does this picture and that night fit in with my goals for 2009?

2008 has been a big year for me. I learned a great deal by attending the Photowalking trips and most of all, I got the slap up side the head I have need for some time. I always loved photography and now I realize it is what I want to do full time.

That means that some of my goals for 2009 will include photography.

Goals must:

1. Be specific
2. Have a specific time frame
3. Most important: be written down.

Well what better way to write down a goal than to put it out here for the world to see.

Here are some of my photo related goals for 2009:

1. Add at least 10 photos per week to my stock photography portfolio
2. Experiment with a new technique at every photo shoot.
3. Learn something new at every photography event that I am able to attend in 2009.
4. Have fun!!

I also cannot leave 2008 without thanking some people that have made an impact on me this past year.

First of all I have to thank Ann Torrence, Rich Legg, and Kenneth Linge who hosted educational sessions as part of the Photowalking events this year. While I may not have talked one on one with them much during the year I listened while you did your sessions and at other times getting soaking up all the good information I could. A big thank you also needs to go out to all those who organized the all the excellent Photowalks we had this year.

Also to all the other Photowalkers who I have come to know and enjoy events with. Everyone of them has been a wonderful experience and I look forward to enjoying more of them in the new year.

Finally I have to thank a very special co-worker of mine named Sydney. I had not done a model shoot except for one in college which was many years ago but she volunteered to take time out to play model for me and was very patient.

Finally, I have to say that I am more optimistic going into 2009 than any year I can recall. I look forward to the new year not hoping something good was going to happen, but with a genuine optimism that 2009 will be a great year personally.

Hope that your 2009 will be a great one and remember to set your own goals because as Zig Ziglar says: "How can you hit a goal you cannot see?".

What are you looking at "hew-man?"

What are you looking at "hew-man?"
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

On November 1st, the Photowalking Utah group did a trip up to Antelope Island. During this period the state parks dept is checking on the health of the Bison, picking ones to be sold and giving them shots.

This was the first picture I took that day and one of the few I really liked. The bison to the right seems to be staring at us weird humans who are taking a bunch of pictures.

UTA Gillig Advantage BRT on Route 603

UTA Gillig Advantage BRT on Route 603
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

This Saturday Photowalking Utah will be down in Orem with the opportunity to check out an outstanding photo studio plus get some lessons. They will also be walking around Downtown Provo later in the evening but my wife and I are going to the Toby Keith concert so we will miss out on that part.

This photo is of a Utah Transit Authority bus taken during the August Photowalking Utah event. It is a 2007 Gillig Advantage BRT bus on route 603 waiting at a red light at 25th and Lincoln in Ogden.

This paint scheme for UTA is only a few years old but a big improvement from the previous colors which was all white with small blue and red strips dating from the "white bus" phase of the 70's and 80's.

Ogden Hourse Statue with John Wayne Image

Ogden Hourse Statue with John Wayne Image
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

As I have said before you never know what you make come across when you are out so it is so important to have your camera with you at all times. In this case I was with Photowalking Utah on their Ogden trip on August 16th. Ogden has a large number horse statues throughout the downtown area.

All of these statues have nice paint schemes on them but this one was especially nice with the image of John Wayne and the American Flag in the background.

It is amazing what you find when you get out of the car or in this case the Front Runner commuter train and start walking the streets.

Egyptian Theater

Egyptian Theater
Originally uploaded by Dornoff Photography

On August 16th I participated in in my second Photowalking Utah event, this one taking place in Ogden Utah.

After spending some time taking pictures around Union Station, we walked down 25th street. We then headed down Washington Blvd and headed back.

On Washington Blvd sits the Egyptian Theater which is a beautiful art deco style theater. There was a auction going on at the time but the woman in the lobby allowed us to come in and take some pictures of the lobby.

This photo looks at the ceiling in the lobby of the theater. I love classic architecture so having the opportunity to walk around this classic was truly a treat.

Photowalking in Ogden

Next Saturday the Photowalking Utah group will be making a trip up to Ogden to do some photography. I joined the photowalking group previously when they visited the Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah but have not been able to make another one of their outings since then.

While I have only been on one photowalking excursion, it was an enjoyable experience to meet and spend time with other photographers. It was also an excellent opportunity to learn from photographers with even more experience and new ideas.

I plan on taking Utah Transit Authority's Front Runner service arriving about an hour before the meet up time in order to get something to eat.