JJP Designs | Photo Ninja

How often have you heard, or said, that someone needs to ‘get a little perspective’ or ‘change their perspective’? I recently pondered the concept of ‘getting a little perspective’ as I was sitting an enjoying a demolition derby. Now, the English language can be a bit imprecise, so let’s start with a little dip into what exactly that phrase means. In photography it’s a phrase that means exactly what it says – to literally see, though the camera, something from a different angle: get up high, get down low, move around to another side of the subject, or simply zoom in or out. In common parlance, as with so many things, it is not quite so clear cut. If you are trying to console a distraught friend then you may say it in a particular way in an effort to help and support them with whatever issue they are grappling with. If you are trying to win an argument with a particularly stubborn or aggressive adversary then you may say it in a particular way to insult and intimidate them in a...

There are times when you just need to stand your ground – for no particular reason – you just know in your gut that you need to. You’re not mad or sad or even happy… you just are… and you just need to continue to be - right where you are and how you are. Maybe you just need the world to stop for a moment and let you be. I am pretty sure this was one of those days for the bravest little turtle I’ve ever met. My family and I loaded up the kayaks and headed off to one of the local lakes. It’s close by and, despite its reasonably small footprint, contains several different and distinct areas for whatever type of exploration (translate as ‘photography’) we’re looking. I typically head straight for a little swoop in the shoreline landscape that has a bit of seclusion. I enjoy that particular section of the lake because insects, frogs, turtles, and birds (great photo opportunities) tend to hang out there. As I crossed under the bridge that marks approximat...

These shots are grainy. These shots are under exposed and blurry. I'm too far, it's too dark, the glass is too slow - they're awful. I love these shots. They are raw commitment, raw determination... and just pure grit. These shots are so sweaty and so dirty that they have somehow literally physically become exactly that what they depict... True Grit. I feel like I should hate these shots because they're not perfect... not even close. I love these shots. There ain't nothin' little about this lady. I watched some amazing men and women ride that night, but as the guy who watched this young lady make this specific run and the guy who chose these photos over all the technically great and action packed photos I grabbed that night, I have one piece of advice for everyone - myself included... Sometimes you just gotta' cowgirl up! Nah, that ain't right... You gotta' live life cowgirl'd up! But in case it is still not clicking, here's ...

I recently saw someone's photo here on PhotoBlog that reminded me of my favorite Siberian Husky photo I've ever taken of a Siberian Husky that was not my Siberian Husky. Whew - that was a mouth full! We have had Siberian Huskies in our home for the past 20 years. We currently have a 13 year old Husky that still leads the pack. Bandit, the "old man", leads the pack every day, all the time, rain or shine - no questions asked and no discussion. Our 'pack' consists of Bandit, my wife, my son, our 3 year old Husky (Tucker - who is twice Bandit's size) and 4 year old Husky (Raven), and me. There was a brief discussion between Bandit and Tucker when Tucker arrived. Tucker put on quite a show and was talking up a storm. If you've ever been around a Husky then you won't bat an eye at the 'talking up a storm' statement. It's just something you have to see and hear. They talk - it's a Husky thing. When Tucker was done, Bandit said...

Unlike a 'written' book, which contains a finite amount of words, a picture book contains literally every word you know. I love to read, but I enjoy picture books for the simple reason that I get to read whatever story I see in the images based on who I am and how I interpret the images based on my history, my joys and sorrows, and even my day right up to the moment I pick up the book. Maybe that's one of the reasons I love photography so much - the ability to capture a moment that tells an entire story simply by making a record of the configuration of light at one pivotal moment. No sound. No motion. No reference what so ever beyond the light as it was configured and frozen at that exact moment. There is an amazing elegance in capturing that one amazing story telling image and I can feel it in my core every time I capture 'that' image on any given day out shooting. That feeling is what drives me to keep rolling off shots... it is the very core of my per...

That morning I got in my kayak and began paddling down the DuPage River with my family specifically looking for dragonflies. They are big, colorful, usually in pairs, and frequently land on algae or other plants floating in the river... and they're just COOL looking! Seriously - little (actually, not so little) flying DRAGONS! As it happened, I made it all the way through my planned 3 mile journey with not a single shot of a dragonfly. As we reached the launch and my wife and son were getting out of their kayaks I heard one of them 'pssssst' to get my attention, point off into the swampy area on the far side of the river, and whisper 'egret' to me. As I was still in my kayak, I immediately used my paddle to push off the shore as quietly as I could to send myself floating in the general direction while hoping to avoid paddling and scaring it off. The egret was much more alert than I had anticipated. I decided to just sit quietly and let the kayak...

I distinctly remember seeing, truly seeing, the shape and quality of the light. I don’t even really recall seeing the bird or the table specifically… I remember specifically seeing the light and the shadows. That is what we are always told in photography – to see the light. I knew that. I practiced that. I've even tried to teach it. But that was the day that truly, deep in my photography soul, it … clicked. Wow! I didn’t even see that pun coming, but it was AWESOME when I looked back and found it just sitting there starting back at me. That is what a photograph is – a record of the light present at any given moment. More specifically, a record of the shape of the light… the contrasts that create the shapes we perceive. That’s really what we, humans, excel at – detecting contrast. We are also AMAZING at detecting patterns… but that’s for another blog. ;) We have a really hard time seeing a camouflaged animal because there is a lack of contrast. It’s much typically much easier fo...