SHOOTING THE FULL MOON

Nothing stops a photographer more than a full moon rising, especially if you can catch it near the horizon with an interesting foreground. Many photographers struggle to get a good full moon image. There are many different techniques for shooting the full moon so this blog is intended to give you my methods for shooting as well as other information that is critical to coming away with not only a sharp and colorful moon, but also an interesting landscape image.    

Check out the free blog in my store for my techniques for a successful landscape shot with the full moon                

Maine Midcoast - Self Guided Photo Workshop E-Book

I am pleased to announce the newest addition to my growing library of e-books for self-guided photo tours of New England. Maine Midcoast is my 9th in the series and certainly the most ambitious with 22 location along with links to in-depth landscape photography tutorials. If you are looking to visit this beautiful region of New England, this guide will provide all the information needed for a productive photography tour. Please check it out in my store http://davelongphoto.com/new-products/mainemid-coast

Tips For Water Photography (non-waterfall)

While waterfalls seem to grab all the attention in landscape photography, other water (in motion and still) provides some great image opportunities. This can be represented by flowing streams and rivers, ocean tide actions, still reflection from bodies of water of all types and even saturated beaches that produce reflective surfaces. They can be present in any type of landscape photography and the one thing they all have in common is that they will attract the attention of the viewer of your photo. Learning how to first notice them, and then incorporate them properly into your scene can provide a new level of beauty and mystery to your photo because all water moves and done properly, can be caught by your camera to produce something that the human eye does not notice or cannot see. 

Download your free copy of my Tips for Water Photography (non-waterfall) in my store at http://davelongphoto.com/new-products/tips-for-water-photography and check out all of my e-books and 2019 workshops.

Southern New Hampshire - Self Guided Photo Workshop eBook

I am pleased to announce the newest addition to my growing library of e-books for self-guided photo tours of New England. Southern New Hampshire is my 8th in the series and certainly the most ambitious with 12 location along with links to in-depth landscape photography tutorials. If you are looking to visit this beautiful region of New England, this guide will provide all the information needed for a productive photography tour.   Please check it out in my store http://davelongphoto.com/new-products/southern-new-hampshire

Printed Image Program

Printed Images – Fuji Luster Premium Paper

·      Store on Website - I have a wide selection of images that I have printed in a 12” x 18” size and matted to a 16” x 20” single mat with a backer for competitions. These images are in stock and ship within 3 days. They have a set price of $80 plus shipping which is normally around $14. Ordering and payment is through my website.

·      Custom Printing - any image on my website or seen on Instagram can be ordered in any size up to 30” x 50” by contacting me at davidlong3653@gmail.com. This is done in conjunction with my printer who will drop ship the print anywhere in the US. I have listed the standard sizes of prints and the cost. All prints are in a 2 x 3 perspective and those with an asterisk are cropped. Minimum order is $30 and shipping is $7.50. Total time is approximately 2 weeks from order. Custom sizes are priced upon request and payment through PayPal or Venmo is accepted.

o   5” x 7” - $8 *

o   8” x 8” - $12 *

o   8” x 10” - $16 *

o   8” x 12” - $20 *

o   11” x 14” - $30 *

o   12” x 12” - $40 *

o   12” x 18” - $50

o   16” x 16” - $50 *

o   16” x 20” - $65 *

o   16” x 24” - $80

o   20” x 20” - $80 *

o   20” x 30” - $120

o   24” x 36” - $150

·      Premium Paper (Glossy or Metallic), Metal or Canvas  - prices available upon request

TIPS FOR FALL FOLIAGE LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY IN NEW ENGLAND

Across most of northern New England, the first leaves begin to change by early September. This gradual process continues in the higher elevations of the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont with peak colors usually occurring in the first week of October. Moving south across the farmlands of southern Vermont, southern New Hampshire, and the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts in mid-October and usually ending along the sea coast and southern New England in late October to early November. Learn How, When and Where to photography New England’s best fall foliage landscapes.

Check out my free blog in my store http://davelongphoto.com/new-products/tips-for-fall-foliage

Creating Landscape Images

I feel there are four main components of a great landscape image, composition, light, perspective and story. I tend to view them in that order as well. You can have a very good image without having all four, but it is difficult to have one without a good composition. This eBook goes over my thoughts on how you place the different elements in your photo relative to each other, people, buildings, natural objects etc., how your create a unique perspective that engages your viewer and how you use the available light to optimize the scene to hopefully create a story that captures your vision and intrigues the audience.

With millions of photos being taken every day, there are fewer original locations to shoot, but there are always original images using all the tools and techniques available to you. In this eBook, I go over the principles I use to compose my landscape photos and share my favorite shots to highlight this comprehensive guide on how to create top landscape images. Check it out in my store http://davelongphoto.com/new-products/landscapes

Tips For Shooting Holiday Lights In The City

From Thanksgiving to New Years, Boston does a beautiful job of adding holiday lights to most of the well known attractions. Because Boston is such a good walking city, you can park in one location and visit most if not all of these attractions in one evening. This guide is designed to get you to many of the most famous ones as well as to give you some pointers on how to photograph holiday lights. While this guide is designed around Boston, the tips on shooting holiday lights can be used in any city. Dress warmly and wear comfortable walking shoes and explore these locations or check out https://www.bluehourboston.com and join me on one of my workshops in early December where I visit 5-6 of my favorite spots 

Download your free copy of my Tips for For Shooting Holiday Lights In The City in my store at http://davelongphoto.com/new-products/tips-for-shooting-holiday-lights-in-the-city and check out all of my e-books and 2019 workshops.

Tips For Waterfall Photography

Waterfalls seem to grab the hearts and souls of people. Go to any location that has one or more waterfalls and it is pretty much a guarantee that they will be a major attraction, if not the main attraction, of the area. However, as beautiful as waterfalls are, it is not so easy to capture that beauty with a camera. It is easy to produce pictures of waterfalls; it is not so easy to produce powerful images.

Waterfalls provide their own unique set of problems that require a unique set of solutions. This article is about those unique problems and the solutions that allow photographers to produce images that communicate the power and beauty that are inherent in the waterfall scenes.

Download your free copy of my Tips for Photographing Waterfalls in my store at http://davelongphoto.com/new-products/tips-for-waterfall-photography and check out all of my e-books and 2019 workshops.

TIPS FOR NEW ENGLAND WINTER LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Living in New England, I am blessed with ample opportunities to shoot my favorite landscapes in all four seasons. Winter is my second favorite mainly because of its juxtaposition with the other three where the scenes overflow with color; winter instead, has a stark, minimalist look that provides an entirely different opportunity in landscape photography. In winter, the point of interest in the image becomes much more important.  Foreground and background elements that typically play a big roll in your composition often change radically or even disappear into a blank white canvas. The upside is that many views that are obscured in the other three seasons now present themselves.  In this PDF, I don’t try to cover all the equipment, clothing,  and preparation needed for long hikes to do winter photography; instead I present my view of the important points for those who want to do winter photography without suffering too much of the downside of winter weather. Download the free PDF in my store at http://davelongphoto.com/new-products/tips-for-new-england-winter-landscape-photography and check out all of my e-books and 2019 workshops.

Central Vermont - Self Guided Photo Workshop e-Book

I am pleased to announce the newest addition to my growing library of e-books for self-guided photo tours of New England. Central Vermont is my 7th in the series and certainly the most ambitious with 12 location along with links to in-depth landscape photography tutorials. If you are looking to visit this beautiful region of New England, this guide will provide all the information needed for a productive photography tour. Please visit my store for more information.

New Self Guided E-book Release - Boston

I am please to announce the the 6th book in my New England Self Guided Workshops Series. This newest book covers the city of Boston. No guide can cover all of the photo opportunities in Boston, as they are too numerous, and many change on a regular basis. This guide is geared to the photographer that is arriving in Boston and looking for 8-10 great photo opportunities that can be accomplished in a couple of days. The locations I have chosen are accessible by anyone with the ability to navigate a big city and does not mind some walking and carrying gear. While I am a landscape photographer and my main focus is on natural landscapes, Boston is such a beautiful city to photograph that I find myself often exploring  and shooting its cityscapes, iconic structures, parks and gardens and street scenes that sometimes look like they are from the 19th century and sometimes the 21st. With this e-book, I provide information designed for you to have a fun, productive and memorable photographic adventure. The images and information are designed to inspire you to create images that are unique to your style, and to search for new photographic opportunities. Check out my store for additional information. 

White Mountain e-book and June 14, 2018 workshop now available

You can download the White Mountain e-book in my store. If you are interested in attending the Photo Workshop in the White Mountains on June 14, 2018, please visit https://www.bluehourphotoventures.com/all-workshops/ for all the details

Northeastern Vermont e-book and October 8-9, 2018 workshop now available

You can download the Northeastern Vermont e-book in my store. If you are interested in attending the Photo Workshop in Northeastern Vermont on October 8-9, 2018, please visit https://www.bluehourphotoventures.com/all-workshops/ for all the details

Provincetown, Massachusetts Photo Workshop - May 16-17, 2018

If you are interested in attending the Photo Workshop in Provincetown on May 16-17, 2018, please visit https://www.bluehourphotoventures.com/all-workshops/ for all the details

Dune Shack

Wood End Light Station

Race Point Life Saving Station

MacMillan Wharf

Instant Photo Workshop - Castle Hill Lighthouse - Newport, RI

Description of Attraction: This beautiful lighthouse is built right into the cliff face, and almost appears as a natural feature of the landscape. The granite tower stands thirty-four feet tall and flashes a red light every three seconds. There are wooden steps descending from the path. There are also steps carved into the stone on both sides that go down to the water.

Location Address: The path to the lighthouse is located at the back of the parking lot for the Castle Hill Inn at 590 Ocean Ave.

Parking: The parking lot is usually attended by the hotel staff. If you tell them you are there to visit the lighthouse, they will ask you to park at the back of their lot.  

Trail/Hiking Time: The wood chip trail starts at the end of the parking lot at the corner closest to the ocean. You will hike on the path through low bushes and will not have a view of the lighthouse or the ocean. In 8-10 minutes you will see an opening to the right and the top of the lighthouse. You can descend the steps and cross onto the rocks in either direction. If you are going south of the lighthouse, you may want to continue on the path until the next opening for an easier access to the rocks. 

GPS: 41.4621359,-71.3651024

TPE Info: http://app.photoephemeris.com/?ll=41.462081,-71.363039&center=41.4623,-71.3649&dt=201605131113000400&z=16&spn=0.01,0.02-

Location #1: This picture was shot close to the ocean, but up on some rock slabs looking north/northwest. Castle Hill is one of the few lighthouses in New England that is a great sunset location rather than at sunrise.

Photo Data: Taken on May 10, 2016 at 7:48 p.m. using a Canon 5D Mark iii with a Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 L lens at 32mm. Shot at f/18.0 for 2 sec with a polarizing filter. Processed in Lightroom

Best time of day to visit: Certainly the hour before and after sunset is excellent. 

Best time of year to visit: Any time of year works. In winter, the sun is in the southern sky and the lighthouse is best shot from north to south (see below). In the summer with the sun in the northern sky, the best shot is from south to north. I prefer this view due to the position of the lighthouse in the rock ledge and also the multiple angles afforded from the south side of the lighthouse. 

Best type of light/weather: Infinite number of choices here as the elements of the location are very strong and adding the components of weather and light is your choice. I have added some additional shots from an hour before sunset and a half hour after sunset. 

Additional Equipment Needed: I strongly endorse TPE (The Photographer’s Ephemeris) App for planning your shot.  A tripod, polarizing/neutral density filter and shutter release are needed. I also like a good pair of shoes for navigation on the smooth rock.  I would also bring a flashlight or headlamp. 

Additional Information: This site has many more photo opportunities from either side or above. Be very careful navigating the rocks as they are steep in certain locations. While it is obvious that the area next to the ocean can be slippery, it is worth repeating that as the tide goes out, this smooth rock becomes like ice and can easily deposit you and/or your gear into the Atlantic.