A photographer can tell. — Hollywood has depicted photographers countless times. From Jimmy Stewart’s character in Rear Window to Spiderman’s Peter Parker, we see photographers portrayed frequently in movies, and on television. And most of the time, the acting is perfectly fine. Sometimes it’s even exceptional. (Mr. Stewart never disappoints.) But sometimes, if you’re a…

Great vocals are really a matter of opinion. — Those of us “of a certain age” (as they say) remember growing up listening to the radio. (Remember radio?) And we often had parents of a certain age who would shake their heads at what we were listening to. Usually, that would be in response to a loud electric guitar…

Seattle’s Pike Place Market has it all. — Everyone enjoys a good farmers’ market. The sights, smells, and sounds of a busy market can be fascinating, even if you’re not a “foodie”. And, if you want to visit one of the oldest farmers’ markets in these United States, you have to swing by Pike Place Market the next…

This is really all there is to it — It’s fairly well known that photographers are cool. Even if we do say so ourselves. We strut around with expensive equipment slung over our shoulder, equipment that non-photographers (i.e. ordinary citizens) don’t know how to use. We feel special because, of course, we are. We’re “photogs”. …

You shouldn’t mess with a classic, but… — You should never mess with a classic. I firmly believe that. However, it’s fun to think about sometimes. Especially when someone involved in the creation of that classic suggests that it might have been different. So it was with the late George Martin, the legendary producer for The Beatles, with…

There’s so much to see — There are a lot of well-known quotations in photography. So many that I’ve written an article about some of my favorites. One of those favorites comes from the great documentary photographer Dorothea Lange: “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” As I mentioned…

Now that’s rock and roll. — In 1963, The Beatles made a splash by singing “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” upsetting the British establishment who hated hearing Americanisms in place of the Queen’s English. Less than a decade later, The Who made a pretty big splash of their own with just one loud “Yeah.” The song was “Won’t…

In my humble opinion, anyway. — When people offer photography tips, they really are trying to help. Sure, sometimes they’re also trying to show off their knowledge and experience. But underneath that, they’re usually trying to impart wisdom and advice that they think you need. And sometimes they’re just plain wrong. I wrote an article last…

Sometimes they’re just solos that were in the right place at the right time. — I know what you’re thinking. This is another article listing somebody’s favorite artists/songs/solos. Well, yeah. But I’ve got a twist here. Bear with me. When it comes to a solo, in my opinion, flash tends to get more attention than nuance. By “flash”, I mean fast/loud playing, acrobatic, blow-your-doors-off instrumentation…