The Everyday Photographer

You and I both live in “Everyday, U.S.A.”. I seek to find the uniqueness and beauty in our daily life … and the subjects are endless. As an example, look at the images on the Homepage … the moodiness of a misty fall pond, warm morning sunlight hitting a sailboat, the surprising beauty on the underside of a gerber daisy and a striking winter sunset. Who needs to go to exotic locales to find such wonderful subjects? You could say that “Wherever you are is a good place to be”.

Photography is all about “light”, and only natural light is used in my photos … nothing artificial. Photographers especially love the warm tones associated with “the golden hour” before sunset or classic side light. I also love the light associated with fog, rain and snow because of their unique, but often overlooked, characteristics.

Photography basics were learned on a 35mm film camera, but I am now completely “digital”. All digital images inherently require some kind of adjustment. My philosophy is to make a minimum number of adjustments.

• My camera settings are “neutral” for color, contrast and sharpness.
• Only modest adjustments are then made on the computer, usually similar to those made in photo labs, ie. contrast, minor color adjustment, etc.
• No “gimmicks” are used to alter or enhance the original image.
• I print all photos to personally control their final appearance and integrity.

I am not enticed by the “hottest” new equipment on the market. My requirements are embarrassingly simple: one digital SLR body, three lenses, a tripod, and a couple of filters…that’s it! I am most concerned in meeting the challenge of composing images that delight the soul and create lasting memories.

The everyday photographer,

Bill Paul