212.675.8119
ron@jautzphoto.com
Ron Jautz is a corporate, commercial and editorial photographer, he specializes in shooting portraits of people on location for corporate, marketing, magazine and other media uses.
© ron jautz 2021
Nature & Scenic
As a location photographer in New York City, I always have my eyes peeled for good subjects; Lord knows there is an endless number of great possibilities for images. This shot was what I call a "no-brainer".
How can you resist a shot of Big Bird in Central Park?
You know it's Spring when the birds return to Central Park. 185mm, f4 at 1/250th sec.
With the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado, "Rocky Mountain High" probably means something different today then it did to John Denver back in his prime. But I understand his reverence and was recently reminded of how majestic the high mountains can be as I did some hiking in the Maroon Bells Scenic Area outside of Aspen.
Pyramid Peak and the Maroon Bells are reflected in Maroon Lake. Even if all of the elements are less than perfect, take the shot anyway as the weather may deteriorate later, or worse, you may never get to that spot again.
This was not a serious landscape shoot, but I couldn't pass up taking this shot anyway; yes, I would have loved to have a blue-sky day, but Mother Nature doesn't always cooperate. And even if you're taking a simple "snapshot" while on vacation, put in the effort to find a nice composition.
I love the Fall, it's my favorite time of year. The air is crisp and clean, which makes shooting scenic photos nicer. And of course, the fall colors come out. We all love seeing the grand scenic in beautiful colors, but don't forget to photograph the details, too. Look for individual leaves or even patterns of leaves on the ground; the already fallen leaves can be beautiful, too.
Back lighting colorful Fall leaves can make a beautiful shot and creating a "sunburst" in the background adds an interesting element. ISO 320, 1/500 sec at f11, 18mm lens.
I like looking for interesting patterns made by fallen leaves. There was something about these dead oak leaves laying on the moss that grabbed my attention; Fall is not only about vibrant colors!
Over the 30+ years of my career, I've always enjoyed teaching and talking to fellow photographers; my latest teaching gig is with the NYC Digital Photo Workshops (www.NYCDPW.com) where I lead a wide variety of classes. One thought I always leave students with is to, "keep asking questions". When we, as creative people, respond to something, it's not always complete in its best form at first glance. I recommend pushing yourself to try different things with the same subject, keep asking the question "what else?" What else can I try? Maybe a different lens, change my angle, use different settings, different light. Never take just one shot. Think about what you're shooting, why you're shooting it and how you can make it better. Just asking "What Else?" will improve your results.
A field of weeds caught my eye as I was driving down a country road in Virginia. I liked the back lighting and tried all sorts of things, pushing myself until I got the shot I could see in my mind. There were some good photos, but not until I laid on the ground with a 300mm lens and isolated the weeds against the shadows did I get my favorite shot.
