Autumn in Hocking Hills Ohio 

The beauty of a "sacred place," captured during October and November '07

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Autumn Opening 2007 

Hocking Hills Autumn set to "Windsong" by John Denver

Photography of 2007 Kettering Holiday at Home Parade 

Event photography by Jim Crotty

My photographs of the 2007 Labor Day Holiday at Home Parade held in my hometown of Kettering Ohio

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Nature Photographs of Summers End at Wegerzyn Gardens Dayton Ohio 

Flowers, insects and hummingbirds photographed at Wegerzyn Gardens in Dayton Ohio

Nature photography by Jim Crotty of summer's final glory displayed at the Wegerzyn Gardens in Dayton Ohio

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Spring Awakening 2007 

Jim Crotty's Latest Slide Show and Pictures You Can Hear

Jim Crotty Pictures You Can Hear 

Slide shows set to music, centered around a location or season

Spring Along the Little Miami Scenic Trail 

Wildflowers in Warren County, Ohio

Spring is in full bloom along the banks of the Little Miami River in southwest Ohio.

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Think Spring 

Spring in Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Select images from an April 2004 photo shoot in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

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Flickr Photo Set Featuring Winter in Hocking Hills 

Ice, ice and more ice

A mid-February photo excursion to Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio.

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Antietam 

Images from my first visit to a Civil War battlefield - Antietam in April 2001

These images are digital scans of the 35mm Velvia transparency originals, captured with a Canon 1V.

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Light of the Lowcountry 

Images from Hilton Head, Beaufort and Sheldon Church

Nature, wildlife and landscape photography captured during the last week of 2006 in the Lowcountry of South Carolina

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What Christmas is Suppose to Look Like . . . 

My flickr collection of winter and holiday nature and landscape images

It's been warm here in Dayton, so much so that I've forgotten what Christmas is suppose to look like. I've gone through my stock image files and picked a few just to remind me.

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Photo Wins National Prize and Place in Exhibit at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum 

One of the winning images in the 2006 National Wildlife Magazine Photography Contest

November 14, 2006 . . . Kettering Birds Win Big in National Wildlife Magazine Photography Competition; Part of Exhibit at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C.

A wildlife photograph taken by Dayton-area photographer Jim Crotty, who owns and manages the Picture Ohio gallery and studio in Centerville, has been selected as the First Place winner of the New Life category, professional division, of the 36th Annual Photography Awards for National Wildlife magazine, published by the National Wildlife Federation. The photograph, featuring two baby House Finch birds in a nest, has been published in the December/January 2007 Issue of National Wildlife.

This is BIG! I'm excited and honored, especially when you consider the quantity and quality of entrants in this national photography competition.

And it gets even better.

Nature's Best Photography magazine has also selected this photograph to part of an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. According to Bob Tope, Managing Editor of Nature's Best Magazine "this exhibition featuring the finest images from our 2006 Nature's Best Photography International Awards Competition and the 2006 National Wildlife Photography Awards will officially open to the public on November 16, 2006 and remain on display through April 2007."

More on the Natures Best Exhibit at the Smithsonian at:
http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/natures_best_2006/

I captured the winning image last spring. Every time I see this photograph I think "muppets." These two little guys are two-day old House Finches, who nest in our hanging ferns that we place each year on our front porch. The nestlings are fun to photograph, but it can be tricky because of the timing. There is only about a two to three day window of opportunity immediately following the time that they hatch. After that, they tend to look a little bit more, like, well, birds. Plus House Finches are not exactly known for their attention to good housekeeping, if you know what I mean.

Camera used was a Canon 5D (digital) with a Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens. I held the camera in my right hand while using my left hand to hold a Canon 550ex Speedlite, connected to the camera hot shoe via a Canon Off-Camera Shoe Cord #2. My macro lens is my go-to when it comes to going in for details, which I love to do for both nature and commercial photography. When details have personality such as these little guys, then I know I've captured something spe

Autumn in Gettysburg 

Images of a haunted landscape

". . . in great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays . . . and generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field, to ponder and dream; and lo! The shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls."
- Brigadier-General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

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Digital Panoramas 

No need for special equipment for panoramic prints

One of the best references on digital photography for nature photographers is still John Shaw's 2004 "John Shaw's Photoshop Field Guide. You can purchase a copy for $30 and download the PDF at http://www.johnshawphoto.com/ebook.htm.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. There are many, many other instruction guides on digital photography and Photoshop, but Shaw's is one the best written, easiest to understand guides you can buy for that low of a price.

On pages 173 to 181 John provides a step-by-step explanation on making panoramic images using Photoshop. The image I've posted with this module, of Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills, was created using John's technique. I will emphasize a couple of tips: use a sturdy ballhead and tripod with a bubble level, do vertical frames versus horizontal, do not use a polarizer and turn auto white balance off.

Halloween Photographs by Jim Crotty 

In celebration of the season

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Cincinnati Tall Stacks Festival 

Some select images from a recent assignment

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Out West 

My most recent images, taken during a trip to Colorado and Utah

Canyonlands, mountains, waterfalls, ghost towns and more . . .

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Hocking Hills - July 2006 

A Special Place

A special place. Each of us should have one. A place to retreat, reflect and simply be. A place where you can listen to your spirit and soul, in peace.

I've named this area of Hocking Hills - which is about a 1/2 mile downstream from Cedar Falls - Eagle Cave. It's a bit challenging to get to, which is good. You have to be willing to get your feet wet and do a bit of scrambling over boulders to get to it.

Did you know that the ancient Celts and Druids had an affinity for Aquila Chrysaetos, the Golden Eagle ? I didn't know this until I picked-up a Celtic effigy of the Golden Eagle at the display tent for the Green Mantle Studio at Hocking House this past June. I enjoyed talking to Artist/Owner Kelly Lawrence, not only about her handmade Celtic effigies, but also about the Druid calendar and birth trees.

With my Eagle came this note:

"Eagle 'Lolair'
Intelligence, Renewal, Courage
With the Eagle you will be able to plan your life goals with clarity and objectivity. You will find the courage to explore new territory with confidence leaving behind everyday worries. Let the Eagle show you how to plunge in to the heart at just the right moment and be rejuvenated."

For me those moments often come at Eagle Cave.

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An Ohio Secret 

Don't tell anybody

ssssttt . . . I've got a secret to share. Ohio has a national park. No kidding. I'm serious. It's called Cuyahoga Valley National Park and it's located smack dab in between the old rust belt towns of Cleveland and Akron. And here's the most surprising part - when it comes scenic waterfalls, interesting trails and recreational opportunities, it ranks right up there with its' big brothers. I know because I've had the good fortune of hiking and photographing other national parks including Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountain, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, Arches and Zion's.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park includes 33,000 acres along 22 miles of the Cuyahoga River (which is now much cleaner compared to when it caught fireBlue Hen Falls in Cuyahoga Valley in the late 70's). People have been hunting, farming and traveling through this river valley for over 12,000 years. Currently there is a scenic railroad that runs through the middle of the valley as well as historic farms and villages, paved bike and hiking trails and a summer music series. But what I enjoyed the most were the non-paved trails that traverse the slopes of the valley, leading me to a variety of scenic waterfalls, woodland landscapes and rain-gorged streams. I've posted a sampling of the images I captured while in Cuyahoga Valley. Go to http://www.jimcrotty.com/jim_crotty_travel_photography.htm

I also had the opportunity to take my road bike out on the paved bike path for some training on the local hills (please don't forget that I'm still in need of donations for my JDRF Ride to Cure for this August). Cuyahoga Valley was practically made for biking. The town of Peninsula has a great bike shop, right off the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The town also includes a couple of eatery/pub places that I highly recommend - The Winking Lizard and Fisher's Cafe.

For accommodations you can't go wrong with The Inn at Brandywine Falls. The largest waterfall in Cuyahoga Valley is located literally in the backyard of this beautifully restored, 19th century house and farm, plus there's an incredible trail that follows the Brandywine Creek deep into a scenic gorge full of smaller waterfalls and cascades. The innkeepers, George and Katie, are the best, and George is non-stop storyteller, which makes for great conversation at the breakfast table.

Three Years in Business: Lessons Learned 

The journey continues. April 1, 2006 marked my third year of being in business. I started-out in a spare bedroom in our house, moved to a 500 sq, ft. studio in Kettering and I'm now at 1,100 sq. ft. studio and gallery in Centerville. I've had so many images - both commercial and nature/landscape - published that I had to get the largest three-ring binder I could find just to hold the tear sheets. I've got repeat business from some good clients and solid referrals. All this despite making one bad mistake after another during my first two years, some of which were a bit on the painful side. But I'm learning, and that's what is most important and most rewarding about owning your own business.

. . . more at calmphotos.com

Making the Cover (twice now) 

Bluebell image featured on cover of magazine

I'm happy to report that one of my nature photographs has been featured on the cover of the Spring/Summer 2006 Issue of Ohio State Parks Magazine. The photograph published is image #1DV117 - a macro shot of Virginia Bluebells - a wildflower frequently found throughout Ohio during the last two weeks of April. This is the second time in the last two years that one of my photographs has been published on the cover of this magazine.

But I can't take all the credit for this image. I had some help from my daughter Emma, who at the time when this shot was captured was five years old. The flowers were a bit too well shaded and I needed some extra light to bring out the color. A detached flash would have been too much light. I wanted to keep the image a little more subdued, so Emma helped me by holding one of my circular reflectors, just below the flowers. It was just what I needed to get the shot. Best of all it was a shared experience with my own budding little nature photographer and artist. Thanks Emma!

Need Inspiration? 

Kathleen's photographs are some of the best I've seen

Photoblog of Kathleen Connally

Point your browser over to www.durhamtownship.com.

Kathleen Connally has the eye. She is also proof positive of what I've come to know regarding nature and landscape photography - a photographer's best work will come from that place he or she calls home.

My Top Ten Tips 

From my reply to a recent email asking me for some advice on taking good nature and landscape photoraphs . . .

For a quick tip list, here are my top 10:
1) Always shoot with a tripod with a good, quality ball head.
2) Get up VERY early to shoot nature and landscapes. Almost all of my best nature and landscape images were taken either just before, at, and just after sunrise or around sunset.
3) Do most of your shooting in the spring and fall, followed by winter and then lastly, summer.
4) Shoot nature and landscapes on cloudy days. Even a little bit of rain helps saturate colors, especially during spring and fall.
5) Know the area you want to photograph before bringing out your camera gear.
6) Many people think a polarizer is only useful for turning the sky to dark blue, however, these filters work best on taking the glare and shine off wet rocks, foliage and flower petals, enhancing the natural color of your subject.
7) Look behind you and look down around your feet. Sometimes these end-up being the best shots of the day.
8) Don't fall into the trap of becoming more concerned with having the latest and best gear. What's FAR more important is developing your artistic vision. I often challenge myself by going out with just one camera body and two lenses.
9) Learn from the masters. Read everything by well-respected and accomplished nature photographers such as John Shaw, David Middleton, Art Wolf, Jim Brandenburg and others. Shaw and Middleton are my favorites, primarily because they are excellent teachers as well as photographers.
10) Don't throw away the film and sell your film camera. Even though the entire world seems to be going digital, you would be surprised at how many professional nature photographers still use film as their primary medium. Especially good ol' Fuji Velvia. Most of my best-selling nature and landscape images are still those that I took with Velvia, both 35mm and medium format. In fact, my favorite way of shooting outdoors is still my Mamiya RZ67 medium format with a Sekonic light meter.

And if I could add just one more tip it would be to never, never give up. If nature and landscape photography is what truly "trips your trigger," and is your true passion, then stick to it despite negative criticism and people who want to discourage you. I've found that people who do that are almost always 1) jealous of your talent, and 2) envious of your courage.

Keep at it and keep shooting.

Photos from Flickr 

My most recent shots posted on Flickr

Samples of location, nature, landscape and studio photography by Jim Crotty

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Travel Photography 

Expect the Unexpected

Travel photography can be full of spontaneous shooting opportunities. What I wanted to capture on a recent trip to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico were the small details and moments that go unnoticed by the typical tourist. The scenes and objects that tell the true story of the local culture versus the typical vacation photos that get filed away in dusty photo albums.

The key to good travel photography is to travel light and shoot often. On this trip I took one camera body - a Canon 5D digital - and two lenses, a 28-70mm and a 70-200mm. I also packed my Canon Speedlite 550ex - fill light is very important when shooting in bright sun and shadows - as well as my Epson P-2000 - a portable, digital storage drive with a fantastic 3.8 inch display screen. All of this fit easily into the bottom portion of my smaller LowePro backpack with plenty room left over for sunglasses, wallet, iPod and book. I shot in high-res JPEG mode and was able to include 300+ images on one, 2 gig flashcard.

The highlight of the trip was photographing and learning about a Mayan village located near the Mayan ruins of Coba'. This is a fascinating culture with quite an interesting history, soon to become even more popular with Mel Gibson's upcoming release of Apocalypto.

The Mayan people live a simple and harmonious life with their natural environment, yet they were able to observe and record astronomical events and the annual progression of the sun with skill that was unmatched anywhere in the world during their rule of most of what today is the Yucatan Peninsula and most of Central America.

What was really fun for me was sharing my photographs as I would shoot them by way of the LCD screen on the back of my Canon 5D. The Mayan children loved seeing themselves and their friends, posing and playing for the camera.

This is a wonderful area to visit, as soon as you get away from the wild party scene over at Cancun (God I hope the whole spring break thing dies before our daughters go to college). I was amazed at how quickly the people there were able to rebuild after last year's devastating hurricane. The only evidence remaining are all the leafless trees over on Cozumel.

My photographs from this trip can be viewed at www.jimcrotty.com/jim_crotty_travel_photography.htm

One Marine 

Video tribute to Bobby Warns, USMC

This video says it all. Just watch it. Please.
God bless Bobby Warns and our United States Marines.
On Eagle's Wings.

Excellence in Photojournalism 

The best I've seen in a long while . . .

Although I've already written about this same topic on my blog, I wanted to provide a newPicture of the Year by Todd Heisler link to the entire series titled "Final Salute," which was published in the Rocky Mountain News this past year.

Photojournalist Todd Heisler captured the images published in this series of articles with superb skill and an amazing eye.

It's the best example of truly great photojournalism that I've seen in quite a while.

What makes Todd's work so outstanding is his obvious respect for his subject while still visually communicating much more than what can be put in words.

What's sad is that unless you're a photographer who subscribes to a variety of photo publications (such as myself), or you're a regular reader of the Rocky Mountain News, you probably haven't seen these images.

If I were teach another college course on journalism, Todd's work would be the only example I would need to use to instruct my students on what photo journalism is all about. The following link will take you to the PDF version of the entire series of articles. Keep in mind that the quality of images within a PDF document is much less than the original, printed versions, however, you can still easily appreciate just how powerful these images are. Thank you Todd for your outstanding work, and thank you for honoring our Marines.
http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/news/finalSalute/pdf/FinalWhole10mb.PDF

The Value of Creativity 

Measuring the true success of a business . . .

"In an industrial society which confuses work and productivity, the necessity of producing has always been an enemy of the desire to create." - Raoul Vaneigem

I'm not too familiar with Raoul Veneigem. All I know is that his words jumped-out at me when I opened my Franklin Planner yesterday morning.

And yes, I obviously still use the old fashioned Franklin Planner and a pen or pencil for my appointments and scheduling. I started the habit in 1996 when I took a job as an assistant mall manager in Charleston, South Carolina with the Richard E. Jacobs Group. Later I discovered that it was an "arranged" job to get me out of Dayton. Wasn't that special !

The executives at the Jacobs Group (which has since been sold) required all managers to use Franklin Planners. The company also sent me to a Dale Carnegie Leadership Training course when they discovered that I wasn't quite strong enough when it came to personnel management. Which takes me right back to why I love Vaneigem's quote.

Raoul hit it dead-on. Bullseye. Nailed it. His words sum-up why I've always floundered with frustration in the corporate world. From working as a human resource manager in the family uniform business (also been sold) to an assistant mall manager in South Carolina to a credit union marketing manager in Utah to an account manager for a healthcare company (and they were sold too) and then back to Ohio as a marketing communications specialist for an elevator manufacturer. Some jobs were more tolerable than others. There were also couple of other "career mistakes" that aren't even worth mentioning.

Frustration, frustration, frustration.

"Jim just doesn't know how to get along in the corporate environment. Jim is not a team player."

No kidding Sherlock.

Churning out numbers, whether widgets, words or billable hours, is a sure way to discourage, inhibit and virtually destroy the creative process. Playing office politics sure doesn't help, nor does the fear that arises from subordinates who have the sad misfortune of working for a walking, talking insecurity complex.

Creativity flourishes in positive environments where individual talent is not only recognized and appreciated but is viewed as the lifeblood of the organization. The most successful business organizations (and we should re-think what constitutes success in business) know this and practice it, from top to bottom and back again.

Deep-down we are all happiest when we are "creating."

Making the Break to the Big Leagues 

So many photographers fail when it comes to pricing

During one of the many presentations I attended at the Annual Summit of the North American Nature Photography Association was that of Kathy Adams Clark titled "Surviving Your First Five Years in the Business of Nature Photography: Updated."

Kathy is considered to be one of the top professionals in the field, having years of successful experience in publishing her images and guiding very popular workshops and photo excursions throughout the world. It was fascinating to listen to Kathy discuss her background. Ironically she had a previous life in the corporate world as a human resources manager. It's obvious she is much happier out of the corporate world pursuing what she truly loves. I can relate.

Anyway, Kathy's presentation covered just about everything anyone needs to know about not only running a nature photography business, but just about any other type of photography business. Much of what she talked about I've already had experience with, such as organizational structure, banking, accounting, workflow, etc. However, there were some key points made that served as a wake-up call to how I've been doing business.

One of the most important areas that Kathy discussed (and this is where I think so many photographers fail to make that final, big step to becoming true professionals) is in the area of setting prices. "Know when to say no. Charge a professional fee. DON'T give your work away for credit lines. Avoid undercutting the market."

Hearing those words of advice was like getting whacked upside the head. To further emphasize her point, Kathy mentioned that "word gets around amongst other photographers, editors and stock agencies as to who the bottom feeders are." Umm, umm - yikes!

Her advice is dead-on. I know because I succeeded in making those very same mistakes during my first two and half years of doing business. Why? Because I sold myself short out of a desire to gain attention, get some quick cash flow and generate a client base. What actually happened is that I, well, I sold myself short, only to pay for those mistakes later on down the road.

Photoshop vs. Infrared Film 

I'll take the easy road . . .

I've photoraphed using infrared film, and I'm here to say that it's a first class, pain in the rear. First of all the film must be kept cold up until the time it is used. That can be a bit tricky when shooting in the field or on-location, unless of course it's in the middle of winter. Next, the film has to be loaded in absolute darkness. Once again, challenging to say the least when out on location. Then the photographer must use a specific type of gelatin filter that can only work with a specific type of filter holder. If the photographer has been successful in following all those steps, the final trick is finding a lab that will process infrared and then shipping the exposed film in tightly controlled conditions.

I went through that process last summer, for a technical assignment that I did for General Dynamics, out at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Because of the nature of that assignment I had to use infrared film and my Canon 1V 35mm film camera.

Now, ask me if I would go through all of that if I wanted to do infrared photography for my own nature and landscape photographs. No, I don't think so.

Instead I will take the easier road to infrared images by way of Photoshop CS. First of all, I can use any original, full color digital capture and apply the effect withough altering the original file. There's no "absolute and total darkness" or special filters involved.

I recently learned of this technique in digital alteration when I picked-up the latest edition of Photoshop User magazine, while browsing a Barnes and Noble in Denver last week. On pages 72-73 of the January/February 2006 issue is a section called the WOW! Factor, with a chosen excerpt from the book of the same title, by Jack Davis and Ben Willmore.

Rather than explain the technique verbatim, I encourage anyone who would like to learn this cool technique of applying a infrared look to digital images to pick-up a copy of the magazine at your local newstand. The price is $9.95. It's well worth the investment. There's lot of other cool PS techniques explained in the magazine, however, I found the infrared article the most interesting. It's also relatively easy to learn, even if you are somewhat new to Photoshop. The hardest part is simply understanding how layers work in this program.

Posted in this module is an example I did just by following the step-by-step instructions in the article. The original image is a full-color, 6x7 Velvia transparency. I used a high-resolution, digital scan o

Handcoloring in Photoshop 

Adding an artistic touch

One of my favorite digital alteration techniques is that of "handcoloring." There's other names for it, but it's basically the process of bringing out the original color in select areas of a black and white image.

It's very easy to do in Photoshop. I start with the original, full color digital image and make two duplicates. On one, I desaturate the colors, thus creating a black and white image. I also use the Fred Miranda Black and White Pro Plug-In, available at FredMiranda.com, which gives me a bit more control and the ability to apply filters, such a for higher contrast.

Then, while holding down the shift key (I work in Windows - it may be different for Mac), I drag the black and white version of the image over the color duplicate. It's now layered precisely over the color version with the black and white on top.

Next, I add a layer mask to the black and white layer (the second icon from the right on the bottom of the layers palet). I then click on the layer thumbnail where I've added the mask so that this is the area of the image where I will be working on in the next step.

From here I choose my paint brush tool. I adjust the brush size for the area that I want to "handcolor" and choose "clear" as the mode for the brush. I go to the image and just start clearing-away the black and white layer in the area where I want the original color to appear.

When I'm finished I simply flatten the layers. Presto chango, I now have a nice looking black and white print that looks as if spot coloring was applied by hand. I can also make the color more subtle simply by adjusting the color levels on the first duplicate image or apply any number of the artistic filters available on Photoshop.

Try it out. It's a fun technique. And no, it's a definitely not a "trade secret" amongst photographers.

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