© Brad Mangas
This shot was taken just after our recent snowfall last week. I had a burning desire to get out in the fresh fallin snow if for no other reason than to just enjoy it. The 5 hours I was out was more than just enjoyable. There’s something about the landscape transforming so quickly form drab winter to a snow cover playground that is just plain exciting. I spent time along the waters edge of a small creek enjoying beautiful birds, snow covered trees, sounds of the cold unfrozen running water around the snow covered rocks until I happened upon this area that seemed almost magical in it’s view from high upon the bank. Extra time was spent processing this shot with a variety of settings. Many adjustment layers were used to bring out the texture in the snow while maintaining the darker color of the shallow rocky creek bottom.
Well it’s new year and time for new beginnings. It seems to always be a time for new ideas and growth when it comes to photography and that’s a good thing. I have so much to be thankful for from a loving ever supportive wife, which I don’t mention nearly enough and to whom I owe all the opportunities I have, to healthy family and friends. The only reason to look back is to learn from past mistakes and be grateful for new opportunities.
This blog took on a new look midway through 2009. I started blogging in support of my main gallery site in hopes of building a site that could allow visitors to get a more in depth look at what I do and why I do it. I’ve seen visits here and to my gallery site increase the last few months and that can be contributed to the consistent effort I have put into both. A big part of that has been through the use of social networking sites such as facebook and twitter. I started a facebook Page and update it on a regular basis, usually with posts from this blog which I will do with this post as well. It does no good for me to set here and write about things if no one knows about it. So the advice given by virtually all professional photographers holds very true, you have to do more than just take good pictures if you want to be successful in this abundant field of photography where every person that owns a camera now thinks they are a photographer. After all, all you have to do is “point and shoot” and presto great pictures! If that were only the case.
So without going into that much more I do have plans for this site as well as the gallery site for the coming 2010 year. The biggest being work, work, work. And then when I think I’m making progress, start working harder, do more and learn more. It can be a challenging task, never knowing when enough is enough. But that’s the whole idea, it will never be enough, and that’s the wonderful thing about what I do. I love the opportunities I have gotten, the skills I have learned and look so forward to continuing down the road of getting better. Better at my craft and better at the skills it takes to market my work. I truly believe that without the challenges of improving ones self in the field they love, life would be pretty boring.
So what are some of my plans (besides work, work, work). As far as this blog goes the opportunities seem limitless. With a presence on the web one can only imagine what increased exposure could bring. And that is one of the plans. Increase exposure. Now how does one do that? For one, I’m going to continue my daily pics posting and work on making that a more viable addition here. I will continue to keep my little point and shoot cameras handy at all times and share some of the everyday scenes it can capture. I’m going to work on making weekly posts of recent images and files from my archives I feel are worthy of sharing not only for visual appeal but for the meaning that may be held deep within the scene. One area that I want to desperately improve is my writing of such meanings. To be able to explain in words what an image shows. The only way I can do that, is to just do it.
As time allows I plan on sharing thoughts on learning this wonderful craft of photography. To help others with their abilities and desires to improve. Through this action I know it can only improve my own abilities. To learn together and to share from experiences.
In short, and to put it in a simple New Years resolution form (which I’m not a big fan of but will do it anyway) to be a more positive influence in others lives, and to continue this wonderful life long passion for photography. For me they both go together. Live life, and learn how to live it and share it through photography.
