Tuesday, September 13, 2011

My Komodo Dragon


This has been such an exciting week! I was so thrilled to hear that the photo I entered in our local zoo's photo contest made it into their top ten! I don't know if he stands a chance to make it onto the cover of their calendar or not, but either way it's exciting to have made it this far. 

When I took the photo, I didn't expect it to turn out half as well as it did considering I had to shoot through a glass window into a dimly lit room.  

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Guest Post by: Jo Reason - Fotografia del Ecuador

Here is some helpful information for anyone interested in Travel Photography. Thank you, Jo Reason, for sharing your experience:

Travel And Photography Go Hand In Hand ~ by: Jo Reason

Travel and photography go hand in hand. The downside is the amount of gear you can take with you. Camera, lenses, flash, accessories, loads of cables, this often includes a laptop. All this adds to the weight you carry. 



A camera can open up a world or close it depending on the religious views of the locals. If a person doesn´t want you to take his/her photo then we should respect that, whatever the reason may be. I once had tomatoes thrown at me in a market in Ecuador back in 2004. The women were selling the tomatoes sitting on the floor and here I was taking their photo. I didn´t ask so I gave them no chance to say no. I took the shot, but it´s a little blurry due to the movement of the camera as I was dodging flying tomatoes. This was back in the time of me only having a film camera. 




There is a huge difference between travel snapshots and travel photography. I haven´t met anybody who is on a holiday, whether it be backpacking, family holiday or extended trip without a camera. Everyone thinks they are photographers just because we have digital cameras in their hands but there is a huge difference between a snapshot and a photograph. A photograph can often take time to set up, planning, being there at the right time, with the right light, etc, that’s not to say that there are some great photos taken by people with no or little knowledge of photography. One of my aims is to take photos from different angles. There are many photos out there that all look the same.















During your travels you get to see such a wide variety of places, people, food, etc. much more than you would staying at home and it puts you into unique and memorable circumstances that often will stay with you the rest of your life. For most of us it´s important to record these moments and what a better way than to take a photograph.




I have spent many years travelling all over the globe. I have learnt many, many things from all this travelling. Mostly respect for other cultures, patience and I have made many friends. The photographs I have taken home from all of these trips have given me many memories.


 




Jo Reason is a British photographer and web designer, who has lived in Spain, USA and Ecuador and of course Britain. She has spent many years traveling and photographing the world and also spent time working as a tour leader in South America. She now lives with her husband  in Ecuador.

If you enjoyed this article see more from Fotografia del Ecuador here:

www.fotografiadelecuador.com  (main site)

@joreasonable  (twitter)





Friday, September 2, 2011

New Website Finally Up And Running

I just launched my new website: Photography TK Designs this week. It has been a learning experience to say the least! Come check it out and see what you think. I am now accepting requests for custom greeting cards and personalized gifts.


Soon we will be adding information about family photography and photo restorations. Stay tuned . . .