Back to my roots.

Well it's been awhile (almost 2 years) since I last posted on this blog. So I decided it is time to return. I'm going to switch up the format a little and get back to my roots. Let me explain. In the beginning I discovered my love for photography by just exploring the world around me and attempting to capture it in a way most people had not seen or noticed before. I could spend hours just wandering through the woods, fields, or streets looking for something to fill my frame with. This is where I came alive. While other people may have lost interest after a few minutes, I could easily wait an hour for just the perfect shot to happen by. I didn't like being constrained by time - I just liked shooting, and I didn't care how long it took. Sometimes that meant spending 45 minutes outside in the dark trying to get the best lightning picture or other times it meant shooting the same shot dozens (or in some cases even hundreds) of times experimenting with the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO until I got it just right. This all became so much easier with my family's first digital camera. Before that I had to write down what all my settings were for each picture, wait 'till I finished the roll, and then wait weeks for the film to be developed and returned in the mail to see the effect of each different f-stop, or filter. Anyways, I have digressed. When I started out, I was just doing what I enjoyed. I wasn't trying to meet anyone else's expectations. Through photography classes and being hired for specific shoots, I have had to try to meet other's expectations and in doing so I have been challenged and have learned much more about the art. I feel this has made me a better photographer, but I don't necessarily LOVE every minute of it. And I wouldn't expect to get better doing only things I already love, but I want to go back now and focus on my original passion.

What does this mean? Well, I plan to use this blog mostly for expressing that passion. It will focus more on the shots where I got the settings just perfect after hours of experimentation, or the shots that I just really enjoy even though others may not like them at all. I don't plan to post any more photos from specific shoots (this includes weddings, engagements, family photos, etc). To see those pictures check out ReubenAnne photography. ReubenAnne will be the new home for all hired work and it is the joint effort of both Laura and I. For now you can visit our facebook page and in time we will have a website. I also want to encourage you check out Laura Fry Photography (yes that would be my amazingly talented and beautiful wife). It will be a similar format to this blog in that it will have a sample of the things she really enjoyes to photograph and wants to share with the world. I hope to post one photo at a time and tell a little bit of the story behind it or the process in capturing it. I hope you like the change. Please leave me comments and let me know what you think.

I thought it was appropriate to start this new format with an old picture that represents a "return to my roots." This is of course the world famous (pretty much anyway) falls in Elk Falls, Kansas. This is where I grew up and developed my love for photography. This is where I experimented and this is where I learned. This particular picture is one of those times where shot hundreds of similar photos trying to get it just right. It was around dusk and seemed much too dark to be out taking pictures, but of course this is why I was out. I wanted to capture the falls in a new way. So I set up my tripod and began trying different shutter speeds. I actually can't find the original file to check the metadata, but if I recall correctly, I kept the shutter open for about 30 seconds to get just the right amount of motion blur. Although this produced some undesirable grain, I was quite happy with the finished product. I was happy to have this photo win several awards in 4-H at the local and state level, get published in a calendar and our local phonebook, and I think it got something at the Kansas Scholastic Arts Competition, but I can't remember for sure. Anyway, I hope you like it.


Oh, and another new change to this blog... I hope to update it more frequently than every two years. I would love to do a photo a day, but I gotta be realistic. Check back often though for a new photo and story.