Take about 13 minutes to watch what goes into making a Canon. Video from 2010.

European cities have plenty of old, old buildings and things. Some of these have been restored, some are in need of restoration, and some have no hope.

Even though I live in an old German city, I am constantly surprised by the things I see that I have not seen before even though I may have passed the thing a 100 times. I believe most of us just walk blindly through our every day life, and this includes me at times ...

So, when you go out to shoot, look up, look around, and seek out the unseen.

There is a ruin, which is built into the old fortress wall, I made a photograph of called Hidden. I asked those that live in Ulm where it is. Yes, they got it!. This ruin sits in the center of the city (Stadtmitte = city center/center of the city) close to the Danube. I am pretty sure most that live in Ulm have walked past it many times, but have never actually looked at it.

The ruin is here. Walk through the tunnel and you are in the Rosengarten at the Danube. It is next to the Meeting House - (Holy) Trinity Church. (English translation)

The Ruin

Matthew G. Beall   Uhrturm    2012

There is always an object to photograph. Sometimes the object is as plain as day and sometimes it is hidden i.e. it is not really looked at.

It was a sunny day, a sunny spring day with strong shadows. It was a perfect day for shooting black and white. Shadows and light grab me!

Limited Edition Prints available.  

Matthew G. Beall    Hidden    2012

An exquisite glow

A beautiful illumination

The Flower

Matthew G. Beall Photography   The Flower   2012

better than black and white.

Matthew G. Beall   June Leaves   2012

The Big Five

Light and Shadow = mood

 

Contrast = attention

 

Shape and Form = interest

 

Pattern = interest

 

Texture = emphasis

 

Matthew G. Beall  Lines and Shadows 5  2012

 I was out and about in Söflingen, a part of Ulm, on a slightly overcast day with camera and intent mixed with vision. There is always something to make a photograph of.

"Black and White makes a oneness ..." Clyde Butcher  ---  If you don't know Clyde's work, you NEED to have a look, a long look at it.

Matthew G. Beall   Lines and Shadows 1  2012

Matthew G. Beall   Lines and Shadows 2  2012

Matthew G. Beall   Lines and Shadows 3   2012

Matthew G. Beall   Lines and Shadows 4  2012

 The PPS American Experience  Adams: A Documentary Film is worth every second of your time.

Ansel simply understood light. More precisely he took a specific quality of light that radiated on a specific place at an exact moment in time and made art. 

And THE book to have ...

You can never have enough books. And when they are about Ansel Adams pictures, you have to spread the word to buy it.

"Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs offers an exciting survey of his development as an artist. Of the themes and subjects that animate his work and of the evolution of a style that is uniquely that of Ansel Adams -- America's best-known and best-loved photographer."

Matthew G. Beall   My Ansel Adams Pictures  2011

Composition

    vision 

Light

 and

Shadow

Shades

Matthew G. Beall   Light, Shadow and Shades   2011

So much has changed in photography over the past few years allowing us to take more photographs in a shorter space of time and to publish them within seconds. However, the fact is that sometimes less is more. In other words, you won’t necessarily become a better photographer by simply snapping off a lot of random shots.  

Although it is easy to take a photograph these days, it doesn’t mean that you can replace quality with quantity. This means it is better to critically look at your photographs, delete the ones that don’t cut it, and keep in mind what didn’t work by asking yourself, “How can I make it better next time?”

Making a photograph takes intent, knowledge, focus and, yes, hard work. Anyone who attempts to claim otherwise is being either naïve or ignorant. So, get out there and practice with intent and focus. Learn to look, see and think. Bring it all back to the digital darkroom and make that photograph you have in your mind’s eye.

Learn to be vision driven.

A day in May along the Danube on the Neu Ulm, Germany side of the river. The wonder, the beauty, the surface of leaves in black and white.

Matthew G. Beall  Leaves Along the Danube   May 2012

Matthew G. Beall  Leaves Along the Danube 2  May 2012

 A Never Ending Odyssey

 I have a new Facebook page: MatthewGBeallPhotography  I need YOU to "like" it for me, please.
Thank you for taking the time to do that!

Matthew G. Beall   The Beauty of Black and White   2012

Matthew G. Beall   The Beauty of Black and White 2  2012

Matthew G. Beall  Flowers and Leaves  2012

Matthew G. Beall  Flowers and Leaves 2   2012

In my previous post, Flowers on a Sunny Day in Ulm, Germany, I put up 3 photographs with two of them in black and white. Although I mostly do only black and white, it's sometimes necessary to use color to make the photograph as fine art work.  Sometimes color is simply more pleasing. 3 Flowers and Flowers with Yellow are the color versions of what was first B&W.

Matthew G. Beall   Beautiful Flowers    2012

Matthew G. Beall   3 Flowers with Yellow   2012

Matthew G. Beall    Flowers    2012

Matthew G. Beall    Flowers 2   2012

This morning, Friday, April 27, I took a little photography tour around the Danube River in Ulm, Germany. We have a  garden with many different types of flowers and plants. A relaxing place on a sunny Friday morning with plenty of subjects to shoot. Seeing all the flowers, especially the white ones, I immediately thought of Liz Davidson's work.

Here's my take ... and the first one is rare since I do not often work with color.

Matthew G. Beall   Flowers   2012

Matthew G. Beall   White Flowers  2012

In case you didn't know, Ulm is the birthplace of Albert Einstein.

The Einsteinhaus is an example of 'Ulmer Fuctionalism" architecture. More about the Ulm School of Design (HfG)

The building houses The Adult Education Center (VH ULM). Alberts Cafe is located here as well - first photograph.

Matthew G. Beall  Einsteinhaus  2012

Matthew G. Beall  Einsteinhaus 1  2012

I am from California and I live in Europe. Castles abound here. Old is really old. Anyhow, back in California, many moons ago, a man by the name of Hearst built his castle atop a hill in San Simeon. It's amazing, it's grand, it's overkill, it's beautiful.

A snapshot of the inside pool. Could you imagine swimming there?

Matthew G. Beall  Castle Pool  2008

Black and White Photography 

Light & Shadow

 a tree 

and 

the Partial Silhouette

Matthew G. Beall          Partial  Silhouette          2011

I rarely have people in my photographs... BUT ... something about this couple and the place made me take the shot.

Matthew G. Beall   At the Airport (Munich)  2008

I don't know how many times I have said it - I don't have to leave my apartment to find interesting subjects to shoot. This time around it's the stairwell.

Matthew G. Beall   Light and Bars   2012

Matthew G. Beall  Light   2012