Farm Field

Most of my images have a nature theme. Sometimes I find man-made scenes to be poignant. This tractor in a hay field tells of a working farm. Soon to be posted to the website. Thanks for looking.

Another New Photo

Here is another photo that will soon be added to the website. Taken at near peak for the sunflowers, the clouds add an extra dimension to the image. This will be available in sizes ranging from 8" X 10 "; 11" X 17"; 13" X 19" and 16" X 20". As always shipping and handling is included. This will add a touch of sunshine to any room!

New Photos and a Sale

There will be new photos posted on my website soon and for the first time 16 X 20 prints of selected images will be available. Here is one of the images that will soon be added : Also, there will be a special sale on Saturday, September 1st on in front of Gallery 31 at 14257 Highway 31, just east of Honor, Michigan. Many of my prints and greeting cards will be available as well as prints from other artists including Holly Nelson, owner of Gallery 31.

Photos now available at Gallery 31

Many of the photos included on my website (and some new ones) are now available at Gallery 31 at 14257 US 31 in Honor, Michigan. Gallery 31 is run by Holly Nelson who is also a local photographer. You can visit her website at www.gallery31.net . Holly will be holding a special roadside show of photos from many artists including some of my photos on Labor Day Weekend in front of her gallery. Check back here for more details.

Also, soon to be posted on the website is a photo from the Lake Michigan which is in this month's Traverse Magazine.

Visit the Elk Rapids Show

I will be showing my images at the Elk Rapids Art and Craft Show on July 21. I will have prints including images not yet web posted as well as greeting cards featuring my images.

Weather Watching

An important part of nature and landscape photography is the weather. Not really whether it will be hot or cold. Sunny or cloudy of course determines the amount of natural light. Landscapes with skies included need to have clouds of interest. I prefer dramatic clouds if I am going to include the sky. Often I work to enhance the clouds with a polarizing filter.

Of course sometimes the weather works out just right. The image in my gallery of the Sturgeon River was taken on a rainy, foggy 4th of July. This was perfect for a slow shutter speed which I wanted to blur the water. I even added a polarizer on the lens to enable use of an even slower shutter speed. It also allowed for fewer dark shadows and bright spots as I found at the same location the day before. Fog is one element that I would like to include in more images.

Thanks again for checking out my website and images. Any comments are more than welcome.

Tom Haxby

Characteristics of Light

There are three characteristics of light that are important to photography:

1. Light Intensity

2. Light Direction

3. Light Color

Intensity is simply how much light is hitting the subject. There is bright light and what I call flat light which are gray overcast days. Photographers manipulate the amount of light hitting the sensor (I won't use the word film ever again) by adjusting aperture, shutter speed or through filters or perhaps even using a flash unit or other artificial light source. Bright light can have very high contrast i.e. bright areas and dark shadows. Flat light which is typified by dark cloudy days tends to show very little contrast. The intensity of light call really set the mood of a photo. Do photos really have moods??

I like to use light direction creatively in photography. Light coming from the sides is useful for showing textures and detail, much like the photo of the dunes in my Michigan gallery. By far the most challenging light is front light where the light is coming straight toward the camera. The results of successful use of front light however can be very rewarding, such as my tulips photo on the opening page of the website. Perhaps the easiest to expose for is light coming directly over the photographer's shoulder. I have been experimenting more and more with different light directions and ways that I can incorporate into my photography. Soon, I will post a photo that is just light and lines, but it was the light that first caught my attention.

Finally, light has different colors and digital photographers will often refer to color temperature. Oranges and reds which are commonly found during sunset or sunrise are considered "warm" light. Blues which are evident in photos with snow is considered cold. A perfect example of cold and warm light shows in the photo of the "Kingsley Tree" in my Michigan gallery. The blue tones in the snow are the result of the blue sky and yet at the same time there is warm light along the horizon.

I have photographed in all different types of light - backlight, sidelight, bright light, soft light, flat light, warm light, cold light and low light. Do I have a preference for light? Yes, by far I prefer warm, soft light which I believe brings out the best in landscape images. However, there are always exceptions......

As always thank you for visiting my site and I hope that you will enjoy and appreciate my images.

Tom Haxby