Category Archives: portraits

Anatomy of a photo #24: Dog’s Eye

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

One of my favorite ways to take a picture of an animal (as long as I am close enough) is to zoom in on a particular characteristic, and them take the photograph with a shallow depth of field. That is … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #21: Great Blue Heron

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I noticed I somehow missed entry #21, so I am heading back in my posting numbers a little. I was hiking in one of my local state parks (I won’t name which one, as it is nearly undiscovered, and I … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #20: Portrait of a sheep

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I was originally taking pictures of the sheep that are blurred out in the background, when this wooly lawn mower came munching by. I quickly changed my focus, realizing that this nearby sheep would also make a nice image, especially … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #19: Spider on a bedewed web

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

  I took this image early one morning (I feel like I start so many of these “Anatomy of a photos” with those same words) while I was out chasing that early light. The grass was still wet, and so … Continue reading →

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Surfing under the Golden Gate Bridge: An essay in photos

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I headed over to the south side of the Golden Gate Bridge early one morning and was surprised to find many people surfing. It is a rather unique spot, as the surfers head parallel to the shore, rather than just … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #17: Horizontal and vertical landscapes I

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This one is a double photo. The lesson is simple. Sometimes it can be good to rotate your camera 90 degrees, because it can give the image a very different feel. Also, when doing landscapes, especially of valleys and such … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #10: Freezing the flow of water in an image: Gull and crab claw

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This post relates to the importance of shutter speed. A fast shutter speed can freeze action, making something like water appear solid- almost like crystal or an ice sculpture. The picture above for example was taken with a shutterspeed of … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a photo #8: Morning calf and fence

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This is not one of the technically best images, as there are highlights in the calves face that are blown out (detail is lost in the white, because it is a little overexposed). Also, the calves face is more centered … Continue reading →

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Focus on the eyes: Anatomy of a photo #2

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

Lesson #1 to taking a picture of a child. Get down low. Be on their level don’t take pictures of the tops of their head. Lesson #2 is to focus on the eyes. This is true of almost any portrait. … Continue reading →

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New Zealand Visions: Northland and Back

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

This is just a brief intro to all we’ve seen on the journey from Auckland to Cape Reinga at the northern tip of New Zealand. It is by no means a complete representation of the journey, or New Zealand itself. … Continue reading →

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Some of New Zealand’s birds

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I’ve been in New Zealand for almost a week now. I knew I wanted to see and photograph birds, and I have definitely been able to do so. Some of the birds have been a little more challenging than expected, … Continue reading →

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Lambs of Tomales

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Galen Leeds Photography

I live in ranch country. Most every hill is dotted with cows or sheep (and the occasional goat.) In the winter, usually around mid-December, lambs are born. This often continues into January, and over the months the lambs get older, … Continue reading →

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