Appalachian Dulcimer Maker

The Appalachian Mountains have a rich tradition in music. I wanted to capture the color of autumn along with the long tradition of craftsmanship in the Southern Appalachians. Porch light is very similar to window light. The nice even light gives detail to the dulcimer and the player. This is important because this is Mike Clemmer of Townsend Tennessee one of the world's best mountain dulcimer makers. His instruments are played all over the world because of the beautiful tones they produce along with unmatched workmanship. The reflecting fall colors seem to match the hue of the dulcimer in Mike's lap.LynnFreeny.com

Ferns in the West Virginia Mountains

Ferns are such a familiar site in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. In order for you to appreciate their beauty you have to slow down and look. I decided to use black and white for this subject because the ferns in color seem to get lost in the sea of the lush green vegetation on the forest floor. By bringing the subject down to simple tones I was able to visually separate the ferns from the other plants. LynnFreeny.com

Reflections at Chattanooga Bus Stop

I love finding reflections in urban settings. We were on a family outing in Chattanooga waiting for one of the electric buses to pick us up. As we walked into the bus stop area I was struck by the reflective ceiling. I cropped the lower half leaving just enough to show what was reflecting on the ceiling. By doing so I was able to simplify my composition making the reflection the main focus of the image. There were some colorful plants along the sidewalk which gave the reflection so bright colors. LynnFreeny.com

Football Stands

Many times subjects have rhythm. In this case repeated shapes of positive and negative shape seem to give the image a rhythm that is interrupted by the small dot of the sun peeping through the bleachers. The serene sky contrasting with the complex structure adds some tension to the composition. The sun has a star effect any time you use an object, like these stands, to partially block the sun from the camera. LynnFreeny.com

Hayfield in Tennessee

I am always looking for hidden compositions off the beaten path .In this image I wanted the main focus to be on the wild tall grass. The grass grows somewhat chaotic yet there is a repeating pattern of darker tones throughout the field caused by the wind. By using a wide angle lens tilted toward the ground, the grass dominates the foreground. An f-stop of 22 was used to gain sharp focus throughout this extreme range of a few feet to infinity. LynnFreeny.com

Baseball Lights

I remember playing sports as a kid. When it came to playing baseball, many times I became more distracted by the interesting sky above my head than the actual ball. From a safety standpoint that is not a very good idea.
Some things never change; this image was shot during a practice baseball game at Maryville College. By only including the sky, I have simplified the composition. The process of simplifying a composition will help you as a photographer and an artist to define what is important to you. This way of shooting will automatically reflect your personal vision in your work. LynnFreemy.com

Keeping Up

Having your camera ready when you see just the right moment is priceless.
The small child along with the shadow is the main focus of this image. When you are small the world seems a lot bigger than reality. When I return to places I saw as a child things seem so much smaller now. This photograph captures a child’s feeling of how big the world is to them. As you look down the path that seems endless the long journey has just begun for this little one. LynnFreeny.com

U.S. Post Office

Getting off the main drag can be fun. I love to get on back roads and look for interesting subjects to shoot. I was driving in New Mexico and noticed this tiny U.S. Post Office. There were only horse tracks around the small building. I positioned the camera at a low angle, after all it is a U.S. Post Office and it deserves respect. A thunder storm was moving in my direction. I could see lightning in the distance and I was hoping to capture some in the photograph. By shooting several frames the timing was just right to record some of the distant lightning on the horizon. One more tip always have a good map or a GPS device if you do travel the back roads. LynnFreeny.com

Shadows of Trees

Shadows are one of those wonderful elements that so many people seem to ignore. I can't help myself, everywhere I go I see shadows that need to be captured. This image was shot at a low angle using a wide angle lens to show the sweeping motion of the shadows coming toward the viewer. Please don't forget shadows when you go out shooting. LynnFreeny.com

Night at the College

Most people think day time is the only good time to do photography. I have found some very boring subjects in the day time are transformed into a dynamic image at night. All it takes to capture interesting scenes at night is a steady tripod and some patience.
I took this photograph tonight on the Maryville College campus about 8:30. A tripod was required because of the long exposure of 1 sec. A star like effect was produced by placing a piece of screen wire in front of the lens. The tree seems to glow, thanks to a street light hidden behind the tree's trunk. LynnFreeny.com

Shadow and Sand Fence

Shadows are very underrated. As I was walking on a boardwalk in the Gulf of Mexico I saw these wonderful shadows created by a sand fence. I used a wide angle lens so I could include most of the fence along with this shadow in the frame. The composition does not include the sky because it would distract from the overall image. The gentle curve of the fence gives a nice vertical reference for the photograph. This image is more about tone than color thus making it a great subject for black and white. LynnFreeny.com

Glowing Clouds

When shooting sunsets always remember to wait until the the show is over. How long should you stay? Until the light is gone from the sky. This group of small clouds floated high enough to reflect the very warm red produced by the sun after it had long since disappeared from the scene. The contrast between the blue sky and red clouds makes the colors really pop. LynnFreeny.com

Candid Portrait

Good photography that keeps a viewer's interest is usually a very simple composition. An image that seems to include everything is too much information causing the viewer eyes to wander. If you want to catch the real character of a person in a portrait, moving in close creating a very tight image works well. Using a telephoto lens will give you a comfortable distance that your subject will also appreciate. When shooting any subject you should fill the frame with what is important. When you are looking through your camera check to make sure everything in the frame will compliment the image. LynnFreeny.com

Appalachian Fiddle Player

I like to go to places where I can hear and see mountain culture. At a fiddlers convention in East Tennessee I found this mountain man playing a Old-time Appalachian fiddle. The Appalachian Mountains seem to go so well with the Old-time music. The humble beauty of the Appalachians look much more friendly than the high and lofty Rockies of the west. This type of music fits the landscape.
This is a very direct portrait. These types of portraits work best if the eyes are sharp and the depth of field is shallow. Shallow depth of field helps focus the attention on the subject because of the out of focus background. LynnFreeny.com

Mountain Fiddle Player

I have always enjoyed shooting images of musicians. Fiddle players are my favorite because my grandfather and dad both played the fiddle. My Grand Father Leslie Freeny was an Irish fiddle player for a band called the Freeny Barn Dance Band. Remember your photography is always a reflection of you. You may not know why you prefer one subject over another. It is a good idea to try and figure out why. By answering that question you will be able to persue subjects in a more perceptive and deep way. LynnFreeny.com

Heaven From The Underside

The title you see was a suggestion from my 9 year old. I was driving my whole family to swim practice when I turned the corner and there it was. I quickly found a good place to stop. On a hill in the middle of the road. It's OK it was in a subdivision.
When shooting clouds my favorite time is usually in the evening when the sun is low in the sky. The lines of light created by the sun happen quite often when the sky is beginning to clear after a storm.

Rain On Window

I am always stressing to my students to simplify their composition. Make your viewers look at what you think is important. Macro photography seems to lend itself to that philosophy well. As I sat in my car waiting on someone, I noticed the rain droplets on my window. Remember, I always have a camera. I pulled out my macro lens and started shooting tiny sections of the car window until I found the right combination of droplets. By using the macro lens with a large f-stop, f-2.8, I was able to put the background totally out of focus which helped the droplets to stand out. LynnFreeny.com

River Reflections

There is something about a river that attracts me like a magnet. I enjoy trails that go alongside a stream. Camping in places where you can hear the sound of rushing water seems to help melt away stress for a good nights sleep. On a hot day in the 90s the best place to be is in a small mountain stream taking in the cooling effects of the cold water. The best place to read a book, have quiet time, paint, sketch, or write is along a small stream. This image of a slow moving part of the Little River in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a mental reflection of what a wonderful gift a mountain stream is. LynnFreeny.com

Evening Along The Shore

When you look at late day light remember to be patient . Don't give up the ship when the sun goes out of sight. Wait! I have seen people that were there to photograph the sunset leave when the sun disappears below the horizon line. Guess what happens after the sun gos below the horizon.? Deep saturated reds fill the sky with spectacular results. This is just what happened with this particular image. I used a 200mm lens to bring the clouds in closer to the rest of the scene. The ocean waters reflecting the red color help to balance the composition. LynnFreeny.com

Light in Motion

With long exposures you can show movement. This was a 1/4 of a second exposure. Why is the little girls face so sharp? It was hand held at that slow exposure. You should see some blur because it was not on a tripod. This is what is called a rear shutter flash exposure. Please bear with me while I explain this very simple technique. In rear shutter exposures, at the very end of a long exposure the flash is triggered. The part of the subject that is lit at the end of the exposure, the little girl, is sharp and well exposed. Without the flash you would only see the rotating light she is holding in front of her face. This works best when you have very little existing light, in this case night time. I wanted to show some of her face as the light moved. I started off with 1 second until I worked my way to a faster shutter speed of 1/4 of a second, which was just fast enough to capture half of the revolution of the light, thus not covering up the left side of her face. LynnFreeny.com

Horse and Owner

Animals are interesting to work with. Because they are not usually professional models or actors, just like people, you shoot lots of frames to get those images that capture the true beauty of the subject.
This image was not planned. I just happened to see it while the owner was talking to her beloved horse. By using a large lens opening, f-2.8 with a 200mm lens, I was able to visually cut my subject out of the background. This photograph shows the closeness of the owner to her animal, very much like a mother to her child. If I had told the owner to pose for the picture it would have been less natural looking. In the frame you can feel how important this animal is to her owner. LynnFreeny.com

Duck in Reflecting Water

Find interesting reflections then add a duck. That is not actually what happened. As I looked at this beautiful beaver pond with mountains surrounding it; I noticed these very curious ducks coming toward me. I had my wide angle lens on my camera to capture this whole scene. As these ducks approached, I realized that was the wrong lens. I quickly changed to a 200 mm lens to isolate the most interesting part of the scene. The duck caused a circular ripple in the water much like a rock thrown in the water. In composing the image I give the duck more space in front. This seems to help the viewer to imagine the duck's forward motion. The deep blue sky with lush green vegetation gave me a very dramatic reflection in the pond. I shot with a very large f-stop that produced shallow depth of field helping to isolate my subject even more.
LynnFreeny.com

The Golden Moment

When I think of a place that I would like to be for photography I am usually thinking of being there early in the morning. Morning can be "The best of times and the worst of times." You may have cloud cover so heavy that you can not even see the sun let alone have warm light. But when all the weather elements are just right, it is by far the best lighting you can work with as a photographer. When most people are still in bed I am already setup for that first light of the day.
This image was shot on Cades Cove Loop Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This was a somewhat foggy morning which in most cases is a welcome weather element. Fog actually reflects the warm light. LynnFreeny.com

Inner Strength

Children seem to be more creative than adults. Why is this so true? I think we have a tendency to lose this creative energy as we begin the process of worrying about what someone will think if we do something out of the norm. As an artist I am always trying to keep a freshness about my work and what seems to work best is a child like view of this world. I know we can not go back as a child when it comes to our minds but we can visually. Noticing things like shadows, reflections and interesting light can help bring back some of that unbridled creativity. This image shows a small child with a big idea. LynnFreeny.com

Endless Imagination

You just never know what you will see when you are around kids. There is so much energy and creativity you better be ready with a camera. Capturing their youthful attitude and seemingly endless imagination is what the image is all about. Taking the picture just before dark gave me an interesting purple sky for a background.Try to get lower than your eye level when shooting children. Get at their level or even below. This will help the viewer to feel more a part of the picture. LynnFreeny.com

Lake Reflections

Reflections are one of those elements that most people ignore. I am always attracted to reflections. Sometimes when I am shooting, people will look over their shoulder as they walk by wondering why my camera is pointed in a certain direction.
In this image of Indian Boundary Lake in Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee I discovered that the reflection of the mountains were much more interesting than a straight shot of the mountains. By letting the reflection dominate the composition I conveyed the importance of the reflection. LynnFreeny.com

Window Light Portrait

When shooting portraits my favorite light has always been window light. I have all kinds of high tech lighting equipment I use every day. But when I look at the portraits I like the best most of them were lit by window light. For window light portraits I position myself with the window to my back and the subject facing the window. This means I am between the subject and the light source, so be careful not to cast your own shadow into the composition. With this image I am at a low angle putting myself at the subject’s level. When photographing children, position yourself at their level. This may mean getting down on your knees or even sitting on the ground (undignified positions). My f-stop on this image was f-1.4 which gave me very little depth of field. I focused on the eyes which is the most important thing to be sharp in a portrait like this.
LynnFreeny.com

Rivers Edge

A good place to look for interesting subjects in nature is to look at the edges of change. It could be the edge of a forest, river, ocean or even the edge of a storm. Any time you can find drastic differences in nature you find edges. In this image you are looking at a river bank that at times is under water. As the water travels it wears down the small rocks and deposits them at the tree roots. This same water caused erosion which helps to expose these tree roots. I decided the subject was black & white because of the many tones the rocks and roots had. An f-stop of 16 with a wide angle lens worked best for capturing as much detail as possible. I composed the image so there would be just a hint of the tree itself because the most interesting part of this tree was it's exposed roots. LynnFreeny.com

Swim Meet

If you have ever been to a swim meet you can identify with this image. I was trying to show just how complex a swim meet is. With the use of a 200mm telephoto lens I was able to compact several layers of activity at the starting blocks. When you use a telephoto lens objects seem much closer to each other than reality. This compacting of space by this lens adds to the real tension that exists at a swim meet. When using any lens, especially a telephoto lens make sure you follow the hand held rule to insure sharp images. The rule states that your shutter speed should match you lens length to avoid camera shake that causes unsharp images. LynnFreeny.com

Yellow Building

There are certain subjects that are color and certain subjects that are black & white. That fact is always in the back of my mind when I see an interesting subject. In this case the subject was almost screaming "Color!". Color was not the only thing that attracted me to this building I also became fascinated with the blue sky and white clouds reflecting from the windows. Another interesting part of this subject is the visual rhythm that the repeated shape of the three windows create. Last but not least is the wide angle lens creates a distortion giving an upward motion to the whole composition. LynnFreeny.com