Red Barn in Morning Mist

When you ask a realtor what is the most important thing they will say" Location, Location, Location." When posing the same question to an outdoor photographer the answer might be "Time of day,Time of day, Time of day. "
The red barn seems to glow with the early morning light. The characteristics of light at this time of day are increased saturation and better detail. The human eye sees a contrast ratio of 10,000 to 1 where as film records 1,000 to 1 at best. What does this all mean? When what you are shooting looks high contrast to you it will be even higher in contrast when film records it. This is one of the reasons time of day is so important. Morning and evening light is much softer and forgiving than the rest of the day. The only exception to this is a cloudy day which produces soft light. LynnFreeny.com

Tree Shadow On House

Shadows have always intrigued me. When looking at paintings, I can usually tell how much experience the artist has by the shadows in their work. If there is an absence of shadows the artist is a beginner because the ability to observe has not matured enough for them to even notice shadows. Without shadows, objects are flat and things seem to fall off the page visually. Many beginning photographers are also oblivious to shadows and how they effect their images. Understanding shadows is the beginning of understanding light, which is the most important element of photography. Without light, photography can not exist. Many inexperienced photographers try to light subjects with a direct flash on their camera which for the most part eliminates all shadows. This gives the image a very unnatural look. Shadows have different characteristics; in the morning and evening, shadows are softer containing some detail, whereas at high noon shadows are very dark with no detail. LynnFreeny.com

Summer Morning

The smell of fresh cut hay brings back memories of me and my brother helping haul hay in the hot summer heat for local farmers. I know why neither of us became farmer. I think it is some of the hardest work we had done as young boys. Growing up surrounded by cattle farms has always made me appreciate the beautiful scenery on the back roads in rural areas. I could never pass up places like this one. Early morning moisture in the air helps to reflect the warm color of the sun as it raises. The image is an example of the rule of thirds. The placement of the tree is a use of this rule. To be honest with you I do not use this rule consciously but when I look back at some of my images I see how this rule applies to them. LynnFreeny.com

Appalachian Sunrise

Catching the red eye has its rewards. When flying I always get the window seat and I spend time shooting and looking. The technique that works best for me using a lens hood I put the lens against the window and try to shoot no slower than 1/250. Using a large lens opening is OK because in aerial photography your focus is on infinity so depth of field is not important. The use of a polarize filter helps with the scratches on the window. lynnfreeny.com

Cows Beside Reflecting Pond

I enjoy back roads and farms. This image would never have been captured if I had slept late. Early morning light is magical. There is moisture in the air that reflects the warm morning light. It is peaceful and quiet I guess because everybody is still in bed. What makes mornings so special is the fact this type of light happens only once everyday and it changes quickly to the boring light of the day. lynnfreeny.com

Silhowette of Buck

I was telling a friend of mine I was planning to do some sunrise photography in Cades Cove. He told me to watch out for bucks because they were dangerous with there sharp antlers. I thought it was funny who is afraid of a little deer. Well to my surprise I topped a hill in the Cove and my heart almost stopped. I huge buck was running at full speed toward me. We both froze in place and as quick as I could I clicked off one frame then he ran the other way. Moral to the story know your equipment so well that even in a stress situation you can operate it intuitively.
lynnfreeny.com