Jon Sienkiewicz Blog

It’s spring—the time of year made especially for photographers, lovers and dreamers. Poets too, come to think of it. You’ll find plenty of things to photograph without even trying—but here are some ideas you may not have thought about yet.

Can you call Michael H. Steven’s pictures photography? No — no way. In all but a few cases, no camera was involved. Creative imagery? Yeah, that label might work. But where does it fit? Somewhere near the intersection of Photography Parkway and AI Boulevard. Under the blinding neon sign of a mildly demented mind. But is it art?

Things were tough during the Stone Age. No camera bags; no photo backpacks, either. Some citizens were so starved for visual stimulation that they resorted to painting stick figures on the walls inside their caves. Others just bided their time, waiting to evolve.

"Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury." These words come directly from NASA, and they ought to know. Don't take chances. Be informed. Read what NASA says about annular eclipse safety.

If 2020 taught us nothing else, we collectively learned that things can go wrong. Terribly wrong. If your photos and video footage are important to you (and, as a photographer, they should be), then you need to buy a trusty storage or backup device pronto.

Labor Day is in the rearview mirror, and for many of us who enjoy four seasons, summer has ended. Oh, sure, she’ll linger for a little while like a damp firecracker that spurts one last courageous spark and then sits there threatening to pop—but she’s spent, and she’s truly unable to produce another bang. Soon she’ll simply whimper and limp away, gray and exhausted, same as last year. She has been worn out by too many rainbows and too many long, warm, peaceful nights full of stars and hopes and dreams. Summer doesn’t fade—she steps into the shadows to catch her breath.