debbie and sarah

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Debbie and Sarah at the Window 2

 

It's unusual for me to capture Debbie and Sarah in the same image. Mostly because Sarah is a barn cat and not normally allowed inside of the house. Let's just say that Sara was really enjoying her very temporary house priveledges. 

 

Debbie and Sarah at the Window 1

 

It was a quiet visit. The moment seemed the perfect subject for a photo. Snap, snap… I am accutely aware that I am taking pictures, but I am always shooting around Debbie and she mostly pays me no attention.

 

On the Big Bed

 

Sarah was just happy that she could take a bath in the warm house. Sooner thatn she would have liked, it was back out side for Sarah. I took the opportunity to walk over to the barn to see the new calf and lambs. Sarah followed me and quickly became engrossed in her day job…looking for mice. 

 

Here There Be Mice

 

It was a fine day for both Sarah and I. A nice way to wrap up 2013 at the farm. As I look at the images, I am reminded that every year, I wonder how I am going to top the previous year's images. How can I possibly create photos that are one notch ahead? How can I continue to grow as a photographer?

2014, you are challenging me already.

red barn and pinnies

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Red Barn and Pinnies

 

This is one of those photos that you see the moment you turn the corner. I was across the farm yard when I saw the girls and I was a fraid that they would run off before I could get closer. I walked slowly towards them until I was close enough to get the shot and then fired off a series of photos.

This image is all about the girls wearing their pinnies contrasted against the massive side of the red barn. It's an iconic image that speaks of the simplicity and of an era past and the innocence of youth.

 

favorites of 2013

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Book-Sample-2013

It's the holiday season and that means time for me to look at the photos I've taken in the last 12 months and decide which ones I want to put into my annual photo book. It's like choosing your favorite child (I only have one, so that would be easier for me than most).

I finally have the book ready to send off to print and I thought you might like a sneak peek. The image above? That's your sneak peek. That's all you get. Some of you may or may not recieve a copy and I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.

Tim

 

 

a day at the museum

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Sunday, I got to shoot the cutest three year old that you will ever meet. I know you have seen a lot of three year olds. You probably even think you have the cutest three year old. You are wrong. It's common mistake made by people that have never met this three year old.

 

Miss H 3

 

 Was I right or what? I see you nodding your head. Yeah, I see you over in Chicago and in Boston. 

 

Is it All Black?

 

Just feast your eyes on pure uncut cute. I'll just sit here and let you absorb it all.

 

Twirling Was to be Had

 

Miss H 1

 

You tube has kittens playing the piano. Face Book has that weird little puppy that looks like a mutant stuffed animal. Neither can hold a candle to little miss H.

You can thank me later,

Tim

 

 

yellow barn in the morning

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Yellow barn in the morning.

 

Sometimes, I am racing along the road and see a scene that makes me hit the brakes, turn around, and come back. Scenes like this are the reason you should always have your camera with you. you just never know what you will find.

The back roads of Ohio are full of these scenes and I love to wander the roads in the early morning, looking for them. In this case, I was on my way to Mansfield, Ohio to a shoot when I found this yellow barn. Against the dark clouds, it jumped out at me.

 

doolittle raiders

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

If you are not familiar with the Doolittle Raiders and their attack on Tokyo, you would read up on them.

After the war, they have had a reunion every year. A bottle of brandy was bought and the tradition has been that the last surviving raider would open the bottle and drink to the others.

More than 70 years later, the last 4 survivors decided that it was time to open the bottle. The ceremony was held yesterday, here in Dayton. To honor the ceremony, a flight of B-25 bombers (the plane they flew) was put together to fly over the ceremony. The planes spent the night at the little airport just north of here. Through some connections, I was given a press pass (my first!) so that I could go out onto the runway and photograph the planes.

 

Sunrise Bomber 2

 

Sunrise Bomber 3

 

Georgie's Gal - Angela

 

BW Bomber 5

 

BW Bomber 4

 

BW Bomber 3

 

BW Bomber 1

 

Formation

 

Standing there, seeing how small the planes were. Listening to their engines roaring. Seeing the planes circle the airport and then dissappear into the distance. I thought how brave those men were.

P.S. Thought you might like to hear what the engines sounded like being warmed up: http://youtu.be/MDVFdsgceVs 

 

dawn cast

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

Dawn Cast

 

Two weeks ago, I was invited to shoot photos of a friend fly fishing at dawn. The photo shoot occurred this morning, so I had plenty of time to get my thoughts together.

I always first think about the conditions. Shooting at dawn meant low light and long exposures. This time of the year, it would be cold. So, I would need to dress warm and bring my tripod.

I also think about what the shot might feel like. Fly fishing always seems to be about motion. The rod waving back and forth, the fisherman moving through the water. Dawn is about long shadows. It's about that brief period of time when its not day and its not night. It's kind of an other worldly time. Everything is soft and hard to see. It's sometimes about vivid and saturated skies, but that isn't how I saw the shoot. It should be about the fisherman on the dark river, not the sky.

So, I put the thought of long exposures, motion, and that sense of otherwordly-ness together. I could use the low light and motion to create ghostly images of the fisherman's motion and the motion of the water's surface.

We shot in the cold and after coming home, I processed the images, culling the ones that were obviously not good. Next, I culled out the ones that did not have the ghostly feel that I wanted. I made some basic levels adjustments and burned some areas.

I hope you enjoy the image.

Tim

 

all the world is a stage

Posted on by Tim McMurdo

All the World is a Stage

 

Welcome to the catskills resort ladies and gentlemen. On my way over here tonight, I overheard two elderly ladies in the restaurant. The first lady remarked "The food here is terrible" and the second lady replied "And the portions are so small". I tell you , I am killing it. Did you hear the one about the orangutang that walked into an Irish bar with a unicycle and a violin? …

This one was shot on my iPhone and processed in Photoshop. Sometimes you have to work with the equipment you have on hand and then get creative.

Thank you Larry Coressel for the joke.