Author Archives: bvriesem

The movement of Autumn

By bvriesem | Published November 19, 2012

Autumn is my favorite time of year to photograph. Colors, shapes and lines, cooler temperatures, weekend trips up north–all contribute to the experience of capturing the visuals and emotions of Autumn. There is a certain rush to capture these images before the trees lose all their leaves. I really enjoy seeing the grand landscape images that [...]

Posted in Photographic lessons, Seasons, Visual metaphors | 3 Comments

On the cutting edge

By bvriesem | Published July 20, 2012

Each July and August I delight in seeing the scrappy rows of periwinkle-blue chicory flowers along the country roads between work and home. I am always struck by the fact that you see chicory within the first few feet of the side of the road, but almost nowhere else. It is a pretty harsh environment. [...]

Posted in Seasons, Visual metaphors | 1 Comment

Watch your backgrounds

By bvriesem | Published May 5, 2012

I took this image of a purple tulip at Meijer Gardens in April. I received a lot of feedback, so I thought I would point out what technique I used to create it. First, I chose an interesting flower with few imperfections that was lighted well. That became the flower I focused on. Next, I [...]

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The cup, the crown, and the tree.

By bvriesem | Published April 6, 2012

I tend to over-analyze Good Friday. All it takes is simple faith to accept the immensity of it all. Yet, it is puzzling to me why all the drama was necessary to begin with. Two thousand years ago:  A beating and whipping. Hanging on a tree. A God that died. A killing to pay-in-full for sins the [...]

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The Wedding Photo

By bvriesem | Published March 7, 2012

“Okay,” I shout, “everyone line up around the bride and groom!” The formal wedding portrait of the bride, groom, and family is always one of the hardest to pull off. By now the bride and groom know where to stand and what to do, but getting everyone else to cooperate is sometimes a nightmare. Perhaps [...]

Posted in Seasons, Visual metaphors | 1 Comment

Visual poetry

By bvriesem | Published February 25, 2012

I’ve never been real big on poetry. But I think I’m starting to get it, and visual learner that I am–I think I have been doing it all along. My favorite type of images to make are those that incorporate identifiable items, and putting them in a context that asks the viewer to take a [...]

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Winter scenes

By bvriesem | Published February 23, 2012

Winter photography is often boiled down to just lines and shape. Much of the landscape is coated with white, and the gray skies can soak the color out of the surroundings. even so, this is a good time to sharpen some photographic composition skills. Often the brilliant color of the other three seasons can overwhelm [...]

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Facebook and nature: an unlikely duo

By bvriesem | Published December 3, 2011

I try to set some goals for my photography each year. It may be to make images of a certain type of subject such as still life objects or macro images. It may be to try out some new techniques such as fill-in flash or “dragging the shutter” to create a sense of motion in [...]

Posted in Photographic lessons, Seasons, Showing my work | 4 Comments

My blog featured in SHUTTERBUG magazine October 2011

By bvriesem | Published November 21, 2011

My photo blog was featured in the October 2011 issue of SHUTTERBUG Magazine. You can see it here at Shutterbug’s website. SHUTTERBUG WEB PROFILES: by Joe Farace   The Blog-of-the-Month is Bill Vriesema’s Selective Focus. It’s a photoblog in the classic sense, featuring lots of big photographs along with some narrative. The site uses a [...]

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Fall reflections

By bvriesem | Published November 6, 2011

My favorite time to photograph is the Fall. The cool crisp air and abundance of color are refreshing. One of the ways I like to photography fall color is by capturing the color indirectly through refelctions. Here are some samples from this fall’s “harvest.” These photos are combining fall color with car hoods or windows: [...]

Posted in Photographic lessons, Seasons | 1 Comment