WHAT IS REAL - WHAT IS FALSE

WHAT IS REAL? - WHAT IS FALSE? - This is a photograph I took of a rattlesnake. If you look closely, you will be able to tell that this photo was taken from a position physically quite close to the snake. The shallow depth of field and the lack of compression of the subject in the photograph are a giveaway. Wow, a highly dangerous position for the photographer (YOUR'S TRULY) to be in. Well, not really. Why is that? Because the photograph was taken under controlled conditions, through glass, with no chance that the coiled rattler would be able to successfully strike at me. So does that make the image a fake? I don't believe it does. But I'm sure there are people out there who will attempt to make the case that if it's not shot in the wild, it's not real. This brings up some questions concerning photographic ethics. First of all, what is the wild? The San Pedro River, located here in Cochise County, is a case in point. If I photograph a beaver, or a pond created by a beaver, that constitutes a photo made of an animal, or a pond, that exists naturally in the wild. On the other hand, a photo taken in a zoo or game park where animals have been introduced by man is less real. Well, guess what? On the San Pedro, named by the Nature Conservancy as one of the last great places in the Northern Hemisphere, the beavers which are thriving there were introduced by man. So, does that mean that if I photograph a beaver, or for that matter a beaver pond, I am faking it? I don't think so. Of course in the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that beavers used to be native to the San Pedro River, that is until man hunted them down and tuned them into beaver felt hats. So, does that mean it's O.K. to shoot beavers on the San Pedro River because (Oh, I mean shoot the beavers with a camera) they were once native to that environment? Well, are certain 'guests' at the Central Park Zoo actually in the wild because they were once native to what is now New York City? In 2009, I photographed blue footed boobies and frigate birds on Isla de la Plata off the coast of Ecuador. There's no question that these birds are native to the island. On the other hand, the trails constructed to provide tourists with access to the birds are in large part man made. So how 'WILD' is it really? And what about the bull snake I photographed in my front yard awhile back? It certainly wasn't in captivity. It was just taking its own good time wandering through. So, the essential question remains. What constitutes 'in the wild' and does it really matter? Oh, and here's another thought to chew on. I'd a whole lot rather see a photographer photographing animals in a zoo than I would knowing that a horde of tourists, having been told that it isn't kosher to photograph animals at a zoo, are descending on the Brazilian rainforest. Especially if they're looking for the nearest luxury hotel so they can gulp a few cold ones down before they ride off in their ATV's in search of exotic animals to shoot in the wild (hopefully with a camera). LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

PRAYING MANTIS

PRAYING MANTIS - As I recall, I have encountered praying mantises on, at most, five occasions during my almost 59 years. That's why it was such a joy a couple of years ago to suddenly encounter dozens of these fascinating little creatures. This was especially so as I was carrying my D-SLR. This shot was one of my favorites from that session. Another was a shot of a male mantis half eaten by its mate. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

THE NUDE LITTLE OLD LADY

Last night, I watched the film 'ELOQUENT NUDE' on the OVATION channel. The film documents the relationship of famed photographer Edward Weston and his wife - collaborator - model Charis Wilson. The film reminded me about an incident that occurred years ago in a community college BLACK & WHITE photography class in which I was enrolled. Pete Larkin, a photographer friend and I, had enrolled in the class largely to obtain darkroom privileges. We were both significantly older than the other students in the class. One evening, Pete and I showed up at class with some items we had obtained during a visit to the University of AZ Center for Creative Photography. One of the items was a photograph taken of Ms. Wilson by Edward Weston when Wilson was twenty one years old. The photograph was a quite famous one, a nude of Ms. Wilson lying face down in the Oceana Sand Dunes. Richard Senti, the class instructor, had formerly been editor of a major photography magazine based in California. I had the Charis Wilson photo on a table where the students could view it. As Richard passed by, he looked at the photo, then at me, and commented, "Oh, Charis Wilson." Then he added, "I knew her in California. She was such a delightful little old lady." The students appeared confused by his comment. I had to laugh. I pointed out that the photo was taken in the mid 1930's. Ms. Wilson, who lived to the age of 95, passed away in November of last year. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

RATTLESNAKE - UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

RATTLESNAKE - UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL - This photo I took less than a year ago of a live rattlesnake is, if I say so myself, impressive. Why is this so? Well, for one thing, the shallow depth of field and lack of compression of the photo's subject (Ol' Sneaky Snake) indicate that the photo was shot up close and personal. And that indicates that a good deal of danger was involved. Not really. The snake was under containment and the shot was made through glass. There. I fessed up. So is the image less impressive because I didn't put my life in danger? Well, I suspect that that is a matter of individual opinion. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS

PHOTO TIP - IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS - When you're photographing still lifes, don't necessarily try to capture the entire object in the photograph. Instead, hone in on the details. For instance, with this saddle, it was the detailing (pun not intended) of the leather that attracted me to the subject. So, instead of photographing the entire saddle, I took the approach of creating a more abstract image, one in which the viewer's mind is allowed to engage the textural quality of the saddle's detailing in a manner that I believe would be more difficult if the entire object, in this case the saddle, was included in the image. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

CHIANG MAI FLOWER FESTIVAL PARADE PARTICIPANT

ANNUAL CHIANG MAI FLOWER FESTIVAL PARADE - The annual Chiang Mai Flower Festival is held during the first week in February. One of the highlights of the festival is the Floral Parade. The parade features dozens of huge floats decorated with flowers, fruit and seeds. It also features marchers and dancers, including hill tribe villagers, dressed in traditional costumes. The flower festival, and in particular the parade, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Northern Thailand. Having witnessed this wonderful festival in February 2010, I can attest to the fact that this event is a must see. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

REFLECTION IN THE MOAT AT CHIANG MAI THAILAND

I took this photograph during the February 2010 photo shoot I participated in in the ancient Lanna Kingdom capital Chaing Mai in northern Thailand. This image is of a reflection of buildings located across the highway in the newer portion of the city in the ancient moat that surrounds the original 700 year old portion of the city. These remarkable reflections provide a great photo opportunity for both local and visiting photographers. LARRY ELKINS - LKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY