Today, I offer another glimpse into my thought processess when I create one of my photographs.  This past Friday evening (11.11.11), after visiting Arlington National Cemetery, I headed to the movie theater to watch J. Edgar (I always enjoy anything Clint Eastwood directs).  Charles A. Lindbergh was a critical element in the film.  On Sunday, after hanging out with my brother (whose name is Charles), I headed into the District (Washington, D.C.) on a whim, figuring I’d see if I could take a decent picture somewhere.  But what would I photograph?  And where?  Lindbergh popped into my mind, so it was off to the Air and Space Museum to see and photograph the “Spirit of St. Louis”, the aircraft Charles flew from New York to Paris in 33 1/2 hours in 1927.  On Monday night, after work, I just could not seem to figure out what to process and post on Tuesday (today) morning.  During a Skype chat with my good friend (and amazing photographer) Bob Lussier, I decided I’d work on my shot of the Spirit of St. Louis.  Looking at the “canvas” I’d be working with (once I had run the several brackets through Photomatix Pro) and thinking of some of the great paintings I enjoyed last year in Paris, I knew exactly how I would process this one.  As some who’ve followed my work may have figured out, many of photographs rely heavily on chiaroscuro (check out the work of the Italian painter Caravaggio), the treatment of light and shadow in drawing and painting (and photography).  It’s a great way to get the viewer to spend more time looking at what you want them to see, while at the same time prompting them to wonder what lies in the shadows.
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