Yesterday I took this image at the end of the day as the sun was setting… this time of day is commonly referred to as the ‘golden hour of photography.’ Wikepedia defines it as “the first and last hour of sunlight during the day, when a specific photographic effect is achieved with the quality of the light.” 

As you can see, the light looks warm and golden. This is caused by the low angle of the sun. Another result of the sun’s position  during this time of day is the soft and gradual transition between shadows and highlights. This also creates long and exaggerated shadows. In contrast when the sun is directly overhead (at noon) the light is harsh, creating dark, pronounced shadows.

To find the golden hour in your location go to the golden hour calculator.

Here’s a few photos from the past couple of months. It’s nice to come back to campus with a fresh view. Fall is a favorite time to make pictures of campus.

I have been absent from this blog for sometime now. I returned from maternity leave in September and am getting back to this blog. Now that I am back on campus, I hope to post more frequently.

Today I came across a post on the Mastering Multimedia site with tips on improving your photography. Take a look!

Today is the start of finals week. Taking my time on the way back from a photo shoot, I took advantage of the slightly overcast day. Usually during the lunch hour when the campus is busiest, the lighting is harsh. A slightly overcast sky acts as a large soft box, reducing the harsh transition from highlights to shadows. Here’s a few random images of students studying and enjoying the outdoors.

A large group, including the Chancellor suprised Dr. Ed DePeters’ class yesterday afternoon to announce that DePeters is the recipient of the 2009 Teaching Prize Award. DePeters’ research focuses on lipids found in milk with much of his work centered around dairy cows. With that in mind, the celebration included a brown spotted cake and cartons of milk.

Stage One of the Amgen Tour of California kicked-off on a cold, windy and wet Sunday here in Davis.

A note to fellow photographers: As a student photographer, I learned a hard lesson when shooting in undesirable weather - come prepared! Shooting in cold wet weather isn’t fun, but it is much better when you are wearing a poncho and gortex boots. Also, don’t forget about protecting your gear. Plastic garbage bags come in handy and you can hide your gear under your poncho when you aren’t shooting. Remember, you aren’t going to be able to shoot with an umbrella.

The UC Davis photo website has been around for several years, but an update has been long overdue. As of Friday the new and improved site went live with several new features including: more images, the ability to download high resolution files, a search function and many photo related resources. Check it out!