What March is Like in West Virginia

230224_James-Staddon_2967-Canon-EOS-7D-Mark-II-16-mm-1-160-sec-at-f-5.6-ISO-100.jpg

Since I don’t think we’ve ever done a documentary themed assignment before, I got excited when Nature Friend Magazine had the idea to publish photo essays of The Month of March in your corner of the world! A demonstration video had to be filmed before March began, so I chose 7 days near the end […]

My Search for Glowing Scenery Photos

230121_James-Staddon_2745-Canon-EOS-7D-Mark-II-55-mm-1-800-sec-at-f-2.8-ISO-400_thumb.jpg

Yes! A landscape photography assignment. My favorite! But the weather put an interesting twist on my plans as I set out to find what I was looking for before the deadline. I had so much fun exploring with the Ferrells. I took pictures of all sorts of random things! Don’t you just love this photo?! […]

Three Photographers on a Photo Challenge!

221230_James-Staddon_8588-Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-22-mm-1-400-sec-at-f-5.6-ISO-100_thumb.jpg

Months ago, an great idea was suggested. Over the New Year, we acted upon it! I found myself walking down a quaint little street lined with houses headed to a special destination with friends in Connecticut. Golden hour was just around the corner, and the three of us photographers took advantage of the unique opportunity […]

Nothing Short of a Miracle!

221126_James-Staddon_8420-Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-50-mm-1-125-sec-at-f-2.0-ISO-200_thumb.jpg

I’ve been filming and photographing photo assignments every month for the past 4 years, and what happened while preparing this month’s assignment, the 12th and final one of the year, had never happened before! It was a sort of miracle, you might say, how we were able to photograph it. Let me show you what […]

Looking for 3 Crosses on a Hill

221025_James-Staddon_1050-Canon-EOS-7D-Mark-II-40-mm-1-30-sec-at-f-4.0-ISO-400_thumb.jpg

I was so excited to have a concrete, outdoor subject to shoot for an assignment this time! I even had a few leads as to where exactly to find this subject. But what I found was definitely not what I was expecting! Here’s how things unfolded on my first attempt at photographing this month’s assignment, […]

On Assignment: Communion Bread & Cup

220919_James-Staddon_0610-Canon-EOS-7D-Mark-II-95-mm-1-20-sec-at-f-2.8-ISO-100_thumb.jpg

With no grape juice in the refrigerator, can you guess what I used as a substitute? I had a lot of fun with this month’s real-life photo assignment, Communion Bread and Cup! This assignment is a great opportunity to get some practice in still-life photography! The first still-life shots I took were simple items against […]

On Assignment: Training the Next Generation

220731_James-Staddon_9897-Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-135-mm-1-320-sec-at-f-2.8-ISO-100_thumb.jpg

If you have been doing any of the recent monthly photo assignments, this new one will be quite easy. It’s not too different than some of the recent assignments we’ve done, but with my schedule being packed with so many end-of-convention-season things, I found it quite challenging to find the right situation with suitable subjects […]

On Assignment: Personal Quiet Time

20220618-Lydia-Bennett_0432_thumb.jpg

Summertime is such a great time for taking pictures! The warm weather. The lush foliage (depending on where you live ). The abundance of backyard wildlife. The late sunsets. The family vacations. There are so many things to take pictures of! As we enjoy taking pictures of the things we love, let’s take some time […]