Shutterbugs
by Cheryl Strahl
and The Usual Suspects
It may have all started when a submitted photo of my dog's nose appeared in the Tribune in June, 2008. I was ecstatic . . . I was published! Little did I realize that I had started on an incredible photographic journey. To this day that journey continues to amaze me!
I was born in Upper Michigan (yes, I am a "Yooper") and raised on a dairy farm. The Midwest was my home until my husband and I moved to Colorado, then Virginia, then Wisconsin, and finally to this beautiful California Central Coast — adding to our family as we went along.
An Atascadero resident since 1985, I worked as a software engineer for several local companies and retired from a high tech directional drilling company in Paso Robles in 2008. At that time, armed with a newly purchased DSLR camera, I began to move on from an avid interest in "taking pictures" to a passion for photography. A photo workshop with National Geographic in Santa Fe, NM, gave me the creative boost I needed and I was on my way!
It is difficult to choose one image that defines me as a photographer. My interests are so diverse. I enjoy capturing a brilliant Morro Bay sunset as much as I do a few dusty and tired looking men hanging out on a street corner in Copan Ruinas, Honduras.
Hanging Out in Honduras
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Waterfall on the Rocks - Costa Rica
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Exotica - Costa Rica
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Red-eyed Tree Frog - Costa Rica
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Travel photography continues to intrigue and present me with the most challenges and rewards. Low light photography provides endless possibilities. Angles and textures draw me in. Animals and critters are fun to capture. My new grandson is providing me with endless subject material for my people photography. The list goes on. I want to capture it all!
Whether I have a camera in hand or not, I am continually looking for that perfect angle, that perfect composition, that perfect light. |
Sunset at Mal Pais - Costa Rica
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It's really the emotion that I pursue as light paints color and shadow, emphasizing line and shapes, and shifting its magic from moment to moment. I look for that snapshot in time and to make it mine.
Sometimes post processing will bring out an emotion, but usually it begins before the image is stored in my camera. When I arrive on a shoot, I often need to spend a few minutes waiting for that sense of place to captivate me before I can move on to press the shutter button — I find it difficult to capture an image unless I am in that emotional moment with that place, that scene, at that time.
Light House, Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
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Movie Road, Alabama Hills
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Very often, I incorporate a technique referred to as High Dynamic Range (HDR). This process blends three or more images at different exposures to create an exceptionally dramatic photograph which has a full range of light, color and depth — making the result nearly duplicate what the naked eye captures.
Things I have learned (including lessons from a klutzy photographer):
Invest in good quality UV or clear glass filters for your lenses — they are a small sacrifice to pay to save a dropped lens. Use your lens hood, too, for protection.
If storing your lens in a sock or gun bag, make sure that you mark the open end so you always know which end is up.
Take a flashlight or headlamp when shooting after dark — and use it. Those big rocks didn't appear magically — they were there before you arrived.
Especially when traveling in third world countries, make sure that you visually check your memory cards before and after they go through security. Store them in a small designated case, not easily accessible in your camera bag.
Insure all of your camera equipment.
Consider contributing your photo art to silent auctions held by local non-profit groups in their fundraising events. One good thing often leads to another.
Have personal business cards ready to distribute. You will meet people on a bus, a plane or wherever and they may be interested to follow up on your photography.
And most important, that gorgeous sunset will not be the same tomorrow — or next week. The time is now.
For the most part, my images are printed on metallic paper. I am also beginning to experiment with having prints made on metal. My photo equipment is Canon, Gitzo and Really Right Stuff. My software tools include Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, along with NIK and TOPAZ plug-in applications.
Our Central Coast is rich with extremely talented photographers, and I am both grateful for and enriched by this community.
Old Dinghy - Morro Bay
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Glorious Glow - Yosemite
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Ice Patterns on Merced River - Yosemite |
Old Logging Camp - Dinky Creek
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Soon after my retirement, I attended a Digital Photo Walk (offered as part of the California State Park "Adventures with Nature" series) at the marina in Morro Bay. There I met State Park volunteer docents Mike Baird, Kevin Cole, and Jerry Kirkhart – friends who continue to influence my photography to this day. Around that time, I was tuned into the San Luis Obispo Camera Club (SLOCC), and I soon became immersed in an environment of sharing, activity, and learning. Through workshops and photo shoots with Howard Ignatius and my "photog" friends, I continue to improve my skills. What a wonderful and talented group of people!
As a way to give back to my local photo community, I have been involved in several volunteer efforts, including the coordination of a photo mentoring project for advanced photo students at Morro Bay High School for the past two years, and service on the boards of the SLOCC and the Morro Photo Expo 2012. I continue to donate both photos and my photographic services to both Transitions-Mental Health Association and CAPSLO for their events — including fundraising activities for the many valuable services they provide to our community.
I hope this photographic journey of mine never ends — I am having so much fun along the way! I am truly honored to be featured as the December Shutterbug — thank you all!
Mug Shot at Hearst Castle
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Williams Cove, Alaska
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End of the Road |
Sunset on the Rocks
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Cheryl exhibits and sells her photography at the following local galleries / venues: The Gallery at Marina Square, Morro Bay, Envisions Fine Arts Gallery, Atascadero, Olive Tree Fine Arts Gallery, Atascadero, and Growing Grounds Downtown, San Luis Obispo
She can be reached at clstrahl@sbcglobal.net or 805-466-7611 and she welcomes questions and comments.
Sunrise from Zabrieskie Point, Death Valley
Visit Cheryl's Flickr Pages
Here on the Shutterbugs page, some of our best local photographers share their passion for capturing beautiful and fascinating images. Some images are cropped to fit our format. You will find more of their work on various photo sites and in our own Great Shots section. Some images are cropped to better fit this page.
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