The US Naval Academy Bridge over the Severn River in Annapolis.  I like this one because it emphasizes the special lighting and the "S" curve of the road is also visible.  The bridge is curved because the middle was built before the ends while the previous bridge remained in use during construction.

I also like the solitude of the lone runner at sunrise.  I think it gives the entire image a sense of peaceful beauty.

Last week, a friend gave me a new book: Show Your Work, by Austin Kleon.  The premise is that artists need to regularly share their work, even to the point of allowing others to steal from them, because that is how to get discovered.

So, yes, please steal this pizza.  I make that offer because I know you can't.  I created this photograph specifically to be printed. The high resolution and extra sharpening are only visible in the printed image.  On the screen, what you are looking at now, is a good photo, but it's not likely to make you want to reach out and take a slice.  But, that is exactly what my guests at my photography show last Sunday all agreed made this a special photograph.  

This photograph is not a picture of a pizza. It is a photograph of the essence of the experience of pizza.  If you just need a picture of a a pizza, open your web browser and search for "pizza." You will find millions of them.  Most of them are very good, but how long does it take you to find one that reminds you of the experience of pizza--that makes you want to reach out and grab a slice?

So, you could steal this picture of a pizza, but unless you learn how to adjust the settings in Lightroom, select the best paper for printing, and cut mat board board for framing, you won't be able to steal my work.  Also, in this image, there simply isn't enough digital data to reproduce this picture at the quality that I have produced it for sale.  You would need a digital camera with at least 14 MP resolution, and then go to the same restaurant.  But, you can share this picture on your Facebook page, or you can subscribe to my RSS feed to read my next post.  That's not stealing.  That's helping me get noticed.  Then I'll invite you (and your friends) to my next show, so you can see the original photograph in person.  It will be delicious.

And yes, I'll have real pizza available so you won't leave hungry.  By the way, I actually ate this very pizza with Sarah, Anna, and Joshua when were at Baltimore's ArtScape in 2012.

Here is another shot from my sunrise visit to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.  I like the reflections of the tree line on the water, which also shows the ripples of a light morning breeze.  I like the gradual intensity of light from bright on left toward darker on the right.  The subject of this shot is the 12-meter dish antenna, but close-up shots were not attractive for a photograph. So, I framed the shot to capture the bright green of Forrest Sherman Field.

I shot this on the United States Naval Academy Bridge in Annapolis, MD, a high-level, fixed-bridge carrying MD-450 across the Severn River.  It was about an hour after sunrise. There are several elements that get my attention here. Most prominently, I see the balance of the dark shape of the lone runner in the bottom left against the bright glow of the morning sun in the top right. I also like how the prominence of the railing guides my view from the foreground to behind the runner and over the crest of the bridge and toward the distant horizon. I also like how I was able to place the runner between the two rows of street lamps. I enjoy the texture of the clouds with the light coming through.  I used a tonal contrast to enhance the detail.  And finally, the fishing boat in the bottom right corner gives context to the image as being on the water.  

I planned this shot to capture many of the elements of the bridge itself.  Those who know the area will recognize the bridge by it's long, smooth curves, both vertically and horizontally.  Long-time residents of the area will remember development battles over the size and design of the bridge to replace the aging previous bridge, which used a drawbridge to allow naval traffic, thus seriously disrupting road traffic.  The long curves of the current bridge provide both functional and aesthetic elements.  The width of the bridge was designed to allow pedestrian traffic across the Severn River, as seen by the runner here.  And, the long vertical curve was designed to provide the height necessary for naval traffic, up to 75 feet above the water level, while keeping the surface of the bridge aesthetically pleasing, as seen in the distinctive light posts and the wide railings.

Overall, the long, sweeping curves of the bridge provide a smooth and gradual transition at both ends, with Jonas Green Park to the east and the US Naval Academy to the west. I hope I have captured the peace and beauty of the Severn River as well as the energy of the US Naval Academy.