Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Doug Daulton

Storyteller; words, stills & motion. Bokeh, a sci-fi feature shot in Iceland, is Doug's current project and is now finishing post-production. When not telling stories of the fantastic, Doug loves putting the natural world – from waterfalls to wild horses – in front of his camera while traveling the world. For regular updates, follow Doug on Twitter, Instagram, facebook, Google+, tumblr or his blog.

Latest posts by Doug Daulton (see all)

What SEALs can teach video producers

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I am sharing the video to discuss the role of leadership in a creative life. As a producer, one of my primary responsibilities is being a good leader. https://youtu.be/2Sqr-Ksn8Lg     … [Read more...] about What SEALs can teach video producers

100 Years/100 Shots

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Here's a journey through the past 100 years of cinema. This video was crafted by Jacob T. Swinney, and he picked what he felt was the most memorable shot from each year. "While many of these shots are the most recognizable in film history, others are equally iconic in their own right. For example, some shots pioneered a style or defined a genre, while others tested the boundaries of censorship and filmgoer expectations. If anything, I want this video to be a reminder as to why we all love cinema so … [Read more...] about 100 Years/100 Shots

Photographer of the Day: Jacob Jackson

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Category: Nature Photographer: Jacob Jackson Title: Dark Skies Evocative. At first glance, the frame does not give a clear sense of scale. It make the viewer wonder how big are the waterfalls in the foreground. For this image, that works. The dark palette and low-hanging mist help transform a simple, low, tidal block waterfall into something from Kong's Skull Island. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Jacob Jackson

Photographer of the Day: Pablo Reinsch

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Category: Nature Photographer: Pablo Reinsch Title: Hand to Hand It's the little things. In this case, a little lizard. The composition is strong. Positioning the subject across the top third of the frame allows the hand to provide scale with the pale, soft whorls of fingerprints providing textural contrast to the dark, iridescence of the lizard's skin. Nicely done. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Pablo Reinsch

Photographer of the Day: Joaquín Alonso Arellano Ramírez

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Category: Nature Photographer: oaquín Alonso Arellano Ramírez Title: Bear A great portrait of a a dangerous creature. Black and white post-processing produces an image with a ghostly feel. Over on the the G+ thread, the photographer talks about the fact that, perhaps, he got to close to the animal to get this image. The ensuing conversation is worth reading for some pointers. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Google+ group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Joaquín Alonso Arellano Ramírez

Photographer of the Day: Matt Tiegs

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Category: Nature Photographer: Matt Tiegs Title: American Kestrel Lots to love here. First, the eyes and face are in clear focus. Next, the bird is framed well, making it the focal point of the image, even without the creamy bokeh that really makes it pop. Finally, that little hint of motion in the feet, coupled with the over the shoulder look, tells the story of a creature checking its surroundings as it prepares to take flight. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To learn how your work can be featured on the … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Matt Tiegs

Photographer of the Day: Rob Sentz

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Category: Nature Photographer: Rob Sentz Title: Liquid Land Having just moved to Spokane, WA, I must admit to being a bit partial to images of the area these days. In particular, I've been studying images of the Palouse region, which is just next door. There, rolling hills, covered in crops, feel more like the ocean than the mountains. Sentz captures this feeling perfectly. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Rob Sentz

Photographer of the Day: Stewart Baird

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Category: Nature Photographer: Stewart Baird Title: Clouds All Over Infrared. Generally, the viewer loves or hates it, but it never fails to grab the eye. To the naked eye, I'll bet this was a lovely scene. But, using infrared, Baird makes it surreal. For me, it all starts with the open, dream-like field and transition up into roiling, nightmare sky. Well done. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Stewart Baird

Photographer of the Day: Seth Patterson

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Category: Nature Photographer: Seth Patterson Title: Doting Doe Babies. Is there any other subject that makes people go "Awwwwww!"? Yes. Animal babies; more so when we see animal parents in action. Patterson has captured an intimate mother and child moment. In the same moment, he has captured the holy grail of wildlife photographers: behavior. As this photo shows, not all behavior needs to be of the dramatic, "fight or flight" variety. Many times, tender parenting works just as well. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Seth Patterson

Photographer of the Day: Kevin Einzelgänger

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Category: Nature Photographer: Kevin Einzelgänger Title: Untitled Reflections are a powerful element in any photo. When the reflection and source object make something new, the result can be magical. Such is the case with this bridge in this image. Coupled with its reflection, the bridge forms a ring which feels like a portal to another place and time. Wonderful. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Kevin Einzelgänger

Photographer of the Day: Christian Meermann

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Category: Nature Photographer: Christian Meermann Title: Rasta Aquarium (5) Nature is full of patterns. Some fixed; some flowing. Meermann's lovely detail shot of sea anemone captures both the fixed patterns of color and the flowing patterns of shape and motion. To often, wildlife photographers focus on capturing the whole animal or a "head and shoulders" portrait. As illustrated here, there are many opportunities to create beautiful, abstract art by focusing on the details. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Christian Meermann

Photographer of the Day: Rob Dweck

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Category: Nature Photographer: Rob Dweck Title: Migration 3 With fast-moving animals, a wildlife photographer must make a conscious choice: freeze or blur. Freeze delivers tack sharp images; blur delivers abstract images. Both are powerful and evocative, but most photographers seem to choose freeze over blur. Dweck's photo illustrates why blur an equally valid, and often better, choice. Nothing says frenetic chaos quite like a great motion blur. Well executed, the animal is still recognizable but takes on an surreal, otherworldly … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Rob Dweck

Photographer of the Day: Ted Stark

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Category: Nature Photographer: Ted Stark Title: Annoyance With Stowaways The first thing that struck me about this image was the strong use of the foreground to create a sense of depth. Next, we have the birds. Great wildlife photography captures behavior. Despite the cheeky title, Ted has captured the symbiotic relationship between the bison and the birds. Photo originally shared here in Photofocus' 500px group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Ted Stark

Photographer of the Day: Brent Schnarr

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Category: Nature Photographer: Brent Schnarr Title: 334:365 alt Nemo Getting a good exposure on dry land is tough. Underwater photography adds so many new variables, few people make an effort to really master it. Schnarr has. Excellent composition. Beautiful lighting. Sharp focus. All of which are more difficult underwater, where movement of both subject and photographer is near constant. As an added bonus, the resulting image shows the symbiotic relationship between clownfish and sea anemones. Capturing behavior is a hallmark of … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Brent Schnarr

Photographer of the Day: Don Komarechka

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Category: Nature Photographer: Don Komarechka Title: Macro photography requires a particular eye and technical discipline. Komarechka demonstrates both in this image, but that alone is not why I picked. Wildlife photography tends to focus on subjects to which the viewer can easily relate. Insects and arachnids are not defined as relatable by most folks. So, when a photographer is able to showcase their remarkable, if somewhat alien beauty, I take notice. In both the spider and the fly, Komarechka accomplishes this. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Don Komarechka

Photographer of the Day: Rachid Saghiri

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Category: Nature Photographer: Rachid Saghiri Title: Bekhouchaaaaaaa! Such a simple image. Often times, simple is best … and deceiving. Macro photography is never simple. The strength of this image is its composition. The viewer does not see the insect's face, but that is not needed as this is an "over the shoulder", … not a throw away, "butt" shot. This framing gives the image a sense of both motion and depth, implying that the insect plans to traverse the frame from roughly the lower right corner to the upper left corner. Well … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Rachid Saghiri

Photographer of the Day: Laurent Glasson

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Category: Nature Photographer: Laurent Glasson Title: Couché de soleil sur le bargy On their own, the mountains and the dramatic sky, would make this a wonderful image. What grabbed me was Glasson's use of the foreground. The darkness of the foreground makes the mountain and sky pop. The "transparency" of the bare tree limbs gives the frame a sense of depth it might otherwise lack. It all comes together as a cinematic image that evokes the start of a journey. Lovely. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Laurent Glasson

Photographer of the Day: Brock Slinger

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Category: Nature Photographer: Brock Slinger Title: Reflection Like so many hard-won skills, mastery is a demonstrated by the choices one makes. There are many excellent choices made in this image. First, portrait orientation shows the underwater stones in the foreground, which contrast with the natural sculpture which is the focal point. The entire effect is a sense of motion that leads the eye through the frame. This is no small feat. Couple that with outstanding execution in capture and post and the result is a subtle, … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Brock Slinger

Photographer of the Day: Mundl

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Category: Nature Photographer: mundl Title: Untitled Contrast is a great tool for creating drama. In this image, soft, billowing clouds compete with a hard, stark mountain's edge. Light and dark are pushed to the extreme. The contrast captured in camera is further emphasized by Mundl's definitive, yet deft, hand in post processing. Excellent! Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Mundl

Photographer of the Day: Dan Warkentin

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Category: Nature Photographer: Dan Warkentin Title: Mt. Kidd To often, landscapes are framed and executed as snapshots. Not so here. From location scouting, to composition & framing through to post-processing; Warkentin's deft choices show through in the final image. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Dan Warkentin

Photographer of the Day: Karim Sahai

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Category: Nature Photographer: Karim Sahai Title: A Young Reindeer I know summer is almost here, but how about a little Christmas magic? When I first saw this image, I thought for certain it was a digital painting. I was wrong. Instead, we have a bone simple composition with bit of alchemy found in the subject, setting, palette and just the right amount of bokeh. Sahai proves that vision + execution = magic. Photo originally shared here in Photofocus' Google+ Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Karim Sahai

Photographer of the Day: Nick Nieto

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Category: Nature Photographer: Nick Nieto Title: Spiritual Falls What a lush, evocative image! Nieto masterfully uses to a slow shutter to capture the waterfall as a series of silky ribbons. Dark stone and just the right amount of "pop" in the green moss pulls everything in this image together to make it live up to the name: Spiritual Falls. Photo originally shared here in Photofocus' 500px group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Nick Nieto

Photographer of the Day: Ric Rus

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Category: Nature Photographer: Ric Rus Title: Goldfinches feeding before the snowstorm Overall execution is spot on, but that is not why I chose this image. In a word, dynamic. If you've ever watched the frenetic madhouse that is songbirds at a feeder, you know this image captures it perfectly, And, if you did not, now you do. Great wildlife photography capture behavior; just like this image. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Ric Rus

Photographer of The Day: Murray Fox

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Category: Nature Photographer: Murray Fox Title: A Fresh Winter's Morning Too often, when we think of nature photography, we think only of wild places. Here Fox captures a wonderful, early morning, pastoral scene of horses in a pasture. Normally, I prefer off-center composition, but this is the perfect arrangement for this image. And, the color! Very warm and evocative. Photo originally shared here in Photofocus' Google+ Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of The Day: Murray Fox

Photographer of the Day: Paul Krippler

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Category: Nature Photographer: Paul Krippler Title: Flow At times, the best way to put nature in focus is to contrast it against machinery. Krippler does so with great effect in this image. The silky, slow shutter waterfall dominates the foreground while a fairly modern dam looks on. Great execution. Great juxstaposition. Great image. Photo originally shared here in Photofocus' 500px group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Paul Krippler

Photographer of the Day: Marcel Theriault

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Category: Nature Photographer: Marcel Theriault Title: Pine Siskin on My Balcony Simple is often powerful and so it is with this image. First, it is well-executed. The Pine Siskin is in tack-sharp focus, especially the eyes. Second, it is a simple, some might say drab, bird in a simple setting, but that is why it works. Nature is all around us, even on a balcony or fire escape in the heart of the city. In it's simple, yet skillful execution, Theriault's photo tells that story exceptiionally well. Photo originally shared in … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Marcel Theriault

Photographer of the Day: Mark “Machine” Graham

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Category: Nature Photographer: Mark "Machine" Graham Title: Still Scott Bourne tells a great story about the photographer who brought $20k of gear to a seminar in a major national park and then complained there was nothing to photograph. The lesson roughly equates to … "there is always something worth shooting if you know how to see". This photo is a perfect illustration of this point. Many would have passed this water lily by without a second thought, but not Graham. He found and composed a lovely detail shot, complete with subtle … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Mark “Machine” Graham

Photographer of the Day: Chris Utano

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Category: Nature Photographer: Chris Utano Title: Rocks I am a sucker for a well-composed shot of a shoreline. As a nature photographer, it has all the elements: land, sea and sky. This image is not only well composed. It is deftly processed. With sunsets and sunrises, there is always a temptation to pump up the saturation. Utano resisted that temptation. Still, there is enough punch for me to suspect a bit of HDR sweetening, but not so much that it feels unnatural. As a result, the photo feels like one is looking out the window … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Chris Utano

What to Look For At NAB 2016

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It is that time of year again. NAB is just around the corner. My inbox and social media have already been flooded with official announcements and "unofficial" leaks. What am I excited to see on the show floor? There is a lot to cover, so let's dive in. Lytro Cinema — Lytro's light field cameras caused quite a stir in the photography community a while back. And, while the consumer market was not ready for the Illium, Lytro has not been idle. I knew they had VR projects in the pipeline, but I did not see Lytro Cinema coming. … [Read more...] about What to Look For At NAB 2016

Photographer of the Day: Mary Hulett

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Category: Nature Photographer: Mary Hulett Title: Guadalupe Serenity There is much to like about Guadalupe Serenity, starting the use of the water as a leading line, which pulls the viewer through the frame. Next, I love the color palette. In so many autumn shots, the focus is on vibrant, contrasting colors. Here, the muted palette adds to the overall sense of calm created by this scene. Finally, the leading lines and palette are both picked up in the reflections in the water. Put it all together and the result is a wonderful image … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Mary Hulett