Chesapeake Bay Ferry Landing
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Mar 20, 2012
![](img/photographs/portfolio/2012_3/0540D2E1060B28F6B7EB4302EED08940_823989_000238_n200.jpg) Envision miles and miles of traffic in the 1930s-40s, waiting for hours to cross the Chesapeake Bay. Imagine the feeling of pulling up to this spot and watching with anticipation to glance the ferry on the horizon. It would provide safe passage across to Matapeake and the eastern shore of Maryland.
Dawn Is Worth More Than 98¢
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Feb 29, 2012
![](img/photographs/portfolio/2012_2/1B4DC815061FA92D6138736DFA253511_259356_000060_n200.jpg) I left the house in the dark in order to make it down to the end of Ocean City and get to the pier before the first light of day. For anyone that's been to Ocean City, MD, you know the main drag along the coast is packed with cars, people, shops, lights, hotels, motels, and marquees for over a hundred blocks in the summer. This early winter morning I passed exactly two cars on the entire stretch, from Delaware to the southern inlet... two cars!
On An Old Country Road
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Feb 16, 2012
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/6889735621_cfc4e77892.jpg) I was wandering south from Moorefied, WV toward Spruce Knob (the highest peak in WV and in the Allegheny mountains). Traveling alone provides a level of freedom you don't usually get (or at least I don't usually get), so I took numerous little detours as I drove, letting my eyes and heart direct me where to go. Where Rt 220 crosses the South Branch of the Potomac River, a little country road on the right caught my eye.
Stay Focused and Don't Look Away
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Feb 11, 2012
![](img/photographs/portfolio/2012_2/05BF9EC121F82F194576CB67D07A8FE8_247887_000115_n200.jpg) Hanging out under this pier for sunrise created so many opportunities to shoot. It was a little frantic because I had numerous options and ideas coming to mind. I tried shooting from far back and up close, super wide angle and telephoto, underneath, from the side, with the sun and without, long exposures and short. You name it, I was scrambling to try 'em all
Just Pull Over
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Jan 20, 2012
![](img/photographs/portfolio/2011_7/D1919BE174928AE4229FB8D6118578FA_885799_000108_n100.jpg) I usually put in a fair amount of planning for sunrise and early morning shots, scoping a location, watching the weather, trying to pull it all together. This was definitely not one of those times.
Welcome to Pig Island
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Dec 23, 2011
![](img/photographs/portfolio/2011_11/A6B9121CFD03B0B5F228771B9970DE87_730594_000104_n200.jpg) Nestled between Fowl Cay and Staniel Cay in the Exuma Islands, Bahamas, lies the spot affectionately named "Pig Island".
Years ago (I never found out exactly when) someone released pigs on the island which measures only about 1.5 km in size. The pigs have multiplied and survived over the years and are now quite the local attraction.
On Alien Shores
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Dec 20, 2011
![](img/photographs/portfolio/2011_11/1AA90EDAA51C1AFD79ABE1B6B3FDDA51_871124_000040_n100.jpg) I took 30 pictures at this spot, waiting for just the right wave to crash and roll onto the rocks. And 29 times I failed to capture the image I had in my head. I kept "chimping", hoping to see the right image and was luckily rewarded.
Sticks and Stones
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Dec 13, 2011
![](img/photographs/portfolio/2011_10/C58C30137BD026F681C5A4CF591CF7EF_752189_000150_n75.jpg) When I shoot during sunrises and sunsets I usually pay closest attention to the colors and expose for the sky. Bringing out those rare colors and cloud shapes can be a challenge and certainly makes for some beautiful photos. However, over the last year I've also grown to appreciate the structure, contrasts, and unique shapes that emerge from the environment when the light is coming at such a low angle. Regardless of colors, shooting for a longer exposure can bring a scene to life in a way that our eyes don't immediately see.
Drama in Paradise
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Nov 19, 2011
![](img/photographs/portfolio/2011_11/2D28E248273DE7843FF02F4C5089E670_504845_000059_n100.jpg) As many of my friends know, when it comes to photography, I'm an early riser. Getting out to capture the first light of day is always a thrill because you never know what scene Mother Nature will paint for you.
I'd been witness to a colorful sunrise the day before and was hoping for another burst of color this morning. However, the Atlantic had another plan in store.
There was no pot of gold
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Nov 19, 2011
An almost double rainbow that was the most complete and clear one I'd ever seen...and I got to see it TWICE! Taken at Compass Cay in the Exumas (part of the Bahamas), the entire beach was empty except for our group of five people.
A Veteran's Story - Photography Inside-Out
![](img/icon/calendar_small_trans.gif) Mar 12, 2011
![](http://www.jeffsmallwood.com/img/photographs/portfolio/2011_3/FCEC111CEF87191AB27FA43AA6917DEA_366244_000101_n100.jpg) People take pictures for different reasons. Some like to take snapshots of family events as they unfold, others are setup artists who prepare scenes ahead of time. Some like to be up front and in the middle of the action to capture the details of a moment as close as possible. Others like to act as a "spy" and watch a scene unfold from afar, capturing the blended emotions and imagery that emerge outward. Whether you're one extreme or the other, or somewhere in between, we all take photos to collapse that moment of time into something we can keep with us.
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