A Sense of Whimsy

Everyone tells you to stay focused. Everyone. I’m not going to argue. It’s very good to remain focused because you can accomplish so much more. But occasionally, the more you focus, the more you miss. In my case, I’ve been focused heavily on doing event photography, which I love, don’t get me wrong. There’s something great about being in the moment and capturing it. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Bill Moore of Bill Moore Photography and he shared with me a philosophy that after looking back on my own work I have to agree with: “There is no perfect picture, only a perfect moment.” Nice isn’t it? Yes, it is possible to make a technically perfect picture, but while you do that, can you still capture that singular moment that defines the entire event? Maybe, maybe not, but I know that some of my favorite images are not mechanically perfect, but are simply a great moment.

As I mentioned I have been really focused on event photography, but recently had the opportunity to revisit some stuff that I haven’t had the opportunity to shoot in a while: toys. Now, I am a bit of a collector, but after seeing the work of Brian McCarty, I was introduced to what appears to be an entire line of toys not found in aisle 9. Brian's work isamazing and for my first efforts, found that I may be emulating his work too much. As I said, I haven't been doing this type of photography that much, so we'll see how my work grows as I continue with it.

But to sum up: I’m having a blast.

As a side note, I found these toys to be particularly ridiculous.

A Really Big Show

It seems like I am never able to blog. The Flight of the Conchords made this point as they were trying to update their website. Either they’re too busy to update or there simply isn’t anything interesting going on. I’m usually much too busy, but to all my loyal followers or random onlookers, you deserve to know what’s going on. After my successful return to the internet, I’m already redesigning my website. Well, it’s more of a streamlining. And yes, I remember that just last post I complained that developing a website just wasn’t worth it as a photographer. Well, it turns out that when you can’t afford to hire someone to do it and you need a website in order to generate business, you pretty much make it worth it. So expect more absence from me and a brand spanking shiny new website in the distant future.


In more exciting news, I was able to attend the Art Directors Club of Denver winners presentation for One Show, which in its essence is an example of the finest, most creative minds in the advertising world, spanning all forms of media. It was an absolutely amazing evening. What I find particularly amazing is that you see these advertisements every day and for the most part they pass through your consciousness without much more than a fleeting thought, when in reality these are remarkable works done by equally remarkable people. I doubt people will ever elevate them to the standards of the great Renaissance masters? I doubt that, but as we all know, I’ve been wrong before.

My Triumphant Return to the Internet

After an extended absence from the internet, I am happy to formally announce my return with the launching of my new website Dimagiba Photography! This has been my first attempt at constructing a website and I do have to say that it has been an arduous task (and the edges are still a little rough and could use a little bit of clean up). It has certainly been a wonderful learning experience that I recommend everyone having, but there are certain other things I must say as well. As a photographer, it is good to know how my images are going to be displayed online, especially knowing how to make sure that they still look the way I intended them. On the other hand, as a photographer, spending the time to construct a website is probably not the best use of the time I have. Yes it was a great learning experience, but while I was working on the website, I could have been at an event taking pictures. So there you have it. Until I can afford to have someone build and maintain my website, it will be much like this blog…not updated often enough.

In other happy news, here are some shots from some recent events: the 30th Starz Denver Film Festival, and Clear Creek History Park’s participation in the Golden Candlelight Walk. Both of these events were primarly night shots, which meant I had to use an on camera flash (or “strobe” for those yearning to learn some lingo to impress your friends). Now, as probably none of you know, I much prefer to work with natural light. For starters, it’s much easier, particularly when it comes to color balancing an image. Well, when you have to use it, you use and I think my results came out. I certainly still need more practice, but I think I’ve got a good start.

30th Starz Film Festival

Clear Creek History Park Candlelight Walk

Well, for the Candlelight walk, I actually did not use a strobe. I thought I forgot it, but turns out it was at the bottom of my bag. But for the duration of the event, I shot with all natural light. Because of the (extremely) low light conditions, I ended up shooting at a very large aperture, which meant I had to think very carefully about the focus point I wanted because of the shallow depth of field. Not all of my results were as successful as these, especially since I'm still learning to focus in the dark. It's just as difficult as one would imagine.