Not too long ago I caught my largest summer flounder off the coast of Ocean City Maryland on a head boat. The summer flounder is a flatfish that can grow to 32 lbs though any fish over 8 lbs is considered a trophy. My day fishing began as usual, I was hoping to fill my cooler with tasty black sea bass which are a popular game fish along the mid atlantic east coast of the United states. These fish are caught offshore fishing over reefs and sunken ship wrecks.

Plenty of these fish were caught that day though most of them were under the 12" legal limit. A lot of effort was expended reeling them in and throwing them back. My bottom rig was at the bottom of the ocean and I decided to reel it in to check the bait....

I just finished photographing some model airplanes I have and found the project very productive. Many WWII planes are no longer flying but are reproduced in scale models. Some of these scale Models I put together myself, others I purchased an already built metal die cast model. My best advice is that you should choose the best of your model kits that you put together yourself considering overall quality of construction. Putting together a model yourself from a kit sometimes results in a plane that looks like the one on the box. My Zero and Bf109G models were put together following the kit manufacturers painting directions. Sometimes your own interpretation is more interesting than what you see on the box cover. For my other shots I used several ...

From time to time I like to photograph beautiful cars at auto shows or on a city street. Sometimes the setting could be a busy city street, other times a quiet neighborhood. I have found beautiful cars parked on a quiet street and could take my time taking photos. The best way to photograph autos is to avoid harsh light. Sunlight is fine so long as it is not in the middle of day.

If you happen to take a photo of an auto in midday-open shade may be your best bet. Be careful not to get yourself in the picture as the chrome and shiny paint finish can reflect anything in front. Taking photos at an angle may help. For stock photo purposes it will be necessary to clone out the logo as well as the flying eagle ...

It is that time of year again-autumn and the leaves will be soon changing. One of the aspects of fall foliage photography is that there are thousands of autumn shots on dreamstime so it is necessary that any photos that are submitted really standout. Is the composition of the photo more interesting than usual or what about color? I have found it is best to shoot photos looking upwards at trees with bright colors and a blue sky. A polarizer filter might help to bring some drama to the landscape. Look for interesting compositions or framing effects. You do not necessarily have to travel to New England to get the best photos though autumn in places like Vermont, New York State, New Hampshire and Maine can be spectacular. Many of my photos were taken at a local park next to my home in Washington ...

Recently I have been scanning some old negatives from 1988 and have discovered quite a few nice photos. With film going out of style the temptation is to sell the old film camera for a song or even give it away. I tried that with an Olympus XA but found that that camera is not marketable unless it is in perfect condition. It is increasingly difficult to find batteries that work in old cameras such as the Olympus XA and Konica TC Autoreflex. Sometimes I have to use my Canon A640 to act as a light meter for my film cameras since the light meters might not work with the button batteries they make these days. Color print film has some latitude so it might work better with a cranky old camera.

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Many people believe that you have to travel to a beautiful place to take good photographs. There may be many photographic possibilities just outside of your home. Try photographing gardens, architecture, changing seasons and construction projects. What might be boring to you might be interesting to someone else. If you live downtown in a city the concrete landscape could be a good subject. If you live in a nice neighborhood the pretty landscaping and architecture could be a good subject. Do not wait for that vacation to Italy or Hawaii to start taking photos. Lets see what your neighborhood looks like.

Equal Justice Under Law is the phrase inscribed into front roof facade of the Supreme Court Building in Washington D.C. in the USA. This building is one of the most beautiful anywhere in the world and stands for fairness and justice. Many important legal battles have occurred here including the famous Roe versus Wade battle over abortion. Though I have photographed this building I keep coming back to find new aspects to explore. Of course you can take a photo of the entire building. The statues and other architectural details can also make good photographs.

The Supreme Court works differently than most courts in that matters of national law are decided by 9 justices or judges as opposed to a regular jury. These justices decide what the laws of the United States should be-for example ...

Living in Washington D.C. gives me the opportunity to attend many protests most notably the protest against immigration laws enacted to deport illegal aliens. So how does one take photos without requiring model releases from the crowd? The best way is to shoot from behind so that no one is recognizable. Otherwise you can shoot just one person from the front and try to get a release. Some photographers just shoot the protest sign eliminating the crowd by pointing their camera upwards. Be sure to clone out any logos on t-shirts and hats if shooting a crowd from behind and always try to get as many signs as you can in the photo.

Other ongoing protests in Washington D.C. are anti war protests against the war in Iraq and protests by the Falun Dafa society against forced human organ donation ...

I just got back from one of my favorite fly fishing spots which is the Gunpowder river north of Baltimore Maryland. At first I tried several deep pools near the state park picnic area but it was though the river was dead. No fish but one went after my wooly bugger. Unlike many trout streams this one contains only wild brown trout. These fish are quite hard for most people to catch since they will not take just any trout fly. At any rate I tried to fish the area below the picnic tables. As I was walking down to a pool by a washed out bridge, I saw a grey snake slither amongst the rocks. It did not look venomous but it gave me a few chills. I walked a little further passing the circle for unloading rafters and canoeists and another snake slithered amongst the grass giving me more chills....

No doubt most people here have seen those wonderful food photos in many of the popular food magazines. So who does buy food photographs at Dreamstime and how do they compare to the major publications? I have sold a bunch of food photos but the only feedback I got on one of mine was that it was used in a video clip. Generally speaking I think the food shots here compare favorably with those in most of the magazines. The only difference is that the magazine shots may feature some of the more sophisticated foods.

My favorite technique is to set up my food shots on the dining room table using the chandelier as the main light and another floor lamp as a secondary light. I can adjust the intensity of the chandelier with a dimmer switch. Sometimes I ...