Spider web

This picture of a spider web covered in dew was taken early in the morning at a local park. I used a large aperture to blur out the background so the web could remain the primary focus. 

California Poppy

This California poppy is another example of using a larger aperture to blur out the background (F3.5). If I had used a small aperture, the blades of grass would be in focus and compete with the flower for attention. These require you to get close to the ground so you can shoot upwards while still keeping the background colors in the frame. I call these "face in the dirt" shots. 

Thistle

Smith Rock State Park in Oregon had a lot of these dead thistles along a trail with some reddish bushes in the background. There were too many distracting elements between the thistles and the bushes to leave anything in focus, so I opened it up and let the background fall out of focus. The background color compliments the warm tones in the thistles. 

Tulips

These tulips in Mount Vernon Washington are shot with a smaller aperture but I had to crop out the row of cars and people at the upper part of the frame to keep the image clean. 

Douglas Iris

When I was hiking at Chimney Beach in Point Reyes, I saw a lot of these Douglas Irises. There were a few that had a large patch of yellow flowers growing in the background. Knowing that yellow and purple are complimentary colors, I thought the yellow would improve the overall image. I shot these with a few different apertures and I liked the soft background the best. 

Statue, Japanese Tea Garden

I was fortunate to get to this Japanese Garden in Golden Gate Park right when they opened, so there were no crowds and the sun was low in the sky. I was able to position the sun behind this statue to add a little drama to the composition. 

Pinyon Pine

There are pinyon pines all over Joshua Tree National Park, but this one grabbed my attention because of how it was positioned against the sandstone boulders the park is known for. I liked how the colors worked with each other as well as the interesting lines the rocks created. 

Log in Reflection Lake

A fallen tree trunk in a lake isn't always the most interesting composition but when the sun is low in the sky and you get trees reflecting on the surface, it adds some interest, especially since the two subjects are related. 

Anhinga

I often photograph wildlife at the widest open aperture available, but sometimes it is a good idea to include some background to give an indication of the subjects environment. This anhinga was drying his wings atop this stump in a crocodile infested lake in Florida. He was very generous to sit still while I took several shots. 

Fort Point and Golden Gate Bridge

Fort Point State Historic Park in San Francisco is situated at the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. The park has a lot of interesting photographic subjects, and this particular viewpoint allowed me to include part of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. 

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Herons can be found in many environments so it is nice to be able to include some background when photographing them. This heron was hunting for tide pool creatures at Pebble Beach near Monterey California. 

Mushroom

This tiny mushroom was one of many I found while hiking at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon. I wanted to include some of the moss growing out of the tree stump to show that this one was part of a forest environment. 

Bear Gulch Resevoir

This is Bear Gulch Reservoir in Pinnacles National Park just as the sun was rising on the peaks above. The heat from the lake came into contact with the cold winter air and created this mist effect. It only last until the sun creeped down to the lower hills and warmed the air. The full extent of the background is only seen in the reflection, which completes the story for the viewer. 

Beetle Rock

There was a rather large spring snow storm in Sequoia National Park when I visited one May. It created a much different landscape than I was expecting, including fog that softened the pine trees in the background just enough to keep them visible while allowing the little pine tree to remain the main focus. 

Sea Lions

These sea lions in Moss Landing, California spend a lot of time crowding the docks of the local marina. They rotate between sunning themselves and barking at each other to ensure they have a prime spot. Having the fishing boat in the background gives some context to the image. 

Pigeons

Pigeons are everywhere and not often considered an exciting subject but these lovebirds were putting on a show with the bay in the background at Santa Cruz, California. I assume they traveled to the coast for their honeymoon. How romantic!