Billy Sheahan Photography School – Class 101- Exposure Basics
From time to time I’m often asked to help emerging photographers learn about their cameras. I’m always happy to do that. When I was just starting out, I was like a sponge soaking up information from pro photographers who I would meet. I haven’t forgotten their generosity.
So in that spirit, I’m offering a bit of online instruction through my blog. It’s my attempt to break down the basics of using a camera on the manual settings, which is really the only way to make sure your photographs look exactly the way you want them to.
This 101 class pertains to Exposure Basics or how your choice of ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture all work together to create a proper exposure
My letter from Yoko
Exactly thirty years ago at the exact moment I am writing this, John Lennon was shot and killed. And the world became a lesser place because of it. Ten years ago, as it is happening again today, the various television networks were running documentaries on John’s life. I watched many of them. And I learned [...]
Être à Paris, To Be In Paris – a Photobook by Billy Sheahan
Around July last summer I really began itching to finish one of my many projects that were ongoing in some state of completion. One on my list was my book that I started writing in 2007, got about 70,000 words into and needed to walk away from for a bit to clear my head. But [...]
Taking time to think
My friend Rachael is visiting this weekend. We’ve been looking for a nice few days of uninterrupted time to catch up and maybe create some new art for both of us. But it seems like I’ve been moving at 100mph the last few months and I find myself needing some time to just pause for [...]
Where I’ve been…
I really do mean to write in the blog more often that I do. Most of the time lately it’s simply been a matter of, do I write/blog/tweet in public or do I create new art? Lately art has been winning that battle. It’s a happy dilemma to have. 2010 has been a very fortunate [...]
When Baseball Became Just a Cell of Itself. Happy 100th Birthday Old Comiskey Park.
I didn’t have a choice. My grandfather played baseball. My dad played baseball. And as you can see by this picture taken when I was a mere two months old, I was going to play baseball. In fact, my grandmother and grandfather’s first date was to Comiskey Park back in the 1920s. So yeah, I [...]
Independence Days – and Paris in 3D!
I must first wish my friends in France a très heureux La Fête Nationale on this 14th of July, otherwise known as Bastille Day to English speakers. As I’ve written here many times, we not only share the same month with the French for our respective Independence Days (as well as with Canada as Canada [...]
Parlez-vous Billy ? Oui !
I’m continuing to make lots of improvements to the blog and my photography website which should be finished in a few weeks. With the introduction of Apple’s iPad, it’s been fascinating to watch web designers scramble to make sure their sites are viewable on the new device, which does not use Flash to display web [...]
A new look for the Billy Sheahan Photography Blog
It’s always nice to do a little cleaning and rearranging when Spring arrives. I always get the itch to change things up a bit. But change for the sake of change isn’t always good. It’s the improvement that matters. So I’m back to black type on white. Matches my main photography site a little better [...]
Billy Sheahan Photography December 2009 Postcard
“I’m not sure if I got it. Maybe we should try one more.” The look on my model’s face said otherwise. She wasn’t a smoker, just pretending to be one for the shoot. The great thing about shooting digitally is you can see what you have instantly. The bad thing about shooting digitally is that [...]
Billy Sheahan Photography November 2009 Postcard
In the mid 1940s, Paris, France was struggling to regain it’s footing as the fashion capital of the world. Materials and fabric shortages, not to mention food shortages, conspired to drive Parisien designers to near extinction. In 1945, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue hired Richard Avedon to photograph the Paris Collections in the way it was [...]
Escaping Ida
FADE IN: Billy sitting alone at a table at a cafe in New Orleans under a single light, that even though it’s noon, illuminates only him. A cigarette dangles from his mouth, channeling William Shatner… or is it Stewie? “She packed my bags… last night… pre-flight…. Zero hour… 5…. pm… And I’m gonna be… HIGH… [...]
New Orleans and… Japan, of all places
The opening at Octavia Art Gallery in New Orleans was tremendous and amazing. I really love it here. I met more incredible artists and people who came by to check out all the great photography at the Exotica Exhibition. The gallery manager Emily was so kind in the way she welcomed me and made me [...]
The Last Month
I’m pretty sure this is the longest I’ve gone in years without writing in my blog here. Exactly a month ago was the last entry. I’ve learned that sometimes it’s just not possible to accomplish everything on one’s to do list and still get enough sleep to remain healthy. There is simply: What do I [...]
Billy Sheahan Photography September 2009 Postcard
“Like loving a woman with a broken nose, you may well find lovelier lovelies. But never a lovely so real.” That’s how the great writer Nelson Algren once described the city. My city. Chicago. I’ve traveled all over the world, but I keep coming back to Chicago. I often tell people, “If summer lasted year [...]
Random thoughts as summer fades
After pretty much abandoning myspace (I only sign on a few times a month when I get a message from someone), I’m starting to grow weary of facebook as well. Maybe I’m just prioritizing my time better, but I find I can go days without checking facebook and I feel I really don’t miss it [...]
Taking a moment to breathe
I really don’t have time to be blogging tonight. But sometimes I need to make time to write. It makes me slow down and breathe for a few minutes. And it’s way past time I did that. I’m very happy with everything that’s going on in my life right now, but there is simply too [...]
Coming up for air
I am fortunate that I am busy this summer. Bordering on too busy, but I’m not complaining. I’ll admit I’m getting a little crispy though. So when I get a day to play, it’s really appreciated. I took in my second baseball game of the summer with my new friend Lexi, watching the White Sox [...]
Cubs game with CRC
It’s been a long busy summer and evenings of fun have been few and far between the last few months. But every once in a while I get to go play and tonight was one of those nights! The great folks at Chicago Recording Company took us all out to a Cubs game tonight in [...]
Team Billy in NYC
I work hard. I am passionate about my work. But I know I can’t always do it all alone. What makes it possible is this incredible group of supportive people in my life. A group I call TEAM BILLY I’m writing this entry during another one of my whirlwind visits to one of my favorite [...]
Heureux 4 Juillet! Et La Liberté Éclairant le Monde
The last time I glimpsed the Statue of Liberty with my own eyes, it was a year after the World Trade Towers came down. I made this photograph with the Statue in the distance from the base of Battery Park. Well, I should clarify that. The last time I glimpsed the Statue of Liberty with [...]
Billy Sheahan Photography June 2009 Postcard
When I was in college, I really loved photographing my favorite bands in concert. The only problem was that it was illegal to do so. The good thing was that security was little more than a pat down and we came up with all kinds of ways to get camera bodies and long lenses into [...]
Things Change
I was talking to my great friend Rick on the phone the other day. Rick moved his whole life to a Ranch in Montana about a year ago. He sounds great and happy, which is good, because he deserves to sound great and happy. A lot of things have changed back in Chicago since he’s [...]
Rain, Directing Beauty, Fun, Ben Franklin and Model Scams
As Chicago continues to suffer through the rainiest early summer I can remember (this first photo was taken at noon last Friday), we can all at least be happy in the fact that warmer temperatures have finally arrived. It feels like summer, although maybe summer in a rain forest. And after what seems like an [...]
