STEVE SOBER

Bee On Thistle
Cuban Anole

Flowers In Available Light
Iris

Meems Bottom Bridge
Red Shouldered Hawk

The importance of red and green lights and my weakness with those colors got in the way.  I wanted to be a pilot as a kid but color blindness ruled out any thought of military aviation.  That didn’t prevent me from an interest in black and white photography in 1960.
 
I became familiar with shooting and processing portraits and pictures of sports and events for my college newspaper.  In the years since I have learned a lot about color because of my wife Cary’s painterly knowledge.  Her understanding of color and light has opened my eyes.

My dark room experience has helped me set limits to how far I’ll take computer manipulation. I try to limit myself to moderate manipulation of light, color, contrast and sharpness. Aside from touchups, removing undesirable objects such as overhead wires, I use techniques which were practical with film.

Here in the Shenandoah Valley people are friendly and smiling for portraits, the mountains are beaming with opportunity for landscapes and the open skies provide endless variations of light.  I’ve had the great pleasure of rediscovering photography and I hope you will share my enthusiasm for it and the wonderful environment I try to capture.