Sweetness

Playing with light and my 50mm lens yesterday. Our son was very willing to get his picture taken while he napped :) and earlier that day when he was offered a yummie treat.

Today I spent alot of time on my watermark. So many choices and I just couldn't decide. This one seems good for web photos. I love that I know how to emboss!

Ice House

Maine Ice Fishing Quarters

It's a popular sight this time of year. Mini houses doting local lakes and in this case, lined up, on a river that quickly meets up with the ocean just a short distance from this location. This was shot near Owl's Head and Thomaston in the afternoon today.

Conversions

Playing in photoshop. Testing out a b&w conversion on my own. It's grainy... Hmph. Must practice. Today I shot these in natural lighting, indoors by the window. It was a trade shooting... 25 minutes infront of the camera for 25 minutes of playtime. Fair? I think so. She did too. I'm still playing with my logo/watermark. Not finding what I like but wanting to put something on these anyway. Today I signed up for an online photography course! I'm so excited.

Dear Hubby

ss400 f6.3 ISO 400 Manual 50mm

Yeah, I got a good shot today of my lovely hubby. I am so thirlled. I got to practice some outdoor natural lighting with bright overcast cloud conditions. A bit tricky and I think my ISO was a little high due to I wasn't able to open my aperature up, had the settings not switched on. Ugh sigh. But I realized in manual mode that I have to have the on button on the line for that feature to come on. Go figure. I'm actually selecting my settings for the pictures now rather than taking a series of shots hoping for a good effect. :)* Also, I've been reading about "rule of thirds" so I have cropped this picture to fit that. I converted it to black and white too. Not sure which I like best.

Color Conversions

Trying for a tack sharp image! Had to borrow little missy's doll. She made for a nice and still shot! I set up a tripod and used the timer feature so camera was perfectly still. Clear image - tada! Then I went to PS to see what sort of creative results I could get. Oh, and I love the catch lights on these...natural lighting from our dining room window. I posed her carefully facing the window with a slight angle to acheive them. It worked beautifully and made the red chair background pop.

SOOC image shot with my new 50mm!

Here's the image with a fun color conversion I just created... I think it has an antique feel.

This is a second color conversion that I did. I think it has a softer feel and I call it blush.

Practicing

More practice with the 50mm. Our daughter a willing model today. I am just getting acquainted with this lens and am trying to figure out the focus, shutter speed, and aperture settings. Natural lighting is tricky and quick to change leaving me flustered at trying to find that sweet spot - all the settings perfect for conditions - to get that perfect shot. I need to practice! Much more! I read today that a professional knows the settings perfectly and knows just which settings to change to match the lighting to get that perfect shot. A professional usually gets it too and most importantly, not by accident. :) I shall work at it. I am striving to get that "tack sharp" image too. I'm finding it a challenge, more practice I assume.

One, Two, Three!

"Take 1"

"Take 2"

"Take 3"

It's here! My new 50mm F/1.2 L USM lens!!!!!!!

Delievered to me today and I quickly put it on the camera and tested it out. WOW! I love it. The clarity is so much more than my other lens and I can't believe the shots I can get without a flash, in natural indoor light, mid-day! The snapshot of our kids on the couch, which has a huge bright window behind it, would have been impossible with my other lens (without a flash) and turn out so wonderful as this. I'm so impressed. Can't wait to practice some more and start taking some pro quality pics. :) (Practice, practice, practice!) Oh and the dog in the boot is "Pup Pup". Our son's little friend. My very willing subject. Our kids are overdosed with my lens in their faces so I'll likely be shooting stills or dear hubby. :)

Be Mine

Happy Valentines Day!

Photo Shoot Details: This is my beautiful almost 6yr old daughter, "M"! She came home today and was all for dressing up and yup, putting on makeup! Oh so fun for mommy! She was so cute and did all these poses on her own. I think she's getting used to modeling for me now. :) All of these photos were shot in natural afternoon lighting (not the best conditions for my lens) and the lighting turned out great! Minor enhancements made in photoshop. I'm so happy with these. (Ps. the lipstick needed liner and I didn't have any so it looks smudged).

p.s. - how do you like my new signature/logo? (I'm still playing with it!)

Winter Laundry

While out and about today running errands we passed by this home in downtown Camden and I just had to stop and snap one. It amazes me that in less than 20 degree weather Mainers still hang out their clothes to dry. I always wonder if they can dry when frozen? Aparently they must because it is a familiar sight. I did some fun PSC2 plays to this photo and one of my favorites features is the "diffuse". Enjoy!

Can a Noisey Photo be Salvaged?

2-10-07

Original (left) ss 1/160 ff4.5 ISO 1600 no flash

Adobe PSCS2 (Right): adjusted curves, decreased noise, added vinette

I am currenlty operating without an external flash (though I have one on my wish list and hope to get soon) in natural indoor lighting. It's a challenge! Especially with moving targets - kids! I did this photoshoot of my son playing around wearing one of daddy's ties with him against velour blue blanket backdrop. My ISO was set high to compensate for the low lighting and apparently that caused alot of "noise". There are other settings to manipulate on the camera other than ISO to help with this but alas I am learning....Well, this type shot is not a total loss when one is experienced in photoshop. :) Or is it? That was my challenge today. So, I played around in photoshop to create a more pleasing result. What do you think? I'm also working on my signature. I just can't seem to get something that I like.

Creativity Session

Pic#1: I asked for a photographic challenge and my first request was 'something with trees'. I shot two. This is a white birch in a wintery field in Camden Maine. I did some fun photoshop creative twists to it giving it what I think is a dramatic eery feel. It's cold here in Maine right now and I think we may have approached the high teens in full sun. Burr! You'll notice a crow flying up in the left hand side....I figure trying to escape my shot. :)

Pic#2: My second take on "trees". This is another road in Camden that takes you to the Belted Gallows farm (see sign). I love the way the trees hug the road and the canopies arch over and join forces. I turned this picture black and white to really enphasize the highlights and shadows they cast. Also, in honor of the white and black cows. :)

Pic#3: This is wonderful Rockport Harbor shot around noon today. I played in photoshop again at their fun artistic features and turned this into a "painting" style. Fun huh! The ice on the water really looks like that...little jagged plates all over. No boats going in and out today. All is still and frozen bone-chilling cold.

Backbutton Focus

02-06-07

Manual setting - low natural lighting, window - no flash

Today I learned about how to activate my back button focus. So easy to setup and wow what nice feature. Why did it take me two years to take the time to set this?! Anyhow as soon as our daughter got home from school I asked her to sit by the window for some fading natural light shots. She was very cooperative. The composition of the photo is dark but the eyes are very clear with no sharpening or other post processing other than adding my name. I'm sure some fabulous editing could make them really pop.

Eyes of Blue

02-05-07

17-85mm lens, exposure 1/80 F5.6, manual, ISO 800, natural lighting, no flash

My focus today was more natural lighting with eye pop! Going for the crisp and glossy. My subject was pretty cooperative and gave me some cute smiles as he dove into a backdrop towel! I wish it wasn't part of the picture. I know him laying down makes the viewer turn their hear to make eye contact. I keep doing it myself. But when I rotate it vertically I don't like it. Anyway, I had fun playing with the saturtion on adobe today and I think I got his skin tone natural and warm. Please feel free to leave honest feedback. Do you like this image? Does it work? What would you do to make it better? Thanks for looking!

Swimmer Boy

02-03-07

17-85mm lens, exposure 1/40 at f4.5, manual, ISO 1600, focal length 30mm, no flash

17-85mm f4-5.6, exposure 1/40 a f5.6, manual, ISO1600, focal length 80mm, no flash

Today's Challenge: Playing with natural and low light... Trying to get good color and a bright open feel. I did some Adobe level enhancements and lens corrections. No cropping or touchups.