Smug Mug

This week I also set up a trial account on Smug Mug. I have finally taken the next step. I think I have been putting it off because I've been scared to take the next step and actually show my images to people that aren't just my friends and family. It is a big step to take, but it must be done especially if I am wanting to take my photography skills anywhere. 

Anyway, feel free to check it out by clicking the link below. And please leave comments if you have any, even if they are negative. My art is a work in progress and I can use all of the input I can get. 

http://maggiej.smugmug.com/

Smug mug as a site is also a very cool thing to explore. I recommend trying the 14 day trial and seeing if it is something that you are interested in. A big draw for me is that they have unlimited space to store my photos. Therefore I don't have to have all of my photos on my computer at all times. I just need internet access and I'll be on my way. It is also a cool thing to do if you have grandparents, parents, family, or friends that are interested in keeping up to date with your work. 

Phipps Park

This weekend I took an excursion to Phipps Park. It was a great afternoon for sunlight and plant life. I found it quite exciting that I still found some awesome colors in the landscape even though it has been quite dreary with the snow and very cold weather. Here are a few of the shots:

I also was able to make use of my Christmas gift of a gold and silver reflector. I'm a big fan of the gold especially during this time of year when the landscape and subject matter is generally pretty cool looking. It is fun to use the gold and warm up the shot a bit. I am still working on the positioning of it all so I can get the best reflection. 

Focus on your Subject!

This week I decided to brush up on some tips about subject matter in a photograph. The link below tells of various tips for focusing on the subject and making a shot stronger. It was a cool article because at the beginning it instructed the reader to go through their old photos and make two different stacks, one in which the picture clearly showed a subject and the other stack for the pictures that did not have  a clear subject. The truth is, many of us have a hard time picking a subject when we are just out taking pictures. Or there are two subjects that we want to capture so we put both of them into one picture. That takes away from the strength of the image! I needed to be reminded of the simplicity of a picture. It is important to simplify the shot as far as textures and things in the frame. I have a hard time with this because I am so focused on getting the camera settings and focus correct that I forget about the tree coming out of my subjects head. Sometimes I think it would be best to carry a check list around and make sure that I have all of the bases covered before I take the shot. 

Another good point that the article stated was to focus on the subject from the beginning. If you have to crop in after the fact then you could have done something more when you took the picture. Again the thing that I struggle with is remembering all of the tips and things that I have learned at the same time. I guess that's what makes a good photographer, someone who can remember the things learned at the same time and apply all of them :) I'm working on it! :)

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/digital-photography-subject/

Apparel shots Columbia and Chaco

Here are the shots I got. Some are better than others but I thought it was a fairly successful shoot. The sun was setting which provided some really nice light and I couldn't ask for a better setting! It was beautiful!

Mac-On-Campus

     Recently I have become a member of Mac-On-Campus as a student. It is a wonderful website that provides various types of photo and video equipment for students at a lower rate. This Christmas I purchased an Induro tripod and ball head mount. Though my shipping was slower than I would have hoped it was wonderful when I actually got the tripod.
     For my birthday last year I got a tripod that was probably $34 max. It was alright but it didn't have the capabilities that I would have hoped for. It is definitely worth it to invest in the better equipment. In addition to the tripod I was also given a tool pouch with spike feet and a great padded carrying case for the tripod. Though it may seem expensive at first you will not regret your purchase after words.
     In addition Mac-On-Campus has other products that are worth looking into. They are very helpful and have some great customer service representatives to help you out with whatever you would like. I had to call and email a couple of times to check on things and the answers were prompt and complete.
     I recommend any student to sign up for their academic career and utilize the great deals that you can have through organizations such as this.

What Characteristics A Great Image Has...

For this post I have decided to go back through some of my past photos and find the ones that I feel are good examples of the key points stated in the article, "Yours, Mine, and History's" found at the link below.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/learning-best.shtml

Eye Catching: 

This is an image that was taken last semester when I had an assignment to take flower shots. I have decided to pull up pictures that numerous people have appreciated. This is one of those shots that right when people in the class saw it they liked it. It is eye catching because of the curves and how the two flowers are interacting. They work well together, and as some say, it looks like they are dancing. I enjoy it for its simplicity and flow. There is nothing harsh about it. 

Strongly Composed: 

This composition is of my dog Buddy. Why would this be considered strongly composed? Well first off Buddy is looking into the frame. All of his body is in the frame and there isn't any coincidence of lines. In addition he is the dominant dark object in the frame therefor drawing the attention. There are many different aspects of composition. This shot is also good because the angle is taken from about eye level of Buddy, as opposed to being taken looking down at the dog, it would not have the same effect. 

Relatively Few Picture Elements:

Yet again I have used a picture of Buddy. In this shot, the picture elements are few. What is the focus? Buddy's eye. The shadows and the blankets do not have a million colors that distract from what we are focusing on. In addition these elements are blurred to draw the focus back up to Buddy's eye. Simplicity is often key in photos. If you have too much going on or too many elements you are going to end up with a sub-par shot, which you may love but in the event of marketing it doesn't get much of a response. 

No Elements Surplus to Requirements:

As stated before simplicity is key when framing images. If there are two separate things that you would like to take a picture of but they are so far apart that the focus goes to neither, take the shots separately. Don't try and kill two birds with one stone in photography, that nearly always causes your composition to take a hit. In the world of digital photography TAKE AS MANY PICTURES AS POSSIBLE!!! We don't have to pay for developing the shots if we don't like them. So take a picture of each element that you like, get in close and keep it simple. Let the elements of the shot work together to make something great!

Lighting and or Surface Reflections:

I have used an example of both aspects of this tip. The first shot was taken at sunset. It shouldn't come as a big surprise since the best lighting is during sunset and sunrise. It provides wonderful shadows and warm light for subjects. The second shot is the reflection. It was taken in the middle of the day. Though I was not right out in the middle of everything. I was in the shade and avoiding lens flare by the sun hitting the water. My favorite aspects are the colors, the shapes of the clouds and the way the water picked up on all of it. Use these things to your advantage! 

A Limited Color Pallet:

You can't get much more limited than two colors. By limiting your color pallet you can naturally bring emphasis to your subject. In addition it eliminates distracting elements that could make or break your shot. 

Have a Message or Evoke a Feeling:

How much fun was it when you can get outside and play in the leaves? Just hearing the crunch of them when jumping into a big pile is satisfying enough. Some adults even find it invigorating driving through the piles of leaves that are on the side of the road to be picked up by the city. Don't lie you know if you haven't done this you have always wanted to! A good picture can evoke feelings or memories in other people. What can you take a picture of and how can you compose it to evoke that feeling? 

Tell A Story:

What story is this shot telling? If you have ever been on a farm or spent 10 minutes with an old farmer you know what it has to say. This is the life that my grandpa has lived for over 40 years. His cows are his pets. You can go anywhere or talk to anyone and guaranteed you learn of at least 5 stories you could tell of that person. And how many stories are told in a person's face? For so many aspects of photography you just have to open your eyes!

Leave You Wondering, While Feeling Complete:

This image is one that can really leave one wondering. I wondered about the entire setting while I was taking this shot. How do the trees survive in such an environment? How do these steps of glass (water) arise? Yet the image is complete. In addition it also uses lighting and reflection. It is important to have a complete shot, keeping in mind to not have too much in the shot. One must find the balance. 

Unusual or Unnoticed:

This shot was taken at what could arguably be the worst time to take pictures ever. Though the weather was less than desirable and the sky was far from pretty I got down close. How many people had passed up this leaf? How many people had nearly stepped on it that morning? When in doubt get closer to something. It is important to not only notice the big picture but also the little things. 

Add A Little Something Magic:

The magic comes unexpectedly! You can't plan for magic to happen apart from waking up at the crack of dawn or before to get out and set up for the sunrise, or getting set up before sunset. The little something magic that happened in the picture above was the shape of the clouds. This cloud to me looked just like a goose flying in to land. It was smooth and elegant. Magic happens more when you get out and take more pictures. 

6 Shots Expressing Exposure Options

My first shot that I have is of my friend's cat. It is a rare sight to see her so calm. This was taken indoors at a Superbowl party. As one might conclude it was a low light situation. 

1. High ISO: This picture was shot at ISO 800

The next shot I took while taking a walk around the residence halls. It is not the best shot I have ever taken but it is one that you have to shoot or you'd regret not getting it out of the way. The snow was glistening under the light but it didn't show up much in the shot. The tree in the back also looked completely charred, but I am pretty sure we haven't had a fire on that one tree lately. It was interesting...

2. Low ISO: This shot was taken at ISO 100

The next shot I was really wishing I had my new tripod! The berries on the trees are still beautiful this time of year. They are kind of freeze dried! 

3. Shallow depth of field: f-stop 3.5

The next shot was taken from my bedroom window. My favorite time of the day is sunset when I can look out my window and see how the sun is playing off of the trees as well as the Priors! 

4. Deep Depth of Field: f-stop 10.0

It was difficult to set up a good shot for the long exposure shot and get a clear one. Thankfully I had the help of a couple of models and a bench. 

5. Slow Shutter Speed: shutter speed .3 seconds

The next shot is not necessarily the fastest shutter speed that I could have but it is faster in comparison to my slow shutter speed. The shots I was able to get out and take were relatively low lit. 

6. Fast Shutter Speed: shutter 1/30 second

How I Edited My Running Shots

The jumping photo below is the original before I edited.

For editing, I decided that the shot needed to be cropped to keep the focus on my subject. I opted to crop out the dark tree in front of where my model jumped. Having a dark tree in the same area as the subject can draw away from the shot and take focus away. I sharpened the image as well since it wasn't the clearest shot. And since blurry is less distracting that sharp I slightly blurred the areas surrounding my model to send more attention to him. The last thing that I did was use the gradient tool in Photoshop. By setting it to soft light it darkened around my subject just slightly and creates a slight vignette that again draws attention to the subject.

The next shot that I have was of my model on the bridge.

I began editing this shot by slight sharpening and increasing the blacks. I then cropped the shot so that the subject was bigger in the frame. I also cropped out some of the railing because I felt it was taking away from the focus of the shot (b/c the railing is dark). I then used the curves tool on Photoshop to increase the dynamic range of the colors. Lastly I placed a slight vignette around the subject again to place more emphasis on where I would like the focus on the subject to be.

The last shot was another shot of my model running across the bridge.

This shot was similarly edited in that it began with sharpening. Then again I cropped the shot with the rule of thirds in mind. I cropped out the left side if the railing a bit in order to get the dark bar out of the way that was kind of distracting. I again used a slight blur on the background since the trees were really sharp and were distracting from my subject. And finally I finished up with a slight vignette in order to send the focus back up to the subject.

That was the extent of my editing on these shots. :)

Tilt Shift Photography

While searching the web for a topic of the week I found an interesting new editing/illustration technique. Though the article seemed to be sponsored by an online gaming site it was still quite interesting. 

Basically the article described how using the tilt-shift options on photo shop can make a life size scene look exactly like a miniature. The shots turn out better if a photographer gets a higher point of view of a scene. Then the tilt-shift editing really makes it look as if you are looking down on a miniature. 

By editing a photo this way the saturation is increased and the contrast is increased. It is an interesting way to edit photos. At the link below it also shows a photoshop editorial if anyone is interested in trying this photo editing process. 

http://www.tiltshiftphotography.net/examples.php

PUPPY!!!

This weekend I was able to go and see my great aunt's new puppy. It is a Dorky= Dachshund + Yorkie.

He was so little and very curious. I had fun taking a few pictures of him. Though as I said before it is quite difficult capturing clear shots of moving energetic puppies. 

Trail Running Second Try (and more successful I might add!)

For this round of trail running shots I was able to convince my model to go out into the snow at Pioneer park. It was a nice setting especially near the creek and by the bridge. I still find the trail running shots to be one of the most difficult things to capture, apart from small children and little puppies. Here they are... 

I particularly like the look on my model's face in this (above) picture. Contrary to what most people believe running is quite enjoyable and I think his face captures that joy. The joy of getting out in the snow and running with the flakes hitting your face. 

The next two are fun ones that I was messing around with. I found them to be slightly successful. The jumping shot did not turn out to be as clear as I would have hoped. Yet it is all a learning experience, I'll get there soon!