Birch

I have always loved Birch trees. I think they look especially amazing in the midst of an evergreen grouping or in a dense grouping of White Birch trees.  I was trying to figure out a way to capture the beauty of this tree the other morning. I tried several test shots, sort of looking for a focal point or point of interest and couldn't find anything remarkable. Over and over I have read in the photography books-- "change your angle." So I did. I laid down on my back and took a shot straight up.  I love the blues and greens and the peaceful blur of it outside of the focal point.

Harvest

I was able to grab a few shots of this magical time of year-- right before sunset. I had some vision for other shots that I wasn't able to get.  In particular, I was hoping for a "work in progress" type of shot that involved a pile of almonds (close up) with just some work boots at the edge of the frame...maybe even part of the rake for some linear detail. Maybe next year! 

Can't think of a title :)

Yesterday morning I was waiting for the library downtown to open and was able to get a couple of shots that I liked.

On my way to my walk in the evening, I took my camera along and played with the light again over a pasture. I always notice the light at this place and have to force myself to keep my eyes on the road as I drive past in the early mornings and in the evenings. I think I am getting closer to finding what I want with those surreal images in the sun. The hard part is not having a subject to focus on- it did occur to me though, that I would probably also need a reflector of some sort to fight the shadows that would surely be on the subject's face as they faced me, and I faced the sun.  I don't have much time to write...but here's a few shots.

This is my favorite. Why??  I don't know! :) Who knew I could like barbed wire that much?!

Knight's Ferry Frustration :)

I went to Knight's Ferry to play with my camera last week. I enjoyed the quiet. I enjoyed the drive. The photography portion, however, was frustrating. I know this frustration is inevitable in the learning process-- at it seems the learning is at hand even now! I cannot get these pics to post at the XLarge size without being blurry, which is crazy because they are saved in the highest resolution possible. I wanted room on my memory card so Friday afternoon I had my pictures put on a photo CD at RiteAid. I was initially excited  that the cost was the same as Costco ($2.99). I learned that the RiteAid CDs hold much less information so they wanted to use six CDs to empty my card!!! My camera was set to save each picture in RAW format and JPEG. I decided to only burn the RAW format, knowing that my Photoshop could convert the RAW file. I got home, tried the CD, saw the picture, and then deleted the images off of my camera. Now, I can't get thumbnails of the pics and something isn't right as I cannot blow these images up on the blog! Grrr......

So anyway, part of my frustration with Knight's Ferry was this bridge. In the top photo you can see the interior of the covered bridge. In the bottom photo you can see the exterior. Something about that arched exit with the sharpness of the white fence against the trees is what was drawing me to this scene. I could totally see this as a cover of a book about a journey- fiction or nonfiction. What I was after, though, was a combination of both-- slightly able to see the awesome wood interior of the bridge but still have the sharpness in the exit with the fence and road. I couldn't get it! The inside was either underexposed, or the outside overexposed. I wish I could find out if it is possible to do both.  I am going to play with it a bit on Photoshop to see if that gives me what I want. 

Additionally, I tried experimenting with my exposure compensation button. I think I am getting the idea of how and when to use that. I found some more wheat stuff and tried shooting into the sun to practice that effect I am after. I couldn't get the individual pieces to come into focus like I want-- the puzzle is what frustrates me. My mind is trying to solve all these puzzles with limited information, all the while, not knowing if it is able to be solved with the equipment I have. For example, did I need a macro lens to be able to get close enough to that wheat without blur? I just wanted it to fill the screen.

I saw a lot that I liked at Knight's Ferry. I was interested in how the rocks looked beneath the water in the river but couldn't get close enough.  Being responsible seemed to be forefront (thankfully) in my mind. It would be dumb to be up there, alone, and fall in the water for a picture learning experience! I thought it would be fun to sit still long enough right along the river to try to capture a jumping fish. 

My goals for the day were to try to complete my "Travel Photography" assignment and to practice the exposure compensation. I was tempted to try to get some good shots of the rafting group that was gathering but they took FOREVER to get assembled. It would be fun to get some good shots for the rafting company. Doubts held me back though-- I figured I would probably do something illegal and get sued.

Still trying to salvage my trip, I drove through Historic Knight's Ferry thinking I would document the place with photos as outlined in my assignment. However, it was odd.. usually I would love the quaint, old-fashioned buildings on the main street but I just wasn't feeling it!  Isn't that funny?? It sounds so dumb to me as I type it- But, as I drove through town it just seemed so touristy and staged rather than authentic. I wasn't inspired to photograph it! I am seriously wondering if it was just my mood at that point?? Who knows?!

Dream Rays

If you can,  imagine or remember those carefree days of youth when life was simple and the days seemed to stretch on seamlessly and without strain. The days when laughter was spontaneous and permeated even the corners of your simple world. Don't we long for that simplicity at times? I know I do, and I think that it why it brings me such joy to see that happen in varying degrees with my children-- why my heart feels like it is overflowing with gratitude when I know that they are building a special memory or so fully enjoying a moment. 

This shot definitely needs a focal point or subject. I do like how the cattails (or whatever
they are called) are catching the light and giving me some of the effect I am looking for.

I saw a series of family portraits recently that gave me a sense of those times. I have described what I saw to the lady at the Camera Center--sure that the photographer must have used a warming filter or some other tool. She seemed confident that the photographer used mainly technique and natural elements to create that feel and not a filter or editing. So...... I am determined to learn how to do this! The portraits I saw had a dreamlike, sunny, warm, carefree quality. I know the time of day was near sunset and I know the photographer was shooting into the sun. I set out on my quest last night and learned some things, but definitely didn't accomplish my goal. I will keep working on it! But here are some shots I think are worthy of sharing.

You can see some of what I mean, with the rays coming through. How would it have looked with
a posed subject sitting/laying in the grass??

ahhhh.....right?? It's restful and carefree don't you think?
Maybe a nice photo--but still not a portrait with the same effect. If I could
back this up a bit and maybe brighten it a tad-- I would love this with a couples pose.
I envision a blanket on the grass, a picnic basket in the top left corner of the frame with 2
partially full red-wine glasses in front of the basket sort of out of focus, coming into the frame
from right, top at a diagonal the couples legs intertwined on the blanket with the focal point
being bottom left, third of frame and filling over almost to the center--
overlapping bare feet, partially off the blanket and on the grass.

New lens

My new lens is capable of an Fstop as low as 1.8. My normal lens can only go as low as about 3.8. A low Fstop indicates a LARGE aperture-- in other words, a large opening. With a large opening light comes in large quantity so the shutter must close quickly or the shot would be overexposed--too light.  My new lens is super fast. This also makes it great for low light situations like indoor sports or birthday party with candles lit on the cake.  The wide aperture allows a very shallow "Depth of Field". Basically that means that the focus is shallow. A very sharp focus on the subject and everything else blurred.  The shallow Depth of Field is the main reason I have wanted the lens for a couple of years.  I have achieved some degree of shallow DOF in the past by using my telephoto lens from further back and zooming in to the subject. But, it isn't as good as the capability of the new lens. Here are a couple of examples-- basically shots I just couldn't wait to take because I wanted to try the new lens. The one of the blossom wasn't taken at a very nice time of day for attractive light, and the one of my son was taken moments after I bought the lens! He was waiting for me, leaning against a building right there on J Street. I had him "wait right there" and yanked the new lens out of the box. He wasn't too happy about posing :) But, I just love the what the lens accomplishes in the shade.

Tools!!

After convincing myself that Photoshop Elements was a "need" :) (not really)-- I found it $20 cheaper than I expected at Costco and it came with 100 free prints which I will use. Then.....I found some leftover money on a Costco gift card. So I am now the proud and confused owner of Photoshop Elements! My last post was evidence of my ownership. I was so excited to try those circle swirls on my orange flower picture from Napa but all I had time to do was slap it up there without explanation. Thankfully, there are a ton of tutorials on Youtube and on photoshop.com that will help me learn to navigate the program.

But wait! There's more!!! My husband ordered some things for me for my birthday that I had put in our Amazon shopping cart/wish list. Today I got a remote control for the camera, the Nikon D5000 field guide, and a UV filter for my lens.  The remote will be helpful in portraits when it is helpful to engage with subjects without a camera attached to your face and also in slow shutter speed situations where even depressing the shutter release button with the camera on a tripod causes camera shake.  The UV filter is basically helpful to protect the lens. The book- is going to be a great help in understanding my camera well and helping me to get really, really comfortable with my equipment so that I can then focus on photographic technique.

Wait some more. Because there is STILL more!!! Miracle of all miracles, my dad texts me on Saturday asking me what I want for my birthday. He says, "Don't say 'Nothing'." Ha!! I said, "Well, you caught me at the right time because I REALLY want a bunch of camera stuff!!" He asks me to pick him up so that we can go shopping at the Camera Center downtown. I was so excited. Wouldn't you know, we get downtown for this very rare occasion-- and it is closed for XFEST- a huge outdoor concert. I was so bummed! Well, anyway, to make a long story shortish-- my dad gave me the money to get a new lens. I have wanted this lens for a couple of years. It will allow me to drop down to an Fstop of 1.8.  I think I can only go to F3.8 or 4 on my current lens. This means that I can get those great portraits that have sharp focus of the face and nice blur of the background. It is also a great lens (due to its speed) for indoor events and low light situations-- think birthday party, candles lit on the cake, nice focused picture without the flash popping on and washing everything out! I am so excited to play with my new lens and all this stuff. I have a huge heap of new stuff to learn. Additionally, it is THE nicest gift my dad has ever given me and it is special to get a gift from him that I really couldn't have justified buying myself but that I think is going to open up a lot of possibilities for me.

One last funny thing- I was reminded that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder! I was showing my dad some of the pictures I have taken. He thought the pictures of Kate were, "cute." He was uninterested in the grapes. I showed him the shot of the almonds opening and he said," Well, I've seen that 100 times before!" And then I showed him one of my all time favorites-- the chain.  He said, "Dawn! Of all the things you could take a picture of, why in the world would you take a picture of an old chain?!"  Hahahaha!! I got the biggest laugh out of that and it has given me pause in my thoughts about all this photography stuff. This stuff really ISN'T as striking to everyone as it is to me!  It doesn't change how I feel about it, but it  is funny to me to imagine that some people might have viewed these pictures with similar thoughts to my dad's.  Like, ' It's just corn! Or, yup, that's a flower!' :)

LOOK!!!

Awesomeness, Architecture, and RAIN!

Amazing! Awesome! Perfect! A Gold Standard! All these adjectives- yet words are not always able to measure up to my assessment of things.  Even so, I must redundantly use them because it's the best I can do. So, on that thought-- here's a few things I am mulling around that fit some of those descriptors!


I am having a mental/emotional battle in classifying Photoshop Elements between the WANT vs NEED category.  It seems that I am severely limited at this point in even the most basic editing ability. It is good to compose a photo correctly the first time, but sometimes you just can't! I was distracted in some of my portrait shots and the end result needed to be cropped. It took me almost an hour to fight through the sample programs to find a way to crop it and resize correctly to email. Surely, it was mostly my fault- operator error. But!! The  want of Photoshop Elements began to cross over to NEED :) when I saw this cool technique of making circular, swirled images. It takes a nice photo and turns it into art. For me, the artistically-challenged, this is amazing! It comes from "Rick Sammon's Digital Photography Secrets". 
Check it out http://www.worldisround.com/articles/300657/index.html
I want to make these!!  My teacher's assistant for the photography class crops these to 4x4 first and then prints to make cards. Then, she puts them in a clear CD sleeve for an envelope!  So cool and such a great gift!




I am still plugging away at my assignments for class. Some are so multi-faceted. Close-up, Still Life, Architecture, Moon Photography-- are all part of one lesson! The course barely touches on each but gives links for more info. I have been reading and practicing the close-up stuff. I don't really care about Moon Photography at this point.  Still Life seems really fun, but it seems pointless to work too much on it without proper lighting. A studio light would be helpful because it doesn't cast unusual color. I have just begun some digging in with Architecture Photography.  This seems challenging in some respects.  So far, I have learned that it is very easy to create converging lines when photographing  tall buildings. The temptation is to point the camera up from your vantage point to get the top of the building. However, that causes the lines to converge. The trick is to keep the camera parallel to the face of the building. Professional Architectural Photographers have special equipment to compensate for these tendencies.  They use wide angle lenses and a view camera.  A view camera (as best as I can understand it) takes in more area to view and allows the photographer to shift the view plane up in order to avoid tilting and resulting converging lines.
For those who aren't professional architecture photographers and who don't have special equipment, I learned a few tips. Use the lowest ISO setting (for greatest reduction of "noise"), use a small aperture for the greatest depth of field (allowing for all of the picture to have a sharp focus), use a tripod (obviously, the small aperture will need a slower shutter speed to allow enough light in), and use of a telephoto lens can compress the image in a helpful way.  Additionally, more evidence for the NEED category :)-- you can correct perspective errors in Photoshop or a specific app -plug in like Image Align PRO(which is geared toward architectural photographers.) If the corrections are made before resizing the image, there shouldn't be too much loss of detail.  Finally, in Photoshop there is a Trim Tool, and some teaching in the tutorial section about this issue that shows how to check the perspective box in the Options Bar.  Use of a step ladder or a higher floor from another building can solve the problem, too.
This might be boring to you viewers, but I am using this blog as a learning log of sorts so I have to write this stuff in detail!:) A few last thoughts on the architectural photography-- one famous such photographer said to try to compose the photograph to display what the building hopes to be (or something like that!) Another point is that there is a lot of variation on the advise of architectural photographers. Some prefer the straight on view, others like shots of a point of intersection to show depth of a building, others prefer very close up shots to give a sense of design and detail. 




A final topic that I cannot wait to explore is RAIN!!  Perhaps August in California is making this subject even more enticing- but somehow, I don't think so. I love the smell of rain, the sound of rain, the feel of rain. How wonderful will it be to capture rain and its effects on my camera? My photography class instructor mentioned rain a while back. She said the play of light and color during and directly after rain is incredible! She once led a class regularly on some photo expedition outings. One day it was raining and the class was shocked that she didn't cancel the outing. They quickly learned why.
The visual elements of rain/after rain photos are an exciting prospect to me, but also the emotional elements.  I'm not sure how yet, but I want to capture in my camera the way rain makes me feel. And really, not just how it makes me feel- but others, too. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3stFDtVQ_M&feature=player_detailpage