This week's theme is "The View From Here." I have an idea or two but I'm not sure about finding the timing.. Plus, fog and rain. I'm going to try to be done with it by Friday.  I'm enjoying how each time I learn a little more- either with the camera or the edit.  Last week I grew in understanding in composition with the use of triangles and leading lines, and also controlling the light source. In the editing process I grew in understanding in the use of a gradient filter. Little steps..but I'm glad to be going somewhere.

Project 52: Open Your Heart

Before/After Scouts

I need to get over it :) but still mad that these don't look awesome.  I feel like I should log it here on the blog though-- since it's all part of this learning process and photography journey.

Before: Darker skin tones make it harder expose properly with the light background.  I also had to clone out that crack in the background..not so good at that yet!

After:-- you can totally see the cloning.  But, I am printing at Costco in 5x7 vertical so the sides will come in much tighter.  That will be good..to give the photo more vertical shaping-- I couldn't shoot vertically because my flash doesn't rotate(need a ball joint head thing) and then horizontal lines on background make it more heavy that way, too.
I am happy that I got a little catch light in the eyes even with the indoor setting and hat.

Still working on the scout photos. They are only going to be so good..I really can't find any help to make them much better-- I guess non directional light w high ceilings and fluorescent lights just won't be magical no matter how you cut it. So now I'm just trying to make little touch ups and crop to finish up. I haven't had much time for photography though, trying to be balanced with work at home. In my convictions to be "heavenly minded"-- I made it a goal to try to seize opportunities to serve better through hospitality and relationships as God seems to put them in my path. We have had a stretch of health with the kids making it a good time to invite people into our home- so effort has been spent on reaching out. It's always that struggle of doing what is right versus just serving self but once I do, I am reminded of the blessings of serving others, using time and resources to reach out and strengthen others-- it is good and right. :) All that to explain my slow progress! I am hoping to get more time for photography this week, though....anxious to move on with Project 52.

Boys Scout SOOC

Alrighty folks-- here it is, straight out of camera! This is my friend Claudia's son.

Shot with 35mm at f4, dragged shutter speed to 1/15, used Speedlight lowered by 2 stops to match ambient lighting, bounced at 45 degrees off white card.

So- This is with no edits.  I am trying to get some advice on how to amp this up.  I want to clone out the gap on the floor and the boom.  I like that I got a little teeny catch light in the eyes and although I could not get any directional light-- at least I didn't lose detail in the face by washing it out with overpowered flash.

Boy Scouts

I am not looking forward to taking pictures of the Boy Scouts tonight. I have been reading about using my flash unit and I practiced last night. I discovered my camera doesn't have the wireless sensor to enable an off camera trigger of my flash, and the ceilings will be too high for me to bounce light off the ceilings. I want it to NOT look like a regular washed out flash picture but I can't figure out a way to get directional lighting with my equipment rather than straight on. I had a final thought if trying to bounce flash off a side wall and onto subject and wanted to practice.. But, being in s public place I apparently embarrassed my hubby and he thought I was being ridiculous. **sigh* I wasn't wanting to be an embarrassment, just desperate to get it figured out. It's not seething I can practice during daylight. So-- discouraged because I don't think I will do a good job and on top of that I created marital strife in the process. Sails are a little deflated friends..

The big news of this week is that a Facebook friend(our sons used to play baseball together) was asking for a photographer to donate time and prints of their boys scout troop receiving awards. Nobody volunteered. So I did. I'm so ill-equipped though. I need to study up on indoor flash. I hope I can get something decent for them. Not sure if I will have time or even motivation for Project 52 this week.. Theme is "Open Your Heart." Kind of a cheesy theme and?? I don't know. Just not feelin it yet. Hopefully inspiration will come.