October POTM

What can I say, I'm lazy and August POTM ('Old Timer') was doing good enough to stay on for another month. For October, I have a new deal so check it out! You get 'Purple Tansi Aster' in a 8x12, shipped to your door, for $25! CONTACT ME to let me know you are interested (you know you are). It doesn't get much easier than that.

My photographic abilities have been surpassed...

... by a 3 year old. This weekend, my family went up to the cabin for a weekend of unplugging and having some fun. We got there after dark on Friday night. Not having any TV, cell phone service, or radio always takes a little getting used to, so Maddy was getting pretty stir crazy almost immediately. I was doing my usual thing of taking a lot of pictures when....

[MADDY] What are you doing Daddy?
[DADDY] Taking pictures..
[MADDY] Can I take a picture?
[DADDY] Sure, what do you want to take a picture of? (scared of letting his 5d and brand new Canon 1.4 into the hands of a 3 year old)
[MADDY] Woofie (scurries to get her favorite stuffed animal and sets him up on the floor)

Now, she had a bit of help with the settings (SS - 1/80, f/1.4, ISO 1600), but she pointed and she pressed the button, so this is her photo. She nailed the focus and even used the rule of 3rd's! Without further ado, I give you Woofie..


After this, we continued by taking pictures of the couch, sink, chair, carpet and other random things, but this one I thought was blog post worthy and frame worthy (for her room).

The Stranger I-IV

In order to try and get more comfortable in front of a camera, I have decided to challenge myself to take at least 12 self portraits within the next year. This series was taken on a recent vacation to Ouray, Colorado. I was getting a little stir crazy one night so I decided to take my camera out on the town. I found this really awesome stairwell that had really creepy fluorescent overhead lighting right off of the main drag. I set up shop and started shooting (while getting some really interesting looks from people).

Settings:

• Aperture - f/7.1
• Shutter - 13 sec.
• ISO 200
• Camera - Canon 20d
  
• Lens - Canon 50mm f/1.8 II
  

Setup:
I originally set this shot up using a single flash to the lower left of the frame. After playing with this setup for quite a while, I was not satisfied with the output, so I switched to using only the available light. I manually focused to a spot on the stairs that would have the same focal plane as my head and then used a wireless trigger for the shutter. I was not concerned with movement as I felt that would only add character to the photo (see other shots from this session by clicking on the picture above or clicking here).

Processing:

• I used a high pass filter to bring out the texture of the stairs.
• Heavy Vignette
• 50% de-saturation
  

August POTM

'Old Timer' has been pretty popular around the interwebs, so I decided to make it the August photo of the month. Here's the deal. You get 'Old Timer' in a 8x12, shipped to your door, for $25! CONTACT ME to let me know you are interested (you know you are). It doesn't get much easier than that.

Old Timer

I like old dead trees. There, I said it :) I have driven by this tree a countless number of times and never noticed it. After looking at some of my other landscapes, a friend told me I had to visit this spot to see this tree. Goes to show you how good picture opportunities are all around you if you are looking.

Settings

• Ap - f/6.3
• SS - 1/320
• ISO - 100

Notes

• This was taken at sunrise using 3 different exposures (exposure taken on tree trunk) (-2, 0, +2) and then merged and tonemapped using photomatix.
  
• Processing was very minimal. The proper exposure (0) provided a good silhouette, but I really like the colors of the sunrise as well as the detail in the tree trunk, so I decided to blend 3 exposures to get the look I was going for.
  

I have added a new Print of the Month for July. Here's the deal. You get the photo above in a 8x12, shipped to your door, for $25! CONTACT ME to let me know you are interested (you know you are). It doesn't get much easier than that.

Who's that...

This weekend, I decided it was time for a self portrait. I hate being in front of the camera. I don't know what it is, but I don't feel comfortable. I always have that awkward look, smile, or whatever. Alone, at 1 in the morning, in the freezing cold, I decided it was the perfect time for a self portrait. It was difficult conditions: pitch black with no ambient light, 1 flash, 1 wired shutter release that didn't reach to where I needed it to, wireless flash trigger, 2 tripods (1 for the camera and 1 for the flash), and a flash light. Here is how I accomplished it:

1. Setup camera tripod
   
2. Setup flash tripod so that the head is right where your eyes will be.
3. Use the flash light to help focus the camera on the flash tripod head. After focus is achieved, set the camera to manual focus.
4. Do a dance
5. Move the flash to upper camera right
6. Set camera to timer
7. Press shutter and move to location
8. Look tough.. I mean real tough.. look at my mean mug
9. Try again and again until you get a desirable amount of sharpness (it is harder than it looks)

Things I would do to make the shot better:

1. Add a second flash to help fill the dark shadows on the side of my face (the equipment purchases never end!)
2. Get rid of the hot spot on my cheek
3. Look even tougher (impossible, I know)