Your Editing Style: What Would You Do?

The settings you choose in camera and the lighting you incorporate make up one part of your photographic style. What you do with the out-of-camera images is another. Have you found your editing style, or are you still trying to figure it out? This week, I want to see what you would do with the straight-out-of-camera image. My edit appears on the left, and you'll see that I love a simple, clean edit with slightly saturated colors. Grab the image on the right and make your tweaks to show your editing style, then share your edited image in the PSPN Google+ group. Make it your own, but please, leave the watermark in tact - you can add an "edited by ____" notation on the image to show your part of the work!

Happy editing,

Friday Ambassador

How to shoot Lightning.

So this week I wanted to talk about shooting lightning. Its that time of year where we start to get the right weather to create lighting. The first and foremost important thing is to realize that lightning can be a great thing to capture it is also dangerous. You want to make sure that you take the right steps to protect yourself and your gear. Some of the very obvious things you don’t want to do are stand under a tree. Use an umbrella. Some other info I found was:

•    Avoid putting yourself above the surrounding landscape. Seek shelter in low-lying areas such as valleys, ditches and depressions but be aware of flooding.

•    Stay away from water. Don't go boating or swimming if a storm threatens, and get to land as quickly as possible if you are already on the water. Lightning can strike the water and travel a substantial distance from its point of contact.

•    Stay away from objects that conduct electricity, such as tractors, golf carts, golf clubs, metal fences, motorcycles, lawnmowers and bicycles.

•    Avoid being the highest point in an open area.Swinging a golf club, or holding an umbrella or fishing rod can make you the tallest object and a target for lightning.

•    You are safe inside a car during lightning, but be aware of downed power lines which may be touching your car. You are safe inside the car, but you may receive a shock if you step outside.

•    In a forest, seek shelter in a low-lying area under a thick growth of small trees or bushes.

•    Keep alert for flash floods, sometimes caused by heavy rainfall, if seeking shelter in a ditch or low-lying area.

As far as equipment you need a tripod, camera remote (I prefer wireless) a good rain cover. In my bag you will find:

Rokinon 14mm on my D600 with Rain sleeve

Nikon D600, Rokinon 14mm F2.8, Phottix Aion Wireless Remote, Induro CT314 Tripod, and Optech Rain shelve.

As far as setting go I set my ISO to 100 and my shutter to bulb with a F stop of F/5- F/11 The reason I set the camera to bulb it I let my Phottix Aion remote do all the work, I can set it up so that it shoots 30 seconds at a time for as many shots that I set up. I usually start with 100 shots. I set the camera up and then raise the ISO to about 500 and open the shutter for about 10 seconds just to give me an idea of how the scene will look once exposed. If I like it then I bring the ISO back down to 100 and then hit the play button on the remote and it starts triggering the camera. Out of 100 shots I’m lucky if I get 3 good images sometimes its none. There is no way to cover every viewing direction so you have to set the camera up and hope that its pointing in the right spot. To get this right I would use your judgment and look at radar to see what direction the storm is travelling. If you need to you could always change your cameras view and then reset the remote to start shooting again. I hope this helps some that are struggling with capturing Lightning. Please post your images in the Google Plus page I would love to see them.

TBT

Thursday Ambassador

 Works Cited:

"How to Photograph Lightning, From Start to Finish." PetaPixel RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2014. <http://petapixel.com/2013/04/10/how-to-photograph-lightning-from-start-to-finish/>.

"Lightning Safety." Government of Canada, Environment Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2014. <http://www.ec.gc.ca/foudre-lightning/default.asp?lang=En&n=159F8282-1>.

Bag Links

Rain Sleeve:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=583456&gclid=CjkKEQjw5qmdBRCn--70gPSo074BEiQAJCe7zZuagGc2zro2bjNYnCs56TG2u7dccwyVZbC22DRspJ7w_wcB&Q=&is=REG&A=details

Phottix Aion Wireless Timer And Shutter Release

http://www.uniquephoto.com/accessories2/phottix-aion-wireless-timer-and-shutter-release-for-nikon-upto-60m-ph16375/?utm_source=google_products&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=sc&scid=scplp772994

Rokinon 14mm

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/769555-REG/Rokinon_FE14MAF_N_14mm_Ultra_Wide_Angle_f_2_8.html

What I Have Learned vs. What School Can't Teach You

When I made the decision to go back to school I had absolutely no knowledge of DSLR cameras, I didn't know what they meant when pro's talked about "glass", I had no idea why you use umbrellas in the studio, and what's even more embarrassing was that I had no clue about just how a photograph was taken--for all I knew it was some mysterious magic that went *poof* as soon as you pushed the button.  Silly, right?  Well, after less than two years I now know so much about photography that I work part-time as a digital photography and Adobe software tutor while I finish up my degree.  I have come such a long way in a short amount of time; while I owe much of the credit to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh-Online Division for teaching me, there were two things that school never taught me that helped me excel as much as I have.

1. Passion

The textbook definition of passion is " a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something." 

I have always loved taking photos and my dream job, for as long as I can remember, has been to be a National Geographic photographer.  I mention this often in my posts and use it as criteria for many assignments because it is definitely one of my strongest passions.  You can often answer your own questions sometimes by listening to yourself and discovering a passion you had never considered before.  Without these strong feelings of enthusiasm for photography and becoming a photographer, I would not have pursued going back to school nor would I have done so well thus far (I have a 4.0 GPA with four classes left).  When you feel so strongly about something you stop making excuses and "can't" is not an option; and when you have a passion for success, there is nothing that is impossible, no obstacle too difficult to overcome.  School can not teach you passion.  It has to come from within.  Realizing your passion is only half the battle; pursuing it 100% makes it achievable.

2. Curiosity

Like passion, the textbook definition of curiosity is "the desire to learn or know more about something or someone."

Without curiosity it is likely that I would never learn as much as I have.  It takes both passion and curiosity to learn and grow as well as improve.  For example, it takes serious passion to but in 100% effort and it takes just as much curiosity to exceed standards and expectations.  This is because you're not only pushing yourself to do better than what is expected, but you're also challenging your curiosity to "see what else I can learn about this subject." 

So, school will teach you how to shoot in manual mode on a DSLR, but it does not necessarily insert the information into your brain; it takes curiosity to learn what acronyms, such as DSLR, stands for, what exactly "single lens reflex" means, and how you can take what you have learned and use your knowledge to set you apart from your competition.  You may think to yourself, "wait, I need to set myself apart?  How do I establish my own unique brand from what is already out there??"  That curiosity, my friend, will drive you to always do better, always be better, and get you closer to your dreams than only learning the basics. 

The Photography program can teach you the basics and get you to the door of opportunity, but you have to have passion and curiosity within yourself to want to see what's on the other side of that door.

Do you have the passion and curiosity to open that door and see what opportunities are out there?

Tell me about your experiences in school and how curiosity and passion have led you to success!

Works Cited

"A young man mountain climbing the classic north west ridge of Mt." Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 23 Jun 2014.
<http://quest-preview.eb.com/#/search/167_4015375/1/167_4015375/cite>

"Curiosity."  Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, n.d. Web. 23 June 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curiosity>

"Passion." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, n.d. Web. 23 June 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passion>

"Show Them the Door." Photograph. ccm. Christ Church Manchester, 12 June 2013. Web. 23 June 2014. <http://www.ccm.org.uk/academy/entry/show_them_the_door/ >

Master the Maternity Session

Working with engaged couples and new parents is a blast because it means seeing people at their happiest. Emotions run high and the images captured serve as valuable reminders of important life events, from weddings to first birthdays. An event that is quite different from those is the pregnancy itself. Maternity sessions are exciting in their own right, but instead of the high-energy images captured at weddings and family portraits, there is an underlying sense of serenity mixed with anxious anticipation at a maternity session. Capturing this is so worthwhile - if you know anyone who is expecting, see if they'll let you try your hand at maternity photography to see if it's something you want to add to your repertoire!

Typically taken after the 30-week mark (I find 32 weeks to be ideal), maternity photographs should show off a mom-to-be's connection with her child and make her feel beautiful even though she's likely quite uncomfortable and ready for baby to come out! Selecting a location that is special to the couple, encouraging her to bring a few outfits that make her feel great, and shooting a variety of angles and poses will make for a successful maternity session. Incorporate props from baby's nursery or the other parent into the session for extra special images. Not only will the parents love having reminders of how they felt while waiting on their little one to arrive, but the child will get to see how loved he or she was even before taking a first breath!

-Friday Ambassador

Gallery Hanging, Photo clubs.

Since today is the opening reception for a gallery hanging I'm in, I would like to talk about having your images hung in a gallery setting. I have been lucky enough to have this opportunity to hang 3 of my images along with others in a camera club that I belong too. It is great in many ways because people get to see your work and see some of the things you can do. It is also great because you might find someone that loves your work enough that they want to by it. While I have my three images up From June 15^th till September 11^th hopefully hundreds of people will get to see them. They are setup in a hospital gallery at one of the local hospitals. Does anyone else belong to a camera club? I find it’s a great place for ideas and just making friends that have the same interests as you do. If I didn’t belong to this club I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to hang my images in this gallery display.

            Not only is it good for making friends but also it is good because I am networking with peers that are into photography. While most of the members are more on the amateur level there are some pros and you never know they might be looking for some type of assistance on one of their shoots someday. If you don’t belong to a camera club it wouldn’t hurt to research them in your area and join one.

 "Dr. Donlop" This image was taken at night and was light painted.

 "Speeding Lights" This image was taken just after sunset with the speeding traffic going by.

"Milky's Leg" This image was taken about 2am. It was my first try to capture the milky way.

"Enter for Your Chance to Win!"

It is often in the back of our minds, something we say we need to look into, and have the best intentions of pursuing, but how many photo contests have

you entered? 

 

It is a great way to start getting your name out there and also to observe some of the work by others in your area of interest.  Checking out the work of contest winners is also a great way to evaluate great photography and where you might need to make improvements in the next contests.

I come across photo contests fairly often in all the research I do for my classes.  Do not be discouraged if you do not win right away.  If anything, use that as motivation for improving your techniques!  I have a great resource for finding a huge variety of contests in which you can enter your photos for a chance to win money/gift cards, gear, and even exclusive trips.  Check out http://www.photocontestinsider.com/ for the latest list of contests and competitions!

 

 

 

Some contests going on right now are:

 

Strange Figurations

Monochrome Photography Awards

PHOTOcentric 2014

LensCulture’s Emerging Talent Awards 2014 

Endangered Art and Photography Contest 2014

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

 
Goh, Shikhei. nationalgeographic. Photograph. National Geographic Society, 2011. Web. 16 June 2014. <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/2011/entries/gallery/nature-winners/?source=photomaindl_ngpc2011#/0>

Patjane, Anuar. nationalgeographic. National Gegraphic Society, 2011. Web. 16 June 2014. <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/2011/entries/gallery/places-winners/#/3>

photocontestinsider. Photo Contest Insider, n.d. Web. 16 June 2014. <http://www.photocontestinsider.com/ >

Sunday Spotlight On: Scannography

“Scanner art?” “What is that?” “How did you make that?” “What did you make that with?” Those were some of the responses that I got when I presented my thesis to the class. It was a totally different style that I was use to shooting, but I knew that this was the way for me to go for my thesis. Scannography, Scanography, Scanner Art is the process of capturing images while using your flatbed scanner. The process is fairly easy and is actually fun because you can experiment with so many objects.

Quiana P Jackson. Love, 2014

My thesis was titled, Healing and these are two images that I had to choose from. I originally went with the darker image because it needed to be in the series. There are some amazing artists out there that are producing stunning images with their scanners. Some people may not consider this to be photography and that is okay! Art is an expression created by the artist.

Quiana P Jackson. Love, 2014

Some amazing Scannography Artist to check out:

Emily Bree Richards

Frank Luna

Elena Kropaneva

Mantus

I have always known of photographer Henry Hargreaves but I never knew him by his scanography images. He's mainly known for his high fashion photography or his food photography. Hargreaves created a one of a kind fashion shoot for a jewelry line with using just a scanner. 

 

Will this inspire you to create? I am your Sunday Funday Ambassador! Happy Shooting!

Work Cited: 

Hosmer, Katie. “Unique Fashion Shoot Taken on a Scanner bed.” My Modern Met.  9 Jun 2012. Web. 14 June 2014.

<http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/henry-hargreaves-scanner-bed-fashion-photo-shoot>