3.31.2007

Pet Portraits

I'm sure many people like pets. They're so fun to have around and really liven up a family with entertainment as well as companionship. For us, we have 2 dogs and 5 cats! Yes, we're animal lovers and our kids really enjoy them.

Many people take the time to take portraits of family and friends but what about your pets? Yes, the ones probably at your very feet right now. When was the last time you took a picture of your pets? Pet portraits!

Take a couple pictures of your pets and send them in. I'd like to see them and share them with my family. Here are our dogs you can share with yours. The Dachshund is Chloe and the English Bulldog is Mason.

3.27.2007

Seeing with Your Own Eyes

Let's face it, we all appreciate and like different things. From favorite foods and music to style of dress and places we like to visit. This is what makes photography and art so special. Everything is unique and there is such a variety of tastes and interest, we could spend every waking moment of our lives searching and we could never find it all nor could we photograph it!

With our eyes, we see a vast world of colors and shapes too numerous to mention. With this, we then look at the world with tinted shades and snap the photos that attract us individually. We then in turn, share them with others who appreciate like things.

So the challenge? With your own eyes, see what's before you and share it. Take this day to simply step out in your backyard and snap a few photos. Send them in and let's see what you're seeing.

Open your eyes and see...
...and don't forget to share.

This Blogs Features

I wanted to take a moment and thank all the readers of this blog for your continued support. Let's take a moment and highlight some of the features here.

MYSTERY PICTURE
Do you like guessing games? Here is our challenge to you. Take a good look at the photo, which is the actual unmodified view of what it would look like if you saw it personally. It's not modified but is simply a cropped or piece of the whole picture. If you think you have it, send us your guess and we'll post the winner!

FROM OUR READERS

Let's face it, a blog isn't a blog without readers. So this is your blog as well as mine. If you have questions relating to digital photography, send them in and we'll get you the answers you're seeking.

FEEDBACK FROM READERS
It's always nice to read comments from those who take the time to write in about this blog. I appreciate all your feedback and we'll certainly post them as we get them. So don't be shy, send us your feedback!

MONTHLY READERS PHOTO
I'd like to share some of the photos I've been receiving with the community. This section will highlight one photo a month from those received. If you wouldn't mind sharing yours, send it in with a title and we'll post it. We're currently looking for one for next month!

FOR DISCUSSION TOPIC
We all have opinions. This section focuses on a specific question with dialog that follows. Do you have comments on this? Send them in!

PICTURE PERFECT TIPS

Some helpful tips for taking better quality pictures will be displayed here. We'll be changing this periodically.

RSS FEED
If you have an RSS news reader, feel free to link us directly into that so as we post, you'll receive updated news automatically.

LINKS
Please take a moment and visit these links. As a side note, I have another project called The WetBrush (www.wetbrush.net) that calls out to all local artists, photographers and crafters of ALL ages to join this FREE online message forum. Discuss your experiences and share your journies and tips with others who share like interests.

Thanks and I look forward to your continued support and feedback.

3.25.2007

Nature Natural

Hiking and walking the many trails in the area is a naturists delight. Walking through and seeing nature in it's own backyard is exciting. Sure, you can turn it on your television and listen to those hosts walking you through their adventure, but what about the adventure that's waiting for you in your own backyard? Get out and explore.

The CT Audubon Society does a great job in keeping nature natural. What do I mean by that? I mean by keeping it in the hands of nature, the animals, insects and plants, to create and grow their environment. It's something that isn't forced to be a nature exhibit like a zoo. It's real and it's appreciated when societies like this have property dedicated to such preservation habitats.

One afternoon, we travelled several of these trails through the Pomfret, CT area and truly enjoyed it. We walked for hours down tight paths, over fallen log bridges with trickling singing streams, and nested like birds at specific look out spots just taking in natures offerings.

Everyone in the family enjoyed it. They all pointed out several times during our travels what they liked and had to share with those who might have overlooked it. You can see in this picture, my wife with my daughter, who at the age of 5, stopped and took a picture of what she loved and appreciated with her own camera. Yes, keep that in mind. Photography, as well as art, is for all ages. Don't restrict it but promote it.

Reference Site: CT Audubon Society

3.23.2007

132 Acres of Paradise

The day was warm and the sun shined brightly against our skin warming us with it's beautiful golden glimmer. It embraced us like a warm hug and led us to appreciate the surroundings of this magnificent 132 acres of paradise we set out to explore at the Tower Hill Botanic Gardens located in Boyltson, MA.

My wife and I walked hand-in-hand together and strolled the many acres with smiles and a profound awe for the sights we saw. Nevermind that we both had our cameras and were taking shots left and right!

Between the many trails that led into the heights of whisking glory of rolling hills cradling a large river to the lows leading to the marshy waters to the aroma coming from the fine dining areas, this was quite an adventure and one we'll always remember.

Reference: Tower Hill Botanic Gardens

3.20.2007

Horses Horses Horses

The Woodstock Fair in Woodstock, CT has many attractions which draw crowds not just from neighboring towns but from all bordering states and beyond. One of these in the annual Woodstock Fair which will be going into it's 147th year!

At the lower section of the fair grounds however, they also put on many kinds of equestrian shows and competitions. One of these I managed to get to and capture a few hundred shots. It was a great day and if your family or children love horses, this is the place to be. Everyone is friendly and the atmosphere is all about horses. There are a lot of different breeds as well in all colors and there is no admission charge! Yes, it's FREE!

It's local so why not watch the papers or visit the next time one of these shows/competitions are scheduled. Oh and don't forget to bring your camera!
Reference Site: The Woodstock Fair

3.17.2007

Desaturated Dandelions?

A pesky weed or a beautiful flower? I'm sure with the sleet and snow we had today, many are looking forward to the weather which brings these golden wonders to every one's lawn. Regardless, let's talk about a new term called desaturation. This is a large word for basically removing color from your picture.

Technically, for those who really want to know, it causes the RGB colorspace (Red, Green, and Blue hues) toward grayscale which makes your image appear in various shades of gray. This isn't true grayscale however, because some of the shadows and tones could appear lighter or darker depending upon the conversion and the application used. Some generically set the desaturation levels while others allow for modification causing slight differences.

Let's take a look at a picture of a patch of four dandelion's (shown above) that I desaturated. We know that dandelion's have very yellow heads, but in this picture, everything appears in shades of gray. It gives a pretty cool effect on specific types of pictures.

Now, let's add back some color. But to be unique, let's add color back to only ONE of the four dandelion heads! To do this, we're going to pick a color (yellow would make sense but if you wanted something different - go for it) and paint over one of the heads.

Take a look at this second picture to see the difference. After I selected a decent yellow, I modified the fill and opacity to get the right look and feel. We'll be discussion these two new words shortly in another post so don't worry about them now. Basically it allows us to make the yellow not so rich or vibrant but keeping it light and allowing all the flower's features to come through the yellow.

Think of it this way. You have a piece of newspaper and you are painting over a picture printed on the main page. Now you really like the picture so you use LESS paint and pressure (fill/opacity) to paint on the picture so you can still see it even though you're applying color.

This allows for some neat pictures. Try desaturating some of your own and see what types of combinations you can come up with. If you want to share, send me one of yours and we'll discuss it.

3.15.2007

Free Flying Butterflies

A butterfly is truly beautiful. From it's colorful wings to the soft swift flying patterns, they're always a favorite for many to watch and capture. The problem is really getting close to one to take a picture of it without having it fly away JUST as you were going to press the shutter! Albeit, you can purchase a larger lens and capture it from afar but that will cost you some extra $$$ So, how can we resolve this without spending a lot of cash?

The answer lies in South Deerfield, MA at a place called Magic Wings! It's a butterfly conservatory and has dozens of various species from all over! No, I'm not talking about seeing them through a glass window either. I'm talking about having them flying free inside a large garden like facility.

Imagine this: You're walking into their habitat and they're flying all around you! Many times even, they'll land on your shoulder, arms and even head!












It's amazing! Bring your camera and plan a day trip. You won't regret this adventure!! I was so much in awe, I only took 160 shots.

Reference site: Magic Wings

3.12.2007

Old But New

Older buildings make such good photographs, wouldn't you agree? They are so rich with character never mind the stories they tell. This one was taken on Rt. 44 just over the line in Glocester, RI of an older abandoned building.

When you take a picture, think about the surrounding objects in relationship to your main subject or what you're trying to capture. Putting them all together so they don't detract from your main subject is called composition. Think of it like putting all the pieces to a puzzle together so it makes sense. Part of a good picture is capturing it in a way that helps enhance what you're trying to bring out and show to your viewer.

In out abandoned building photo, take note of the objects in this picture. The tree is aligned with the corner of building allowing your eyes to focus first on the front of the building, then to the side, as if you're viewing it in two sections. By splitting the picture too, it draws attention to the green front doors. Also, the small post in front of the building is bright with the setting sun and is placed in a good position to draw your attention back into the main subject. When you're taking pictures, don't be too distracted by objects, just make them work for you. If you can't, then maybe you move a little to the left or right until it works out.

Here, I took the same picture and applied some digital enhancements. It now looks like a watercolor painting which adds more character to it. It was framed in black and I added large text at the bottom. It reminds me of those one-word motivational posters you can buy at the mall or online.

Practice with your own photos. Don't be afraid to try different things with them. In the end, you'll have your own masterpieces that you can share.

3.09.2007

M&M (Mastering Macro)

Did you every take a picture of something up really close? It's amazing what you can capture when you do this. This is called Macro photography. Basically, it's where you utilize a lens that can take very up close pictures. Many photographers get so close you can actually see the hundreds of eyes on a dragonfly or the fine hairs on the legs of an insect.

Many people concentrate so much on what they can 'see' but not really what they have the ability to 'see'. Macro photography is fun because you bring the small world up close!. Take some time and try this type of photography if your lens supports it. If you're shooting digital, most cameras come with a preset dial you can simply set your camera to. Then depending upon your lens and camera, this will determine how close you can get to your object while staying in focus. It's a good idea to use a tripod to avoid any shaking and blur.

Here are a few shots to wet your appetite and get your motivated to try this type of photography on your own. Send me in your shots and happy shooting!

3.07.2007

'See' Your Photos

What makes a picture unique? What makes someone take a look at one of your photos and say with excitement, 'This is amazing! How did you take this picture?'. It certainly makes us feel good when people appreciate our photography and artwork but what really makes a great picture?

Believe it or not, perspective is extremely important to take into consideration while shooting with your camera. Stop and think and let your imagination be the only limits between you and your shutter.

To illustrate: If five people took a picture of the same scene, would they all be the same? No. Every single person would take a different angle, a different perspective, of the same scene but adding their own uniqueness to it. Adding what they truly see to be important.

Take for instance the following picture. Now, anyone looking at this would know it's a plant of some sort. However, did you notice the perspective that is used here? It's not showing the plant in a typical fashion as you would see depicted in other photographs. Here, we are drawing attention by showing the underside of the plant's leaves and how the stems reach up toward the blue skies as if boasting their own beauty with shimmering purple fingertips. Almost like you're under the plant, so small, and staring up at it being so massive!

Perspective helps the photographer bring pictures alive and if used properly, can speak volumes! It shows relationships between other objects, spaces, depth, and more.

Take a look at this picture which was converted to black and white. Clearly, there is nothing special about the scene but the perspective. What to you stands out in this picture? Correct, it's the railing. Notice when you first looked at this picture, your eyes travelled almost all the way down the railing to the end drawing your attention to a specific location? Pretty cool huh? Yes, perspective is something that can do amazing things with the simplest of pictures if taking into consideration.

So the next time you're shooting, you do the capturing and don't let your camera do the work. Take the photos with a unique angle, a unique perspective, and then when you look at them, you'll truly see your photos like you never have before.

Enjoy your adventures! Email me some of your photos using perspective to me. I've love to see them!

3.03.2007

March Madness @ DCU

The DCU Center in Worcester, MA shined invitingly in the night skies as March Madness kicked off with a fine game of hockey!
Worcester Sharks vs. Providence Bruins!

Although the score was something to be desired with the Sharks losing 6-1, it was awesome! They had the Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies for MA as well which assisted in keeping the intermission periods short and exciting.

Providence's #23 David Krejci mastering the ice with Worcester's #11 Brady Leisenring trailing.

The puck dropped at 8PM and the game finished ~10:30PM. 2 1/2 hours and 417 pictures later... I've captured the memories for years to come! This is something to remember, with digital, as long as you have the right memory card, just keep taking pictures! It's not like film where if you take a bad shot you lose. The digital world makes it easier to take and take and take!


What do I mean by picking the right memory card? Well remember, if you want the freedom of taking a lot of pictures and not worrying about running out of space, then size is important. Go for the 2GB+ cards or more! They're pretty affordable now on all brands.

But there is something JUST as important if not more important. What's that you say? The SPEED of the memory card itself. I'd recommend purchasing a fast card (~80x minimum) so when you snap multiple pictures, perhaps using continuous-shooting or burst framing (holding the shutter button down for multiple shots consecutively), they get written to the card quickly allowing you to keep shooting. Look for this in your camera or the next camera you'll buy. It'll assist in those action shots you want to capture and will keep you in the field longer!

In the end, it's about you and what you're capturing. Get creative with your camera and come to understand it's capabilities. Have fun with it and keep shooting!

Worcester's #20, Riley Armstrong gaining control!

Check out the next game/events with the family this weekend!

Reference Site: DCU Center