Close Costume Captures

What could be physically more close to us than what we ourselves wear? Have you ever stopped and taken a look at what you have on and start taking pictures of that? It's very interesting when you do because it takes a different eye all together.

Remember, photography is about exploration and going beyond what is normal in day-to-day shots. People are bored with seeing what they've already seen a thousand times. So, take a look around you and see what you haven't photographed.

One thing to think about is your jewelry. Do you wear any? You can get some interesting shots if placed in the proper light, on the proper surface, and with the camera set appropriately.

Here are a few shots of some costume jewelry I took awhile back. I love the reflection you can get if they're really polished. One thing to watch for when taking still life shots is the light around you. This would include your camera's light, any natural light as well as any staged lighting. The wrong camera setting could make the picture have a blue hue, yellow, or even too white. Practice and experiment. Become familiar with everything around you and take a TON of pictures. Enjoy what you're doing and remember also, there isn't a bad shot. Everyone shot has worth and is unique.

Happy shooting!

April Showers - May Flowers

We’re a week away from May and looking to update our Monthly Reader’s Photo for May. Since the saying goes, ‘April showers bring May flowers’, I want to focus this photo and the next post on floral shots.

So send in your recent photos you’ve taken this month of flowers and I’ll be selecting one to post for May.

World of Birds

We travelled the other day to the Bronx Zoo in NY. It was almost a 3 hour drive one way but well worth it! They have a large variety of exhibits with over 4,000 animals spread across the many acres including indoor exhibits and plenty of places to sit and have a picnic. It was a lot of walking but the pictures are priceless!

Here are a few from the World of Birds exhibit. Interesting of course, all the birds were behind viewing glass, screens, or nets so it took some proper configuration of the camera and zoom to shoot beyond it and get good pictures. This is something to keep in mind. If you really like a subject, don't let what is in front of you be a distraction, learn to shoot through it and focus beyond. In some cases, this requires the use of manual focus instead of having your camera try to focus.

Enjoy these wonderful creatures!

Website Reference: The Bronx Zoo

Rain Falls and Rafts Are Rowed

Over the last few days, we received several inches of rain and it continues to unload on us all over the state and the coast. Thousands are without power, towns are reporting flood conditions as well as restricted travelling along roads and highways. For some though, while on vacation from the local schools, it seemed to be a time to enjoy the surroundings.

That's exactly what these two brothers did! They took turns floating around in our backyard with our kids on a rubber raft! What's the old saying, 'If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!'.

It's during these times, despite the conditions, when you appreciate a camera. Don't look beyond your backyard, and always carry your camera. Happy shooting!

First Mystery Picture Answer Posted!

The first Mystery Picture has been updated to include the answer. It was published for 2 months and went without the right guess. If you have a moment, take a look at the Mystery Picture section on the right of this page so you'll be prepared to guess for the next picture coming soon.

Answer: It was a cropped section of a van's headlight that was glazed over with ice in the last snow storm we had.

Issues Posting Pictures

To all readers,

Apparently Blogger is having some issues and not allowing the posting of images. I'll keep trying and once it's resolved, I'll post a few pictures I took today in regards to the rain.

Thank you.

May Photo of Month Submissions

April is more than half way over now. If you'd like to be considered for the May Photo of the Month and be listed on this blog, please send in your submissions now.

In email please include:
Title of Picture
Location
Your Initials

Thank you.

Mable Has Arrived!

Welcome our new addition to the family, Mable! She's an 8 week old red brindle English Bulldog. We searched and searched the Internet and spoke to a dozen plus breeders and finally found the perfect puppy for us. She was shipped in from Missouri and we picked her up at Logan Airport in Boston, MA.

In a previous post we discussed about Pet Portraits, well here are a couple more for your viewing. I hope you enjoy them and please share yours by sending them in.

Polished Chrome & Dancing Colors

From the freshly polished chrome and dancing exterior colors to the well kept interiors, the Car Cruise shows are a good place to see some fine machines! You can hear the engines roar as they make their grand entrances into the parking lots.

Local spectators and car enthusiasts alike join in this local event to appreciate the craftsmanship and work of the owners. They have taken excellent care of these antique vehicles and are proud to show them off at these events. Join in and participate! There's music, raffles, and more. The question really is, can you name the make/model and year of these vehicles??
At the next cruise, don't forget to bring your camera. :)

Going Once... Twice... No More Guesses?

Do we have any more final guesses on the Mystery Picture? I'll be revealing this one and replacing it with a new one by the end of the week. Hopefully we have a few more submissions and a winner before I replace it. The winner will be announced!
Don't wait, send your guesses in now!

Hint: Remember, this is a small piece of a whole picture (cropped section). Like a piece of a whole puzzle. As you see it, is as it looked when the picture was taken. There are NO effects applied to the image. Happy guessing! :)

Red n' White

The weather seems to keep changing around here I'm not sure if we're in spring or fall. If we should start preparing to opening the pool or finally retiring the snow blower for the year. Do we gas up the lawn mower or stock up on rock salt?

Regardless, it's fun to see all the wonderful birds you can catch during these crazy weather cycles, so say the least. At one point, I was even considering to go into bird watching as a hobby. Some birds are so beautiful with their colors, they should be painted on more canvases by artists!

Here are a couple shots I took of a Red Cardinal during a snow storm we had. I was very excited to get this opportunity because it doesn't happen often. Birds are so alert, anything that seems out of the ordinary, they're off in flight. I had my 300mm lens on my camera and it was charged and ready to shoot. Everything just worked out.

The last image, you can see was a duplicate that I converted into watercolors. So don't forget to look at your photos afterwards and make some adjustments by enhancing them and turning each into a unique piece of art.

This very picture, I sold prints on eBay with every time I list it. You could do the same if you so choose. Remember, every picture is unique, so take time to look through your pictures and don't be afraid to make a digital COPY and start playing.

Those Were The Days...

There is nothing more beautiful than seeing water cascading down into various pools and paths through rocks from a waterfall. There are a few local falls in the Putnam area and one of them in Cargil Falls. These two pictures were taking on the same day. On the one below, I turned the camera vertically to get the full length shot.

These falls sure bring back memories. I remember back when I was a kid, my brother and I fished all along the Quinebaug River including right at the base of these very falls. For hours we would explore different spots along this river from one end of town to the other. Those were the days...

ISO Exercise

Like any good artist who knows the medium in which they create masterful pieces of art, a photographer, likewise, has to know his/her camera to effectively take pictures in various scenarios including those in low-light situations.

The previous post discussed a little bit about ISO settings and night shots. Here is an exercise you can follow to help you understand what ISO will do to your pictures and when to use it.

EXERCISE STEPS:

• 1. Go outside and find something to shoot at which illuminates light.
  You don't have to travel far. I did this test shooting at a light pole on my street.
  
  
• 2. Set your camera to ISO 200 (probably default) and take the picture.
  Depending upon your camera, this setting could be on a dial, button or even within a menu on your LCD screen. While taking this picture, remember exactly what you took a picture of and your angle.
  
  
• 3. Now, adjust the ISO settings to be in the middle of your ISO range.
  For instance, one of my camera's goes up to ISO 1600. So the middle would be around 800.
  
  
• 4. Then take another picture of the exact same object you took in step 2 above.
  
  
• 5. Adjust your ISO level again to it's maximum then re-shoot the same subject.
  
  
• 6. After you've taken all the shots, take a look at them on your computer.
  
  Do you notice any differences? Send me your thoughts.
  

Bursting In Air

The skies cried out and bursted forth with colors as the 4Th of July fireworks launched. The streets, parking lots, and every small hill and wall were covered with spectators. It's always fun to see what they come out with new for the year. It's amazing to me to see all the vibrant colors showering down like rain against a black sky whose only illumination are the trails from the previous firework.

Have you ever taken a night shot before? These were some I took a couple years back and were all hand-held. Which means I didn't use a tripod. You'll probably agree when I say night shots require a lot of thought and are some of the more difficult kinds of pictures to take. You have to take into consideration ISO levels, or how your camera responds to light sensitivity. These are typically number ranges from 100 up depending upon your camera. The higher the number is, the more sensitive it is to light and the more grainy your picture becomes. I'll post some differences soon on this ISO level. For now, just take note of what your camera has for options and in the next couple posts coming up, I'll have some exercises for you to get you familiar with it.

In the meantime, don't forget to look up and take what you see above! Carry your camera and keep shooting!