Monday, November 24, 2014

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

FOUR websites

1.     Link the website you visited and make sure your blog is titled the same as the links above..http://petapixel.com/2014/11/17/mother-ten-talented-photographer-takes-wonderful-natural-light-portraits/
2.     Briefly describe what you looked at on the website (2-3 sentences, make sure you write enough to really make it clear that you spent time looking at the website).

I saw that the photographer is a mother of 10 children and manages to run a photography business in the midst of raising her kids. She like to photograph her children in nature scenes. She prefers natural, thoughtful expressions over posed smiles. 
3.     What did you learn new?
I learned that when taking portraits, I should focus on capturing the emotion of my subject rather than having them pose and smile at the camera. 
4.     If possible, post your favorite photo from the site.
SEE ABOVE PHOTO
5.     If you have a photo to post, please answer the following questions:
a.     Why did you pick this photo? I love the blur behind the girl and the light around her that creates a halo effect. 
b.     What rules of photography do you see in the photo? I see rule of thirds in this photograph. 
c.     Who took the photo? Lisa Holloway, Mother of 10

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1.     Link the website you visited and make sure your blog is titled the same as the links above..
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/good-pictures-bad-timing/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Multimedia&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body&_r=0
2.     Briefly describe what you looked at on the website (2-3 sentences, make sure you write enough to really make it clear that you spent time looking at the website).
A man who took pictures of the run-down side of philadelphia in the 70's is just not getting recognition for his great work. He was able to capture a view of the "Other Side Of America" that people don't usually see. 
3.     What did you learn new?
I did not learn any thing but i did earn an appreciation of the work of photographers fro the past. Its amazing that their picture can be uncovered so many years later. 
4.     If possible, post your favorite photo from the site.
I didn't really have a favorite because the pictures were a bit bland for my taste but i still appreciate the simplicity of each photograph. 


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1.     Link the website you visited and make sure your blog is titled the same as the links above..
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/10/magnums-archive-of-once-orphaned-photos/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Multimedia&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs&region=Body&_r=0
2.     Briefly describe what you looked at on the website (2-3 sentences, make sure you write enough to really make it clear that you spent time looking at the website).
On this site they talked about how 99% of the pictures we take are never seen by anyone other than ourselves. If you look back through the pictures you have taken in the past you will see them differently and often you will find new treasures. 
3.     What did you learn new?
I learned that I should go back through my pictures from the past. 
4.     If possible, post your favorite photo from the site.
The article wasn't really about a photographers best work so I don't really have any pictures to choose from. 


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1.     Link the website you visited and make sure your blog is titled the same as the links above..
http://petapixel.com/2014/11/17/odd-portraits-dogs-floating-comically-mid-air/
2.     Briefly describe what you looked at on the website (2-3 sentences, make sure you write enough to really make it clear that you spent time looking at the website).
This website features portraits taken by a photographer in berlin. the pictures are of dogs falling through the air. 
3.     What did you learn new?
I learned to be more creative with the portraits i take and that i should start photographing my furry friends because they can be the cutest models.
4.     If possible, post your favorite photo from the site.
ABOVE
5.     If you have a photo to post, please answer the following questions:
a.     Why did you pick this photo? You can see the fear in the dogs eyes and its honestly adorable.
b.     What rules of photography do you see in the photo? They used the background rule because the background is completely blank. 
c.     Who took the photo? Julia Christe

Friday, November 14, 2014

Architecture Intro

3 tips:

6. Reflections add an extra dimension to architectural images and allow the photographer to create a canvas on which the building can be playfully distorted. Urban environments are littered with a multitude of reflective surfaces, so you’ll never have to look too far to practice, for example: windows, water features, puddles and wet streets, sunglasses, rivers and modern art.


1. Be sensitive to the direction of light as this can increase contrast, shadows, textures and reflections. High levels of contrast can fool cameras into exposing the scene incorrectly, but shooters can easily overcome this by applying exposure compensation. Another trick is to bracket shots at different exposure values (exposing one for the highlights, one for the midtones and one for the shadows) and later merge them in a dedicated HDR program (such as Photomatix).

Include the Fence

A fence can be an important image element. In the left-hand photo below (from Gotland, Sweden), the fence works with the trees to frame the barn. It helps that the fence is not brightly lit and is a bit out of focus. The viewer's eye will therefore naturally be drawn to the main subject of the photo, i.e., the barn. In the right-hand photo, from Cape Cod, the fence immediately clues a viewer into the exclusive nature of the beach club.


1. Why did you pick this photo (be specific and write at least a paragraph)?
I love the colors of the sunrise on the side of the building. It gives to photo dimension as well as making it more dynamic. Also, i like that the photo captured the twisting building. It was an unexpected aspect in the city scene. 
2. Reflect on the lighting - where is it coming from, what time of day do you think the photo was taken, what is the light source, is the lighting good enough, what would you do if you had to light that type of source.
3. Reflect on the angle the photo was taken - where was the photographer standing in relation to the subject, what did the photographer have to do to achieve that angle, is the entire subject in the photo, do you think there is another angle that would have been better, where would that be and how would you achieve that photo

The lighting is coming from the sun which is rising in the photo(morning) to the right of the buildings. I believe that the lighting is good enough, If i took this shot i would make sure to have an iso of about 400 in order to keep the photo bright but not grainy.  

The photographer was facing the corner of the street head on from across the street. I think the picture would have been better if he got down lower. 
4. Reflect on the composition - are there rules of photography evident, do the traditional rules of photography apply to architecture photography, how can one get some of those traditional rules of photography involved in an architecture photo.
He put the subject in the center of the photo. I think i would like the picture better if he used rule of thirds. He also used leading lens by showing the buildings that continue down the street and lead up to his subject.
1. Why did you pick this photo (be specific and write at least a paragraph)?
I like the colors in the photo and the light shining through the stained glass windows. I also liked the able at which the photo was taken.
2. Reflect on the lighting - where is it coming from, what time of day do you think the photo was taken, what is the light source, is the lighting good enough, what would you do if you had to light that type of source.
The lighting is natural and is coming in through the stained glass windows that are surrounding the photographer. The lighting is good enough. If i were to take this photo, I may have added a source of artificial light shining up to show the detail on the ceiling better.
3. Reflect on the angle the photo was taken - where was the photographer standing in relation to the subject, what did the photographer have to do to achieve that angle, is the entire subject in the photo, do you think there is another angle that would have been better, where would that be and how would you achieve that photo
The photographer was standing underneath this dome and pointed his camera up at the ceiling. I like the angle the way it is. The entire subject is in the photo. 
4. Reflect on the composition - are there rules of photography evident, do the traditional rules of photography apply to architecture photography, how can one get some of those traditional rules of photography involved in an architecture photo. 
The photographer did not use rule of thirds but i like that the photo is centered. They did use leading lines in this photograph. 
1. Why did you pick this photo (be specific and write at least a paragraph)?
I like the gloominess of this photo and the emotion that it evokes. I also like that the colors are very muted so that the red stands out. 
2. Reflect on the lighting - where is it coming from, what time of day do you think the photo was taken, what is the light source, is the lighting good enough, what would you do if you had to light that type of source.
The lighting is coming from behind the building. I think this was taken earlier in the day like around noon. I think the lighting is good enough but the photographer may have edited the picture to be too dark. 
3. Reflect on the angle the photo was taken - where was the photographer standing in relation to the subject, what did the photographer have to do to achieve that angle, is the entire subject in the photo, do you think there is another angle that would have been better, where would that be and how would you achieve that photo
The photo was most likely taken from the 2nd or 3rd floor of a building adjacent to the subject of the photo. I think i would have liked the photo more if the angle was from a bit closer to the ground. 
4. Reflect on the composition - are there rules of photography evident, do the traditional rules of photography apply to architecture photography, how can one get some of those traditional rules of photography involved in an architecture photo. 
The subject is slightly off center but not quite rule of thirds composition. 

1. Why did you pick this photo (be specific and write at least a paragraph)?
I picked this photo because it is different from anything i have ever seen before. I like the use of a slower shutter speed to show the movement of the cars. 
2. Reflect on the lighting - where is it coming from, what time of day do you think the photo was taken, what is the light source, is the lighting good enough, what would you do if you had to light that type of source.
The lighting in this picture comes from the cars and the buildings in the city. It definitely is good enough. 
3. Reflect on the angle the photo was taken - where was the photographer standing in relation to the subject, what did the photographer have to do to achieve that angle, is the entire subject in the photo, do you think there is another angle that would have been better, where would that be and how would you achieve that photo. 

The angle of this photo was from above. The photographer took multiple pictures from above with a fish eye/wide angle lens and then merged all of the pictures together. I think the angle is perfect. 
4. Reflect on the composition - are there rules of photography evident, do the traditional rules of photography apply to architecture photography, how can one get some of those traditional rules of photography involved in an architecture photo.

They used leading lines as one of their traditional rules. 

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Camera Etiquette

1. We need to be polite in our photography. Don't be a hog shot. Take as many shots as you can, stay for a considerate amount of time, then get out of the way so others can have a chance. 
be mindful of your gear and how much space it takes up. Be careful when you have a big lens. Use caution with a big camera bag.Be considerate while using a tripod. 
Keep your other eye open and be aware of your surroundings. 
Make friends with people around you. They might keep an eye out for you too. 
Apologize if you make any mistakes. 
let others know-politely- of their mistakes. 
2. 
My favorite tip was the one that said to make friends with people around you. 
     a. I think this is the best suggestion because most people not think to do this. A lot of people just stay to themselves. or maybe thats just me. haha but i think this is definitely something that people should consider.
     b. Some adults at the football games are really rude when it comes to standing in front of you. 
     c. Since there is pretty much always enough space, I usually just move to the side. if there hadn't been that much space, I would politely ask them if maybe I could kneel in front of them since I'm a smaller person.

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1. Keep in mind that it is the bride and grooms day. They hired a photographer for a reason and they most likely had to pay quite a bit for it. As a professional, explain that you want to get your shot, and then you will let them get theirs. know the rules of the church. 
2. Of course this is from the perspective of a guest. But lets think about this from the professional photographers eyes.
     a. I would be polite and suggest taking turns getting shots.
     b. If you remain polite and make sure to take turns, there isn't much you can do about rude people. You just have to help them understand that you were hired for a reason, and they can have their turn after. 
     c. Set the "rules" from the very beginning so that everyone has a clear understanding. 
     d. You could ask members of the wedding party or the wedding planner since it is in their best interests for the bride and groom to be happy. They would most likely be willing to help. 

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1. Blame yourself not the equipment. Be polite in your constructive criticism. Make sure to apologize if you hit someone and move on once youve got your good shots. Make sure your friends and family dont take advantage of you. 
     a. I think the fact that people dont apologize for doing something or they just stand right in your way the whole time even when they arent taking pictures. 
     b. People photobombing your picture trying to be funny when you are trying to be serious. 
     c. I would ask them to consider how busy my life is and that if they want me to take pictures of something that would take a lot of time and commitment when i could have booked another shoot with someone willing to pay. Working for free when it is only for like less than an hour is okay, but if they want prints, then they can pay for those. Otherwise i would politely ask them to consider maybe giving a little something in return. 


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1.Choose a light lens. Streamline your camera. You want to be nimble with your camera. Bring other options and leave them in the car- have backup gear. Dress for the weather and the activity. Be open and polite. Use common courtesy and manners. Be mindful of other photographers. Share cool angles and perspectives. Share action going on that someone might have missed. Don't hog the shot. Shoot in burst mode. Stand in one spot and look in every direction. Kneel and get different angles. Keep mental notes for next time. Have fun. 
2.)
    a. Maybe the LBJ wildflower center or the botanical gardens in the spring. . 
    b. There are lots of pretty flowers and theres a lot of different things to see so you wont get the same shot over and over.  
    c. Water! It mat get hot or dress up for the cold. Make sure to have more than one lens so a camera backpack might be a good idea. 
    d. I think there are benefits for both. Cities give you more action with people and can tell more stories. 

Friday, November 7, 2014

Event Shoot #2




Creative Landscape assignment

6:21 PM
f/2.0   SS: 1/10   ISO: 3200

7:05 AM
f/5.6   SS: 1/640   ISO:800

6:18 PM
f/2.0   SS: 1/10   ISO:3200

7:08 AM
f/5.6   SS:1/640   ISO:800


Monday, November 3, 2014

Urban Landscapes

1.     Tell me 4 suggestions the two authors make to help you get better cityscapes images (2 from each site)
Site #1
-       Consider composition
-       Choose the right time

Site #2
-       Lens variety
-       Look for contrasts
2. Where in Austin could you go to capture great cityscapes? Give me a list of 3-5.
-       Zilker park
-       Congress
-       South Mopac

2. What equipment do you need to get great cityscape images?
-       Tripod
-       Wide angle Lenses
-       Filters

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Event Shoot #1


I am extremely proud of the following pictures due to the conditions i had to shoot in. The following picture were take in the cafeteria where ALL of the lights were off. The only light in the room was christmas lights, candles and the single spotlight behind the players. I had to raise my ISO to accommodate for the lighting issue. This gave the pictures a little grain but I think the overall effect was very spectacular. 

SIDENOTE: This was published on friday but in the process of editing it, I accidentally deleted the post, SORRY