Improve Photography Plus

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August's Photo Assignment...

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Well, August's photo assignment was to break key photography rules. When it comes to the rule "practice, never stop shooting, always be looking for something to shoot, etc." I won first-place (just kidding) because I definitely broke it!  Here is the photo to prove it:

(Just kidding! I was "lazy" like this cat - or should I say my priorities were in other places. This photo was not taken in August)

(Just kidding! I was "lazy" like this cat - or should I say my priorities were in other places. This photo was not taken in August)

Through the business I was able to sneak in one actual rule-breaking episode, but it didn't turn out as I'd hoped. I guess that is what you get for rushing, being pressed for time, and not thoroughly thinking through the process.

The rule I tried to break was properly exposing the scene by using the exposure triangle. I'll include it below:

Why not share your opinion?! What would you have done differently? What setting would you have used? Etc., etc... Any thoughts???

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Photography Lessons...

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I am excited to announce that over the next year I am in a mentoring program offered through Improve Photography Plus. I highly recommend subscribing to IPP if you are a photographer, as they offer a great variety of learning, editing, and other resources. I am vary privileged to be mentored by Brian McGuckin, who is a professional photographer in Indianapolis!

This month's photo challenge is capturing light - one of the most important aspects of photography. In this post I’ll share shots that I got and the process involved in taking them. More will show up when I take them - so stay tuned.

The first light shot I got was this:

Okay, that is SOOO enticing!!! But don't be fooled, that is only a candle in the cup. I snuffed it out to get the "steam". I used a mirror, glass-topped coffee table, and cloth for the background, tea-lights to add a romantic feeling, and my flash for the soft-even light. 

Okay, that is SOOO enticing!!! But don't be fooled, that is only a candle in the cup. I snuffed it out to get the "steam". I used a mirror, glass-topped coffee table, and cloth for the background, tea-lights to add a romantic feeling, and my flash for the soft-even light. 

I have never done night photography before and thought I should try my hand at it. Last night we were over at a friend's place in the country, where there aren’t too many lights around.  I decided to take advantage of the darkness while spending time with their little girls. We used a “FlashFlight” frisbee to make some drawings - this was tricky as you have to draw in mid-air, not seeing the outcome until it showed up on the LCD screen. The little girls amazed me with their creativity and ability to wrap their mind around this new concept! It was so much fun, but the best part was the excitement of the girls!!

I have never done night photography before and thought I should try my hand at it. Last night we were over at a friend's place in the country, where there aren’t too many lights around.  I decided to take advantage of the darkness while spending time with their little girls. We used a “FlashFlight” frisbee to make some drawings - this was tricky as you have to draw in mid-air, not seeing the outcome until it showed up on the LCD screen. The little girls amazed me with their creativity and ability to wrap their mind around this new concept! It was so much fun, but the best part was the excitement of the girls!!

My brother treated me to a fishing trip on one of our local ponds. Of course I could not resist taking my camera to capture the sunset - even on the boat. This shot was taken while we were heading to another section of the pond.

My brother treated me to a fishing trip on one of our local ponds. Of course I could not resist taking my camera to capture the sunset - even on the boat. This shot was taken while we were heading to another section of the pond.