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Monthly Archives: March 2011
Big Time Debate in Babyland
What do you think these babies are talking about?
Just because children can’t speak doesn’t mean they aren’t aware of how adults behave. These two are acting like they’re at the office water cooler talking about which way share prices are going to go for Proctor and Gamble with the latest mega absorbent diaper product launch.
Either way, it’s quite humorous and remarkable.
Have fun and enjoy the show.
Sometimes I Know Where I’m Going…
…But Never Get There.
Most of the time I would just pack up and go. Sometimes I had a rough idea for a destination or I knew exactly where I was going and never got there. You know what they say. It’s so much more about the journey than the destination.
I’ve been scavenging and putting some favorite photos from years past into a folder fer fixin. Back then my shooting and editing skills were OK and the photos I’m finding turned out well enough to be able to develop them properly today.
A mini gallery of some of those archival digs.
Canada is arguably the world’s best backyard and Ontario has more to offer than I might have imagined before I started hitting the trails way back when. Every back road has a story. I don’t know the names of many roads, but point to one of my photos and I can take you there.
A click click here and a click click there.
I can’t resist to add one more.
This is Shadow. He’s belongs to Brian, a hiking buddy. Shadow has been on many a hike with us. Isn’t he a fantastic canine? Click to enlarge.
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
- Wayne Dyer
Hope you’re getting out there and having some fun. If you have any suggestions, drop me a line.
Stay tuned. Stay well.
1 Minute and 45 Seconds to Reflect
It’s not a big YouTube hit. It’s very unassuming. Some might find it compelling.
If only it were this easy.
1 minute and 45 seconds.
Today’s Photo Quackery? White Balance
These ducklings set themselves down to nestle in a narrow beam of sunlight for warmth.
In the original shot, the color, although seemingly natural wasn’t quite right. Somewhat lacking the vibrancy of the warm afternoon sun. Perhaps my choice of White Balance setting took away the warm hues of the afternoon sun? Yes, I am human. In any case some post editing know-how took care of that.
White balance is the key to color trueness. The white balance setting is familiar to most every digital camera on the planet. Here’s more on white balance and how to use it.
Every time I pick up the camera, one of the first functions I always check is white balance.
The revised shot. Warmer colors. Click to enlarge.
Please help me get out of automatic shooting mode!
Find all those buttons and functions intimidating?
Most anyone can take better photos by applying simple photography basics.
Once you begin getting comfortable with some simple experimenting, you start getting used to changing some basic settings. You’ll get familiar. No more fumbling.
You’ll start developing a second nature just by practicing and having fun. That’s going to result in some photographic gems happening more often.
Click, click, click.
Bad Weather, Better Shots?
With digital, if you learn from your mistakes we can all be geniuses.
It’s a bright sunny day with blue skies…blah?
I’ll take a questionable weather forecast anytime when it comes to nature photography. Cloudy with a chance of rain is perfect. A sky full of clouds is texture, drama and so much more visually emotive than blue space.
I just don’t have to deal with messy darkroom chemicals. I tried film developing long ago. It was fun watching images come to life in the chemical bath. I found it expensive to learn from my mistakes. With digital, if you learn from your mistakes, we can all be geniuses. You can experiment to your hearts content, click, click, click and view the outcomes.
So take lots of shots and experiment. Pure experience is the best teacher of all.
Top it off with a smattering of HDR and a pinch of PhotoShop.
The Bruce Peninsula, Ontario, Canada, 2003.
You aren’t shy are you?
Comments, questions, discussions are always welcomed. Have fun, take lots of photos and share them. Photos are meant to be seen.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! Ft. Heather Clemons
A fun and creative approach to great portrait photography.
Heather Clemons
She’s refined her craft, grown her experience and the playful creativity is an eyeful of fun. Heather is masterful in the studio with lighting and at getting the most fun out of her subjects. Fun is good.
We interviewed Heather to find out a little more about her and what she does best.
Hi Heather, thanks for taking this time to share your photography with us. Tell us about yourself and what got you started.
I majored in photography at Middle Tennessee State University, but started college as a vocal performance major with dreams of being a famous opera singer. I soon discovered that saying you want to be a famous opera singer is like saying you want to be a dinosaur when you grow up. Photography was the best decision I ever made. I felt at home when I first picked up my camera. I have a lot of other weird hobbies: Singing, belly dancing, and sword fighting. Sometimes in front of an audience, so I’m a unique kind of crazy. Photography is my one true love and what I always “come home to”, if you know what I mean.
Do you have any tips for directing your subjects to get the kind of shots you’re looking for?
I’ve worked a lot in portraiture with a company and on my own. I’m a HUGE people person. The goal is to get to know my subject through photography. I like to be organically and emotionally connected during a shoot and though I’ve been told I’m great at directing, I’ll only tweak a little when needed. I treat direction like regular conversation, letting ideas flow. My best shots were made when we all just goofed off and tried ridiculous things. I have a lot of creative, amazingly talented friends, so that helps too.
When it comes to lighting, in your more recent work, are you using studio lighting? What works for you?
Oh god yes, I use studio lighting. In college, studio lighting was my favorite class. I still use equipment from the University a lot of the time because they have some amazing stuff. I like keeping it simple with lighting setups because I believe the simpler, the better. The equipment I generally use is Profoto, and my favorite thing ever in the whole world is the Octolight. It’s magical, I swear.
What about outdoor / natural lighting? What’s your take on that?
I let natural light speak to me. Sometimes the cosmos is creating perfect lighting conditions just for me, or in some cases, that I’m challenged to find it myself. Am I getting a little too philosophical? I promise I’m not actually insane, only slightly. I like to take my time outdoors as well with bracketing exposures, trying different angles and seeing what creates the most striking effects. I obsess a little, both behind the camera and in post-process. I play around in Photoshop like it’s a video game, because it’s fun.
What’s your preferred portrait lens(es) and/or range of focal length(s)?
A 50mm f/1.8 lens is just about the most versatile thing in the whole entire world for me. It got me through college. I have a Sigma 55-200mm lens, but I really don’t use it as often. The 18-55mm kit lens that came with my Nikon really isn’t that bad and has gotten me through. I’d like to venture into a super nice wide-angle lens. I’m not exactly rolling in the Benjamins and these things take time. I’ve learned to work with what I have. It’s not the equipment you have that makes you a great photographer, it’s what you’re able to create with what you have that matters.
When it comes to camera functions and features, what are the settings you pay most attention to?
The basics. Aperture, shutter speed, ISO. If you can control them with a basic knowledge of the zone system, then it almost doesn’t matter what kind of fancy specs your camera has, in my opinion. It all comes down to understanding light, how your camera captures light and how you can manipulate it. If you can do that – shazam, great photographs! The only other thing I care about, is being able to quickly change/navigate those settings on my camera.
Is there anything new you want to explore?
I’ve really been exploring the world of multiplicity and I want to take those concepts outside the studio to expand my portfolio. And I really wanna experiment with HDR photography, a desire which actually started after I read your blog and researched more about the possibilities. I started my obsession with multiplicity the same way. After I started blogging, I learned a lot and have found much inspiration while writing, making me better at my craft everyday. I’ve been humbled by those that come to my blog looking for expertise, because it’s such a source of growth for me too!
Ultimately, I just hope to keep pushing myself past what I thought I could do and eventually, take over the world.
Heather, it’s been a pleasure getting to know you. We’ll be watching you and your work in the years to come. Thank you for sharing!
Heather Clemons inspires other budding photographers with her approach in creating imagery that entertains and draws you in.
Check out Heather’s blog and her photostream at heatherclemons.com.
The Bruce Trail, Today’s Point and Shoot Photo
It’s was an awesome journey.
The Bruce Trail in Ontario covers over 800 kms (about 500 miles). The south terminus is in Niagara Falls, Queenston Heights Park. The north terminus is at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula in the town of Tobermory.
Canada’s oldest and longest footpath, provides the only continuous public access to the magnificent Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. It is one of only fifteen such reserves in all of Canada.
It is entirely built and maintained by volunteers for the purpose of protecting the Niagara Escarpment, the most significant land form in southern Ontario.
This photo is from the Hamilton, Ontario area of the trail.
The kicker…
This was taken 11 years ago on October 30, 2000 with a 3.1 megapixel point and shoot camera.
I was somewhat surprised when reviewing the exif shooting data expecting it might have been shot using one of my first digital SLRs, but no. A simple fixed lens point and shoot dinosaur. It sort of drives home the point made with the You Can Create Point and Shoot Magic! article.
Always work a “copy” of your original photos.
Two things will always change:
- Your editing skills
- and editing technology.
You will always get better results working on an untouched original digital photo, then one where the pixels have already been pushed around.
Some editing savvy helps too.
Of course there’s always some editing magic!
It’s a JPEG opened as Camera RAW. Know where I’m going with this? Yep, created 3 exposures in the PhotoShop RAW editor, then off the Photomatix Pro HDR Tone Mapping / Fusion using those exposures to be blended together, maximizing details.
Now, back to PhotoShop with a little Clone Stamping to fix some minor hot spots (blow outs). Then some very selective light Dodge and Burn for contrast in the cracks of the rocks. Just about done with a touch of selective color desaturation and saturation. Lastly, the final topping is the Smart Sharpening.
Thanks again for dropping by. If you have any questions or comments, you’re always welcomed to share.
Niagara Falls
This view is from the Canadian side looking across to the left section of Niagara’s famous Horseshoe Falls.
I’ve no idea how many thousands of images I have to go through, but scavenging is always a lot of fun. Recently the system was upgraded to a 2TB back up with a 1TB external media drive and a few older hard drives in storage.
Here’s today’s photo.
(Click the image to view larger version)
What did you shoot today?
Questions are always welcomed.
Meant To Be In Black & White
I reworked a few photos of Daniel for the first time in black and white (slight residual color). They were meant to be like this. Stripping away the distraction of color changes everything.
Some background to these photos
Daniel is a free spirited war veteran, street wise and most often quite comfortable with his way of life on the streets. He muses at the hustle and bustle of us city folk everyday. He’s had his panhandling corner for a very long time and everyone knows him. Daniel had plenty of support from people in the adjacent office tower, the police and even lawyers at the Law Society up the street.
On my trips down to the city, we sat and talked on many occasions. Well, mostly I listened. Daniel had a colorful life filled with adventure and mischief. He spoke like a gypsy philosopher and was a sort of renaissance man with diverse talents.
I look to the corner where I used to delight in his stories, hoping I might by chance see him.
I haven’t seen Daniel for a few years now. Still when I pass, I look to the corner where I used to delight in his stories, hoping I might by chance see him. Word was that Daniel and his wife were off the streets having been able to obtain some kind of government assistance with the help of others. That may have taken some convincing knowing Daniel.
Stay well Daniel.
Marc’s Workflow Notes:
- Shot in RAW format
- Open in PhotoShop RAW editor
- Save three exposures +2, 0, -2
- Open and process all exposures in Photomatix Pro, Tone Mapping / Fusion (Fusion used to be Details Enhancer)
- Save HDR result as JPEG and open in PhotoShop
- Lab Sharpening Technique (I’ll reissue this technique here at MAMA in an upcoming article. It’s a must know basic for all budding photographers)
- Image/Adjust/Hue and Saturation and move Saturation slider left
- Dodge Highlights, burn shadows at about 11% with a soft brush to punch contrast.
Have fun and make photography an adventure. Try new things!
Same Shot, Two Different Nature Photos?
We’ve all done this at one time or other.
If you have a favorite shot, you can create vastly differing variations of the same scene.
A different time of day and more dramatically, a different season.
More recently the winter photo below with an entirely unique feel from the original summer capture lower down.
Some nature photography tips included.
Nature Photography Tips:
Think of it as “Mining for visual gems.”
- Don’t forget, you can turn the camera sideways for portrait orientation. Portrait orientation adds lots of visual depth to step into with your eyes, namely at the base of your scene composition all the way through to the distant horizon.
- Move the zoom in and out and scan from side to side, picking out and clicking the compositions you like.
- You can zoom out a little when you find a scene you like that might need a little cropping. Better to have more than not enough to work with.
- Wide angle focal lengths tend to be favorable for nature scenes and full focus from front to back.
- To keep everything in focus from front to back, move the aperture’s f/number setting higher (using a wide angle lens and focal length is under 50mm).
- Keep an eye on the shutter speed as you up the aperture f/number. If you start getting down below 1/30 of a second shutter, you might want to use a tripod or risk blurry hand held shots. You may still be able to shoot hand held and compensate by increasing the ISO setting which in turn boosts your shutter speed.
- Change your physical position. When shooting wide angle, just a few steps in any direction can change your scene a lot. Look around, try different locations. Look at the landscape for different elevations too. You can get a lot out of a favorite spot by moving around.
The Canadiana Photo Compilation has a number of wide angle scenes. You’ll find some tips here too on wide angle drama.
Get inspired, get out there and shoot. Practice your craft and have fun!
What do you think? Have any of your own tips to share? Your thoughts…
Featured Portrait Tip by Alison Greenwood
Alison Greenwood is getting attention.
She had one of her photos featured on the famous Times Square marquee in New York City. I’ve known Ali for a few years and have watched her grow into a masterful photographer with a reputation for extraordinary portraiture.
Here’s a notable portrait we just spotted and Ali has always been generous in sharing her techniques with others.
Here’s a recent portrait followed by how it was set up:
How’d she do that?…
I highly recommend visiting Alison Greenwood’s website.
Thanks again Ali!
Earth From Above
“Earth From Above” is the result of the aerial photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s five-year airborne odyssey across six continents. It’s a spectacular presentation of large scale photographs of astonishing natural landscapes. Every stunning aerial photograph tells a story about our changing planet.
Yann Arthus-Bertrand
“With Earth from above, I simply want people to see the Earth as it is today, as faithfully as possible. What motivates me is the impact a photograph can make within the framework of environmental preservation. The great novelty of our time is that mankind has the power to change its environment and I want my photos to testify to this fact so people can realize this.”
~ Yann Arthus-Bertrand
“Earth from Above” has been seen by more than 120 million people as a touring exhibition; as a lavish coffee-table book it has sold more than 3 million copies in 24 different languages.
Coal mine in South Africa
Favelas in Rio de Janeiro
Ruins of the medieval city of Shali, Egypt
Military cemetery in Verdun, France
Mountains near Jengish, Kyrgyzstan
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
Suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa
Suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark
Tasmania, Australia
Freeways in Los Angeles, USA
Yann Arthus-Bertrand, born 1946 in France, has become globally famous as a nature photographer. During his career he discovered the beauty of the world as seen from above when he became a hot air balloon pilot and began experimenting with aerial photography.
Besides photography, Yann passionately engages in non-profit projects for different organizations. As an artist, documentarian and advocate, Yann Arthus-Bertrand demonstrates the power of images to convey universal emotion, understanding and shared appreciation for our planet and its inhabitants. For this reason, he is recognized worldwide as one of the most important and respected environmentalists of our time.
Please visit Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s website
We Are Amazing
The most fascinating species on the planet?
Living in the wildest places on earth.
Struggling to survive.
Uniquely in the animal kingdom, humans have managed to adapt and thrive in every environment on Earth. All the extremes of our planet: the arctic, mountains, oceans, jungles, grasslands, deserts, rivers and even the urban jungle. People who survive by building complex, exciting and often mutually beneficial relationships with their animal neighbors and the hostile elements of the natural world.
Sigma Updates 12-24mm Ultra Wide Angle Lens -
Not that the previous version was bad, now the updated version is just going to be better.
Sigma 12-24mm Ultra Wide Angle Lens Highlights:
- Image circle large enough for use with 35mm film SLRs and DSLRs with full-frame sensors.
- Superior peripheral brightness and provides sharp, high-contrast images, even at maximum apertures.
- Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensures quiet, high-speed auto-focus while allowing full-time manual focus override.
- Minimum focusing distance is 28cm (11.0″) throughout the entire zoom range.
- Maximum magnification ratio of 1:6.4.
- Splashproof design for use in harsh conditions.
The Optics – Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 II EX DG HSM
- Has a Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass element and four FLD glass elements with performance equal to fluorite glass and to compensate for color aberration while providing excellent image quality throughout the entire zoom range.
- Super Multi-Layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting.
- Three glass-mold elements and one hybrid aspherical lens offer advanced performance in a compact and lightweight construction.
Availability
Canon, Nikon and Sigma versions will be available in Canada in May for about the same $1,100 retail. Sony version will be available around June.
I think I’m in on test driving this one. I’ll let you know when that happens and share some photos with you. Ultra wide angles can be very dramatic. This will be fun.
Got any questions, comments, thoughts? It’s your turn.
An Awesome World – Photography by Fabio Celeita (HDR)
It’s not just the HDR effects. A great photo gets things started.
After flying under the radar for a while, Fabio Celeita surfaced again and dove into HDR photography. He picked it up at a pretty intense pace. He’s been inspiring his friends on facebook and back at the Sharing Digital Photography Worldwide Forums.
HDR = High Dynamic Range.
What is HDR Processing?
Any camera, film or digital, is unable to register the range of light in a manner that the human eye perceives it.When you have a photo with hot spots or blow outs (opaque white areas that other wise has details you could see) or the inverse of solid black areas with details you could see with your eyes, these are the typical shortfalls of photography. HDR processing help resolve the expansive dynamic range of light by using a range of exposures and taking the best of lightest and darkest details, then blending them with the average exposure.
Given that most HDR processing often has the appearance of an illustration, the dynamic range can be more realistic. One thing is for certain. Most find it visually engaging.
Let’s view of some of Fabio’s personal choices and ask some questions.
So what attracted you to trying HDR? There is something about HDR that I find surreal and very appealing. It is also unique, although some dismiss it as a technical flaw in digital photography; I believe it actually enhances the realm of possibilities within digital photography.
What or who were some of your influences in getting started? My original inspiration for learning HDR was you Marc. I’ve always been amazed by your photography, and although I lost touch for some years due to my career keeping me extremely busy, I always took peeks at your work from time to time. One day I saw your HDR section and the rest is history. I was hooked from the first image!
It’s not easy, but what are your 3 favorite HDR shots, why?
Favorite #1 Grandpa & Sofia: One of my favorites because I feel it captures a very tender moment between my dad and my oldest daughter.
Favorite #2 Huntington Beach Pier: An amazing sunset in California in which the HDR enhanced the beauty of the sunset.
Favorite #3 Sofia: One of my first "portraits" in HDR. It enhanced the sky and clouds leading to the subject. Add her dramatic pose and it makes for one of my favorites!
What range of focal length or lenses do you tend to use? I use all sorts of different lenses ranging from the 18-55 IS kit lens, the Canon EF-S 10-22mm (a favorite) but now replaced with the Canon EF 17-40mm L and EF 70-200mm F/4 (Non-IS) version. If I were to venture and guess the actual range that I enjoy shooting in the most, first would be the 10-12mm range for wide angle photos, then the 35-60mm range for portraits, as well as 70-100mm ranges.
Any ideas you have in the back of your mind you’re thinking about trying? I would like to try aerial photography in HDR. Also structure photography with a “tilt” lens in HDR format. I’ve yet to find photography of either in HDR format.
When you look ahead, what do you want to accomplish with photography? I’ll to continue to chronicle the lives of my 2 daughters as they grown up so they can have those memories. I’ll continue learning more about photography and feel that my skills are still at the novice level. I’ll continue to grow and enhance skills. The ultimate personal goal would be to leave my corporate job and become a full time photographer.
Are you having fun? I am having a blast and I believe that it shows through my photographs. Photography is an outlet that allows me to escape the hustle and bustle of the business world with a way to express myself and share what I see on a daily basis through my camera lens.
Here’s more HDR eye candy for you courtesy Fabio Celeita :
Special thanks to Fabio Celeita for sharing his fine work with here at MAMA.
Know any remarkable photographers on the rise? Let us know. They could get a feature here!
Anyone is welcome to join in and share comments.
Talk