ELECTRIC ANEMONE

I have discovered that one of the things I like best about photography is taking a photograph and making it something different. 

I balk at calling what I do 'art' because I really don't believe I have earned the right to call myself an artist. A 'creative exercise' feels much more comfortable.

Here is today's creative exercise.

Last spring, I took this photograph of an anemone. When I look at it, I think of white linen and pearls.  

A couple of years ago, a meme appeared on my Facebook feed asking what I would buy if someone gave me $50. Books, of course! I have to modify that response now. Extra $50? Books and photo editing software! 

Today, I purchased Topaz Lab's Glow 2. (It was on sale!) I had to take my new toy out for a spin. I rotated the photograph, cropped it a bit, and reduced the exposure of the background to get rid of distractions. Then it was time to release the lovely anemone's inner wild child!

Still lovely, in my opinion, but now with just a bit of attitude!

'Electric Anemone'

FLOWERS IN MOONLIGHT

Last week, the moon was gloriously full. I arrived home late one evening to find bright moonlight streaming in through the large glass panel in the back door, creating a long, sharply etched pool of light on the tile floor.

Capturing the effect would be a wonderful opportunity for me to practice night photography techniques. I crossed my fingers, hoping the next night would be clear, and began thinking through 'the shoot'. 

Initially, I thought to only shoot the moonlight on the tile. Simple, dramatic.

Dramatic, yes, but maybe too simple. The composition needed something. As sunset approached, I gathered white nicotiana from my garden and placed them in a clear glass vase. 

Backlit by the moonlight, the petals of the nicotiana glowed. The stretched and slightly smudged shadow cast by the flowers provided an interesting contrast to the straight lines on the floor.

SUSAN VERSUS HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE

In the post prior to this one, I wrote about taking photographs of the waterfall where the buildings and sky in the background were too bright...

...or the waterfall was too dark, but the buildings and sky looked better.

I went in search of a solution and learned about high dynamic range. (What did we do before the internet?)

• Read the online article HDR: A Beginner's Guide to High Dynamic Range Photography  http://www.digitaltrends.com/how-to/what-is-hdr-beginners-guide-to-high-dynamic-range-photography/#ixzz4AuCyvzLV
• Watched a video by Canon on HDR photography          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP8MRjxY86w
• Studied the manual that came with my camera (not much help there, really) 
• Upgraded my copy of Lightroom to Lightroom CC
• Played with the settings on my camera
• Shot a few practice photos
• Played with the settings on my camera
• Shot a few practice photos
• Played with the settings on my camera
• Shot a few practice photos

Finally it was time to load up Enzo and head back to Bellevue Downtown Park. I was ready to tame the high dynamic range beast. 

Golden Hour √

Tripod √

Camera √

Memory Card S**t!

The next evening, I returned, memory card inside my camera. 

Golden Hour √

Tripod √

Camera √

Memory Card √√

Bellevue Skyline √

Waterfall... wasn't operating... Noooo..... followed by S**t!

I tell you all this in explanation as to why the final photograph doesn't include the waterfall. What you see in the foreground is the pool at the top of the waterfall. 

There was no way I was leaving the park without my prize, so I took this photograph. Not what I was hoping for, but not a bad beginning.

PHOTOGRAPHY FUN WITH A PHOTOGRAPHY FRIEND

We've been blessed with temperatures in the 80s in the Seattle area the last few days. Saturday evening, my photography buddy Joy and I headed out to enjoy the early taste of summer and practice our newly acquired knowledge about shutter speed. 

Our destination: Bellevue Downtown Park. The centerpiece of the park is a waterfall feature, the perfect place for a shutter speed exercise. 

Shutter speeds allows the photography to depict motion in her photograph. In the case of a waterfall, a fast shutter speed stops the fall of water in its tracks, so to say. A slow shutter speed, on the other hand, smooths the falling water, giving it an ethereal, hazy quality.

(When doing photography with Joy, you can be certain she will chronicle the endeavor.)

After reviewing my photographs at home, I wasn't thrilled with the results. We took our photographs during the Golden Hour, the magical hour of golden light before sunset. The light was indeed gorgeous, but the waterfall was in the shade, while above and behind the waterfall, the shining glass and metal buildings of downtown Bellevue were in bright sunlight. To make a long story short, I had issues with the exposure of the photographs that showed the waterfall against a backdrop of buildings. The waterfall was too dark; the buildings too bright. The exposure issue called for additional study, followed by a reshoot.

I did, however, get a couple of good shots of a Mallard duck and her drake at ease in the pool below the waterfall. I liked how the slow shutter speed had smoothed out the waves of the pool. The stillness of the ducks, the reflection of light off the softly rippling water gave the photograph an air of cool serenity. I added a filter to fade the color of the photograph, further enhancing the sense of restfulness.

PHOTOGRAPHING A PHLOMIS

I gave myself the following challenge:

1. Photograph the phlomis blooming in my garden
2. Take the photograph in situ
3. Use my Nikon Coolpix point-and-shoot camera, without a tripod
4. Take the photograph in the bright light of midday

Behold the phlomis...

I am a big fan of this plant. I love its unusual form, boldness, quilted leaves and whorls of fuzzy flowers. It's like a cheerful yellow exclamation point in my garden. That said, I found it a difficult subject to photograph. Should I try to capture its statuesque beauty? Or should I zero in on the flowers?

I decided to go close up, taking the photograph at a bit of an angle. I converted the photograph to black and white so the wonderful form and texture of the flower took centerstage.

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 40: PIECES

CaptureYour365 
Week 5: Inspiration Week
Day 40: 'Pieces'


It's been a busy week. Today's post is actually a challenge from last week. It is also from my archives.

The photograph is a close-up of a small section of a lantern, usually lit with a candle, but in this case, placed in a sunny window. Small pieces of colored glass arranged in a rough herringbone pattern create a glowing mosaic.

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 37: 'DUAL'

CaptureYour365 
Week 5: Inspiration Week
Day 37: 'Dual'

This post sort of harkens back to Day 14: Black & White. If you would like to take a look at that post, here is the link... 

http://susanthroughtheviewfinder.blogspot.com/2016/01/captureyour365-prompt-14-black-and.html

Perhaps not the most imaginative photograph, but a fun still life to do.

In keeping with the prompt 'dual', everything in the photograph is in pairs, even the colors: black & white (OK, more like shades of black and white). Added a filter to give the photograph an aged, scratched appearance.

'Salt & Pepper'

FRIDAY FOTOGRAPHY FUN

Last Friday, I shared the second assignment from the iPhone photography class I took in November. 

Today, I want to present the last assignment for that class.

I was to take photographs for a magazine of my creation. Those photographs were to include: 

• Cover photograph
• Two-page spread photograph
• Inset photograph

*****

Before proceeding, I need to acknowledge the help of the following individuals.

• A big THANK YOU to Tracy who does my nails and allowed me to take photographs in her shop. 
• A big THANK YOU to Tracy's staff for letting me follow them around as they did their work.
• A big THANK YOU to Tracy's clients who allowed me to photograph them and use those photograph in my assignment.

*****

The photographs shown were all taken with my iPhone and edited with iPhone applications.

All Rights Reserved

Original photograph for cover shot

Final photograph for cover shot: All color removed except for reds to focus attention on color of toenails. Text added for the name of my fictitious magazine.

Original photograph for two-page spread

Final photograph for two-page spread: Cropped to two-page spread dimensions and filters used to intensify colors.

Original photograph for inset 

Final photograph for inset: All color removed except for browns to focus attention to face and hands.

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 35: 'ROCKY'

CaptureYour365 
Week 5: Inspiration Week
Day 35: 'Rocky'


Lovely morning here today. Before the sun disappeared behind the increasing overcast, I headed down to Lake Washington to get a 'rocky' photograph.

'Rocky'

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 33 & 34: 'FOLDED' & 'COARSE'

CaptureYour365 
Week 5: Inspiration Week
Day 33 & 34: 'Folded' & 'Coarse'


It took me a couple of days to figure out how to approach this assignment.  In the end, I decided to combine two prompts into one photograph.

I used my Nikon Coolpix point-and-shoot camera to photograph an anthurium flower in natural light. Keep in mind the prompts 'folded' and 'coarse'. 

Anthurium flower unedited

Personally, I found photographing an anthurium flower a bit difficult. Everything about this plant is BOLD: its foliage, its flowers, the color of the flower.

So, I decided not to fight the anthurium's boldness. 

I cropped the photograph into a square and added a filter to intensify the color of the entire flower to a screaming tropical orange. I like how the color and the flower's shape now give a borderline abstract quality of the photograph. 

Then, I decided to go the other direction.

I did a little different crop and added a filter that removed the color. No color allows the 'folded' and 'coarse' qualities of the flower to pop. Now, the photograph reminds me of an old botany print.

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 32: 'FROSTY'

CaptureYour365 
Week 5: Inspiration Week
Day 32: 'Frosty'


Seattle really isn't known for it's frosty winters. Rain, yes; 'freeze-dried rain', not so much. If you feel the urge to make a snow angel, you'll need to head for the mountains.

Right now it's 43° outside. Wasn't even cold enough last night for frost. Brisk, yes, but definitely not frosty. It's off to the archives I go...

I took the photograph below last July in Norway, high up in the mountains of the Jotunheimen. This is, according to Norwegian folklore, the home of the giants. I didn't see any giants, but I did see members of the Norwegian Olympic cross-country ski team. 

Of course, one could argue, when it comes to cross-country skiing, Norwegians are giants.

This was an excellent photograph to work on my white balance skills in editing. The original photograph has a distinct blue cast. It feels cold, lonely, isolated. If that was effect I was going for, I would be happy.

  
But, what if I didn't want such a strong blue cast? What if I wanted the snow to be whiter? I have to adjust the white balance. Bring more yellow into to offset the blue.

After adjusting the white balance, the snow in the photograph above is much whiter. 

I thought it still a bit too much on the blue-gray side. I up the whites for the final photograph below. It looks like a black and white photograph except for the exposed ground in the middle of the frame showing a hint of color.

'Somewhere in Jotunheimen'

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 31: 'TEXTURE'

CaptureYour365 
Week 5: Inspiration Week
Day 31: 'Texture'


I decided to add another level of 'challenge' to today's assignment by using my Nikon Coolpix 'point and shoot' camera. 

With Enzo, my dog, in tow, I headed out on my photographic safari. 

Today's offering: 'Sedums on Rocks'

A nice photography. Lots of texture, for sure. I wanted something with just a bit more punch.

A few filters later, I had this result.

FRIDAY FOTOGRAPHY FUN

Last Friday, I wrote about the iPhone photography class I took and how I was inspired to use the wonderful editing apps available.

Today, I want to share with you the second assignment for that class.

For the second assignment, I was to photograph the following: 

• Sky
• Portrait
• Night

The photographs shown were all taken with my iPhone and edited with iPhone applications.

All Rights Reserved

Original Photograph: 'Sky'

And turned it into this...

For the second part of the assignment, I went to my favorite model, Joy.

Original photograph: 'Portrait'

And turned Joy's portrait into this...

I love how the photograph of Joy turned out. There is something about it that makes me think of a Renaissance-era portrait, updated, of course.

Unfortunately, I wasn't pleased with any of the night photographs I took. I am, therefore, substituting the photograph below. A wonderful sunset shot and a very lucky one at that! Taken with my iPhone and edited to intensify the color.

'Seattle Sunset'

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 27: CURVED

CaptureYour365 
Week 4: Composition Week
Day 27: 'Curved'


As I did with the prompt 'Black and White', I decided to go literal with this assignment. 

This is where I started...'curvy' eggs in a 'curvy' bowl.

'Eggs in a Bowl'

Curves are calming. The photograph above has a calm feel. 

The color white, however, can be stark. I learned this lesson years ago when shopping for my wedding dress. After helping me into a white wedding gown, the woman assisting me stepped back, paused for a moment, a forefinger tapping thoughtfully on her lips, and then said in a lovely English accent something along the lines of, "Darling, white is not your color." I am blonde, blue-eyed and have a very fair complexion. Pasty, actually, with hints of blue. A professor in college would ask me routinely if I was sick. NO! 

But I digress... The Englishwoman (I really should know her name. Seems rather tacky not to remember the name of the woman who sold me the dress I was married in...) trotted me back out the racks where I was instructed to limit my choices to ivory. 

The 'take-home' message: white can be harsh.  

Wanting to enhance the sense of calm, I added an antique filter to the photograph. 

'Eggs in a Bowl 2.0'  

Definitely a softer image.

I then started thinking about what I could do so the objects in the photograph (eggs and bowl) would become secondary to their curved lines. Does that make sense? 

A 'faded paper' filter resulted in the photograph being less about the eggs and the bowl and more about their curves. I also like the ethereal, dreamy quality the photograph now has.

I give you 'Curved'

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 25: 'A FAVORITE'

CaptureYour365 
Week 4: Composition Week
Day 25: 'A Favorite'


This is a busy week, so I have gone to my achieves for 'A Favorite'. 

The photograph below is definitely one of my favorites. I wish I could say that I thoughtfully composed the shot, but I didn't. I 'discovered' this image when I reviewed the photographs I had taken.

In July 2014, I visited the Netherlands Open Air Museum near Arnhem. It was raining heavily that day, so I opted for my little point-and-shoot camera in lieu of my DSLR.

I was in heaven visiting the various antique houses, farms, windmills, gardens, etc. Those of you who know me know what a history buff I am. 

I took this photograph inside one of the farmhouses from the 19th century. I happened to notice an open door (the door is the brown object on the right side). There, at the end of a short hallway, stood a family of wooden shoes neatly lined up against the whitewashed wall, a spinning wheel nearby. And the lighting...it was as if the lighting was saying, "Susan, look! Take this picture!" I did. 

My little Nikon did a very nice job capturing the shot. The light was actually quite dim. I brightened things up Lightroom.  

'Wooden Shoes'

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 24: 'SPACE'

CaptureYour365 
Week 4: Technical Week
Day 24: 'Space'


Space, the final frontier...

Space, hmm....

Spent quite a bit of time pondering this prompt and how to approach the assignment.

My first idea was photographing an empty space: the room that used to be Matthew's bedroom. Simple, straightforward...

...and boring.

Time for Plan B

I liked the photograph, the lines, the blocks of color. Even the ceiling fan was an interesting shape addition. Maybe the photograph would become more interesting is if it looked a bit less realistic.

Time to try some filters.

OK, much more interesting.

How about going more impressionistic?

Alright...

I liked the photograph above (which I have nicknamed 'Ghost Room'), except for the outlet and the hazy reflection on the wall, and the register on the floor. They were a distraction and had to go.

A couple of edits and a different texture filter later...

Perhaps a bit far-fetched, but I like the lines, the blocks of light and dark, how the light and dark balance each other.

If you read this deeply into the post, THANK YOU! I am curious...which of the photographs did you like the best and why?

FRIDAY FOTOGRAPHY FUN

About a year ago, I took a photography class entitled 'Telling Better Stories'. 

Most of us arrived the first day of class packing powerful, feature-laden DSLRs. One woman had a point-and-shoot; another intended to only use her iPhone camera. 

There was a definite sense of superiority (mixed with astonishment) on the part of those of us with DSLRs at our classmates with their smaller, simpler cameras. Our instructor quickly put us in our place. He reminded us that it is not the camera that makes a truly remarkable photograph, it is the person using the camera.

To make a long story short...as the class progressed, the woman with the point-and-shoot and the woman with the iPhone again and again presented breathtakingly beautiful and original photography.

This past November, motivated by what I had seen in the 'Telling Better Stories' class, I took an iPhone photography class. It was taught by the same instructor, David Perry, who taught the 'Telling Better Stories' class. All I can say is the class was absolutely inspiring.

Which brings me to FRIDAY FOTOGRAPHY FUN...

Some of you reading this post know I use this blog to chronicle my journey towards one day, hopefully, becoming a technically proficient photographer. 

I have decided to take a break, on Fridays, from the CaptureYour365 challenge. On Friday, I want to do something different. I want to show photographs that come from the techniques and applications I learned in the iPhone photography class. 

David Perry, the instructor, is a professional photographer with decades of experience photographing, among other things, what he described as "guys in ties on business highs". He is very much a poet, both in his photography and in his writing. The first assignment, therefore, was to photograph a haiku. In other words, as I understood the instructions, simplicity.

As always...All Rights Reserved

Original Photograph: Hibiscus Flower 

Final Photograph: Haiku

If you would like to take a look at David Perry's work, here is the link to his website
http://www.davidperryphoto.com/site/DPerryPhoto.html

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 19: 'SIDELIGHT'

CaptureYour365 
Week 3: Technical Week
Day 19: 'Sidelight'


Behold Nick's sister, Emma.

Emma is actually a worse model than Nick, but I think she's jealous of all the press her sibling is getting. It's like living with the Kardashians.

For those of you getting tired of cat pictures, please keep in mind I am a woman of a certain age. You know what that means...photos of grandchildren, dogs or cats. My dog is camera-shy and I don't have any grandchildren. That leaves cats. 

Back to business...

I shot this photograph with my iPhone. Very few edits. Just cropped the photograph and opened up the shadows. I didn't bring out much of the detail of Emma's fur because I wanted her eyes to be the outstanding feature. I did convert the original photograph to black and white to add a bit more drama. 

'Prima Donna in Sidelight'

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 18: 'WITH THE SKY'

CaptureYour365 
Week 3: Technical Week
Day 18: 'With the Sky'


In yesterday's post, I wrote that Nick, my cat, is a terrible model. He must of read my post because today I found him perched in his favorite window. When I fetched my camera, rather than hop down (which is what he usually does), he stayed put!

I took this photograph with my iPhone (again, because it was handy and I didn't know how long Nick would remain cooperative). The original was underexposed so as not to blow out the sky.

Original photograph

I imported the above photograph into Lightroom. I did a lens correction, opened up the shadows and cropped it. I also converted the photograph to black & white, which I thought more dramatic.

Final photograph: 'Nick in Silhouette'

PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE 17: 'LIGHT'

CaptureYour365 
Prompt 17: 'Light'


Week 3 of the CaptureYour365 challenge: Technical Week
Day 17: Light


Hmm...how to approach this challenge... 

My cat Nick obliging decided to take a snooze in a pool of sunlight. Let there be light! 

Since Nick is the worst model ever, I knew I had to act quickly. That meant I didn't have the luxury of using my 'big' camera. What camera is ALWAYS nearby?! I grabbed my iPhone and snapped the following. 

As you can see, Nick is fairly annoyed at being disturbed from his nap. Sorry, Nick, but art waits for neither man nor beast.

At this point, I must thank a photography instructor, David Perry, for for a tip I have used time and again when shooting with my iPhone. "Go with underexposure..." Underexposing reduces blowout in the highlights and allows for the retrieval of detail in the shadows. 

The photograph above posed a few problems for a novice photographer like me. I liked the contrast between Nick and the patch of sun. Lots of detail, however, was lost in the black of his fur.

I imported Nick into Lightroom and began to play. I think I was fairly successful in my efforts. 

OK, assignment fulfilled. A good photograph, if unremarkable...except for Nick's perturbed look.

I began to wonder if I could make the ordinary more extraordinary.

First attempt at extraordinary: 'Nick in Black and White'

Not bad, if I was going old timey. 

The look on Nick's face kept nagging at me. I wanted to use it. I know the look is one of annoyance. Someone else, however, might see fear. Something about Nick's look got me thinking about posters for low budget horror movies from the 1960s. I started adding filters. 

From Scaredy Cat Productions: 'WHAT THE CAT SAW'

Don't see it alone!!