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'