30-JAN-2008
30 Jan
On my way to Best Buy today (I actually took a lunch break), I noticed a set of birch trees that had a nice stormy background and were well lit from the sun as it peeked through the clouds.
On my way back, I stopped and took a few photos, waiting from time to time as the sun was covered by the clouds. The background wasn't a clean as I'd like, there is an industrial horizon that I cropped out, but the lighting is great.
Yet another Black and White, I will get back into a color streak at some point.
Today is my last day on my Lightroom trial (whoops). Hopefully I will win a copy on eBay and not suffer any break in Lightroom service. At this point, I am addicted to it and wouldn't survive long.
29-JAN-2008
29 Jan
Though this looks like something from yesterday, I did, in fact, take it tonight.
Last night, while trying to do the SP, I got part of my unruly beard (as others have called it) and kind of liked the look. I moved in front of some brickwork for a nice background, then cropped it right out.
At first I set up my Cactus triggers until I realized I didn't have enough light for the AF. So I put the 580EX2 back on the camera and broke out the 420EX again (just like last night).
This isn't exactly what I wanted, but it will do. I am still continuing my light theme.
I think I will have to load the Canon software on my laptop to help with SP's this is a royal pain. The AF locks on when I half press the shutter and not when the shot is actually taken. This means I have to be in my position when I hit the button and wait 2 seconds for the timer to kick in. The Remote live view would be great, it would solve my low light AF problem too, as I could manually focus, using the reflected light from my laptop.
28-JAN-2008
28 Jan
Wow, this was a hard one today.
Also, hard to followup yesterdays. I can't believe that I've got over 2200 hits to my site in the past two days. I normally get about 200 a day.
So, long day, didn't get out at lunch. On the drive home, I decided to play with the Stroboscope feature on the 580EX2 only that didn't go so well. It was definately cool, but also definately looked like it was my first time mucking with the strobe.
So I had to come up with something. . .
Sticking with the playing with light.
Started with the glow from my monitor (Lightroom was active, so a greyish hue was cast) and just the 580EX on camera, pointing to camera left & bounced off wall. The initial batch was good, but my eye was too shaded. I broke out my 420EX and used it as a slave. I moved it all around, I believe that for this shot, I was hand holding the slave below camera left. I decided to open my eye wide, apparently it is a tad lazy.
I think I need more ambient to get a more clear eye shot. That might be next.
27-JAN-2008
27 Jan
Abstract nude, playing with light.
I happen to have the most wonderful model for this shot, she's been patient through a couple of sessions as I try to get the lighting and tone that I was looking for.
This was the second attempt, the goal was to shoot a B&W image with the light hitting her just right. I had to string up a black background to keep our closet doors and normal clutter out of the back of the shot. It turns out the backdrop wasn't large enough (I originally got it for head shots). The low lighting of the background and the final Post Processing pretty much underexposes any peripheral clutter.
This was one of the best shots (that we could put in the public pages), accentuating her curves.
On the shot itself, I found it ironic that the key for this shot was the use of the spot meter on the light itself. Yesterday, out on POTN (Photography On The Net), I had written that the Spot Meter was something I really wanted, but never really used.
Lighting is a South facing skylight, well difused with new snow (not to mention there was really no sun today with all the snow).
26-JAN-2008
26 Jan
This was not my original PaD idea, my wife put the kibosh on some really good photos we did earlier today which would have been perfect for pbase. Yeah, nudes, a few will go up on our walls, but not gonna make it on the internet.
However, tonight our Cub Scout pack had the local climbing wall booked for the evening. It was a blast (at least for my son, I only got to try one wall).
He was a bit hesitant at first, only making it up about 6' or so on his first climb. He'd get about a foot higher for each of his next attempts. Once he switched walls (this place has a ton of different climbing areas), he found one wall (the "Red wall") that he could reach the top. He climbed this wall about 6 or 8 times (I think it was 20' high, not 100% sure).
After 2 1/2 hours of literally climbing the walls, he finally got tired. He'll sleep well tonight.
25-JAN-2008
25 Jan
My oldest was in a Geography Bee, sponsored by the parents of one of her good friends. I really didn't know what to expect, but since I am a geek, I had a blast. My daughter (in shades) has become a bit of a ham (potentially taking after her father).
Here is a great example for yet another use for the 100mm f/2.8 macro, it's usefulness goes way beyond photographing bugs. Indoors, even though I used the 580EX2 with the Better Bounce card, I really didn't need the flash at all.
At one point early on, someone who must have worked for the newspaper came by with two cannons around his neck, one had a 70-200 f/2.8IS on it. I wanted someone to distract him while I took it (perhaps he wouldn't notice?).
24-JAN-2008
24 Jan
I went to the
Great Bay Wildlife Refuge today (finally) and had a blast (albeit cold and short). The parking lot sits across from the old ammunitions storage facility. Inside this facility is this old tower. It was the first thing I photographed (rusty, contrast, etc) and I never expected it to be my PaD. During my Lightroom processing, I was drawn to this photo.
I created a new gallery for my "Not PaD" shots. I have a few runner ups from today out there:
A "Split Tree" with cool lighting along one of the trails:
A view of a frozen pond, complete with a cool crack in the ice:
23-JAN-2008
23 Jan
Been venturing further and furhter out for my PaD at lunch. Today, I took a wrong turn and wound up somewhere I'd not expected (heading into the center of Portsmouth, NH). I decided to head to the coast (well, we are on the coast, but head more on the coast...) and took Route 1-A, a road I don't think I've been on since I was a teenager (oh-so-many-years-ago). I never made it to said coast, this beautiful stone church appeared on my left. I took a number of shots, but the red door is what I liked the best back here in Lightroom. I did a little tweaking on the red, I wanted to bring it out, I like the contrast to the stone (that actually has a little color in it).
Maybe I will make it to the coast tomorrow...
22-JAN-2008
22 Jan
What better way to start the work week than to take a contrasty photo?
When I am in the "PaD mode" virtually everything I see has some kind of photographic quality to it. At least, that is what my current "PaD mode" feels like. I will admit that my other PaD attempts weren't like this. I would spend at least 2 hours in the taking of the photos (usually a hundred or so) then the Post Processing of them. The 40D and Lightroom have really helped in this department (and a little credit goes to me too ;)
Looking back on my current PaD, I can see that I am in a contrasty/grainy/saturated mood. Perhaps the arrival of spring will change this (spring is a long, long, way off).
21-JAN-2008
21 Jan
My goal was to find something grainy today. I didn't have far to go. This is an end to an old saw horse from when I cut our firewood. We used to have a wood stove for supplementary heat in our family room (though it could heat the entire house quite nicely). We traded that in for a Propane stove that looks like a wood stove about 4 or 5 years ago. With the price of oil & propane now, I kind of wish we still had a wood stove (though my back sure doesn't).
OK, anyway, grain.
Again Post Processing in Lightroom. I just restarted Lightroom and I am down to 10 days remaining on my trial. Since I am basically hooked now (yeah, the trial is like drugs I guess) I will be purchasing the full version here shortly (which means "the last minute").
20-JAN-2008
20 Jan
This was my goal today. To get out of the house and find a wintry gravestone & shadow to photograph. Picked a much colder day (than yesterday) to do this, also had to hike into the cemetary as the entrance was closed. The things we do for our hobbies...
Light processing in Lightroom.
Also trying to catch up with my 35mm negative scanning project. I kind of went way past my 2nd archive DVD limit (I am working in batches that will fit on a 4.7 GB DVD). I have a bit of catchup to do, identify date/time, keywords, etc. Once I get past this particular batch, it will go much smoother. The first 2 batches were of 1800 photos in loose negatives. The next few batches are neatly arranged in tubs/containers and have the photo wallets (with date/time of development). I should take a photo or two of this process.
19-JAN-2008
19 Jan
Spent a lot of time telecommuting today so I never got outside to either enjoy the day or take some kind of earth-shattering outdoor photo. I like this shot though. My son following along during story time.
Again with the 28mm f/1.8 & the 580EX2. The more I use this flash, the more I like it. You can get in close and not wash the subject out.
Very little Post Processing in Lightroom (BW Preset & Crop).