The Magic Lantern – A Few Tips For Shooting in Manual Mode

January 24, 2016December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 4 Comments

I believe there is something magical about a camera. Whether it be the light it captures and how it frames the subject, or the way it translates what it sees to what is seen after the photo is taken……the camera in and of itself is magic.

A few months back, I challenged myself to 30 Days of Shooting in Manual Mode (TV and AV). There were a few days when I was in a hurry and only had time to shoot a lamp or some books on a coffee table……but, I did it! Some shots were similar from one day to the next, some I failed at and into the trash bin they went. But, others were different and magical because I took the time to stop and adjust my settings. Since then, I’ve been consumed with only shooting in manual mode. So what did I learn? A LOT! And, I continue to learn every time I pick the camera up.

Here are a few things I have/am learning by taking control of my camera (note, my settings for each photo are included in the captions):

1. Use That Tripod —- Photos will be sharper….especially when shooting early morning sunrises or night time city lights. In the photo on the left I was in a hurry and while I like what I captured with the settings, the city lights are not as crisp. While, in the photo on the right I used the tripod and the clouds and buildings are a little more crisp.

Buckhead, Atlanta Sunrise Settings: AV f/7.1; TV .6, ISO 250; Focal length 220mm

Buckhead, Atlanta Sunrise Settings: AV f/9; TV 1/1600 sec; ISO 400; Focal Length 102mm

2. Change your perspective — The same subject can have multiple personalities…….move around a little to see what it tells you. In these photos I played around with the exposure too! I took these photos of the Sidney Lanier Bridge (Golden Isles in Georgia) from different angles, but on the same side of the bank.

Sidney Lanier Bridge, Golden Isles Georgia Settings: AV f/29, TV 1/250 sec.; ISO 500; Focal length 170mm

SidneyLanier Bridge, Golden Isles Georgia Settings: AV f/22; TV 1/1000 ISO 500; 100mm

Sidney Lanier Bridge, Golden Isles Georgia Settings: AV f/20; TV 1/500sec; ISO 500, Focal400mm

3. Keep that camera with you — Ok, so your family and friends may get a little irritated with you always schlepping your camera around, but trust me it’s worth it when those unexpected moments occur. Plus, it’s a great way to practice shooting in Manual Mode. My husband and I were out on a jeep ride when he spotted this Georgia Brown Eagle sitting on a rooftop. If I didn’t have my camera (and the big lens) with me I wouldn’t have been able to catch this guy hunting and eventually eating his dinner.

Georgia Brown Eagle Setting: AV f/40; TV1/100sec; ISO 800; Focal length 400mm

Georgia Brown Eagle Settings: AVf/40; TV 1/100; ISO 800; 400mm

Georgia Brown Eagle Setting: AV f/29; TV 1/25 sec. ; ISO 1000; expo +.3

Georgia Brown Eagle Settings: AV f/40; TV 1/25; ISO 1000; Exposure +.3; Focal Length 400mm

4. Magic Lantern — Use your camera to get the look you want instead of waiting to edit in Lightroom or Photoshop. It’s truly amazing how you can control what your camera captures. With just a few adjustments up or down you can transform the visual completely. Both photos below are nice, but with the one on the right I slowed down the shutter speed and opened up the aperture just slightly to show more of the city lights (and, yes I used my tripod)!

Atlanta Skyline at Dusk Settings: AV f5.6; TV 1/8 sec; ISO 640 focal length 32mm

Atlanta Skyline at Dusk Settings: AV f/11; TV 10 sec.; ISO 640; focal length 55mm

When you’re ready to try your hand at Manual Mode here’s a great Photography Cheat Sheet I found over on Pinterest. It’s very easy to follow.

I’ll admit, shooting in Manual Mode can be daunting and it’s not something you want to try your hand with during a special event like weddings, birthday celebrations, etc. But, you will find (just as I have) that understanding “manual mode” will open up a whole new world of photography.

Life in Black And White

January 18, 2016December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / Leave a comment

The country singer, Jamey Johnson has a song titled “In Color.” In the song he is talking with his Grandpa, asking him about photos that are obviously in black in white. As the song goes on his grandfather says “……And if it looks like we were scared to death
like a couple of kids just trying to save each other you should’ve seen it in color.”

I have always loved black and white photography because of the simplicity and timelessness of the photo. Black and white photos are magical in that they draw the viewer into photo, making a personal connection. A connection that let’s the viewer create the story.

I used to take a great deal of photos in black and white, especially landscapes and architecture, but it seems like the past few years I’ve only been “seeing life in color.” To help me spend more time taking black and white photos, I plan to call one of my weekly themes “Life in Black & White.” I haven’t decided whether or not there will be a specific subject for that week, or just a collection of photos…….so stay tuned as this evolves.

For this first entry, I pulled a few photos from my archives. I know the stories of these photos “in color,” but what story do they tell to you?

The Original 7 Mile Bridge, Key West FL

Antique Store, Blue RIdge, GA

Fort Frederica, St. Simons Island,GA

Darien Shrimp Boats

St. Simons Light House

Thoughts – Anything is Possible

January 10, 2016December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 1 Comment

Here we are! The first week of 2016 behind us. We’ve made our resolutions and set our path forward to making this year different and better than in the past! Yep……..it’s going to be a great year!

As I began laying out my plans for taking this blog (and my photography) to the next level I knew anything was possible, I had to set goals with realistic and achievable milestones. But, I also knew that in order to grow and be successful, I had to stretch and challenge myself. Kind of like the little dog in this photo:

Anything is possible

Several years ago, my husband and I were out walking on a local trail and came across this little Yorkie trying to pick up a stick that was about 5 or 6 feet long. Carefully, try after try, he kept working to find that right spot on the stick that would give him balance. The sweet spot that he could grab hold of and carry the stick with ease, following his owner down the path.

Like this little dog, I’m working to find that “sweet spot” to achieve my goals. For my blog, specifically, I have laid out a monthly plan with re-occurring weekly themes (yikes…..there’s that stretch and challenge). Each theme a little different…..some easier to write about……others challenging and stretching myself.

I chose “Thoughts” to be a monthly theme and for this particular post I wanted to share my thoughts on “Anything is Possible.” I know I can be a better photographer and writer, but it will take work, patience and persistence. It will take me pushing myself past the excuses for not getting a post written or publishing new photos.

So, what are your “Thoughts?” What do you see as possible for yourself in 2016?!?

2015 – That’s a Wrap!!

December 31, 2015December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / Leave a comment

I’ve been giving a lot of thought, lately, about a topic for my last blog of 2015. While I don’t want to spend too much time looking backwards, it has been an incredibly wonderful year, so why not share a few thoughts about my blogging journey:

Blogging has opened up a whole new world for me. Literally! I started this blog as an outlet to combine two (2) of my passions (photography and writing). Little did I know I would also find and enjoy other blogs from around the world! I love hearing about far away places and seeing the world through other’s eyes!
I really like blogging. It’s fun and has turned out to be everything I expected….both easy and hard (most times I have to put a lot of thought into my topics) and extremely rewarding. Seeing and reading comments on my blogs is an awesome feeling!
I want to do more blogging in 2016! More to come on this in the new year, so stay tuned. But, if you have some ideas for topics you’d like to see me cover please let me know!

Lastly, as 2015 comes to a close I also wanted to leave you with a few highlights of my personal favorite photos/memories to say “Thank you” to everyone who inspired me to begin this journey, my followers for continuing to believe in me and fellow bloggers for sharing your words/photos with the world.

“Life is a journey, not a destination………you are the artist, paint what you will!”

Gould’s Inlet SSI

Hawk in Flight

The Nutcracker

Bike Ride at Sunset SSI

The Elegance of a Handwritten Note

Chasity Brooke Shrimp Boat

Sunset on SSI

Shrimp Boat Coming in for the day – The Pier at SSI

Vinings and the Atlanta skyline

Touched by a Rainbow

SSI Lighthouse at Sunrise

Dusk on St. Simons Island with Sidney Lanier Bridge in the background

Bird in Flight

Walk on the beach at low tide

Lovely Lane Chapel – located at Epworth by the Sea Methodist Center

Christ Church – St. Simons Island, GA

SSI Casa de Playa

Darien Shrimp Boats

(Featured photo credit: Dean Janik – lead graphic artist for “Live by Night” filmed in Brunswick, GA this year)

The Elegance of a Handwritten Note

November 6, 2015December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / Leave a comment

This week, I’ve received two (2) handwritten notes. They weren’t Hallmark cards with pre-written messages, but real notes. Notes with personal thoughts of “welcome” and gratitude for a “home away from home.” The words for each note were few, but contained more meaning than any text, e-mail, facebook or twitter message could say. When someone takes the time to put their thoughts on paper, unable to be edited by the stroke of a backspace key….it becomes unique, special and personal to the receiver. The words, emotion and intent are never misinterpreted……..they are simple yet elegant.

The Nutcracker

October 30, 2015December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 4 Comments

At “SSI Casa de Playa” we have the most beautiful pecan tree which stretches high above our house.

The Pecan Tree Stretches High Above Our House

Our neighbors told us that when their house was being built all of the construction workers would come over to our yard and gather up the pecans….who wouldn’t want fresh and free pecans?!? So, you can imagine their disappointment when the “great wall of SSI Casa de Playa” was built tightly surrounding the mighty pecan tree!

The “Great Wall of SSI Casa de Playa”

All year, we’ve talked about how fun it would be to have fresh pecans………think about all of the things we can do with them! So, when September rolled around and we noticed the pecans building up at the base of the tree, we began to gather up what we thought was a bumper crop! Little did we know that most of what we collected were way past their ripeness.

The First Crop

A few weeks passed and the tree began to drop more pecans, fresh and waiting to be gathered by squirrel or human hand. At first, I was excited about the potential of everything I could do with the pecans (roasting, salads, gift bags, etc.), but my thoughts quickly turned to the work involved in cracking and picking each nut. It’s a slow and at times a painful process!

Still, not wanting to waste our first “bumper crop” I purchased one of those small hand nut cracker and pick sets. Painstakingly, I began the chore of cracking and picking each nut by hand. At times, I was successful in cracking and picking a perfect pecan half!

Then, I remembered when I was in high school, my father brought home a one of a kind, handmade nutcracker. It was supposed to make the job of cracking the nuts for the holiday baking easier and faster. Knowing my father is not one to throw many things away, I asked him if still had it. He didn’t remember it at first, but when he thought about it more, he said that “in his mind” he could see it tucked away in the attic. As my dad guided me up the attic ladder and directed me to look in the corner where he could “see it in his mind” I looked around and there it was! A little dusty, but after 30+ years it was still there!

On our next trip down to SSI, I brought “The Nutcracker” with me, ready to put it to work! One by one, I gathered up the freshly dropped pecans until I had a pile worthy of cracking. It took me a few times to remember the mechanics of how “The Nutcracker” worked. But, eventually the memories and the motions came back to me with each “pop,” “pop,” “pop,” “crack” of the sliding hammer! The fresher the nut, the more “pops” of the nutcracker it took, until finally the remaining shell pieces could be picked away, revealing the perfect meat of the pecan.

Throughout the weekend, I kept chipping away at my stash, quickly learning which pecans were ready for cracking.

And so, in the end while I may not have had enough for the pecan pie, salads or gift bags, I did end up with about a quart size worth of fresh pecans…..just enough to take home and share with Dad so he could relive the memory of “The Nutcracker” with me.

Hurry Up and Wait!

August 22, 2015December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 4 Comments

With Photography there is a lot of “hurry up and wait.” Grab the camera, set up the tripod, adjust the camera settings…… and wait. Wait for the sun to pop up in the horizon for the perfect sunrise……wait for the perfect ocean wave to crest…..wait for the lightening to strike.

And so, this is exactly what I did the other night…….I hurried up and waited. My husband and I were beginning our weekend when he noticed this hawk sitting on the ledge of the building across from us. I quickly grabbed my camera and “the big lens.” I quickly took a few shots to get my camera settings. And then, I quickly………WAITED.

If you have never seen a hawk in flight they have the most beautiful wingspan and graceful movements. I desperately wanted to capture this beauty taking flight from his perch. So, for 35 minutes I waited sometimes taking a break, thinking I would never capture him taking flight.

And while I waited this is what I caught:

Just taking a break

Stretching his feathers?!?!

Nope! I guess when you gotta go, you gotta go!

Finally, the wait was over! And, while I didn’t catch the actual “take-off” I was able to get a few shots of him in flight:

The title “Hurry up and Wait” may seem a little rigid for a post about the beauty of a hawk in flight. But, it’s really more about the process and patience that comes along with doing something you love. Like the fly fisherman who assembles his fishing gear and fishes (meditates) all day to catch the prized fish (or not), photography can also be about the experience and the memory created about the shot.

Watching the Storms Roll In

August 8, 2015December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 3 Comments

My husband and I live in a condominium which has a panorama skyline spanning from Buckhead to Mid-town to Down-town to the Atlanta Airport. It is a spectacular view that changes daily and often times with each passing moment.

Depending on the time of year, you can experience some of the most amazing sunrises and sunsets, each one unique in their own beauty.

The cooler temperatures of the Fall bring some of the most mesmerizing sunrises with vibrant colors of the sky and mist hovering over the Chattahoochee River which seems to almost mirror the brushstrokes of the clouds.

Sunrise coming up behind Buckhead

In the Summer, the shifting angle of the sun oftentimes will paint the city with a soft, muted pallet as it begins to set.

Pink Sunset over Atlanta

But to me, even more unique and spectacular are the storms as they roll in. In a matter of minutes the weather and the view can change:

Sunny skies turn dark and gloomy;

Or, showers and rainbows will cover a portion of the city while the rest of the skyline shines brightly;

The dry, humid summertime weather can also bring heat lightening dancing across the city;

One weekend morning, I was up early and decided to have coffee on the balcony to watch the sun come up. Looking Eastward (towards Buckhead) as the sun was beginning to make its appearance the sky was turning a pinkish/orange color. When I looked West (behind me) the clouds were starting to build and I could tell we were in for a little rain. In a matter of minutes this was my view……..a sunrise rain shower:

“When life seems to be so ordinary, I step out on my balcony to see what I can see; And, take in all it’s beauty whether sun or brewing storm may be.”

Zoom Photography by Donna Robinson

July 6, 2015December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 2 Comments

I started this blog a few months ago as a place to share my photography with others and to also sharpen my writing skills. You see, I’ve been in Corporate America for a long, long time so I’m a little rusty when it comes to “creative writing” or finding the time to do something with my passion for photography.

A friend of mine and fellow blogger, Janet Berridge (check out her blog at Spanish Moss Series) gave me the inspiration to try my hand at it. So, here I am a few months into this with a personal commitment of writing one blog per month. I was doing fairly well until June came around and I just couldn’t quite get one completed (although I have several drafts started). I’m hoping that through Blogging 101 I can learn a few things which will help me to improve my blogging experience.

With that, thank you for stopping by and checking out my site. Here, you’ll find my bio, a few blogs I’ve written about St. Simons Island, Ga and a glimpse into some of my photography, of which the following are a few of my recent favorites.

Dusk on St. Simons Island with Sidney Lanier Bridge in the background

Walk on the beach at low tide. East Beach, St. Simons Island

Sunrise over the St. Simons Island Lighthouse

I still have some work to do in building out my site and blogging skills, so please pardon “the dust.”

Until next time……..Donna

Steeples I Have Chased

May 31, 2015December 23, 2016 / Donna Robinson Photography / 4 Comments

Growing up I spent a lot of time in church……..A LOT!! In fact, throughout middle school and high school my best friends were from my church youth group. So, I guess it isn’t surprising that years later as my interest in photography grew, I started a photography collection of churches.

Yet, way beyond the great memories of my youth there is something more that draws me to them. Every where my husband and I travel I’m always on the look-out for that unique church in a very unique setting. Perhaps it is the similar, yet distinct differences in their architecture, the spiritual beauty and place of worship they represent or the simple fact they have been the center of most communities for thousands of years.

I’ve often thought about taking my collection and publishing a booked filled with the images and the stories behind each church. You know, one of those coffee table books neatly piled on top of a stack of other books waiting to be picked up and thumbed through. But, that is a project that will have to wait for another day when I have more time to devote to it. In the meantime, instead of letting these photos sit endlessly on a hard drive, fading away into far too distant memory, I thought what better place to begin building the book and sharing these photos (and a little bit of their history), than here? And, since my current adventures are in the “Golden Isles of Georgia” why not start with the three (3) oldest churches on St. Simons Island.

LOVELY LANE CHAPEL – EPWORTH BY THE SEA

This beautiful little building, “Lovely Lane Chapel” is located at Epworth by the Sea Methodist Center. Built in 1880 by Norman Dodge and designed by Atlanta architect, G.W. Laine. It was originally known as the Union Church and was consecrated as St. James Episcopal. In 1949 it was re-consecrated Lovely Lane Chapel after the 1784 founding conference of American Methodism in Baltimore, MD.

I remember visiting Epworth by the Sea when I was in high school with my church youth group for some type of retreat. While the exact memory of the event escapes me I do recall the fun and happy feelings of the trip and the many names and faces of those who were with me.

CHRIST CHURCH, ST. SIMONS ISLAND

Quietly, tucked away on the North End of the island you will find Christ Church. Originally built in 1820 it was damaged during the Civil War by Union Troops. Anson Dodge Jr. financed the new building of the present day church in honor of his wife, Ellen, who passed away while on their honeymoon in India. Eventually, Anson became the first rector of the new church. As you walk through the cemetery, you’ll also recognize many family names familiar to St. Simons Island.

ST. IGNATIUS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, ST. SIMONS ISLAND

If you’re driving too fast on Demere Road you will miss this church. I’m told this church also was erected by a member of the Dodge family and the inside is similar to Christ Church and Lovely Lane Chapel. I haven’t been able to work my way inside, yet, so I thought I would share a few photos from the exterior.

Credits: There is so much more to the history of these three (3) churches that I can’t possibly capture it all in this one blog. If you’re interested in learning more about each of these I encourage you to start with Christ Chapel. The Docents are wonderful and extremely knowledgeable about their history and their influence on St. Simons Island. You can also find more information at http://www.jekyllislandhistory.com/christchurch.shtml