Day 5 – May Flower. Full transparency, this image was shot with my cell phone. We made a day trip to Columbus, Georgia today. And while, yes, I had my camera in tow, we had just walked out of a restaurant, and it was still tucked away in my backpack. I didn’t have enough time to pull it out, so I opted for the cell phone camera.
My first thought with this statue was “I wish it was raining so I could really capture the true essence of playing in the rain.” The statue was part of the 2007 Sculpture Walk in Columbus and the artist is Susan Geissler.
I couldn’t decide which I liked best, the color or the black and white. So, I’ll leave the choice up to you. The only other edits I made to the image was cropping and haze removal.
Field Notes: Samsung Galaxy; Focal Length 26mm; Exposure F1.8, 1/2365s; ISO 40
Day 2, meet Thomas. He’s not our cat but shows up every day around 6:30a.m. and oftentimes lingers throughout the day. He perches himself on this table and quietly guards the bird feeders. Believe it or not, the birds are no longer disturbed by him and quietly feed while he watches and sleeps.
He’s a protector of the feeders and our back porch. His only request is a pet of his belly and a few scratches behind his ears.
Field Notes: Focal Length 105mm; Exposure 1/30; f5/6; ISO 640; Time of Day: 12:40p.m. EST.
I’ve been feeling a void in taking pictures lately. I don’t know why, but somehow, I haven’t felt very inspired. My camera has sat in the cabinet for over a month and the only pictures I have taken have been with my cell phone. It’s “ok” but I knew I needed to push myself and pull out the “real” camera. So, what better way to challenge myself than to start a 30-Day Photography Challenge. Since July has 31 days, let’s just call it a 31-Day Photography Challenge. 😉
Here’s to Day 1, a Gray House Finch hanging out on the bird feeder.
Anne challenges us this week with one of my all-time ICM (Intentional Camera Movement) techniques……Zooming. It’s fun, challenging and the results can be quite spectacular. You can learn more about the specific technique in Anne’s post.
It’s been a while since I played around with zooming, so when Anne’s challenge came out, I took the opportunity to take some new images. It took me a couple of shots to get the hang of it again, but I really like how these Lilypad images turned out.
In the first image below, I like how a single leaf is in focus and the rest of the leaves show increasing movement from there.
Creatively cropping your images can also give you some added depth and movement. The image below reminds me of a kaleidoscope.
There are so many fun things you can do when editing your zooming images. In the photo below, I applied the “Orton Effect” and also added a little more blur. I like the brighter, dreamy look to the image on the right.
For my last image, I have cropped it a little differently and applied a “watercolor” texture. I feel like I’m in the middle of a wheat filed with the one on the right.
Thank you, Anne for the reminder of this fun technique. I can’t wait to keep applying it to other photos.
Ritva leads next week so be sure you’re subscribed to her site The World as I See It when she posts the challenge Saturday, noon EST.
Did someone say, “break the rules?” Why, YES! Yes, they did! Ritva leads this week, and she is challenging us to break the rules of photography! As Ritva goes on to say in her challenge, “Photography is as much about emotion and instinct to me as it is about technical skill. In those moments when we abandon the constraints of traditional guidelines, we open ourselves up to unexpected and beautiful outcomes in my case many times by mistake.”
So, what rules have I broken?
Perfect Patterns: This little seagull greeted us one morning when we were in Malibu many years ago. He was so cute, and I couldn’t resist taking the photo before he flew away. Goodness knows I wasn’t even thinking about the rules I was breaking (look at all the squares, lines, rectangles and diamonds). I just wanted the shot.
Rule of Thirds: Next up, a macro shot gone bad. During a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, I was experimenting with my new macro lens. I don’t remember what type of plant this was, I just saw an opportunity to practice shooting macro from a top-down view of the bud. The end result looks a little bit like something floating in outer space. I still thought it was a pretty cool shot, so I kept it.
Don’t Shoot into the Sun: A very BIG rule was broken on the next image, but quite honestly it couldn’t be helped. When you’re lucky enough to have an airshow fly directly over your house you have no time to think and have to be very quick with your shot. Because they are flying directly above you, it’s almost impossible not to shoot into the sun. What really works about this image is the silhouette of the pilots.
Blurry Photos: My last image of broken rules was a poor attempt at catching a Mourning Dove bathing in the bird bath. Instead, he took off and I caught him in mid-flight. Yep, the image is blurry, but do you see what I see?
What photography rules have you broken lately where you opened yourself up to an unexpected and beautiful outcome?
Be sure to check-out Ritva’s original post to view her wonderful examples of broken rules. Next week, Edigio (Through Brazilian Eyes) leads.
If you want to know more about the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.
I have to admit, I don’t think I’ve ever consciously thought about shooting cinematic photos. But after reading Sofia’s challenge and pouring through my archives I found that sometimes my photos do have a “cinematic” feel to them. Sofia writes, “There are a few things that give a photo that cinematic feel: camera angles, bold and high-contrast colors, light, locations, just to name a few. The main objective is to take a shot that is part of a story, there’s mood and a sense of location; our image is but a snapshot of a much wider situation.” You can read Sofia’s challenge, here.
So, what did I uncover in my archives? Let’s take a look.
I’ve always loved this photo. It was taken during a sunrise over Atlanta, probably during the Fall season, because of the mist rising from the Chattahoochee River. I love the varied colors and how the sun gives them a slightly golden tone. This photo could easily be an opening or closing scene in a movie.
How about a shot of this beautiful East Lake Golf Club, Clubhouse. I remember taking this photo and thinking it would make a great post-card or large format photo. But as I look more closely, I could see this as an opening shot for the Tour Championship. Can’t you just hear the voice over of the announcers talking about the players and the upcoming events for the day?
Talk about lighting, mood and the image being a snapshot of a wider situation. This wedding image has always been one of my favorite shots from this particular ceremony. I wasn’t allowed to bring my camera into the sanctuary during the actual ceremony, so my assistant and I went up into the balcony. I’m so thankful we were banned from the sanctuary because I wouldn’t have been able to get this special shot. How many movies have you seen with “cathedral style” weddings?
My closing few shots takes us back to downtown Atlanta. Our views of the storms that rolled through the city were amazing. Anyone of these could have easily come from a movie where a storm was integral to the storyline; lightning strikes, rolling rain clouds, showers in the distance at dawn. Each offering up its own “ominous mood.”
So, how did I do? I know one thing for sure, I will definitely be thinking about “cinematic feel” in my photos going forward.
It’s a new week of the Lens Artist Challenge and John from Travels with JohnBo has us sharing our “Go to Places” for photography (you can read John’s original post here). It’s a wonderful theme and one that I didn’t have to think too much about, because really any place I have my camera becomes my “go to place.” But specifically, my “go to place” is anywhere I can be outside connecting with nature.
It can be in a garden enjoying the blooms and color while watching the birds and insects gathering food and nectar:
Macro Photography of a Sunflower with a BugBee Pollenating on Rododendron
It can be a walk in the park on a Fall Day enjoying the crisp air and changing colors of the leaves:
IMG 8175
Or walks along the beach taking in the salt air and ocean breezes.
So where is your “Go to Place” when you need inspiration?
Many thanks to John for this wonderful challenge. Next week, Sofia will host. Be sure to follow her here so you don’t miss her post, which will go live next Saturday at noon Eastern time.
Donna Robinson Photography 