Vyre Studios Blog

The Little Things

2012-02-01T16:38:00.002-08:00

Sometimes it's in the little things. I often notice them, but struggle to capture them the way my mind sees.

This is one of those attempts.

I have sooooo many photos, thousands really, of all sorts of things. You'll never see them, you won't even see one percent. Why? Because I usually decide on a particular photo from a day's worth of shooting that I feel best represents everything that I was going for at the time. Does this mean that all the other photos are garbage? Not necessarily. After all, I usually trash the ones I find overly craptastic. So, yesterday I decided to start digging through my external hard drives and showcase photos now and again that initially never made the cut. This idea actually kicked off yesterday when I posted this photo.

Cheers!

Like this? Go out and shoot your own!

CFM

2012-01-31T16:29:00.000-08:00

CFM or Cold Foggy Morning. That's when this photo was taken. In the heart of a very cold winter. I got up at 6am to go swimming and brought my camera along on my walk to the pool. This photo captures perfectly the miserable weather I was dealing with.

Don't steal my stuff!

Crazy Eyes

2012-01-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

Another image I finally got done with in Photoshop. I think I put in about 5 hours. Roll over image to see a before and after! I think I should call this one crazy eyes. What do you think?

Cheers Y'all!
Linda

Impromptu Mini Shoot

2012-01-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to share a impromptu shoot with you/ I set up a little 1 light mini shoot in my very small hallway, I was literally shooting from the toilet in my bathroom! I'm trying something a little more stylized, a little more edgy and rough. What do you think, any thoughts? Oh and FYI, I learned some new code to be able to do rollover images. So when you "roll" your mouse over the image below it will change between after and before! Nifty eh?

Cheers,
Linda

Here's a before and after, if you have any questions feel free to ask me!

***For those of you who are still interested in my calendar, I have about 9 left so act now!***

***Clicking the Paypal button will take you to the calendar checkout!***

2012 and the End of the World

2012-01-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

Hello all, I hope everyone had a nice holiday and New Year and that you guys are settling in to 2012 nicely! Did you know this is the year?! You know.. the one where the Mayan calendar ends and ~~nothing happens~~ thus the world?! So, what to do with my remaining time? I was thinking and I thought, heck I should do something nifty! So, I am setting some goals, both personal and professional. I'd rather not call them resolutions because I wouldn't take them seriously.. besides the only resolution I need to speak off relates to my images! So without further a due, here are my goals for 2012:

Professional Goals:

* Publish! - This is the year! I need to start tying a bow on this PhD thing so I need to crank out at least one paper this year.

* Solve the Young's Modulus riddle - What?? I know.. I know... it's this thingy problem I've been knocking my skull cap on the last year. It's PhD related stuff and I'm getting tired of it. I want a breakup if it's not going to work out!

* Calendar Production - I will start the production cycle of my yearly calendar earlier this year in order to avoid the printing issues surrounding color management I have been encountering the last few years.

* Advertising - I need my name out there more. It's nice that my family supports me and that I get a few clients here and there, but I would really like to see an increase in business. I am an absolutely horrible self promoter. I am usually of the mindset that my work isn't good enough and so I don't put it out there. (see video below) Well, I need to loosen up on that this year.

Personal Goals

* Invest Invest Invest - This year I will start my retirement account. I have been putting it off for years and each year I feel worse for it. My lack of understanding about investing money wisely and with whom has kept me from proceeding. I am going to try be happy with not knowing everything and take the plunge... at least I will have started!

* Student Loans - I have about 10k of outstanding loans from having to move cross country several times and I am going to pay it off $100 at a time each month. I want to be debt free before I graduate.

* Studio Shoots - For those of you who are familiar with my photography you know that my photography is largely done outdoors in nature because, well.. I love nature! Having said that, I have secretly been shooting quite a bit of studio work the last few years and would like to do more. All I need are models that are willing to experiment on a few ideas with me.

* Compositing work - I have also secretly been working on several large composite pieces and I think maybe I need to start sharing those with the world. So this year I will make it a goal to present at least one.

* Stay in shape - I have worked very hard over the last 2 years since my last back surgery to lose weight and stay in shape for the health of my back. I will continue to work hard at keeping my back fit.

There it is! My goals for 2012. Not a long list that is unmanageable, but instead something realistic! I will leave you with an image of my recent bird trip to the coast of South Carolina.

Great White Egret. Murrel's Inlet, SC
If you steal this a badger will eat your soul!

Calendars Calendars Calendars!!!

2011-12-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

Well, the calendars are in and look great! There were more then a few of you who were interested, so get them while they are hot!

The cost of the calendar and shipping to your address is $18 and can be paid to me through Paypal using my email address: graduatelinda@hotmail.com
If you prefer another method of payment please email me and let me know your preference. Cheers all!!

It's here! 2012 Calendar!

2011-12-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

Sure, it has been more then a few months since I last added to this blog but now this! The 2012 calendar is now available to all of you that are interested. Email me at graduatelinda@hotmail.com if you are interested in purchasing one or if you want to be one of the lucky folks to get a FREE one! Cheers and may all your 2012 wishes come true, the world will probably not end.

Linda

Afternoon Trip to the Quarry

2011-06-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I sort of escaped work a little earlier than usual yesterday to visit a nearby quarry. This quarry, called the Bellwood Quarry, has recently also served as a backdrop for the movie, "The Furious Five," and a TV series called "The Walking Dead". I've wanted to visit it for a while so yesterday one of my fellow ~~graduate students~~ lab slaves showed me how to get there and off we went. There was a little questionable fence skirting going on, but I finally got to see the place. The water really is this blue, science rules! I have to go on record and say that it was quite possibly hotter than the sun itself, with no breeze and no shade. I was drenched by the time I got back to my car and the nausea and headaches I had all night confirmed that I should not have been out there getting heat exhaustion! (and yes, I brought water..)

Cheers,
Linda

View of the quarry and water from halfway down the quarry road.

Road leading to bottom of the quarry.

Hands Off

2011-05-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't done much photography lately on account of work and life, but I edited some photos I took a while back to keep me going. I had this idea somewhere between my 2 back surgeries and may have been on quite a bit of pain medication when I took this originally. I hung an apple that was starting to go bad on a fish-line from a small hook in my ceiling, set up my tripod, flash, white posterboard and timer and BAM! I kinda forgot I even took it until last week. So I thought, let's edit this puppy and see what I can do using just the "curves" editing ability Photoshop. So here it is. Cheers!

"Hands Off" - ps.. if you steal this God will kill a baby bunny!

'Cross the Way II

2011-03-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here is another one of the house. One color, one B&W. Which do you prefer and why?

Cheers,
Linda

'Cross the Way

2011-03-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

This abandoned and condemned house is about a stone's throw from my place, I've photographed it a few times. Since I recently rented a nice wide angle lens I went back over there to see what kind of photos I could get with this lens vs my standard lens and my fish-eye lens. Here is one of the results. The light outside when I took this photo was less then ideal, but since I only had the lens for a limited time there was no opportunity to wait for a better time. Thoughts?

Cheers,
Linda

They like it, they really like it!

2011-03-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

I took this minimalistic landscape photo late last month during one of my outings and people really seem to like it for whatever reason. So, I guess I better share it with the rest of you! :)

Cheers,
Linda

The Creative Process

2011-03-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

I have been slowly editing photos from several shoots. It's a time consuming process for a nit picky perfectionist such as myself (not to mention my "real" job gets in the way). At some point I just have to be done with the editing process! It really takes me back to my early days as an artist when I would go insane over how some little smudge or mark on my drawing/painting was out of place. Sometimes it would get so bad that I would tear up my work, heck I even set it on fire once or twice! I get a little out of control sometimes...... Photography is no different. I'm sensitive about my work, craving kind critiques and most of all support. I do love the editing process and photography has definitely become my new art. You might think that it takes nothing to snap some photos and adjust the contrast and colors and you'd be right! It does, however, take considerable time and effort to plan an idea for a shot from start to finish. The lighting has to be right, right equipment, right camera settings, right personal mood. These are all important parameters and artistic decisions in and of themselves. Have you ever taken some photos with an idea in your head and felt disappointment when you looked at the photo later on.. having to tell your friends, "This doesn't really do what I was seeing any justice". The pros don't get those amazing shots without planning, and without adjusting the photos afterward. For those artists out there like myself, you will understand the amount of work that goes into a creative vision! Now the fun really begins, you open your image file on your workstation and now selectively adjust the colors, the saturation, the feel of the photo. Remember, you started with a vision.. now you have to convey your vision visually to someone else and hope they can see what you see/saw in your head at the onset.

The creative process is wonderful and frustrating all at the same time. Some of the works I am most proud of others don't care for and some I don't really care for are sold for a good deal of money. In the end it is something I am wildly passionate about, something I love to teach and something that is all of my own conception. I don't do it for money, fame or recognition (though those things are nice, let's not kid ourselves).

Cheers,
Linda

How does this one sit with you? Tell me what it makes you feel or think!

Kidnapped

2011-03-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

I recently got kidnapped and "forced" to go on a fun little outing. While wandering around I took this photo with the idea of making an HDR photo and proving to my father that my lens is simply not wide enough. Well, that backfired. My dad is absolutely in love with this photo so I thought I'd post it here for you guys to see. I have 3 different versions posted here, along with the original as it comes out of the camera.. which one do you like?

Original Mid Level Exposure

Edited Version of the Original

A Color Cross-Processed version of the Edited Version (I prefer this one).

B&W Version.. because B&Ws are just cool!

Cheers,
Linda

Roadtrip Time

2011-01-12T07:09:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year! Did you guys make New Year's resolutions? I didn't.. never really seems to have much impact on my life, I just try to be a little more awesome each year without putting additional pressure on myself. This year promises to be very VERY busy and quite stressful, but hopefully I will be able to fit in a little travel late this spring. I took some time to do photography recently during a short roadtrip and thought I'd share a few images. Enjoy!

Cheers,
Linda

I'm digging lens flares lately :)

I'm on a lens flare kick!

Though not a landscape, this is by far my favorite image of the trip. What do you think?

Happy Holidays and New Year!

2010-12-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the New Year is here already! It's been a crazy ride for me this year filled with highs and lows. I am hoping for a more settled 2011 and a productive one at that. I'm spending the rest of this year at home doing a little more recovery before going full steam ahead in the new one. Photography wise I haven't done nearly as much as I would have like to in the last few months. Such is the life of a grad. student I suppose.

Well, this year Christmas day brought snow. That's right it was a white Christmas in the South! I built 2 snowmen. One of course was tiny since I didn't want to freeze my hands off.. but after a little warming up of my hands I went ahead and built a big one. I'm not going to show you the big one, it didn't quite look good enough. ha!

So, here is to a great Holiday Season and a very happy New 2011!

Cheers All!
Linda

It's Fall

2010-11-21T12:43:00.000-08:00

The leaves have been changing and the temperatures are dropping. Fall is my favorite season of the year! So I snapped a photo of my little man sitting on my balcony contemplating the change of the season :)

I have been pretty busy with trying to focus on my research at school and as such have not had many opportunities to do photography. Life's been pretty crazy overall I'd say!

Cheers all!

This Old Barn

2010-10-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

I love dilapitated grungy buildings and old barns are definitely included! Took this one a while back but just never got around to it and sort of forgot I even had taken this. The shot is composed of 3 photos and as such is an HDR photo.

A Late Afternoon Trip to Beautiful Places I Know

2010-09-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

Took a little trip yesterday afternoon as I like to do every few weeks. I visited with the monks at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA. Afterwards I drove to Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center to watch the rest of the sunset and attempt a few long exposures.

I'm including some fun pics I took of myself while out. :) The picture directly below was taken at Fox Lake, one of the many lakes one can find at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center. The other one.. well, it too was taken at the wildlife center.. I was being silly with my flashlight! I'm pretty creepy looking :) Just in time for Halloween!

Spur of the Moment Excursion

2010-09-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

Decided to go for a little drive last night and see what I'd find along the way. Unfortunately I got stuck in freeway traffic due to both an accident and construction so it got too dark for the sunset photos I was sort of after. No matter, I found a spot in a rural area and did some long exposures. Here are the results. Oh, it was a stormy night by the way.. you may be able to see the lighting in the center clouds on the color photo below.

Cheers,
Linda

Fun with Photoshop

2010-09-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

The photo I took a few weeks ago. The grasshopper looks like it's floating in space, but it was actually sitting on the outside of my car's windshield. Enjoy! FYI I was born in 1976 if you didn't put that together, ha!

Happy Labor Day

2010-09-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

It's Labor Day 2010 and though I comtemplated going into work today, I quickly voted the idea down. Instead I slept until noon, am going to eat waffles and then I'm off to one of my favorite spots to photograph.

My wonderful mother turned 60 yesterday and as is costumary for me, on special occasions, I send her a photograph especially made for her. I thought I would share that photo with you guys as well. Of course she gets hers in a special card format and you just get it plain.

Cheers and have a nice day, especially if you're lucky enough to have it off!

Just a few images!

2010-08-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few recent photos of mine to let you know I am alive and kicking! I'm back out in Georgia now in full swing of graduate school and teaching so my photography time is limited to once a week at the most. Not to mention that post processing is a time consumer! I know those of you who are also photographers can feel me on that one. The photos below were all taken at one of my absolute favorite natural wildlife areas in Georgia. Cheers for now!

Linda

New Developments

2010-07-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hello guys! For the few of you that follow my blog you will have noticed that my last post was months ago. So what has been going on? Let me fill you in. After my February/March back surgery I needed time to recover and was not able to do much photography. Being somewhat immobile gave me time to think and I decided that I wanted to finish my PhD work in Chemistry. I re-applied into the program at The Georgia Institute of Technology in late April to hopefully finish what I started. After a visit back to Georgia and 2 months of biting my fingernails I have been re-accepted and get to keep my original progress. What this means is that during the next 2 years, while I finish my PhD, I will be very VERY busy with research and teaching. Photography is and likely always will be my primary passion in life, but I simply owe it to myself to finish the PhD. As a result of these developments I stopped my year long daily photography challenge. At some point I will restart one from scratch, but rest assured that I do still do photography! Where does that leave this blog? I will continue to post photography here from time to time, so don't worry!

On my recent trip back across country I had some amazing photo opportunities, I have posted some below. Some of you may already know that The Badlands of South Dakota is among my favorite places in the world and the images below were taken there last week.

Cheers,
Linda

Photography and Rick Sammon

2010-04-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

Rick Sammon is one of my favorite photographers of all time, not because his photographs are amazing (they are) but because he is a terrific teacher and inspiring person. I finally had the opportunity to meet with him and listen to him lecture on photography, it was quite a treat for me. (I made sure I sat waaaaaaay up front in the "Business Class Section"!) Unfortunately after our lecture Rick learned his father had passed suddenly (but peacefully). My heart goes out to him but I also want to thank him for continuing to be an inspiration to nobodies such as myself who aspire to be great teachers in photography themselves.

*(These photographs were taken before my lecture and are HDR photos)*

Photography is my true passion. I love learning about how the brain perceives imagery and colors, how the optical physics work and how technology is truly amazing. My photography is reasonable but there is much to learn and in my opinion the best way to learn is to teach.. My college physics professor Dr. Chris Cline always told us that in order to understand concepts you must be able to teach them to your grandma.. Well, that has stuck with me and is very true! (as an aside Chris himself is also a gifted photographer!)

My lengthy former education in all things science has brought organization to my creative side and this is where I feel I want to teach.. on the cusp of science... photography with physics in mind. More on this at some point in the future. Suffice it to say for now that if you have any questions or would like to join me for a learning day shooting anything out in the great world send me an email and we will make it happen!

Cheers!
Linda van Rosmalen
Photography with Passion!

DAY 166 - 6 String

2010-03-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Guitars are wonderful instruments!

DAY 165 - Gull with a Fish Head

2010-03-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

It's a Gull with a fish head dropped by a Juvenile Bald Eagle.

DAY 164 - Stormy Waters

2010-03-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

Three Double Crested Cormorants and a Greater Scaup during a storm.

DAY 163 - More Beach

2010-03-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

I promised you more beach and here is more beach.

Reading about and viewing Art Wolfe's work.

DAY 162 - A Beach

2010-03-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

What's not to love about beautiful beaches? Nothing.. As I play catch-up there will be a short installment of beach photos, look for them over the next few days.

dah dah photography was on my radar today for viewing... I just sort of came across the site.. nifty stuff.

Currently I'm reading about my local commerce department's rules about photography businesses. I hate red tape..

DAY 161 - Fluffy Cloud

2010-03-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

Living here in Washington we get some awesome weather and often some nifty big fluffy clouds like the one I photographed above.

Reading - How to best photograph fireworks. It's not as easy as you think. A little planning goes a long way, oh and don't forget the tripod! Light of the fireworks is most important along with being in focus.. It's something you have to set up ahead of time for sure.

Viewing - Henri Cartier-Bresson, a talented master photographer who passed away in 2004.

DAY 160 - Husky Fluff

2010-03-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

This Husky was getting a quick grooming from mom at the park. Look at all the fur she's pulling out!

Reading - Well, yesterday I mentioned wanting to read a biography, so today I delved into Annie Leibovitz's Biography. Interesting story, did you know she started out working with Rolling Stone when it first came into existence? Nifty!

Viewing - I looked at the various Rolling Stone Cover's that have left impressions on society through the years.

DAY 159 - He's got a scarf!

2010-03-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Is it bad to post my little guy twice in a row? I don't know, but it's my blog I make the rules so here he is again! ha! My mother, the sweetheart she is, made and sent me a scarf for me little man to stay warm. He gets cold so easily. He looks super cute in it so I took a shot.

Reading - Bird Identification Techniques. It never fails that something flies past me at high speed and I am unable to tell what it was. How do the pros do it?

Viewing - Annie Liebovitz, a real legend. i keep uncovering more of her work and think I may want to read a biography that I've seen about her work. Google her name and look at her work.

DAY 158 - Sneaky Man

2010-03-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

My own pup is a sneaky little guy. I caught him trying to steal my toy I got mailed from my mom. The toy makes a funny little noise and Gismo was all over it! I did let him have the toy eventually, after all it really is a dog toy.

Reading - Direct Mailing. A mysterious thing that many successful photographers do to generate interest in their business. It involves getting a mailing list of people who might be interested in photographic services and then mailing them. I've never liked the thought of this, it sounds sneaky and you're paying to get information on people's needs/wants/interests. It kinda violates some sort of privacy in my mind.. but, it may be something worth doing, if I do it well. I'm not sure I like the idea of purchasing info...

Viewing - Heather Elizabeth Photography. I like her stuff, it's got some edge! She's a member of a forum I frequent and a talented gal in my opinion.

DAY 157 - Springer in Spring

2010-03-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

Springer Spaniels are very dear to me and my family. We all love these beautiful smart spaniels so much! My family has had a few of these beauties and even as a young(er) adult I had one. This gal was full of spunk and waiting for her owner to throw her favorite toy back in the water. She was waiting patiently and I snapped this shot. I love it and it looks nice in black and white I think, what do you think?

Reading - How to be original in photography. I often feel limited by what has already been done. How can I come up with something new? Surely there is an infinite combination of camera settings and angles to photograph from, but sometimes the creativity is stomped by what clients want and sometimes it is just overwhelming to think of something new on the fly. My suggestion? Go to where/who you want to photograph and just observe for a while. This will allow you more intimate knowledge of the subject and then let your mind loose on the right hemisphere of your brain!

Viewing - Chris Klapheke, a fellow wildlife photographer who also recently opened his own photography gear company, Outdoor Photo Gear. He was even kind enough to send me a company logo shirt for me to sport while I'm out in the field.

DAY 156 - Tree Treats

2010-03-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

It's so nice to see pets interact with the people they own! This pup was a real charmer and hopped right in the tree to get a little treat.

Reading about tripod heads, what will work best for me.

Viewing more Pet Photography online. I love pet photography especially dogs. Wow, there is a lot of talent out there!

DAY 155 - Sophie

2010-03-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

I have to make a small confession. I love dogs! You know and have seen my pup in a few posts but there are other dogs that warrant a little post as well. Meet Sophie, she's a great gal who loves and talks with her big 'ol paws and gives some excellent hugs! I had the pleasure of spending some time with her at the dog park.

Reading - Pet Photography Tips. The article I read was rather straight forward and though it didn't teach me anything I didn't already know, it did make me want to get out there and hunt me down some pups with my camera!

Viewing - Local Seattle Pet Photographer Jamie Pflughoeft, she runs Cowbelly a wildly successful pet photography business. I love the colorful, happy, cheery and full of personality images she makes and I truly look up to her work. Though I photograph my pup plenty I would love to see what she can do with him! Now taking donations!

Cheers!

DAY 154 - A Frosty Song

2010-03-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

Early Early morning I found this lonely crow on the pier. The sun had barely come over the horizon and it was frigid. I noticed the steamed breath of the crow as it ~~screamed~~ sang in the cold and immediately swung my camera in its direction. I was able to fire off a few shots before the crow stopped "performing" for me.

Reading - What sort of blind works best for wildlife. This of course is something I am pretty darn interested in! I usually go out in full camo and even have a cover for my face in an attempt to blur out my existence to whatever may be around. Heck I even roll around in dirt to try to mask my scent, I'm that ~~nutty~~ dedicated. But I'm trying to learn a few new tricks.. we'll see.

Viewing -Brad Mangin. Brad is a sports photographer, something that I started in with Motocross. I am comfortable shooting the MX sport, but will say that it stops there. I have respect for these guys. I would think that me being accustomed to shooting fast moving birds and wildlife that sports would be a breeze. Not so.

Cheers!

DAY 153 - Sun Dog

2010-03-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

Sun Dogs are one of those marvelous things nature allows us to witness. Wikipedia explains This one presented itself very early in the morning just as the sun had come up over the tree line. Since this was the only cloud in the sky it was a somewhat incomplete Sun Dog as compared to its full glory display, but it was marvelous nonetheless. Those colors, its magical.

Reading - Weather Photography, how to be a storm chaser. Wowzers! I have long had a fascination with weather and love to stand in a good storm, I think the lengths some of the people photographing weather go through is more then I could stand. Scary stuff to risk being whisked away by a Tsunami or a Tornado all for a shot.

Viewing - In keeping with reading I searched out Google for some crazy shots!

Cheers!

DAY 152 - Seagull Strike

2010-03-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

What could this silly Gull be after? How about some left over Eagle scraps! I have not really seen many Gull dive bomb the waters like this fella. It was amusing to watch and a great opportunity to hone my "photographing birds in flight" skills. In my opinion one can never have to much practice with that. I know that there is a magic combination of the powers that be (ISO, shutter speed and Aperture) that will give me the best results with my particular lens and what better way of trying to find that while this Gull was flying around for a few minutes!

Viewing - Dancing Feathers by Janie Moore Green.

Reading - Building your own Studio, what to consider. Boy, I simply can not wait until I get to truly put together a studio from scratch. Should I ever be lucky and successful enough. There is a lot to consider and a lot of money involved. Then again, my mother always told me I had ~~expensive~~ good taste.

Cheers!

DAY 151 - Light Ball

2010-03-07T12:18:00.000-08:00

Think you can guess what it is? It's pretty simple, then again most things are. But I thought I'd have a little fun and try something a bit more abstract then I usually do. So enjoy and do guess!

Reading - How to deal with non-paying clients. Really, this stuff can be pretty tough and nobody likes being the bad guy. However, us freelance photographers HAVE to be especially on the ball with this. A non-paying client directly takes food out of our mouths and can put us in debt for the costs associated with the shoot. Of course helpful tips I read about were charging ahead of time and retainers. No brainers really, but somehow things get still get hairy!

Viewing - Travels to the Edge by Art Wolfe.

Cheers!

DAY 150 - You're Late

2010-03-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

After working on this image for 5 hours I am simply tired of looking at it. Can it be better? yes! am I totally done with it for now? Yep! haha

Reading - Creative Multi Exposure
Viewing - Roger Weiss, so stylized, so beautiful. I truly enjoy his artistic vision when it comes to Fashion Photography.

DAY 149 - Your Host

2010-03-05T12:17:00.000-08:00

That's right, it's me. Granted it is the day before my surgery (almost a weeks ago) but I am including it on the challenge.

Reading - Self Portraiture
Viewing - Jeff Schewe. Very talented and well rounded photographer, he's been around.

DAY 148 - Twin Barns

2010-03-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite areas to photograph and today I give you an HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo of the area. It is a composite of 3 photos taken at 3 different exposures (+1, -1, 0). Put together in Photomatix and fine tuned in Photoshop. I made several versions, which one do you like best?

The one below is the original unedited HDR version. Perhaps you like it? I forgot to post it during the first publishing of this post so here it is now.

Reading - Offset Printing.
Viewing - Pro Photo Magazine layout.

DAY 147 - Eagle Eyes Pierce

2010-03-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

I'm just glad I'm not Eagle food, or this juvenile might have looked at me like this!

Reading - ISO and bad weather, how to get the quickest shot out of your cam without sacrifice

Viewing - Moose Peterson, just seeing if anything new has been added to his gallery lately. He is still my ultime favorite wildlife photographer.

DAY 146 - What's the Buzz about?

2010-03-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

Another glorious day recovering after surgery = nifty photo from my room. It is my flower arrangement from my folks :)

Reading/Viewing - Reading/Viewing today turned into Discovery Channel watching and paying close attention (well as close as I can at the moment) to the photography in the science shows.

DAY 145 - That's my cup of Tea

2010-03-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

The view from my hospital bed isn't glorious, but the aroma of the hot tea pepped me up enough to snap a photo on my camera phone :)

Reading and Viewing - Photoshop tutorials in an issue of Advanced Photoshop Magazine.

DAY 144 - Common Mergansers

2010-02-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

Common Mergansers are quite cool in my book. Though they are abundant here, I hardly ever see them near the shore when I'm near as they tend to be skittish. Again, I blame this on the fact that it is breeding season and all the animals seem just a little more brazen then usual.

Reading/Viewing - Picture Perfect. Game Ranches and the photos they yield. I wasn't aware of the lengths photographers commonly go through in order to get a "wildlife shot". At least I can say that my shots are of wildlife unless I specify clearly otherwise. I am often very frustrated having to sit on my backside for hours and hours on end only to go home with photos of my feet against a background and no photos of (insert animal).

DAY 143 - Abstract Architecture

2010-02-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

This day I really was still unable to photograph since I was in the hospital. Speaking of.. here is the hospital. Overlaid with an interesting texture. This image evokes feelings for me.

Reading/Viewing - Abstract architecture of Seattle

DAY 142 - Our NightLight

2010-02-26T12:13:00.000-08:00

The moon, it is always there like the big giant nightlight it is on clear nights.

Viewing - Nasa's Hubble Telescope Photos. Wowzers, those are the most incredible images ever and they didn't need a person to snap away at it!

Reading - Hubble Telescope optics. Yikes, not for the budget conscious!

DAY 141 - Competive Eagle

2010-02-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

Today (which was really yesterday, the 24th) I went to visit one of my old favorite spots in the state of Washington, the Nisqually Wildlife Reserve. I've been out there dozens of times and have spent many a day not getting photos of what I wanted. Today I decided to head back to the area since it is the day before my surgery and because I've always wondered if the huge Bald Eagle nest near the Twin Barns there is ever occupied. Today I received my answer. Yes. Two mature eagles call the nest home and a lovely pair they are. As I was observing them doing a little household cleaning and bonding two other Bald Eagles flew into the area and perched themselves in a tree about 100m away. I ended up referring to them as the Terrible Two, more on that in a minute. The male Eagle on the nest flew off and returned a few minutes later with a tasty snack for the family. After laying into its snack the two juveniles that had been perched in a nearby tree decided to come over and rob the male eagle of its prey. Viciously too I might ad, hence the name the Terrible Two. I am fairly sure that the two juveniles were both female as they absolutely dwarfed the poor male and even his mate to some extent.

Reading - How to tell Juvenile Bald Eagles from Golden Eagles

Viewing - Juvenile Balds and Golden Eagle photos for comparison. It's still hard to tell the difference sometimes.

DAY 140 - Spotted Towhee

2010-02-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

One of the, in my opinion, annoying bird group that includes the Robins, Kill Deer and Crows. These little guys know how to make quite the irritating noise and can usually be found scurrying under bushes tossing up the vegetation looking for food.

Viewing - Spotted Towhee Photos. I really like the way mine turned out.

Reading - How to publish your first photo.

DAY 139 - Mystery Hawk

2010-02-23T12:10:00.000-08:00

Haven't quite figured out what I've got here. While in the field in the pouring rain this magnificent birs swooped down almost onto my head. I quickly tried to set my tripod down, as I was walking, and panned the head around to capture a few quick shots of it. Because it was incredibly rainy and the light quality was poor I was only to get an ok shot or two. While I was out there I thought maybe it was a Sharp Shinned Hawk, but upon closer inspection when I got home that just doesn't seem to be the case. It isn't a red tailed hawk since the pattern doesn't match and it seemed quite a bit faster, edgy and slender then the RTHs I'm used to and though it could be a Peregrine, I too vote that down because of its rail. Hmm... What could it be? Any help out there?

Viewing - Chris Orwig. A better person then me. I love the raw images of people he is able to get I would never have the confidence to do so, too afraid I would be shooed away or cursed at. I've read some literature on how to approach strangers, even watched a video of photographer Rick Sammon doing it (though the conditions seemed favorable for him in the video I saw)

Reading - You guessed it. How to approach strangers during your travels and take their photos.

DAY 138 - Scaup

2010-02-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Aren't they a neat looking bunch? I'm usually not privy to have them so close to me, but these guys and gals are so caught up in the spring mating rituals that not much is bothering them.

Reading - Where do waterfowl breed? What do various waterfowl's mating rituals look like? Man, this is a huge and very interesting topic. Some of the things these animals do in order to attract a mate are just downright strange!

Viewing - Joseph Linaschke yet another photographer who seems to be able to span a wide area of portraiture successfully and seamlessly.

DAY 137 - Cascade Mountain Range

2010-02-21T12:09:00.000-08:00

As I was once again perched outdoors waiting for Eagles and this time even a strange looking Duck I noticed how clear it was. I could see all the cascade mountain range clearly from where I was standing.. Normally not nearly this visible!

Viewing - Google maps allows users to post images from locations around the world, it is a really cool way of visiting a place without going there and getting to see the "local" views

Reading - Travel Photography, what not to do. A number of things make it extremely difficult to photograph anything or anyone in public anymore. Even more reason for me to stick to the wilderness!

DAY 136 - It's a Volcano

2010-02-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

It almost never fails, whenever it is going to be a clear day Mt. Rainier looks spectacular. It is hard to imagine looking at this peaceful giant that it is in fact an active volcano.

Viewing - Black and White landscape photography

Reading - Stroboframe bracket and its use in my life.

DAY 135 - In Flight

2010-02-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

Tired of me photographing eagles yet? Too bad. A fairly young eagle was hunting the waters this early morning and it was quite a sight as it swept low and flew over a flock of Coot. It was amusing to watch the Coot scramble for dear life and half of them diving down. It was comical to watch but it has serious implications for at least one of them, but all I could hear was silly circus music every time the coot scrambled!

Viewing today Natalie Dybisz - Very creative and maybe a little too fond of her own reflection but amazing work.

Reading - Self Portraiture, can you take your own portrait better then someone else because you "know yourself" or would it be better if you left it to someone else so that you are able to maybe explore new sides of you.

DAY 134 - Injured Coot

2010-02-18T23:57:00.000-08:00

When I went out this morning just before sunrise I walked down the pier to set up when I stumpled upon this poor little guy. It was making noises and couldn't move very well, it was just sort of laying there on the pier. An apparent victim of a early morning Bald Eagle raid gone wrong. I think the animal was dropped as the eagle made its escape with a tasty treat over the pier. Sigh. Nature is not pretty. However, in an effort to show this poor little guys last moments I tried to capture it beautifully in the morning's first rays of sun.

Viewing - Bambi Cantrell - One of the top 10 Wedding Photogs in the world and with a pricetag to match!
Reading - Proper Teleconverter use and what it is really meant to do, besides the obvious!

DAY 133 - It's a dog's Life

2010-02-17T23:28:00.000-08:00

My I was busy today, I hardly had time to spare for my photo challenge. But here it is. I give you my little man and his half asleep face as he sits in my computer chair. He loves to jump in my chair whenever I get up from it and then will instantly nap. It is even better when I then try to move him and he plays the whole "I am as limp as a noodle" game because he doesn't want to move.

Hey, by the way, I still haven't heard from you guys if you want to know my camera settings and/or post processing steps. Got any input?

Cheers!

DAY 132 - Early Morning Glory

2010-02-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

For some reason unknown to mankind I was wide awake this morning at 6am so I headed out the door with my gear to see if I could find the eagles early in the morning. Sure enough, they were waiting for me. I have never seen that many Bald Eagles in the same location. I counted 7 different ones. I was all sorts of giddy and even though it was freezing cold I was super excited. Here is one such eagle. This one must be coming its fourth year since some of the juvenile plumage remains but a lot of the adult plumage is visible. What a gorgeous creature!

DAY 131 - Strike

2010-02-15T23:23:00.000-08:00

The sun was out and off to the piers I went! As I was scanning for Eagles I noticed my girl off in the distance hunting the waters. Sure, she was beyond reach from my location at the time, but I thought I would share a water strike with you anyways. She caught a small fish, but it alluded her. If you look closely you can actually see it flying off behind her (of course the attached collage photo is a low-res version of the real deal so you'll have to look really close! haha).

Cheers!

DAY 130 - Charlie Drown

2010-02-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to see Charlie Drown in concert for a few years now and finally had the chance to do so last night. I got all dressed up for the occasion and looked like your standard Goth-y individual. I thought about bringing my big gun (aka the D300) but voted against it because I just wanted to have fun besides, I didn't know if they would allow it. Turned out they did allow it but I'm still glad I didn't bring it, it gave me the chance to really enjoy the show without living through my lens (you serious photographers know what I'm talking about here). However, I couldn't resist trying to take a few shots with my camera phone.

DAY 129 - Eye

2010-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

I love eyes, the windows to the soul. It's true, at least for me, that people are readable through their eyes. I sometimes get caught staring at someone's eyes and have it naturally mistaken for a like/want of the person. Alas, for me it is the niftiest thing to look at on a person, so today I give you a friend's eyeball.

DAY 128 - The Scream

2010-02-12T23:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a lovely day today. Lovely if you like being cold, rained on sideways and hanging on to the nearest lamp post in order not to get blown away! That being said, I know this sort of weather brings out the big birds. It works like this: Rainy days = top water action from fish, eagles love fish, therefore rainy days = eagles near the waters. So I lugged my camera gear out to the pier and enjoyed being rained on sideways and freeze a bit to see my favorite girl. I'm giving her a name, Scream, on account of her loud calls whenever I have met with her. (I'm pretty sure at this point this Bald Eagle is indeed a she based on her size). She's very vocal so it's a fitting name I think.

Viewing today consisted of a new fan of mine's photography, Slimeface. He's a trucker and photographer and has had about 7 images or so published in JPG magazine. Love the name, it's rugged and reminds me of Slimer, the ghost busters ghost-thing.

Reading consisted of traditional dark room techniques for editing. It is quite interesting and time consuming to do right, but then again so it is with the digital darkroom. Anyone who thinks different is entitled to explain themselves but may be thought of by myself as amateurs! hahaha ;)

Cheers!

ps. I'm wondering if you guys would like to have me include things such as my camera settings and post processing steps. For instance. I shot the image below with my Nikon D300 + 300mm F4 AFS at F4, 1/800s. Post Processing was just a quick crop, no color work or anything else.

****bonus!****
You get to watch me get rained on sideways and chat it up on the pier! Excited yet? (spoiler alert. I am a weirdo!)

DAY 127 - Night Cross

2010-02-11T23:01:00.000-08:00

There was a lot of mist in the air and when I walked my pup I noticed this sort of cross..

DAY 126 - Baldness

2010-02-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

Well, my lens' maiden voyage into the wild proofed fruitful. As I sat for hours near the waters of Lake Washington hoping to catch a glimpse of an eagle maybe hunting the waters for fish or a tasty American Coot I was rewarded by the calls of an American Bald Eagle calling for its mate from a nearby tree. Though the eagle did not take flight to hunt the waters, it sat there just long enough for me to test my new lens on. I'm happy and after eating a tasty fish later that day the Bald Eagle was too I'm sure!

Viewing, Book Cover art. I've been hearing the call of the pencil and paper artist in me stronger over the last few weeks and think I soon will have to crank out a traditional art piece which I will then transfer into PS for finishing.

Reading, I'm trying to find some good sources to sell my photos to. I would love to work closely with a publishing company which deals in College Level and above Science books.

DAY 125 - Poetry and Blogs

2010-02-09T23:17:00.000-08:00

I was recently featured in a blog! I was contacted by poet, Laura Tattoo about a photograph I took some time ago. She is very fond of my work and asked to use one of my images in conjunction with her poem, The Crow in the Bay. I was honored and thus accepted. So go visit her blog and leave her some comment love!

Speaking of Blogs, I need to also credit my dear friend Kate from the Newlywed & Unemployed blog, she mentioned my blog on her blog again recently and I appreciate her kind words. So, shoot back over to her blog and read up on her great writings and the husband hump day posts where her husband gives his "man-sight" into relationships. Also, if any of you creative types is reading this blog, she is looking for a new layout and has a budget to see it through!

DAY 124 - Model Output

2010-02-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 of the photos taken during my model shoot this past Friday. More to follow soon. The model is Katie Blue and she contacted me to work with her. It was a pleasure and both of us worked hard. I did all the makeup, wardrobe and hair, though in these 2 photos she is *obviously* not wearing much!

Cheers!

DAY 123 - Boterkoek

2010-02-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

Boterkoek is a Dutch dessert that I've always been very fond of. My mother used to make it when I was young and I always loved it. During my recent visit to California to visit them we went to a local Dutch store and each walked away with a packet of the dessert mix. I finally baked mine and let me just tell you it was yummy!

Reading and Viewing. Reading about the influential photographers of the 20th century that paved the way for modern photography movements. The viewing naturally fell inline with that. Photographers include E. Weston, H. Newton and D. Lange.

DAY 122 - Photoshoot Preparations

2010-02-05T00:10:00.000-08:00

Here is my living room, converted for the purpose of a model shoot. Let me tell you it was quite the undertaking! It took days of clearing out my living room and then rigging MacGuiver like mounts into my wood ceiling complete with old tv cable connections.

To prepare further for the legalities of the shoot I have been reading my ASMP Professional Business Practices in Photography on model release fine print. The viewing part of my daily life as a photographer consisted of inspirational images for the shoot itself. A sort of base to switch on the creativity stuck inside my head.

DAY 121 - I'm a mom!!!

2010-02-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

I'm speaking of my ~~newborn~~ Nikon 300mm F4 AFS. Yes, after a few years of trying I am happy to report it was a smooth delivery! haha! I'm a proud mom too, showing it off at every chance I get and taking it on frequent walks around town. So far we've really bonded and I don't know how I have made due without it!

Reading and viewing today consisted of proper long lens techniques and images of wildlife taken with this particular Nikon lens.

DAY 120 - Rainier

2010-02-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity again to photograph Rainier Mountain under wonderful (in my opionion) lighting conditions and though the cloud cover had dissipated by the time I got set up, I still thought the light was good enough to go forth and conquer! This photo is a 3 shot HDR and processed in both Photomatix and touched up in Photoshop CS3.

Reading and Viewing are geared towards the photo shoot I talked about yesterday.

Cheers!

DAY 119 - Ruddy

2010-02-02T21:45:00.000-08:00

Caught me a glimpse of a far away Ruddy Duck. This was the first time I had seen one in the wild. This strange duck stuck out to me because of its perky tail. This was the male as well and as such had a beautiful blue colored bill. I know this photo does not do it justice, but hey at least I have a photo of it :)

I'm busy preparing for a photo shoot I have this Friday with a wonderful and tall model, Katie Blue. I'm excited and have been busy scribbling lighting scenarios and poses feverishly on pieces of scrap paper. It should come to no surprise then then both my reading and viewing have been directed towards preparing for the shoot.

Cheers!

DAYS 114-118 - Time to add a few more days to the Challenge!

2010-02-01T22:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been quite busy between prepping for an upcoming surgery and being out in the field trying to capture beauty. I visited the Upper Skagit River Valley and spent the day trying to locate a murder of Bald Eagles (I know murder is typically reserved for crows, but I'm extending it because it sounds nifty). I came close, 3 within 100 yards of one another. A mated pair and a lone wolf.

I also had the opportunity to capture a rare species, the Kate from the Newlywed and Unemployed Blog. A beauty indeed and captured sporting the elusive "bangs of doom!"

Besides all that beauty, there was also cuteness to be captured. Button nosed, fuzzy and kissable cuteness! (If you've been reading this blog for a while then you'll know I am talking about my furry baby, Gismo. I stuck the poor little guy in a hole of a tree about 7ft high. Was he happy about that? No. Did it make a cute photo? YES!

I will also include a shot of the button nosed wonder and myself in front of the Northern Cascade Mountain range.

And this particular blog post is not complete without a little humor in the form of a funny sign!

Cheers!

As far as reading and viewing goes.. I have been reading a metric ton about Macro photography. Specifically the proper camera settings and set up to ensure success. Viewing has been consisting of trips to the bookstore, browsing through some of the newer HDR photography books. Trey Ratcliff is seemingly the HDR man of the hour and although I am not a huge fan of the majority of his works (they seem over the top to me) I can certainly learn from his techniques and adjust them to suit my own personal style and tastes.

DAY 113 - Gull's are funny

2010-01-27T00:57:00.000-08:00

A well known photographer (I believe it was Rick Sammon, but don't quote me) said watch a gull for 10 minutes and it will doing something stupid. It really does hold true most of the time, including today :)

I was going through my photos and got stuck trying to identify a gull like bird, I think it is some sort of a Mew, Kittiwake, Gull mix. It's smaller then the Gull and has a smaller beak. I will post it below, if you can identify it let me know.

Anyways, viewing.. you guessed it tons and tons of gull like photography to try to figure out what bird is in the above photo.

Reading.. wait for it... How to identify above bird. Call me obsessed, I say I'm just thorough! ha

Cheers!

DAY 112 - Gaze of a Winter Robin

2010-01-25T00:06:00.000-08:00

Wow, this guy did not move until I got very close to him and my flash went off. Here is the shot. I rather enjoyed being able to get so close and get such a sharp photo. My lens' sweet spot is definitely F8 and around 250mm. Mental note made.

Today's reading consisted of mirror lens' and why they tend to cause photographers problems... I mean at face value they seem a light weight, low cost solution for telephoto photos. The mirror "reflex" lens is essentially a telescope, for more on this here is a fairly good link.

Viewing. Lillian Sullam, 2009 best of show winner of the 14th Annual PCNW MEMBERS' JURIED EXHIBITION.

DAY 111 - I'm on a Pretatory Bird Streak!

2010-01-23T23:36:00.000-08:00

Today I took my camera and Gismo along to the park. Wouldn't you know.. BAM. Giant Red Tailed Hawk, right there, staring at me and not moving an inch. Snap! gotcha! I was super excited for two reasons, heck three. 1. The Hawk was in range 2. The lighting and 3. Hello! It's a hawk! hahaha

Viewing. I spent a solid hour trying to identify another predator I saw today, so I browsed through hundreds of images looking for a match. FAIL!

Reading. How to rig my inferior off camera flash with a external battery pack. Can you say "blow it up!"

Cheers!

DAY 110 - American Trash

2010-01-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

oday I spent most of the day doing some cleaning of various sorts and tending to some business matters. The sun was out for a little while, though it was mostly overcast. I give you the cemetery dumpster.

Viewing, Rick Sammon's HDR works. not a fan.

Reading, how to kern and track texts in Photoshop. I never really use kerning much and had actually just about forgotten what it even was. (it is the spacing between individual letters in ones text)

Cheers!

DAY 109 - Eagle-tastic

2010-01-21T23:08:00.000-08:00

I know Eagle-tastic isn't a word, but it would describe today's encounter with 4 bald eagles, 2 juvenile, 2 adult. I pulled the car over and saw the adults on the way to the lake, but wasn't able to get any good shots. Once I got to the lake I sat there quietly for about 40 minutes just enjoying the view and the ducks and what not. (camera ready of course!) then I saw one of the juvenile bald eagles hunt the water for a meal. Though it wasn't a successful hunt and because it happened quite a ways away, my shots of it aren't very good. Then, to my surprise another juvenile showed up. The two of them started flying directly my way, I couldn't believe it! that's when I got just a few shots in before my buffer was full (3-4 raw shots). they still aren't stellar images, but I was pretty excited to have gotten something! Question... Should I sell my car and my soul for better glass? hahaha

Reading today.. chromatic aberration, the physics behind the problem.

Viewing... Edward Weston, visionary of one of the most famous and well respected artistic nudes ever photographed. (pictured below) The woman eventually became his wife for 7 years in the late 30's. The woman, Charis, passed away just this past November.

Image Copyright of Edward Weston

After such a great photo, it is not going to look good for me to post mine! ha, but I shall. Take it easy on me! Cheers!

DAYS 102-108 - Warning, Image dump!

2010-01-21T00:45:00.000-08:00

Image dump coming again...

I've shot quite a bit over the last week but seem to have some serious problems getting everything online here. The problems lie mainly in hardware malfunction. I am on a loaner laptop now since my other one shit the bed :( So there are issues with getting some of my images since they were on the broken laptop, not yet backed up. Sigh. I have some images for you though :)

Dave Hill rocks. I like the style he brings to the photo, the painted qualities. Nifty! There are some pieces I simply do not care for, but all in all he is excellent.

I'm learning more about the differences between certain types of nudes.. ie, glamour vs artistic. Quite interesting and although there is room for discussion about what fits in what category, it is nice to have a basic understanding. Great reading in the Beginner's Guide to Photographing Nudes

Cheers!

DAY 101 - My nest

2010-01-14T22:06:00.000-08:00

Today I give you my bedroom :) yeah, its not super fancy, but 1. it is mine and 2. it has the awesomest comforter ever!

I know I am supposed to be learning about photography but I must tell you, all forms of art really intrigue me! It is hard to stay focused on just this one. Today I went back to learning about my favorite type of photography, wildlife. After browsing through some new images of Rich Leighton's I just wanted to know more about how to capture wildlife. Patience and education about the species are always the number one thing to do, but what about when the critter is right there in front of you, what now? As my father aptly pointed out, gear isn't what makes the photo. I agree dad, but will say that for probability's sake, one is better off with something that will work for the subject he/she is trying to capture. But I digress... So here I am and this is what I/you should do. I have a zoom lens. I have had it a while. It is a good lens, though not made to shoot at its far end of 300mm where the images come out soft the majority of the time. So over time I found out where my lens' "sweet spot" is (between 80-130mm at most F-stops) and when at all possible I get as close to the wildlife as I can to allow use of that range. This is, sadly, hardly ever. So what is the bottom line with an "inferior" wildlife lens? Shoot as many images as possible, always, and don't stop when you think you have a good image. There is no worse feeling then coming home and looking at your image on the computer only to see it doesn't look nearly as good as it did on the back of the camera! Sure, all the things I'm giving tips about above are intuitive fir the most part, but sometimes one just needs to be reminded, as I often do! So if you are like me and don't have million dollar glass, kill with the shear volume of images and then pray! It is not a cure all, but trust me I have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours researching and honing my skill and if I learn something revolutionizing I will surely let you guys know!

Cheers!

DAY 100 - Valentines Ad

2010-01-13T22:31:00.000-08:00

Today my laptop formally crapped out on me! In a whirlwind of panic I took it to the store I bought it from and is currently in repair. This meant that today was pretty much a bust for photo editing. So I got on my loaner and put together a promotion dealio for V-day.

Viewing and Learning today? Boudoir photography scouting and I learned some crazy new lighting technique courtesy of Joe McNally.

Cheers!

DAY 99 - A needle in a Haystack

2010-01-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

or in this case.. grass. Gross! Walking my dog we came upon this. He almost stepped on it, I would have freaked! Either was its disconcerting to know this is happening not 50 feet away from my front door. Welcome to the real world, pink glasses not recommended!

Gotta give it to Tasra Dawson for her continued inspiration on my journey. The woman runs a few businesses, a family and lord knows what else and is still putting out constant personal work. amazing.

Cheers!

DAY 98 - Clever Dark Elve

2010-01-11T23:10:00.000-08:00

Clever Dark Elve is my online persona and all online personas must be accompanied by an image. Tonight I dug out the makeup and put this little number together. I will tell you that being both the photographer and model can be a challenge! My lighting consisted of a small strobe, an off camera flash and some reflectors. (which I was hand holding!) After the raw image came out of the camera I tweaked the color balance, got rid of a zit on my chin (because in real life who doesn't have one of those?) and played up a bluish hue to go with my eyes. I think my neighbors probably wondered why my place looked like a strobing rave, well this was why!

Oh and Joe McNally continues to teach me some new things, as I was reading his blog tonight, there was this...

Cheers!

DAY 97 - Red Breasted Sap Sucker

2010-01-11T02:46:00.000-08:00

These guys can be hard to track since they don't really like to sit still or be spotted most of the time (at least not when I'm looking!) While I was tracking this guy a bald eagle came screaming overhead no more then 6 feet above me! It was magnificent! Unfortunately I couldn't scramble the camera in position fast enough to get a shot. Huge bird! Made my year! haha

DAY 96 - Park Feet

2010-01-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

It's funny what you come across sometimes when walking about. Today I met some gals who were walking their dogs and one of these gals had the most interesting shoes. After talking about birds, eagles and the like I told her how interesting her shoes were and asked if I could take a photo. She agreed and here they are :) The shoes are handpainted and came from a little shop at Cannon Beach.

Cheers

DAY 95 - If the Moon Exploded

2010-01-03T23:30:00.000-08:00

Today's image is a strange seed bulb dangling from a bare winter tree. Though it was my intention to post it realistically and naturally looking (the thing looked so strange already) while I was messing around I serendipitously got this result. It instantly reminded me of a creepy small scale "Twilight Zone" inspired exploding moon. Lack of sleep? maybe. Cool photoshop accent? yes! ha

Reading today. Bellows systems. Do I really need another photographic obsession to add to the ones I have already? perhaps, haha!

Viewing. Extreme closeups. Notice how the reading and viewing themes often coincide! clever eh?

Cheers!

DAY 94 - The sky is the limit!

2010-01-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

Hello Peeps, here I am *waves*! Back on track hopefully with the daily challenge as planned. Gosh, I just didn't realize really how difficult it is to post one photo a day and I take photos EVERY day!

Read some inpirational blogs around the net today to get my creative juices ~~flowing~~ bubbling. This one is a good nay great one.. if you've been reading my blog for a while then you know the person's blog I'm linking here is always inspirational to me.

On the education of photography path I have been looking into the old masters and learning their processing techniques, how they tweaked the photos. Sure I've shot loads of film, heck I've developed my own in school. but my photos never looked like those of Ansel Adams! Why is that? What was he doing in that darkroom?

"The Best Camera...." - Chase Jarvis

(meaning I shot this with my camera phone)

Ok, here's the dealio (DAYS 83-93)

2010-01-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

It has been a loooooong dry spell since my last daily photo. Life sometimes gets busy and even awesome people like myself (haha) get get caught up in the whirlwind. I have to remind you that I have however, been diligently taking a photo (more like 20-100) every day. The photos kept piling up and without internet I couldn't post any for a little while. Then when I did finally get internet I was overwhelmed by the amount of photos waiting for my edit! Here's the thing.. I have really been digging my claws into HDR photography, and that stuff takes massive amounts of time (and disk space!).

For those that don't know HDR photography stands for High Dynamic Range photography. This type of photography usually requires several (3-9) shots, of the scene to be transformed into HDR, to be taken. Since I shoot RAW (RAW explained) the files are large and require some processing prior to the HDR conversion. After initial processing the images are cranked through my favorite HDR software (Photomatix). After tweaking the settings in that, the image is processed into an HDR image (or at least as HDR as the human eye allows for). This HDR image is then saved as a *Tif file by me (another monster sized file) and then tweaked into Photoshop for the final touches. This often involved using the individual snapped shots again to resolve noise and what not generated by the Photomatix software. PHEW! You can see that this process can take a little time and let me tell you, I love doing these images but, they are labor intensive for an acceptable result.
So this is more or less the reason for the hold up. Processing time. There simply aren't enough hours in the day for me to process all my images into HDR. Of course not all my shots over nearly the last month are HDR type shots but, I am a stickler of putting the images out in order. Oh woe me and my organizational madness!

Fast forward. I have decided to just start dumping images on this post (massive dump follows) and will add the dates below the images. Each image will count for a day and once my dump is finished the header will reflect which days this post will encompass. Remember to check this post a few times as images will be added as they are processed. This solution will allow me to start posting again as of January 1st yet still somehow satisfy my organizational urges! (oh and FYI images are posted by edit date).

Cheers!

Hollister Hills 12-08-09

Hollister Hills 12-09-09 (Also my Birthday!)

California Farm Land 12-10-09

Stellar Jay 12-11-09

Condor Crags 12-12-09

Nanette 12-14-09

Friends 12-15-09

Great White Egret 12-16-09

Black Crowned Night Heron 12-17-09

Best Friends 12-17-09

Pacheco Pass 12-18-09

I'm the Victim of a "Happy 101" Award!

2009-12-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

First of I'd like to say that I am going through hordes upon hordes of photos this evening to post in my lovely blog. Then I'd like to continue and let you guys know that I won a little award, the "Happy 101" award! I was awarded this by Kate from the Newlywed & Unemployed Blog. So, you ask, what did you have to do for this? Well, aparently 1. I have to exist and write blogs (check) 2. I have to list 10 things that make me happy each day (see below) 3. Do one thing that was on my list. (check) and 4. List 10 bloggers who brighten my day.
The peeps whom I give this award are to link back to my blog and spread the happy by awarding your own top 10 :)

List of things that make me happy:

1. Pet my sweet little Smoosh-o-lini (my dog, Gismo) *** done***
2. Watch Cartoons
3. ~~Warm~~ Hot Shower
4. Converse with at least one friend
5. Eat my mom's home made tomato soup
6. Photograph unsuspecting wildlife/people
7. Exercise
8. Play a computer game
9. Sit in a Hot tub
10. Get my hair washed at a salon

List of 10 Bloggers that Brighten my day:

So there it is... now back to photos!

Upcomming

2009-12-19T01:06:00.000-08:00

I have sooo many photos to go through right now and will be completely buried in work as well over the next week.. The end of the year is going out with a crazy busy bang for me! I will do my best to post all the images I haven't had a chance to post, but I won't kid you and tell you I will get it all done before xmas... Hang in there! I haven't forgotten about my blog/challenge duties!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-12-09T23:40:00.000-08:00

Today was my 33rd Birthday. I celebrated it in California with my parents and had lunch with my mother. After lunch I spent the afternoon out on the Wharf in Monterey Bay photographing.. you guessed it... Birds! I'm waiting to update my challenge until I get some time to edit my photos from the last week or so. So just keep hanging on for that. But here is me on my birthday! Nothing like seeing the photographer on the other side of the lens for a still photo! ha!

Phyziks is Fun!

2009-12-07T19:47:00.001-08:00

How cool is this? My scientific mind is just in love with this! how fun! (I still have yet to offload camera images so this will have to tie you over!)

Cheers!

By the way, remember Pearl Harbor! 7Dec1941

Japanese Dead Mouse Transport Inc.

2009-12-06T22:19:00.000-08:00

Tonight Gismo brought in a present to give me! I initially thought it was some sort of stick thing only to find out it was a big ol' mousey! (Isn't he so sweet? Yucky!!) I immediately demanded some photos be taken and against some initial protest this was accomplished. So I give you my little dead mouse transporter!

Definitive proof that my dog is half cat half dog!

Cheers!

Where oh where?

2009-12-05T00:05:00.000-08:00

As in.. where oh where are Linda's wonderful blogs and challenge updates? I tell you where.. they are in the camera still! I have been on the road and haven't had a chance to offload anything and well, today is the first day I have had some interwebs :) So stay tuned my loyal audience of 3-5! hahaha

DAY 82 - Cormorant's Walk

2009-12-02T01:26:00.000-08:00

Well, today I was in Tacoma and decided to check out American Lake. There is wonderful wildlife of the avian variety in the area. I heard all sorts of birdies, Kestrels, Pileated Woodpeckers, Kingfishers.. unfortuntaley I didn't actually spot any of them.. weird, I'm usually pretty good at locating them. Anyways, I sat and watched Rainier Mountain from where I was sitting and since it was a super clear day it was beautifully set against the sky. I watched all sorts of ducks and water fowl do their thing, including this Cormorant. I think Cormorants are just so interesting. They look so prehistoric almost, Pteradactl like to me. Their feathers need to be dried out after a swim since they actually hold water and they can often be found sitting a top of pilings with their wings spread out, I haven't seen another bird like it. Nifty really.

Viewing. Richard Avedon, influential Fashion and Celebrity photography. His work is revered by many and it revolutionized modern "High Fashion".

Reading. HDR techniques. I have been adked to teach a class on HDR in the comming two months and I'm preparing myself by finding out different ways to get to the endpoint. There is of course the way I do it now. But I want to be able to give my students alternative ways of doing it. It is a way to stimulate the creative mind to think outside the box. I can't wait!

Cheers!

DAY 81 - Change of Plans

2009-12-01T03:11:00.000-08:00

Though I set out to take some wonderful photos of the greater Seattle Area, I got caught up in errands and apartment hunting. So I took my best camera, (you know, the one that is with you according to Chase Jarvis) my cell phone and shot two photos of the ceiling and merged them together inside my phone. I really loved this celing, it was very tall and loft like. It took me back to the days I actually lived in a loft. I miss that so so much. Living in a loft is what I've always wanted and continue to want.

Reading. Large format cameras. I am simply amazed by those big rigs. They capture some really fantastic and widely dynamic ranged imaged with superb resolution.. then again that "sensor" is huge!

Viewing. In keeping with the Large Format interest I found a photographer who does some neat vintage like images using large format cameras, Charles Caito.

DAY 80 - Mima Mounds

2009-11-30T01:33:00.000-08:00

Well, today I explored an area that I have been wanting to explore for some time, the Mima Mounds. These mounds are quite mysterious and scientists continue to be baffled by their origins. Hypotheses exist ranging from erosion and permafrost cracking to Gophers.. Very interesting. At this location one can find about 8 mounds per acre on average. These type of mounds also exist in other parts of the country, but these are the first I have witnessed. Though it was sunny when I left the house to drive out to the mounds, the sun was gone the second my little feet hit the ground on location. sigh.. haha. I spend time chasing around what turned out to be another Kestrel. At one point in the foot pursuit I walked within 15 feet from it without noticing it until it flew off. I scrambled with my camera equipment, but the old adage "If you see it you're too late," held true. bah. So I have "Bigfoot" type photos of the critter.. you know the kind that are slightly out of focus and blurry! ha. I have included some short movie commentaries recorded with my phone at the site. They are for your entertainment :)

Viewing - Falcons, Falcons, Falcons.. then I found out what I saw wasn't a Falcon but a Female American Kestrel. However, bird photographer Arthur Morris seems to have much better luck then me. I think it is because I'm actually quite impatient.

Reading. Bracketing once more. Shooting today I found that I prefer a setting of exposures that doesn't seem to be a standard option for bracketing so I'm wondering if I can set the exposure for the set manually. The answer however, still alludes me.

Couldn't Sleep, so you WIN!

2009-11-29T05:11:00.000-08:00

Hey guys and gals! I couldn't sleep so I got on the 'puter to make my father a step by step of an HDR sort of photo. I dug through some files and found some unprocessed stuff (I have TONS of that). So here is a sort of workflow of this photo, the final result is what you saw above, below this text, the step by step. I love to teach this to anyone willing to learn! Total time spent on this project was about 3 hours. Feedback appreciated :)

Cheers! (and I might need some sleep now!)

one of the original 3 photos, middle exposure (exposed correctly)

This was ~~a big~~ the biggest step. after the original 3 photos went through Photomatix (as seen in the previous step) I desaturated the image and replaced the sky with the sky that was to my right, which I photographed in a different photo.

I'm really just working on the sky and the detail enhancement here.

DAY 79 - The Cat's Meow

2009-11-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

Today I was up to some of my usual shenanigans, chasing down wildlife and birds in particular. It was rainy all day but I really just wanted to get out. I stopped by a friends house for a Turkey Sandwich and a glass off H2O and explored their yard. I employed some recently learned bird call techniques to try to attract some birds, which worked, and this guy showed up. Guess he thought that a tasty meal was sure to be found. I processed the photo as usual, but then thought to create something more whimsical and used an extreme vignette to do the job.

Reading. Read about using different types of blurring to accomplish certain soft focus feeling. Surface vs. Motion vs. Radial vs. Gaussian, etc.

Viewing. Spent a few hours in the bookstore browsing through various birding books like this one bird book.