Sunday, November 27, 2011

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Waiting: I just couldn't pass up this shot while we were all waiting for the Parade of Lights to start.

Foliage (Kamana's suggestion): There really isn't much foliage around our place now so I pulled this from some shots taken last month. I did consider going to a store or mall to get the shot for this prompt but decided to be a home body today.


Candid (Kamana's suggestion): Isn't this little guy just too cute.


Knife, Fork or Spoon (Kamana's suggestion): Once again I pulled from the archives. I thought about taking something new but I just love this shot. This is a scan of the original photo I took some sixteen years ago of my  daughter.


Rules of Thirds (Mikayla's suggestion): What can I say, I like to style miniature dolls in historic clothing. :D
Next week I am going to do my best to take all new shots.




Next weeks prompts:

  1. Portrait
  2. Nostaglic (Ida's suggestion)
  3. Time (Ida's suggestion)
  4. Full of Light (Mikayla's suggestion)
  5. Motion (Mikayla's suggestion)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Photography Post Production Right or Wrong

Photography is not just capturing a duplicate of the scene before you, it is the photographers' interpretation of that scene. Just as the Masters of old added their own interpretations' to the subjects they carved or painted so too photographers past and present add their own artistic perspective to the images they capture.

I have heard people rebuke digital photography and digital post production, claiming that modern technology is ruining photography.  While yes modern technology allows a much higher level of manipulation than was previously possible this no more ruins photography than post processing techniques ruined the works of master photographers such as Ansel Adams.

Since the conception of photography photographers have been adding their own special touches from how they set up the shot to coming up with creative post processing techniques in the darkroom. Skills that became highly prized and made the difference between just another person with a camera and an inspirational photographer.

Photography is an art form and as an art form not only is it a way to record history it is also an artistic medium which should be explored and used to express the artists interpretations of the scene depicted.

Of course major alterations and manipulations would not be ethical when working with a photograph that's primary purpose is to record history. However, even such images can and should be edited, if needed in post production. Even if a camera is set to automatic the image it captures is not exactly as it is seen in real life. Post production allows the photographer to tweak the image so that it more closely resembles what they were viewing.

Take for example the following photographs:
This first is the original shot
When I came across this scene because of the equipment I had with me I was not able to frame the shot so as to place the focus on the benches exactly as I wanted. In addition to the framing; the color and lighting, although very close to what I actually viewed at the time does not impart the same depth of color and emotion that was evoked in me while viewing the scene.
Here is the edited shot
By cropping the image and adding a low percentage overlay the image now captures not only the scene that was before me but the depth at which I viewed the scene. 
For me post production is not only right but is a prized skill that I am continually striving to master.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Scavenger Hunt Sunday Submissions

Things have been wild and I have been missing so much fun. So I hope no one minds that I pulled mainly from my archives so I could play along this week.

Mainly one color: Some cool blue rocks?


Around the home: JR Scrabble is a great game to play with the grandchildren. You never know what silly things they will come up with.


Reflection: This on I actually shot today. Isn't the sunset over the icy lake beautiful?

Writing: How about a bit of writing on the wall?

Water: I took some shots of a filling a bubble bath but wasn't happy with the way they turned out so you get this little waterfall instead. :D


Have a great week!
Follow the link to check out all the great Scavenger Hunt Sunday finds




Sunday, November 20, 2011

Sunday Best


I have been a bit under the weather so haven't been getting out and about with my camera until yesterday afternoon. Here is my favorite shot from yesterday.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Cover Photo of Garrison Keillor's New Audio Book

The last two weeks have been wild and exciting for me. In addition to launching my improved website and preparing six art pieces for the Mayors' Artability exhibit, I just found out that one of my photos I added to Morguefile's stock image site has been used by Garrison Keillor on his latest audio book "My Little Town". 
Here is the SOOC shot
When I took this photo in 2004, I was doing a series of small town main streets in north western Iowa, which were then used on greeting cards and postcards. I do offer this image on a number of products such as postcards, click here to see products featuring this image. I love the look of small town main streets and hope to put together a photo book of them in the future. Here is the edited version that I prefer to use.
Having one of my photos used is exciting all on it's own, but to have Garrison Keillor using one is extra exciting for me because I love his Lake Woebegone stories. He will be preforming locally in February and I hope to go see him.