Three Cheers For Inspiring Women!

Happy International Women's Day! Just a quick post today to share how all you ladies out there inspire me. Some of you because you're photographers, some because you're amazing moms, some because you are bravely battling illness, some because you've become incredible friends and mentors. I applaud all of you today! So the following is a list of blogs and websites that I highly recommend, all owned by amazing women! When you have a moment be sure to check them out!

Anne Mckinnell

The Pioneer Woman

This Journey

Jennifer Gilbert Photography

Commit To Fit

Esther Out Loud

Jasmine Star Photography

My Whimsical Little World

Canadian Women Photographers Network

This is just a handful of sites I visit regularly, and find inspiration from... what are your favorites?

Have a great weekend folks! Next week... images from Hamilton's own annual Spring Tide @Gage Park, it's on now until March 17th. If you need a shot of spring, keep your eyes peeled here at the blog.
Happy Rambling!

Nature and Floral Studies...

"Just Beginning..."

Our local park will never cease to be a source of inspiration to me. When I can't get away, or only have a small amount of time available, it's my go-to locale to dust off my skills and have some me time.

This study of a new sunflower is from a ramble I took last weekend. This was not done in a studio. This was out in a perennial bed at Gage Park. I love its color and the elegant way the greenery stretches to each corner or the frame. As I hovered near each brilliant flower or bud with my telephoto or prime lens, I noticed a gentleman watching me work as he wandered around the gardens. Finally curiosity got the better of him and he asked if I was busy taking pictures of only the flowers. I always find this question funny... I'm bent down, crawling on the ground at funny angles, aiming into clumps of flowers ...so I'm obviously photographing classic cars. I said I was indeed and his next question was, "why so many?"

Where would I start? Nature studies are intense and fun at the same time? Floral studies demand I pay close attention to clean exposures, tiny details that will draw the eye, and to feed my need for beauty and color? By the time I'm done I always smell nice and flowery?

Instead of attempting to explain myself, I held up the back of my camera and showed him why. This image was on the view screen and he looked at it carefully then said, "That's THIS sunflower?" and pointed to my subject sitting across from us in the sun. I asked why he was surprised. He pointed to the stalk in the sun and asked why in my photo it was only black in the background, but clearly we could see all the bushes and greenery surrounding the sunflower not five feet away from us. I carefully explained that the bush just behind the flower was in shadow, and if I was careful about how I used my settings, I could use it like a dark screen and make the flower pop.

To my surprise, he asked me to take another one in front of him and prove it. I laughed and agreed. I set up the shot again, and then showed him my result in the screen once more. Satisfied, he shook my hand, asked if I had a website, and said he will watch for more photos from the garden.

We parted ways, and it got me thinking about how we intentionally use exposure to provide the viewer with the story and feelings we wish to create in a photograph. Not just because we know it's good photography to have a good exposure, but because it's a way to showcase the beauty around us. The visitor was expecting to see the rest of the garden within the frame along with my sunflower, and instead he experienced something dramatically different. And that's why I love floral studies.

Photography on any level should be able to do that for you too. Keep that in mind the next time you raise your camera to your eye. Have a great week, and thanks for another ramble, friends!

Whatever Makes Your Heart Soar...

"Sunshine in Your Heart"

I am seeing many blogs and articles lately that I suppose are there to challenge the average photographer. Posts about what's long out of style, what's the latest cool look, where the money is being made, where the money should be spent. Some make a living out of sticking their nose up at the learning photographer still calmly mucking their way through the world of pro photography, and some make a point of telling you to embrace every obstacle and seeing where it all leads.

In all of the mumblings, and overwhelming advice, I hope there are those who still encourage all artists and hobbyists alike to embrace whatever makes their heart soar. I mean it. If art is an expression of the artist's vision and purpose, then how important is it to stop emmulating everyone around you and just be you. Don't worry about what the trend is on 500px, don't fret over the fact that everyone else seems to have their act together, and don't sacrifice what only you can bring to your art for the chance to blend in with the thousands of others who are desperate to copy anything deemed the very best. Because at some point, on a whim, the powers that be will suddenly have a new "very best"... and it starts all over again.

As I work on a new business strategy (yep, STILL working on it... but that's okay in my world) for my photography, I still try to retain a grasp on who I am as a photographer and artist. Yes, I strive to grow. Yes, I try to hone my craft. But I cannot do well if my best is someone elses. Sometimes my need to just be me results in wandering through the local park and coming back with an image like the one above. An image to remind me that no matter what else I do with my skills, this is who I really am. I'm not sure we make an effort to know ourselves that well. We're too busy trying to keep up with everyone else and an industry that seems to be gathering momentum faster than a tornado in a trailer park.

Before you do anything else with your craft, make sure you remember to do whatever makes your heart sing. Whether it hangs in a gallery or hangs out on a website (or just hangs out in your craft room at home), make sure it's all you baby.

Thanks for the ramble gang.... and I'll try never to end a post with "it's all you baby" ever again. Well, hardly ever.

Great Subjects = Great Photos? ~ Wide Angle Wednesday

"Spring and the Love Bug"

Spring Tide 2012 @ the Tropical Greenhouse at Gage Park, Hamilton

One of my most favorite times of the year. The annual spring bulb show at Hamilton's Gage Park. And this year they truly outdid themselves. Bold colors, hundreds of bulbs they grow on site in the new facility, and a groovy theme this year with some retro VW's, including one made out of grass and moss. I applaud all the hard working staff for such a vibrant and delightful show. I make two visits every year, and this image was from my initial visit yesterday. If you haven't been, what are you waiting for?

I particularly loved this display at one end of the greenhouse. Waves of bulbs opening in the sun, the groovy little love bug in their midst, and some raking light moving across the entire scene. I watched as visitor after visitor stood or knelt directly in front of the display where the path widens and got the same shot time after time. Which made me think of today's tip...

A fantastic subject does not a fantastic photo make.

If you make the mistake of thinking the nifty or pretty subject matter is going to do all the leg work, enabling you to  just walk up and get the photograph "as is" then you have limited yourself to all the better possibilities within your camera's reach. It's easy to fall into the trap that a great visual instantly equals a great photograph.

Take the time to see if there's something better. A better angle, time of day, better lens to use. Give it something that takes it from snap shot to photograph. Something to help it tell a story. I waited, I wandered away, I wandered back, and I made a realization that helped me get this particular view. I noticed no one took the time to stop on a little bridge over the pond, getting you up a little higher on the scene, and allowing the camera to include the layering of rock and flowers leading the eye up out of the pond in the corner and into the composition to end with the sweet little VW Bug. Not a Nobel Prize winning shot to be sure, but done with an approach that included observation, time, and thought.

Check out Gage Park's "Spring Tide" in Hamilton, Ontario. Tell the staff how much you appreciate their skills in creating a green space that the city can be proud of and making it beautiful all year round. And get some photographs that reflect all that hard work in a beautiful way...

Have a great day gang! Thanks for the ramble!

Merry Christmas To All!

"The Christmas Hearth"

Visited the Tropical Greenhouse over at Hamilton's Gage Park the other day and amongst the banana trees and tropical ferns was their lovely Christmas display... a Christmas tree and fireplace decked out in poinsettias and amaryllis, so very sweet and homey. This is one of my favourite times of the year. I love watching loved ones open their gifts in surprise, I love reading the true Christmas story, I love the food and the friends.

This is a shot of the wreath over the fireplace... and if you ask Ron, my photography partner in crime for the day, he'll confirm that the minute I lay eyes on it, I knew I wanted this close-up. The colors and the textures called to me. And there's some great lines on the background from the mantle and windows nearby. And I knew I'd wait and share it today, my last post before the Christmas celebration begins in earnest.

I do wish you all a very blessed Christmas, and even if it is not your religion or holiday of choice, I hope you'd not be offended that I send you all the best my own seasonal celebration has to offer. If the tables were turned, I'd be touched that you'd extend the same. And many of you in other cultures have already... I'd never consider it to be anything other than an honour. Whatever you celebrate in the coming days, my prayer is that you be surrounded with family and friends, that your coming year abound with adventure and blessings, and that the peace extended to us in the gift of a babe in manger permeate the entire New Year and beyond.

Merry Christmas friends. See you on the flip side!

Flowers and... Trucks? ~ Floral Friday!

2011 Fall Mum Show, Gage Park, Hamilton

Back to Floral Friday and I thought seeing as we're now into the cold weather I'd post something bright and colorful... and automotive. Yes, you read that right. For all you men out there that think flowers are for girls... well, they are. But put a massive antique vehicle in their midst and suddenly you have men flocking to the nearest flower show. Ha.

The theme for this years past Mum Show was "Fire" and there were massive displays throughout the brand new spacious greenhouses that were full of bright color, dragons spitting fire, a giant flame, and these beautiful old firetrucks, polished to a mirrored finish and decorated to within an inch of their shiny chrome. Naturally, I had to take pictures.

The space was well light obviously, and the only downside was trying to photograph between crowds of visitors. Space like this requires you to truly pay attention to the clutter and chaos intruding into the frame, and to still try to get the big picture for those who may not have been there. The two shots up this morning were my favorite from the show. And I hope you enjoy, whether you're partial to flowers OR trucks!

Have a good weekend folks, and thanks once again for the ramble!

For Colors Sake ~ Floral Friday!

"The Sweetest Blush"

I'm in love with the subtle range of hues in this image. Until the Annual Fall Mum Show last week, I had no idea 'mums could be grown in such elegant, rich color pallets. Not only that but they are enormous in size. Think blooms the size of a bowling ball and you'll get the gist!

I suddenly have the urge to go bowling... In a garden. Huh.

I pay very close attention to color when I'm shooting nature. I'm always making sure that for the most part I'm not relying on it alone, in place of finding better subject matter, to dazzle the viewer. That's lazy photography in my opinion. BUT... there are times when it's a crucial part of the image, or perhaps color even becomes the subject matter itself. Then it becomes another tool in your arsenal of imagery.

I saw these 'mums and decided that I needed their color to fill the entire frame. That, paired with the repetitiousness of the petals and enhanced by the deep shadows I exposed for, made sure the colors would be the impacting visual factor. And isn't that the reason we even take photographs? Because something made an impact? And we're driven to provide the same visual experience with others? I know that's why I do.

I chose an exposure, I chose a vantage point, I chose a subject, I chose a composition, and I chose my processing approach ALL for color's sake. That's a pretty powerful element when deliberately and carefully put to use.

Skip bowling. I think I'll go find me something colorful to photograph.

Better 'Mum Show Photos ~ Telephoto Tuesday!

"Floral Waves"

The question has come up regarding what my top advice would be for photographing all the different annual flower shows that happen all year round. The question is well timed, as I just began reviewing my images from my visit to the Annual Fall Mum Show over at Hamilton's Gage Park. So I thought I'd share some tips that have worked for me from day one till now. And as always, you can apply these to much more than flowers. So here we go with my impromptu list:

~No matter what camera or lens, you can always find ways to get in closer. On point and shoot cameras you'd be amazed at how helpful your macro settings are for allowing you to get really close yet still allowing you to focus. And the larger the file (raw or fine jpeg option) the easier it is to crop later in even a simple editing program to give the impression of being closer still.

~With a DSLR it's no secret that a good telephoto lens can be a great substitute for a macro lens if needed. Hence the images posted today. It may require you to stand at a further distance from your subject initially, but it gets you much closer visually. Be very careful to have a tripod when possible though, with tight detail you want the image as sharp as possible. 

~When you can, wait for great light. This is hard to anticipate, but once at the location assess what kind of light you're working with (or against in the case of dark interiors with florescents). Greenhouses are ideal, you know whatever the light is doing outside will be infusing the interior as well. But I have found cloudy weather, though great for even lighting, is still dark enough in a greenhouse that I either need to use a tripod again to use longer exposures with sharpness, or I need to use a combination of subtle flash and a higher ISO. Light in the autumn season is the most wonderful light to work with, even when it's full on sun. It's still warm and no matter the direction, it wraps around a subject. I waited for a sunny day to visit the Mum Show and the wait paid off in really rich light bathing the flowers.

~Stop looking for "flowers" per se, and start looking for engaging shapes, forms, and color patterns. It can be overwhelming to step into wall to wall award winning chrysanthemums, tulips, or orchids and then try to figure out what to actually zero in on. I'll often single out the largest or most boldly colored blossoms and aim my lens at those first. It gets me warmed up, and I start seeing things more creatively. I always look for the petals that might still be holding water drops, that are unfurling in unique patterns, and contrasting colors of petal against others beyond them. Clusters of perfect blossoms can be very dramatic if your exposure is set to maximize deep color.

"Sweet Baby Jane"

~ Change that perspective PLEASE. Many displays are at eye level, and it's easy to forget to change your vantage point after a while. I can always pick out the more intense photographers at a show because they're the ones getting beneath the flowers shooting up, tucking themselves against displays shooting across or into rows of fabulous flowers, or finding the stairs or balcony of a show room and shooting over top of it all. Heck, I've been know to hold my camera way over my head and hope the auto focus does it's job while I shoot blind over the heads of a group of flowers. Or nearly set it on the floor, just as blindly pointing the lens up into identical groupings for impact. Zooming into the middle of a large bloom on a long exposure setting can be magical too!

~Finally, pay attention to your Depth of Field. Understanding how to use a shallow DOF (keeping your aperture wide open, F/2.8 for example) and how it works in relation to the lens you're using, the distance you're photographing at, and what the purpose of the shot is, is key. Dramatic, creative images can be enhanced with a wider aperture. But later when you photograph an entire display with layers of fabulous flowers, you want to close down your aperture to use a narrower DOF to your advantage, getting the whole scene in sharp focus. And be aware if you're not using manual focus that you are choosing a focus point in your viewfinder that allows you to get the most out of the available hyper-focal distance. For landscape format compositions, this can mean being careful to focus a third of the way into the scene so that everything beyond is also continuously full of detail. And pump up that DOF if your goal is to have every petal in the close-up sharp too.

Whew, a lot of writing today. But I find it difficult to dissect what happens every time I consider photographing flowers... I hope this was helpful?

Have a great day gang, and thanks for the instructional ramble!

Fallen ~ Floral Friday!

"Fall Rushes In"

Well, they aren't exactly flowers, but they're close... and with my busy week I knew I needed to post an ol' favorite today in order just to get the blog up. I couldn't bear letting you all down yet again with a missing post.

This is a shot from last fall... mainly because the colors died on us early this year in the greater Hamilton area, just as I predicted. We just didn't have weather conducive to bold autumn color. I've noticed many a tree trying valiantly to turn color just within the last couple days, but many are simply dropping green leaves now since it's so late. Not good for picture taking that's for sure. But what can you do?

So I'm off this morning to the Gage Park Greenhouses to photograph the Annual Fall Mum Show. They installed a massive new greenhouse this summer, and have filled it to the brim with chrysanthemums they've nurtured themselves even in the midst of all the construction.

I highly recommend you come and support the show and visit their always lovely tropical greenhouse as well... the staff once again have outdone themselves and this is one feature we Hamiltonians need to be proud of!

Maybe I'll see you there?

Have a great weekend folks... next week, posts will be back to normal,

I promise.

Beyond A Butterfly ~ Telephoto Tuesday!

"Monarch In Blue"

I was on a mission. It'd been awhile since I'd looked for the enchanting details of our local parks and gardens. We had a great day for it yesterday, so I jumped at the idea of finding the wonderful amidst the flower beds over at Gage Park in Hamilton. Turns out I didn't have to search for long.

Several perennial flowering shrubs and bushes attract monarch butterflies in the gardens, feeding them for their long journey they're currently making. But I was a little wary. It'd be easy to simply raise the camera and let these beautiful creatures do all the work, but I've been learning about the photographer's intent lately, and this is exactly the kind of scenario I wanted to avoid. I wanted more than just a nice butterfly shot. Now, I know I can't control when and where a butterfly lands, which flowers, for how long, or the angle it sits at. And I can't tell it where the nice light is, the best backdrop, or the best time of day to stop there.

Instead, I kept my eyes peeled for any unique circumstances wherever I spotted the butterflies. I noticed that some evergreens in the shade off in the distance could fill my composition, and at the right aperture, they could be diminished to an interesting smokey bokeh. I knew I'd want this as the backdrop to the monarchs with their brilliant colors if I could get it.

I tested exposures till I got the right look, then waited for a subject to land.

No, not the most remarkable image of a butterfly ever. I can be honest. However, it's the first one for me in the last recent while, that I decided intentionally what worked and how I wanted it to look no matter how long I had to wait. I wanted the light to be the dramatic foil to a common subject. A pretty subject, but common. Now, I always take this approach with B&W's, architecture, and other subject matters... but why was I not applying it to the simpler subjects as well? Instead I'd gotten into the poor habit of letting those shots just fall into my lap. Not that those shots can't be great, and there's definitely a magic to getting those cool spontaneous photos, but sometimes I think we can get lazy with our discoveries. Instead we need to be ready to work at making them everything they could be.

This has been a good reminder for me. And I got two or three shots that proved if I want my photography at a whole new level, I'm going to have to be aware of my intention behind a shot in the first place. I'll post those later on. But for now, I'm pleased to show today's photo.

Thanks for the ramble... have a great day friends!

Me, Myself and My Lens ~Telephoto Tuesday !

"As If Out of a Dream"

(1/200 sec.@ F/5.6, 68mm fl, 55-200mm zoom vr, ISO 100, fill flash, bright sun)

Bright light is a must if using the telephoto lens I have if there's anything even remotely close to a breeze. And Ontario seems very windy this spring. When zoomed in close on tiny flowers, I do all I can to make it work fast enough to eliminate blur because the closer and tighter you get to your subject, the longer it takes to get the shot, even opened up to a wider faster aperture.. It is not a very fast lens. But you work with what you have right?! Last week gave us some sun, and so I specifically went out to get cherry and apple tree blossoms at the nearby park. And my telephoto lets me get the prime blossoms farther up into the trees. The shot today was one of those perfect blossoms, totally isolated from the rest.

What I do love about my rather mediocre telephoto zoom though, is it gives some lovely DOF at it's larger apertures, even in bright direct sun. I can open her up to an F/5, and get a perfect soft background. And instead of blowing too much of the shot out, things have a glow where the light hits. Then the only trick is to watch the breeze, and when I sense it dying down before another current comes along I steady the camera and snap the shot. For this one, since the light was more or less behind the blossoms, I also used some fill flash. It helps to freeze any motion from the slight breeze and balanced out the light underneath the flowers.

There were a lot of tries before this one worked. We'll leave it at that.

And since I have other purchases as top priority, a fast telephoto (gosh, most priced for an arm, a leg, and your first born) is at the bottom of the list for now. So, it's a case of working the best with what I already own, knowing it's quirks and flaws like the back of my hand, and still producing images that will excite me, and hopefully others as well.

I guess what I want to say is know the limitations of whatever gear you have and work with it. It'll make you a better photographer. Usually more than replacing the lens will.

Thanks for the ramble folks! ... And have an amazing day.

Repeat Performances ~ WideAngle Wednesday!

"Aging Gracefully"

(1/200 sec.@ F/9, ISO 160, 20mm fl, 18-55mm kit zoom, bright hazy light)

I've spent a lot of time photographing this public park. I won't lie. I've been photographing Gage Park for over 5 years. And I keep returning. You'd think I'd have covered it all by now. But things keep changing, growing, dying off, weathering more storms etc... and the challenge of seeing something new in such a familiar place is one practice I continue, it makes me a more observant and creative photographer.

The apple tree above is a perfect example. I've always shot the flowering trees lining the rose beds from a vantage point that shows their color. They're the epitome of spring for me. But this year the weather had delayed their blooming and now they're already dropping petals and color in the harsh sun and strong breezes we're suddenly getting in Ontario. The display did not last long. Knowing I needed a new approach anyway, I started to focus on the trees themselves. Twisted trunks with withered bark, gangly limbs that spread out low, looking at least 100 years old and very wise.

I began to drop down low, shooting wide and upwards using my wide angle to accentuate the spread of the old trees. My point of view gave me a different perspective on why their so interesting, so full of character. And they transform into a scene that could be out in some old orchard instead of a park in the heart of the city.

All this took in editing was the Nik Efx plugin called brilliance/warmth and a slight adjustment in curves to bring out darker details on the trunk which the bright sun light was washing out a bit as it got too high in the sky.

I believe I'll return to this same spot at sunset and see what the light coming from the opposite side does.

The more you revisit a spot, the better you can envision what might be aesthetically interesting. And the more you use a particular lens, the better you'll know what it's best features are for what you're shooting. Repeats and revisits are never a waste.

Thanks for the ramble ladies and gents! Have a great day... and put that camera in your hand!

Bold Color ~ Floral Friday!

"Tropical Flare"

(1/80 sec.@ F/7.1, 50mm fl, ISO 125, 50mm prime lens, spot metering)

The Spring Bulb Show is on at the Tropical Greenhouse of Gage Park. So naturally I am using a photo from my visit this week. The greenhouse is bathed in bright wonderful colors. Heralding spring with tulips, daffodils, pansies, and even their tropical plants like the one above are bursting with color. You can't help but feel happy after a visit there.

Color lifts the spirits. It says life is vibrant. Fresh. Beautiful. Exciting.

Put something super colorful into your weekend. A bouquet of flowers on the table (and photograph them of course), go for a walk into the sunset (and photograph it obviously), or pull out your spring wardrobe (heck, photograph the mess that ensues from that one act alone! ha)... but put some color into your day and watch how everything just feels better.

I don't think it's a coincidence that our world was created with gazillions of amazing colors. I know it does me a world of good every time I look upon it all. How about you?

Thanks for the ramble folks as March Break comes to a close...have an amazing weekend folks! Get out there and capture some color!

Floral Friday!

Late Summer Peony

(1/320 sec @ F/6.3, ISO 200, 110mm fl, 55-200 mm Tele Zoom)

I'm thinking about devoting themes to my blog. To help keep me focused on the different areas of photography I love to work in. And I'm thinking Fridays will be floral... hence "Floral Fridays". A fun way to go into the weekend, to add some color, drama, and beauty to our final week day. I'll add links to great places to photograph flowers and fauna. And local botanical events coming up. And always include a botanical image for your viewing pleasure. What do you think of this idea? Let me know in the comments below.

I particularly wanted to post something floral today. Here in Southern Ontario, we've had snow, snow, and more snow. And as fun as that can be, I'm just hankering for color! The image above was taken this past summer. It was part of my job to capture the color and beauty of the Perennial Beds at Gage Park, overall AND up close and I will admit the close-ups are my favorite part. And I love peonies. This was one of the last fresh blooms of the summer, and was pristine. I composed the shot in the late morning shade before the bright day's heat had a chance to wilt her. I set up the tripod and remote shutter release, and used my telephoto for the close-up so I could soften the shot slightly without losing too much detail. Almost like photographing a beautiful lady.

Using public greenhouses and nature centers through the winter is a great way of making sure those photog skills don't get too rusty while you're waiting for the nicer weather to come along (unless you're one of my many friends living in a toastier climate for much of the year, you know who you are) so keep an eye out for local bulb shows, orchid societies, and growers associations having exhibits. Many of them are free, and hoping to see more of the public come out. You'll stay warm, and get some great images to lighten your winter!

So thanks for letting me ramble on, and drop me a line to say what you think of themes through the week. Gosh, now I need ideas for Monday.... hmmmm.

Have a good one folks!