Use What You Have, Create Some Magic...

"Snow Girl III"

It's been a loooong winter here in Ontario. Snow, snow, and more snow. After a while it's all you can do to keep from throwing your shovel at the next snow plow and start seeing tropical mirages everywhere you go, while chanting, "Yes, we have no bananas..." in a singsong-y voice. Or am I the only one?

"Snow Girl I" B&W portrait...

So this was bringing me down, and that's not acceptable, I needed to keep busy AND use my camera. It never pays to let your skills laze about the house while you shovel for the eightieth time. Luckily, the EPPC group I participate in on Facebook had a portrait challenge going and I realized that right outside my door I had the perfect backdrop, natural light, and built in reflector to get some practice shooting out in the evil white stuff. Turns out that "stuff" became my camera's best friend, light was reflected off the snow onto my model, colour popped, and shapes stood out enough... I've had so much fun working on these portraits, the light really was so nice to work with (overcast but bright) and I even found a nice POV from our deck in the backyard. Insert a fit of the giggles (we ARE a bit shack-wacky after all) and it was a good day for winter photography.

"Snow Girl II"

Kept things simple in post processing later... bumped the whites a tad with the curves action to keep things clean, unsharp mask kept definition where ever there was shadow or dark tones, some saturation where all the white light washed out colours... and highlighted some snow that was blowing but disappeared in all the bright white with a brush tool in a swirl selection at a low opacity... 

This was a simple session, but because I chose to utilize what I had at my disposal (read: one pretty volunteer and TONS of snow) I was able to get some portraits that reminded me how much fun I can have during this loooong winter with the camera.

But seriously, if spring could just tell me what it would take to coax it closer in a big way... I'd do it. I'm that desperate.

Thanks for the ramble! Have a good one!

Photography, No Matter What!

"Curious Little Fungus"

I can deny it no longer. The crazy schedule I have right now due to the Christmas season means I may not be blogging daily for the next while. And I don't mean my work schedule, although that was busy for a bit too... I mean my personal schedule. I love Christmas and this means I make time for family, friendly gatherings every other night, and all the special activities I can't do without.

However, I DO find time to photograph SOMETHING through the week. No matter what! And so today's image is from a jaunt we made last week to try out a new hiking trail in the greater Niagara area. One we'll definitely be visiting often over the coming year. The Short Hills Provincial Park is one I've been wanting to visit for a while. Three major trails prevail, loads of birds of every color and size, deer and coyote... and I can't be certain but we think we saw fox tracks too through some mud.

I spend much of the time on new trails or locations just getting a feel for the area, the possible conditions we'll experience, the amount of time we need to experience it all, and what times of day would be the most ideal to visit. Also the history of the area. I don't do a ton of shooting my first walk through. But I do bring the camera on the off chance I need to remember what I love about the trails, and to photograph the odd scene that grabs my eye.

We were in a darker part of the woods when I spotted some fungi I had never seen before on the Bruce trails in the Hamilton area. Tiny, tiny, white with ruffles and tinges of green throughout. I loved the texture, but hated that I had neglected to pack my tripod, which I didn't really want with me this first time through. It was super bright out for the most part with harsh light and I wasn't thinking about how thick and dark the canopy of trees can be even without their leaves. So this one was taken with the ISO jacked up to about 500 to avoid any camera shake. The rock bed I stood in was not too sturdy either and I couldn't find a secure spot to place the camera on a support of any kind without it getting wet. So this is the best I could do.

I still like the image and it speaks of the future photo possibilities awaiting me the next time I return. Possibilities I'll be able to anticipate and try to be prepared for. But it's a fabulous park and the walk with the hubby was wonderful regardless of what little material I came back with this first go round! How about you? Do you always scope out a new area before trying to spend hours photographing it? I highly recommend it. No matter what.

Just a Walk ~ Wide Angle Wednesday

"Escarpment in Winter"

(1/50 sec.@ F/8, 18mmfl, ISO 200, 18-55mm kit lens, pattern metering, overcast light)

I was reminded this week by a good friend that to be successful at what you do, no matter how hard you work, or how frantic a pace, you still need to also work... on yourself. That sometimes we become overwhelmed because we haven't remembered to include time to just be ourselves. To relax. To dream. To pray. To explore. To hang with family.

So I set aside my week this week to regain my perspective on how I'm filling my days, and if I'm really using time wisely, both as a working photographer and as a person. I took time Monday to find one pretty image to hang in my office space. Something that will inspire me every time I look up for a break from the computer screen. Yesterday I walked and walked along the Bayfront. Just me. And the camera. But no agenda, no "must have" shots for a blog or a site or a contest or a client. Just to enjoy the spontaneous act of shooting. And I had missed it! In the routine of research and marketing homework, meeting new photographers, hunting down materials, blah blah blah, I had forgotten to just explore. It was exactly what I needed.

Today I spent time looking at works by every photographer I've ever loved, getting inspired. Writing ideas down for projects coming up that I had put off because I felt drained. This "new" routine will now become a regular occurrence through the coming months. It feels so nice. And the things I do still have to take care of suddenly seem easier to accomplish in the meantime. The next couple days will still be busy, but there are things I intend to do to slow down at some point as well. It's just too important.

The shot above is from a winter wander with my family a little while ago. It has no agenda. It's a simple composition of the escarpment dusted with snow, and the trees that hover close by protecting it. No fancy editing. It was just a walk. But thinking about it now, it was an important walk. Healthy time with my family, getting fresh air, laughing, freezing, listening to the snow crunch and the odd twig snap on the still trail, warming up with giggles in the car after.

Have you taken a moment this week yet to not "need" anything, to just be you, to be thankful for what you really have. To get outside, just cause, away from your desk, computer, blackberry, iphone, facebook, deadlines. I dare ya.

Thanks for letting me ramble folks. Have a great day!

Remember Spring? ~ Floral Friday

"Dainty Lady Tulip"

Well, I have had quite a week. Tooth aches, migraines, and the Internet disappearing all made it possible for me be thrilled that the weekend is here once again. I'm sure everyone has weeks like this. Your car got a flat, the dog left gooey gifts in your best pair of shoes, and you swear the color in the box was supposed to be warm brunette, not neon plum. If you had the same type of week, here's a single posie for you. You're welcome :-)

The pinks and greens in this solitary tulip make me think of spring. And it is around the bend, trust me and hang in there. Despite shovelling for the twentieth time this month, despite how you tear up when you see commercials for cruises to tropical islands, and despite the fact your kids have misplaced another glove, making a grand total of eight mismatched pairs, there are still better days coming.

I know this to be true cause the tulips are being forced in greenhouses around the world, and being shipped to florists and grocery stores near you. Who needs to leave the comforts of home to photograph nature, especially after such a crazy week? Not me. So we jog up to the store up at the top of the street and buy flowers. Not only does it perk up the whole house, but they make great subjects that don't talk back or need to fix their hair ONE MORE TIME before you press the shutter! Dark fabric or black seamless makes a perfect backdrop, and get your f1.4 prime lens out if you have one. And regardless of lenses, get close and expose for the bloom only. A tiny white piece of card reflects just enough light up into the flower, and done!

So, here's a single bloom for all of you saying good riddance to the last week and welcoming a fresh week untouched by daily chaos so far. Also, this tulip is for all those struggling from the recent earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand to put their lives back together. There is still beauty to be found in the winters of our lives. Such a devastating event puts my week back into perspective, and makes me appreciate all the blessings I have. My prayers go out to them.

Thanks for letting me ramble on, have a good one folks!

The Trees Have It ~ Wide Angle Wednesday

 " Along Snake Creek"

(1.300 sec@ F/16, ISO 100, 55mm fl, pattern metering, tripod, Overcast evening light)

Trees. No matter the time of year, no matter what the weather, trees fascinate me. Their different forms, heights, colors, fruits, roots, and textures... always make for an interesting study. Gnarly old trunks, autumn displays of color, tangles of winter branches, not to mention the critters that dwell in them. It all provides a canvas for the nature lover with a camera. Trees photographed well need no other subject matter, they can be majestic, and mysterious. Frilly and flowery. Towering and powerful. You know exactly what I mean, don't you?

My week is running away with me a bit, and I've yet to get outside with the camera. So I thought I'd post an image from my autumn road trip that I've only just edited in the last twenty four hours. Even though this is not the sprawling spacious landscape we often associate with wide angle lenses, this was taken at a 55mm focal length, and allows for room to set up a complex composition so as to fully accentuate the grouping of trees in full fall color. The sky was rather dull and grey, a thick wall of cloud with zero definition. So I framed just the trees, and composed a bit downstream so as to create a way to break up the different layers of shrubs and trees with the creek flowing into the shot. The tree in the left side foreground area has some natural angles to it, and the bark stood out against the dark greens behind. The background trees lean in on the opposite angle to it and have hits of saturated color due to a mild rain shower. Hence the spots and bubbles in the current of the creek. Where I knelt along the bank for this shot, my husband and I were under a thick canopy that sheltered us from the rain. It was tranquil, soothing, rustic. I hope you see all of that when you look at the above image!

If I have any one tip today for using a wide angle lens, I guess it'd be don't be afraid to tighten up your composition. All too often I see photos where it looks like everything was miles away, and it's the first thing I hear from beginners, that their images look so distant. That they thought they were much closer at the time. Start getting closer to your scenery! And it's been said over and over in reference to photography: if you think you're plenty close, get closer still. I begin fairly close, and keep working my way deeper and deeper into the shot. It's provided me with some unexpected results when I first started, and now it's second nature.

And speaking of wonderful landscapes, I'm delighted to add an image to my blog today from my good friend and extraordinary photographer Bob Grauer. Bob has been one of the few photographers who keeps me on the straight and narrow road of photographic quality. I have learned a great deal from him about everything from great light and composition, to what bit depth to use at the printer! He's never afraid to tell it like it is, and for that I've been extremely grateful. So I'm pleased to share one of my favorite images of his here today!

"Foggy Morning" ~ Bald Cypress Trees, Big Cypress National Preserve

(a 3 exposure bracketed image, early morning diffused light, blended in PhotoMatix,

exposure fusion mode. Additional layers in PS)

Not only do I love how Bob saw the foggy morning winter light creating a mysterious backdrop for these clusters of Bald Cypress (which I'm told look like this year round) but his choice of wide angle lens allowed him to accentuate the boardwalk and lead us into the image. Very engaging, and so effective. It transports you. Thanks for allowing me to share this beautiful photo Bob!

And thanks to everyone for allowing me to ramble on! Inspired yet to get out there with your own camera? I hope so! Have a good one folks!

Icy Formations ~ Mono Monday!

"Her Icy Face"  ~ Tiffany Falls, Hamilton, On

(1/2sec @ F/14, ISO 100, 28mm fl, 18-55mm Nikkor kit lens, tripod, pattern metering, ND filter)

I'd like to make a confession here on Mono Monday. Some will shake their heads when they read this, some will understand completely. But I feel I must be honest. So here goes.

I have lived in Canada my whole life. It's February. It's winter. And (taking a deep breath here...) I don't like it. Ah, there, I said it!!!! I know that out there in all the snow and ice are great photo ops but it requires putting on a thousand layers of clothing, tucking gear and batteries safely and warmly in any available crevice in said clothing, and wandering treacherous and slippery paths and locations with a tripod in one hand and a Timmie's coffee in the other. Often it's while my family tags along under the guise of sledding or only being out walking "for a sec". Ha, could only pull that one on them a handful of times before they got wise to me and started "disappearing" every time I suddenly hunted for snow pants in the back of the house.

Let's be honest, I'd much rather be out in the warmer weather, catching the tulip festival at the park, or driving back roads with the windows down and the tunes cranked looking for barns and farm gear to shoot. But having said all this, there is something to be said for winter photography. Despite all the extra work before I even get out to the car, despite the fact that every year pulling on the monster boots seems to wind me more and more, and despite the way my hubby looks at me when he realizes I need a walking buddy in -23 weather without the wind chill... despite all that, there's a treasure to be gleaned every time I head out to shoot. And it's this: YOU LEARN TO WORK FAST!

Shooting outdoors in the chilly Canadian weather (and yes, I'm aware there's chillier, don't get me wrong) forces you to work fast. Sum up a scene quickly, decide what's important to portray, to emphasize, and what to eliminate. Your composure skills are naturally honed when you know that the cold is eating at your battery, that your tripod adjust knobs are freezing in place, and that you've stopped feeling your feet. Your brain goes into adrenaline mode when you can hear your husbands teeth chattering from twenty feet away and you've only been on the trail for ten minutes. You realize you need to get those other angles NOW since once you get back in the car there's no way you're getting back out for that one forgotten shot. And you learn to think quickly about all the tools at your disposal. Filters are at the ready for the slow exposures of the trickling water still running through the icy rock face, the tripod doesn't leave your side, and your other lens is already waiting in your pocket for a very quick switch indeed while you have a plastic bag waiting for the other lens to defog in once your finished. And your settings! You learn to sum up the light real quick and no foolin' around in your menus, cause no matter how warm those gloves are, they're a pain to use when you have to push tiny buttons right?

See what I mean about working well but working quickly?

It's a good test of your natural skills... seeing how far you've come with your camera. Limited time means you have to harness all the things you should know without even really thinking them. You should try it. Just not with me. (little humor there... heh heh heh)

So all kidding aside... if you visit the cooler climates that require sled dogs and snow shoes, or simply live where you've shoveled another eight feet of snow out of your driveway for the fourth time (shovelers unite!) then make yourself get out there with the camera, give yourself twenty minutes to an hour to photograph, then go home to some winter stew and warm pj's and review how you did. You'll get a very clear picture of what you still need to remember, and what you excel at under pressure.

And how a frozen finger looks after you pry it off the shutter too fast...ouch.

Have a good Monday folks... and thanks for letting me ramble on! Tomorrow is our first Telephoto Tuesday! Hope to see ya then!