Reminder to Do Better ~ Exploration Thursday

"Legislative Halls"

(1/25 sec.@ F/3.5, ISO 640, 18mm fl, indoor low lighting, Ontario Legislative Building)

A quick post of a quick edit. Will be using this shot as a personal reminder to revisit Queen's Park in Toronto soon, since the day I took this I was forced to handhold a camera balanced on a railing to get a halfway decent exposure in such low light. Tripods were not allowed the day I was visiting due to the volume of people traveling through on tours. But return I will. Why? For a better shot of the rich and historical interior of the Legislative Building. It's quite stunning. And this photo really doesn't even begin to do it justice. It's alright, but it's not the best I can do... am I allowed to say that?

You've had this experience I'm sure. If only you had the right gear with you, if only you had a camera with better ISO quality above 300, if only there was better light, if only the security staff would send everyone but you home so you could get "the money shot" sans tourists. But the reality is, not every location or subject that takes our breath away is an ideal photo op. And I'm the first to cringe when a vision I have for a image can't be pulled off without better preparation or a return visit... or two... er, three...

But I always make a point of returning, a little more prepared, a little more aware... dare I say even a little wiser (wiser? more wise? do we have an English major in the audience?) This is the joy of photography for me. I don't have to sign up for workshops (although if I had the money, there's an African safari shoot with photographer David DuChemin next year I'd be signed up for quicker than you can say "Bob's yer uncle!"), I don't have to go to school, I don't have to disappear for years to follow a photo guru to the corners of the world... I can make myself learn. I can look at this picture and if I use my noggin, I can see that I need to find a way next time to lower my ISO, use a faster lens instead, aim for visiting on a sunnier day with the glass ceilings letting in more light. That's just the tip of the ol' ice burg.

If you're struggling with getting better shots and don't know where to begin, look at what you have taken. Common, really LOOK. What's missing, what would work better, what didn't you have? And look at everyone elses work online and in books. Compare them to yours. Then decide to learn what it will take for you to get it next time. I'm a huge fan of libraries... photography books you can devour at no cost. And then... you pick up your gear, and you get back out there.

I may not always post a winning shot, but if I let that be the criteria for being a photographer I'd never take another image. And that's not an option for me... now where's my own gear? I need to take some photos, and learn a few more things. I need to explore. It is after all, Exploration Thursday.

Have a great long weekend Canada! And to our American friends as well! While you enjoy it, pull your cameras out and have fun learning what not to do! Thanks for the ramble gang!

Fiddler's Delight ~ Mono Monday

"Fiddlers Lullaby"

This is a bit unusual for me, but today's Mono post is a little more rich in tones than most... but still monochromatic so no worries. This is another shot from the series I took while learning more about using my flash off camera. Back when I had free time. But I digress.

Sepia effects aren't my all time favorite type of monochromatic conversion, but sometimes the subject dictates how you edit. And whether it's not my favorite use of converting to mono or not, the warm tones of the sepia really bring life to this image more than any B&W conversion would. Simply put, it suits. What I love about sepia is that it starts with such a flat effect, but put her through curves in editing, add some clarify filter at 4%, and finish it with Nik's Skylight Filter which makes highlights sing, and hues and tones brighten even just at 25% on the slider... and you have the perfect portrait of the ol' girl. At least that's my humble opinion.

Sepia certainly has it's uses... when I first started out in photography the trend was toward overusing it on everything, much like the HDR trend of today but I'll not get started on that rant... yet. But your digital darkroom allows sepia to really make a statement these days. Oh, and P.S.... if your camera lets you switch to sepia while taking the picture, avoid this and do it later in processing. Then you have all the control instead of your camera making choices for you. But again, I digress.

Sepia. Not my ultimate favorite way to edit, but beautiful none the less given the right subject.

Thanks for the ramble folks! And hey, only 2 more days to vote for this blog at Circle of Moms (the big pink button is over at the side, please click to vote!) and then we'll see where we land when the dust settles! Thanks to all of you who have been voting so faithfully... you're the best cheerleaders a gal could have!

A Rosie Rant! ~ Floral Friday!

"Jubilant Climbers"

It's Floral Friday, and today's shot is from the Gage Park public rose garden. These lovely climbers are fairly mature already and climbing nearly 7ft high and it's only June. Why is this significant you ask? I'll tell you. Apparently a few unscrupulous people over the years have coveted these beautiful roses that the city staff work so diligently on, and when no one's looking, out in the park late at night... they STEAL them!!!!

Yup. Dig them right out of the ground in early spring. The staff come out in the morning in April or May... and whole plants are missing before anyone has a chance to enjoy them! Me and my Nikon included. And according to a reliable source, the most popular night to take them is right before Mother's Day! So if you've gotten the lovely surprise of your kids planting roses in your garden without a heads up and you live in the Hamilton area.... well, I'd ask a few follow up questions.

The other amusing part is that the climbers are grown in pairs, flanking the pathways... so often the rose robbers pluck out the matching plant opposite it too! This gets my goat! (sorry, arbitrary inclusion of an antiquated exclamation) I mean really. These are beautiful flowers, maintained all year round by caring staff for us to walk through for free, to enjoy, to photograph.... but NOT to touch. Let's respect our green spaces folks, and the people who work so hard to make them beautiful for us. And if you so desperately want a rose bush, just ask the staff. I'm sure they'll start you off a little snip if you're so interested. Or, you could just spend ten bucks at the local greenhouse. There's an idea.

Whew... sorry for the rant. But I'm so tired of people waltzing through life with no regard for who else will be hurt by their actions. Let's get out there and enjoy our public spaces AND keep them public. Eventually, the city may give up, and remove them altogether. Then I'll rant for sure.

Thanks for the ranting ramble. Get some roses in your cameras this weekend! And have a great weekend.

Can't Beat Backlit ~ Exploration Thursday!

"Scottie and the Summer Sprinklers"

Back lighting. It's an excellent way to give your images an extra edge. I sometimes forget this. So preoccupied with getting nice sidelight, proper shade, or fill flash to combat direct sun hitting a subject. But life would be more interesting, and I dare say easier at times if I'd remember how dynamic a photograph can be when it's shot with back light. So how do I forget this important technique?

Took this last summer at the pier with my friend and photog partner in crime Kelly one night. The light is low, skimming across the sprinkler park while the sun starts to set. This becomes ideal for back lit subjects or scenes. We had a hoot (yes, I used hoot. Who doesn't these days?) watching this little dog frolicking in the spray with as much abandon as he's stubby little legs would allow.

I raised my camera, and metered off the spray, choosing to blow out the highlights a bit more than normal so that the pooch wouldn't be pitch black... and waited till he frolicked a little more towards the light as well.

I shot a few frames then realized it could use some help, so I went into my exposure compensation and dialed it up a bit by +0.7. This made everything in the light pop and the shadows a little less dominant.

In the end my exposure was 1/400 sec.@ F/7.1, ISO 160 with my 200mm zoom. I froze the dogs steps as well as the spray shooting upwards.

I'm thinking I need to shoot more back lit subjects soon... it's been too long. Anyone wanna run with abandon through the sprinkler????

Have a super night gang! Thanks for the ramble!

Hittin' The Trails ~ Wide Angle Wednesday

"It Ran Downhill"

(1/50 sec.@ F/10, ISO 200, 18mm fl, diffused sunlight, late day, handheld)

Considering I'm trying to finish one photo session and begin editing two more, I'll keep today's post short and sweet. Do you hike? Our family loves to hit the trails with a good walking stick or two... and the Nikon. Sometimes we spot deer, fox, woodpeckers. Sometimes we spot poison ivy and keep moving. I just love how quiet it gets, how the forest whispers in a breeze, and how if you look carefully, the trails tell you a story.

It's the story I like to try to photograph.

Here's the deal with the image above. Think late spring, new leaves not yet mature enough to block out the sun, plenty of natural debris on the forest floor for little critters to live in and under. Heavy bright green moss since there's been so much rain... and what's this? Down between the rocky karst, the remnants of a creek bed gone dry. I love that it once ran downhill towards me as I wandered off the beaten path, but that if you look carefully you can see that the whole scene runs downhill off to the left of the composition. Uncanny.

I've photographed this trail, the Hermitage Trail, often and my goal is to shoot it year round in 2011. I've wandered it alone, with my family, and with my good friend Kelly (and lovely photographer in her own right) many a time. But this will be the first year I attempt to let it reveal it's stories while I shoot... to see what the end result may be when I put them all together.

Frequent a favorite location with your cameras folks. You'll never run out of photo opportunities. Trust me.

Thanks for the ramble, and have an awesome day! And if you'd do me the honor, please click on the voting badge from Circle of Moms for me? Only 7 more days for me to try to stay in the TOP 25 Photog Moms! For those who have diligently voting, a huge thank you!