Actual Photograph, or Enhanced

In the last post I asked you to look at the difference between Color or Black and White photographs.
Now have a look at another image, but treated two different ways.
This first shot is of a tree, somewhat in isolation, at the edge of a lake.

This is before any editing has been done. No cropping, and not even any photoshop work to get rid of the white bag sitting on the grass.

Next is the same shot, but with some pretty serious enhancements added.

First it has ben cropped to remove most of the foreground, the colors have been enhanced, and a "painterly" effect has been added.
Still not perfect, but an improvement over the raw image.
I will probably go back redo this scene this Summer, but I will wait for a day that includes some white, fluffy clouds in the background.

Color or Black & White?

Are you trying to set a mood, or tell a story.
That was the objective of this photograph, treated two different ways.
First is the color version that basically lets you know I was out for a walk on a cold Winter's afternoon. Not bad, but nothing special.

Having that reaction, I decided to work with the photograph to see what could be done to make it better. After several attempts, this black and white version seemed more interesting.

For me, it has set a mood, rather than simply tell everyone I went for a walk on a cold afternoon. It is now less about the cold, and more about the shapes and curves of the creek. It leaves more to you imagination.
You can learn more about photography choices in this book. Just click on the cover to read more.

Photo of the Day

This was taken a day after a Winter Snowfall passed through our area.
As anyone who lives north of the Mason-Dixon Line knows, it usually gets really cold a day or so after a snowstorm hits.
That was the case on this day, but the colors and natural light available made it all worthwhile.
As you can see, the sun was just strong enough to melt the water flowing in the creek in the lower left of the photograph.

This shot was partly inspired by a great book you may want to consider on using Natural Light in your Photography.

You can click this link for more info about the book. 

Sometimes Less is More

Many times, isolating a subject can have more impact than a sweeping panorama.
I felt that way with this shot of a couple of dandelions.

I intentionally shot with a wide open aperture so that I could blur out the background.
I also placed a used UV filter covered with vaseline, except for one small clear opening in the center in front of the lens so that everything except the flowers was thrown into essentially a maximum blur.
Just enough of the image has some detail to give you an idea of the outdoor, natural location.

Again, shot with an inexpensive compact camera similar to this one.
Click on the image or this link for more information.

Photo of the Day

A break from the extreme cold.
Not sure if this is a good thing.
The roads are looking just as bad.

Yet another photographic opportunity.
Shot with a simple point and shoot compact.
Canon ELF 170
Happy Shooting.

Silhouette Photo Treatment

Don't let bad weather keep you from getting out and taking pictures. Here is a shot I took on a cold, grey, rainy, Fall day. Did what I could to bake the best of a bad situation.
If you look hard enough, there are photographic opportunities everywhere, especially where you least expect them.

Got this idea from this book.
Click here to learn more.

Winter Walkabout

Here is a simple photo I took earlier today with an inexpensive point and shoot compact camera. I always have at least a small camera like this in my pocket just in case.
Like it says in someone's ad.... "Don't leave home without it."

When I got home, I converted it to black and white for the look you see here.
For comparison, here is the original photograph in color.

Which do you prefer?
I think of the color shot as a snapshot, and the black and white as a photograph.
Would love to hear what you think.
Happy Shooting.

Fun with abstract photography.

When out taking nature photography photographs, don't be afraid to experiment. In this case i intentionally threw the camera out of focus, and used a slow shutter speed. You still know what the subject matter is, but there seems to be a lot more room for interpretation. Like I keep saying, if you get home and don't like it, now worries, just drag the image to the trash, and go out and try something else. Experimentation is the key to great photography. Besides, if it doesn't work, no one will know it didn't work but you.
Happy Shooting.

A lot of the photographic experiments I try are from information gathered reading some of these books. Click this link to see for yourself.

Sometimes a Snapshot is all you need.

I keep harping on how you should be making photographs, not just taking snapshots.
But sometimes, maybe a snapshot works even better.
Here is a prime example. This was a sign I found over a pharmacy in Marseille France.
I'm sure there was a message the owners wanted to convey, but I'm pretty sure something got lost in the translation.

So am I going to print this and hang it on my wall? Obviously not, but it helps make for a fun blog post.
So, instead of Happy Shooting, in this case, Happy Snapping.

Tiny Eyes

Sometimes happy accidents happen. This was a photograph I took on a day trip to Gibraltar, which is most famous for the huge rock formation, but is also known for the monkeys populating the town. There are very people friendly, and don't really bother you, occasionally holding out their hand, looking for treats.
In this particular shot I was looking to capture one of the monkeys grooming another one. It was only back in the hotel, looking at the image on my computer did I notice the tiny eyes staring at me from the lower third if the image. I wish I could say it was on purpose, but it was nothing more than a happy accident. But now those eyes have become the star of this particular image.
People say luck is when preparation meets opportunity. In this case, not so. It was pure luck, but I am so glad it happened.
Shot with my iPhone camera by the way, no expensive DSLR used here.

Photograph of the Day

Remember, it all about you the photographer, not the equipment.
This shot was taken with a simple compact camera costing just $200.00 CDN

It's not about the equipment, it is all about your creativity.
You can learn a lot more about this kind of photography by
clicking here.

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