2nd Day Fasting

Trinidad

Lou — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:38:06 +0000

We went to the coast for President's Day weekend. This was the most eye-catching image that I took:

I was also able to catch a nice family portrait:

Winter Flower

Lou — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:49:39 +0000

I couldn't resist going out to try and take a nice image of some of the early blooms:

Fruits and Veg

Lou — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:15:36 +0000

Here is my solution for not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables.

Water Droplet

Lou — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:24:12 +0000

I wanted to take an image of a water droplet this weekend as a photography challenge. I set up a light box of sorts in the kitchen sink. I took several images adjusting the expose on the camera and on the flash. I also adjusted the color of construction paper that I used as a background. Here is the best of the images that I took:

I am not in love with this image. The colors are nice but the droplet is somewhat out of focus. I am also surprised by how much noise is in the background. It demonstrates the limitations of our lower end camera. This shot is taken with ISO of 400. I wouldn't think there should be so much noise.

Here is a photo of the "studio" that I set up:

You Heard it Here First!

Lou — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:01:41 +0000

Playing with Light

Lou — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:50:33 +0000

The family enjoyed the warm sunshine today when we took a walk to our local preserve Verbena Fields. While lounging on the warm rocks, I took the following image:

Noah set up this tower. He also made a great assistant by holding the off-camera flash.

Our new lens (AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED) is renown for its lovely bokeh. The bokeh is the out of focus area in the background. It has been described as "creamy." In this image, the bokeh accentuates the quality of the light. I love the purple/orange cast.

I like this image so much that I made a print for our home.

Morning Light

Lou — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:25:10 +0000

I have been studying how to use off-camera flash to make portraits. This morning, I wanted to practice some of the insights I gleaned from the book The Hot Shoes Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes by Joe McNally.

Noah posed for me as I messed with exposure settings on both the camera and the flash. Here he is doing the splits.

I was trying to capture some of the sunlight coming through the window (we are having another sunny winter's day). The flash totally dominated the light but created a nice effect. The hard light matches Noah's hard body and his tough expression.

I am using a older yet very powerful flash that I have owned for 15 years (Nikon SB-28). Because the communication ability of the flash is outdated, it can not coordinate with our modern camera. Before I invest in a new flash, I am going to try to learn more about using flash the hard way: manual settings all the way.

After tinkering with the exposure settings on both the camera and flash, I was eventually able to properly expose the light streaming through the living room window.

I like these two portraits. Adding off camera flash to composition is fascinating and the results can be very satisfying.

Butterfly

Lou — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:25:55 +0000

I had the opportunity to use my new macro lens (AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED) when I discovered this butterfly trapped in our rain gutter.

In the images that I took, she is resting on Michele's arm drying her wings.

Due to the break in the weather, there was plenty of ambient sunlight. As a lucky bonus, there was an additional source as sunlight was reflected off of a mirrored door stored in the garage. The light enabled nice exposures.

The butterfly flew away shortly after the shoot and alighted in a nearby tree.

Perfect!

I would love for some feedback on the three images in my gallery. Which is your favorite and why?

Birthday at Lassen

Lou — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:07:04 +0000

For my birthday, the family took a day trip to Lassen National Park. It was lovely, sunny and cold. We were able to take the road to the Sulfer Works area. The following is a nice image that I took of a mud-pot.

Sac-Anime 2012

Lou — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:10:45 +0000

The Otaku Desu club and I attended the Sacramento Anime Convention and had a blast. The past couple of years we attended Wonder-Con in San Francisco. Because there's not going to be a Wonder-Con this year, we needed to select an alternative site for our field trip. Secretary Neko-chan did a great job of organizing and planning the trip today. We all agree that from now on, Sac-Anime will be a regular part of our club's agenda.

What I liked most about Sac-Anime was the level of participation by the attendees. There were clearly more attendees participating in "cos-play" than not. As a matter of fact, I felt a little out of place not in costume.

The beautiful day combined with the eager participation of the cos-players made for a great opportunity for me to practice my portrait photography. The photos that I took are published on my web gallery.

One thing that I learned today was that I need to carry business cards with a link to my site. The generous "models" were very interested in access to my work. It is apparently customary for photographers to provide a business card after taking an image. I was asked for a card several times. I'll be more prepared for future opportunities.