Nutcrackers

Ok.  Not my proudest moment, but I committed to about once a week or so you're getting the good, the bad and the ugly.  I don't think I've hit ugly, yet, but...

My baby loves nutcrackers and wanted a picture with all his nutcrackers.  He painstakingly set them all up.  I thought I would get the benefit of some afternoon sun on the stairs, but I still needed the flash.  I tried it in every imaginable direction except directly at him.  This shot is at 1/200, ISO 800, f/4.5 - I had all kind of variations for shutter speed and aperture.  I just happen to like his focus (and his bedhead).

He loves to pose - this totally captures his "I'm a serious model look."  I'm am still playing with all the Lightroom presets in addition to the basic adjustments I make.  Top is using Aged Photo and the bottom is right out of the camera.  I really like the focus on his face without losing all the color.  

I'm learning here - would love any comments from any of you experienced shutterbugs out there.

Playing with Lightroom

I just got my copy of Lightroom (Lr) this week and I have been spending entirely too much time playing with it.  Until 3:20 am the first morning to be exact.

The photo below is a combination of playing with the my new 24-70 lens and with Lr.  It's one of the few pix I took with it - most of the action shots I have taken have been with the 70-200mm.  I have struggled with the action shots in the gym, but the new lenses have definitely made a difference.  While this still isn't super crisp, I do get CBT stealing the ball.  I also like the effect of making it more monochrome.  Seems to focus you more on the point I'm making - he's stealing the ball.  It's a standard Sepia preset in Lr with a small Vignette on the corners.

Here's the same picture using the Lr preset Direct Positive.  For some reason, I love it for the shots in the gym.  Curious what you think.

 

Settings were 1/200 sec at f/2.8, focal length 70mm, ISO 1600 with the EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM

Fast Action in a Gym?

I spent a bit of time conferring with Brian at our class about pictures of children playing basketball in a gym, which, by the way, is not well-lit.  The answer was to get something other than the "crappiest lens" in the world.  I am very excited to say I just got the 70-200mm f/2.8L lens from Canon, which explains why I am late on my weakly post.  I've been playing and trying to learn how to use it.

I tried it tonight at CBT's basketball practice.  Here are a couple of my favorites.  Much better than the crappy lens.  Still need more practice, though. 

 

Shot in the Dark

I have been drawn to pictures in the dark for some reason.  None have really made it here because they haven't been very good.  My hubby gave me an assignment, which I agreed to take.  But since this is a team sport for us, I wanted him to participate, also.  The assignment?  The Christmas tree.

TV1/5, AV1.8, ISO400 50mm lens

Hubby's Photo - I love it

TV1/8, AV1.8, ISO200, 50mm lens

First Official Photo Shoot

I've finally worked up the nerve to post a couple of photos from the official photo shoot of my brother's family at Thanksgiving.  Didn't really have a clue what I was doing, but it was fun.

This one is only slight processed with the software that came with the camera.  (I have been analyzing whether I need Photoshop Lightroom or Elements or both.  More on that later maybe.)  I used my 50mm lens with a shutter speed 1/80, f/2.8 and a 100 ISO.

This one we did a little more post processing.  Shutter speed was 1/160.  Av was 3.5.  ISO again was 100.  I took over 300 pictures and some were not so good and some were ok.  Still learning a lot.

Views of a Steeple

Week 3 more or less brings me to perspective. I've been thinking about what we learned about moving your body instead of your lens or your subject, especially important when your lens won't move. Molly, for you I am going beyond my one or two sentences and including all the settings.

Here's a lovely steeple against a very blue sky with scatter clouds. I'm a little far away. I was taking care to the sun behind me - hadn't I always heard to keep the sun behind me? I had just changed to matrix/evaluative metering to get the sky. F2, 1/3200, ISO 100. Focal point for all pictures is the cross at the top of the steeple.

The next one I got closer, but with the exact same settings.

For the next one, I got really radical. I shot into the sun. I just wanted to see what would happen. The settings were all the same. The blue sky was totally washed out - has a totally different effect.

It was a fun exercise but as we were leaving (and I'm in the back of the van looking at them all in the shade), I decide I have to get out and try one more with a higher aperture. This one is at F6.3, 1/2000, still ISO 100. Very different look and probably my favorite. One rule tossed aside.

This last one is just for fun. Wished I had gotten a little less hat, and a little more second eye but I'm learning, right?

Close Ups and Blurring

Today my new lens came.  My self-assigned assignment was to fill the frame....

and to blur the background.

It's a good thing I have a model who likes to pose.  Shooting totally on manual isn't as easy as it looks.  Composition comes later.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Molly drug me to another fun adventure.  I am determined that this photography class will be the gift that keeps on giving.  This blog is my accountability to take a photo each week and to be very intentional about it.  No more than a sentence or two.  

This photo is from class in a room with horrible lighting and the "crappiest lens" in the world.