Fun on a Thursday Afternoon!

Environment Canada couldn't make up its mind about the forecast today: Sunny. No, cloudy. Now a chance of showers this evening. Or maybe this afternoon. Huh?? I'm so confused!

But Karen and Terry and I decided to go for it anyway - we had a photo session planned - and it was so worth it! We definitely made the best of the dreariness and got some wicked engagement shots! I had such a great time with this amazing couple. Thanks you two!

Huge congratulations go out to Karen and Terry and their families. I look forward to your big day in September!

Cheers!

Miniature World

I really enjoy surfing through articles offering tips and tricks for photography post-processing. While I'm most interested in understanding apertures and shutter speeds and learning how to use my camera properly, to get the right exposure and contrast in-camera as opposed to relying on Photoshop to correct everything, I still think it's neat to do some obvious after-shoot editing.

Recently I was reading about using spot focus combined with lens blur to give a 'miniature' look to certain pictures. Miniature in the sense of - is it real? or is it a train set or something. It is supposed to work best on photos that have been taken looking downwards on the scene, so I scanned through my files and tried it on a few of them.

Basically (in Photoshop), you just select an area around the object, then 'inverse' the selection and apply a lens blur filter. You can play around with feathering the edges of the selection, as well as the shape of the lens blades, curvature, etc. in the filter set up.

Anyway, some pics end up looking more 'miniature' than others... and I can get a similar result using my Lensbaby... but it is still fun, none the less. Try it sometime!

Cheers.

Less really can be more!

Not too long ago I bought the Panasonic GF-1, with the 20mm f/1.7 lens. I wanted something smaller than my conventional D-SLR to take on vacations with me, and I have to say that I am nothing short of impressed with this amazing micro four-thirds camera. I took it with me to Australia and loved every minute of it! Had it not been for the fact that I only had the fixed focal length lens for it at that time, I may very well have left my Pentax at home. So. Being the gear nerd that I am... a few weeks back, I purchased the 14-45mm lens, which pretty much completes what is sure to be a stellar travel kit! The 20mm is fast and sharp, awesome for landscape... and the 14-45mm is a more useful range than I ever could have imagined. I've been out in a variety of settings as of late, trying the new lens and many of the fun, different functions the GF-1 has to offer. The things I've enjoyed the most are:

High ISO - these pics were shot at 1600...

and this one at 800...

Not bad, hey! The noise is certainly acceptable, in my opinion anyhow. I like that I can get usable photos, handheld, in low light.

"Nostalgia" in-camera film setting...

I'm loving the washed-out, old-photograph feel! I'm now on the lookout for run down buildings, etc. to see what else I can do with it.

"Black and White - Dynamic" in-camera film setting...

I can't wait until I can try this one on a blue-sky, puffy cloud day.

And, the setting I've used the most - "Dynamic" color in-camera film setting...

The contrast and color saturation are unreal!

As well, so far I have not taken the little guy off of Auto White Balance. It seems to reproduce all lighting situations in the proper tones. Very convenient. The auto focus has several choices of settings, from face detection (which I have not tried yet) to manually selecting a focal point. Handy. And the selection of aperture, shutter, or sensitivity priority (and full manual of course) make it seem like I'm using a full-tilt D-SLR... except at about two-thirds the size and weight!

Anyway, this is just scratching the surface of the capabilities of the GF-1. I've barely looked at the user's manual... it is so comprehensive! Although I find it more exciting to learn by trial and error anyhow... and doesn't the saying go something like, "to err is human"...?? Well, I'm definitely human!

Cheers!

The Lazy Photographer

Yep, that's me. L-A-Z-Y. Not as in the 'lay on the couch, eat bon-bons' kind of lazy (although I have those days, too!!)... because I definitely enjoy taking my camera on long, steep, sweat-inducing outings... I'm talking in the 'can't be bothered with filters, tripods, or setting my alarm for 4:30am' kind of way. Recently, a good friend - who is one of the best outdoor photographers I know - and I spent a stellar day, checking out ice crystals on partially frozen streams and groves of trees and small running waterfalls. She had filter stacked upon filter, and she took about three quarters of her photos using a tripod. The results: absolutely AWESOME pics!

The crispness of the rocks, ice, moss, and branches combined with the softness of the moving water... I can't describe how beautiful her pictures are! Now I, on the other hand, only took my fisheye lens and Lensbaby... and I handheld every shot:

I have to say however, that in their own way, my photographs turned out quite alright as well. It was kind of fun to see what I could get, with minimal effort. Playing around in full manual mode is always a good exercise for me; the flat, dull light allowed for the slower shutter speeds necessary to blur moving water. I was especially pleased with how the Lensbaby made my poplar photos so interesting, and how I was able to get a few unusual but cool pics that only a fisheye can make possible. Definitely two lenses that I will never be able to live without!

On the getting up at 4:30am front... well, I may have to suck it up for a few days in August. This same friend and I are planning a photography / camping trip into the Lake O'Hara area, and I know she loves sunrises and sunsets... Who knows, maybe I'll even cave and take along my limited selection of filters and crappy tripod? I'm looking forward to the adventure!

Cheers!

Full-color monochrome...???

Now that's an oxymoron, isn't it! But I swear, that is what I ended up with yesterday! The day was a grey one. Socked-in, low, thick clouds produced a ton of snow, in a very short time. Combine that with what is already a fairly colorless time of year (bland late winter)... and voila! There you have it! Pictures taken with my camera setting on 'vibrant color' turned out nearly black'n'white. Go figure!

It was kind of pretty however, in an eerie sort of way. There was a point where the wind died down and the silence was... deafening. (Another oxymoron! I'm just full of them today!)

I did find it to be an interesting exercise in lighting, because I didn't realize just how much direct sunlight and a clear blue sky contributes to the colors on the ground, including the color of bodies of water. And with such heavy cloud cover, there are virtually no shadows!

Fun! In a different sort of way.
Cheers.