Orchid Redux - Hillwood!

It's no secret that I love macro photography. I'd had a long week at work, and wanted to go out and decompress for a few hours. Naturally, I reached for what I love most - orchids. Where to see them? Hillwood Gardens.

Sure, I could have gone to the Botanical Gardens in the city, but what sealed the deal was the fact that Hillwood allows tripods, as long as they are not intrusive or disruptive. The website doesn't say so, but the nice man on the phone did, so off I went. The only issue was that there were far fewer flowers and orchids this time around. They aren't seasonal, per se (they're in a greenhouse), so I'm not sure what the situation was. I'll need to ask next time.

I've taken many pictures of orchids before, but have had to reject a large number due to camera shake, lighting, or issues with busy backgrounds. I decided to tackle as many of these issues as I could, but with a focus on the first item. Here are some of my hits:





Overall, I was pretty pleased. Here's what I liked:

1) I had much better control over my lighting.

2) The pictures are far more crisp, thanks to the tripod (though lugging the thing around was exhausting).

3) These pictures don't look like the ones I've taken in the past. They are original, for sure.

4) Composition has improved - given that I could keep my camera steady, it was far easier to work on that aspect.

Where I should have done better:

1) My saturated colors (the last two pictures) are still not as crisp or defined as I'd like. I think this is an exposure issue, so I need to do research on this for next time.

2) The backgrounds for these four pictures are still a little too busy for my liking. Here's an example of one that I took that turned out better:



Simple black - you can't go wrong.

As far as settings were concerned: ISO 10-200 most of the time. automatic white balance, f-stop at around 3.5 - also for the most part. I wanted to play with depth of field.

Next time - another tripod outing! I'm on a roll!

NCCF Charity Art Show Last Week

As some of you know, NCCF is one of my favorite charitable organizations. When they accepted submissions a few months ago, I jumped at the chance to participate. And, when my work wasn't selected, I wanted to treat this as a learning experience - and see what did make the cut for them.

Some observations:

1) Only a few submissions for what I do (macro photography) were selected as a percentage of the total pieces of art that were displayed.

2) Of these, half of them were of butterflies. Examples of my work that could compare would include:



Some common elements - simple backgrounds, good framing of the butterflies, nice details.

3) The others were of flowers - but of solid backgrounds. These examples came close:



4) Most of this work was printed using ink and paper.

5) The sizes were not large - they looked like 5x7s. This is great for me, because I don't love my work when it's zoomed out.

What does this mean for me?

1) Next time, I'll only submit macro work.

2) I need to keep shooting my butterflies and flowers (time permitting) because I'm getting closer and closer to what I want to achieve - a win of some sort.

Next time - an idea I read about online - and why I won't be doing it.

Part 4 - My Stock Photography Options

My final stock photography site (that I want to research, anyway) is Shutterstock.

The categories looked appealing, so I started there.

Abstract: Very similar to iStockphoto.com. So, no - not going to work.

Texture and Background: Possibly something like this:



Nature: Ugh, no!

Parks/Outdoor: no!

Flowers: no (okay, this is getting old)

Kites (a new keyword for me) - not so much

Orchids: possibly something like these:



So, I came to the conclusion that this site was too similar to iStockphoto.com for me to spend too much time here. After all, if it isn't a great fit, it isn't.

Next time - my conclusions and next steps. I also can't wait to cover last weekend's photo shoot. I'm long overdue for that! Here's a preview of it:

Part 3 - My Stock Photography Options

It's a new day, and a new stock photography site to evaluate. Today's choice? iStockphoto.com.

When I started reading the terms and conditions, I admit I was a little frightened. They are pages and pages (and pages and pages) long, or so it seemed. After calming down and taking a closer look, I realized that this site was simply more thorough than some of the other sites. This is not a bad thing.

On to the content:

1) Keyword "orchid": While most of the backgrounds are black or white, there are several multicolored backgrounds. There's potential here, but some of these arrangements are very "editorial", if that makes sense. Also, there isn't much experimentation regarding depth of field (where some flowers would appear sharp and in the foreground, while others are more blurred and in the background). I would likely prefer to go out and shoot new content before submitting any orchid shots to this website, except for:



2) Butterfly - Many of these shots are what I would classify as "cutesy". Some of my newer pictures could work here, including:



3) Abstract - not a fit at all.

4) Nature - I think my work is a little too "soft" for this category. So, I tried "flowers". Yeah, not so much, either.

5) Travel - Most definitely not.

Not willing to give up so easily, I flipped through some of the other categories. Architecture abstract? Maybe. Churches? Quite possible, something like this:



I didn't see any pictures like this at all. So, there's a chance there.

Overall, though, this was about a below average fit for me. I'd have to think about it.

Tomorrow - Shutterstock - did I save the best for last?

Orchid Stock Photography - Comparison

For me, it's important to know how I compare to professionals' work. This way, I can see where I need to improve, and frankly, give myself a pat on the back if I'm doing better in some ways.

This first set of pictures shows examples of my work.

This second set of pictures came from a stock photography site. These sites allow photographers to sell and showcase their work to a wider audience from a centralized website. Interested bidders/purchasers contact the artists directly to negotiate prices. In general, these sites are selective - your photos have to be of a certain quality. My frame of reference is Photographer's Direct. If I were to ever join a site, this might be the one.

Speaking of this site, here are thumbnails of some of the work that has been accepted:



A few notes about these:

1) Some people list the species of the orchids. I should really do this, but admit I've been lazy. I can't figure out how to do it while taking my pictures. I suppose I could take two versions - one of the orchid, and one of the sign that indicates what the species is. But that takes up a lot of room. Still, I'll try that the next time.

2) I love the resolution of the pictures. Some of these pictures are amazingly crisp. I could learn from that. Macro photography is a very precise work.

3) My work could definitely be showcased here. I'm convinced of it. At least my top pictures would make it, if not others.

So what's next for me? Well, I want to keep on shooting, obviously. :) Thursday - because I'm out of town tomorrow - my social networking efforts. I need to do a better job!

Scrapping a Photo Shoot

On the same day as my Real Estate Challenge, I wandered around my neighborhood, and found some flowers that were planted in large planters. The planters were in this area called Bethesda Row. I took some pictures. However, I never posted them. Why not?

Well, for the first time in my existence, I scrapped an entire photo shoot. The pictures were fine, but not nearly as nice as my other shots. They weren't inspired. Nothing I took even remotely resembled these:





These shots were well thought out and well composed. My style of photography is one where I need to "get into a rhythm". If I don't, then the pictures don't work. It's not to say I can't be spontaneous, because I can - but if it isn't my best work, then it isn't. And it's fine with me. My macro shots, in my opinion, are my greatest strength - I don't need to dilute that quality with something I might find inferior. I'm here to chronicle all of my adventures and misadventures, and the last shoot was frankly in the latter category.

So, I'm looking forward to the next shoot. What will it be? Who knows. I'm traveling Wednesday and Thursday, and I may come across something at that time. Or, it might have to wait until the Kite Festival this weekend.

Tomorrow: Comparing my orchid shots to those on a stock photography site.

Real Estate and Architectural Photography - Windows

Remember these pictures?





You may recall that I had trouble with the exposures of these pictures. Informally speaking, this is because the camera tries to adjust for the darker interior and that makes the windows overly bright and blown out. With the two pictures here, I had to do some pretty extensive post-processing.

In class last weekend, the instructor taught all of us a great trick. Unfortunately, I think it only works with DSLRs. Turn on the flash, and use a shutter speed of 1/200. That's it! Nice and simple. An overhead flash is better, but I found that this worked just fine with my regular flash on my camera. Here's an example:



See? Nice, tidy, and properly exposed. Now that I know this trick, I should have better luck moving forward.

Tomorrow, I'll cover the importance of lines and angles - and getting them right.

Deals and Discounts - Should I Bite?

I've contemplated buying Photoshop CS5 on and off for a while. I always figured it would be good to have in my arsenal. But, I always change my mind. What would I do with it? Well, I'd probably tweak a few pictures. These are examples:



I'd take the people out of this picture.



Or brighten this picture (and make the sky blue)



Or remove the cars from this picture.

Anyway, I got a discount card in the mail. Anyone who owns a recent version of Elements for Windows or the Mac can upgrade to a full-fledged version of CS5 for $299. That's a really good deal.

But is it? Not if I'm not going to use it. As some of you know, I spend some time in Aperture, but that's about it. I use it to fix pictures such as this one:



This one was unusable before I worked on it in Aperture. Beyond that, though, I hate editing images.

Unless someone convinces me that CS5 meets MY needs, I don't care how inexpensive it is, or what the discounts are. I find this interesting, because I sell software services for a living. I use exercises like this to get in the heads of my customers. Understanding their needs and what motivates them to buy (which might not always be logical) ensures I'm not throwing deals and discounts at people. My customers are consumers, after all.

Anyway, I've decided to pass on this. Feel free to contact me if you're interested in more details about the promotion. Have a great weekend!

Contests - Please Lend me your Ears/Eyes

February is a short month, and I realized I forgot to do one thing I'd done consistently over the last few months - enter a contest. I'll forgive myself, because if this is all I've forgotten in my hectic life, then I'm in decent shape.

With that said, I considered entering two contests in February, but with later deadlines:

FotoDC's National Cherry Blossom Photo Contest: This brings me to one of my plans - I may brave the crowds and attend the kite festival. I love colors, and it would be a good experiment for me. I have cherry blossom pictures, but I think something original and fun would be better. We'll see if I actually do this.

This one isn't so much a contest as it is an auction: NCCF's 9th Annual Art and Soul Charity Auction: This would involve submitting a picture (or three) for consideration. If selected, then I would mat, frame, and donate the work. I love NCCF, and I think this would be great, but I'm a little afraid to enter, honestly. Some considerations:

1) What size photograph? I've honestly never seen my pictures blown up and magnified. I don't know what they would look like. I've emailed the organization to find out if there is a minimum size. If I can get away with an 8x10, I'll consider it.

2) What do I even want to enter? Something abstract like this?



Or something more precise/detailed?



Something ... unusual?



I don't know! Anyway, one step at a time. When I'll find out what the size requirements are, I'll make a decision. I'll also try not to let March run away from me. I will find a way to enter four contests - I hope.

A corollary to all of this is how I would print my work if it were accepted. I've researched some options, and will cover them tomorrow.

Education

Yesterday, I mentioned the need to consider using a tripod. Here's why:

I've taken some nice interior pictures over the last two months or so:









However, I need help with technique. With the first picture, I need to do a better job of balancing interior and exterior light. I could also use some help with composition. Finally, I haven't taken anything resembling a class in a while, and I could use some added perspective.

I've therefore signed up for a class that focuses on real estate and architectural photography. The class requires a tripod. And that was my thought process. Sometimes learning can be uncomfortable!

On another note, I can't believe it's already March. I've totally dropped the ball. Find out how tomorrow.

Tripods (Sigh)

I may have mentioned once (or twice or three times) that I detest using tripods. After all, I took shots like these without them:







But ... I'm starting to rethink this strategy.

I want to take pictures like the first one, without having to be dependent upon finding a flat space for my camera during the long exposures. To take that picture, I had to set down my camera on a boundary/ledge "thing". In fact, you can see it in the picture (I liked the perspective it created, so I incorporated into the shot). I won't have that luxury with other fountains I may come across.

I want to take good fireworks pictures like the third one. So far, all of my subsequent fireworks experiments with DSLR have been a total bust. That's because a tripod is a must. I love fireworks.

I like the second picture as is, and I'm comfortable shooting macro shots that are more artistic and "painting-like" rather than precise. But what if I want to shoot other subjects? I'd probably need a tripod.

So, what am I going to do about all of this? More on that tomorrow!