Patterns

The latest issue of Popular Photography did not disappoint! This article really gave me some things to think about, especially because I have an upcoming photo shoot in mid-July where I can use this. Specifically, the article focuses on patterns created in nature - mainly asymmetrical. Take a look at these for inspiration:







Of course, patterns don't only exist in mineral/rock formations. Here are some other examples with plants and with abstract elements:





What has always worked for me was to move my lens around and not take what I see too literally. Also, it helps to use a macro lens - all of these except for one required it. Additionally, don't forget your ISO (higher in low light), white balance (Tungsten indoors), and your f-stop (low number for a "blurry" effect, high number to ensure all items are in focus in an even manner.

As you know, my focus has been on stock photography, lately. Are any of these useful from a commercial perspective? I went to one of my sites where my work was accepted, and took a look. The answer is, possibly. Mineral abstracts seem to be promising, but I'll need to scrutinize my work. While not everything I do should revolve around stock photography, it doesn't hurt.

I had a photo shoot last week! Next time, I'll tell you all about it.

A Celebration of Color, Day 3 - Green

My goal when I began this series earlier in the week was to give me something to look forward to, until I'd have time to shoot additional content. That hasn't changed; rather, it's evolved. I've been able to take a good look at my prior work, understand parts of my portfolio where I'd need to expand, and enjoy myself all around. Not bad!

As it turns out, green is a color I shoot quite often. This isn't a surprise - I love leaves and plants. Here are some examples:











I think my green shots are the best ones that I have.

The first one is a nice, subtle green. I love the texture and the subtlety. Here, I made sure to stay in the shade, but not so much so that there were shadows on the leaf. My macro lens f/stop was relatively high (f/10), so as to capture all the detail. I experimented with the ISO, and 400 worked here. I had to keep very still, but that wasn't too difficult for this shot.

I took the second picture at home, on my glass table on my balcony. Here, I wanted to capture a nice glow. I placed this glass ring and tried different angles. Because I had full control over my environment, I was able to ensure I was on a stable surface, and able to experiment. I moved the ring around the table and tried various angles until I got this shot. So, don't hesitate to experiment in these types of situations. You can do whatever you want!

I did NOT have any of those luxuries with the third shot. I was in a crowded butterfly garden in high humidity, and using a macro lens set to manual focus. I had to move quickly, and I didn't have much time to make decisions. Basically, I worked on composition and technical focus at the same time. What helped was that there was good light, and I didn't need to do much with f/stops, white balance, or shutter speeds - I went with standard settings, and was good to go. The shutter speed was 1/1250, and the ISO was 200. I wish, though, I'd gotten closer - although I'd cropped this picture several times, the butterfly STILL isn't really the focal point.

The next picture is so interesting to me, because it looks like it was taken in the rain and the mist. However, it wasn't - it was taken on my aunt's balcony in the middle of a hot, sunny summer! How did I do it? I got up very close, made sure that the background was "clear", and a relatively low f-stop - 3.5. This way, it ensured everything was slightly blurry, and therefore, misty-looking.

This last picture is an oldie, but a goodie. Again, a low aperture (f/2.8) and a steady hand were important. Here, the reflection of the light helped me, as well as some post-processing (brightening, saturation, etc.). it's a nice simple shot that I think is framed well.

Till tomorrow!

Day 10 - Taking Stock

Today, I was thinking of ideas about what to shoot for the next few days. I realized that I was really worn out! I had a few ideas, but was less than motivated about going through with them. After all, consider these statistics:

Pictures taken: 1210

Pictures posted: 247

I don't take this many pictures in one month! No wonder I'm worn out! I've decided to do the following for the next few days:

1) Acknowledge that there can be too much of a good thing, so no more new shots for now.

2) Evaluate my new shots.

3) Cover my lessons learned.

4) Determine what to do about my portfolio.

So, item 1) is accomplished. :) I have to say that I'm a bit relieved. My kind of photography is very labor-intensive. On to 2) - my new shots!

I'm really pleased with my output, as well as the quality of my new pictures. If you compare my new pictures to my older work, there's a huge difference. Specifically:

1) I have better control over my lighting. My older shots have all sorts of harsh shadows that took away from their beauty.

2) My nighttime (twilight) pictures need work, but they're FAR better than my older nighttime shots - less blurry, better quality.

3) My abstract and macro work is better composed and more artistic than my older shots of similar subjects - with a few exceptions.

4) I'm much more willing to try new things, even if they don't pan out.

So, here are my six favorite shots of the last nine days:







Is it any surprise that each one of these shots is a macro shot? Let's face it, macro photography is what I do best. This confirms it.

What about my Flickr stats? Which of my new pictures was viewed the most? Here are the top three:





The first one was also classified by Flickr as the most in a category called "interestingness". I agree.

Till tomorrow!

Day 2 - Leaves!

Earlier this week, I resolved to spend twelve consecutive days discussing new, original work. You may already know that I love flowers. Well, leaves are also a great subject to photograph. Several advantages over flowers:

1) Composition is easier, in my opinion. Macro shots of flowers require precision in framing. You can have much more fun with leaves. I'll illustrate below.

2) You're less vulnerable to the effects of camera shake - at least this is my experience. In other words, if you don't have a steady hand, you can still take great shots. Blurry flowers are not pretty. Blurry leaves, however, look like abstract art.

3) You don't necessarily need a macro lens. In fact, in quite a few cases, you can get away with a point-and-shoot. I'll cover a few exceptions.

Here are my favorite pictures from yesterday:







The first picture has pink in it. Pink is my favorite color. Need I say more? You don't need a macro lens to take this one, as an added bonus.

The second has this muted feel that I love. I think you can take a similar picture with a point-and-shoot, too.

The third - I love the raindrops. Note that this one would be hard to take without a macro lens, in my opinion. The details of the raindrops, especially zoomed in, would be harder to capture.

The fourth is nice because of the reflection. It's a bit bright, but I like the way it looks. This one doesn't require a macro lens, though it would make life easier because you can stand farther away.

The fifth one has a nice simple shape. I think it's really pretty.

The last one is interesting - I like the shape and the red in the corner. It's a unique look.

Some general tips for you:

1) Bump up your ISO settings if it's dark - 400 or 800. Switch to 100 or 200 if it's sunnier.

2) Automatic white balance should work.

3) As I always recommend, take many versions - but don't worry too much about the settings. Just move the camera around and be mindful of the ISO. The goal is to play with the angles and shapes. Taking nice pictures of leaves involves pretty shapes, angles, and textures. It's less technical than macro shots of flowers, in my opinion.

Till tomorrow!