I keep trying, but the link will not work. Sorry.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4788685_take-compelling-photographs.html

Now What?

Whenever I see amazing photographs I feel inspired. But when I actually trot out into the world with my camera and look around, well, the light sort of fades. Even when I do see something that looks neat, looking at it on my camera screen just doesnt' capture it. Suddenly the challenge of taking the regular world as I see it and drawing out beautiful or interesting pictures is somewhat daunting. In class we've gone over how to photograph, so I looked up an article "How to take Compelling Photographs" that might give me a nudge on what to photograph.

1. Change perspective. Go close, or far away, from high or above, not just eye level from where you are standing.
2. Balance. Think of the picture as a painting, and you want everything in placed in a way to catch attention and be pleasing to the eye, not just randomly shot.
3.Try for contrast. It will be noticed faster.
4. Look at light and color. This I thought was interesting, is not to go looking for subjects but for 'beautiful formations of light and color'. To completely change the way you think of the world before you go looking for a shot so you will notice more and better situations to shoot, which involve the lighting and color often more than just the object.
5. Take pictures with your mind. Train yourself to see without the camera so you really notice what is going on. You will learn to see more of tiny details this way.
6. Tell a story with your picture. Before you take your shot ask what kind of story it tells.
7. Nature is always the best. Whenever you are stuck, surround yourself with nature and animals for inspiration.
8. Use Digital. It allows you to do more with your picture.

Alaska

In this week's blog I decided to share the pictures that I found researching Alaska. Sites they can be found on are;

http://www.kenaifjords.com/

http://www.denaliair.com/index.htm

http://http//www.knikglacier.com/

http://http//www.knikglacier.com/huntercreek4a.htm

Callu

I found this amazing photographer/artist called Callu who I'm sure must not be new to everybody else, because these pictures are amazing. But all I found on him personally was him as a modest blogger. Most of his pictures use narrow depth of field focus shots using close ups of small things, insects, flowers, water drops. General romantic subjects with mind blowing results because of the techniques he uses. I don't know if these have been photoshopped or not, but very good use of color, lighting, and focus. I think I first got this feeling standing next to a bluegrass singer for the first time. That feeling of 'seriously? you can do that?' Just Wow.

http://http//amolife.com/image/flowers/nature-fairy-tale.html#

These first two are my large depth of field. This first I actually took earlier so I don't know what settings it is on, but I thought it did better at showing distance and space for a wide depth of field.



The second I took on manual mode with a -2 on the lighting, so a small apeture for sharp features in the foreground and back.

This is my narrow depth of field shot. I was a little disappointed at how blurry it was because I was holding the camera-no tripod. Ideally the leaves in front would be very clear, and only the back would be blurry. I used the manual setting, so I could set the lighting to 2+.

For both my short exposure and long exposure I used a moving model to show the difference between the two. Many thanks to my friend Katie for modeling her forms for me.

These two are short exposure. The first is manual so I could do black and white. The second is portrait for fast shutter speed.

These two are long exposure. For me on my canon digital camera that means the landscape setting.

4 photos

Ok we are taking four pictures over the weekend with varying depth of field and exposure time. These are just some general ideas I have we will see how they turn out.

narrow depth-since I want to start out simple I would like to take a leaf shot in a tree, and have it in focus with the rest of the tree behind it blurred. Maybe backlight the leaf.

wide depth- it would be good to get a large depth of field in a sunset picture, just to capture for my friends and family who don't live here the 'big sky'.

short exposure- I'm going to try for that squirrel outside the library and see what I can get. It does actually hold still pretty well but I might be able to get some good shots with it moving.

long exposure- I would like to do a night sky but maybe mixing the stars with the city lights. If you can even do that, I'm not sure. To have stars streaking mixed with lamplights or headlights.