Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and sharing a picture from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade back in 2007 when we were there! Watching it on tv this year!
Inspirations
November 26, 2009
November 22, 2009
signing off for a few days
I'm going to be signing off for a few days but hope to be back on by Thanksgiving!
Thought I'd leave you with a picture of Kelly and her cousins and one of the newest litters of kittens over at the farm along with Kelly's favorite cat, mouse, who has grown quite large! lol!!
While I'm away, be sure to check out all the new goodies at DesignerDigitals and watch this new 99¢ item for our special thrifty Thursday releasing Wednesday night!
November 20, 2009
November 19, 2009
White Balance
White Balance... something I never adjusted before.
But NOW... it's definitely something I check and adjust based on the environment.
This is a photo without the white balance adjusted.
In this example, the white balance is set to incandescent light.
What a difference. And both of these are shot without a flash. Hardly in need of a flash at this point. Love this!
November 17, 2009
Home Sweet Home
Super happy to be home but seriously think I left my mojo back in San Francisco. Whenever I travel I come home to start creating again right away and this time it's just not happening. Have a training session in a little bit and maybe that will do it!
Wanted to share another tidbit from our National Geographic Photography Workshop. I have a habit of zooming in on my subjects. Much too much. I have been losing 'the story' by doing this. And Catherine Karnow, our instructor, also stressed not shooting to crop when I zoom out. So I'm trying to include a sense of place in my photos and help tell the story of where I am and what's going on.
had I taken this picture before, I would have cropped in on the girls. Now, with what I've learned I'm including the store signage in the background because it gives it a sense of place and helps to tell the story.
Another example is that before the class, I was just taking pictures of the seals. But the people watching the seals tells just as good if not a better story. And I love the three people here and how your eye is drawn down and then into the fence where you see the seals they're watching!
Now I'm ready to visit the granddaughters again and the nieces and nephews too! I think my storytelling has been taken to a new level and I'm really grateful to Catherine for her time and attention to helping me see things in this light. She has also taught at the Maine Photography Workshops and recommend her as a great photography teacher for scrapbookers who want to tell their story!
November 15, 2009
Photography Techniques in Action
Catherine Karnow, our instructor at our National Geographic Photography Workshop, taught a technique of panning for motion this weekend. And after class, Randy and I visited Pier 39 and watching the merry-go-round was the perfect application for the technique! Loved the effect! And, of course, I found some willing subjects! :)
November 14, 2009
photography class
Completely enjoying that the instructor, Catherine Karnow's focus in our National Geographic photography class is 'telling the story'. It fits me perfectly and is making me look at my photos differently to capture the moments and tell the story better than before.
I 'got off auto' this past spring and now I feel like I've gotten to the next level. Getting to know my camera better too! She's had great pointers and I even got a little one-on-one side trip with instruction and wish this class would go on for a week!
Definitely planning on attending more of these workshops! And I think new lenses are next on my wish list!
**btw** this was a stranger in a cafe and I asked him if I could photograph him as he read his Bible**November 13, 2009
San Francisco's Chinatown
still in the classroom for our critique, going over our first photoshoot in San Francisco's Chinatown. Really looked at things differently as our assignment was to capture a sense of place by including gesture, lighting and details to achieve the sense of place. I shot way too many pictures... over 700 and we had to present our top ten and then the instructors chose the top 3 [they picked 4 of mine] for the class presentation.
When they first said we were going to walk around chinatown for 3.5 hours I thought I'd be bored, but I could have kept going. Looking at the light. Looking at the people. Looking at hands and they way they were gesturing between customers and merchants--every picture really told a story. Loved today. Looking forward to tomorrow!
I even took a self-portrait! :)
November 12, 2009
shutterfly
Spent today visiting with the folks at Shutterfly. And this afternoon and evening was the introduction to the photography workshop that we are in San Francisco for with National Geographic. Our instructor talk about seeing in the moment and 'getting in the zone' so I'm looking forward to tomorrow's class & photo shoot!
trolley car adventures
yesterday afternoon we had taken a trolley car over to the pier and the ride back that night was a memorable one. it was a long wait for a car and in line we met some folks from germany and had a nice talk with them about the trip to germany we're hoping to pull off this summer--they had a lot of advice and we're glad we got to speak with them. On the trolley we were sitting with a rowdy bunch and the driver had a thing for the single ladies. then for some reason he stopped in the middle of a hill. and we were stuck. so we all had to get off and hike up the hill before he got the trolley unstuck and came up to get us. the rowdy-ness continued with Rico [the rowdy leader] high-fiving people along the road and everyone hooting and hollering as we went up and down the hills. made us laugh. a good time.
