If you’ve ever seen a photo done by Ansel Adams, then you’ve seen “zone” photography. In my advanced creative photography class, we took a walk around Savannah to put “zones” into play. It’s much harder than I ever thought it would be, especially when you have to think very hard about your composition and settings rather than just pointing and shooting. Below are some of my favorite images I shot that...
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The sun was out but the wind was fierce this morning as our class met up to shoot at Colonial Cemetery. I have to say that it’s not near as majestic to me as Bonaventure Cemetery, but I attempted some unusual shots and even got down on the ground to try different angles. I think I might have been more into it if my hands hadn’t been so cold they were almost sticking to my tripod. Maybe I’ll try again when the real spring comes...
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Anyone who knows me knows that I am a cupcake connoisseur. And by that, I mean if you put a cupcake in front of me, I will eat it. A couple years ago, I had the great fortune to meet Dolores Montoya, owner of Just Desserts of Savannah. Dolores is so incredibly supportive of our local community, and I try to send business her way as much as possible to thank her for all the support she has given my non-profits. So as I sat today wondering what in the world I could do to try and re-shoot my portrait photography assignment, it hit me. Why not make cupcakes educational? As gracious as she always is, Dolores welcomed me on my lunch break to do my homework. I thought this would be a great time to check out the Food Scene setting on my camera. My subjects were indeed mouth-watering, and I worked to control my temptation and repeated to myself, “you cannot eat your subject… yet.” Dolores even let me have a peak behind the magic curtain into her kitchen. While ovens seem very foreign to me, you can see just how much Dolores shines before them. In fact, she just about beamed as she told me about the different equipment and how at home she feels in the kitchen. So, take a look at the photos, drool a little, then make your way to Just Desserts of Savannah for a cupcake or cookie fix. (She also does cookie bouquets if you are looking for something different this Valentine’s Day.) Just be sure to take extras with you; just one is never...
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Ever wonder what that little Av button with the + and – on it does? Turns out, it increases or decreases the exposure on your subject. For this assignment, we were to take three subjects and do three shots each: one at normal exposure, one at +1, and one at -1. I was amazed to see the difference. I think it really made the shots of my outdoor subjects (the flower and Spanish moss) really stand...
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If you’ve played with your camera enough, you’ve noticed that sometimes, it’s hard to get up close and personal on some things. That’s where the macro setting comes to play. For this assignment, we were to take three shots using the macro settings on our camera. I went a step further and put on my macro lens as well to try and get as much detail as possible. My three subjects are heirlooms from my Granny (my mom’s mom). She passed away my freshman year of college. At this time, my mom presented me with her wedding band and this figurine. It wasn’t until years later that I found a note in my Granny’s handwriting inside. This figurine is over 50 years old, and the ring, older than that. I wear my Granny’s ring every day as a reminder of the love my Pawpaw had for her as he was the most affectionate man in my life, and I miss him every...
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Probably the best lesson I’ve learned so far in this class is to let flash fill in the ambient light. It has made a remarkable difference in my outdoor shots, particularly for my self portrait. For this assignment, I looked around on my hike at Fort Pulaski for just the right subject. I found this lone nest just above my head after picking up my son and trying to catch up with the rest of our party. I use a Pentax AF-200FG flash on my camera. I took the shot without a flash, then with the full flash, then at minus 1 flash. I love that I can adjust how much flash to put on my subject, something I had never really been able to do before. Without Flash -1 Flash Full...
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