Kaleidoscope - Bottles and Antlers

I was testing out a possible project and, as always, learning something new along the way.  I want to do Kaleidoscopic Photos of some sort to talk about repetition and pattern.  I found a tutorial that was pretty good HERE.  But, my image didn't look as amazing as his did in a x4 pattern.  I wanted a true kaleidoscope look with lots of segments.  I suppose I could have done the math to extend the content of that tutorial to a more complicated pattern.  But, a suggested video after the tutorial led me to a site where someone has already done just that!  And he has posted them complete with instructions for anybody to use HERE.  No need to reinvent the wheel.  I just downloaded the zip file and got to work.  The part that was new information to me was the proper way to use a smart object in Photoshop.  I didn't know that you could double click on a smart object's layer and it opens in a separate window where you can edit, save, and it automatically updates your file.  So the kaleidoscope templates work like this:  you double click on the bottom layer (the first smart object), it opens in a window, you copy and paste your image in there, stretch it to fit, save, close, wait a few seconds, and voila!  Your kaleidoscopic photo is a new surprise every time!  If you don't like how it looks repeat the process and select a different photo or part of the photo.

Click Here to see the original photo from a frigid visit to the Oro Grande Bottle Tree Farm last year.

Candid Portraits

I love the look of candid portraits, but rarely conduct photo shoots that way, and have never assigned them to my classes.  This year I did, and before my students shot I did a test to see how it went.  We had discussed talking to your subject and/or having your subjects talk to each other to get genuine expressions rather than posed ones.  My family and I had just finished dinner, and while we were all still at the table I asked Dustin to start telling funny stories to the boys.  As he talked I shot.  I started in a really high ISO and then switched to flash.  I love how engaged they are as they listen intently.  Of course there were LOTS of outtakes, but I did manage to get a good one of each of them.  I was really proud of how the students' candids turned out too.  It's definitely something we'll do more of in the future.

Pomegranate Part II

One of my first posts on this blog was a photo of a pomegranate.  It was titled "I've never eaten a pomegranate before..."  I have since tackled the tedious task, and I think I'll stick with pomegranate juice.  The fruit is just too much work for me.  Now photographing them... that I can handle.

Winner! - Daily Press Photo Contest

I recently had each of my advanced photo students enter work in a local contest through the Victorville Daily Press newspaper.  I was really excited that we were able to do this despite an entry fee for each photo, because my school site really supports my program and agreed to cover the costs!  The theme of the contest was the four seasons, because the newspaper would be making a calendar with the winning 12 entries.  As part of their preparation for the project I gave students a bunch of pictures from the internet that could potentially be winter-themed entries, and each of the photos had to do with hot chocolate.  Some were really beautiful, others were obviously terrible, and some were just ok.  The students' goal that day was to rank the photos from best to worst and then debate their choices.  It ended up being a very enlightening discussion, as several groups were very adamant that the photo they had picked was definitely the best.  In the end I hope it helped the students see how staging and careful attention to detail was really important to their contest entries.

  With hot chocolate photos on the brain I decided to give the contest a shot that night. It was last minut, but why not?   I busted out my Christmas decorations, an old cutting board, some cinnamon sticks and set up the scene.  I carefully added more and more props (I'm still a little unsure if I added too many) and worked with the lighting (it was less than ideal.)  The above photo is my final product.  It was shot on my dining room table with the Christmas lights at one end and the cutting board and teacup at the other to create the right amount of bokeh.  The editing is very minimal, and I'm kind of wishing I had noticed the cocoa on the edge of the cup.  It bugs me now.  Anyway, I got an email the other day saying that I had a photo selected as a winner in the contest!  The thing is, my husband also entered photos, and we used the same email address on our entry forms.  So, for a couple days we weren't sure which of us had won.  However, we just heard back from the photo editor that we had EACH won... how perfect!  His photo is really beautiful and very deserving.  I also found out that one of my students won for a stunning photo of a ferris wheel!  I'm still not 100% sure that all winning photos make it into the calendar, but either way I'm excited and proud :)

Elements of Composition Study ~ Pattern

I was going to have my advanced students do a project where they'd select one element of composition and study it in depth--creating two distinct images that utilized that element to strengthen the composition and highlight their subject.  I always put myself in my students' shoes and test out my assignments first, so here are a few of my test shots.  My favorite element is pattern (with symmetry in a close second place.)  I started taking pictures really late in the evening, so light was limited, but I still like how they came out.  I processed this fork photo quite heavily, and in this case I like the added noise.  I experimented with several different fork/shadow patterns, but I liked the depth on this one the best.

 This little guy is growing in a tree stump planter in my front yard.  I like the pattern in the leaves (or are they called petals?)  The low angle of the sun created the additional pattern of the shadows, which gives the plant a depth it might not have had if I had shot at noon.  I think the reason that the element of pattern speaks to me so much in photographs (or in art in general) is because it can feel infinite.  I wanted to include the tree stump, because it had a pattern as well, but I think if I had cropped in closer to the plant it'd feel even more infinite.

 I have a super old iron, but it gets the job done.  On this photograph I increased the contrast and played around with the sliders on the black and white layer to bring out all of the scratches in the metal part while darkening the wood in the background.  I wanted the light on the iron to stand out the most.  The iron looks very utilitarian--built for function not looks.  Its scratches are a testament to that.  The steam holes leading to the point at the top give a feeling that it's standing at attention.

Becca :: Summer 2013

My baby sis all grown up.  She's always up for a photo shoot.  Makes me miss her even more!  I spotted this cool mint green corrugated wall in an alley by my mom's house while on vacation this summer (I'm always scoping out spots for pictures.)  It was just a block away, so one evening we walked down there to shoot a few.  This was one of my favorites.  And yes, I did copy her glasses :)

 ... but while I was away in Minnesota she copied my haircut :)  These next two were from a test shoot we did while she was helping me scope out spots for an upcoming senior session in downtown La Crosse.  It's almost unfair how many sweet locations there are within walking distance there!!  I love how her hair color glows in both of these.

  What makes me even happier about these two photos is the fact that she let me teacher her about Photoshop and she edited them herself!

Miss M :: Class of 2014

Here are some photos from a fun senior portraits session that I did this summer.  I love the juxtaposition of her fancy dress and the gritty downtown alleyway.

Such a trooper!  The mosquitoes were HORRIBLE in this spot, but it was just so pretty!