Category Archives: Photography

Photography

Still life with 3 wine glasses

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3 wine glasses in a row against a colored backdrop in a darkened room with one light can produce a interesting still life. I needed a quick idea for a quick demonstration for my students so I did an online search.

Table top photography is a tough genre.

I had one semester of  this in college.

That class taught me a lot.

Besides learning to use a 4 x 5 view camera, I learned before I pressed the shutter release, everything on the inverted image on the ground glass had to be close to perfect.

The exposure, focus, composition, lighting, camera angle, choice of props, and background all have to be right.

Unless I had several film holders, I only had 2 sheets of film I could expose at a time.

I decided to revisit this recently but not on the same scale, using my Canon Powershot G11 instead. Continue reading Still life with 3 wine glasses →

Photography

A new Canon Speedlite the 600EX-RT

The just announced 600EX-RT is a welcome addition for Canon users. Coupled with a new transmitter the ST-E3 RT, this may give users fewer reasons to buy 3rd party radio slave units like Radio Poppers.

It’s nice to see that Canon users are finally going to have a new Speedlite.

The Canon 580EXII and their STE-2 proprietary infra-red trigger have long been overdue for a upgrade.

Canon’s announcement of their new Speedllite 600EX-RT was also accompanied with an announcement of a new 5DMarkIII body and a radio trigger the ST-E3.

Naturally the new trigger is not compatible with your infrared triggered Speedlite.
Continue reading A new Canon Speedlite the 600EX-RT →

Photography

Shiva’s favorite season is here again

Shiva, the dare-devil, reaches for a bird house under the eaves of my garage roof. The hatchlings of the finches that live in the birdhouse has been driving her absolutely crazy. She spends every morning at particular corner.

Spring must be Shiva’s favorite time of the year.

Cold mornings, chirping birdies and fresh meat.

The return of the finches that live under the eaves of my house and the hatching of their eggs is just too much for my cats.

Shiva somehow always manages to get on the roof even after we trimmed and cut down the nearby trees.

Getting up there is one thing but Shiva, the dare-devil, has no fear of getting off the roof.

The first time I witnessed this, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Continue reading Shiva’s favorite season is here again →

Photography

Your choice of subjects should vary to challenge you

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A light snow dusts the foothills of San Gorgonio mountains after rains.

Recently I declined an invitation to go camping and to shoot in Joshua Tree National Park.

That got me wondering.

When I first picked up a camera while working in the airlines, those were the only kinds of pictures I made.

Back then I was a cabin attendant so I worked on the plane.

Except on the return trip, whenever I got off work, I could count on being some place other than my home base, Singapore, so I always had places to explore with my camera.

I suppose I could have just bought postcards, but how much fun was that?

So why the change in heart?

Every photographer/artist needs to feel challenged so they can push themselves to be better.

I’m no different. Continue reading Your choice of subjects should vary to challenge you →