Tag Archives: Tutorials

Sharing your pictures

mrskimbirk

Send those pictures to your friends–Mrs.Mary Kimbirk, my son’s teacher who had triple bypass passed away recently. I had intended to make this picture into a Get Well card for her. Canon Powershot G3 was used for this picture taken in 2008 at California Adventure, Disneyland.

If you’re reading this, chances are, you take a whole lot of pictures also.

I’ve often been neglectful of giving away some of my subjects pictures especially when it’s a social event when I’m not getting paid.

Recently one of my son’s teacher had a triple bypass. I had in mind just the picture I would use as a Get Well card. I didn’t have her home address and I kept putting off getting it.

Well, a few days ago, I found out she passed away. Now I feel awful.

When you’re done reading this, set up a folder and leave it on your desktop, label it something like “Pics to be Sent.” Then browse your library of pictures and start copying those pictures to that folder.

In the digital world there are a lot of ways to share your pictures.
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Playing in the basement

lesly1

A pose with attitude–Lesly was lit by a softbox on the right and a reflector to fill on the left. The hair light directly behind her head had a 20° grid to narrow the beam of the light. The hardest part of was staying in Lesly’s shadow. Any extraneous light from the hair light hitting the lens completely obliterates the image. On her part, Lesly, a very good sport, was kneeling on a bench to help her maintain her balance since this pose was hard to hold.

lesly2I equate photography skills similar to those of a musician’s.

So let’s say I’m classically trained, but I’ve been booked to play Top 40 popular music or Jazz.

Don’t roll those eyes!

Musicians, like artists,  have bills too.

Most classically trained musicians should have no problems doing the gig especially if they have the sheet music.

But it’s the improvisational part that might take a bit of doing because they’re not used to being given such free rein.

Similarly, most newspaper photographers who shot transparency or slide film learned to be technically proficient.

White Background

–We draped a white sheet over the grey to give us a different more airy feel. We also tried the shot with Lesly and her hair down.

Fancy speak for lighting and exposing well because of the unforgiving latitude of slide film.

It’s the so-called edgy look and experimentation, if you will, that I have had very little chance to try.
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Happy Birthday Velia

velia_bill
I spent Sunday “playing” for a change.

Just because I’m a photographer, doesn’t mean I can’t still have fun.

It’s actually great not to think about what the client might want.

When I shoot for myself, I get to experiment and see what works and what doesn’t.

Event

It was a surprise 89th birthday party for Velia, my wife’s grandmother.

Birthday Girl–Velia with her boyfriend Bill in great spirits. They are a reminder to me to laugh at lot and to laugh often. Life’s too short. 2 light setup. Main light a 800 Watt/sec White Lightning into a silvered umbrella. Full size reflector on the right as fill. Backlight is another White Lightning head with blue gel into a grey muslin backdrop.

Since it’s not often that side of the family gets together, I dragged out my lighting gear.

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Save an old photo, copy it

copy_pic1 Now why would you want to photograph a picture that’s in a picture frame.

That’s daft, Peter.

Sorry for stating the obvious here–it’s a picture you love, but you can’t find the negatives.

It’s the only copy you have and it is encased behind glass.

Siesta–Here’s a picture my sister-in-law took of the Phun boys snoozing. Those long days and nights with a new born are so much fun. I just taped the picture frame to the cupboard door in my garage. The light source is whatever daylight was coming in through the garage door and the small door.

Whenever you place a picture inside a frame with behind glass, it’s always a good idea to matte it.

Besides making your picture look better, there’s another more important reason.
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