Random Shots

Some random shots from today...

----Sam

Multi Tasking

One portrait, but three different effects.

The original shot in color. I smoothed the skin, evened out the exposure, and brightened the eyes a bit.

Converted to black and white by splitting the channels, then blending each acording to the best tonal value.

I took the black and white version above, and overlayed a fill layer with a nice sepia color. I changed the blend mode for a bit more contrast. I overlayed a second textured layer and added some vigenetting.

I'm not sure which one I prefer

----Sam

Caroline and Conner, the Sequal

More from our afternoon with the kids. I've found that bright colored plastic and skin tones do not play together very well! I spent way too much time trying to get the skin color corrected, and even then, I'm not so sure I like them. I learned a couple of things from this little photo op: Shoot it clean. It takes too long to clean up a photo in the computer. Get a reflector to even out the lighting! Harsh shadows can make darling little kids look like Frankenstein's babies.

----Sam

Caroline and Conner

When Cindy’s sister called and asked if we wanted to join her and the kids for lunch, I said I would as long as we could go to the park afterwards. What a great afternoon! Caroline and Conner are two of the coolest kids ever. They both have their own separate little personalities, and are always in constant whirlwind of motion. Some awesome golden light and playground stuff was like icing on the cake!

Here is a little different approach to the same shot:

I had to get one of Mommy!

----Sam

Friday Fun

A beautiful (and unseasonably warm) Friday afternoon called for a little outdoor activity, so we loaded up Bella and headed to Murrays Mill for a short walk around the mill pond. As we walked we talked about what it took to succeed as a photographer. We both agree that while technical and artistic skills are critical, it takes more to really stand out from the crowd. In the age of digital, the “crowd” is getting larger everyday. Now days just about anyone with a camera, a computer and a printer can take and print high quality photographs (at any size I might add). So why would anyone pay to have someone else take photos of their son’s birthday, or the oldest child’s senior picture? Or shell out hard earned cash for a shot of a glorious sunrise that if they get up early enough, can take themselves? We think it will come down to a unique style that the photographer must develop. The successful photographer must be able make everyday subjects interesting. The photographer must make the graduating senior a glamorous (grungy, gothic, chic, cool, or whatever the teen is into) model with funky, unique locations. No studio, in front of a fake backdrop will do! No way! That landscape must have a definite WOW factor, flowers should radiate colors, and that animal must appear to jump off of the page. The digital camera has become a wonderful tool that has brought photography back to the masses. The most creative photographers are going to be the most successful photographers.

Some shots from this afternoon's walk...

----Sam

Details, Details...

Today was another afternoon with the shooters. To be honest, I got a little bored with “take a picture of me shooting” photos. I decided to be a little creative and capture some of the little details that go with the sport of skeet shooting. I also took some artistic liberties with the post processing.

I always find it amazing and very satisfying to take a plain vanilla photograph, add a little bit of Photoshop knowledge and some creativity, and end up with a little work of art.

Looking forward to the weekend!

----Sam