5 edited-wedding

I took this picture from the balcony at my stepsister's wedding. I lightened and increased the contrast of the dancing couple. they were just too dark before and didn't contribute to the picture enough.

5 edited-view

This picture seemed overdone on my camera. My camera has difficulties with the colors in sunsets. So I took the colors in this photo and toned them down so they would mesh togeher better.

5 edited-Florida

This was a shot taken in FL last year. I used the red eye tool to remove our deamon eyes. This was taken with a flash so we ended up really bright. I toned us down a bit to fit better in the background.

5 edited-bobcat

This is a shot I took last year of a bobcat in the backyard. Before I photoshopped this image, there was a green canoe in the background. I cropped and used the clone tool on this one.

5 edited-Top of the World

Originally this photo had two sets of power lines running through it. With a little help and a lot of time with the clone stamp, I was able to erase the lines and expose the view without distraction.

Another Reflection

Kettle Pond, Groton State Forest, sunset.

Reflections

I was at work the other day, polying some closet doors. I lay one of the doors out on some stools and it happened to have a mirror attached to it. I thought this would make an interesting shot for class. You can see the legs of other stools at the top of the photo-to put the perspective infocus. The mirror image reflects the loft and ceiling. I would like to mess around with the sign so the words are more clear. Maybe I could even flip them so they are right side up and readable from left to right.

Landscape

The Third Elixir of Life

and beer-thirty!

The Second Elixir of Life

Noon........

The first Elixir of Life

Morning....

3 Perspectives

Different perspectives really change the appearance of an image. The first shot wasn't really interesting to me. The flowers are all on the same 'visual plane'. There isn't really any 'action' or 'drama' in the shot. The second shot, where the flowers have lost their detail to the sillhouette effect, give a wicked contrast to the sky in the background. The different shades of blue to white are brought out by flowers, yet the flowers remain a major focus of the picture. The third shot keeps the detail. Its taken macro-style which gives the photo depth and establishes a focal point (the flower that is in focus).

What is this?

Compostitional Technique

One of my favorite techniques to use is silhouettes. I love how photographing people or objects against a bright backdrop (like a sunset) removes the detail. Having a black figure creates a mysterious, romantic, peaceful 'mood' within the photo. Also, silhouetting is great if the subject's clothing or color conflicts with the background, or even if you want to make the subject in the photo anonymous. Black is a good compliment to any color!

Rule of Thirds

According to the rule of thirds......

As opposed to a centered shot. Using this rule really gives this particular photograph depth and more of a 3D appearance.

Aesthetics

I read and thought about the definition of "aesthetics" according to Webster, then I came up with my own. I know that aesthetics does not just apply to the art word, but to everyday life as well--like the arrangement of your living room. I also think that there is no one rule to making something aesthetically pleasing, but rather varies from taste to taste. Maybe this is why a painting may be a "work of art" to some, and a "piece of crap" to others. So this is my definition: the arrangement of colors, shapes, and objects within an area that are visually pleasing to individual tastes.

Framed Photos

This is a photo of a baby fox catching some late afternoon sun. It is one of 5 little ones who have made their home athe stone wall (the rock at the bottom of the photo is part of the wall). The leaves of the maple tree along the top of the photo, along with the trunks to either side, provide a natural frame for the fox.

This is my kitty, Dilemma, sandwiched between the sheets of my bed. She likes to try to help me change the sheets-especially when they are fresh from the dryer. Lucky for me this was an opportunity to take a framed shot!

Dilemma--half in the bag! (these will probably be only 2 of the many pictures of Dilemma. She is just such a unique little critter I can't help but take too many photos!)

Analogous Color Scheme

I had to try to find an analogous scheme. I think these indian paintbrushes will do the trick!

Complimentary Color Scheme

violets to show purple-yellow scheme

Monochrome Color Scheme

I was sitting in an airplane on my way to Alaska when I took this image. I will give anyone a zillion dollars if they can figure out what it is!

We got a few turklets the other night. With the heat lamp over them, everything in their little box acquired a yellowish glow. This class popped into my head and I thought this would make a cute little monochrome image! Don't get too attached, this little guy is going in the freezer!

Macro Lense Photo

Macro Lense Photo: I actually use my macro lense quite often. I have a manual minolta with a fantastic macro lense (I wish I could use it on my digital!) Using such a close up lense gives a whole different perspective on the world. There are so many different intricate patterns and small tiny things in life that we bypass every day. To be able to recognize these and capture them somehow makes the world more interesting....I think anyways. Most of my favorite abstract photos have come from using a macro lense.

When I read the camera lense tutorial I learned what a prime lense was incomparison to a zoom lense. I found another website that explained the pros of each lense--here it is incase anybody else found this part of the reading interesing: http://digital-photography-school.com/prime-vs-zoom-lenses-which-are-best.