Black & White Sunday: The Still of Winter

If Becky were human I imagine her as a poet or philosopher - she always appears to be deep in thought. With such a cold winter, the dogs have been a little more laid back just like me. I often look over and they appear to be daydreaming - probably of greener and warmer days too!

In B&W I always think the mood of a photograph can shine through more. Being an almost all black dog, in colour she can get lost in the background of a photo. 

As part of my The Visual Toolbox: 50 Lessons For Stronger Photographs study group, week 7 is all about "wide angle lens inclusion". Sometimes when you shoot with a wide lens you feel a vastness. This week we were to use a wide angle lens but make the viewer feel like they were included - like they were right there with you.

Both Becky and this landscape were shot with the 10-22mm. In this photo I up to my thighs in snow, crouched very low to the  ground and just a foot away from the rabbit feet.Hopefully you get the feeling of being there right with me.Looking at this photo I also realize it will be some time before we walk on grass again. Let the slow melt begin!

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Participating in Black & White Sunday

Abstract Photography

Random 5 Friday - Thoughts on Creativity

1. So I'm stepping out of of my comfort zone this week and trying to be a bit more creative. Week 6 for my photography group studying "The Visual Toolbox", we spent time experimenting with "Intentional Camera Movement" and getting creative. It was actually harder than I thought it would be but a lot of fun. The smaller images show what I was taking a photo of.

  

 

2. Like many I like to listen to Brooke Shaden because she is a very passionate-giving artist who loves to inspire others. Brooke talks about "Why you need to take risks to make your dreams come true." She goes on to explain "What we need in this world is people willing to be unique." It goes beyond that though - well worth taking the time to watch.

3. Dizzy yet? I love going back and looking over old photos to rethink how I can improve them. This photo was taken just when I got my first DLSR and was my first attempt at radial zoom. I tweaked it a bit with colour boost and a bit if sharpening. A great resource on techniques to create zoom bursts.

4. A few local photographers got together at a local park after sunset. We brought along flashlights and glow sticks to experiment with light painting. I opted to not volunteer to sit on this piece of the playground equipment and frantically twirl about while holding a flashlight. Not the most wonderful photo but this night rates high on the scale of fun things to try!

5. Have I inspired you to branch out and try a new techniques? Take a look at these 100 Creative Photography Lessons for some more ideas.

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Participating in Random Friday 5

Four Seasons One Location ~ Winter

The Visual Toolbox ~ Metering

This year I joined forces with a few photographers from Click In Moms to form a study group for the ebook "The Visual Toolbox - 50 Lessons For Stronger Photographs" by fellow Canadian, David DuChemin. Each week we read a new chapter, discuss our findings, ask questions, and inspire each other by sharing our progress in our photography. I'm finding the support and inspiration derived from our discussions is the real force behind the success I feel I have already gained.

Week 2 Assignment: Metering To the Right (ETTR). I learned this week I am a chronic underexposurer. So I practiced pushing my histogram to the right and studying the results. It was a real eye-opener to see how much detail you can retain and how noise is not increased in post processing. These photos are not the best examples but my indoor shots were oh so boring! I was able to bring back detail in the sky and snow nicely.

Four Seasons One Location ~ Winter

We are still braving a fierce winter here -  lots of ice, snow and high winds. Really the coldest winter in a long time. With grey skies I am not feeling too inspired to get out there and photograph. We were driving back from a hike at the conservation park and suddenly saw the sun setting over the snow covered field. These photos also mark the start of my series "Four Seasons ~ One Location". Come back to see what this view looks like in spring.

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Participating in: Nature Notes,  Sunlit Sunday