Web – Video – Graphic Design
Photography
My First Family Photo Shoot
Dec 5th
At about 10:00 am on Thursday my wife called me and asked if I could take some family photos of her sisters’ family that evening. I happened to have a borrowed Nikon D100 and 50mm 1.8 lense. The conditions were not ideal, and the short notice didn’t allow for much planning on my part. I am very knowledgeable in the realm of electronics and photography and know the equipment rather well. The act of actually choosing the setting and posing my subjects however, are relatively new to me.
Lewis Family
The sun was to set at 5:00 pm and we arrived at the park at nearly 4:30. The light was fading fast but the fast lense made things more simple. The tempature that evening was also a factor. Poor Jaidyn shivered and many of her poses included raised shoulders and scrunched face as she fought to not freeze. I also was having issues with the camera. I started out with the camera set to shoot RAW but it wasn’t working. I switched to JPEG and the camera jumped into action. I would have liked to be able to shoot in RAW but things worked well in JPEG just the same.
Anyway despite all the little problems, we did get some images that they were pleased with. I did learn a few things as well. Due to time constraints, I shot hand held. I would have liked to take the time to use the tripod but the fast lense did allow me to get some reasonable shots without. Shooting JPEG, I also would have liked to adjust my white balance in the camera. I was able to adjust a little in post but I would much rather get it right in camera if possible. The more important lesson though is that I really would like to plan a shoot next time. Possibly scout the location and have more of a plan.
Overall, I’m proud of what we got and hope I get more opportunities in the future. I’ve posted the best of the results in the Photos page. Feel free to check them out and let me know what you think.
Easy 2 Step Photoshop Technique For High Contrast Photos
Dec 1st
Here is the technique I use when I want my pictures to really jump out with detail and boldness. It requires Photoshop but only 2 really easy steps. I’ve used on Photoshop CS4 but I’m relatively sure these are common abilities for most of the recent releases. I’ve found that it works well on architectural pictures as well as some portraits if you’re going for a bit more of a gritty detailed look. With minor tweaks it can even start to look like some of the High Dynamic Range photography that’s out there.
Original Image
My example is a picture that I posted previously and one that suited this technique well. The photos that I shared are from an old sawmill here in Boise and can be seen here.
- Step 1
Step 1:
Open the picture in photoshop.
Duplicate the layer and change the new layers’ transfer mode to “Hard Light”.
This alone adds some great contrast to the image and if it is too much you can always play with the layer opacity to get the right amount for your picture.
- Step 2
Step 2:
Duplicate your new layer and select Filters > Other > High Pass.
This is where all the detail comes shining through.
As I mentioned, playing with the layer opacity can ease up some of the detail or contrast effects if it seems too much. Experimentation is where all the fun is at so run wild and see what comes of it.
Boise Vineyard Snap & Dash
Oct 25th
The Happenings Task Force at the Boise Vineyard put together a photo scavenger hunt on Saturday. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. Here are some of the photos from all of the cameras. Visit The Gallery
Tough Guys
Jun 9th
I thought I’d add a photo manipulation that I did using one of the family photos of myself and my brother-in-law, Robert. I thought it turned out rather nice looking.
Here’s the original…
And the altered version…
