Okay, I'm not joking when I say I have "Mommy Brain"

Okay, really, I can't remember.... do we meet on the last WEDNESDAY or THURSDAY of each month? I can't remember................

Photography Challenges

I just joined a photography group online. They have weekly challenges and then you post your pictures on facebook for all to see. This last week's challenge was:

"Statues, Sculptures and Silhouettes, Oh My!"

I decided to post these two pictures from a bridal shoot this last week. They're not my absolute favorite pics from the shoot, but they went along with the theme.

This week's theme is: "We Are Family"

If anyone would like to join, please let me know. We can post our pictures here and/or on facebook. You can interpret the theme any way you want.

Julie

Our Next Meeting

Just a little reminder - our next photography group meeting will be on:

WEDNESDAY, May 27th at 8:30 pm.
Same place. If you'd like to bring a friend/family member with you, please do. I think we're officially over all the super "technical" stuff. We'll be working on some general picture rules and/or composition that anyone can use - no matter the camera. The more the merrier. Does anyone remember who's supposed to bring treats? I can never remember (mommy brain)!

We will be talking about our flashes at this next meeting. Also, bring any ideas with you of places we can go on our next photowalk - it was a lot of fun and I look forward to our next one.

A little challenge before our next meeting: Get out and take some pictures! Lots and lots of them. The more you practice, the better you'll get. Also, try shooting in manual mode. Just for fun. If they don't work out, you can delete them. One more thing - don't be afraid to post some of your pictures here - I really really want to see your works of art!

I look forward to seeing you a week from WEDNESDAY.

Getting Closer -- I mean REALLY close

Lisa, I hope you don't mind. I like this picture for a lot of reasons - and I'm glad you were practicing the "GET CLOSER" technique. First, she's a super cutie - I love that she's eating a colorful donut. So, I thought I'd crop it EVEN closer and see how it looked. I then did a little photoshopping to see what I could come up with. What do you think?

Thanksgiving Point Photowalk

We had such a fun night at Thanksgiving Point last night. Our family LOVES that place! We go about once a week if we can!

Here are some pics: BTW, I post all of my pictures straight out of the camera. I never photoshop any of my pictures for the photography group/class. BUT... just so you know, I almost always photoshop any other pictures. Is anyone interested in having a photoshop class???

I was playing with aperture with these two.

f2.8, 1/1250s, ISO 100 f14, 1/80s, ISO 200

Trying different angles.

We were having so much fun playing with shutter speed. It was a lot more fun than shooting my garden hose in the front yard! Stephanie and Christie shot some amazing pics! Since I didn't bring my tripod, I didn't dare go for the really long shutter speeds.

1/30s, f22, ISO 100

1/2500s, f2.8 ISO 100

What we were really doing..... trying to keep our kids from falling in the water. :)

I love pictures that tell a story. My girls love to make handprints with the water. So cute. Someday those handprints will just keep getting bigger until they lose interest in making them anymore. :(

Stephanie and her hubby taking pictures. You can see her pictures below. Way to go! She's owned her camera for about 2 weeks and has learned what has taken me years to learn!

I was trying to see how many different ways I could shoot the same flower. Here are two of the pictures.

Christie sitting in the Secret Garden.

I was so worried that pigeon was going to drop a bomb on me!

A really close-up picture.

What our little boy was LOVING!!!

I look forward to our next photowalk!!

Thanksgiving Point

This photo walk was a lot of fun, it was hard to pick my favorite pictures!

Shutter Speed

1/4000s - ISO 3200

1/640s - ISO 100

1/8s - ISO 100

Playing with aperture at Thanksgiving Point...

f/22

f/14

f/5.6

Thanksgiving Point Update

Okay, since the only ones that have been in contact with me about Thursday are the ones that aren't able to make it, I'm going to go out on a limb and make a decision.

Hopefully this works for more people....

We will be going on THURSDAY, MAY 14TH at 6 pm.

Please let me know if this will or will not work for you.

Thanks!!!!

Julie

Thanksgiving Point

You are invited to come with our photography group to THANKSGIVING POINT GARDENS on Thursday, May 7th at 6 pm. We will be practicing some of our mad skills in the beautiful setting. Please e-mail me (Julie) at: taggartphotography@gmail.com to let me know if you can make it. The price is $10/adults and $6/kids, but because we have a membership, you will only have to pay half price. Bring your cameras and enjoy a night out! Please check back here for more information as the day gets closer (in case of crazy, stormy weather or for a second date if too many of you from the group can't make it that night). Bring your significant other - it's a great place to have a date!

Here are some pics we took last week at the gardens just for fun.

Shooting in Manual and White Balance

We had another great photography night the other day. It's so much fun having you all come over and have fun together! I sure hope I don't overload you and scare you off! We missed a few of you and hope that you're feeling better. We are pretty much done with all of the "technical" stuff. Next month we'll be learning about our flash and then the next month will be about composition (the fun stuff).

Here's a review of "Lesson 3: Putting it All Together: ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture. White Balance."

Please remember -- We are following the lesson schedule from "Two Peas in a Bucket." Usually I just take the main idea, but for this month, I took most of it word for word for "White Balance" . You can see the actual lesson by clicking on "Two Peas" on the right hand side of the blog. Also, I took the "teeter totter" pictures from this site: http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/the_basics Because it's all available at this site, I won't be posting the pictures from the lesson.

Okay, here we go...

HOW TO SHOOT IN MANUAL

First, why do you want to shoot in manual mode, you ask? Well, thank you for asking. :) You shoot in manual mode because it allows you to take control of the picture. You get to make the decisions of how you want your picture to look. It also allows you to be more creative in your pictures.

Remember, for this class you don't always have to shoot in manual, but I am encouraging you to stay away from "Auto" mode. Take control of SOMETHING in your pictures - at least put your camera into "Semi-Auto" by using the "A" Aperture Priority Mode and/or "S" Shutter Speed Priority Mode. You can even put your camera into one of those fancy settings like running man or mountain mode. You'll get better pictures just by getting out of "Auto" mode somewhat. As we learn more and get more practice, you'll want to shoot in manual mode - I promise. :)

Exposure - is the image created by the light entering the camera and being recorded onto the film or digital sensor. In other words – exposure is the picture.

You don’t want your picture to be too dark (underexposed) or too light (overexposed).

Set your camera into the "M" mode. This stands for "Manual."

First, make a decision:

1. Do I want my pictures to have a blurry background? Then set your aperture WIDE open (small number). Do I want everything in focus? Set your aperture to the smallest number.

2. OR.... do I want a fast shutter speed? Set your ss at a fast SS (1/1000 for example). Do I want a slow SS? Set your SS slow (whatever you desire).

These are the two extremes, and as we learn more, we'll understand why we would use some of the middle settings.

Remember ---- you have to have BALANCE.

*If you set your aperture wide open (2.8), you will get a fast ss.

*If you close your aperture down (22), you will get a slow shutter speed.

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Two Peas in a Bucket (Week 2 Lesson, Park 2):

"Turn your camera dial to Manual mode (usually indicated by an “M.”)

Choose a non-moving object either indoors or outdoors.

Step 1: Consider your surroundings.

Step 2: Consider your priority. Aperture controls the amount of the photo in focus -- do you want to limit your depth of field? Shutter speed controls the pace of the photo - do you want to freeze or blur the action?

Step 3: Select the number on the camera.If you’ve chosen aperture as your priority, set your f/stop. If you’ve chosen shutter speed, set it.

Step 4: Focus on your subject and press the shutter button half-way down.Find the blinking line on your exposure meter -- is the image underexposed (-) or overexposed (+)?

Step 5: To balance your exposure, you will need to change the OTHER number (the one that’s not the priority.) If you selected your aperture, change the shutter speed until your line is centered on the exposure meter. If you selected your shutter speed, change the f/stop until your line is centered. As you’re turning the dial for either setting, keep an eye on the exposure meter. If the line is going in the wrong direction (not toward center) reverse the dial.....and, relax! Whew!

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Disclaimer:

Okay, so we’re not really finished yet. Look at the numbers through the viewfinder again. Is your shutter speed 60 or above? If not, you may have to decrease your f/stop. If your original priority was shutter speed, check your f/stop number.

Will that f/stop work with the amount of your subject you want in focus? Take the photo and find out! Are you not getting anywhere at all? Increase your ISO if your meter indicates that the image is severely underexposed. Decrease your ISO if your meter indicates that the image is severely overexposed."

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WHITE BALANCE

For a more detailed description, please refer to "Two Peas in a Bucket, Week 3."

Here it is in a really, really small nutshell:

All light emits a particular color. When you're indoors, this light can be very unappealing to your pictures. Your camera has settings to help you get the "correct" color. These include: cloudy, sunny, fluorescent, incandescent (regular light bulbs), etc. If you set your camera's white balance to the situation you're in, you will get more accurately colored pictures. Whew, that was quick!

Here are some pictures to help you see the difference: (I know you all wanted to see pictures of my toilet bowl cleaner!) :) These pictures were taken in my laundry room where we are oh-so-lucky to have fluoescent lighting.

AUTO WB

CLOUDY WB
TUNGSTEN WB
FLUROSCENT WB


Here are some more pictures. These were taken with a mix of lighting - regular lightbulbs (very very dim compared to the window) and natural light through the window. I shot the last picture in "Custom WB" where I set the white balance. If anyone is interested, I can teach you this later.

AUTO WB

TUNGSTEN WB

FLUORESENT WB

DAYLIGHT WB

CUSTOM WB

This months CHALLENGE:

Shoot in manual mode. At least give it a shot. Again, I can talk and teach you until I'm blue in the face, but until you actually try it, you're not going to learn. It's really not as hard as it first seems. You'll get the hang of it, and you'll be taking better pictures!

Try shooting different objects in different white balance modes. Some of the most creative pictures have been taken in a different setting than you're actually in. White balance is critical for indoor pictures.

Post your pictures on here for all to see.

Also, we will be going to Thanksgiving Point Gardens on Thursday, May 7th at 6 pm. If you could drop me an e-mail to let me know if you are planning on coming, that would be great. Some of you have let me know that they can't make it because of meetings, and if we don't have enough people going, we can reschedule and/or plan a second trip. I LOVE that place and don't mind going a couple of different times to plan around your schedules. :) Just let me know.

The price for the gardens are $10/adult and $6/child, but because Todd and I have a membership, you get in for half price. I really don't mind if you bring your families - I know some of you mentioned that you want to leave the kidlets at home. It's a fun date place!

You can send me an e-mail at: taggartphotography@gmail.com or the e-mail you already have.