Month: October 2013

Stand Up Paddling with Pixel, the Water Corgi

Pixel, the Corgi, grew up with Dax, the Newfoundland, and he believes that he is a water dog. He was my paddling companion in many trips taken in Sea Wind canoe. We paddled together all local lakes and several rivers including South and North Platte, Dismal, and Niobrara.

A year ago I started stand up paddling and Pixel is paddling with me on calmer lakes. He likes to ride on a stern or on a bow. Badfish SUP, a stable, whitewater board is not a challenge for him. However, a narrower and slippery Bark Expedition SUP may be more tricky and Pixel took some swims.

I’ve got a life jacket for him and we will certainly try it since water is getting cold.

Related posts:
To SUP or to Not SUP?
Paddling with Pixel, the Water Corgi
Bennett Peak to Pick Bridge on the North Platte River, Wyoming

paddling with a camera

October 14, 2013
7 Tips for Helping Women Love having their Photo Taken by You
When I look at a picture of myself, I can point out a million things I hate: my hair is always flat, I hate the ptosis in my left eye, I hate the shape of my brow bone, I have a bad complexion. And I’m a photographer! How can I expect women in front of my camera to feel any different than I do when I have to endure having my photo taken? I know that some men hate having their photo taken, too, and many of them probably aren’t as easy to admit that they hate their complexion or the shape of their brow bone, but I’m sure they think these things.

As in any situation, we photographers just need to start by asking ourselves…what would we want? How would we want a photographer to treat us? It’s a pretty simple, solution, really…to behave in line with the golden rule.

Women usually aren’t afraid to offer criticism about themselves. In fact, we’re downright professionals at criticizing ourselves. So if a woman truly hates having her photo taken, she usually says so upon making the booking with you. At that point, I would first congratulate her on coming to the point of actually making the booking in the first place. That’s a big step!

I wouldn’t have a questionnaire for her to fill out about the things she hates about herself. And I wouldn’t make promises and I definitely wouldn’t mention the word ‘Photoshop’. The instant you say ‘Photoshop’, I guarantee that 90% of women instantly begin thinking of Madonna, Kim Kardashian…any and every celebrity who looks NOTHING in real person like they do in magazines. And they may expect/require you to edit every last hair on their head, freckle on their body, roll of fat on their hips. And before you know it, you’ve aged 10 years infront of your computer editing one session.

Instead, this is how I would proceed:
- Upon the first conversation and placing the booking, just assure her that having photographs taken by a professional is different and if she’s never done it before, she will probably love it in the end.
- Simply ask: “what do you hate about it?” This will probably lead on to things she hates about herself. But don’t let her dwell on it too long. Ask what she loves about herself. Make notes about all this and keep them to yourself.
- When you start shooting, she might behave or seem awkward and uncomfortable. If so, talk to her as you’re shooting. Ask if she feels a certain side is her ‘good side’. Get her laughing. Tell her she looks great. But don’t patronize her. I mean…I know my left eye is droopy from Ptosis. If someone said it wasn’t, that would make me more uncomfortable.
- When I edit, I will subtly smooth and ‘suck in’ bumps and bulges. I won’t eradicate them all together because that wouldn’t be natural. But I just do a little work that she won’t even notice and I’ve never had a woman as to get her muffin top put back the way it was! Of course, I understand that this is a controversial topic and doesn’t work for everyone.
Some tips on photographing women:
- For goodness sake. Please PLEASE be responsible with low shots. I very rarely see a photo of a woman taken from down low (looking up) that doesn’t make her look totally unattractive. This isn’t a good angle no matter the size or shape of who you’re photographing. Friends don’t let friends get photographed this way so beware that a loving friend may tackle you at any point should you choose to proceed with a low shot.
- On the opposite side of the spectrum. shooting from above (or even a slightly down-angeled POV) can be very flattering for a lady, particularly a fuller figured one. But also beware that this is the calling card of a large lady – this trick has become so well known. Don’t overdo it or you’ll be kind of highlighting the fact that she’s larger rather than minimizing it.
- Learn from the red carpet – those poses aren’t accidental. Celebrities have training for how to handle the red carpet photographers. Learn their tricks so you can guide your subjects through poses that will highlight their lovely long legs or help minimize their post-partum baby bulge. And you don’t have to tell them what you’re doing because naturally, that will make them feel self conscious.
One hour with a sensitive professional can change a woman’s view of herself forever.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

7 Tips for Helping Women Love having their Photo Taken by You

The post 7 Tips for Helping Women Love having their Photo Taken by You by Elizabeth Halford appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School
October 14, 2013
13. Oktober 2013

Ein Beitrag von: Chris Zielecki

kwerfeldein – Fotografie Magazin

October 14, 2013
Small World Pictures

One of my favourite threads in the dPS forums from the last few months is one titled ‘It’s a Small World‘ that features some of our members creative photos of… small worlds. Here’s some by Jeff Smith who started the thread. He shares how he took them over on the forum post.

Image by Jeff Smith

Image by Jeff Smith

Image by Jeff Smith

Image by Jeff Smith

Image by Jeff Smith

Image by Madvypa

Have you ever taken any small world photos? If so – we’d love to see them in comments below!

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Small World Pictures

The post Small World Pictures by Darren Rowse appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 13, 2013
Candy Corn-ucopia! 9 Sick Sweet Seasonal Snack Spinoffs

[ By Steve in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

Ahh, Candy Corn… we can’t seem to get enough of it or get rid of it fast enough. Take (or give) these 9 pancreas-pulverizing variations on a sugary theme.

Archer Farms Candy Corn Coffee

(image via: Yankee Candle Sisters)

Did you know that for a limited time only, you can enjoy “the sweet, fun flavor of your favorite Halloween treat” piping hot in your favorite mug as you dig into a plate of breakfast bacon & eggs or a bowl of Kellogg’s Candy Corn Pops, depending on your household? Yes indeed, friends and neighbors, Archer Farms Candy Corn light roast ground coffee adds a jolt of Halloween horror to your morning caffeine rush; it’s what we’d ALL be drinking if coffee was made & marketed by kids. Speaking of which, note the “Save The Children” logo/legend at the bottom of the bag… maybe rugrats really are running the show at Archer Farms.

M&Ms White Chocolate Candy Corn

(images via: Cre8tive Compass Magazine and Sean Weber’s SnackFixation)

Introduced in October of 2011, M&M’s White Chocolate Candy Corn promises a tantalizing mix of natural and artificial flavors (it says so right on the front of the bag) which begs the question: is the true flavor of candy corn natural or artificial? Maybe M&M’s is just covering all the angles because really, what else can you say about oversized white chocolate drops in orange, yellow and white candy shells?

(image via: Infinite Hollywood)

A sweet-toothed reviewer from Infinite Hollywood had a few things to say about M&M’s White Chocolate Candy Corn, none of them good. Newton, as he calls himself, soured on the concept before even biting into one – he’s peeved there are too few orange M&M’s in relation to the yellow and white ones. First world problems! Once he did bite the bullet, so to speak, Newton experienced a letdown of Great Pumpkin-esque proportions when he discovered the interiors of M&M’s White Chocolate Candy Corn, regardless of the color of their shells, tasted like run-of-the-mill white chocolate. Gee Newt, you say that like it’s a bad thing.

ACT II Candy Corn Popcorn

(images via: X-Entertainment and Half-Assed Productions)

“I don’t see why people are taking the worst tasting Halloween Candy and making it into different products,” fumes Greg Muschong of Half-Assed Productions. A fed-up Muschong goes on to demand of everyone and no one in particular “Please, stop making candy corn products. Enough!!” Disparaging though he may be, Greg still took one for the team by microwaving and reviewing a mini-bag of ACT II Candy Corn Popcorn.

(image via: X-Entertainment)

The verdict? According to Greg, “not horrible,” which seems to be the upper limit of praise when it comes to rating candy corn flavored foodstuffs. As Candy Corn Popcorn doesn’t appear in ACT II’s current online microwave popcorn lineup, Greg may have gotten his wish… at least as far as popcorn is concerned.

Next Page:
Candy Corn Ucopia 9 Sick Sweet Seasonal Snack Spinoffs

[ By Steve in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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WebUrbanist

October 13, 2013
13 October, 2013 – Egypt – Along The Nile

Recent violence and unsettled politics in Egypt has turned one of the world’s most important and well visited historical areas into a tourism ghost town. Given the singular quality of the antiquities, curiosity about the culture, and the Egyptians’ centuries of economic reliance on tourism, the tour busses and cruise ships will inevitably return.

Don Whitebread’s new travel article documents a recent photographic exploration of the Nile River.

…
The Luminous Landscape – What’s New

October 13, 2013
5 new must-have photo editing apps

Apps come and go, but every once in a while, a newcomer will jump on the scene and make you shake up your mobile photography routine. Over the past few weeks, a number of photo editing apps have emerged on every mobile platform and a few have the potential to change our mobile photography workflow. Click through for our list of five new must-have photo editing apps.

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

October 13, 2013
21 Inspirational Natural Light Portraits

One of the most effective pieces of lighting gear ever invented is available to almost every photographer in the world… unless you’re living in a cave (and even then you might have one).

It’s the window.

Here is a collection of natural light portraits. They were all taken predominantly with natural light – in most cases at or near a window. Enjoy.

Image by Daniel Zedda

Image by Anna Gay

Image by Eric Meuller

I hear many photographers asking about what lighting gear to purchase to light their portraits – but I’m a firm believer that the natural light provided by a window can often do the job as well – if not better – than any expensive gear that you might buy.

Image by Meredith Farmer

Image by Shandi-Lee

Image by Paul Goyette

Image by John Meuller

Image by Mr Story

Image by Beni Ishaque Luthor

Image by Gabriela Camerotti

Image by The Q

Image by Sebastiano Pitruzzello

Image by Gabriela Camerotti

Image by Jay Ryness

Image by Raymond Larose

Image by gabriele fanelli

Image by Sebastiano Pitruzzello

Image by Jay Ryness

Image by Drew Herron

Image by brice hardelin

Image by Lauren Nelson

Further Natural Light Portraits Reading

We hope you enjoyed these Portraits. If you have some shots to share please do so in comments below. If you’re looking for a little inspiration – check out these links.

Understanding Natural Light Portrait Photography (tutorial)
Natural Light: Mastering a Photographers Most Powerful Tool (eBook)

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

21 Inspirational Natural Light Portraits

The post 21 Inspirational Natural Light Portraits by Darren Rowse appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 13, 2013
browserFruits Oktober #2

Draußen wird es immer bunter! Auch wir lieben die herbstlichen Farben und sind heute etwas provokativ und gestalten das Fotospecial in Pink: Sonnenuntergänge, Fantasybilder und Blumenmakros. Aber der Herbst hat natürlich noch ganz andere, wunderschöne Farben zu bieten. Zieht schnell los und haltet sie fest, denn lange bleiben sie nicht und dann wird es sehr lange grau und mit Glück auch etwas weiß.

Fotospecial: Pink

Flickr

500px

Deutschsprachig

• Ji Yeo fotografierte junge koreanische Frauen kurz nach ihrer Schönheits-OP. Über Schönheitswahn und Fotografie sprach Spiegel Online mit ihr.

• Tipps, wie man indoor auch in einem kleinen Zimmer schöne Aufnahmen machen kann, hat Foufinha auf lens light love.

• Svenja Pitz war unter den zehn Finalisten, deren Bilder im September im Rahmen des Wettbewerbs „New Exposure“ in New York ausgestellt wurden. Bei der Vogue erzählt sie von ihren Erlebnissen.

• Die Rettungskräfte auf Lampedusa haben Erinnerungsfotos von Flüchtlingen veröffentlicht, die das Ausmaß der Tragödie verdeutlichen.

• Ronny Ritschel hat schlechte Erfahrungen mit Fotowettbewerben gemacht und schreibt darüber.

• Das 5. Fotofestival in Mannheim/Ludwigshafen/Heidelberg in Kooperation mit Magnum Photos hat eine sehr schicke Webseite, die zum Schmökern einlädt und Lust auf einen Besuch macht.

International

• Tiefseefotografie: Diese Kreaturen leben weit unten im Meer.

• Kylli Sparre fotografiert surreale Portraits inspiriert vom Ballett.

• Und es bleibt surreal: Die Fotografin Anka Zhuravleva wurde hier in einem kleinen Interview vorgestellt.

• Kristin M. Young hat das erste Lebensjahr ihres Sohnes in wunderschönen Bildern festgehalten.

• Nach den Turbulenzen Anfang des Jahres wird World Press Photo die Regeln bezüglich der Nachbearbeitung von Fotos ändern. Was das bedeutet, ist noch unklar.

• Eine wirkungsvolle Kampagne hat Amnesty International mit diesen Werbeplakaten ins Leben gerufen.

• Ganz wunderbare Katzenbilder, die sicher auch für Nicht-Katzenfans interessant sind, zeigt dieser Flickrstream.

• Alleinstehende Häuser haben etwas Unheimliches, wie Architekturfotograf Ben Marcins Arbeiten zeige.

• Acht Tipps für Unterwasserfotografen, die mit Modellen arbeiten möchten, gibt es hier.

• Schöne Satire: Wie man Geld spart und tolle Hochteitsfotos ohne professionellen Fotografen bekommt.

• Tolle Kinderbilder von Kirsty Larmour.

Neuerscheinungen und Tipps vom Foto-Büchermarkt

• Die Fotokunst-Galerie seen.by hat ein Buch herausgebracht: „Was Fotografen bewegt“* – 50 Fotografen, ihre Bilder, ihre Geschichte. 200 ausdrucksstarken Bilder werden auf 200 Seiten vorgestellt.

• Dienacht zeigt das Buch „We Make the Path by Walking“ des irischen Künstlers Paul Gaffney, das im Eigenverlag erschien. Einen Einblick ins Buch bekommt man auch auf Dienacht.

Wettbewerbe

• Noch bis zum 15. Januar 2014 könnt Ihr Bilder für den World Press Photo Award 2014 einreichen.

Videos

Etwas für Schlagerfans: Helene Fischer wurde von der großartigen Fotografin Sandra Ludewig portraitiert.

Ausstellungen

Foto A-Z
Zeit: 28. September 2013 – 5. Januar 2014
Ort: NRW Forum Düsseldorf
Link

Ulrich W. Schmidt – “treib:gut”
Zeit: 19. Oktober – 10. November 2013
Ort: aff-Galerie, Kochhannstraße 14, 10249 Berlin
Link

Matt Stuart shoots people
Zeit: 8. Oktober – 22. November 2013
Ort: EIGENSINNIG – Schauraum für Mode und Fotografie,
Sankt-Ulrichs-Platz 4, 1070 Wien
Link

Mehr aktuelle Ausstellungen

* Das ist ein Affiliate-Link zu Amazon. Wenn Ihr darüber etwas bestellt, erhalten wir eine kleine Provision, Ihr bezahlt aber keinen Cent mehr.

kwerfeldein – Fotografie Magazin

October 13, 2013
Photography Rules and Finding Balance to Discover Your Own Style

By Lori Peterson

Digital photography has put the camera in more hands than ever before and everyone seems to either want to follow the standard mold of photography or they want to completely break away from it.

For instance, Ian Ruhter took a delivery van and transformed it into a giant wet plate camera. There are so many photographers out there that are wanting to copy someone else’s style instead of finding their own. Learn the rules and then use them or twist them as you need to do to make your own art and to tell your story. One part of your image may follow the standard photography rules and another part will completely be out of the norm. Not everyone sees the image or the story the same and that is fine. Don’t get so caught up in trying to make everything absolutely perfect that you lose the shot.

One of the rules that you hear a lot is to simplify your image. Sometimes, especially in street photography, you can’t simplify the scene. Sometimes the scene has to speak for itself. Whether it’s chaos or clutter, sometimes you need to just go with what you have and work with it. There are stories that can be told just by being the silent observer and recording the image at that place and time.

Some photographers will talk to you endlessly about the Rule of Thirds and not centering your subject. Composition of the image is really subjective, but people get too comfortable just centering the image and when they start thinking outside of that box they begin to see everything in a new way. Moving your subject slightly off to the side can actually bring the focus onto them. Just make sure that no matter where your subject is in the image that they are the focus.

Using patterns and lines can draw your viewer in more. It helps for them to picture the scene and even put themselves into that moment in time. S-curves work really well to draw your eyes to a particular spot in an image. You can also try a new perspective and get down really low to the ground and use whatever lines are there to your advantage. Experimenting with your shooting techniques can help you learn what works for your style and what doesn’t.

Use of color and tone in an image can set the scene for the viewer. Colors can bring a harmony and unity to an image or it can be used to emphasize a certain part of the image. Color can add contrast, it can help parts of the image blend in, or it can really make a bold statement. Using color in your image can convey emotion and without a written word it can tell you what time of day it is, such as sunrise or sunset.

You could do a Google search on photography rules and it would make your head spin from trying to follow all of them, but the important thing about photography rules is knowing when to follow them, when to break them, and when to vary them up just enough to fit your image. Learning to find that balance takes time and practice. Sometimes you just have to learn from the mistakes you make and take those lessons with you to your next shoot. Don’t forget that art is very subjective and what works for one image may not work for another. Experimenting with techniques and composition helps you to learn about photography and find your own creative balance.

Lori Peterson is an award winning photographer based out of the St. Louis Metro Area. Her dynamic work ranges from creative portraits to very unique fine art photography. Lori’s work can be seen at www.loripetersonphotography.com and also on her blog at www.loripetersonphotographyblog.com. You can follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LoriPetersonPhotography.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Photography Rules and Finding Balance to Discover Your Own Style

The post Photography Rules and Finding Balance to Discover Your Own Style by Guest Contributor appeared first on Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography School

October 13, 2013