Photography || Website Coming to a Computer Near You!

So.... I have been working, along with my dad, on a website for my photography. Here in the blog I have used the colors that will be on the website so that you can get an idea of what will be in store. At the end of this week I would like to have it up and running. Actually my dad has been anxious to get it up too. I have only been hesitant because I want it to be just right. Well, I think there will always be room for improvement, no matter how far along I come with the site. So my hesitation will just have to be ignored. The site is simple so do not expect fireworks and hoopla. It is more along the lines of my taste anyways. I also wanted to give you a little more taste of what is in store, and here it is....


I still have to write something about myself for the site. It will probably be the last thing I do. What to write!? ahhh!

Happy Thursday!

Photography || Leave The Mind Out?

So I have changed the look a little on this here blog. I wanted it to reflect the website I have in my mind. My dad and I have been trying to tackle a website for me, one step at a time. We are both learning. I tried creating a baroque pattern... yup. Gonna have to try again.

I have been doing a little reading. Just trying to brush up on my technical skills in photography. I would like to post the treasures I discover, which are both factual and speculative. Right now I am reading books by Michael Freeman. I am slowly building my collection of his writings. I almost bought a third at the good ol' B&N, but I figured I needed to dissect the ones that I have first. I appreciate his approach because he gives references to cognitive psychology research, my other left hand. You cannot leave the mind out of anything in this world.

I will leave you with this bit of info... red. It gives depth. This is because it is one of the strongest and densest colors (if you do not believe me, ask Christopher how many coats it took to paint his walls red... so that it would actually look RED). As Freeman states in his book The Photographer's Eye, red tends to advance creating depth when placed in the foreground of an image.



I like 'em sweet. Happy 5th day of the week!

Exposure and My Take

It has been drilled into my head that a photograph is all about light. Without it, all you have is black space. Here is the thing... exposure is just as important. I can have all the light, even the BEST kind of light and still not be a pro without some understanding of exposure. I have been stumped... perplexed... and kind of overwhelmed about the technical word. Thinking ISO, WB, Light Meter type, Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Composition is already enough. Some of these concepts I can settle in my mind before a session, but making sure that the shutter speed is quick enough... or making sure that my aperture is closed enough so that something is actually IN focus... ya it gets me. Should I even TRUST the light meter? Which light metering mode should I use? Spot metering? Ahhhh! It is enough to make me go insane.

Well, in all of my flying brains I think a prayer was sent up. I like to think that this was the case. Either way I know that God had my best interest in mind. He is the one that gave me the gift of sight and that eye for beauty. I took a trip to Barnes & Nobles to find some magazines for pose ideas. I was coming up empty handed in the magazines though. So I ventured toward the computer design rack, figuring that I could just browse the books since I was there. Then I saw IT. A book by Michael Freeman. I had previously purchased a book by this author entitled The Photographer's Eye. I appreciated how he took the time to provide visual diagrams of all the technical jargon. I also was glad to see that he was including information about the brain and how it coincides with how photographs are captured. So when I saw this other book by him I HAD to buy it. Not only that, it was entitled Perfect Exposure! I mean, how else is a person supposed to take that? That is what I was looking for... some answers to my exposure dilemma.

I still have to finish this book and I will probably read it several times through. Technical aspects of photography can get pretty deep. Though I appreciate practice and the natural gift of being able to see something, I feel that it is important to understand the tools and palettes that I am working with. Light is powerful. I think that that is why God uses it as a metaphor for His own personal uses. Without Light there is no passion in God's Word. Without light there is no photograph.

Perspective... a 2 for 1 Deal

Life is full of different perspectives. I have one. You have one. Here are two perspectives from my one perspective. Photography has that affect on a person. The more perspectives that you can find in a subject or scene the better. It creates edge and novelty. People like novelty. It is like a breathe of fresh air after an afternoon of stale heat. It definitely is a warm day here in New England, but that is what summer is for right?

Guest || Christopher Behind My Camera

So about a week ago Christopher gets a hold of my camera (as usual) and starts snapping away. It is not very often that I get my picture taken. I felt so exposed and apprehensive! The camera does powerful things to the soul when you get in front of it. I can sympathize with those who fear its great eye ball, but I can also understand the enjoyment of getting a little attention for a little while. It is the one time when you are given permission to present yourself.... kind of like getting up front and speaking on a political or religious view. Anyway, I really enjoyed the way Chris captured the light in the trees.

Do you see Chris?

I decided to use the sunglasses as a filter.

Change of Mind

So I actually decided to get the D300s. Ya, big jump... but I think that it is worth it. After much convincing I realized that it will be an honest upgrade. It comes on Thursday! I am pretty excited. Until then, have a good week!

Short Little Announcement

So folks. Whoever the folks are. I will be purchasing a new camera within the week. That is right! I will be purchasing a Nikon D90 body. I still need to figure out what new lens to buy. Apparently only certain lenses work the best with it. Some lenses crop out due to the fact they are for cameras with smaller sensors, like my D50. Wowie... am I EXCITED. I have been struggling with the idea of spending a big wad of my saved money. I have also struggled with what I should do with my life. I have prayed. I sometimes think I have not prayed enough, but God hears the little prayers. I probably should have stopped worrying once I prayed. Anyways, I did my taxes and low and behold I am getting back more than I thought I would. I know it was mine all along, but now I can use it for what I feel I am called to use it for. God is always good. I am thankful for the extra cash, but what I am really thankful for is the outlet. God has provided me with the feeling that He has it all taken care of. He has let me know that He is big enough to get me to where He wants me to be. He will provide me with what I need, when I need it. All I have to do is ask, "what next?"

Organized Inspiration

Growing up I always put things into order. Whether it was by color, number, height, importance, age, or any pattern that my imagination could think of. I thrive on lists but I never refer to them. Visually I like seeing the list sitting there staring at me, letting me know that I have five or so things to do. I then keep the whole picture stored away in my brain for further use. The list ends up getting neglected and I feel like a conqueror.

I have never really been able to get myself into scrap booking. Putting pictures of random people with random birthday hats with stickers just never appealed to my creativity. I questioned my reasoning because I really did enjoy looking at albums created by friends and such. I envied people who could stand taking pictures of every move during an event. But I quickly rid myself of the greenness and satisfied myself with the idea that what I was ultimately enjoying were the visual presentations and well.... lists of events in people's lives. I admire those that can sit there and create such beautiful lists. I can never do anything that pretty to my lists.

My functional lists consist of white card stock, plastic sleeves, magazines, scissors, a glue stick, and a three ring notebook (I did buy a small stash of black card stock). I have complied a few articles from photography magazines containing random tips and also a selection of single model poses. They do not include any of my own photographs (though I am sure my early days in photography could inspire me to catch the fire again).


It is hard for me to visualize in my head how someone should stand without looking tired or slumped. So, after getting an idea from other professional photographers, I decided to look through clothing magazines and study how the models placed their hands, feet, and moved their heads. I felt overwhelmed by just looking at them and so I had to cut them out, organize the poses, and then place them on the card stock. Right now the pages are few, but they will grow with time. After a while I might change up my pages... get more drastic with the poses. I also plan to write on the pages ways I could tell the people to get into position. I have to practice up so that I can focus on the light and carry a conversation all at the same time.


Being visual is something that I thank God for. He has shown me that it is where I can find myself most confident. I want to bring humanity to what is visually pleasant and satisfying. They must see that not everything in the world is stagnant, harsh, and menacing. Peace must rest upon humanity's eyes at some point in this life.

Purpose. It is inspiring.

What Is Your Color IQ?

So I was given these photography tutorial videos by John Paul Caponigro to check out. So far I am pretty amazed by the information. Photography seems more scientific than I thought it was. I still need to look into more information about where this guy figured this stuff out. Like for example, color is something that we perceive and according to Caponigro our physiology has a lot to do with how we perceive color. Pretty AWESOME! So there is this color IQ test called Munsell Hue Test that you should all try out. I did not do very well. Haha. I can blame it on the sun glare on my computer screen for now. Later on I will take it when the screen is easier to see, though I do not know that it will make much difference. This test helps you figure out where your deficiencies are in the color spectrum so that when you have to compare colors and such you know you need to pay special attention to those trouble areas. So take the test already!

Sorry no picture today. This makes me happy enough for now. When I can try and apply science to art it makes me a very happy person. They are so interconnected! If anyone tries to separate the two it bothers me to some extent, but that is only a biased opinion because I enjoy both. It is my lack of decision making that makes me stubborn enough to say that, YES, I can have both.

Uncovered Beauty

I have learned that an artist is one who brings people's attention to the need, a point of view, or the mood. There are many photographs that I have seen. Some calm my insides, others depress me. Then there are those that make me unsettled or disturbed. The ones that give a rush are what make me come back for more. I like the rush. I am not sure if it brings me to a realization but visually I am fixated.

I know that a good thing can go all wrong. But sometimes these very images of beauty are what keep me out of hopelessness. These are the images that tell me that God exists. That His hand is precise, determined, authentic. That His eye is sharp, direct, and so much better at creating than mine. I believe He wants us to see what He has done. He wants us to enjoy it just like He does. I believe that God put me in this world to show people those beautiful things. Those things that readily exist but have gone unnoticed. I believe, also, that God wants me to show people the need for beauty. There is a restless spirit... an unknown force within that calls us to have the beautiful. Sometimes we do not know how to get there or sometimes we do not even know we need to be there.

We fix it with what my mom and I like to call "dinky-dos" or some white paint. A little plastic surgery and a goop of fleshy paint seems to do the job. But really, it only covers up what yells at us. What is it that we really long for? I believe it all comes down to the life we were created for, but at the same time I know that we can see it before it really comes in full force (Jesus' return). We have to keep our eyes open. So as a scientist turned artist I aim to show you this thing called beautiful.

For starters a smile turns away any sense of ugliness. A lot of people will say "Ugh, I look awful" when they see a picture of themselves. But really they just need to relax, give a genuine smile, and just be open for human connection. It makes the eyes smile, wrinkles and all. You see the lightness. The peace. That is all that we really want.


The above image is of a few boys that were causing some trouble at camp. They were told they all had to go to the photography activity together, I believe. They were complaining about how they could not find anything cool to take a picture of. I then proceeded to show them that it was possible to find something. They then grew excited and started snapping away...

This is the result of discovering beauty. What are they looking at? A picture they took that looked cool.

: )

Naturally Yellow

At the beginning of my photographer class I was pretty excited that we had a color theme assignment. Later on when I found out the examples and learned that the composition needed to lean more towards naturally existing, I was not as excited. Maybe I should have been because natural is good, but for some reason I wanted to set up this crazy bright color theme. This only occurs in unnatural circumstances... for the most part. Well I was able to capture one picture that I was particularly proud of. Another one I like but most would think of of it as a product shot.

The first two here are of a yellow theme (obviously) including the walls.

I wanted to do white on white real bad. It is not overly creative but I had to try.

I was having some issues with RAW (the image being unnaturally pixelated) but I think it had something to do with me changing the levels dramatically with the white towel images. Since light meters want to set the light/color to battleship gray I had to make major changes. Before my next class I am going to take some pictures to compare the JPEG and RAW formats.

I have discovered a few new things this week.

For one, going through old pictures of your life really puts yourself into perspective. It also gives you ideas of what to photograph. You see what makes you happy when you look at a face or an action. So why not try to capture that again?

I also have been struggling with the fact that I don't have a pleasant experience when I photograph with my Nikon D50. Here I have been defending its potential when I alone don't even enjoy the shots till I get them onto my laptop and I can see them. I had a very enjoyable experience the first time I used a digital SLR. It was a Canon Rebel XT. For the longest time I thought maybe I just was not emotionally into it. When I would look into the viewfinder I found myself not really attached to the images within. Like I could only point my finger at an image I wanted to capture and hope it would follow through. I was not able to experience the "in-scene" feeling at all. I want to "hug" pictures... but I cannot. I want to feel like I am a part of what I am capturing... but I am not. I want the camera to be like my eyeball... and it is no where near that. So this week I finally figured out my situation. I talked to my professor about it and he said that cameras have different views. Canons, for instance, are brighter and larger in the viewfinder. I was amazed. It clicked as to what I was enjoying previously and what I was struggling with presently! Now I have to think about selling my camera... or at least check out Hunt's and see the difference.

Last night I went into Boston and took some night shots... enjoy. The following is a church on the campus of Harvard University.

This is just some light art.


I found a bridge that went over a main road. I liked the fact that it turned at one point so that ended up converging at the top.


This one is my MOST favorite. It is of the Charles River. I am standing on the Harvard side and behind me is where they house all of the skulling boats. They were actually practicing at this time too. Pretty neat.


Spiritually this has been a long journey. I know that taking pictures is one way that I can fully enjoy the life that God has given me. I find that looking for beauty out there really lightens my spirits and gets me really pumped up about life. This is my proof that positivity is the key to being happy more often. God wants us to look to the blessings and I find that this is my way. It was hard when I went from complete bliss in photography to complete down-in-the-dump feelings. I became a little bitter when the camera broke at camp, causing my down-in-the-dumps. Then I got this new camera, that I currently have, and I just wasn't getting excited again. I am still trying to figure out the lesson I have learned through this, but I find that now knowing that the experience is half the fun (not just having a great picture) is what makes me happy.

If you ask God for help, he definitely opens up your eyes to the windows and doors.

Pro Photographer & Painting w/ Light

I forgot to write a post yesterday. But I guess I won't loose "points" for it. I spent a lot of time looking through Jasmine Star's blog reading all the descriptions for the weddings she photographed. My aunt told me about this photographer this past weekend. She apparently learned photography on her own and is now one of the top photographers in the nation. You should look her up. Every once in a while you see a photograph that really captures what people are like. That is what I enjoy looking for when I look at her photographs.

I learned about light painting in class last night. I always thought of it as making a bunch of designs in the darkness with a flash light. I did not realize that it actually includes illuminating a subject with different types of light, passing a flashlight (with a black shoot) over the subject like a paintbrush (without actually touching them of course!). Take a look at the link I included. It has some neat designs for light painting. I didn't really find any for just painting a subject. Basically it is all about low light photography. Pretty cool. This was mainly used before Photoshop came along and allowed you to create things on the computer. People must still find it enjoyable because it is still used.

Organizing the Portfolio

I decided that it was about time to create a portfolio on my computer of all the pictures that I taken over the past few years that I really like. My professor gave us a list of things that we can do during post processing to add a little extra to the pictures.

One way that you can sharpen your images (if you are using Photoshop) is to put the image into Lab Color Mode and add certain filters to the different channels. In the Lightness channel use the Unsharpen Mask and in the a and b channels use a Gaussian Blur. Channel b should be slightly more than channel a. I really like this feature! I have been wanting my images to be a little more crisp and this definitely helps.

I will post a picture that I took a few weeks ago for a previous assignment that I also have on my Facebook account. I am particularly happy with the photograph because the topic (scenic, architecture) is not one of my strong points, but it surprisely came out better than I thought it would. The depth is especially interesting. One way to create depth is to have something in the foreground, middle ground, and background. Like layers.

Now I will add the picture. Good evening everyone.