Friday, January 30, 2009

Interesting Office Decorations

I walked around work at lunch yesterday and took some photos of the different things people have in thier offices. Here are some thumbnails of those items. Click on them to see the flickr post.

28/365 2009 IMG_3563 50D 01282009IMG_3566 50D 01282009IMG_3568 50D 01282009IMG_3570 50D 01282009IMG_3573 50D 01282009
IMG_3574 50D 01282009IMG_3575 50D 01282009IMG_3576 50D 01282009IMG_3577 50D 01282009IMG_3578 50D 01282009
IMG_3580 50D 01282009IMG_3581 50D 01282009IMG_3582 50D 01282009

Chris.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Photo Of The Week - Jan 18 - Jan 24 2009

Here is the photo of the week for Jan 18 - 24 2009. Dragon Pig. It's a lighter. I purchased it at 7-11 of all places. The best part, it's refillable.

20/365 2009 IMG_3312 50D 0120200950mm, ISO 400, f/1.8 for 1/500 sec.



Chris.

Canadian Olympic Couchsledding Team 2009.

What? Olympic what? Haha. I have a group of friends who are a little on the insane side I believe. They have decided that this is the only way to go down a snow covered hill.

Ok, here is the hill.
IMG_3383 50D 01222009
17mm, ISO 100, f/4 for 1/2500 sec.

Here are the crazies.
IMG_3384 50D 01222009
85mm, ISO 100, f/8 for 1/640 sec.

Here they come.
IMG_3387 50D 01222009
17mm, ISO 100, f/8 for 1/500 sec.

And there they go.
IMG_3397 50D 01222009
64mm, ISO 100 f/8 for 1/320 sec.

Victory!!
IMG_3435 50D 01222009
35mm, ISO 100, f/8 for 1/200 sec.

Does it get any crazier than that?

Chris.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Theme - Rule Of Thirds

In my 2009 In Photos group we are doing a Rule Of Thirds theme. I believe this is the single most important technique in photography. It has absolutely transformed my photography.

The idea is to divide your view screen up into a tic-tac-toe grid and put your subject one one of the lines or intersecting points. Keep your subject from being dead center in the frame. There are times of course to break this rule but it is very effective.

Here are some of my images using this technique.

18/365 2009 IMG_3268 50D 01182009
60mm, ISO 100, f/5.6 for 1/50 sec.

8 Best Of 2008 IMG_6388
47mm, ISO 1600, f/8 for 1/250 sec.

IMG_2649 50D 12272008
50mm, ISO 400, f/2.8 for 1/50 sec.

Chris.

Photo Of The Week - Jan 11 - Jan 17 2009

Here is the Photo Of The Week for the week of Jan 11 to 17 2009

In the midst of a blustery snowy day, Jacob was an island of unusual calm as he watched the snow fly.

11/365 2009 IMG_2975 50D 01112009
60mm, ISO 500, f/5.6 for 1/100 sec.

Chris.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Photo Of The Week - Jan 4 - 10 2009

Here is the Photo Of The Week for the week Of Jan 4 to 9 2009.

It's a builder's level. I tried to give a sense of actually being in front of the unit using it.

IMG_2925 50D 01092009
85mm, ISO 100, f/8 for 1/50 sec.

Chris.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

My Photographic Goals For 2009

I've been giving this some thought over the last week. What do I want to accomplish with my photography in 2009? I'm sure I don't have my list complete but I'm going to list off some of the things I want to do this year.

In no particular order here they are.

1) Finish my NYIP Professional Photography Course.
This one should be easy enough. I'm half way now and just about to finish the 4th unit.

2) Shoot at least 1 wedding.
I'm booked for September 19 2009. That should take care of itself.

3) Start my portrait business.
And with that, create my website for my portfolio.

4) Have at least 1 photo published in a print publication.
Even the local community newspaper would be nice.

5) Organize an Edmonton photo walk.
Not just go on one but get a group of people to come on one of my routes.

6) Photograph an event in Edmonton.
One of the local track meets, festivals or something along those lines.

7) Read more photography books.
Then read more.

8) Promote myself better.
Business cards, a portfolio, etc.

9) Be more confident in my skills.
Without being arrogant. A quiet confidence if you will.

10) Learn to accept that I'm not perfect and I will make bad photos.
This will be the hardest one.

Chris.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Theme - Depth Of Field

In our photo a day group we have decided to do themes each week to challenge ourselves and learn. This week the theme is Depth Of Field.

I love this theme. I'm a big fan of shallow DOF. I run my camera in aperture priority 99 percent of the time. I'm going to post some of my photos from this theme here over the next few days.

This is the photo I used for Day 6 of my 365 project. I set the bells in the back of the frame for a nice bokeh effect. Using my 50mm lens wide open at f/1.8 gives me a very shallow DOF and the bells are just barely recognizalbe.
6/365 2009 IMG_2848 50D 01062009
50mm, ISO 400, f/1.8 for 1/60 sec.

In this photo of my daughter, who cracked her wrist and has to have a bath in the kitchen sink so we can keep her cast dry, I have used the same technique as the above photo. I love to run a lens wide open and throw as much of the photo out of focus as I can.
IMG_2876 50D 01062009
50mm, ISO 400, f/1.8 for 1/160 sec.

Of course you don't have to put the focus point on the front of the photo. In this photo, I've moved the focus point to my daughter's head which put her arm at the bottom of the frame out of focus.
IMG_2877 50D 01062009
50mm. ISO 400, f/1.8 for 1/80 sec.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Happy New Year!

I know, it's the second when I'm posting this (my birthday by the way), but hey, I was busy yesterday.

IMG_2779 50D 01012009
85mm, ISO 2500, f/5.6 for 1/13 sec.

May 2009 bring us all health, wealth and happiness.

Chris.