Wait For The Light.

I know how easy it is to be in a rush to capture that perfect image. Sometimes you get excited by a subject and you just have to capture it. But, before you snap that shutter make sure you are getting the best light on your subject that you can.

If you are in harsh sunlight and you can move to open shade give that a try to minimize the contrast and harsh shadows. If it's mid day and you can be at the same location in the evening or early morning maybe wait to take the shot for that better light.

Sometimes though, you have a subject that's moving and you have no choice but to get what you get or don't get it at all. Such as the hot air balloon I spotted this morning on my way to work. It was moving pretty quickly across the sky and I love photos of hot air balloons. I had to take the shot.

It's nice and sharp but it's a bit blah. But, I did get a nice shot of it.

Then I noticed the sun starting to peek over the clouds to the east and I decided to wait just a few more minutes. Here is the result of that little bit of patience.

Much better. The sun warmed up the scene a bit, gave the balloon a nice glow and gave it more dimension due to the directional lighting.

Just goes to show you that just a few minutes can make a huge difference and if you just look around for the light and watch for the changing conditions, you can make some really nice art.

Chris.

Finally!

Back in 2008 I started the New York Institute of Photography's Complete Course In Professional Photography. Was I looking to become a professional back then? No. I was just looking for a relatively inexpensive course that was complete. Everything from the basics of exposure to some advanced techniques for portraits and other subjects.

I learned so much so fast. Then I got to the unit on portraiture. That took me 8 months of practicing to complete! That unit got me my best review and it was suggested by my instructor that I may want to be a portrait photographer. That put a huge smile on my face. I love taking people portraits.

I completed the course in June of 2011 and have been waiting patiently for my diploma. Finally, yesterday it arrived in the mail. I was expecting an 8x10 but it's an 11x14! It looks so good. I'm very proud of it and my drive for photography has been rekindled! Now just to get a frame for it and show it off.

I took a photo of my diploma with my iphone just to show it off.



Chris.

What To Do With Mid Afternoon Light?

What do you do with mid afternoon light that is just very uninteresting and a bit boring? Why, make an HDR out of it of course!

I took this photo during lunch today. Just to get out and make some photographs.

It's a bit boring but I still liked it. It makes sense to me what it is but it's really not all that interesting. So, I exported 3 versions of the image at and exposure of -2, 0 and +2 and created an HDR from that.

Much better! Interesting color and detail. There we go. Mid day lighting issue solved.

Chris.

Upgraded My 500PX Account - Testing.

I've upgraded my 500PX account and I noticed that I can embed the images on my blog from there. I thought I'd test that out here.


Crane - HDR by Chris Lemmen

So there is how it looks. I did no modification to the post code at all. It even put the title and a link to my profile. That's nice.

I've been getting tired of Flickr lately like a lot of people I'm sure so I've been looking around at other sharing options. I've been on 500PX for quite a while now and I think I will focus some effort there and put some of my better work up there instead of flickr.

Chris.

I'm Also A Musician And That May Affect My Photography - Part 1.

I'm a photographer and as a photographer I appreciate the arts. Music and dance are my favorites after photography. I don't dance, I would not put the world through that! I leave that up to my daughter. She's the dancer in the family.

I'm a musician. I play the guitar, drums, keyboards and some brass instruments. Mostly though it's the guitar. As a photographer and musician, I've been wondering about the affect listening to music while I photograph has on what my photos will turn out like. Will classical music help me to make calm, serene images? Will heavy metal make my images edgy? I'm not sure and I'm not sure where to begin looking for answers so I think I will just experiment myself and find out.

I'm going to listen to different music while I'm out taking photos and the same music while I'm editing. All I need to do is figure out what to listen to! I think first I will start with classical music. Why not start with the classics?

I'll keep you updated.

Chris.

Personal Projects.

I've been reading a lot about getting one's creative juices flowing. One idea that keeps coming up is a personal project. Something you give yourself to just work on. You can have a time frame or make it an ongoing project but a project it is and should be treated like a paying project.

I've decided to start a few projects of my own.

Here is the very first image from my first personal project.

This project is called UP. It's going to be a collection of photos that are simply looking up.

More to come. Check back often!

Chris.

May The Fourth Be With You.

I will never get tired of this Star Wars reference.

Chris.

Missed Opportunities.

I've been driving past this old discarded work boot on the side of the road for a couple of months now. I've been telling myself the whole time that come better weather or lighting conditions or timing, I would stop and photograph that poor lonely looking work boot. Last Friday, it was gone. Someone finally picked it up.

Gone is the opportunity to try to make a great photograph of that old boot. I procrastinated myself right out of a great photo op. If I had just stopped for 10 minutes and takes some photos regardless of the excuses, I would have a photo to share with you.

Ah, well, I guess you live and learn. No point feeling sorry for myself. No one to blame but myself.

Chris.