Photos from July 9–15, 2017
When hiking, one of the biggest photography challenges for me is making photos that work in mid-day light. Partial cloud cover helps soften the shadows.
I love Saul Leiter's work with glass. The smeared colour in the photographs make them look more like paintings. This experiment wasn't successful, but it did make me go back and examine how Saul Leiter used glass to his advantage.
Epic sunset and light after a storm. I exposed for the sky which put most of the foreground in complete shadow.
Experiments with coloured light. Blue is a powerful, vibrant colour on screen.
Part of the goal of these blog posts is about finding ways to make photos that look unlike my other photos. Panning, motion blur, and black and white made that happen in this one.
I was noticing a trend in my photos where I was centring the subject of my photo in the frame. This made for a bland composition when dealing with landscape or portrait aspect ratios. However, I've found centring works great for square aspect ratios. I'm trying to be more intentional about my usage of the rule of thirds again.
The Bow River in south Calgary. I'm limited to taking JPGs in my aerial photos so I've had to be more aware of the dynamic range. My “big” camera is extremely forgiving, especially when shooting raw, so this is a nice reminder to double check the exposure.
Fireworks on Canada Day. I make sure to set up my camera before the fireworks start and this always involves a few test shots to make sure the exposure is correct. I love a slow shutter speed, but it needs to be fast enough for handheld use. After that it's all about anticipation and enjoying the show. I try to avoid watching the show through the viewfinder.
I'm experimenting with black and white. I realized I wasn't taking photos with colour in mind so I'm trying to separate those two processes. I'm also trying to visualize what the photos will look like in black and white as I'm taking it.
I turned on manual focus and I've enjoyed the change, especially when shooting with shallow depths of field. The results are more predictable and it's nice not worrying about the autofocus missing its target.
I'm experimenting with low light and large areas of shadow. Previously I tried to lift shadows and maintain an even exposure which was probably to the detriment of some photos.
Portraits are tough for me. I get nervous and then the subjects get nervous shortly after. I've found taking them while standing to the side is less confrontational and more comfortable for everyone.
Suburban life. The sun low, the sprinklers on, and the end of day warmth. I think these memories from childhood have influenced my photography more than l realize.
