Chrome!

Same show, different thoughts. This was a really nice motorcycle all round but I wanted to highlight the motor in this shot. I thought it was a work of art all on it's own. The chrome made it shine. The short tail pipe looked elegant and functional. I am sure this bike would have a satisfying roar as it rolled by. I thought about using flash but I stuck with the room light. I think all things considered in a crowded show with no control over the setting I caught this motorcycle in a very good light.  

 

The exposure info fell victim to computer updates. Fortunately the photo didn't.

What To Do With That Background

I have always liked motorcycles. I have owned several over the years. My Dad had one and would take my Mom on it. I took her for rides too.  I haven't ridden for a long time though. A few years ago just for the heck of it I went to a motorcycle show. There were a lot of real nice looking bikes there, made me yearn for years past. *sigh* . Of course I took the camera. One thing I noticed is at a show like this it can be tough to keep the background from being distracting. I darkened, softened, moved in closer, things like that. Here was a different idea. I kept the background there but used a filter to abstract it.It kept the people in the background, made it a little artistic, but also kept the motorcycle as the center of attention. It was fun!

 

 Another unrecorded exposure oops. 

Schools Out!

For a while I had been doing some photographs of jewelry. I had been looking for different things to place the pieces on. I was using cloth, tiles, shells, all kinds of things.  I was lucky the kids were still small so when I had this piece I had access to the perfect background. I kept it low and shot with flash, looking straight down on it. 

 No exposure info but I'm pretty sure it was 2 flash through umbrella on either side of the bracelet.

I've Got A Million Of Them

Once I was in Maui. A friend of mine and I decided to rent a car and go for a drive around the island. We didn't really have a plan beyond go around it. One thing that reassured me was I figured if we kept going in the same direction we would end up back where we started. It worked! I imagine the road has improved a lot since then. Kind of a shame, I felt like I was on a real adventure.

Film of course but I did some enhancements to bring out detail in the cloud and increased saturation in the colours. I keep finding these old pictures. I have to keep going through my old albums.

Forward Thinking

Remember Kodak photo CD's?  It was a format for scanning negatives or positives onto cd. I thought that was the cat's meow. However at $2 (I think it was) per photo I found I had to pick and choose what to put on the one disc I ever had made. This photo as far as photo's go wasn't very good. 

I had been Panning with the Hurricane and Lancaster as they took off together. This was in the day we were a lot closer to the runway. I put it on photo cd because I liked the angle of the Hurricane and hoped someday I could do something with it. The photo languished on the cd for some time until I started learning about photography on the computer. I went back to this photo and started manipulating. Fortunately the resolution on these photo's was quite high. I started cropping until it was just the Hurricane in the photo. At the time I thought the landing gear partially retracted look awkward so I decided to see what I could do with it. Taking it out seemed to be a reasonable option. It was one of my first attempts at it and I was very happy with the result. I've since used it as a centre piece on a web page and on some business cards. The good thing about the photo cd? I still have it and the photo because I have now gone through the same process with this photo twice, second time using skills I had learned since then. I may even do it again because I am sure I can improve. 

 Film. Not even sure what camera it would have been.... Maybe my Minolta 7000i or something like that.

A Quick Little Something

It was a long day today. I sat down and couldn't decide what to post. Then I found this one I've shown similar but I really liked this one anyhow. Hope you like it too.

 With the 24-85 at 60mm 8.0sec at f16 iso 100. This would be natural light with the north facing window.

Now I Have To Ask You

~ You don't take a photograph, you make it ~

Ansel Adams

What did he mean by that? I think he meant the photograph doesn't start or end at the click of the shutter. It starts when the photographer decides he is going to take a photograph. It could be planned weeks ahead. It could happen just as the photographer decides to press the shutter. Then the click. It doesn't end until the final print is made. I read somewhere Mr Adams might have worked on a photograph for years in the darkroom before he was happy with the final print. 

What does this mean to me? I am learning as I go and the quote above is something I think about often. I think about it with the photographs I take and more and more with photographs I used to take. This photo is from a few years ago on a trip home from the Okanagan. I was alone in the car, had the camera on the front seat beside me and was thinking pictures. I took it, I liked it, thought it was ok then put it away. Tonight I opened it up and wondered what I could do to bring it to life a bit. So I spent a little time with it on the computer and came up with this. 

What does this mean to you?

 

 

 

 

More About The Movies

"Mimespeak" was my introduction to stills photography for movies. I was invited to shoot stills for my cousin Sam who was producing it for her course at VFS. I did talk about it in previous posts but only ever posted one photo which was a group shot. I have talked recently about the lighting on film sets which I love. Also about using the 17mm lens which is great for getting in close and even closer for character shots like this photo of Robin. I remember being nervous going to the studio not really having a clue what to expect and then at the end being so excited about the work I'd done. It was a huge learning experience and fortunately I've been able to use what I learned quite a bit since. Fun too.

Taken with the 17mm 1/30th sec f3.5  Thanks for letting me use the photo Robin.

Art Within Art

This is about being alert and on your feet with camera at the ready.  It's a concept I am still learning. I just happened to be with this grab shot when Gaelle was walking across the room with a diffusion screen playing peek a boo with me. I was in camera mode so I raised it and quickly pressed the shutter. I wasn't even sure what I was going to get but it worked out fine. The great thing was using digital I could see I had something right away. I don't delete anymore anyhow though.......

 The 50mm 1/80th at f(what?) 1.7 (of course)sec iso 200

This Movie Making Stuff Is Serious Business

This was a very long day. 14 hours or so. It was pretty wearing on the kids but they stuck it out like troopers. Here is Jenn about half way through the day. She was seriously comtemplating her lines, then she remembered she didn't have any. Pretending to talk for a long time can get a little silly for the people doing it.  I like getting up close with the wide angle. It can make for some interesting composition in portraits and the like. 

 This was with the 17mm 1/40th sec f3.5 iso 400

Let There Be Movie Light

In last nights post I was asked about the light in that photo. In an answering comment I talked about movie lights. I mentioned how much I like them. Most of the main lights were banks of daylight balanced fluorescent light which provided a nice complimentary light. I said I would show an example in today's blog. Here is a photo of Peter (Nick) under those lights. I sure like doing photography on movie sets.

 The 50mm 1/60th sec f1.7  iso 200

Wait'll They Get A Load Of Me

Jenn Peter (Nick) and I were on a movie set again today. It was a very long day for all of us. The kids and I were background and I also did some stills photography. Today's photo isn't actually part of the set. They were testing some make up schemes for a scene a few days from now and Javier kindly volunteered to be their test model. I got to take a photo when they were done. I have very little experience with movie sets but from what I saw here one has to be prepared to change roles (at least on an Indie production) at a moments notice. On this set I saw Javier work lighting, background, and this stint as a make up model. Quite an interesting job. 

 I used the 50mm 1/80th sec at f4 iso 200 

The Domino Effect

While at Science World there was a young volunteer setting up some domino's on a table to knock over. This looked like an opportunity for, photos.

 The 50mm, again, 1/60th sec f1.7, again.

Lend Me Your Ear.

I'll give it back I promise. I like photographing events. I wonder if I have found my niche. Not necessarily weddings so much. Concerts, Stage shows, demonstrations, movie stills, and the like. The kind of thing where if there is direction it's "Take pictures". The kind of thing where you have plan a bit (like pick a spot) and get the shots as they happen. Nicola has let me take photos at a few of her Science demos. Here she is showing how she had done a demo using Slush Powder. I was happy with the number of photo's I got that were ones I would share. I think I am getting better a bit every time. 

 I used the 50mm (really Brook? No way!) 1/80th sec f1.7. I keep telling you how I love that RAW. I was struggling with the colour balance on these. Here is an occasion where auto worked best.

I Really Have To Get Out More

My reason for doing this blog was to inspire me to get out and do photography more. It really has done that and I think my photography is improving as a result. I haven't been getting the camera as much as I would like lately. That's gonna change. Tomorrow. Or Saturday maybe. Oh right, I have laundry to do..... 
In the meantime, here are some pretty flowers warmly lit by an evening summer sun. 

This was shot with the 24-85 at 40mm 1/100th sec f8  iso 400

We Sprang Forward

So as we all know it is staying lighter later now. I was deliberating what to post when Nicola suggested some kind of a sunset shot as the evenings are getting longer. I immediately thought of this one. It's another film scan from days gone by. A lot of days gone by actually. That sail boat has sunk a few times since I took this I believe. It came out quite blue which isn't quite natural but I quite enjoyed. Quite. So it got some of the tweaking I like to do so much these days and here it is.

No exposure info I am afraid.

Let's Make A Movie

I was on a movie set today for 12 hours. I have seen this done a few times now and am amazed at the effort put into a film. There was so much talent, effort, skill, and knowledge in one place it was really something to watch. This is real hard work. Here the crew is moving from one scene to another. This is but a glimpse of the type of work they are doing over a 2 week period. That's just the filming part, there is so much happens before and after. I also got my 15 (or was it 1.5?) seconds of fame today which I really look forward to seeing.

This was with the 50mm 1/320th sec f1.7 iso 200

Spring Is Here (Almost)

I can feel it (almost). This is a photo from a long time ago in digital terms. My very first DSLR. We were at a local park when I decided to go wander over to a garden and take some photos of flowers. The lens I was using had a close focus feature so I thought I'd try it out on the bees. This was the 395th photo I took with my DSLR. I have always been pretty proud of it and I'm not sure why I never posted it before. I actually went through all my posts to make sure I hadn't. 
Anyway with this comes the promise of spring. Soon!

 No exposure info I am afraid. Can't find the original.... Back in the day I thought my computer would last forever I guess. 
On a side note if you get email notifications of my posts you may get notifications of old ones over the next week or so. Going through some old ones I notice the photos are gone. I am going to try and fix that. 



 

They're Gonna Make A Big Star Out Of Me

Okay I confess, Jenn wasn't the star. She wasn't an actor even. Like me she was background. Here she was standing in for one of the leads while the crew set up their shot. It was a fun day and a learning experience. Both Jenn and Peter (Nick) got to learn the long process of making a few minutes of a film. Oh, like I'm an old pro at it. 

For todays shot I used the 17mm 1/10th sec at f3.5 iso 200. Shooting at such a low shutter speed I had to take some extras. This one still needed some tweaking to get it here. This part is just as fun as taking the photo!

I Did It Again

Thinking I should go back and look yet again for something to post from from the past I went through the film scans I've done. How many times have I gone past this photo? Dozens? Today I just happened to look at (Peter) Nick and notice his eyes. Peter (Nick) was a pretty intense boy. Things for him were pretty much black or white, with little in between. When I looked at him here today I saw that boy summed up. So another photo that hit me years after I took it. I am sure glad I'm able to share it with you today.

 

It's film so no exposure recorded. Oh well.

Love At First Sight

When I worked with the folks at Westcoast Piercing and Ink Den last October I took a lot of photos. Here is one of the first ones I took that day. This young ladies tattoo was just finished and she was getting her first look at it. I saw her later in the day and we talked a bit about her tattoo and how great we both thought it was. I was interested to know her reason for placing it the way she did. She said "I got the tattoo for me. I want it to be the right way when I look at it." Made sense to me. 

 Taken with the 50mm 1/400th sec at f1.7 iso 200

Beauty In The Jungle

Walking in the DownTown Eastside of Vancouver there are a lot interesting sights. It's one of the oldest parts of town. You can find old buildings lovingly cared for and others that have become very rundown. If you look hard enough you can find a structure or 2 that are almost as old as Vancouver.  You can get a real feel for the history of Vancouver in this area. It can be fascinating and it can be sometimes depressing. Everytime I am outside here one thing I always look at is the mountains. No matter where I am. I have found if I can't see them where I happen to be, I can walk a block or two and I can find them even if just a peek. It's somehow reassuring for me. 

 The beercan at 160mm 1/250th sec f8 iso 100

Science Is Sharp

This is a plasma globe. You will have seen this one if you've been to Science World. I know whenever I'm there I have to stop by and have a look. It's always a bit fascinating to see the colours and shapes the arcs produce and it was fun trying to catch them in photos as they reached out to touch. This young fellow ran up to the globe as I was taking shots and added just the right element to the photo. Being so dark in the room this was a challenge. I caught a few though. I am going to have to go back and try some more. 

Was with the 50mm shot at 1/100th sec f1.7 iso 800.  My camera and high iso's don't get along well. This photo took some tlc to bring down the noise.

A Positive Way To End A Positive Day

This photo was not taken today but I think it was taken for today. Myself I had a pretty good day. Things about photography. I was thinking about some photo work I'm going to be involved in. I read a letter about a project I would like to be involved in and I am already getting ideas. I had a fine day at work which was non photography but that's okay. A fine day where I work is a good thing. My ride today with Dar, we talked photography and our good days it was quite relaxing. I came home to work on the blog and found some new comments on there that are quite complimentary and that felt good. My thanks to you. I am not the only one who had a good day. Nicola had a pretty good day too. Her good day is her story to tell but it was at least this good. Probably better. 

  The 50mm 1/160th sec f1.7 iso 100

Shadow Paint

Sometimes I want to take a picture and I know why, I am just not sure how to say why. This is one. I really enjoy on a bright day when I find and interesting shadow. This one struck me. It was like mural made from light and shadow. I thought about running across the street and capturing the whole shadow but I think it would have got complicated with everything else, wires, poles, and even the tree. So I stayed close and caught half the shadow. That worked for me.  Seems I was just able to say why after all. That works for me too.

 

Opposites Attract

Dar and I were taking photos along the street and right about where yesterdays muscle machine was there was this building. She took some photos of the building and I took some photos of the same building. We went along our way and took photos of other things not necessarily the same. Some time later I was showing Dar some photos on camera. When she saw this she said "Wait a minute!".... Or maybe it was, Dar was showing me some photos on her camera when ..... Anyhow, here is what I took... 

  To look at Dar's photo hold up a mirror and click here.

The 50mm  1/80th f5 iso 100

Christine

Okay this isn't Christine. Steven Kings "Christine" was a 1958 Plymouth Fury. This is a Chevy Impala. But it could be one of her pals rumbling down the road like quiet thunder. I framed in nice and close to get the mood and the feel of a classic muscle machine. That, and trying to keep out the lime green Hyundai six inches from the back end and the maroon Acura a foot from the front thus spoiling the atmosphere. 

For this I used the 17mm 1/25th at f5 iso 100. 

Those Eyes

It was while taking the tattoo pictures Jennifer stopped a moment to relax. It was another "Oh. Don't move" moment. I like those. I liked this one so much I couldn't wait to post it. I am sure glad Jenn enjoys posing, I'll try not to push it.

 I used the 100mm 1/60th sec f16 iso 100  one flash camera right through an umbrella.

If You Are Thinking About Deleting

Don't! When Dar and I met Mr LeMay the other day we briefly talked about looking at our photo's in the LCD screen on the back of the camera. It's called chimping. He mentioned photos that look great on there can turn out to be garbage on the computer. I mentioned sometimes they can look like garbage on the LCD screen and then look quite fine on the computer. He said "yeah, I never delete anything in the camera". I blushed a bit and carried on to the next subject. Here is an example why that shouldn't happen. This is actually one that I had kept but sometimes wondered why. I looked at it the other day and actually contemplated getting rid of it. However what I had originally seen when I took the photo was there, sort of. So, I played with it a bit and came out with this. Had my finger twitched at the wrong moment, this would have been gone. I like to think the photo's I did delete in camera were justified.....

 This would be with the 24-85 at 60mm  8sec f16 iso 100

It's Poe'ish

I took this the other day on our photo day out downtown. When I did it was, well, a picture of some crows in a tree. In comes the computer. I remember this effect from my photography learning days in high school. It involved negatives, inter-negatives, chemicals and time in a darkroom. Or something like that. I recall all that stuff as being fun. So is this though and the computer takes up a lot less room in the house. 

 The original was taken with the beercan (70-210) at 200mm 1/1000th sec f4 iso 100

The Beercan

I Brought along the beercan this last day-trip. It is a great lens and cheap. I hadn't carried it around the previous trips because it is heavy and does take up some space in the bag. I hadn't felt a telephoto lens would get used a lot in the city but decided to take it along this trip just to see. I am glad I did. Before I would look mostly up close but this day I looked farther. Here is an example. I probably would have noted the pigeons flying around but carried on because I didn't have the reach. I am going to bring it from now on. I expect I'll be able to add some more variety to these photo days now. I think I like it. 

Shot with said lens at 210mm 1/1000th sec f4 iso 100