Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 365 project, 40d, 550ex, 580ex, artistic, camera, canon, columbus, contest, dslr, grass roots video, kevin randolph, ohio, photo challenge, photography, strobist
It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon and I’m not feeling inspired today. On the advice of a friend I thought I would try to take an interesting pic of the front of a car that was parked outside of my work, but I’m not sure if I succeeded. This was the best of the bunch and it’s okay, but I think that it’s missing a certain oomph.
When I previsualized this picture before I snapped it, I saw the bumper being bigger and closer in perspective to the lens. I think I didn’t have the right lens to take the shot I wanted. I think if I would have had an extreme wide angle lens it would looked more like what I pictured.
On the positive side of things, I did get to try out a new technique for camera protection that I had seen used for television production. As it was still raining while I was shooting, and I’m not using weather sealed pro grade gear, I took a small trash bag and put it over the camera and flash. I cut a small hole for the lens to go through and taped the ends to the lens hood. I did not cut a hole for the flash and just used the translucent bag for diffusion. The technique worked well and I promptly put some more of the same style of bags in my camera bag.
So photographic failure? Maybe, but I still think that there are some interesting shapes amd the exposure is good as well as the detail in the water droplets. But as an experiment in makeshift water resistant bag for the camera and flash it was a total success.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 365 project, 40d, 550ex, 580ex, artistic, bichon, bichon frise, bolognese, camera, canon, columbus, contest, dslr, grass roots video, kevin randolph, ohio, photo challenge, photography, strobist
My nephews came to visit with us for a couple of weeks and it’s been puppy love ever since. Here’s a quick snapshot of Max with our youngest pup Mitzi. Between the boys and the our dogs it’s been a non-stop adventure in the backyard. This shot was taken amist a came of soccer when an impromptu time out occured for some lovin’. You can see Miti was mid kiss when this shot was taken.
I know that this shot, much like the one of Jennifer and Drew in front of thier new house, is more of a snapshot than a "photogrpahic keeper," but the more I think about it – isn’t that what life is? A series of snapshots? Life isn’t full of handcrafted moments where everything is set up perfectly and we get ot redo things until we get it right. Now don’t get me wrong, I know there are those moments in life where things are pre-planned and setup well in advance, we should cherrish those memories too. But I’m finding as I continue through this project that as much as I love to test myself with new photographic techniques and tricks, I am beginning to remember more and more why I got into photography in the first place – as a tool to help me remember the good things in life.
So I submit this snapshot as my keeper for July 10th – not based on it’s photographic merit but because it will remind me of the boys, Max and Mitch, and running in the backyard like I was 8 years again.
