white on white.

I have played around with the html on this stupid blog and tried better ways to embed the photo exif info, but alt text isn't working. Does anyone know a better way to do this?

A Love Hate Relationship

 ISO: 3200

Exposure: 1/20 sec

Aperture: 2.5

Focal Length: 50mm

Flash Used: No

 ISO: 3200

Exposure: 1/50 sec

Aperture: 4.0

Focal Length: 27mm

ISO: 2500
Exposure: 1/30 sec
Aperture: 6.3
Focal Length: 18mm
Flash Used: No

A love hate sort of relationship.  I love you photography.  I love taking pictures, composing shots, imaging what is possible, but I hate you photos.  I hate you photos, you are never what I want them to be or imagine them to be.  

Things to remember: 

1) What story am I trying to tell?

2) Automatic light exposure is not my friend, only a pushy friend who loves to suggest things, sometimes being amazingly right that I get lulled into a sense of "man this is awesome" only to be bitten in the @ss and wish I never trusted that stupid green box.  (not that I'm bitter or anything).  -- you can kind of tell I didn't like the whole go back to auto mode to focus on composition.

3) Never force a photo.  Never get to a point where taking more photos replaces careful thinking, composition and framing, just to take the picture and catch up to everyone else.  Take your time.  

4) Amazing photos came from your point and shoot, partly because you were lucky and partly because you took the time to feel out your shots, just because the camera got fancier and bigger doesn't make the photos any better. 

In conclusion, dear photos, please stop sucking.  A good camera doesn't replace a careful and creative eye.  A fancy camera only makes it more confusing on how to capture whatever feel, light, shadow, color, etc you are trying to capture. 

PS I have no idea how to format these stupid blogs.  They are all funky and the alignment gets messed up.  I think I hate it.  My coworker says I should be using wordpress...seriously thinking about that suggestion.   If anyone has any suggestions on an easier way to do this, please let me know.  

PPS. Do you have kids? A Family? Pets? Plants? A house? An event or dinner you want photographed for FREE?  Pretty much anything.  Would you mind having me wander around and take pictures?  I will gladly give you digital copies of all images taken. 

Late Night Projects

ISO: 1250
Exposure: 1/80 sec
Aperture: 1.4
Focal Length: 50mm

Flash Used: No 

ISO: 3200
Exposure: 1/50 sec
Aperture: 2.5
Focal Length: 50mm

Flash Used: No 

ISO: 3200

Exposure: 1/50 sec

Aperture: 2.5

Focal Length: 50mm

Flash Used: No

So, the photo for today is really the Panda one.  I liked how it turned out.  The others are just well, crappy.  I've gone back to automatic mode to focus more on composition and less on all the rest.  I think I need a lot of work on that for a little while.  I do hate how the ISO is all super high, but we'll work on that in auto mode settings.  (Yep as the title alludes too, instead of sleeping like I should be doing, I've been working on a camera shaped camera case for my point and shoot and a bokeh filter for my camera.  

Photos, photos and more photos...

Camera: Canon
Model: Canon EOS REBEL T2i
ISO: 1250
Exposure: 1/60 sec
Aperture: 1.4
Focal Length: 50mm
Flash Used: No

Like:
- Her face
- POV

Dislike
- Narrow DOF did weird things with fur
- Button is distracting
- She stole my seat

Baby Things and Babies

The last few days have been wrapped in pink and brown cuteness as a friend is having a baby.  In the course of her baby shower, I was able (and people put up with!) me taking hundreds (and I do mean literally hundreds of photos).  Anywho, here is one of my favorites.  It's actually taken at the Target.  I was tempted to buy such beast (it was in the dollar bin), but what would one do with a bright pink elephant?  I don't know.

Camera: Canon
Model: Canon EOS REBEL T2i

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO: 6400
Exposure: 1/4000 sec
Aperture: 1.4
Focal Length: 50mm
Flash Used: No

Lesson: Every once in a while, check your settings, accidently setting your ISO 6400 and running around taking more pictures is not good. 

This is another Target find. Mental note to future self, if you ever get bored on a rainy day and want to shoot, hit up a really nice mall or store in a nice area where people won't mind you taking pictures.  Great way to get things and people to take photos of.

Camera: Canon
Model: Canon EOS REBEL T2i

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO: 6400
Exposure: 1/2000 sec
Aperture: 1.4
Focal Length: 50mm
Flash Used: No
Latitude: n/a
Longitude: n/a

Lesson: Same as before, more noticeable here.  Thinking about making this photo black and white, the colors add nothing are nothing but distracting.  What do you think? 

I found these baby shoes to be adorable and so I took a picture of them at the Target.

These are pictures I took of a cute baby girl that came by before/after the baby shower with her pop pop.  This is total use of "fill the frame" photography.

Camera: Canon
Model: Canon EOS REBEL T2i

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO: 125
Exposure: 1/60 sec
Aperture: 1.4
Focal Length: 50mm
Flash Used: No

Lesson: Laughing at kids gets them to laugh, smiling and big eyes, they mimic that.  Tickling works wonders. 

She is adorably cute.  I have more pictures of her laughing, playing with her tongue and hiding behind her mom's shoulder, but this one got through the first wave of processing.


I'll be back to add in the info on my settings.  I pretty much used my generous brother's prime the whole time.  I'm obsessed with short DOF.  (He let me borrow this lens).  Lots of fun, but now I know why shooting for a wedding would be stressful.  Ha!


Anywho, I have another 500 photos to short through from the last few days, some homework, some climbing and well that pesky thing called work so hopefully will blog with more brown and pink photos later.

Where's the Photo?

I feel disappointed in myself that I haven't really picked up my camera in days.  I haven't really...anything in days.  I wanted to shoot last night some star shots (I love the sky, clouds, stars, moon, constellations, planes, birds).  Anyways, I really wanted to do that last night.  I had waited all week for the clouds to pass and yesterday was the first and only cloudless night in our area for a little while.  I didn't end up going because around 11:30 last night it hit the low 30's and it was estimated to drop to 27 the time I was planning on going out to take photos.  Needless to say, since I'm such a Californian, I can't stand being that cold.  My body actually goes through a physical shut down.  Instead, I've collected some kick@ss reference how-to's that I want to try.  Here they go, future self, I better have completed atleast some of these within the next six months.

How-to on Star Trails: http://www.danheller.com/star-trails.html
Free Online HDR: http://www.yohdr.com/

And these things don't actually have a link, but just things I've seen:
- Do sets of photos in only black and white, Sepia, etc. (and learn what I like about light...color is a big distraction when it comes to light)
- Every shot, try to show something different.  It's fine to tweak a shot's composition, but taking a slightly different angle of the same things results in...tada the same photo.  Think outside the box and try atleast 5 angles and 3 different locations within the frame...maybe I should play with cropping a single photo more often to place the focal image in different quadrants of the photo.

I'm so freakin' late for work, like always, but since this is a photo blog and I need a picture, here goes:

Model: Canon EOS Rebel T2i with Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens f/3.5-5.6
ISO: 400
Exposure: 1/60 sec
Aperture: 5.0
Focal Length: 39mm
Flash Used: Yes


When shooting food in bowls or plates, I try to break up the circles using the edge of the frame to create new shapes.  This one I didn't do such a good job of creating shapes with my frame.  I liked the colors the green onion, chinese mustard and hot sauce added to the photo. Photowise, it's whatever, but tummy wise, it was nom nom nommy. 

How to get animals to NOT like you

Canon EOS Rebel T2i with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO: 3200
Exposure: 1/15 sec
Aperture: 1.4
Focal Length: 50mm

As promised, blurry little kitty photos. Though, I do like this one. Again, playing too much with narrow depth of field. It was fun, with the fixed prime lens not being able to zoom and play with a cat. To get her to "do what I wanted" I would pet her. Sometimes you really can catch more flies with honey. =P I cropped this image and darkened the shadows on it. I like how her eyes really pop and because of the blur with the narrow depth of field her fur seems more fluffy and soft, you know, "it's so fluffy I could die" soft.

Here's what NOT to do, example to follow:
- Flash cats, dogs, people
- Keep shutter open long (unless you want blurry shots of everything)
- Assume the camera's algorithms like the same warmth in WB  -- I like things with a little red color saturation to them, makes the photos feel warmer and cozier to me.
- Have such little light in the room that it forces you to use 3200 ISO to chase a freaked cat (noise...you can see it)

Canon EOS Rebel T2i with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO: 400
Exposure: 1/60 sec
Aperture: 2.8
Focal Length: 50mm

Hi, my name is Colleen and I'm a butter knife.

 The title is in response to:
5 Ways to Know Your Photos Aren't Cutting It

Which I think is funny, because it doesn't actually tell you anything about photos, but explains all about your attitude.  I guess since I feel like such a n00b, all those things don't apply to me.  I love my camera and love to take pictures everyday.  I love looking at photos and art to see other peoples perspectives.  I love breaking down why I like their work and why I hate my own. Ha!  I really have no expectations of ANYONE liking or even wanting to look at myself (except my mom's because mom's love whatever crap you make, but even SHE has her limit too).

Anyway, I think it's true, so remember what I'm saying future self, your photos are for you.  Everything you do, do it the way you want.  Do what you think is best, everyone is going to have different opinions.  At the end of the day, you do you. And never think you're THAT good because really, you're just a butter knife...and aren't we all some time or other?

Code 187 -- A Comparision in Composition

Canon EOS Rebel T2i with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

ISO: 400
Exposure: 1/100 sec
Aperture: 1.4
Focal Length: 50mm

In picture one everything is sort of straight on and the main component of the photo, the numbers, is in the center of the frame.  Everything is very expected.  It's a little "surprise" that the 7 is off kilter when everything else is lined up.  I read somewhere, that it's good practice to add a "surprise" or some sort of punchline to your photos.  And if you can add two, it's even better.  ie if you have a line of black shoes, make the surprise a red shoe.  (PS when you want to take a picture straight on, line up the bottom of the frame with a line in the shot, future self or go back and rotate, kay?)

In picture two, the same set of numbers exist, but it's more interesting.  Your eye travels to the 1 first, then the 8, then the 7.  I did this by narrowing the depth of field (yeah...i'm guilty of making the aperture 1.4 just because I can.  Just because the lens lets me, doesn't mean I should.  Better to close the aperture, get a greater depth of field and make all of the 1 in focus), focusing on the one, and using the ledge that the number sit on as a line the eye can naturally travel along.  This is the same principle behind the photo with the cars.

I think the second of the two pictures is more interesting.  The photos utilize the same subject, but the second has a "story".  The picture starts somewhere, and gives your eye somewhere to go.  

So, remember future Colleen, just because you want to take a picture of something, doesn't mean you can't tell a story and just because your equipment can do something, doesn't mean you should. Technology kills.  And as Andrew says, don't be a dummys. 

Firework Fail

Hi, 


So, I feel really embarrassed by how terrible my firework photos are, but I'm willing to share.  These are way over exposed. =(  I wish I used my telephoto lens too.  It was just too far away.  I didn't know.  =(  I needed to be higher up too to get a better angle and more stuff in the foreground to add visual interest.  Remember for the future...stomp down on the aperture f/11.  

Canon EOS Rebel T2i with Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens f/3.5-5.6

ISO: 100
Exposure: 1.0 sec
Aperture: 5.6
Focal Length: 55mm

Cool: 

- Multiple bursts

Bad:

- Smoke

- Blur

- Over exposure

- Shot composition

- Stupid overly wide angle with nothing to look at

Another photo, this is one of the few portraits I have where someone actually didn't mind taking there photo and agreed to have it posted on a blog.  This is my coworker, Matt.  

Canon EOS Rebel T2i with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

ISO: 400
Exposure: 1/125 sec
Aperture: 1.4
Focal Length: 50mm

Good:

- the Bokeh!

- I like where he is situated in the photo

- I like how he is looking up into the photo (I think looking down at people make them look skinnier -- less chinny)

Bad: 

- I wish I had a reflector to get rid of some of the shadow on the left

- Wish the work lights weren't so harsh, reflection off forehead and nose are a bit strong.  

- Matt, what is up with the mess on your desk?

That's all for now.  


Next time...blurry/dark/overexposed scared cat photos.  I know I'm looking forward to that. 

Falling Down the Aperture Hole

Hi,

So I started this blog, because I wanted to chronicle the things I learned I liked and I didn't like in photography, the mistakes I personally made, the aesthetics that I like, books, links, whatever for myself.  So that hopefully in a year, I can look back and say well, good job n00b, another one bites the dust.

There's a "thing" that people do on photo blogs, it's called photo 365, where you take a picture everyday for a year and you post about it.  Well, I'm not going to lie to myself and say I'm going to do that because well, I know me and I won't.  But, anyways, this is me and why I'm here.  If you are a noob too, and want to read for hints or tips or what not to do's great.  If you want to share your photos with me, please do!  I love seeing other people's work.  I love seeing their aesthetic.  That's probably a huge motivation for me, if people want to share with me their stuff.  I'd be honored!

Anywho, this is where I came from.  It's a sample of photos I've taken since 2007 with my point and shoot, a Canon S500 Digital Elph:
http://picasaweb.google.com/8leung8/Favorites#

This is where I started, when I first got my Canon EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR, my first SLR last month December 7th.
http://picasaweb.google.com/8leung8/CanonRebelT2i#

Things I want to blog about so I'll remember for later:
- Links I like so far for learning
- Fireworks Failure at Disneyland (let's just say epic fail, and I'll tell you why later)

I think that's it.  *phew* first blog over...and now, I'm super late for work, like always!

Oh, and since this is a photo blog, I guess I should actually link a photo.  Hmm...so many to choose from.

Cloudy/Rainy day in Downtown Manhattan Beach, Ca.
Canon EOS Rebel T2i with Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens f/3.5-5.6
ISO: 100
Exposure: 1/50 sec
Aperture: 5.0

Edited color saturation in Picasa, just to make the colors pop more. 

Likes:
- Colors next to Grey
- Old toy cars next to weathered wood
- Shelf lines and window sill draw eye down row of cars

Dislikes:

- Reflection of the sill in the window

What do you think? Likes? Dislikes (feel free to criticize/give opinion, it's the only way I'll get better)? Thoughts on how to get rid of glare like that in a photo?