D-323 What's your comfort zone?

The daily challenge: My image is just blah -
The Daily Shoot
#ds370 Tungsten light can often create a warming effect, depending on your white balance. Use tungsten light in a photo today.

Today I didn't have to many willing models. So I took a picture of a store window. I felt like I was peeking into someones home - lol



back to Mexico,
Going into this trip I had made up my mind that I wanted to take wide angle shots because I wanted to capture the feel of Puerto Vallarta and the feel of the towns we visited.
You see I'm comfortable taking close up images like these:

This bird was so graceful. We stalked him for awhile, then he got comfortable with us.





so taking images like these was out of my comfort zone.

That is where we stayed

and although I know the main subject is small, I wanted a dramatic look. The sky, the sand and even the tilt.

We have to keep pushing our creative comfort levels until we've exhausted what we can learn in that area. My friend Alexis suggested I go back to taking pictures of buildings - well one of the reasons I stopped was because I didn't know enough about how to photograph that subject correctly and I was very unhappy with my last attempts. I guess that means I need to look into that again, but for now maybe wide angles.



Images viewed: http://blog.yasserlens.com/

D-314 -321 Vacation pictures and Sound Challenge

The daily shoot challenge today: Make a photograph today that visually communicates a sound. Your choice of sound, but do your best to make us "hear" it.

High ISO 2500, 50mm, Nikon D-700. The awesome thing about using that high of an ISO on the Nikon D-700 is very little noise.

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the set up, ambient light with candles, wine, wine glasses.


I am sharing some images from my vacation, however I still have many to go through. I tried creating a slide show but my adobe flash player is refusing to update or run.











You can see more on my flickr account.

D-163 Garden bokeh

Another daily shoot challenge.
Today's challenge is "Shoot wide open today. Make a creative photo that uses a shallow depth of field to good effect. #ds214"


I must confess that shallow depth of field and bokeh is no longer a challenge to me. So instead of the usual bokehliciousness I get with flowers and fields I thought I try a different subject. My Chinese Lantern with lights in the background.



Nikon D-300, 50 mm, F/1.4,1/50s, ISO 250
My reading corner:
Nikon D-300 User's Manual Pages 172-173
Images Viewed: Michele Winter Johnson Architecture photography

D-156 Nothing but the challenge . . .

Today's daily shoot challenge is "DS#207 "Contrast subjects of different size today. Be subtle or make it obvious, it's up to you!"


My reading corner:
Nikon D-300 User's Manual Pages 179
Now reading:
A Short Course in Photography by London & Stone pages 37-40
Viewed different images on Flickr

D-142 Diversity

Today's Tasra Mar's Thursday Theme is Diversity.
Diversity stems from the word diverse. Diverse differing from one another: unlike 2: composed of distinct or unlike elements of qualities syn different

Meet Don,
He let me take his portrait for a fee of $2.00. I got the idea from the $2.00 portraits.


This was a huge milestone for me. I was really nerveous approaching him. This is something I've wanted to do for some time. After the portrait was taken and the money was paid - I was very proud of myself. Lucky for me I carry my camera with me and I happened to have my 50mm 1.4 lens. Yes!


My Reading corner:
Nikon D-300 User's Manual Pages 120-121
Getting Things Done by David Allen Pages 167-178

Today I read Digital Photography Visual Quick Tips by Gregory Georges. This is a good book for beginers. It has great tips.
Images viewed:
The Art of digital Photography by Hohn Hedgecoe. Another great book. For beginers and intermediate photographers. I really liked this one.

D-141 Square . . .

"Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory."


Daily shoot challenge:
#ds192 Lose the rectangle today. Make a photograph with a square (1:1) aspect ratio and post it. Crop if needed.


I'm sorry I keep forgetting to explain how I got the shot or what equipment I used.
Nikon D-300, 70-200mm@200,f/2.8, 1/80s, ISO 200, natural light.
Tweaked the image in p.s. with saturation and contrast.


Images viewed: Busath Studio & Gardens Jaw dropping beauty on this site.

My Reading corner:
Nikon D-300 User's Manual Pages 118-120
Getting Things Done by David Allen Pages 155-167
Professional Photographer Magazine May 2010

D-140 Inspiration . . .

Where does your inspiration come from?
I've always been told to study images that you really like. To pay attention to the details. I look at the lighting, the composition, the color. I find what it is that attracts me to the image and I study what "it" is.
However, on Scott Bourne Photofocus Blog there is an article byTamara Lackey, she says "In my experience, though, I actually find that doing the opposite actually helps me to better crystallize what, exactly, I am drawn to, simply by better honing in on what is not of interest to me."

Interesting concept, I'll have to try and study the images I don't like. How about you where does your inspiration come from?

My image today is in response to The Daily shoot "#ds191 Focus the viewer's attention. Make a photo of a single subject with as plain a background as you can."


Don't forget it's Twitter Tuesday over at Tasra Mar's
My Reading corner:
Nikon D-300 User's Manual Pages 118-155
Getting Things Done by David Allen Pages - 129-155

Images viewed: Douglas Dubler

D-139 To step out of the comfort zone. . .

"The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself."
— Alan Alda

Images and article read today comes from Rangerfinder May 2010 Issue

There is a wonderfully inspirational article by CharMaine Beleele
"...We are so determined to stick to our comfort zones that we learn to live with disappointment, as long as it's familiar and safe . . . our fears hold us back, make us fall short of our goals. Only by taking risks can we hope to accomplish the extraordinary." page 80

If you have access to this magazine it is really worth a look at it.

Are you stuck in your comfort zone? Are you safe in the known? Are you living with disappointment because you won't take the risks?

The daily shoot #190 today was asking for the color purple. Nothing exciting just working on perfecting the high key lighting - next time I'll step outside the comfort zone and get creative.



My Reading corner:
Nikon D-300 User's Manual Pages 93-105
Getting Things Done by David Allen Pages - 118-129
Rangefinder
Digital Photography 2nd Edition TomAng

D-138 Landscape

Today's Daily Shoot challenge:
Sunday challenge time: Make a landscape photo (natural or urban). Create something that you'd want to put on your wall.


“Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment.” Ansel Adams




"You don't take a photograph, you make it." Ansel Admas


Well it is landscape and I would love to print it, frame it and put it on my wall!

My Reading corner:
Nikon D-300 User's Manual Pages 91-93
Getting Things Done by David Allen Pages - didn't get to this one yet
Practical Photography Spring 2010