Time with family... without my Camera!

Geesh,

I find myself doing a lot more things with photography than taking photo's lately.  Isn't photography about taking photo's?  I used to think so.  There is so much to do with post production in programs like Photoshop etc, that one could spend more time behind the computer rather than behind the lens.  I am trying to find the balance but have definitely weighed more towards the computer and Internet side of things.  There are other pro photographers out there that are incredible and I love looking at their blogs and work they put out regularly.  People like Joe McNalley and Chase Jarvis have been real inspiration for me in the past while.  At least I have something to "shoot" for ;)

I am out of town right now visiting some family and thought to myself while packing... I won't need my camera so I won't bring it.  Well, let me tell you, that is not the way things should roll when you want to be pro.  Your camera should be with you as much as possible.  You never know when you will find a great opportunity to shoot something great for yourself, stock, or even a corporate project you may be in the middle of working on.  It would even be nice to invest in a good quality point and shoot like the Canon G10 or something.  I hear they are fairly large mega-pix and shoot in RAW.  At least it will fit in your pocket so I wouldn't have an excuse not to take in anywhere.  If you are looking for a great point and shoot I would recommend it.  I plan to get one in the future for a backup backup.

Today, I had to chance to visit with my niece and show her how to skip rope.  I am not that great by any means but thought I could teach a child.  Long story short, I wish I had my camera to practice some mid-day portrait lighting outside.  I just had the urge and no camera.  So I settled with my mother-in-laws Sony Cybershot point and shoot.  It didn't take away my craving but was better than nothing.  

Know for next time..

Kurt " wants to double under" Stenberg

TECH INFO / TIP: portrait (at beginning of post) taken with Sony point and shoot camera.  "point and shoot" means a camera without an interchangeable lens.  I set the camera to P mode which is similar to AUTO but still lets you control things like flash among other things.  I set the flash to "forced ON" as it would not normally turn on in such strong daylight.  The small burst of flash is used to fill shadow's in her face.  Without flash, staring into the sun, she would have had deep shadows in her eye sockets.  This is once circumstance where you can improve your photos with a plain P-A-S camera with its on-camera flash.  Start using flash in the daytime!  It is almost more useful than using it in low light to improve your overall photos.

New presentation for images

It has been a while since my last post.  Man, I have been busy and not just with photography!  I have been playing around with photoshop CS3 a lot lately.  It seems that modern day photography requires a lot of time and skills with the huge program.  Check out what I was able to do with the picture.  It is all ready for print now :)

Kurt

"Strings" a picture is worth a thousand notes

Working with Calgary musician Tyler W., I helped him to create some imagery for his studio.  He plays a variety of instruments but his passion lies with the sound created by "strings".  I took these photo's in a specific way that would tell the story of the instrument.  The Cello displaying is beautiful curves in such a perfect balanced form.  It's scroll a form on its own deserved its own attention.  I tried to make my focus on the prominent parts that a musician may touch and interact with.  This may all sound funny to you but it's all for a purpose.  By capturing images with "feel" through its shape texture and color I was able to evoke certain emotions through its viewer.  With a different perspective, such as the musicians hands on the neck of his classical guitar, I was able to show the bond and relationship a musician shares with his instruments.  The final result: music through imagery. 

Tech info

shot with Canon 40D 2.8 L series lens 28-70.  Approx = 1/80 sec (handheld), F16, ISO 1600, w/ex 580 flash bounce.  basic edit in Lightroom no Photoshop.

New blog you say?

Well here it is... 

A new Blog spot!  More the merrier I always say.  I thought I should put together a more "formal" Blog page rather than what I have going on my website and through Facebook and Flickr.

I hope to post ALL recent types of work here such as portraits for friends, family, and clients.  I also plan to post anything I re-edit or

 "photoshop" or even pic's from camera club outings, workshops etc.

I recently joined a local camera club called Images Alberta.  They are a fairly large group that shoots mostly for fun and hosts at least two meetings a month.  The first is usually a guest speaker and the second, a competition.  I recently came back from a competition and was quite impressed with some of the caliber there.  I intend to enter some photos in the future and let you all know how it went.  Otherwise the club hosts a variety of workshops and "outings" throughout the year.  They are a wealth of knowledge for any new photographer.  If you are a hobbiest or just like photographs, feel free to get in touch with me and I can let you know more about the club if you are interested.

Well that's it for now.  Please please please feel free to leave comments on anything you like, dislike, or would like to see more of!

And thanks to everyone for all of you referrals.  I appreciate since I work mostly on a word-of-mouth basis :)

Later!