Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Still Life Photos in My Future


(Click on the thumbnail for the bigger, better version)

Wow. I surely do know where to go for counseling the next time we have a houseguest. When I think of how much less work would have been involved! No. Wait. All that advice was from guys. Hmm. Maybe I should get some advice from some females to balance things out.

Here is the truth. I need something like a houseguest to put an axe over my head. I do want to eventually get fully moved in. But, there are always pictures to be made; something new to learn; experiments to be pursued; tutorials to study; material to read. What is a person to do? Now, thanks to The Husband’s niece, we are a little closer to being settled in and making this a home.

But, you had better believe that the minute the door closed behind The Houseguest, the B&H box came out. The dust behind the three-horse trailer she was pulling hadn’t settled over the driveway, before I had gotten the STE2 transmitter on the 50D.

I spend the next two days making dozens of test shots. More dead batteries. I’m slow. In the time it took to get the photo of the vegetables remotely close to what was in my head, a second bridge over Oakland Bay could have been built. Even after all those tries, the photograph still needed some clean up (should have done more) from the light spills that I failed to control, and the final product didn’t match up to my mental picture.

But, it’s that persistence thing. Eventually, I will work my way closer and closer to a grasp of how this stuff works. Ray K recommended a book to me that is bound to make its way into my Christmas stocking, and I continue finding helpful articles online. Expect to put up with more still life photos sprinkled among the landscapes and pictures of the horses—especially as winter settles in here. I can watch the snow fall while I take tons of pictures and keep my feet warm as toast. Sounds like a good plan. I stay comfy, and it sure beats tackling those last couple of rooms that need to be done.

5 comments:

  1. What a lovely start, Anita. I'm sure that this winter will be fraught with learning about lighting, both adding and subtracting of light as well as mixing ambient and flash. All the while, the feet and toesies will be warm and comfy! Certainly a great winter project. I should do it myself. I have the necessary equipment.

    Also, I don't think that you need to balance the opinions with female opinions. Just remember, if you follow the advice of the guys, you'll have more time for yourself to pursue your interests. :-)

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  2. Anita, If this is one of your first efforts then I believe you're off to a wonderful start. Learning to interpret you minds vision into a beautiful photograph by manipulating the technical aspects (magic) of light is indeed a wonderful project--winter or not! Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.

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  3. I'm impressed.
    Painterly and controlled come to mind.

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  4. Amita, I look forward to seeing what you produce next; it seems like it will be difficult to beat this one.

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  5. This is awesome! Still life is really not as easy as most think and especially if you have a visual in your head and are working to bring that out. This is inspirational for me and something I have thought about pursuing. Hope to see more like this. And, so you can chew on more guy advice, I'd forget the other two rooms. :-)

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Anita