Assignment - Depth of Field!

Here's a great example of the tremendous difference depth of field can make when composing an image! Thanks to Buck Cooper for emailing these photos to me...from the Field of Heroes (the memorial set up at Century High School to honor our fallen soldiers). What a "humbling experience", as Buck wrote, "walking through 4440 crosses".

The first picture, here on the left, was taken with at f32 (a very small aperture)...and required over 1 full second to compose (absolutely must have a tripod for long exposures like that!). Everything is clearly sharp from foreground to background. The second picture, was shot at f2.8 at 1/100 second. Taking a photo with a wide open aperture like this results in much more light being let in, therefore, a very shallow depth of field...blurring everything but the focal point, which, in this case, is that front cross.

I want to stress, again, that neither of these choices is right or wrong...it is simply a personal, creative choice and should have a lot to do with your subject matter, the available light you have to work with, and the end result you are looking for.

In this case, with such a compelling subject matter, both depth of field choices are particularly valid. Nicely done Buck!

Photo-a-Day! Depth of field assignment!

Okay, so this one has taken me awhile to get to, but finally...a comparison for our depth of field assignment. The first photo was taken with an aperture of f5.0...the second at f22...and the result is pretty clear in terms of what is sharp vs. what is soft in the photo. With macro photography (close-up), the difference is tremendous.
So, is one "better" than the other, that's a personal preference kind of thing! I kind of like soft focus in close up images as it makes it kind of creamy...but if the intent is to show detail, then a longer depth of field is a must!
Some tips with macro photography...a good macro lens is a must...it allows you to get super close focus! A tripod is also a must with macro...it is so vital to keep your camera absolutely steady and oftentimes you are working with longer shutter speeds with up close work making it nearly impossible to hand hold. Windy days are not good days for macro work outdoors...but practicing with the flower arrangement on your kitchen counter is a great way to experiment! Macro photography can force creativity because you see things so differently when magnified! Oftentimes it becomes about shape, color and textures, almost abstractually...so play with it...and enjoy!

Photo-a-Day! ...and assignment!

The last assignment that I posted (which was largely ignored...ahem...even by me...it must be the nicer weather..?!) was a depth of field challenge! Tyler has stepped up to the challenge and turned in an example of a depth of field comparison! Yay Tyler!
The first photo, he used an f3.5 aperture setting, his shutter (shooting wide open) pretty quick at 1/500, with his focal point near the front of the truck...everything else is a little soft. And the second, he shut down his aperture to f11, resulting in a slower shutter speed of 1/50 (less light coming in), thus more depth of field (same focal point)...the background is a little bit sharper.
This is a pretty subtle example of the differences in depth of field...but photography is all about subtleties! Nice job Tyler! Thanks for doing the work! :]

I haven't forgotten the last assignment...have you?!

So the last assignment I posted was a couple of weeks ago...and the response has been, well, pretty silent actually!

To refresh your memories, the assignment is a depth of field task...to take a photo showing two different depths of field...one to isolate, perhaps, and one to show depth.

I know that a couple of you are still working on this...and I look forward to your images soon!!! (Mine too, I promise!)

Photo-a-Day! Return from Mom's Weekend!

I promise to get "back to business" soon...but just wanted to post one photo from my weekend with Allison at Oregon State! We had a great time...and I am very, very proud of her!
She organized and co-hosted the Greek Awards Banquet, as part of her duties on the Panhellenic Executive Council on Thursday night. It was a great success! Friday night we attended SING, where Allison's house, Kappa Kappa Gamma, along with their SING partners, Lamba Chi did a GREAT job...and, took 1st place!!! Saturday we played...and partied, just a tiny bit, with the other Mom's visiting for Mom's weekend!
All in all, it was a fun weekend...and always good to see my baby!
Now, back to reality...and...I have to get to that assignment on depth of field!

Photography Assignment - Emotions!

I took this photo last summer with my brother-in-law, Shawn, in mind...
The emotion it represents...well, maybe DISAPPOINTMENT, FRUSTRATION, RESTRICTION?! I just thought it was a funny sign...!

Photo Assignment - Emotions!

Fun, beautiful images from Vashti Hieb! How can you not LOVE little kids' sweet faces...especially one covered in frosting (I hope that is edible!)...and one full of joy!
Vashti's words for these two images...INNOCENT (oops, maybe he wasn't supposed to be eating that?!) and BEAUTY (wow, she really is...)!
Thanks so much Vashti, for sharing these two!

Photo Assignment - Emotion!

Tyler Hieb just stopped by and told me the story behind this image...
Brandon was Tyler's cousin who, two years ago this past month, was killed in a car accident. Brandon was a good guy, who loved to play softball, golf and drink Coors beer! Occasionally, someone will anonymously leave a softball or an unopened can of beer on Brandon's head stone, in remembrance.
The word Tyler chose for this image...BLESSED...because he felt blessed himself to have known him.

Just a reminder...

For those of you who have turned in photos before...and for those who've read the blog and thought to yourself "I ought to send her a photo"...the current assignment is EMOTION!
This guy...who found us, on a beach in Santa Barbara, to be an easy mark for throwing the stick...radiates EMOTION! My choice for him...simply, HAPPY!

Photo-a-Day! The Easter Bunny!

A couple of days late...there was an Easter bunny in my front yard...probably resting from delivering all those baskets!

Photo(s)-a-Day! Tetons!

I hope you all had a great weekend and a Happy Easter! This is how I spent my Easter Sunday...in my kind of church! There is nothing like witnessing true grandeur to make you feel really small... (I couldn't chose just one...!)

Patterns!

I mentioned, in an earlier post, that my neice and I stopped by that big grove of trees between Pocatello and Boise awhile back...well, here are a couple of the PATTERN images that Gail captured on that windy, cold day!
Thanks Gail! These are great! (p.s. I still think we should visit them at night...?!!)

Photo Assignment - Emotion!

I think most will agree that this image, taken and sent in by Buck Cooper, certainly fits the bill when it comes to capturing something with EMOTION. Buck's choice...PRIDE.
Buck loves sports photography! You can often find him on the sidelines, capturing the action of a great game! You can see some of his work at http://www.coopsphotos.com/.
Thanks Buck, for participating in this assignment...and for capturing this iconic image which gives us all PRIDE.

Photo-a-Day! Take music, wherever you go!

This has continued to be one of my favorite portrait images. I know, you are thinking, you can't even see her face?!
Well, this particular teenager, whom I was lucky enough to get to know while doing her senior pictures awhile ago, was so genuinely sweet and such a lovely, unassuming young lady... And when I suggested that she play her violin down this old alleyway she just sort of lit up...and so did that alley, with music! It was fabulous! A goosebump moment!
So, for my Photo-a-Day...I hope you take beautiful music wherever you go...and wish you all 'goosebump moments' every day!

Photo-a-Day! Waiting for Spring!

A photo from one of my favorite places, Corvallis, Oregon...and one of my favorite time of year, Spring! Isn't this what Spring is supposed to look like?! What is all of this white stuff still doing around here? Oh well...enjoy the weekend, whatever your weather!

Photographing Emotions...

We came across this sweet guy while wandering around the other day. It seems he is waiting for his ride (parked outside a mini-mart)! I was going to post it as my photo-a-day, but while editing the picture decided he was perfect for my emotion assignment...
So what emotion does this photo portray...? I choose PATIENCE.

Emotions!

...okay, so this next "assignment" is, as always, open to anyone and everyone who has a camera (yes, even the one on your phone will do!!!) and an imagination! Seriously, email me an image (heartandsoulimages@cableone.net) and I'll post it here! Then brag to your friends that you are a published photographer!

I'm going to call this one, PHOTOGRAPHIC EXERCISING! ...sort of a "stretching your legs" kind of assignment, designed to get you thinking, feeling, looking around you, and imagining...

It's Spring, sort of (I woke up to snow this morning!), and we are all beginning to think about what we want to look like as Summertime approaches with the dreaded Victoria's Secret swimsuit catalog judging us from the coffee table, right?! Hmmm...okay, well maybe that's just me...but certainly most of us are still shaking off the doldroms of Winter...and are in need of some physical exercising, as well as some mental exercising, right?! Okay, well I can't really help you much with the physical exercising (unless you want to join me walking my dog!)...but I can help you with the mental exercising!

Your assignment... Photograph an Emotion!

Oh, see...that's not hard...it's easy to photograph happiness, right? Maybe with a big, cheesy smile! How about sadness? A pouty child's face perhaps?! Or seriousness? Okay, so now go farther...photograph energetic...or warmth...or love. How about generosity...or forgiveness...or patience. Grief...or anxiousness...or fear? Want more of a challenge...don't use people in your photographs! Ahhhh, what?!!! Okay, well, use people if you like, but also give a thought to a human emotion translated to things too. Be creative!

Don't you love it when you feel something when you look at a photograph? I know I do! (Did you see the image I posted the other day from Benjamin Edwards...talk about emotion!) Don't be intimidated...you don't have to photograph ALL of the emotions I suggested...just pick one or two, or come up with your own...think about how you can capture an emotion in a photograph...

Whether you are a portrait photographer, a nature lover who never goes anywhere without a camera, a dog walker with a point and shoot, or a student with your cell phone in your pocket at all times...you see the world from your own interesting perspective...and I would love to hear from you!

Love these....

I love architectural photos...and these are just really cool!
Tyler and his lovely wife spent the weekend in Boise, while he attended a RMSP weekend workshop. He was able to take a little time to wander with his camera and got these great shots at the Boise Temple.

Finally...!!!

I feel really badly when I don't make the time to complete my own assignments! But finally, I have some photos to post...for the latest assignment...PATTERNS!
When you look for patterns, you really do begin to see them everywhere...in nature: flowers, pine cones, tree branches, and even clouds have patterns formed by the winds!
My niece and I stopped by this grove of trees between home and Boise on Sunday afternoon. You've probably seen them...rows and rows and rows of trees! If it hadn't been so cold and windy that day, we would've spent a lot more time...and we decided it would be fun to come back and wander in the dark...!!!



And then there are man made patterns...these being in my game closet! I kind of like the purposefulness of patterns, orderly patterns as well as RaNdOm ones! Makes me feel like things are under control!

Tread lightly...

One of the best things about photography...well, really, any kind of creative field...is that we all see the world so differently from each other. Case in point, Tyler turned in a great couple of photos for the latest assignment, that of PATTERNS! Tyler "sees" things differently than I, not better, not worse...just differently! It's so fun!!
It would not have occurred to me to photograph my car's tire treads as part of an assignment about Patterns. I don't think it's just that, well, I am a girl...and, even more, I am a girl who doesn't pay much attention to treads or tires...(ask my husband who has to remind me to rotate them or replace them when they look like racing tires!)...but I just don't "see" them! But look at them...they are kind of cool! And what a unique pattern! (Perhaps Part II of Tyler's assignment would be the imprint of this tire in mud?! Kind of a negative version to this positive...?)
Anyway, nice job Tyler! I have to find some time to work on my own assignment...been keeping busy enjoying my daughter's visit home from college...and celebrating my other daughter's birthday...and other fun stuff!
Enjoy!