15June2009
Posted by Chester under: Commentary; Photos; Portraits.
My daughter is one of the hardest kids to get a good picture of. At 3 years of age (4 in a couple weeks), she is a non-stop dynamo of energy that never seems to stop. That energy is magnified even more when we are exploring a new (to her) place.
This past weekend she decided she wanted to go see Red Rocks - as in the Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, but famous by the U2 video in the 80’s. It is actually a pretty popular hangout among people in Denver, there were a lot of people using it for a workout today (running up and down the stairs and “seats” is a popular workout).
Natalie was in explorer mode today, so she wanted to go all the way down to the bottom and look around. I was able to convince her to pose for me a little bit at the top first though. As she gets older, she is starting to enjoy being in front of the camera. Later in the day she told me I should be taking pictures of her splashing in the puddles left by the rain.
I haven’t shot any families with little kids other than my own, but my advice would be to be patient, follow the little ones around, and shoot a lot of pics to get the keepers. It’s kind of like shooting sports. They are that unpredictable and fast paced.
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5June2009
Posted by Chester under: Gear; Landscape; Photos.
I was waiting to write today until the canvas wraps I ordered from Canvas On Demand had arrived. I have always wanted to do a canvas wrap of a picture, but never really knew which one to do.
As it turns out, we are decorating one room of our house in a ski theme, and the two pictures here seemed perfect for it. So last week I sent the pics off to Canvas On Demand and waited anxiously. Once I got the shipping notice on Tuesday, I knew they would arrive today.
They come packed very well so nothing gets damaged in transit. Standard shipping is via FedEx ground, but you can pay more to expedite it. The quality of these images is superb. After having these two made, you can be sure I will be doing more. Maybe some small 8×10’s of my flower macros. I could even add a water-color treatment in Photoshop first before I send the file in. I’ll bet those would look really sharp. I am glad I bit the bullet and did this. You should try it too!
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3June2009
Posted by Chester under: Book Reviews.
Practical HDRI: High Dynamic Range Imaging for Photographers by Jack Howard is the latest book I have read on the subject. I haven’t touched my Photomatix software (indeed, even my camera) for some time. Reading through this book helped inspire me to get back out shooting photos, and also to see if Olympus was doing anything to help with the capture of HDR images. As it turns out, the recently released Olympus E-620 has far better support for proper image bracketing to get the exposures you need.
The book itself is fairly short - just 168 pages. But these pages are full of good information and practical examples using more than just one software package. What I like most about it is the frankness of the author when it comes to producing realistic HDR images, as opposed to some of the cartoonish extremes that have come to symbolize the genre. I much prefer a realistic image that has great depth in all ranges between the darkest and lightest sections of the image. In addition to the software examples (Photoshop CS3, Photomatix and FDRTools), the author tells you what to watch for when capturing the images, well before they see the computer.
All in all this was a very worthwhile book, with more than enough interesting bits for the novice and experienced alike. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for more information on HDRI.
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1June2009
Posted by Chester under: Commentary; Photos.
In the past I was trying to come up with something to say every day. I am not going to do that again. I’ll try to have a regular posting schedule, but it will likely be 2 or 3 times a week, with more sprinkled in as necessary. I don’t want to post just for the sake of posting.
And if you are curious about the photo above, it is a yellow columbine, taken with my Olympus E-510, EX-25, 40-150 kit lens at 48mm. I love macros, and am glad summer is back so I can get some good ones.
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29May2009
Posted by Chester under: Commentary.
I have been following the work of David Tejada for what seems like an eternity (well over a year?). I have met him in person and had a chance to hear him speak. He was even gracious enough to address the photography class at my daughter’s high school. I cannot say enough good things about him. I fully plan to attend his next Denver event and you should too. $50 for 4 hours of learning Strobist style stuff with this guy is a steal. Really. And I am paying the same $50 you are, so don’t think I am just doing some marketing for him. I believe in him and what he has to teach. Want a sample? Check out David’s blog and decide for yourself.
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28May2009
Posted by Chester under: Commentary.
Yes, it has been quite some time since I have posted. I have been in a creative funk since February. Haven’t been inspired to write, haven’t been inspired to take pictures. It’s been kind of strange actually. But I am starting to come out of it. I have read three books I need to write reviews for. The flowers are starting to bloom. And my oldest daughter graduated from Lakewood High School last weekend. Naturally I had to take some pictures (the one above I think is the best).
The point I am trying to make is that this site is far from dead. Keep coming back for more, and I promise I’ll get more active again.
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16February2009
Posted by Chester under: Do It Yourself.
This self portrait was taken using a homemade PVC/ Lightstand backdrop holder. I took the original idea from Martin Kimeldorf and, as usual, did a little of my own thing with it. The smaller images in this article can be clicked on to see larger versions.
The parts list for this is pretty easy. Two 2′ sections of 1/2″ PVC pipe (Schedule 40, Home Depot has pre-cut 2′ lengths for about $0.79ea), one 6″ section of 1/2″ PVC pipe (if you don’t have any laying around, get another 2′ section), one 1/2″ Sch40 T, one 36″x1/2″ wooden dowel, one lightstand, one backdrop, and two or three clips or clamps (simple binder clips would even work). I found that, with my particular lightstand, the 1/2″ PVC slipped right over the top and fit quite nicely. I then put the T on, put the 2′ sections of PVC into the T, and then inserted the wooden dowel to keep the PVC from sagging. Once all that was on, I draped the backdrop over the pipe, clipped it with the clamps, and was all done.
Overall I was pleased with how well it worked, and even more impressed by it’s portability and the ease with which it broke down. One con is that it takes up one of the two lightstands I have, but I have been meaning to get more anyway. Just in case I need a wider backdrop, I purchased two 1/2″ couplers and two extra 2′ sticks of PVC, along with an extra dowel. That will give me a lot of coverage should I need it, say for a group or something. Now I need to try making my own backdrops. If you have any nifty DIY things I should try, leave a comment or send me an email.
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12February2009
Posted by Chester under: Photos.
No, this isn’t a glass rendition of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”. This was a figure study, and sort of a test, for Boulder, Colorado glassblower Ryan Rosburg. Made from borosilicate glass, Ryan was able to get some intricate detail. Whenever I see his work, I am truly amazed. He is quite skilled and makes a respectable living as a glassblower. I amalso flattered when he asks me to photograph his work. This photo will be part of a website I am building for his artistic glasswork. I have already built one for his glass recycling program, The Community Carbon Project. I am certainly enjoying doing all this product photography. I guess it doesn’t hurt that I think the stuff they are turning out is pretty cool. The part of all this is that I am learning a lot about a craft that I didn’t know anything about. I do enjoy learning new things in general, so this has been perfect for me. If you haven’t checked out the cool glasses and other stuff they make, make sure you do. Creativity like that should always be rewarded.
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11February2009
Posted by Chester under: Photos; Portraits.
Yesterday I built a PVC backdrop holder that also uses a light stand. The full writeup will come next Monday. But after I built it, I needed to test it. Since I was all alone at my home in Lakewood, I became the guinea pig. I am not sure if it is true for all photographers, but I personally don’t like being in photos. That’s why I am always behind the camera. Well, after taking the indoor shots with the backdrop stand (which worked like a charm), I decided to go outside and shoot one that might be good for my Facebook, Zenfolio, and whatever other places I have a photo online. As I was going through them in Lightroom, one caught my eye. When I brought it up on the second monitor, in “Fill” mode, I really liked the crop. I tweaked it a little, and voila, a self portrait I actually like. I won’t tell you how many shots I took (north of 30), it all felt pretty vain actually. But the result is one I like, and I think it will be suitable for other things in the future.
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10February2009
Posted by Chester under: Photos; Products.
Last week I had a shoot scheduled for Vins Gagliardi | Allard, a local (Highlands Ranch, Colorado) importer of French wine known for their unique labels. I was there for about two hours, and shot roughly 150 pictures. Pete and I talked for a bit about what he was trying to achieve, and then I started placing and shooting. Out of the 150 or so pictures, I think only a handful have the potential to do what Pete was looking for. Overall I am not very pleased with the results, and will be scheduling a reshoot (on my dime) in the very near future. Now that I have seen the results in the computer, I know what to correct during the shoot, and have also come up with some new lighting ideas. Wine bottles and various glasses are hard to shoot. Even more so on location. I neglected to use my portable PVC light tent for this outing, but I will definitely use it next time. I also am hoping to be able to shoot tethered (getting a new laptop soon) so I can see the results immediately. If I had done that the first time, a lot of headache would likely have been saved. Big thanks go out to Pete for letting me try this, and then for the patience to have me come back.
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