This is amongst one of my favorite images from my semester long project.

This past spring semester, my last one of college (yay me!), I focused on movement photography.  Surprised?  Doubt it.  Not only did I dabble in what I already know, but I have found that my eye is drawn to new styles of photography that I want to incorporate into my day to day shooting.  For now, I’ll share what I have been up to, but be warned, you may soon be flooded with all of the styles that have inspired me and kept my creative juices flowing!

Once I get out and practice, I will share tips I have learned along the way as well as what hasn’t been so successful.

Ok, ok, I know this has been done many times, but I love how mine turned out with all of the linear lines.

I’ve been thinking of just sharing everything that inspires me on my blog…How would you feel about that?  Or, should I just stick to Photography?

Window mounting is used when framing your photos because it adds a more "finished" look to them. Photo from ricardodiaz11 on Flickr.

I have created a “how to” video on window mounting your images.  Whether you need to know how to do this for the upcoming holidays or for your final projects in school, this video has step-by-step instructions on making your photos even more presentable to your audience.

Feel free to ask me if you have any questions in my comments!

My loving mare, Dante. She's the best, by far. Even after all of the "goobers" that ended up on me after she was done nuzzling.

First and foremost, thanks so so much for helping my blog get “Freshly Pressed”.  I must say, waking up to hundreds of emails from WordPress.com had me rather confused, especially since I wasn’t aware of what “freshly pressed” meant.  Then I went to WordPress.com and what do ya know?  There’s my blog!  So thank you for all of your feedback and I’m pleased that everyone enjoyed my post so much.

So, as finals are approaching at school, I’ve found myself ahead of the game and not stressed out.  In four years, this is a first, I must say.  With that said, after all of the love I received in the past 48 on here, why not write another blog in all of my “spare time”?

The winter weather has given her one furry coat.

I am working on putting together a post about  candle-lit photography, but I need to go out and practice myself since I haven’t attempted this challenge in awhile, so stay posted.

Living in the heart of Chicago has made me appreciate living in a city, but I do miss going out to the barn, back in St. Louis.  I was lucky enough to go home over Thanksgiving and thought a mini photo shoot might be in order?  With the help of my friend Nicole and my photo editing, we compiled all of these images with my favorite mare.

This has probably become one of my all-time favorite pictures...EVER.

Since there were so many comments regarding the puppy shot in my last post, I thought this could be a little dedication to all of our most loyal companions as well.  There are a couple things to remember when shooting your pets.

• Capture their personality – Photograph them in their “element”.  Whether you have the most lazy dog EVER and all he does is sleep, capture that.  Or if your cat can’t stop pawing at the TV, capture that.  We love them for our own reasons, so why not share it with everyone?
• Get on their level – Since most of our pets are smaller then us, minus the 1,000 pound mare in my images, stoop down to their eye level.  Take shots of them from their own perspective and you’ll get some great results.
• Experiments with different lenses – Some of the funniest pictures involve a fisheye lens and looking at an animal “head on”.  Or, try a zoom lens and capture the details of all that fur that ends up all over your house!

Let me know what you think!  And stay posted, a more in-depth “How To” post is in the making!  Perhaps this weekend???  Happy shooting!!!

Here’s a video I thought had some helpful tips.

When pets play in the snow, their personalities seemed to really come out. Take advantage of this and use it in your photos. Image by: jpctalbot Creative Commons Flickr

Snow can quite possibly be one of the trickiest subjects to photograph. Because of it’s intense reflections and clear coloring, your camera may have a tendency to turn the snow in your image either blue or yellow, both of which are not what our eyes see.

The first real snowfall finally reached Chicago, and a post regarding snow photography seemed rather appropriate.  Whether you have or have not experimented with snow as a subject, these helpful tips will ensure you in fact, have white snow in your image.

Experiment with macro photography and zoom in on details. Image by: Randy OHC Creative Commons Flickr

Some cameras, for those of you who are lucky, have a “snow” or “winter” setting built in which does correct many mistakes your camera might make with colors.  Two important things to remember are, white balance, and not over-exposing your photos.

Here are some simple tips to improve the appearance of snow photographs:

• Contrast – Snow is usually a non-dimensional subject because it is usually just white or grey.  When shooting snow, make sure to wait for a clear day, preferably with blue sky to eliminate the dullness or photographs that come with an overcast day.
• Exposure – If you’re one of the luckier photographers with a snow setting on your camera, go ahead and use this because your camera will automatically take in to account the exposure changes needed.  For the rest of us, bump up your exposure to +1 allowing for your camera to adjust the light and create a less grey or less flat looking image.
• Lighting – Snow is a very reflective subject so make sure to not shoot directly into the sun.  Instead, stand where the sun hits your subject at a right angle early in the morning, or late in the afternoon.  This is the best lighting for shooting and especially early in the morning if you were lucky to get a full snow over night.

Try something different, use your flash when taking pictures in snow to capture the "glistening" effect of ice. Image by: alBoehmw (yours truly) on Flickr

Always remember to branch out with different ideas when using snow in your images.  Different perspectives are far more interesting, as in any photo, but especially in snow because of all of the possibilities.  Here are a couple ideas to jumpstart your snow adventures this winter:

• Capture someone making a snow angel on the ground with a slow shutter speed to capture the movement with their legs and arms.
• Take a picture of a snowman from ground-level looking up and making it appear much larger than normal.
• Don’t just take a picture of a snow covered tree.  Go “macro” and get close up to the branches, especially of a pine tree and capture each bristle covered in snow.

Even though this is shot looking into the sun, there are enough branches blocking the direct light to not over-expose the image. Image by Martin Pettitt Creative Commons Flickr

And as usual, have fun!  The bonus of digital photography is that if your first few shots do not turn out, you can always take more.

Did this post help you with photographing snow?  Please share your images in the comments section, I’d love to see what you captured.

Photos by (in order of appearance): jpctalbot on Flickr, Randy OHC on Flickr, alBoehmw (yours truly) on Flickr and Martin Pettitt on Flickr

This captures the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping rather well, no?

Having trouble finding holiday gifts for your favorite photographer?  There are two parallels with photographers.  They either seem to have everything, or they don’t have enough.  Between the options of equipment, editing software, or darkroom acessories, the list seems to never end.

Fortunately, Chicago is home to some of the best camera supply places around.  Not only do these store carry items that are perfect for digital or film users, but they are also well-knowledged and can help the not so informed shoppers in picking out gifts.

The Chicago Loop is home to so many unknown gems in retail, that it may be hard to find particular places. unless you know where to look.  Nestled into the busy Loop lies Central Camera Company.  This go-to camera stores could quite possibly be anyone’s best bet for gifts.

“The people who work at Central Camera are always extremely friendly.  They are very knowledgable about photography so they always know how to help you and answer all of my questions,”  Kiandra Trealoff said of the crowded store.  Kiandra, a Loyola University student says she’s always bought her supplies there, especially because they offer students a 10% discount with your student ID.

It may be overwhelming to walk into a shot-gun style store crammed with supplies, equipment and photographs all over the walls, but don’t let that discourage you because they have been established since 1899.  With that much history, how could a place like this not be your first stop?

What Central Camera has to offer:

• Digital Camera
• Lenses
• Bags, Cases and Straps
• Tripods
• Flash, Lighting Equipment and Meters
• Filters and Lens Accessories
• Film
• Darkroom Supplies
• And much more!

Being in a city as large as Chicago, there are always going to be other options for which store you choose to go to.  Below is a map pin-pointing other camera store options throughout downtown Chicago.

Even though there are great camera specific stores all over, the trusty chain shopping stores are always great options as well.  Mainly, what you can expect of places such as Target or Best Buy are the competitive holiday prices that will be offered.  Going to a non-chain, or family owned business can usually guarentee you might be paying more than you would at your local one-stop shopping stores.

We all know those loud red carts, of course it's Target

There is always a give and take in these instances.  Going to a place like Central Camera will ensure you are speaking with a specialist, where as at Target, you may not be so lucky.  Yes, the workers in the electronics department are knowledgeable, but usually only on the items they sell, and not necessarily photography as a whole.

“For SLR (single lens reflex) cameras, our most popular item is the Canon Rebel T2i that has 18 mega pixels,” said Dan Hendricksen, a sales manager at Central Camera.  He said that the most popular items this season have been simple point and shoot cameras.  This could be because they are the most simple to use and almost everyone has one.  Dan also added that “The Canon DS 1300i goes for about $150 so it’s more popular because of it’s price.”

Canon and Nikon cameras are the main competitors within the camera market, and it mainly comes down to personal opinion or experience with one or the other.  However, Central Camera, and other retailers have a wide variety of brand names, so you do not necessarily need to get hung-up between either of the most popular brand names.

One particular way to avoid frustration, whether you are at a chain store or a family owned business is to do your homework on products you are looking to purchase.  There are many websites that have great rating of new models of cameras, and there are always personal opinions of the newest tripods or other accessories that have come out all over the web.

When doing your homework, keep these things in mind:

• The most expensive camera is not always the best camera.  Even more important, the most expensive camera may not be perfect for you or whom your shopping for.  Make sure to know what you expect your camera to do and types of images you are wanting to shoot.  For example, if you are into sports, you will want a camera that can capture multiple shots per second.
• On the other hand, do not pick your camera based on the holiday special stores may be running.  Whether you are spending $50 or $1,000 you will not be happy if your camera malfunctions mid-shooting.  Holiday specials and deals are great to find once you know what camera you are interested in.
• Do not get overwhelmed.  There are so many options on the market that this can be hard to avoid, but that will take the fun out of finding your new best friend.  Getting frustrated and making an irrational decision on a camera could be something you regret later.  Just remember that finding a great camera that you can grow with is rewarding and worth all of your research in the end.

Happy hunting!  Whether you’re shopping for yourself, or for your favorite photographer, make sure to have fun.  This is a hobby that is full of gratification and either way, you will make someone very grateful with a new gadget to play with come the holidays.

View This Poll

Slideshow Photos (In order of appearance): F 5.6 on Flickr, poppet with a camera on Flickr, salimfadhley on Flickr, Visionstyler-Press on Flickr, Visionstyler-Press on Flickr, Creative Tools on Flickr

Photos by: bensonkua on Flickr, pixeljones on Flickr, IntangibleArts on Flickr

Macro photography is a "zoom" style of photography that explores the details in objects

With the seasons changing and preparing for the holidays, why not brush up on your photography knowledge?  Everyone gets mixed up in the holiday hustle and bustle, but some things we need to remember when out shooting.

Things you do not want to forget:

• What ISO setting do I use? – This is always important, especially during family gatherings.  Mostlikely you will be in a setting with low lighting so you will want your ISO to be at a higher setting, at least 400 or higher.  The ISO is light sensitive so have a higher number to ensure your pictures turn out and are just a bunch of shadows.
• Have different lenses handy – Caring lenses around may be a hassle, but the limits are numerous when you can change out your lens to create a new picture.  Think of how funny it would be to have that family shot with a “fisheye” lens?

A fisheye lens adds a sense of humor to many photos

• What white balance will you use? – Depending on the mood of the setting you are in, using different white balances can create fun effects that add to the quality of your images.  If you’re in more of a low lit condition that seems “warm”, to balance it out, use a cooler setting that has more blue in it.  You can change your automatic settings, or use one of the presets within your camera.  Obviously the best way to figure out which to use is by just playing around!

Now take this quiz just to boggle your brain and see what you remember from your beginning days.
test_your_photography_skills

An easy way to change out your lenses quickly!

Photos by: Roomic Cube on Flickr, Publicenergy on Flickr,

"Day 145" was taken and edited on an IPone by Alexkess on Flickr

With the advancement of technology in the last five years, electronic devices have become a part of our daily routine.  Most of us feel lost if we leave the house without our cell phones and, for good reason.

Smart phones such as Blackberrys and IPhones have enabled everyone to stay connected to their social networks, businesses and friends with the click of a button.  But, not only do these phones keep us connected, they alsoallow us to not have to lug a camera around if we choose not to.

Taken and edited on my IPhone while en route to Chicago

No, a camera phone will not capture an image as well as a Nikon DSLR but, they do stand in the running with other cameras because of their convenience.  Especially with social networking, snapping a photo and sharing it with all of your friends has become much easier nowadays.

"Day 131" was taken and edited on an IPhone by Michael.Sutton on Flickr

Not only do people always have their phones handy, but the technology offered to edit photos on an IPhone or the new ITouch that now has a camera, is incredible.  Even Photoshop has been transformed into an IPhone Application allowing for minor editing while on the go.

Great IPone Apps to Try Out:

• “Lenses” is a free app that allows you to change the lens for the image you want to take.
• “TrueHDR” is a very inexpensive app, $1.99, that takes three images and combines them for to create an HDR image.  Check out my post on HDR photography
• “Super Camera” is a free app, but you can upgrade to the full version for only $.99 and have access to multiple filters and other fun add ones that can improve your images.
• “Photoshop” is a free app similar to the popular Photoshop program for computers, but is a more condensed version allowing you to manipulate images on your IPhone.

An easy way to make sure you practice photographing every day is the 365 day challenge.  This is something everyone who loves photography should do one year out of their life.  Every day, for 365 days, you make sure to snap at least one photo and try to keep a large variety throughout the year.  Sharing your photos on a site such as Flickr is a great way to keep track of everything you’ve accomplished.

"Sunrise IPhone Photo 2" taken on an IPhone by Teamsaki on Flickr

Having the access to your camera phone allows for this project to unfold much more easily then lugging around a camera everywhere you go.  The outcome of the images may be rather shocking as well.  You will learn what time of day and lighting situations are best for your camera phone and this alone, will vastly improve your images!

Photos from Flickr Creative Commons by (in order of appearance): Alexkess, AlBoehmW, Michael.Sutton, and Teamsaki

Even though it’s only November 1st, I’m already in the holiday mode.  I just went to Starbucks and got my first Peppermint Mocha of the season and I’m one happy camper.

The holiday season is never long enough, which is the main reason I start celebrating so much earlier than normal people.  I guess I’m just a festive person.  More or less, this time of the year lends itself to great photo opportunities.

Whether you’re at a family gathering or sitting around a Christmas tree, you can always find something worth capturing.  Safe to say no family images will be on here since I’m the candid photographer at gatherings and just love catching people mid sentence, or mid mouth full of pumpkin pie.  They love me for it.

Well, even if I am a little early, at least I know I’m in good company with one jolly man…SANTA!

I hope you enjoy the slideshow!

Chicago El in Motion

I always thought motion images looked so interesting, but never understood how you would go about creating them.  Of course I created my own blurry messes of photos when out and about with friends that couldn’t stand still long enough for a picture, but I didn’t realize that was somewhat the concept used for the motion shots I drooled over.  Go figure.

Then, in college, I started playing around with different styles of photography and kind of stumbled upon how you could create these images.  Safe to say, my first one was definitely not a keeper, but I at least realized what I needed to do.

First, you need a tripod.  I once read that if you’re too embarrased to lug around a tripod, pick a new hobby.  I didn’t think this was true, but a tripod can change the quality of your pictures instantly.  That is probably one thing everyone should invest in and Joby Gorillapods are perfect for beginners.

Rush Street at Night

Once you are prepared, go out an find a place that has enough movement, whether it’s traffic, people, or even animals, these all can create a great photo.  Being in Chicago, I had overwhelming opportunities to find a place that would create the perfect scenario.

For these shots, your shutter will be open for longer lengths of time, anywhere from five seconds to 20 depending on the effect you want.  The great thing about digital is you can take hundreds of test shots and not waste any film.  The first time I really tried this technique I was using film and only had four rolls with me, so I was more limited, but with digital, the options are endless.

Michigan Avenue at Night

If you’re shooting during the day, tons of light will be hitting the sensor in your camera because the shutter is open for longer, so make sure your aperture is set to a very low setting such as, 22 if not smaller.  If you’re shooting at night, depending on the lights around you, you can go for a larger opening such as 8.  These will all vary depending on what you’re hoping to accomplish.

Ultimately, this technique takes practice and will most likely not be what you expected on the first try.  However, practice makes perfect, no?  So try different settings, different lighting and different times to figure out what you want your photos to convey.

So, like always, go out and shoot, shoot, shoot!  Post what you’ve captured in my comments section because I’d love to see what everyone has been trying.

Photos: By Me!  Check out my Flickr page.

A decaying Garage.

In the beginning, you’re just out shooting and taking pictures of everything you can because it just looks, cool.  But, once you’ve tailored your own eye or interests, your picture start to say something to viewers that they might not have before.

Yet, there is always room to improve.  No matter if it’s in photography, painting or writing, there is always room to grow and I have asked Peter Lekousis, a photography professor at Loyola University Chicago, to lend a few tips on improving your photography.

Who is Peter Lekousis?

Professor Lekousis worked in commercial photography for over 30 years and has been teaching at various universities and colleges since 1978, and joined Loyola University’s staff in 2005.

Social urban landscapes impressed Mr. Lekousis the most. “Because it seemed familiar, yet foreign at the same time. There is a range of emotion in that work too… humor, pathos, poignancy… that’s hard to match.”

Finding your own niche in photography is improtant because it seperates you from the pack.  Ansel Adams was known for his beautiful landscapes and they are identifiable anywhere because of their beauty and his preferred technique.

One technique that is rather appealing to me is when a photographer crams a frame to show great detail in its subject.  ”Always be aware of the entire frame and its contents, the light and its qualities, and use your camera controls creatively,” Lekousis said.  A crammed frame lends a new perspective to a certain subject that we might not notice if the whole subject is photographed.

A crammed frame example

Here are five ways to improve you photography that Professor Lekousis has shared and feels are important for beginners.

5 ways beginner photographers can improve their photos:

SHOOT! SHOOT! SHOOT! – “Try everything photographically. Shoot a lot. Always have your camera with you.”  Being able to capture everything that is going on around you helps you realize what you might enjoy more than other subjects as well as realize your strengths and weaknesses.

STUDY – “Study the work of great photographers.” Look into the work of other photographers, especially of ones interested in the same subjects as you.  They may have different techniques or ideas that could help you grow too.

LIGHTING – “Lighting technique is important, study it.” This is important because lighting can make or break a picture you were really excited to take so study what lighting works in what situations and its advantages.  This will drastically improve your photos.

SHARING – “Be open to criticism and use it to improve”.  Don’t be afraid to share your images online and include room for comments.  Most other photographers will share their opinion and criticism in a constructive way because they were once beginners too.

VISION – “If you have no vision, listen to your teachers.  If you have a vision, follow it.”  Everyone views the world differently, make sure people know how you see it.

After discussing these tips to improve our photography, I want to go out and explore!  Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, going back to the basics is always a great motivator to try new ideas.

Feel free to share your photos here after you go out and shoot!  I’d love to see the newly inspired ideas.

Check out my Flickr

Photos: From my trip home this past weekend.