Boots

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

Not much to say, just the Princess doing what she does best.

The last leaf

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

First, about what's going on. October got crazy insane with school projects, clinicals, and life.

Then the computer got a virus that required us to reinstall windows. Of course, I was in the middle of processing some gorgeous birth shots that I really wish I could share with you. Lots of stress, crossing fingers, and praying for my most important files to be saved and most of them were. As you can see, the watermark has changed again because it was one of the files lost.

Things are slowing down slightly on the school front and I need to looking for some more balance in my life instead of stress at every turn.

As for the photo, I don't have my settings (bad, bad me) but this was taken about 4 pm, probably around f2.something, ap priority, with my 50 mm lens.

Fall means so much to me, and this year I'm finding it symbolic of so many things going on. It ends a season but it's crisp, refreshing, and energizing if you can get up to going out and enjoying it.

Meet Fred

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

Yes, it's been a while but school is starting back up, we're going to be heading into a lot of testing with The Scientist, and I'm busy losing weight so expect to be less and less of me (literally)

Here is Fred, a moth The Investigator latched onto over the weekend. She carried him around for hours and he finally decided to leave yesterday.

Practicing with sun flare

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

For the time being I'm taking people out of my sun flare pictures. I've come close a couple of times but never nailed it. I closed my ap way down for this one making the streams of light sharp instead of blurs of light.

Gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day!

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I'm amazed at how fast the sunflowers are changing, it was worth the wait of them not doing anything other than growing up, and then having buds for what seemed like forever.

f/8.0, SS 1/500, ISO 200, 95 mm (55-200 mm lens), fill flashed used at 1/16th power

Woot!

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I tried to use fill flash to not blow out the sky. I only have a pop up flash (yes, an SB is on the short list) for shooting outside. I turned it down to 1/8th power and got this.

f/7.1, SS 1/500, ISO 200, 55-200 mm lens (yes, my baby got sent back)

"Learning To See Creatively" exercise

I picked up a couple of Bryan Peterson's books from Amazon and honestly, I wish I would have done it earlier in the summer so I could have been setting the information in my mind by using it.

Here are my results from the first exercise (around page 16) I'm wishing I would have used my graycard to set my exposure, I was aperture priority from shooting in different light from earlier and just didn't think (never a good thing) I was just trying to get this finished before the shadows that were continuing to grow reached the trike. I also wish I would marked off my shooting points with chalk and measured them (yeah, I'm geeky that way)

Technical stuff. 105 mm lens (it goes home soon :( ) f/7.1, ISO 200, SS varied.

I didn't PP these at all. No RAW adjustments and I resized as a batch to be able to post. No USM, no watermark (yes, they are still mine) no anything other than the batch resize.

These were taken standing and getting progressively closer.









Kneeling (my poor knees, I should have gardening knees on)










On my belly, neighbors were watching me army crawl. I'd think they'd be use to this by now.









Standing on a step ladder (yes, I went above and beyond)









Observations

#1- A little change in perspective really changes the entire feel of the images.

#2- I debating about actually 'doing' the exercises or not. Do I really need to, the wonderful photographer that I am?

Well, I decided that as long as learning was my goal yes I did need to do them even if I did similar ones in classes before. I've got new equipment since then and the principles all still apply but if I feel my composition needs enough help that I'm buying a book (albeit one I've wanted for a long time) to help me with composition I better do what the book asks.

Which observation do I think is most important? Probably the second. For anyone who's read the book and not done the exercises they are quick and don't take as much time as I originally thought.

Peek-a-boo

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

Is that some yellow I see? Might we have some blossoms for the fair? I think it will be close and yes you should expect a lot of sunflower progress pictures in the next few weeks.

Tomboy in love

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

SS 1/250 f/3.5, ISO 800, 105mm

Calendar test print

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

It's packaged and ready to go! I just realized that my copyright notice didn't end up visible, it must have been buried under layers. I guess this will have to be my copy then ;)

It was a pain today figuring out all the picky details and then realizing I had to do it all over again, but next time should go smoother.

No, I have no updated the pictures in the gallery to reflect the changes made here. If you are wondering about purchasing one the price will depend on how many people I have commit to buying one. The more purchased the cheaper they are.

Mom's wall

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I'm printing this big for a couple of reasons.

1- I need to how big I can go with my new printer (and these are general test prints too)

2- It's going on Mom's back of her cabinets

3- I love getting big prints back.

SS 1 second, f/something, ISO 200, 105 mm

Also, today on flickr I was playing with the sun. I'm definitely not there yet but you can't see my progress pictures if I don't take them.

Just been buzzing around

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I'm loving the lens, but I'm amazed at how thin the DOF is. This bee was taken at f/4.5 but I was able to get close enough that the middle of the bee is in focus but the bud of the flower he is on and the top of his back isn't. He's a curly little bee so he was 'thicker' than some of the others I've shot and he let me get a lot closer.

Cool old building

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I wish I knew who owned it, I bet there is some wonderful streaming light inside of there and the tall weeds in front of it would be wonderful to stick kids behind too.

SS 1/800, f/3.5, ISO 200, 105 mm

Adjusted version

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I didn't do heavy anything. Curves, contrast, saturation, levels, and light burning.

Bee whisperer

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I took my "not mine" lens up the canyon today and notice a bee on some clover. Of course I had the tripod on and everything set to get the waterfall blurred. I got a couple of shots with the tripod sticking out behind my arm but went on to the waterfalls.

On the way back I stopped again to sit down by the little patch of clover and see if any other bees were hanging around. I saw one, waited for him to come closer and then they were everywhere (not in a bad scary horror movie about bees way, I was calm they were calm we were all good)

Once again, no PS'ing done other than cropping, resizing, watermark, and USM. I think I will pull this one into PS again and see what a few layers do but I wanted to post before I forgot.

Oh, if anyone is curious, when a bee lands on the lens hood you can not focus on it.

SS 1/320, f/5.0, ISO 200, 105 mm

I'm in love

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I've been shooting just about anything I can think of, a few are being cropped/resized/usm'ed so I can post here but not much else. I shot about 260 images today (a lot of multiples playing around the settings and I only saved one)

Some of them are on my flickr stream. If you click the image it will take you to my flickr.

105 mm f/2.8 micro Nikon lens -- I'm in love

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I'm renting this from ziplens, and was getting all antsy and impatient like a kid at Christmas with waiting.

I can't put into words how much I'm loving this lens. I have a lot more images on flickr, none of them have been edited besides resizing.

For this one, f/5, SS 1/2500, ISO 200, 105mm

There are no words

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I almost didn't blog these via flickr, but decided why not.

Nothing quite like a walk for frozen yogurt after a long hard day. She ditched the second shoe on the way home, and yes the one remaining shoe is on the wrong foot.

I'm so not going to worry about settings. It was late, ISO was high, SS was low.


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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

Rainy days

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

SS 1/40, f/4.0, ISO 1600, 80 mm (55-200 kit lens)


Reflection of the evening sky in a puddle after the rain.

Love the lashes

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

SS 1/320, f/4.0, 55mm (55-200 mm kit lens) ISO 400

I went for a softer conversion here rather than my typical dark and contrasty conversion. Did I manage to stay away from muddy and flat and keep it soft?

Summertime

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

The Investigator, The Scientist, and some neighborhood kids have set up shop. If people don't have 50 cents they also offer smaller (think 4 oz glasses) sizes for 25 cents. They're all about the customer after all.

I went up (they're on the neighbors lawn) and bought a glass for me, glass for The Princess and went inside to talk to Mom. I asked if I could pay for both glasses at the same time and they had to have a conference about it. In the end, that's ok.

PSA and update on Ernie

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

CDC guidelines say that if you were sleeping in a room with a bat that was out of the area it's normal for them to be it counts as a possible exposure.

Yup, we've had The Scientist going out to the ER for the series of rabies shots. The bat has been sent off and we hear back on Wednesday (when his next shot is due BTW)

This PSA is a couple of days old, but I've been busy with flower pictures for the calendar.

Calendar

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I found a new printer, uses fuji paper, has a lot of 'fun' things like keychains, calendars, the class collage ala lifetouch, mirrors etc. Their 'normal' offerings are amazing too. I had about 20 sample prints (one of their images) on all of the different papers/canvas/watercolor paper with all of the different finishes.

I haven't submitted anything yet, but I think I'm hooked.

This is the back of the calendar I'm getting to sample their press printed line. I was going to print up a few for Christmas gifts and I've had a few others interested in purchasing them too.

You can see (or will be able to see soon) bigger web size versions of the pictures in my online portfolio, under 2008 Flower Calendar.

Rose mallow

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

My drought friendly, local flora flower bed is on the verge of adding in an 'outsider' who drinks a lot.

Meet rose mallow, a bush that grows 4-5' high and 2-3' wide. She comes in dark pink or white and the flowers are 5-6" across. They're huge, and beautiful.

I don't know if I'll end up buying one or not, they are very thirsty plants and I'm not sure where I'd put her.

Beeeeee yourself

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

or, I *really* want a macro lens. *pout*

SS 1/320, f/5.6, ISO 200

Beauty in diversity

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

Yeah, I'm being kind of a sentimental mush today, but I was taking pictures of the wildflowers, which this time of year are largely yellow/orange and this bachelors button stood out among all of the sunflowers and black eyed susans. He's not loud, arrogant (yes, I personified the flowers) or overpowering. In fact, if you just rode your bike by you might not even notice him.

He does stand out among the crowd for his unique beauty though.

Meet Ernie

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

He's visiting us for the day (uninvited) and hopefully will leave peacefully at dusk.

SS 4 sec, f/5.6, 200 mm ISO 200

I believe I can fly!

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I wasn't going for a silhouette but that's what I got. I was trying to get the angle and perspective I need to have a child swinging into the blue sky and clouds. Of course today we didn't have much blue, just the clouds.

Needless to say I didn't manage to get everything exposed nicely, and I'll have to pick a sunny day to test it out on.

SS 1/3200, f3.2, ISO 200

Wildflowers

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

I've been feeling really connected to all the wildflowers around here lately. I'm also feeling a bit 'ruttish' about my shooting and not sure how to get out of that.

SS 1/200, f/5.6, ISO 200, 200 mm

Ansel Adams once said...

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."

I felt I was there today, a beautiful storm (in the second driest state in the nation none the less) The Investigator had on pretty flowy dress, the street was nearly empty, and I had the wrong lens on.

I wish I could have gotten my SS up more, I already upped my ISO thinking it might make for a nice grainy BW (I did a similar one last year) but I love the natural almost selective color, and it's calling to be left in color.

SS 1/100, f/4.8, ISO 800 (I thought I was at 1600, I could have gotten a little more SS that probably would have stopped the motion blur :( bummer)

Photographese.

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

A couple of internet buddies have been asking more technical questions about my pictures, and photography so I'd explain which left them confused because I was speaking in photographese.

Yes, I'm aware that's not a real word.

So I wrote a bit, a blurb (well, a LONG blurb), an article, that's what I'll call it! I wrote an article about photographese and covered the basics of the language and how they impact photography. I didn't get into it all, I didn't touch bokeh, catchlights, or any of the 'rules'

When you are talking about photography, the written word is empty without an image to go with it so I pulled some out of my gallery to share but it's hard to compare and contrast two completely different images so I spend today gathering stuff and finding places I could shoot for examples.

Every time I'd get something set up the pager would go off, so those few images were literally an all day project.

I'm not sharing them all, just the one I used to demonstrate slow shutter speed. I really wish the office building were elsewhere, and these are SOOC, just resized.

SS 1/3, f22, ISO 200, 50 mm

Itsy Bitsy spider

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

Yup, me wanting a macro again :)

It's also part of 'my message' that spiders aren't inherently bad and how many bugs we'd have to deal with if it wasn't for spiders (and bats, I have a bat picture from last year, I'll come edit it back in.

SS 1/500, f5.6, ISO 1600 (yes, I know--again)

Ok, here's the bat. We were up at the cabin and I used a tripod and a long exposure.

Garden update

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Originally uploaded by HDC Photography

Corn again this week. Yeah, I know this doesn't you much about how it's growing. It seems to have stopped shooting up and it's getting tassles. One of the squares is a lot taller than the others and while I do have 2 varieties in there, they were planted half and half.

f5.6, SS 1/400, ISO 1600 (yeah, I know but these were in dark shade and since they're 'just' updates)