The Angry Gardner's 365 Challenge

Day 199 – If Only

admin — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:10:07 +0000

I could plug myself into a charger when my batteries are low.

50mm f/7.1 1/15s

Flash @1/2 with bounce card directly behind.

Day 198 – Copycat

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:29:52 +0000

I love blogstalking local photographers. One of my favorite is Suzanne Plant aka Lookie Loo Suz (link). She is also doing a 365 challenge a couple of days ago she posted a great picture of an apple (link). I loved the picture and when I saw the apple tree in my backyard I thought I would pull a copycat. I hope she doesn’t mind

50mm f/22 1/60s
SB-600 @full in hotshoe with a micro Apollo softbox attached.

Day 197 – Can’t Fix

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:55:55 +0000

Well a nice new umbrella and lighting set can’t fix a couple of things. Bad composition, bad posing, bad lighting to name a few. This was a total experiment and it didn’t work out too well. I’m fine with that; failure is just another form of success (at least that is what I tell myself in the dark of the night). For the record I think that my oldest son’s expression is priceless.

50m f/10 1/200s
Umbrella was level and to the subjects’ left @ full power.

Day 196 – Basically Important

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:19:30 +0000

I really wanted to get this picture right, it was really important to me. Originally, I was using my wife for to set the lights. Then I said to heck with it I will just use her and get the picture I want, and she deserves a good picture. I was just looking for a basic portrait lighting setup and I think I got it OK here. Not so much here(link). The really hard part of this was keeping the window reflections out of her glasses.

50mm f/8 1/250s
Light form umbrella 6 inches from face on the subjects right @full power; bounce card to the left @ 1/2.Basically

Day 195 – Misery

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:25:34 +0000

Onward and upward with my lighting experimentation. I was trying to get something that was “dramatic” read somber. My daughter went with sad and she won This was done with a snooted speedlight on for the face at 1/8th power and a second light in a mini softbox @ 1/64 power in front and below. Then I converted it to BW in Lightroom.

50mm f/11 1/125s

I quite like this shot.

Day 194 – Keep Trying

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:02:33 +0000

There is a quote out there. That amateurs practice until they get it right. Pros practice until they can’t get it wrong. Either way I am going to be practicing my lighting techniques for quite a while. For the record I don’t even try posing him it is just impossible.

50mm f/8 1/40s

I will have to start recording my lighting set up so that I can remember them. This was an umbrella to the subjects right and a speed light to the lower left both @ 1/8 power with the slow shutter for the window light.

Day 193 – Second

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:15:54 +0000

I got a second flash yesterday. I started playing with it over the weekend. Here is the boy blowing up a balloons for a birthday party. He stated that this was what he wanted to do when he grows up. Anyone know of a professional balloon blower upper association

200mm f/8 1/160s flashes all over the place

Day 192 – 88 Days And Counting

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:55:12 +0000

My neighbor in the spring went out and got a turkey for his backyard. Well it was a hen and it laid eggs which then hatched… so now we have little turkeys hanging out around the house. If I can catch one, fresh free turkey for Thanksgiving.

200mm f/10 1/50s sb-600 @full power in hot shoe

FYI 88 days until Thanksgiving

PS I got looking at this bird again and realized that it is not a turkey at all. It is some sort of grouse (I think that it is a sage grouse). That’s ok they taste good as well

Day 191 – Happy Birthday

admin — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:39:53 +0000

This was not my idea, but sometimes I cave to the pressure of family. We had a birthday in my house recently, and this is one the cards that came.

200mm f/14 1/160s

Day 190 – Moon Set

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:31:48 +0000

Driving into work today was this gorgeous scene. The moon was setting and the sun was riseing and the colors were soft and beautiful. I had to pull over and take a picture.

200mm f/11 1/160s