Inspiration and the "Best Camera"

I recently posted about how I received Chase Jarvis' book "The Best Camera (is the one that's with you)". Well I have actually been able to take a look through it, and you know what? I got inspired! Now of course, Chase Jarvis is a great photographer, and I'm not trying to mimic or copy him, but it got me thinking about using my iPhone camera. I have been known to use the camera in my phone, but lean toward using my trusty point and shoot (with more megapixles, a zoom feature--why would the iPhone camera do that?--and a FLASH).

Anyhow, I have been giving my iPhone a whirl more than I usually do, and am sort of looking for simplicity. I also purchased the application ("app" for short) that Chase Jarvis developed, Best Camera. I have created a nifty little Flickr set for those photos that I edit with that app.

I am not an iPhone app reviewer by any means, except when an addictive game asks me to rate it repeatedly. However, the Best Camera app is very limited to just a few filters, one border option, and the only option to crop as a square. One can stack these filters, mix them up, etc to create a cool photo. However, it leaves something to be desired as far as color correction and exposure (As much as can be done with a 3 megapixel camera).  I understand Jarvis' idea to work with simplicity to bring out creativity. All I'm saying is when you cannot adjust the exposure in an expensive little POS that camera, it helps to have some control in post-processing.  My workaround is to adjust the exposure, cropping, etc. in another editing application on the phone and then add the creative filters in Best Camera. Or I'll just work directly in Best Camera and have some fun, which is Jarvis' point.

Cloud fun taken with iPhone and edited in Best Camera.

Thanks for stopping by!

David Maisel: Black Maps lecture

One of the wonderful things about living in (or near) Los Angeles is the proximity to cultural activities. What, Los Angeles has culture? Sort of.

The Annenberg Space for Photography IRIS lecture series is a free lecture series featuring a different notable photographer each week. It amazes me that these lectures are free, given the quality of the series. It is a great experience to have these photographers share their perspective and photos.

Last Thursday, I was able to attend the lecture of David Maisel: Black Maps, a lecture that appealed to me because of the aerial photographs and because of my background in geography.

His aerial images are intriguing, focusing on the strange beauty of environmental impact as seen from 500-14,000 feet above the Earth. The images aren't titled in a way to give a preconception of how one should feel about image, allowing the viewer to process their image on their own. The images were from some of his earlier projects (roughly 1983-2007), and althought I found something beautiful and saddening in each image, the most interesting to me was The Lake Project, which is focused on the imagery of the dying Owens River and Owens Lake on the Eastern side of the Sierras (see map below).

[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Owens+Lake,+CA&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=30.819956,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Owens+Lake&ll=36.436157,-117.960047&spn=1.953353,4.938354&t=h&z=8&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

This area is rich in history because of the water wars that ensued when Los Angeles was starting to grow. As an Angelino, I must admit that I have forgotten about the historical aspect of how we get our water, and it was saddening to see the reminder.

What most interested me about this lecture is found in the title "Black Maps", which refers to a poem by Mark Strand:

"Nothing will tell you where you are/Each moment is a place you’ve never been"

As Maisel pointed out, one is unable to read these images, and one would not be able to read a map that is completely black.

As a geographer and mapmaker, it was so very hard for me to wrap my head around the notion of a map being completely black. As a practical mapmaker that works in the real world, I think, "That's a waste of ink!". But I get his point. Looking at these images, there is not way to tell which way is North or South, East or West. Looking at these images, I could not tell where in the world (or universe) these images were being made.

I like the idea that he married geography and photography in this project, in that having a sense of geography, one has a sense of place. When I look at images of the world, I usually get some idea of where in the world they are located (urban, rural, Venice, Australia, etc.). When looking at Maisel's images, I don't have a sense of geography, and therefore no sense of place.

Of course as a geographer, I would have loved for him to be able to link on his website a Google map of where all of these places are located that he photographed, but that is not to be at this time.

Thanks for stopping by.

Adorama iPhone Contest

Back from a lovely cruise to the Mexican Riveria. I got one photo that I absolutely LOVE, it just needs to be tweaked a bit. Coming soon. Before I left for vacation I found out that I was one of the lucky recipients of Chase Jarvis' "The Best Camera" through Adorama's iPhone contest. Here is the photo I entered for consideration:

Taken with my iPhone and edited it using the Photoshop and Photogene applications for the iPhone.

Some pretty amazing photographers were judges for the contest, so I am honored that they even SAW my photo. To win something cool for entering is even better.

I received the book earlier this week and have renewed my spark to take photos with my iPhone.

Thank you to Adorama for creating this contest, Chase Jarvis for the inspiration, and the talented judges who took the time to even glance at my photo.

And of course, thank you for stopping by.

Blurb book o' fun

Alright, alright, I realize it has been a while since I last posted. Bad monkey! Let me 'splain Lucy...

See, I was feeling very overwhelmed...and then I got sick with bronchitis (Blame my Bronchasaurus! Ha ha! Get it?) which caused some other lovely bacterial things. This is the first day I have felt most like a human being in almost 10 days. What did I feel like before? A slug. A big juicy banana slug actually.

Well while I was coughing up my left lung, I had a conversation with one of my mentors and he wondered if I was just over photography.

Apparently my slight hiatus due to overwhelmedness didn't go unnoticed. And yes I just made up a word.

Ouch! It smarted to hear that! (Although I think he was just giving me a kick in the rear end, it worked.) Fear not, I am not over photography. At all.

Anyhow, I want to share with you something that I created in the past, since I haven't been editing anything from this past month, even though I have a future bouquet of photos for you (Wanna guess what will be coming up on the blog??).

I created a photo book using the awesome company Blurb. The bookmaking software is free, easy to use and the quality is amazing. This is a preview of my first book that I created using some of my personal favorites from my first year of photography. I love looking at this book and seeing the recurring themes in my photography as well as how I have evolved as a photographer.

http://www.blurb.com/books/399581

I have a few copies of this book hanging around, so if you'd like to see this in person (it has the premium paper) or even {gasp} purchase one, let me know.

I'm planning on creating another Blurb book in the late summer. It's so much fun to put together, and I love having a goal to shoot for. Pun intended.

Thanks to my US for giving me a little kick to get me back on track, and to my friends that keep asking me when I'm going to update my blog.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Mama said...

The other night, I was asked to close the bathroom window because my mom didn't want "the orchids to get cold". I took a few steps and pondered this...Then I started laughing. Loud, which for those of you that know me, is the ONLY way I laugh. I asked her why, and she then proceeded to tell me that she didn't want the orchids to catch cold.

My mom is from New Orleans, and even though she has lived in California longer than she live in Louisiana, she still has a very thick accent. So when she talks about orchids catching cold with a bit of a drawl, it just strikes my funny bone.

That statement also summed up my mom and her care of her flowers so well. She can make pretty much anything grow and can resurrect anything that has stopped growing. She makes flower centerpieces just for dinner, and makes the ordinary (flowers, gift baskets, drapes, you name it) beautiful.

Besides acting as my art director and marketing director, my mom is also a great influence in my photography. Because of her, I am in love with macro flower photography, and take photos like this any chance I can get:

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200) Aperture: f/3.2 Focal Length: 5.9 mm ISO Speed: 200

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80) Aperture: f/3.2 Focal Length: 5.9 mm ISO Speed: 200

I did a little bit of experimenting with Lightroom 3 beta on this one and added a watermark. Hmm, maybe I should check out the online tutorials for LR3.

The irises are from the yard of a co-worker that were brought into the office. I saw these purple beauties and just had to get my paws on my camera. Since I was at work, all I had was my trusty point and shoot. Luckily, I am pleased with how the macro works on my "little" camera.

And pictures of those orchids with a cold to come soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Whiskers on puppies

OK, if you don't like puppies, just stop reading. Actually, if you don't like puppies, maybe it's time for a little self reflection. Who doesn't like to at least look at puppies??!

So, my lovely friend had some adorable puppies about 7 weeks ago. Well, her dog did. I have been waiting for these puppies to become little fuzzballs of love for their closeups, and I was not prepared for the cuteness before me:

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80) Aperture: f/2.8 Focal Length: 90 mm ISO Speed: 4000

They are a mix of possibly Jack Russell Terrier and Chihuahua (but they are cute, I swear!). I only got a chance to really photograph two of them, since puppies have A TON of energy. The little black and white guy (called Marcel Marceau) and this other little guy, named Fatso:

(That's my friend Kelly kissing her puppy)

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80) Aperture: f/2.8 Focal Length: 90 mm ISO Speed: 800

The light in both photos is from a Tungsten light to the right of the camera in front of the subjects. Guess which smarty pants forgot to bring their powerful 580EX II flash? That would be me.

I love both of these photos because they really show the bond of human and animal, and how tiny and helpless these puppies are in the hands of a human being.

I like the paws and nose detail of the first photo, and the juxtaposition of puppy paws and human hands.

So this is another case I couldn't pick one photo of the day for my Project 365ish Photo 65. It's just too hard when cute puppies are around.

This reminds me of a photography teacher whose class I sat in on VERY briefly in college. She handed out the syllabus, and told us she really wanted us to push the envelope, and didn't want to see pictures of puppies and kittens. I didn't go back for the second class. But that's another story...

Thank you Kelly for inviting me to take photos of those precious little puppies! It was a blast chasing them around!

Thanks for stopping by!

Project 365 Photo #61, Or 62....

Oh yes, I have fallen off of the Project 365 wagon. I admit it. I embrace it. It started last week when I was sick and all around feeling crappy. Even though the weather was gorgeous, I just needed sleep. That was one day. Then, you know what happens when you get out of the habit. It spirals out of control. Of course I have taken photos since last week (I really don't stop). I just haven't been truly designating a photo of the day.

But today I was inspired by this recent Photofocus post by Scott Bourne.

I took a walk at lunch today with my trusty point and shoot, and I passed by this image:

That's right, I kept walkin'. Then I thought about Mr. Bourne's post. I passed this tree up because I have seen photos similar to this, but have never actually thought about making an image of a defaced tree (personally, I think it's kind of mean to the tree), and I probably would have just kept walking if not for the post--I already had a photo for today.

Has this photo changed my life to the effect Mr. Bourne's bird photo changed his? Doubtful.

But it reminded me that as photographers, we tell a story (at least try to). This image holds the mystery of J + J. Who were they...Young lovers walking along suburban path? Or were they an older couple celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary? Perhaps a young girl J with a huge crush on J, carving her wishes in bark?

I composed this shot like so because I liked the green foliage (desaturated just a bit in Lightroom 2) in contrast to the white trunk of the tree, as well as the contrast in textures. The area was shaded by said tree, so the light is ambient. When taking this photo, I thought of it as B&W, but it didn't work out when actually post processing it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Food photography from the past

A little delicious blast from the past for you

PB & J - Vanilla Infused Torchon of Duck Foie Gras topped with Grand Marnier Marmalade on Butter Toasted Sourdough in May of 2009.

Taken with Canon Rebel XTi, and 90mm. Lighting from window (on the left, you can see the cool coloring) and overhead tungsten lights.

This is beloved's take on a gourmet PB&J for an event, and it tastes even better than it looks (if you like foie gras that is, if you don't like it, you will hate it no matter what).

Just thought I'd share.

Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend photo Project 365 #52

The weekend was just gorgeous in Southern California, and I got a chance to get out and do some landscape photography

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160) Aperture: f/7.1 Focal Length: 73 mm ISO Speed: 400

Taken with Canon 24-105mm EF-L lens.

I tried a few different landscape shots, and loved this one the most because of its multiple layers. I chose to shoot this at f/ 7.1 because I wanted the flowers to be the main focus of the photo since they add a nice pop of color, and liked the idea of the mountains blurred in the background.

I ordered puffy white clouds in the background, but they didn't come in.

Next time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Adding stuff...

I mentioned in an earlier post that I am experimenting with my blog. One of the things you may have noticed is a newer page called "Resources". This particular page will constantly be added to, as I am always finding information about photography that I would love to share with you, my wonderful readers. I am also working on some things to change up the blog a little bit. I'll be putting up polls on occasion for some reader reactions and opinions.

Of course you can always leave comments for me, or contact me directly.

Oh, and here is today's project365 photo #50, which just happens to be more flowers:

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20) Aperture: f/3.2 Focal Length: 5.9 mm ISO Speed: 200

These little flowers were picked by my co-worker, and they made her happy (It was sort of a glum day in SoCal, and these little flowers perked everyone up--actually, taking photos of them perked me right up).

Taken at my desk. The back lighting from the window wasn't helping my little point and shoot do its macro thing, so I borrowed a lamp from another desk to throw in some more light on the cute little flowers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Project 365 Day 47

I'm experimenting a bit more with the look and feel of the blog, what do you think? I had this flower as my photo for the other day, but decided to take a shot from this angle:

Again, only had my point and shoot.

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60) Aperture: f/3.2 Focal Length: 5.9 mm ISO Speed: 160

I love the texture of the petals from this angle, as well as the contrast of the pink against the green. I have been seeing this side of the flower from my desk since Day 41, and like the alternate view.

Thanks for stopping by!

Inspiration strikes...

OK, this is something I just have to share. Sometimes when something catches my eye, it just catches my eye, no matter where I am.

It was going to be Saturday's photo of the day (Instead this was), but I love the story behind this photo, because it demonstrates Joe McNally's most recent blog post about how photographers are always seeing photos, "We Just Can't Help It..." .

So, I took this photo in the produce section of the grocery store (yup you read that right):

And then I hear, "Excuse me! Is there a problem?". I turned around, and at the other end of the produce section is a store employee, giving me a weird look.

Apparently, photographing the produce in a grocery store isn't allowed, and would only happen if there was some sort of issue with the veggies.

I didn't know this. The employee wanted to know why I was taking photos of brussel sprouts.

I showed her the image in the LCD, and proceeded to show the employee how beautiful the brussel sprouts looked with the water on them.

I don't think she saw the beauty quite the way I did. I don't think she believed me either. But I do think that she told the other employees about our encounter. And to keep an eye on me.

And yes, I know I'm a little nuts. I call it part of my charm.

Thank you Joe McNally for making me feel comfortable enough to share my story, and to know that it's OK, I'm not alone in the world.

Thanks for stopping by!

Project 365 Day 46

Another absolutely gorgeous day in Southern California... Actually, it was a bit warm. As a Valentine's Day treat my beloved and I went to our local botanical gardens, Descanso Gardens. Since it's not quite spring yet, it was slim pickins' in the flower department, but I did find a few beauties. I could not decide, so I am posting 3 of my favorite photos. But here is the photo that I chose as my photo of the day for my Project 365, in honor of Mardi Gras in New Orleans tomorrow:

Here are 2 more photos that I loved:

And all 3 of my photos were taken with my Canon SD780. I brought Mark with me, but the 90mm macro was on vacation in Maui (it just returned today, yay!), and the macro mode on my point and shoot rocks. So that's what I used today. It had to strike by passers as odd that I had a huge camera on my shoulder but was using a little point and shoot.

Spring is just around the corner, and it will be macro flowers galore. I can't wait!

Thanks for stopping by!

Project 365 Day 45: Lock and key

I was about to head out the front door to cruise around the neighborhood this afternoon, and noticed this:

I loved the way the light was falling and reflecting on the metal. I like this photo in color, but it love it in black and white. Something about the metal, especially the little orbs of the key chain, just look beautiful.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160) Aperture: f/4.0 Focal Length: 105 mm ISO Speed: 400

Taken with Canon EF 24-105 mm L f4 lens.

Converted to B & W using Lightroom 2.

Thanks for stopping by!

Project 365 Day 44: CAA Building/ Annenberg Space for Photography

You may notice my blog looking a little bit different. I am experimenting with things to put on my blog and add to the reader experience. One of the things on the right hand side that I just added--and really like--is the Flickr widget, which allows you to get to my Flickr, and see my latest 3 photos. OK, so Day 44 is getting its own post because there is a lot to the story of this photo:

This is the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) building in Century City, CA. CAA represents a ton of famous actors, and their building is gorgeous. I was standing directly in front of the building, and photographed it looking almost straight up. All I brought with me was my point and shoot. Camera: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40) Aperture: f/3.2 Focal Length: 5.9 mm ISO Speed: 160

But I didn't go there to be a looky-loo (I'm a local, dammit!). Behind this CAA buidling is the Annenberg Space for Photography. This is a new space that just opened up last year, and offers a beautiful gallery of photos as well as a free lecture series called IRIS NIGHTS, which features noteworthy photographers.

Last night, I had the opportunity to see photographer Neil Leifer. Mainly a sports photographer, Leifer has been photographing since he was 16 years old, getting himself onto the football field by rolling wheelchair bound veterans onto the field and shooting from the sidelines. He has taken some of the most iconic sports photographs (Ali vs. Liston KO), and was at the first Superbowl (Before it was even called the Superbowl). I loved seeing his legendary photos, and hearing his account of how media coverage has changed so much over the decades. As an example of this, he showed a photo of the first Superbowl coin toss. There were 4 football players--2 captains from each team-- and the referee. He then showed a photo of the coin toss from the Superbowl in 2005, which consisted of about 10 football players from each team, the ref, some children, quite a few photographers and a video camera. I wouldn't be surprised if there were 35 people on the field. It was such an honor and inspiration to be able to see this photographer in person.

If you are in the Los Angeles area, do yourself a favor a check out the Annenberg. The IRIS lecture nights are free, but are mostly on Thursday evenings, which means beating LA traffic. It is definitely worth it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Project 365 Day 41

And spring is just around the corner! Alright, it hasn't been a blizzard in Southern California, but everything is sort of a drab color. And there aren't any pretty flowers in bloom. And I LOVE photographing flowers. My very talented photographer uncle likes to say that I "sneak up on" flowers. Don't worry, you'll see. But here's a little taste of my macro flower obsession:

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40) Aperture: f/3.2 Focal Length: 5.9 mm ISO Speed: 200

This Gerber daisy was on my desk at work today, and it was just begging for a photo. All I had was my point and shoot...But let me tell you, that little thing has a pretty good macro!

Oh, I cannot WAIT until spring!

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by!

Project 365 Day 40

And Day 40 it is! Bad weather started here in Southern California again today, so I am noticing every day objects. I went to lunch at a tea house and noticed that the little teapot warmers had an artistic quality about them. So I whipped out my point and shoot and framed them up:

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20) Aperture: f/3.2 Focal Length: 5.9 mm ISO Speed: 400

No flash, just ambient light from the window behind the camera.

I liked the curves and clean white color of the little warmers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Project 365 Day 39

Yet another gorgeous winter day in Southern California...blue skies, low 60's. So I took another little stroll at lunch with my trusty point and shoot. I tried a few different photos, but nothing really worked for me. On my way back to work, I caught sight of a brick wall with leaves growing on it. Here is the photo I ended up with:

I loved the lighting coming in through the leaves. I first tried the leaves straight on, but at noon that was not working. So I moved my feet and voila!

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100) Aperture: f/9.0 Focal Length: 5.9 mm ISO Speed: 200

Thanks for stopping by!

Project 365 Las Vegas (Days 35-38)

I have been in Las Vegas this past weekend. Now, Vegas is home to all kinds of debauchery, but also all kinds of interesting architecture. You can visit Venice, Paris and Egypt all within two hours. Day 35- February 4, 2010 Vegas is just a short flight from my home in the San Fernando Valley (45 min). I love looking out of the window when on a plane, and usually take a bunch of photos. I LOVE aerial photography, and this was one of my shots that I used for my project 365: I LOVE the clouds and the snow-capped mountains. And the wing makes it look like a nice ad for Southwest.

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1000) Aperture: f/4.0 Focal Length: 8.7 mm ISO Speed: 80

Day 36- February 5, 2010 There is ALWAYS construction in Vegas, no matter what the economy is like. And trust me, Superbowl weekend there shows that there is no recession. (Speaking of Superbowl, did you know that the SAINTS WON??? GEAUX SAINTS!!!!!) Anyhow, one of the newest additions to Vegas is the HUGE City center, which is a shopping/hotel/casino area. This is a photo of the outside of the HUGE shopping center called Crystals: It was a really cloudy day, but I really loved the reflections.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640) Aperture: f/6.3 Focal Length: 45 mm ISO Speed: 3200

Day 37- February 6, 2010 One of the higher end hotel/casinos is the Wynn by none other than Steve Wynn. The hotel/casino Encore is a newer addition to the Wynn, and this weekend was my first time seeing it! well, everything is over the top (of course), and one of the small details is actually a rather large crystal peacock. You read it right.

Of course, mark would have worked so well here, but all I had on me was my little camera. Camera: Canon PowerShot SD780 IS Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60) Aperture: f/3.5 Focal Length: 7.2 mm ISO Speed: 200

Day 38- February 7, 2010

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and so it was time to fly home. But that meant more aerial photography for me:

The mountain in the photo is Oat Mountain. Here is a terrain map of the area--we flew in from the West. The lake that you see behind the mountain in the photo is to its East on the map:
View Larger Map

A wonderful Vegas trip, aerial photography, and the Saints WINNING THE SUPERBOWL all made for a great weekend.

Thanks for stopping by!

Project 365- Into Month 2 (Days 32 & 33)!

Alright, well you have stuck with me through month1! And if you are just joining me for month 2, welcome! January was my first month of this thing called Project 365. I am proud of myself for starting it and sticking with it so far. It has been a learning process, and I am still evolving what exactly I want my project to be. Some days it's the best photo that I get that day, and sometimes I am just experimenting. And sometimes, I want to explore the beauty of the ordinary.

Anyhow, 11 more months! Let's go!

Day 32- February 1, 2010

Remember I said sometimes I experiment? This particular photo is an experimentation with backlighting from the fireplace and glass.

Taken with Canon 5D Mark 2, Tamron 90mm lens, 1/60 at f/4 ISO 4000 .Tungsten light to right of camera, and fire directly behind glass stones.

Day 33- February 2, 2010

I was at work on the 2nd floor of the building, fixing a huge printer (aka a plotter) that didn't like the paper I was loading. I kept noticing the sun dipping behind the clouds. As soon as I got the beeping from the plotter that the paper had been accepted after 5 times, I grabbed my point and shoot and took this.

Taken with Canon SD780, 1/400 at f/5.8, 17.9 mm, ISO 100.

Thanks for stopping by!