When I chose a new business bank LGE Credit Union was the clear choice. Why? For centuries the Templar Knights have guarded the secrets of kings and countries. What better use of their talents than to guard my money. They do this willingly without fear of pain or death to make sure my funds are safe due to their vigilant guardianship.
This week we'd like you to take shots of medieval armor - wait.... that's Knight Photography. Whoops, actually, it's Night Photography this week. Let's see some great shots of cityscapes, long exposures, fireworks, light trails and so much more. The thing about not having that sun around, is that everything is darker! In order to get more light to your sensor, you'll want to slap that camera onto a tripod. or rest it on a flat surface, and set your shutter speeds to lower settings, like multiple seconds, and the night scenes in front of you will come alive! Taking shots at night is like entering a whole other world, the illumination of neon signs or street lights lend a completely different look and feel to the very same location than if it were shot in daylight. Ever taken portraits at night of a subject lit by a storefront window? Not all night shots need to be taken outside the house - some very creative shots can be taken inside too. Have a think on that! Get creative with light painting or try and capture the moon- night time is just magical for photography. If you live in a part of the world where the sun is still up when most other places are much darker, that's cool too. That's just how Night looks where you are. Show us your night photography!
To see a color your corneas must be clear and focus the light correctly on your retina. Your retinas are home to two types of photoreceptor cells: rods and cones. These specialized cells convert light into signals that are sent to the brain. Your brain then interprets this as a color. What happens if any part of this complex system doesn't respond as expected? You are color blind. Look at these images and try to imagine a world without color.
Left to right: * Original Photo * Blue Cone Monochromacy * Red-Weak/Protanomaly * Red-Blind/Protanopia * Monochromacy/Achromatopsia * Green-Weak/Deuteranomaly * Green-Blind/Deuteranopia * Blue-Weak/Tritanomaly * Blue-Blind/Tritanopia
Look around and we'll see something we take for granted - color. Our wonderful world is filled with it, so this week we're asking you to Choose A Color. Make that color the theme and inspiration behind your image. It need not be a single monochrome image - you can have multiple colors so long as the viewer sees one that makes your photo special. Colors evoke moods and feelings - how you choose to compose and use them is what will guide the viewer through the image. Choosing to focus on a single color in particular is both creative and also calls on your technical skills - after all, good use of light, contrast and saturation is what can make or break an image. Basically, pick a color and make it the dominant and outstanding color of your image and leave no doubt about which color you wanted to make the hero of your shot. Think landscapes of rolling green hills, or food shots of red chilli peppers or the all encompassing golden color at sunset - there's a noticeable dominant color there and that's what we're looking for. So, get out there and just pay a little more attention than you usually do to get some amazing color shots.
Shot with my amazing 1960's Nikkor F1.4 and my Vivitar light meter. So much fun! See below!
Assignment
This time around, we want you to look closer at a Single Focal Point. While this sounds more like a technical challenge, it's more compositional in nature - we want you to guide your viewer's eye to a distinct part of your image. There are a number of ways that this can be done - depth of field can make it so a subject is in focus while almost everything else is blurred; or you could use negative space and a minimalist composition to draw in the viewer to one part of the image. Sometimes you can also use light as a frame to guide the viewer's perspective to your subject - think spotlight and light shaping. It's all about tuning out the distractions and taking your viewer to the exact spot in your image you want their eyes to well... focus on. You might also want to consider getting some help from your editing software with vignettes, color pops and contrast to make your desired subject stand out. Even better, use a combination of these techniques and other skills to get this challenge sorted.
Assuming geometric growth from the first viable bulb to this year leads us to 536,250,000,000 bulbs sold in the US alone. Add in international sales and the number is likely many many times that. Bulbs revolutionized domestic and industrial life and brought constant, clean light to the masses. Freed from fires and gas lights, productivity soared and home life became greatly extended. I put my modern LED bulb in Edison's lab.
I printed two 13x19 color prints, one of Edison's lab, the other of some hardwood flooring and taped them together. Then propped up the back and shot my bulb!
Assignment
This week, we're looking to shoot a Common Object. And isn't that what photography is all about, really? Taking the mundane and shining a different light on it. Highlighting an object or scene that we normally pass by with no notice, and making it something special. Think about all the common objects you can see around you right this moment - a bottle, socks, a pen, eggs, coffee mugs, perfume vapor, cell phone - the list of subjects you have this week are endless. Now the challenge is to simply make the ordinary look extra ordinary, or at least photographed well. You could try focusing on a particular detail or texture. Or perhaps show how you use it in your day-to-day life. Tell a story about how something mundane and ordinary can be a valuable part of your day. You could go full magazine style Product Shoot or do something fun and quirky to make us chuckle out loud. Composition is key here - so try and arrange things in your shot to convey depth, emotion, or perhaps even a surreal, thought-provoking moment. The creative side is entirely up to you. Now go out and be uncommon!
My dad passed away on Aug 1, 2019. My mom passed away on July 13, 2021 and I then became an orphan. After her funeral in Maryland we had her body transported to California to be interred next to her sister. Today I traveled from Atlanta GA to Mission Hills CA to visit my mom's grave as a point of closure. So many times I remember a look, tone of voice, touch of my parents hand, and realize how much I miss them.
Photography is drawing with light and this week's Silhouette challenge firmly shows us that. A silhouette is about bringing together contrasts of a well-lit background against a dark subject, making the subject's shape and outline as the main point of focus. A silhouette balances what the viewer sees alongside the darker toned facets of the subject that are intentionally kept hidden from the light. Silhouettes are a great way to tell a story while leaving it up to the imagination of the viewer - there aren't visible features to express emotion, so your viewer will fill in details depending on the context of the image - use this to direct your viewer's line of thinking - is there happiness being depicted ? or perhaps tranquility ? could it be something to do with loss ? Maybe it's just self-expression. Make the image work with a bit of considered planning. This is a lesson in exposure, composition and creativity all coming together. While silhouettes are commonly shot in the day and at golden / blue hours, you can absolutely shoot silhouettes at night too. This will work best when the object being shot is recognizable through their well-defined shape and outline - a blob isn't instantly recognizable for what it actually is. Portraits, Still Life, Architecture and Nature typically make for good silhouette genres. Silhouettes can often convey some kind of mystic story. By leaving the details in the dark, the story becomes compelling and the viewer is more engaged with the picture. Let's see some of those fantastic photos this week too, my friends.
We are the Atlanta Motor Speedway's NASCAR Quaker State 400. 260 laps, 1040 left turns, at 200+ MPH. This was my first NASCAR race and I never really understood the allure. I still don't. But it was exciting watching them run just inches apart at such high speeds.
It's super loud and you have to wear ear protection. So no casual converstation!
Assignment
Less is more. This week's Negative Space challenge is what those words are all about. Make your composition's subject stand out by ensuring you eliminate clutter, distractions and sometimes even a backgound. Many minimalistic photography images have a great deal of negative space to isolate the subject. There are tons of genres and ideas that would make for very compelling shots - architecture, landscapes, portraits, food photography, abstracts and so much more. Think about the story or emotion you'd like to convey to your viewer and compose your shot after taking some time to think about it. We're looking for clear, un-cluttered images where the space surrounding the main subject or idea enhances your shot by taking the viewer's eye straight there. That little bit of extra space allows for breathing room and leaves no doubt as to what the main point of interest is. There's magic in negative space, when used wisely, so think, breathe, shoot...
On the street by our hotel in New Orleans there is a row of these beautiful access hole covers. Each one has a wonderfully intricate pattern that has little to do with the functionality of the cover. We now find an echo of some unknown artist who's work brings a bit of elegance to a vast city.
Assignment
I get easily mesmerized when I see images with shapes and designs figuring all through the shot. For many of us, seeing a Pattern comes quite naturally - after all, it's just something being repeated in a pleasing way. That's why so many of our creations use patterns - whether it's the crimped crust of a pie or some beautiful inlay mosaic work on floor tiles - patterns and repetition of shapes stands out to us. As a photographer, it's up to us to try and use these patterns to tell a story and that's where the creativity comes in. Look for geometric and sharp angular patterns if you want to compose something using a pattern of shapes. You could also seek out patterns with colors. This challenge can overlap with other sub-genres like Repetition or Textures - but what you ought to be aiming for, is to show a cool shot with an easily recognizable motif or theme that makes the shot stand out. Other genres like Abstract Photography or Architecture are also great ideas to find patterns. One final thought - Most, if not all, patterns have repetition. But not all repetition forms a pattern. Just think about that for a bit. This week, it's about taking a step back and seeing the bigger picture. Can't wait to see it!
Voodo head, Ursula, three naked babies, Homer Simpson, a dead alligator, Moses, a seahorse, a pig, and a Big Shot.
In what universe would these items appear in one place? What possible explanation is there for this strange collection to be displayed in a window on a non-descript street.
What the heck is that? If that's the reaction your photo gets, then that means you did it right! This week we are diving into the abstract, the macro, the hidden angle, the way the light touches an object, or even getting inside an object, and giving a different view of a familiar world in order to challenge our viewer into figuring just WHAT IT IS that we photographed! You do not need to shoot macro or up close, you can mask certain details using light (or shadow) to show what you want and hide what you don't! Is it a whisk? A spoon? A grain of sand? Feel free to leave a hint or a BTS shot in your comments! Enjoy the process and have fun! :)
This little baby Praying Mantis is about 3/8 of inch tall. It's already on its mission of eating lots of bugs and even eating each other. It's a tough life. If I scale him up to human size I'm about 270 feet above him.
Assignment
Time to look at things from a new perspective - this week, we're going to Shoot From Above. Most images are taken at eye level or with the camera parallel to the horizon. With a high angle shot, we're trying to get photos from an unusual angle, taken from above the subject and looking down towards what you're shooting. Why ? Well, the short and sweer answer is - you get some cool shots this way. We're not talking about skyscrapers and helicopters here. You can shoot some cool portraiture by getting up higher than your subject. Food and product shots are also well-suited to being shot from above (just pay attention to your lighting and shadows). Oh, and let's not forget flat-lays - you can go minimalistic or mega creative with your ideas here. And of course, the evergreen favorite: landscape shots - whether natural or urban. Just position yourself somewhere high (and safe) and shoot scenes of what's happening below - think rushing waters of a river taken from a bridge or light streaks from car tail-lights as they drive down a twisty hill road at night. Go a bit abstract and look down the mirrored facade of an office building. Going on a flight? Remember to make the most of it and click a few shots while you're thousands of feet up in the air. Get on top of things and grab those amazeballs pics.
We learned to fold these origami snappers in elementary school. We called them chompers. We made lots of regular chompers, some huge ones, and some nearly microscopic. We had battles to the death (defined as no longer chompable). Did all kinds of decorations, huge adventures, and pestered the girls on the playground. Just making these was a fun memory recall of the crazy games we played with these simple folded objects. See below for instructions and have your own adventures with your children or grandchildren. They are, as you can see, composed entirely of triangular shapes!
Three's company or a crowd - but in photography, we can use 3 "lines" to make a Triangular Composition - three lines in an image to create either an "actual" triangle shape, like a harsh shadow on the street, or hands raised above ones head, or a "perceived" triangle shape like posing a group of people in your frame, or cutting your frame in half with some diagonal shape (your subject's limbs placed diagonally in your frame can make great perceived triangles in your frame's composition). Other ways perceived triangles can be utilized in your composition could include the way a lamp casts light onto your subject, or a leading line taking you into the frame. This challenge is NOT a request to find a triangle toy, or a triangular OBJECT and take a photo of it. This is a compositional challenge, as its name implies: Triangular COMPOSITION. Just like for the Rule of Thirds challenge, for example, wasn't a request to go out and find tic-tac-toe boards! Triangular composition is one of those "guidelines" in photography composition, that can enhance interest in your frame, if or when you can incorporate it. The purpose of this challenge is to first train yourself to SEE it: see examples from my SHOOTING 101 chapter HERE. Once you understand where triangles take form in composition, you can then craft your own frame utilizing one of these techniques. As you can see from this chapter from my Shooting 101 course (you can view this chapter FOR FREE, HERE) you can achieve triangular composition in many ways: by placing your subject's hand on their ear, by catching the harsh mid-day shadow on a street, by capturing a long, straight road, that disappears in the distance. This challenge is not (necessarily) referring to the "golden triangle", the focus is more on these scenarios where you can identify regular ol' triangles in your composition. Be creative : let's not be obtuse in looking for the right angle. We're all equilaterallycapable of acutely good photos.
Most of us don't think about our sight until we have problems. But for millions around the world blindess or limited vision is their day to day experience. One of my companies is Empowermats ( https://empowermats.com ). This project helps blind and visually disabled students learn to participate in competitive robotics. My mentor at the Maryland School for the Blind ( https://www.marylandschoolfortheblind.org ), Gina Fugate, has helped me understand the challenges these students and adults face every day.
We've all seen wonderful images where a particular subject is in focus and the rest of the image is soft, so our eyes are drawn to the main element. This week, we want to see Everything In Focus. This is where your choices of subject, composition, lens selection and depth of field all come together to give us sharp images front to back. Think landscapes, closeup portraits, flat-lays, architecture and more. This challenge will have you thinking of angles, backgrounds and subject separation. All of these elements combine together to give you photographs that have everything in focus - front to back. You could also use techniques like hyper-focal focusing to get things like landscapes in focus. Or even try focus stacking in macro and liquid-drop shots in post-processing to merge exposures and get nice, sharp details all through the image. Experiment, take lots of photos at lots of places of lots of things. That's how we all improve.
Georgia Senate Candidate, Euriel Hemmerly, makes a final appeal to voters.
In 2006 we met Justin Kase Conder when he did a family portrait for an award we had won and that started friendship that continues to this day. Justin has done projects for more than 30 of our country's largest corporations. He has traveled the world doing photography for a youth organization. His work is amazing and he's not dead so I could interview him. It is a mini-masterclass that demonstrates three key skills: Look for a great background, fastidiously place your subjects, and look for the moment. I suggest you watch the interview.
Ever feel like you're stuck in a rut, creatively speaking ? Maybe you're not feeling it any more ? Well, let's get our creative juices flowing and get Inspired By A Photographer. Whether it's legendary photographers whose work you've come across in a gallery exhibition or cool, modern photogs on Insta (and 52Frames.com), there are so many photographers whose work inspires me. Sometimes it's just the concept, story and creativity of the composition; at other times, I find the technical aspects to be just jaw-dropping. Being inspired isn't the same as a 1:1 copy - far from it, it's about learning and picking up certain aspects and nuances from a fellow photographer. Look at the tones and color palette that's used or perhaps the technique that made it a shot for you to recall. Still not sure whose work you'd like to pay tribute to or can't choose from your photo heroes? Use our friendly random prompter to help you out with some well-admired photographers and the genres they're best known for. One final thing - we're a global community and we'd love to see your take on photographers who have been an inspiration to you from all parts of the world, not just the Western Hemisphere.
It took years to build. The amazing canopy that covers the North and South terminals at Atlanta's Hartfield Airport allows thousands of travelers to load and unload free from rain and occasional snow. The translucent cover provides light most of the day. The engineering is amazing and represented in the elegant patterns it creates. Many airports have stunning architectural design. Here are some examples: https://www.archdaily.com/search/projects/categories/airport
Here is the full canopy. Extraordinary engineering.
Assignment
It's time to put on your creative hats and take some Abstract images. Photography that makes use of patterns, textures, blur and often enough indistinct shapes - all to convey emotions or to share a narrative. Think about focusing on colors and shapes, rather than concentrating on getting technical details like focus and depth of field. There's absolutely NO right and wrong - it's all subjective and open to what you - the photographer - wants their viewer to feel. Abstract photography is all about form, color and texture coupled with uncommon viewing angles. Get low, look at the undersides of things, go in close to grab some texture, use bubbles and liquid drops to make random patterns of light and color. Experiment and feel free to mix genres and techniques to create some absolutely amazing shots. Look at playing around with blur, movement or something that looks different from what you're trying to portray - yeah, that's a tough nut to crack but if your viewer can turn to you and ask - "Wow! Great shot... what is it?" - yep, you've hit the brief.
Aunt Fanny's Cabin: One of The Last Vestiges of Southern Slavery
US NEWS: Aunt Fanny’s Cabin attracted diners for decades. People traveled to Smyrna from around the world for the restaurant’s famous southern cooking. But Aunt Fanny’s Cabin gained infamy for using derogatory depictions of Black people to entertain dinner guests. Historians say Aunt Fanny’s Cabin spawned a generation of restaurants that capitalized off the “Old South” decor and theme. Some even mimicked the racially tinged tropes the cabin popularized. The city’s task force must now struggle to reconcile the cabin’s ugly past with its historical value to Smyrna. The restaurant is no longer in operation and the building was recently purchased and will be moved.
We're shooting Architecture this week. Go out to places and shoot structures that we might not pay enough attention to - the sleek glass façade of a modern skyscraper, or maybe something with an art-deco frontage from decades earlier. Architecture isn't all about the outsides alone, there are many places with magnificent interiors from churches and temples to a modern airport lounge. It's not just all about shots of buildings either - things like bridges and underpasses, tall radio masts, dams, windmills can all be amazing subjects. There's also a lot of character in structures that are old or run-down: wabi-sabi is a concept that explores beauty in the imperfect and that ties in very well with many different kinds of structures. Find an archway or opening you can use to frame a shot. Or use the architecture to create leading lines, symmetry, and repetition of shapes. Take your time, scope out your composition - maybe walk around a bit, looking for a nice perspective and shooting angles that work. A little bit of thought will make for some compelling and creative architecture images.
As I pondered this week's challenge I realized some of my most treasured items are on a flat surface.
1. Painting: This is a complex crayon drawing I did at about 4 years old after seeing and Alexander Calder exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum in New York city.
2. Picture of me at the faucet at 18 months.
3. A wire sculpture of a crane I made at around 10 year old.
4. Four a my mom's amazing sculptures to illustrate Bible verses.
5. My dad's first business sign (he was not a doctor)
6. An antique coin bank we played with for hours.
You can see closeups of each item below.
Detail Shots
Assignment
Time for a genre that's rather popular on social media in recent times - Flat Lay photography has simple rules - take a shot of items or objects laid out on a flat surface from immediately above. Basically, a bird's-eye view of a set of objects that make up a cohesive whole. Think of it like setting up a mood board or if you're into food photography, setting up a dinner table with dishes, accessories and food. You could show off things that speak to you in your hobby - like a set of gardening tools or knitting yarn and needles. How about a top-down view of your desk - are you a neat freak or a proponent of organized chaos? Go for understated minimalism or bold maximalism - the choice is yours. Perhaps you could include a bit of portraiture by putting yourself in the shot along with some outfits and hats that you adore and take a self-portrait. Take things a step further with knolling - laying everything out at perpendicular, straight angles to each other. Don't be restricted to indoor shots either. You can grab some cool shots with organic, natural ground as your flat-lay background. Push your creativity by making the layouts tell a story. That's what makes for great shots.
Every great book, novel, story, starts with a perfect opening line. To that end I offer leading lines. Opening lines below.
If you want to have some fun, visit the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest that challenges entrants to compose opening sentences to the worst of all possible novels. https://www.bulwer-lytton.com/ This year's grand prize: "A lecherous sunrise flaunted itself over a flatulent sea, ripping the obsidian bodice of night asunder with its rapacious fingers of gold, thus exposing her dusky bosom to the dawn’s ogling stare."
1. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (1813) It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
2. Moby-Dick, Herman Melville (1851) Call me Ishmael.
3. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens (1859) It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
4. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson (1883) Squire Trelawney, Dr Livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars about Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end, keeping nothing back but the bearings of the island, and that only because there is still treasure not yet lifted, I take up my pen in the year of grace 17-, and go back to the time when my father kept the Admiral Benbow inn, and the brown old seaman, with the sabre cut, first took up his lodging under our roof.
5. Ulysses, James Joyce (1922) Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.
6. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.
7. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell (1949) It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
8. The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger (1951) If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.
9. The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway (1952) He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.
10. Catch 22, Joseph Heller (1961) It was love at first sight.
Behind the Scenes
I printed the lines, with a vanishing point, on 13x19 paper and then taped two sheets together to make the background. I found an old book and tried a number of shots. I chose to shoot higher to show some of the pages. Then cropped in PS with light sharpening. You can see my LED bulbs from last week on the desk!
Assignment
Leading lines are lines that guide the viewer from the edge of your frame towards your subject, usually coming from a corner(s). Look for things in your scene that effortlessly takes your viewer's eye straight to your intended subject. We're trying to direct the viewer to a part of our image that is most important in the composition. Think staircase railings, paths and roads in a landscape, bridges and jetties leading off into the distance all make for excellent ways to incorporate leading lines in your shot. Feel free to think out of the box... Remember leading lines don't need to be straight. Curving streams, rice paddies and long-exposure car taillight streaks can all look very cool in a shot. Patterns and textures can also form leading lines to take your viewer straight to the action. Just be alive to your surroundings and you're sure to see leading lines for your next epic shot!
While we like to focus on the lighting used in photos, we want to include a lamp this week! That means including a lamp IN your photo, not just the suggestion through lighting. This simple little device has so many forms - something classical like a hurricane lamp, or a modern desk lamp with an attached magnifier for detail work. Perhaps you could share a story of your own little reading nook where you enjoy some solitude or showcase a scene where the lamp is the hero of the image. Maybe you could do your own take on some classic art with chiaroscuro lighting. You could even try to use wabi-sabi concepts to bring out the beauty of a much used object, go for a low-key style with lots of shadow in the shot, or take an HDR shot with multiple exposures to illuminate your composition thoroughly. Don't just take a snapshot, take a photograph that tells a story. We're looking forward to seeing images of lamps and how they're used from all over the world.
All that remains of billions of dollars is a manhole cover
The American Telephone & Telegraph Company was primarily responsible for the creation and maintenance of the United State national telephone network. Working with analogue switches and hard wires they built an operational network with a reliability factor of 99.99%. It could connect phones, almost anywhere in the country with a point-to-point physical connection. It also brought a fierce resistance to technology innovation, and AT&T lobbied aggressively to keep competitors or equipment providers from competing. This left us with expensive, leased rotary phones and expensive long-distance fees. In 1982 an antitrust lawsuit broke the AT&T empire into seven regional companies called the Baby Bells. This divestiture unleashed years of innovation that created all the features we enjoy today.
Time to get up close and personal with an Extreme Closeup. If you are thinking this is the MACRO challenge, it is NOT. I suppose macro could technically fit within the challenge, but if you go to the dictionary, you'll find a closeup is 1. a photograph, movie, or video taken at close range and showing the subject on a large scale. "a closeup of her face" or 2. an intimate and detailed description or study. "the book's closeup account of the violence" (taken from Oxford Languages because ya know, they nailed that for us.) We do like putting our own spin on things, though, so simply put, move in and fill your frame with your subject. The idea is to get right into a subject (because this is EXTREME closeup), and have that subject fill the entire frame. You can zoom in with any lens you have, and your feet also make an excellent zoom feature, just walk close to your subject! This is not a challenge for wide open vistas - compose your shots to show as much detail as possible. What can you tell your viewer by pushing in close? What do you want to bring attention to? Try to find an interesting detail or feature - heck, the most mundane of objects can have something striking if you look closely enough. That's what this challenge is all about - take a moment to look closer and see those details that are often overlooked.
When we purchased our little house in GA the backyard was a jungle of ivy, 4-8 inches of leaves, and tons of unwanted plants, especially privets. Privets are weeds that grow like and as large as trees and proliferate at an amazing rate. After Susan cleared much of the underbrush, we started cutting down the privets. This left a couple of dozen stumps. Every time it rains, she has gone out with a shovel and pried out the privet stumps one at time. Here is her bounty of stumps.
The great outdoors is one of my favourite genres of photography - Nature - let's go out there and get some shots of our little corner of the planet. Remember, your shot doesn't need to be at par with a National Geographic photo-essay, it needs to show us a scene that you wanted us to see. It could be a small babbling brook, or a wheat field out in the country. How about a shot of the tiny bird that grabs breakfast from your window sill each morning ? Or golden hour clouds shot from your apartment building's terrace? Nature shots aren't restricted to wildlife out in the boonies - you could take Nature shots in urban areas too. Want to try something different ? How about a night shot ? Or one with high shutter speed to freeze motion ? There's plenty of ways to take some great shots in this genre - what you will need, however, is tons of patience and time to get a good shot. So, breathe in, breathe out and think about what and how you want others to see what you're currently seeing. Nature Photography is here to make us feel connected with our home, this pale blue dot. so don't forget the old adage: "Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time.
Our new neighbors C & P have been married now for six days. What could be more fun than to try to capture the joy of starting a life together and those wonderful early days of discovery.
Assignment
On to a creative challenge this week and let's get to the core of what photography is about to a viewer - Emotion. Our photos should tell a story and evoke feelings in those who see our shots. The happiness reflected in the eyes of a child, or the look of love shared between a couple celebrating their 30th anniversary. The sheer joy of a team celebrating their latest win on the football field or even the pride of a baker showcasing their latest creation. Human emotions run deep and are varied - we can be pensive, or be battling our inner demons - deep portraits can tell compelling stories. A dog excitedly reacting to his owner coming home after a long day. A desolate, windswept expanse of landscape. Or the bright colors and lights of balloons and carnival rides at a fair. Emotions aren’t just found in the faces of people - we can find them, and feel them, in anything we see. And in anything we photograph. Take a photo with the singular idea to make someone feel the same thing you did when you pressed the shutter, whether the feeling is written on someone’s face or is in the essence of the scene itself.
This was a week of experiments during which I tried a number of settings and scenarios to get a 14–15-minute exposure using my 10x neutral density filter. Running out of time, I tried this on our kitchen faucet and made an amazing discovery. The photo you are looking at is a 14-minute exposure and I expected the water to be blurred and soft. Instead, it illustrated the stunning consistency of the stream outlets.
It turns out the science of designing nozzles is fairly complex.
Then look around, they are everywhere. From your car windshield washer, to your shower, faucet, refrigerator, garden house, deodorant, all forms of makeup and so much more.
Assignment
Photography is all about capturing a little slice of time, but a really cool way of shooting is to go the opposite route and grab a larger amount of time - that's what a Long Shutter speed photo is all about. You can get some truly magical shots with this technique. Think in terms of seconds as opposed to fractions of a second. Think of landscape photos with smoothened out cloud movements or those silky water falls. If you're in the city, light trails from the taillights of moving vehicles or the blurred hustle-bustle of a crowd in a market - these are real sweet ways of grabbing not just moments, but whole experiences. Night shots with long shutter speeds help you take those wonderful cityscapes, and let's not forget those absolute amazeballs Astro shots of the night sky and stars. Got a local celebration with fireworks? - that's a fantabulous opportunity for some literally lit af shots. There are plenty of ways you can use long shutter speeds creatively—maybe to show some movement with motion blur or panning like an action portrait of a kid going down a playground slide. Got some rainy weather? Stock up on your patience and grab some dramatic lightning strikes. In the end, just take your time, go slow, stay steady, and breathe…
Every day many thousands of planes take off and land all over the world. The pilots and first officers who guide these magic tubes, that whisk us anywhere in hours, do so quietly and professionally. Apart from a few announcements from the flight deck, we don't know their names. But we trust them with our lives.
Assignment
At any given point of time, we're all doing something, so let's capture that this week and shoot An Activity. This week's challenge is deliberately open-ended and is there for you to make the most of your creative juices. Basically, think of a verb, something ending in -ing. Cooking, Hiking, Fishing, Painting, Building A Snowman, Woodworking, Vacuuming, Riding, Contemplating, Shooting Pool... see what we mean? You could freeze the action with a high shutter speed or go slow and capture something entirely different. There's so many different things to try - shoot from a low angle. Perhaps, take an environmental portrait of someone hard at work or play. Take a shot of your area's local sports team or just some kids on a swing aiming for the sky. Capture a moment in time that depicts someone (it could even be an animal) doing something. Set the tone of the image to add more depth and emotion to your shot. Think about why you want to capture this particular scene and how you can best convey that to your viewer. How ? Make good choices with your lens, composition, lighting and of course, how you edit your image in the end. I feel this week we're going to have even more fun than normal - shooting and seeing the many different things Framers from around the world will click.
Inviting Warmth of Starbucks on a Cold, Rainy, Night in Atlanta
This was a welcome respite from the rain and wind, and chance to spend another paycheck on a refresher.
Assignment
This week, we're going low, or at least shooting Low Key. A low key image is going to have shadows, dark tones and, in a lot of cases, the subject of the photo is the only thing shown off with your lighting. And speaking of light, there is usually only one source of lighting, but be careful because you could shoot with one light source and still not be hitting a true low key photo. Be sure to check the tips and tuts for specifics. A low key shot draws the viewer's eye to your subject with no distractions. Think drama, intensity, and moodiness. If you’re thinking low key is only for studio work, think again! You’ll see in our examples great low key photos of wildlife, architecture, even landscapes. Low key photography doesn't mean it has to be a black and white photo. It’s the overall dark you find in the tones, not the absence of color, though that works, too. The “key” to low key? Exposure control and light fall-off top the list. Just underexposing will be "key" here. An image that's solely underexposed may not meet the brief of also being a low-key image. Look for detail everywhere, except maybe in your darkest spots.
According to Merriam-Webster reflection can be defined as "a thought, idea, or opinion formed or a remark made as a result of meditation," or "consideration of some subject matter, idea, or purpose" So my good friend, Cole Paulson ( https://colepaulson.com ), a background actor in Atlanta, agreed to help me illustrate the challenges of getting the younger generation to hear the older.
Light. That's the medium photographers create their art with. We usually play with light and shadows but this week we're going to try something often overlooked - Reflections. Boost your photo's aesthetic by using reflections - add more depth and complexity with this aspect of photography and see the world in a whole new way. You might shoot a landscape near a body of (relatively still) water, or grab a great shot of a portrait through a window with reflections to accentuate and frame the subject. Cities are great places to find reflections - vehicle mirrors, puddles of water or even the glass façades of urban towers. Product photography and macro shots of objects on mirrors can also make for very cool shots. Be creative and think of using symmetry with mirrors or tangentially, go beyond the literal and take shots of people deep in their thoughts and reflecting upon something - it's up to you to work those creative and visual muscles of yours. Visualize your composition, be patient and don't hesitate to try new stuff out to get a great shot. Take time to observe your surroundings for cool opportunites out there or feel free to make your own indoors. Just ask yourself: "What is the light doing here ?"
The Rule Of Thirds - one of the earliest photo composition techniques that an aspiring photographer comes across in their photo journey. It's simple, versatile, and effective in many situations. It's a classic for a reason - it works well and improves photographic composition immensely. Simply put, place two vertical lines to divide the image into 3 equal columns and two horizontal lines so you also have 3 equally-sized horizontal rows so the entire scene is divided into 9 segments. (Think, tic-tac-toe grid.) Place points of interest in the scene where the lines meet to improve the overall look and feel of the image. Rule of Thirds in Portrait Photography | Composition Guide The thinking is that having the emphasis of the image at the thirds looks better than a straight-on composition in many cases. When you keep your primary subject framed by the Rule Of Thirds, it’s like you are creating a roadmap for your image, guiding the viewer’s eye to the subject and creating a better visual story. Many camera and phone viewfinders have these grids, so turn them on and frame your shots. p.s. when we have a Break the Rules challenge, this is a great rule to break!
When I travel I always try to find local restaurants and other places to stop that are not the ever present national and global chains. On a recent trip from Atlanta GA to Columbia SC I found this gem. Farmview Market is a local one-off location that is clean, beautiful, and full of wonderful local foods, fresh everything, and a full grocery store.
You can see more pics below and check out their website.
The great unknown - it's often a good idea to visit new places and experience new things. That's why this week, we're encouraging you to take shots of places hitherto Unexplored. You can find new places and experiences wherever you are - in a bustling city or an idyllic rural setting and everything in between. Take a moment to think about what you want your image to portray - excitement, beauty, nostalgia or even something poignant. Since you're likely going to be in a new place, do be patient with yourself and the surroundings. Try and be prepared for a number of different scenarios, so carry whatever equipment you think might be helpful - filters, lenses, a tripod and of course keep yourself hydrated and safe especially in crowded areas. This challenge is about being in the moment and seeing what you can capture at short notice - very much akin to travel photography. Finally, please remember to take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints. Have fun and find a place to shoot.
Books in their purest form transport us to other worlds, thoughts, stories, and world views. What an astounding object is a book. A universe encapsulated.
This was shot with my amazing 1960's Nikkor 50mm F1.4.
Assignment
This week, we're taking on Depth Of Field - a super important concept in photography that often separates those photos that look "amateur" from those that look "professional" or as I like to call it, "profesh". Essentially, depth of field is the point or "plane" in the photograph that is in focus. Everything BEHIND that point, or IN FRONT of that point will be blurred. (the DEPTH where things are in focus, you get it?) A shallow depth of field (low aperture number, like f/1.4) will have a small sliver of the photo in focus while the rest of the image (in front and behind this sliver) will be blurred or softly focused - think of portraits where the subject stands out sharply from a softer background. On the other hand, a wider depth of field (high aperture number, like f/22), usually seen in architecture or landscapes will have most, if not all, of the view in focus. * PRO-TIP * Depth Of Field doesn't depend on aperture (f-number) alone. These 3 things combined will have an impact on the depth of field: The aperture of your camera (f-number setting), The distance from the subject to the camera, The focal length of the lens on your camera. So, get out there and experiment with Depth Of Field - remember, this is another tool you should be using to make your story more powerful! So find out your story FIRST, and then use these settings to get you there!
This is my first shot with a 10x ND filter. The filter allowed me to shoot at ISO200 and F25 for a 30 second exposure. Super sharp and great fountain smoothing. Finished in photoshop.
Character. That's what most Black And White photos have. Color photos are complex, so we're inviting you to embrace the shades of gray found in black and white photography. If you aren't normally a fan of black and white photos, we hope you'll enjoy learning why many people find them to be powerful works of art and tools of communication. They evoke stronger emotions by paying greater attention to shadows, contrast and texture - three photographic elements that push good b/w images to become great ones. Telling a story? Black and White photography is great for that. Where color photos can keep the eyes trying to take everything in, a black and white photo can draw a person to look a little longer, removing the distraction of colors. Not every scene or composition will lend itself well to black and white (e.g. sunsets at golden hour), so take a good long look at your image and decide whether b/w actually adds to that image. We'd also like you to avoid adding tints or color tones to your images while editing. Be an old-school purist and just use black, white and shades in-between. Don't forget photography 101, though. Think about get low or get high, go wide or go narrow, straighten your horizon, and by all means, think about the why of your photo as you compose your shot. You could use black and white photography for portraits, landscapes, street photography and abstract photography, to name just a few. So, go ahead - be creative; visualize and then take the shot.
I found the needle. Shot with a needle, flashlight, and a piece of foamcore.
This is my alernate photo: "Robot Stands Alone," taken at a recent tradeshow.
Assignment
This week we're going with the genius expression of: less is more! The intention of minimalism is to simplify - usually in your composition, but also the amount of color, lighting, even the number of subjects will help to minimize your frame. A balanced composition with a lot of "negative space" will help incredibly well to achieve this. Think of it this way - what can you remove from your image in order to add to it? And how can you remove it? A good idea is to find a clean background, like a nice blank wall (could be a flat bold color, could be a simple black or white, could even be textured) and place a subject in front of it. You could also minimize background by shooting with a low aperture setting, which will essentially blur out your background. Minimalism can be used in a variety of photographic genres - portraits, landscapes, food, abstract, and even macro photography. Keep things uncluttered and free of distraction. Be deliberate in what you want your photo to portray. Think of how to make your subject pop. Think of what elements to include and what can be discarded. (reminds me, we should clean out our closets) Finally, minimalism doesn't always mean black and white - you can and should use color to great effect to engage your viewer with the emotion and story that is your photo.
I tried to find foods that matched the complementary color to Very Peri. Purple potatoes and star fruit completed the menu.
Assignment
We've taken a couple of steps this year, so let's continue on our photo journey with the first of our technical challenges - Complementary Colors. Color science often starts with making good use of complementary colors - colors that are diametrically opposite each other on a color wheel. The most basic pairs are yellow and purple ; blue and orange and lastly, red and green. You can also look for multiple color pairs if you add in a tertiary color. Now, on to the why - well, it's because these combination add a pleasurable appearance to your image. Complementary colors make each other pop - they are most often a set of warm and cool colors which brings balance and a sense of contrast to your image. When juxtaposed correctly, these sets of colors make each other more vivid and can boost an image considerably. For this challenge, be more observant and locate color combinations that make an image work. If you're setting up something, use complementary colors to accentuate your subjects - be they inanimate things, animals or people. Look out for things while you're walking around - a red barn in a green field, many flowers in nature can be shot with complementary colors as part of the theme or make your own like an orange beach ball floating on a swimming pool. Our world is filled with color, make the most of it by keeping an eye out for good combinations to enhance your photos.
Atlanta has some of the best restaurants in the world. But no culinary visit is complete without at least one meal at The Varsity ( https://www.thevarsity.com ). Step up to one of the 20 more registers and hear their famous phrase, "What'll ya have?" You should choose option 2 for your first combo meal. Cheese chili dog, chill cheese burger, fries, and a Coke. Then go back for some onion rings and fried pie, and their famous frosted orange shake . It's all here: https://www.thevarsity.com/food . Quintessential Atlanta and found nowhere else, The Varsity is good food, fast, and fun. And you get a free paper hat!
Assignment
Hola, नमस्ते , שלום , こんにちは , Hi , مرحبا , Aloha , 你好 , Sawubona , Привет , 안녕 , Ciao , Framers are found across the globe. We speak many languages and are spread far and wide. What better way to introduce the rest of us to your little corner of the planet than by showing us a scene from where you are. So, say Hello From... wherever you are. We'd love to see something special about where life has presently brought you - maybe you're in your hometown or taken a tangent on a business trip. Perhaps you've been fortunate enough to be able to travel for fun in these challenging times and can share your experience with the rest of us. Let's see photos that tell a story, or show us something stark and direct; perhaps a simple shot that defines where you are or who you're with. Make your very own picture post-card. And send it to us, please.
I've seen others do this I and wanted to try my hand at this iconic self-portrait image. If you want to try it with your hand this follow the link below the photos to download a clean base image and a layed photoshop file and the link I used to create the sketches.
Note that I do not smoke a pipe. This one came from Amazon Prime and will go into my prop bucket.
Here is the original painting.
Want to make your own? Download the Zip file for a two layer photoshop file with the original painting and the cleared version.
What better way to kick things off than embracing the beautiful challenge of turning the camera around and pointing it at your beautiful noggin! That's right. The 52Frames mantra is to "embrace imperfection" and there's nothing more perfectly imperfect than your unique self. It's tradition here at 52Frames to start the year with the Self Portrait challenge, because it's a great opportunity to not only introduce yourselves to the community, but to take a plunge into the space of creative vulnerability. Allow yourself to let go of fear and doubt and show us your true, creative selves. A self-portrait can tell a story, portray a nuanced personality, or just be outright wacky, This is your creation and you can decide how you would like to be "seen". Be creative, be vulnerable, be brave. Be You.
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Books in their purest form transport us to other worlds, thoughts, stories, and world views. What an astounding object is a book. A universe encapsulated.
