Photographing a child playing baseball can be both fun and challenging. It's important to include action shots as well as some candid photos of the child's face. It helps to have a long lens such as a 200 mm so you can get a fairly close up photo of the child playing in the field. When photographing some action, make sure the shutter speed is fast enough to freeze the action such as running. Mostly, have fun and experiment around with your settings.
It's a little more challenging photographing high school boys than girls. They tend to feel slightly more awkward in front of the camera. If you can get them to loosen up, simply by being friendly and showing genuine interest in them, they will usually become more relaxed and cooperative. Don't forget to coax and compliment throughout the photo shoot!
It's important when taking night photos to find the right balance of flash used on the model. You don't want to make them look too bright with flash because then it looks unnatural. Or, it will be obvious that you took a night flash photo. In these photos of Matthew I kept the attached flash unit straight up rather than pointing the flash toward him. I then experimented with changing the aperture setting on my camera to see what looked best.
Have I mentioned before how much easier it is to photograph girls? :)
I had the pleasure and honor to photograph my Grandson's first birthday party. Can you imagine the fun and joy of the occasion? Watching Stormy play with his birthday "Smash Cake" was a hit with everyone! (Make sure you click on each photo to see the next one.)
When I was asked to photograph the Monstrance in my Catholic Church, I said yes. Not only do I enjoy volunteering at my church, I enjoy photographing just about anything and anyone! I had never photographed the holy Monstrance and decided that it would be a fun challenge. For those not familiar with the Monstrance, it is a place where the consecrated Host is placed and exposed for veneration. Catholics believe that the consecrated Host is the Body of Christ.
Roses are not everyone's favorite flower, but they are definitely one of my favorites....especially when given to me by a loved one!
What's interesting about this set of photographs is that they were all taken within about a thirty minute span of time. It was fun looking at a scene, photographing it, and then photographing the same scene from a different angle. You get two completely different photographs. For those of you who enjoy silhouettes, simply point your camera at the sky to meter the light, and then use that setting to photograph the land on the horizon. Enjoy! (Make sure you click on each photo to see the next one.)
I've always enjoyed the holidays, but especially Christmas time! The lights, surprising my loved ones, the baking, the decorations, and yes, the sentimental Christmas music are some of my favorite things about this time of the year.
Personally, I find it challenging to get arty photos of students in their classrooms. I have found that even if a classroom is well lit, it's better to add some light via attached flash to get rid of shadows and to brighten the photos.
It's always a special thing when I get to baby-sit one of my Grandchildren. Not only am I helping the parents out, but I'm getting to spend time with my Grandchildren.....and I get to photograph!
Meet Stormy, one of my beautiful Grandbabies!
Attending sporting events is one thing. Photographing them is something completely different. As a matter of fact, trying to capture fast action shots, or even not so fast, can be quite challenging.....almost as challenging as the sport itself! Today I attended an eighth grade volleyball game and so brought my camera along to get as many good shots as I could. It's challenging simply because the lighting isn't the best, and yet, using a speed light from a distance won't do any good. Add some fast actions and you've got some fast challenges. Setting an extra high ISO on the camera and attaching a fast lens onto the camera can make it or break it. I usually end up throwing out quite a few of the shots due to blurry photos, but that's okay. It only takes a few excellent shots to be satisfied with the end result. In some cases, quantity just isn't important.
I had such a lovely time photographing this young lady who will be graduating from high school in May 2017. Not only is she beautiful, she is extremely intelligent. That combination, along with her kindness and integrity, will take her way beyond the school years. Photographing teenagers can be challenging simply because they feel awkward at times in front of a camera. The trick is to get them to feel at ease. A photographer can do this simply by talking to them and getting to know who they are. Ask questions and get them talking!
When I'm not photographing, I'm running. I recently completed my second half marathon. This is the first time that I ran the entire time. Even while drinking the water/Gatorade in those tiny throw away cups they hand out as you run by, I continued running. That's why half of the drink ended up "not" in my mouth. I ran it in 2:33. It was a hard, but exhilarating and proud day for me.
I'm pleased to announce the launch of my new website and introduce some of its key features.
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