1st Snow of the Season, Snowflakes on Pink Background

I always get excited when it snows. I feel like a little kid, rushing to put on my snow boots, hat, mittens, coat and scarf so I can go outside and play.

Today I decided to photograph individual snowflakes. I've never done this before, but since I have a set of close up filters I decided it was a good time to get started.

At the end of this post, I will show you my set-up and give tech details. 

Here is my favorite image of the day:

 I love how fluffy yet defined this snowflake looks. It is pure perfection.

Settings:
ISO 2500
1/60
F 10

 This is my second favorite from today. It appears grainier because I was losing the light. I turned on the tungsten porch light, and I think it only added color noise. No discernable difference in the light quality otherwise.

Settings:
ISO 2500
1/60 sec
F 6.3



This third image is to show you that you must work quickly with snowflakes, even though the temperature may be at freezing or below.

I set this self-healing mat outside for a couple of hours to become acclimatized before I went out to shoot today, and when I had to touch the board, I always touched the same area to keep my body heat from affecting the snowflakes.

Even so, the snowflakes began melting almost immediately when they landed on the board. It may have been partially due to me wiping the board on my clothes between shots when I wanted to catch fresh snowflakes.

A quick shot of me from my cell phone. 
I had a good time working outside this afternoon, even if it was freezing cold!

As promised, here is the info on my setup:

Items used;

Tripod with pistol grip (mount is a quick release plate)

Canon 60D

Canon 18-55mm image stabilizing lens

Vivitar filter set, I used ALL of the filters stacked (close up+4, close up+2, close up+1, and 10x macro.)

Xacto self healing mat (pink)


What do you think? Do you like the results?

I'd like to see sharper images. I need to work in better light next time so I can set my f-stops higher to increase my depth of field.

Self Portrait Project Day 5

Day 5 is the first composite image for my Self Portrait Project.

Take a look at "Tangled in My Thoughts"

I combined three different images to create this finished image.

First I photographed myself against a leafy green background outside. I made sure to use a shallow depth of field so it would be soft behind me. When layering in Photoshop, I cropped in and tilted the image to get the look I wanted.

Next I found some bare branches on trees, and photographed several areas, making sure to focus on various parts to create a few different focus points. 

This gave the branches an interesting look and forces the viewer to linger among them to figure out what is happening there, as multiple focus points are not what the eye is accustomed to seeing in a photograph with shallow depth of field.

I layered the branches over my profile and proceeded to add in and subtract areas to create the look I wanted.

Then I adjusted the density, color, hue and saturation, along with minimal retouching to slightly brighten my eye and smooth a spot on my forehead.

The final result is interesting, and is exactly what I imagined.

Portraits don't always have to be smiley, looking into the lens shots. Sometimes the mood is more important.

What do you think?

What emotion do you think this image conveys?

Tech Info:

Canon 60D

Tamron 28-300mm lens

ISO 200 for face image

ISO 400 for branches images

Both at

1/60th second

F 5

Flash was not used for these images.

Self Portrait Project Day 4 The 3/4 body crop.

In all of the years that I've been a professional photographer, I have never met anyone who didn't have some concern about their body and how they would look in a photograph.

I wouldn't call it vanity so much as I would call it anxiety. It is no wonder we feel inadequate with our looks.We are bombarded every day with images of the 'beautiful people' that have been airbrushed and Photoshopped to perfection, and sometimes beyond. How can the average person measure up to that standard when even the models and actors are not perfect enough?

Each culture and each period in history has its own standard of beauty. Did you know that? During the late 1800's and early 1900's, fatter women were considered more attractive. 

I think it's time we stopped being so freaked out about our appearance. Let's love our own bodies. Let's embrace our differences and celebrate our uniqueness. Sure, we have things we'd like to emphasize or de-emphasize in our portraits so we can look our best, but let's remember that each of us has our own beauty. 

I know, that's easier said than done, but I can help you look your best. Lots of people have told me that they don't photograph well. My answer is always the same, "You just haven't had the right photographer yet." 

Let's look at today's images. They are all cropped at or near

mid-thigh. This is known as the 3/4 length crop. 

First my favorite

There is lots to like about this image. I like my expression, the way my hair is covering my double chin, the light filtering through the leaves and highlighting my hair,

the 'good' side of my face is showing, and the way I'm standing is pretty flattering for most women.(Hip pushed back away from the camera, torso twisted. 

In addition, I've utilized the shoot-through technique that I adore. Having something leafy in the foreground adds depth and dimension, and can cover critical areas that we don't want showing, like my plus-sized hiney for example.

Are there improvements that could be made to the background and my pose? Sure, but I still like this image. 

I did do a few quick Photoshop changes to this picture; I created a slight vignette, blurred the edges a little, and increased the contrast. If I were preparing this for a client, I'd spend more time perfecting the image, but this is good for a quick edit.

Next let's look at another pose in this series that shows what NOT to do.

 My torso isn't angled away from the camera as much as the first image, and my hip is pointing toward the camera. This pose adds the appearance of weight rather than subtracting as in the first image. This pose isn't as flattering for my breasts, my stomach, or my face. I do like the way my left eye looks, my hand, and my smile.

No Photoshop changes were made to this image.

Finally, let's look at the third image from today:

The tummy pose is flattering for just about everyone. Sure, you can still tell that I'm a larger woman. However, the camera perspective, the light adding definition to the shape of my back, and the relaxing nature of this pose make it a favorite.

I like my smile, the light in my hair, and how happy and relaxed I look here.

As we've previously discussed, my hair is helping to disguise my weaker left jawline, and my smaller left eye.
I could have brushed my hair away from my eyes and still looked good though. This camera angle forces the subject to look up, and that opens up the eyes very nicely in most cases.

I could make a few changes to the hand posing for a more graceful look, and could slim myself a bit with Photoshop if I wanted to. Overall though, the pose is flattering and the image is pleasing.

What do you think?

Do you agree with my comments?

Tech info:

Canon EOS 60D

F9

1/250

ISO 200

Lens

Sigma 28-300mm zoom

Flash

Canon Speedlight 430EXII

1/1 power

Flash modifier Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce