Photoshop Skillz, I haz dem

Before - UGH!! YUCKY!!

After - BEAUTIMOUS! Cropping, lightening, Sepia-ing (since the colors were SOOOO BAD, I had to just remove ALL colors!)

Much better, yes?

Outside Photos

We did a super cute photoshoot outside today. The sun was low enough in the sky to give enough light, but not be so bright everything was washed out. Here are some awesome Aric pics:

I edited this with www.picnik.com. I think the effects were Boost and Cross Process.

This one I edited with Picassa. I used the temperature function and make the image "warmer."

These images were some nature ones that I took. The first is a bird's nest in our bush, and the second is a lilac bush in our yard. The first lilac photo was the Straight Out of the Camera shot (which I loved) and the second was edited in Picnik.

Comments, critiques? Scathing remarks?

Lots of photos tonight

This afternoon the lighting was PERFECT in the living room and Aric was playing in his exersaucer, which made for some awesome, bright, colorful pics. First I'll start with some images I edited, then to images I left as is. And, as always, feedback is appreciated!

Focal Length - 24.4mm
Exposure Time - 0.011s (1/90)
Aperture - f/4.0
ISO - 400
What I did - Just removed all color. Nothin fancy.

Focal Length - 32.5mm
Exposure Time - 0.002s (1/500)
Aperture - f/4.0
ISO - 400
What I did - Messed around with the brightness and contrast. And cropped it.

Focal Length - 40.0mm
Exposure Time - 0.017s (1/60)
Aperture - f/5.6
ISO - 400

Focal Length - 55mm
Exposure Time - 0.017s (1/60)
Aperture - f/5.6
ISO - 400

Focal Length - 23.1mm
Exposure Time - 0.017s (1/60)
Aperture - f/5.6
ISO - 400

Focal Length - 37.5mm
Exposure Time - 0.017s (1/60)
Aperture - f/5.6
ISO - 400

Focal Length - 55mm
Exposure Time - 0.017s (1/60)
Aperture - f/5.6
ISO - 400

Focal Length - 26.3mm
Exposure Time - 0.017s (1/60)
Aperture - f/5.6
ISO - 400

The same photo over and over

Ok, so I attempted a "photo shoot." I made a mock studio with a fake backdrop and whatnot. I took almost 300 pictures. One came out.

Aperture - f/4
Shutter speed - 1/45 sec
ISO - 400
Focal Length - 32mm

Here is what auto smart fix in Photoshop did:

In Black and White:

And with my artistic edits:

Thoughts? Opinions? Scathing remarks?

Phun with Photoshop

Ok, now that I've figured stuff out, here's what I've done today.

Don't ask what I've done as far as which effects and what not, just accept for what they are.

Yes, I did notice the error with the Magic Wand tool thingy in the second photo. Also, what do you think of the new, fancy watermark?

Son of a #$%@&

Yeah, just found everything I was complaining was missing.

Carry on.

Thwarted by Photoshop Elements 4.0

So I've been reading The Pioneer Woman's Photography Blog. She's a self-taught photographer and has neat tutorials and such for then rest of us to become photographers.

Recently she posted some downloads for Photoshop Elements to do neat things to photos, like making things look vintage or soft or fresh and lively.

So I downloaded these since I still haven't been able to figure out to mess with color other than going to black and white and adjusting saturation and hue. Sepia tones don't exist, unless I haven't found that yet. So I thought these downloads would be awesome.

They are for Elements versions 5.0-8.0.

I have version 4.0.

At some point, I'm going to have to read that instruction manual.

At least I know the version I have is good for blog design. Now to make it work for editing photos past adding cool filters and making it look like digital art.

Experimenting with Black and White

Focal Length: 18.0mm
Exposure Time: 0.100s (1/10)
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 400

Focal Length: 26.3mm

Exposure Time: 0.100s (1/10)
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 400

Focal Length: 47.5mm

Exposure Time: 0.033s (1/30)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 400

Focal Length: 26.3mm

Exposure Time: 0.100s (1/10)
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 400

More fun with digital editing

So I haven't quite figured out Photoshop Elements. I'm too lazy to read the manual right now. But I've been playing with www.picnik.com. I lurve this site for quick, easy editing. If you haven't already, check out the header I designed for this blog with one of my pics from yesterday. All the edits were done in Picnik.

Como Zoo and Conservatory

Here are some of my favorite pictures from today. I have not done any editing to them.

Focal Length: 30.6 mm
Shutter speed: .011s (1/90)
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 800
Why I like it: This was the first picture I took today. I just like how vivid the colors are.

Focal Length: 23.1mm
Shutter speed: .001s (1/750)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 800
Why I like it: I love the contrasts and the shadowing in this picture.

Focal Length: 23.1mm
Shutter speed: .001s (1/750)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 800
Why I like it: Same as above, plus I love the texture of the petals and the nice, crisp edges.

Focal Length: 24.4mm
Shutter speed: .001s (1/1000)
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 800
Why I like it: I LOVE the colors in this picture. And again, it looks like this flower is truly there. I love how sharp the flower is and how faded the background is.

Focal Length: 47.5mm
Shutter speed: .002s (1/500)
Aperture: f/11.0
ISO: 800
Why I like it: The texture. I have no idea why I love texture so much.

 Focal Length: 23.1 mm
Shutter speed: .003s (1/350)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 800
Why I like it: The color and the light from the sun.

Focal Length: 26.5 mm
Shutter speed: .001s (1/1000)
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 800
Why I like it: The shadowing.

Focal Length: 55mm
Shutter speed: .001s (1/1000)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 800
Why I like it: The simplistic nature of the photo. The simple flower with a simple, out of focus background.

Focal Length: 42.5mm
Shutter speed: .001s (1/1000)
Aperture: f/4.5
ISO: 800
Why I like it: This photo is the definition of what I like in nature photography. I love the one, simple flower and the soft green background.

Focal Length: 37.5mm
Shutter speed: .003s (1/350)
Aperture: f/4.5
ISO: 800
Why I like it: Again with the simplicity. Although I think it might be too bright for my liking.

Focal Length: 28.1mm
Shutter speed: .008s (1/125)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 800
Why I like it: I freaking love this photo, again for the simplicity.

Focal Length: 47.5mm
Shutter speed: .006s (1/180)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 800
Why I like it: I love how crystal clear this is despite the fish being underwater and me being on the other side of the glass. I wish that I hadn't jumped the gun on the button though, maybe I could have gotten the fish centered better.

Focal Length: 55mm
Shutter speed: .125s (1/8)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 800
Why I like it: What's a trip to the zoo without a visit to the "Poppa Monkeys?"

Lessons

My personal photography guru took me to the Como Zoo and Conservatory for a lesson in nature photography. It was a lot of fun and I got some great shots out of it. I'll post some later today.

Also, she was able to give me a copy of Photoshop Elements! YAY! Now I have professional editing software :) I'll play around with that today also and maybe get some of those up as well.

Stay tuned!

More fun with digital editing

Before:

After:

Photo editing skills

In the age of digital photography, there's the ability to edit your photos to make them look the way you want. You can edit out blemishes, enhance important features, fade backgrounds, and so on a so forth. Now, my sister (my personal photography genius) doesn't like the ability to digitally edit photos. She says it take the art out of developing film on your own and doing those edits by hand.

For me, however, I am embracing digital editing, but for the fun things that you can do to photos. I discovered http://www.picnik.com/ today, a free photo editing site. Here's what I did:

Before:

After:

Neato!!

ISO, Shutter speed, and Aperture experiements

With each pic, I'll post the details (or whatever they are called)

Focal Length - 40.0 mm
Exposure time - 0.017s (1/60)
Aperture - f/4.5
ISO - 1600

I can totally see how ISO makes the pictures more grainy. Here's I pic I had with a lower ISO in the same room:

Focal Length - 37.5mm
Exposure time - 0.100s (1/10)
Aperture - f/4.5
ISO - 800

This picture looks too bright to me. Maybe a faster shutter speed? Less aperture? Am I understanding this correctly?

Here's a couple others:

Focal length - 40.0mm
Exposure time - 0.033 (1/30)
Aperture - f/5.6
ISO - 1600

Focal length - 32.5mm
Exposure time - 0.033s (1/30)
Aperture - f/5.6
ISO - 1600

Ok, what do you think? And Emmi, I know you are reading this. For the love of Pete, comment and give me help!!!!!!!! You need to come home soon! Perhaps this weekend we can head to the conservatory, maybe? Maybe I can just call you instead of addressing you via blog? Maybe it's too late and I should set down the computer and go to bed?

::facepalm::

So apparently lighting has EVERYTHING to do with photography.

Good God. Shoot me.

I'll figure this out eventually. Give me time! Today I learned what shutter speed does and what aperture is. I still have no freakin clue what ISO means. And apparently those three things are what you need to know to take pictures.

Now I just have to figure out how to adjust those things on my camera. Sounds like a night to curl up with a beer and an instruction manual.

Wish me luck!

Our trip to the park

I LOVED taking pictures today. Since it was so sunny I didn't even have to think about the proper lighting! That's one of the biggest things I need to learn about, lighting. Oh well, on to the pics:

In his little "tent" in his stroller!

Opinions?