I've decided this week that I'm going to give myself photography assignments. When I'm out hiking and shooting, I really don't take the time to work on my shoots in the field. I pretty much just point at something pretty and hope that it turns out. I'm more in it for the hike, the adventure, the company, the scenery...you get the idea. Of course, I love to bring the memory home with me and wish that I could spend more time on each shot. I decided the best way to do this is to work on my skills when I'm not on the trail and that way when I am, it will be just second nature.
Today was Assignment: Flower. I headed over to Volunteer Park, as it's only a few blocks from my house and it's has an amazing greenhouse. Unfortunately after a slightly frustrating issue with a foggy lens, I found the greenhouse to be closed. I made the best of it by working with the flowers that surrounded it. A little further up the way I noticed a garden that from afar looked to be roses but as I got closer I realized they were dahlias!
I think I took about 200 frames out here, but mostly because there were so many beautiful flowers. I was never sure how to compose the shot so I made sure to spend some time with each flower, shooting different angles and really working with each one. As a result, this is the first post that I didn't have to adjust the saturation at all on any of my pictures.
When I lived in LA I had an artist friend named Betsy who had a husband who was German. I loved saying the only phrase I remembered from German class to him: Ich habe keine idea. Betsy's paintings were amazing and I was always enthralled by the idea that she was still only working at Starbucks when she had such incredible talent. She was working on one black and white abstract painting and her husband came up behind her and said "It's missing something". She said "I thought so too!" and he goes "It needs a red dot'.
And you know what? It did need a red dot.
The whole time I was out at the park I heard a symphony playing, the sound drifting with the breeze. As I worked my way towards the reservoir I assumed I would see them. To my surprise they were actually playing at the top of the water tower. Everywhere you went in the park you could hear them play, but couldn't see them. Like a soundtrack for the evening brought to you by the heavens. It was really amazing. I spent a while with this flower, and in the end it reminded me of flames and I named it as such.
When I got home to process my photos, in between cooking a yummy pasta with my new pots from Ikea, I was surprised to see that FINALLY I didn't have to adjust the color saturation. It was dead on, which I found pretty amazing when looking at the above photo. Can you believe that's straight from the camera?
If you read my blog or know me at all, you know I'm a sucker for daisies. These little guys reminded me of my favorite flower so I ended up with quite a few shots of them that I really like.
From another view, minus the shadows.
There are two things in the world that make me giddy, girlie, disneyland happy and that is; snow and fireworks. These flowers reminded me of the gigantic burst fireworks that end every firework display, thus I'm ending my post with these little prettys.
What originally started as a quest to decorate the walls of my bedroom has now become a week long project. Tomorrow I'm lucky enough to enter the world of my good friend Casey for my next assignment: Passion. Think you know what it is? What's to come? You have no idea.
Today was Assignment: Flower. I headed over to Volunteer Park, as it's only a few blocks from my house and it's has an amazing greenhouse. Unfortunately after a slightly frustrating issue with a foggy lens, I found the greenhouse to be closed. I made the best of it by working with the flowers that surrounded it. A little further up the way I noticed a garden that from afar looked to be roses but as I got closer I realized they were dahlias!
I think I took about 200 frames out here, but mostly because there were so many beautiful flowers. I was never sure how to compose the shot so I made sure to spend some time with each flower, shooting different angles and really working with each one. As a result, this is the first post that I didn't have to adjust the saturation at all on any of my pictures.
When I lived in LA I had an artist friend named Betsy who had a husband who was German. I loved saying the only phrase I remembered from German class to him: Ich habe keine idea. Betsy's paintings were amazing and I was always enthralled by the idea that she was still only working at Starbucks when she had such incredible talent. She was working on one black and white abstract painting and her husband came up behind her and said "It's missing something". She said "I thought so too!" and he goes "It needs a red dot'.
And you know what? It did need a red dot.
The whole time I was out at the park I heard a symphony playing, the sound drifting with the breeze. As I worked my way towards the reservoir I assumed I would see them. To my surprise they were actually playing at the top of the water tower. Everywhere you went in the park you could hear them play, but couldn't see them. Like a soundtrack for the evening brought to you by the heavens. It was really amazing. I spent a while with this flower, and in the end it reminded me of flames and I named it as such.
When I got home to process my photos, in between cooking a yummy pasta with my new pots from Ikea, I was surprised to see that FINALLY I didn't have to adjust the color saturation. It was dead on, which I found pretty amazing when looking at the above photo. Can you believe that's straight from the camera?
If you read my blog or know me at all, you know I'm a sucker for daisies. These little guys reminded me of my favorite flower so I ended up with quite a few shots of them that I really like.
From another view, minus the shadows.
There are two things in the world that make me giddy, girlie, disneyland happy and that is; snow and fireworks. These flowers reminded me of the gigantic burst fireworks that end every firework display, thus I'm ending my post with these little prettys.
What originally started as a quest to decorate the walls of my bedroom has now become a week long project. Tomorrow I'm lucky enough to enter the world of my good friend Casey for my next assignment: Passion. Think you know what it is? What's to come? You have no idea.
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