Two years ago I made the decision to spend the money I had been saving to buy my first house on camera equipment and become a professional photographer. It was a bit of a pivotal moment for me but I've loved every moment since.
With the popularity of Flickr it is becoming increasingly difficult for professional photographers to sell a photo. I work as a travel photographer. Well, think about it: *everyone* shoots photos of family vacations. There are millions of photos shot of the Eiffel Tower by now. So how does a photographer make a living today?
By shooting the photo in a different way. Today the professional travel photographer must find different angles, use different techniques, or shoot at different times of the day or year. The photo has to be unique in a world surrounded by millions of P&S and camera phones. That is the challenge I face today.
Now time for you to brag. What was the most difficult photo you ever shot? And why? Did it consume a tremendous amount of time? Did you have to hike an hour just to take it? Did you spend three hours editing it? Or was it an issue of perfect timing? BRAG about it!
Mine was a shot I did just last night. It's funny how this is only the third photo I've ever had on the Popular Page. The second was a light trail photo from just a few days ago. The first was a rubber duck I shot a long, long time ago (for those in the know, Grace is no longer with me; she decided to stay over there).
For this photo, first I had to walk to the top of a five level parking garage, The top four levels are closed this time of year, so the elevator and stairs are locked. I had to walk like a car would drive. Took 30 minutes just to get up there. I had to wait until the setting sun was in the right position before I could start shooting. I then spent 45 minutes shooting 210 two-second long exposure photos. When I got home, I spent three hours compositing these together in Photoshop, tweaking levels and dodging/burning.
@grecican HAHAHAHA. Oops. That's not what I meant!!!!!
I mean...show us one your difficult photos and tell us how you did it. You've got a lot of great photography so I'm sure you've got more than a few to brag about.
@mej2011 Thanks. Twice in one week. And you thought my ego was big before! Now you've also got a lot of amazing photography. POST a photo! I want to see how you did it.
I think the most brag-worthy shots I have are lightening...and you'll understand that seeing your bucket list post. My husband hates that I stand out in the street during a storm to get lightening shots. I know just the right level of insanity to push him to before I have to get inside. It's sometimes scary, and a pain in the ass because I don't have a waterproof camera or camera case for my Nikon. It usually takes a good 15-30 minutes of standing amid the rain and lightening and thunder, but getting a shot this close with a 35mm lens is worth it to me and makes it brag-worthy.
@jasonbarnette thanks, Jason... guess for me a lot of it is timing and editing. i don't think the majority of my pics are bragworthy, in all honesty. but many seem to get recognition after i've fussed around with them on PS (all hail!)... that being said, was particularly happy with the outcome of the one i posted up today... which is really a day shot but changed into a night shot. personally one of my faves... how i did it? lighting effects and some other tweaking on PS.
This photo took me ages to edit. It was my first attempt at levitating and I tried to clone out the stool. All it did was make it look like my daughter was sitting on a carpet and not floating.
Yesterday's photo also took me awhile to shoot. I kept throwing a leaf in the air and capturing it floating. Due to wind, elements, and the fact that no one was around to help, I was able to get this one shot out of 20 attempts. This was a lucky capture, using AI SERVO helped too.
i don't seem to take many difficult pictures that require a lot of set up or anything, but i'd have to go with this one
i was still getting the hang of all my manual settings and trying to capture just the right icicle shot...and i was half in my house, half outside because it was freezing cold, and there was freezing rain and i was trying to get just the right shutter speed and lighting...i still think to this day this is one of my personal faves
then i'd go with this one
this one is definitely the most involved picture i've ever taken...since it required more than one picture taken and it took a while to line everything up...i know technically it could be better, but, for my first attempt at it, i thought it came out really cool...i keep meaning to try it again....
This one took about 1/2 hour to shoot, then about 2 1/2 hours to PhotoShop. I had Sophie lie on a towel near the pool and posed her--this was so that the lighting on her and on the pool would be similar and not an issue during post-processing. It took a few shots to get the right pose, plus before I shoot her, we always have a meeting where I explain what I'm tryng to do, and what I need her to do to help, so factor that into the 1/2 hour. Maybe it was more like 20 minutes for this part. :-)
Then I cut her out, added the reflection, added space between her and the reflection (so that the reflec. is in the water) positioned her over the pool, and voila!
This photo has had the most views (479) out of any of my photos but somehow is not in my Top 10.
I've been trying to get a full moon shot for a long time. I got close the month before this was taken with a 99% of full moon shot. ACK!!! The planets need to be aligned perfectly in conjunction with the weather here. So, after much waiting and photographing of the moon, I finally got my first full moon. I've managed a few since then but this first was a proud moment for me. :-)
obviously on a different level to most of you, but I was very proud of myself when i managed to get my camera to focus on something up close and blur the light in the background. it took about 100 shots or something but i really like it!
This was a tough assignment--taking photos at my ex-husband's house for my magazine. It's of his haunted house. This is a mirror that shows this ghost when you look into it. To not get a flash and see the ghost so clearly (plus just being in my old house) made the whole night a little difficult!
I attempted real hdr shots on holiday this year for the first time and was quite pleased with this since I forgot to take my tripod into the henge with me and was not able to go get it out. Also spent a lot of time editing out all the tourists to give it a scene that is not the "norm" if you are just a tourist yourself.
I took this one way back in early March, minimal editing was done on it other than converting to b&w and a slight adjustment to the contrast. What makes me proud of this photo is that Ducati UK wanted to purchase it to use as one of their official fine art prints.
Since September I have been determined to wean myself off the automatic settings on my camera and I have only used manual settings since. I have seen an improvement in my photos since mid October and there are a lot I am happy with.
Today I spent longer processing my photo than normal and used quite a few techniques I haven't used before. Simply because I am pushing myself to do more I will brag about this one.
In order to take this shot I had to hike for two hours and then hold my camera steady, even though I was shaking and completely out of breath (I'm an asthmatic...). I was quite pleased with the shot and wanted to upload it as soon as possible but instead deleted all the picture on my SD card. I then downloaded a recovery programe and actually managed to recover this shot. So it did not only cost me time and energy but also lots of nerves to upload this shot. But it was worth it - it is the only sooc shot I have on my top ten list :):
This shot didn't take long to shoot but forever in editing because I had not closed the blinds before taking the two parts and the weather in England changes so quickly that the lighting was completely different in both shots.
This one. Not because it took a long time to take, or edit, or because there's anything technically special about it. But just because I nailed it with the first shot I took - and the feeling it inspires in me every time I look at it. The comment underneath it on my project explains more.
I trekked for 13 days to get to this height of approx 17,000ft. camping overnight at temperatures of minus 25 degrees. no shower or washing facilities all trek. This shot was taken a day before we attempted to summit at 21,000ft (too dark to shoot) I feel priveledged to have trekked on a part of the world not many people get to see first hand
One of my first attempts to go manual - I was lining up the shot of a pretty tree full of red berries, took a few shots, adjusted settings. Suddenly, a flock of Cedar Waxwings landed in the tree. It all happened so fast and I was so thrilled because i'd never even seen one waxwing before! This has been my most popular shot.
This one too. It is mostly SOOC with a bit of cropping. I had a tough time getting the detail I wanted but still getting the solar flare and coloring I wanted.....plus capturing my subject...Ace. He was feeling pretty frisky and was running around constantly.
Ruby was flying around for most of our holiday, hovering over the pool almost constantly - but he wouldn't sit still, every time I tried to take a picture off he'd fly and I'd end up with a blurry shot! Finally after trying for days he landed nearby and I slowly crept up and managed to capture him! I was over the moon :)
It was the first shot I ever took by reverse lensing - holding the opposite end of the lens to the camera so that it becomes a macro lens. This action figure is balanced on the window sill in my bedroom, the only really good spot of light in my apartment. It was BEATING in afternoon sun at the time. Also, I didn't have an adapter ring yet that holds the lens to the camera, so I had to hold it myself, and with a finger on that same hand, hold the aperture open to get the shot. Then, with the other hand, I had to hold the camera steady for a somewhat slower shutter speed AND click the button. And I was pretty much pouring sweat at this point. :)
I now have an adapter ring and a remote - and I use those plus a tripod for reverse lensing. It's somewhat a miracle, looking back, that I got this picture at all.
I am often driving backroads seeking photographic opportunities...my intent this day was to hike trails looking for landscape composition....
my wife and I had just parked the car to get a feel for this beautiful area we discovered but were leery when we realized it was longbow hunting season and we had noticed there were people out hunting because we had our two young daughters with us.
We parked near a turn about and considered just driving somewhere "safer" and a car pulled up, a man got out in bow hunting gear, and started prepping for a trek into the brush.
I am mainly a "landscape" photographer but have been dabbling in sniping candid street shots. Photo opportunities seem to come to me rather than the other way around and I am afraid to ask people if I can take pictures of them; however the fact this man parked next to us so quickly when we thought we were alone wasn't lost on me.
We started a small conversation with him asking him questions on how safe the trails were for hikers and as we were saying goodbye and he was starting to hike off I mustered the courage to ask him if he minded me taking a few shots? (I think I would have regretted not asking)
He was a very nice guy and let me take some shots...I really liked how the silhouettes were turning out and I asked him if he would mind doing a hunting pose?...
... and he said like this? and he busted a a perfect pose and even drew back his bow with a notched arrow!...I am far from a good photographer more a hobbiest and I knew I couldn't demand too much time of him...so this is one of the fastest shots I have ever taken...trusting myself with a quick framing of the composition while working with manual settings...I felt like I was quick draw mcgraw at a shootout...this is the photo that sought me out that day.
I showed him what I took on my viewfinder and the smile on his face made my day and I find myself over my fear of asking people if I can take their photo
@sparkle :) thank you! the rest of the day hunting for photo's was relaxed after this and my wife and I were so giddy knowing I had nailed a fab shot early in our day...we couldn't wait to see it on the laptop when we got home
This has become one of my all time fav shots I have done. It didn't take long to shoot....or edit actually. The people were just an issue of who was there. I just get a really good feeling from this photo. I'm also proud that I got everything so clear and crisp by knowing what settings to use for my camera. I felt like a pro when I snagged this.
I would say this is my most difficult shot I'd taken. Very time consuming, and hard to just get that perfect shot! I was taking it though the view finder of an older camera... holding it with one hand... trying to get it to stay in one place... focusing my other camera.. talk about a pain. but I think I got a pretty neat shot.
Concerning shooting, this one is definitely the hardest photo i ever took. There isn't anything extraordinary or even special about it, but I remember it was my first time ever shooting with a macro lens, I couldn't get it as perfect as I've imagined it would be at first and it just annoyed me! There was always one tiny something wrong in each attempt but I just couldn't let it go. Finally, after a couple of hours and possibly a million shots, I was satisfied with the result.
This was the hardest - this was shortly after I joined - and had no clue what to do - but I was ambitious! I took like 200 and only got like 5 good shots!!!
@mej2011 - You're just now questioning my sanity? Little on the slow side there aren't ya? You have many great photos. Share one with us.
@sdpace - Haha I know what you mean. I'll stand out in the middle of a field to capture great lightning shots. You should look into the rain gear bags they have at Adorama. For about $30 you can get a generic bag that works very well to protect your gear. Great photo, also!
@cfitzgerald - Next time, instead of cloning out the stool take two photos: one with her sitting on the stool and another without her or the stool in the frame. Then, just cut and paste the wall over the stool and voila...levitating children ;)
@terek55 - I can sorta imagine how that must have felt. In fact, ask me about this coming February. But you got a great photo there!
@jannaellen - Both of those shots are really good! I'm glad you recovered the rushing creek cause that's just awesome.
@sparkle - That's on my bucket list. Actually, just having to spend 13 days to get to where I need to take a photo anywhere in the world is on my bucket list. That was awesome!
@beautifulthing - Well, you did a great job capturing that photo, though! Just to let you know if I'd been there I would have sat in the corner and watched intently while you tried doing all that with just two hands ;)
@loztsoul Thanks. I'm just trying to post a different thread each day to get people talking, sharing photos, commenting, finding new people. Oh, and it gets me plenty of attention. Not that my ego needed it to begin with but I always say your ego can never be too big.
And...that is a great photo and story to go along with it haha!
@crispypringles4 That's interesting! I was wondering why it looked so dark around the edges. Was this for a particular theme or competition or are you just creative like that on a daily basis?
I have no idea how to really answer this, but @jasonbarnette is being so darn persistent. I have a few photos that were edited either in an attempt to "blend" photos, or cartoonify people which took me literally hours to edit. This shot, though, I guess is probably the hardest shot I've taken, that I've posted thus far. I knew how I wanted it to look as far as composition, but I was on a moving pontoon boat at the time, so I had to be quick. Happy now Jason?
This was a tough call for me. I am nowhere near the same league as many of you who have posted on this thread, but this picture is one I brag about because of the difficulty in taking it. I was riding on the back of the motorcycle, traveling down the freeway at about 70 mph, supporting Maggie's head in my right hand (the only hand that truly has any functionality... the left one is merely there to help hold sandwiches and because God put it there!), holding the camera in my left hand (see previous note), trying to hold the camera steady while reaching across to the right side of the camera (across the view screen) to the shutter button while trying to keep Maggie's face in the mirror. Not the best quality shot, but still one I am proud of. And I only took about 9 shots to get this "keeper!"
Easily, this one. Not only was the subject the most difficult I've worked with (first time shooting a newborn and she is not an "easy" newborn) but I had very little natural light to work with and literally only seconds before she would fuh-reak out on me. I was so disappointed in my inability that I haven't tried to shoot her in any cute newborn poses again. She's my niece and I love her to bits, she's now four months old and she has a very strong will. I gave up and I'll stick with candids. :)
A shot illuminated by no more than the full moon. The 10 minutes that the exposure took spent standing in a deserted graveyard in the middle of nowhere. Only my imagination to decipher all the noises I could hear around me. This was a fun shot to take :-)
This one, I had just got this macro lens and to focus it, you have to move the camera and at 5x any movement is hugely exaggerated, it is the most technically complex lens I have used. Just the sheer amount of light needed too and not forgetting how the hell do you clean a wasp!
Hats off to you Jason for following your dream, wish I had the guts and talent to do it.
I would be very interested to hear more about how you started and pitfalls etc.
@johnnyfrs My first reaction to this was "ew, that wasp has some crazy dandruff" and then I thought "OMG this is such a good macro that I can SEE the DANDRUFF on a WASP". :)
I would say this of my son was my most challenging. He had been asking me all day to fly high in the sky, so I thought I would "make" him fly high in the sky! I'd been itching to do a "levitation" shot. It took probably 10-15 minutes to get the best shot of him. I had him lay across a chair and told him to put his arms and legs out like he was flying. He had difficulty keeping both arms and legs out at the same time. lol :] Then I scoured the internet for a sky cloud photo that I thought would work. I had to cut my son out of his picture and paste him on the cloud photo. I was constantly adjusting the position of him until I finally decided a little angle would do. I added a bluish starry texture over top of the cloud picture and it gave it the purplish color, so I had to mess with the colors of the picture of my son flying so it would look like he was actually there flying. I then also added a copied layer of the cloud photo on top of my son and erased everything except some of the clouds around him to make it appear he was truly in the sky and also played with the opacity. I then added a canvas texture over top everything. I'm not sure how long this took me, but it felt like it took me forever. My first attempt at something like that and I was quite pleased with the result. :]
Well I'd have to say this one, I don't have a macro lens, so this was one of my attempts at reverse macro, turning the lens around and just holding it there.
I was very happy with it, although i could have straightened it up a bit:)
Its bubbles on the wires of an egg slicer, sitting in a glass baking dish with soda water in in, hence the bokeh in the background.
I took these two photographs today, which were quite possibly my most challenging yet. Since moving back to Peoria, I have been keeping an eye out for Willie, and this week, I have had a time to actually go out and look for him. With Willie, it always seems that when I'm not looking for him, there he is, but when I want to find him to take his photo, he has disappeared.
It's not really that this was particularly hard to get, but I'm impressed with myself for seeing it and making the right moves to catch it the way I did. I feel like it's the best photo I've ever taken. This was also the photo that made me realize I love shooting wide-angle, so I have an attachment to it.
This one immediately came into mind. It's mostly about timing....I was coming home and saw this amazing sight. Ran inside the house and grabbed the camera. I can't believe my luck! :))
I stayed outside in my pajamas for this one.....about 30 minutes till I got the right shot. Oh, by the way..........it was still very cold :)
And how can I forget my 2 egg shots. I spent a lot of time practicing to draw on paper before I was brave enough to draw on the eggs. I had a few pathetic rejects but overall I was pretty happy. And then I had to stage the scene and figure out how to stand the eggs by themselves.
The shooting took well over an hour in two different locations -- on a not-so-busy side street around the corner, and on my rooftop. Working with an unpredictable cat also does not make it very easy, especially when you have a solid idea in your mind. It's not like you can order a cat to make a face. You can really only guide their bodies with treats and trickery.
I really lucked out with her portion of the photo. I was simply trying to get her to rest her paws on a box and climb upward, so I could mount her on my shoulder in post. When I finally got her to do climb, she looked at the sun, squinted and looked away, giving me the perfect "windswept" look. As soon as I saw the picture, I knew I had what I needed, and went on to the editing, which probably took a couple hours, if not more.
Looking at it now, I see a few things I could have done a bit differently, but as far as her composite and the light matching goes, I am beyond satisfied, and will happily brag about the awesomeness of this picture. I mean, c'mon, I'm riding a friggin' bike with a giant cat on my shoulder. As far as "Me & My Pet" shots are concerned, I think I struck gold with this one.
Definitely this self portrait I took for the self potrait-reflection challenge! My original goal was to do a handstand but I got a little carried away and decided to do an aerial :o) Getting the timing done was not easy, not to mention doing about 20+ aerials!!! Was more than happy that I got one that turned out!!!!
@jasonbarnette this is interesting and you make a very valid point. Its got to be very tough for a professional photog in this day and age. I am far from professional, however I can still very much appreciate the realities.
This pic of mine is one of the most unusual shots of the Empire State Building (one of the most photgraphed buildings in the world). I knew in my mind that this cemetery in Queens would have some good views of Manhattan from across the East River. But when I got there I was astonished. The high ground of the cemetery and the sheer height of the ESB lined up this shot to the naked eye. I have researched it and still can't find a shot like this:
@michaelelliott See now *that* is what I'm talking about! That is different. However, would *never* work as a travel photo. Who wants a cemetery under the Empire State Building?!?! Haha
You need to get back here on a partly cloudy or clear day. That would look amazing.
@jasonbarnette - but forget travel - i find this shot profound on many different levels. It is fascinating and disturbuing and perhaps even making social commentary. I dont know but it does make one think and that is where the value of this shot is. Cool idea doing this thread.
@michaelelliott I try to come up with a different idea each day to get some discussions going. Although I usually don't think of them until I wake up. I have *no idea* what to do for tomorrow!
Yeah I agree this is a powerful image on its own. I do enjoy photos that combine elements to create something you would not have other thought. I once saw a photo of the Eiffel Tower in the distance with a gargoyle from a hotel in the foreground. It looked as though the gargoyle were eating the tower and it was awesome!
This one took me ages, and loads of shots that were very boring to sit and go through afterwards!! I think I was there for about an hour waiting for that wave! Was pleased with the end result though!
I took this photo one month into the 365 project. I pushed myself to my limits to enter a photography competition run by Better Homes and Garden in Australia. The challenge was to cook either pancakes or pikelets using a recipe in their magazine and then to photograph the creation so that the photo could be used as a mock cover shot. The competition was run via their facebook page and all entries were turned into the mock cover and displayed on facebook. The cooking part was easy. They styling of the food was more difficult. I did not have a tripod or a flash. I did have an $8 plastic step that I stood on for over an hour taking in excess of 200 photos. The end result was this photo and I won the competition! I received a $1,000 which I used to purchase my macro lens. It was all worth the effort and I was really pleased with how this photo turned out.
7 1/2 hours in a very hot, very humid circus tent, waiting for my friend Tim to come onstage with Mike and The Mechanics (He's the lead vocalist). 3,000 people pushing me into a barrier ... Dying for a wee as I've not left my spot as I didn't want to lose it ... But got this:
A very sweaty but content Tim, loving and living in the moment ...
Up about 2 am 30 mile drive to the car park. approx 1 hour walk up hill, followed by 2 hours taking photo's in the cold and wind, 1 hour walk back down and then drive back for 7.30ish.
Not just the time but being up in the mountains by oneself was spooky.
Composted of several different pictures this abandoned ferry house changed into a Magritte tribute. I'll take my 365 pictures using my iPhone which isn't very good in the dark. Eventually the starting point was a shot in bright daylight. Editing took many hours turning the shot to a night shot and to make the light and the water look as real as possible.
for me, this one stands out:
it's my face reflected on a glass table top. i'm lying on a couch. it took ages to get a shot where a) the reflection was good, kinda natural but slightly off, and b) i was in the right place such that there was no couch cushion poking over the top of the table. a hard photo to frame without a swinging preview screeny thing. but this is sooc, and i'm kinda proud of it.
also this one:
click and read the description of how i did it, if you like. basically, it's a photo of my phone's screen while my phone's camera was pointing at the subject.
I walked through the neighborhood shooting hundreds of doors and then spent hours going through them all and creating the final composition. I liked the end results mostly, but I would have done a few things differently in the photography arena had I realized I could have alleviated some extra editing work.
On this day 3 years ago, I made my way to the highest point of Papua New Guinea, Mt Wilhelm stands at over 4,000 metres above sea level and it can be fun getting there. However, there is only one really cool place where you can get a good photo of the mountain itself, and that is from the other side of the province, in fact, it is in the neighbouring province of Madang, and at a tiny village perched up on top of a razorback ridge is the tiny village of Pomyea. Here I trekked, and spent the evening eating kaukau with the ladies and talking about life in the city to the men. The children I introduced to the world of chocolate. So early in the morning as the sun was rising, I took a few pretty shots of the morning glow creeping across the valley, only to turn around and look at Mt Wilhelm and notice the moon was setting. It took me another two days to walk from that lofty peak down to the beach.
This one, just because it took what felt like 500 photos of silly water splashes til I got the one I actually wanted. I'm kinda happy with it, but still want to make it better! I haven't immersed myself back in to the water arena for a while, been just too busy!
@nicolecampbell What a wonderful story and photo, even more exciting that you won the competition and got your lens! What a great reward both photographically and financially! @bobfoto As our American friends would say.....that sounds awesome!!! What an amazing thing to experience and wonderful photographic memories.
This shot took several unsuccessful photo sessions to finally get the look I was going for. We tried for days and days. Luckily the model was patient, we finally found a humongous fan, and the perfect shot just popped up on my screen. It took a while to edit, but only because of my perfectionism. I am very proud of this shot for sure, the work that went into it, the fact I was so hell bent on my mission, and the fact that I accomplished exactly what was going on in my head.
@loztsoul what a COOL story behind your photo!! Wow, such an awesome learning experience for you, and I totally know that smile that makes the asking worth it! I'm so glad you got to experience that. And what an amazing shot to come out of that too!!
I'm doing a Stanger Faces series and I find it difficult to get unique shots of people for a few reasons: I'm working on becoming less shy about asking people to do something specific and asking them about themselves in general. I figure if I can get them talking and they aren't in a hurry, perhaps I can get a fun shot out of a gesture or a story they tell. So, there's the other problem - timing. Being relatively new to all this, I still take a wee bit of time to compose a shot or adjust settings. I'm getting faster, but I still worry a lot about people getting annoyed by my camera being in their face for more than 2 minutes.
I'm proud of this shot because I managed to compose it relatively quickly (dealing with two dogs bigger than most humans, an owner, and seating them on a tiny bench together), I kept the owner talking (interesting fellow), and got several great shots I barely had to do more with than export to jpg. The dog's paw on his shoulder says it all - "Slow down. Relax. It's ok. I'll help you through this."
Strangers are awesome.
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For this photo, first I had to walk to the top of a five level parking garage, The top four levels are closed this time of year, so the elevator and stairs are locked. I had to walk like a car would drive. Took 30 minutes just to get up there. I had to wait until the setting sun was in the right position before I could start shooting. I then spent 45 minutes shooting 210 two-second long exposure photos. When I got home, I spent three hours compositing these together in Photoshop, tweaking levels and dodging/burning.
So...total time involved in this photo: 5 hours.
I mean...show us one your difficult photos and tell us how you did it. You've got a lot of great photography so I'm sure you've got more than a few to brag about.
Congratulations on making the Popular Page!
You're too kind, but I now question your sanity. I have no good photos that are worth discussing.
Yesterday's photo also took me awhile to shoot. I kept throwing a leaf in the air and capturing it floating. Due to wind, elements, and the fact that no one was around to help, I was able to get this one shot out of 20 attempts. This was a lucky capture, using AI SERVO helped too.
i was still getting the hang of all my manual settings and trying to capture just the right icicle shot...and i was half in my house, half outside because it was freezing cold, and there was freezing rain and i was trying to get just the right shutter speed and lighting...i still think to this day this is one of my personal faves
then i'd go with this one
this one is definitely the most involved picture i've ever taken...since it required more than one picture taken and it took a while to line everything up...i know technically it could be better, but, for my first attempt at it, i thought it came out really cool...i keep meaning to try it again....
This one took about 1/2 hour to shoot, then about 2 1/2 hours to PhotoShop. I had Sophie lie on a towel near the pool and posed her--this was so that the lighting on her and on the pool would be similar and not an issue during post-processing. It took a few shots to get the right pose, plus before I shoot her, we always have a meeting where I explain what I'm tryng to do, and what I need her to do to help, so factor that into the 1/2 hour. Maybe it was more like 20 minutes for this part. :-)
Then I cut her out, added the reflection, added space between her and the reflection (so that the reflec. is in the water) positioned her over the pool, and voila!
This photo has had the most views (479) out of any of my photos but somehow is not in my Top 10.
I've been trying to get a full moon shot for a long time. I got close the month before this was taken with a 99% of full moon shot. ACK!!! The planets need to be aligned perfectly in conjunction with the weather here. So, after much waiting and photographing of the moon, I finally got my first full moon. I've managed a few since then but this first was a proud moment for me. :-)
Since September I have been determined to wean myself off the automatic settings on my camera and I have only used manual settings since. I have seen an improvement in my photos since mid October and there are a lot I am happy with.
Today I spent longer processing my photo than normal and used quite a few techniques I haven't used before. Simply because I am pushing myself to do more I will brag about this one.
This shot didn't take long to shoot but forever in editing because I had not closed the blinds before taking the two parts and the weather in England changes so quickly that the lighting was completely different in both shots.
I trekked for 13 days to get to this height of approx 17,000ft. camping overnight at temperatures of minus 25 degrees. no shower or washing facilities all trek. This shot was taken a day before we attempted to summit at 21,000ft (too dark to shoot) I feel priveledged to have trekked on a part of the world not many people get to see first hand
this little fella was less than 2 inches big and flitting about a lot - captured on fully manual, took me 2 hours of loitering in bushes to get this!
Ruby was flying around for most of our holiday, hovering over the pool almost constantly - but he wouldn't sit still, every time I tried to take a picture off he'd fly and I'd end up with a blurry shot! Finally after trying for days he landed nearby and I slowly crept up and managed to capture him! I was over the moon :)
It was the first shot I ever took by reverse lensing - holding the opposite end of the lens to the camera so that it becomes a macro lens. This action figure is balanced on the window sill in my bedroom, the only really good spot of light in my apartment. It was BEATING in afternoon sun at the time. Also, I didn't have an adapter ring yet that holds the lens to the camera, so I had to hold it myself, and with a finger on that same hand, hold the aperture open to get the shot. Then, with the other hand, I had to hold the camera steady for a somewhat slower shutter speed AND click the button. And I was pretty much pouring sweat at this point. :)
I now have an adapter ring and a remote - and I use those plus a tripod for reverse lensing. It's somewhat a miracle, looking back, that I got this picture at all.
I am often driving backroads seeking photographic opportunities...my intent this day was to hike trails looking for landscape composition....
my wife and I had just parked the car to get a feel for this beautiful area we discovered but were leery when we realized it was longbow hunting season and we had noticed there were people out hunting because we had our two young daughters with us.
We parked near a turn about and considered just driving somewhere "safer" and a car pulled up, a man got out in bow hunting gear, and started prepping for a trek into the brush.
I am mainly a "landscape" photographer but have been dabbling in sniping candid street shots. Photo opportunities seem to come to me rather than the other way around and I am afraid to ask people if I can take pictures of them; however the fact this man parked next to us so quickly when we thought we were alone wasn't lost on me.
We started a small conversation with him asking him questions on how safe the trails were for hikers and as we were saying goodbye and he was starting to hike off I mustered the courage to ask him if he minded me taking a few shots? (I think I would have regretted not asking)
He was a very nice guy and let me take some shots...I really liked how the silhouettes were turning out and I asked him if he would mind doing a hunting pose?...
... and he said like this? and he busted a a perfect pose and even drew back his bow with a notched arrow!...I am far from a good photographer more a hobbiest and I knew I couldn't demand too much time of him...so this is one of the fastest shots I have ever taken...trusting myself with a quick framing of the composition while working with manual settings...I felt like I was quick draw mcgraw at a shootout...this is the photo that sought me out that day.
I showed him what I took on my viewfinder and the smile on his face made my day and I find myself over my fear of asking people if I can take their photo
@sdpace - Haha I know what you mean. I'll stand out in the middle of a field to capture great lightning shots. You should look into the rain gear bags they have at Adorama. For about $30 you can get a generic bag that works very well to protect your gear. Great photo, also!
@cfitzgerald - Next time, instead of cloning out the stool take two photos: one with her sitting on the stool and another without her or the stool in the frame. Then, just cut and paste the wall over the stool and voila...levitating children ;)
@smevvy - That turned out nice at least!
@terek55 - I can sorta imagine how that must have felt. In fact, ask me about this coming February. But you got a great photo there!
@jannaellen - Both of those shots are really good! I'm glad you recovered the rushing creek cause that's just awesome.
@sparkle - That's on my bucket list. Actually, just having to spend 13 days to get to where I need to take a photo anywhere in the world is on my bucket list. That was awesome!
@veronicab - That's awesome!
@beautifulthing - Well, you did a great job capturing that photo, though! Just to let you know if I'd been there I would have sat in the corner and watched intently while you tried doing all that with just two hands ;)
@loztsoul Thanks. I'm just trying to post a different thread each day to get people talking, sharing photos, commenting, finding new people. Oh, and it gets me plenty of attention. Not that my ego needed it to begin with but I always say your ego can never be too big.
And...that is a great photo and story to go along with it haha!
@crispypringles4 That's interesting! I was wondering why it looked so dark around the edges. Was this for a particular theme or competition or are you just creative like that on a daily basis?
Hats off to you Jason for following your dream, wish I had the guts and talent to do it.
I would be very interested to hear more about how you started and pitfalls etc.
I was very happy with it, although i could have straightened it up a bit:)
Its bubbles on the wires of an egg slicer, sitting in a glass baking dish with soda water in in, hence the bokeh in the background.
35 images shot with one roll of film. Printed as a contact sheet.
I stayed outside in my pajamas for this one.....about 30 minutes till I got the right shot. Oh, by the way..........it was still very cold :)
And how can I forget my 2 egg shots. I spent a lot of time practicing to draw on paper before I was brave enough to draw on the eggs. I had a few pathetic rejects but overall I was pretty happy. And then I had to stage the scene and figure out how to stand the eggs by themselves.
The shooting took well over an hour in two different locations -- on a not-so-busy side street around the corner, and on my rooftop. Working with an unpredictable cat also does not make it very easy, especially when you have a solid idea in your mind. It's not like you can order a cat to make a face. You can really only guide their bodies with treats and trickery.
I really lucked out with her portion of the photo. I was simply trying to get her to rest her paws on a box and climb upward, so I could mount her on my shoulder in post. When I finally got her to do climb, she looked at the sun, squinted and looked away, giving me the perfect "windswept" look. As soon as I saw the picture, I knew I had what I needed, and went on to the editing, which probably took a couple hours, if not more.
Looking at it now, I see a few things I could have done a bit differently, but as far as her composite and the light matching goes, I am beyond satisfied, and will happily brag about the awesomeness of this picture. I mean, c'mon, I'm riding a friggin' bike with a giant cat on my shoulder. As far as "Me & My Pet" shots are concerned, I think I struck gold with this one.
Great pic, too!
This pic of mine is one of the most unusual shots of the Empire State Building (one of the most photgraphed buildings in the world). I knew in my mind that this cemetery in Queens would have some good views of Manhattan from across the East River. But when I got there I was astonished. The high ground of the cemetery and the sheer height of the ESB lined up this shot to the naked eye. I have researched it and still can't find a shot like this:
You need to get back here on a partly cloudy or clear day. That would look amazing.
Yeah I agree this is a powerful image on its own. I do enjoy photos that combine elements to create something you would not have other thought. I once saw a photo of the Eiffel Tower in the distance with a gargoyle from a hotel in the foreground. It looked as though the gargoyle were eating the tower and it was awesome!
Took me ages to set it up exactly the way I wanted to. xD
A very sweaty but content Tim, loving and living in the moment ...
Not just the time but being up in the mountains by oneself was spooky.
for me, this one stands out:
it's my face reflected on a glass table top. i'm lying on a couch. it took ages to get a shot where a) the reflection was good, kinda natural but slightly off, and b) i was in the right place such that there was no couch cushion poking over the top of the table. a hard photo to frame without a swinging preview screeny thing. but this is sooc, and i'm kinda proud of it.
also this one:
click and read the description of how i did it, if you like. basically, it's a photo of my phone's screen while my phone's camera was pointing at the subject.
I walked through the neighborhood shooting hundreds of doors and then spent hours going through them all and creating the final composition. I liked the end results mostly, but I would have done a few things differently in the photography arena had I realized I could have alleviated some extra editing work.
I spent hours in 30 degree weather to get these shots today and hours more creating and editing this collage. I am proud of the results.
@bobfoto As our American friends would say.....that sounds awesome!!! What an amazing thing to experience and wonderful photographic memories.
I'm proud of this shot because I managed to compose it relatively quickly (dealing with two dogs bigger than most humans, an owner, and seating them on a tiny bench together), I kept the owner talking (interesting fellow), and got several great shots I barely had to do more with than export to jpg. The dog's paw on his shoulder says it all - "Slow down. Relax. It's ok. I'll help you through this."
Strangers are awesome.