Capturing Light

About the light I have mentioned trying to capture in pictures....

Here are a few I just recently edited of some taken in the fall of my kids...of course Alex is in most of them again.... :)

I love making the light into something you can see, almost something tangible in photos....I hope this demonstrates what I mean. Any season you can do this! On almost any day - even on bright cloudy days, the light is still there - it may not be shining into your lens for some beautiful flare, but it can still be harnessed in the reflections and bounced glow it gives off many things...

This one highlighted and came through the beautiful tree at Grandma and Papa's house - leaving a nice lens flare at the bottom in its trail. I have this one hanging up on my wall in the living room. She just glows!

Same here, but a different and cute closeup...

My Braden - I am loving the way the light just wraps around him and bounces off me to highlight the blue in his eye...

And then Cole, throwing sticks and stones into the creek, having a ball with Grandma - he is just glowing from head to toe in the late afternoon sun...

Light is everywhere! Even when it's cloudy or you are in the shade, you can still bounce it off things and capture it that way - this one was bouncing off the picnic table my girl was sitting on from the opposite side of me.

Next time you take a picture, instead of shying away from the sun, try aiming your camera at it and see what you get! Happy Capturing!

Two "Getting Ready" Texture Mods

Disclaimer:  I did not take these pictures!  They are here for a "makeover". Go here to find out the whole story.

I have been playing around with texture in photoshop for quite some time now and marveling at its power.  Take a look at Jesh de Rox on my sidebar if you like these kinds of texture overlays - he is the one that got me started on it!  The right texture or overlapping textures can add, enhance or subdue an emotion in a photograph. Plus, it helps when you have pictures with glaring fluorescent light overhead, enhancing...foreheads. Ouch.  So, here's what I did to help out two quintessential getting ready shots - one for Casey and one for Paige.

Original Image:

Casey: Mom pinning on boutonniere. 

Problem: Casey is so tall that the light is right in his face. Poor guy! 

He is so happy, just beaming, so this picture is definitely a keeper....now what to do.....

I tried to crop it a teeny bit and then convert to black and white - sometimes that's all you have to do.

Still glaring, I went for the risk and added some serious texture here - and I really do love the outcome! **Texture is not for everyone, and I admit it had to grow on me at first...but once it clicked, now I am hooked!** There are two layers here, both adding motion and a bit of color to the black and white.

Final image:

It's ironic, because looking at it closer, this texture actually makes his forehead more bright and glaring, but I think since the it adds so much emotion to the picture, his beaming smile is more obvious now and the forehead is less of a distraction to the picture as a whole.  Hmm.

Paige: Makeup time - an iconic moment!  Again, the light is just so harsh, it's unflattering to her.  Clutter in background is distracting. Though, a keeper since it could be great without the light and there is no other to take it's place.

Original Image:

Again, a closer crop and a black and white.  This one looked much more dramatic for the moment with this change alone.  Reminds me of a Vegas showgirl getting ready for her performance! 

But I think the brightness of her face still needed a little subduing.  So, I added a paper texture behind this one.  Love the burnout look it ended up creating...

Final image:

So? What do you think? I would appreciate your comments here - I am taking some creative risks and would love to know your honest opinion - good or bad - be brutally honest! What do YOU think of the modifications?

More tomorrow....storyboards galore!

Plants on Fire

Just the Sun

My first two shots:




Then the rest, after much practice and angling...

Finally....The Dog and The Light

My baby Cody is such a good sport. He is the Ultimate Model!



















Then the age-old dilemma...black and white or color? On these I could not decide. Throw in your vote - tell me why you like one or the other. I know why I like them - they are great for different reasons!