Tanning Bed With Lights

Okay. So I really wanted the tanning bed to glow in the picture that I was taking for this newspaper assignment. However, the lights in a tanning bed do not turn on unless the bed is closed. This made it impossible for me to get a picture of Haley with the lights on. So, I decided to try and test my photoshop skills.

-First Try-

Basically, I feel like this picture looks like Violet off of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I used the blur tool to try and make the lights glow, and then I pretty much just put an overlay over the picture. Smith helped me with this one, and it helped me get a better feel of photoshop, but I didn't really like this one, so I decided to try it again. 

-Second Try-

This was the one that I decided to go out on my own and try. I think its an improvement from the first photochop job that I did, but it still needs some work. I think the lights look better because they look a little more like they are glowing, but I think that it needs to be cleaned up a little more around the lights up near the darker part of the picture. Also, I need to work on the tone of Haley's skin. I want it to look like the lights are glowing on her, but I want it to look really and not like she is sick or something. I think this is a good start for this picture, and I hope to work on it some more or do something like it. I really would like to become more familiar and effective at using photoshop.

Caroline Black and White

ISO: 100 Aperture: 9.0 Shutter Speed: 1/100 Lens: 24-105mm

This was a picture that I just took for fun one day during class. The hardest part of this picture was probably doing to makeup, and I don't even like the way I did it that much. This is probably because it isn't even on both sides. If I could do it again, I would definitely try to do a better job with that. This picture was also a work of innovation. I found the "ring" which was a sticker on the bottom of the white backdrop in the studio. However, it created the repetition of black and white stripes. Another thing that was a little difficult was getting the subject to open her eyes at the appropriate width. I wasn't really sure exactly what I wanted, so she did a good job of listening and trying to fix it. Overall this picture is just sort of okay. It's not one of my favorite pictures that I have taken, but it was a good way to get creative. Also, I wasn't sure if I liked the picture in Black and White or in Color. So I just did both haha

Book

ISO: 100 Aperture: 11.0 Shutter Speed: 1/100 Lens: 17-50mm Flash: 580

This was just a random picture that I decided to take during class one day. I had some extra time on my hands so I decided, hey, why not get creative. To take this picture, I put the black background up in the studio, then I found a dictionary and put two pages together in the center. In order to get them to stay the way I wanted, I took some tape and stuck them together. next, I took a flash and put it behind the book. In order to keep a lens flare from occurring from the flash directly hitting the lens, I placed the book on top of another book and tilted the flash. It took a lot of tries to get this right, but it eventually sort of worked out. The other thing that I found to be difficult was getting the amount of lighting even on both sides of the pages. If I could go back and do this picture again, I would want to try to get a rim light on the actual book on both right and left sides, because I only have one on the right side right now. I liked taking this picture because it was kind of a stress reliever.

HUMCO

ISO: 400 Aperture: 4.0 Shutter Speed: 1/400 Lens: 24-105mm

This was a picture that I took for an add for the newspaper. I went to go take the picture, and the place looked pretty empty like there wasn't much of anyone there, so I just hopped out of my car to take the picture just like I would have done any other assignment of a sign. While taking the picture, some guy ran out of the building next to the sign and started yelling at me. I calmly told him where I was from and that they had purchased an add from our newspaper. He reprimanded me somewhat and I told him I was sorry, but on the inside I was just kind of like whatever, I just need to get the picture. As far as mechanics go, this picture was not difficult. It was basically just a shot of a sign with nothing interesting going on. The one thing that bothers me though is the car sitting in the background on the left side.

Sydnee Russ

ISO: 800 Aperture: 8.0 Shutter Speed: 1/250 Lens: 17-50mm

This was a picture that I took for the newspaper a while back. I was told to take a picture of sydnee, but I wasn't exactly sure what they wanted, so I found out who was writing the story and I took him with me to make sure he got what he wanted. I generally feel like that is always the best way to make them happy. Although, sometimes I don't like them to be there because then I can be more creative. However, in this situation, it was favorable because I didn't know the story. This photo assignment wasn't very exciting, however, I do like Sydnee's expression. It was difficult to get a raw emotion while chilling right there in front of her. I guess I should be a little more discrete the next time that I do something like this.

Psychedelic CD

ISO: 200 Aperture: 13 Shutter Speed: 30 sec Lens: 24-105mm

ISO: 200 Aperture: 22 Shutter Speed: 30 sec Lens: 24-105mm

These were some pictures that I took the other night when I had nothing to do. I felt like taking a picture but had no flash. Therefore, I decided just to paint with light. I was looking online for some inspiration and came across something similar to this, but decided to make it a little more of my own. In order to get the water droplets on the CD in the lines that I wanted them, I went and got one of those booger syringe things that you use on a baby and filled it up with water. With this, I was able to drop the desired amount of water on the desired place on the CD. I ended up lighting these two pictures a couple of different ways. In the first picture I took a mini mag light and squiggled around the flash directly above the CD. This created a direct reflection onto the CD and that is why it has a white arch coming from the bottom right corner. I found it to be a little distracting, so I cropped the picture in to where if you look a little closer you can see the detail of the flash light in the water droplets. I like the darkness on one side of the water drops and light on the other side. I like the contrast in this. I like the second picture because of all of the colors going on. IT'S SOOOO PRETTY!!! In order to get all the colors and the rim lights around the water droplets I took the flash light and put it on the level of the CD and slowly moved it around the perimeter of the CD. It took me a couple of tries to get that one right because I would always accidentally flash the flashlight directly into the lens of the camera. Overall, I liked taking these pictures because it has been my first chance in a while to just take pictures for expression and fun. I'm hoping that since all of the contests are over with that I will have more time and opportunities to take pictures like these.

Newspaper Gold Crown Award

ISO: 640 Aperture: 4.0 Shutter Speed: 1/200 Lens: 17-50mm Flash: 430

ISO: 640 Aperture: 3.2 Shutter Speed: 1/200 Lens: 17-50mm Flash: 430

These were a couple of photos that I took for the online newspaper. The assignment was to take a picture depicting the Gold Crown Award that our newspaper recently won. I like the bottom picture because it really focuses on the award being put up, but I also like the first picture because it shows the picture being put up as well as all of the other awards on the wall. I really wish that I would have had a wide angle for this picture to capture the amount of wards on the wall. I got at a low left angle to try and get the greatest number of awards that were on the wall. I personally like the top photo, but if the newspaper people like the bottom one better more power to them haha

Madeleine Staff Headshot

ISO: 200 Aperture: 9.0 Shutter Speed: 1/200 Lens: 17-50mm

This was a picture that I took today for the online newspaper staff page. It was just a basic high key photo, so it wasn't too bad to take, however, I really need to work on my posing skills. I feel like that would make any situation such as this go a whole lot smoother. Although it really wasn't awkward because I'm friends with Madeleine and she was easy to work with. I guess if I could go back and do this assignment again, I would make sure that I had a really clear understanding on how the model should be posed for the photo.