http://clickitupanotch.com/2013/08/i-wish-i-knew-then/http://clickitupanotch.com/2013/08/i-wish-i-knew-then/

Sillouette

One major thing on my photography bucket list is to learn how to get sillouette photos.  I LOVE the way they look, and I lovethat you have to use your imagination to fill in everything you can't see.  I honestly was scared to even begin to learn how to do them- it has always sounded challenging.

So I read some tutorials and I grabbed my 8 year old and we jumped in.  I just wanted to see if I could even get any of it to look right. 

These pictures were done super fast.  It was windy and cold and she was in her pajamas (I kind of was, too)  They are nothing like what I need them to look like, but now I have a starting spot to go from.  Also, we had nowhere around our house with a clear background.  Everything had a house or trees in the background.  When I do the real thing, I need to find a clear empty field.

First thing to figure out- how to make her darker.  Do I need to move back?

I metered off of the sky- one hour before sunset.
That gave me:  f/14, 1/640 sec, ISO 200, 40 mm, no flash on manual

Also metered off the sky
f/14, s/320 sec, ISO 200, 48 mm, no flash on manual

I changed the exposure quickly on picmonkey.  Now this is the color I need her to be!

My home

I believe I live in the most beautiful spot in the world.  I cannot imagine leaving my home.  I love the mountains that surround me on every side.  I love the feel of a "smallish" town.  Of all the places I have visited and travelled to, I have never found another place that makes me as happy.

Blossoms

The smell of blossoms is almost overwhelming when I step outside.  This part of spring only lasts weeks, if not days.  I wish it would stick around longer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tulips

Exactly 12 years ago I got married.  Here in this building.  We had the most beautiful tulips in all of our wedding pictures.  This is my absolute favorite month at the temple!!!

Obsessed

I am completely obsessed with taking pictures of the moon!  I know they all look the same but it is so much fun.  I can get the right exposure pretty quickly now, espcially compared to the first time I tried.

I walked by the window tonight and glanced out.  I saw a full bright moon and got so excited. I had to go out and shoot. 

And one from earlier this week

Busy Bee

This little guy was so much fun to watch. 

Yes yes yes yes!

Long.  Dark.  Dreary.  This is how I started to feel about winter.  I have started to get spring fever so.so.so bad.  Last week I took my camera out while my girl was at dance.  I drove and drove and could not find any inspiration-I could not see anything to take pictures of.  The sky was gray.  The moutains were gray.  There was no grass, flowers or leaves.  I told my husband I needed a new season to come because I was feeling stuck.  I felt all my motivation for taking pictures leave because I had such bad luck and could not find anything that stood out.

Today I saw something that literally made me jump up and down.  I saw color. 
Bright yellow.  I have a few tiny little flowers that popped up almost overnight.  They are small and few in number, but they are here!

I've had my new camera for 4 months and I have not had any flowers to take pictures of until now!  I've got motiviation back.

Night Sky

I tried to catch the Pan-Starr comet that was supposed to be visible in the western sky.  However, we have some very large mountains blocking the view.  I was kind of bummed we could not see it, but I'd rather the mountains be there.

I got these instead- a sliver of a moon.

Old house

This is why you use MANUAL

It has been about 3 months since I have seen a nice bright full moon.  We just haven't had clear skies at the right time.  I've been waiting and waiting.  Last night was it. I went out on sat on our front porch to practice shooting the moon. 

And now I know why I am learning manual.  There is no comparison between auto and manual.
Pic 1- Auto
Pic 2- Manual

(These have been cropped to make larger)
Evidence of what manual mode can do.  Incredible.

Tonight we are getting out the 500 mm and a 2X teleconverter lens to see what they can do!

f11, 1/320 sec, ISO 400, 300 mm.

Lesson learned:  All my first images were way over exposed.  I thought since it was dark out I needed to adjust for the dark.  However, the moon is incredibly bright.  So once I slowed down the shutter, took the ISO way down from what I had it at, and found a smaller aperture...it came out beautiful.


I also want to compare 55mm to 300mm.

And just a few more settings



f/29, 1/4000 sec, ISO 400



f/29, ISO 1/320 sec, ISO 400