It’s that time of year again, the time when many countries change their clocks back by one hour. Where I live, it happened in the middle of the night, last night.
Know the time?
My cell phone changes automatically. Even better, so does my Apple watch! Even our thermostat for cooling and heating our house makes the change itself. (I’m not sure why it’s twenty minutes slow… that will involve some investigating…) Some appliances still need a manual update, like our coffee pot. And, let’s not forget the clock that causes me the most trouble… Read more →
A long exposure shot of a waterfall along the Cheonggye Stream, in Seoul, South Korea. No tourists… or are there??? Click on the photo to see a larger version. (F/20, ISO 400, 30 sec)
I love to travel! And I really love to shoot travel photography!
However, have you ever noticed how hard it is to arrive at a site at the perfect time for photography? It seems like either the light is wrong or the venue is crawling with tourists or both!
In my blog post about creative inspiration , I promised to share a secret or two for making tourists disappear.
Friends sharing a bench, sitting on Men Sharing A Biscuit by artist, Ku Bom Ju, in front of the Bukchon Art Museum in Seoul, South Korea. Click on the photo to see a larger version. ( f/8, ISO 200, 1/160 sec)
Now, it’s true that you may want to include photos of your friends on the trip. A photo book of the trip would feel pretty sad without shots of the people. And sometimes, the irony is worth the photo, like the fun shot we took of our group on a walk around the Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea. Some sculpture just begs to be sat upon, especially when it’s designed to be a bench!
Patrick Henry answering questions at the Opening Meeting of the Kingsmill Women’s Social Club (TheKWSC.org). Click on the photo to see a larger version.
As many of you know, I’ve spent the past two years volunteering on the board of a local organization. I joined to make friends and become involved in my new community, Williamsburg, VA. What started as a part-time job morphed into a full-time one and more… During this time, I served as their photographer and membership coordinator. I did their marketing, wrote their news for the local magazine and helped establish their new website. Needless to say, I learned a lot!
Time is passing… Clock at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, England. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
Now, my time on the board is almost over, and I’m studying how use the time I will suddenly have on my hands. I don’t want to fritter it away…
So, I’ve decided to do some research. Read more →
Pausing in front of the cobbler shop, a colonial gentleman holds his mug. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
I’ve been giving some thought to walking in the rain… with my camera!
Tomorrow, I’ll be leading a Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk in Colonial Williamsburg, VA. It’s my second year as the walk leader here.
Last year, the day began with a torrential downpour… Most of the walkers braved the elements and were rewarded with a perfect morning. The rain stopped, but the clouds remained and created perfect lighting for portraits of the interpreters.
Crowds were also slow to arrive, so we had lots of time to meet, interact and explore.
This year, we are dealing with weather again… and Hurricane Joaquin. We’re still on track to walk, since the hurricane is heading east. Hopefully the rain will behave as it did last year… Colonial Williamsburg will be open and is offering free
I modified the aperture shape to create the stars in this photo of the three kings in front of our Christmas tree. Details: f/2.8, 0.8 seconds, ISO 100, 100 mm. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
Since Christmas, I’ve been sharing tips and tricks for shooting better holiday photos on my Facebook page (Caroline Maryan Photography). I called the series The Twelve Days of Christmas. Yesterday, it was the last day, and I posted this photo of three bamboo kings, from our creche, in front of our Christmas tree. I decided to have some fun with bokeh while I composed it.
Today, I want to share how I created the stars in the background. I hope you’ll give it a try, but be forewarned… it can be addictive! You’ll want to set aside part of a day when you can play around with no distractions.
The stars are really nothing but bokeh, but I had to modify it as I shot. Here is some background into how I shot this photo. Read more →
I discovered this colonial gentleman enjoying the autumn air along Duke of Gloucester Street. Click on it to see a larger version.
Join me for a Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk in Williamsburg, VA!
Date: Saturday, October 11, 2014
Time: 7:45 AM to 11:00 AM, with dutch-treat lunch to follow at Blue Talon Bistro
Meeting Place: Parking Lot #6 Payment Station (This is the paid parking lot near Berret’s Seafood Restaurant. GPS Coordinates: 37°16’9″ N 76°42’23” W. The parking is free from 7:30 AM until 12 noon.)
Cost: Free, with a $1.00 donation requested for an orphanage in Africa, at the time of registration.
Registration: Click here to register. All participants must register!
Equipment: All levels of photographer are welcome. All cameras, too, including iPhones! If you like to use a tripod, throw a neutral density filter into your bag, and you’ll be able to shoot some fun photos that show movement, like this. Read more →
I shot this photo in early morning light. It is of the canal where our hotel is located, the Keizersgracht Canal. Click on it to see a larger size.
I’m in Amsterdam this week and have been out having fun shooting. I wanted to send a few photos to family members who are not on Facebook. It got me thinking about email and how dull it can look.
Let’s face it, if you love photography, you’re an artist at heart! So, why not express it when you write your emails? Here are some tips on how to play with fonts and create an original signature in Mac Mail on your computer. (With apologies to my PC readers… You may be able to do this, too, but I don’t know how… I hope you can figure it out from these tips!)
Discovering the Font Editor
Did you know that you can bring up a font editor in Mac Mail by just clicking on Command and t (think FonT) together? A window opens with a choice of fonts and colors. Read more →
This photo of Mont Saint Michel was shot after sunset, using an 8 second exposure.
When you get a group of photographers together and mention tripods, you’ll hear a lot of opinions on when to use them. Some photographers won’t take a photo without one. Others, like me, use them only for specific shots. But, no matter the opinion, they all can agree that there are tricks to using tripods. In fact, if you don’t know them, your photo may be worse than if you had just shot hand-held! So here are some tricks that will really improve your tripod shots.
Setting Up Your Tripod:
1) If at all possible, do not extend the center column of the tripod. Huh??? Then why is it there? I carry a small Gitzo Tripod (Amazon affiliate link)because I’m small and try to reduce the weight I carry as much as possible. Depending on the shooting situation, I might have to extend it, to get the camera to a height I want. But, the steadiest place to put your camera is right at the apex of the tripod. That is where the three legs come together.
Read more →
This week is Buddha’s Birthday in Seoul, South Korea, so it’s time for the annual Lotus Lantern Festival. Seoul also holds another lantern festival in the fall, so there are plenty of opportunities to practice your photography skills. Here are some ideas to make your photos really shine.
You may encounter lanterns that are moving and ones that are still. Let’s deal with the still ones first.
Tips for photographing still lanterns:
Three lanterns of men in traditional costumes on the Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, South Korea.
In Seoul, the still lanterns are built on platforms in the Cheonggye Stream. If the crowds are not too great, you may be able to use a tripod. Otherwise, you’ll have to be sure to choose settings with a fast enough shutter speed. I shoot in Aperture mode because I like to play around with my depth of field. Here’s what I do when I’m shooting without a tripod:
First I decide my aperture setting, depending on the composition. Do I want the entire lantern to be in focus or not? For this photo, I chose f/4 to separate the front lantern from the others.
Next I focus. I always shoot with just one focus point selected. And that focus point is on the eye that is closest to me. (Just like shooting a portrait!) Read more →
It’s always helpful to have your camera manual with you.
Do you know how to store your camera manual on your iPhone or iPad? And what about those wonderful photography and social media ebooks that you find online? You don’t want to haul around your laptop for a good read… So here’s how: First, download iBooks for your iPhone or iPad, from iTunes or the App Store. You’ll use this for reading. Next, download the manuals or PDFs that you want to read. I usually do this on my laptop. Store them in your Documents folder. (Hint: You’ll find your camera manual on the camera company website. Some companies won’t let you download it until you have registered the camera, which you can also do at the website.) Read more →
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