HDRin'

So... in the spirit of not having the time to go out and take photos, I played around with Photomatix some more. I didn't have a set of properly aligned photos, but I figured I'd try the photo alignment feature in Photomatix. It... didn't work as well as I'd thought. In fact, I think it didn't help much at all, but the result was... interesting, so I figured I'd keep it and see what others thought.





Disclaimer: I'm very aware I don't know much about HDR, so please keep in mind that this is my second half-assed attempt at this :P

C.B.

Meet C.B.



He is the latest addition to my life, and Lady's newest friend, having been with us for just over a week now.

C.B. comes from a farm. He's had a bad run of luck in his early days, with his previous owner (the farmer in question) wanting to get rid of him by means of a gun, due to what we now suspect was a respiratory infection. Luckily for him, he was rescued, brought to a cat shelter, nursed back to health (or almost) and taken to a pet store from where Jeff and I picked him up. We named him Crème Brulée (C.B. for short) because his orangey colour made us think of him as a caramel version of Lady.

He's a bundle of fuzz, affection, energy and playfulness; the only clues of his former illness are the occasional sneeze, and the fact that Lady caught the virus from him, leading to a few days of cat health hell for all involved.

With both of them well on the road to full recovery, I took the time to snap a couple of shots of the new guy.



For a truly great photo of C.B., taken by Jeff, click here.

Ottawa Food and Wine Show

Yesterday, Jeff and I decided to check out the Food and Wine Show. We were both first time participants and thus far unaware of just how many people, mainly of the ditzy girl variety, see this as an opportunity to dress up and a socially acceptable way to get drunk and act stupid in daylight. Apart from this, though, it was great to discover new kinds of wine and sample amazing dishes from restaurants I've been meaning to try out.

"Professional" photography (i.e. having "big" camera) was somewhat discouraged, but during a quite dull kitchen demo I took the opportunity to try out Jeff's 100mm macro lens on the subject least likely to object to my taking photos of it: my tasting glass.

Paula Seling

For those who don't know, I was born in Romania and lived there until 2003 when I moved to Canada. I don't often talk about things I miss about "the old country", because they're relatively few and far between; but one thing I do miss quite often is (some) Romanian music. Unsurprisingly, Romanian music doesn't have the widest reach outside of the country, so it's very rare that a Romanian artist makes its way to this side of the Atlantic and becomes popular outside of the Romanian community.

In this context, having a Romanian artist perform in Ottawa is a welcome event. But when that artist is someone whose music you love and whom you admire, it's quite a treat! Tonight I had the good fortune of seeing, hearing and meeting Paula Seling!



Paula has been one of the most well-known and much-admired Romanian singers for quite a few years now, owing to both her amazing voice and her charming and entrancing stage presence. Every one of her performances I've witnessed (either in person or on screen) have been captivating and touched my heart in some way. Getting to meet her here, however, in the city I now call home, and over 7000km from Romania, was another story altogether.



One perk of being somewhat far removed from Romanian artists and yet in a part of the world they're likely to tour in is that these people, who usually sell out concert halls throughout Romania, get to perform at small venues, to enthusiastic though limited crowds of compatriots. One might find it ironic but, while I've never met a single band/singer I followed in Romania, I've met two of my favourite artists in the time that I've been in Canada, all because of this quirk of geography. I'm overjoyed and grateful that I could add Paula's autograph to my collection, and snap the photos above.

Thank you, Paula, for an amazing show!

Weekly Project - From HDR to Orange

Another short post this week, containing apologies for not posting a new HDR shot. Time got away from me again, and I haven't had time to edit the potential HDR-able shots I have, let alone get out and take more. So for now, the HDR project is being suspended until further notice.

Next week's project serves two purposes. It is part Weekly Project, and part contest entry (contest will remain undisclosed). And the theme is all things ORANGE.

Stay tuned. Until then, I leave you with another cute kitty photo, courtesy of Lady:

Lady

Today we're having a short intermission from the Weekly Project shots, courtesy of Lady the Kitten. Because, as any photographer who loves their pet knows, it's impossible to resist picking up the camera when they're calm and adorable, and happen to have settled against a perfect background in good lighting!

The problem with this is that, the instant I get up to get my camera, Lady goes from blissful sleepiness to full-on hunt mode with whatever I'm pointing at her as her main target. And taking pictures of a hyper kitty who takes the sound of your lens focusing as the ultimate provocation? Yeah, not that easy. However, the rewards for getting it right are great:


Lady of Mischief


Hunt Mode ON

Weekly Project - HDR

Today's post will be short -- I'm due for a run and a salsa night!

This week's assignment was to create my first HDR image, and figure out the whole HDR process in general. So I downloaded a Photomatix free trial, and got to work on a set of photos taken on last week's Canal walk. Here is the result:

Before HDR (i.e. image closest to the HDR result. I got the HDR image by combining 3 shots):


After HDR:


Seeing as this was a bit of a rushed job, I don't have an insightful tip to share. Which is why I'm making HDR a two-week project! So over the next week, you can look forward to more (and hopefully better) HDR photos.

Also: please don't forget that you're invited to suggest new projects any time!

The Weekly Projects are small assignments I take on to try things I otherwise wouldn't and expand my range. While I do have a few things in mind, suggestions are very welcome. If you have a project idea, would like to share your thoughts on my posts, or would like to join me on my little adventures and post a link to your own results, it would make me very happy. And I would bake you cookies. Really.

Weekly Project - Light trails

Hello again, guys and gals, and welcome to my second Weekly Project!

For this week's project, I wanted to get some good night shots of light trails (made by cars' head/tail lights) reflected in the Rideau Canal. This... didn't quite turn out as I had planned. I only got to go out once, on what felt like the coldest September night in history, so I didn't really have the endurance, patience of mobility I would have preferred. Still, here are some choice shots:







This week's tip: check the weather, and dress the part. I know, I know, a big "duh" factor for anyone over the age of 10, but sometimes the most basic things (like weather... or lens caps...) can trip you up if you lack the presence of mind to deal with them.

Next week's project is a somewhat less of a photography and more of a Photoshop project that I've been putting off for a long time because I had no idea where to begin. Next week I will be trying to make my first ever High Dynamic Range (HDR) image. If you're wondering what that is, examples/explanations can be found here, here and here.

HDR can be done subtly or over the top; it has its lovers and its haters, and quite a few polemics have been thriving for a while on the topic. For my part, I think it's a technique that can get very attention-grabbing results and that, like many things, it's best used just short of any extreme. I'm trying it not only because it's been a big trend in photography recently, but also because I want to finally figure out what it takes to make a good HDR photo, and what takes it "too far." Stay tuned for results next week!

The Weekly Projects are small assignments I take on to try things I otherwise wouldn't and expand my range. While I do have a few things in mind, suggestions are very welcome. If you have a project idea, would like to share your thoughts on my posts, or would like to join me on my little adventures and post a link to your own results, it would make me very happy. And I would bake you cookies. Really.

Weekly Project - Light painting, take 2!

I know, I know, my weekly assignment post was due yesterday. It's an awful way to start the whole thing, and yet I promise I have a good reason. And that reason... is this:



This little kitty, whom Jeff has very aptly named Lady, came into my life earlier this week and melted our hearts until we just had to take her home and build our days around her every whim. She will undoubtedly become one of the most spoiled (not to mention photographed) felines in the known world. For now, though, I didn't want to disturb her for too long.

Getting back to this week's Light Spirograph project, below is the second set of images, taken using the same general technique, but a different light source, and a few tweaks.


A pretty basic shot to start with (reminder: see more about this project here). The lens was a lot closer to the light source, hence the broad light trails. I was hoping for thinner and more defined trails, but after seeing these I thought they were pretty cool as well.


About half way through the shoot, I had an idea: why not twist the string from which the light was hanging, and see what happens. The results varied from the photo above (i.e slight deviations), to odds tangles of weirdness.


An example of the more extreme rope-twisting thing.

This week's tip: try, try, and then... try some more. Different light sources, different focal lengths, longer or shorter exposures, throw the light in other directions (or twist the string. Or use elastic. Or use a double pendulum by tying another object, of about the same weight as your light source, about half way down your string, and throwing it in a different direction than your light source), or anything else that comes to mind. Take the time to try, and see what works for you.

Next week's project, courtesy of Jeff, is another light painting project. This time, it will be head/tail light trails reflected in the Rideau Canal. Stay tuned!

The Weekly Projects are small assignments I take on to try things I otherwise wouldn't and expand my range. While I do have a few things in mind, suggestions are very welcome. If you have a project idea, would like to share your thoughts on my posts, or would like to join me on my little adventures and post a link to your own results, it would make me very happy. And I would bake you cookies. Really.

Weekly Project - Light Spirograph

Why hello there! I bet you forgot I also update this site from time to time. And yet here I am, back after a long and painful period of seclusion in the real world. Also: I've had no Internet access for the past few weeks. Still, I've managed to somehow survive this dry spell and now I'm back, with a shiny new modem/router and some photography-related news to share.

I've decided that, for the next little while, I'll take on one little photography project a week, and try to explore it in a few different ways, whenever inspiration strikes. Each Friday, I'll name my assignment for the week, and post some shots of my progress whenever I have the time to pick up my camera throughout the following week. At the end of each project, I'll post one or two best photos, as well as, hopefully, a few tips learned by experience.

What will my projects be? Aaah, good question. And the short answer is: this is where YOU come in. I do, of course, have a few projects in mind (things I keep reading about and never get around to trying, mostly), but what I'd love, most of all, is for all of you out there to suggest something for me to try. It can be anything at all (within the limits of law, reason and decency, of course), with the minor catch that it has to be possible for me to do it within the confines of my lovely little town of Ottawa, Ontario.

So please, if you have an idea, if there's something you'd like to see me try, or something you think I'd like to try, just mention it in the comments, and I'll add it to my list.

First Project - "Light Spirograph"

Have you ever played with a spirograph as a child? I got one when I was in elementary school, and was fascinated with it for the longest time. So when I saw this post on Digital Photography School, I had to try it.

The first step was finding the right light source. After searching high and low, I found a small book light, with two little LEDs. Wasn't sure it would work, but I gave it a try and I got the results below:





I'm not entirely happy with my first results. Mainly, I find them too fuzzy. The two parallel light trails (from the 2 LEDs) are kind of cool, but they got too diffused for my liking, leading to the very soft and blown out middle parts.

And so, tonight the second part of the experiment will take place, using a different mini-flashlight, generously donated by Kat, a.k.a. the world's most amazing personal trainer. Stay tuned for results, and don't forget to let me know (in the comments) of any projects you think I should take on!

Business cards etc.

My posting of photos is getting a bit scarce. This has something to do with me being too slow (read: lazy) in editing busker shots, but it's mostly a product of my being busy with other things, ranging from household chores to plotting world domination (ok, maybe not world domination per se...).

One thing I've been meaning to do for the past -- oh, 3 months or so has been to design business cards for myself. It's taken so long because I didn't quite know where to begin, but tonight I put my patience to the test and sat down in front of a Photoshop window until I came up with something that looked decent.

The brain-wringing eventually led to two designs, or rather, one design in two forms. Both are posted below; I encourage, urge, cajole and plead for comments, suggestions, preferences and/or critique.

(Phone number has been changed for obvious reasons...)

Phantastyk

Since my last post, the following things have happened:
- I've gone out to shoot buskers during Ottawa's BuskerFest last weekend
- I've found religion in the form of Photoshop's dodge and burn brushes
- my computer has become slower than ever

The busker shots have, for the most part, been remarkable failures, reminding me of just how much practice I need before I can pretend I'm any good at action shots or portraits or both. But I did do my damnedest to save some of my shots of Phantastyk, an acrobatic duo (made up of Paul Perreault and Joey Albert) I've been sort of following for a couple of years, whenever I get to catch one of their performances in Ottawa.

For more information on Paul and Joey and their magnificent exploits, please visit their web site at http://www.phantastyk.ca/

Also: please forgive the over-processed look of these shots. I was playing around in Photoshop and I have yet to find a balance between subtlety and "ooh, what does this brush do?"

Mom's garden - Part 2

Here is the second part of the shots I taken in my mom's garden.

Mom's garden - Part 1

Last weekend, I was kindly invited to take some photos of my mom's flowers. The inordinately wet weather seems to have agreed with them, so they were in full bloom and very eager to be shown off.

After much going through my shots, pondering and debating, here is a sneak preview of my mom's garden. (More shots to come, didn't want to overwhelm this page with too many photos at once, and the slideshow idea is getting old).

Macro!

Here is my first try at macro photography, on a photo walk around the neighbourhood. Not with an actual macro lens, but I got some pretty fun results.

Coming up soon, my second attempt at macro, in my mom's flower garden. Until then, I leave you with these pretty things...

Cats

Apart from its roof, another wonderful feature of my apartment building is its placement. It's downtown, and a 7-minute walk to the Rideau Canal, along which Jeff and I usually run a few times a week. The walk takes us through a beautiful residential neighbourhood east of Elgin Street; the area probably has plenty of other things worth a praise, but the aspect closest to my heart is the abundance of cats. Some days, it seems like having a cat is a requirement for anyone looking to buy a house around there, and on any given day you will most likely see at least 3 cats over about 6 blocks.

Since this suited me just fine, a feline photo walk was, of course, in order. Here are its more notable results.

Love, ghetto lighting, and a rose

Today's been a bit of a tough day, with a couple of curve balls thrown at me from a couple of directions. All that changed, however, when my wonderful boyfriend picked me up from work and gave me the most beautiful red and white rose!

Now, to your average girl, taking the rose home, putting it in a vase and possibly bragging to a couple of friends would be enough. I, however, needed to (1) move all my furniture around, (2) set up the world's most tangled ghetto lighting setup including every lamp I own, a few metres of aluminium foil, parchment paper and foam, (3) take about 70 shots, and (4) post 3 of them here.

So please enjoy, and if you see Jeff, please thank him from the bottom of my heart for being the wonderful man he is, and lifting my spirits whenever I need a pick-me-up and a reminder that having awesome people in my life makes life pretty damn good.







As for me, I'll be cleaning my apartment for the next 3 hours.

Vancouver Aquarium

My trip to Vancouver wouldn't have been complete without a visit to the Aquarium. If you haven't been, I can tell you I was in awe of some of the coolest fish, birds and otters (among other species) I've ever seen. It's an amazing place to go if you love fish, and a great place to take your camera if you decide you have too much self esteem.

If you like shooting fast-moving fish, in the dark, through thoroughly fingerprinted glass and speckled water, then this is your photographic paradise. Otherwise, though? Please leave your camera at home and just enjoy your visit.

... Or do what I did and stubbornly take 150 underexposed, *slightly* blurry shots. The ones I had most luck with were, unsurprisingly, starfish (which didn't move), jellyfish (which were brightly lit and moved slowly) and a Mandarin duck, which was slowly wading in a pond outside (and therefore in bright light):

Vancouver

I couldn't go to Vancouver and not take some shots of the city itself...