It’s all about the Jawas…

It’s always important to not lose sight of why we have hobbies. For enjoyment. Don’t forget to have a little fun every once in a while!

These little guys (pictured below) have travelled with me to the American south and all the way across the pond. I don’t actually own them, they belong to my best friend. Though she could not travel with me to all the places I’ve been, I always felt like she was there with me.

The first Jawa series I did was in Myrtle Beach South Carolina. Everyone had gone back to the beach house to rest. Not me. I ventured out alone to the beach to grab some photos. Just when I was finishing up, it started to pour. I had made it back safely without soaking my camera gear! Phew!

I had a little fun with this series. I even went as far as to originally post them with captions. I know. #nerdalert. The cool thing that you probably can’t tell from the (incredibly old) photos is that the Jawas have a clear part on the top of their head that allows actual sunlight in to make their eyes glow. If you get the angle just right, it’s a pretty neat effect. For anyone who is Star Wars fan, they’ll know what I mean about these little sand creatures.

I love this series so much, I actually had one photo blown up onto canvas, can you guess which one? 

Spotted

Sight seeing

Love

Lookout point

I think they see me!

What mysterious creature left this mark? Something is afoot..

How do you get yourself into these situations.

The next series of photos were taken in Scotland. I traveled all over Scotland. To the sea at the north parts of the Isle of Skye and back again. 

What is this stuff ?

Day by the sea

Preparing to take the castle

Love across the pond

Land of castles

While in Scotland I even got to take a ride on the Harry Potter train. Yes, they do allow muggles! I’ve included the photo below. It was taken from the back of the train where I was sitting while going across the famous bridge to Hogwarts.

Famous bridge to Hogwarts from Harry Potter

I also have included a photo of Lego William Wallace. You can’t go to Scotland without seeing William Wallace!

They may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!

Hope you enjoyed the photos. Get out there and have some fun!

It’s all about the angles….

It’s easy to just snap a photo. Anyone can point and shoot. What makes a good photo better is composition (the angle it is shot at).

TIPS FOR COMPOSITION

1.  Don’t shoot your subject straight on. Get down on the ground, up high, get closer, try different things. Anything that will make it more appealing. It’s all about using trial and error. As Miss Frizzle says (for all you Magic School Bus lovers) “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” It’s the only way you’ll learn. 

2.  Be mindful of what’s in the background. If there’s a lot going on in the background behind your subject, they may get lost in the mix. This doesn’t mean you have to have a plain or single colour background, just something that doesn’t have too many elements. This is most important for portrait photography. Keep in mind the length of your lens, as well as your aperture settings. This simply means be mindful of your focus. If there is a great distance between you and your subject, and the subject in the background, the contents of the actual background may not matter.

3.  Lighting and the sun. There are certain times of day that are just better to shoot than others. If you’re outside on a sunny day you will know what I mean. There can be shadows and harsh bright light. One way to overcome this is to have reflectors, or simply have your subject face the right way.

I’ve included some of my own photos that have (in my opinion) interesting angles. Here are some more great tips from Kodak for those who want some more tips!

BRRRRRRR It’s cold out there….

It seemed fitting to make a post about cold weather photography since we are having such terribly cold and snowy winter.

COLD WEATHER TIPS:

1. Your camera has a cold limit just like you. If you notice your camera is lagging or not displaying properly, it’s time to pack it in.  Make sure to keep your gear in your pack after you bring it inside and let it warm up slowly to prevent condensation.
General Note: It is also advisable to not store your battery within your camera if it is going to be sitting for long periods of time. 

2. Check your exposure setting and white balance! Winter is such a beautiful time to photograph the great outdoors, but sometimes your camera won’t know what to do with the sun being intensified by the snow. Typically most cameras want to over expose and make everything too bright. Your best bet is to use manual settings and shoot in RAW format vs JPG. That way if your photos are a little over or under exposed, you can always fix them with your post-processing software. 

3.  Never delete photos while you are out and about. As stated above winter can bring some bright and harsh lighting and it may be hard to judge a photo on a tiny screen. Always wait until you get them on your computer. 

4. Charge your batteries! Warm batteries are better than cold and last longer. Charge your own batteries too before venturing out with a good sustainable meal!

Here are some great cold weather clothing tips for shooting outdoors from Improve Photography!

Stay warm out there!

Weddings! Weddings! Weddings!

So you thought you would try your hand at photographing a friend’s wedding or maybe use your DSLR to get some great snap shots of a wedding you’re attending. Beware.

Photographing a wedding is grueling work. Lugging around your equipment, the possibility of inclement weather and demanding wedding parties and guests can all be thorns in your side.  That being said, there can be joy and good times, but only if you put in the work.

We’ve all been to weddings, we’ve all seen the beautiful pictures that can result. Wedding photos are the most highly scrutinized photos. There are so many people to please, that wedding photography is best left to the professionals. However, if you’re going to make the leap into wedding photography, here are some great tips from Improve Photography to get going!

I’ve included some of my own photos from weddings I’ve second shot years ago. Don’t forget the details!