Julie Mattke | Blogspot

NEW BLOG!

2011-06-22T10:36:00.000-04:00

www.dzignjulz.com

NEW BLOG!

2010-03-31T16:56:00.002-04:00

I've been getting a little frustrated with Blogger for several reasons including that I can't publish photos at the size I want, and the templates are not as customizable as I'd like. My team at Studio C has started working with WordPress, and I figured it would be a great chance to learn, so I've been experimenting on my own work!

The new blog is up and will probably change a lot, but everything from here is now there! Please visit the new site and give me feedback on anything you think of! (Are the photos too big now?)

The new site is www.dzignjulz.com and 365 will continue there!

Day 88: Tulips

2010-03-31T09:49:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Studio C had "colorful shirt day" and at the end of the day, we voted (not for ourselves) who was the most colorful. With my turquoise tank top, magenta cheetah print t-shirt, and orange sweater, I won! Kelly brought me these tulips as a prize- totally not expecting that! They are lovely and I need to find a sunny spot for them!

A: f/3.5 S: 1/100 ISO400 70mm

Day 87: The First Spring Flowers

2010-03-30T21:41:00.003-04:00

It was pouring all day... I wouldn't be surprised if there are more floods. The world seems to be drying out almost everywhere, except New Jersey where it is getting drenched. Switch your lightbulbs and recycle, everyone! :)

All this water is helping the plants grow... the bamboo Luke planted last year is growing and even spreading a little bit (we're going to have a forest soon! Bring on the Panda bears!) I ran out after work and tried to capture the magic without getting my camera too wet. I wrapped it in a plastic bag, but I quickly grew frustrated and it was gone. Need to explore new options for waterproofing. I love the watercolor look of these images though... no filers, just cropped.

A: f/1.8 S: 1/80 ISO125 50mm

A: f/1.8 S: 1/100 ISO400 50mm

A: f/1.8 S: 1/100 ISO400 50mm

Day 86: Books

2010-03-30T09:33:00.002-04:00

From my previous post, you know I am way behind on all my reading material... not just magazines, but books as well. I am currently reading two books (and I usually only read about a chapter a day, so it's taking a while)- Flash and Dazzle and The Latehomecomer- and there are a bunch I am looking forward to reading once I'm done!

A: f/1.8 S: 1/80 ISO125 50mm

What I learned:

It was tough to make the glasses sparkle and illuminate the books at the same time using one off-camera flash- in this photo I actually aimed the flash directly at the glasses in the background and I really liked the effect.

Day 85: Luke, the Artist

2010-03-29T00:05:00.002-04:00

It always seems to surprise people when they find out what a talented artist Luke is. He draws anime-style warriors and beasts- we have his art hanging all over in the house. There are a couple works in progress- a big mural on the wall in the Samurai Room (that's what we call the guest bedroom... there are swords!) and this- his first rough sketch of an idea I was thinking about... I can't wait!

Day 84: Breakfast of Champions

2010-03-28T23:52:00.002-04:00

On the weekend, I generally have time to relax and eat breakfast, maybe catch up on some reading. I am majorly backlogged- I order so many magazines but I never have time to read them! I love weekend breakfasts, though... I am generally well rested and relaxed. Saturday morning I made myself a spinach omlette (3 eggs, 1 yolk) with salsa and whole wheat toast, green tea with lemon juice, ice water (always thirsty!) and a banana. I ate while flipping through the latest National Geographic, daydreaming about an exotic adventure with my camera :) I shot this photo from the loft using my trusty 50mm.

Day 83: Bailey Noir

2010-03-28T23:36:00.002-04:00

Day 82: Chakra

2010-03-26T10:11:00.000-04:00

Coyne PR's Studio C had a really great day yesterday, and not just to celebrate but to just relax and have fun together, we went out for dinner and drinks at a chic lounge in Paramus called Chakra. It was a lot of fun, and the decor was very cool. Couches, drapes, Buddhas, candles... it took my eyes about 20 minutes to adjust!

A: f/1.8 S: 1/8 ISO2000 50mm

What I learned:

This photo was hand-held and it worked okay after applying the high-pass filter, but some places you really should be using a flash.

Day 81: Bounce

2010-03-26T10:00:00.001-04:00

I keep expanding my equipment selection, one item at a time. I bought the Wescott 4-in-1reflector set which I am very excited to work with. I decided to try the reflectors out in a couple different ways, but I was tired and my subjects were distracted by video games and my flash cord, respectively (excuses, excuses...)

A: f/1.8 S:1/60 ISO125 50mm

A: f/1.8 S: 1/60 ISO320 50mm

What I learned:

A lot of looks can be accomplished by bouncing light
This deserves a LOT more exploration :)

PS Very pleased with the admin changes in this Blogger site! Yayyy for bigger pictures :)

Day 80: Bojangles

2010-03-23T23:16:00.004-04:00

It's really turning into a zoo around the Fortress... Give us a giraffe, a lion, and a couple monkeys and we'll be able to sell tickets. Luke just brought home our third cat – a baby Black Panther named Bojangles!

Bo took to Martigan right away – I let Bo out of the cage and he immediately started rubbing against Martigan. Bailey, on the other hand, is a little freaked out by the shadow running around the room. Bo is very hyper and just looks like a streak of black when he is darting here and there!

A: f/3.2 S: 1/80 ISO500 Focal Length: 105mm

What I learned:

Bo is as dark as night... I had to use flash and get him in front of light surfaces for contrast to even see him.
It might be easier to shoot him in the day.
He moves really fast and does not sit still unless he is sleeping... it was hard to focus quickly enough!!

Day 79: Old Potato Eye

2010-03-23T00:19:00.002-04:00

I've been slowly but surely cleaning the house, the kitchen, my clothes... It can be so hard to catch up once you've fallen behind! I was throwing away old food in the fridge (usually I don't let it go bad!) and I noticed that on the counter, the bag of red potatoes had eyes actually sticking through the holes in the bag! Time for them to go... nasty.

A: f/3.2 S: 1/40 ISO500 Focal Length: 105mm

Day 78: The Deserted Jersey Shore

2010-03-21T22:49:00.002-04:00

In Minnesota, people have cabins. In New Jersey, people have shore houses. As everyone knows from the obnoxious yet utterly fascinating show Jersey Shore, the shore is the place to be during the summer weekends. With this great weather though, some people who have houses down there decided to go down to hang out. Luke and I decided pretty last minute to meet up with some friends there, so we headed down yesterday evening, got dinner, and hung out for a while. We crashed at Dave's beach house which is pretty much right on the beach.

This morning it was pretty chilly out, but we took a stroll on the empty beach anyway. There was tons of debris washed up from all the storms lately, including a staircase, a flipper, a giant log, and tons of shells. It's amazing how empty the beach was... in the summer it is always busy, free of debris, and well-groomed. Very interesting to see it how the locals do... just beautiful.

I shot these with my little Olympus pocket camera.

Day 77: Mullet

2010-03-21T14:32:00.004-04:00

Luke decided his hair was getting too long (hey, I like the Superman thing but whatever...) and he trusted me to do it. It wasn't the first time I cut his hair, but it was the first time it was long enough for a party in the back! I gave him a nice haircut which I encouraged him to keep for a night (wear down to the Jersey Shore!) but nooo, he wanted me to finish the haircut... at least I got pictures before it was all gone!

A: f/18 S: 1/160 ISO640

Day 76: Bonfire

2010-03-21T14:22:00.002-04:00

It was too beautiful of a day not to grill, so before heading out on Friday night Luke fired it up and made us some burgers. He also lit the bonfire to burn some sticks that had been laying around, and I shot this photo before the neighbors decided to get all uppity and call the cops on us (no, it is not illegal to have a fire in a contained pit! The cop told us to clean up the dead leaves around the pit, though).

A: f/2.8 S: 1/100 ISO640

Day 75: Golden Hour in the Yard

2010-03-21T14:11:00.003-04:00

The weather was insanely beautiful this week... It almost felt like it was summer. I snapped on my 105mm and took Max for a walk, but he was jerking me along so much that I wasn't able to get the shots I was hoping for. Once we got back though I put him on the deck and went to work- the evening golden hour had arrived, so I took the opportunity to play with the beautiful light.

A: f/5 S: 1/100 ISO200
A: f/11 S: 1/125 ISO200
A: f/4.5 S: 1/125 ISO200

Day 74: St. Patrick's Day at Coyne PR

2010-03-21T13:55:00.002-04:00

Coyne PR has been named Best Place to Work in America for many reasons, but a big reason is that the company works really hard to create a fun environment. St. Patrick's day is a great example of that... Coyne has started a tradition of having a "cube crawl." Each team decorates part of their section and everyone goes around eating drinking, having fun (starting at 3:30- client work must get done first!). At the end, everyone votes via SurveyMonkey for the best theme!

Before the festivities truly started, we had Irish themed Coyne Cuisine:

The auto team won the decorating contest- they got everyone outside and kept them there with numerous activities, including car races (winner gets to choose a loser to do an Irish Car Bomb), a hunt for golden coins throughout the parking lot, and mini golf into a treasure chest.

More photos on the Coyne Flickr page.

Day 73: Max

2010-03-21T13:45:00.002-04:00

We sometimes call him Maxi-pad, but that doesn't mean we don't like him. Max is a big black German Shepherd, and he is very excited for the Spring because that means I'll be taking him on long walks again. He likes to pull me along while I yank on his leash- he is so eager at the start of the walk. By the time we are almost home he is attempting to give himself away to anyone standing outside their houses because he thinks he can't possibly walk a step further. He's always wrong, of course- we make it back and he collapses on the deck.

A: f/3 S: 1/80 ISO200 Focal Length: 105mm

Day 72: Lili the Dancer

2010-03-21T13:35:00.002-04:00

There's something I've never been good at and since I was in elementary school, haven't tried to be good at- dancing. Maybe that's why I like to watch it so much- now there's Dancing With the Stars (Can't wait!!! Bachelor night is turning into DWTS night!), a bunch of other dance shows, and there's the Hirshensons. Luke's parents have been dancing for years and take weekly group lessons, and Lili is very serious about it- she trains in ballroom dances and performs a few times a year. On Sunday she had her showcase at the Nash Dance Center, and she danced the Tango and the Rumba. She was phenomenal as always... here is a photo from her tango:

A: f/2.8 S: 1/100 ISO1000 Focal Length: 105mm

What I learned:

The light was very dim and dancing involves a lot of movement. I had to turn up my ISO to be able to freeze the moment, and I still waited for the little pauses so I wouldn't get too much motion blur (I didn't want to be that guy with the big ol' flash). Next time I will probably turn up the ISO a little more and just deal with the grain... or request a spotlight :)

Day 71: Dapp Family

2010-03-18T22:22:00.002-04:00

We'd been meaning to catch the sunrise or the sunset for those beautiful golden hour beach shots, but between dinner and sleeping in we never quite made it. On the last day of vacation (by last day, I mean we were leaving that day!) we decided to just go ahead with it at about 9am and try to stay in the shade. We actually got some beautiful pictures (of course, how could they not be with a family that looks like this?!)

A: f/3.5 S: 1/3200 ISO500 Focal Length: 50mm

A: f/3.5 S: 1/3200 ISO500 Focal Length: 50mm

What I learned:

As long as you can find some shade, high sun is not too bad. In fact, the brighter it is, the more it bounces around in the shade to create soft illuminating light!

Day 70: Family United!

2010-03-18T22:15:00.003-04:00

Now that my family is scattered across the United States, it is important to find times where we can all get together. We missed my little brother Ben, but the rest of the clan made it. And this is the only time the whole trip I used my tripod... I knew I brought it for a reason! PS- also love my remote shutter release- huge advantage for the Nikon D90- it cost less than $20, and is great for long exposure photography or in this case, group shots.

Left to right: Tony, Honor, Liz, Celia (Mom), Tedd (Dad), Julie (me), Luke
Apparently Dad and Tony ignored our instructions to "act dorky."

Day 69: Iguana

2010-03-18T22:05:00.004-04:00

Some of the permanent residents of Melia Cozumel are a troop of Iguanas. They are very large, some looked to be quite old, and they live in/around the pond that surrounds the resort's "fancy" restaurant. I managed to get quite close to this guy with my fabulous micro lens...

A: f/6.3 S: 1/60 ISO200 Focal Length: 105mm

What I learned:

Get the longest lens you can for animal photography- most animals will not hold still while you get all up in their grill (our cats excluded from this rule of course- you need a wide-angle lens for them!)
If you are going to approach an animal, do it slowly. One picture, a foot forward then a few more pics while they get used to you. Another foot forward, a few more pics, etc.

Day 68: San Miguel

2010-03-16T23:21:00.003-04:00

Liz, Tony, Honor, Luke and I walked all the way from our resort to San Miguel, Cozumel- about three miles (we took a cab back, haha.) It was a hot, muggy, windy day, and we were all glistening by the time we got to town. We went to the MEGA store, ate at Señor Frogs (and yes, we got the crazy whistle/gropey shots and the yard drinks), then did some souvenir shopping. I didn't shoot much while we were out, but I did catch the smallest Hard Rock in the world and a big ol' bird chilling in the surf.

Day 67: Chichen Itza

2010-03-16T23:11:00.002-04:00

We got up at the butt-crack of dawn, hopped in a cab, climbed aboard a ferry, walked through a town, got in a bus, switched to another bus, then two hours later arrived at the ancient Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza.

It was absolutely incredible- I only wish we had more time there.

A: f/5.6 S: 1/4000 ISO200 Focal Length: 18mm

A: f/10 S: 1/250 ISO200 Focal Length: 105mm

What I learned:

Sooo happy I bought my Lowepro messenger bag a month or so ago- it comfortably held my camera, several lenses, and the stuff I'd normally put in my purse (chap-stick, water bottle, money, sunscreen, eye drops). I was able to switch out my lenses easily, and it looks cute!

Day 66: Spider in Paradise

2010-03-16T22:44:00.004-04:00

One tradition we have whenever we go to Cozumel: rent a car, drive around the island, and stop at the Paradise Cafe ("Bob's Marley Bar, as far as we're concerned).

I saw this big guy in the sand and had to snap on my amazing new micro lens...

A: f/10 S: 1/400 ISO200 Focal Length: 150mm

Day 65: Beach Baby

2010-03-16T19:36:00.004-04:00

While I wait for my photos to export, I will catch you up on what has been happening.

Before we left for vacation, my Grandpa had a heart attack. The night we arrived in Mexico, my parents informed us that he had passed. It definitely put a damper on the trip, but we did our best to just enjoy being with each other. It was very nice to be able to see my family, even if it was in the wake of something like that. The funeral was yesterday... I didn't make it (re-arranging all our flights from Mexico would have been difficult, if possible). Luckily I'll be able to go to the internment this spring.

The trip was great- I'll give a commentary to go with the images, but overall it was a week of sun, volleyball, ocean, sightseeing, and alcohol (or as they call it down there, "Mexican Water").

On with the picture... my niece Honor is now 16 months old, and cute as a kitten. She absolutely loved the warm water and waves of the Caribbean- she would walk and splash in the surf as long as we'd let her!

A: f/14 S: 1/250 ISO200 Focal Length: 105mm

What I learned:

Shooting on a white beach is like shooting in snow (although often times even brighter)- The tones can be bright and a little washed out. Especially when shooting pale white baby skin! There just doesn't exist much contrast.

Day 64: Mexican Cuisine

2010-03-15T23:33:00.002-04:00

We're back! The trip was fantastic- it was so wonderful to hang out with my family, catch some rays, play some volleyball, have some drinks, and just chill out. I am still loading and organizing (I took a LOT of pictures) so I will get them up as soon as I can, along with the ones I'm currently shooting!

For now though, here is my first meal upon arrival in Mexico: authentic tortilla chips, guacamole, pico de gallo, and an XX cerveza on tap!

A: f/4.2 S:1/60 ISO1600 Focal Length: 26mm

What I learned:

When your eyes have adjusted, sometimes you don't actually realize how dark it is indoors. I had to crank the ISO to get a clear hand-held shot.

Day 63: Cactus Needles

2010-03-05T22:19:00.002-05:00

Today I brought my new lens to work to show my co-workers (yep, I'm that excited about it!). In searching for some small subjects to photograph, I found the little cactus that Kelly brought back from Arizona for me!

A: f/7.1 S: 1/125 ISO1000 Focal Length 105mm

What I learned:

Some cactus' needles are not straight, as I previously thought. They are little hooks.
Even at a smaller aperture, I get a really nice blur around my focus point with the micro lens.
I thought I'd be able to get even closer to my subjects- I guess a lot of people crop to get the results we see in these micro photography galleries. It only takes minimal crop to get fantastic results, though.

Now that things just got exciting in my blog ;) I am leaving for a week! I am extremely excited- my parents, my sister, brother-in-law, niece, Luke and I, are heading to Cozumel, Mexico for a week in the sun! I am bringing my camera, of course, so although I will not be posting while I am away, expect some cool stuff when I get back!

Have a wonderful week!

Day 62: Animal Eyes

2010-03-04T23:25:00.002-05:00

I finally did it... I bought the "AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED"- the most badass of all Micro lenses as far as I can see. Sooooo happy, now I can take all those close-up shots I could never do before! Supposedly it's also a great portrait lens, I have a lot of experimenting to do! I got home late though and just played a bit. It's amazing the detail this lens can capture- I can actually see myself shooting the photo in the bunny's eye!

6

Day 61: Ladybug

2010-03-04T13:01:00.002-05:00

I was just working away at my desk when a Ladybug just came walking on by. I figured she was there to bring me luck (I was right) so I just let her wander around while I attempted to capture some photos.

A: f/2.8 S: 1/125 ISO1000 70mm

What I learned:

Same old thing... desperately want a macro lens! I love tight shots and small subjects... It was very difficult to get what I wanted with a zoom.

Day 60: Lifehouse

2010-03-03T23:27:00.004-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, I got a wonderful surprise- to get on "the list" at the Hard Rock NYC to see Lifehouse! I was so happy... not only have I loved Lifehouse for... how many years? but it was both a benefit concert for Musicians on Call and it was the official release of Lifehouse's new album Smoke & Mirrors (I had the band sign my copy!).

More photos are on my Flickr page!

Day 59: Wine Squirrel

2010-03-03T23:19:00.002-05:00

My fabulous wine bottle stopper from Paul, my workplace Secret Santa, in use!

A: f/1.8 S: 1/60 ISO200 50mm

Day 58: Crackling Fire

2010-02-28T22:10:00.002-05:00

It has seemed like a long weekend- actually, it was long with the snow days. Being stressed and not sleeping too well didn't make the weekend very relaxing though, so I am looking forward to busying my mind at work. One of my favorite things to do at work is solve problems- there are so many technical things that go into my job, and with any technical problem there is a solution. I don't generally get stressed out at work because there are answers and I know if I'm calm everything will get done. It is not always the same in life- we can't solve everything or do everything. There are a few things we can do, though. We can:

watch a funny movie, like The Invention of Lying (Luke & I watched tonight, very dark humor!)
go shopping (got a few things for vacation, forgot to get sunscreen, oops!)
sit by a crackling fire
shoot photos of said crackling fire

A: f/5 S: 1/100 ISO800 Focal Length: 50mm

Day 57: Camille La Vie Fashion Show ft. Lara

2010-02-27T22:51:00.002-05:00

Today the girls and I headed to Palisades mall to watch Lara strut her stuff in the Camille La Vie prom fashion show. Of course I grabbed my camera and a couple lenses (kit mid-range zoom and 50mm prime). I started off with the zoom, but quickly decided I wanted something faster and sharper so I used the prime the rest of the show. Here are a few shots:

Lara on the catwalk
A:f/1.8 S: 1/200 ISO500 Focal Length: 50mm

Lara after the show
A:f/2.8 S: 1/200 ISO500 Focal Length: 50mm

Camille La Vie models after the show
A:f/2.8 S: 1/200 ISO500 Focal Length: 50mm

Day 56: Snow Day

2010-02-27T22:39:00.002-05:00

Yep, more snow- work was even canceled due to the weather. The snow was finally lighter in the middle of the day, and the sun even came out to illuminate the freshly blanketed earth.

A: f/7.1 S: 1/80 ISO ?? so low the computer doesn't know Focal Length: 30mm

A: f/8 S: 1/320 ISO?? Focal Length: 55mm

Day 55: Snowstorm

2010-02-25T23:56:00.003-05:00

Today we don't have much more information about my Grandpa. He is now off sedation but so far he is non-responsive. They say there's not much hope, but sometimes all we have is our hopes and our prayers, and each other.

Out here on the East Coast we are being hit by a snow storm, and it looks like North New Jersey (where we are) is getting hit the worst. I can hear clops of snow falling and hitting the deck and the Fortress... it is the wet, heavy snow that will even make giant branches come falling down.

Normally the snow is fun, even if it is a pain, but today it just seems bleak. Sorry for the negativity... I'll perk up and shoot pretty pictures soon, I promise.

A: f/4 S: 1/80 ISO1000 Focal Length: 50mm

A: f/4 S: 1/80 ISO1000 Focal Length: 50mm

Day 54: Luke Bond in the Boiler Room

2010-02-24T23:14:00.002-05:00

Today was a really tough day. I got the news right away in the morning that my Grandpa Mattke had a heart attack and is in a coma. We won't find out anything more until tomorrow night, so if you are the praying kind, we'd all appreciate your support. (If not, please send positive energy out into the universe!) Thank goodness for all the people that are supporting my family and my Grandma... it really hurts to be far away from my family right now. I did take some pictures today, but I just wasn't too happy with them. I allowed myself to get distracted with a little photoshopping project... as far as I'm concerned I am still creating an image. I like the take charge warrior attitude. Sometimes when we feel helpless in real life, it really helps to create something that denotes the determination and hope that we need.

Day 52: Ring on My Finger

2010-02-23T22:36:00.002-05:00

I got my ring sized and cleaned... I had never seen it sparkle so much! I would love to figure out how to really capture the glitter, but it seems like I can never quite get it. Maybe I really need the macro lens I've been dreaming of ;)

A: f/3.5 S: 1/80 ISO2000 Focal Length: 18mm

Day 51: Bailey in a Basket

2010-02-23T22:33:00.002-05:00

I was reading a magazine, and Bailey thought she'd make herself comfortable in a basket 5 sizes too small...

A: f/3.8 S: 1/160 ISO 400 Focal Length 20mm

Day 53: Rain Drops

2010-02-23T14:43:00.002-05:00

I've been bad. I have my last two days in my camera at home, but I haven't loaded them yet. I'll post them tonight, I promise. And I'll try to get better at posting every day.

It's raining out there today, and there is also a mouse in the building. All us designers are huddled over our computers in the Studio C cave, but I decided to take a moment to snap some shots of these dreary windows surrounding us.

A: f/3.5 S: 1/80 ISO200 70mm

What I learned:

The sky is darker than it seems.
It's tough to get a crisp shot of water droplets- a nice macro lens might be helpful.

Day 50: Baby Turtles

2010-02-21T11:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a really great day. Lili, Lara, Karen and I went to New York City to check out a J. Crew dress sample sale at the Flatotel Hotel, and I actually found my dress! Only the third dress I tried on.

From there we had lunch and toasted to the great find, then headed to Canal St. to do some shopping. We went to the creepy basement corner for the best bags (I got a great 'Gucci'!), dipped into a bunch of trendy clothing stores, and got turtles- I guess they are legal to own, but not legal to buy or sell (something having to do with salmonella). For the record, we caught these turtles with bait and a trap. They are named Petey and Emerald and they love to climb on top of each other:

A: f/4.2 S: 1/1000 ISO2000 Focal Length: 26mm

Day 49: Jenga

2010-02-19T23:40:00.003-05:00

Tonight Dave, Karen, Luke and I went out to dinner, then for whatever reason (maybe because it's the "cool" thing to do...) we came back to our place and played Jenga. Ahh, how I missed that game. I grabbed my camera and strobe, bouncing of the wall or ceiling to create a softer light (first picture), or sometimes pointing more directly (as in the second picture).

A: f/5 S: 1/60 ISO800 Focal Length: 50mm

A: f/5 S: 1/60 ISO800 Focal Length: 50mm

Day 48: Ice Water with Lemon

2010-02-18T20:46:00.004-05:00

Today I was making salmon for dinner and cut up my lemon from yesterday's post, then figured I'd incorporate a slice in today's post!

I wanted to use the strobe to illuminate a glass of ice water. Simple concept, but so many ways it can be accomplished! Here are a couple of my attempts... First, I used the strobe alone, angling it many different ways. In this shot, I placed the strobe slightly behind, very low, to the left of the glass pointing up. This made the ice really glow, but the lemon was left in the dark.

In the second shot, I held the strobe above to the left of the glass so it would illuminate the lemon, then placed a white bounce card to the right. It doesn't glow as much, but it has more overall dimension.

Day 47: Lemon

2010-02-18T20:40:00.004-05:00

I decided to use my strobe again, this time to illuminate an object and enhance its dimension. There was a lemon sitting in a basket that I hadn't yet used... First, I placed the strobe to the left of the lemon and a white bounce card on the right:

Then I placed the bounce card behind the lemon, and it actually reflected to make the table appear white!

Day 46: Strobist Portraits

2010-02-17T11:34:00.004-05:00

By the time I got around to shooting my photo of the day yesterday, the house was all dark. I briefly considered doing something with my shop lights, but instead decided to get out my strobe and remote cord. Bailey was curious- she kept looking at the blinking red light on the flash instead of me with my camera and kissy noises.

A: f/3.5 S: 1/60 ISO800 Focal Length: 50mm Off-camera strobe (right where Bailey is looking!)

Then I got Luke right as he got back from walking the dog, hair a mess (but still a fantastic subject!) and made him hold the flash out in all directions while I shot him:

A: f/1.8 S: 1/200 ISO800 Focal Length: 50mm

What I learned:

Cats like blinking red lights... maybe Bailey thought it was her long-time nemesis, the laser pointer? Hmm.
Will get more of the pics up on Flickr, but the light quality of the strobe changed tremendously depending on the angle of the light to Luke's face and to the camera.

Day 45: Shocking Pink

2010-02-15T19:22:00.003-05:00

Today I had the day off for Presidents Day, so I picked up Luke at work and we went out to lunch at Cafe Metro in Denville. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, and best of all they had paper table cloths and crayons. I found a crayon that matched my Hot Topic nail polish exactly!

A: f/3.5 S: 1/80 ISO800 Focal Length 50mm

What I learned:

I often use my 50mm lens at f/1.8 because I like the short depth-of-field, but this time I was so close to my subject (my own hand) that I couldn't focus precisely. I turned up the ISO speed and closed up my aperture, just enough to hand hold and get a crisp focus point.

Day 44: Disney Family

2010-02-15T18:59:00.003-05:00

I always hated Valentines Day (yep, I was one of those people...). Not even because it was Valentines day but a few other reasons, I was in a bad funk all day (sorry Luke, thanks for still loving me!!!).

There are many legends about the origin of Valentines Day, but for me I guess it is about just love in general (and the occasional goofy card). The most consistent and unconditional love of my life has always been my family- my parents, my siblings, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles and cousin, best friends (yes they count as family!) and now the family I'm joining and eventually creating. Walt Disney said it well:

A: f/1.8 S: 1/60 ISO200 Focal Length 50mm

What I learned (not really photography related):

I had a bad day, but amidst the stress I remembered the quote that has gotten me through many rough times... "However long the night, the dawn will break."
ABBA karaoke can turn that frown upside-down, I went to bed very happy! :)

Day 43: Faces

2010-02-15T18:36:00.002-05:00

Since Valentines Day was on a Sunday this year, we celebrated the day and Luke's parents' 36 year anniversary on Saturday night. We went to The Manor Restaurant which has not only amazing food, but a huge fancy buffet that includes lobster! Yummm. I opted not to bring my big camera, figuring I'd try to take a nice picture with Luke's Droid. I ended up actually shooting this picture with Lara's camera, the super chic Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T90 (PS I am absolutely not a fan of Sony's annoying website).

What I learned:

Observe your surroundings! There were windows and mirrors (light flares!) all over the room, bot if I were too focused on those I might not have noticed that the girls grew extra heads!

Day 42: To Write LOVE on Her Arms

2010-02-12T16:57:00.004-05:00

Today is not only Abe Lincoln's birthday, but also my wonderful Father's birthday!
Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

Not only is it Abe and Dad's birthdays, but it's my fabulous grandfather's birthday! Happy birthday, Grandpa!!!

It is also To Write Love On Her Arms Day 2010- a day which might mean something different to everyone. I have been close to a few people affected by depression, and sometimes it seems like the only thing that helps is support and love. With my temporary arm art, I thought I'd take another shot at the self-portrait.

A: f/2.8 S: 1/80 ISO200 28mm

What I learned:

Today I was shooting without a remote shutter release, so it was necessary to focus before setting the timer- it was really tough to get the focus right.
Self-portraits are tough because you can't look through the eyepiece while shooting the photo... you really have to imagine what you want the photo to look like then align the camera and yourself.
I should have written on the other side of my arm.

Day 41: Bailey in a Blizzard

2010-02-10T22:33:00.003-05:00

\Today it snowed. A lot... I think it's up to over a foot and it's not supposed to stop until 6am. My work had a snow day (ahh that reminds me of those rare snow days in high school- I went to the only school in the Twin Cities where it took a whiteout to shut down). As usual, the animals were begging to go outside, and for once, we obliged the cats! They stood confused for a moment, then ran right back into the house.

A: f/1.8 S: 1/1000 ISO 2000 Focal Length: 50mm

What I learned:

Snow is very bright, you actually have to overexpose if you want it to look white in the picture.
Cats move fast- I only had a second to get my settings right (missed out on some really great shots in the process) because they ran out of the snow so fast!

Day 40: Loner Pigeon

2010-02-09T22:25:00.002-05:00

Today was a long but fun day. I went to NYC to shoot video of the Harlem Globetrotters playing on ice. It was a really cool event- doing something unique to entertain and inspire the kids of Harlem. I got a few shots while I was there, but of course I was shooting video most of the time. The taxi ride from the Coyne PR New York office was kind of long though, so I decided to take advantage. I set my camera up on Aperture priority and shot freely out the window...

A: f/2.2 S: 1/250 ISO 200 Focal Length: 50mm Converted to BW using Aperture

What I learned:

When the scenery/lighting is constantly changing, it is useful to set your camera at A or S priority (I prefer A, but to each his own)- that way the camera can adjust to the situation without messing you up too much.
Shoot as much as you can. Some say the accidental great photo is a myth, but it's the digital age! Why risk missing out on something great just because you think you have to plan everything out?!
I wish the curb weren't cutting through the pigeon's head, but what could I do when I was in a cab... :)

Day 39: Murphy

2010-02-08T23:09:00.003-05:00

Tonight was The Bachelor... what goes better with romance and drama than staring into some beautiful brown puppy dog eyes?

A: f/1.8 S: 1/125 ISO2500 Focal Length: 50mm

What I learned:

With a wide open aperture, spot focusing is key.
If you want to use available light indoors at night, the key is to turn your subject so they are illuminated properly.

Day 38: Karen and the Superbowl Bets

2010-02-08T00:28:00.003-05:00

Happy Commercial Day!

Any occasion is an excuse to party, even if your team lost out (boooo!!! Wish my Vikes were in it...) We had a big Superbowl party, and we threw it in the regular style- way more food than anyone could possibly eat :)

A: f/13 S: 1/60 ISO 3200 Focal Length: 55mm

What I learned:

I cranked up the ISO and got a lot of background in the photos. When I shot them with a low ISO they were cleaner, but there was no background visible. Such is the conundrum of a semi-dark venue.
I let Karen shoot with my camera for a while (even showed her how to use the spot focus!) and I have some gems I can't wait to throw up on Facebook! Releasing the reigns can be fruitful!

Day 37: Martigan on the Shoe Boxes

2010-02-08T00:07:00.003-05:00

I had decided to clean on Saturday, but quickly became sidetracked by grocery shopping, cooking, and a messy pantry. I decided to solve the pantry crisis by creating shelves with shoe boxes, but I ended up making a tea rack with the shoe boxes instead (it's really cool, might make a picture soon) which actually cleared up a bunch of space in the pantry.

Martigan likes to sit on top of... anything other than the usual surfaces. I had gathered a lot of shoe boxes and he took advantage of the situation. Once again, I am way too obvious to be a sniper!! Must work on subtlety! :)

Day 36: Guinness

2010-02-06T09:41:00.002-05:00

Last night Luke and I got together with our Irish neighbors Brian and Eimer, along with Brian's kids Donald and Kara who are in town. Lara and Lili also came out, so it ended up being a really nice group. We headed to a local pub called Poor Henry's where, according to Brian, the Guinness tastes the most like real Irish Guinness of any pubs around. I took my camera fully intending to take some sniper shots of townies across the bar, but I just liked the look of the Guinness too much.

A: f/6.3 S: 1/200 ISO3200 Focal Length 55mm Strobe bounced off ceiling

What I learned:

A telephoto lens is not all-purpose! I had to squash myself against the wall to get a wide enough shot.
This was one of the situations where I think the grain from a high ISO really works- it enhances the rustic feel of the pints and the small bar.

Day 35: Night Lights

2010-02-04T22:02:00.002-05:00

Tonight Luke and I went out for dinner and I brought my telephoto with me...I managed to get a lightbulb at the restaurant. On the way home I shot as much as I could, and caught the Morristown train station and some fantastic bokeh on the highway!

A: f/5.6 S: 1/160 ISO200 200mm

A: f/5.6 S: 1/80 55mm ISO 3200

A: f/5.6 S: 1/80 ISO3200 160mm

What I learned:

You can get a wide variety out of one lens- just shoot as much as possible! Unpredictable situations can make for surprising results.

Day 34: Necklace

2010-02-03T23:16:00.002-05:00

Today was a great day- my coworker Shawn and I went to ABC studios in New York to shoot a PSA with Whoopi Goldberg for The Valerie Fund. It went very well, and I got to meet an amazingly wonderful and influential woman!

To continue on my Telephoto Week, I used my lens as a macro (next time I think I'll go even tighter) to capture a beautiful necklace Luke gave my for Christmas. In the past year, Unique Jewelry Boutique has become my new favorite place to get jewelry, about 5 minutes from my house. All of the pieces are hand made by Penny, the shop owner- I bring anyone who visits me over there and they all fall in love with (and buy) at least one piece!

A: f/5.6 S: 1/25 ISO 2500 Focal Length: 200mm Off-camera strobe

What I learned:

I would love to get a macro lens. Wait, I already knew that.
I would love to get a couple more strobes, and learn how to use them properly.

Day 33: Big Yawn

2010-02-02T23:29:00.002-05:00

I was wandering around the house taking pictures of the animals from afar (telephoto week, Day 2!), but wherever I went, Bailey followed. She must have been getting tuckered out, and I managed to catch her mid-yawn! I laughed so hard when I saw the picture...

A: f/5 S:1/25 ISO 2500 Focal Length: 93mm

Day 32: Moon

2010-02-01T23:22:00.003-05:00

This week I will, for the first time, do a weekly theme! This will allow me to more thoroughly explore different ideas, techniques, etc. without getting too repetitive. Today I attached my telephoto lens and will use it the rest of the week- it's a Nikon 55-200mm DX- not pricey, but I've actually gotten some pretty nice shots with it.

(Click for better resolution)
A: f/5.6 S: 1/10 ISO 1600 200mm

What I learned:

The clouds were moving pretty fast so I needed a quick shutter speed (quick for night photography standards, anyway) so I had to up my ISO more than I generally like to... There is a bit of noise, but for this dark creepy looking photo it actually enhances the feel :)
At first, I had a 2x telephoto converter that came with my original kit attached to my lens (I've never used it), but even though I was focusing manually, everything was soft. I might try it during the day to see if I get any better luck.

365 on Flickr

Day 31: Chinese Peacock

2010-01-31T18:59:00.003-05:00

Today Luke and I went to Chinatown, NYC to meet up with my Grandpa Rettger (who will be officiating our wedding!), his friends Nora and Joel, my Great Aunt Alison, my cousin Niels, and his wife Kate. We had a wonderful lunch at Jing Fong, then wandered around in Chinatown for a bot (I got a bunch of tea!!) before snagging dessert at Ferrara's. There are more photos on Flickr.

A: f/5 S: 1/80 ISO 1600 26mm

What I learned:

My mid-range zoom lens is great for general shooting, but I wish it were a bit faster... with an aperture of f/5 I really had to increase the ISO to get a clear hand-held shot in the restaurant.

More photos on Flickr

Day 30: Spanish Limoncelo Set

2010-01-31T18:45:00.001-05:00

Sorry about the delay on upload, yesterday ended up being a much busier day then I had originally planned! I've been having pretty bad allergies so I decided that step 1 was to deep clean the house. I spent much of the day doing that, then grocery shopping, then cooking- we decided sometime in the afternoon to have a dinner party! (Stuffed lobster tails, salmon-Boursin empanadas, salad, chocolate chip cookies!)

Somewhere in the bustle I snagged a shot of this beautiful limoncelo pitcher that was a gift from Liz & Tony. Tony is in the Navy, currently stationed in Spain, and picked up some beautiful pottery- unfortunately the pitcher that went with the glasses broke, but we still got this one... I absolutely love how charmingly mismatched they are!

A: f/7.1 S: 1/200 ISO 200 32mm

What I learned:

I had a strong backlight, so when I shot using the camera meter the pottery was very dark. When I shot for the subject instead of the overall composition, the photo worked famously! Sometimes it's not all about the meter.
When I overexposed, my background still wasn't blown out, it's just light!

Day 29: Pens

2010-01-29T16:54:00.000-05:00

About a year ago I ordered a printed table cloth for a client, and ever since I have been on a ton of mailing lists. I get catalogs for other branded items, guitars (which I promptly pass along to my coworker Shawn, a musician in a couple really great bands), and even street signs. I am annoyed at all the completely irrelevant things which always end up in the recycling bin, but there are some great useful (sometimes funny) objects that I keep on my desk or shelf. A vendor favorite seems to be pens- I've gotten a lot of them.

Here are a couple of my favorites- crazy bobble-pens from 4Imprint and Broadmoor Business, Inc.:

A: f/2.8 S: 1/80 ISO 400 42mm

And today I received this one called "The Celebrity Pen" from Amsterdam Printing, the only one that actually had my company name instead of theirs:

A: f/2.8 S: 1/100 ISO 400 70mm

What I learned:

Promotional items are great, but sometimes what makes them spectacular is personalization.
Reflections can turn an otherwise boring photo into something quite engaging.

Day 28: Dice

2010-01-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

Actually it's a die, but I don't want to have a misleading title...

A: f/5.6 S: 1/80 ISO 100 70mm

What I learned:

I do not have a set of dice. I thought I did, but I do not.
The Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8 lens is amazing... heavy but extremely crisp.

Day 27: Brainstorm

2010-01-27T14:56:00.001-05:00

Today there was a brainstorm and I took the opportunity to pop down and shoot some photos for the website. For these kinds of photos, I often need to use a strobe (on-camera, my company does not have a remote device). There are lots of windows that create a very strong backlight, so although there are lights in the room, sometimes I need the supplementary light. Here is a prime example:

A: f/3.5 S: 1/250 ISO 800 28mm Strobe: TTL -1, bounced of ceiling

What I learned:

I exposed for the sky outside but added the strobe to illuminate Shana- I am very pleased with the overall exposure of the photo
I don't know why, but the camera would not let me increase shutter speed even though I was shooting manual... because of the flash or the shutter speed or the ISO? I don't know. Must find out.

Day 26: Working Late

2010-01-26T17:51:00.001-05:00

At Coyne, it seems like nobody ever leaves at 5. Our design cave now has mood lighting, and we constantly have visitors from all PR branches needing design services. This evening we were jamming on projects as usual when I decided to take advantage of the reflections in the dark windows... my co-worker Kelly hard at work:

A: f/2.8 S: 1/40 ISO 800 70mm

What I learned:

Double-paned windows can enhance or destroy a reflection photo. Use wisely.
Like playing pool, it can be hard to get the angle you want... I almost broke a bookshelf and risked my life standing on a couch and a stool, but didn't end up using any of those photos!

Day 25: Light Flare

2010-01-25T23:28:00.001-05:00

Not the most artistic images ever, but today I challenged myself to control a light flare in my lens. All I knew was that it happened when you shoot directly into light... the rest was a mystery.

A: f/1.8 S: 1/60 ISO 200 50mm
A: f/1.8 S: 1/60 ISO 200 50mm

What I learned:

At first I had a pretty small aperture and I was only getting little spots. When I threw the aperture wide open, I got the big glowing flares.
The location of the flare seems to depend on the angle of the lens to the light.
Further exploration of this effect definitely necessary.

Day 23: Wedding

2010-01-25T17:46:00.000-05:00

My belated Day 23 post: As promised, here are a couple screen grabs from the wedding video!

What I learned:

When in a loud setting, don't count on headphones telling you what you need to know about the audio levels. I had them on the whole time, but I could not hear how overwhelming the bass was!
During weddings, its best to capture as much as you can. When it comes to capturing memories you can't be frugal!
A spotlight would have been nice during cocktail hour. And maybe a hand mic.

Day 24: Flowers

2010-01-24T22:36:00.000-05:00

Day 23 is coming, I promise, but I will be extracting it from a video tomorrow. Yesterday I shot video of a beautiful wedding at the gorgeous Newark Club (I had no idea Newark had such classy venues but it was actually quite incredible!). That was my Day 23, and I actually learned a lot!

Today, though, I spent most of the day shopping and watching football (So upset my darling Vikings "dropped the ball" on this one...) but while I was hanging out, I spent time looking through some bridal catalogs to get ideas. I was thinking about colors, flowers, all the fun stuff...

A: f/5 S:1/60 ISO 1000 46mm

What I learned:

Being upset over a stupid football game does not help me create beautiful and thoughtful photos. It took some desaturation, pushing and pulling to make this photo presentable.

Day 22: Luke & Max

2010-01-22T22:01:00.000-05:00

Max doesn't get in as many pictures as the cats because quite frankly, he doesn't sit still as long as they do. But here he is... big black German Shepherd from Grenada- clearly happy but with a constant "FML" look on his face. He loves Luke, and like everyone else is afraid of Mad Martigan. During the summer (spring, fall) I take him on long walks around the town and he always walks into the tattoo parlor, drinks from the dish in front of the pet grooming shop, and grabs any random pastry on the sidewalk (this has happened multiple times- why there are pastries on the sidewalk in Boonton, I don't know) only to carry them for about a half mile before they fall apart and Max gives up.

A: f/4.2 S: 1/60 ISO 500 24mm

What I learned:

Sometimes the ambient light won't cut it... you have to use a fill flash. Even at high ISO speeds, a person will have nasty shadows on their face if the light is straight above them.

Day 21: Apples

2010-01-21T22:26:00.000-05:00

Today I took my camera to the grocery store. I was a little worried I would get yelled at, but nobody even noticed me (taking my stealth photography to a new level... Red Square here I come!)

A: f/1.8 S: 1/500 ISO 400 50mm

What I learned:

My grocery store is surprisingly well lit- in my mind it is so dark!
I am a big fan of manual control- I set my camera to Aperture priority and most of my shots were actually over exposed

Day 20: Cats

2010-01-20T22:35:00.000-05:00

Sorry about the picture sans caption for yesterday, I posted in a rush... that's a lesson learned- There are never enough hours.

While trying to figure out what to shoot today and I sat down on the couch in my "Sweetest, Softest Robe Ever". The cats love the robe to the point that I usually leave it out for them during the day so they can sleep on it. Bailey Jumps up against my leg in the morning and follows me around until I pick her up, then she actually suckles on my shoulder in this robe. Anyway, both Bailey and Martigan immediately jumped up, kneaded my belly, and made themselves comfortable in my lap.

A: f/3.5 S: 1/60 ISO 400 50mm

Fortunately my camera was in reaching distance. Unfortunately my 50mm was attached, and I just don't have long enough arms. I actually like that the photo is so intimately close though... those kitties love each other (and my bathrobe)!

Day 19: Flame

2010-01-20T08:49:00.000-05:00

Day 18: Lara

2010-01-18T18:55:00.000-05:00

I had been wanting to do a photo shoot with Lara for a long time, and we finally got to do it today. I am currently working on a cool photo illustration for her, but in the meantime I will just post a portrait that I really liked!

A: f/8 S: 1/200 ISO 400 50mm

What I learned:

Sometimes it's hard to get a light flare when you want one
Light is a delicate balance when shooting into the sun... I didn't want to use a strobe so I bounced light off a muslin backdrop to illuminate Lara's face

365 on Flickr

Day 17: Luke as James Bond

2010-01-17T17:35:00.000-05:00

Today Luke and I did a photo shoot we had been meaning to do for a long time- Luke as James Bond. There were a bunch that I really liked, so more on Flickr here and here.

Shot RAW- A: f/1.8 S:1/80 ISO 400 50mm

What I learned:

It doesn't take the fanciest studio to get cool photos... I used a white muslin backdrop with two shop lights from the Home Depot. They were both on the right side, one aimed at the backdrop to create the gradient, the other bouncing off a white sheet.
If you don't have a plan yet for the post processing, always shoot RAW!

365 on Flickr

Day 16: Poinsettia

2010-01-17T01:17:00.000-05:00

Today was cleaning day. And after having been so busy for a while now, the house really needed to be cleaned. The weather outside was fantastic- 49˚ in January is something else for a Minnesota girl. I put the dog outside, let the bunny run free in the living room, and got to work. At one point while running up and down the stairs, I noticed the light streaming in from the wall of windows was quite beautiful, illuminating the poinsettia that we had strategically placed on a beam to keep it away from the cats (who jump up on the beam anyway).

A: f/3.5 S: 1/200 ISO 200 50mm

What I learned:

You don't always have to be afraid of harsh light. Sure, it sucks for portraits, but sometimes high contrast is cool.

365 on Flickr

Day 15: Mesmerized

2010-01-16T11:00:00.001-05:00

I feel like everything is a whirl right now, between not getting much sleep (I get very excited
!) all the congratulations, phone calls, hugs, and already some planning... Last night after a great dinner with Luke's family, we crashed on the couch with a fire and a movie and our troupe of animals!

A: f/1.8 S: 1/125 ISO 125 Focal Length 50mm

What I learned:

Shoot RAW if you can- the light was low but I wanted a hand-held, crisp shot. I was able to shoot then pull out a little more light after without destroying the picture.
Try to notice while shooting if you're getting light flares... I didn't notice then but if I had I might have been able to get rid of it or make it an interesting, active element in the photo

Day 14: Engagement

2010-01-14T22:11:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it just seems like the universe is on your side- it has definitely felt that way for me recently. I am very happy to announce that Luke and I are engaged :-)

Since I've been asked all day, here is the story:

While hanging out with my friend (Luke's best friend's girlfriend) a few weeks ago, we were chatting about how we'd like to be proposed to. I said that knowing Luke, he'd probably do something over the top, but I would be so happy if he proposed while we were just hanging out watching Smallville... Apparently she spread the word!

He came home from helping his dad with something and I was half asleep on the couch. I asked him how it went and he said good... I heard the Smallville theme song and felt something slipped on my finger. I looked and in my half awake daze, said, "Who's is this?" Luke replied, "It's yours if you want it. Will you marry me?" Of course I said yes!

The other question I've been asked all day- Can I see your ring? So of course I had to do the ring picture, haha :P

365 on Flickr

Day 13: Shelves Collage

2010-01-13T12:57:00.000-05:00

My internet at home was out the last couple days, but hopefully it will be back up tonight (come on, Optimum!!). Just in case, I wanted to do my blog at work. I was trying to figure out what to shoot when I glanced over at the dazzling array of objects which make up my shelves... (Yup, this is where I work! Click to see larger image)

All photos: f/2.8 S: 1/50 ISO 1000, Assembled in Photoshop

What I learned:

Even when you are shooting the same object at the same settings with the same light source, the colors, light and shadow will vary depending on the angle at which you shoot

Day 12: Lobby Plant

2010-01-12T15:10:00.000-05:00

Reflections can make for interesting images, especially when working with a green plant, blue tinted window, and glossy tile...

A: f/2.8 S: 1/25 ISO 400 Focal Length 28mm

What I learned:

Not all plants are as photogenic as others... I shot several lobby plants- even ones with pretty flowers- and was unhappy. It took a little exploring (and a few strange looks) to find a plant and an angle I liked.

Day 11: Bunny in a Box

2010-01-11T23:18:00.000-05:00

A while back I built a lightbox following these instructions, and in it I have shot numerous pictures of vegetables and whatnot for stock. This time I put Jessica Rabbit in there- the lights definitely made her nervous and she totally peed in a corner, but at least I got a couple okay shots...

What I learned:

Bunnies don't like to hold still
Sometimes you have to be quick on the trigger to catch a fleeting moment

365 on Flickr

Day 10: Kisses for the Birthday Girl!

2010-01-10T20:59:00.000-05:00

Today we spent the day celebrating Alexa's (Luke's niece) 10th birthday. I lucked out getting close to this family, because not only are they beautiful, but they are always willing to be in a picture!

A: f/4.5 S: 1/60 ISO 800 Focal Length: 28mm

What I learned:

Sometimes all it takes is a little fun and love to create a beautiful moment!

365 on Flickr

Day 9: Thirsty Moose

2010-01-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

That's the name of the bar... the only one that I know of (in New Jersey) that serves Moosehead on tap.

A: f/1.8 S: 1/80 ISO 800 Focal Length: 50mm

What I learned:

Take a look at the negative space and the shadows while shooting... I didn't notice the great shadow created by the antlers until I was warm and toasty inside the bar- I feel like I could have captured that better

365 on Flickr

Day 8: Chopsticks

2010-01-09T00:42:00.001-05:00

This evening we celebrated a friend's birthday with dinner at a hibachi grill. I had all kinds of big ideas for pictures that I would take, but unfortunately they did not come out as planned. Luckily I got this one that I was happy with!

A: f/1.8 S: 100 ISO 800

What I learned:

I need to continue saving for the full frame camera... In order to shoot clear pictures at a speed above 1/100 in low light, you need to shoot at a high ISO, and unfortunately lesser cameras are extremely grainy past 800 (even the D90 which gets comparably high rankings in that category!)
Maybe for now I need to learn to love the look of grain since I love low light situations? Hmm.

The project on Flickr

Day 7: Projector

2010-01-07T22:18:00.001-05:00

My very favorite TV show is Smallville, and while plowing through the eighth season this evening, I noticed that the Superman colors were coming out of the projector!

A: f/5.6 S: 30" ISO200 Focal Length: 55mm

What I learned:

With a tripod and remote shutter release I was able to get a nice sharp picture in the dark with a 30 second exposure

Photos are also posted on Flickr

Day 6: Merlot

2010-01-06T20:15:00.001-05:00

Today I shot a billion photos at work and the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was to shoot more, but I knew what I was getting into when I started this thing! Luke made me dinner (tempeh panini) and poured me a glass of Merlot (have I mentioned how lucky I am?) at which point I started feeling a little more inspired.

A: f/1.8 S: 1/25 ISO 200 Focal Length: 75mm Desaturation & contrast added in Aperture (future purchase of Lightroom necessary)

More versions I thought were pretty cool are on Flickr here and here

What I learned:

Sometimes you have to relax and let the inspiration come
Bokeh can be created from all kinds of sources, my favorites being Christmas lights and in this case, candles

Day 5: Smoke

2010-01-05T19:26:00.001-05:00

I went to a lecture by Gerd Ludwig, National Geographic photographer, a few months ago. One of his pointers was to add a strobe for backlight when photographing smoke. I thought I'd try the technique today.

A: f/4 S: 1/80 ISO 200

What I learned:

I should really get a remote trigger for my strobe, not just a cord (why are some cameras made so that slave flashes can only be fired if you also fire your on-camera flash?!)
It's tough to get those really nice smoke curls like you see in other people's pictures

There are a couple more of my attempts on Flickr

Day 4: Eyes

2010-01-04T19:37:00.000-05:00

I have always been a little afraid of self-portraits... not because I dislike my looks, but because I don't know how to portray myself. I read a while back about doing a 365 that is all self portraits (that must force a person to get really creative!)- I won't do that, but I think I'll take a few shots at creating something that really represents me.

Today I decided to just start with the eyes- without them I don't know what I'd do.

A: f/4.5 S: 1/40 ISO 200

What I learned:

My cats love to be photographed (wait... I already knew that!)
My telephoto lens is economical but amazingly sharp (in fact, I didn't care to see all my pores so well!). I used it along with my remote shutter release to take this photo- Nikkor 55-200mm f/4

Day 3: Green Peppers

2010-01-04T04:40:00.000-05:00

Good news, after a couple days on antibiotics, I am starting to feel much better! I have always struggled with photographing food- it never seems to look as delicious in the photos as it does in real life. I will probably try to take on the subject more and in different ways, but today I focused on the food during the cooking process. I actually shot a lot of photos of the peppers while they were boiling, but in the end I was not happy with the way they looked. There's another future project... properly capture boiling water!

A: f/4.5 S: 1/60 ISO 200
A: f/1.8 S: 1/40 ISO 640

What I learned:

Shoot food either with daylight or a full lighting studio... a single strobe and kitchen lights hardly do the trick

365 on Flickr

Day 2: Sunset Through the Web

2010-01-02T17:28:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately I am still sick, but now I have the proper medications to combat the cold! With any luck I will bounce back in no time. I did actually manage to step out of the house today, both to buy medicine and to shoot this picture.

The sun was setting in a gorgeous array of colors, and I knew I had to act quickly- I shot this photo from my deck through the web of naked winter trees that surround my house. I always love the mysterious look that they create... sort of like a wacked-out spider web or one of those maps of the internet.

A: F/4.5
S: 1/10
ISO 800

What I learned:

You can't always follow the histogram- to get the colors I wanted, I had to severely underexpose the photo according to the meter. Sometimes, though, a scene is just dark and you have to capture it that way!
It's getting really cold out!
The next time I want to go with a smaller aperture so all the branches are sharp, then compensate with a slower shutter.

Day 1: A Glass of Bubbly!

2010-01-01T13:40:00.001-05:00

I was planning to start the year off with a bang- friends, a cool bar, a live band, a mechanical bull... Alas, I somehow managed to catch a cold right in time to disable myself for the night. Luckily, I have an amazing boyfriend! We just hung out, watched some tv, talked about how happy we were to be warm by the fire instead of battling the icy roads! All in all, my New Years Eve was a successful one and I know how truly blessed I am.

Of course when I woke up today, I was in no condition to attempt an amazing photographic feat, so I resorted to shooting a glass of champagne left over from last night.
Nikon D90
A: f/5
S: 1/160
ISO 800
What I learned:

Check settings! I had plenty of light so there was no reason to shoot with ISO 800...
Champagne is not as bubbly in the morning as it was the night before
Read camera user manual! I had trouble focusing where I wanted to... I am used to shooting with the D300 which makes spot focusing very easy, but I just realized I have no idea how to do it on the D90!

I started a set on my Flickr page where I will be posting my photos from this coming adventure.

goal: 365 photo project

2009-12-18T10:43:00.000-05:00

I have been shooting a lot of pictures lately, but unfortunately I haven't been adding them to this blog. Sometimes I get so focused on Facebook or Flickr- just getting them up- that I don't take the time to reflect or learn. I have a plan for the new year though- I am going to start a 365 Photo Project.

I have a couple goals with this- I would like to be consistent about updating a photo blog. That way I can see how my skill/vision changes and hopefully grows throughout the year.

Also, I would like to do some photography for myself- not just for company events, products, stock, outings with friends, etc. Photography is an amazing art, and I would like to be able to use it to capture the beauty and interesting details of the world that I see all the time.

Finally, I want to document what I am learning for my own reference, maybe possibly even help others learn.

I won't have a theme because who knows where this will take me- I will be working on both technical and artsy techniques. I'd ultimately like to find my niche!

fun with a fisheye

2009-11-12T17:38:00.000-05:00

For our company staff photo, we rented a wide angle and a fisheye lens. They arrived today in the mail so we had plenty of time to make photo shoot decisions before Monday, and of course we started playing immediately. Here are a few shots around the office!

coyne college

2009-11-04T12:34:00.001-05:00

This morning Coyne PR had another Coyne College session- this one on Event planning led by Deborah Sierchio. It's always tough to get the shot in that room- there are bright lights streaming in one window but otherwise the room is shrouded in darkness. Thank goodness I attended the PDN conference and listened to Gerd Ludwig's lecture on shooting digitally in low light- I have been practicing his tricks in these situations and I am learning...

To see more Coyne College pictures, please visit the Coyne Flickr page.

Halloween at Coyne

2009-11-03T10:14:00.000-05:00

Everyone knows Coyners know how to have a good time. This is especially evident when there is something to celebrate! Last Friday was no exception when everyone showed up in full costume.
Group picture- some really creative costumes include H1N1, 101 (3) Dalmatians, Wayne from Wayne's World, Roofio from Hook, a cactus, the Anchorman crew, and Ace Freely from Kiss.

Ace leaps of the steps and does a tuck-and-roll to the shock of everyone!

Paul the Cactus flanked by Roofio and Ace.

The Anchorman Crew.

PDN Conference & Expo

2009-10-23T15:28:00.000-04:00

New York Penn Station- I was waiting for my train and decided to see if I could hand-hold at 1/3... not too bad, eh?

On Thursday I was fortunate enough to attend the 2009 PDN PhotoPlus conference & expo at the Javitz center in New York. I spent most of the day in seminars, and my favorite by far was the lecture "Working Digitally in Low Light" by Gerd Ludwig, seasoned National Geographic photographer. Here are some highlights:

You can get a free booklet of strobe filters if you nonchalantly walk into a photo store and say you lost yours, may you have another?
The warmer the ambient light, the warmer the filter- you want your added light to blend in
Don't rely on post-production- there is no PSD tool that can do what a polarizing lens filter can do
You make a better fly on the wall and you can react faster if you don't use a tripod (you have to have good enough technology to shoot high-ISO without getting really grainy)
The greatest photographs are the ones that make you forget about the photographer and focus on the situation
Capture smoke with backlight

getting darker

2009-10-14T22:45:00.000-04:00

Fall is by far my favorite season. The air is crisp, the colors are gorgeous, the funnest holiday is coming up, and I get to wear scarves all the time.
Lara, all done up for a fashion show later that day!

This is the river near my house- view from the bridge above using a 50mm/1.4f lens with a 15" shutter speed.
Aaand the lights Luke recently installed outside- they look very eerie at night!

belly dancing

2009-10-09T12:47:00.000-04:00

Luke's mom just had her 55th (oops, I mean 21st!) birthday, and to celebrate, we went to Marakesh for dinner and belly dancing!

Dr. Hirshenson & Lara
Kayla, wearing her hip scarf as a neck scarf :)
Attempting to dance... hilarity ensues!
Omar reveres the birthday girl!
Omar, the brilliant dancer performs on Ladies' Night the first Wednesday of every month

the heartland

2009-09-14T10:31:00.001-04:00

I recently went back to my hometown to visit the family, see some friends, go to the fair, and relax at the cabin. Even though Minnesota is known for its winters, there is a whole lot of beauty in the summer (and spring, and fall). A true Minnesotan is tough (you have to be if you're walking to school in -15º weather and you're a little afraid your eyeballs are going to freeze), lives for the State Fair (plus all the fried food on a stick they can eat), and is able to appreciate nature (especially when it is providing food- a la fish or wild game).

My family's cabin is on Silver Lake in the North Woods of Minnesota.

I had fun with my new lens in my mom's garden!

Fireworks at the State Fair- pretty cool for hand-held, right?

Cheese Curds from the Food Building- my FAVORITE treat at the fair!! Yummmmm..

1310 lbs. Supposedly my mom actually saw him standing up!

The common Loon - The Minnesota state bird.

Bald Eagle- seen from the lake, and I just happened to have my telephoto lens! :)

We went on a hike and my mom and I stopped to take pictures of practically every mushroom.

Pretty wild!

Luke caught this 7 lb. Northern Pike that easily fed the four of us (with leftovers)... definitely not a "snake"!

camp coyne

2009-08-28T11:16:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, Coyners gathered at a park for Camp Coyne (don't ask me where, I went in the opposite direction and somehow ended up at the Newark Airport! I have no sense of geography in New Jersey). The day was filled with activities for adults and kids, there was a grill serving up burgers and hot dogs, and a tiki bar gave us a sense of vacay in the middle of a hectic work week!

I personally participated in volleyball, the limbo, some game that we walk on boards (Pauly and I won!), and a couple other random games. And, of course, I ran around with my new camera to try and capture some of the fun!Joe G. and his adorable son!

Max's best attempt to eat an entire veggie burger
Sack races- Shawn and Wayne won!
To see more, head to the Coyne Flickr page!

not a pic... pepe pepe!!

2009-08-06T09:41:00.000-04:00

The song that will always remind me of the DR, 2009: