Archive for March, 2009
Psyched up for QingMing Festival
QingMing is just a few days away. I could not tell you why the seemingly official English translation of this festival is the “Chinese grave sweeping festival”. Yes, they clean up the grave sites of their ancestors, but the real core of the holiday is solidly rooted in paying respect to their ancestors. You choose [...]
How to Take Photos of Strangers
I should know: Strange is my…surname. [Awkward pause where nobody laughs.] Anyway, this is an area of photography in which I have been trying to stretch myself the past few months. I had a certain style of doing things for many years, and recently, I thought it wise to extend my tool kit of people [...]
What Flash Should I Buy for My Camera?
Want to move into the world of flash and do not know where to start? What flash should you buy? Where do you even start learning how to use the flash? Do you just clip it on and set it to automatic, or do you dare explore the beautiful and expansive world of off-camera flash?
A [...]
What Focus Points Do You Use?
Ok, that is not exactly a frequently asked question, as I claim, but…well…it should be! There are way too many accidentally out of focus pictures out there. Out of focus can be cool, sure, but only if it is on purpose. Some of the great photographers had out of focus shots, but that was for [...]
Maker of Idols
Finally, the kind of photo I have been looking for. I have been trying to capture the spiritual side of things. I am not talking about some visually appealing monks-in-a-temple shot, but the spiritual reality behind what we see with our eyes, and I am especially focused on the spiritual realm right there on the [...]
Shoot Too Dark and Improve Image Quality
Not too long ago, I was reading a great blog entry from a seasoned pro (though somehow I cannot find it again to give him credit and a link), and a little something he mentioned which “they used to do in the old days” sounded just like a trick I use. Evidently, I am not [...]
Loading Your Camera Color Profile into RAWstudio
I tried out RAWstudio a couple times through the past year or so. I had to try it, because I knew how much time it could conceivably save me. Both times, though, the image quality of the output JPG was horrible in comparison to UFRaw. So, it would save time, but my photos looked nasty.
Then, [...]
The Patron Saint of Nikonians
The past few weeks, I have been reading through the lives of some of the saints who have gone before us for encouragement. These folk, that great cloud of witnesses, were the real deal, and it does not take much reading from their lives to figure that out. Well, I saw that the first of [...]
Hammock Break
I just could not pass this one up. This is only a few feet away from where I park the truck. So, I got the family all strapped in, popped off the lens cap, and went back for the shot.
What Do the Aperture Numbers Mean?
How many of us have looked at the numbers that represent our aperture and wonder what in the world they mean? Why those numbers? Why not something more simple?
Yes, the numbers given to aperture size can be a little confusing, so I will explain, because I do not want you ignoring your aperture just because [...]
Closing the Creative Gap
Chase Jarvis mentioned the “creative gap” in an interview the other day, “creative gap” being the “difference between what you want your pictures to look like, and what they actually look like.” It is the gap we need to jump to take that next step in the development of our creative muscle. Basically, we have [...]
Achieving the Right Look for a Photography Website
It has been quite a hassle to figure out how to set up my website so it was both well-organized and appealing to the eye. I previously used MovableType blogging software for my blog, and that was easily woven into my overall website organization and look. Well, fairly easily, anyway.
The trouble started when I decided [...]
Rooster Pre-Fight Prep
Finally Found Free Software for Keywording and Tagging Photos
You know how we all have thousands of digital photos and cannot seem to ever find the ones we want? Well, keywording (or tagging) is a great way to organize those photos so you can actually find the ones you want later.
I have been looking for software that could do this for me, and though [...]
Ever Sat for a Daguerrotype?
I have a quote to share today. Not only is this a quote from a famous dude (the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson), and not only is it about photography, but it really gives us a lot of context in which to put photography. I like to think outside of the digital box sometimes, and going [...]
