Picture Stories
From time to time I post one of my photographs on the front page of the blog with a link to this page. Here I show the original and final images and describe the circumstances of the image and how and why I got from the original to the final version.
I am using a Canon S3 and a Canon 30D for all the photos and Apple's Aperture for all the adjustments. I am no expert at adjusting images, and perfection is not my aim. I don't peek pixels, and have not had reason to use noise removal tools. The goal here is not to show off my budget or skills, but to show what can be achieved without much of either.
Images shot with the S3 use Custom Colors as follows: Contrast 0, Sharpness -1, Saturation 0, Red -1, Green -1, Blue 0, Skin Tone 0. I normally leave the white balance on auto unless I'm indoors, in which case I set the white balance manually if I remember. I almost always use Av mode and ISO set to 100. Image stabilization is set to Shoot Only.
I am using a Canon S3 and a Canon 30D for all the photos and Apple's Aperture for all the adjustments. I am no expert at adjusting images, and perfection is not my aim. I don't peek pixels, and have not had reason to use noise removal tools. The goal here is not to show off my budget or skills, but to show what can be achieved without much of either.
Images shot with the S3 use Custom Colors as follows: Contrast 0, Sharpness -1, Saturation 0, Red -1, Green -1, Blue 0, Skin Tone 0. I normally leave the white balance on auto unless I'm indoors, in which case I set the white balance manually if I remember. I almost always use Av mode and ISO set to 100. Image stabilization is set to Shoot Only.
Sunset Opportunity
 | This picture story concerns opportunity. Taking advantage of it when you see it, and with what you have. |
Isolation For An Evening Rose
 | Many of my best photos (or at least the ones I like the most) are taken in the evening light. I like the color, the angle, and the way that the long shadows cause contrast in a scene that does not exist at other times. This picture story is about using contrast and position to create isolation in an image. |
What Is That?
 | When I show this picture to people they say "What is that?" It doesn't resemble anything familiar, although I am sure that some people reading this will recognize it immediately. It is viewed daily by hundreds of thousands of people, but not quite the way I have depicted it. This picture story is about creating something puzzling from something already unusual. |
Boy at Sunset
 | This picture tells the story of combining moving my vantage point with cropping to get the image I was after. I am learning that one of the skills of a photographer's "eye" is being able to identify small parts of the total field of view as being complete photos in the raw. The task then is to capture, process, and present so the viewer sees only and immediately what I want them to see. |
Water Drops on Grass
 | This picture story is about the wonder of water. The great thing about water is that you never know exactly what it is going to do, and taking photos of it can lead to some nice surprises. |
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