EJM Photos

May 2010 - UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2010-05-10T12:56:00.001-07:00

I'm working on a new, better blog space to show my recent work. Stay tuned.

Fresno Newborn Photographer

2010-01-28T14:19:00.000-08:00

"V" Wedding Shoot - Fresno Wedding Photographer

2009-06-10T08:48:00.001-07:00

Here's a couple shots from my latest Wedding Shoot. This wonderful couple had lots of life and energy and it came through in the pictures. Congrats to you guys!

Senior Portraits - Fresno Photographer

2009-05-19T08:40:00.001-07:00

Here is a sneak peak of a couple shots from this great session. "J" was a great in front of the camera. It was a fun shoot. I have a few more shots to edit, then I'll post some more.

Senior Pictures - Fresno Senior Photographer

2009-02-23T10:02:00.001-08:00

Attention High School Seniors: Free Portrait Session!

I want to add Senior Pictures to my portfolio. So, I'm willing to give away portrait sessions to 2 male and 2 female High School Seniors in Fresno or Clovis.

I am a high quality, creative photographer who will make sure that your personality stands out. If you want tired, traditional or 'normal' photos, then I'm probably not the photographer for you.

WHAT I WILL GIVE AWAY FOR FREE:

2 hour, on-location session. 1-2 clothing changes.
50 Wallet Sized Portraits
2 5x7 prints

WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO DO:

Give away your pictures and tell every High School Senior about me.
SAVE YOUR FRIENDS SOME MONEY! I will give a 40% discount to anyone who books a Senior Portrait Session because of you!

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

We (your parents included) will get together in advance to meet and discuss a good location (or two) that will suit you best, then we will set a date for the session.
These photos will not be taken in a studio. We will be "on location"
Parents/Legal guardian must be present during meetings and photo-shoot.
You may purchase additional prints (i.e. 8x10, more wallets) at a discount.
There is no obligation to purchase anything! If you end up not liking the photos that I take, you still have time to find another photographer before it's too late.
I will require that you allow me to use the photos that I take on my website, blog and in print for advertising purposes only (I will not sell your photos for profit)

Contact: Joe Green 559-288-7643
Web: www.edwardjphotography.com

Fresno Magazine Photographer - Home Town Heroes

2009-02-21T15:48:00.001-08:00

I was asked to shoot a couple and their granddaughter for the Hometown Heroes section of Fresno Magazine.

These people all participated in saving a woman's life who had driven her SUV into their pool!

This is Larry and Francine with their granddaughter Saraphina.

Fresno Photographer: Mother's Day

2009-02-13T10:39:00.001-08:00

Often I will find that people have used my photos on various blogs across the internet. Sometimes people inform me of their intention and provide a link back to me. Sometimes they don't

This Blogger writes about Mother's Day Gifts and they gave proper credit. Need Mother's day ideas? Read the article here.

International Photographer - A 105 year old Woman

2009-01-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

Tecate, Mexico.

This woman told us that she was 105 years old. The friends and family around her confirmed.

Fresno Portrait Photographer - Freelance

2009-01-08T10:54:00.001-08:00

Fresno Magazine asked me to take a full body portrait of a local man who restored a rare vintage airplane. The plane is a 1943 Meyers OTW (Out to Win).

Joey Sahakian was a great guy, full of energy and patient with me. The article and the portrait that I took appears in the January 2009 edition of Fresno Magazine.

His airplane was truly beautiful and I couldn't resist snapping a shot or two, even though that was not my assignment.

Here's a couple of outtakes of the portrait... and a shot of the plane.

Cocktails - Fresno Product Photographer

2008-12-12T10:46:00.001-08:00

I was commissioned by Fresno Magazine to take a picture of this drink for the Barfly section of their publication.

I used only available light... but if I get an opportunity like this again, I think I'll bring some lighting options. I'm not 100% pleased with the photos, better lighting would have helped.

You can find this drink at The Manhattan Steakhouse in Fresno, CA. On the corner of Bullard and West

I'm anxious to see which shot the magazine chooses.

Fresno Magazine - Mock Covers

2008-11-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

Last Week I shot Mock Covers for Fresno Magazine at The Best Of Fresno Event.

Here's some examples.

Updated Pricing for Standard Sessions - Fresno Portrait Photographer

2008-11-25T08:17:00.000-08:00

$135 per session.

This non-refundable fee secures your on-location session for up to 2 hours.
Up to 3 clothing changes.
10 day online proofing gallery with 20- 30 prints from which to purchase.
The fee includes up to 2 hours on location in the Fresno/Clovis area.
This fee covers my time on location and post session image preparations.
Prints are sold separately and available on CD.

Session Types:

Just the kids: up to 3 siblings

Family: Up to 5 members of the same immediate family

Newborn and Maternity: Add $75. Maternity Session focused on mom (typically held in the last trimester). Then a newborn session (usually under 10 days old) focus on the baby and interaction with mom, dad, and or siblings.

Couple/Engagement: Focus on the couple. Discounts available when used in conjunction with a Wedding Package.

Additions to the Standard Session Fee:

Newborn or Maternity session only: add $35
Proof Book (5x7 prints) plus post photo shoot ordering session with photographer: add $50
Additional persons: add $25
Additional hours: add $30
Additional 14 days of online gallery: add $25
Travel cost: Additional fee for travel more than 50 miles.

Prints for Portraits:
CD: Images can be put on CD for $35 per image (minimum of 5 images).

50 Wallets: $35
4x6: $10
5x7: $16
8x10: $30
11x14: $60
16x20: $85

Other available products: Greeting Cards, Canvas Prints, Storyboards, Birth Announcements, Albums, and more.

Featured Artist - Fresno Magazine

2008-11-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

ME! It's fun to have people interested enough in my art to take time to write about it and print photos. Thank you Amy G. for writing the article.

Here's a shot of my daughter that I took about 30 minutes ago

The Best of Fresno! - mock magazine photographer

2008-11-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

I had a great time last night at The Best of Fresno event held at the Fresno Convention Center. Tons of food and drinks!

Starbucks was just a few steps from me, free coffee all night long. There were a few other talented photographers, that was fun to meet them. Roe gave away some amazing sushi, Cheesecake Factory was amazing, I finally scored one of those cool Stella glasses (thanks to my mom), I ate way too many chocolate covered strawberries, and on and on.

I had fun shooting mock magazine covers for Fresno Magazine. Tons of great people stopped by. Now, I have to get busy proofing photos, creating magazine covers, and then mailing them out!

Weddings - Fresno Wedding Photographer

2008-11-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

Your wedding day is an amazing true story. My goal is to tell your story with engaging photographs. My style tends to be creative and photojournalistic. I will capture all the emotions and details for you to pass on to the generations that follow you.

Package A - $1,200
·   4 hours on location.
·   CD of all images (low resolution - suitable for e-mail and web)
·   40 page, 7x7 professionally designed, hardbound Wedding Book
·   30-40 images specially edited and processed.
·   14 day online gallery to share with friends and family and allow for purchases.
·   $50 credit toward a la carte items

Package B - $1,500
·   5 hours on location.
·   CD of all images (low resolution - suitable for e-mail and web)
·   40 page, 8x10 professionally designed, hardbound Wedding Book
·   Three 3x3 Accordion Albums (great for gifts)
·   50 plus images specially edited and processed.
·   21 day online gallery to share with friends and family
·   $100 credit toward a la carte items

Package C - $3,500
·   Up to 10 hours on location
·   CD of all images (High resolution)
·   200+ images edited and processed
·   40 page, 13x11 hardbound Wedding Book
·   Six 3x3 Accordion Albums (great for gifts)
·   30 day online gallery to share with friends and family
·   Proof Book
·   $600 credit toward a la carte items

A la Carte:
·   All images on CD (High resolution): $350
·   Proof Book: $200
·   Economy hard bound books range: $85 - $350
·   High Quality books/albums range: $250 - $2,000
·   Additional hours on location: $65 per hour
·   Rehearsal, Grooms dinner, or engagement session: $130
Additional 14 days of online gallery: $25

Prices for Prints:
·   4x6: $10, 5x7: $16, 8x10: $30, 11x14: $50, 16x20: $70
·   Canvas Prints, Story Boards and other specialty items also available.

Little Boy - Fresno Newborn Photographer

2008-11-12T09:32:00.001-08:00

Got to shoot this adorable little boy!

My Bride

2008-11-04T10:40:00.001-08:00

Just for fun. I thought I'd post a recent picture of my wife.

The Standard - Grand Opening | Fresno Event Photographer

2008-10-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

I got to shoot the grand opening of a great new lounge/restaurant in Fresno. Located on Friant and Fort Washington. Right next to the Red Door -in the building that used to be The Dirty Olive.

Did I take your photo on that night? INSTRUCTIONS: View all the photos HERE. Click "main site", then "view your gallery", then enter this code: Steve

Here's a couple of the shots.

Play time at the Park | Fresno Family Photographer

2008-10-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

I had a great time hanging out at the park with this family!

There are TONS of great shots from this session. I couldn't wait any longer to post some - so here are a few images to tide you over until dinner.

Fresno Wedding Photographer - Pismo Beach

2008-10-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

I got to shoot my cousins wedding! It was a wonderful day in Pismo Beach. Here is a sneak peek. view the rest of the sneak peek on my flickr stream -here. Once you get to the flickr stream - I suggest that you click "slideshow"

In Black and White | Fresno Baby Photographer

2008-09-20T14:26:00.001-07:00

I love this family! (we are related)

I appreciate that they let me try some things that i've been wanting to try. As with all newborn sessions, I brought some equipment (lighting, backdrop) to their house and I had a great time capturing some special moments with daddy and baby "W".

Here's a few of the gems.

Mini Sessions in October 2008!

2008-09-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Want photos taken of your kids? Of you and that 'special' someone?

Mini photos sessions are here. 30 minutes for $30. Includes a free 5x7.

Tell your friends, family, and strangers.

Every Saturday in October - at Woodward Park. Call, e-mail, or yell really loud to book your slot now.

oh, and don't forget to check out my new website - it's almost finished.

http://www.edwardjphotography.com/

Photo Shoot: A childs Baptism

2008-09-12T23:47:00.001-07:00

A wonderful family invited me to document their sons baptism.

I enjoyed my time getting to know this family and eating some great food at the BBQ that followed!

I couldn't resist sharing a moment between Grandmother and Granddaughter during the BBQ - see what I mean by viewing the last photo in this post.

oh, and don't forget about Octobers Mini Sessions!

"N" Family Session

2008-09-11T10:12:00.001-07:00

I had the chance to shoot this amazing family a couple of weekends ago... just thought I'd share some of the images that are coming.

Thank you "N" Family for letting me hang out with you, it was fun. We should do it more often.

Stuff: Update

2008-09-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

Still working on my new website (boy, this stuff takes a long time!). www.edwardjphotography.com

September:
6th: Baptism
13: open - call now to book a spot!
20th: A cool hip, young family session
27th: Wedding in Pismo

Little Issac was born today... less than one week from when I did a maternity session with them. That was cutting it close!

PROMO: Mini Sessions!

2008-09-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

October is mini-session month! 30 minutes for 30 dollars!
4th: Sessions Available!
11th: Sessions Available!
18th: Sessions Available!
25th: Sessions Available!

Newborn Session - another Sneek Peek

2008-08-31T15:49:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy weekend... I was privileged to have the chance at this newborn session. Here's a sneak peek, more to follow after hours of inside the digital darkroom.

Maternity Sneek Peek

2008-08-30T23:14:00.001-07:00

I had a fun maternity/family session today. i have lots of photos to proof, but here's on that's already a favorite of mine.

more to come.

New Website! Coming Soon

2008-08-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a new website!

wanna a sneak peek?

http://www.edwardjphotography.com

A Birthday Party

2008-08-04T14:25:00.001-07:00

I shot a birthday party at a local restaurant this weekend. Here are some of the fun pictures. These ladies had a GREAT time!

It's the "B" kids and cousins

2008-07-31T17:23:00.001-07:00

I had a great time shooting this wonder family! This kids "N" and "G" were adorable.

The cousins got in on the photographic fun!

Current Project - Construction Photos

2008-07-25T10:47:00.001-07:00

Currently I'm shooting photos, video and developing a website for American Paving Co. in Fresno, CA. Click here for a very early preview of the new site in development.

Below are a few shots.

Fresno Wedding Photography

2008-07-12T21:27:00.001-07:00

Guess How Many

2008-07-09T15:47:00.001-07:00

Initially, I took this photo (see below) for a magazine called "Asian Restaurant News" (the issue will be out in August).

I uploaded it to my Flickr account.

Yahoo.com Mexico picked up the photo from my flickr account and used in on their front page.

Guess how many people viewed this photo yesterday. Seriously, throw out a guess.

Now ask me how much money I've received for the use of this photo. Answer: nada.

Standing Defiant

2008-07-08T17:29:00.001-07:00

I took a large white piece of paper an placed it behind the flower (in my mom's backyard).

In camera, I underexposed it on purpose.

In photoshop, I desaturated it (made it black and white), then I did a few things like 'unsharpen mask' in the lab color (lightness channel), adjusted levels (for darker blacks), and added the slight vignette.

One of my Favorites

2008-07-06T16:46:00.001-07:00

A Wonderful Wedding

2008-07-06T11:28:00.001-07:00

Here are some wedding shots of a Beautiful Couple.

Events - Birthdays, Parties, etc.

2008-07-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

Event Photography

$100 per hour (up to 2 hours)
Includes $35 credit toward prints.
After 2 hours, each hour will be billed at $45 per hour

Prints for Weddings, Events, and Portraits:

100 Wallets: $35
4x6: $4
5x7: $10
8x10: $20
11x14: $30
16x20: $50

Session Fees and Packages

2008-07-06T11:06:00.001-07:00

Standard Session Fee:

$160 per session.
Includes up to 4 people and 2 hours on location in the Fresno/Clovis area. It includes all image editing and processing in the digital darkroom.

Includes a proof book of 20-30 images and a $25 credit toward the purchase of prints.

Additions to the Standard Session Fee:
Additional persons: $25
Additional hours: $50
Travel cost: Additional fee for travel more than 50 miles.

Event Photography

$100 per hour (up to 2 hours)
Includes $35 credit toward prints.
After 2 hours, each hour will be billed at $45 per hour

Weddings:
Package A - $750
4 hours on location, CD of all images, 20-30 images edited and processed.

Package B - $1,100
5 hours on location, CD of all images, 8x10 hardbound Wedding Book, 30-40 images edited and processed.

Package C - $1,450
Engagement Session with 100 wallets sized prints, 5 hours on location, CD of all images 8x10 hardbound Wedding Book

Ultimate Package - $3,300
Engagement Session with 200 wallets sized prints (for wedding announcements), up to 10 hours on location, CD of all images, 100+ images edited and processed, 13x11 hardbound Wedding Book, online gallery, 100 “Thank You Cards” for after the honeymoon, Wedding Album with 100+ proofs.

Wedding goodies Al la Carte:

Travel cost: Additional fee for travel more than 50 miles.
Wedding Book $175: 100+ page, 13x11inch hardbound book. Custom designed. Can include wedding vows, song lyrics, guest list, and much more.

Prints for Weddings, Events, and Portraits:

100 Wallets: $35
4x6: $4
5x7: $10
8x10: $20
11x14: $30
16x20: $50

*note: these prices are not for fine art prints.

translucence: a self portrait

2008-06-29T21:43:00.001-07:00

do you ever feel like people can see right through you?

My Son's Birthday Party

2008-06-24T20:50:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd share a few of my favorite shots from my son's birthday party this last weekend.

I can't believe he's growing up so fast!

View a slideshow (with additional photos here)

Stock Photography Here I Come

2008-06-20T09:39:00.001-07:00

In an attempt to delve into the world of stock photography, I'm photoshelter.com's newest photographer. I've been approved to sell stock photography on their site. Now I just need models that will work for free, a studio and tons of extra time to work on it... that shouldn't be to difficult.

I put an application into istockphoto.com, but they rejected it. I will try again with them in a few days.

New York can fine restaurant chains that don't post calories

2008-06-19T16:38:00.001-07:00

NowPublic.com has used some of my latest restaurant pics in a news story about New York restaurant chains that don't post calories. View the Article here.

Restaurant Photoshoot - Helen's Chinese Gourmet

2008-06-18T19:46:00.001-07:00

Below are a few shots from today's photo shoot for a magazine called, "Asian Restaurant News". I took these at Helen's Gourmet Chinese Food in N. Fresno. Apparently, the magazine is going to feature them on the front cover. That means if my photos are good enough, I will have a photo on the front cover of a national magazine! That would be pretty cool.

Anyway, Helen was an amazingly nice lady! She sent us (Josh helped me) home with a bunch of food that I shot, which was helpful because Sarah hadn't been able to prepare dinner. The food was GOOD! They've been in business for 13 years, so I think the restaurant is doing something right. If you stop in for lunch or dinner, tell Helen that Joe says, "Hi".

Asian Restaurant News

2008-06-17T08:46:00.001-07:00

I just got a gig shooting "Helen's Gourmet Chinese Food" for national publication titled, "Asian Restaurant News". Thank you Craigslist. You rock.

In the next few days, I'll go shoot the Interior, Exterior, the Owner(s), and some signature dishes. This should be fun, partly because I've never done a shoot quite like this before. I will get paid, and I will add a national publication to my portfolio.

I'll be sure to post some of the photos.

The View on the Walls

2008-06-10T10:02:00.001-07:00

Here are a few shots of my prints hanging on the walls of PETAL, a local florist.

These prints are for sale as framed. Many people prefer to have their art custom framed (so that it matches the home decor) so, I am also selling prints.

4x7: $5
5x7: $6
8x10: $25
11x14: $35
16x20: $55

Hopefully they are priced to sell in today's economy.

here's a sneak preview of a gallery wrap that should arrive on my doorstep any moment now!

Putting Myself Out There

2008-06-05T21:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I hung that final two (out of 6) framed art on the walls of local Florist.

Taking my work to the public is a brand new thing for me, so I'm a bit nervous, I'm excited and I'm cautious. I'm nervous to have other people seeing some of my work and talking about it while I'm not around. I'm excited to have other people seeing some of my work and talking about it while I'm not around and I'm cautious - trying to not to get my hopes up too high.

What AM I hoping for? I'm hoping for sales! I'm hoping for a few phone calls for some custom work!

If you are local, I want to invite you to come down to PETAL. Dana (the owner) is really nice. The flowers are high quality. The store is really simple, quaint and has great art on the walls. You will find a map and an address below.

Here are the 6 pieces that I hung.

PETAL (Corner of Willow and Nees) - Click HERE for a map.
1215 N. Willow Ave #140
Clovis, Ca

Now I'm working on hanging some art on the walls of Cinnamonster!

...And Another Location

2008-06-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

I just got permission to hang a bunch of prints up at Cinnamonster. I'll post my progress soon.

A Gallery!

2008-05-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I will be hanging up some of my florals (matted and framed) in a great little florist shop near my home.

I'm very excited about it, I'll keep you posted.

Hanging My Kids

2008-05-18T14:43:00.001-07:00

I am anxious to hang my kids on the wall! As soon as I get these prints back from WHCC, then I will hang them up in this nifty frame that I have.

Maternity

2008-05-17T09:50:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd experiment with some Maternity photos. So, I grabbed my sister in-law and my brother and snapped a few shots.

I actually learned quite a few things while experimenting with this niche of photography. For example wait until the woman is REALLY pregnant... don't shoot too early. Her belly wasn't nearly big enough.

I'm also learning about making the client feel very comfortable so that they are relaxed. Jokes and patience are mandatory, I think

Here's a few shots from my experiment.

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Flickr Now Does Videos

2008-04-09T09:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Flickr unveiled a new tier to their online sharing community -- VIDEO.

This morning the functionality to actually upload those videos magically appeared

There's some limitations -- no longer than 90 seconds or 150mb and only PRO members can upload...probably to keep the files quick and easy... they seem to include all the features that a photo has (groups, sets, comments, embedding, sizes, etc).

I'm not sure what I think... the content could be more overwhelming than it already is and I don't do much video related ... or will I?

I am curious to see how this affects Flickr community -- will it become divided into videographers and photographers? Will it be like the skiers and snowboarders going down the same run?

New Flower Photos

2008-04-04T17:14:00.001-07:00

Bright Colors are everywhere in California right now!

I'm totally on a bright color "kick" right now... even wanting to exaggerate some colors!

Here's some examples of what I've been up too. These flowers are in my own back yard.

Of course these images are for purchase either Here or Here

More Birthday Shoot

2008-04-01T23:22:00.001-07:00

A few more from last weekends birthday party.

I Shot a Birthday Party

2008-03-30T22:46:00.001-07:00

My Cousin's Daughter turned 1 year old! I got to shoot the party. My eyes are blurry from going through all the pictures. It ended up being more of a 'documentary' type of a photo shoot (who was there, the cake, decorations, etc) rather than getting to spend time on capturing those perfect moments and looking at things with a 'creative' eye.

Also after going through pictures, I certainly think I could have done a better job. Next time I will know how to increase the amount of usable photos! So many trash photos - yuk!

I'll try to post some pictures after I'm done with the edits, but the above photo is a teaser. The theme was "polka dots"

I'm Back

2008-03-30T19:12:00.001-07:00

The computer's been down, but I'm back now. Didya miss me?

Daisy Pics

2008-03-24T22:06:00.001-07:00

March Dreams

I put up two new photos at my Etsy Shop tonight. I haven't sold a single photo yet on that site, but I sold 3 other prints this week to an old friend in Southern California. That's progress!

Since I've chosen to (try to) sell some pics at Etsy, I've quickly noticed that there's a lot of estrogen on that sight. With that in mind, I thought I'd attempt some spring floral shots.

HERES MY PROCESS:
First my wife and I cleared off the kitchen table in order to make room for our family's annual Easter Egg decorating. (pictures of the event here)

At some point, as the kids were being creative with their eggs, I noticed that I had put the cut daisies from our backyard onto the window sill. I liked how the light was shining on them, so I grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots with my macro lens, totally unplanned.

Then I brought an image that I liked into photoshop and I used a "retro" action that I have. Then I used a hi-res brush titled "dirt" to give the image a bit of texture to it. I cropped it at 8x10 at 300 pixels per inch and saved it to the hard drive. I'm happy with the result.

With the second image below, I used a "lomo" effect (action) in photoshop and then used the same "dirt" brush for some texture. Side note: normally I don't use a 3rd party lomo effect, because I'm very particular about lomography, but for some reason I thought I'd 'try' the action and I like the results, although I don't think it's truly "lomo".

Bright Daisy

For Sale

2008-03-20T22:12:00.001-07:00

Sunflower 5x7 print. $10
limited edition, 20 prints signed by the artist (that's me)

I've opened up shop at ETSY.COM. Go here to see my photos for sale. Only Etsy members can purchase there.

I've put up a few photos for sale and there are more coming. Stay tuned.

I honestly have no idea if anything will come of this.

By the way, look at the photo again and notice the fly on the petal. That's my very favorite thing about this picture. Want to see it full size? Click here for to see it on flickr.

Crafts Man

2008-03-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Coffee Tastes Better Outside:
I'm determined to eat my breakfast and drink coffee outside in my backyard before it gets to be 1,000 degrees outside. So, today I built a picnic bench for my backyard.

Digital Photography School
I've used Digital Photography School (DPS) as a resource for help and interesting articles for a long time. Today I participated in my first "Weekly Assignment".

Picnic Table + DPS = The photo you see above.
The weekly assignment for DPS was "Construction". So, I had a great photo opportunity in my own back yard.

My Process:
Are you ready for me to reveal my secrets? I had NO IDEA of what I wanted; no clue of what would make a good 'construction' photo. So, I just started taking pictures. I took approximately 50 shots. I was looking for some spark, some inspiration... it wasn't coming to me.

I walked all around my work bench and took photos from above, from below, I whipped out the wide-angle and nothing looked promising until I got the bright Idea to pull out the macro lens. Ah ha! The Macro provided that "something" that I was looking for.

The only thing that I did to this photo in photoshop was to use "auto adjust" on the levels and I cropped it at 5x7 inches.

I liked the colors right out of the camera.

I don't think this is particularly an outstanding photo. It looks like it should be in a Craftsman Catalog or something (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). One thing I don't like about it is all the space in the upper right side of the image.

Anyway, it turned out much better than my "Class with Dave and Dave" assignment that was due today.

Check it out here.

Making Something From Nothing

2008-03-16T21:43:00.001-07:00

click image for bigger view

Here's another shot from yesterdays impromptu trip to the park. I am really happy with this shot, but I almost sent it to my recycle bin.

MY PROCESS:
I asked my kids to lay on their tummy's next to each other and pose like this. When I view the shots later, almost threw this one away because I didn't like Eddie's face at all. (click on original below for better view) And I didn't like the tree growing out of his head.

But I loved the look on Hopes face!

I like how she's holding the flower. Also, I like that she's not looking at the camera - I think it adds to the quality of the image.

In the process of trying to crop Eddie out, I realized that I'd have to cut off the top of Hope's head to use a normal crop ratio (or cut off her elbows)... and I almost gave up on this picture, but after a few tries the crop started to grow on me.

I've really been wanting to explore B&W lately, so went to work in Photoshop CS2. I desaturated it. I adjusted levels (lightened the skin and blackened the black for more contrast). I lightened the sky to get rid of the clouds. Then I used a glow filter to soften her skin tones. Over all, I like the way this image turned out compared to what came straight from the camera. It's been "favorited" twice on Flickr since I posted it yesterday (that's High traffic for me!)

Click here to see the color version of the crop... no post process.

original - straight from camera

A Test Post

2008-03-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Sarah wasn't feeling too well today. So, I took my kids down to the "Bumpy Slide" park (as it's creatively called).

Sometimes I feel silly at how often I have my camera with me, but I'm glad I was able to catch this image. I think it really says, "childhood".

Original - straight from camera

MY PROCESS:
I chose this over others pics that I snapped because I liked that he wasn't looking at me or the camera. I thought this made the image more interesting. Notice that I used my wide angle lens for this.

First, I cropped, then made some adjustments to the levels. I thought this might be a stronger image if it were more simple so, I manipulated it into a monochrome image and I liked the result. I finished it off by switching to "lab color" and using the "unsharpen mask" filter on just the "lightness" channel... and then changed it back to rgb.

Now I just need a title for the image. Any suggestions?