I can't believe that this is my 700th post. This year I have really been blogging a lot and it has been fun. Yesterday and today I had "mommy field trips" since Hubby still isn't back to school and can watch the kids and D and I do school in the afternoon. Yesterday I went to the genealogy library and found some neat stuff! Today was even more fun. I went to Action Camera and spent some time talking with a really nice guy, Jason. You know that they are honest people when they tell you to try and work on a few things with the lens you have before giving up and buying something different!
While visiting my friend Lynette's blog I found Pioneer Woman's blog (rated PG-13). She is a homeschooling, rancher's wife. And she is an awesome photographer. She started out with a camera similar to mine and now has a professional level Nikon SLR. She has a sarcastic sense of humor and describes all kinds of interesting facets of ranch life. She has an awesome photographer and one of the things I appreciate about her work is that she will frequently take a shot from a different angle. The lighting in her pictures is often magical. She does use a lot of Photoshop. But, before you start to say that it is cheating...did you know that people have been doing the same thing in the dark room for years? Ansel Adams prints are so incredible, not only because he was in the right place at the right time with some skill, but because in addition to having a talented eye he knew how to manipulate his prints as they were developing for the most benefit. Still there is only so much you can do in Photoshop...it helps to have some skill and a good eye to begin with. I am at a point in my photography where I am hoping to nudge forward in skills and learning, so it was with some interest that I read Pioneer Woman's Camera FAQ. I found it helpful. I know what I like in the finished product but don't know always know what I would use to get it.
While visiting my friend Lynette's blog I found Pioneer Woman's blog (rated PG-13). She is a homeschooling, rancher's wife. And she is an awesome photographer. She started out with a camera similar to mine and now has a professional level Nikon SLR. She has a sarcastic sense of humor and describes all kinds of interesting facets of ranch life. She has an awesome photographer and one of the things I appreciate about her work is that she will frequently take a shot from a different angle. The lighting in her pictures is often magical. She does use a lot of Photoshop. But, before you start to say that it is cheating...did you know that people have been doing the same thing in the dark room for years? Ansel Adams prints are so incredible, not only because he was in the right place at the right time with some skill, but because in addition to having a talented eye he knew how to manipulate his prints as they were developing for the most benefit. Still there is only so much you can do in Photoshop...it helps to have some skill and a good eye to begin with. I am at a point in my photography where I am hoping to nudge forward in skills and learning, so it was with some interest that I read Pioneer Woman's Camera FAQ. I found it helpful. I know what I like in the finished product but don't know always know what I would use to get it.
So, with her list in my mind I went to Action Camera (linked above) and talked Jason's ear off! :o) With my eBay earnings I purchased something today and I am hoping I will sell enough with the last auctions to be able to purchase a micro lens for closeups of flowers and other nature. Today I purchased a 50mm f1.8 Nikkor lens. This is a general all purpose lens, but it has a low f-stop which allows more light in. Letting in more natural light allows me to take pictures without flash. For knitting photos :o) that means you can see the colors more accurately. It is also nice for a portrait lens. Natural light is less harsh and more pleasing to the eye...just like everything else...when God makes it, it is best! I also purchased a DVD to understand my camera better because it has many features I underutilize and a mono pod, which is like a tripod but it has just one pole. This is more versatile for the type of shooting that I am currently doing and will hopefully give me some better stability. I was also able to ask some more questions that will help me determine which lenses to purchase and I plan on going back when I can save enough from eBay.
So, where would you go if you wanted to try out your new lens? I went to my LYS, Babetta's Yarn and Gifts, which recently moved to a larger space in the same strip mall. She is so nice and friendly and her bounty has exploded in this new space. As you can see I particularly LOVED the new laceweights from Colinette. They go under some other name which I cannot remember because I did not photograph the label! LOL I just had to drool today and put them on the list, but it was fun to photograph them and other yarns in natural lighting inside the store with my new lens. DENISE dear did you see the skein in that top photo which was screaming to me "Denise needs me!!!" LOL
Well tomorrow I am looking forward to a break from the heat and smog. We are going to the ocean for the day. Everyone in our family is suffering from allergies so it will be a nice break!
1 comment:
I thought you were photographing your new yarn stash acquisitions, which made me wonder just how many books you sold on ebay, lol.
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