December Challenge...

"How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's noon.
December is here before June.
My goodness how time has flown.
How id it get so late so soon.
                   -Dr. Seuss

December...just around the corner.  It means holidays, family, maybe snow, and best of all traditions, which us what our December challenge will be: "Holiday Traditions."  What do you do that has become a tradition.  Maybe it is baking and decorating sugar cookies, putting up the tree with family time, perhaps you put on special music.  What about the Electric light parade, do you go to it and freeze  your "can" off.  Is it hot chocolate, eggnog, or lights.  It might be watching all those Christmas movies. Whatever you consider your tradition, photograph it.  Think about composition.  How can you make it interesting? Next think about lighting.  How can you make it dramatic, or with bokeh?  Remember you are capture a moment in time that tells a story to others.  I know you will have some great ideas, and wonderful shots.

Rules:
1.  You may submit no more than 2 pictures.
2.  Pictures can be submitted in print, CD, or on a flash drive.
3.  Please include you data:  aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and any post processing or special effects.
4.  Pictures must be taken between November and December meetings.  No archives please.

Go out and get clicking.

Here are some ideas to get your creativity juices flowing.

November Challenge...

"Fallen leaves lying on the grass in the November sun bring more happiness than the daffodil.s" -Cyril Connolly

Time is marching on too fast!  I find myself thinking it should just be August.  Alas, it seems I am always behind.  Fall is definitely upon us.  Nights are cool, and the days have been pleasantly temperate.  I love all the colors fall brings, which brings me to our November challenge theme: "Capturing Fall."  There is so much going on around us, and as photographers it is our job to capture something in camera that others may have missed.  Maybe it is that single fallen leaf, the smile on a child's face peeking out from a Halloween costume, the butterflies flittering from flower to flower, pumpkin fields, and fields ripe with harvest.  Fall is a smorgasboard of photo opportunities.

November Challenge: "Capturing Fall"

Subject: It can be anything that depicts fall

Rules: 

• The pictures must be taken between the October and November meeting.  No archives.
• You may submit 2 photos
• Please include photo information: Shutter speed, ISO, aperture, and any post processing editing.
• Photos can be submitted in any format: print any size, framed or unframed, matted our unmatted, thumb drive, or CD.
• Any camera is acceptable: iPhone, point and shoot, digital, etc. 

Here are some examples to get your creative juices flowing.

Add caption

Photo taken from Pinterest: www.simpleasthatblog.com

photo by Jordan McKelvy

As you can see there are lots of things to photograph.  Get out there and have some fun.  Start clicking.
Rob

October Photo Challenge

PASR members,

Can you believe it is going to be October soon? Time does fly!  For this month's photo challenge I have decided to use a creative exercise from the website: Clickin' Moms, http://www.clickinmoms.com.  The full exercise with pictures can be seen here:  http://www.clickinmoms.com/blog/creating-depth-with-3-planes-photography-tutorial-by-sarah-wilkerson/.

October Photo Challenge:
Creating Depth with 3 planes:  Foreground, midground, and background

While one cannot imagine an image without these three elements: foreground, midground, and background, this exercise will help us learn how to create more of a distinction in the three.  This can add dimension, texture, and pleasing composition to your photos.  In a word: DRAMA

To create more drama, consider:
1.  Using a lower f/stop.  A very shallow depth of field separates the subject from the background.  This is commonly used in portraiture, but can be employed in all photography.  When focus is on the subject in the mid ground, you've separated out at least three layers of depth: the defocused element in the foreground, the primary subject in mid ground, and the bokeh or blur of the background.

Foreground greatly blurred; mid ground in focus; background bokeh

See the foreground greatly blurred, midground in focus, background slight blur= 3 planes of depth.
photo by jana o'flahery

2. Use a wide angle lens: A wide angle lens will exaggerate the planes within a frame.  The perspective distortion of a wide angle lens on a full frame causes elements in the foreground to appear disproportionately large relative to the elements in the background.  This will help exaggerate the three elements we are trying to emphasize.

Photo by Rey Berrones

3.  Incorporate a vanishing point.  Vanishing points= perspective and design composition.  The vanishing point helps define different planes:  larger or more apart lines =foreground; smaller or less parallel=background.  The vanishing point draws the eye in.  We see the beginning, and imagine the end.

4.  Foreground framing.  The frame establishes the foreground.  Try to frame the subject with elements in the foreground.  Use of natural objects such as trees, fences, doorways, and windows are a few examples of what one might use as a foreground frame.

Spider web and fence post=frame

Fence=frame

I love how the photographer used people and smoke to frame these children.  Very creative.
photo by: Dana Lander 

Rules:
1.  Submit no more than TWO photographs.
2.  The photos must be taken between the September and October meetings.  No ARCHIVES.
3.  Include info data: Shutter speed, ISO, and aperture and any post editing done to the photo.
4.  Photos may be printed, or on any kind of medium: CD or jump drive.  Can be matted, framed, or plain.

Have fun!  Experiment and learn.  Thanks to all of you who put in the time to do the challenges!  There is a payoff.  You will grow in your photography skills and your photos will stand out.

(photos by Rob McKelvy unless otherwise noted)

September photo challenge...

Holy Moly...am I ever late getting out this photo challenge.  I hope with this one everyone will participate.  There can be no excuses because it is "Photographer's Choice."  What ever you like taking pictures of is acceptable.  So get out there, and start snapping your favorite types of photos.  We cannot wait to see them.

Rules:
1.  Photo must be taken between the August and September meeting.  It cannot be from your archive.
2.  Only 2 photos may be presented during the photo challenge.
3.  Please include or have available the file information: Shutter speed, aperture, ISO
4.  Please explain any post processing you did to the photo.
5.  All formats are acceptable, prints, CD, thumb drive.

See you September 19 (I think that is the meeting day, although I have been know to be wrong on this.)

Get out and get clicking.

Once was...

This morning I was looking at several of my normal blog sites, and found this posting on photos of elderly people and who they once were.  It is interesting how they are photographed.  The elderly person is looking in the mirror, and the reflection is who they were as a young person.  I think the photos are nicely done.  Very creative. http://fstoppers.com/pics-reflections-portraits-of-the-elderly-as-they-once-were

August photo challenge...

We are having some wonderful pictures, and a lot of people participating in the monthly photo challenges.  Your creativity never ceases to amaze me.  Plus the photos are stunning.  Keep it up...you are growing your photo skills, and working your little gray cells coming up with something creative.  That's a win, win situation.

Remember the pictures are due for the 30 day June photo challenge at the August meeting.  It is still not too late to join in.  Just get busy taking pictures.  The list is on the archives of this blog.  I suggested several ways of presenting your 30 pictures: as a calendar, on foam board, individually, or a few to a page.  I thought I was going to do a calendar type page, but it cuts off too much of my photo, and some of the photos I really like.  I tried putting several on a page, but to print the page is pretty expensive.  Finally, I decided to print 4x6s of all my photos, then buy one of those cheap 4x6 photo books at Wal-Mart to put them in.  Cost is under $10.00.  I cannot wait to see what you all come up with.

Standard photo challenge for August:  Theme: "Summer Fun."

This will be a challenge that everybody should be able to do.  (It was be so fun to have 100% participation).  This is kind of like the back to school essay on what you did during the summer.   Great news.  I will allow an archived photo with this stipulation:  it has to have been taken in the months of June, July, or August 2013.

Rules:
1.  Any photo depicting summer fun is acceptable.
2.  Subject can be anything.
3.  Picture may come from your archive: June, July, or August 2013.
4.  Submit no more than two photos.
5.  Include the file information: Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO, and any post processing that is unusual.
6.  Photos may be in any format: a printed picture, on CD or thumb drive, matted, framed, or naked.

Here are some examples: First three photos are from "I Heart Faces" website, http://www.iheartfaces.com

Love all the different socks, and the chevron ties.  Too Cool!

Wish I had some of these inner tubes.  

  My son talked me into riding the Roller Coaster during my birthday trip to Las Vegas.

A good way to beat the heat.

She has on a cowboy hat, bathing suit, and a Tutu.  She's ready for anything.  

Hopefully, this will give you some ideas and get your creative juices going.  Have fun, and get clicking.

Lighting workshop at Jennifer's Artesia Studio...

"For me, photography is to place head, heart, and eye along the same line of sight.  It is a way of life." -Henry Cartier-Bresson

Jennifer Coats, http://www.jennifercoats.com, hosted a lighting workshop in her new Artesia studio in June for the Roswell and Artesia photo clubs.  It was well attended, and we all had a grand time taking photos, eating pizza, and visiting.  Plus, we learned a lot.  We had great models, and they said they had great fun as well.  If you have not attended any of the lighting workshops, you are missing out.  They are always fun, informative, and provide a great time to get to know one another a little bit better.

We always have some just plain fun photos. 

This is Rey's son.  He asked if he could have a picture kissing one of the model's hands.  He is going to be a charmer for sure.

Don't they look like they could be part of the Wizard of Oz?

So cute.

The Pirate face.