Post processing

One more before and after comparison. To go with the earlier post on finding inspiration.

The before :

Find Your Eye: Journey of Recognition - Recognizing inspiration

I still don't know where my time is going but it's seeping through my fingers and I am not able to spend as much time on this great course I am taking by Kat Sloma (Find your eye). So I am skipping (for now that is) the lesson about photographing in different light and moving on to this on: recognizing inspiration.

My immediate thought was I love the post processing. I do, I can sit around for hours trying out different ways to edit, using different colors and using the light. But upon reading the course material it also occurred to me that my source of inspiration has expanded in this course to also include studying the subject and the light and trying out different angles/views/exposure to capture what I saw in the image.

When I took this image I feel I combined several things I have learned in the FYE course and I captured much more of what attracted me to the image. I did need post processing to eliminate what I didn't want in the image and to play with the light but I feel I combined much more in it than before. I wanted the reflection and the soft back light on the cat. This is such a typical pose of her.

The next step is to get more of what I now do in post processing in camera but if the scene can change quickly that is not always possible.

The before image:

Find Your Eye: Journey of Recognition - Learning from other artists

In the second lesson in my FYE course we were asked to go to an art exhibit and look at the art. To see what we liked and what attracted us.

As I am now back to work and have been very busy I did not find the time to actually go to an exhibit but I found a book on the work of Claude Monet who's work I admire very much.

I read some of the background information and what stood out to me was that he wanted to show the beautiful light that was outside. He wanted to show the beauty of nature while it was usual to paint an inside scene at the time.

Looking at some of his paintings I could suddenly see the "golden hour" light. I had not noticed this before although I was always attracted to his work for the use of colors. I saw his water lily series and thought that I look at the same waterlilies every day and have never seen the beauty he shows in his paintings. I have also tried to photograph them in the past but I have not gotten a photo I like yet.



He has some paintings that show the soft evening light but still have color. This is one of my favorites and this one as well. The weather is so apparent from his paintings. I can suddenly relate to Kat's words of art capturing the essence of a person or place.

I see many images or other types of art that inspire me but until now I have always thought I couldn't capture what they captured. Or sometimes I have tried and it didn't work so I sort of gave up on that.

I took this picture once after being inspired by abstract images and reflections. But then they are not as beautiful as the work I saw and I guess I give up on it. Now on writing this I realize everybody needs time to learn and the image that inspired me was probably not the persons first attempt at that. It was more likely the product of honing a skill for a while. I have just realized I should give myself time to learn and to pursue. I always want to learn something instantly and have the skill instantly. If I don't I give it up and do something else.

Find Your Eye: Journey of Recognition - Exploring Rules (1)

In my FYE class we have been looking at the rules we impose on ourselves when making a photograph. These rules can be conscious or subconscious depending on how much they are already part of your routine. We are now asked to be aware of the rules we follow and ask ourselves if these rules are helping or hindering our image.

When you are asked a question there is always the immediate answer and the delayed answer(s). Once you are aware of the question your mind stays thinking about it. So after a while you suddenly can get a small (or big(ger)) new insight about this question.

It was in the end of the afternoon and the sun was shining through my window. I was working at my computer and my little Siamese cat likes to sit beside me. She feels she needs constant attention when awake and to achieve this she has several strategies. Amongst them making a lot of noise when sitting beside me and jumping on the back of my chair or my back. I looked at her and there were a lot of shadows and contrast. I realized I have always learned not to photograph this and normally I would not have taken out the camera. But having a small insight on this being a rule I follow without thinking I decided to break it.

I also came across a great quote to go with it. It came together for me: I broke a rule and I liked it.

Find Your Eye: Journey of Recognition - Exploring Rules

What rules do I follow when photographing?
That is the question in our first new lesson from Kat Sloma. That’s a tough question because I usually tend to totally forget the rules when I push the shutter button. Only since very recently do I check what’s in the viewfinder other than my subject
- So that is rule number one, check the perimeter.
Other rules I try to follow (if I succeed is another question)
- The rule of thirds (but often only in photoshop)
- Don’t put the horizon in the middle
- The speed has to be at least the length of the lens.
- Fill the frame, get as close as I can
- Focus on the nearest eye, leaf etc.
- Check the white balance and the ISO before shooting.
- Check for blown highlights and sharpness in the viewfinder.
- And last one: don’t loose the lens cap!!
What I feel I need to concentrate on more is to visualize the final result before taking the photo. Think about what the lens does ( compress space – tele or lengthen – wide angle), what aperture do I need. I tend to always shoot at a very low aperture and sometimes don’t get everything in focus

E.g. here I did think about filling the frame but forget about DOF. I also felt the need to resize it in photoshop and to process it. What attracted me to the photo was the repeating pattern which is now not the focus of the image. This was the SOOC shot:

Write now class: Assignment nr. 2

I never thought I would ever write a poem but I did...

Write now class: Assignment nr. 1

My first journal page:-)