Month: December 2013

 

This is my last image for the year. Have a great Christmas and a Happy 2014. I will be posting new exercises for photographers in January.

 

A Christmas train is crossing the street. During the 30 second exposure time a care drove through and the camera recorded the tail light or with a little bit of phantasy you can imagine the train tracks.

Enjoy and keep on photographing!

 

 

In this image I used the “zoom effect” differently. Instead of changing the focal length steadily I changed it in four steps. To give you an example: If you are using a 28-135mm lens and a total exposure time of  30 seconds, you could start out at 28mm for about 7 seconds, move to 60mm for another 7 seconds, move to 100mm for 8 seconds and to 135mm for another 8 seconds.

Enjoy and keep on photographing!

 

 

 

 

 

One of my neighbors has a beautiful Christmas tree in front of his house. I changed the focal length during the 30 seconds exposure time and got this image.

Enjoy and keep on photographing!

 

This weeks exercise is a lot of fun and even children can do it. Go with you camera intoyour front yard or any other place in your neighborhood that has a display of Christmas light. Use a tripod and a camera with a zoom lens. I picked my 24-105 lens. Mount the camera on a tripod and pick a long exposure time (30 seconds) and the appropriate f stop which may vary. During the 30 seconds exposure time change the focal length on your lens. You can do that slowly and consistently or in steps. Watch your results and learn from them. For addition help go to http://digital-photography-school.com/using-the-zoom-effect.  As always, enjoy this exercise!

 

I photographed this image in my neighbor’s front yard. Notice that it is not totally dark. I found that the best time to photograph is after sunset and before “total” darkness.

 

Most people that walked along the walking pass saw only the two seals on the left hand side. It is fascinating how these spotted seals blend in.

Enjoy and keep on photographing!

 

 

When I arrived at the Beach in Monterey, I first saw this egret that really posed for me. composed the image by dividing the image into two triangles. The egret is standing on the line exactly according to the rule of thirds. This makes this image highly interesting and dynamic.

Enjoy and keep on photographing!

 

 

 

While I was photographing the seals I also watched this group of cormorants.  I like the contrast between the “white” rock and the almost black bird.

Enjoy and keep on photographing!

 

 

I made some noise to get the attention of these spotted seals and sure enough the looked at me for a moment and I pressed the shutter on my camera.

Enjoy and keep on photographing!

 

I challenge you to go our and photograph animals that are living in the wild. This can be challenging since it is getting cold in the northern hemisphere. So stay dry and warm and protect your gear!

 

I did this exercise at the California coast. t was pretty cold but I love this image of the seal. Enjoy and keep on photographing!