Welcome to the fifth week of Shoot and Edit: Part 1.
Click HERE for all the details and upcoming prompts/themes.
You can also click on the button below for tips on becoming a “Word Verification Free” blog.
This week our theme or prompt is “hearts” (this is just a suggestion, you can show us any SOOC shot). You have until Wednesday each week to link your SOOC shot up on Jill’s blog. On Thursday, you can link up your edits with ME after following some of my tips on how to edit your shots (or just post your edit on Thursday and you can pick up my tips for next week).
Our week was rather gloomy with the exception of last Wednesday (and I didn’t have my act together just yet for my “hearts” shot)…and thinking I wouldn’t have a chance yesterday to take my photo, I set up my shot on Saturday night using my Canon 430 EX II Speedlite (by the way, if you’re in the market for a flash and you’re a Canon user…I fully recommend this flash). Here is my SOOC shot:
(Speedlite pointed at a 45 degree angle behind me at 1/8 power for a more natural look)
I regularly use my Speedlite during the winter months. With a full time job, I rarely get home during daylight so I had to learn how to use it appropriately (I still encourage everyone to learn how to use natural light). I should mention that my home does provide advantages as it relates to my external flash…nearly white walls and white ceilings with lots of room to bounce light. I also have a white dining room table that you’ll often see with my still life shots. For those of you looking for tips on how to use your external flash, here are a few of my favorite links:
Alright…so, I didn’t think I’d have a chance to capture this shot with natural light (since we drove into my hometown for lunch yesterday, and I wasn’t sure what time we’d get home). But, we made it home just before sunset and I still had plenty of light to capture the shot.
I moved to the other side of my dining room table and opened the blinds to allow maximum light. You’ll notice that in my first shot, I was able to use an ISO of 125 using my flash. Using natural light, I had to bump my ISO up to 400. In my first shot, I used an aperture of f/14 (a wider aperture created too much blur)…however, in this second shot, I used an aperture of f/4. All things considering, the differences between the two images are very subtle – although, I have to admit that I prefer the tone of the first image and the reflection of the heart in the second image.
What do you think?
Either way, I’m sure I won’t be the only one to photograph conversation hearts this week. When my husband saw them laying on the counter, his first response was something to the effect of, “Really? I don’t like this kind.” Thanks dear. I tend to agree though…most of the “conversations” were off centered or non-existent. Oh well, what do you really expect when you purchase from the dollar aisle?
Anyways…although I haven’t completely decided what I’ll be teaching this week, I’m leaning towards discussing pastels and/or creating soft tones. I think I’ll also discuss the rule of thirds. If you have any other ideas, feel free to pass them along. Next week’s theme is “Love/Romance.” With that said, be sure to check out other “hearts” SOOC shots at:
Thanks and Happy Monday!
