Our Souvenir Foto School kicked off on Flickr yesterday and would you believe me if I said I've already learned so much in just two days? We've touched upon the subtle use of textures, lighting, Photoshop actions, technical tips, and then some. Headmistress
Tristan B. and professor
Michelle P. are great with their critiques and the other students have been offering their own feedback, suggestions, and kudos.
You know, when the photos first started rolling in, my first reaction was "Oh my God, I thought this was supposed to be school! Why is everyone so damn GOOD?" But now I'm as addicted to reading the comments on everyone else's photos as much as I am on mine. There's so much good info being given on there and I want to make sure I catch it all.
We were given the option of choosing a theme for our alphabet project to help narrow down our focus and compile a cohesive collection so I chose New York City. To start off, I spent about an hour at Penn Station yesterday shooting Lord knows how many A trains speeding into and out of the station. For
my first attempt at editing the image on Photoshop, I was too heavy-handed with the texture filter, but after a few tips from the class I tinkered with it some more and ended up with this:
To capture the letter B (and we don't have to go in alphabetical order, by the way), A. and I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. I hadn't been there since 2009 and he'd never even set foot on it before. It was quite chilly by the river and the sun was just beginning to duck behind the Manhattan skyline, but I was able to create today's submission by merging
one,
two,
three shots into
this one:
I'm having a great time rediscovering the city and playing around with the camera. It's nice to use it not just when I'm out traveling.
How about you? Have you captured anything interesting lately?
These are great shots and I hope you will learn a lot. As for your question...just my kids! I am a typical mom.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you- they're so cute.
DeleteNice work. Can't wait to see how you progress with these.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lady! I'm off to check out what you've been shooting, too.
Deleteomg now i want to come up with cool things for you to photograph (pronounced pho-tah-gruff) in NY with all the letters of the alphabet. Central park, Chrysler, Cabs! You can do moving shots of cabs zooming by.. Empire State, Ground Zero,Tourists oh my!
ReplyDeleteYes, please!! I made a list before I even committed to the NYC theme to make sure I'd have something for all the letters. I still need Z, N if I feel "The New York Times" is a bit of a stretch because it starts with T, and D of all letters. I'm thinking dumplings from Chinatown, but that could also go with C, but I have options for C already.
DeleteAlso, let me know if you have better ideas for H and if you want to take a trip to Junior's for some cheesecake this month. I'm sure Anon would be totally down.
Cheesecake? That doesn't sound like diet food, but sure I'm down. Just later in the month, you know- when I get paid again =) Hudson River, Houston, Harlem (B&W photo) Herald Square (also would look good in B&W). I'll go thinking about the other letters.
DeleteThanks! All I could think of was horse-drawn carriage and my best bet: the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History (at night the inner sphere lights up and you can see it through the cube glass building). It's pretty cool.
DeleteSounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteI used to love taking photos of things. It's harder now, but that doesn't stop me trying and hoping for some nice shots to share.
I don't have a cool camera, but seeing your photos makes me want to get one and then try and pretend to be a photographer as well. Maybe it'll be a hobby when all the kids can sit quietly and entertain themselves during events. I cannot wait to be done coaching basketball this year. I am going to LOVE just being a parent again. Ugh. I can't take the pressure. The perk that comes with that role? I get to take pics again!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure a "great" shot is "in the camera" - but rather in the (mind's) eye that sees the scene and has the thought to capture it and share it.
ReplyDeleteI've seen your photos, Sugar Len's, Toriz's, Lady Styx's, and Tooje's too.
You all have the gift - to think, would someone else be entranced with this ... just as I was?
The "proper" subject (like Eve, Anna, Lady Styx's animals (she has some incredible shots) and the wires of the Brooklyn Bridge all evoke a sense of awe - or connectiveness - or a by gosh, I wish I had been there....
...and in a special case, Toriz, where she can't actually *see* the shot, it's all the more remarkable that a great many of her pictures aren't the run of the mill "friendly tourist" ones.
ReplyDelete