Photo Of The Day 073109

IMAGE INFORMATION:

Photo Title: 'Honu'

Shutter Speed: 1/400

Aperture: f/6.3

Focal Length: 255mm

ISO: 400

Exposure: 0.00

Flash: off

Support: handheld

Location: Kailua Kona, HI

Alterations: size reduced for web posting

Comments: Just a nice close up shot of a 'honu' Hawai'ian for sea turtle. He was on the beach right next to this seawall just basking there.

Method Focus: Shutter Speed

'The Pier'..1/2..f/4.0..24mm..iso100..0.00exp

Today's photo of the day got me thinking about shutter speed. Extending the time your shutter stays open is a fairly easy trick that can be used to achieve that smooth 'milky' water effect. It can also come in handy for other types of shots, it need not only be used for waterfalls and such.

'Spillover 1'..1/500..f/4.0..50mm..iso100..0.00exp

Moving water is a great subject for extended shutter times. The above picture was taken with the fast shutter speed of 1/500th of a second, notice how it 'freezes' the water, you can see individual droplets suspended in air. Personally, I feel this makes the photo image too busy.

'Spillover 2'..1/5..f/22.0..50mm..iso100..0.00exp

Here is virtually the same picture with a slowed shutter speed, notice how the water is smoothed, and you can no longer see the individual droplets. I feel the smoother water effect has a large impact on the overall feel of the picture. One thing to bare in mind when extending your shutter opening times is lighting, the longer the shutter is open, the more light is allowed in, and the brighter your shot will be. In bright daylight, this can quickly become a problem and wash out your photos.

'Celebration'..1 second..f/5.0..24mm..iso100..0.00exp

This little trick can be used for more than just water photography, it can be very useful at night, or in other low-light conditions. I switched over to bulb mode to catch these fireworks pictures. When using bulb mode, you have complete control over the shutter, it will stay open for as long as you hold down the button. Any movement here will effect the photo, so I highly recommend not only the use of a tripod, but also the use of a remote to help avoid any movement which may ruin your shot.

'Celebration 2'..4 seconds..f/5.0..24mm..iso100..0.00exp

So try extending your shutter times, you can get some cool effects that way. Night shots, low light, smoothing water, fireworks, car light-trails, and many more. Experiment, and see if you can discover any new uses or effects.

All images were shot with the flash off

The Pier and both Spillover shots were shot handheld, both Celebration shots were supported by tripod

All images had their size reduced for web posting

Photo Of The Day 072909

IMAGE INFORMATION:

Photo Title: 'Cascades'

Shutter Speed: 1/2

Aperture: f/10.0

Focal Length: 24mm

ISO: 100

Exposure: 0.00

Flash: off

Support: tripod

Location: Hanging Rock State Park, NC

Alterations: grey-scaled, size reduced for web posting

Comments: This is another photo that I feel benefits from being grey-scaled. The longer exposure also helps for that nice milky water effect.

Photo Of The Day 072809

IMAGE INFORMATION:

Photo Title: 'Riverscape'

Shutter Speed: 1/400

Aperture: f/5.6

Focal Length: 200mm

ISO: 100

Exposure: 0.00

Flash: off

Support: handheld

Location: James River State Park, VA

Alterations: slight crop, size reduced for web posting

Comments: Just a nice, tranquil river scene. With some nice haze, and the beautiful colors of autumn.

Colonial Williamsburg

'The Lion'..1/125..f/13.0..70mm..iso100..-0.33exp

Well, I have returned from my visit to Colonial Williamsburg. We had a pleasant time seeing the city and hearing the history, despite the heat (it was hovering near 100° with next to no breeze.) The sun was overbearing, and the crowds were big, so overall, the trip wasn't quite as photogenic as I would have liked, though I was still able to snap off a couple hundred shots.

I am still going through the photos taken, and will post some as soon as I can. The above picture is of a stone statue over the gate leading to the entrance of the Governor's Palace. It is one half of 'The Lion and The Unicorn", the symbol of Great Britain. They really were well carved, and were quite regal in appearance.

'The Doll'..1/10..f/4.0..105mm..iso100..-0.33exp

Another interesting shot I got during the trip was of this 18th centruy doll. There was just something compelling and sad about this little old doll sitting on this antique chair in a room all by its lonesome, like it was placed there so long ago and never played with again.

As soon as I finish going through all my photos form the trip, I will post some more. Also, the d2b Design project will be starting this week, so stay tuned for that as well. Busy, busy busy!

Both shots were taken handheld with the flash off, and both were cropped and had size reduced for web posting

Photo Of The Day 072709

IMAGE INFORMATION:

Photo Title: 'Peacock'

Shutter Speed: 1/100

Aperture: f/5.6

Focal Length: 105mm

ISO: 100

Exposure: +1.00

Flash: on

Support: handheld

Location: Norfolk Zoo, VA

Alterations: size reduced for web posting

Comments: The lighting was perfect, his colors show so vividly. Flash was used to get the little sparkle in the eye, this is one of my favorite little tricks when photographing animals and birds. Small enough aperture to keep the background nice and blurred, but slightly higher than usual to try and keep the whole bird in focus.