This way up

Interesting as a collection...

Don't Forget to Duck

DPS Photography Challenge - Patterns

So over yonder at my favorite photography website, they have these weekly challenge things, and this week it's patterns. So I wandered around my backyard for a bit, looking around for patterns (it's always better to look around the location before pulling out a camera - to observe), and I found some.

To my fellow photographers:

So if you're a photographer, you probably know about the online Digital Photography School. And if you don't, let me just say that it has taught me everything I know about photography. So there's a shout-out for that.

But I was reading this article, and something popped out at me.

"The problem is our mind often interprets the scene in front of us in a way the camera never can."

I love this statement, and while I'm probably interpreting it not in the way the author intended, I got something out of it. So often I find myself going somewhere and instinctively bringing my camera. And while most of the time it's okay, and there are great photos to be taken, it's really refreshing to go on a walk every once and a while and see the world through my own eyes instead of my viewfinder. It gives me a chance just to revel in God's glorious creation, instead of thinking about the perfect picture I could get the most 'likes' on Facebook for.

And for me, photography isn't about taking the perfect picture to go on the cover of National Geographic (I admit that's a dream, but not the drive for my work). Photography is about capturing the glory of God, through the majesty of a sunset, or the intricate petals of a flower. I want others to be in awe of creation, as I am.

It's also important to remember that, though it may take the right setting on your camera to capture that sunset, it's God who painted it. When people say they love my pictures, I want them instead to say, "Isn't it awesome that God made that?"

So yes, it would be really cool to be a famous, world-renowned photographer someday, but I'll always be putting God before fame.

I didn't make this. God made this. 

Poll Results

This isn't really breaking news. But it looks like I need to photograph people more:

It's just that no one ever walks up to me, ready with a time and date and place they want me to take pictures of them in. I have to really work if I want to set an appointment. 

Plus I'm using the same locations every time I go on a shoot. It's getting boring. Does anyone know of any good locations in the Houston area? Let me know.

So here I am, promising that I will try to get more clients (can I even call them clients when they're all the same age as me?).

In other news, I'm going to San Francisco this summer on a mission trip, and there is no way on earth I'll be leaving my DSLR behind. That's not until June, but I thought I would give you something to look forward to :]

Gnomes and a Red Umbrella

I needed a study break, and my mom got two garden gnomes for Christmas. Need I say more?
As for the umbrella...it's pretty...

 

Basketball

So I read this article on sports photography, thinking that I would read it for the knowledge but never put it into practice, seeing as my favorite sport is...nothing. But then I had the opportunity to go watch my friend's basketball game, and I went and brought my camera. I should've borrowed my brother's longer lens, but it was a last-minute decision so I just grabbed my camera and left.

I would say that these are pretty amateur, but what with low light and only a 55mm lens, I think I did well.

Go bear cubs :]

We won, just in case you were wondering. 35 to 32.

Naptime!

My dog Toby can go from running like a whirling dervish throughout the house to sawing logs in a matter of minutes, and vice versa. So I took a homework break the opportunity to snap some peaceful puppy shots and experiment with sepia.

Taken with my standard 18-55mm Nikkor lens.

Miscellaneous

These are pictures I've put off to edit and publish. So here.

Bringing 2012 in with a bang, and other misc.

This is it. 2012. The first time I got to photograph fireworks and sparklers at length, with a tripod. And other photos I've been waiting to put on here.

This is a burning leaf. I particularly like this one because of the completely natural vignette. All I did to edit it was adjust the exposure a little and convert it to B&W.