Points of View Photo Project #28
Happy Friday everyone! You know what that means, it’s time for the 28th installment of the Points of View Photo Project!
As I mentioned last week, this week’s source image comes all the way from Antarctica courtesy of my brother, Chris.
For those of you who might be new to this photo project of ours, each week I post a source image (either my own or user-submitted) that is straight out of the camera without any post-processing whatsoever. Anyone is free to download it, edit it however they like, and return it to me with an explanation of their processing so I can post it with the other submissions.
But why keeping trying to explain it when you can see how it all works for yourself with this week’s source image. Enjoy!
Guest Post: Get Up Earlier by Jessica Sweeney
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m not a morning person. That you have to shout to get me to even open my eyes, and that I move kind of slowly any time before 10 am.
Let’s put it this way: I don’t think I’d be gainfully employed if coffee had never been invented.
But I think we all know that the edges of the day are best for photography, because the light is just pretty blah any time else. This is news you have probably heard before, but if you’re like me, maybe you haven’t been listening really well. For a while, I relied on the fact that there are two edges in every day. So what if I missed dawn? There was always dusk to fall back on. Same pretty light, but none of the soul-shattering pain that comes with waking up before 6 am. It seemed like a pretty easy call.
But I was wrong.
Dawn is better, and I will tell you why. First, I’m not the only person who’s allergic to waking up early. Most other people are too. So that means if you do make the trek out of bed, you’ve got the place to yourself. You don’t have to shoot over anyone’s shoulder. Or plan to Photoshop them out later. This is particularly nice in areas that are usually heavily trafficked, or overrun with tourists.
Second, dawn is calmer. Lakes or ponds will be glassier, with fewer ripples. You’ll get more morning mist. More drops of dew clinging to leaves and petals. And maybe some more wildlife that hasn’t been scared into hiding by the racket we bipedals make.
I woke up for dawn last weekend, and it was amazing. Magical. An hour or two of shooting and I had four or five new favorite images, plus the rest of the day ahead of me. Then I ate some delicious brunch, and pretty much could have died happy right then and there.
I recommend you try it.
Below, some more shots from last weekend:
If you enjoyed my post today, please feel free to mosey on over to my blog, Quotidian Photography. I try to post a photo plus a few thoughts there every day.
Points of View Photo Project #27
Welcome to the 27th week of the Points of View Photo Project!
This week we are fortunate to have a source image from Friend-of-the-Blog Marc Benton of the Columbus Skyline. Thank you Marc!
We have 6 versions for your enjoyment this week! I am excited for the continued growth of the project and I encourage you all to give it a shot for next week. We have a special image at the end of the post that comes from my brother, Chris, from his recent trip to Antarctica.
So have a look at what we all did to process this initial photo and, who knows, you might learn a little something too!
Society of Photobloggers
Friend-of-the-Blog Dave Beckerman of Beckerman Photo has just started a new project that I think a lot of photobloggers out there might be interested in.
New Page Added: Kudos
Not trying to blow my own horn, or anything, but I compiled a number of quotes that some of my fellow bloggers and fans have had to say about my work here on the blog and about my photography as well.
You can check out what they have to say over on a new page called “Photo Quotes” in my “About” section. It is, by no means, a complete listing and I’m sure I’ll add to it as we go.
Thank you to everyone who has shared such amazing words of encouragement and support over the years! I truly appreciate it and it keeps me going – especially when I fall into a rut that I don’t think I can get out of.
The Results Are In! February 2010 Photo Contest!
It’s that time again to announce the winner of our Monthly Photo Contest here at Jason D. Moore Photography! There were a lot of excellent photos entered this month and I have definitely seen some growth in the work coming from many of the regular submitters this time around. Nice work!
I have enlisted the help of the January winner, Chris Stern to help in the judging this month – as we will do from here on out with the winner serving as guest judge for the following month. Thank you Chris!
Don’t forget to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the post to see what’s in store for the March Photo Contest!
And so, the winner of the Canvas Gallery Wrap from IGT America is…
Points of View Photo Project #26
Welcome to the 26th edition of the Points of View Photo Project here at Jason D. Moore Photography!
This week’s source image came from regular contributor, Henrik Demey from Belgium. About the photo, he writes:
“This picture was taken during a city trip to Prague, Czechia. It shows the central interior of the Saint Nicholas Church, on the Old Town Square. This baroque church dates from 1735.”
Thanks for sharing your shot with us, Hendrik! If any of you would like to share one of your shots with us to use as our source image in an upcoming week, please send it to me at pov@jasondmoore.com and you may see it in the next few weeks.
And now, onto this week’s contributions!
Photo Inspiration Thursday: The Lonely Pixel
Last week I shared with you a process for Using Textures with Photos on a shot of the Eiffel Tower I took a couple of years ago. It’s a style that I haven’t used that often but has really drawn me in and provided a great deal of creative energy for me.
When I was going through my comments recently, weeding out the spam, I found a comment that seemed legit but was picked up by the filters. I visited the site that was included and was really taken by the imagery that I was presented with by an art photographer that uses this technique perfectly in her work.
Event Photography Tips
I have recently been asked to consider shooting a class reunion this summer by one of my wife’s colleagues. Always wanting to make sure I’m covering all my bases and that I know what I’d be getting myself into, I reached out to a few wedding photographer friends of mine to see if they had any insights that I might draw from as I make my decision and, potentially, prepare for the job. (more…)
February Photo Contest – Final Week!
That’s right! We’re already into the final week of February 2010, which means the February Photo Contest is closing fast!
Guest Post: Great gear does not make great photographers – by Steve Kalman
I have two cameras. One is a Canon XTi, with 3 lenses (wide zoom, telephoto zoom and 50mm prime), two strobes, wireless triggers and tons of filters. A Gitzo carbon fiber tripod completes the set. The other is a Canon SX1IS with a Manfrotto monopod, bought last September.
For Christmas 2008 we visited Italy. I brought a backpack camera bag with almost all the gear (I left the 50 and a strobe home). We walked over much of Rome, Florence and Venice and at the end of the vacation I had some photos I was happy with and a backache severe enough to visit the acupuncturist.
While carrying all that gear, people often approached me to talk photography or ask me to use their camera to take their picture. Their assumption was that I was a good (or at least better than them) photographer.
This year we went to Costa Rica on a tour and I brought the small Canon and the monopod. People carrying big Nikon and Canon gear talked freely to each other, but assumed that I was just a vacation snapshot shooter. They all wanted to give me advice (mostly wrong) and take none. Their working assumption is that the better the gear, the better the photographer.
When it comes to people playing one-upmanship on vacation, it doesn’t matter. When it comes to personal desire for the latest and greatest I need to keep reminding myself that better gear doesn’t equal better composition. A few hundred dollars spent on books or online training, or a few thousand on a week-long workshop will do more to make better photos than a new lens or camera body. For that matter, a few hours re-examining old pictures and thinking about what would make them better is free and might be the most productive choice of all.
I’ve included 4 pictures. The Ponteveccio was taken last year with the XTi, the Poas volcano was taken last month with the SX1. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which camera was used for each of the other two. All are Tonemapped HDR. Ponteveccio and Washington Monument were handheld. The other two were with tripod or monopod. I’ll bet you can’t tell, and that’s the point.
Canon XTi
Canon SX1 IS
Washington Monument
Old City, Utrecht, Holland
Points of View Photo Project #25
Hey Everyone! Welcome to the 25th installment of the Points of View Photo Project!
Today’s source image was taken on my honeymoon back in the fall of 2007. We went back to the park where the ceremony was held and we noticed all along the riverbed, someone had gone and stacked rocks into hundreds and hundreds of these things. Very strange, but very cool!
Click “more” to see how Hendrick Demey and I processed this photo. Then, scroll to the bottom of this post to grab the source image for next week (generously provided by Hendrik).
Start to Finish Episode 2 Ideas
Rob and I are in the process of developing Episode 2 of the Start to Finish Photoshop and Photography Podcast from the TJM Media Group, and as always we’re looking for your input on what you want to learn and what would be most helpful when it comes to the shoot itself and how to process it for output.
New Points of View Photo Project Image
Ok, since I haven’t gotten any submissions for this week’s Points of View Photo Project as of yet, and I’ve heard that it wasn’t the best source image to use, I’ve decided to offer up an alternate.
Using Textures with Photos
Awhile back I used a photo texture to add a little extra dimension of interest to a series of photos I had been working on and one of my readers asked for a little insight into how to use textures. So, here we go!
Another from the Archives
Editor’s Choice – December 1, 2006
National Association of Photoshop Professionals
From the Archives
To close out the week, I thought I would take a look back at some posts from the past and see what I’ve done, and where I’ve gone since the early days of this blog.
Reminders and Such
As the week and month progresses I figured it would be a good time to pass on a few reminders for how you can take part in the goings on here at Jason D. Moore Photography.
Lorne Resnick Photo Workshops
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER LORNE RESNICK ANNOUNCES 2010 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Join Lorne as he guides you in creating compelling and unique travel and fine art images. This limited selection of intimate workshops will provide you with an exceptional learning experience in some of the most beautiful places on earth, including exotic locations such as Kenya, Tanzania, Antarctica and Cuba and also iconic US National Parks such as Yosemite, Arches and Death Valley.
Weekend Photo Shoot
Over the weekend I had the pleasure of setting up in my living room to shoot some photos of my beautiful wife Kim, her friend Tisha and her husband Steve, and even get a new headshot taken – by Kim.
Find out more about the setup I used and check out a selection from the shoot after the jump…
Points of View Photo Project #24
Welcome to the 24th edition of the Points of View Photo Project here at Jason D. Moore Photography!
UPDATE: New deadline for submitting your version of the image for week #25!
Each week readers from all over the world tackle a common source image and display it to show the many interpretations, perspectives, and approaches that can be taken from the same starting point. I always fins it interesting how a single image can be manipulated and processed to express such different feelings and emotions.
If you are new to the project, or if you’ve been following along regularly and would like to participate, be sure to scroll to click on “More…” and scroll down to the bottom to download the source image for next week and learn how to submit.
But now, on with this week’s images!
The Results Are In! January 2010 Photo Contest
Welcome back to another edition of our Monthly Photo Contest!
What a tremendous selection of photos for last month’s contest! I couldn’t believe how many excellent shots I had to choose from. You guys are making me really work for it! Thank you!
I have selected a winner, but I don’t think I’ve ever had so many honorable mentions (11) in one month. There are just so many terrific shots, you are all great!
Also, remember to scroll down to the bottom of the post to find out more about the next contest!
And now, without further ado, the winner of the January Photo Contest and a copy of Scott Kelby and Terry White’s The iPhone Book is…
TJM Media Group Presents: Start to Finish: Episode 1
The TJM Media Group is pleased to announce the release of the first episode of “Start to Finish” – a series where you, the reader, will help select each month’s photography and graphic design assignment and then watch as your projects are completed, from start to finish. The key to this being a fun, interesting, and informative feature is your interaction. In this first episode, we had to come up with a basic concept on our own.
In this episode, we go on assignment to the grounds of the University of Virginia and photograph Thomas Jefferson’s historic academic village. Photographs are captured to demonstrate basic pano-stitching techniques back in the studio. It was a simple task to get the series up and running.
We have every confidence that you can do much better!
Here’s how we’d like it to work:
Each month we need two basic assignments – a photographic concept and a final presentation.
For example, a suggestion for a photographic concept might be:
Demonstrate the process for capturing the photos needed to render an HDR image of the Lincoln Memorial. The resulting final presentation concept might be: Render the HDR image and present as a fine art print.
(OK, that one seems pretty neat. We might use it… )
Email your suggestions to: start2finish@tjmmediagroup.com
We look forward to working on YOUR assignments.
All the best,
Rob Jones and Jason Moore
Founders, TJM Media Group
