Merry Christmas

Have a wonderful Christmas with your families.

I am dealing with a family emergency, and will update my blog when I can.

Dodge and Burn Tools

Post-processing is important and is not "cheating". Film photographers/developers (i.e. Ansel Adams) adjusted light and dark on their photos, and it is much easier for us to do this in digital photography. Many of the photo programs allow adjustments to be made. Part of photographing is learning to do the post processing too.

I am learning how to use levels, and then the dodge and burn tools and am noticing a difference, especially in my landscape photos. When you use the Dodge tool, you can lighten parts of your photo. You have the choice of lightening the highlights, midtones, or shadows. When you use the Burn tool, you can darken parts of your photo. You have the same choice - you can darken the highlights, midtones, or shadows.

Before - SOOC (straight out of camera)

After

I still have much to learn in this area, but it is interesting to see the difference it can make. The "After" picture is closer to the way that I remember seeing Perce Rock when we were there.

I went back through some of my former pictures to see if using some of the techniques I've learned lately would make a difference in the photo. The next picture is from 2007 when we were in Newfoundland, and we were able to see an iceberg up close. At the time I was shooting in jpeg, and had an 8 mp camera. 

In the post-processing this time, I tried using  the Curves tool too. Wow - every time I learn something new, I realize there is so much more to learn.

Before - SOOC

After

Both of these pictures are of amazing sights to see. God has made a beautiful earth for us to enjoy. I feel really blessed to have been in places where I could see these things. We have a great, big, wonderful God!

You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, 

for You created all things, and by Your Will they were created and have their being. 

Revelation 4:11

Learning to use a Snoot

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to try using a Snoot with a couple of children. A snoot fits over your portable flash, which is what I was using. It also fits over a studio light and lets you control the direction and the radius of the light beam. We had a lot of fun with it, but I find I have a lot to learn about it and my camera too. My camera had a difficult time focusing at times, so even though I took quite a few pictures, they did not all turn out. I eventually went to manual focusing, which helped.

You need to have the person sitting with their face towards the light, but not necessarily looking at it. This is easier to do with adults than with children, but they were enjoying themselves so it was a fun session. 

This first picture has Christmas lights in the background. He was having a good laugh over how I wanted him to sit.

And, of course, he decided to have fun with the photographer. 

His sister enjoyed posing for the pictures too. In this one she is looking just to the side of the light, but it looks like she is looking right at the light.

I enjoyed this last one. She had been wearing a blanket around her head, and I said she looked like Mary, so she is posing as Mary. She didn't want to smile, so I said she could pose, but not smile. She certainly took me up on that.

I'll have to try doing some more of this ... will need some volunteers to sit and pose for me. I've tried doing this with a teddy bear, but I can't get the bear to pose for me. He just sits there. 

I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; 

I will sing praises to You among the nations ... 

Psalm 57:9 

North Cape, Prince Edward Island

I think some of the most fascinating aspects of Prince Edward Island are the red soil and the beaches. We were able to see these in many areas. Apparently the soil is red due to the heavy concentration of iron oxides in  the rock and soil. It is very striking and draws a lot of people to the island. We saw some of this soil in New Brunswick too. It's interesting how the soil changes in different areas.

We travelled to the North Cape to see the Wind Test Farm. We also wanted to go to the furthest northern spot of the island. It was interesting to stand there and realize we were standing on the tip of the island. 

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 

for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

Psalm 24:1-2

Sunsets in P.E.I.

We enjoyed many sunsets when we were on our trip east, and they were all special. These were taken at the Confederation Bridge in Prince Edward Island. We were camped a few kilometres away, and saw that the sunset was going to be a good one, so quickly got into the truck to see what it looked like setting over the Northumberland Strait. It was beautiful, especially when seen with the Confederation Bridge in the foreground.

When I took the photo of the bridge, the wind was so strong that it was hard to stand upright. The bridge itself is impressive, but it's the sunset that really adds to the picture. A tripod might have helped, but two other photographers who were taking pictures with their cameras on tripods were having trouble keeping their tripods upright. I was also afraid that if I went back to the truck for my tripod, that the colours would disappear before I got back.

Sample section of bridge at Information Centre

 When we looked away from the sunset, we saw the colours on the lighthouse and clouds. The colour (and the moon in the second picture) add to the picture of the lighthouse. This has to be one of the best times of the day for taking photos.

The sun rises and sets. We are not to worship the creation (the Sun), but the Creator (God). He is the One who has made sunsets for us to enjoy.

The LORD is my strength and song, 

and He has become my salvation; 

This is my God, and I will praise Him. 

Exodus 15:2

Experimenting with Milk Drops

This week I had the chance to work with water drops and milk drops. I still used the plastic bag with the small hole to make the drops. Some of them were into a pan of water while others were into a champagne glass (filled to the top).

Working with milk is different, especially for the lighting. I usually use one flash to the side, and it is aimed at the background. I found that I had to add some light to the other side so that it wasn't all in shadow. I think I could still use a stronger light on that side.

This first picture was the drop going into the pan. The reflections were from a backdrop with red and white lines.

You can see the background more in this next picture. This drop is into a champagne glass. It's interesting to see the difference in the drop when it is milk. The reflections on the surface look different too. 

The next one is a drop into the pan. The reflection had hearts on it.

The background in this one is a red plastic sheet.

The last one has a white background. I was playing around with making it high key. I still need to work on this area.

Many of these look similar, but they are still all different. We may look similar to other people, but we are all different. God has made each of us unique, and He loves each one of us.

God created man in His own image, 

in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:27

Autumn Scenes

We enjoyed a very colourful fall here in Haliburton County and around us. The colours were vibrant, and it was a challenge to photograph them the way we were seeing them. I still find taking landscape pictures (i.e. scenery) challenging, but rewarding. These were taken over a two week span as we travelled in Haliburton County and Algonquin Park. 

Elephant Lake Road, Haliburton County

Elephant Lake Road, Haliburton County

Peterson Road, Haliburton County

Algonquin Park

Algonquin Park

Algonquin Park

 O Lord God! See, You have made the heavens and the earth 

by Your great power and by Your long arm! Nothing is too hard for You.

Jeremiah 32:17

Alpacas in Prince Edward Island

Alpacas ... we have a farm just a few kilometres from us, but we haven't been able to see the alpacas up close. When we were travelling in Prince Edward Island, we stopped at an Alpaca farm - Green Gable Alpacas .  Her website provides a lot of information about alpacas and their fiber. 

Janet, the owner, was very helpful and willing to pass on information about the alpacas, and it was a very enjoyable experience. We looked at some of the products made from the fibre, and could see how comfortable it can be. It's definitely worth a visit to see the alpacas and  to learn about them.

It was a bit hard to take photos without the fences, but since this was a farm, I also wanted to show the alpacas in their environment.

3 month old alpaca

Mothers and babies

Two "toes"

God has made a wide range of animals for us to enjoy on the earth. I find it very interesting to see so many kinds.

 But ask the animals, and they will teach you, 

or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; 

or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. 

Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?

Job 12:7-9 

Flowers for Cards

When we were in the Atlantic provinces recently, I enjoyed taking photos of scenery. It was great seeing and enjoying God's handiwork. My computer is full of these pictures and I am enjoying going through them. 

I also enjoyed taking photographs of smaller details in flowers, rose hips, and apples. As I was going through my photos to prepare a slideshow, I came across some of these photos and decided to use some of these for my cards. I thought I would put these up on my blog so that I can check them later in my photographic journey.

One thing I am going to have to work on is to figure out how to have my printer print the pictures in the same colour as I see on my monitor. I haven't had difficulties with this before, but recently it hasn't been accurate. There's always something else to learn.

 

Sometimes I find it frustrating when my pictures don't turn out the way I want them to, and I remind myself that I don't have to be perfect at this. I do enjoy learning photography and part of what I like about it is that there is always something more to learn. Isn't it great to know that we don't have to be perfect in order for us to enjoy what we are doing?

God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Sunflowers

Sunflowers ... bright and cheery. I really enjoy seeing a field of sunflowers. The following pictures were not taken in a field, but in the gardens at the Glass Bottle Houses at Cap Egmont in Prince Edward Island. I was fascinated with many of the flowers there and especially with the sunflowers. They not only had the regular yellow sunflowers that most of us know, but they also had some brown sunflowers. I had never seen these before.

There are actually about 60 species or more, and people have discovered many different uses for sunflowers. One of the interesting facts about sunflowers is that the plant turns towards the sun, starting in the east in the morning and following it through to the west in the evening.

I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness 

and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High ...  

Psalm 7:17

Gannets at Bonaventure Island, Quebec

When we were at Perce, Quebec in August, we took a boat ride to Bonaventure Island and walked across the island to where the gannets nest. I could have spent all day there, but was glad to be there for the short time we managed. It's really something to see so many birds in one place at one time, especially when it looks like confusion with birds flying around. It's hard to imagine how they find their mates when they come flying in.

We watched them diving for fish. I wasn't able to get a picture of this ... just the splash after one did it. They cruise above the water, and when they see a fish, they dive straight down. They partially fold their wings as they go into the water. Their wingspan can be up to 2 metres across.

We saw mates rubbing their heads and beaks together. Some people call this dueling or fencing. It's very interesting to watch and is a bonding ceremony, done especially when a mate returns to the nest.

We also saw some young birds. They look big, but won't be ready to fly until September. 

I read where someone commented about how difficult it was to take a picture of one or two birds and have them show up so that you know which bird is the subject of your picture. I believe using a wide open aperture (small number) helps to do this the best, but I know that I also found this difficult. This was a new experience for me - to photograph birds that are in such big flocks.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

 and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

 Are you not much more valuable than they? 

Matthew 6:26

Perce Rock, Quebec - Different Lighting at Different Times of the Day

When we were at Perce, Quebec, we camped where we could see Perce Rock. Perce Rock is one of Canada's seven "natural wonders". It is probably the result of glaciers. Apparently,  Perce Rock stands 85 metres high, 90 meters wide, and is 430 meters long. It takes awhile to go around it in a boat, and when you are close to it, you start to get an idea of the immensity of it. 

 Each of these pictures was taken from the same general area.  We were camped where we could see it from our trailer.  It was interesting because the Rock looks different at different times of day. It was a real example to me of how light affects a photograph. We should be watching for different lighting to see when an object looks its best.

Sunset 

Further into sunset - the sun was going behind a hill

Twilight

Later evening - the lights were coming on in the town

Sunrise (I had to get up at 5:30 for this one)

Middle of the day

God is the Creator of all things, and He loves each one of us. 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.