Thursday's Assignment

DSC_5576, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph dominated by the color orange.

Orange?  How can I find colors in my house that shout orange when I prefer muted soft colors- or more like dark drab colors?  I have never been one for "hey look at me in my brightly colored outfit!"  It's more like, "hey, don't notice me please."  Of course I could have dragged out some orange vegetables or some orange tuperware.  That's about all I could find with the color orange.  But then I noticed these art supplies and decided to take advantage of them.  But now I'm feeling more like my dad- get out the tripod please.  Arrange the items on my drab brown table- no wait, they look too muted against that color.  Should I place a white piece of paper under the items?  Nope, then the white plate blends in too much.  So opted for something black which just so happened to be my piano bench.  Shot mostly in P but then tried aperature as I know that's more for the artsy side.  Remembered something about shooting at 1/60 and even went so far as to change my ISO.  Still trying to find the "perfect" shot as I am too critical of myself.  But what do I have to prove?  Absolutely nothing!

Wednesday's Assignment

DSC_5562, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph that features metal or a metallic surface today.

I've been gone for a few days.  Met up with family at a local indoor water park.  Can't figure out why I don't bring my SLR along for the ride.  I seem to be using the camera only when I'm by myself- not when I get together with family and friends.  I think I'm too self conscious about using my camera in front of people.  Hopefully I'll get over that.  Anyway, today's assignment focused on metallic objects.   I was given this little trinket by one of my superiors.   She's from China and often brings us back souveniers. Today is one of those days that I wished I had a macro lens. Tried using a couple of different lenses to see which one would allow me to get close enough to the owl.  Ended up with my telephoto lens- and a little bit of manual focusing.  Still relied on the P setting.  Not too adventuresome when it comes to changing speed or aperture.  But that's okay with me- and hoping someday that too will pass.

Saturday's Assignment

Maddie's tongue, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Today, let's illustrate the emotion of being happy. Make a photograph that represents happiness to you.

Don't you just wonder what's going on in that little brain of hers?  We don't get to see her too often as she lives quite a distance away.  As with the other two, the piano is an attraction. She's gentler with the keys- doesn't pound away...yet!  Not quite sure what she was focused on when I took this shot.  It's so difficult to get a decent one as she is always on the move. I do notice that she sticks out her tongue a lot- I wonder if it's because her gums are sore. She's not a complainer but there's no teeth so you got to wonder.  Ended up choosing automatic- the spot of the dial dedicated to kids.  Figured I'd get a good shot eventually.

Friday's Assignment

DSC_5447, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph of something in motion.  Use blur to help convey the motion you are capturing.

I hate computers sometimes.   I spent quite a bit of time composing this entry and then I decided to go back, fix the photo, and then had to do some cutting and pasting.  Second time around and I lost everything!  Not too happy about that.  So as I was saying, took me an hour to get this shot right.  Tied several ribbons on the grill knowing that the fan blades would turn too fast and I wouldn't be able to catch that motion.  But then I had too much shadow behind the fan.  Should I go to an interior wall?  Should I leave it as is?  Tried boiling water to catch movement but that sure doesn't do much for a photograph.  So I decided to stick with this picture.  Used my 35mm on a tripod and selected S.  I had read somewhere that the higher the f-stop the more the blur.  Not quite sure which way to turn the dial but here it is nevertheless.

Thursday's Assignment

DSC_5441, a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph featuring a path, road, or trail that leads the eye through the photograph.

Had a few moments before an appointment so thought I'd swing by our train station. Unfortunately, the train had already left the station, so by the time I made it onto the tracks it was long gone.  Kind of overcast- probably set my ISO too low so I don't think I captured the correct light.  Afterwards, I got to thinking- oh no, what about the rules of thirds?  I often just shoot to shoot- don't spend a lot of time composing through the viewfinder.  I was probably more concerned about being run over by another train and ending up on the 5:00 news.  But what I do like is the small strip of green running along the track as it heads out of town.  That is what draws my eye.

Wednesday's Assignment

DSC_5434 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photo today that uses layers as a compositional tool.

Decided to stop by the grocery store today to see if there was anything interesting in the bakery section.  I ended up walking out with this $7 tiramasu cake.   I had mulled over the idea of photographing layers most of the day- probably had something that I could use at home, but I wanted to try shooting food with my 35mm lens.  After setting out the cake, I took the camera and plunked it down on my tripod.  But as I framed the photo I also considered the rules of thirds.   Should the cake be in the middle or to the side? Should I have something else to balance out the shot?  Is there too much space above the cake or not enough.  So much to think about.  I do like the way this photo turned out though.  If you zoom in on the cake you can actually see the air holes in the layers.  Color turned out fairly well and thankfully, none of the junk on the table is visible.  And on the plus side it tastes as good as it looks!

Tuesday's Assignment

DSC_5158 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Illustrate the rules of thirds in a photograph today.

I've come to the realization that I don't have too many things in my house that are interesting. Hmmmm...what could I do to take a photo which illustrates the rules of thirds? Hamburger cooking on the stove?  Nope...too boring.  Dishes in the sink?   Nope...too embarrassing.  The dog?  Nope...used him too many times.  Unmade bed?  Junk on the table?  There's just nothing in my house that screams "take a photo of me please!"  Only when my garden begins to bloom do I find things to photograph.  For whatever reason I've never had an attachment to my house.  We've lived here for 31 years and if I could move tomorrow I would do it in a millisecond.  Leave everything behind except hubbie, me, the dog and my computer.  Makes me feel bad that I don't have memorable moments- in fact, I can't remember what I did yesterday.  Does that make me a bad parent?  Do my kids have fond memories?  I wonder....
Anyway, thought this picture that I took in the ape house at Brookfield Zoo does a great job of showing the rule of thirds. Wish I could say I staged the photo but alas I did not.

Monday's Assignment

DSC_5400 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

What reminds you of home. Make a photograph of it.

And when all else fails turn the picture into one that is black and white. At first I had thought about taking a picture of my dog as he is the epitome of home, but I had trouble with the lens that I was using. For whatever reason it takes forever for the shutter to release when it's in P, S, or A mode. Decided to try focusing on my extra soft bathrobe which was hanging in the bathroom. Unfortunately, the lighting in there is horrible- not exactly florescent but there's something like 300+ watts going on. Kept the same 35mm 1.8 lens on, but I can't quite figure it out. Different problem in the bathroom compared to the dog at the top of the stairs. So I perched on the tub crossing my fingers that I wouldn't slip off, all the while trying to get a photo that wasn't so orangish. Even tried Photoshop to adjust the color. After a few minutes I found that changing it to a black and white photo eliminated much of my stress. I'll have to do that more often! And on the plus side, you no longer have to see the wallpaper and floor which are sorely outdated!

Sunday's Assignment

DSC_5371 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph that incorporates a circle.

Funny how my interpretation of the assignment is not always what it should be.  Here I thought today's assignment read "make a photograph of a circle within a circle."   I wonder if I've always been a poor skimmer of text.  Recently I notice that I am getting more information wrong than not, so I would think I'd take the time to read more thoroughly. Anyway, as I was driving home I kept looking for a circle within a circle.  Finally decided on taking a photo of a tire- which has a round rim within the circle of the tire.  Not very interesting but fit the assignment.  Well, that's hardly what I needed to do.  So with my 35 mm 1.8 lens I decided on the light fixture in my kitchen.  I've had this lens for awhile but barely have used it and don't know quite what to do with it.  I think it's better suited for indoor work and because it is so light you'd think I'd use it more often.  Why lug around this zoom lens when I don't need to.   I held the camera away from my eyeball trying to get closer to the lightbulb and hoping that my extended arms wouldn't shake too much.  The one drawback that I have about this lens is that there is no vibration reduction.  But the picture came out fairly well so no complaints there.

Saturday's Assignment

DSC_5351 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Go somewhere you've not been to in a while and make a photograph of something that grabs your interest.

Was really thinking about going by my old house today and taking a picture of that,  but I figured people might think I'm doing something inappropriate. I do miss that old house, though, and haven't been by it in some time.  So instead, hooked up with my good friend Debbie and headed for a nature center.   It was a beautiful day although a little nippy.  There's a huge lake filled with geese, swans and ducks.   A water fall is to the right and then there is a nice path running the circumference of the lake.  We talked and shot and talked more about the kinds of pictures we were taking and what settings we were using. We are becoming a little bit more knowledgeable about the whole thing but still have tons to learn.

Friday's assignment

DSC_5301 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Convey warmth in a photograph today.

Could have taken a picture of the fleeting sun or a picture of a fire in the fireplace.  Sun comes in and out too infrequently today and it's almost too hot to make a fire.  But warmth can be depicted in color too.  I use to be fond of yellow but not so much anymore.  Browns have always been one of my favorites; in fact, one of the walls in my livingroom is a chocolate brown.   It probably will be a pain to paint over if we ever decide to move.  Tried taking this photo with both speed and aperture settings but neither one of them showed true colors.  It was only after I resorted to auto and flash did the colors come out vibrant enough. No matter how many classes Deb and I've taken they all say the same thing- there's nothing wrong with using automatic. If that's so, what's so big about the other selections on the dial?

Thursday's Assignment

CSC_5110 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Show your own hand in a photograph today doing something. Reaching, holding, touching or making a sign.

I've had this photo for awhile but never used it.  Originally I decided to try using self timer so that I could use both of my hands in a photo.   Took me forever to figure it out as I couldn't find my manual.  In the end I figured out what I needed to do but then I didn't like what I was photographing.  Am losing a lot of outside light so decided instead to use this picture. Haven't worn a watch in some time.  This particular watch has needed a battery for about a year.  I use to be an avid watch wearer- don't know why I've decided it's not so important to have.   I find it rather strange that one of my sons has never ever worn a watch.  I guess with all of the electronics today it's not so necessary.  Curiously though, I don't think I have one clock that actually shows the correct time.  And that drives me nuts!

Wednesday's Assignment

DSC_5247 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph outdoors without an obvious horizon line.

Had just a few minutes to take a photo outdoors but there's not much happening in my yard.  Nice to see the buds starting to form on the trees, though.  Does give us a hint that spring is not far away.   I do have to begin straying farther from my front door as I am sure there are more interesting shots to be had.  Had a good look at the moon tonight but no matter what I did my pictures were too blurry.  Certainly could have used a tripod but even when I had the camera resting on the car it still blurred.  Not quite sure how to take those night shots.

Tuesday's Assignment

DSC_5238 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Today's color is green. Make a photograph dominated by green today.

This is an easy one.  Nothing like having a lime green car sitting in your driveway!  I prefer muted colors or colors that let me fade into the background.  But there's no way around this one and when I first saw it sitting there I thought OMG.  Wonder what makes a man think that this is a cool color when the other choices were black, blue or red.  Of course, the kids at school think I'm the coolest teacher ever so I guess I've earned my share of brownie points.

Recent Assignment

DSC_5219 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph that illustrates a role of technology in your life.

Have not been actively using my camera as my iPad has taken precedence. But after taking a camera class this past weekend and with the change in the weather, maybe I can get back into some kind of routine. Had the kids this weekend and thought about how technology is so much a part of their lives. Of course their dad is not too thrilled with the two of them using these technical items. But it does keep them occupied when you want a break from "grandma, play with me." I love the fact that even though little C is not a big talker he sure knows how to say "ipod".

Monday's Assignment

DSC_5229 a photo by scookster on Flickr.

Make a photograph that illustrates the idea of freshness to you.

I've had a clothesline up forever but I hardly ever use it anymore.  I know that lots of people like the smell of laundry that's been dried outside.  I could never get into that or the feel of it.  So often linens felt stiff after drying outside.  I took a class this weekend on exposure and was trying to remember how to set the camera to capture movement.  I guess I was able to do that without blurring the picture too much but then the background looks kind of dark.  So I tried to lighten it up in Photoshop and it looks a little better.   But I wish I could figure out what I needed to do at the moment to not only capture movement but the lighting as well.  Darn!  I am posting to Flickr now so I am hoping to post more pictures to that and to this blog.  It's really time to get back in the swing of things I guess.  And besides, the more I shoot the better I'll become!