two minutes

What ties the images below together??

Other than they are of the same subject?

Great white egret bird photo

Great White Egret image.

P1270180_egret_600_pix

Great White Egret image.

P1270187_egret_600_pix

Great White Egret image.

P1270189_egret_600_pix

Great White Egret image.

P1270194_egret_600_pix

Great White Egret image.

Well I gave you hint at the answer in the title of this post. All five images were created withing two minutes. How many different looks can you obtain by changing the direction in which you shoot? Look at the different color and feel of each image. The mood is totally different in each capture.

Plenty of options exist in a single situation and exploring the possibilities beyond the obvious help define us as photographers. Next time you are on a shoot circle your subject and see how many different looks come about. After a while you’ll start to pre visualize exactly what you want to show… And I’ll bet it will be different than what you are automatically photographing now.

Images captured with the Lumix GH4 100-300mm f4.0-5.6

sunday photo/art quote 1214

Do you see your image in your mind before you push the shutter button??

Should you?

Probably if you want to create more artistic and impressive images. Today’s photo art quote comes from Painter Diego Rivera

diego rivera quote

“I dream a lot. I do more painting when I’m not painting. It’s in the subconscious.” Diego Rivera

I feel a good amount of pre visualization can move your images to another level.

This brings to mind a thought to spend lots of time with other people’s images and artwork to spark ideas. Just remember that just like a computer GIGO. (garbage in = garbage out) Look to find great imagery and art to study. You will find that some of the ideas will mix and match giving you a whole new way of seeing and creating your photographs.

Arthur Rainville passed on an idea that I try to keep up with. Arthur suggests each night before retiring try to study an artist for about 15 minutes. That could mean quickly reviewing a prolific artist’s entire catalog or studying intimately one or two paintings. You can do this with books, magazines or the Internet. It is amazing how your brain will incorporate things studied just before falling asleep. Arthur is a true photographic artist always trying to push the bounds of wonderful image making. I admire him greatly.

Yours in Creative Photography,      Bob

selby gardens

Flowers of all shapes sizes and colors often make a good subject for photographs. And if you can get to a place like Selby Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, all the better for having a pile of subject matter to pick from.

Since I’ve been all artsy-fartsy with the birds I’ve been photographing I thought it might be time for a little realistic imagery. Here are a few from the Selby Gardens botanical collection…

flower at selby gardens

Not sure of the name of this one but I love the color contrast against the soft background. Natural light filtered through foliage gave the soft lighting against the sunlight falling against the green leaves in the distance.

orchid detail photograph

Orchids are very interesting subjects. They almost look Sci-Fi to me especially when you get in close. Something from another world.

orchid throat with pink overtones image

Another orchid. These are from the Phalaenopsis family.

In order to focus closer to get these details of the throats of the orchids I added Vello Extension Tubes to the 35-100mm Lumix Vario f2.8 lens. Images made with the Lumix GH4

Yours in Creative Photography,         Bob

bird images original camera capture

So you want to see the befores?

I received a request to show the images I’ve been playing with the last couple of days how they looked pretty much straight out of the camera. I can do that…

great blue heron photo

Great Blue Heron at the Venice, Florida Rookery. Art Photo here

sandhill cranes photo

Sandhill Cranes, Sarasota Florida.

sandhill cranes photo

Sandhill Cranes behavior images. Art Photos here

sandhill cranes morning silhouette

Sandhill Cranes at dawn Sarasota, Florida. Link to post here

Photo gear used was the Lumix GH4 and the 100-300mm Lumix G Vario f4-5.6 lens. A faster lens would have been better but the reach of this is quite good (200-600mm 35mm equivalent) At just under $500 this is a pretty nice lens to chase down waterfowl.

Yours in Creative Photography,       Bob

still playing with birds in florida

This time I went to the rookery in Venice Beach about a half hour south of Sarasota. Apparently I am a little area for the big nesting season but there were a few Great Blue Herons, some Anhingas and some other smaller birds in the area. Not the ideal time of day to shoot but with a little imagination, a couple textures and some Photoshop Blend Modes I might be on to a little something here…

great blue heron photo art image

Playing around with the concept night and day… Great Blue Heron from Venice Beach Rookery.

Original image captured with Lumix GH4 and the Lumix Vario 100-300mm lens.

Back out to shoot some more… Later!

Yours in Creative Photography,     Bob