by successfulbob | Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography education
Are you open to PLAY!??
Play means time to learn and test. On a road trip and looking out the window and you know how much I like neon and the back of this open sign invited some attention from the Lumix GX7 and the 20mm pancake f1.7 lens. This is a very low profile set up for street photography. Here’s a couple…
I really liked the Orange glow against the blue sky.
Different angle leads to different feeling in the photo.
And flipping the image changes things totally.
How do you play? Are these award winning photos? Nope. But I learned a few things playing with color and exposure that will help me in the future…
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | photography - art quote, photography education
I believe this Sunday’s Photo Art Quote has to do with being in the moment.
Taking everything that the photographer has learned, experienced and been exposed to over a lifetime and bringing it to the table to create the strongest image possible. It’s when we aren’t in the now that our work can become trivialized. If you are thinking about lunch or dinner or a fight you had over breakfast or an upcoming vacation or how you are going to pay a bill you will not be producing your best work because you don’t have access to your brain’s immense resources.
“It is the artist in photography that gives form to content by a distillation of ideas, thought, experience, insight and understanding.” Edward Steichen
It is with this in mind that I am trying to be aware of everything I put into my brain. I try to spend quality time in front of great art, good books and all types of images photographic and otherwise. Think of this process as you might a computer axiom of GIGO. GIGO equals garbage in – garbage out. The more solid information that is packed into the brain, and accessed in the moment the better image making becomes.
Think about it before you do mindless things. Watch the magazines you read, the television shows you watch, movies and art you view along with books you read. Remember… GIGO.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | charity photography, photography, photography education, success education
Help spread the word.
October is pregnancy and infant loss awareness month. Now I Lay me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS) is way for photographers to give back to there community with the gift of professional portraiture to families who suffer an early infant loss. This is a precious gift that has amazing healing power for the families. I encourage you to learn more and to get other to learn more by spreading the word everywhere.
Logo you can share in spreading the message…
I believe this is an amazing organization. I have been a member and affiliate photographer since 2006 photographing families in need of these services. Been a trainer and area coordinator. Work on the photographer approval team. Served on the National NILMDTS Board of Directors for two years. I share this information not to brag but to hopefully inspire you to join in too. If you are like me when I first heard of NILMDTS I said, “There’s no way I could ever do this type of photography.” I eventually was convinced to give it a try and after seeing the help it gives families I now say, “How can I not do it??”
Banner logo you can share in getting the word out about Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Here are some more links….
Five reasons to become a NILMDTS photographer
Rhonda Gehman NILMDTS story
Vikki Zoller NILMDTS
Ashely Krapf NILMDTS
A call out story
I hope this inspires you to get on board. Is the work difficult? Yep. Is it rewarding? You bet! But you won’t know until you try… If you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to get in touch. My contact info is at the top of the page or here.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | Lumix GH4, Lumix Lounge, musician photography, photography, photography education, photography gear
Country music soundin’ GOOD!
Moot Davis Band had them on the dance floor at Sound Bites Grill in Sedona, Arizona last Wednesday night. Holly and I were there for dinner and the music and were not disappointed on either count…
Sometimes, in my mind, country music can get a little maudlin… I’m not one for crying in my beer so when they say a country music band is coming to town I’m not usually too thrilled. Well that thought jumped out of my head within the first couple songs once the band started to play. This is a really talented group of musicians. Moot has a great voice and the band has wonderful instrumentation occasionally leaning a little toward rock with Bill giving some great guitar licks.
We ended up staying until the last note faded away and had a great time.
Moot Davis Band photo created for the Sound Bites Grill ‘Wall of Fame’.
The individual images were captured with the Lumix GH4 and the 35-100mm f2.8 Vario Lens. I’m finding the stage photography is much easier with the GH4 especially with the LED stage lighting. The camera reaches into the shadows and keeps the highlights from blowing out when you use the shadow highlights curves setting to boost the shadows and hold down the highlights.
Each musician was layered into the image and multiple textures were added using blend modes to create the painterly feel…
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | fine art musician portrait, Lumix GH3, Lumix GH4, Lumix Lounge, musician photography, photoshop tutorial, success education
Stalwart entertainers Tom and Shondra did a show at Sound Bites Grill here in Sedona, Arizona. These guys (I use that term loosely) do a highly energetic show that the audience really gets into. Steve asked me to photograph them for the ‘Wall of Fame’ and it was my pleasure to do so! Even though it is only two performers I thought their energy needed more than just one photo to help tell the story… This is what I put together.
Tom and Shondra on stage at the Sound Bites Grill Wall of Fame image.
The Lumix GH3 worked well for capturing Tom and Shondra’s performance. Because their expressions changed quite rapidly during the live performance I used the 5 frames per second bursts to have choices. I used the Lumix GH3 for this shoot because I sent the Lumix GH4 in for service… not that there was anything wrong but more of a precautionary measure.
I was photographing along Oak Creek and went to cross the creek and slipped on the rocks and the GH4 was submerged while I was trying to right myself which took long enough to put water into every available opening in the camera. I dried it off as much as possible at the scene and then headed for home. I dried it more. Got out the hair dryer and searched for moisture in every compartment. I kept rotating and finding more water but with the heat on medium and I made sure I got every drop I could. The camera turned back on and operated wonderfully. But I sent it in for a chek-up and all was well. The weather sealing on that camera is better than I thought. I still don’t recommend submerging your camera to test it like I did. But it showed me we should be pretty good in a moist environment…
Multiple images were put together using Adobe Photoshop CC 2014 using blend modes, textures and masks. I also added some smoke with brushes that I obtained from Woody Walters who is an amazing Photoshop artist and instructor. Go check out his stuff. (I don’t receive any commission from Woody but I can save you 15% if you decide to sign in for more than his free Photoshop tutorials use coates15) He has amazing info to share with you!
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
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