by successfulbob | bird photography, black & white, Lumix GX8, Lumix Lounge, photography, wildlife photography
Shooting the Birds – Delaware
My wife says the great blue herons all run for the hills when they see our car pull up as I have been stalking them on this property for years. I love those big birds.
Was visiting my mother-in-law this past week with my wife on our annual visit the family trip. It’s a great time to work on my wildlife skills. I thought I’d try pairing the Lumix GX8 with the 100-300mm Lumix Vario G f4.0-5.6 lens and boy I was happy. The GX8 has a fast capture rate which was great for sequences. I enjoy capturing birds with different behavior rather than just beauty portraits. As my MIL’s home is on the point with surrounding marsh there’s lots of wildlife on display for my camera.
The birds that gave me the most opportunity to study during this trip were snowy egrets. Most of the time it was raining and blustery winds coming from the northeast.
I enjoy how this egret appears to be dancing in this image. ISO 800 1/3200 sec. +1 exposure compensation Aperture Proiity f5.6 300mm (600mm 35mm equivalent)
This combination of lens, ISO and camera lend itself to a slightly grainy (aka noise) look. Because this is a small piece of the overall image I’ve pushed it here to emulate tri-x push process. The processors have given the noise in an image more of a film grain feel. ISO 800 1/1600 sec. Aperture Priority f5.6 300mm (600mm 35mm equivalent) Processed in NIK Silver FX Pro 2 (which you can now download fro free if you hadn’t heard the news!)
Geese are another ever-present bird on the marsh. ISO 800 1/3200 sec. +1 exposure compensation Aperture Priority f5.6 246mm (492mm 35mm equivalent)
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – You’ll notice that there are no great blue herons among my captures. That has nothing to do with me but a hawk family moved into the neighborhood and chased all the nesting herons from the area a couple weeks before my arrival.
by successfulbob | photography
Landscape Photography Magazine
Exquisite images of achingly beautiful places are found in this magazine produced in Scotland.
I’m not sure where I stumbled across this beauty, but extremely glad I did. Landscape Photography Magazine is a subscription-based online magazine that you can download to your computing device. Depending on your subscription level you can download all the content that’s available including all back issues, you would like or up to 12 current issues in a 365 day period.
Landscape Photography Magazine Banner for the current May issue
There is lots of free content available if you just want to go poke around. That’s how they got me! The free content was so good I wanted to go deeper in the pages of the magazine and download them onto my computer for the more in-depth views and articles.
Here’s the genesis of the magazine in the words of Editor Dimitri Vasileiou
“In 2011, when I founded Landscape Photography Magazine, I could only have imagined how popular it would now have become. As a landscape photographer, I always felt the need for a bespoke and unique magazine dedicated to the wonderous art of landscape and nature photography – in all its forms.
Now, five years later, LPM has gained worldwide recognition. With a rapidly growing following and subscriber base we can now proudly claim the title of the leading online landscape photography magazine.
Published every month, LPM and its accompanying website has over 300,000 unique visitors in more than 190 countries, making it a truly international photography magazine for the digital age. Packed with refreshing content, exciting features and stunning imagery from around the world – all provided by innovative professionals and enthusiasts who share one passion – that of landscape photography.
As LPM enters its sixth year, we have exciting plans in place to continue to move the magazine forward and cement its position in the marketplace. Watch this space and join us as we take you ‘Outside – On Camera – Online’.”
Click here for subscription rates
Hope you enjoy this magazine as much as I do.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | inspiration, photography, tuesday painterly photo art
Tuesday Painterly Photo Art – Helen Yancy
Tuesday’s on Successful-Photographer, now dedicated to the art of converting images beyond that of a photograph and converting the image in a more Painterly/Artistic direction. We’ll be taking to look at the artist/photographers who are forging their way forward in creating a new art form with photography at its base.
First up is a photographer Helen Yancy.
If you are a member of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) you have probably heard of Helen as she has been a stalwart of the organization having served on the Board of Directors and as President, and as a PPA Approved Juror and Jury Chair for many years. Helen has earned all the degrees and most awards offered by PPA.
Helen embraced Corel’s Painter Program to takes her images into the artistic realm and has been an instructor sharing her knowledge with fellow photographers ever since. Let’s take a look at some of Helen’s work.
Here is a before image
Here is the image after Painter. Helen said the panel of judges that viewed this were not for this treatment. When we are entering painterly images, we have to remember that art is very subjective.
This painted photo is Helen’s granddaughter captured during a senior portrait session – Painter portrait in the traditional style – high key
Your subjects don’t have to be human. Pet portraits are good in this market. (Heck the subject doesn’t even have to be alive. I’ve done art pieces of buildings for businesses. ed.)
Cat portrait painted by Helen
“Creating exquisite paintings from our images to a discerning clientele raise the perception of a photographer to that of an artist because the paintings truly are art pieces that will be a treasured investment for generations. There is certainly a learning curve, but learning to paint is possible for any photographer that has the desire. I will have a class soon in my camera room, very limited, and my book – Ordinary to Elegant: Painting with Photographs (or something like that) will be available for pre-sale on Amazon (published by Amherst Media) very soon.”
Helen
Helen Yancy Commissioned Portraits
Where the camera is only the beginning…
See more of Helen’s work here.
I hope you enjoy the new Tuesday Painterly series.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | HDR photography, landscape photography, Lumix FZ 1000, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography creativity
Earth Day Sunrise Photo
Earth Day – Landscape Photography Magazine
April 22, 2016
Landscape Photography Magazine put out a ‘Day in the Life’ type call for images with people from around the world to capture a sunrise image wherever they happen to be. I found myself bummed. I was traveling and had a flight scheduled to head to New Hampshire to speak and judge at their convention during the sunrise time.
Not much chance of catching a sunrise photo from inside the airport.
Bummer!
Instead of giving in to the inevitable, I tried to think outside the proverbial box. I found that the sunrise was during my waiting time for the flight. After checking in through TSA, I found an east facing set of windows and to my surprise was blessed with a beautiful set of clouds and the sun working its way up to the horizon spreading color through the scene. I framed a scene and waited for a bit of action to help tell more of the story.
The density range of the scene called for multiple-exposures to capture the bright sunlight and the shadow areas of the scene. I was using the Lumix FZ1000 and set the camera to capture a bracketed set for five stops of light. I then had the option of blending the images together for the proper rendering of the scene that was before me.
Here is the sequence of images captured before processing
I chose four of the images and processed them in Aurora HDR software for MAC. I am really enjoying the new HDR software from MacPhun. There are a plethora of settings that allow you to dial in the settings necessary to render the scene as you wish. I prefer to have complete control and try to create a more natural rendition of the scene.
Final Image – submitted for the dawn capture
There were some additional adjustments made to take out the reflections in the glass and add a slight vignette to help steer the eye toward the center of the image and keep the viewers eye from leaving the photo.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – When you think there no chance of capturing the photo you are after… don’t give up!
by successfulbob | book review, photography - art quote, photography creativity
Sunday Photo/Art Quote – The Art Spirit Robert Henri
I was recently turned on to this book and am enjoying it immensely. Robert Henri has written about art in a way I have never heard before. He is very straightforward in presenting his ideas about art and the creation thereof.
I have a feeling that I could use this book to populate the Successful-Photographer’s Sunday Photo/Art Quote for the better part of the year. Here is a quote from Henri…
“Paint like a fiend when the idea possesses you.” Robert Henri
I enjoy this quote as I occasionally find myself super-inspired in creative spurts. During these creative times I seem to see things in a new light, viewing everyday subjects in a new way. Strangely enough, this often happens when I am traveling or upon my return home from an extended stay away. (or on nights when I can’t sleep because I drank coffee too late in the day ; )>. I have a feeling that any huge change in environment tends to sharpen the visual senses. May I suggest that you strike while the iron is hot.
When it’s working, make sure you are too…
“The student is not an isolated force. He belongs to a great brotherhood, bears a kinship to his kind. He takes and he gives. He benefits by taking and he benefits by giving.” Robert Henri in The Art Spirit
I also share this quote as it explains to me some of the reasons that I am so passionate about sharing the knowledge I’ve gained with others. As he states, “He benefits by taking and he benefits by giving.” I learn so much when I am teaching. Much of the education comes in the preparation of the programs and more from the students when I am teaching as they share lessons they have learned.
I say if you want to learn something inside and out, teach or write a book about it.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
