by successfulbob | graphic design, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography education
The animals spoke to me….
Well not literally. But, I felt the need and desire to work with the images to see what I could come up with. One bird you’ll even recall from a previous post spread it’s wings to a mental request I sent it. (OK maybe it was just coincidence…) This led to a personal project to design colorful, dynamic t-shirts on speculation for the Sarasota Jungle Gardens in, you guessed it Sarasota, Florida.
I felt the back lit palm fronds made a gorgeous colorful background for the birds. I added some texture files to add some depth. While still in Florida I went there to share a couple ideas, received an excellent reception and a request to do a few others. We are in negotiations now to see if the spec work pays off in cash. It already has paid dividends in the learning cycle of improving my graphics work.
Blue Gold Macaw T-Shirt design for Sarasota Jungle Gardens – Sarasota, Florida
One of the stars of the show the Pink Flamingo
Macaw T-shirt design
You’ll recognize my cooperative macaw from a previous post…
Raw images for the designs were captured with the Lumix GX7 my current favorite camera for travel and all-around photography work. It is a solid workhorse camera and paired with the 35-100mm f2.8 lens worked great for this visit to the gardens.
by successfulbob | photography - art quote, photography education, success education
Not ashamed to say tears welled up in my eyes. Looking through some old family photos brought back wonderful memories!
“A photograph is the pause button of life.” Anonymous
I really like this quote. Eight words that contain so much food for thought! It’s simplistic but profound. Having just been taken into the past with images really brings the point home. Photographs give us opportunity to revisit old friends, good times, study environments, study history, learn about motion and time. Think about the preservation of memories we as photographers are charged with in most of our businesses.
If sometimes you aren’t sure about how important your career choice is break out your own family albums and take a stroll down memory lane. I did the other day and was filled with lots of emotion. This wee what you can do push the ‘pause button of life’ for others. And don’t forget yourself and your own family!
by successfulbob | photography, photography education, success education
Bringing photography to be recognized as an art form was a difficult push in the early 20th century. Alfred Steiglitz, Edward Weston and Paul Strand were some of the main photographers pushing the limits of the materials of the day. Today’s quote come from Strand and is a gentle reminder to keep our eyes open for photographic opportunities all the time, no matter where we may be.
“The artists world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.” – Paul Strand
Doesn’t it always seem that when we travel to a new location photographic opportunities seem to be everywhere? I believe when we move out of our normal everyday space our vision is freshened. The blinders we wear everyday because we have seen our neighborhood so often are firmly in place. Have you ever had another photographer shoot with you in your place and be surprised by what they capture?? I know I have. And it’s the same when I go into another photographer’s area. He or she often goes, “I never would have thought of shooting it that way.”
Work your home space. See it as if for the first time. Good shooting!
by successfulbob | Lumix G6, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography gear
Taking a couple weeks off for vacation slows you down a bit when it comes to staying up with regular posts… I’ll add in the Holidays to take the blame but enough excuses! I’m back on the horse!
Santa dropped off a package using the local Fed Ex driver… OK it wasn’t Santa but it sure feels like a present. The Lumix G6K is in my hot little hands and I gotta tell ya things just get better and better as each camera comes out. This is a Pro-sumer camera that has all the features. Great video with a fully articulating screen. Touch screen focus. A great chip and processing engine. Almost all the features of the Pro camera Lumix GH3 plus a few more. Yep it’s got the in-camera panoramic feature that I really enjoy. (just ask my fellow Luminaries!) The only thing that keeps this out of the full on pro realm is the fact it’s not built on the magnesium frame. But wait that makes it even lighter if you want to have a camera with you all the time. With a 2.8 12-33mm lens (35-70mm 35mm equivalent) this camera weighs well under 2 pounds! It’s on Amazon for just under 500 bucks with a 14-42mm lens. Freakin’ amazing!
by successfulbob | photography, photography education, success education
Sometimes you need to step away from the photography and fine art community to look for inspiration.
I have met many photographers that are so intense (I must admit I have been one at times) that they forget to have fun. You’ll find that your best work comes forward when you study intensely then let go… Let the information you have gathered gel & process inside that wonderful electronic computer storage center we call a brain. Then have some seriously good times, get back to it and see how a relaxed attitude can allow creativity to reign.
This month’s quote comes from comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
“Life is truly a ride. We’re all strapped in & no one can stop it… I think the most you can hope for at the end is that your hair’s messed, you’re out of breath, and you don’t throw up.” – Jerry Seinfeld
I’ve been on holiday for a couple weeks and ideas are starting to come fast and furiously. Yahoooooo!!! When’s the last time you cut loose? Get out there. You’ll be glad you did.
by successfulbob | landscape photography, Lumix GH3, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography education, photography gear
Maybe it was because I hadn’t had my morning shower yet…
The Sandhill Cranes came right up to check me out as I was photographing them…
Shows the importance of having multiple cameras with different lenses on hand even if you think you know what you will be photographing. I thought all my imaging would be of birds in the middle of the pond called Palmer Lake or flying away from said water. Had I not had the second body/lens combo I would have missed a cool opportunity.
Sandhill Crane in pond Sarasota, Florida.
Sandhill Cranes in flight and in silhouette.
Sandhill Cranes in the Morning mist.
On the Lumix GH3 I had the F3.5-5.6 100-300mm (200-600 35mm equiv) lens and on the Lumix GX7 had the f 2.8 35-100mm (70-200 35mm equiv).
by successfulbob | photography, photography - art quote, photography education, success education
Many photographers, especially those in the infancy of their careers, often wonder what they should photograph.
There are many, many, many ways to make money creating images with your camera. Before you make a decision to choose a specialty, or to change the type of photography you are already doing I invite you to consider the words of this wonderful photographer…
What makes you heart beat faster?? – Beverly Walden
If you can take these words and weave them in with your decision of how you make your living in photography you will be on your way to a successful career.
Spend some time poking around the Walden’s web-site where you can see the love, depth of lighting and product line available. You will see what makes Beverly and Tim’s heart race. Check Beverly’s Blog. Beverly & Tim also have a photographer education web-site.
So, where are you headed with your photography?
by successfulbob | Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography
She started her life as a character in a Disney movie and now the huge face presides benovolently over the sales counter at the Sea Hagg, Inc. in Cortez, Florida. According to the information shared by the clerk behind the counter she apparently likes her new place of residence as she gets a lot more attention in her new post.
If you happen to be in the Sarasota area you might want to take a little wander by the Sea Hagg, Inc. as it’s a target rich environment for the creative photographer. All things nautical, and some not so much, inhabit the shop just off Cortex Road West. There’s a fun playful atmosphere with mermaids, witches, floatsam and jetsam scattered throughout. Ask to have the container of eyeballs jostled on the front counter and you’ll get the idea…
She hangs in the corner presiding over her new domain after being retired from the movies. The Diva lives on.
Floats of glass and foam are everywhere waiting for the right composition.
Mermaids abound throughout the shop in metal, wood, bronze and brass. Illustrative Art setting on Lumix GX7. You can shoot in jpeg to get this rendition or as I do also shoot RAW at the same time for post processing options.
I just get the feeling that this typewriter has some serious history… I wonder what was written with it? A novel? News stories for a paper? Sales invoices?
by successfulbob | fine art photography, Lumix GH3, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography gear
Suddenly the wings of the Scarlett Macaw spread… which was rather bizarre because in my mind I had just said to myself, “I sure wish the bird would do something different.” (parking spaces seem to appear out of nowhere for me too) I took the RAW capture into Adobe Photoshop to see what I could see. Here are a couple versions with a twist on each.
Scarlett Macaw over fan palm. Version Three.
Version Ten.
Version Five
Images and textures captured with the Lumix GX7 and GH3. Macaw photographed using 35-100 f2.8 Vario lens. RAW 1/1250 sec; f/2.8; ISO 400 @42.0 mm (in 35mm: 84.0 mm)
Worked with Adobe Photoshop blend modes and other photographic texture images for effect.
by successfulbob | black & white, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography education
…Grits ain’t Groceries… Eggs ain’t Poultry… Mona Lisa was a Maid… Gotta’ love some of the blues lyrics!!
Couldn’t totally get away from the blues so I turned them black and white to ease my way into different colors for this post. Here’s Sidney Wingfield and RJ Howson from their night at the Blue Rooster in Sarasota…
RJ and Sidney live at the Blue Rooster in black and white. I like the gritty feel of this…
Found this splash of color through window shopping. A dress in a display on Main Street.
I like the contrast of colors and how the degradation of the palm frond
picks up the colors of the burnt orange wall in the background.
Yellow!
