focus52|2012 {week four} january 22 to 28

posted by on January 22, 2012 · 7 Comments

We're at Week Four, 52'rs! Congratulations! By now you should be quite comfortable here in the group and hopefully forming some sort of weekly routine with your photography project. If not, don't despair. You'll be in the swing of things in no time.

I was happy to see so many of you rise to the Black & White challenge. I saw some truly stunning images both here and in the flickr pool. I wasn't able to comment on everybody's work this week, but I've seen them all! Great work, group!

This week, Week Four, our prompt is ...

By definition, leading lines are lines within a composition which lead the viewer's eye to the subject, to another point in the image, or occasionally, out of the image.

Sometimes, the lines are obvious as in the case of roads, pathways, etc. Other times, your eyes are drawn into the photo with subtle lines as is the case in the lake above.

When you look at any given photo, your eye is naturally drawn towards and along lines. Effectively using these lines, you can pull the viewer into your photo and towards your subject, or through your photo (think winding roads, paths, etc). Leading lines can be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, converging or even a lovely curved line. Learning to correctly use leading lines will lend more depth to your photos and make for an overall pleasing composition. And just as importantly, improper use of leading lines can cause viewer confusion and a skewed perception of what you are trying to present.

Been there, done that :)

Have some fun this week hunting down some leading lines! Once you get the hang of it, I guarantee you'll be seeing them everywhere.

Whatever you choose to do this week, follow the prompt or no, come back here and link up your work when you're done (weeks run Sunday to Saturday, don't forget!). Links must be to the direct URL of your actual work, not just to the site it's posted in, and may be a link to your blog post or to your flickr photo. Also, please don't link and run - try to find some time to visit at least a few of your fellow 52'ers. That's half the fun! And don't forget the flickr pool!

Remember, you do not need to use the prompt in order to come back here and share.

Enjoy your week!




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black and white {3/52}

posted by on January 21, 2012 · 19 Comments

It's funny, you would think that seeing how I come up with the prompts each week for focus52, it would be easy for me to also come up with the photographs to match. Right?

Yeah, not so much.

Most weeks, the prompts are just as much a challenge for me as they are for you. Honestly.

But I had a bit of fun this week with the black and white prompt ...

Look at these beautiful creatures ...

IMG_4488_4504-blog2

I took a gazillion photos of them (from the warmth of my car). So beautiful to watch.
I wonder if they get cold?

This man caught my eye as I was leaving the bank the other day. Again, taken all stalker-like from the warm safety of my car and a bit blurry to boot, but I liked the scene.

plan for your retirement

I wonder what's going through his mind.

And then there's this one. Always fun to play around with my little (but growing!) camera collection.

black & white brownie

Thanks Ms. Shauna, for allowing me to force you into standing outside, freezing your butt off.
You're a good sport.

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2012! are you in?

Hosted at twoscoopz! You can visit or join the focus52 flickr group here. My own focus52 project can be found on flickr here or by clicking 'my f52' in the category list to the right.

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focus52|2012 {week three} january 15 to 21

posted by on January 15, 2012 · 12 Comments

Welcome to Week Three! How are things coming along? I hope you're settling in and getting comfortable with what you are doing. If you have any questions or concerns, now is the time to ask! Comments are always open here, so feel free to leave a note or a question any time.

Last week, we had a lot of fun with the prompt I am. I saw a lot of great ideas come from our group and learned quite a lot about most of you. Fun!

This week, our focus52 prompt for week three is,

There are a few things you can do with this prompt, the most obvious being a photo taken in or converted to, black and white. But maybe you want to go for the less obvious, choosing to capture an idea or abstract of black and white, or perhaps something in your world that is already seen in black and white (a tiled floor, the printed word, a grey and foggy day, etc).

A photo presented in black and white is not as simple as running a quick conversion in an editing program and calling it a day. As should always be the way, your photo begins inside of your camera and the key to an excellent black and white photo is in your composition. Stripping away the color from your image strips away distraction and gets right to the heart of what you are attempting to capture. A few things to think about when composing your shot,

  1. focal point: Choose your focal point and be aware of everything you are bringing into the frame. Do surrounding objects lead the viewers eye to the subject? Remember you are not relying on color to form your focal point.
  2. declutter: Black and white photography gets right to the heart of the matter. Try to remove distractions and clutter. Strive for a 'clean' shot.
  3. contrast: Look for good contrast in your scene. Shadows and highlights are an important part of your composition! Without them, you have a grey, flat photograph. Blech.
  4. ISO: Try to keep it low to avoid a 'noisey' shot. Although most of us regularly do this anyway, black and white can make noise more pronounced so you want to keep an eye on that. Unless of course, that's the look you're trying to achieve. I personally love a gritty black and white shot :)
  5. exposure: Expose for the 'grey' areas of your scene and then adjust. Again, keep contrast in mind. If your photo has a distinct focal point (such as in a portrait) expose for the subject and adjust until you have the tonal look you're after.

A few examples of black and white photography from our focus52 members!
1.Parisian Street 2.San Juan Island 3.1/52 4.10/52 5.I am 6.framed 7.Untouched #52 8.La Noyee 9.I am


Black and white photography can be stunning, timeless, romantic, journalistic ... fun! Some say that to truly understand the basics of photography and composition, beginning your education in black and white is a must. Whether a must or not, it definitely improves your skills. Some excellent subjects for black and white studies might include buildings/architecture, photo-journalism/street photography and always, always timeless portraits. Black and white tells a story. What story would you like to tell?

Don't have a photo editing program? These ones are free (to name a few):
Picasa
Picnik
Photoscape
Photoshop OnLine
Remember though, first get in right in camera.

Whatever you choose to do this week, follow the prompt or no, come back here and link up your work when you're done (weeks run Sunday to Saturday, don't forget!). Links must be to the direct URL of your actual work, not just to the site it's posted in, and may be a link to your blog post or to your flickr photo. Also, please don't link and run - try to find some time to visit at least a few of your fellow 52'ers. That's half the fun! And don't forget the flickr pool!

Remember, you do not need to use the prompt in order to come back here and share.

Have a happy week, 52'rs :)




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I am ... {2/52}

posted by on January 14, 2012 · 27 Comments

2012 will be the third year in a row that I haven't made a single New Year's Resolution.

Nope, not a one.

The concept of One Little Word grabbed me a few years back and since then, it's become a way of life. And a perfect way to start the year.

In 2010, I chose the word true. It was a year of change and growth for me, and of staying true to myself.

Last year, I chose the word focus and look what came out of that - hellooooo focus52! Although the year started out with a different view of my word than how it actually played out, you guys know there were a hell of a lot of moments when I had to just stand still, breathe and focus.

This year, my One Little Word for 2012 ...

I am ...

Strong.

Because I need to be.
Because I want to be.
Because I absolutely have to be.

Because I AM.

Do you have a word for 2012? Share!

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2012! are you in?

Hosted at twoscoopz! You can visit or join the focus52 flickr group here. My own focus52 project can be found on flickr here or by clicking 'my f52' in the category list to the right.

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focus52|2012 {week two} january 8 to 14

posted by on January 8, 2012 · 17 Comments

Wow! I am so impressed with all of the activity going on here and in the flickr pool. You guys hit the ground running with this project! I've been thoroughly enjoying browsing through the group all week, meeting new people and happily noting some of the returning members. I really made a concentrated effort to get around to each and every one of you who posted their project last week (there's a LOT of you! yay!). I won't always be able to do that so this was a treat for me :)

The beginning of a new year always holds fresh promise and plenty of resolutions. You all got off to a great start and the trick now is to keep that momentum going. The coming weeks may see you losing some of that initial excitement and resolve but I urge you to stick with it. Once you get into the swing of it, I promise it will get easier and easier to continue. Honest!

Creativity is a funny thing ... it comes and goes when it pleases. I've been in many a creative 'slump' and I have to say it's a most unpleasant place to be. Blech. I came across this lovely piece of typography a little while back and thought I'd share,

I think this would be an awesome piece to frame and hang or set on your desk. A little reminder to make you smile. You can click on the piece to be directed to the creator's download. As with any 'freebie' on the internet, please take a moment to thank the artist for their hard work :)

Now on to our prompt for this week!

In the spirit of focus52, new beginnings and new friends, this week's prompt is all about you and helping us get to know each other.

Share something that essentially defines who you are (or attempts to!). It could be a hobby, your job, your place in your family, a goal, a collage of a few different images ... hey! this could also a perfect time for a self-portrait! *winkwink*nudgenudge*

Whatever you choose to do, come back here and link up your work from this week (Sunday to Saturday, don't forget!). Links must be to the direct URL of your actual work, not just to the site it's posted in, and may be a link to your blog post or to your flickr photo. Also, please don't link and run - try to find some time to visit at least a few of your fellow 52'ers. That's half the fun! And don't forget the flickr pool!

Remember, you do not need to use the prompt in order to come back here and share. We just want to enjoy what you have done :)

That's it! Enjoy your week, 52'rs :)




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