New Prop

I went to the vintage market with my mom today. I scored some great finds which included this perfect fire hydrant to be used in pet portraits. Who will be the lucky dog who gets to use it first?

Photoshopping Style

I love playing with Photoshop and trying different looks. I lean towards sharp details, contrast and bright colors to give a dramatic feel to the images I feel is pretty powerful. I also like photos that have a grunge edge to them, although I am still fine tuning those skills. Here are a few before and afters from a shoot I did with my dog, Nikita, at my house.

I rented a 70-200mm f2.8 USM lens for this shoot, and although I loved it, I think I want to go with the IS lens. This will probably be the next lens added to my collection if/when I can finally pull the trigger. 

Before:
108mm / ISO 200 / f2.8 / shutter speed 1/500

 

After: this one doesn't require too much editing because I love the original shot. Just a couple items to give it a little pop. This is often my go to image to try different looks from the super grunge to soft vintage. 

Before:
120mm / ISO 800 / f2.8 / shutter speed 1.30

After: Something else I really want to practice more of is black and white editing. I felt these photos were perfect due to the lighting on her face and outlining her head.

 Before:
165mm / ISO 800 / f2.8 / shutter speed 1/30

Here is one more before and after of Nikita up in Payson, AZ. This one exemplifies more of my stlye; the color of the grass is brighter, the rock stands out more, and there is more detail in Nikita's fur with more texture.
50mm / ISO 200 / f4.5 / shutter speed 1/320

Happy photo editing!

JAK

Paws in the Park

My cousin asked me to shoot some photos this week for a project she was working on, and I was happy to oblige. She brought along Izzy, her retriever mix, and Charlie, her chocolate lab, to be models with her. 

My favorite subjects to shoot are dogs: they don't have a 'bad side' and as long as you keep them entertained with treats, activities and funny voices, they are up for almost anything. The downside is they can get easily distracted, which in this case, was a challenge. Ducks in the lake, kids playing, bikers etc all while I am trying to find the right settings and capture their attention. But there were still some great shots with at least one dog looking at the camera! *Note to self: always bring treats when there will be dogs!

In post production, I worked with Portrait Professional and Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 to smooth out skin, enhance features, clone out leashes and park signs, brighten colors and fix some lighting and a couple other effects. 

These photos were shot with my Canon Rebel T4i, Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens at Freestone Park in Gilbert, AZ.

 

140mm / ISO 200 / f5.6 / shutter speed 1/20

18mm / ISO 200 / f4 / shutter speed 1/250

60mm / ISO 200 / f5 / shutter speed 1/30

 70mm / ISO 200 / f5 / shutter speed 1/50

 20mm / ISO 200 / f3.5 / shutter speed 1/125

Overall I am pretty happy with how things turned out. Next time, I would bring treats to capture and keep the attention of the dogs, and I think I could have been better prepared with poses, props and more ideas to vary the shots. When I was on site, it took all my focus to do what I was doing, so spending some time to strategize before hand would have been beneficial.

JAK

Nice to Meet You

I decided to start a blog to track my journey as an amatuer photographer. I want to find my style, my niche, test new techniques etc. There are so many things I want to try and learn more about, I can't wait to get rolling. I am a little ADD when it comes to photography. One minute I want to do pet photography, the next senior photos... oh wait landscapes are fun... and weddings are so pretty... I thought this blog could be my photos in these categories, along with different editing styles, plans, things I learned, useful links, and inspirational photos I come across.

If we start at the beginning, I got my first camera in the 6th grade from my grandfather. It was a film camera (Canon) with a 3x zoom. I thought I was the coolest kid around because everyone else had disposable camera and I had this high tech gadget. In high school, I signed up for a photography class in my sophmore year. Thinking back to film processing makes me amazed at how far technology has come, and how much more creative freedom we have today. 

My grandfather was very passionate about photography as well. I remember showing him my first DSLR (Canon Rebel T3) that I got in April 2011 and he was so amazed at all it could do. Of course at that point, I didn't really know all that it could do...

My biggest turning point was taking some photography classes with McKay Photography and I finally got off manual mode, and the photos weren't accidents any more. I also went on one of their safaris to Sedona which enhanced my skills tremendously and the photoshop course changed my life. Now I struggle with finding more inspiration and things to shoot. The desire is still there, because it will be the only way to get better, but where to start?

When my grandfather passed away in 2011, I got his slides from all the photos he took on his travels. I was amazed to see the places he had gone and the things he had seen. It was wonderful to experience a little bit of what he did. I think I inherited my passion for photography from him,  and I wonder if he would like the photos I am taking now... my guess is no because I like edgy effects in Photoshop :o) But I still think about our conversations where he would tell me about different locations to check out and various angles to try.

In my photos, I hope to capture emotion and provide good feelings to those who view them. Nothing makes me happier than people seeing a moving photo of someone they love, or feeling confident and beautiful when they see a photo of themselves, or escaping for just a moment in one of my landscapes. I want to capture beauty.

JAK