Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Partial blurry

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subject blurry

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too dark

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washed out

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Wrong Focus

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Wrong WB

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Top 50 photography websites by Photocritic

Top 50 photography websites by Photocritic
This is fun to explore, there are many excellent sites in this list

Monday, September 29, 2008

Farmers Market

















Farmers Market and other photos

Her is a link to my myspace this is were i will post my photos it is open so you don't have to have a myspace account to view my photos.

www.myspace.com/smartin1414

Farmers Market and other photos

Her is a link to my myspace this is were i will post my photos it is open so you don't have to have a myspace account to view my photos.

www.myspace.com/smartin1414

Exploring Digital Photography CIOS 258 Lessons and Links: Stephen Cysewski

Exploring Digital Photography CIOS 258 Lessons and Links: Stephen Cysewski
Handouts for Lesson 4 and 5 and the supporting web links are online. I will have printed handouts for the lesson outlines available for each class.

I hope that you take advantage or the web resources both during and after the class. You are welcome to share the links with anybody who might be interested.
Steve

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Farmer's Market Photo Walk

Here are some of the photos I took. 

Picasa Web Albums - Tanana Valley Farmer's Market

Picasa Web Albums - Cysewski - Tanana Valley Farmer's Market

Here are a few photographs with minor edits in Lightroom. I used the process discussed in class today to select and share the photographs. Using a new camera is a learning experience. I need to use the LX3 a lot more before I am confident in it. Also the RAW files are not displayed in either Picasa or Lightroom yet.

Photographer

Here is the website for one of my fave photographers who happens to be a friend of mine.
http://remdreamphoto.deviantart.com/

Rebel XTi Review

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos400d/

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon400D/

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/canon-eos-rebel-xti/4505-6501_7-32034086.html


Three streghs of my camera are
Easy to use out of the box
tons of ad ons
endless ability to take any photo you want

the weeknesses
i havent found to many unlikes for my camera however
if you dont read or know what your doing it can be difficult to use
its not the easest to find extra "after market" parts

My Photos Dianne Marshall

I was gone for the walk at Cramers Field but I was in Denver and then back here the first heavey frost morning and then at a football game.
http://www.dianneandsteve.com/class1/photo1.html

Fuji s1000fd Reviews

Here are three reviews of my Fugi s1000fd FinePix camera:
http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/18072/fujifilm-finepix-s1000fd/
http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2008/04/22/Fujifilm-FinePix-S1000fd/p1
http://www.popphoto.com/camera_review/fujifilm-finepix_s1000fd.html

Three strengths of my camera are
1. full manual control
2. 12x optical zoom
3. Various modes for different types of photos

Three weaknesses are
1. lack of image stablization
2. slow response time
3. indoor photos seem to have more noise than outdoor photos

My Fuji Reviews

I will be summarizing the information from 3 reviews which I found regarding my camera Fuji S1000fd.

Three strengths of this camera are:
1. 12x optical zoom
2. full manual controls even though its a small camera
3. relatively inexpensive for those of us moving up from a smaller point and shoot


Three weaknesses are:
1. user camera shake is very apparent without having an image stabilization feature
2. slow start up time and long shutter lag
3. bad high ISO image noise

Although there is a lot of review information out there on this camera, I choose these strengths and weakness based on my experiences with this camera. My bottom line conclusion: Its a great little camera that gets me one step closer to a larger slr. It has lots of manual controls but also shoots exceptionally well in auto mode. However, without an image stabilization feature, some of the shots come out blurry.

Reviews can be found at:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2008_reviews/fuji_s1000fd.html
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Fujifilm-FinePix-S1000fd
http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2008/04/22/Fujifilm-FinePix-S1000fd/p1

Friday, September 26, 2008

Exploring Digital Photography Class 2

STRENGTH:

1. Super study shot optical image stabilzation system.
2. Easily add optional telephoto and wide angle lenses.
3. This design allows more light to pass to each pixel increasing sensitivity and reducing noise.
All in all a good camera for taking pictures in the dark of northern light.

WEAKNESSES:

1 The flash takes a long time to recharge.
2. Focuses slow on long end of the zoom.
3. With zoom, purple edges show on the top and bottom.

pcworld.com/shopping/reviews/prtprdid,17744353/reviews
reviews.cnet.com/digital_cameras/sony-cyber-shot-dsc/4505-6501_731703776.html
dpreview.com/reviews/sonyh2

Photos from last weekend

I didn't make class last week, or get to go on the walk to Creamer's Field, due to some health issues, but here are a few I took the following week in the woods around my house.




Strengths and Weaknesses on Canon 30D

Overall I think this is a pretty great camera. It's my first Digital SLR, before this I had a little point and shoot Minolta that was given to me as a gift, it's about 5 years old. And I have a 35mm Canon Rebel that I got in 2004, and I've used a Canon AE-1. I honestly have never shot with anything this nice.

I think the best strengths so far is (1)exposure compensation, because i like shooting on aperture priority and shutter priority- over manual, because sometimes when i do street photography i like to be able to snap shots really quick and i've lost good shots on full manual, i'm just not quick enough. It's a way to control dpeth of field, or motion without being on full manual. But, the light meter in the camera sets everything to a very dull color and contrast, so i like to be able to over expose a stop or stop and a half. Another thing i like is the (2) 9 point focal point, some reviews rated this as a negative point, but i like it. I think it makes it easier to focus with autofocus on things that arent directly in the center of the shot. Another is not one thing in peticular, but there are a lot of (3) custom controls on it, white balance, exposure compensation, 13 different setting for image quality, color temperature, picture style, picture style controls, it just goes on and on.

Negatives i think are the (1) controls for moving the point focal point. Theres a button you have to push to the right of the camera to aluminate the focal point, then there is a seperate button that swivels to select which focal point you want to use, and it's in a weird spot about an inch and a half away. It should be combined into one button or closer togather. I don't like how the (2) aperture is set on the manual setting. The shutter speed it set on the top using the dial, then you have to stop what are doing set the ON/OFF switch to a little dash mark thats on the bottom right end of the camera, and turn a completely different dial. I think thats too comlicated and far away for soemthing you need to set togather. It's heavy (3), but there's good and bad things about being heavy. When I use a larger lens (and i rarely use a tripod) it can be heavy between the two, but at the same time, it's built better. More solid.

Review on Canon 30D

#1
This site basically compared it to the Canon 20D because when Canon made this camera, the designed it after the 20D and improved certain things. There was a lot of surprise when it was released because the it has the same 8 megapixel sensor and same main processor. But the 20D was also a great camera and they didn't feel the need to make something that was great better. They improved the size of th LCD panel, added 3.5% spot metering mode, improved battery life. Both the 20D and 30D have impressive image quality at high ISO's, the also added a new 1/3 stop variable ISO function.

www.imaging-rescource.com/PRODS/E30D/E30DA.HTM

#2
This site said that is was basically a dissapointment because everyone was expecting a big upgrade form the 20D and there were only a few changes made, but also said for a new comer that is just coming onto the market for a digital SLR, this camera is right in the middle. It has image quality that is compared to the 5D for half the cost. Good for semi-pro or serious ameteur.

www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2006/06/01/Canon-EOS-Digital-SLR/

#3
This site said similar about it being not a drastic enough of a change to upgrade from the 20D, but if you are in the market for your first Digital SLR, this one is worth looking into, one of the better mid range DSLRs. It states that Canon didn't go overboard with buttons, but some controls like the 4-way controller, and playback soom button are "downright usefull". There are tons of Manual and custom settings, for people that are "power users", there are 2 speeds for continious shooting, which was not on the 20D, and there is very low noise levels at high ISOs. It said that the Canon 30D and Nikon D200 are the best in class midrange Digital SLRs. He did mention that the LCD wasn't as bright or shard as the one one the Nikon D200.

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/eos_30d-review/index.shtml

My Canon S5 IS

Strengths
1. Has the high-end features and flexibility for great pictures, while maintaining light weight and affordability.
2. The 12x optical zoomlens incorporates the same leading technologies used in professional EF lenses.
3. Versatility with ‘light’ shooting, with an auto ISO shift function to prevent blur, manual ISO settings, and an optional hot shoe for when flash photography is needed.

Weaknesses
1. Doesn’t offer RAW format
2. Low light limitations, and noisy in low light
3. Lens cap falls off easily

http://www.pcworld.com/product/userreviews/id,31344/canon_powershot_s5_is.html
http://www.dcviews.com/press/Canon-S5-IS.htm
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0705/07050703canons5is.asp

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Camera Reviews: Nikon D200

Nikon D200 Reviews


http://www.outbackphoto.com/reviews/equipment/nikon_d200/Nikon_d200_review.html
-=- 1 November 2005 -=-

Review was, overall, quite complimentary, extolling first the D200’s ergonomic design then, the generous size of the viewfinder and an enthusiastic “two thumbs up” for the 2.5” display. Direct comparisons were made to Nikon’s D2X hinting the D200 is on par with “professional” grade cameras. The review commented on every aspect of the D200 – metering, auto focus, image quality, white balance, etc. all with favorable comments.

http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Nikon-D200-Digital-Camera-Review.htm
( December 30, 2005)

D200 imaging resolution and color reproduction was favorable. No side by side comparisons with Canon EOS 5D or 20D and Nikon’s D2X was actually provided but author suggested such would be fair. A technical analysis reveals the D200 tested provided a 4.9% over saturation and 7.37 color error. Not mentioned was how this anomaly is manifested in the product of day to day shooting. No matter, if my job was to photograph gray scales and test targets, I’d want to know where my strength lay.


http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/camera/review/83/page_1.html

Again, suggestion the D200 is a professional camera, or at least can function as one. The rubberized grip is the author’s first stop on a feature by feature exploration of the D200. As in the previous reviews, it is difficult to find negative comments but the author manages to poot out, “Unfortunately the Nikon D200 is short of the handy compartment meant for storing the (remote control terminal) cap”. Otherwise, while the language between reviews differs, admiration of the Nikon D200 remains constant. The review’s author states, ”The overall design of the Nikon D200 is guaranteed to meet virtually all one's wishes and requirements. It truly is an extraordinarily equipped digital reflex camera, whose arrival has been more than eagerly anticipated by Nikon fans”



Strengths:
Sturdy construction
Large Viewfinder
Excellent Metering

Weaknesses:
Built in flash awkwardly placed
Viewing lens a little close to camera
Possible to accidentally move focus selector

Farmers Market Home

Farmers Market Home
For the Photo Walk this Saturday I was thinking that we should go to the Farmer's Market. This Saturday is the last day for the market before winter. It would be a good experience to take photographs of people outside in a public area. I have included the link to the Farmer's Market web site. We would do the Lacey, Gaffney Photo Walk next week.
Steve

-Portrait of a Portrait-

2ND ASSIGNMENT - LP

  1. I hope this works....I love this photo since I first saw it on Smugmug.
  2. I added the link for one of my favorite wedding photographers website, Joseph Marks. He is truly a master.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

My camera strength and weaknesses

I have Sony D SLR A100. I got this camera as a Christmas gift, last year, from my husband. I was used to using my point and shot camera that at first I hated this camera because it's kind of complicated for me and it's big, but now that I've used it a lot, I love it..

Strength
1. Super Steady Shot
2. Handy Dynamic range optimizer
3. Advanced anti-dust system

Weaknesses
1. Noisy on high ISO
2. Viewfinder not great with eyeglasses
3. Self timer turns off after one shot

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/2698/camera-test-sony-alpha-100-dslr.html
http://www.dcviews.com/reviews/Sony-A100/Sony-A100-review.htm
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/sony/dslr_a100-review/index.shtml

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

— Organize Pictures

— Organize Pictures
This is an excellent site about organizing and archiving photographs. I will use it in Saturday's class.

Exploring Digital Photography CIOS 258 Lessons and Links: Stephen Cysewski

Exploring Digital Photography CIOS 258 Lessons and Links: Stephen Cysewski
Next weeks handout is ready and online. The supporting links are also ready.

3 reviews of my Canon powershot g6

Over all this is considered to be a good consumer camera. It takes quality pictures, is user friendly and inexpensive, shoots in RAW, but obviously can't compete with a dSLR in picture quality or versatility.

Strengths
1. Excellent picture quality
2. Durable body, buttons well layed out
3. Bright, pivoting LCD

Weaknesses
1. Expensive batteries
2. won't fit in pocket
3.Heavier than it needs to be

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_g6-review/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/g6.html
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/g6.html

Second assignment

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/icr_snowest/IMG_1843.jpg

I love all pictures involving the back country, and I usually prefer shots with sleds in them...but this one is exceptional to me because of the sunlight coming down the chute illuminating the riders intended course.

Here is a link to the same photographers website, I swear this guy can't take a bad picture.

http://farwestfilms.com/photos.htm

First assignment

If I could go back in time and take photos of anything...it'd be dinosaurs. I'd definitely bring a wide angle lense to get the whole dinosaur in the frame, but a telephoto might be a better choice for photographer safety.

Creamer's Field

I found some moose beds at Creamer's Field. I thought it made some interesting patterns in the grass.

I also took this backlit picture of the geese flying through the field. I liked how it turned out when I converted it from RAW.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Creamer's Walk

Sorry 'bout not linking up with the others. No matter, I stalked about in the shrubbery and kept busy.

I have others photos but they don't seem to upload... perhaps too large a file. I'll goof with it later..

Scenes from India - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Scenes from India - The Big Picture - Boston.com
These are powerful photographs that inspire and amaze!

Windmills in eastern Germany by Reinhard Krause

Windmills in eastern Germany by Reinhard Krause
Simple, clear, and beautiful!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Pentax K100D review

Pentax K100D

Weaknesses
Cant shoot raw+jpeg
ONLY 6mp (i don't mind)
proprietary usb connection
 
Strengths
well priced
sturdy build quality
shake reduction in the camera body

Assignment 2nd Class - Camera Reviews

My camera is presently a Kodak Z612. I found three reviews for it on dcviews. They were all favorable, saying it was a good "bridge" camera between compacts and full size SLRs. It is a good camera for a beginner to a serious amateur.

Reviews were found at: www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/z612.html
www.photoxles.com/kodak-z612-review.html
www.thinkcamera.com/news/article/mps/UAN/136/v/3/sp

Strengths: 1. Full exposure flexibility
2. Live Histogram
3. Built-in image stabilization.


Weakness: 1. Size. Small, but much larger than other compacts.
2. Shutter does not lock if Auto Focus cannot focus the shot.
3. Illogical placement of control buttons.

It is a good starter camera for family use, but will need to be upgraded for serious photography.
Hank
one of the pictures I took at Creamers Field. I enjoy taking some of my pics and using Corel Painter Essentials 4 to turn them into oil paintings. I will pick out the most outstanding feature of the painting and restore it to photographic media, in this case the bench, and leave the rest as on oil painting. When I enlarged the mench to do some of the details, I noticed that there was an engraving that I didn't even see when I took the picture.

Hank
Posted by Picasa

Creamer Field Photo Walk

Here are some of the pics I took at Creamer Field. They are JPEG and straight from the Camera.
Please feel free to comment.
Hank

Creamers Field Photo Walk


   

Check it out, my creamers field photo walk, pics, I do feel like I over edit them, but its what I like. 

A Brief Chat with Helen Levitt and a Few Other Things

Photo-Eye Magazine

A classic photographer and an insightful interview

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Picasa Web Albums - Cysewski - Creamer's Field C258 Field Trip

Picasa Web Albums - Cysewski - Creamer's Field C258 Field Trip

Here are my photographs from the photo walk today. The Black and White photographs are JPEG images. The color photographs are from RAW files. I shot using RAW+JPEG. I did Auto-Contrast and I am Feeling Lucky adjustments in Picasa. I also did a few adjustment to fill light for some of the Raw images. You can view the photographs as a slide show or in a full size series. Picasa Album is an excellent alternative to Flickr.

Creamers Field Photo Walk

Here are some of the pictures I took today. Please feel free to leave a comment.

Creamer's Field?

What happened? We were waiting at the farm house for people to show up. We waited for awhile and then eventually took off. I assumed that I was one of the last ones because I had to carry all my camera "stuff" to the car. When we were finishing the trail we ran into some people who were from the class. I am guessing that some people waited in the parking lot and others at the farm house. Next time I need to make sure that we coordinate our meeting place. I am learning and I am sorry that we did not all meet together. Next week back in town for the Gaffney, Wendel, Lacey street area.

Check out this link for the walk in spring time.
http://www.cysewski.com/photo/creamers2006/index.html
Check out this link for an entire year cycle at Creamer's field.
http://www.cysewski.com/wif/creamers2007/index.html
To see an earlier version of a yearly cycle check out this link
http://www.cysewski.com/photo/wandering2003/creamers/index.html

You might assume from these links that I really like this walk:)

Steve

Fall Photo and a Great Photographer

Here is a wonderful fall picture of Pennsylvania. I have lived in PA and the falls are absolutely beautiful. http://www.fallinpa.com/fallinpa/galleryPopup.jsp?photoID=8&whichGallery=2007

A friend of mine is a wonderful photographer of landscapes. I am awaiting his website url so it will be posted shortly. Thanks

An Article in Digital Photo Pro about sensors

If you want to understand sensors a little better, the title of this post links to a good article.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

Thinking back of the 5 photos I wish I would have taken would be:
1. Living in Florida it doesn't snow..well much! When I lived there, one winter it snowed. It was absolutely beautiful with the sun hitting it. It was a time that would be wonderful to be relived.
2. When my daughter was just 4 months old (about 6 lbs), my husband was deployed to Iraq. When he returned she was 8 mths and had doubled in size. I would give anything to be able to have captured the look on his face when he first saw her.
3. In ohio, my husband owns 44 acres of land that has barns, pens, and an old house on it. The mixture of these creates such a wonderful landscape to capture in pictures.
4. There are so many times I wish I would have been able to take pictures of the night sky. Between the Northern Lights and stars in the sky, it creates a wonderous landscape.
5. I wish I would have also taken a picture of my daughter taking her first steps. The look of accomplishment on her face was absolutely exhilerating.

Photos I wish I had taken

  1. Back when I was a sophomore in highschool, on the last day of school for the graduating seniors. They were all cheering and hugging in the commons. Unfortunately for me, the previous week, my good camera died. So i was there with this horrible point and shoot with the worst shutter delay in the world. I see two of my friends go up for a hug, one of them with their eyes full of tears with a huge smile on their face. I had the photo to be well framed and composed, I go to press the button, and nothing happens. So I didn't get the photo.
  2. Just two days after the first class I was driving by creamers field  at about 9:30 and there was such a pretty full moon, i wanted to stop by for some photos, but I didn't.
  3. About everyday in the spring and fall when I'm driving to school, i go by the golf course on farmers loop, they sky is often really pretty and that mixed in with the akward interstingness of the old radio tower right in the middle and the hills in the back ground, but ive never stopped to take pictures.
  4. 2 summers ago i was in new york and my friends and I decided to go take a walk downtown, I didn't expect to do much so i didn't bring a camera. I tell you what, thats the last time I made that mistake. We ended up going to rockefeller center and we went to the roof, the view was amazing, but I didn't have my camera.
  5. Whenever I pass by car wrecks everything looks so interesting, so traumatic, and the expression on peoples faces are so intense. I don't have a specific event to talk about, but I always feel like i should stop to take pics, but there's no practical ways to do it.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Single photograph

I saw this, it is simple and striking at the same time.

Second Assignment - pt.2

Here is the link to the Edward Curtis gallery. Ive looked at his photos over the last 6 years or so and continue to be captivated by his work.

Photographer I like is Ernst-Ulrich Schafter

I like Ernst Ulrich Schafter work in black and white. Always something different.

Second Assignment - pt.1

This is one of soooo many photos that are online and incredible. At 1st I was going to post one of a hundred nature shots that truely move me but I finally decided to show this Hubble photo. Wow!

A landscape photograph that I like

The title of this post should link you to a landscape photo that I like. It was taken in Wales.

a photographer that I like

Click on the link and it should take you to Howard Schatz's website. I love the grace in his underwater photographs.

First & Second Assignmnt

When I bought my camera last year (my '07 xmas gift to myself) was to learn more about taking good photographs. My camera is a point-and-shoot camera, but it has manual settings for aperature, ISO, and shutter speeds. Three things I know nothing about. I thought of this camera being a great one for a beginner. We camp a lot in the summer, and travel somewhere warm every winter. I want to be able to capture our trips better.

What photos do I wish i had taken?
1. Well, about two weeks ago, I was driving down Roland Road, and with the leaves changing and the sun hitting the hill just right. . .I wanted to take a picture, but didn’t have my camera. I have my camera with me all the time, but I can’t seem to get there when light was the way it was that day.
2. One winter during a trip to Mexico with all of our friends, one friend who dabbles in photography nominated himself to be the primary photographer for that trip. I brought my camera, but didn’t use it, since he was taking so many photos. That was three years, and we have yet to see those photos.
3. Every winter there is usually a day where the snow/frost covers each and every branch or twig of the trees. It so beautiful, but I never had my camera with me. This winter, I’m on it.
4. On a flight to Anchorage, it was a beautiful clear day when we flew past Mt. McKinley so the pilot moved in close and circled the peak. Oh how I wish I had my camera. It was awesome!
5. It was 3:00am and I woke up to find 3 great-horned owls sitting on my deck. I stood there for maybe 15 minutes, half-asleep, and completely in awe. But didn't even pull out the camera.

Favorite photo.
I have never forgotten this photo of the Afghan girl. . .it still comes to mind from time to time. Love those piercing green eyes.

Photographer Joey Goldsmith, love how he captures color

Annie Leibovitz, love how she captures people

If I Could Go Back...

When I was a senior in high school (1994) I had the opportunity to travel to Copenhagen, Moscow and St. Petersburg. As a kid more interested in looking cool and having fun, I did not take the hundreds of photos that I would have loved to have taken. Back then we were using regular 35mm cameras so I do not think I would have taken the thousands of digital photos that is so easy to take today, but I would have taken a whole lot more than I did. I wish I would have taken photos of everyday life. I remember that everything was grey and dreary; most of the people that I remember seemed sad. I wish I could look back today and see those photos. Was it really that dark and dreary? Were those people actually happy and I just remember it differently? I wish I could look back now and see - I wish I would have taken those pictures.

5 photos i wish i had taken

1. when i was 15 i got to meet Hugh Hefner and i did not have a camera so that was a moment i lost.

2. While traveling to Alaska i looked out my window and got a great view of Mt. McKinley i did not think to get a pic of it till hours later.

3. At best friends wedding i did not bring my camera i have allot of photos that the photographer took but known of what i got to see.

4. A year ago i was in Iraq and while traveling to a crashed plane we got to go threw allot of little towns and see allot of another countries people at the time it meant nothing however 3 days later on our way back one of the towns was gone, the US had destroyed it because it was a bomb making facility. i wish i would have gotten some of the last photos to share with the pilots and other crew that help fight the war.

5. I have been a fan of motocross my whole life and last year i went to the US open i dropped my camera before we even got to our seats so i never got to take any pics of the event.

Ansel Adams my favorite photographer

Ansel adams is my favorite artist. i love how he uses all the shades of black and white.
this is my favorite photo.

http://www.anseladams.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1964

Exploring Digital Photography Lesson 1

This is a picture I did not take of the sky on 9/11, it was full of thousands little puffy sky- blue pink clouds, as if it was the souls of those who died that day.

This is a picture I did not take of my two dogs in the yard playing catch with a mouse...

This is a picture I did not take of my sisters first time trying to sew a dress for her daughter, it turned out except my niece would have to be a double amputee as there were no arm holes.

This is a picture I did not take of a kitten riding on the side of a dog, just hanging onto the fur and the dog not having a clue the kitten was there.

This is a picture I did not take of a man blowing into a French horn and flour come flying out onto his face.

Episode 28, Intro to Color Management on Vimeo

Episode 28, Intro to Color Management on Vimeo
Excellent Video on the concept of color management.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Black Star Rising - Model Releases and Your First Amendment Rights

Black Star Rising - Model Releases and Your First Amendment Rights
Protecting our rights to photograph, protecting our right of free speech is a constitutional duty. Knowing what your rights are can give you the confidence to protect your rights. In a later class we will talk a little about the right to photograph, but I just found this web log post and wanted to share it now. This summer there were a few times when I was challenged about my photography, buy knowing my rights I had the confidence to explain the basis of what I am doing.

Check out the PopPhoto Photography Hall of Shame for some other challenges to our opportunity to take photographs.

Five Photographs I wish I Took

#1. There isn't just one in peticular, but I found a few i like of the 9/11 tragedy. I think the photography that came out of this disaster is amazing. It was like for that one moment, it didn't matter if you were white, hispanic, asian, or african, if you were gay or striaght, at this one moment people came togather and helped those they didn't know. they came togather and cried in the street over all the lives that were taken. I would give anything to be there on that street, with a lot of memeory cards and batteries that is.
http://www.theblackday.org/5.htm
http://www.theblackday.org/14.htm
http://www.theblackday.org/38.htm

#2. Also comes from the 9/11 tagedy. It's a similar replica to a photograph taken during World War II by Joe Rosenthal. The fire fighters raising the flag. What's interesting is the photograph in World War II has been back and forth argued that it was staged, there's a link for the story on it at the Associated Press website
http://www.theblackday.org/40.htm
http://www.thedctraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/iwo-jima-flag-raising-wwii.jpg

http://www.associatedpress.com/pages/about/pulitzer/rosenthal.html

#3. This is a series of photographs a frind of mine sent me a link to. It's vintage underwater photography and i think it's pretty awsome. I love to 50s. and I wish I could have taken these just to be able to be in that time period and work with basic euipment producing amazing photographs.
http://www.t-six.com/showthread.php?p=236239

#4. Marilyn Monroe. the famous street corner photo "The Seven Year Itch" . I love Marilyn. If i did any kind of model/fashon photography I would want to do that same style. She was classy yet sexy, she had real shape, didn't weigh 80 pounds and think it was prettier. Marilyn was beautiful, I would have loved to photograph her.
http://marilynmonroepages.com/Timeline_files/syi_dress.jpg
http://www.luc.edu/wla/images/SevenYearItch.jpg

#5. I realy like Robert Frank, there's a lot of amazing photographs in his book called "the Americans". I can't really think of any one photo. They are all pretty amazing.
http://www.lawrenceimpey.com/brandt/3.htm

One Photograph I like

I really like Robert Frank's work. There's on in peticular that i really love. It's called "Sick of Goodbyes" I love this picture because I can relate to it. It's slightly eerie and dark, but that's a strong part of this photograph and the meaning behind it. i love incorperating words into photography, even though its more posed and set up, and i am also a big fan of street and candid photography, i love photographing certain words with odjects as was of expression.

http://www.desordre.net/photographie/photographes/robert_frank/sick_of_goodbys.jpg

Influential Photographers

I've always loved Donna Farrato. She does a lot of street photography that is awsome, but my favorite work that she has done is published in a book called "Living With the Enemy". It's amazing. She captures the reality behind the doors of living with domestic violence.
http://www.abuseaware.com/index2.php
http://www.donnaferrato.com/gallery_street.php
I also love Andy Goldsworthy. I love how he combines mediums, creating masterpieces out of the raw material the earth provides, and is able to capture them with photography.
http://www.goldsworthy.cc.gla.ac.uk/
Another one is Harold Finster. He does a lot of industrial photography in different countries that is just amazing.
http://www.hfinster.de/StahlArt2/archive-en.html

Photographers that I admire

Ansel Adams is what got me into photography. His work is one word.....amazing.

I subscribe to these blogs
Patrick J. Endres http://alaskaphotographics.blogspot.com/ (Fairbanks photog)
Julie Poole http://juliepoole.blogspot.com/ (Canine and Equine photog)
Ron Niebrugge http://www.my-photo-blog.com/ (Alaskan photog)
Shelley Paulson http://blog.shelleypaulson.com/ (Portrait, Equine and Wedding photog)

5 Photos I wish I had taken - LP

  1. In August this year I had to drive my husband to Anchorage for surgery. On the way back, the tundra had just started to turn and was drop dead gorgeous. I did stop for one picture but regret not stopping again...missed out on once in a lifetime shots of high mountian country fall colors with dark sky backgrounds and sun shining through rain clouds.
  2. My husband and I have been together for 18 years but only have a handful of pictures of either of us when we were younger. Wish I had taken more pictures back when we first met etc.
  3. When I had to put my first dog to sleep, it dawned on my that I had not taken an updated picture of her in the last few years. By then, of course, it was too late. I now make sure to take pictures of all of our pets at least once a year as you never know what will happen and I had a lot of guilt that the only pictures that I had were four years before she died.
  4. Taking the time to stop and take those pictures that I drive by because I'm on my way to work, or going somewhere....it's really about taking the time to photograph what you see so you can remember it... I've passed up sunsets, beautiful clouds, moose, geese, wildlife, unusual panoramas, and items that interest me. I've passed them all up, sometimes on a daily basis.
  5. When I was in high school, my mother and I would go out and look at the Aurora when they were out when my dad was working on the Slope. One night, we drove up to the West Ridge to check them out (this was before all those lit up buildings were there and it was a GREAT place to watch. The Aurora starting crackling and turned into a circular pattern. I've never seen it in my life like that before. It was so loud and close...you could almost touch it. Wish I had taken a picture then.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

one photograph that I like

I like this photo not because of "wow its nice" but because it gives me certain feelings when I looked at it.
http://www.dykinga.com/IMAGES/Pages/Wyoming.html#8

5 photos I wish I had taken

1. Abby caught a fish - It was late in the afternoon, I was fishing with my husband and my dog (Abby). Abby dipped her head down in the water and caught a pink salmon with her mouth and took the fish to the shore.
2. Avalanche - It was in Valdez, I was walking my dog and I heard this loud rumbling sound. I was wondering what it was until I saw few people looking up then I saw the file of snow sliding down from the mountain behind me, it was amazing. I always wonder though how it would turn out in the picture..
3. Northern lights - It was in Valdez and I believe it was in the year 2001. The northern lights was all over the sky and the color was shades of red and orange. The best northern lights I've ever seen so far.
4. San Francisco Pictures - I wish I would have taken my own pictures in San Francisco that my husband took and Accidentally deleted it from His camera.
5. Trucking along - When we arrived in General Santos City, in Philippines, a large fruit hauling truck was waiting there for us with a full load of family and friends, about 30 people.. They traveled 3 hours down from the mountain to met us then we all went down to the beach resort. I only took partial photo of the truck and the people in it but not the whole effect.




Photographer that I like

http://www.gregfosterphoto.com/
I think he does a pretty good job capturing photos and I like the way he organized his pictures.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Picasa User Tutorials and Videos

A good resource for working with Picasa.

Photographer I admire:

I am impressed with Ami Vitale:
Her images are, in my opinion, very well done. Close scrutiny suggests considerable “darkroom” work” that doesn’t change the image’s statement but enhances it. Art schools teach to “simplify and exaggerate” and I believe that is what she does. Subtle vignetting and subduing of extraneous or distracting areas turn her “news reporting” photographs into art and a pleasure to look at.

Photo Walk Ideas for October 4th and 11th.

I am looking for ideas for the Photo Walk for October 4th and October 11th. Any ideas? If so post them as comments to this post.

Exploring Digital Photography CIOS 258 Lessons and Links: Stephen Cysewski

Exploring Digital Photography CIOS 258 Lessons and Links: Stephen Cysewski
The Lessons and Links resources and the course handout are ready for the class this Saturday.

Photographers are their own worst editors

I good description of the process of selecting and editing photographs. From Jan Klier's Photo Journey web log.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Five Photos I didn't take

This is a picture I did not take:
1) At the Russian River. The evening was late and the ferry was loading up for the last trip to the highway side of the river. One young man had his hands full with tackle box, rod, ice chest and such accoutrement as is necessary to catch salmon and so stuffed his catch into the waders he was still wearing, the fish tails slapping his stomach as he walked.

2) A memorial pot-luck at the Circle K one otherwise dull Sunday afternoon. An older gentleman with a voluminous brown and gray beard had leaned his folding chair back against the wall and was eating cashews from a bowl that rested on the mound of his stomach. He chewed with such gusto that his beard jumped and darted so that it looked like a squirrel was humping his face.

3) My Arkansas high school summer nights were spent at the intersection of Highways 9, 330, and 65 working a twelve hour, solo night shift at the Choctaw Texaco station. On slow nights, I'd lay on the hood of my car and listen to the radio. Chicago's WLS would fade in and out of the AM dial, or WSN from Wheeling, West Virginia. WWL broadcast, "... from the ballroom of some hotel in New Orleans and was for me a last resort as I didn't much care for ball room music but was preferable to the damnations and sulfurous threats offered out of tiny radio stations and minds in Oklahoma. At midnight, 50,000 watt, clear channel, K- double A-Y from Little Rock kicked in "Bleaker Theater" and I'd listen to “Fall of the House of Usher” or “War of the Worlds” and watch bats swoop and dive at the dusty moths fluttering and bumping into the brightly lit big red Texaco Star.

4) I bought a used pickup in Minneapolis and was driving it to northern Wisconsin on a terribly cold winter’s night. The sky that night had little depth and seemed more an indigo colored tent whose center pole was a big yellow moon the color of sheep's teeth which evoked a quiet intimacy- much as being six years old and under bed blankets with a flashlight. Somewhere between Range and Ladysmith a small farm house sat darkened except for through a window was visible was a large, flat screen TV displaying some movie. The TV’s image was sharp with good color but the violent silence of jerking from scene to scene was off putting and, when viewed from the open-ness of the northern plains, seemed unremarkable and puny.

5) I get to deliver eviction notices… once, in a drizzle, I approached C-4, the door was open but I stood to one side and knocked on the door frame. A female voice said, "Yeah?" She was sitting at a table, staring at the wall, wearing sad, pink shorts from which extended sallow legs with bad circulation and tapering to feet with hard, pointy orange nails like anemic carrots. Her once white tank top had the tired softness of much wear and many washings. Two thin trails of smoke rose and intertwined caduceus like from a cigarette which had an inch of drooping ash. I held out the envelope saying, "This was left at the office for you." On her upper arm was tattooed a sun extending a dozen rays. She moved her cigarette to the other hand, ash falling on the table, and took the envelope. "Bye," I said. She said nothing….

www.beyondmegapixels.com/

This looks like an excellent site to subscribe to. Use Google Reader to get the RSS feed and you will be notified as new posts are made. The information looks solid and practical. Recommended. The two most recent posts are about hyperfocal distance and using the histogram.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Photographer I Like

I have enjoyed the work of Ansel Adams since I was a teenager.

Photograph I like

The picture of the frogs, second picture, is fantastic.

Five Pictures I Did Not Take

1. Last Summer, in the slough behind our house, there was a large white swan swimming with several ducks. By the time I ran in the house and got my camera, they had gone around the bend and were out of sight.

2. Our resident moose, who had spent her first winter huddled by our house after her mother was killed, had her first calf last year. She proudly walked it up to our kitchen bay window as if to pose for pictures. The battery in my camera was dead and I missed the shot.

3. While on vacation in D.C. this past summer, there were several severe wind storms - knocking out power and downing trees. The house around the corner from my brother-in-laws house had a large tree crash through the roof and second story.

4. Years ago, the Oscar Mayer "Wierner Mobile" came to Fairbanks. As a child growing up in Milwaukee, I had seen it many times and had even ridden in it. I came to the store that I was working at, but I had forgotten to bring my camera that day.

5. When the KC-135 exploded on the runway at Eielson, I was working not far from the flightline. The explosion was heard for miles and the flames shot high in the air. This would have been a great photo experience.

5 Photographs that I wish I had taken

#1 - Mother black bear and three cubs - We were driving down the Parks Highway and I had just put my camera down after having held it for several hours in the hopes of seeing wildlife. Suddenly we came around a curve and there they were, a sow and three cubs, lined up across the road. They were gone before I was able to get my seatbealt off and the camera turned on and focused.

#2 - Rainbow in the clouds - I was driving my husband home from North Pole. I looked up at the sky and there was a small cloud drifting in front of larger clouds. This one small cloud was like a puffy rainbow floating across the sky. Were we were at, i did not have a safe place to pull over and I missed it. I may never have the chance of seeing that again.

#3 - An Accident on Danby and the Johansen - The other day I was driving to Barnes and Noble and we came up on a serious accident at the stop light for Danby and the Johansen. I had the urge to stop and take pictures, but I passed it by as I have always disliked ambulance chasers and did not want to seem to be one of those type of people. However, I also missed getting some very interesting and dramatic photos.

#4 - A two particular photos at my son's graduation - In a way this falls into the category of a missed and a failed photograph. Because my husband works at the same high school his children go/went to, he is eligible to hand their diplomas to them at their graduations. My camera did not focus fast enough and I missed the moment when Scott handed Scotty his diploma, and the photograph of the hand shake that came after it was blurry. I will NEVER have that moment again and I am still upset that I missed catching it for my husband.

#5 - Adam and Alan - When I was about 13 two of my cousins perished in a fire. Adam and Alan were twins, and were only four years old when they started a fire in their bedroom with an old lighter. The day before most of us cousins (and there are a lot of us) had been at my grandmother's house. I was trying to get pictures of everyone with my little 110. I never managed to get both of them to stand still at the same time. I did manage to get them separately, each wearing their "twin shirts." One said I'm Alan on the front and He's Adam on the back, the other was the opposite. It is a picture no one had ever gotten, and no one ever will.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

5 photos I wish I had taken

Photo one: "candles burn out" The night my boyfriend had surprised me with a candle light picnic was one of the best nights of my life, but than the same time the worst because I didn't remember to grab a camera. People tell me "its just a memory" but I would of loved to capture it.

Photo two: "after the -i do's- was a I-don't" My first wedding I shot was one in the family, my oldest sister was marrying the man of her dreams. At the time I was just shooting with a point and shoot. I did bring two in case anything happened.. however... before the beautiful bride walked down the isle, the battery died in one. Than as soon as the service was over, the other camera fell off my chair and broke. My heart was shattered as well. I didn't capture the bubbles, the call pulling away... those moments where lost. This still bothers me to this day!

Photo three: "fail to fall" My family and I took a vacation this last summer to Portland Oregon. As we were shuffling family members from car to car, and getting them dropped off at their final locations, I was separated from my camera case on the way to Multnomah Water fall. It of course was going to be the day I catch the double rainbows bouncing off the eye pleasing waterfall. -Needless to say this ruined my day, knowing I couldn't capture this.

Photo four: "Bam-Damn" This summer I was walking in Fred Meyer's to my car, and as soon as i ducked inside my seat, a car BLEW UP in the intersection right in front of me! Once the smoke had recited the owner of the vehicle popped the hood and flames came billowing out! I knew if I had been there with my camera the news paper would of loved that.

Photo five: "favorite tree" I have a favorite tree here in town, its on College Rd. They now have it all strung with Christmas lights thats stay on year round. One day I was out for a drive and the sun was beaming across this tree so perfectly, I had really wished my camera was at my side! Never again would I catch that lighting, I can't even remember what time of year that was now.

Wandering In Fairbanks: Stephen Cysewski

Wandering In Fairbanks: Stephen Cysewski
You can see many of the places we visited today on this web site. I post a Wandering In Fairbanks series each year. I also have a Wandering In Fairbanks web log at http://wanderinginfairbanks.blogspot.com/

Interior Alaska Photography Club

You can go to this site to subscribe to the Fairbanks Photographers Group. It is an excellent site for meeting other Fairbanks Photographers.

Break Dance Competition Fairbanks

 

Duh Again!
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CIOS 258 Web Log Demo



Duh!

Friday, September 12, 2008

A shot you have not gotten yet...

Here is a thread on Photo.net about the difference between seeing with your eyes, or imagining in your mind, and taking an actual photograph. We will be discussing this challenge in the 9/13 class.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Moving Toward Manual Settings: Understanding Basic Daylight Exposure and Equivelant Exposure

Moving Toward Manual Settings: Understanding Basic Daylight Exposure and Equivelant Exposure
This is an excellent, simple, and clear explanation of exposure. Check all the links. This will be a good antidote to the explanation that I will give on Saturday 20th :)

If you use Google Reader you can subscribe to an RSS feed from the Digital Photography School.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

New Course Syllabus and Web Site URL

I am moving the CIOS 258 course web site to my own domain. The new URL is http://www.cysewski.com/digitalphotography/

The old web site at
http://www.faculty.uaf.edu/ffsdc/syllabus/index.html
will not longer be updated.