Week 35 ~ Glass

You know, perhaps I should have combined this post with the last, as I was still enthralled with the whole capturing water thang. While this week's theme was glass, I couldn't resist using some food colouring and a fast running tap (sorry Sydney Water...) to shoot even more images of water, this time - in a wine glass! And talk about a ghetto set up, the above shot was set up in the kitchen sink with the OCF pointing to the side of the sink and bouncing onto the glasses I had set up in the sink. Of course, the blur and bokeh is due to the Lensbaby Composer, a most magical lens.

The shot below used a similar set up, this time instead of the kitchen sink, I had the wine glasses placed within a white box and bounced the OCF away from the glasses thereby diffusing the light. Using selective focus, I wanted to convey the 'barely there' qualities glass can sometimes have:

If you are interested, the first image above is available for sale over at Red Bubble here.

Week 34 ~ Water

Just when you think photography can't possibly get any more addictive, you stumble upon the water drop technique. Not having time to shoot any other forms of "water" for this week's theme, I set about trying to capture a water drop in motion. The youtube tutorial below is the one I followed - very easy to understand and you don't require a lot of fancy-dancy equipment. I highly recommend you watch it and then gather all your gear and start having some fun:

The shot required very little editing, just some curves, levels and saturation alterations. Had I not filled the 8GB card, twice, I would have happily kept shooting for the rest of the evening. A little too addictive is this capturing of falling water drops... Especially when you think the next shot is going to be The Shot... Even though the dozens and dozens of shots you've already taken qualify as being The Shot! Here's another shot from the same session:

Go on, I dare you to watch the tutorial above and resist the urge to experiment with this technique! Try it out using food colouring, milk or other liquids.

These images are available for sale over at Red Bubble here and here as well as over at Artflakes, here.

PS. I know. This week is actually Week 42 and not week 34 at all. I'm simply trying to slow down time for you :)

Feature Monday - Fine Art Photography

The days fly by, the months fly by, our lives fly by if we're not careful. We need to remember to stop and enjoy the views around us and take in the sights and sounds that make up our every day. This week, there's a bit of a mix to my Feature Monday. The first image is by Dana DiPasquale, and maybe because I'm gripped with cold and can dream of nothing nicer than dipping my toes in that glorious golden water she has captured, it certainly holds an attraction to me - and it's surely warmer than where I am at the moment!





Another image that makes me dream of holidays spent in the sun, relaxing and catching up with family and friends - surely a most deliciously exotic location and captured beautifully by lallymac.

And while I'm daydreaming of warmer climes, why not daydream about other times - in this case, the '70's. With retro being all the rage at the moment, how fitting to capture the craze and shoot some simply '70's styled bowls, add some edgey cropping and you have a very hip-an-happening piece of wall art to impress your friends when next they visit! Very cleverly done by Nikki Trexel.

And finally, this image brings me crashing back to earth and what is reality in today's society. You can live in the most modern of societies, but that doesn't prevent parts of society from struggling to function in the way that society would like us to. This image by Rose Atkinson shows just where we as a society have succumbed, that we can simply walk by and carry on as though the crumpled lives sitting or lying propped against the city streets are simply ragged clothes and not fellow human beings.

Featured Artist - Mary Trebilco

A month ago, i was fortunate enough to conduct a brief on-line interview with the photographer, Mary Trebilco.  Mary displays her work on RedBubble as well as Flickr, and her specailty is flower and macro water droplet photos.  Below is a small sample of her work.

      

 

 

What camera do you use?

I use a Canon Powershot S3 IS, which a friend recommended to me a couple of years ago. As a total amateur, I was desperately in need of help choosing the right camera, so I’m grateful to him for pointing me in the right direction. I just love it…. although I have a lot to learn yet before I’ll get the most out of it.

What is your favourite colour?

Tough question, really… because (especially when it comes to photography) I love all colour – and it depends on the situation. When it comes to clothing, I’d have to choose burgundy. But I love being surrounded by warm tones (probably because I live in Tasmania), so I tend to decorate with burnt ochre/terracotta shades.

What triggered your love for Macro H2O images?

A friend introduced me to Flickr late last year, and I was absolutely enthralled with the brilliant macro water shots I saw there from some very talented artists (like Angelique Brunas. When I finally learned how to use the SuperMacro setting on my new camera, I was amazed to find that I could get close enough to capture refractions etc. It’s rather addictive once you start, isn’t it?!

4.What else do you like to photograph?

I love to capture sunrises, sunsets and other scenic shots, but my main love is macro… either water drops, feathers or flowers – especially flowers – but I love it even more when you can combine two or more of them!!

What are your inspirations when photographing?

Colour, colour, colour…. and light. I’m not a colourful person normally, but I’ve come to love capturing rich or bold colours in my photographs, and the right light on something pretty will stop me in my tracks.

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Travel the world (with my camera, of course) .... but I’m afraid I don’t have anywhere near enough money to do it with!! ;-)