christmas cookies

Almost every year (I am pretty sure) we head over to some friends house for a Christmas cookie making/decorating party.  For me this means eating cookies and making photos...and less of the decorating cookies part, but I am ok with that.

see all the images here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150549782217065.425945.647092064&type=3

a christmas blogpost

Merry Christmas!
Hoping that your hollidays bring you reminders of a blessed year.

The above images were actually for this blog post at InterVarsity.org
http://www.intervarsity.org/blog/better-beard-christmas

One of my many photography duties here at InterVarsity is to create some of the images used in this blog, about half if I count right.  This can sometimes be as simple as a book cover photographed in an intriguing way, or somethink specific...like a photoshoot of the Christma Beard.  This shoot was fun because of its simplicity in concept (and lighting; a single 20"x20" sofbox, great for headshots at close range by the way) as well as the "talent." Thanks Adam, you really made the shot "work."

last images from the cabin

OK, so I took several photos at our Thanksgiving Cabin Extravaganza.  Here are my last images that I feel I just want to share...but don't fit into one of the last several posts.

macro for a new perspective

If I am going to stay in one location for a while, I know that I will end up getting bored.  Well, bored is not the right word, I will become familiar with the location and need a change of perspective.  Since I see photographically more than I think I want to admit, macro photography is a great way for me to look at my surroundings different.  One afternoon when I was feeling a bit "familiar" with my surroundings, I grabbed the macro and walked around outside...a total of about 35 yards in just under an hour looking for little hidden perspectives.

Here is a little explanation, although I didn't use flash this time...but now that I think about it, it would have added an extra element that I think could have kept me out photographing longer and possible create some compelling images.

games

Sarah's family likes games, specially when we are trapped and isolated staying at a cabin for 7 days.  The epic moment was completing "the most challenging puzzle we have ever done."  - Sarah's Mom; the professional puzz-ler

camera button friday: bad weather photo

I have talked before about how light is important to photography.  It may seam that I am about to contradict myself, but hear me out.  Sometimes, bad weather (not necessarily bad light) can create really great photography.  My favorite is dense fog but heavy snow or rain can add a lot of drama.  The trick is getting out in it and then keeping your gear dry.

I was reminded of this at our recent Thanksgiving Cabin Adventure; there was a some interesting weather that made photography more fun.

Yes the fog and the rain doesn't show up a lot in these photos, but it does make for a unique mood that I tend to like better. (Especially when the landscape looks so dead.)  Having the great beautiful light can makes your landscape shots look like the front of a calendar, nothing wrong with that, but sometimes I really like the unexpected and moody feel of foul weather photography.

So this is not a contradiction, I still think good light is very important to photography.  Believe it or not there is great light here.  It is very diffused (because of the clouds) and therefore extremely soft.  Just be careful including the sky...and if you do, be ok with it becoming a white blanket.

(post processing hint: you may need to really boost your contrast and saturation.)

Just for kicks, here are a couple images from last year that fall into this category.