Not so proud

So Friday is my last class. I have one more exam AND the FREE assignment. But I don't know how to feel about my shoot. Often I have a certain feeling about a shoot. Sometimes that means I love my photo's, I cherish my photos and am proud of my photos. But this time I am just not sure, I am certainly not proud. Often I am so hard on myself. Feeling that nothing is good about my photo's. I've been busy, so very busy that I feel I did not give it my best shot. I just showed my photo's to a colleague, he's got an eye for these things and he was more positive about the shoot than I am. Still, I'd like to post the photo's and see what you think. Honestly, there are 2 options: 1 is that you will help me see what I've done and be proud of it, maybe it's not that bad after all..... or 2: it's really that bad. Please feel free to be honest with me, if you think it's really not that good, please let me know. If this simply does not add up for a last assignment, please let me know. Not that I have that much time left, but I could still make something happen tomorrow or Thursday morning. I need a series of 8 so pick your favs if you have any (I think 5 might be usable out of this series.) I did several shoots in the fields and I think I like the fog series the best. Combining 2 shoots doesn't really work in my opinion for the lighting is very different and thus the atmosphere so I will also get up at 5 am tomorrow morning to see if I can get some more shots, in the morning fog. As far as my camera goes, it's a bit challenging, but it's holding up. I also did not do any editing. So here we go:

OH NO!

I saw it coming..... my camera is no longer serving me. I really is a mess. It started months ago where the camera would take pictures all on it's own, no one touching the button. I went back to the store but they said they would have to take the camera in, of course, but what they couldn't tell me is how long they would have to take it in. How long would it take to check out my camera and fix it? "Oh, well....." they said, ".....anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months." WHAT, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? (This is very typical for service in Holland, no service at all.) Here I am in the middle of photography classes with weekly assignments, I could not miss my camera that long. Loaning camera's while they fix camera's is really not provided unless you own multiple bodies. And so the only option was to drive all the way across country (I know Holland is small so going across country really doesn't take that long, but still driving 3 hours to and 3 hours back is 6 hours total, not including the always present traffic jams.) to have it checked out by the national Nikon fix it place. But I simply didn't have the time and so the store told me to try and stick it out with the camera until I could make the time. Well, I still don't have the time but it's time for the camera I take it to the doctor or even get a replacement. It still takes photo's on it's own, it empties the batteries as soon as I put fully charged batteries in (and I only have 2), and now it won't let me focus anymore, great for picture taking?! The worse part of it all is that I have my final photo assignment this week. I am hoping my camera will pull through, but I don't think it will.

IHeartFaces - Kids - Let's hear it for the boys

IHeartFaces is all about boys this week, due to Fathers Day which we celebrated past Sunday.

I bring in my handsome nephew. He is in his last days of Elementary school and getting cooler by the day. It's fun seeing him transform as he reaches and is getting ready for High School.

5 am

5 am and I am wide awake. I am telling myself to turn around and go back to sleep. But once I am awake, I am awake, no stopping it. And I felt really awake for the time, 5 am?! I also felt like it was good to get up. Especially when I heard the birds singing. I was ready and I thought about all I could experience outside at 5 am. No one's up except for the animals. "What if I get up, throw on some clothes and go to the cows?" "Noooo, I have a workday ahead of me, it's too early." But I got up anyway and once I looked outside and saw the beautiful dew hanging above the grass I knew for sure, I would grab my camera and go out. I was out by 5.05 am, yes lots of thinking within 5 short minutes.

... and the teacher says...

Short / Select depth of field:

They were all okayed. He loved the bamboo shot the best since you couldn't really tell at which angle it was taken.

Movement following the moving person/subject with camera:

Those were not okayed. He felt I used the wrong shutter speed since the person was in focus, he would have loved to see some movement, and there fore my background needs to be blurry. I will just sit at the end of my drive way today and try capturing a biker or car.

Movement where the camera is held still:

He loved the jumping shot and was just what he wanted!

Dynamic:

This ended up being really interesting. The down side to photography school is that others will not agree with what you come up with and adore. So in the end, your style is criticized. I think photography, besides technique, is a feeling, it is creative and who can criticize that. When my heart is totally into a photo it is hard to agree to re-take a certain photo. I get it when you need to do things over because you didn't use the right techniques but there are lots of opinions that are hard to take in. I was lucky with my dynamic photo's because I took many, thinking there would be at least one okayed. I worked hard on my dynamic photo's, going to different locations, so my heart was totally into it. I loved what I came up with, the stairs is a cool shot and the trees I love. But the 2 I liked best (and some of you liked the most as well) were not his choice. He would not have let me passed the assignment with the Trees and the Stairs (the focus in the tree photo was on the tree trunk which I chose on purpose, he would have like the focus on the top of the tree, drawing your eyes better into the photo.) When I showed him the boat he got happy. "Now that is Dynamic" he said. Awwwwrrrr, I like the others better. Many students had to re-do their Dynamic photo.

A flat photo, making something flat that in reality had depth to it:

He thought the stairs were fun and got through right away. He would also have okayed the flower shot as well, except I have a better one that I posted.

Great depth of field:

I now get what he wanted with this. My photo's were okayed though. But the assignment was to take a photo with a great depth of field, meaning it draws you. I thought it also had to be a photo where everything needed to be in focus, but that is not the case. The photo had to give you a feeling you are going somewhere. He thought the car photo was better than the walkway near the wall, but I could have chosen a better angle, more side ways. Oh, and I showed him my photo of the subway, one that I also did not post, and that photo was really what he meant. It looks like the one I posted, the lining is great and shows there is great depth.

Overall:

While this course is coming to an end, I am happy I took it. I learned a great deal, it was awesome. I will probably take more classes cause it's just a great help, it helps me grow. It also helps me to keep going with this and not be taken over by merely work.

Replacement Assignment 2

After some helpful input from Jenna and Anna Mae I was able to replace some photos. I really wasn't getting that last assignment.

I needed to take a photo of something that in reality has depth and make it into a flat photo.

This is what I came up with, much better I think. Know what it is? Stairs at a hotel where I had a meeting this morning.

Nikon D80 - 18-200mm Lens - Taken: Manuel / Shutter 1/100 / Aperture 8.0 / @ 200mm Vocal Length

And the next photo needed to be a photo with a great depth of field and this is what I did.

Nikon D80 - 18-200mm Lens - Taken: Manuel / Shutter 1/30 / Aperture 22.0 / @ 18mm Vocal Length

Nikon D80 - 18-200mm Lens - Taken: Manuel / Shutter 1/25 / Aperture 22.0 / @ 18mm Vocal Length

Do you think it's better?

And which Dynamic photo do you like? I have to hand in everything tomorrow so I'd love to see what you find and maybe it helps deciding which photo's to hand in and which ones not.

I also have my first exam tomorrow, I am exhausted and haven't studied at all. There is no way I have any energy left to study. No matter how disappointed I am with this, I can't do more and will have to see what tomorrow brings. I am not very confident.

Assignment 2

Wow, this was a huge assignment and due to the business it was a last minute job, though taken seriously. The assignments were more about dynamics and techniques, not easy.

Photo's with a short depth of field

Photo's with movement - Following the moving subject/person, thus the person in action in focus and background out of focus

Photo's with movement - Holding the camera steady, thus moving person out of focus/blurry and background in focus

Photo's - Dynamic

And the last assignment I am not getting,

1. Photo with no depth of field (I am getting that one I think).

Use Focus length 200mm.

2. Photo with great depth of field/lots in focus (?????) > if anyone can help me with this...????

I guess use Focus length 18mm.

Nature

That Nature challenge really got me going. I had to leave early for work but I didn't want to get to work without first getting into my hobby. Besides, being in nature is a great start of the day.

So here goes Nature in my yard:

I found this spider's house. If I was quiet enough he'd come out and show himself. It was really cool!

Mom, this one's for you. I know you were telling me they are all over the place, for sale in many stores, but that they weren't growing in my yard just yet. You can come over soon and pick as many as you like. With all the recent rain they popped up just like that!

IHeartFaces - Adults-Sepia

And of course I have to enter IHeartFaces for the Adult photo as well. Adults can be nice in Sepia too.

IHeartFaces - Kids-Sepia

IHeartFaces is about Sepia. Here is my Kids entry, am not sure if it's just one face you have to show or whether I can do this. I just love lots of happy faces all together: