G+ Advanced Mentorship - Playing with Long Exposure

One thing I am trying to get the hang on since a while is Long Exposure.
I've often played, but never have been persistent in trying.

Two days ago I took my Tripod with me. Since there was not much to shoot on my short walk, I took the opportunity to play a bit for the Mentorship program.

I set the lens settings from 'active' to 'normal' and turned also the 'image stabilization' off (as suggested by Ron).

I manually set the aperture on 22 and played through various shutter speeds and exposure compensations (i did the viewfinder thing, without looking at the display for a few images, but had to check to see what the results were).
Suggestion in my manual was to go with 'Bulb' setting (Shutter speed) for Long Exposures. That doesn't help me when I have very mixed conditions (gloomy day with bright snow). I had to set the ISO on very low and also maxed out the exp. comp to -5 (the darkest possible).

But heck, at least I can see now the milky softness that a long exposure can produce on running water.
That was my goal :-)
Easy for some, a tough one for me, for whatever reason ;-)

From G+ Advanced Mentorship for Photographers - Playbox

From G+ Advanced Mentorship for Photographers - Playbox

From G+ Advanced Mentorship for Photographers - Playbox

From G+ Advanced Mentorship for Photographers - Playbox

Photography Mentorship - Week 2 - Playing around

Collared Dove, Mayen Nette

So, yesterday I took my camera and my tripod out.
I mainly wanted to play with the idea Ron gave me about using 'aperture priority'.
I had the dogs with me and the weather sort of sucked (it wasn't snowing at that moment, but foggy and overcast).
On this photo I didn't use the Tripod yet, but I figured since Mrs Collared dove didn't fly away, I would at least fumble with the camera and try out the 'AP'.
It's not a killer sharp shot, but I can already tell the difference and that the camera is much smarter than me in choosing the right setting when it comes to aperture.
This will be interesting in the future. Maybe I get the hang of it this way ;-)

#365 - 2013 #006 / Down the river Styx

From 365 - 2013

#365-2013 / 005 - Step by Step

Step by Step - leads to understanding

From 365 - 2013

Week 1 of the Mentorship program is already over.
Hard to believe.
This time it was more reflecting and writing about oneself, instead of taking photos. It's a good start. Putting things into words that effect me personally isn't my greatest strength.
At least I got back to taking Photos. And having fun doing so :-)

For the ones interested, we had to write an open letter to Ron, our mentor in the mentorship program.

Here's what I put together:

Dear Ron,

During the past few months I have lost my mojo and I hadn’t picked up the camera in weeks. I expect the program to motivate me again, which it already did.

Other than that I want to learn to see things differently, or show them differently. That was one major step stone during the last mentorship program and I expect that we can look forward to something similar this time.

I want to be able to show the magic I see in nature better, than I did  in the last few years. Maybe via techniques or via correcting things I do wrong in camera usage (wrong lens aperture, ISO, etc.). Not sure if the latter will be part of the program, but I am sure whatever comes along will help me in the future.

I am currently struggling with showing the magic. I am showing nature, I am showing photos, I assume people like, but I am missing something in them. It would be great to find better ways and options to get them in there.

Since 2004 I have seldom let my camera out of my hands. I find it fascinating to show people the world I live in. Be it the nature, wildlife, architecture, animals or decay. At first it helped me remember the places we had been to, stories to go along with the photos. It soon developed into something more. I wanted to show beautiful photos with a bit more artsy skill behind them. I looked at how others did it and soon developed my own ways a bit farther down the road from simple snap shooting. I still love to show the world around me and that is why the camera usually isn’t far from me.

I love to shoot nature (landscapes, wildlife – usually birds, macro). I would really love to dig deeper into this subject by getting the ‘right’ gear for great bird photos and landscape photography.

I also like architecture in cultures, hence old buildings, temples, monuments, etc. and people from various cultures. I am not exactly good at architectural photos though and a bit shy when it comes to Portraits.

If money weren’t’ an issue, I would start a class in photography to learn it from scratch, I would get the best gear I could lay my hands on afterward and would travel the world. I would capture the wild nature of places, the cultural heritage and it’s people. Before it gets all lost due to human stupidity.

As far as Self discovery goes, the pattern I can find is, that nature always has been a part of my photography. Trees in all forms, flower, insect close ups, wildlife in general. Colours were usually ‘normal’ tones, pretty close to the natural vista (not over saturated, etc.) and cropping changed only in bits with developing skill and eye. I was also drawn to architecture (houses, monuments, way crosses). Usually something out of the ordinary catches my eyes, some decay, something quirky and I feel like capturing it – or try at least.

As for the pinning part, I am drawn to beautiful images with colours and some sort of magic in them. Great clarity and crisp details. Speed pinning draws me pretty much to the same photos. In the few Portraits I have pinned, it’s the personality of the people and also the crispness and quality that has drawn me. Those were usually fascinating characters where the photo alone already talks a volume.

 Here's the link to said Pinterest board:

http://pinterest.com/nicolebphoto/inspiration/

And here's a link Ron provided us with, well worth the 10 minutes watching for anyone who is into photography:

http://www.zarias.com/transform-a-short-film-for-scottkelbycom/

#365 / 2013 - 004 / Frozen

It's drizzling snow since early this morning.
The river is freezing closed from all directions
and the dogs are having fun ;-) 

Frozen from the ground

From 365 - 2013

From 365 - 2013

Snowwoman

From 365 - 2013

We met a friend

From 365 - 2013

Lilly and King :-)

From 365 - 2013

From 365 - 2013

From 365 - 2013

Play with me - anyone!

From 365 - 2013

From 365 - 2013

#365 2013 #002 Freizeitzentrum Mayen

This morning I’ve walked a path I’ve walked many times before.

Huge icycles below the Viadukt

From 365 - 2013

I’ve also taken photographs here many times.

Smaller ice blossoms

From 365 - 2013

That is possibly one of the reasons I have left the camera at home these past few weeks.

Strange tree trunks and folks asking me what the heck's so interesting here ;-)

From 365 - 2013

The feeling that I cannot capture new things.

Strange tree trunks and folks asking me what the heck's so interesting here ;-)

From 365 - 2013

Or the feeling that I cannot capture the Beauty adequately. 

Moos und Schiefer = Heimat

From 365 - 2013

Meaning I take the photos with the wrong camera settings (exposure, etc.) and being disappointed with myself when viewing them at home.

Fairy caves

From 365 - 2013

BORED!

From 365 - 2013

More strange trees and fairy caves

From 365 - 2013

More strange trees and fairy caves

From 365 - 2013

I will try not to fall into a slump again and instead just shoot with trial and error, sometimes use heavy editing and come along with a result that looks utterly different from what I have seen. 

Just home

From 365 - 2013

Which is what I did before too, but for some reason I stopped enjoying it.

Fantasy Reality

From 365 - 2013

With the new mentorship program on its way, I will open my mind again and just enjoy whatever I come up with.

Scrubby du

From 365 - 2013

Visit from Holga

From 365 - 2013

Kloster Helgoland voraus

From 365 - 2013

It’s not perfect photography . It probably never will be. But it’s me.

Trial and error

From 365 - 2013

#365 2013 #001 Fish tales

Where we tried to find the fishies

From 365 - 2013

Well, well.
There's 2013 and I have almost missed it ;-)
Hubby was here for 2 weeks, brought him to the airport this morning.
I will most likely follow in 4 weeks.
Kuwait, what else ;-)
At least for a little while (uhm,...)

Ice, ice , Baby

From 365 - 2013

Today was the first time in weeks that I picked up the camera.
Idiot me didn't even take it while hubby was here.

Just reflecting

From 365 - 2013

The weather sucked for photos (then AND today).

Silly pooch

From 365 - 2013

More silly pooch

From 365 - 2013

Anyway, I wanted to capture the places where we spent some fun time these last two weeks.
Playing with the silly dogs and huge sticks, watching for fish that weren't there, teasing the ducks (not with King usually).

Watching the ducks, King using my moment of distraction for an (by me) unwanted swim

From 365 - 2013

So, I am doing a 365 project again, I almost made it through last year (even though I haven't posted the ones I took for a long time).
I am not restricting myself to one pic this time, I'll just post what I want :-)

I also got on board of the Advanced Mentorship for photographers program by the awesome  and my mind is still blown away by having this great opportunity again!
Glad he accepted me and that even though I hadn't checked my mail for a week. Me bad ;-)
I am looking forward to work with the camera again. And of course to work with Ron and the Gang :-)

A wee bit sad,..., but heck another 4 weeks won't kill me,...

From 365 - 2013

Winterwonderland

oder: Spaziergang heute morgen :-)

From Germany

From Germany

From Germany

From Germany

From Germany

From Germany

From Germany

From Germany

From Germany

From Germany

From Germany

#365 - 233 / Nettetal (vor Riedener Muehlen)