More Winning Photos at SMCCC

We had a fairly difficult new photo judge last week for April’s St. Mary’s County Camera Club competition.  At the last minute, he tossed out one of my favorite dog photos, but kept my Eastern Screech Owl for Advanced Digital First prize and my photo of an Old Boat at St. Mary’s College of Maryland for third prize.  I liked the reflection of the autumn trees in the boat photo and the big eyes of the owl, the way its’ ears waved in the wind in front of the bokeh(BOH KAY or BOH KA) background (out of focus blur that sometimes looks like circles).  The 8 or 9 inch owl kept closing his eyes from the wind making it challenging to photograph.

Next month’s competition theme is St. Mary’s County.  Maybe I should have kept the photo for next month, but I have some others I can use.

Calm Reflections Photography's photostream

Calm Reflections Photography's photostream on Flickr.

I just started a new Flickr Photostream with some of mybest photos. Please have a look and write a comment or two.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/75311362@N08/

I had great fun visiting all of my favorite travel spots and marking them as favorites. Most of them are absolutely gorgeous. A free vacation! You can see them under Favorites too.

Crazy Weather and Confused Flowers

Last I checked, we don't live near Jackson Hole Wyoming, where temperatures change 30-40 degrees daily. But in Maryland the other week, we had snow on Monday and warm sunshine by Thursday. Crazy! These photos were taken 4 days apart on March 5th (snow) and 8th (sun). My winter iris tends to bloom in early and late winter. I had lots of winter iris this year with mild temperatures. By late February, the daffodils were blooming at the same time as the winter iris, very early for daffys.

Texture Fun

I had fun last weekend playing with textures.  I chose a photo I like of an old sink.  First, I borrowed a free copy of a texture called Softened Faux by "Skeletal Mess" from Flickr, placed it over the sink photo with a little blending, then HDR'd the single photo.  I thought it was kinda neat.

Then to use the photo for a Camera Club competition on textures, I chose to do something similar with only my own photos.  I took a photo of a crumpled sheet of paper and superimposed it over the sink. 

Very interesting for a first attempt.  The texture didn't win, but I will probably use the photo again.

Original photo

Photo with crumpled paper texture

                                   Photo with Softened Faux and HDR

Misty Wood received a First Prize in January's Advanced SMCCC Competition

I love my photo of a man with a cane walking in the wood's on a foggy day.  I saw a streak of light coming through the trees and knew I had to take the shot. 

You could make up lots of stories about this photo.  It was really about the determination to keep on walking and having the energy to get to the end of the trail in spite of having difficulty walking.  The fog created an interesting mood to the photo, like he was walking toward the unknown.

A quick photo tip is to use a touch of red or yellow to make a photo really pop.  (like a red umbrella, T shirt or jacket) Since there was so much green in this photo, the bright blue jacket really seemed to  help lead your eye to the subject and the fog created an uncluttered background, while the trees made a nice frame around the subject.

Yes, you may have seen this photo before on August 21, 2011 blog.

 

Fun with Pet Photos

We had a cute moment at a pet photography session. As Caroline was looking one of her "parents" directly in the eye, she couldn't resist giving him a big slurpy kiss! This was the first time I had photographed a Danation, a mixed breed dog, part dalmation and part great dane. They were very big and sweet dogs.

Preparing for your Pet Photography Portrait Session

If you decide to have your pet photographed by a professional photographer, what can you do to improve the quality of the photographs and comfort of your pets?  Lots!

Bring your pet’s favorite treats (especially small soft treats), and favorite toys, along with a squeaky toy to get their attention. Have a leash handy if your pet will be outside.

Clean your pet or have it groomed a day or two before your photo session, especially check around their eyes and ears on the day of your photo session.  Brushing your pet and checking her teeth is helpful.

Inform the pet photographer of any health issues your pet has. And share a little about your pet’s personality.  Is he shy?  Is she alarmed by loud noises?  Will she try to escape through the front door when the photographer arrives?

Is your dog excitable? Take him for a walk before your photo session.

Share any information about particular photos you want.  If your dog is very active you might want a photo of your pet chasing a stick or playing with a Frisbee.  If your cat has a favorite pillow or window sill, do you want to have a photo taken in those locations?  Do you want a nice portrait close up to put on your wall or a mouse pad to give as a gift to your child?

Do you want a photo of your pet with family members?  Here are some personal ideas to help you plan ahead.

· Try not to wear the same color as your pet, so your outfit won’t merge with your pet.

· Dark or neutral shirts are usually good, preferably a different color than your pet.

· Avoid crazy patterns, clothing with writing, bright white shirts and bold prints, since they will attract more attention than your pet or your face.

· Short sleeves, sleeveless shirts, low necklines and shorts will draw the eye away from your face as well.

· Fitted clothing often looks better than loose baggy clothing.

· If multiple family members will be in the photos with your pet, try to wear similar or coordinated colors (but not matching outfits). Otherwise, you will draw attention to whoever is wearing the very light or bright color.

· Adult ladies can wear a little more makeup than usual, including powder to reduce the shine from sunlight or photo lights.

· Wear your hair in a style that doesn’t block your face. 

Good places to take photographs are at your house or somewhere where your pet feels comfortable, like a local park, beach or horse farm. You can help the photographer by looking for locations in advance, in and around your home that have plain uncluttered backgrounds. A neutral colored couch, plain wall without multicolored trim, a large bed with a solid color coverlet, a northern window, fireplace, garden or grassy back yard can work well.