This competition was only for images that were digitally processed.
Pictorial Category:
Nature Competition
B&W competition
Hope all is well in your world! Things are going fine for me, thanks for asking!
"Witches Brew" - First Place - Creative Competition
As previously promised, here's a recap Cleveland firework displays that I've captured from the Port of Cleveland this year. A huge thanks to the Port and my older brother for allowing me exclusive access to capture these shots!
Before the actual fireworks, I had some time to kill, so I just wandered on the pier and captured some photos!
Although I'm certain I suffered irreparable hearing loss, I still had a great time! The bonus was great learning experience in the ever challenging constantly changing lighting schematics from one second to the next. This is also why I ended up taking just over 600 shots...
This past Friday was the final regular photo competition of the season, and it was a tough one! There ended up being an issue with some of the scores, which affected the overall final results of the competition. Sadly, all of my images were negatively affected by this causing them to not place. These things are bound to happen from time to time, and we just deal with them as they come. The good news is that I can still enter them in to the year end competition that's coming up soon!
I recently gave a presentation at the Cleveland Photographic Society about the past 8 years of volunteer work at the Cleveland Animal Protective League. The overarching theme was how volunteer work helped me progress in photography, and how competing in photo competitions opened me up to doing photojournalism at the APL! I also used the time to encourage others to consider volunteering their time at the APL or other non-profit organizations for the fun and learning experience. A few people approached me after with positive feedback, so although I used 3 vacation days to finalize the presentation, it turned out pretty good!
Nature category
Here's another photo I entered a few years ago of the same place... (it had similar results in competition)
Pictorial category
Friday the 6th was the last people photo competition for the season.
"Crimson Kristin" - People Competition - Did not place
Although this photo has good lighting, it sadly lacks inspiration... and the score reflected that. I don't think it's a bad photo, but it did fall short of placing in this competition. I just take that as inspiration to do better in people competitions next year!
"Smile With Your Eyes" - People Competition - Did not place
We were just fooling around with different things, and I asked my lovely model to wrap her head with her scarf. although I was just fooling around, I thought it turned out pretty good despite falling short of Honorable mention by one point. I'll probably enter this photo into the year end competition coming up in a few months, as I still have faith that it can do well!
Dan
]]>I recently hosted the most recent Creative & Pictorial competition at the Cleveland Photographic Society. Although there were many beautiful photos entered, it was a tough competition once again.
What an incredible weekend for being outside... I wish this lasted longer than a few weeks a year!
That aside, last Friday was a People & Pictorial photo competition at the Cleveland Photographic Society. Although there were plenty of great entries, it turned out to be a fairly low scoring night for most everyone involved.
Last Friday was the second Nature themed photo competition at The Cleveland Photographic Society, and what a great night it turned out to be! As I'm working through the virtual pile of photos I took on my trip to the Smoky mountains earlier this year, I'm finding some photos that I really like! Here are a few more that you may remember from previous emails.... then again, maybe not... at any rate, here we go!
"Rainy Day in Cades Cove" - 3rd Place - Pictorial Competition
This was taken on an popular stretch of road among photographers in Cades Cove National park. I guess when all these trees have bloomed, it's a site to behold! Much to my dismay, it turned out to be a rainy day and we were there before most of the trees had actually bloomed. What the day lacked in beauty, it made up for in mood and setting. Rainy or not, we were there to take photos, and that's what we did! I just put my camera in a plastic bag, set up my tripod and shot to my heart's content.
In other news, I was just contacted by CPS about publishing one of my photos in the next issue of their electronic magazine entitled "The Dark Room Door", When I read what photo they wanted to publish, I just stared and scratching my head while pondering what they were thinking. Still not sure... but here it is anyhow.
"Murica' or Git Out" (Originally entered into the 2016-01-08 People photo competition where it did horridly.)
Hope you're all well!
I was recently invited by my coworker to a rock-a-billy show to capture some photos (he's the guitarist). Seeing that I have no experience in venue photography, I saw an opportunity to learn something new! Believe it or not, I'm really new to using a flash in my photos...
Tunning up before the gig... funny story, the drummer and bassist didn't have their instruments with them, so they had to barrow the head-liner's gear. This explains the massive bass, with bassist.
I just entered this photo into a people competition at the Cleveland Photographic Society. I'll find out how it does on Friday.
I was moving all over the place trying to find that unique perspective... in the process, I was groped by an older inebriated gal, at first I thought it was just an accident, but I find that sort of accident typically doesn't repeat itself so soon after. You just never know what you'll run across at a show.
I had several filters on my camera while taking this long exposure. The orange streaks near the bottom center of the image were actually cars driving up the long mountain road. I knew this image wouldn't compete well, but I still like it anyhow!
"Around the bend" - 25/27 - Creative Competition - First Place
It was scary setting up over a 20' drop on a precarious ledge, but that's what you have to do to get shots like this sometimes... with heightened senses and an active imagination every rustling in the darkness felt like some sort of savage beast... I whistled loudly for over an hour as to scare off any potential wildlife encounters... say what you will, but it can be intimidating standing alone in the darkness, while being surrounded by the unknown!
"Misty Mountains" - 25/27 - Pictorial Competition - First Place
Until next time!
]]>Pictorial (Print)
Morton's Overlook using a tripod and long exposure.
Morton's Overlook using a few on-camera filters and a long exposure. I like how you can see the headlights from the cars driving on the road in the valley.
Morton's Overlook using a few different on-camera filters and a long exposure.
This past Saturday was the very last competition of the 2016-2017 photo competition season at the Cleveland Photographic Society. The next season will start back up in July, and I'll be spending the next few months getting ready! For the year end competition, you can only enter photos that had been entered during the regular competition season. The photos didn't need to place in previous competitions in order to qualify; they just needed to be from that same season. We could only enter 3 images per category, which turned out to be difficult for me to whittle down. With that said, here are all the photos I entered into this competition.
People Category
"Guitar Solo" - Did Not Place
"Singer In a Band" - Did Not Place
"Smile with your eyes" - Did Not Place
"Gone In 60 Seconds" - Did Not Place
"Early Morning Mist At The Beaver Lodge" - Did Not Place
"Breaking Through" - Did Not Place
Pictorial (Printed entry)
Overall Accumulated Points - 2nd place
Creative Category
"Submerged" - Did Not Place
Nature Category
Hey everyone!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New year!
It has been quite a while since I've last written to all of you wonderful people! Hope all is well on your end!!!
Last Friday denoted the last People competition at The Cleveland Photographic Society for this competition season. Being someone who likes to mix things up a bit, I'm always trying different styles of photography. Trying new styles, although fun, doesn't always yield the best results...
"Kelly"
People Competition - Did not place
Kelly is a long time friend of mine that was kind enough to model for me a few months ago... It was great fun, and I learned a lot about flash photography... I'm really looking forward into studying studio photography in the future!
"Murica' or Git out!"
People Competition - Did not place
With all the gun news out now-a-days, I figured I'd go for a more over-the-top satirical photo... Although it was a bit unnerving having a gun pointed at my head, I thought this was a neat photo concept. It's clearly not a good one, but it was fun none-the-less! This is dedicated to all those crazy gun nuts out there! This photo ended up being published in the Cleveland Photographic Society's online publication in 2016.
"Orange Kitty"
Pictorial Competition - Honorable Mention
This is a photo of a former resident of the Cleveland Animal Protective League! It was originally taken to help him find a home, but the cat was at the shelter for only a short period of time! Although it didn't help him find a home, it did do decent in competition!
Since the photo club took a holiday break for competitions, we have a little catching up to do. I just got done uploading my competition entries for a Nature competition for this upcoming Friday! That being the case, you'll be hearing from me again very soon!!!
Take care!
Warm regards,
Dan
It's that time again... Results from the most recent photo contests at the Cleveland Photographic Society! This competition is generally a lower scoring category as "Creative" is a broad category which is subject to interpretation. Although the overall scores for all who competed were lower than most other contests, I was still able to do a little better than I was hoping!
This is one of my favorite places in the metroparks, and I assume you can see why. Although this area is pretty, my image fell a little short of placing this time around. I've learned on what I can do better for next time, and look forward to trying some different things. For those of you interested, this is located in Bedford Metroparks, at an area called Bridal Veil falls. This isn't Bridal Veil, but if you walked down Bridal Veil falls, you'd eventually appear in the area on the right... It's well worth the visit, but make sure you wear slip & water proof boots, because this areas is slick.
This is a famous statue found in Lake view cemetery overlooking a family's grave site. I used a Lensbaby lens, which is a specialty lens know as a "Selective focus" lens. By using this lens, I was able to get the face in focus while blurring the wings that are very close by. Despite not placing in this contest, I still really like it for it's daunting look.
That's all for this contest! The next competition won't be until January due to the holiday season, so I'll have more time to get things in order. Until then, I wish you all the best during the Holidays!!!
Take care!
I just attended the most recent photo contest centered around Nature and Pictorial categories. Although I didn't have much hope for my nature entry, I did have high hopes for my pictorial entries.
Last Friday was the second people competition of the competition year at Cleveland Photographic Society. Although I wasn't expecting much with my entries into that category, I still managed to do alright!
2015-10-09 - Honorable Mention - People Competition - 20/27 - "Meditate"
Time is absolutely flying, working at my new job!!! I can't believe it has already been 2 weeks since my last email...Be that as it may, I did much better for this contest than I had in the last Black & White / Pictorial competition!
"The Three Gossips at Sunrise"
Nature Competition - 25/27 - Second Place
I took this shot during my visit to Arches National Park in Utah last October... What an incredible place to visit! If you've never been there, I highly recommend it!!! I look forward to my next visit out there!
"Mystical Forest" - Pictorial Competition - 21/27 - Did Not Place
I already had this photo printed out from a few years ago, and decided to throw it in as a last minute substitute for a Nature photo that didn't turn out as I had hoped. This was taken at Virginia Kendall Lake in the CVNP... did a little photoshop magic to get the pink leaves... Although I think it's a neat photo, it didn't do well in competition...
"Portrait of a shelter cat" - Pictorial Competition - 24/27 - Second Place
It has been 2 weeks, and another contest has taken place. This contest was particularly difficult because one of the judges gave every single photo low marks, which ultimately affected the outcome of every contestant. Despite this fact, I was still able to have one photo do well!
This photo was taken from the roof of the Terminal Tower in downtown Cleveland, using one of my specialty lenses.
This photo was published in a book a few years ago... Sadly it didn't do very well in this contest. It may have some other publications in the future, but only time will tell.
Category: People
Contest Score: 24/27 - Second Place
Print medium: Digital Upload
Location: A photo studio near Steelyard commons
Story behind the photo: Used a fan to make the hair flow, and a strobe flash to capture the motion.
Camera gear:
- Canon 6D
- Canon 17-40mm f/4 lens
- 1 Strobe light with a massive diffuser, a model light, and filler light with diffuser.
- Fan
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as PSD > Jpeg
Focal Length: 40mm
Aperture: f/9.0
Shutter Speeds: 1/50
ISO: 100
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Photoshop Camera RAW
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
- Alienskin Exposure 5 (for B&W conversion, and boarder)
Lessons learned:
- Friends make great models when trying to learn.
- It's nice to have someone around that knows how to use strobe studio lighting! It would have taken me a long time to try to figure it all out on my own..
"Not-so Picasso"
Category: People
Contest Score: 22/27 - Honorable Mention
Print medium: Digital upload
Location: A photo studio near Steelyard commons
Story behind the photo: Saw someone try this online, so I figured I'd give it a go... took a little fooling around to get the ladies aligned.
Camera gear:
- Canon 6D
- Canon 85mm f/1.8
- 1 Strobe light with a massive diffuser, a model light, and filler light with diffuser.
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as PSD > Jpeg
Focal Length: 85mm
Aperture: f/16
Shutter Speeds: 1/160
ISO: 100
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Photoshop Camera RAW
- NIK Silver Efex Pro 2
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
Lessons learned:
- using a 50mm lens at about 5-8 feet away from the models gave me issues of their heads being different sizes or being distorted. This also make it difficult to merge the faces.
- Using an 85mm lens at about 12-20 feet away from the models will flatten the image, allowing the models to appear merged, and have the same sized heads.
Final Thoughts:
One thing I learned from the studio owner is that shooting photos at the same height as the models creates a boring effect. By sitting in a chair at a slightly lower elevation than the models, I was able to gain a more dynamic and dramatic affect in the photos. So just remember, if you don't like the results of your shot right away, try slightly altering the angle by standing higher, or lower then the models. Don't be afraid to lay on the ground to try different angles (unless it's covered in snakes or spiders).
Just remember that pixels are cheep and that you should shoot a ton of different shots... but remember that you'll have to wade through the sea of photos that you take!
"Ready for Takeoff"
Category: Pictorial
Contest Score: 21/27 - Did Not Place
Print medium: Digital Upload
Location: Shot taken from the mouth of the Cuyahoga river looking South-East
Story behind the photo: I got lucky and met some people who granted me access to a good spot to catch photos in Cleveland! While taking the shots of a different direction, I head fireworks going off, and quickly turned to take shots of the action!!!
Camera gear:
- Canon 6D
- Canon 70-200mm f/4 USM lens
- Remote shutter release
- Tripod
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as PSD > Jpeg
Focal Length: 122mm
Aperture: f/4.0
Shutter Speeds: 2.7 Seconds
ISO: 100
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Photoshop Camera RAW
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
Lessons learned:
- Long exposures on top of a vibrating platform makes things a little more difficult. Just try to time your shots out to to allow enough light in to the lens, but not too much that everything is blown out.
- Luck has a great affect on photo opportunities. You just have to be there to get the shots! get out there and shoot photos as much as possible, and may run across that once in a lifetime shot! You'll never get them if you're not out there!
Have fun, and feel free to ask questions!
]]>As always, I you're doing great!
Cleveland Photographic Society has changed their competitions up a bit, and included a brand new category! The new Category is a general B&W competition, which can include anything B&W. This just so happens to be one of the areas where I struggle, so I see this as a great opportunity to learn and grow at something new! The competition was tough, but I did manage to receive one award!
2015-07-17 - Third place - B&W Competition - "Meditation"
Taken during a fun photo shoot with my friend Kelly!
2015-07-17 - Did not place - B&W Competition - "Colorado Curve"
2015-07-10 - Third place - Creative Competition - "The Feds Never Sleep"
Category: Color
Contest Score: ??/27 - Second place (I think at least one person got a perfect score this evening)
Print medium: Digital Upload
Location: Top of the Terminal Tower in Cleveland, Ohio! One of the many benefits of being a member of The Cleveland Photographic Society!
Story behind the photo: Sunset on top of the Terminal tower can lend it self to some beautiful views! I used a few Cokin graduated filters to take this photo.
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Canon 11-18mm Ultra wide-angle
- Remote shutter release
- Tripod
- Cokin Filters - Graduated Neutral Density
- Sunset filter (Can't confirm)
- Amber filter
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > 3-image HDR saved as PSD> Saved as Jpeg for upload
Focal Length: 14mm
Exposures: 0 / -2 / +2
Aperture: f/5.0
Shutter Speeds: 0.5 - 1/8 - 2.0
ISO: 200
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
-NIK HDR Efex 2 (3 Image HDR)
Lessons learned:
- Cokin filters can save even the brightest of days! Or it can totally ruin your photos... you just never know.
- Bracketing exposures (AEB) and then using HDR software such as NIK HDR Efex or Photomatix can yield some interesting results!
"Reflecting On Where They're From"
Category: Color
Contest Score: ??/27 - Third Place
Print medium: Digital Upload
Location: Somewhere in Bedford Metroparks in Bedford, Ohio. http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Reservations-Partners/Bedford-Reservation-1.aspx
Story behind the photo: Went on a hike during early December in the park. Saw remnants of fall leaves in a pool of unfrozen water, and got some ideas...
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Promaster 11-18mm Ultra wide angle
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as PSD > Converted to JPEG for upload
Focal Length: 18mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/40
ISO: 400
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4 (Just used slight filters)
- HRD Efex Pro 2 (Single Image Tone Mapping)
- Alien Skin Exposure 5 (for some simple film effects, and the boarder)
Lessons learned:
- Even if it's cold, there are shots to be had!
- The original unedited photo doesn't look nearly as cool as the final product.
- Sometimes rotating a photo 180 degrees can make a substantial difference!
Final Thoughts:
The proper cropping can help or hinder your photo entry... could mean the difference between placing, or getting nothing at all... Just make sure you it works for the photo, and don't force it!
]]>
Category: Studio
Contest Score: xx/27 - First Place (Became Photo of the Year in 2014)
Print medium: Semi Gloss
Print Size: 11x17
Location: Studio 11 in Tremont (Yoga studio) https://www.facebook.com/studio11tremont
Story behind the photo: My good friend Kelly is a yoga instructor who was happy to help me get some yoga shots!
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Promaster 11-18mm Ultra wide angle
- 2 Constant Studio lights on stands & one fill light on the background.
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as Tif > Jpeg
Focal Length: 12mm
Exposure: -0.33
Aperture: f/5.0
Shutter Speeds: 1/15
ISO: 400
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Silver Efex Pro 2
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
Lessons learned:
- Friends make great models when trying to learn.
- Lighting can be difficult... move the lights around until the shadows look right for your shots.
Utthita Hasta Padangustasana
"Utthita Hasta Padangustasana"
Category: Studio
Contest Score: xx/27 - Didn't place
Print medium: Matte Paper
Print Size: 11x14
Location: Studio 11 (Yoga studio) https://www.facebook.com/studio11tremont
Story behind the photo: Same shoot as above... Kelly was a trooper, as it lasted several hours, and she was doing complex poses for most of them!
Fun Fact: as an instigator, I used the legitimate name for this yoga pose. I knew that someone would need to try and pronounce the title during the contest, so I made sure it was long, and difficult to read... The best part was that the announcer asked how to pronounce it, and I stated that I didn't even know... good times!
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Promaster 11-18mm Ultra wide angle
- 2 Constant Studio lights on stands & one fill light on the background
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as Tif > Jpeg
Focal Length: 18mm
Exposure: -0.33
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speeds: 1/50
ISO: 800
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Silver Efex Pro 2
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
Lessons learned:
- I took hundreds of shots during the eve... Good things pixels are cheep!
- After the shoot, I was told by another artist that some cultures are offended by the bottoms of women's feet... Although it is nice to be considerate of other people's cultures, I would still take and show this shot a million times over. Although it didn't do well in the contest, I really like it anyhow!
Final Thoughts:
Learn your camera by taking tons of shots... you'll only get better by knowing your gear! One thing to aid in that is to search Youtube or Linda.com for tutorials specific to your camera gear. The difference between an mediocre shot, and an award winner could be just a matter of using some simple after market filters in Photoshop! (I personally love the NIK filters (currently owned by google). If you decide to buy this filter pack, look for coupons online, as you can get something like 20% off!
]]>
Category: Color
Contest Score: ??/27 - Second place
Print medium: Digital Upload
Judges Comments: I recall the judge liking the fact that the bent stick in the foreground almost makes a complete circle along the grass in the sand, and the other greenery.
Location: Roosevelt Beach Road, Copalis Crossing, WA (I was somewhere near coordinates 47.176033,-124.195655 Plop that into Google maps)
Story behind the photo: Was aimlessly driving around Washington state and ran across a beach access... decided to walk around to enjoy the beautiful June day on the West coast!
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Canon 11-18mm Ultra wide-angle
- Remote shutter release
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > 3-image HDR saved as Tif > Saved as Jpeg for upload
Focal Length: 11mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speeds: 1/320
ISO: 200
Circular Polarizer (filter)
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Color Efex Pro 4
-NIK HDR Efex 2 (Singe Image Tone Mapping)
Lessons learned:
- The West coast has a lot to offer!
- How to beter edit photos using some simple aftermarket filters in Photoshop! (NIK software)
"Old Czech"
Category: Black & White
Contest Score: ??/27 - Did not place
Print medium: Digital Upload
Location: A former co-worker's basement with all their old musical instruments.
Story behind the photo: Both the harmonica and sheet music are from old world Czech Republic.
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Lensbaby Composer with Double Glass Optic
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to JPEG for upload
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/??
Shutter Speed: 1/50
ISO: 400
Software used:
- Photoshop
- NIK Silver Efex Pro 2
- HRD Efex Pro 2 (Single Image Tone Mapping)
Lessons learned:
- Using a Lensbaby gave the look of motion when none was present!
- Silver Efex pro can give some really cool effects to photos!!!
Final Thoughts:
I highly recommend shooting photos in RAW format, and converting your image to a smart object before doing any edits. Both those things will give the option to go back and fine tune any changes you've already made (minus clone brush work). If you intend on using the Clone brush or Dodge/Burn tools, do so before converting to a smart object.
Saving the image as a PSD file will allow you to retain any layers and edits for later retouching. Once you're happy with the photo, flatten the image, and save a copy in a different format (preferably JPEG).
]]>
Category: Through the Lens
Contest Score: ??/27 - Honorable Mention
Print medium: Matte paper
Print Size: ??
Location: Bridal Veil Falls in Bedford Metroparks (http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Bridal-Veil-Falls.aspx)
Story behind the photo: One of my favorite places in the park, for it's awesome waterfalls (there are several others below the first waterfall) and unique geology. I had entered this photo in a previous contest, but it didn't do well due to my cropping http://www.dansandy.me/blog/2015/7/2012-02-10-pictoral-photo-competition... I didn't crop this version...
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Promaster 11-18mm
- Handheld
- Natural lighting
- Cokin Neutral Density graduated filter
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as Tif > converted to Jpeg for printing
Focal Length: 11mm
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter Speeds: 1/250
ISO: 800
Software used:
- Photoshop
Lessons learned:
- Cokin filters can be used to take photos that could otherwise be impossible due to bright skies and darker foreground.
"A warm day in hell"
Category: Through Processing
Contest Score: ??/27 - Honorable Mention
Print medium: Metallic Paper
Print Size: 11x14
Location: Blue Hen Falls (http://alltrails.com/trail/us/ohio/blue-hen-falls)
Story behind the photo: The skies were gray on another Ohio winter's day, and therefore decided to use some Cokin filters to save the day! I don't recall the actual filter I used on camera, but did a fair number of adjustments during post-processing, which is why I entered it in to the "Creative, through processing" category.
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Promaster 11-18mm
- Handheld
- Natural lighting
- Cokin graduated filter(s)
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as Tif > converted to Jpeg for printing
Focal Length: 14mm
Aperture: f/5.0
Shutter Speeds: 1/800
ISO: 200
Software used:
- Photoshop
Lessons learned:
- Cokin filters can make for some really cool effects, and can save some otherwise difficult photo situations. They have saved many photos that would otherwise be impossible.
Final Thoughts:
Some purists don't believe filters should be used on cameras, but I say that's a bunch of hooie! On camera filters can save some otherwise difficult photo situations. In both cases with this contest, my photos would have looked drastically different without... to the extent that they wouldn't have been good enough to even enter.
]]>
Category: Non-Studio
Contest Score: 24/27 - Third Place
Print medium: Matte paper
Print Size: ??
Location: In the shade on a sunny day
Story behind the photo: Needed a model for my first people competition, and asked a good friend!
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Canon 50mm f/1.8
- Handheld
- Natural lighting
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > saved as Tif
Focal Length: 50mm
Exposure: +1
Aperture: f/2.0
Shutter Speeds: 1/500
ISO: 100
Software used:
- Photoshop
Lessons learned:
- Friends make great models when trying to learn.
- If it's a sunny day, take photos in the shadows... Direct light on portions of the face will blow out details.
- Some sort of highlight in the eyes from a light source will prevent the look of "Dead eyes".
"Hey Big Fella"
Category: Studio
Contest Score: 20/27 - Didn't place
Print medium: Matte Paper
Print Size: 11x17
Location: Jen's basement
Story behind the photo: Jen had a really cool sign that once said "Barber", her husband cut the sign in half to only read as "Bar"! Along with that, she had a mannequin's head and some army fatigues from her husbands visit to Afghanistan, so I put the two together to make a weird scene... I love the absurd, and that was my aim for this portion of the shoot...
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Tamron 18-200mm telephoto lens
- Tripod
- Softbox for lighting
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to JPEG for print
Focal Length: 35mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 2 seconds
ISO: 100
Software used:
- Photoshop
Lessons learned:
- It helps to know optimal camera settings, which I didn't at the time of the shoot. Things would have been easier with a higher ISO given the low light conditions of the basement.
- You can use a light inside a softbox as a make-shift diffused light source. Studio lights are better, but sometimes you have to make due...
- I should have used Camera Raw to even out the colors between the fake man and my model.
Final Thoughts:
Learn your camera by taking tons of shots... you'll only get better by knowing your gear! One thing to aid in that is to search Youtube or Linda.com for tutorials specific to your camera gear.
]]>
Category: Black & White
Contest Score: 23/27 - Did not place (at least one person received a perfect score this evening)
Print medium: Digital Upload
Location: Somewhere in New York state
Story behind the photo: I decided to go on a road trip around northern New York and spotted a large riverbed along the road... I saw a pull-off and decided to take a stroll. Great road trip through the mountains!
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Canon 11-18mm Ultra wide-angle
- Remote shutter release
- Tripod
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > 3-image HDR saved as Tif > Saved as Jpeg for upload
Focal Length: 11mm
Exposure: -2, 0, +2
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter Speeds: 1/125, 1/500, 1/2000
ISO: 200
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Photomatix HDR software
Lessons learned:
- Needed to work on contrast between black & whites. Camera Raw would have been a good tool to use for adding contrast (Alt+Shift+A) in photoshop.
- Could have brought some of the highlights back using Camera Raw as well.
"Cleveland Stadiums"
Category: Color
Contest Score: 26/27 - 2nd place (at least one person received a perfect score this evening)
Print medium: Digital Upload
Location: The roof of the Terminal Tower in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
Story behind the photo: Being a member of CPS, we occasionally are granted access to places that the general public isn't able. About 3 times a year, we are allowed up to the roof to take photos of sunset and a few hours after! One of my absolute favorite field trips to take downtown!
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Tamron 18-200mm telephoto lens
- Remote shutter release
- Tripod
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to JPEG for upload
Focal Length: 28mm
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter Speed: 4 seconds
ISO: 200
Software used:
- Photoshop
Lessons learned:
- I should have used camera raw (Alt+Shift+A) in Photoshop, to pull back some of the highlights.
- Used the Lens Correction filter (Shift+CTLR+R) in Pbotoshop, to correct the distortion from the lens. Some of the buildings had lines that weren't parallel, so I did what I could to correct them.
Final Thoughts:
Night photography is great fun, and I highly recommend it for anyone with a tripod! Fool around with long exposures and playing with lights. There are a ton of great tutorials on Youtube about light painting and other night photo techniques that yield some incredible results!
Unless you are trying to make an abstract photo with extreme angles, you should try to correct any unparallel building lines. Judges have been known to drop points for this during competitions.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend saving your images as PSD files, as you have the ability to go back and retouch things that you wouldn't be able to with Tiffs or Jpegs. Equally as helpful is to "convert your layer to a smart object", as you'll be able to go back and fix some of the changes you made... Make sure you "flatten your image" before you save to Jpeg (for digital uploads), but don't save over your PSD with the flatten image or you'll lose the layers. The downside is that PSD files are much larger, and require more hard drive space. With dropping prices on hard drive space, this is a problem easily circumvented!
]]>
Category: Color
Contest Score: ??/27 - Did not place
Print medium: Matte paper
Print Size: 11x14
Location: The Cleveland Animal Protective League (https://clevelandapl.org)
Story behind the photo: I volunteer as a cat photographer, where I spend my entire Saturday taking and editing photos of adult cats. I avoid taking photos of the kittens because they don't need any help getting adopted... My love for the absurd draws me to photos where cats are sticking out their tongues... there's just something about it that makes me giggle like a little girl (which I'm not ashamed of!). I've actually narrowed it down to a science, so that I can almost predict when they are about to do it! It doesn't always work, but I can usually get several during a shoot.
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Canon 50mm f/1.8
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to TIF > Converted to Jpeg to for printing
Focal Length: 50mm
Exposure: +1.33
Aperture: f/2.2
Shutter Speed: 1/50
ISO: 800
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Noise reduction software
Lessons learned:
- Had some hot spots that I should have removed by either burning the area down, or by using Camera raw in PS and pulling back the highlights. The later of the two would be less destructive to the overall photo.
- Although I love when cats stick their tongues out, I recall one of the judges mentioning that he took points away for that very thing. I still really like this photo, and actually have it hanging on my wall!
- I cropped this photo down from a 2x3 format to a 4x5 format to remove unnecessary portions of the photo.
"Terminally Excluded"
Category: Black & White
Contest Score: 19/27 - Did not place
Print medium: Matte paper
Size: 11x17
Location: Parked in Whisky Island park, then launched directly into the Cuyahoga near the first train bridge near the mouth of river. http://planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us/whiskey
Story behind the photo: A friend and I took some kayaks on to the Cuyahoga River for some fun... So I brought my dslr, hoping that I wouldn't flip, and lose all my gear. While floating downstream, I found what I believed to be the perfectly framed photo... with a flowing river, it makes it difficult to stay in one spot... so I'd snap the shot, then have to paddle back upstream... take a shot... paddle... so on and so forth, until I captured what I was hoping for!
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Tamron 18-200mm telephoto lens
- Cokin Neutral Density filter (handheld because I forgot the bracket again)
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to JPEG for printing
Focal Length: 28mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/200
ISO: 100
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Noise reduction software
Lessons learned:
- I cropped out some extra space around the photos... I don't think this negatively affected the image.
- The photo lacked contrast between the whites and blacks, causing it to be a bit muddy. I should have used camera raw (Alt+Shift+A) in Photoshop, to give a greater contrast. The blacks needed to be more black, and the whites, more white.
- The photo was a little over-processed using the noise reduction software, causing it to look a bit too smooth.
Final Thoughts:
Make sure you print to the appropriate size sheet for the level of detail in your photo. If you find that you have areas with low details, hotspots, or substantial grain/noise, consider printing on a smaller sheet that won't highlight your photo's downfalls. Printing to the wrong size sheet could cost you points, where every point matters.
Don't be afraid to have a little grain in your photos... Too much could be detrimental to your overall contest score, but too little could also do the same. The key is to find a happy medium.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend saving your images as PSD files, as you have the ability to go back and retouch things that you wouldn't be able to with Tiffs or Jpegs. Equally as helpful is to "convert your layer to a smart object", as you'll be able to go back and fix some of the changes you made... Make sure you "flatten your image" before you save to Jpeg (for digital uploads), but don't save over your PSD with the flatten image or you'll lose the layers.
The downside PSD files is that the photo size will be much larger, thus requiring more hard drive space. This is a problem solved by buying extra hard drive space for relatively low prices. Do your homework and don't buy something that's often prone to failure or data loss... just food for thought.
]]>
Category: Color
Contest Score: 25/27 - Third place
(At least one person received a perfect score this evening)
Print medium: Matte paper
Print Size: 11x17
Location: Somewhere in Vermont
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Tamron 18-200mm telephoto lens
- Possibly used a Circular Polarizer, but don't recall
- Tripod
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to Jpeg to for printing
Focal Length: 95mm
Aperture: 36
Shutter Speed: 20
ISO: 100
Software used:
- Photoshop
Lessons learned:
- Had some hot spots in the moss and water that I should have removed by either burning the area down, or by using Camera raw in PS and pulling back the highlights. The later of the two would be less destructive to the overall photo.
- Long exposures with water give some cool silky effects, but I needed to pay attention to where the sun was shining (i.e. the hot spots)
"Ice Curtins"
Category: Color
Contest Score: 19/27 - Did not place
Print medium: Metallic paper
Print Size: 11x17
Location: Downstream from Blue Hen Falls. Just before the massive waterfall before it hits Boston Mills Ski Resort (http://www.gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/bluehen.shtml) This wasn't actually a waterfall, it was a frozen shale wall before the waterfall...
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Tamron 18-200mm telephoto lens
- Tripod
- Remote shutter release
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to JPEG for printing
Focal Length: 25mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/60
ISO: 200
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Noise reduction software
Lessons learned:
- Over processed with the noise reduction software... again... should have just used the software that came with the camera to remove some of the noise.
- Printed on metallic paper... big mistake in this instance... The paper actually caused the lighter tones to be blown out, thus resulting in a lower score. Metallic works great in some instances, but this wasn't one of them...
- I printed this on an 11x17 sheet... with the lack of detail in certain spots I shouldn't have printed to a smaller sheet.
Final Thoughts:
I may try to reprocess the last photo using Camera Raw in Photoshop to fix any problems I had with this contest entry. I still think this could do well! Then again, I could be totally wrong, and it will suck in competition again... that's part of the fun!
Make sure you print to the appropriate size sheet for the level of detail in your photo. If you find that you have areas with low details, hotspots, or substantial grain/noise, consider printing on a smaller sheet that won't highlight your photo's downfalls. Printing to the wrong size sheet could cost you points, where every point matters.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend saving your images as PSD files, as you have the ability to go back and retouch things that you wouldn't be able to with Tiffs or Jpegs. Equally as helpful is to "convert your layer to a smart object", as you'll be able to go back and fix some of the changes you made... Make sure you "flatten your image" before you save to Jpeg (for digital uploads), but don't save over your PSD.
Youtube can help on eithr of these subjects, and most any other Photoshop related techniques and questions!
]]>
Category: Through the Lens
Contest Score: 23/27 - First place
Location: Cuyahoga Valley National Park (North of the yellow houses on Riverview Road)
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Lensbaby Composer with Double Glass Optic
- Cokin graduated neutral density filter (also handheld because I forgot the bracket)
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to Tiff file > Converted to Jpeg to for printing
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: ??
Shutter Speed: 1/1250
ISO: 800
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Noise reduction software
Print medium: Metallic paper
Lessons learned:
- That Metallic paper can really help some images!
- Don't forget bracket at home, because it makes everything more difficult!
- Lensbaby can give the perception of movement even when things aren't moving. The train didn't even have an engine... it was just sitting there...
- Still a little heavy handed on the noise reduction software, but it didn't hurt this image too much.
"The Fleeting Redhead"
Category: Through the Lens
Contest Score: 20/27 - Did not place
Location: My parent's kitchen table with wilting flowers
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Lensbaby Composer with Double Glass Optic
- Lensbaby macro rings (2 of them stacked)
- Canon Macro ring II
- Tripod
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to JPEG for printing
Focal Length: 50mm then zoomed... not sure what the real focal length would be
Aperture: ??
Shutter Speed: 1/20
ISO: 800
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Noise reduction software
Print medium: Matte paper
Lessons learned:
- Once again did far too much with the noise reduction software.
- Cropped the image from a 2x3 ration to a 4x5... It helped in this instance...
- I should have sharpened the image, as the print ended up blurry.
]]>
Did Not Place - "Wha Wha What Happened to Fluffy"
This was a lucky capture during my volunteer work at The Cleveland Animal Protective League. That toy was unaltered in Photoshop, and was just worn by time and multiple washes... works perfectly with the cat's yawn! I was a bit heavy handed with the post processing, but that's all a part of the learning process.
Did Not Place - "Lilly Pond"
There's a little pond tucked away on a hill in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park that's only a few acres wide. It offers some nice views and is accessible 24 hours a day... I'm hoping to try some night photography here at some point, but there are so many other things I want to try!
Have a great day!
Regards,
Dan
]]>
"Lilly Pond"
Category: B&W
Contest Score: 22/27 - Did not place
Location: Terra vista Natural study area (http://alltrails.com/events/2013/06/walk-terra-vista-natural-study-area)
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Promaster 11-18mm
- Can't recall if I used any on-camera filters or not
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to JPEG for uploading for the contest
Focal Length: 13mm
Aperture: f/5
Shutter Speed: 1/1000
ISO: 400
Software used:
- Photoshop
Print medium: Digital
Lessons learned:
- I should have used more contrast between the colors.
- Some of the areas were underexposed, which means I should have payed more attention to all the details in the photo.
- The photo itself was far too dark...
"Wha wha what happened to Fluffly"
Category: Color
Contest Score: 22/27 - Did not place
Location: The Cleveland Animal Protective League (https://clevelandapl.org/)
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XTi
- Canon 50mm f/1.8
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image > Converted to JPEG for uploading for the contest
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter Speed: 1/80
ISO: 800
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Noise reduction software
Lessons learned:
- I did an extensive amount of "noise" removal. The original photo had a lot of grain in it, but not a lot of "hot pixels".... Once again, I did more than I should have.
- I also used the dodge tool in Photoshop to a substantial degree in order to lighten the image. I should have used the Camera RAW tool to lighten the image, and bring up the shadows (the problem was that I didn't know it existed at this point).
]]>
This photo was taken below Bridal Veil Falls in Bedford Metroparks (Bedford, Ohio) using a specialty lens. The lens used is a Lensbaby Composer with Double glass optic. It's such a neat place to visit!
When I first purchased my first digital SLR camera, I decided to take a road trip to upper New York state for a road trip. Along the way, I stopped by the side of the road to capture a blanket of clouds rolling over the mountain. I look forward to my next trip to the North Eastern United States!
Category: B&W
Contest Score: 20/27
(this photo later got 3rd place during the year end competition!)
Location: Bridal Veil Falls in Bedford Metroparks (http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Bridal-Veil-Falls.aspx)
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XT
- Lensbaby Composer with Double Glass Optic (DGO)
- Can't recall if I used any on-camera filters or not
- Handheld
Photo Specs:
Raw Image
Focal Length: 50mm
Aperture: ?
Shutter Speed: 1/250
ISO: 400
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Noise reduction software
Print medium: Matte paper
Lessons learned:
- Learned that the Lensbaby lens wasn't overly accepted by judges in the beginning. When people see areas with blur, they automatically believe that the photo was taken out of focus... with Lensbaby being a selective focus lens, that isn't actually the case. Although it appears to be a more accepted lens (or at least recognized) now, it can either help or hinder a photo. This lens is absolutely not for every subject matter, but when it works, it works well! Part of the fun is figuring out where it does work.
- Learned that my monitor wasn't in sync with the output images, thus causing me to produce printed images that were darker than on my screen. Instead of syncing my screen, I just started making the photos much lighter in Photoshop.
"Engulfing Clouds"
Category: Color
Contest Score: 24/27 - Honorable mention
(at least one person received a perfect score this evening)
Location: Somewhere in New York State, taken during a solo road trip through the Adirondack mountains.
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XT
- Tamron 17-200mm Telephoto lens
- Cokin graduated Neutral Density filter (I think)...
- Promaster red enhancing filter (but maybe not...)
- possibly a Circular polarizer
- Tripod
Photo Specs:
Raw Image
3-Image HDR (+/- 2 stops)
Focal Length: 47mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed(s): 1/40 , 1/160 (-2) , 1/10 (+2)
ISO: 200
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Photomatix (HDR software)
Lessons learned:
- Learned how to process using HDR without being heavy handed. I only used it to even out the colors/tones.
]]>
This photo was taken at Bridal Veil Falls in Bedford Metroparks (Bedford, Ohio) during Autumn. It's an incredible place any time of year, but especially magical during the fall! If you have the nerve to walk down the first waterfall, there are a few additional smaller waterfalls downstream. The main waterfall is fairly slippery, so you may want to consider finding an alternate route. All I can say is that it's worth while if you do find a safe way down!
"Before The Light" - 2nd Place
I was invited to photograph a bass fishing tournament a few years ago, and being the type of person who likes explore different photographic adventures, I was all in! I woke at the crack of dawn to get there before the break of day, as you'll find the most dramatic light just before sunrise or sunset. There's something about the angle of the light during those times of day, that makes everything look ethereal... Sprinkle in a few clouds, and you've got the ingredients for a decent photo. Inversely, noon is the absolute worst time of day to take photos, due to the harsh light.
This shot was captured just before the sunrise, using a few graduated filters attached to the lens. These filters allowed me to even out the exposure between the sky and foreground, which made a tremendous difference in the final image.
]]>
"Before the Light"
Contest Score: Second Place
(this photo later became "Photograph of the Year" during the year end competition!)
Location: LaDue Reservoir (http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/laduereservoir) - during a Bass fishing tournament
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XT
- Tamron 17-200mm telephoto lens
- Cokin graduated filters (I used a Sunset filter, and possibly a 2 graduated Neutral Density filter... but don't remember as I don't take notes)
Photo Specs:
Raw Image
Focal Length: 200mm
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/200
ISO: 800
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Noise reduction software
Print medium: Metallic photo paper
Lessons learned:
- Metallic paper does a great job at accentuating certain colors in photos, however, if you have a photo with a lot of highlights, it could work against you, as those highlights could look "blown out".
"Autumn Stairs"
Contest Score: 20/27
Location: Bridal Veil Falls in Bedford Metroparks (http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Bridal-Veil-Falls.aspx)
Camera gear:
- Canon Digital Rebel XT
- Promaster 11-18mm Ultra wide angle Lens
- Cokin graduated Neutral Density filter
Photo Specs:
Raw Image
Focal Length: 11mm
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter Speed: 1/250
ISO: 800
Software used:
- Photoshop
- Noise reduction software
Lessons learned:
- I ended up cropping this photo from it's original 2x3 to a 4x5 aspect ratio to fit within an 11x14 photo mat, I lost a good portion of the photo by doing this. This negatively affected the look of the photo, which cost me points in a contest where every point matters! I have learned not to change the aspect ratio of a photo just to fit within the mat. Instead, I should have left the ratio alone, and purchased/created a mat that matched the photo's original dimensions.
- Still being new to the whole photo editing process, I did an extensive amount of "noise" removal. The original photo had a lot of grain in it, but not a lot of "hot pixels".... I didn't realize that when printing, that grain would barely be recognizable, so I did far more than I should. When you look at this photo, you'll see that it's really smooth, where you can't see fine detail in the wood on the stairs. Now everything looks plastic and undefined.
Well there you have it... My first blog, about my first photo contest entries at the Cleveland Photographic Society. I'll be posting every contest entry to date, as I find the time. I'm hoping that with your comments, I can refine this to be more comprehensive and entertaining. My ultimate goal is to help teach people some of the things I've learned along the way. If you take anything away from this, being entertainment or new ideas, then I have done what I've set out to do!
Please let me know what you think!
Have a great day!
Dan
]]>