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Creative: Panorama Excercise

This week for Creative Photography, we had to shoot panoramic images. I have been doing panos for awhile now and continue to love them. I sometimes think back and wish I had done more in a particular area. Not only do yo uget a wider field of view, but you also get a huge file with tons of detail. My Canon 5D has opened up my abilites even more in regards to quality.

My technique for panoramas varues depending on the situation. I try and shoot vertically which allows for higher resolution, but this is not always the case. I find that I line the images more level when hand holding than I do when using my tripod. There is an apparatus that is specifically used for making panos, but it is very specialized and expensive. I of course shoot RAW, and the lowest ISO that is acceptable.

The images below are a mixture of all the above mentioned techniques. Hope you enjoy!

MT

 

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Creative Photography 3: Great HDR material

Okay, so here are some more HDR images taken with the 5D. I am super excited because I feel that my growing knowledge and experience is leading to some awesome images. It doesn’t hurt to have some cool subject matter as well. This series was done for my Creative Photography class at UCM.

To really appreciate these, click on the image to see a bigger size.

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Peartle Springs: Sunset Landscapes

Going out with my trusty Canon 5D and L-series lenses, I was fortunate enough to snag some great landscape shots. I went to Peartle Springs, a park that is within a mile of my school. Immediately upon arriving I was bombarded by spectacular photo opportunities! I went to the lakes edge and began composing for the strongest compositions. Sometimes when I am presented with so many options simultaneously, I feel conflicted as to what subject matter I should photograph. I included a few of my favorites from the night. I am really trying to practice visualization as Ansel Adams was known for. I look at a scene and say to myself, what can I make this look like in a print.

Photographing the scene is only the beginning act. The most crucial step for me is to represent the image how I SAW IT. This inevitably means using tools in Photoshop as well other digital means to create my vision. Many will say that I am manipulating the image to something it was not. Not true. I am adjusting the image to what I imagined, saw, and felt. I can say that these High Dynamic Range images are a very close representation to what I witnessed. Much closer than what came straight from my camera. Another key point should be made. No one sees colors the exact same. Many lose this idea when viewing another persons images. Was the sky really that orange??? Well I dont know, what is considered orange to you? See, we must get out of the idea that we are all identical and that our images will reflect that notion. Our perceptions are different and therefore our art is different. Okay, now that I have that out of my system I will say good night.

 

Good night. 

MT

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Editorial 1: Landscapes

Photographing landscapes has become a part of my life. I never walk, drive, or fly somewhere without thinking of the photographic opportunites. I feel that landscapes should simply be depictions of beauty and actuality. I strive to keep my photos representative of how I envisioned the scene. I am not afraid to use digital post processing, but as long as it does not deter the image from my initial sensory perceptions. I have enclosed some of my landscapes that I feel depict my visions. I have included a link to a flickr slideshow that displays my landscapes.

 http://flickr.com/photos/matthewsphotography/sets/72157613300160860/show/

“Over the years I became increasingly aware of the importance of visualization. The ability to anticipate  – to see in the mind’s eye, so to speak – the final print while viewing the subject makes it possible to apply the numerous controls of the craft in precise ways that contribute to achieving the desired result.”  – Ansel Adams

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Getting the Right Angle

 

After numerous visits to the Nelson Atkins Art Museum, I strove for a more original angle. Due to the ice on what is usually a large reflection pool, I was able to walk out and take this image. Moments later I was ordered off the ice by an anonymous security guard over the speaker system. I promptly walked off the ice, but not until I made sure I had in deed gotten the shot I wanted. 🙂

MT

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Soon to Come!!!

Using a Canon 5D and a pinhole body cap will be my newest addition to a variety of techniques I already have used with the camera. A pinhole camera body cap is exactly what it sounds like: a body cap with a tiny hole in the center. Using the cap instead of the lens will produce less than sharp images, but that is exactly why you use it. I am combining an ancient technique with high tech equipment. Instead of going on and on, I will just show you the results within a week. Deal? But in the meantime, check out the images I took with my Canon 30D combined with a simple metal plate over the lens mount with a needle size hole in the center.  http://flickr.com/photos/matthewsphotography/sets/72157604049385227/show/

MT

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Cool Colors

I processed this image so that it would reflect  more of a cold feeling. Considering it was 8 degrees, this is a more accurate portrayal of the scene.

 

 

I will be heading to Iowa (weather permitting) and look foward to some more cool (literally) images. I hope to have a good collection come Monday.

MT

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Second Day with 5D

Going out for a daytime expedition, I was able to put my 5D to the test a little more. Needless to say, I had an awesome time and came away with a few decent exposures.

Ending an evening of photography with single digit temperatures, I pause once more for this final capture. 

MT

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A Cold Day

Well I must confess that I could be out taking photos in the cold right now, but instead I am inside in the warmth and comfort. I blame my laziness partially due to some sort of infection in my head that is causing severe pressure and headaches. SO…I go back on some previously skipped images and edit them or upload them.

Here is an image from Lions Lake, here in Warrensburg. Perhaps it looks familiar to some. I have many decent images from the little snow we got before Christmas and decided that it fit the mood of cold and dreary I am feeling now. Hope you enjoy.

MT

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