Having more fun playing with the aperture wide open.

f/4.5, 1/1600 SEC, 41 MM, ISO-800

Post-processing: None























That's how I got this shot (aperture wide open), at that same time, and posted on my 365.

f/3.5, 1/8000 SEC, 28 MM, ISO-800

Post-processing: None

I only took a few shots today. Since I'm sick, I hardly felt like it at all. I looked around our store to see what I might capture. Amongst other things, these stacks of discs on the counter caught my eye.

The lights were still off in the store, since it was before opening, but there was daylight coming in from the front windows.

I decided to open the aperature all the way and see what I could get. I shot about six shots at various angles. I like this one best, as it kind of slices the shot in thirds and at an interesting angle. I could probably photoshop it to boost some of the colors a bit, but my runny nose and aching head won't allow for it today.

f/5, 1/30 SEC, 65 MM, ISO-800

Post-processing: None

I finally got the layering to work, not like the fiasco of this shot, and was able to copy everything but the sky to a new layer and lighten it. Same technique, but with feathering (2 px), and a much better result.


f/6.3, 1/250 SEC, 44 MM, ISO-400

Post-Processing: Sky layer - auto levels, slight boost in midtone contrast and saturation. Grass and trees layer - lighten shadows, slight boost in saturation.

Here's the original.

f/11, 1/250 SEC, 28 MM, ISO-100

Post-processing: this was my first effort at separating the sky from the foreground in photoshop, and giving them separate treatments. The sky was at a good exposure, but the foreground was very dark and you could not see the fence or the stalks of grass. I selected the field and trees with the magic wand and copied it into a new layer. Then, on that layer, I lightened the shadows, dodged the trees, and boosted the saturation. I forgot to feather the selection before copying into a new layer, and as a result it does not look as good as it could.

Here's another one, where the lack of feathering creates an even worse result, not to mention that the lightening looks fake and hazy. Lots to learn about how to do this better.


I do love that sky, though.

Selective focus: I got some. I went out early in the morning to shoot a creek and wooded area.

f/5.6, 1/100 SEC, 80 MM, ISO-640

Post-processing: auto levels, darken highlights, slight boost in saturation























None of my creek shots turned out very good, except for the one with the reflection of the tree. What I really wanted to do, and the part that did not turn out well, was the moving water shots. I found a little part of the creek that ran over some rocks. I played with the shutter speed, but apparently I was going in the wrong direction, haha. So I have some slighly blurry and some non-blurry but non-interesting shots.











But, like I said, I did use aperture priority mode to get some selective focus in these two shots. Yeah, I got what I set out to do. That's a good feeling.

f/5.6, 1/100 SEC, 80 MM, ISO-640

Post-processing: auto levels, darken highlights, slight boost in saturation

Here's another one from that first barn shoot. I love how the light hits the rope and the apple.


f/5, 1/100 SEC, 75 MM, ISO-500 (Aperture Priority Mode)

Post-processing 1: auto levels, slight boost in saturation.

Post- processing 2: (at Boogieman's suggestion) selective desaturation.

First barn shoot with new camera.

I walked all around the barn, playing with camera settings, and clicking away. I knew nothing of what I was doing, but boy did that camera feel good in my hands.

I happened upon this wonderful photo-op, long-forgotten apples in a bucket. The composition, with the one red apple was such a lucky shot, especially since I had no idea what settings the camera was on. I think it was in aperture priority mode, since that is one of the things that I wanted to play with.

f 5.6, 1/125 SEC, 65 MM, ISO-400

Post-processing: auto level adjustment, darken highlights, slight boost in saturation

First shot with my new Canon 40D. I think the camera was set to auto. There was a flash, I'm pretty sure. I could never get good portrait shots like this with my little Nikon point-and-shoot. Mmmm, love me some soft focus.

f/4.5, 1/60 SEC, 53 MM, ISO-400

Post-processing: None