Photography

How to do Photograph Flowers, My Favorite Spring Hobby

May 5, 2015 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Tips on Photographing Flowers

Spring has finally arrived and I was able to pick daffodils and tulips for my dining room table. That means my camera comes out of its winter hibernation and I get into my flower photography again.

I’m not a winter person and by February and March the lack of sunshine and Vitamin D squash my photographic creativity. A few supplies necessary for indoor and macro flower photography are essential.

Flower photography and editing in Lightroom

This flower frog helps keep blooms and stems in place. I don’t know how anyone arranges flowers without a flower frog.

With the first blooms of the daffodils and warmth of sun, I get inspired again to take pictures. I don’t have a photo studio. But, I use my dining room which has a south-facing window to create a makeshift photography studio.

Create your own table top photography studio where you can photograph flowers and other small objects.

The southern exposure gives me plenty of light during the afternoon. Then it’s a matter of using white art matte boards to bounce light. It would of been easier to set up this tabletop studio tent.

My favorite photos this year actually belong to my tulips. The setup included flowers in vases, various colors of artist mat board for the backgrounds, a tripod and my Canon Rebel with the shutter on a 2-second delay. Yes, I took these photos with a Canon Rebel, an introductory DSLR camera.

This might seem strange but you can achieve sharper images when you don’t manually press the shutter. I like using a remote shutter release cord. Yes, you can buy a wireless one, but they are small and I have a habit of losing them.

With shutter speeds over 1/500 it isn’t an issue, but for macro photography or shutter speeds less than 1/250th it does make a difference. Give it a try and let me know how it works.

Yellow, Orange and Red Tulip Flowers Jigsaw Puzzle
by ndjmom

A professional heavy duty camera tripod is a necessity. Seriously. For still life and macro photography, the sharpest images are those where you have no movement or camera shake.

All the flowers I edited in Lightroom some, like the one below I experimented with various looks to achieve more of a fine art effect. I decreased the vibrancy and contrast for a softer look.

Pink Tulips in the Garden Birthday Card
by ndjmom

Tulips edited in Lightroom

The flowers on the black matte board I left pretty much their natural colors to contrast with the dark background. Yes, the colors were just this vibrant. I did pull the “blacks” slider in the editor down to saturate and even out the black mat. But other than that I did very little.

I made several of my red and white tulip images into puzzles and greeting cards. These are perfect for women who love flowers.

I love post-production and Lightroom! It’s so much fun to explore what you can do with an image to improve the beauty and artistry. A one-year Photoshop/Lightroom subscription is less than $10/month and is a great gift for a photographer.

I’ve never taken any classes in either computer program, most have all been self-taught with the use of a few YouTube videos, books, and a LOT of experimentation.

Am I a Professional Photographer?

June 24, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

What Do I Need To Be a Professional Photographer?

I love photography and I always seem to have a camera with me. But what is a professional photographer and can I call myself a professional? The answer is no. Even though I did get paid for two photography jobs in last year I can’t call myself a professional. Why? Keep reading and I’ll explain.

Harvest in Nebraska, Combines in the fields — Harvest in Nebraska

Three Things Needed to Become a Professional Photographer

How to transition from a hobbyist photographer to a professional takes guts. Which I don’t have. It also takes tenacity and time. So don’t quit your day job. There are a lot of myths about becoming a professional photographer and once your understand the reality of starting a full time photography business you might think twice.

BUT, if you are still reading here are my top three items you will need to start a photography business. Warning. Some of them are lumped together.

You will need a professional camera. Seriously! A Canon Rebel T6 is a good beginner camera for the serious photography hobbyist, in fact it’s a great camera. But to get the sharpness and clarity like you see in magazines, a full frame camera is needed. Second, education, read, read, read and read some more. Watch videos, take classes.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera EF 24-105mm How to Become a Professional Photographer: An Essential Guide to Creating a Successful Career in Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

What is a Professional Photographer?

So what is a professional photographer? In my opinion it is someone who earns their sole income by selling their photography services and prints. They pay taxes, they have insurance, and they rely on photography for their income. Just like any business there are marketing costs for advertising, business cards, and insurance.

There are fewer and fewer true professional photographers in the industry anymore. With the advent of easily accessible digital DSLR Cameras the profession has changed. I’m not here to discuss or debate whether this competition and change is a good or bad thing, just that it has happened.

Trust me I’m a Professional Photographer | Funny t-Shirt I’m A Professional Photographer – Adult Shirt

Many professional photographers have gone to school to learn composition, lighting techniques and studio photography. Many cut their teeth during era of film.

Even during the age of film photography, photographs were edited in the dark room with burning and dodging techniques. Post production work and photo editing is now is done in Lightroom and Photoshop. Photo editing is essential achieve the look and feel the photographer felt when viewing the scene in real life.

Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan (Photoshop CC + Lightroom) [Prepaid Card]

This photo below was taken over looking Chicago and Lake Michigan at midnight. I didn’t have a tripod with me and set the camera on a park bench for a long exposure shot. The result was crooked and due to the cold I didn’t have time to get the proper white balance in camera. In Lightroom I was able to straighten the horizon and adjust the lighting to what my eye remembered.

True photographers plan their shots, they don’t just happen.

This was a case of “knowing” and planning my edit ahead of time. My goal was a 2:1 panoramic print, so I shot wide to allow myself editing space. I took only two shots like this that night.

Digital darkrooms in the way of photo editing programs have become very available for anyone and software such as Photoshop and Lightroom are tools. When used the right way they enhance photos and the viewer doesn’t even know a photo has been “shopped”.

Photoshop CC Essentials for Photographers: Chelsea & Tony Northrup’s Video Book Lightroom CC Complete Training: Learn the Entire Photographers Workflow in the new Lightroom CC

However like all tools many people use them incorrectly and then photography becomes more digital art. That is fine, if the final work is presented in that fashion. The photo above of the Chicago skyline is a good example of photo enhancement done correctly.

Then Who is a Photographer?

Planning and execution is the difference between someone who is a photographer and a person who just takes pictures.

A photographer is anyone who takes their photography seriously and is always looking at ways to increase their camera skills and techniques. They read books, they read blogs, watch YouTube videos on post production in Lightroom and Photoshop to learn how to get the most out of their camera and their photographs.

If you are like me it’s hard to drive down the road without seeing a photographic opportunity. You’re spouse might just be tired of you saying “Stop, go back, I have to get a photo of that barn” (fence, sunset, cloud, cow, lamp post, etc…you get the picture)

A photographer thinks about their shot “before” they take it, taking into consideration composition, lighting, and cropping aspect ratio. A serious photographer takes their camera off Auto and learns to shoot in Aperture Priority or Manual.

If your goal is to improve your photography, if you find yourself reading every photographic technique article that comes across your Facebook news feed, and if you purposely seek out photographic opportunities to share them with a wide audience then you might be able to call yourself a photographer. It may be a just a serious hobby. But you are a budding photographer.

I Am a Semi-Pro Photographer

That would be where I fit in. I am a serious photographer who has a “normal” nine-to-five job and occasionally gets paid for photographic endeavors? Very occasionally. I don’t advertise, but I post my best photos on several sites and on Facebook. I also sell my photographs on FineArt America and recently on InstaProofs.

Me, I’m a a hobbyist photographer.

But, since many people see that I can take decent landscape photos they also assume I can also take portraits. I can’t, or let’s put it this way, I’m uncomfortable photographing people.

Yet in one month I finally said yes to two people who asked me to photograph events. I photographed my first graduation and my first wedding. So now I can officially call myself a semi-pro. Will I give up my day job? No. But I will shoot graduation again, maybe not another wedding, it took the Mother of the Bride two weeks to convince me to do this one.

More about my first job as a wedding photographer later, overall I enjoyed it. They were a fun couple who could NOT of taken a bad picture if they tried, and the camera loved them. I received many compliments and the images turned out better than I expected.

Do You Take Pictures or are You a Photographer?

Ask yourself these questions.

Do you love taking pictures of things that are dear to your heart and sharing snapshots of time?
Are you always creating images of friends and family during events and gatherings?
Is your phone filled with more selfies and Instagram photos than your DSLR?
Has your camera never left auto mode, or do you know how to shoot in manual?

If so you love to take pictures, and that’s okay. A picture is a snapshot in time that preserves a memory. We should all take pictures, it preserves our history and memories.

How to Photograph Concerts — Huey Lewis and the News

But becoming a professional photographer is so much more!

A professional photographer never stops learning about exposure, composition, and photography techniques. A professional photographer spends just as much time marketing, editing

Next Step in Becoming a Professional Photographer

Find a mentor, a physical person to shadow and photograph together. Work, plan, learn, and plan some more, create a business plan. Learn not only about the craft of photography, but the business side. Don’t undervalue your work. Don’t give your work, or skill away, or sell it for peanuts. Attend seminars, watch YouTube videos, and read books. Yes, books, the hard copy paper object with sheets of paper in between. Take notes in the margins, use it a business guideline.

Many of the books below are written or recommended by top professional photographers such as Ken Rockwell and leading photography websites such as Digital Photography School.

Digital Photography Boot Camp: A Step-By-Step Guide for Professional Wedding and Portrait Photographers The Photographer’s MBA: Everything You Need to Know for Your Photography Business Adobe Premiere Pro CC Classroom in a Book (2015 release)

So Where Do you Fit?

Where do you and your camera fit? I’d like to hear your input on the topic and if your goal is to become a professional photographer, a semi-pro, or if you just want to enjoy the hobby for your own benefit. Leave a comment below.

Face to Face with a Charolais Bull

June 24, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

You don’t see Charolais cattle very often, but when you do, they are impressive. Most beef breeds are crossed with Angus for that desirable black color.

On my recent trip to Western Nebraska a Charolais bull got into my father in laws pasture with some other cows. He obviously thought me and my camera were worth checking out.

Don’t worry, I stayed in my car and it was with the help of my 70-200mm Tamron lens that I was able to get an up close and personal portrait of this great animal. Isn’t he magnificent?

I’ve often told people I don’t take pictures of people or animals. Landscapes are more my style. But once in a while , find a subject who is patient and this bovine posed quite nicely in the evening golden hour sun.

Charolais are a popular breed in Colorado due to their strong legs on open range and the mountains. We saw several cross breeds on our Colorado trip a few years ago and quite a few Charolais bulls out in the pastures.

Facts about Charolais Cattle (source Oklahoma State Breeds website)

Originated in southern France and legend has it white cattle were noticed in the region as early as 878 AD
Were used for milk, meat and draft animals.
Know for large bone and power with a superior mothering and milking ability.
Introduced into the United States after the First World War by Jean Pugibet.
First bulls imported through Mexico to the King Ranch. Their names were Neptune and Ortolan.
Influenced the American cattle industry by introducing size and a larger frame than the typical British breeds of the time (Herefords)
Charolais are white or creamy white in color and bulls weigh from 2,000 lbs to over 2,500 lbs with cows weighing between 1,200-2,000 lbs.

Information about Breeds of Cattle

A Field Guide to Cows: How to Identify and Appreciate America’s 52 Cattle: A Handbook to the Breeds of the World Raising Beef Cattle For Dummies Know Your Cows The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals: Choose the Best Breeds Small Cattle for Small Farms (Landlinks Press)

Western Nebraska Sky Country

June 22, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Who needs mountains and oceans when the skies of Western Nebraska can give you all the scenery and glorious vistas you could want. So many people drive down I-80 through Iowa and Nebraska and say they don’t see anything except cornfields and flat land. I say slow down, take a detour on a country road where and actually look at the world around you. The open skies of the Midwest give a 360 panorama of blue sky combined with the action of the clouds.

This is the view from the back of my in-laws farm house outside of Palisade Nebraska. Every night the pheasants fly overhead and you can hear the male roosters crowing in the CRP grass surrounding the house.

Nebraska Off the Beaten Path®: A Guide To Unique Places (Off the Beaten Path Series)Along the Edge of Daylight: Photographic Travels from Nebraska and the Great Plains (Great Plains Photography)

In June the wheat fields of Nebraska start to ripen and turn green. Rain is critical at this point, it helps fill out the berries and increases the yields. The farmers in Nebraska have been luckier in 2014 than the wheat farmers of Texas and Oklahoma. It seems the drought has broken. Southwestern Nebraska had 3 inches of rain one day, it was the most rain they have received at one time in over five years. To say my father in law was happy and smiling was an understatement.

Many people think of Nebraska as fly over country, a place not worth stopping as there is nothing to see. That couldn’t be further from the truth. What makes an ocean awe inspiring? The waves and the sky. Nebraska has waves of wheat and corn and a sky with personality and magnificent clouds. There is plenty to do and see in Nebraska if you just look: Omaha Zoo, Holy Family Shrine, rodeos, country fairs, football games, apple jack festival, and plenty more.

The Complete Roadside Guide to Nebraska, Second Edition Nebraska Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff (Curiosities Series)

You can even see road tracks in the dirt road. I’ve been visiting my in laws for many years during the summer and have never gotten mud on the car. We drove around through the canyons and it was very apparent the wildlife enjoyed the moisture as well. We spotted over 30 deer, a coyote, turkeys, and TWO jack rabbits. My husbands hasn’t seen jack rabbits out there in many years. Here is just one of the mule deer we saw that night. Notice the deer path on the ridge. This is a sight you never see driving 75 mph down the interstate. So next time you take a cross country trip. Take the road less traveled, slow down and enjoy the sights. The countryside has a lot to offer if you just want to look. Bring your camera, don’t be shy. Most people in the area are proud to show off their lovely state and are friendly as can be, as long as you smile and say “I didn’t realize Nebraska was so beautiful!”

Fun Things to Do in Nebraska

Nebraska event puts bison pies in the hands of determined competitors – Omaha …

CHADRON, Nebraska — LaRissa McKean walked into the competition circle in a pink dress, open-toed platform shoes, a Miss Northwest Nebraska sash and a generous portion of bison excrement in her hand. Earlier in the year, McKean, of Omaha, had won …

Fair keeps focus on all Nebraska has to offer – The Grand Island Independent …

UNL Extension staff members and volunteers have been transforming the outside of the Nebraska Building into a visual representation of the various crops, plants and trees the state has to offer. Inside an outline of Nebraska, all the state’s major …

State Games: Speer family continues tradition with Nebraska stop – Lincoln …

Shannon Evans and her daughter, Ava Haimes, and son, Dylan Evans, carry on a family tradition by participating in the State Games of America, this year with Shannon as a coach, Ava competing in gymnastics and Dylan in skateboarding.

Nebraska fun | Nebraska Passport 2015

Nebraska fun. Posted on May 29, 2015. My daughter lives in Minnesota. I always vow to stop at points of interest when traveling to see her. After receiving my passport I made up an agenda. Before leaving I visited the local attractions, Sew …

Chadron Intermediate School: Nebraska Fun Facts

Nebraska Fun Facts. Nebraska was once called “The Great American Desert”. In 1927, Edwin E. Perkins of Hastings invented the powered soft drink Kool-Aid. J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day in Nebraska City in 1872.

NO-Nebraska : Fun Facts

Nebraska is a really interesting state! There are a ton of facts that I didn’t know about Nebraska. I’m going to list a few of them right here! Did you know that 911 was developed in Lincoln, Nebraska? Now it’s used all over the …

Guide of 10 Things to Do with Kids in Omaha, Nebraska …

It is the largest amusement park in Nebraska, and the site of the only roller coaster in Nebraska. Fun-Plex is established in 1987. Rides at Fun-Plex include a slick track, bumper boats, and go-gator kiddie coaster. There is a …

Spring Has Sprung

April 26, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Spring has sprung in Nebraska, and I am a happy camper!

After a long winter in Nebraska I am more than ready for Spring and it can’t come fast enough. My daffodils are blooming, the buds on the trees are opening and the sun is shining.

With the first blooming flowers of spring I start taking my camera with me everywhere. There is something about the sun and new life rising from the ground that inspires me.

Enjoy my flowers this year and Spring Quotes

Spring has sprung with the first daffodils of the year

Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!” ~Robin Williams

It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want – oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

Mark Twain had it right, I have SPRING FEVER!

Daffodil garden at Arbor Day Lodge in Nebraska City

Awake, thou wintry earth –
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, “An Easter Hymn”

Apple blossoms at Arbor Day Lodge in Nebraska City

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~Ruth Stout

So true, I love the flower gardens in the spring and it’s to them that I flock when the warm spring breezes blow. Always with my camera of course.

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~Anne Bradstreet

I guess the spring quote by Anne Bradstreet is true, if we didn’t have winter, and very cold winters, we would never appreciate spring. The same is the same with joy. If we never experience sadness we would relish and appreciate joy and happiness.

The naked earth is warm with Spring,
And with green grass and bursting trees
Leans to the sun’s kiss glorying,
And quivers in the sunny breeze.
~Julian Grenfell

So now that Spring has sprung, can summer be far behind? I am a sun worshipper, nothing makes me happier than sitting with my face to the sun on the first warm day of spring. I love the warmth, and can’t wait for an 80 degree day so I can sit on the deck and soak in the rays.

What do you like about spring? Do you have a favorite spring tradition?