Some places I've photographed (in the Raleigh area):

Umstead State Park
Lake Crabtree
Yates Mill County Park

All three aforementioned places have great scenery. I've shot deer, geese and flora/fauna in all three locations.

Upcoming (anticipated) places for photographing in the near future:

Raleigh (downtown)
Lake Wheeler Park
Duke Gardens
RDU Airport (assuming their security will allow me to take pics of the planes landing/taking off)


If you have any photography ideas, please let me know - I'm still experimenting with my camera and lenses...though I must admit that, with finals and whatnot, the next couple of weeks are out.

Enhancing Photographs

There are many different programs that people use for editing. The chances that your computer has, at the very least, a program that allows you to manipulate the brightness or color of a photo are pretty high. What is the purpose of enhancing a photograph? Sometimes a photo looks good but when you've uploaded it to your computer, the colors seem a bit off or are not as vivid as you had seen them. Every display unit has its own settings, whether they are able to be changed manually or if they are 'system standard' with no option to change them. Enhancing a photograph can allow for you to make a seemingly dull photo more vivid and eye-catching. Take, for instance, the photograph above. The brightness was atrocious (via my laptop display, that is). I manipulated the brightness and color saturation to make for a rich, deep blue and an overall (in my opinion, anyways) more appealing picture.

I stated in a previous post that I do not like to edit photographs - with the ability to manipulate colors and brightness, I find that my opinion has changed. I think that enhancing pictures can make for a more appealing final product...but a word of advice: consider your audience - especially if you are working toward establishing a professional repertoire. With advanced photo manipulation software, the ability to add and remove items (along with a very wide array of other options) are endless, making for a flawless approach or a more refined image. I do not believe in adding things to photographs - I consider it cheating, in a sense, as photography takes a good eye and can often be strenuous to obtain the photo one wants.

I would use discretion in editing if you are trying to establish yourself - you don't want to go overboard or to take credit for something a computer program manifested.

Note:

To view photographs that have been cut-off on the main page, click on them to enlarge and to view them in their entirety. I've tried re-configuring the pictures, but this site won't allow me to re-size them, so you have to click them to see the whole picture.

A New Level of Photography:

Night photography has always fascinated me; however, due to the lack of a decent camera (for night photography, that is), my photos have always...been unappealing, to say the least. I've never been able to take a good photograph...without the flash - until now.

This new camera takes excellent night photographs. In the future, I will take some pictures with my iPhone, Sony Cybershot and this new Canon to show a comparative analysis of the quality of night photos (without the flash).

Another feature that this camera offers (that others had not) is the ability to adjust the shutter speed. Why is this important? Well, if an object is moving, you want the shutter to snap shut as fast as possible to avoid any blur. In retrospect, if you have it open longer, you can come up with some great time-lapse photographs (see below).

Some tips for night photography:

1. Hold your camera still. As you shall see below, moving the camera while taking low-light photographs can be detrimental. Moving can also ruin a time-laps photograph, as well. If you are able to do so, I would recommend investing in a tripod (my next purchase).

2. Take multiple photographs. Taking more than one will allow for a greater selection.


This is the first time-lapse photograph I shot (with the Canon). I left the shutter open for thirty seconds and, while I thought I was being extremely still, it's quite apparent that moving even a millimeter or two can have a significant impact on the photograph.

This photograph is, in my opinion, much better; however, you can see that I moved - notice the stationary objects and how the images seem...well, I don't know the proper term for it, but I'll say - to have moved? I was not completely still.

This third photo is the best of all. I changed the timer on the shutter to ten seconds and held my breath - while the camera did not capture as many cars, I feel that it came out excellent. What do you think?

I've added a new camera to my collection!

When I began photographing in 2003 with my HP PhotoSmart digital camera, I was, by no means, a photographer. In fact, I wasn't even very interested in photography. The time I spent snapping photos was very limited.

 

In 2006, I found a great deal on a much more advanced Sony Cybershot, which had many more features and seemed more 'my style' in terms of what a camera should feel and operate like. My interest in photography increased exponentially.

That camera has provided (and will continue to provide) many quality images and has inspired me to take my photographic endeavors more seriously. 

 

Now that I have had years of experience and have taken thousands of photographs, I recently felt that it would be beneficial to upgrade to a newer and even more-advanced amateur camera, the Canon EOS Rebel T3. While spending a lot of money on any item has never been my modus operandi, Best Buy had a deal that was too good to pass up - what would normally be spent for just the camera body, I was able to purchase the body, two separate lenses two batteries, a charger and all of the photo-editing software (which I try to avoid using) for the same price. What a bargain!

While I must admit that this camera is going to be hard to adjust to due to a plethora of available features, I know that it was a great investment and I will use it very often.

While parking near the Pucher-LeMay building last winter, I snapped this photograph with my phone. Snapping exquisite photographs requires keeping an eye open for beauty in unexpected places.

Want to become a photographer? Take a look around you. There are so many subjects that are photo-worthy - the sky, trees, flowers, people, architecture - you name it, you can photograph it.

Want to become a good photographer?

Taking a photograph seems pretty easy-to-do nowadays. With the cost of point-and-shoot cameras being relatively low and camera phones being so commonplace, it seems as though any person can be a photographer.

What is it that makes someone a good photographer? Skill, dedication, and the willingness to wait for the right shot. Shooting an image at the right moment and patience are key attributes for this hobby or trade.

Some hints, tips and tricks to keep in mind:

An expensive camera and PhotoShop do not necessarily make you a good photographer. It is not always about the price of the camera that qualifies you to take 'good' photographs. On a personal note - I did not begin taking pictures with an overly-expensive camera and do not use PhotoShop to edit my pictures; further, my current camera is nearly five years old and takes excellent photos.

A new camera is not necessarily the best - especially now that web sites make it easy for people to sell their used items.

Consider a digital camera to one that requires film. Digital cameras allow the photographer to take many shots; in retrospect, undesirable photographs can easily be deleted from memory, whereas standard cameras that require film do not have that option. Additionally, film can be costly.

What about developing pictures using a digital camera? I don't have a photo printer!

Simple: many stores offer photo developing services. Simply upload your photographs via the Internet and, in most cases, they will be ready for pick-up from the store of your choice...or, you can have them mailed directly to you.