The Genesis Connection
A Newsletter for Through the Lens Photography Club
October 2013 Edition
This Month's Meeting: October 8th at 7:00 PM Gateway Church of the Nazarene
Let the Learning Begin
Photographer of the Month
Jeanne Clark
Jeanne has been taking photographs for several years now and is a fellow Nikon user. Her specialty is portrait photography. She has done several senior portrait sessions and more than one wedding. I've lost count of the number of times she has reminded me that she prefers taking pictures of people versus landscapes. So, being the teacher that I am, I do what I can to stretch her. Every chance I get, I like to encouraging Jeanne to step out of her comfort zone. I hope she doesn't mind being stretched just a little! Jeanne has been an active member of photography club for several months now and has some incredible experience and insight to add at each meeting. If you haven't gotten to know Jeanne, you are missing out on knowing an incredible photographer and an amazing young woman.
Ideas to Inspire You
Lens Lessons: Photography Tips & Tricks
12 Fantastic Fall Photo Tips
Fall has arrived and kamikaze leaves crash down on unsuspecting passersby, leaf peeping is a thing again, and reports of rumbles coming from the Great Pumpkin have spread throughout the nearby towns and villages. Any time of year is a great time to snap a photograph, but Fall is, of course, at least twenty times more so. Grab your camera and enjoy this Autumnal Equinox to its fullest! Who can resist snapping a few shots during this fun Fall season?
Here are some tips on how to get the best of it:
The Best Times to Photograph in the Fall
When we were growing up, we often heard that the early bird gets the worm. Well, we’re not big on worms, but the adage does apply when you’re trying to get the perfect shot of autumn foliage.
(1) Photograph around sunrise and sunset for the best light and color.
The first and last hours of sun during the day (the times right around both sunrise and sunset) have a brilliant quality to the light that can yield great photos. Movie people call these times “Magic Hours” and at least for the morning one, we call it doggone early. But there’s just something about the soft, golden light around this time (which brings out the reds and golds in your photos) that you can’t help but love.
(3) Don’t overlook overcast days. They can often be wonderful to shoot on because the sun isn’t drowning out the colors and the shadows are softer.
(5) Polarize your lens! Got an SLR? A polarizing filter can increase the contrast in your photos and make your colors richer, to the point where you’ll feel like it’s the 1950s and Technicolor just hit. If you don’t have one of these, or you have a point-and-shoot, no problem. You can always adjust the colors in post-processing.
(6) Underexpose your shots slightly (which most cameras, even point-and-shoots, will let you do) to deepen the saturation in your colors, then use your computer’s photo software (iPhoto, Picasa, or Photoshop) to increase the contrast and play with the color saturation to warm things up slightly.
(7) Experiment with your white balance settings. Don’t be afraid to take your camera off Auto mode and play with those settings. Increase the little numbers manually, or select a white balance setting like “cloudy”.
(8) Try a macro lens or macro mode. For those expert-looking close-ups of leaves, a macro lens is indispensable. No macro lens? Set your camera to macro mode and get really close - that works, too. Tripods are handy at this point so that you can really focus on the leaves without worrying about blurring your shot.
What to Photograph
Some seasons only give you a few possibilities for how to frame your shots outdoors - not so with Fall! Get up close for detailed leaf shots, or take a step back and take in a technicolor landscape. There’s so much change come Fall that the only thing you need do is look around you (or look up!).
You might also want to try:
(10) Make-Your-Own Leaf Studio – Too windy to get those up-close macro shots of leaves to work? Try bringing some leaves home. With some good ol’ Scotch tape, stick the stem to a large open window that has some natural light coming through it, so that the leaf lies flat against the window. Now set up your camera and start snapping. Voila, brilliant leaf close-ups!
More Creative Ideas
(12) Capture a tree-changing time-lapse. As our very own Alicia Kachmar suggests, try taking a photo of the same tree, from the same spot, once every day for the next month. Take the shot around the same time every day if you can, and watch as the tree slowly transforms before your eyes.
Leaves and trees aren’t the only thing to photograph in the Fall.
Visit a farmer’s market and snap some of the beautiful colors and shapes of Fall fruits and veggies. Go apple-picking or stop by the pumpkin patch.
Reprinted from: Photojojo
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The Go-To Source
This month's "Go-To Source" is another new one I recently found. PictureCorrect contains a wealth of tips and tutorials that photographers of all ages and experiences can benefit from. At the date of publication of this edition of the Genesis Connection, PictureCorrect.com has 2289 articles archived. Now THAT's a lot of information! Along with tips and tutorials, the site also contains links to equipment guides, daily featured photos, and limited time offers and deals on editing software and other photography related items. PictureCorrect has also created a social networking site created just for photographers so that you can connect with people who share a passion for photography. I personally haven't joined the social networking site, but will definitely check it out at some time in the near future.
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Next Month's Meeting
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2013, 07:00 PM
Gateway Church of the Nazarene, Oskaloosa, IA
Contact Info
Email: ddjimagesphotography@gmail.com
Website: https://throughthelensclub.wikispaces.com/
Location: 2679 Millridge Lane, Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577
Phone: 641-660-5670
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Through-the-Lens-Photography-Club/320480281299492
Twitter: @dejongdd