Winter's Here

Ok, I have to accept it ... winter's here!

Here are some of the photos I took with my new p&s, a Fujifilm XP waterproof camera. I've taken to carrying it around with me in my coat pocket ... I don't take it out often, though, because I find it very difficult to compose photos on the lcd ... especially when all I see in the lcd is a reflection of my frustrated face!

Anyway, a couple of days ago I took the camera out to take photos of our first significant snowfall ... only to find that the combination of time and cold and taken its toll on the battery ... I'd forgotten I had these fall photos on the card ...

 

 

Could I get 4.3 million for this one? Like this one?

... and I managed to squeeze two shots out of the red-lining battery (I couldn't decide which I liked best, so here they both are!):

Cue The Next Phase ...

... of my photography career!

I have just received my evaluation for my sixth, and final, photo project as required by the Professional Photographer course run by the New York Institute of Photography.

Apparently my graduation certificate order form is on its way to me ... I can only deduce from that statement that I am actually going to graduate!   =D

Back in February, I posted the images that I submitted for the first three photo projects in a blog post, together with any critical comments the images received.

As promised, here are the photos from the last three projects (I've added these photos "as is", despite being sorely tempted to tweak some of them to make improvements that I can now see are needed!):

UNIT 4

Location Portrait: (Suggest a more obvious prop in the hands, and that subject dress the part, too. Watch backgrounds).

Pet Portrait: (Crop a bit from the top).

Window Light/Reflector Portrait: (Suggest bring reflector in a bit closer. Try a moderate telephoto lens to compress the scene, and to give more comfort to the subject).

Artificial Light/Two-Light Portrait:

Group Portrait: (Watch toes cut off).

Child Portrait: (Give her head a bit more space in the frame).

Child: (A bit washed out in print).

UNIT 5

Commercial Duplicate: (Crop from the left to match the tall skinny ad set-up).

This is a copy of a Sears catalogue ad.

Insect:

Animal:

Photojournalism: (I forgot to submit a caption! Instructor didn't understand my lighting explanation "bright overcast". Crop from the top).

Sports: (Caption would've been nice).

UNIT 6

Architecture - Exterior:

Architecture - Exterior @ Night: (Avoid having vehicles and people large in foreground).

Architecture - Interior: (A bit much going on - rather do one "room" at a time. Set the table in dining area).

Macro:

Still Life: (Turn anything with lettering on it so that the lettering is the right way up).

What do you think about the photos? Any questions about the photos? I'd be interested to hear from you!

Most of all, I hope that my mistakes help others avoid making them!

Remembrance Day Parade - Invermere 2011

November 11, 2011

As always, this an emotional time as we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in our names and, during Veterans Week, we appreciate the millions who've served, and are still serving, to protect us from those who'd do us harm.

I am very proud that many of my immediate family, as well as dear friends and extended relatives, have served in the military in various capacities. I extend my heartfelt thanks to them, and to their thousands of comrades in arms. 

This year in Invermere, it didn't rain ... but the wind howled! Even though it was fairly warm at 5C, and with gloves on, my frozen fingertips took several minutes to stop aching and burning as they thawed after being out in the elements taking photos for an hour. Considering our veterans' sacrifices, though, it's the least I could've done!

Here are the photographs I took at the parade. Please contact me if you'd like a free copy emailed to you.

A Dry Spell

I've barely picked my camera up in the past couple of weeks. I miss it, but I have not been feeling inspired. It must be the onset of winter ... the colours are gone, and the weather's not exactly encouraging outdoor excursions (it never crosses my mind to shoot indoors, for some reason) ...

And now that I'm finished with my NYIP course (at least, I think I am ... I passed the final exam and have mailed in my last project photos - just awaiting my last evaluation and hopefully my graduation certificate!), I'm not feeling pushed towards anything in particular.

It's a frame of mind I really want to get out of because looming large on my horizon (although it may seem like ages away to someone else) is the wedding that I've committed to shoot in early May!

True, in the past month I've stepped outside my comfort zone quite a bit, having done two portrait sessions: One for my photog friend, Shawna, and my brother and his fiancee's engagement shoot. Those were terrifying, nervewracking, stressful and exciting ... but it feels like they were ages ago.

The only real shooting I've done in the past couple of weeks is this:

Sunrise over the Purcell Mountains (more & larger images are available on my Smugmug page):

And a slow drive around our backroads yesterday. I was hoping for some tumble-down cabins and/or barns, but all I came across was this barely-standing place (see Smugmug for more & larger images). I couldn't go any closer because of the strongly worded No Trespassing sign on the gate that mentioned something about Removal by the Officer OR Prosecution ...

Oh well, I have heard that the ski teams have arrived in Panorama for race training, so that's going to be my next destination, I think!  ;-)