Beyond Photography….Round 2

It wasn‘t long ago that I made a post about other artistic endeavors that I engage in.  Digital art, painting, book making, writing, and jewelry design.

As I mentioned in that previous post, and as I’m sure all of you can see, I’ve had a gallery here on my site showcasing some of my digital art for quite a while (I should probably update that with some more recent pieces, huh?).  I asked what my readers thought about me adding a gallery in which I’d post photos of some jewelry pieces I’ve made and have available for sale.  I received some feedback telling me to go for it.  So, go for it I did!  If you haven’t found it already, look to the right under “Portfolios” and click on “Jewelry.”

Check it out!  Let me know what you think!  If people like some of the pieces I’ve posted here, I just might be persuaded to join the masses and open up a little Etsy shop of my own!

Until next time…

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~A.M.

 

*EDIT 6/24/2017*

I have since removed my jewelry portfolio from the site, but I’ve left the link to my online shop (which is on ShopHandmade.com, not Etsy).

Post Production

Depending on who you ask, post production can either be a photographer/artist’s best friend or evil incarnate!

Photographers will tell you that the best thing to do is to get the image right at the time of capture so there will be little to no need for post production.  It’s a good rule to follow, especially for nature, wildlife, and portrait photography.  It’s good to be able to take photographs that have a true-to-life feel straight from the camera.

Sometimes however, even if you’re camera settings are spot on, the resulting photo might still need a little tweak in brightness, color, saturation, etc. before it’s satisfactory.

Of course this “get it right in camera” rule, like all rules, can be bent or even broken completely.  Sometimes heavy post production may actually be desired from the start of a project.  Several photographers out there just cringed at that, but let me explain.

Say, for example, you want to take your shot of that pretty sunset, that cool moonrise, or that neat portrait and turn it into something completely fantastical and artistic.  It’s still a good idea to strive for true-to-life images as a base (you never know when you might want or need that true-to-life image for something in the future) but Photoshop can be your friend when it comes to making art.

I’ll show you an example of this.  For a photographer, I’m not personally very photogenic (that and I’m my own worst critic!).  Like most photographers, I‘m more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it.  So, after much deliberation, I took one of the best shots from a series of self portraits (with a shameless plug for my favorite musician, Celldweller!).

It came out alright, but I wanted to do something more to it.  I wanted to make it less life-like and more…well…artistic.  So, I engaged in some heavy post production, adjusting levels, color, and especially contrast.  I’ve been told by many people that my eyes are my best feature, so I wanted to showcase them by making them the only part of the image in color.

Art (and beauty) is always in the eye of the beholder.  It’s completely subjective.  The same is true for post production.  Whether or not to do post production and how much of it to do is a personal preference.  However, I do agree on one thing with the anti-post production team….Post production should always be a tool of photography, not a crutch.

Until next time…

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~A.M.

Ten Places I Want To See…

Last week I posted a link to an article from Buzzfeed.com about ten beautiful places in the world.  I told everyone that I’d make a list of ten places I’d like to see.

Well, here it is.

I’ll start with a few countries I’d like to visit at some point in my life.

1. Japan

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Japanese culture.  Their language, architecture, and art have always intrigued me.  I’d love to spend some time photographing the country.

2. Ireland

The Emerald Isle.  What could be better than rolling green hills, beautiful coastline, and castles?!

3. Italy

You can’t call yourself an artist and not want to visit Italy.  You just can’t!  Italy is so rich in art and culture that it’s basically a requirement when planning an overseas trip.

4. India

Forget “The Big Bang Theory” and Dr. Raj Koothrapali for a second.  Let’s be serious.  Like Italy, India is lush with beautiful sights.  Hindu and Buddhist temples, majestic landscapes, etc.

5. Greece

Two words…Greek Mythology.  Two more words…The Parthenon.  I think I’ve made my point.

Now that I’ve listed some countries, here are a few specific spots I’d like to visit.

6. USA: All the National Parks

I’ve been to Acadia National Park in Maine but that doesn’t mean I’ll remove it from the list!  Like every location, you can visit it several times, at different times of day, and in different seasons, and come away with new and unique images each time.

7. Egypt: The Great Pyramids

Yes, this may be considered a cliché travel destination, but the pyramids are still, and always will be, a wonder.  Just thinking about seeing the great pyramids with my own eyes makes me giddy!

8. China: The Great Wall of China

Again, cliché.  And again, just thinking about see it first hand makes me happy!

9. England: Stonehenge

Yet another cliché locale, but come on, who doesn’t like big mysterious rock formations!

10. A Tie between Peru: Machu Picchu & Mexico: The Mayan Ruins

Let’s face it, we’ve all wanted to be Indiana Jones or Lara Croft at some point in our lives.  Exploring ancient ruins and hidden tombs to uncover secrets that could explain mankind’s existence and save the world!  Or, more plausibly, we just think archeology is cool.  Either way, there’s something alluring about ancient ruins.  To see where and how people who came before us lived their lives.  It‘s fascinating if you stop to think about it.

What about you, folks?  Where would you like to go?  What places would you like to see?

Until next time…

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~A.M.

Ten Beautiful Places

While perusing Facebook one day, I came across a link my little cousin shared on her wall.  It was to a post on Buzzfeed.com entitled “10 Beautiful Places in the World That Actually Exist.”

Being a photographer, I was curious.  What places made it on this list?  Where are they?  So, I checked out the post.

I have my favorites from this list, namely the “Wisteria Tunnel” in Japan, the “Crooked Forest“ in Poland, and “Plitvice Lakes National Park” in Croatia (that “Magic Mountain Hotel” and the “Tunnel of Love” look pretty awesome too!).  What are your favorites?

This Buzzfeed post sparks my curiosity.  If you were asked to make a list of ten places in the world you’d like to visit (to photograph or just to see), which places would make the cut?

I’ll make a list to share with you folks in weeks to come.  Will you make a list to share with me?

Until next time…

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~A.M.

Beyond Photography

I, like most artists, have many interests (and dare I say skills) beyond my primary medium of photography.  I’m a digital artist, a painter, a book maker, a writer, and a jewelry designer.

I have a gallery here on my site showcasing some of my digital art and I’m thinking about adding a gallery in which I’d post photos of some jewelry I’ve made and have available for sale.

Thoughts?  I’d love to hear from my readers, either here on my blog or on my Facebook page.  Don’t be shy!

Until next time…

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~A.M.