Waking Up Early Has Its Advantages

I don’t normally give in to my cats when they try to get me up at four in the morning to feed them, but recently, a little voice in the back of my head said “Get up, now.”  So, I did.  And I was rewarded.

Not only were my cats happy that they were getting fed when they demanded it, but as I was cleaning my hands (canned cat food stinks to high heaven as I‘m sure some of you know!), I just happened to look out my kitchen window.  At first, I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.  Probably because I was still half asleep.  But movement soon caught my eye.  Walking toward my yard from the empty lot across the dirt road from my house, was a young deer.

I’m not ashamed to admit, I literally almost squealed like a giddy schoolgirl!  Usually, when I spot a deer in my yard it’s late at night after the sun has long set, not early in the morning when the sun is already up.

Needless to say, I grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots.  Now, taking photos through a window doesn’t really lend well to a sharp, clean image.  Especially if that window has a screen on it.  But I was so happy to see this little deer wander into my yard in daylight that I could care less about the window’s screen!

Here are the results!

 

So cute!!

Until next time…

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~A.M.

Unruly Subjects

In photography, especially studio photography, so many factors are under the photographer’s control.  Camera settings, lighting set ups, subject choice, etc.  Photographing a vase of flowers or some other inanimate object in a studio setting gives the photographer full creative control.  However, a portion of that control goes out the window when you set your camera lens on a live subject.

And, what happens when you encounter an unruly subject?  Teens and adults can usually take direction well, but with an infant, child, pet, or wild animal, all bets are off.

But, that’s part of the fun!  It makes photography less technical and more personal when some of the rigid control of a studio set up gives way to something more spontaneous.

I have cats and it’s impossible to get them to sit perfectly still and gaze into the camera lens at just the right moment for just the right amount of time.  If you can train cats to do that, then I’d like to shake your hand!  But even with my cats’ unruliness in front of my lens, I enjoy photographing them.  When talking about pet portraiture, like snowflakes, no two images are alike.

Example, my cat Tigger.  One second she was sitting pretty looking right at me, something akin to a smile on her cute little cat face, and just as I pressed the shutter button, she did this….

The moral of this story, folks, is embrace the spontaneous.  It’s good.  Don’t forget the technical side of things, but at the same time, don’t get stuck in the Matrix, so to speak!  Let things flow.  The shot you’ve set up in your mind may not be the shot you get, but you never know, you may be pleasantly surprised.  Great photographs can be gained from even the most unruly subject.

Until next time…

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~A.M.

Maybe This Will Help…

Sadly, with more and more photographers being accosted by police, security, cranky business owners, and just plain paranoid people, it’s becoming difficult to take photographs in any public setting without being looked at as suspicious.

Well, here’s a t-shirt that might help!

The next time I plan to take pictures in public, or if I ever plan a photo shoot in a large city, I’ll be sure to get one of these and wear it.  Maybe it will help.

Until next time…

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~A.M.

Instagram Camera In The Works?

I‘ve never used photography sharing sites like Flickr and Instagram, but I know of several people that do and swear by them.

Recently, I came across an article about an “Instagram Camera” that’s in the concept stage.  It actually sounds pretty interesting.  Even though I don’t currently use Instagram, I think this camera would be a really cool addition to the world of Photography.

Check it out here.

I figured I‘d spread the word for those of you that may be interested!

Until next time!

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~A.M.

New Gadget For iPhone Photography…

Personally, I don’t use an iPhone, but I know a great number of you out there do.  Recently I came across a little gadget geared toward those of you iPhone users who are inclined toward photography.

I’ve seen how people take pictures with their iPhone and it looks a little awkward to me, but this little gadget seems like it may help.  Again, I can’t say for sure where I’m not an iPhone user, so you folks will have to judge for yourselves.

Check it out here.

Just thought I’d share!

Until next time!

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~A.M.