Sam, et al, thank you for looking and the compliments. That man in the boat was a real find. Then when I discovered that he had a dog...........
And the music that we could all hear out there on the dock. That place is heaven, IMO.
I am shooting with my new 20D Canon camera, my "new" 300mm L lens, and my "new" 17-40mm L lens. I am getting such good results that I am really afraid to use any of my other lenses. Also, a lot is luck. I have always said that the trick is to show up. This time I was fortunate that the man in the boat showed up too, with his dog. And the little boy who I thoroughly enjoyed. I wish I knew who he is so I could send his parents the photos. No one minded that I was photographing him, not even him. He was a natural.
I do think I did a better job photographing the band than I have in the past. Most of those pictures were taken with the on camera flash in shutter priority. Shutter priority does not light the whole place up, so I could pick and choose. I went from 200 ISO when we got there, to 1600 ISO, then I had to use the flash or pack it up. I think for that venue, the trick is to shoot up. It pleases me anyway.
I enjoy photographing and looking at places that please me, and I love that place. It's festivals are in a price range we can afford. That was 10.00 a piece. I brought my own water and Bill bought a couple of beers. It is a well known staple of the Charleston area. Some places say it is too filthy to eat there, some people love it. We can't afford to eat there. When they are not hosting infrequent festivals, they are famous for their oysters, hence all the oyster shells, and their shrimp. And the very casual, read run down, atmosphere. I just really love that place.
The musicians who played last night I have heard them all before. I don't think I have ever heard music I enjoy more, and in a place that I enjoy more.
My real regret is that I don't know how to shag, the dance of South Carolina, and neither does Bill. I love that dance. It is a joy to watch, too.
Years ago an old at the time Photo Journalists said there was a saying amongst them "F8 and be there", still true today. As far as shag goes (not the UK term ), take some shots like to see.
#1, as everyone else said, is great because it tells a story, captures a moment and all... And it's also really sharp and looks great!
As for #2, even though it's clearly an experiment, it shows confidence. That's great! And it's also a lovely moment you captured there! Congrats!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Take care!
-- thiago
How is it clearly an experiment? I am confused. Tell me what I am experimenting towards so I can go on from here.
I had to go look so I could see which photo of which you were speaking. That one. It had still not occurred to me to up my ISO, so I got blur in the people. I like blur......... I thought there was still enough detail to show emotion, so I posted it.
Here is the story. I go to Bowen Island when they have music, I love it. They had the last day of the blues festival on Sunday. Monday the challenge on "emotions" started. I PMd Andy with the request I be able to use photos from Sunday night, taken specifically with the challenge in mind, for the challenge. Rarely, I know it has been rare, but I have seen permission granted. He was not online that day, so I left not knowing what his answer would be.
All shots, except the landscapes and the band were shot with the idea of showing emotion, whenever possible. I took some as a request, I always take landscapes if they are there. I used my new lenses exclusively. I was covering a lot of bases, but I still was thinking perhaps I would be able to use emotion shots. I don't go many places where there are people "emoting", so I did know this was my best chance.
(I like to take photos of kids, so naturally I would pick that kid, then when neither he nor his parents, were afraid of me, well I had a ball following him from the wistfulness of wanting to join the dancers and the music, to his actual participation..........most of the shots showing his emotions to the best of my ability in a photojournalistic way, I thought)
When I got home there was a PM from Andy saying that he was sorry and that he had been out all day. I took that to mean "no" I could not use the photos.
I worked them up anyway, that blurred couple, that would kind of be a trademark shot of mine, but I would not enter it in a challenge, not everyone likes them. However, it does show emotion. The blurring was an accident, but so are some of my best shots. I take advantage of "good" accidents.
Then the one with the boy and his father, I had the on camera flash on by then. It was mostly dark behind them, except for a bit of blue jeans above the boy. I cloned it out. There was emotion at the moment, I thought it showed. Maybe it would work better if I could show the floor, and that may be possible.
The rest of the shots with the boy, I just love him, wistful, watching the band, dancing with his parents who so obviously adore him. I forget the ones I posted, but they were all to show emotion.
I put the boat first, also to show emotion, first as it was the first "project" I took on when I walked out on the dock. He just got better and better. But I kind of put the shots on in a light to dark order, so that was first.
There was a comment about the busy background early on. That has bothered me enough that I would like to speak to it. The background is there to show the story. Without the background, in most cases, there would be no story, the emotions would not make as much sense. I tried to highlight the boy as the center, but his "world" of the moment was a part of the story of his emotions, I thought. In the one of him and his father starting to embrace, there is no background. Mostly this is a photojournalistic approach, though, IMO.
I also included a photo of the band, I had two and took one out. I work on that for myself, to better learn to do band shots. I rate that one as the best so far of that group. So, I shared it. Kind of to finish the story.
When I posted this there were several thoughts in my mind, one being to just share my excitement of the evening, another to show the emotion shots I could take, and finally, to show the emotion shots I had taken.
I then posted the landscapes in their proper place just to share.
Thanks for all your comments, I really, really appreciate it when anyone stops by and makes a comment. Some comments really make me think, and, hopefully, improve my photography. Some just make me smile.
Comments
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gubbs.smugmug.com
The old man and the sea comes to mind.
The others have too busy a background that pulls away from the main subject IMO.
=^..^=
http://mslammers.smugmug.com
Wow, that's the life! Great shot!
http://www.twitter.com/deegolden
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I vote you Digital Grin's most improved phtographer of the year.
Sam
~Heidi~
And the music that we could all hear out there on the dock. That place is heaven, IMO.
I am shooting with my new 20D Canon camera, my "new" 300mm L lens, and my "new" 17-40mm L lens. I am getting such good results that I am really afraid to use any of my other lenses. Also, a lot is luck. I have always said that the trick is to show up. This time I was fortunate that the man in the boat showed up too, with his dog. And the little boy who I thoroughly enjoyed. I wish I knew who he is so I could send his parents the photos. No one minded that I was photographing him, not even him. He was a natural.
I do think I did a better job photographing the band than I have in the past. Most of those pictures were taken with the on camera flash in shutter priority. Shutter priority does not light the whole place up, so I could pick and choose. I went from 200 ISO when we got there, to 1600 ISO, then I had to use the flash or pack it up. I think for that venue, the trick is to shoot up. It pleases me anyway.
I enjoy photographing and looking at places that please me, and I love that place. It's festivals are in a price range we can afford. That was 10.00 a piece. I brought my own water and Bill bought a couple of beers. It is a well known staple of the Charleston area. Some places say it is too filthy to eat there, some people love it. We can't afford to eat there. When they are not hosting infrequent festivals, they are famous for their oysters, hence all the oyster shells, and their shrimp. And the very casual, read run down, atmosphere. I just really love that place.
The musicians who played last night I have heard them all before. I don't think I have ever heard music I enjoy more, and in a place that I enjoy more.
My real regret is that I don't know how to shag, the dance of South Carolina, and neither does Bill. I love that dance. It is a joy to watch, too.
ginger
My Galleries
Flicker
G+
Lovely shots you got there!
#1, as everyone else said, is great because it tells a story, captures a moment and all... And it's also really sharp and looks great!
As for #2, even though it's clearly an experiment, it shows confidence. That's great! And it's also a lovely moment you captured there! Congrats!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Take care!
-- thiago
How is it clearly an experiment? I am confused. Tell me what I am experimenting towards so I can go on from here.
I had to go look so I could see which photo of which you were speaking. That one. It had still not occurred to me to up my ISO, so I got blur in the people. I like blur......... I thought there was still enough detail to show emotion, so I posted it.
Here is the story. I go to Bowen Island when they have music, I love it. They had the last day of the blues festival on Sunday. Monday the challenge on "emotions" started. I PMd Andy with the request I be able to use photos from Sunday night, taken specifically with the challenge in mind, for the challenge. Rarely, I know it has been rare, but I have seen permission granted. He was not online that day, so I left not knowing what his answer would be.
All shots, except the landscapes and the band were shot with the idea of showing emotion, whenever possible. I took some as a request, I always take landscapes if they are there. I used my new lenses exclusively. I was covering a lot of bases, but I still was thinking perhaps I would be able to use emotion shots. I don't go many places where there are people "emoting", so I did know this was my best chance.
(I like to take photos of kids, so naturally I would pick that kid, then when neither he nor his parents, were afraid of me, well I had a ball following him from the wistfulness of wanting to join the dancers and the music, to his actual participation..........most of the shots showing his emotions to the best of my ability in a photojournalistic way, I thought)
When I got home there was a PM from Andy saying that he was sorry and that he had been out all day. I took that to mean "no" I could not use the photos.
I worked them up anyway, that blurred couple, that would kind of be a trademark shot of mine, but I would not enter it in a challenge, not everyone likes them. However, it does show emotion. The blurring was an accident, but so are some of my best shots. I take advantage of "good" accidents.
Then the one with the boy and his father, I had the on camera flash on by then. It was mostly dark behind them, except for a bit of blue jeans above the boy. I cloned it out. There was emotion at the moment, I thought it showed. Maybe it would work better if I could show the floor, and that may be possible.
The rest of the shots with the boy, I just love him, wistful, watching the band, dancing with his parents who so obviously adore him. I forget the ones I posted, but they were all to show emotion.
I put the boat first, also to show emotion, first as it was the first "project" I took on when I walked out on the dock. He just got better and better. But I kind of put the shots on in a light to dark order, so that was first.
There was a comment about the busy background early on. That has bothered me enough that I would like to speak to it. The background is there to show the story. Without the background, in most cases, there would be no story, the emotions would not make as much sense. I tried to highlight the boy as the center, but his "world" of the moment was a part of the story of his emotions, I thought. In the one of him and his father starting to embrace, there is no background. Mostly this is a photojournalistic approach, though, IMO.
I also included a photo of the band, I had two and took one out. I work on that for myself, to better learn to do band shots. I rate that one as the best so far of that group. So, I shared it. Kind of to finish the story.
When I posted this there were several thoughts in my mind, one being to just share my excitement of the evening, another to show the emotion shots I could take, and finally, to show the emotion shots I had taken.
I then posted the landscapes in their proper place just to share.
Thanks for all your comments, I really, really appreciate it when anyone stops by and makes a comment. Some comments really make me think, and, hopefully, improve my photography. Some just make me smile.
ginger:D