Kellie: Assignment Pot Pourri

Here are a few notes on the whole collection: These were all taken with my 50 mm f/1.4 lens. I'm really working hard to master using that lens at large apertures (the lower numbers). The focal plane is so small at 1.4 that it creates absolutely beautiful effects, and can be used in very low light but is not very forgiving about letting you find your focus point. So, you'll notice some images where the focus on the subject is just slightly off if the f-stop is very low (1.8 or lower).

Here is another panel I did from the Point of View assignment:

This was shot with my new camera at ISO 1250, f/1.4, 1/100 sec. Light was a daylight-bulb reading lamp above and to the right. No color adjustment in photoshop.

Cool Colors:
The above shots were also for my cool colors assignment, as purple is so much in the eye of the beholder. Violet is a pretty classic sort of purple, and below I have a periwinkle color. I also have some pinky purples that I decided to save for if we do more color studies.
Purple:

ISO: 400, f/1.4, 1/2500 sec, vibrance ramped up a bit in photoshop.

Blue:

ISO: 100, f/9, 1/640 sec. This is untouched in Photoshop. Everything really was this color. I considered taking out the smog line, and I know I should have straightened it some (sorry if you get seasick looking at the tilting horizon) but I think the smogline adds a little interest and contrast, even if it is sad. BTW, this is Lake Michigan, at a park called Michigan Dunes.

Green: I love green and took a million green photos. There are so many greens that are truly green, and they all look beautiful together.
ISO: 400, f/5, 1/200 sec. No color adjustment.

ISO: 400, f/1.4, 1/3200 sec. No color adjustment. I considered cropping to get the convergence of the leaves more off center, but I didn't like it. From a composition standpoint, I think there are enough different things to attract the eye that the rule of thirds can be a little flexible here.

Warm Colors:
Red is another tricky color, because most reds are actually cool reds, not warm ones. Most warm reds tend to get another name, like brick or terra-cotta. The boots and the rose are definitely cool red, but the leaf is a warm, orangey-yellow tone.

ISO: 400, f/5.6, 1/200 sec. No color adjustment.

ISO 400, f/1.6, 1/3200 sec. No color adjustment. I don't have a macro lens, so this was taken at my minimum focus point (18 inches) and then cropped.

ISO 400, f/1.4, 1/3200 sec. No color adjustment. Playing with the color of the leaves made them look fake, and I liked the subtle contrast.

Yellow:

ISO 6400, f/4.5, 1/125 sec.

Orange:

ISO 160, f/2.8, 1/50 sec. No color adjustment.

And lastly, my first attempts at a self-portrait. These were done by a window, some with an old lamp with a painted shade turned on, but most without. I used both timer/camera on a book and outstretched arm. As Kathy mentioned, framing is so hard, so all of these are weak from a composition standpoint, but when you study professional portraits, you learn that the rules are pretty bendy if the atmosphere or other elements of the shot work. You'll notice on the close-ups that because I had my aperture wide open, the focus is often sharp on my nose instead of my eyes. I'm working on that. It was very interesting to contrast my favorites with my family's favorites. I won't tell you which is which. :o) We each have our own image of ourselves, and it usually doesn't match up with what others see. Should a self-portrait reflect how we see ourselves, how we want others to see us, or how others actually do see us????
These were all taken at the same setting: ISO 3200, f/1.6, 1/60 sec.






Okay, you deserve a prize if you actually looked at all these. Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestion.