Week 28 -- The final season of the 4 seasons photos

Way back in week 9 I finally got my winter picture of my home here in CT. Now here in week 28 I finally got my summer picture, meaning I have all 4 seasons. Now I want to get them printed and hung in my house. So if you have an eye for that kind of thing, come on over and help me decide where to put them and what size to get them!!!!

Week 27 -- Glasses???? No problem!!

So I have now read many, many online forums about the struggle to take nice photos of people with their glasses on. Here is a summary of what I learned . . .

1. Always be keenly aware of the reflection. Perhaps use a zoom lens so that you (the photographer) are not in the reflection. Watch your light sources very carefully. Recognize that the beautiful catch lights that we so often love in portraits are just not going to be present in portraits with glasses.

2. Sometimes, you can take the lenses out of the frames. They will then still have their glasses on, but they will not have any glare. This works well when the individual in question is part of a large group (so they will be relatively small) and if their eyes are slightly crossed it will not be noticeable OR when they are old enough to understand NOT to try to focus on anything in particular so that their eyes do not cross at all. This does not work for rimless glasses.

3. If you find a glare or reflection have the subject tilt the lenses slightly forward (move the earpieces just higher than setting on the ear).

4. Always make sure their eyeballs are centered in the glasses themselves.

So with this new found info, I set out with Julianne to try again. I think I did it!!!! Her eyes are crisp, her glasses are on and there is no glare or reflection. It wasn't hard to do, but it took thinking through each photo.

Week 26 -- Beautiful Bokeh, beautiful eyes

If only everyone's eyes could match the color of the bokeh so perfectly!

Week 25 -- The trouble with glasses and the lack therof

So 2 of my kids wear glasses. It started out that they only wore them some of the time and that was easy, because when it was time to take pictures, we just took the glasses off. But now they both wear them all of the time. They want photos of them with their glasses on. Because that is how they look everyday to them. And their eyesight is bad enough that when they take their glasses off . . . their eyes go cross-eyed trying to focus on something. So right now all the photos of my girls are either with glasses and glare or without glasses and cross-eyed. HELP!!!!!!! They have such beautiful blue eyes and I want to be able to see that in the photos. Maybe it is just time for contacts????

Week 24 - Stained Glass Windows

I love stained glass windows. They are not always the easiest to photograph. For stained glass windows to look truly stunning the light must be coming through them from outside (which usually means it is morning or evening -- to get the light streaming through the windows) and it needs to be fairly low light inside so that the windows are illuminating the room. The secret is to have a tripod. . . but I rarely am carrying one with me so these were all taken trying every possible way to use my body like a tripod. (hold your breath, take multiple pictures so that the shutter is pushed down only on the first -- which usually means the first is blurry from pushing the shutter down, but the second and third are better b/c your finger isn't moving for those ones, lean against a wall, lock your elbows against your chest).














and whatever you do . . . don't use your flash!