Flowers for a Brighter Day

Apr
03
2012
by Jessy | 0 Comments

It’s only Tuesday and it’s already been one of those weeks.  Do you know what I’m talking about?  It’s those weeks where you are getting several days worth of work completed in a single day but there is no end in site.  It seems as though these are very prevalent during holiday weeks.  Yes, Friday is Good Friday, and I’m excited to have it off to spend some time away from the computer and with family and friends.

Last night while I was out playing ball with the dogs I noticed my roses were blooming!  No only did I get to play with my dogs but I ran in the house to grab the camera and get a few shots of the roses.  I think they came out very well and helped to brighten my day a bit…and my week.

These were taken with my Nikon 7000 and my macro 105MM lens.  Hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Pink Rose

105MM ISO 400 1/45 sec at f/4.8

White Rose Pink Tips

105MM ISO400 1/45sec at f/4.8

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A few critiques

Apr
01
2012
by Jessy | 0 Comments

Like many photographers I listen watch several of the online shows with Scott Kelby, RC Conception, etc.  Kelbys tip to have pro’s review you work is one of those things I have always been scared to do but finally decided to suck it up and try it.  On “The Grid” a while back Kelby offered to do some critiques on his show so I submitted these images.  Of course he told everyone how horrible they were.  Kelby provided some really great feedback about what is good and what is bad in the images as well as how to make them better.  His feedback and insight is very valuable.  I believe most of the people that were critiqued during that episode understood what Kelby was getting at with his critique and appreciated the feedback he gave.

I was also able to get a few minutes of Andrew Howells (from Aplebox.net) time to review my site.  He also provided some valuable insight and restated some things I had already known.  I have since cleaned up my site and the images on it per his feedback and feel better about taking another step forward.

My advice to others looking for the same feedback would be:

  1. Seek out people you trust for feedback.  Not friends and family, but others in the photography community that have more than their gut feeling of like or not.  This will give you more of the why and why not.
  2. Take their feedback as it is meant to be given.  When you ask for feedback and someone gives you an honest critique of your work it’s not all butterflies and kittens.  Sometimes things can sound very harsh, just listen to Kelby provide his critiques.  Remember that as harsh as it sounds it is meant to provide you with the information and the push you need to move into the right direction and away from what you are doing poorly.
  3. Final, but not least…Remember that their feedback is biased with their opinion.  With my critique from Kelby I had a laugh a little because an image he trashed during the critique is one I have actually sold some copies.  I have not sold hundreds of copies, but many more than you would have thought had you only listened to his critique.  I think Andrew said it well in his critique: “I don’t care much for the bright stuff but that’s just me, it’s not my style.”  He acknowledged that the work is good, but he prefers one type over another.

I hope that I am able to continue to get these random critiques as time goes on and my skills increase, this information and feedback is very helpful and valuable in my continued development.

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International Auto Show in New York

Mar
15
2012
by Jessy | 0 Comments

I have entered another contest and need everyone’s help!  If my car photo gets the most “likes” then I would be picked for an all expense paid trip to New York to photograph at the International Auto Show!  If you don’t know I grew up around cars and at the car shows.  I still won’t let people clean my car because….they don’t clean them how I was taught.  I helped my dad and his friends build a T-bucket, and I have been there when the car broke down and had to be towed to the nearest town.  I would love the opportunity to go to a show like this, especially to photograph at one.  Please follow the link below and “like” my photo!

Like my photo:  http://snapmylife.com/photos/1881511?page=1

 

 

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Red Stalagmite Image Sold!

Mar
10
2012
by Jessy | 0 Comments

I sold a 7.75″ X 8.00″ print of Red Stalagmite on FineArtAmerica!  The buy purchased with a black frame and white matting, I think it looks rather good like this.

 

 

 

This is the image but be sure to check out the announcement page to see the image of the frame and matting on it, gives it a very different look.

Announcement page

 

 

 

 

 

This image was taken last fall when my husband and I went to West Virgina for a weekend to hang out in a cabin with his family.  His parents and sister were already there.  Part of the trip for the weekend included going through Smoke Hole Caverns.  it was truly something to see and they had it lit beautifully inside so that I could get some nice photos.

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Selected by the judges as a community favorite

Mar
05
2012
by Jessy | 0 Comments

It seems that the same images are coming back again and again getting more and more well known in various photography communities.  My Cathedral picture taken at St. John the Baptists Cathedral in Savannah Georgia has now been “selected by the judges as a community favorite” per the email I received from ViewBug!  Its the same HDR image that won the HDR Photomatix contest on FaceBook.  I have also sold 3 copies of this images thus far…and finally printed one for myself.

Once again this is completely amazing to me and I feel so honored to have someone even like some of the images I have taken, let alone for them to win something.  The best thing of this is it keeps giving me more and more motivation to get out and take more images.  On top of that is creating and excitement to see what people will say about various images and takes on the locations that I shoot.

I hope I can keep getting all the criticism I have been, good and bad, it has definitely help me to grow in the photography field!

Thank you again to all of you that vote, view, and provide feedback (good and bad, without you bad ones I don’t learn anything!), its what helps me to keep growing as a photographer.

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A Barn in Kansas

Feb
25
2012
by Jessy | 0 Comments

Growing up there was this barn on the side of the highway by my little town.  It becomes one of those landmarks that lets you know you are close to home.  As I got older and started seeing things a little differently the barn become something more.  I always wanted to go look inside, see what’s there, etc.  Finally, last year at Christmas I asks my Dad to take me out there so I could take some photos.  This only prompted him to say “You mean to XXX’s barn?”  Of course we knew the family that owned it, if only I would have asked earlier.

I was able to get some great images of it with the snow all around, and I have found I am partial to the black and white, that must be how I’ve always seen it in my head as a child.  The barn is nearly 100 years old so I think the black and white is fitting.  For the images below, you can see them larger here.  I used a few presets that I have in Light Room and then of course tweaked them a little, I’m never happy with pre-sets.  I did import a few of them into Topaz BW but I decided that I liked them better straight from Light Room.  Take a look and let me know which one is your favorite.

 

 

This is the first image I completed.  This is HDR using Photomatix, I love how the sun turned out…

 

 

 

 

 

This is an image of the back of the barn.  Something about how the door was hanging from the hinge and resting on the ground drew my attention.  The red with the sun hitting it was so bright and beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

An image from the side in the snow path of the trucks and tractors.  Just to the right was a huge snow pile that I did clime up a little to get a different perspective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This image is my favorite.  I used a few presets from Lightroom then  kept tweaking them until I was happy.  something about that old Black and White photo is how I have always seen it in my head.  It gives this image some of that old story and mystery to it.

 

 

 

This is a different Black and White process I did.  I love the sun as the focal point, but you cannot ignore that barn.  I think this makes a unique panorama of the whole place.

 

I will be putting these up on my fine art america site but I am still looking for another printer that is a little cheaper.  Fine art america charges so much and I get so little as I try to keep the costs reasonable.  If you have suggestions let me know! 🙂

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PlusOne Collection Book – update

Feb
25
2012
by Jessy | 0 Comments

The limited edition sale period is over.  Yes I had to order one, it’s the first book that my photography will be in so it is quite exciting for me.  Very soon the release of the standard print, ebook, and app will be posted and the ebook and app are extremely cheap with the funds going to a great cause.  I will be sure to keep you updated on the information about the release and any sales info I receive.  You can continue to check out the book site for information s well.  http://plusonecollection.com/

This is copied from a post Ivan Makarov put on G+, it really is great information about the limited edition sale, I had to share:

“The final number is in. A total of  195 copies of the Limited Edition of +Plus One Collection will be printed. The production of all those copies will begin this week, and we hope to ship in the first few days of March. By the way – today is the last day to pick your print, if you have a preference –http://goo.gl/j5Orv

Each copy will be numbered inside the book (1/194, 2/194, etc.). 

The first to order the book was +Alan Allum who also ordered another copy towards the end of the sale. The last to order was +Jim Patterson – literally with minutes to spare. 

Lots of cool stories – wives ordering for husbands, guys buying for their girlfriends, children buying for their parents and even my mom buying a copy in the last 30 minutes of the sale. 

I also know quite a few Googlers ordered their copies, including company’s executives. 

Approximately 65% will ship to US/Canada, with the rest all over the world – from Hong Kong to South Australia to Argentina and Poland. 

Don’t have the exact number of funds we raised thus far until all shipping expenses are paid for, but safe to say, we’ve raised over $10,000. “

As you see in the post he actually let people purchasing choose from 15 different prints which will be included in their order.  This is a great idea because it gives them that freedom but I’m sure it makes a lot more work and coordination for Ivan.  We will all remember his efforts for a long time to come.  If you are on G+ please remember to stop by and thank him for all of his hard work to raise this money for KIVA!

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Blue Orchid Bud

Feb
12
2012
by Jessy | 0 Comments

While at Lowes the other day picking up things for our garden I found these amazing blue orchids.  I am a fan of orchids and always seem to kill them but I have learned a new secret from a friend to keep them alive.  I decided maybe these orchids are the ones that will survive, so I’m trying.

This is an image of the bloom and buds on the end of the orchid stem.  I kept turning myself, camera, and plan to ensure the bokah was strong and the tile produced a nice smooth tan in the back to not distract from the amazing color of these orchids.  I took this image with my 105MM Macro on my Nikon D7000.  I didn’t use any amazing lighting or anything, this was actually taken in the evening on the floor in my entryway.

Blue Orchid Bud

D7000, 105MM, ISO 1000, 1/10 sec at f/3.2, no flash

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PlusOne Collection Book from Google+ Availabe for Sale

Feb
09
2012
by Jessy | 1 Comment

The PlusOne Collection Limited Edition book is now available for sale!  This book is a collection of photographs submitted by over 520 artists on Google Plus.  The artists range from pros to amateurs.

Each book will be printed large (11″ x 13″ landscape), and on premium fine art ProLine paper. Each copy will be numbered and include a certificate of authenticity. In addition, each book will come with a tipped-in print of one of the images in the book (prints are 6″ x 9″ on 8″ x 11.5″ paper). Prints are printed on archival paper to museum standards using UltraChrome K3 inks and will last close to 100 years with proper care.

View the PlusOneCollection site to learn more about the artists and various book editions that will be released later on Feb 21st.

One of my own images will also be available in the book.  Below you can see my image.   

The orders for the Collectors’ Limited Edition will only be taken from February 9 through February 20. No orders for that edition of the book will be taken after that date, and only one run of the Collectors’ Limited Edition will be done.

 

The PlusOneCollection site is up and ready to take your orders.  Be sure to go there soon and order if you would like the Limited Edition book!

 

Thank you again to Ivan Marakov and his team for putting this together so quickly to support the artists on Google+ and a Kiva

 

 Other Facts

  • Collectors’ Edition of Plus One Collection printed version is being released on February 9 and will be available for order until February 20th. Standard edition and ebook will be released on February 21st
  • Collectors’ Edition of Plus One Collection will be fulfilled by our team (Ivan and the Crew). Standard print edition of the book will be fulfilled through the publishing company Blurb
  • Photographers of all levels are represented – established professionals, up and coming artists, and amateurs just picking up photography
  • Photographers contributing to the project are from all four continents, representing 53 countries. Less than 50% are from the USA
  • Photographs in the book are just as diverse, representing all styles of today’s photography
  • Book’s editor and project manager is Ivan Makarov – you can find him here
  • The book is designed by design professional, Andy Lee, who volunteered his time to put the book together
  • A team of 11 photographers chose the images for the print edition. The PDF and mobile app will include ALL photographs submitted to the project
  • The total team working on the project consisted of 15 volunteers – none paid
  • Google+ page is here

 

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Processing old images

Feb
08
2012
by Jessy | 0 Comments

I once read an article by Trey Ratcliff at StuckInCustoms.com where he mentioned that you should not process your images for a year after taking them.  This gives you time to learn new things and process them in a way that you are happy with.
Did i listen to him?  NO!  But, I did learn a  valuable lesson from all of this the other week.  While I am too impatient (yes, me, impatient…I think my parents told me that at least once a day growing up) to wait a year to process after taking them I have been going back and re-precessing a few old images.  The images below are not necessarily the exact files that I processed the first time but they are in the same group of raw files from the same day.

These images were taken about a year ago the day after I purchased my Nikon D7000 just so I could bracket and do HDR.  I of course processed them immediately, and learned Photomatix on the fly.  Knowing nothing about bracketing, hand holding for the images, and using these photos as my first lesson in Photomatix I would say they turned out well.

      

 

The images above have been sold and even won a few contests, but his weekend with some of the new things I learned from watching HDR tutorials by Brian Matiash and Trey Ratcliff I was able to produce images that impress me more.  The level of realizim is closer to what I prefer for these scenes while still capturing the dramatic affect.  I was also now able to see more images out of the series that I wanted to develop becasue my experience of composition has grown to better understand what I want/need and had in those images.

       

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