Comments (2)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), February 22, 2010 12:01

How to Take Good Pictures in Bad Weather Conditions:

1.) Be prepared at all times: Bad weather can, but it may not give you a warning. Being prepared to shoot in poor conditions will allow you to capture that shot that you would have missed had you not been geared up and mentally prepared for.

2.) Protect your equipment. Don’t sacrifice your camera to get that shot. This is why rule #1 is very helpful.

3.) Many times when weather is at its worst, photography is at its best. The sky is brighter, darker, the fog is like a blanket- all those situations make for some great shots. The key is being willing to get outside when you don’t want to, to leave the warmth of your couch and put on your rain gear.

4.) Don’t pose people- they will all look miserable. This no posing rule is especially important in cold, windy, wet conditions! Shoot people doing what they want to do, some will turn out others won’t. Don’t worry about that.

5.) Be ready, be quick and then be done. Take the time you need, but then go home.

I always love answering questions for readers. I’d love ideas on future Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips sessions if you have them. Leave me a comment, I love hearing from you!

Previous Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips Posts:

The Basics
Capture Real People, In Real Life Shots
Work That Thing! How to Get the Best Shots
Tips for Group Shots: How to Shoot a Group Session Like You Know What You’re Doing!
Photo Editing, Fixin’ Your Images
Taking the Best Black and White Photos: What to Look For
What does the ISO Do For You?: Learning more about the ISO
How to Take Good Pictures in Bad Weather Conditions

Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips: I am going to do several of these posts, I am not a professional photographer by a long shot, but I love taking pictures and seeing beautiful pictures so I want to share what I have learned with you.

Comments (3)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), August 12, 2009 06:37

1.) B&W Shots Are Forever. There is so much to love about shooting in black and white. It makes the people stand out- you aren’t distracted by the colours, so if the shot has a strong focal point  your eyes will have no problem heading there. Black and white is more intimate, more whimsical, and much better at showing the on-looker the detailing in the shot. If you aren’t convinced that black and white photography is for you, read on my friend.

2.) Learning from Black and White. Shooting in B&W gives you more of an opportunity to see what is really good (or not good) about your shot. The detailing either will stand out or not depending on the contrast you have set up in the shot, sure you can edit and change some things, but you will be able to see more of the raw detailing and therefore learn to take better shots. Therefore learning from mistakes, the best of teachers.

3.) Beat The Gray! May your blacks be black and your whites, white. This was a tip from my old photo teacher in high school when we were developing our own photos from film in the toner and other smelly chemicals. I still remember the tip though. When you are shooting, your light meter is set right when there is a range of “colours” from the darkest of blacks to the whitest of whites. Also, as always try to use the lowest ISO possible to reduce what is known as noise.

4.) The Biggies in Black and White. What matters in black and white shots? Learning to shoot for texture and contrast. That is what makes an excellent shot stand out in black and white photography.  You will start to know the amount of contrast you are looking for. When you are a well trained black and white photographer you will see contrasts, textures, and be able to ignore the distractions of colour and tone. The best way to do this is to practice!!

5.) Never Shoot in Black and White! Yeah, strange I know…but there are several reasons to shoot in colour and edit the images on your computer in a photo editing program. The first is that then you’ll have the image in colour if you ever need it that way, or happen to like it better. If you shoot in black and white you are limiting yourself and your options with that shot. The second reason is that when you tell your camera to shoot a digital image in black and white it shoots it in colour and then edits it into black and white inside the camera. Cameras don’t have as good of image converters as your regular computer photo editing, so it will be a lower quality image that you start out with.

There are exceptions: if you are shooting in the RAW format than just go for it, your camera will load the colour data on to your computer when uploading so switching to colour will be an option. The second (and last) exception that I can see is if you are really wanting to see how it will look and you want to see it in black and white on your LCD screen, then switch over to shooting in black and white.

I always love answering questions for readers. I’d love ideas on future Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips sessions if you have them. Leave me a comment, I love hearing from you!

Previous Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips:

The Basics
Capture Real People, In Real Life Shots
Work That Thing! How to Get the Best Shots
Tips for Group Shots: How to Shoot a Group Session Like You Know What You’re Doing!
Photo Editing, Fixin’ Your Images
Taking the Best Black and White Photos: What to Look For

Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips: I am going to do several of these posts, I am not a professional photographer by a long shot, but I love taking pictures and seeing beautiful pictures so I want to share what I have learned with you.

Comments (6)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), August 7, 2009 08:01

I haven’t even been to this store, but my sister and brother in-law live in Brooklyn New York and so family goes to visit them sometimes (not as often as we need to) so for different gift giving events we have gotten some of the benefits of their travels. We love these dishes, made by Fishs Eddy, designed by Jordan Awan, the set is called Brooklyn. Sketched after the ever-growing-in-popularity city, this design is so plain and pretty that when I drink from the stuff it makes me smile. Possibly too because it makes me think of my family over there when I use it, but still, I just had to share how cool these items are.

I love the lip, I love liped mugs, it makes my mouth happy when I am drinking some precous hot beverage, or just milk too. And the salt shakers are fab, at first the boys just could not keep their fingers off of them, they were sure that there was a castle in the drawing somewhere!

Other dish sets from Fishs Eddy that are excellent:

Nursery Set
Alice in Wonderland Dinnerware
Alphabet Mugs
Polka Dot Dinnerware

Do you have a favourite set of dishes or mugs? Do you find their value is more sentimental sometimes?

I was not paid, bought or asked to do this post, and I will receive no benefit in return other than sharing a good place and product with some friends. I hope you love it!

Comments (8)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), August 4, 2009 22:43

1.) Don’t Get Lazy and think you’ll fix it later. try to take the best images you can in the moment, not leaving the dirty work to do on the computer. I have a theory that no matter how amazing digital cameras are, they are breeding a generation of lazy and tech heavy photographers. Don’t trade good technique and hard work for technology.

2.) Free photo editing online. I have fallen deeply in love with Picnik, it is a photo editing program that I have used for many an image. I just use it online. I paid the extra enabeling me to edit and change all that I please, but before I paid for the Picnik Premimum the freebe served me well too.

Here is the image you may recognize as my header image for the Dreadlock Girl main blog, with some changes and fixin’s done. With photo editing, you can do so much, you can make your own header, work with your own images by putting text in them, or the year on your kids shots.

Below is a screenshot of the final Dreadlock Girl header image, I love playing with Picnik! Make sure you check it out, you surely don’t want to be in the dark any longer. And you no longer have the excuse that you don’t know where to find the software. Picnik is excellent and very much pop-up free. There are small adds up at the top if you have not purchased the Premium Picnik, but they are not annoying. Picnik on!

3.) Don’t toss your shots too soon! switch them to B&W or sepia and that really can hide many mistakes, saving some photos from the rubbish bin, maybe even having them end up some of your favourites. An error with the light meeter, bad colouring and so many more unpredictable blunders may be blended and made invisible in B&W, as long as the image is good and sharp…try it!

4.) The more you edit, the more your image quality decreases. Yes, sadly this is true, unless you are working in RAW. I don’t work with RAW because they take so much more space than any of the other formats, and because I don’t like to edit that much it really doesn’t matter.  So with every colour change and edit, just beware of your image quality.

5.) Try not to mess. This last one is all personal opinion, maybe because I am a little old school, maybe because I like to try and get it right the first time, but it is how I feel. When I take a shot, if the sky is white, it is white, if I am lucky it will be blue, but I don’t input a blue sky into my picture to make it better. Maybe more than anything I don’t like messing around with those kinds of details. I like taking pictures, editing is probably my least favourite. I only try to fix my mistakes, salvage some shots…and besides that: nothing.

Make sure you check in next Wednesday for Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips!!

I always love answering questions for readers. I’d love ideas on future Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips sessions if you have them. Leave me a comment, I love hearing from you!

Previous Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips:
The Basics
Capture Real People, In Real Life Shots
Work That Thing! How to Get the Best Shots
Tips for Group Shots: How to Shoot a Group Session Like You Know What You’re Doing!
Photo Editing, Fixin’ Your Images

Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips: I am going to do several of these posts, I am not a professional photographer by a long shot, but I love taking pictures and seeing beautiful pictures so I want to share what I have learned with you.

Comments (9)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), July 29, 2009 09:47

1.) Coordinate. It may sound cheesy to coordinate in matching colours, but it will be worth your scepticism when you see the results. I don’t want you to think, matchy-matchy shirts and pants because that is horrid. Here are some colour ideas for your group:

-Natural Colours: this works really well, really letting the faces stand out of the subjects.

-Primary Colours: I like this especially for kid groupings, but it could work on different ages as well.

-All One Colour: Tell your group beforehand to wear all wear green, pink or red-and not to worry about the shade of the colour, as that will add to the shot. Just say green, any shade of green. This works the best with a large group where there are so many shades that it really pops. If you do green, make sure to shoot outside for an added bonus of green around your subjects as well!

-In Uniform: This works if you are taking a photo of a group of ranchers, pilots, construction workers or Army men. It really shows off the faces because they will be wearing similar dress. Take care to not pose those in a uniform in a very strict pose, as it will just look like they are getting ready to march. Use different heights, some standing, some sitting. Or a pose that demonstrates their comradery, for example a shot of them all praying together, or with their arms across each other’s shoulders. These guys usually go deep, try to bring that out in your shot.

2.) Think Small to Shoot Big. Sometimes a huge group of people can be really intimidating, especially when thinking of how to pose them or get them all in. If you can, think of them in segments. You can group all the kids together, or the families or whatever you are working with, but call one group up at a time pose them as if for their own shoot and keep adding additional groups. This will make for a photo that has different heights, and that is much more visually stimulating than a group of people all standing together looking confused. I would recommend only adding the kids in for some shots, and maybe doing generational shots. Bring the kids in first or last, but don’t let them be there long…or you’ll get grouchy faces.

3.) Posing is Everything and Then Its Not. Unless you like the look of just a blob of people standing there looking confused, pose them. Sometimes if you have them on a structure of some sort that will do the job for you. Kids sitting naturally all over a play structure( you can shoot them while they are actually playing). I have mentioned before that it is really not fun to boss and bully your subjects, and this stands true here too, but many times in order to get the little ones to cooperate (and oldest) you may need a bribe of Popsicles, brownies, or a swim in the ocean when it is all over.

Posing is also not everything because action group shots are great too. Some action shots are planned, but they can’t be posed. It makes for happier people when you have their minds working on something, and happier people mean happier and better shots. There is a craze lately of the mid-air jumping shots. Also, if you set your group back 100meters from you and then just say “RUN!” the running shots are great too. I saw a wedding shot of this recently were the whole bridal party had their shoes off and was running toward the camera. It was the best shot of that wedding. If a group of ladies is sewing and you are going to take their photo, don’t have them stand up and get in a blob and shoot, if they are sitting, kneel down and shoot them in what they are doing. You will get much more natural shots.

4.) Black and White is Your Friend. Because people don’t want to coordinate outfits, because they don’t always get the memo, because they don’t like to cooperate, because one lady is wearing an obnoxious blouse, and because it really does look better: go black and white when shooting groups. I don’t recommend actually taking them in black and white, but just know, if you throw a group of uncoordinated people (and or clashing colours) into Black and White you will be suprised by how much it changes for you. Also, it is whimsical, it is old fashioned, and really I think Black and White can add a lot to your group shots. So if all else fails – just make the switch.

I always love answering questions for readers. I’d love ideas on future Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips sessions if you have them. Leave me a comment, I love hearing from you!

Previous Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips:
The Basics
Capture Real People, In Real Life Shots
Work That Thing! How to Get the Best Shots
Tips for Group Shots: How to Shoot a Group Session Like You Know What You’re Doing!
Photo Editing, Fixin’ Your Images

Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips: I am going to do several of these posts, I am not a professional photographer by a long shot, but I love taking pictures and seeing beautiful pictures so I want to share what I have learned with you.

Comments (10)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), July 25, 2009 19:09

There are some things that are made to make you happy. Hammocks and Palolu (Licorice root in English) are two of those things. To just be able to hang there and suck on a sweet stick with the boys, is the perfect summer siesta time for me. Cuddled up and cozy, the hammock supporting every bit of our weight, and with the added joy of sweetness to satisfy my sweet tooth.

My mom sent the Palolu from Spain, I haven’t been able to find it here. It tastes like very good and fresh black licorice, and no not the grocery store candy kind, way better. The boys share my delight in this tradition. I learned of Palolu and became enamored while growing up in Spain. It is also known there as Palodu or Palodulce, and grows by the river. We used to buy it along with other sugary delights at the local candy store. It was so fun to walk around with classmates in school all chewing on these yummy sticks.

What do you like to do on hot summer days? What about summer memories from your youth that you wish you could have back now?

For more pictures like this check out my Flickr album: Summertime Bliss

Comments (11)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), July 22, 2009 06:37

1.) When you are down, low, low down, you will get some of your best shots especially of kids and animals. I try to be at the level of the being that I am taking a picture of. It looks more natural for kids to be looking straight at the camera when it is level with them, and even if they aren’t looking, get down on your knees to shoot. It really does make a difference.

2.) Flash, what flash? A flash can work, but I think the ones that come with cameras (which is what many of us have) really don’t work worth their existence. Forget you have it! That means, get your camera off of the setting which sets up your flash automatically. Mess with your ISO and shutter speed and ditch the flash for good. One day I will buy an expensive flash to try out, but I have heard it from the best that even those make your victims look, ” like a deer in the headlights”.

3.) Get Closer, there is no 6 inch rule when it comes to photography, get in close and then zoom in further. Most shots I see just don’t have the detail they could because the subject you are shooting is 15 feet away! Walk right up, and then zoom the rest of the way. Your subject should fill up a large part of the picture. If there is something worth looking at around the subject, take that into account, if not, then why do you want it in your picture?

4.) Experiment! If you want to get good you have to waste time in training, it is like so much else out there: some people are naturally just good at it, but that is a rare stroke of luck and doesn’t happen to most of us. The rest of us are just shooting away, hoping to capture something good, once in a while. To get good, try new things. Don’t do the same spot as last time, take your camera with you and try a different location, different lighting than you are used to, try mixin’ it up. If the shots don’t turn out, then try again, adjust the light meter, the shutter speed, try a new angle. If you push yourself you will grow!

Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.

~Ansel Adams

Be sure to come back next Wednesday to Dreadlock Girl for some tips on Group Photo Shoots. Nothing fancy, just what I have learned so far.

I always love answering questions for readers. I’d love ideas on future Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips sessions if you have them. Leave me a comment, I love hearing from you!

Previous Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips:
The Basics
Capture Real People, In Real Life Shots
Work That Thing! How to Get the Best Shots
Tips for Group Shots: How to Shoot a Group Session Like You Know What You’re Doing!
Photo Editing, Fixin’ Your Images

Dreadlock Girl Photography Tips: I am going to do several of these posts, I am not a professional photographer by a long shot, but I love taking pictures and seeing beautiful pictures so I want to share what I have learned with you.