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 (4)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), December 9, 2009 10:19

One Hundred Butterflies
Photography by Harold Feinstein
Author Fred Gagnon
128 Pages
Non-Fiction: Photography of Insects
Little Brown and Company
November 2009

When this colourful delight came in the mail I could barely pry out out of the hands of my two safari-ready boys. They were peering at the pages choosing their favourite butterflies and re-naming them with names all their own.  I hesitated in pulling it away because they were enjoying it so much, so I just sat and let myself watch and listen to them. I think they would have done a better job with this review than me, with so many more exclamation points because of their sheer happiness each time the page was turned. They said things like, “each one is prettier and prettier” and “mom, this one should be called rainbow because it just has so many colours”. Yes, it seems they could have published an excellent review themselves.

When I finally got my chance to look at it closely I felt their excitement as well, it really is impressive that each time you turn the page the butterflies and moths have that- I know this is real, but how could it be not digitally altered to be so beautiful- thing about them. This book is one hundred percent the best of both worlds. You know how when you are little (or not so little) and want the butterfly to just stay still so you can watch its colours? There are those who pin them and then have the beauty to look at as long as they want, but that was something I never wanted to do. One Hundred Butterflies allows the kids and I to have a looksy any time we want and we didn’t even have to net and pin these suckers- yep, the best of both worlds.

One Hundred Butterflies would be the perfect gift for a kid who loves nature, or even one who needs to be exposed to it. Also it would be great for a person who isn’t a kid, but still allows himself(herself) to sit and admire the beauty of creation, and butterflies are wonderfully good at being some of the most beautiful pieces of creation. I don’t think it was written with kids in mind necessarily, but kids and adults who can still be filled with awe and wonder would delight in this book alike. Excellent book, pure loveliness.

I will leave you with a little more beauty, it is a poem by the photographer of this book, Harold Feinstein.

The wing of a butterfly,
The petal of a rose;
What a joy!
I celebrate every flower.
And yet, what a piker I am.

This glorious planet of ours,
Mother earth,
Festooned with multiples
Of glory surrounded by glory.
Oh but I aspire,
From the depths of my soul
To pay tribute
To the array of wonder
We so often take for granted;
Wake up! Wake up!

Look around you!
It is here!
Heaven on earth,
Our endless gift,
Give Thanks.

-Harold Feinstein

What book has made you stop in your tracks weather you were an adult or one that you remember even now from your kid-days??

I am a Powell’s affiliate and I do receive a percentage of the sales of any book you buy using my links. Thank you!

Comments (4)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), November 10, 2009 00:49

Hachette Author Photo Image

BEAR Portraits
by Jill Greenberg
104 Pages
Photography of Animals
Non-Fiction
Little Brown & Company

Known for her artistic approach to celebrity photography and advertising, Jill Greenberg goes back to her roots of animal photography with this book- Bear Portraits. Don’t worry, she still gets up close and makes it shinny- but the shine does not radiate off of human skin in this pretty read, but off of the silky smooth fur coats of bears. Closer than ever and sweeter than ever possible for humans, her lens captures the emotions of these not-so-gentle giants.

Jill Greenberg has done some controversial shoots in the past, one with distressed kids, labeled End Times. In that shoot she provoked the children to tears by giving them a lollipop and then taking it away. As much as I don’t agree with those methods, or with her politics- I love this book so much that I can forget that about her.  I adore the shots of the bears in Bear Portraits. I don’t think even Greenberg would have tried to take a lollipop away from one of these huge and fuzzy models.

I recommend this for any animal person, any bear lover, or photography freak (yes, that is me too), or for kids as well. The boys and I read this (note: looked at it) and they were so absorbed in the expressions that they made up their own words for the pictures “he’s saying, ‘I think I am MAD!’” . There are quotes on many of the pages, ones that aren’t cutesy or clever- quotes that are actually good!

The bear portraits are so perfect and amazing that the reader will want to pet the fir on the page, and as the page is turned jump back realizing the ferociousness of the teeth and the size of the animal. These are not teddy bears! I highly recommend this Bear Portraits, perfect for that animal lover on your list for Christmas young and old alike with enjoy this read.

I’ll leave you with a bear:

Images by Jill Greeneberg

Click here to buy BEAR Portraits and support Powell’s Books an Indie Bookstore:

I am a Powell’s affiliate and I do receive a percentage of the sales of any book you buy using my links. Thank you!

Comments (15)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), September 24, 2009 21:32

Do you ever do something in your little pond and think that maybe you have a gift? What if you do have a gift, but you let others judge you and make you think that you don’t? Yes, call me pensive. Those questions were popping repeatedly in my head yesterday after I got the message below of my denial for entering my photos on a stock images site. I thought I would make it, that I could earn some dough by just having my photos sit on there and lazily earn dough even while sleeping. I guess I should try a different get-rich -quick scheme? HA.

Anyway, what do you do when rejected? Do you consider yourself a failure, or do you toughen up and move on-learning from your mistakes. I guess I do both, maybe at the same time. I first opened the rejection letter below and then scoffed and deleted it. Luckily I have gmail and digging though your trash is one thing it is great at-so I dived the dumpster and re-read. The second time I read it I thought, well, I do agree with some things (although other comments are too vague) and really criticism is good. What is hard is that I shoot for fun, and if I like the shot that is all that matters. When I put my hobby up for people to judge and also to earn money then I no longer am doing it for fun. I am not sure what I think about that either.

Anyway, I wanted you to read my rejection. I may try again, but I still don’t really know if I want to. Maybe because it is better to just do it for love, and not worry about what everyone thinks. That is hard to do though-of course I care! It is easier for me if I just think I can do things, but never try, then I never fail. Or do I?

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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

Comments (8)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), September 19, 2009 15:28

On our first stroll through Segovia, Spain:

Photo Spain Posts to Date:
Spain Through My Camera Lens
Our Conquest of Spain: Arrows and Sticks

I will try to post pictures here again, but I will be uploading them all to my flickr album España.

If you want to see our pictures of Spain in your google (or selected) reader sign up for the RSS for the España flickr album.

Comments (3)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), September 18, 2009 15:43

Through the fine skill of archery, we have conquered little kid step at a time the northern mountains of Spain: Los Picos de Europa. Our journey has taken us from Soto de Sajambre to Oseja de Sajambre by use of our somewhat faithful feet and our trusted silver steed (a huge Ford van). The sights have been incredible-too much to see and enjoy. The boys are loving every new adventure and are very good at taking things as they come, it has been  a very good trip so far!

Make sure to check back in soon for pictures of castles and aqueducts and the boys avidly eating it up!

Photo Spain Posts to Date:
Spain Through My Camera Lens

I will try to post pictures here again, but I will be uploading them all to my flickr album España.

If you want to see our pictures of Spain in your google (or selected) reader sign up for the RSS for the España flickr album.

Comments (8)

By bethany (dreadlock girl), September 15, 2009 02:57

We are in Spain for the next bit, some of you have begged for pictures, others have done nothing short of threatening me….either way I feel the love, thanks! We have loved every day so far, and we are headed to Segovia to see the sights there, the castle there is impressive and the aqueduct is insanely cool. Stay tuned, I hope to have pictures up of that soon….depending on internet connection. Until then, enjoy a little tidbit of our journey in photos.

I will try to post pictures here again, but I will be uploading them all to my flickr album España.

If you want to see our pictures of Spain in your google (or selected) reader sign up for the RSS for the España flickr album.