A New Camera Bag at the Kirkland Marina Park 3.03.12

After the fantastic birthday brunch for my brother on Saturday, we headed to REI and I just had to look at camera backpacks :o). I wasn't expecting to find one, but I came across the Lowepro Sling Shot AW Series and it is exactly what I wanted. Being that I shoot outdoors and often have to walk a ways to capture my landscape and nature shots, I wanted something that was comfortable and easy to use. What I love about this backpack is that I can wear it on my back, swing it to the front and easily grab my camera or change lens. If you click on the link above you can see a video of what I am talking about. I also love the plethora of pockets and compartments that allows everything to have its place. Here is my camera fitting snugly in its new home :o):

Taken with the Hipstamatic App on my iPhone 

Edited with the Photogene2 App 

I have to mention my camera strap. I won it in the Shades of Autumn contest a few months back. It is by Gina at Stylish Beach Bum. I love the black and white and that the inside is soft and plush. It is a joy to wear.

Once we left REI we headed to Kirkland Marina Park and of course I had to put everything in my new camera bag in car so I could try it out (of course I did :o). It worked perfectly and allowed me to change my lens and feel secure even in a very intense wind. What I love about this park is that it is in the middle of downtown and on the water. It was filled with families and couples enjoying the sun despite the wind. There was an interesting sculpture in the middle of the park that I wanted to photograph. My goal was to get the lines of the sculpture as a silhouette and the bright blue of the sky with the soft texture of the clouds. The birds were a bonus! In processing I worked with the basic settings and the tone curve to make the colors pop and the silhouette stronger. What do you think?

Settings: ISO 200, 18mm, ss1/2000, f/10 (full manual, sunlight wb)

"Sculpture occupies real space like we do... you walk around it and relate to it almost as another person or another object." - Chuck Close

 

I Learned: On the Road with Hipstamatic 05.21.11

One of the first apps I got on my iPhone was Hipstamatic. I had heard about it on a few websites and really liked what it added to the photos I saw. I decided to download it while walking on the beach in Lincoln City, where there was very little signal. Needless to say it did not download until I got back in the car and headed for home. Once it did finish downloading I had to try it out, but was riding in the car (passenger seat :o) on a stretch of highway where it was difficult to pull over. I decided to take some pictures out the window and just see what happened. This picture is one of my favorites from those shots. I was impressed with the colors and the antique feel of the photographs. I used the combination of the John lens and Ina film for my first pictures and that continues to be my favorite pairing, by far!

Since that day I have enjoyed using Hipstamatic for the interesting, unpredicted and instant outcome of having a photo where the only thinking involved is in the subject matter and composition. It is nice to focus and develop one part of my photography skills. However, this week as I have been making the switch and commitment to manual mode, I have learned that creating and controlling my pictures can be fulfilling and rewarding on such a deeper level. With Hipstamatic I pressed the button and the app did the work, but with manual mode I created the photo. Don't get me wrong, I love Hipstamatic and LemeLeme and other iPhone photography apps. But I am loving owning my pictures in a way I haven't in a long time.

Flashback #2

Location: On the road back from Lincoln City

Date: May 21st, 2011

Settings: Lens - John S, Film - Ina's 1969

What I Like: The colors and the lighting

What I Think Needs Work: The subject is a little too centered and linear for me

"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.  I travel for travel's sake.  The great affair is to move." - Robert Louis Stevenson

That is what I learned this week, head over to Click it Up a Notch to see what others have learned.