Recent Posts

Chap 5 Exercise
Late afternoon Light with Direction

Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS Sigma 18-250mm
Aperture-Priority AE  SS 1/20  f20 Evaluative Metering  ISO 800

20 mins before sunset of outer bands of Storm clouds East of me from Tropical Storm off Coast of Georgia and North Florida

Chap 4 Exercise  Panning to Create Motion

Was taken at the new Mall in Macon, GA outside Barnes and Noble

Canon EOS Rebel XS
Sigma 18-250mm

f22  tv1/4 ISO 100

Chap 3 Exercise  DOF

Was taken out at Lake Juliette in Juliette, GA from East shore line looking westward.

Canon EOS Rebel XS
Lens Sigma 18-250mm
Manual Exposure  f22  tv 1/10  iso 100

Chap2 Exercise S-Curve

Was taken on Pine Mountain on the FDR State Park HWY

Canon EOS Rebel XS  Lens Sigma 70-300

f4.0 TV 1/200 ISO 100 Exposure Comp +1/3

Chap 1 exercise 360 degrees
An old cemetery at a Baptist church down the road from my house. It peaked my interest with the big cedar tree in the family plot, reminded me of the ole western days of burials by trees. Well I did two photos cropped in HDR with one in Black and White.

Canon EOS Rebel XS  
Lens Sigma 18-250mm
Manual mode   f5.6 TV 1/13 ISO 400 WB Cloudy Hoya ND4 filter

An easy way to break down composition into its basic elements is to draw lines on the picture to identify the lines, shapes, and directions present in the photo. First, make a nature photograph using what you’ve learned in this chapter to carefully arrange the elements in the frame to create a good composition.

After downloading the picture to your computer, either print it on a letter-size sheet of paper or open it in Photoshop. If you made a print, use a marker (ideally a red one) to draw outlines around the most obvious elements in the composition. Simply trace over the picture to outline the shapes and lines. If you can perceive directional clues or motion in the frame, draw arrows to indicate that. In Photoshop, use a paintbrush with a bright color and paint over the picture. When you finish, you should have a photo that looks like the example below.

From "Nature Photography," by Nat Coalson

My example picture was taken in rural Maine. This image has very strong lines and strong contrast in both tone and color. It was shot at ISO 125, f/8, 1/50 sec. with a Tamron 18-200 XR Di II lens. My outlined version shows how I broke up the composition into its basic parts.

Chap 1 Assignment
Photograph a Sunset

Sunset at Lake ToboSoffkee in Bibb County, GA. Photos taken in Aperture Priority mode. Processed in Photomatix. Well it is not what I expected but I am learning. I just hope learning sooner.

Camera Model Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS
Lens Sigma 18-250mm
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/1250
Av( Aperture Value ) 4.0
ISO Speed 100

Chap 7 Assignment
Put Your Subject in Front Light Spotlight

Well the sun had just dropped below tree tops, and I was positioned just to the right of the light from the sun coming on to the front of my Elephant Ear Plant.


Camera Model Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS
Lens Sigma 18-250mm
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/6
Av( Aperture Value ) 5.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Autoexposure Bracketing 0
ISO Speed 100
White Balance Mode Cloudy

I went out to a Boyce Thompson Arboretum east of the Phoenix metropolitan area.  The morning sun highlighted these wildflowers in the demonstration garden.  As always, feedback is welcome!

Chap 6 Assignment

Stop the Motion

My dog was strutting down the drive it was before dusk, having hard time with the light to get a sharp image being so dark outside.

Camera Model Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS
Lens Sigma18-250mm
Shooting Mode Shutter-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/30
Av( Aperture Value ) 6.3
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 1600