by Judy | Dec 24, 2009 | Fine Art & Stock, Uncategorized
Just when we seem to need it most, the Christmas spirit manages to find its way into our hearts to remind us that this season, no matter what your religious affiliation, is a time to share our blessings. In fact, I have found that the most enjoyable holidays have been those that I have spent in the company of friends and family, perhaps sharing a meal or raucous game of Trivial Pursuit. The gifts, while nice, seemed to take a back seat to the memories that I shared with the people (and pets) I love.
This year, the best gift I have received is the blanket of snow that Mother Nature tossed on eastern Long Island. We don’t often have a white Christmas, so I have not had many opportunities to capture the beautiful Christmas lights and decorated homes with a snowy landscape as the backdrop. There is just something magical about a Christmas tree in a village green that has a fresh covering of fluffy snow. I long for the chance to capture snow-covered holiday images, and this season I had that chance in spades.
I’ve posted a few of my favorites below. I hope they help bring the Christmas spirit to you. Merry Christmas!
Christmas Tree at Cutchogue Village Green
Manger and Menorah –Cutchogue Village Green
Decorated Home-Southold
The cutest front porch guard
by Judy | Nov 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
After the tree is trimmed and the house is decorated for the holidays, the family shutterbug is certain to be found snapping away to preserve the memories of this particular season. But so often the glow of the Christmas lights are lost in the bright light of the flash used to light the subjects.
What’s the answer? Well first let’s talk about why the lights on the tree are lost in the photo. Quite simply, the on camera flash is responding to the need for light to properly expose the shot. Properly expose according to the settings in the camera, that is. The camera is set to give the scene lots of light. It doesn’t know that you actually WANT to have a moody, soft glow to capture the pretty lights on the tree. So we have to trick it.
Depending on the features your camera has, you can simply turn the flash off and expose for the lights on the tree, or you can use the night portrait feature. But bear in mind that this low light setting may also require a slow shutter speed, so be prepared to put the camera on a tripod or steady surface and activate the shutter remotely or with the self-timer setting.
So, this year, your holiday photos will actually show off the beautiful lighting you worked so hard to display.
Happy Holidays!
by Judy | Nov 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
Digital cameras make a great gift for Christmas, especially with all of the features that are included in rather affordable packages now. But before you lay down your hard-earned cash make sure you are not bedazzled by whistles and bells (and buttons and modes) that turn out to be more superfluous than suitable.
Regardless of what cool features your chosen model has, they will mean nothing if they don’t produce good images.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you shop for the camera that will be the best value.
- When it comes to megapixels, more is not necessarily better. In the early days of digital photography, improved resolution was essential to producing images that would print well at larger formats such as 11×14 or 16×20. But that additional resolution, measured in megapixels, also can impair the quality of low-light images by producing digital noise—those ugly red, green and blue speckles that you usually will find in the darker areas of the image. Plus, the higher megapixel count fills the memory card faster. Models in the 5 to 8 megapixel range will provide more than enough resolution to produce good quality enlargements, so go for the lower count, even if you can’t find anything as low as 8 MP.
- Optical zoom is the only zoom that matters. Forget the digital zoom. You know the big sticker on the box that reads 3x optical zoom, 10X DIGITAL ZOOM? Well that digital zoom is really just the camera’s best guest at what a close-up should be, based on the information it receives from the 3x OPTICAL zoom. You may get lucky once in a while, but most of the time, the digital zoom range will produce pixelated, soft images that won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on when you enlarge it.
- Choose a model with an Optical Viewfinder. In the race to produce thinner, smaller cameras with larger LCD screens, one of the unfortunate casualties is the optical viewfinder. That large LCD screen is great for reviewing your captured shots, but when you must rely on it to compose a shot in bright sunlight, you’ll be guessing at best. Do you want to leave that once in a lifetime shot to a best guess in an LCD viewfinder you can’t see? Optical viewfinders are increasingly more difficult to find, especially on the smaller, less expensive models. If you find a model with one, seriously consider buying it, no matter when the other features, becausewhen all is said and done, it is about getting the shot.
- Look for manual override options. It is quite possible that you may never want or need to switch away from the automatic mode, but at the very least you want to be able to disable the flash for those situations when flash is not permitted. Also, if you find this camera ignites the shutterbug in you, then the ability to take control of the settings will allow you to express your creative side as you learn and grow as a photographer.
- Buy a spare battery and memory card. When you finally find the right camera, you don’t want to be stopped dead in your tracks by a dead battery or a full memory card just as the good stuff starts happening. So, spring for an extra battery, rechargeable of course, and a memory card, and keep them ready to use.
It’s easy to be confused and overwhelmed when you start your search for a digital camera, so try to keep in mind that ultimate goal for your camera is to capture images that will preserve your memories. Don’t let the gimmicks trick you into choosing a model that will leave you wanting more in the end.
Happy shopping!!
by Judy | Nov 9, 2009 | Uncategorized
I wasn’t in Berlin when the wall tumbled amid the crumbling of communism, but I cheered as I watched the television coverage from my living room in East Hampton, NY. Four years later I visited Berlin and walked through the Brandenburg gate, stood on the steps of Reichstag, and entered the Potsdammer Platz subway station, an act that would have gotten me shot five years earlier.
Once we removed the wall that divided that wonderful, vibrant city, and the world for that matter, it was marvelous to see everyone come together in the name of peace, freedom and democracy. I met a friendly Iranian there, too, and I found that the interaction between us of two people whose governments have a very uneasy truce, personified what the absence of the wall represented.
Well done Berlin!
Photos at this link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/08/berlin-wall-photos-a-look_n_350263.html
by Judy | Nov 8, 2009 | Uncategorized
Winter time is a popular season for the Vivid Visions Cameras Computer and Cyberspace Digital Photography classes, and the Southold Recreation Dept. has finalized the schedule.
We’ll be doing things a bit different next year, with the biggest change that the classes will be held at the Recreation Center instead of the Southold High School. We have been grateful for the use of the High School’s computer room, but as the course has evolved to meet the needs of the students, it has become less than ideal.
The first four week session will cover the real basics—downloading images to the computer, organizing and tagging image files, and sharing to social networking sites or online galleries. We’ll use Picasa, the free program offered by Google. The second four week session will cover the basics of the digital darkroom using Photoshop Elements and Picasa to perform basic editing and retouching.
Classes fill up very quickly, so mark your calendars and keep an eye out for the Southold Recreation Dept. brochure.
Hope to see you next year!
by Judy | Oct 31, 2009 | Uncategorized
There is no doubt that Halloween, like Christmas, is really for the kids, and the kids at heart. But Halloween is a great time to try out your night photography skills too. There are so many yards decorated for the trick or treaters, and they look their best lit up for the evening.
Here on Eastern Long Island, a local pumpkin farmer has made a tradition of carving some jack o’lanterns out of the left over squashes, and displaying them for the revelers to enjoy as they pass by. It has always looked to me like a Halloween party for the ghosts and goblins.
To capture night images, a photographer must do three things:
1. Find a tripod or other method of keeping the camera steady, besides holding it in your hands (shutter speed will be too slow for hand held images-even you folks with image stabilization)
2. TURN OFF THE AUTOMATIC FLASH
3. Set your shutter speed to around 1/8 or 1/4 second. Or if your camera will not allow you to set the shutter manually, use the night mode—just make sure the flash is disabled.
Here’s Krupski’s Pumpking Farm 2009 Halloween:
