My Photog Blog List

GServo's Photography & Art

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Solid. (not mine)


Solid., originally uploaded by Paul Sproat.

I love the Colors , the background is Suberp

Saturday, January 30, 2010

My first portfolio bucket list Ver 1, looking for suggestions and ideas

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I'm Working on my first Portfolio. I figured it’s good to have a plan.This idea was Inspired by :: My Photography “Bucket List”by Darren Rowse

This is a list of photos I want to take to create my first portfolio. 


Friday, January 29, 2010

Photographer Eli Reed On Being Black In America - The Picture Show Blog : NPR

Photojournalist Eli Reed became a member of Magnum photo agency in 1988. He's a professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Reed and others discuss what it means to be black in today's America. He took all of the photos. - The Picture Show Blog : NPR

lens culture: Buddha Project

lens culture: Buddha Project: "Buddha Project


Images of Buddha can remind us to take a breath, to look around, to feel calm and compassionate, to be here now. You can notice Buddha almost anywhere — laundromats, store windows, barbershops, farmers' markets, souvenir stands, tucked away on someone's night table."

Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds: "Good Use of Rule of Thirds"

The rule of thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in visual arts such as painting, photography and design.[1] The rule states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.[2] Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Photo Fu for 1-26-2010

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Created with flickr slideshow.

Nikkor 28-80 f3.3-5.6 g


Nikkor 28-80 f3.3-5.6 g, originally uploaded by gservo.
The only lens i am carrying today, the challenge today, as yesterday is to find new images in my everyday routine. It's actually rather difficult, but i think i will find at least 1 image

PhotographyBB Online Magazine


The PhotographyBB Online Magazine is composed by a hardworking team of volunteer contributing authors who's goal is to teach beginners all about digital photography and image processing. We would appreciate any donation of any size to help keep this magazine completely free and to assist with our hosting, bandwidth, and production costs. If you enjoy the magazine and find us to be a helpful resource, please consider leaving a small donation, it goes a long way!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Comic trade show, the attempt


20100124-PhotoFu0080, originally uploaded by gservo.
There was this small local Comic trade show in North NJ, today, i went , in an attempt to get some pictures of dealers doing their thing etc. Everybody seemed so uncomfortable with me. Well not me, the camera, i was a little nervous having to approach people to take pictures. In the end, I got this one at the entrance. I will stick to the bigger shows where people expect camera's. Ive taken pics at New York Comicon with no issues. crazy amounts of people love the lens there

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Created with flickr slideshow.

Friday, January 22, 2010

another product experiment


20100122-PhotoFu0079, originally uploaded by gservo.

Cambot mk3 /Lens: 28.0-80.0 mm f/3.3-5.6
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 80 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash
Window Shade back ground
Florescent lighting

some product image experimenting

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This experiment consisted of taking product photos with a 35mm prime lens with Exposure set to 0.025 sec (1/40) using florescent lighting and a Aperture set between f/1.8 and f/2.5. I just wanted to see how things would come out with the 35mm lens. i actually wanted the blurriness. If i wanted it clearer i would of increased the aperture to f/5.6.
 Cambot MK3 was on a Tripod, angled down on the subjects, with a remote to keep camera as still as possible.
Now to start thinking about next experiment.



Created with flickr slideshow.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Architectural Photography


20100115-PhotoFu0465, originally uploaded by gservo.

It is something i have been thinking about. I keep coming back to it in my head, must learn more about it

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/architecture-photography/

http://www.amateursnapper.com/category/architecture

http://digital-photography-school.com/an-introduction-to-architectural-photography

Monday, January 18, 2010

Photo Saunter of Blue contemplation, Part 2 Manhattan New York

NYC 1-15-10 - a set on Flickr

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Read me, see my pictures. When you come out the Tunnel or over the Bridge, into Manhattan New York , you know where you are. For Photography it’s it a rich place to learn, the concrete jungle. It breathes it moves, Always growing. You can walk around for hours, seeing pain and poetry and not really know how to capture it, in an image. I could never get tired of taking pictures. It streets keep calling to telling me “turn left and tell me what you see.

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And on the afternoon of January 15 2010 that’s exactly what I did, furthering my photo fu training . The things I learned, overall, on this Photo Saunter was more than I could have hoped for. I made mistakes, like the picture of the Bridge with the blobs. I changed lens too much over the course of the day and did not blow out the camera or reset it, or run the auto cleaner, in a DUSTY dirty air city like New York. SO there were a few pics with noticeable blemishes. On Photo walks in the future I will limit myself to two lenses. A standard in a zoom and if I ever earn the money, I will one day buy a Sigma 18-250. I dream of using this lens again. When did I use it before you ask? There will be a post on that, but I digress.

Now with what I learned, I shall take a step back re read some things and work on my composition some more. I have to do the best I can with, what it is, I now have.



Created with flickr slideshow.

A Key to Creative Photography

FARTing: A Key to Creative Photography

FARTing helps us remember to make a strong, meaningful photo instead of just snapping away and winding up with a lot of boring, thoughtless snapshots.
FART is a mnemonic for a creative process.

Photo Saunter of Blue contemplation, Part 1 Early Morning and the Beach

Long Branch NJ 1-15-10 - a set on Flickr

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The Purpose of January 15 2009 was to try and shoot in manual mode as much as possible. I brought with me my Nikon D90 ,18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G lens , 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G lens and my Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 lens. To summarize the day 7 hours of actual photo walking , about 3 hours on trains, 500+ images taken,1 expensive but very good fresh pastrami on rye , 1 beer, 1 bad cup of coffee, 1 decent cup of coffee, cold but lots of sun and a hell of a lot of learning.
The Day started at 4:30 in the morning, I could not sleep . After gathering my stuff and watching a little tv, I caught the 6:08 train to New York. It was the fastest transfer point to the Longbranch train . When I got to New York, I had to wait about thirty Minutes for next train . So I decided to go get a *gasp non coffee drink, something specific. While I’m walking to a store all I hear I “help me help me help me“ from an old voice, behind me, an old man was falling. I got the cops (never pick up anyone in New York without permission, get a cop if you see one or call 911 ASAP) and that was the beginning of the day, rather dramatic. I got my drink then off to the train.


20100115-PhotoFu0118Anyhoo After a LONG train ride, I arrived at Longbranch, NJ . A beach town, that in the winter, seems Really quite. It was fantastic, there were 4 people on the whole beach as for as the eye could see, at any given time. The morning was a cold but highly enjoyable experience. I learned a lot using all three lenses that I brought with me.
What I focused on learning here was how to use the manual mode on the D90, it was easy, I just lacked confidence. Anyhooo I actually cheated, at first. I used auto, to give myself a base setting, to give me a path for the light I was in.. There was so much light from the sun, I had t adjust quite a lot. Taking a picture toward the direction of the sun and then in the other direction led to some dramatic changes in the Exposure and Aperture. SO basically all my pictures were practice using that. I took pictures at the beach and the train station while waiting for the train to come in. The water played nice and the wind was kind. There not much more to say on these pictures, so I’ll let them speak for themselves.
I am going to do more beach pictures in the spring, before the season starts.
After I was done in Longbranch, I decided to go to JJ Bitting for some beer pictures, but I slept past the train stop, fail. I woke up in Newark and Continued to New York From there.
Continued in Part 2


Created with flickr slideshow.

This is a bad #coffee Photo , i know


20100115-PhotoFu0326, originally uploaded by gservo.
Its from a Photo walk I just did (more on that later)
but i put this photo up as a reminder to myself that i can do better, if i just take a little more time.

This makes me want to do a Quick Coffee house photo walk in Greenwhich Village, New York, some time in the spring or summer, i know enough places to make it interesting and get a lot better Coffee shots

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Introduction to the Nikon D90 , a class at Unique Photo (@uniquephoto )

Quick Overview

 Christopher Knapp, Nikon's North Eastern Technical Sales Representative, as he takes you on a tour of the D90, demonstrating the key features and controls of this amazing camera including Picture Control, the Retouch menu, the D-Movie mode and more!
On Thursday January 14 2010, i attended Introduction to the Nikon D90 , a class at Unique Photo. The overview was correct. It was a great class with  a great mix of people attending. I did not go in as a complete newbie. This class basically affirmed that I was on the right direction with my PhotoFu training. I spent some of the class thinking ‘I know that’ parts of the class going oh ‘I did not know that’, and the rest of the class going ‘oh nifty’. I now have a better understanding of Nikons D-Lighting System . I really want a Nikon MB-D80 Battery grip. I also learned I truly need to put aside cash  for a speedlight/flash. I fundamentally learned a lot. The class was well worth it.

The Staff at Unique Photo were good people also. I got there early, and they let me annoy them. I will defiantly doing another class there. http://www.unique-university.com/e/index.php

"Cold Spot" Fine Art Print by Gservo - RedBubble

Help support Photo-Fu Buy and art Print by me!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Photo Fu Training Session 1-12-10


The focus of this training session was to be Depth of Field. I

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20100112-PhotoFu0032“In optics, particularly as relates to film and photography, the depth of field (DOF) is the portion of a scene that appears acceptably sharp in the image. Although a lens can precisely focus at only one distance, the decrease in sharpness is gradual on each side of the focused distance, so that within the DOF, the unsharpness is imperceptible under normal viewing conditions.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field The Entry on Wikipedia is a great learning source for this
20100112-PhotoFu0046I can say I failed in last night’s training. I did not focus completely on the task at hand. I kept screwing around with the lighting instead of just letting it be, and I played with the exposure settings too much, and the raison d'être for this???  MY background and my tripod head.
BGR056 copyLet’s start with the background. I got these nylon backgrounds,which came with my table top photography studio kit thingy. They get  wrinkly so easily, but I just HAD to use a white back ground which had wrinkles that could not be ironed out. It was such a distraction. I kept trying to use exposure settings and light to wash it out. FAIL I should of just left it alone.  I have to find better backgrounds. Even if they have to be made for me.
My other problem, of the evening, was my Manfrotto 3-D Junior head, bah, I could not get that thing level. It was too much fuss for product photography. When I am outside with this tripod head, it works great, does what I need it to. The certainty of its goodness is not in question. How and when I use it is. I am thinking I have to find something more stable the I don’t have to adjust as much. I am convinced this will help me build a more efficient work flow.
So there you have it, I am going to work on getting a Black, blue, white, green and white background for product shots. I am hoping to get Muslin, but I will get whatever I feel works the best. Tripod head, well I have something by tomorrow night.







Created with flickr slideshow.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Making a great photo via Ken Rockwell




NEW: What Makes a Great Photo.


"The most important thing I've ever written. Oddly, I don't know if I got it out."


 





Sunday, January 10, 2010

tweet from: NPRPictureShow (NPR Picture Show)

NPRPictureShow: If you haven't already, it's time to check out Shorpy
photo archive: (http://www.shorpy.com/) Buckets of fun for us photo
history nerds. /c
Original Tweet: http://twitter.com/NPRPictureShow/status/7611050186

Sent via TweetDeck (www.tweetdeck.com)


Sent from my mobile device

A quick photo tale of South Orange Living and Photo-Fu 1-8-10 - a set on Flickr

Photo-Fu 1-8-10 - a set on Flickr

Morning GasLight, in South Orange NJ Gaslight never goes out...
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...As the Birds Fly By...
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...And people go to work, Making their way east into New York...
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then Coming home in the darkness, tired of the crazy people at their jobs.
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Silencing the cray voices in their heads, probably developed over years of breathing New Jersey/New York Air
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Saturday, January 9, 2010

We all have days when we feel like this


20091122-DSC_0091, originally uploaded by gservo.

honestly we feel like crap as the world move around us

Photofu - Coffee 1rst Moevemens t 1-7-10 - a set on Flickr

Photofu - Coffee 1rst Moevement 1-7-10 - a set on Flickr

Working on composition of coffee photo's , more to come, Notes on these pics

used Camera: Nikon D90 and my 28.0-80.0 mm f/3.3-5.6 lens on a tripod with a wired remote, back ground was custom cut unbleached muslin.


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what will make a good coffee photo???& coffee - a set on Flickr


 
As I sit here and drink my morning Yirgacheffee from BaristaOnDutY I am thinking of what will make a good coffee photo. Here are the question’s I am asking myself. Do you have any input, I am glad to listen…

What do you consider a good back ground color for coffee?

What setting would you like to see your coffee in, Outdoors on a nice sunny day?

Poured into a nice cup of a clean table?

In a unique setting only a geek could thing up?


Would you like to see all different types of Machines Grinders, etc?

When it comes to the beans, single bean close up? Or a group? Or both?

How would you like to see it arranged ?

Would you like to see coffee paired with food?

Would you like to see coffee paired with people?

What would you like to see?



Friday, January 8, 2010

My attemtpt at 10 Photu Fu goals for 2010


Well that’s the main stuff, I need to start taking notes, I may just blog a lot of them , well that’s what a blog is for right hahaha. I don’t know why I did not do this sooner. I think the Universe finally thought I was ready for photography or something . Suggestions welcome

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Planning The Photo Saunter of Blue contemplation, I need a proper day with my Camera


First of all does anyone have anything suggestions on where I should travel to to take pictures in NJ/NY area, let me know.

After I received my new Camera, Nikon D90 aka Cambot MK3, I wanted to go on a crazy photo walk, by myself. I wanted to do this to get to know my camera better, play with exposure settings different angles etc and take a crazy amount of pictures in new places, but Things kept getting in the way. In January I finally get to do this. I am calling it the "The Photo Saunter of Blue Contemplation"

Updates -So far the points of interest consist of
Long Branch NJ, live in NJ all my life and I have never been here. For beaches I have usually gone all south of Blemar NJ , I need winter beach shots. When I'm done at the Jersey shore I will venture to a spot for lunch, something involving Craft Beer. Slow it down some, contemplate the composition of a good beer image and make an attempt .

After that, and due to the weather, I am probably going to go to Manhattan. It’s really easy to stay warm in Manhattan, New York. I am going to start off at south street sea port I think. Then work my way up town to Central park. And from there I will play it by ear. I will basically drift afer I hit those two points.

It shall an epic EXP (experience point) grind, a chance to disconnect and learn, really learn more about Cambot MK3.You'll probably find me drifting through the New Jersey shore, holding my 28-80 mm lens toward the horizon of the ocean. I will also lug my tripod with me that day ,my 70-300 lens and maybe18-105.  Occasionally referring to my cheat sheets to find out what else I could do.

The whole purpose of the day is to fine tune my image making skill, well the stuff I have learned so far anyway.

Goals for The Photo Saunter of Blue contemplation

--Purely shooting in Manual mode,

--Beach shots, I love the water , with the 70-300

--Beer shots

--Coffee Shots

--Something with a Wabi Sabi vibe (beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature)

--No Driving, all NJ Transit

--Have fun

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

In maplewood NJ


In maplewood NJ, originally uploaded by gservo.


Evening

by William Lisle Bowles
Evening! as slow thy placid shades descend,
Veiling with gentlest hush the landscape still,
The lonely battlement, the farthest hill
And wood, I think of those who have no friend;
Who now, perhaps, by melancholy led,
From the broad blaze of day, where pleasure flaunts,
Retiring, wander to the ring-dove’s haunts
Unseen; and watch the tints that o’er thy bed
Hang lovely; oft to musing Fancy’s eye
Presenting fairy vales, where the tir’d mind
Might rest beyond the murmurs of mankind,
Nor hear the hourly moans of misery!
Alas for man! that Hope’s fair views the while
Should smile like you, and perish as they smile!

7 Ways to Create Powerful Photos with Colour

by Andrew Gibson
Colour is everywhere. We're surrounded by it, we can't avoid it and therefore we tend to take it for granted when we take photos. But take it for granted, and you're likely to end up with mediocre photos. Just because colour is everywhere doesn't mean you shouldn't pay attention to how it affects your images. We see so many average photos each day - in magazines, on the internet, in books - that sometimes it's easy to forget that colour photography can be a magical, evocative medium.

We've put together seven tips to help you get the most out of colour. At the end of the article is a section of links to photographers who use colour to create powerful photos. With a little bit of thought, so can you.

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Nikkor 28-80 f3.3-5.6 g


Nikkor 28-80 f3.3-5.6 g, originally uploaded by gservo.

Wow, for such and old discontinued lens, i am impressed, It might become my everyday lens, i have to take it out into the Field. I used it for light box work last night, and really enjoyed it. I am I have some more light box shots to take with it. They pics from this will be seen.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

its in the fridge, cold


20091231-DSC_0024, originally uploaded by gservo.

Now if i can just find time to enjoy it

30 Photographic Goals for 2010

30 Photographic Goals for 2010: "by Christina N Di"

These are not my goals, but they were good to read through, i may have to add a few to my own goals. Working on mine today.


20091211-Lord Canti

Sunday, January 3, 2010

I ordered a AF Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.3 - 5.6G lens

Update:: Instructions 28-80mm f/3.3-5.6G AF Zoom-Nikkor
This lens strangely appeals to me.It will be used mainly for stock photo's due its Sharpness and its affordability. I first read about it on Ken Rockwells Site. Interesting note on my D90 this lens becomes a become a 42-120mm lens.  Read here for the reason 

 Most digital camera sensors are smaller than film, so any image you see from those cameras is created from a smaller area than film.


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 28-80 mm f/3.3-5.6G AF Nikkor lens is designed for Nikon's range of 35mm and digital SLR camera bodies. This lens is a kit lens that comes packaged with the Nikon N80/F80, Nikon D100, and other kits.

This lens replaces the 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-D. Its designation as a "G" lens means it has no aperture ring and cannot be used in manual or aperture priority modes on older bodies such as the Nikon F90. They do work fully with these cameras in Shutter Priority or Program mode.

Specifications

Lens construction 6 elements in 6 groups (1 aspherical lens)

Picture angle 74° - 30°10' [53° - 20° with Nikon digital cameras (Nikon DX format)]

Focal-length scale 28, 35, 50, 80mm

Number of diaphragm blades 7 (rounded)

Minimum f/stop -22

Closest focusing distance 0.35m

Maximum reproduction ratio 1/3.5

Zoom control Manual, via separate zoom ring

Weight (approx.):195g

Little Gouf mobile suit My Travelng Companion


20100102-DSC_0050, originally uploaded by gservo.
Im here, sitting thinking about things, and one of those things, is Summer events. To be more precise, Beer festivals, Comic book conventions and fairs, in the spring and summer,on nice warm days, with friends. I am planing on having this guy with me, he carries my 1 of my bottle openers and takes interesting pictures (to me)

I will set up a a flicker set calledGouf Servo teh mini mobile suit, and try to take pictures of it in strange and interesting places

Photo Book Review – Business and Legal Forms for Photographers

Nothing is more boring for a photographer than paging through a form book of contracts. Nothing is more important for a photographer who derives income from his pictures than having written agreements with his clients.

New year, new rumor: Nikon D900 (updated)

Wow, cant wait to see final specs on that

Top Tips From Your DPE Team


Hi Gang
We all love making pictures here at DPE . . . and we enjoy sharing what we have learned over the years. In this post, our team (at the time this article was posted) shares with you their top tips – in the order in which they arrived in my in-bin. I’ll update this post as new DPE writers are added. Stay tuned.


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‘Space Battleship Yamato’ Trailer on Pop Culture Zoo *gasp

Pop Culture Zoo - Building Better Geeks! | Live Action ‘Space Battleship Yamato’ Trailer *gasp




Cold Poem


20100102-DSC_0052, originally uploaded by gservo.

Poem: "Cold Poem," by Mary Oliver, from American Primitive (Little, Brown and Company).

Cold now.
Close to the edge. Almost
unbearable. Clouds
bunch up and boil down
from the north of the white bear.
This tree-splitting morning
I dream of his fat tracks,
the lifesaving suet.

I think of summer with its luminous fruit,
blossoms rounding to berries, leaves,
handsful of grain.

Maybe what cold is, is the time
we measure the love we have always had, secretly
for our own bones, the hard knife-edged love
for the warm river of the I, beyond all else; maybe

that is what it means, the beauty
of the blue shark cruising toward the tumbling seals.

In the season of snow,
in the immeasurable cold,
we grow cruel but honest; we keep
ourselves alive,
if we can, taking one after another
the necessary bodies of others, the many
crushed red flowers.