Catalog Shots

On the side of school, I also run an online craft and accessories business. I call it In-skein Designs and I have had the hardest time in the past making the photos look like the item was free standing instead of sitting on a dark and dingy coffee table or book shelf. I think I may have succeeded!

I was commissioned to do the web development and catalog for a local businesswoman's yarn and fiber store. Because it is a catalog, the only things I wanted to show up were the products themselves.

Here are a few shots I took yesterday for her site.







The full descriptions of these products are found on sheep2shawl.net

Now, the kicker in this experiment and success of this experiment was the white box I created...for less that $7.00.

I took a simple cardboard box from Wal-mart, one of the ones that folds into a nearly perfect square, and I cut off 1 whole side, folded in the bottom and taped it. I took a basket I had laying around, this could be a small box, or Tuperware container or something of the sort, and I placed it in the middle of the larger box. While you are at Wal-mart, pick up 1.5 yards of the brightest white fabric you can that has nice drape and is thick enough that you can not see through it. Then drape the fabric over the back and both sides of the box, pushing it down into the box so that you can put things on top of the basket inside.

I had a great setting for my light, I took my tripod and stood in front of the kitchen window with the kitchen light on. I had a low ISO and a small aperture to balance the light. (I just figured out how to change these on my new camera...)

Wonders of photoshop

Today in class, we learned a bit of using Photoshop Elements 8 to intesify colors, deepen contrasts, and alter photos to capture the imagination.

I enjoy working with bold colors that belong in your dreams, not in every day life.

I give you the progression of my brain child image.

Original:
Unaltered
First Layer, pulled hue to almost black and white and saturation to magenta

Layered purple over sky and water

Layered blue and gray over bridge and trees/ tree reflection


I am playing some more with images and making them more surreal for the art show next week.

Opinions?

New Camera, New photos

So a few weeks into term, and I have yet to post anything.

That is about to change.

First, the photos from a point and shoot:

This is a photo of my cats WITHOUT exposure compensation.


This is almost the same image, WITH exposure compensation.

The photo on the top was shot with a standard auto ISO, and Exposure. The backlight threw everything into a yellow tone, ISO changes and shutter speed allowed me to take a photo that was not thrown into such color. I was able to recreate this photo (in case you don't have an option to alter your ISO and exposure settings) by putting my hand over the top of the lens to create a "hood" to block out some of the light. It is like looking into tree and being blinded by the sun...the camera can only handle so much light before it does it's own version of compensation.

The next image is a distant subject (the mountain) captured with a telephoto setting on the lens, making it seem close than it really is.


This was taken from a balcony in our Campus Center, the mountain is the South Sister captured in Bend, Oregon.

The following image is on the same mountain range, but with a Wide Angle setting on the lens.


I have several more photos from the digital point and shoot, but now I must bring you to my newest toy in the toolbox.

This is the Olympus 10 MP E-420 Digital SLR (Single Len Reflex) camera. This allows more control over the digital settings and the manual focus. She comes with a removable lens that can be switched out for different lenses.

With this camera, I am able to capture images that before have only been seen by my naked eye.

This photo was taken at around 4:00 PM on a sunny day in Bend, Oregon. I am standing on a dock overlooking the "Little Deschutes" section of the Deschutes River. I am photographing into Drake park from Pageant Park. This is taken with a wide angle, landscape setting, without flash.

This is the Drake-Pageant Park Bridge. It crosses Little Deschutes, and was captured just before sun set at around 5:30 PM on a sunny day.


This photo was taken at a campus interaction event called Jam on the Hill. It is a snow board competition held in the back parking lot of the administration building at Central Oregon Community College. Students competed in this Jam for the glory and fame, and to raise student body involvement.

Because of the fast shutter speed of the Sports Setting on the new camera, I was able to capture the drop ins, the jumps, the grinds, and the biffs of the afternoons action.

I am certain that I will be posting many more photos, next week's assignment is Night Photography, should be exciting.

Please let me know what you think, and where I need to improve.

THANKS A TON

Camera Review

Right now, I am using my hubby's Aunt Holly's camera. It is a Nikkon Coolpix s230 Touch screen point&shoot 10MP 3x zoom. Found here.

I will working with this camera for the next 2 or so weeks until I get my upgrade. All pictures for 2 weeks will be shot with this. It is a great little camera, and can do a LOT of the same things as a Digital SLR.