52 Weeks (NOW COMPLETED! WOOHOO!)

Lovely photo and processing. It's just sad that you missed focus. Dogs are like that, always there for us when we need them.

Cheers!
Jake
 
For Week 7 of my "52 Weeks" photo project I decided to do something a little more artsy.

I initially started burning the edges of printer paper in our bathroom with the idea in mind that I would lay them out, layering together a landscape of mountainous silhouettes, a kind of burn forest.

Well, that didn't work. Turns out paper burns more readily than I expected, and next thing I know I've got a small bonfire in our sink and quite a bit of lost arm hair.

What did notice, however, was that when I dowsed the burning sheets with water, a fragile film was left over. It stuck to my skin when when, and gently peeled upon drying. So, I decided to run with it. Hope you enjoy the results! Initially titled "Burn" I decided after enough looking that the image more representing something breaking from a mold, and aptly renamed it.

Week 7 of 52: Break Out

Break Out by TogaLive, on Flickr
 
For week 8 of my "52 Weeks" photo project, I decided to visit a location that holds a special place in my photographic career.

Some miles out into the country, away from cars, the city lights of Davis, a dirt road leads to a gate with a sign marked "END." If anything, it is a poetic place. For those of you who have known me from the beginning, the image below might seem familiar, and it should. I took a photo of this exact location some years ago during my first attempt at night time shooting. Well, this time, arriving with a new group of co-shooters, I instantly gravitated to the same frame I'd taken before. Something felt different, and I was certainly better equipped this time. I felt like I could finally do the scene justice, so I gave it a shot.

I hope you like the results, and that you'll continue to tune in for future weeks :)

Week 8 of 52: Moonlight Road

Moonlight Road by TogaLive, on Flickr
 
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For Week 9 of my "52 Weeks" photo project, I returned to an area I truly enjoy, fashion photography.

I haven't been shooting portraits for too long, but I am determined to grow better at them, to expand my knowledge and press the boundaries of what I can do in terms of lighting, posing, and composition. I've spent the past months stretching what's possible to do with a single light source, and I used that experience in my last shoot. At the request of a model I've photographed before, we met up and did a quick, edgy shoot. I wanted to focus on deep shadows that communicated a specific feeling, a tone into the photo. I went into it wanting to produce a solid image, and I feel like I met my goal.

With graduation no longer looming in the distance but just a few short weeks away, I often contemplate if I could take my shooting to the next level and make the jump to shooting for pay, professionally as a way of supporting myself out of college. I battle the thoughts daily, make lists of pros and cons on a weekly basis, and have yet to come to a solid conclusion. The risk would be huge, but I feel I would truly enjoy myself, and experience tells me if you enjoy something and are willing to put the hours in then things have a way of working out in the long run.

Who knows...

Week 9 of 52: Erica


Erica by TogaLive, on Flickr
 
Austin Greene said:
snerd said:
Austin Greene said:
.....................
Week 8 of 52: Moonlight Road

Moonlight Road by TogaLive, on Flickr
Click to expand...

Nominated for May Photo of the Month

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/tpf-photo-month/358348-may-2014-potm-nominations.html
Click to expand...

Thank you so much snerd!!! :)
Click to expand...

I'd really like to know how you took this shot? I mean did you use any filters, what time of the day was it, what gears, and any other detail you might think is relevant. I really love this shot, among many others you've posted in this thread. Intently waiting for the rest of your stuff. :)
 
Raj_55555 said:
Austin Greene said:
snerd said:
Nominated for May Photo of the Month

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/tpf-photo-month/358348-may-2014-potm-nominations.html
Click to expand...

Thank you so much snerd!!! :)
Click to expand...

I'd really like to know how you took this shot? I mean did you use any filters, what time of the day was it, what gears, and any other detail you might think is relevant. I really love this shot, among many others you've posted in this thread. Intently waiting for the rest of your stuff. :)
Click to expand...

Glad you like it!

Really nothing special was used on the photo. No filters, just a tripod and a Canon 17-40mm f/4L. My settings were: 20 seconds, f/4, ISO1600. That's it!

Really with moonscaping it's all about the phase of the moon. A full moon produces harsh shadows that mimic an afternoon sun. Shooting at a quarter moon is great because the light is so soft, imparting a dreamlike quality to the photo. I believe it was a gibbous moon when I took this photo, so a kind of happy middle ground between the two :)
 
Austin Greene said:
Really nothing special was used on the photo. No filters, just a tripod and a Canon 17-40mm f/4L. My settings were: 20 seconds, f/4, ISO1600. That's it!

Really with moonscaping it's all about the phase of the moon. A full moon produces harsh shadows that mimic an afternoon sun. Shooting at a quarter moon is great because the light is so soft, imparting a dreamlike quality to the photo. I believe it was a gibbous moon when I took this photo, so a kind of happy middle ground between the two :)
Click to expand...
I honestly had no idea that one can get results like this in the middle of the night. I sure will try and learn this. I have two questions though,

1. Do you have any online resources where I can learn more? I tried googling Moonscape, but it didn't return any decent results.

2. Why did you set ISO to 1600? I mean from what I understand, we increase ISO only when the exposure is an issue. As you were shooting long exposure anyway, why not increase it to 30 seconds or more and reduce the ISO. Is their something I'm missing here?
 
Raj_55555 said:
Austin Greene said:
Really nothing special was used on the photo. No filters, just a tripod and a Canon 17-40mm f/4L. My settings were: 20 seconds, f/4, ISO1600. That's it!

Really with moonscaping it's all about the phase of the moon. A full moon produces harsh shadows that mimic an afternoon sun. Shooting at a quarter moon is great because the light is so soft, imparting a dreamlike quality to the photo. I believe it was a gibbous moon when I took this photo, so a kind of happy middle ground between the two :)
Click to expand...
I honestly had no idea that one can get results like this in the middle of the night. I sure will try and learn this. I have two questions though,

1. Do you have any online resources where I can learn more? I tried googling Moonscape, but it didn't return any decent results.

2. Why did you set ISO to 1600? I mean from what I understand, we increase ISO only when the exposure is an issue. As you were shooting long exposure anyway, why not increase it to 30 seconds or more and reduce the ISO. Is their something I'm missing here?
Click to expand...

None that I really know of. Myself and a few local shooting buddies have just been toying with it for awhile as an easy way to go shoot with friends after a long day of classes.

As for the ISO, keep in mind that if your shutter speed is too long, those "stars" become more like short trails. I prefer my moonscape stars to retain some of their normal dimensions, so I tend to keep my shutter speeds on the shorter side of things. Plus on the 6D I have zero concerns about noise at ISO1600. I really don't even think about noise reduction until I'm up around ISO4000 or ISO6400 and even then it's minimal.
 
Austin Greene said:
None that I really know of. Myself and a few local shooting buddies have just been toying with it for awhile as an easy way to go shoot with friends after a long day of classes.

As for the ISO, keep in mind that if your shutter speed is too long, those "stars" become more like short trails. I prefer my moonscape stars to retain some of their normal dimensions, so I tend to keep my shutter speeds on the shorter side of things. Plus on the 6D I have zero concerns about noise at ISO1600. I really don't even think about noise reduction until I'm up around ISO4000 or ISO6400 and even then it's minimal.
Click to expand...

Hmm that makes more sense to me. I guess it never occurred to me as I have never taken a star trail shot. Thank you so much Austin, I'll definitely give this a try, and maybe even bug you for a tip or two if I face any difficulties ;).
 
Yes, I'm drooling over the high-iso of those full-frame bodies. Somebody should start a poll!
 
For Week 10 I wanted to do something different from the usual, something punk, 80's high fashion, and I wanted graffiti. It was an odd photo craving, and I'm certain I'll return for more.

I contacted my friend and cyclist Steph, and next thing I know we're out on a local bridge shooting away! Overall I was quite happy with the shoot. It was a new area, and I learned a lesson when I realized that I had accidentally shot the entire shoot on JPEG instead of RAW. OOOPS! Never again.

I'm learning more and more that I really enjoy fashion photography, and that maybe, just maybe, I might not be half-bad at it.

Hope you enjoy it!

Week 10 of 52: Steph
52 Weeks: Steph (Week 10 of 52) by TogaLive, on Flickr
 
Well, sorry for the delay folks! I've been writing posts and taking their matching photos for the past two weeks, but between finals, work, graduation, and preparing for a research trip to Korea I've been absolutely SWAMPED. Time to play catch-up :)

Week 11 of 52: Mavish

52 Weeks: Mavish (Week 11 of 52) by TogaLive, on Flickr

Week 11 of my 52 weeks project marks the beginning of a two week long period of utter chaos, graduation shoots!


For the next two weeks, I'll be completing some 16+ hours of solid shooting, along with my last round of finals here at UC Davis. How will I sum it all up? Graduation, that's how! I can't believe it's come, but these last weeks for so many are also my last at UCD. It has been a blast, and I hope my shoots can bring others as much happiness in their own graduation as I've experienced in mine.


Week 12 of 52: Jacqui

52 Weeks: Jacqui (Week 12 of 52) by TogaLive, on Flickr

Week 12 of my 52 Weeks project marks the height of graduation photo season, and it is going great! I've been enjoying my time getting to photograph my peer clients so much I've almost forgotten that I'm graduating as well! But I suppose that is what it's all about! One more week until graduation!

And the setup:

Jacqui Setup by TogaLive, on Flickr


Week 13 of 52: By Moonlight

52 Weeks: By Moonlight (Week 13 of 52) by TogaLive, on Flickr

Well, it's over! My college career has ended with a great trip out to a familiar moonscaping location amongst good friends and fellow photographers. It's a bittersweet occasion, but I know the future holds endless opportunity, and that I'll be carrying a camera through it all. In this self-portrait I wanted to emphasize the unknown I feel lurking in the future, and felt a silhouette was appropriate. Taken at 12am, the full moon was bright as can be, producing light similar to full sunlight. I actually wore sunglasses to keep the wind out of my face and was able to see just fine!


Now, on to Korea! You can expect the next month's worth of images to be coming from abroad :)
 
For Week 14 I arrived in Busan, South Korea for a month of research at a lab within Pusan National University. The city is massive, sprawling, 3 million people strong, and the culture shock is palpable. It's monsoon season now, so I expect to see a lot of rain over the next couple weeks, and I'm curious how that will impact my shooting. Another thing I've learned is that the light is either HORRIBLE because of the heavy smog (like in the photo below) or it's fantastic with clear skies and great sunsets. 9/10 times though, it's the smoggy option.

I've also learned that Urban Landscapes are not my forte. I plan to do a portrait of a very nice old lady I've met for next week instead.

Hope you like it!

Week 14 of 52: Welcome to Busan

52 Weeks: Welcome to Busan (Week 14 0f 52) by TogaLive, on Flickr
 
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