I realized how crazy I was...

OregonAmy · Dec 22, 2008

... once it became difficult to depress the shutter button on my camera.

I went out yesterday to take some pictures at a local park, since the lake's now frozen over. I took a bunch of pictures this summer & wanted to go in winter for contrast.

In the process, I learned that my current pair of gloves is completely useless (why did I buy fleece gloves? How was that a good idea?!). With wind chill, it was -10F. Pretty cold.

I feel like I could take or leave this picture. I like it, but I don't look at it and think, "wow!"

Leaf on lake ice (I love how the ice looks black). I'm going to have to work on that leaf a little more. I was playing around with it in GIMP yesterday to add more color/contrast, but the outline of the leaf just wasn't right. I would like to play with it a little more, both to improve my GIMP skills as well as this picture:

those were my favorites. Here are a couple of others that didn't turn out as well.

Blown-out areas on bridge

Another perspective on the bridge. I usually try to stay away from "subject in the middle" type pictures (as well as vertical pictures of horizontal objects), but I think that approach might have actually worked for this one.

C&C absolutely definitely welcome.

ksmattfish · Dec 22, 2008

OregonAmy said:
In the process, I learned that my current pair of gloves is completely useless (why did I buy fleece gloves? How was that a good idea?!).

I shop in the hunters' department for winter gloves. They stay out in the cold for long periods of time, yet they still need to be able to fiddle with their guns/gear.

All of these shots would be closer to "wow" if the light was different. Midday light isn't exciting. At sunrise or sunset the shadows would be more dramatic, and the sky might add color to the ice. Of course it would be even colder then, but good photos sometimes require sacrifice.

OregonAmy · Dec 22, 2008

ksmattfish said:
I shop in the hunters' department for winter gloves. They stay out in the cold for long periods of time, yet they still need to be able to fiddle with their guns/gear.

All of these shots would be closer to "wow" if the light was different. Midday light isn't exciting. At sunrise or sunset the shadows would be more dramatic, and the sky might add color to the ice. Of course it would be even colder then, but good photos sometimes require sacrifice.

Thanks for the idea on the gloves. Good call, I think I'll look around for something like that. Surely stuff will be on sale at some point.

Thanks for the reminder on the lighting. I was going to get up early but it's so hard to do that on a freezing sunday morning. Every weekday I drive in to work and see so many photo opportunities (it's a 20-mile commute, half of which is along hills & lakes in KS). I am not carpooling this week, so I think I will drag my camera with and take some morning shots. I can't tell you how many times I've been driving in thinking, "I wish I had my camera!"

ksmattfish · Dec 22, 2008

You may be interested in checking out the Lawrence Photo Alliance.

The Lawrence Photo Alliance - The Lawrence Photo Alliance provides people interested in photography with opportunity for group interaction, networking, community involvement, exchange of technical and artistic expression, and exhibition of their phot

The group meets on the first Tuesday each month at the Lawrence Arts Center (900 block of New Hampshire st., Lawrence, KS) at 7:00pm. The group has photographers of all skill levels and interests from all over NE Kansas and NW Missouri.

Dionysus · Dec 22, 2008

your shutter starts to stick? hmm thats weird..i go out winter shooting all the time, and i've been out at single digit temps this winter (wind chill doesnt affect inanimate objects), and other than batteries going out sooner, i've had no other problems w/ functionality using my xsi.

EDIT: and yes hunting gloves work awesome...i have some because i hunt, but they do a great job...if you dont want hunting gloves, just remember that windproof is as important as heat retention.

OregonAmy · Dec 22, 2008

Thanks for the tip on the Lawrence group. I'll consider it. I work out in Shawnee so the trip wouldn't be very far after work, and it'd give me an excuse to fill a growler at free state.

And, I just love Lawrence. I'd live there if it were more convenient for us to do so.

I've gone to the KC photo club here in town since it's a lot closer, but had a hard time not feeling like an outsider. Everyone seemed about 20-30 years older than me and more interested in studio/wedding/portrait photography than anything else, which is pretty much at the bottom of my list of interesting photography. Lawrence might be more my tune (but driving 45 minutes home afterward might be discouraging...) Thanks for the tip

Dionysus said:
your shutter starts to stick?

No, I should have clarified! My fingers were so numb that I struggled to put enough pressure on the shutter to take pictures.

Dionysus · Dec 22, 2008

ahh makes more sense. back to the photos...they are nice, but could do with some pp, to bring out more pop and character.

AlexColeman · Dec 22, 2008

Definitely needs dramatic light, or some sort of wow.

OregonAmy · Dec 24, 2008

I got off work early today, so I was able to take some pictures as the sun was setting. While my front yard doesn't exactly provide the most exciting scenery, the lighting definitely made an improvement. I wanted to go to the park, but it would have been too late by the time I got there.

Snow on my driveway - I think I shot too open; I should have done maybe f11, but I still like the picture.

It's not exactly exciting, but without the lighting in this picture, it would have been 100x more boring.

Sulfur · Dec 24, 2008

I kind of feel that if you found a subject in these that you are trying to shoot it might help, instead of just shooting "the ground." That's just me though. I don't see anything particularly interesting in the frame.
If I go shoot my carpet with sparkles on it it's hard to know what you're supposed to be getting from the picture.

OregonAmy · Dec 24, 2008

Sulfur said:
If I go shoot my carpet with sparkles on it it's hard to know what you're supposed to be getting from the picture.

I love it.

You're right. I need a subject. AND good lighting. (seems rather obvious now, doesn't it?) Winter seems so hard to shoot without good wintry weather.

Your comment, though, reminded me of a party my aunt & uncle had in the early 80s when it was popular to rake your carpet (no, not a euphemism). They had a "beach party" in Portland in winter and set around beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, etc - all over their house. Played tropical music and all that. And, to top it off, they put glitter all over their carpet and raked it to make it look like sparkly sand. I can only imagine how many years they had sparkles in their vacuum cleaner.