Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
Nikon D700| Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-D@ f5.6| 1/15 sec| ISO 200| Manual Mode| Tripod
Category: Still Life
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
What do you do on a rainy day and you’ve got an urge to break out the camera and shoot something? Try something new! About a month ago artist/photographer Linda Clower whose creativity, and talent I’ve long admired began experimenting with Smoke Photography. Her results are stunning, and I’ve wanted to try it myself since seeing hers.
I set my Nikon D700 mounted with a 35mm f2 lens on a tripod with the on board flash set to fire, and used a lamp on camera right. Using a couple of yards of Ultra Suede purchased for a DIY back-drop which I taped with painters tape to wall then draped the excess over my sideboard to use as a base to set my incense dish. Setting the incense about a foot from the back of the backdrop I lit the incense, dimmed the lights and took a few shots. Below is my first attempt.
It’s rather soft. Not at all the crisp photo I had hoped to create, but I do like the surreal, and arty feel to this finished work. However I wanted to be able to get the crisp shot I was hoping to capture.
I think the room was too bright. I decided to try it again on another day.
I woke up early motivated to try Smoke Photography again, but with changes. I decided to use my Nikon SB600 Speedlight instead of a lamp or clamp light, but I needed a Snoot to direct the light on the smoke. I’d seen DIY Snoots before and knew I had just about everything at home to make one so, I rooted around the kitchen cupboards looking for a box to make the Snoot. I found the perfect box in the refrigerator; a large rectangular tea box. I cut it to fit around my Speedlight then covered both sides with Gaffers tape. Not having any velcro in the house to seal it closed around the Speedlight, and be able to re-use it in the future I used painters tape to close it. Soon I’ll purchase some velcro for it.
Here’s my DIY 7.5in Snoot
Now it was just a matter of waiting for evening when the light would be dimmer. The light got really dim outside due to rain clouds so I closed the blinds and set this up then started shooting before the sun came out again.I changed my set up this go round. Here’s the set up I used this afternoon D700 mounted w/35mm f2 lens, hand-held. I moved the lamp(camera right) closer, and I tried to keep the light from spilling onto the back with the shade. I wanted the light from the lamp to light up the smoke so I could focus on it and get the crisper shot. The Snoot was camera left. My settings were: ISO 800, f11, 0.3 seconds, Manual mode, and manual focus.
I’m much happier with this result.
Nikon D700, D300s, 35mm f2, and 50mm f1.8
Here are some tutorials that I used to help me create this shot and get some help with post editing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv39UmuiYNA&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.sublime-light.com/index.php/2007/06/14/smoke-part-2-how-to-process-smoke-photographs/
He’s making a list checking it twice…
He’s making a list checking it twice…, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.
Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
“This Christmas song was written by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie, and was first sung on Eddie Cantor‘s radio show in November 1934. It became an instant hit with orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music the next day and more than 400,000 copies sold by Christmas.” ~ Wikipedia
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
“You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He’s making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town!”
Nikon D700| Nikkor 50mm| f2.8| 1/80 sec| ISO 320| Manual Mode| Hand-held-
An ornament on my Christmas tree.
Kringle’s Korner
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
“Johnny wants a pair of skates. Suzy wants a dolly. Nellie wants a story book: she thinks dolls are folly.”
I can remember longing for months and months for one thing or another when I was a girl. Two that are the most memorable are the year I wanted a two-wheeler bike, and the year I wanted a guitar.
What about you? Can you remember longing to ask Santa for a toy or something and thinking it was utterly impossible that you would get it?
Nikon D700| Nikkor 50mm| f2.8| 1/20 sec| ISO 640| Manual Mode| Hand-held
“Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothec’ry.” ~ Chinese proverb
“Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothec’ry.” ~ Chinese proverb, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.
Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
A steaming hot cup mug of black tea spiced up with a wee bit of Maxwell House International Café Chai Latte mix.
I hope everyone is having a great day!
Nikon D700| Nikkor 50mm f1.8 AF-D| f3.2| 1/13 sec| ISO 640| Manual Mode| Hand-held
Circles of Color
Over at the Bistro a Nikon Users Group in the flickr community you’ll find lots of talented people. One of those people whom I admire is Linda Clower. She’s not only a talented photographer, but a very creative artist too. Her creativity shines in this abstract titled
“Circles of Color” that I’ve selected to add to this week’s Gallery.
To see all of the 2011 Bistro Galleries go here and scroll down to the Bistro Gallery topic.
A new segment of Just be there…
…with Diana Lee Angstadt.
I have been a long time admirer of Diana’s Still-life’s. She has an innate sense composition which I envy. She cleverly stages everyday objects into wonderful compositions that are both beautiful and timeless fine art photographs.
She shares with us how she created this beautiful piece she calls “Desk Corner”.
Q. Tell us about this set up?
Diana: Setting up the still life is the biggest hurdle; trying to make sure it looks as natural as possible. Objects should look as though they have a relationship to one another in a natural way. For this composition I began with the flowers. Then I slowly added in other items. I do not really think about it before hand. It comes to me as I am creating it. I will remove, and switch items until I feel it is cohesive and in good balance. I always like to have the light as soft as possible to create a gentle softness and mood.
Q. How did you expose for this shot?
Diana: I don’t have too much available light from a nearby window, so I used two lamps with natural light bulbs… one to be the main source and the other as “fill” light. They have bendable arms so I can position them easily in any direction.
My exposure was Shutter Speed 1/40 with an F stop of 8. I used a tripod with a cable release.
Q. What camera and lens did you use for this shot?
Diana: The shot was taken with a Nikon D300 with a 50mm 1.8 lens. After I upload the image, I also add “texture” by placing it over the entire image and then vary the opacity in certain areas to allow the photo to come through the texture.
To see more of Diana’s work visit her website here.
http://www.dianaleephotodesigns.com/
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