IHF - My Dogs Ate My Homework! Paper Challenge

So I Heart Faces had a Paper photo challenge this week and I had the brightest idea! until I realized although I have faces in my photo they not HUMAN faces (IHF photo challenges must have a human face in it, unless they specify that the particular challenge does not require it), so I disqualified my photos before I even decided to enter it in the weekly contest. 

Anyways, I thought they are so cute its worth sharing. 

Special thanks to Shadow and Mouschkie for being my impromtu models, too bad their cute little faces won't qualify for the contest but they are winners to me : )

Shadow contemplating if he should eat my homework lol

This would have been my entry and the title would have been "My Dog Ate My Homework"

Mouschkie

This was another potential entry for the Paper Challenge again titled "My Dogs Ate My Homework"

This is the behind the scene shot thats why its blurry. We took away the treat right before I took the shot so they would be interested on the notebook : )

 

 

I had a great time taking their pictures, its too bad I can't enter it in the contest. This was a last minute photoshoot and could not tell you what setting I was using without looking at the photo properties, I know I used a lot of Shutter Priority modes and also used Aperture Priority with high f/stop and high ISO to avoid using the Flash. I was so excited with the idea and overwhelmed with the doggies having too much energy for the treats I was giving them, Treats =  compensation (talent fees) for their services. 


Please enjoy viewing them and don't forget to leave a comment below. Ciao Ciao!!!

Week 5: Sports!

52 Weeks of Awesomeness! | Heidelberg Germany Photographer 

 So, I'm late again on posting. Week 5 is about Sports and I can't think of anything else but BASKETBALL. 

Basketball is my husband's sport and the only sport I actually understand and cheer for. Here's a few photos I took, I kinda got trigger happy so I have multiple entry : )

 

IHF - Photography Contest | Silhouette

A Silhouette above the River

Aperture Priority | f/8 | 1/1250 sec. | ISO 200 | 70mm

This was taken at a recreational park off of US 41 at Gibsonton, FL. It was a beautiful day and I happen to have my camera handy, so I decided to take some photos. Then my favorite Photo community, I Heart Faces came up with a photo Silhouette challenge. I thought this photo would be perfect to enter. Please don't forget to comment, I appreciate a feedback and tips.

 

 

"100 Things I've Learned About Photography" by Darren Rowse

100 Things I’ve Learned About Photography


Since I found photography two and a half years ago I have learned different things which I would like to share with you today. These lessons have made me richer and I hope that you will find them refreshing and inspiring on your journey with the camera, too.


1. Never do photography to become a rock-star. (I know when I photograph Im satisfying myself and nobody else not unless Im getting paid for the photographs - I guess they kinda have to like the outcome too lol)


2. Enjoy what you are shooting.


3. Prepare well for your shooting, realizing that your battery isn’t charge when you’re setting up for that sunrise shoot is too late!


4. Always take one warm garment more than you actually need with you


5. Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions while you are shooting


6. Set goals you can achieve


7. Write tips about photography, because writing is also learning


8. Never go shooting without a tripod


9. Be pleased with the little prosperities


10. Build relationships with potential photo buddies. (I have my girls Margie & Pennie, my sister Ira to snap some shots with)

11. Watch the place you want to shoot first with your heart then with the camera

12. Always stay calm


13. Know that you tend to overestimate yourself


14. Perspective is the killer


15. Dedicate yourself to photography, but never browbeat yourself too much                  (brow·beat/ˈbrouˌbēt/Verb: Intimidate (someone), typically into doing something, with stern or abusive words: "a witness is being browbeaten under cross-examination". )

16. Take part in a photography community (I love IHeartFaces Photo Community and The Nest Photography Board

      17. Keep your camera clean

18. Never compare yourself to others in a better or worse context (each photographer has their own style and technic so there's no point on comparing in a better or worse context just learn from each other)


19. Find your own style of photography (I'm still finding my own style, eventually I will have it down pack lol)


20. Try to compose more and to hit the shutter less


21. Seek out and learn to accept critique on your images (I always appreciate constractive criticism, its what makes a photographer strive harder for better photos)


22. Do something different to recover creativity


23. Get inspiration from the work of other photographers (I love going to photoblogs and admire other people's work and learn from their styles)


24. Criticize honestly but respectfully ("Do unto others what you want other do unto you")


25. Get feedback from your lady


26. Don’t copy other photographer’s style (use it as inspiration to build your own style)


27. Be bold


28. Take care of the golden ratio


29. 10mm rocks!


30. Take selfportraits (I love photos of myself too, I really need to invest on better tripod heheh)


31. Read books about photography


32. To give a landscapephotograph the extra boost, integrate a person (maybe yourself)


33. Every shooting situation is different than you expect


34. Pay attention to s-curves and lines


35. Always shoot in RAW

36. Keep your sensor clean, so you can save some work cleaning your image in post production


37. Discover the things you think are beautiful


38. It takes time to become a good photographer (I am far from it since Im a beginner lol)


39. The best equipment is that what you have now (I want more though! lol)


40. You can’t take photographs of everything


41. Break the rules of photography knowingly, but not your camera


42. Pay attention to the different way that light falls on different parts of your scene


43. The eye moves to the point of contrast


44. Clouds increase the atmosphere of a landscape


45. Start a photoblog (And you are inside my photoblog, enjoy! come again, and dont forget to leave a comment)


46. Accept praise and say “thank you” (This is one thing I always follow, my own quote "never refuse a compliment, say thank you and give back a genuine smile")


47. ‘Nice Shot’ is not a very useful comment to write


48. ‘Amazing!’ isn’t useful either. Try to describe specifically what you like or don’t like about an image.


49. You are not your camera


50. Ask a question at the end of your comment on a photo to get a ping-pong conversation with the photographer (I always do this, I learned this from communication class, if you want a response back you must ask a question)


51. Do a review of your archives on a regular basis, the longer you photograph – the more diamonds are hidden there


52. Always clarify what the eyecatcher (focal point) will be in your image


53. No image is better than a bad one


54. Everyone has to start little (I started little, and still growing)


55. Your opinion about photography is important! (TRUE!)


56. Leave a funny but thoughtful comment (its always fun to read funny comments just not insulting ones heheh)


57. Speak about your experiences with your photo buddies (I like getting feedback and giving feedback so I always share my Photo Op experiences)


58. Limit your photograph to the substance


59. Participate in Photocontests (I have only joined one photo contest and I placed top 20, not bad for a beginner and there's thousand participant)


60. Post processing = Optimizing your image to the best result


61. Shoot exposure latitudes as often as possible


62. Use photomatix as seldom as possible, HDR’s always have a synthetic flavor


63. Always remember what brought you to photography (What brought me to photography is my husband Timothy that bought me my DSLR, and also my cousin Inna who allowed me to play with her boyfriend's camera during a vacation trip to Cebu, Philippines)


64. Never shoot a person who doensn’t want to be photographed


65. Always turn arround, sometimes the better image is behind you


66. It’s who’s behind the camera, not the camera


67. Mistakes are allowed! The more mistakes you make, the more you learn! (refer to #96)


68. If you have an idea and immediately you think : No, this is not going to work – Do it anyway. When in doubt – always shoot.


69. Understand and look to your histogramm while shooting. It delivers very important information about your image


70. Know your camera, because searching the menu button in the night is time you don’t want to waste (I, so far have memorized the adjustment dial lol)


71. Shoot as often as possible (I just need more memory space!)


72. Believe in yourself (I do believe in myself, actually more than I used to.)


73. Don’t be afraid of getting dirty


74. Pay attention to qualitiy in your image (this is vital, its one way to improve)


75. Your photographs are a personal map of your psyche


76. Re-check your ISO-Settings. It’s aweful to detect the wrong settings on your screen.


77. Be thankful for long and thoughtful comments on your images (I rather read a long long long comment than just Nice Shot!)


78. Never trust your LCD. Normally it is brighter and sharper as the original image.


79. Provide for enough disc space, because it’s cheap and you will need it.


80. Learn to enjoy beautful moments when you don’t have a camera with you. (I enjoy the moment then then I hit myself for not having a camera on hand lol)


81. Always arrive at least half an hour earlier before sunrise / sundown, composing in a hurry is a bad thing.


82. Try to amplify your mental and physical limits. Takes some extra shots when you think “it’s enough”


83. Pay attention to structures in the sky and wait until they fit into structures in the foreground


84. Visit the same place as often as possible. Light never shows the same mountain.


85. Print your images in big size. You will love it.


86. Calibrate your monitor. Working with a monitor that is not accurate is like being together with someone you can’t trust. It always ends badly.


87. Don’t think about what others may say about your image. If you like it, it’s worth publishing. (I still need to work on this, besides Im still learning so I guess I can use it as a tool to get better)


88. Never address reproaches to yourself. Learn from your mistakes and look forward, not backward. (the only time one should look backward is with one intention, to appreciate how far one have gone)


89. Fight your laziness ! Creativitiy comes after discipline.


90. Ask yourself : What do you want to express in your images ?


91. Always try to think outside the box, collect new ideas about photographs you could do and ask yourself : Why not? (I plan to create a journal with all the possible shots that may inspire me)


92. Search for a mentor. (I found one, Thanks Krys! and I guess my new workshop instructor Chip)


93. Photography is never a waste of time. (how could it be a waste when you're capturing moments that cant possibly happen again)


94. Every community has it’s downsides. Don’t leave it out of an emotional response.


95. There will always be people who will not like what you are doing. (they are just jealous! lol just kidding but this is a true statement)


96. Henri Cartier-Bresson was right when he said that “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.”
(I lost track, not sure if Im halfway there)
97. A better camera doesn’t guarantee better images. (so true, its not just the camera is the photographer too)


98. Always have printing in mind when you postprocess your images.


99. Photography is fair : You gain publicity with the quality of your images. Unless the images are stolen, there is no way of cheating yourself higher. (Agree!)


100. Write a 100 things list

Read more: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/100-things-ive-learned-about-photography#ixzz15BDeL91h

My Niece Kaycie turned ONE!

Happy Halloween!!! Our Pumpkin Shadow

Our Pumpkin Shadow loved his Pumpkin costume, even modeled it for me : )

Water! Week 4 Entry for 52 Weeks of Awesomeness!!!

52 Weeks of Awesomeness! | Heidelberg Germany Photographer 

Our friends took us on a boat ride over the weekend (Halloween Day) and we had a great time. Here's my WATER entry for the Week 4 of Awesomeness.

Photo was taken at Lake Tarpon in Tampa, FL

Photo was edited in Lightroom 2. I used my 17-77mm Macro lens. The handsome man on the photo is my husband Timothy.

 

Show us your hometown - Week 3

52 Weeks of Awesomeness! | Heidelberg Germany Photographer

Im slacking off big time, I have been so backed up on my photography. But here's my Week 3 entry.

Photo was taken at Tampa Downtown on a busy afternoon. Very little editing on this photo maybe increase the contrast and the black.