Emily Perry Studios

a little ditty on photography

ah, photography.  it is such a joy for me, and so much fun.  often i get asked how i get the effects i want, and other questions by friends looking to pimp their shots, so to speak, and so i thought i would offer a few thoughts here on how i like to play with my camera.

• if you are totally new to photography, or have been working with a point-and-shoot but now what to play with an SLR, Digital Photography School has great tutorials on learning about the relationship between shutter speed and f-stop, and about playing with depth-of-field.  The Pioneer Woman also has a whole site devoted to photography, with great tools and tips there, too.  certainly worth a gander.

 

• don't be afraid to play with focus.  sometimes a soft shot can leave a little something to the imagination, which i like in this world of crisp and crystal-clear digital images.
• that being said, if you are shooting digitally, don't be afraid to adjust levels and curves in a photo processing program, like photoshop.  although i am all for getting it "right" in-camera, the fact of the matter is that these are digital images, and often the white balance or something needs to be corrected for.  i think never adjusting digital images is silly, since this is entirely different than shooting film.
• if you have an DSLR, and you find that your shots are always incorrectly exposed, try shooting with the histogram appearing on the LCD screen.  this helped me when shooting my children with super blonde hair: their heads were always reflecting so much sunlight!

• when processing, play with sharpness and saturation to get the effect you want.
• but above all else, play!  and don't forget to give film another go.  you'll be happy you did!

coming out the otherside

things have been a little funky over here.  first it rained and rained.  then the family was sick, and now more rain.  my cameras are gathering dust.  i haven't cracked open any paint in days.  and now we are starting to pack the house for the move: all the pictures are down, the big bookcase is boxed up.  the purging has begun. 

and yet in the middle of all this, i am feeling the itch.  i have been lurking on flickr, and realizing how much i really need to be shooting more film.  i have an online workshop to start designing materials for (it will be in July!), and an art walk possibility that i need to produce some work for.  oh, yes, then there there are the articles i have started writing- and, well, you get the idea.

:::

so, what to do when there is so much to do?  i think today i will just hope for some sun, carry my camera, and let my lenses lead the way.

digging for ideas

where you might find me digging for ideas today:

1. in the garage studio, going through old art journals and inspiration books
2. in my piles of books on yoga and Buddhism (always pages of underlined material waiting for me)
3. on the couch, knitting & thinking about said books
4. in the kitchen, as I cook and clean for the day
5. on the mat, during yoga.  sometimes cool things just pop into my consciousness in my practice, as if they have been unearthed, or wash up, by all the opening asanas
6. building legos: there is quiet a lot of zen to be found in building something with legos
7. watching my daughter paint: i love her use of color
8. in a podcast: today it's notes from the voodoo lounge, and jamie ridler studios
9. on a walk up to the bluff to see the ocean
10. in a cup of chai: because let's face it, the whole world is to be found in a good cup of tea!

where are you looking today?
 

::transformational space::

{tent, 2009}

Our lives are constantly transforming themselves:: they shift, open, and change according to what we need, who we are, who we need to be.  At times it is easy to forget that we have this ability:: to shape our lives into what we envision.  For this, transformational spaces can hold us gently while we become more of who we would like to be.  

In our everyday lives we often have small transformational spaces:: a place where we walk, a spot to paint in, a reading corner where you can dream your dreams.  What are your transformational spaces in your life?   How can you create more of them, or find time to explore them more on your journey?

big sky mind (stupa #2), 2010

i think i mentioned a couple of days ago how I figured out how to get some effects i want (i heart sandpaper!):: this is the result.  if you paint, maybe try something entirely new with what you have:: scrape it, sand it, wet it.  you never know what will happen.