December submissions to share

I have another round of submissions to share with you today!

Agatha Wiebe, of ON, sent me this photo of her son:

Taken with Canon Rebel XSi at f/5.6, 1/50 sec., ISO 400

Thanks for your submission, Agatha!

April Childs, of AB, shared another photo for this photo assignment, this one of her son “helping” his Daddy shovel the driveway:

Taken with Nikon D80 at f/14, 1/200 sec., ISO 1600

How adorable!  Thanks for sharing, April!

Our next submission comes from Lise Malette, of ON:

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XTi at f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO 400

Ho ho ho!  Thanks for sharing, Lise!

Jill Sparks, of ON, sent us this submission:

Taken with Nikon D60 at f/5.3, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

Love it!  Thanks for sharing, Jill!

I love seeing your submissions come in – remember to include your camera information to have your image shared on our blog!

Cheers,

Our first December submission!

Thanks to April Childs, of AB, for sending us our first December submission for our photo assignment:

Taken with Nikon D80 at f/5.6, 1/3 sec., ISO 1600

Love the reflection – and great use of filling your frame!

Be sure to send me your images for a chance to win a set of 5 Canadian Scrapbooker Basics books!

Cheers,

December Tutorial – Cropping

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!

And because of that, this month’s tutorial is an easy one!  We’re going to be talking about CROPPING.

Nowadays, in these digital times, when one mentions cropping a photo, it leads you to think of post-production photo editing.  Almost all of us have cropped our digital photos; whether it is done to remove the unsightly load of laundry on the floor next to your toddler, or to add visual interest to an image, it is based on the editor’s personal preferences.

However, cropping can also refer to a composition guideline that you have probably often heard:  “Fill your frame!”

The easiest way to add instant impact to an image is to fill your frame with your subject.  Consider the following photo:

Taken with Nikon D70 at f7.1, 1/200 sec., ISO 200

Adorable in itself, just for the cuteness factor alone, but I find the ‘helicopters’ on the grass in the background distracting.  Notice how much more striking it becomes when I crop it, in post-production:

Of course, we can save ourselves a whole lot of post-production time by zooming in and filling your frame with your subject.  It’s a perfect way to reduce background noise.  As well, it also preserves image quality, as you are not reducing the size of your final image, and as such, the number of pixels.

So it’s time to go back to the basics – use photography guidelines (like the Rule of Thirds, framing, perspective, etc.) and crop “in-camera” while taking your photos!

December 2010 photography assignment:

Using the December tutorial as a guide, photograph a subject or object and fill your frame.  Don’t be afraid to get in close and get the details!  As always, if you have any questions, please leave me a comment on this post, or email me at sue {AT} canadianscrapbooker {DOT} ca.

Deadline:  11:59 pm EST, January 2nd, 2011

PLEASE NOTE:  Because the whole purpose of the tutorial is to get you to experiment with your camera, submitted photos must have been taken between December 9th and January 2nd, 2010, inclusive.  Please send original-sized photos – I will size them for our blog.  And PLEASE don’t forget to  include your camera settings, including camera used, f/stop, aperture and ISO settings for your image in the Comments section of the submisson form!  Submissions that do not include this info may not be posted on the blog  or included in the prize drawing.

Please submit your photo, using only our submission form (no emails, please!), for a chance to be entered into our draw to win an awesome prize.   A randomly chosen entry will be drawn after the deadline.  Please note – submissions that are not relative to the tutorial and/or do not abide by these rules will not be posted on the blog, or entered into the draw.  Please click HERE to review the rules regarding this draw BEFORE submitting.

This month’s sponsor is Canadian Scrapbooker!   This month, our winner will receive a complete set of Canadian Scrapbooker Basics technique books:

December 2010 Prize Sponsor: Canadian Scrapbooker

Enjoy your holidays – can’t wait to see your submissions!

Cheers,

We have a winner!

Thanks to our submitters this month for our November photo assignment on Framing – not only for sending us your images, but for being patient with me in uploading them!

Here’s a peek at those eligible for the Harmonie prize pack:

Thanks to everyone who shared their images!

Using www.random.org, a winner has been chosen:

List Randomizer

There were 9 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Sharon Peters, AB
2. Sharon Peters, AB
3. Lee-Anne Thorton, AB
4. Lee-Anne Thorton, AB
5. Conni Frankl, SK
6. Lori Ann Frey, SK
7. Nathalie, Cormier, QC
8. Bev Beaudette, ON
9. Nathalie Cormier, QC

Timestamp: 2010-12-07 02:33:12 UTC

Congratulations, Sharon!  Your prize pack will be sent out shortly to the address on your submission form!

Stay tuned for our December tutorial to be posted on or around December 8th.

Cheers,

November Submissions

Well, let me apologize to all of our submitters this month!  I’m sorry that I’m just getting around to posting all of your submissions today – it’s been a crazy month!

Without further ado, let me share some fantastic submissions by our readers!

Bev Beaudette, of ON, sent me this photo that was taken of her view across the street:

Taken Nov 9th, 2010 with Canon Rebel T1i at f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO 400

I love how the windows frame the cars – thanks for sharing, Bev!

Lori Ann Frey, of SK, sent me this photo taken at Manitou Lake, while out quadding:

Taken Nov 7th, 2010 with Nikon D5000 at f/9, 1/320 sec., ISO 200

I love how she’s framed – thanks for sharing, Lori!

Conni Frankl, of SK, took this photo of their new house, using the trees to frame it:

Taken on Nov 23rd, 2010 with Nikon D5000 at f/10, 1/400 sec., ISO 200

Beautiful shot, Conni – thanks for your submission!

Next, we have two photos from Lee-Anne Thorton, of AB:

Taken on Nov 17th, 2010 with Canon EOS 30D at f/4, 1/1250 sec., ISO 100

Taken on Nov 23rd, 2010 with Canon EOS 30D at f/6.3, 1/15 sec., ISO 100

Fantastic use of framing, Lee-Anne – thanks for sharing!

Another two photos to share come from Nathalie Cormier, of QC, of her children:

Taken on Nov. 26th, 2010 at Canon EOS XSi at f/4, 1/60 sec., ISO 400

Taken on Nov. 27th, 2010 with Canon EOS XSi at f/8, 1/60 sec., ISO 800

Very, very cute!  Thanks for sharing, Nathalie!

Our last two photos come from Sharon Peters, of AB:

Taken on Nov 29th, 2010 with Nikon D90 at /f5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 250

Taken on Nov 12th, 2010 with Nikon D90 at f/8, 1/320 sec., ISO 200

Gorgeous!  Thanks for sharing, Sharon!

Thanks again to everyone for submitting your photos!  I will announce a winner of the Harmonie Prize pack soon!  And watch for my December tutorial to be posted on or around December 7th!

Cheers,

November tutorial: Framing

This month, we’re going to take it easy and learn about using framing in your composition.

Framing is a photography guideline that, when used, results in a pleasing composition.  It is also one of the easier to both explain and use!

All around you, there are objects that provide natural frames for your subject(s).  Examples include archways, window frames, tunnels or even wheel rims!

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/3.5, 1/160 sec., ISO 200

The trick is to use these items to frame your subject and isolate it from the rest of the image, so that the viewer’s eye is drawn to it.  Here, the portal on the playground equipment frames the subject and leads your eye to it.  The bright yellow colour helps to separate the opening, too!

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/9, 1/640 sec., ISO 400

Similarly, the round rings on this inner tube draw the eye towards the center of it, in which sits the subject:

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/7.1, 1/2500 sec., ISO 640

You can also use natural foliage to frame your subject, such as the branches provide a natural frame for the view in this image and draw your eye across the landscape:

Taken with Nikon Coolpix S560 at f/3.5, 1/150 sec., ISO 64

The premise of this guideline is simple – use natural or man made objects to frame your subject.  The difficulty lies in training your eye to find these items and use them to highlight your subject!  So, are you ready to try??

November 2010 photography assignment:

Using the November tutorial as a guide, photograph a subject or object using a natural or man-made object to frame your subject.  Open your mind to possibilities and look at everything to see what can be used to  frame your subject..  As always, if you have any questions, please leave me a comment on this post, or email me at sue {AT} canadianscrapbooker {DOT} ca.

Deadline:  11:59 pm EST, November 30th, 2010

PLEASE NOTE:  Because the whole purpose of the tutorial is to get you to experiment with your camera, submitted photos must have been taken between November 7th and November 30th, 2010, inclusive.  Please send original-sized photos – I will size them for our blog.  And PLEASE don’t forget to  include your camera settings, including camera used, f/stop, aperture and ISO settings for your image in the Comments section of the submisson form!  Submissions that do not include this info may not be posted on the blog  or included in the prize drawing.

Please submit your photo, using only our submission form (no emails, please!), for a chance to be entered into our draw to win an awesome prize.   A randomly chosen entry will be drawn after the deadline.  Please note – submissions that are not relative to the tutorial and/or do not abide by these rules will not be posted on the blog, or entered into the draw.  Please click HERE to review the rules regarding this draw BEFORE submitting.

This month’s sponsor is Harmonie!  Check out this great prize pack!

November 2010 Prize Sponsor: Harmonie

Can’t wait to see your submissions!

Cheers,

We have a winner!

Thanks for the awesome submissions we’ve received for our October photo assignment on Perspective.  Here’s a peek at those eligible for the Upsy Daisy Designs prize pack:

Many thanks to all who shared their photos!

Using www.random.org, we have a winner:

List Randomizer

There were 15 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Nathalie Cormier, QC
2. Lee-Anne Thorton, AB
3. Lee-Anne Thorton, AB
4. Stephanie, Schan, ON
5. April Childs, AB
6. Lisanne Côté, QC
7. Lisanne Côté, QC
8. Nathalie Cormier, QC
9. Melanie Godecki, ON
10. Karly Potts, AB
11. Lisanne Côté, QC
12. Lorraine Melin, AB
13. Kim Gowdy, AB
14. Bethany Hoskin, AB
15. April Childs, AB

Timestamp: 2010-11-04 21:26:32 UTC

Congratulations, Nathalie! Your prize pack will be sent out shortly to the address on your submission form!

Stay tuned for our November tutorial and photo assignment to be posted soon!
Cheers,

Final October submissions!

My apologies to the next three readers who sent me their photos before the deadline - I didn’t get a chance to post them with the crazy-ness of Hallowe-en, but of course, they were received in time and are still eligible for our October photo assignment.

Did everyone enjoy their Halloween?  Our kids had a great time, dressing up – and more precisely, getting candy!    Looks like my hubby read the October tutorial on perspective – here’s one of his photos that he took of my son in his Hallowe’en costume (you can see his entire costume on my blog here):

Now if I could only get him to stop using the flash!

Speaking of Hallowe’en, April Childs, of AB, sent me this photo of her son, in his Hallowe’en costume, taken at eye level:

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/5, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

Look at that dimple!

Here’s another that April sent in, taken from just below eye level:

Taken with Nikon D80 at f/5.6, 1/30 sec., ISO 220

Thanks for your submissions, April!

Lee-Anne Thorton, of AB, sent me these two photos for the October photo assignment:

Taken with Canon EOS 30D at f/5.0, 1/30 sec., ISO 100

Beautiful flowers, Lee-Anne!  Were they for a special occasion?

Taken with Canon EOS 30D at f/5.6, 1/10 sec., ISO 250

 Oh!! These look delicious!!  Do you think they would ship well to Ontario…?   Thanks for sharing, Lee-Anne!

And last, but certainly not least, our final submission for October comes from Karly Potts, of AB:

Taken with Samsung PL80 at f/3.4, 1/98 sec., ISO 80

Brrr… Snow?  In October??  Maybe I won’t complain about our southern Ontario humidity so much anymore…!  Thanks for sharing, Karly!

And thanks to everyone who played along this month!  I will be posting a winner tomorrow morning so please check back then -  and watch for our November tutorial and photo assignment to be posted on or around November 7th!

Cheers!

More October submissions

I have a few more submissions to share with you today!

Melanie Godecki, of ON, shared this lovely photo of her friends, Frank & Katie:

Taken with Canon 5D at f/4, 1/125 sec., ISO 200

Love the angle – thanks for sharing!

Nathalie Cormier, of QC, sent in a couple of submissions – one from above…

Taken with Canon EOS XSi at f/5.6, 1/80 sec., ISO 200

And one from eye level:

Taken with Canon EOS XSi at f/5.6, 1/60 sec., ISO 800

Thanks for sharing these lovely fall photos, Nathalie!

Our last submission today comes from Bethany Hoskins, of AB.  Bethany writes, “The only way to get the dog to look right at me while I have the camera is to have her beloved ball, so I decided to keep it in the shot and use it also as a depth of field exercise as well as perspective.”

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel T1i at f/4.5, 1/500, ISO 100

Fantastic – love it, Bethany!

Remember that the deadline for our October photo assignment is November 1st so be sure to send me your photos!

Cheers,

October submissions

Sorry for the delay – here are some of our submissions received for the October photo assignment!

Kim Gowdy, of AB, shot this next image while lying down in a field – just in time for Hallowe’en:

Taken with Canon Rebel XSi at f/5.6, 1/250 sec., ISO 100

Thanks, Kim – now I want pumpkin pie…

Our next image comes from Stephanie Schan, of ON:

Taken with Canon 5D Mark2 at f/2.8, 1/5000 sec., ISO 200

Fantastic shot, Stephanie!  Thanks for your submission.

Lisanne Côté, of QC, sent me a trio of photos for the assignment this month.  The first is a great perspective looking up at a ladder that her son built in their backyard:

Taken with Canon Rebel ST at f/5.6, 1/50 sec., ISO 200

Lisanne’s next image features another type of perspective – such a fun shot!

Taken with Canon Rebel ST at f/5.6, 1/25 sec., ISO 200

Here’s another example of using perspective in a creative way:

Taken with Canon Rebel ST at f/5.6, 1/200 sec., ISO 200

Thanks for the great submissions, Lisanne!

Lorraine Melin, of AB, sent me this cute image of her grandson in the player’s box at his hockey game:

Taken with Canon SXi at f/4, 1/13 sec., ISO 800

Look at that grin!  Thanks for your submission, Lorraine.

Now, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone else’s photos – your deadline is November 1st, so you can get creative with your Hallowe’en photos and send them to me!

Cheers,