Late is better than never, right?

Sorry, folks – time got away from us this month!  I was busy preparing for ScrapFest and then, as I returned home, I became sick!

If  you are a new visitor, perhaps from my class at ScrapFest, welcome!!

As it is, I just realized that I haven’t posted our March winner yet!!

Thanks to our participants this month:

And without further ado, and with thanks to www.random.org, we have a winner!

List Randomizer

There were 4 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Agatha Wiebe, ON
2. Carrie Butterwick, AB
3. Lee-Anne Thorton, AB
4. Lise Malette, ON

Timestamp: 2011-04-22 01:31:28 UTC

Congratulations, Agatha!  Please email me your mailing address and we’ll get your Sassafras Lass prize out to you!

Also, April Childs, if you are reading, please email your mailing info to me as well!  My computer seems to have eaten all of my prior emails and I don’t have an address to which I can send your February prize!

Because we’re so late posting the tutorial this month, I will combine April and May tutorials and photo assignments and will give out TWO prizes!!  Watch for a new tutorial in a few days!

Cheers!

March submissions

Here are the March submissions for our photo assignment on Backgrounds!

Lise Malette, of ON, was first out of the gate with this assignment.  She sent me these two images:

Taken with Canon EOS Digital Rebel at f/16, 1/200 sec., ISO 400

In this photo, the railings and poles compete with the subject as well as the background and create a chaotic scene.  As well, the backlighting is creating lens flares and causing the subject to lose detail.

Taken with Canon EOS Digital Rebel at f/10, 1/400 sec., ISO 400

In this photo, Lise moved herself (or the camel did!) so that she was looking up at him/her, using the clear blue sky as a backdrop which coordinates beautifully with the brown fur.  I hope you were using a zoom lens, Lise – don’t camels SPIT?!  Thanks for sharing!

Carrie Butterwick, of AB, also sent in two photos to illustrate the advantages of eliminating a distracting background:

Taken with Pentax K100D Super at f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 400

In this photo of her friend, holding her adorable daughter, there are distractions that lead the viewer’s eye away from the subject, like the sign beside their heads.

Taken with Pentax K100D Super at f/11, 1/500 sec., ISO 400

By moving to the side, and having her subjects follow her, she effectively removes the cluttered background and replaces it with a snowy scene.  Thanks for your submission, Carrie!

Another set of submissons received came from Agatha Wiebe, of ON:

Taken with Canon Rebel XSi at f/4, 1/64 sec., ISO 400

In her first image, you can see her adorable subject peeking through the window of his toy car.  But by zooming in and cropping out the distracting background, she ended up with this image:

Taken with Canon Rebel XSi at f/4.5, 1/64 sec., ISO 400

Thanks for sharing, Agatha!

Lastly, I want to share these submissions from Lee-Anne Thorton, of AB:

Taken with Canon EOS 30D at f/8, 1/10 sec., ISO 200

This lovely colourful display on Lee-Anne’s coffee table manages to mix a variety of textures into one photo.  But watch the simple effectiveness when she zooms in on one of the elements:

Taken with Canon EOS 30D at f/5.6, 1/13 sec., ISO 250

Gorgeous!  Thanks for your submission, Lee-Anne!

I did receive several submissions that did not meet the requirements for this particular assignment, (i.e. sending me two photos of the same subject, taken with a difference in backgrounds).  I do however, want to share this submission from Sharon Muyser, of AB.  While it is ineligible for the assignment, you will agree with me that it is too spectacular not to share!

Taken with FujiPix JV100 at f/4.3, 1/1351 sec., ISO 100

Look at that beautiful pattern left behind by Jack Frost!  Thanks for sharing, Sharon!

Thanks to everyone who participated – I will randomly draw a winner tomorrow!

Cheers,

Update…

I’ve had a few emails asking me about using a camera other than one with manual setting capabilities for this tutorial.

While the earlier focus of our Hands On! Photography tutorials was geared towards the technical side of your digital cameras, we are now into the artistic side of photography (composition).  For this reason, we will gladly accept photos from other cameras.

All digital cameras store the camera settings in the image file so they are still available.  You can easily see them in either Photoshop or Photoshop Elements by clicking on File Info.

<Note, other programs may also be able to read this info, but I am unfamiliar with them – if anyone knows, please let me know and I’ll pass the info along!>

If you do not have either of these programs, please submit them anyways!  I can try to view the settings and include them when posting to our blog.  This will still provide a learning tool for those who view an image and wonder what settings were used to achieve the exposure.

Hope that is clear to all!  If not, please contact me via email at sue {at} canadianscrapbooker {dot} ca.

Cheers,

March Tutorial: Backgrounds

We all have them. Photos with telephone phones sprouting out of Aunt Mildred’s head, or a misplaced spray of water from a fountain that makes Grandpa Tom look like he’s… well, you know.

This month, I want to discuss an aspect of composition pertaining to backgrounds in your images.

As you grow and learn about this wonderful hobby called photography, you are not only learning the technical side of your cameras, but you are training your “inner eye” to be more aware of your surroundings. The key to good photography is not just about proper lighting and the rule of thirds. It’s also having a sense of everything around your subject and how it will be perceived in your finished image.

And although your subject may not have ill-placed tree limbs behind them, a cluttered background can be just as hazardous.  Look at this photo of my son, taken by my husband:

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/4.2, 1/60 sec., ISO 200

Cute as he may be (and yes, I know I’m biased… ) and while the story is being told, the image lacks effectiveness and doesn’t convey his concentration, nor his obsession with art.  Notice how this all changes as he zooms in on his subject, eliminating the distracting furniture behind him:

Taken with Nikon D70 at f/4.5, 1/40 sec., ISO 200

Sometimes, it’s just a matter of waiting for your subject to be engrossed in his craft.  And at times, when you can’t or don’t want to zoom in, you will have to change your position until your subject is in front of a neutral backdrop.

However, it is sometimes not feasible to move your position or your subject. For example, when you are photographing a performance, or in a small location where there is no neutral background. In that case, you can set your camera to the widest aperture to create a very shallow depth of field. This will blur the background, as discussed in our Winter 2009/10 issue (see my January 2010 tutorial on Depth of Field here).

So, are you ready to try out what we’ve learned?

March 2011 photography assignment:

Using the March tutorial as a guide, become aware of your backgrounds. Explore your surroundings and potential distractions in your images.  This month, you will submit TWO photos – one with a distraction behind your subject and a second one, with the SAME subject, but with the distraction removed.  You can use any of the techniques discussed above (zoom in, move your position, or use a short depth of field).   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, March 31st, 2011

And now for the fun part – the prize!!  This month’s randomly drawn winner will receive this yummy Sassafras prize pack:

March 2011 Prize Pack by Sassafras

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

1) Because the whole purpose of the tutorial is to get you to experiment with your camera, submitted photos must have been taken between March 13th and March 31st, 2011, inclusive. Photos that do not meet this criteria may be shared on the blog but will not be eligible for our contest.

2) Please send original-sized files – I will size them for our blog.

3) 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.

Happy Clicking!

Soon…

The March tutorial on Backgrounds will be posted this weekend!  If you’d like to get a headstart, read my article on page 74-75 of your new Spring 2011 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker, or you can download a .pdf version here.  But please don’t submit your photos yet!

Stay tuned…

Submissions – Round VIII

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  I was so lucky to enjoy a scrapbooking getaway weekend with some of my very talented friends, but it meant that I didn’t get around to posting our last submission before I left.  I’m going to share it with you today and then will announce a winner tomorrow!!

Our last submission comes from Michelle Kuijer, of ON.  Michelle took these photos of her oldest son – they even used a couple of them for his application to audition for a role!

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XS at f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 400 (Front Lighting)

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XS at f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 400 (Side Lighting)

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XS at f/8, 1/160 sec., ISO 400 (Front Lighting)

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XS at f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 400 (Front Lighting)

Thanks for sharing, Michelle – and good luck to your son!

I’ll be back tomorrow with a recap of our entries and our winner!

Cheers!

Submissions – Round VII

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XT at f/2.5, 1/60 sec., ISO 200 (Front Lighting)

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XT at f/2.2, 1/100 sec., ISO 200 (Side Lighting)

While that first photo is adorable, with that cheeky expression, the lighting on Melanie’s daughter’s face add depth to the second image.

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XT at f/2.5, 1/800 sec., ISO 200 (Front Lighting)

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XT at f/4.5, 1/200 sec., ISO 200 (Side Lighting)

Oh My Goodness!!  I told you these photos would make you smile!  Heck, that first one of Melanie’s son made me laugh right out loud!

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XT at f/4.5, 1/400 sec., ISO 200 (Front Lighting)

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel XT at f/4.5, 1/200 sec., ISO 200 (Side Lighting)

Thanks for sharing, Melanie!

I will share more submissions tomorrow… There’s still time – send me your photos!!

Cheers,

Submissions – Round VI

I can see from the looks of our submissions inbox that several of you have gone out and played with your lighting direction!

Today’s submissions come from Sonia Rodriguez, of QC:

Taken with Canon Rebel XSI at f/10, 1/200 sec., ISO 200 (Front Lighting)

Taken with Canon Rebel XSI at f/10, 1/200 sec., ISO 200 (Side Lighting)

What a delightful breath of Spring!  Thanks for sharing, Sonia!

More submissions to follow tomorrow!  There’s only a few days left… have you sent me your submissions yet?

Cheers,

Submissions – Round V

Last one to share this week!  Bethany Hoskins, of AB, sent me these adorable photos of her daughter:

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel T1i at f/4.5, 1/1000 sec., ISO 3200 (Front Lighting)

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel T1i at f/4.5, 1/1000 ISO 3200 (Side Lighting)

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel T1i at f/4.5, 1/1000 sec., ISO 3200 (Front lighting)

Taken with Canon EOS Rebel T1i at f/5.6, 1/800 sec., ISO 3200 (Side lighting)

Don’t these just brighten your day, and make you smile?  I love the teeny bow!  Thanks for sharing, Bethany!

Please send us YOUR photos!

Cheers,

Submissions – Round IV

Welcome back for another day of submissions!  Today, I have some great photos by Lisanne Côté, of QC, to share.

Notice the difference in lighting on these wind chimes:

Taken with Canon Rebel XT at f/5, 1/640 sec., ISO 200 (Front Lighting)

Taken with Canon Rebel XT at f/5, 1/1250 sec., ISO 200 (Side Lighting)

The shadows created from the side lighting add depth to the image.

Lisanne shares another set of images for her second submission – these of her teenage son:

Taken with Canon Rebel XT at f/5, 1/2000 sec., ISO 200 (Front Lighting)

Taken with Canon Rebel XT at f/5, 1/1250 sec., ISO 200 (Side Lighting)

In the first image, strong direct light causes squinting, but by just moving her subject slightly, Lisanne captured him perfectly with side lighting.

Lastly, Lisanne sent me these photos of her tiny angel bears, taken in both front and side lighting:

Taken with Canon Rebel XT at f/22, 1/60 sec., ISO 200 (Front Lighting)

Taken with Canon Rebel XT at f/22, 1/60 sec., ISO 200 (Side Lighting)

Thanks for sharing, Lisanne!

One more submission to share…  Join me as I share Bethany Hoskin’s photos of her daughter tomorrow!

Cheers!