Wordless Wednesday: White Wisteria and our Puppy

by Mary Denman   @MaryDenman

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday! 

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I'm back from my little break! 

While I'm still pretty slow to get around as the tendon and my heel continue to heal, I did get out with hubby to get a few shots! 
Not even surgery can keep me from my camera! 

This Friday's Photo Tip will be about Golden Hour. 
This one tip alone can change your photography. 

Liam enjoying the sunshine

Photo Tip Friday: Using Silhouettes in Photography, Part 2

by Mary Denman   @MaryDenman

Last week, I gave tips on how to use silhouettes in your photography. There will be a link at the bottom of today's post to view Part 1. 

Today, I'm going to go back over the same photos, but this time, listing: 

Time Value (Tv) - Shutter Speed
Aperture Value (Av) - Shutter Opening Size
ISO Value - Sensitivity of the Film

Why? So you can understand how to take these shots yourself. 

Let's get started. 

Photo Tip Friday: Using Silhouettes in Photography, Part 1

by Mary Denman     @MaryDenman

PHOTO 1: A church at sunset by Mary Denman Photography

There are so many ways to express or capture a feeling in particular moment. That's why I love the creativity of photography.


Today's technique can create wonderful mood in your shots. 

I want to teach you to use backlighting to create silhouettes.

Wordless Wednesday - Pretty Pink Flowers

by Mary Denman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

Drop by on Friday for Photography Tips.

Sign up for email notification to the right and get the notification in your inbox. 

Join LINKY below! 

I do my level best to visit your blog when you comment.
Hope to stay on top of them this week.

Thanks for dropping by!

Enjoy! 

PS...I'm in the process of making a button for my site and learning how to grab and post other people's buttons!  Hopefully, I will have it figured out by next week!

Wordless Wednesday - Starfish!

By Mary Denman

Welcome back for Wordless Wednesday!

This lovely starfish decided to come up for a quick photo shoot before heading back into deeper water while we were on vacation recently.

Join me on Friday for Photography Tips where I will be talking about using your zoom feature to create a blurry background behind your subject. 

My past two Friday Photo Tips were on:

What's a Focal Point and Depth of Field?

Click here for Part 1- Focal Point

Click here for Part 2 - Depth of Field

Sign up for email notification to the right and get the notification in your inbox. 

Join LINKY below! 

I do my level best to visit your blog when you comment below! 

Enjoy! 

Mary Denman Photography of the top of a lovely starfish

Mary Denman Photography of the underside of the starfish

Mary Denman Photography of my tallest child letting the starfish walk on him

Wordless Wednesday - Dolphins in the Wild

These are dolphins in their natural habitat.

Playing and having fun! 

Thanks for dropping by!

Dolphins off the coast of North Carolina

Dolphins are playful!

Some back for PHOTO TIP FRIDAYS where I discuss different aspects of photography!

Join the LINKY Party below!

Photo Tip Friday - Using Different Perspectives

Welcome to Photo Tip Friday!

Today I'm going to show you how a change of perspective can take one subject and make it look very different. 

Let's get started! 

Here are three shots of a Zinnia, a fairly common flower. 

Pink Zinnia

This is an overall shot of the pink beauty, isolated from others around it. The shot is off-centered. Greens in the background set off the flower's colors. 

This photograph captures the entire flower and from a perspective we would see it with our naked eye. 

If we move in closer and take a picture, the center stands out more, allowing you to see the flowers inside the flower.  

But this shot crops part of the flower off. 

Why? To focus more attention on the center. 

How often have you looked at a Zinnia from the side? 

Probably not too often. Look at the layers upon layers of petals.  

This perspective creates a completely different look and feel to the flower. 

Zinnia 

Here is a very different perspective. 

Notice the sky in the photo?

I got down on my knees and got under this Zinnia. Then, I took the shot looking back up. 

Why? Just to get a different perspective. 











When something catches your eye this week, I want you to take multiple shots. 

Move around your subject. 

Get down on your knees (if you can!). 

Look straight down on your subject. 

Try to be creative. 

Hope this tip helps! 

Keep on clicking!

Mary

Wordless Wednesday - Barred Owl

Welcome Back for Wordless Wednesday!

Photo credit goes to my husband! (He did use my camera, through the windows!)   :)

This Barred Owl decided to come check out our back deck.

(Yes, those are the Christmas lights still ready for use....)

Oh, and my dear daughter named him FREDERICK.

Stop back by on Friday for Photo Tip Friday on taking pictures in low lighting, Part 2!

Join the party with LINKY below and Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday - Gorgeous Irises

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday once again. 

Okay, so I love flowers. Enjoy these springtime beauties.

Thanks for dropping by!
I do my best to return comments and Linky love!

Here are some of my older posts on Photography Tips:

Using Silhouettes Part 1

Using Reflections, Part 1, Part 2

What's That Dial (on your camera) For? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Discussing Some Photos (using the learned information)

Here are some of my most recent Monday's Musings:

Finding Joy in the Midst of Sorrow
Living with Loss

Photo Tip Friday - Using Silhouettes - Part 1

Today's Tip is about Using Silhouettes Part 1

Welcome back! 

What I love about photography is that there are so many ways to take pictures. 
So many ways to express or capture a feeling in particular moment. 

And today's photography technique especially creates wonderful mood in shots. 


Let's get started.  


What's the first thing you notice about this and the next photograph?

Maybe the similar colors? 

If that's your answer, you'd be correct. 
So why is that?

Both of these shots were taken at sunset. 

With the light coming from behind the church and behind the Grand Tetons, the foreground of each shot is almost completely blacked out, creating the silhouette effect. 

And, in the second shot, notice I also used the reflection technique to advantage?

Here is one of my personal all-time favorite shots. 

Why? Those are my kids. We were at an aquarium and they were just watching the fish. I stood across the room, waited for everyone else to move out of the shot and I snapped away. 

Notice I said I waited. Not all shots happen the second you think of them, or notice the potential for a good shot. I got far enough back and just waited. Other people were walking through, but this picture was worth capturing.

Here's another use of silhouette.  

This is a sunrise shot and the silhouette is the bird. It's a seagull. You can't see the feathers or eyes of the bird, or even the color. But you can certainly feel the movement of the bird soaring. 

This is also the same morning. What I did was let the brilliance of the rising sun "wash out" the shot, causing the water to sparkle and the board walk to become very dark. 

Again, this is creating the silhouette effect. 

The strong lines of the man-made deck stand in stark contrast to the soft light of the sun and waves. 

To me, the sun feels warm. It's almost like being there again. 







So, to create a silhouette, you need to have the subject backlit. 
In other words, have the light behind the object you're shooting. 

The subject can be an object - the church, deck or mountains. Or people. 

And you'll also notice that these are tricky lighting situations. 
Either dimming light or direct bright light (the sun). 
That requires a bit of technical explanation and I'll go into that next week in part 2. I'll teach you how to set your camera using the manual function or how to trick a point and shoot into taking these shots. 

Which of these shots do you like best? As always, if you have a shot you want me to look at, leave me a link! 


Go grab your camera!

Hope this tip helps. 

Keep on clicking!
   
Mary

Past Posts:

Using Reflections, Part 1, Part 2

What's That Dial (on your camera) For? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Discussing Some Photos (using the learned information)

Clink on the links above to go to those pages!

If you want to know more about a particular topic, leave me a comment and I will try to include it in an upcoming post!

Wordless Wednesday - Roses

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday! 

Thanks for dropping by! 

Come back on Photo Tip Friday where I will discuss silhouettes this week!

Past Posts:

Using Reflections, Part 1, Part 2

What's That Dial (on your camera) For? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Discussing Some Photos (using the learned information)

Clink on the links above to go to those pages!

Below is Linky. I do my best to return Linky Love! 

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday - Abstract Nature

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday! 

Today's shots are abstracts inspired by nature.

Thanks for dropping by. 

Come back for Photo Tip Fridays where I discuss different aspects of photography, such as:

Using Reflections

What's That Dial (on your camera) For? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Discussing Some Photos (using the learned information)

Clink on the links above to go to those pages!

I will do my best to return the LINKY love!

Happy WW!

Photo Tip Friday - Using Reflections in Water

Welcome back to Photo Tip Friday! 

Today, I'm going to talk about using water reflections to create interesting photographs.

Here's the first shot. Notice the hint of the buildings in the top of the frame and the actual reflection of them in the water? The spire shone beautifully in the setting sun. And that light made the reflection in the water very distinct. But there were ducks out that evening. I thought they added a little interest to the shot as their wake cut across the spire. 

Here's a fall photo. Notice the towering trees reflected in the water? The leaves form perspective in this shot. And the ripples add interest. Notice I caught the ripples in an area that was mostly blue? It made them stand out more that way. 

The leaves in the foreground add a great pop of color and help your eye figure out what the perspective is since the trees are upside down.

Again, I'm using the surface of the water as a means to show the gorgeous, October blue skies and the colorful foliage of fall in the mountains. 

Here's a picture of nothing but the colors of the sun and sky reflected on the surface of our neighborhood pool.

It definitely has an abstract feel to it. 

You can also use the water to reflect people. Here is a swimmer doing the breast stroke. Although the water behind the swimmer is very turbulent, the water ahead of him shows his reflection very well.  

I framed the shot to get both him and his reflection instead of cutting off the reflection.



In all of these shots, there is a common element besides the water. It's essential in every one of them. Can you see it?  

Study the shots. 

Yes, there's water. But what else? 

Light. Lots of light. 

You can get a silhouette of a reflection when there isn't much light. But to get a complete reflection? You need lots of light. 

So, give it a try. Go find a puddle of water somewhere and see what you can see. 

Which is your favorite shot of these? 

Let me know. And if you have photos for me to look at for you, please leave a comment with a link and I'll be happy to pop by!

Hope this tip helps. 

Keep on clicking. 

Mary

Wordless Wednesday - Lake Como, Italy, Part 2

Welcome back. The morning we left Lake Como was so beautiful and sunny after rainy days. Enjoy.

Come back Friday for photography tips!

Here is regular LINKY. 

I will leave comments for those who use the regular LINKY....I don't think I have quite enough hours to visit ALL the blog hop blogs....but I will try!

Happy WW!

Wordless Wednesday - Night shots of Lake Como, Itlay

Thanks for dropping by! 

I do my best to return linky love! Join below! 

Have a happy Wordless Wednesday!

Okay, so today, I'm going to attempt to have a blog hop here......Link up in the first one for the blog hop, the second Linky is the regular, "link up" to my site only.....

Wordless Wednesday - Wispy Clouds

Thanks for dropping by and for leaving comments! I do my best to return all the linky love!