Archive for the ‘D80Challenge’ Category

The Gallery is Open

Well, I’ve finally done it. I’ve been wanting to create a photo gallery separate from the blog for a while. I wanted a gallery because there are a lot of photos that I want to share, but not blog about and having a gallery is the best way to accomplish that. I tried hosting my own site using Gallery2 and it turned out to be more work than I was willing to do. I’d hosted my own site before, but that was when I had one kid and a little more time than I have now.

Since hosting my own site wasn’t an option, I started a 14-day trial of Smugmug and Zenfolio. Both hosting options were similar in a lot of ways and I’d heard some good things about both services. I liked the fact that I could upload RAW files directly from Lightroom 3 and it was easy to set up special galleries for clients and the general public. I also liked that I could upload as many high resolution photos as I want, without having to worry about file size.

I set up some public and private galleries on both and test a lot of the features that both offered. It was a difficult decision and both were really good products. But in the end I chose Zenfolio. What set them apart was the fact that I could get rid of the Zenfolio branding a lot easier than at Smugmug. For the annual price you pay, I just thought it was only right that I would have the option to hide their branding. Sure, if you’re familiar with their web templates you’ll be able to tell it’s hosted by Zenfolio, but with Smugmug it would have been too obvious. And despite how much I liked Smugmug, that wasn’t something I couldn’t overlook.

So “The Gallery” at theojohnson.net is open and ready for business (I might also start selling prints soon). Let me know what you think and leave comments. If you’ve used any of these services, let me know what you think of them. And if you’re looking for a place to host your photos and choose Zenfolio, use my referral code DYM-CAB-HB4 to get a discount.

http://thegallery.theojohnson.net

Nikon D80 Challenge #107 – Round

Here’s what we were asked to do for the D80 Challenge #107:

Round can simple described as a “Circle”. Circles are simple closed curves which divide the plane into two regions, an interior and an exterior.

OK…that’s the technical jargon. We all know what Round is and can identify objects that are round in shape. Your challenge couldn’t be much easier. Locate something that is “Round” and turn it into a creative photograph. We must clearly be able to determine which object you’ve chosen as your round subject.

Yeah, yeah this is pretty basic, but time has not been on my side the past couple of months. I wanted to make the challenge and it was cold outside, so I decided to look for round objects around the house. This was the most obvious.

Exposure:      0.1 sec (1/10)
Aperture:     f/25.0
Focal Length:     17 mm
Focal Length:     17.3 mm
ISO Speed:     320
Exposure Bias:     +1/3 EV
Flash:     No Flash

Nikon D80 Challenge: Silhouette II

This photo was taken for the Nikon D80 Challenge #102: Silhouette II. The goal of this challenge was to:

A silhouette is a view of a object or scene consisting of the outline and a featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. The term has been extended to describe the sight or image of a person, object or scene that is back lit, and appears dark against a lighter background.

Many photographers use the technique of photographing people, objects or landscape elements against the light, to achieve an image in silhouette. The light might be natural, such as a sunset or an open doorway, a technique known as contre-jour or it might be contrived in a studio.

Quite simply, your challenge this time is to take a photo where your main subject is a silhouette with no discernible features visible. It should be black and outlined by the light situated behind it. The subject and post processing is up to each individual.

I think this was one of the firsts challenges that I’d gotten a decent number of votes in. I knew what I needed to do to get a silhouette, but I needed a subject. Well, once again I got my little model to help out.

He had just gotten ready for bed and I asked him to put an ornament on the Christmas tree. While he was busy finding a spot, I shot a couple of photos for the challenge.

I added a black faded border around the picture and played around with the levels to enhance the glow from the lights. I think I got a decent shot. View the image at flickr to see the camera settings.

Nikon D80 Challenge: Rule of Thirds

This photo was taken for the Nikon D80 Challenge #94: Rule of Thirds. The rules were as follows:

The Rule of Thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in visual arts such as painting, photography and design. The rule states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would.

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to photograph a subject of your choosing while keeping in mind the challenge topic.

Any new photo where the Rule of Thirds is used properly in your photographs composition is welcome. The manner in which you create your photo and the post processing is entirely up to the individual.

Once again I needed something at the last minute to make the challenge deadline, so I looked out of my office window and took a picture. That night I processed it and met the deadline. I wasn’t looking for anything special. It was a rainy day and kind of dreary outside. I’m not even sure if I have got the concept correct (the car was part of the subject). I guess you win some and you lose some.

Nikon D80 Challenge #92 – Orange

This photo was taken for the Nikon D80 Challenge #92. The assignment for this challenge was as follows:

“The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space.

This challenge couldn’t be more simple…find an item or object that is orange in colour and create something interesting enough to impress your fellow photographers.

Any new photo where the colour Orange is featured in the composition is welcome. The manner in which you create your photo and the post processing is entirely up to the individual.”

It usually takes me a week to come up with an idea for these challenges. Sometimes I just come up blank and it’s those times when I’m not thinking about it that I see something I like. On the day I took the picture, it was a nice sunny day with very little cloud cover. While the sign was warning drivers of the work ahead, I looked at it from another angle.

Romans 7:14-25 in the Bible that reads “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”.

This verse talks about the constant struggle we have when it comes to sin. I like this verse because it acknowledges the constant evil and tempations that are all around us. But it also reminds us that there is victory in Christ and that we do have the power to through Him to win the battle. One of the goals in life of a Christian is to live a life pleasing to God. It’s not easy, but it is possible. People may think you’re weird and call you names, but that’s all a part of being “set apart”.

Now, I’m sure the million dollar question is how did I get this from a picture? I don’t know, but that was my intention when taking the photo. I even created a motivational poster out of it. Enjoy.

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