portrait practice. [135:365] [23:52]

portrait practice. [135:365] [23:52]
Originally uploaded by tumbleweed.in.eden

when it comes to portraits, there's this technique i've been trying hard to achieve. i usually see it in the photos of people who have the large format cameras and so maybe that's the key and i should just give up, but i'm going to keep trying... it's the idea that you can get lots of fine, fine detail without too much grain, softness without too much glow, lens softness, or obvious noise reduction etc. the perfect balance of both, you know? at lot of it comes down to the lens too, which is why i've made the recent investments that I have, but I can see that processing plays its role. so i've had lots of fun trying to figure it out for the last couple weeks or months. and i'm getting a lot closer.

and this is what i love about flickr. everytime i see something that i like, i go crazy trying to learn how to do it. it started with those little custom bokeh shapes. i was obsessed with knowing how and then achieving it on my own. once i did it, it was like ok boring now that I know how, been there done that. some things stick, though. Like the snowkeh, that is an example of something i'll add to my repertoire and arsenal and use again in the future. And creative but appropriate use of shallow dof...the list goes on and I'm looking forward to making it longer.

Photography is a constant process of learning and i think that's why i love it. It can be overwhelming and frustrating at times, for sure, but so is anything worth learning. It's feeding my need to question, learn, and then achieve. I love the potential it has to be endlessly exciting my curiosity, the satisfaction it gives, and the unlimited world of wonder.

Birthday Moon Show! Noooo not that kind! {110:365}

Birthday Moon Show! Noooo not that kind! {110:365}
Originally uploaded by tumbleweed.in.eden

My aunt emailed to tell me this only happens once every hundred years, a lunar eclipse on my birthday. The last one was in 1638, apparently! The moon decided to 'go all out' (ooh so bad I'm sorry!) for the big 2-7!
I attempted some shots to document this rare event, but I'm only working with the entry level 75-300 canon zoom so I wasn't expecting much. That said, I'm pleasantly surprised, for what I've got!

But it made me feel pretty special, and as I stood there, I remarked "Man, it really is my year, huh?" to which Andy replied "Which? The one ending or the one you are starting?"
It made me really stop and think, and here's what I've concluded. I'm gunna get greedy and say, "both!" because really, I get to choose. I get to make the decisions that will continue the amazingness trend from this year to the next. And I'm blessed to be able to do so.



Thanks dps for the tips on how to make this happen!