Pictures in the Park
October 13, 2008
Two years ago (this month actually), I joined Flickr as a quick and easy way to store photos and share them with family and friends via links in an email. Then somewhere along the way, my little photography hobby turned into a passion, and I started taking pictures every single day and interacting with other folks on Flickr who had caught the same photography bug. We comment on each others' photos and we encourage creativity. Last Sunday, 10 of us met up in real life. We proudly represented Texas, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Jersey and New York.
It was like meeting up with old friends. We ate lunch and took pictures in the park. We laughed and jumped and snapped pictures of the silliness. We walked around admiring architecture, snacked on cupcakes and spent the whole day photographing the city and each other. And seven hours later -- though it felt like mere moments -- we all went our separate ways.
Sometimes I feel silly when I'm hunched over a hunk of fudge, focusing in tightly and trying to make sure the light is just right before finally taking the picture. But it's always fun to meet like-minded people who think this crazy passion is perfectly normal.
Photo of the 10 of us by Cynthia That-Cacopardo
Small Business Is Yummy
September 24, 2008
So when a new small business comes to town, I feel like it is my personal and professional duty to give them my business. I have my hair done at a locally owned salon. I buy books and magazines from the independent bookseller downtown. And I now get my cupcakes from Sugar Mama's on South 1st Street. They opened about a month ago, and as clichéd as it sounds, it was love at first bite!
Aside from the great cupcakes, they're blogging, engaging their customers in name-that-cupcake contests, and developing a special treat for our four-legged friends where the proceeds will benefit the Austin Humane Society.
The next time you're in South Austin, stop by for a delicious snack. You'll be supporting small business, and the cupcake you eat will be one less I'm tempted by.
Testing Photo-Processing Facilities: I Have a Favorite
August 26, 2008
Why did I choose the four printers that I did? They were all comparable in price ($.19-.20 for each 4x6" print); they were all close to my house, the furthest only four miles away; and they all allowed for online uploading for pick up in the store.
Here are the pros and cons of the four I tested:
Target:
Pros: The big advantage here is that Target direct prints through flickr.com. We use flickr here at Hammock and I also use it for my personal photos. You simply choose the photos you'd like to print, pick your Target location, and show up there in an hour to get your prints.
I like the paper they use. It's called "glossy," but it's not too shiny.
Each 4x6" print is $.20.
Con: The red looked a bit pink compared to the others.
-----
Walgreen's:
Pros: There is a brand new Walgreen's about a mile from my house here in Austin. Although they forced me to register on walgreens.com, their online uploader was fairly simple to use.
Each 4x6" print is $.19.
Prints can be ready in an hour.
Cons: Their paper is very shiny. Very.
They forced me to register on walgreens.com.
The navy blue printed with a very dark teal print.
-----
CVS:
Pros: They earned points immediately by not making me register on cvs.com.
Their prints are ready to be picked up in an hour.
Each 4x6" print is $.19*.
Cons: Their photo uploader is very awkward and was slow for me.
Their paper is very shiny. Very.
Colors were a bit darker than I would have liked.
*Because my total order was less than $5.00, they charged me a service/additional fee of $1.49. So, a single 4x6" print came to $1.68 total.
-----
HEB: (This is my local grocery store. I love HEB, but I wasn't sure about having photos printed there.)
Pros: Easy to upload photos at heb.com.
They offered the option of matt or glossy finish. I printed one of each.
Each 4x6" print is $.19.
Honestly, the best color quality of the four.
Cons: They aren't printed there in the store, so one-hour processing isn't available. The flip side of that is that they are printed by Kodak and shipped to the store for pick up.
-----
My scientific conclusion? I will use HEB in the future when I need great quality prints at a great price but am not in a hurry. I will stick with Target for quick prints and just hope the pink/red problem works itself out with a new printer cartridge.
Graduating From Point-and-Shoot School
August 5, 2008
Y'all know I love to run around with a camera or two in hand. And I hate to admit it, but most of the time the fancy settings and fun buttons go unused while I point and shoot in the auto settings alone. Well, I just signed up for a series of five photography and camera classes that I hope will change that.
On Aug. 27, I'll be starting my new classes with "Introduction to the Digital Age." This class will cover basic camera operation, file formats and exporting images for editing and sharing. I'm sure it will be a great refresher on what I've picked up on my own, and I'll be sure to share some of the highlights with you here.
My class lineup also includes a Rebel XT-specific class, a couple of imaging classes that will cover topics such as composition and aperature, and class all about lighting.
I have the camera, and after these classes I will just need the lights and the action!
Pictures + Words = Full Story
June 30, 2008
I'm not one of those folks who spend their days longing to quit their jobs to become professional photographers. But I do love to run around with a camera. And I love to eat. And I enjoy words. And just last week, I started playing with a way to combine all three.
So often we see pictures -- whether online or in print -- with words beside them or under them to describe exactly what's going on in the photo. But what if we put the words on the photo, right there in the heart of the photo so that your eye sees the image and reads the words all at once?
We do quite a bit of this for hammock.com, and I'm going to continue to play and learn with my own personal photos, too.
Using picnik.com on images that I took of food I actually cooked, here are my first two attempts. Bananas Foster French Toast and a spinach salad with grilled chicken, apples and feta:
Eating My Way Through Washington, D.C.
June 5, 2008
- Ben's Chili Bowl and Old Ebbitt Grill. Politicians and lobbyists are regularly seen at both places.
- There are tons of excellent restaurants in the Chinatown/Penn Quarter area, which is very near the Summit location. A local favorite is Matchbox. There is almost always a huge line and at least an hour wait no matter what night of the week you go.
- Also in that area are Cafe Atlantico, Jaleo, Rosa Mexicano and District Chophouse. All are yummy and unique to D.C.
- Friends who work on the Hill say Hawk & Dove and Tabard Inn are also big political hangouts if you're hoping to rub elbows.
Back From the Beach
June 2, 2008
And I didn't check e-mail. Not even once.
Social Networking the Old-Fashioned Way
April 21, 2008
My mail looks pretty much the same each week: bills, sales flyers, a couple of magazines. But this weekend was a bit different. Hidden in the middle of the usual stack of catalogs and envelopes there was a postcard from Taiwan and one from Finland.
About a month ago, at the urging of a friend that I met through flickr.com, I signed up for postcrossing.com. The premise is simple: Send postcards out from your hometown, and in turn receive them from all over the world.
There are people from 180 countries participating. And it's simple to do so after registering with the site: As a sender, you simply request an address from the system and send a postcard out. As a recipient, you wait to receive a postcard, then register it online. (Each postcard that you send and receive will have a code and the system tracks how far the postcard traveled and how long the journey took.) On April 11, the one millionth postcard was registered in the system.
Running to the mailbox each day reminds me of being in the second grade and having my first pen pal. Back then I couldn't wait to see what fun stamp would come on my next letter from her. And today, I can only guess what country my next postcard is coming from, what beautiful images of their country the sender has chosen to share, and what my new friend's handwriting looks like.
Eating Well at Work
March 6, 2008
So when I came across this article from the New York Times Shifting Careers blog this morning about eating well at work (Part I, so I hope that means there is more to come), I just had to stop and read it.
If you've been wondering what to eat to be sharp before an important meeting or how to fuel your body for a long day, they'll tell you. Chocolate martinis were not listed. Bummer.
Don't Say Cheese!
January 11, 2008
We hire the best talent with the best equipment for the publications we produce for our clients, but whether you're on vacation on the beach or just in the backyard with the dog and your point-and-shoot camera in hand, there are tips you can steal from the pros to make your pictures the best they can be.
I personally like to think of myself as an Annie Liebovitz in the making, but truth be told, I'm a hobby photographer and I take pictures of dogs and food. I have a "big" camera that I take on vacation and to family events, and I have a "little" point-and-shoot camera that I keep in my purse. Always. But I want to learn more about taking great pictures, and I like learning more. So I asked a few professionals what tips they would share with amateur photographers who simply want to take the best pictures they can.
Here's what they had to say:
- "Many of the most appealing shots have the subjects not even looking at the camera," says Rebekah Littlejohn of Littlejohn Photography. "A family shot with Mom and Dad tickling the kids can be much more appealing than forced smiles and uncomfortable positions."
- "Shoot away. Don't stop, don't hesitate, don't self-edit in the moment," says Mark Velasquez of Mark Velasquez Photography. "The more you shoot, the more likely you will get a good shot. Make mistakes, relish in them. Mistakes are what you learn from. Never stop experimenting. When you stop taking risks, you stop learning."
- Scott Ingram of Scott Ingram Photography encourages amateurs to be around like-minded folks: "Join a social photo-sharing site like Flickr or Picasa. Share your creations with the world, join groups that interest you and suit your style, participate in discussions, and learn from others. Or just kick back and view the stunning art available on these sites and get inspired!"
- "Don't be afraid to experiment," Scott says. "Many users leave their camera set in auto mode for the duration of its life. And although that can still provide fantastic shots, it limits your creativity. Sit down, invest a half hour reading the manual, and then go play and see what new avenues open up to you." Mark agrees: "Never put any camera on a program mode. Keep it always on manual, because if you are not the one setting the speed and f-stop and metering the light and adjusting accordingly, you are not taking the photo, the camera is… and no one ever learned from having someone, or something, else do it for them."
- "Use natural light when possible," Rebekah adds. Get close to a window, open the shades or go outside. And always check your background; move close to your subject if you need to clear out the clutter.
- "Lastly," Scott adds, "ask questions! Photographers are a friendly bunch and are generally more than willing to lend a hand if you are running into issues. Don't be afraid to ask, that's how you will get better."
See that strawberries photo up there? I took using some of the tips above: I used the natural light coming in the backdoor, and I took about 25 shots knowing that would give me plenty to choose from when I was looking for the best one. And there are a few other quick tips I've learned along the way that I always try to keep in mind:
- Don't back your subject up against the wall. The resulting shadow is not pretty. Instead, let the background behind them blur, leaving the focus on your subject.
- Change your angle. Don't shoot your subject straight on. Get higher or lower to add interest to the composition.
- Use the "rule of thirds." The rule can help force the viewer's eye to the most interesting part of the photograph, without making them search for it.
For more tips on making the most of lighting, composition and drooling four-legged subjects, visit the following websites:
Subscribe
Recent Posts
- Pictures in the Park
- Small Business Is Yummy
- Testing Photo-Processing Facilities: I Have a Favorite
- Graduating From Point-and-Shoot School
- Pictures + Words = Full Story
- Eating My Way Through Washington, D.C.
- Back From the Beach
- Social Networking the Old-Fashioned Way
- Eating Well at Work
- Don't Say Cheese!