One of my early frustrations was figuring this out - that cameras aren't great at replicating the exquisite details the human eyes take in and transfer to the brain for final picture stitching.
And yet, sometimes you can get the composition just right. Noisy as hell, but this is a close representation of the sunset reflection I actually saw off the display of my DSLR.
Can't wait to head out with my new upgraded kit too!
Active Shooting Time: 15 min
Review Time: 15 min
Hours To Date: 369.5
It occurred to me in my season of busyness (juggling demanding work projects of late and researching my MBA thesis) that while I haven't dedicated large blocks of time to the project, I'm always on the lookout for a great shot. And I find them in all kinds of random places, which does train my photographic eye.
Like these captured about my days running around doing other things:
Runway lights of O'Hare
Supermoon over Newport Beach
Afternoon Bird of Paradise
Glimpse of the pool during a conference
Caught in Nashville when out with coworkers
And yet because these aren't major blocks of project time, they really don't get much love. And so, time to post these and start accounting for the time I spend on them!
I am hoping to get some more dedicated project time in once my thesis is submitted and presented in 2 weeks' time - especially since I finally pulled the trigger and upgraded to a full frame setup!
Active Shooting Time: 1 hour
Review Time: 1 hour
Hours To Date: 369
The marine layer blanketed the island in the early morning, but it did allow me to get this moody black & white shot of boats in the harbor
I made a trip out to Catalina Island to get some unbroken time behind the lens and have some fun doing a decidedly "for me" activity with a coworker. One of the trickiest parts of being a hobbyist photographer is the fact that some of the best shots are during awkward times of day and the weather rarely cooperates. Don't get me wrong, I've also shivered, scorched, and hangered my way through for a great shot (and subjected some other people to these as well), but it wasn't the sole focus for the day.
I just wanted "great shots, given _____." An application of the 80/20 rule where 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort and any effort after that is really subject to diminishing returns where more effort doesn't get you as much result. I'm pretty happy with the results from the day, although it was tricky managing lenses and shooting in a nautical environment. Especially on the ferry ride back when the waves chopped and splashed salt water droplets up onto my lens and sunglasses. Luckily, I had microfiber wipes tucked into my bag for a quick cleaning, but it was definitely a moment when I realized I needed to get a serious lens cleaning kit to keep my gear un-corroded.
Active Shooting Hours: 6
Review Hours: 4
Hours To Date: 367
Sometimes, the best shots aren't from a DSLR - we went on an "undersea adventure" boat where there were viewing windows along the sides under the water to see fish and my old iPhone5s handled the quick movement and challenging light much better.
Even in spite of the harsh overhead light, I love the bright colors that pop in this one
Feeling nearly tropical!
Golden hour on the ferry - the front element of my lens took one for the team on this one.