Tip: Star-shaped Sun Effect

Have you ever wondered how to get that star-shaped sun effect that you see in many pictures?? I have! Well, I stumbled across a DPS thread yesterday that shared this exact tip. So, I am passing this tip along to you! :D

You can achieve this look directly in camera by simply changing the size of your aperture to its smallest opening (largest f-stop, such as f22). After learning of this, I immediately went outside and tried it. And lo and behold, it does work! The above shot was taken yesterday during midday with an f-stop of 22.

Now how simple was that???? Try it with both a small aperture and a larger aperture and see the change! :)

Btw...according to the thread, this would not damage your sensor if you use a very high shutter speed.

DPS Assignment: Headshot

Here is my submission for this week's DPS assignment, "headshot" - from the neck up, making the face your feature... it can be a self portrait or a portrait of someone else. I guess it's no surprise who I would use for my subject! LOL. This shot was taken just this morning at our breakfast table. I used my "nifty-fifty" lens. (This len has not come off my camera since it arrived almost 2 weeks ago!)

How Cute Is He???

Now isn't this little fellow just adorably handsome??? I could not resist taking a few shots of him during our homeschool PE class on Friday. What a great subject to test taking portrait shots with on my new lens! :D These are my first official portrait shots with my "nifty-fifty". Not bad, if I do say so myself. LOL!

FYI: These shots were shot wide open. Meaning, I shot at the lowest f-stop to get a shallow depth-of-field. Therefore, only a small portion of the photo is in focus. I wanted the deep bokeh for these shots! When shooting wide open for portraits, be sure you are focused on the eyes. Click images to view original size.

Oh, I almost forgot...Did y'all notice my new (watermark) logo? I just created them this evening. I needed something that I could use for shots where my other logo would not fit right. So, I got to designing again! :D

Photography Students: Final Class!

Yay! Here are photos from last week's "downtown CG shoot". This place had so much character! It definitely was a fun location to shoot at. :) You will notice that the boys ended up being the models in a lot of the photos. LOL! They were such good sports!

Since this was our final photography class, I decided to post 2 photos submitted by each student. Enjoy! They all did fantastic! Our Photoshop class will be starting the first week of November. So stay tuned for more photos from these wonderful students!! :D

by Taran

by Natalie

by Hope

by Jordan

by Hollen

by Nate

by Natalie

by Rachelle



by Hope

by Rachelle

by Taran

by Nate

by Hollen


by Jordan

Shots with new 50mm 1.8 lens!

Here are some initial shots with my new prime lens! Totally fun! Now keep in mind, I just got the lens on Thursday so I am still learning how to effectively use this lens ~ especially since on the D40, I am forced to shoot in manual mode with it. I've only shot in manual once before, so this is all very, very new to me! But, I must say....manual mode is not that difficult at all! I am totally loving shooting manual. :D

So now that I've had it for a few days, what are my initial thoughts on this lens?? Well, let's see.....it's AMAZING! Talk about deep bokeh! And the sharpness is great! The only thing I need to get used to is not having a zoom on it. A prime lens only has one focal length, so you must move in closer or father away from your subject. With a prime lens, you sacrifice the zoom for more sharpness. Fortunately, I do have a zoom lens for those times I can't get in closer. :D

Lastly, one of the biggest reasons I bought this lens was because of the wide aperture (f1.8), which makes it a great lens for low light shots. We went to a tractor pull on Friday evening and I was able to take some great shots in very low light without a flash. I was quite impressed! I didn't post any of those because unfortunately, my focus was off on all those shots. LOL! Oh well, it's all part of the growing process, right??

All in all, I highly recommend this lens! For only $109, this lens packs a lot of power and flexibility for the money.

Downtown Photoshoot

Fun, fun, fun! This afternoon we went downtown to do our street photo shoot for our photography class. It was awesome! (Couldn't resist using that word!) I didn't realize how much character there was in this part of our own hometown! Where've I been?? :D Here are some of my favorite shots from this shoot. I couldn't wait to get these posted! Enjoy!

The kids will be submitting their shots from today by next Tuesday. I will post their shots Wednesday, so stay tuned! I can't wait to see their work! :D

Okay, I need to mention how excited I am of this last shot (below). Except for a defog, this shot is SOOC. Can you believe how deep of a blue the sky is??? Wowzers! I didn't even have my polarizing filter on. I am soooo in love with my D40! Color, color, color. Gotta love it! LOL! :D

Oh! For those who are following my photography journey, I wanted to share something exciting.....

I ordered a new 50mm f/1.8D lens last week and it just arrived this afternoon!! Yippee!! This is a prime lens and is super sharp, even in low light. This lens has been recommended for portrait shots and low light shots (because of the wide aperture). Can't wait to show some shots with this. Btw...it does not autofocus on the D40, so I am forced to shoot in manual mode. And guess what?? I am LOVVVIINNG it (manual mode, I mean -- of course, the lens too)!! :D

Photography Students: Week 4

Last week's class I discussed the exposure triangle. Oooohhhh! And for their assignment, I gave them a fun, themed assignment. Can you guess by looking at their photos what the theme is?? LOL. You guessed it...HATS. What an intelligent group you are!

I gave them more liberty with their shots for this assignment. They could submit post edited shots, and also b&w/sepia colored photos. They all did such an amazing job! This Thursday's class will be our last class and we will meet downtown to have them do photo sessions there. Can't wait! I think it will be a lot of fun.

by Hope

by Hollen

by Natalie

by Taran

by Hannah

by Jordan

DPS Assignment: Bubbles

This week's DPS assignment is "bubbles". Fun! I could've opted to do the traditional blowing bubbles shot, but..... nah! :D

These shots are of a glass "bubble bowl" in my home which is filled with potpourri. I particularly like the angle and how the color of our wall accents the photo in the first shot. The top photo is my submission.

Photography Students: Week 3

I am so impressed by the submissions again this week! Week 3's assignment was on the same topic as this week's tip -- flash & light. I challenged the kids not to use their flash and to shoot either early in the morning or later afternoon/evening, which are the ideal times of the day to shoot.

Great job everyone!! Keep up the awesome work! :D

by Nate

by Rachelle

by Hope

by Natalie

by Taran

by Hannah

by Hollen

Tip: Flash & Light

Ah, the core of photography -- LIGHT. The word 'photography' comes from the greek words 'photos' - light and 'graph' - to draw. Basically, photography means "drawing with light". A great photographer knows how to capture light in a way that will create a beautiful, captivating image. Personally, I have a ways to go in mastering it! But I am excited to keep learning and growing! :)

Okay, the tip of the week (I taught this to the kids during our last class): Do NOT use your in-camera flash! Yep, that's it for this week's tip. Easy, peezy, right??

I particularly love what Pioneer Woman Photography has to say about flash:

And while we’re on the subject, I never use flash. This is one huge difference between the casual point-and-shoot user and the more serious enthusiast. Flash—at least the kind that hits the subject dead-on—almost always washes out the subject and eliminates the interesting shadows and details that make photos really fabulous. I never use my flash. Ever, ever, ever. If I don’t have enough light to take a shot, I just don’t take it—I dislike flash that much. Oh, and don’t use the flash. Lastly, whatever you do…avoid using your flash.

To reiterate, in-camera/direct flash produces harsh, unflattering light on your subjects. Use available light as much as possible (natural light, candlelight, lamplights, etc). And also, learn the various "temperature" of light (ie: Kelvin scale). This is helpful with regards to white balance!

If you can afford one, use an external flash that can bounce light off a wall. Or for those on a budget (like myself!), I would recommend purchasing a pop-up flash diffuser. I use a Lumiquest Diffuser and have found it very nice to use when I absolutely need extra light. But I must say that I RARELY ever use it -- because I try to take advantage of available light. :) Another great product I am looking into is Prof. Kobre's Light Scoop (only $29.95)! And lastly, one of the best photography websites for light is Strobist.com. (warning: due to possible inappropriate image content, parents please moderate for your younger photographers!)

Below are shots I took for a "fine china" product session. Last week, a friend of mine asked me to photograph one of her fine china settings. I was so challenged by it that I took out my own china to shoot some photos of mine. LOL! I am showing these shots as examples of how light affects your image.