Black & Whites and Cold Gray Days

Well, the bitter cold is still hanging on, it hasn't let up, not even a little. So remember my last post and how I was trying to focus on the bright side? Yeah, I am having a hard time focusing. The cold and snow seem to be zapping it right out of me. We got eight more inches last week and they are telling us we are in for another 4-8" tonight and all day tomorrow. Ugh, I am so over winter!


Black & White seems to be how how I'm feeling these days. 

(I used my tripod and remote to snap these photos.) 

Yes, I am feeling a bit trapped. I'm anxious for blossoms and warm, fresh air. But, my mom told me to take heart - spring is 35 days away. I know that's when it is marked to start according to the calendar, I just hope Mother Nature remembers that too! 

xo, 

tish

Linking up with: The Long Road to China

Nuture Photography Winter Finale

I've enjoyed participating in the Nurture Photography Winter Challenge with Kristi and Rebecca over the last four weeks. I've practiced a few new techniques over this time including working with shadows and using low light to add an element of drama to my pictures. I've also used negative space to narrow the focal point and define the subject of my photos. This challenge has gotten me up and out of the house during these cold winter months. It is now March 1st and I am hoping Spring is soon on its way. It's been a long, cold winter and I am more than ready to see some color and warmer temperatures. 

Here is a recap of some of my favorites over the last four weeks' challenge:

Black|Shadows




White | Minimalism

Silver | Treasure



Blue | Breathe





The challenge has been fun. I've learned a lot from both Kristi and Rebecca through their many tips and tutorials throughout this challenge. As well, it has helped to make these long winter days pass by a little bit faster. Thank you Kristi and Rebecca for all your hard work and time you put forth for these challenges. They are always a great way for me to push my photography skills a little bit farther.

it's Friday! enjoy your weekend!

hugs,
tish

Black|Shadows

This week Rebecca of Bumbles & Light and Kristi of Live and Love Outloud kick off their Nurture Photography Winter Challenge. As they have so nicely defined it, "Nurture Photography is a seasonal photo challenge series that encourages participants to capture beautiful images through tips and tutorials, inspiring weekly prompts and personal feedback – all designed to nurture one’s creative vision and technical know-how."

This week's prompt is Black/Shadows. I decided to use this prompt to challenge myself by shooting in low-light. I had recently done some reading on this very subject in an article by Megan Dill on the Clickin Moms blog. Here are a few of the main points she lists for shooting in low light:

• Shoot at the widest aperture that makes sense for the scene.
• My go-to lenses for low-light work indoors are my 35mm 1.4L and 50mm 1.4.  A fast lens affords much more latitude, allowing more light to hit the sensor at the widest apertures.  It’s like having a head start in a race.
• Choose the aperture that is appropriate for the scene—do you want a shallow or large depth of field?  Let the ISO speed fall into place after choosing your aperture and shutter speed.

    ISO 3200, f/2.0, 1/40

ISO 3200, f/2.0, 1/40

I am not sure how I feel (techically) about the photo above. I don't think I like how her one eye is completely blacked out. I guess you could say it adds an element of drama or moodiness... but hey, it leaves room for improvement, right? 

ISO 3200, f/2.0, 1/40

I have both a 50mm and a 35mm, however, they are both f/1.8, both relatively fast lenses, but not near as fast or have apertures as wide as a 1.4. I used my 35mm for these photos. I kept my ISO to 3200, as I didn't want to introduce a lot of graininess to the photos.  I also focused manually - it's easier to focus manually in low light, as its hard for the autofocus sensor to work in low-light conditions.  

There's definitely room for improvement, but I was relatively pleased at how they turned out for my first real shot at it. I should have used my tripod as they all aren't exactly tack sharp, but, it was broken and I was still waiting on my new one to be delivered. 

ISO 160, f/2.2, 1/800

In this last photo, I loved the shadows that were created by the light streaming through the railing. I caught our kitty sitting in the sun, which is quite rare this winter. She sat still enough for me to capture her and the shadows. I love how the light falls, lighting up the side of her and the other side is lost in the blackness. 

Be inspired and linkup ... or just stop by to enjoy all the beautiful winter images posted by so many talented photographers. 

Kristi and Rebecca, thanks for hosting this challenge. Hopefully this will help pull me out of this winter slump I'm in! 

I'm also linking up with Melissa at Serendipity is Sweet for Friday Photo Journal, Lisa at The Long Road to China for Favorite Photo Friday and Photo Story Friday with Cecily and Lolli. Pop on over to their sites to see what everyone was up to this week.  

Hope you all had a great week! I'm happy to be heading into another weekend!!

hugs, 

tish

PS - I redid my site this week! I am so happy with the changes! I bought a template and worked with Angie of Angie Makes to customize it. She was very easy to work with and was patient with my many questions. She also has an Etsy shop. You can find it  here.