on doing something different

Until now I've been fits-and-spurts with my camera. A hundred (or two, or three) at once. Every couple of weeks if even that, fifteen or twenty shared on flickr at the same time. A daily photo practice? Distant. Deluded. I figured I'd try just the same, starting with a photoblog that might, maybe, lend a little more accountability than flickr.

Daily practice on the mind and days later, we notice bright blue eggs in a robin's nest tucked into a nearby cedar. And so we started with regular peeking. Three days ago they hatched. Three days ago I put my camera by the front door. Two days ago I saw this. Today I saw this.

In the spirit of today's most excellent giveaway, I'd like to know: what have you done differently lately in your photography? Are you playing with ISO or white balance? Do you have some new actions, a coveted lens? Did you take a course, discover some new inspiration? Or are you just trying out a new practice?

Comment here between now and midnight Thursday 5/ 20 for a chance to win a 16x24" fine art print of one of YOUR images on the famed watercolour cotton rag paper by Hahnemuhle, courtesy the wonderful (and internationally-shipping) Atlantic Photo Supply, one of the oldest and most reputable labs in Canada. This is the paper I use. It's beyond gorgeous. You'll see your photography in a whole new way, with one of these prints.

The only question: will you keep it for bragging rights, or will you gift it to some lucky loved one? Go!

Congratulations to Erika, our 93rd commenter! You've won the fine art print. Atlantic Photo Supply will be in touch to make it happen -- can't wait to hear how it goes. Anyone who is interested in the cotton rag paper of Hahnemuhle -- the favourite of the printing artists at Atlantic Photo Supply -- can go here to order any print you like and have it internationally shipped. Thanks everyone for playing along!

Comments

[marierush]

I'm taking a class here, soI am trying out all of the bells and whistles on my camera. I am trying to carry my camera with me whereever I go so I don't miss a shot!

[Jamie Solorio]

I am trying to do the exact same thing, I started a blog as well and am documenting my trials and erros with photography. In addition, any research I do...I post...easy reference for myself and others later. Here were yesterday's shots.

http://jamie-solorio.blogspot.com/2010/05/shot-of-day_19.html

I have also never experimented with other photo papers, so I am hopeful that I am choosen!:)

[Peaches]

I am learning to do macros, which is a world unto itself. I can't find a class, so I am reading blog posts for ideas. It makes you look at light and depth of field in new ways.

Just looking around at things I see everyday in a new way -- an a macro way -- helps me appreciate the world around me more.

[LizV]

I am rediscovering the world on a macro level. I find tiny treasures on a grand scale every single day.

[Elizabeth]

I've been playing with backlighting and flash a lot recently. Need to get back to my every day practice.

[Ali C]

I am trying to be more creative with angles and perspective.

[Alesa]

I am trying to figure out manual on my camera. I am taking many classes to see what I can learn.

[Deidre]

I only switched from point and shoot about 2 months ago, so everything is new and different to me! But I just found out about photoshop actions and haven't slept in days! lol They are way to much fun to work with!

[georgia]

i have not done much differently lately. but i am okay with that, because i know that very soon i will be, as my sister will be giving me her nikon d40... a slight upgrade from my canon s5. i can't wait! it will be like rediscovering photography, i think.

what a wonderful shot of the bird you shared today!

[Maggie M]

I am working on actually transforming digital images into prints. So much lives only virtually and I am sifting through and exploring how to best showcase my work. First up is going to be Father's Day gifts for both my husband and my own dad.

[brittany]

without the funds to buy a new one, but with the desire for something different and challenging, i bought an old 50mm 1.8 lens from a guy on ebay. now i am learning to meter my just what i see one the screen (with a lot of bracketing!) and manually focus. but i am getting the hang of it, i think, and loving the unique challenge that it offers!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sivyerfamily/4582943976/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sivyerfamily/4582937876/in/photostream/

[Audrey]

I am trying to remember that a flash generally doesn't perform at its best when it's wide open. Also (and less successfully) trying to dig deeper into color management and learn about HDR.

[Audrey]

Oops! I meant lens, not flash.

[danielle]

i just happened upon your blog through Hang On Little Tomato's blog. . . i did recently take a photo class & am starting to venture with aperture & shutter priority modes. you can do something new & different w/photography each & every day!

[jessica]

I've been practicing with flash, gradually getting better at using it for fill, and I've also been trying to only use my 50mm lens to focus more on composition that way without the distraction of my zooms.

[Clara]

One of my intentions for this year was to make photography more a part of my life. To that end, I made the simple change of taking my camera with me wherever I go. That in itself has made a huge difference -- I've made it easier for myself to take pictures. I'm also learning to use Photoshop Elements (Photoshop will come next, if I need it), which also encourages me to "play" with my photos. Generally, my goal is to find ways to make photography fun, since something that's fun is more likely to get done over something that's considered a chore.

Finally, I'm a bookmaker, and I've begun to combine photographs with other media in creating artists' books. It's a wonderful new area of exploration for me.

Thanks so much for your blog and the time you put into it. It's one of my favorite stops in my day.

[Aimee]

i have been playing with studio light setups after having only done natural light.

http://delilahlou.blogspot.com/2010/05/costco-has-pretty-petti-skirts.html

[Brenda G]

I'm also doing Project 365. I'm trying to shot all the photos on manual.

[Grace]

Love your bird photos!

[Melissa]

I recently took a course on shooting in manual so I feel like I'm still working on all of it, but I've been especially working with changing my focal points and doing it quickly enough to catch the right shot of my active 3 year old!

[Christian @ Modobject at Home]

I'm really trying to capture moments and I'm playing with depth of field, trying to not ALWAYS make it so shallow.

[Misty Dawn]

I'm looking at things differently. I still shoot my normal wildlife and nature shots, but I'm really bringing an aspect of fine art into some of my shots. I'm really enjoying it!

[zizazzi]

I must said that I almost always use the automatic mode on my camera..and so now I try to anderstand and to play with the manual mode ;-))
thanks for the giveway ;-)

[Leigh]

I'm trying to learn not to be such a perfectionist! I want to capture so much of my kids' lives before they're grown and gone...I'm about to have a teenager! YIKES!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/momof3txvakids/

[Hilary]

Last fall my work was accepted in a local gallery, but I have yet to swap out the existing images for new ones because I don't have the budget. A wonderful new print would be amazing - and I would submit it right away for display!

The next goal I have for my photography is to work exclusively with a normal lens - probably a 50mm 1.4. I like the idea of moving in and framing your own shot instead of letting the equipment take over.

[cigi]

I've upgraded into a new lens and that is keeping me quite engaged for the moment. Also, I've been experimenting with aperture which has been a bit of a revelation. Love the bird photo and the giveaway opportunity. Thanks! :-)

[Breanne]

I'm still working on coming out of Shutter Priority and into Manual all the time. I've also returned to my LensBaby recently for people pictures and not just still life. :)

[Robin at Recess]

The summer-like weather is lighting my fire of creativity!

[Debbie Roberts]

I have been playing with aperatures, also doing more HDR.

[divrchk]

I'm taking John Greengo's Fundamentals of Digital Photography on Creative Live (it's FREE!) and learning tons. I've taken my camera off of auto and set to manual and am having lots of fun learning.

[elizabeth]

Right now I'm trying to take "everyday life" shots. I'm far from daily practice, but when I pull out my camera I'm just trying to document the ordinary. For example -- the other day I shot our entry way to show the mix of shoes and sizes (my husband and I). Just little stuff about how we live and who we are.

I would keep it - I need more art on my walls!

[mosey]

Holy guacamole there are 80 comments already!

Doing Picture Spring with Tracey taught me a lot about patience and waiting for the right light. It also re-introduced me to the diptych - which I love from my standpoint as an animator and editor - telling a story with two (or more) photos.

Although these two photos aren't strictly a diptych, they tell a story.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7687752@N03/4621609443/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7687752@N03/4622644472/in/photostream/

And... I can't wait to see those little birdies fly....

[Vanessa]

me? i think i'm trying to do too many things at once, actually!! (aren't we all?) so slowing down and taking it one day, one photowalk, one picture, one edit at a time... is my latest challenge. (i'm also looking forward to an upcoming birthday and the promise of not one but two! new lenses :D

if this gorgeous giveaway goodie were to be bestowed upon me... i would do my absolute best to keep, yes i would... i think i would justify it as an early birthday present to myself perhaps? i'm thinking that's allowed, right? ;)

thanks for this lovely post. and the glimpse of your beautiful birdies in their nest!

[Erin]

I recently took an online course that helped me look at the world differently and define my asthetic. And I'm looking at many photos a day for inspiration. Hopefully I'll get to the point where all of the photos on my blog will be mine.

[susan sanders]

I've carried my cameras with me since my granddaughter was born in January. I routinely find myself detouring to catch sights around the city--downtown sculpture garden, cemetaries, or just the blue sky over the spring-green trees. Amazing how you see things differently when you are 'thinking photography".

[Christina A.]

I am actually trying to take LESS pictures, but be more focused about the ones I do take. I don't want to just snap the same old pictures of my kids doing the same things they do every day...but maybe take a close-up of my girls' eye as she is watching a butterfly, or my son's hand as he is batting a ball...

[Krista Kruger]

Wow! The paper looks gorgeous! The texture is amazing!

[Jules22]

Lovely photos! I was in a rut myself and took Picture Spring, and got all excited again... now I'm having issues with my card reader... so .....stuck with photos on my camera I cannot view and edit and love... but, there's always something right? : ) I definitely need to get more of my photos out of my computer and up on the walls... this would be a wonderful prize!!

[xanthe]

oohhh those birdies are sweet!. how exciting for your family to watch.

i'm loving my new lens 50mm 1.4

that paper looks dreamy, i'd LOVE to win!

x.

[xanthe]

p.s

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xantheberkeley/4622804714/

[Trude]

Oooo what a great giveaway! Lately I've been doing hardly any processing in Lightroom, in fact I'm hating what my old favorite Kevin Kubota "Auto-Boost" preset does! Really love what this means for me in terms of further developing my style and getting it exactly how I want it in camera. Progress! :)

[Jennifer]

I am experimenting a bit with textures over my photographs. I challenged myself to go outside and "find" textures in my own backyard. Some of the good ones were the rusty underside of a wheelbarrow and my bulkhead. I layered them over a photo or two in PSE and I really liked the effect. I must do more! :)

[erika]

I'm not huge into nature shoots. Or even pulling over to take a picture. I usually take whatever is going on around me at that time. After passing the field everyday, I ignored both of my usual habits & took a couple pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/onemoreplease/4622927434/

[Jill F]

Beautiful shot. I love babies of all kinds!

[Kathy]

A couple weekends ago we were invited to a birthday party in the country on a farm. It was complete with sack races and tug of war! Well, I was so excited to take my Nikon D50(which was collecting dust) and get some great pictures. Thankfully I took about 400 pictures because more than half of them didn't come out! I did learn alot about exposure and capturing action. Even though their is a big sky and lots of light you still might have to use fill flash and if your in the shade and slow the shutter to catch the light remember small children are moving fast so they might come out like a big blur. That's the problem with trying to learn photography in the in between moments of motherhood and working. I tend to have to learn things over and over. But I still love it! Because in between the mistakes you get pictures like this one http://rirealmom.wordpress.com/2010/05/17/the-end-of-a-magical-day/

[Hannah]

I recently bought some new actions and I'm having fun experimenting with them. I also just got my new camera a couple months ago, so we are still getting to know one another :)

[Sue]

I have been trying presets in Lightroom 2 and have entered several photography competitions. I never felt I could really compete in anything until it came to my passion of photography. I have also become very active in my local camera club. I am also taking 3-4 workshops when I can. I'll be in Maine for a Joe Rossbach workshop soon.

[Delisa Taylor]

I have had a nice SLR for a couple of years. But, not I am really starting to venture out in to the manual world!!!! Everything is new.

[Gail]

I am still experimenting with the controls on my new Canon XSi...trying manual settings in particular. I'm also new to Photoshop and have been trying to teach myself layers and how to apply textures...this is one I worked on tonight...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22733432@N08/4622594247/
Love the photo of the baby robins!

[Marianne LoMonaco]

The newest thing for me is that I've just started adding texture to my photos. I find it a tricky balance.