Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Beginning Photography Class

IMG_6434 point reyes lighthouse
1

It's nearing the end of my Beginning Photo class; I'm studying for my final and working on my final portfolio. I am grateful for all I've learned this semester. I learned how to [gulp] shoot in "M", manual, mode.

I sharpened my observations skills...

IMG_6456 meters
2

... and how to be more aware of colors...

IMG_6296 Swiss Chard
3

... of negative space...

IMG_6449 point reyes lighthouse
4

... and the rule of thirds...

IMG_6404 two horses in point reyes
5

I learned how to control the depth of field...

IMG_7712 sharpen your pencils
6

20101021_2271 choo choo
7

...to take action shots...

IMG_7523 double
8

...and night shots.

IMG_6114 Public Parking
9

I shared precious moments...

IMG_6260 cheers
10

... and learned that portraits are best when taken in context.

20101030_2407 nonagenarian
11

I was inspired by Edward Weston...

IMG_9703 Palace of the Legion Honor Staircase
12

and Irving Penn,,,

IMG_7960 radishes
13

...but found out this was very difficult.

That just means that I have to take some more classes, but maybe I'll take a break next semester. Flickr slideshow, including previously posted shots, here.

Photos:
1. Point Reyes Lighthouse
2. Meters, Point Reyes Lighthouse
3. Rainbow Swiss Chard, Point Reyes Station Farmer's Market
4. Point Reyes Lighthouse
5. Point Reyes hiking trail
6. Sharpen Your Pencils
7. With brio!
8. Stockton, CA
9. Redwood City, CA
10. Cheers!
11. Nonagenarian
12. Palace of the Legion Honor, San Francisco, CA
13. French Breakfast Radishes




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40 comments:

Anonymous said...

Judging from these images I'd say your class was a huge success! :)

william said...

nice photos!

Kala said...

Fabulous series of images and they depict how much you've learned!

Ruth said...

Oh this is exciting.

Gulp is right. I wish I could have taken this class with you!

I LOVE the lighthouse in fog. Love the metal boxes, the kale (?), colored pencils (!), and I especially love what you learned about taking portraits of people in context -- BRILLIANT, so very effective.

I'm impressed with your work, and I look forward to more results of the class here.

CC said...

You get an A+ from me!

Beautiful evocative work.
You have a wonderful eye to begin with.
Beautiful pics.

CC

George said...

Congratulations on finishing your class, Dutchbaby. There is no question in my mind; you definitely have the "right stuff." Just keep your camera with you and leave fear behind. I enjoyed all of the photos, especially the one of the pencils.

lorilaire said...

un petit coucou de France ou le froid règne en maitre !!
Bises glacées !
Lori

Marilyn Miller said...

Wow! You learned a lot in this class. Your photos are great! Plus they take me to a time many years ago when I lived in that part of the country.

Yolanda said...

Ilove the first photo. I would love to take a photography class.

Lisa Gordon said...

All of these are just gorgeous, but that lighthouse? Perfection! Truly you learned so much. I've take quite a few photography classes online, and I absolutely love it! Congratulations on the every scary manual mode. Once you use it, you rarely go back, I promise!

Dan Gurney said...

From your photos, I'd say you had a very skillful teacher. Thank you for sharing your photos and a little phrase about what they exemplify with regard to the art of photography. I learned a lot in just a couple of minutes. Now I'm thinking I ought to take a course in photography....

rochambeau said...

Watch out World!!
Dutchbaby is armed with new knowledge and skills! Your photos are truly mesmerizing. You already were a good photographer and now you are edging towards being great photopraher!!

You inspire me the way you take classes and put your arms around what you are learning. You take learning searingly!

I see a photo class in my future, BUT in the meantime this post here is a treasure trove of information!
Thank you for sharing!!

The shots most memorable for me are the Pumpkin Lady, the thirds shot, the rhubarb photograph, the action shot!

Wow ~ Good going!

xox
Constance

Ginnie Hart said...

'Gobsmacked' is the best word I can come up with, DB. If it was hard, you have made it look very easy. I learn from you by looking over your shoulder. Thank you for showing these images and steps with us!

lorilaire said...

N°6,10,11 sont les photos que je préfère !!
Bisous de France

A Cuban In London said...

And I'm inspired by you! :-) Funny that, I always thought you were a professional, or at least, a very good amateur photographer.

Great images. I loved the negative space one.

Greetings from London.

krys kirkpatrick said...

How beautiful. I am inspired you quest to try new things. I too feel that after age 50...the fear is gone....bring it on.

Vagabonde said...

Your course was a success by looking at the bounty of great shots you show us here. I have seen “manual” on my camera – but I am scared to use it – it is still a mystery to me. After looking as such stunning pictures I want to go and delete my last post showing all my old little black and white pictures on it. I think that gaining the technique is nothing if you don’t have “l’oeil” (the eye) - and you have it dear Dutchbaby.

Tonya said...

I absolutely love that lighthouse photo, very nice!

Lorenzo — Alchemist's Pillow said...

Nice! This post is a class in itself. Thanks

Dutchbaby said...

Dear tammymcchesney,
Thanks! I did learn a lot in this class.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear william,
Thanks for visit and thanks for the compliment. I'm going to have to resist the temptation to tell everyone I know that a Hollywood producer liked my photos - lest I sound like Sally Field at the Academy Awards.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Kala,
Thank you; I'm happy I took the class.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Ruth,
Oh how fun it would have been to take this class with you! I have to tell you that I was amazed how simple it was to learn how to shoot in manual. I can't believe I was so intimidated by the notion. Thank you for letting me know which ones you like. Your feedback means so much to me.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear CC,
You don't happen to have influence with my instructor, do you? He is a tough grader, he definitely makes you work for that A. Thanks for your vote of confidence!

Dutchbaby said...

Dear George,
I thank you for your advice and for saying that I have the "right stuff". I take this as a great compliment from an accomplished photographer like you! I still have so much to learn, but I welcome the encouragement.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear lorilaire,
Merci beaucoup - je vous donne étreintes chaleureuses de la Californie.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Marilyn,
Thank you; the class was a lot of work but well worth the effort.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Yolanda,
Thank you; this lighthouse looks like it would fit into the photo of your post today. I hope you have a chance to take a photo class soon.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear lisa,
Thank you for your kind comments. I was surprised how unmysterious Manual mode turned out to be. The only time I use Program mode any more is when I'm in too much of a hurry to fiddle with the manual settings, like when a bird is about to fly away.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Dan Gurney,
It takes a skilled teacher to recognize another one. I'm guessing you are a very skilled kindergarten teacher. I'm very glad to know that you learned from this post. Welcome to Dutchbaby!

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Constance at rochambeau,
I blush reading your comment. Thank you very much for cheering me on in such an exuberant fashion. I do love to learn and am always eager to share my new-found knowledge. It's one of the reasons why I love having a blog.

See you in three weeks!

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Ginnie,
That's a word I haven't heard in a long time! Thanks! I can't imagine that you would learn anything at all from me when it comes to photography, Ginnie!

Dutchbaby said...

Dear lorilaire,
Merci de me faire savoir vos favoris!

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Cuban,
Far from it :-D! Thanks though!

Dutchbaby said...

Dear krys kirkpatrick,
I love taking evening classes and I'm fortunate that my family is tolerant of all my projects that sometimes take over major portions of the house.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Vagabonde,
The "manual" setting on your camera is not as difficult to operate as one might assume. With built-in light meters, auto-focus, and so many white balance options, it is much easier to shoot technically-sound photos than ever.

I find your photos from around the globe simply enchanting and they fit very nicely with all your beautiful vintage postcards.

As always, thank you for your visit and your kind words.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Tonya,
I was very lucky that the fog was just so when I took the photo of this beautiful lighthouse. I only pointed the camera and pressed the button.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Lorenzo,
Thanks! It was completely unintentional.

Relyn Lawson said...

WOW!! You did a beautiful, beautiful job. I love the portrait so much. Other than that, my favorites are negative space and Edward Weston. They are all wonderful and you have inspired me so much!

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Relyn,
Thank you so much for letting me know which ones are your favorites.

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