Photography Progression

Sept 17, 2011 results of final G+ coaching, a photo I can use.

Photographing jewelry is a relatively new venture for me. Hiring a professional, would require a much larger inventory and a larger price tag.

I have always been a snap shot type of person. While my daughter is a photographer, she lives on the other coast, too far away to snag into doing these photos. She has done a few before while visiting.

Sept 1, 2011 I lost hair this day.

Not having a high end SLR camera, I have had to learn to use my Digital, to capture the images I needed. In the last few weeks, I have taken many many photos, lost a few handfuls of hair, ground my teeth, used a magnifying glass, and threatened to smash the camera against the wall.

Mid July, I Joined Google+.

 

 I admired many of the photographs, I watched on the stream, and knew I needed help.

I gave myself until the end of September. I needed to get these earrings listed for sale. After several frustrating weeks, I finally developed the nerve, to ask for help via the Google+ stream. After all, I am no where near their level of expertise.

Sept 16, 2011 1st Google+ photo

What I had to work with:

• light tent
• lumix dmc-fh20
• Two 3000K 45w Tungsten lamps
• Tripod
• Grey Boiled wool
• Black Granite Tile
• White Bathroom Tile
  

You will note with my daughter's urging, via the telephone, I switched to Macro photography, prior to posting to Google+.

But I needed to learn more, about adjusting the white balance.

Sept 17, 2011 2nd Google+ Photo

I began with the lights pointing directly at the earrings. This caused a harsh reflection.  I changed the lighting method.

Next, the ISO was set to auto, this I first adjusted to 400, then with some urging, dropped to 100. I began using the timer on the camera for each photo, greatly decreasing the blurry images.

Another problem, reflections, I was wearing red shirt one day and a blue the next. A sheet hung over the light tent allowed me to move the camera lower, and prevent reflections.

Finally I managed a usable photo! Perhaps if I ran the photo through Photoshop, I could eliminate the dust on the earrings, and once I get all the earring posted for sale, I need to take the time to learn Photoshop.

 

I received valuable help from Marcel Bankmann, Joe Gastrich, Justin Bond, Ursula Rodgers, David Kaiser, and many others.

To follow me on  Google+ click the link.

 

Friendship

Just spent a couple hours visiting good friends of ours, both of them in their late 80's. Near the end of the visit Jim asked me, if I knew anything about computers. Well I know the Mac. 

Thank Heavens for Friends

They have a Dell. 
First request was, if I would help them send photos of the kitchen to their children.  

Then a trickier question arose, could I scan a proof sheet and send the photos to them. I explained the proof sheet would not scan well. It seems, when they attempted to work with the camera disk, it printed a proof sheet. I asked if he had erased the disk. He said he had it auto delete when he loaded the disk.

Off to the computer the three of us went. First he handed me the battery to load onto the computer. I explained I needed the disk. Next locating the slot, turned out to be on the printer. Crossing my fingers I placed the disk in the slot and up popped up the instructions. Following them I managed to load all 276 photos, including the ones on the proof sheet. I lucked out they now think I am really good.

Selected the photos hit the email button; ah something is not right, the address are not auto filling for the email.

Turns out they do not have an outlook express email account.

On to their Comcast account up load photos, and send.

Then they hand me another camera disk they had from Christmas 2002 another 280 photos. Needless to say they are now, as I type, sending photos to various family members. 

And me I am still chuckling at the fact they had this second disk, and wanted to make sure they could send them also.

The real kicker, they had never emptied their recycling bin. It is now empty.

Me I am smiling. Glad I could help them.

A Challenge To Be Completed

Care to join the Challenge?

This post will be a diversion from my normal posts.

At my last physical my Internist and I discussed my weight and other issues. He suggested I reduce my meat and fish intake He did recommend Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health

This will be a drastic change to my diet, let alone my husbands.

Goals For September:

Remove meat form my diet 3 days a week.

Use Almond milk in place of non fat on my cereal.

Exercise 20 hours this month.

Lose 10 pounds this month.

I began this morning. After a day of preparation for a colonoscopy (which I rescheduled for Monday). 

The day has just begun..

Breakfast

Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! Cereal

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Milk, Unsweetened Original

Coffee

Shall we see how I do?

Care to join the Challenge?