Get Up Close

Change your perspective and try shooting more macro photography, you will be amazed at the beauty and intricacy that exists all around you.  If you want tips on shooting better macro photography, try this article.

Orchid in Neighbors garden.  C2T Photography

Up Close, you can see the detail and the colors jump off the screen.  C2T Photography

Try shooting flowers or objects with a clear background to emphasize the subject.  Also, play with the light and see how it effects the mood.  C2T Photography

Try cooler colors or Black and White.  C2T Photography

Up Close, you can see nature at work.  Such as these two Lady Bugs playing leap frog.  C2T Photography

Get up close and change the angle of your camera.  C2T Photography

Macro Photography can show the complicated patterns or the simple beauty of nature.  C2T Photography

Check out this article on Macro Photography Techniques, it gives great pointers on how to improve your macro photography.  My advice, is to start looking at what's around you and imagine it in a photo.

Post a reply to this message with examples of your macro photography.  I hope this motivates you to "Get Up Close", and please share your results.

Have a great weekend, and good shooting!

Don't Let Cloudy Weather Get In Your Way

Spring is a great time of year for photography.  Warmer weather and late winter rains bring out the flowers, vegetation and create some interesting cloud patterns.  Use the cloudy weather and occasional cloud breaks to your favor. 

Had to wait for a sun break to capture this image

Cloudy or overcast conditions allow you to get some dramatic shots of the sky.  The clouds also work as a diffuser, creating even light and color saturation.

The dramatic sky adds to portraits and scenic photography

It is also nice to have a camera close by for those fleeting moments.  The two shots below were quick shots through the windshield.

Sun Break in Black & White on Interstate 15

Sun Break on Interstate 15

 

Here is a great link if you are interested in looking at more beautiful and creative cloudy weather photography.  Notice how the colors really pop against the sky and create a different mood.

Get out, enjoy the weekend and try shooting in different lighting conditions.  If you have any questions on how any of the above shots or the ones through the link were captured, send an email and I'll help or point you in the right direction.

Have a great weekend!

Top 5 reasons to Visit The Getty Center

Getty Center sign as you enter the parking area

Continuing the theme of Southern California excursions on a budget, this weeks focus is The Getty Center.  "The Getty" is up on a hill overlooking downtown LA, the South Bay, the Pacific Ocean and on a clear day you can see the mountains surrounding the LA Basin.  With all that it offers, it is difficult to label just as a museum.  To me, it is so much more.

Here are my top 5 reasons "The Getty" should be on your list of budget friendly excursions in Southern California.

1.  Once you leave the parking area you board the tram and begin to rise above the traffic, congestion and busy pace of LA.   It is the best feeling watching the traffic and all that is LA get further away.  You round a bend, the traffic becomes hidden and you arrive at the center.  I am not an architecture buff, yet the presence and beauty of the campus is magnificent and moving.

View of Traffic on Tram to The Getty Center

Research Pavilion at The Getty Center

2.  I find myself getting lost in the variety of plants, trees and flowers on and around The Getty.  With over 300 varieties, you could spend an entire day capturing images of flowers with your camera.  This is an ideal place to practice Macro Photography.  I recommend a stroll around the Central Garden, conceived by artist Robert Irwin, who calls it "a sculpture in the form of a garden aspiring to be art."  If you get the chance, go in the Spring and catch all of the vegetation in full bloom.

Getty Center Central Garden

Macro Shot of flower in the Central Garden

Ladybug at play in the Central Garden

Silhouette of Tree at Sunset, The Getty Center

 3.  With so many different collections of European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture & decorative arts, and European & American photographs you can visit multiple times and not see everything.  The cool thing about it is that they have permanent installations, and keep your repeat visits fresh with traveling exhibits.  I love photography and that is where I end up spending most of my time, the bonus is that they tend to rotate this gallery frequently.

4.  The Getty is a great place to take a date, out of town guests and the family.  You can experience a romantic sunset overlooking downtown LA and the Ocean, introduce people to the treasure in your own back yard or let the kids run off their energy in the park located in the center of the campus.  A true bonus is that the Getty allows you to bring in food so that you can picnic amongst all of the beauty.  If you don't bring a picnic with you, you can visit one of their on-site cafes that also serves wine and beer.

Downtown LA from The Getty Center

Catalina, Southbay and Pacific Ocean from "The Getty"

View of Central Garden and Southbay from the Park

5.  This is my favorite part about "The Getty".  Thanks to the J. Paul Getty Trust, admission to The Getty Center is free.  The only charge to you is $15 per car load.  With the ability to bring your own picnic, get in for the price of parking and absorbing all of the offerings; the "The Getty" is great day to expand your mind while keeping costs lean.

Bust of J. Paul Getty

 Photography note:  You can take pictures throughout most of the exhibits.  No flash photography within any exhibits, and no photos at all in the Photography Exhibits.

Also, the Getty Center Volunteers are pretty vigilant about the flash photography and keeping you from touching any of the exhibits.  They are a serious lot, so be aware.

Docent keeping a close eye on the happenings

 Let us know if you pay a visit to "The Getty" with a comment or a photo.  Also, don't hesitate to drop us a line if you have any photography questions.

Photo expedition to Mt. Lowe

Every week we set out on a photo outing.  Last week we took advantage of the great weather and hit the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.  This week we traveled to the San Gabriel Mountains for a hike up to Mount Lowe via Echo Mountain and Inspiration Point.  Again, the weather held out and we took advantage of the temperature hovering around 75 degrees.  This was a great gift, especially being the middle of February and the rest of the country was in a deep freeze.

The hike totaled out at 14 miles and our total time on the mountain was around 9 hours.  We hit the trail head at 12:30 PM in order to summit Mount Lowe in time to catch the sunset and capture some stunning photos.  The day was full of adventure, in addition to the photos, we were able to spend 3 hours hiking down in the dark and got to use our new headlamps.  Below are a couple of the photos from the day.  With the distance and elevation gain, taking professional equipment was a bit too heavy.  Instead we took along our trusty Canon SD800 Point-And-Shoot.  The camera did not let us down and the proof is below.  Thank you for the visit and if you have interest in joining us on one of our photo expeditions, give us a call.

Silhouette on the trail to Mount Lowe

I keep the Canon SD800 in my front pocket in order to capture those magical light moments.  This was at a bend in the trail that opened up to give a great view of the LA Basin and the Pacific Ocean in the distance.

Inspiration Point Sign in Black and White

We decided to bypass Echo Mountain and head straight to Inspiration Point for a quick refuel, a few photos and much needed break.

Pavilion at Inspiration Point

Keith Guyll taking in the view from Inspiration Point

Inspiration Point is a wonderful hike in and of itself.  There is a covered pavilion up there and the trail service set up scopes that point out the attractions that you can see from that point.

Locating Scopes at Inspiration Point

 After a quick stop we proceeded the next 1.5 miles to Mount Lowe.

View of Mount Wilson radio towers and snow capped Mount Baldy

This is the payoff spot.  Mount Lowe gives you a truly amazing unobstructed view of Mount Wilson, Mount Baldy and the entire LA Basin.

Sunset on Mount Lowe

Another successful outing.  If you are interested in seeing more photos of the day, click on the link below.  We are interested in your feedback, so drop us a line and let us know what you think.  Have a great week!

Click here to see all of the photos

How To Choose Your Wedding Photographer

How To Choose Your Wedding Photographer

After the initial excitement of engagement most couples find themselves faced with a daunting number of decisions.  Making decisions together as to ceremony and reception locations, flower arrangements, dress, cake, entertainment, photography and so on can be stressful for a newly engaged couple.  The purpose of this article is to alleviate some of that stress and assist you in choosing the photographer that best suits your needs.   The importance of an Engagement Session or E-Session in choosing your photographer should not be underestimated.  Photography is an integral part of your wedding experience.  A good photographer captures the important moments as well as the moments in between.  A great photographer combines these elements with creativity and professionalism in order to create images and experiences you will always treasure.  Choosing your photographer may be the most important decision you make. 

Let us suppose that you have narrowed your search to a handful of photographers through personal recommendations, advertisements, and internet searching.  You have visited each of the candidate’s websites in order to qualify that each photographer’s style, quality, and pricing match with your own preferences and budget.  How do you make that final decision?  My recommendation is an E-session.  

The E-session is an opportunity to clarify a couple of important factors in your decision.  First and foremost is the personality of the photographer.  The photographer is present through out the entire wedding event; therefore if your relationship with a photographer is abrasive, it will show up in the photos.  The E-session will also showcase the photographer’s creativity and their ability to bring your vision to life.  Additionally, the E-session is a great time to highlight the photographer’s workflow.  Workflow begins with the first call.  Were they prompt in returning your call, on time for the schedule shoot, clear in their communication, and did they provide the proofs or final photos in a timely manner?  Most importantly, are you satisfied with the finished product? 

An E-session is an excellent opportunity to build rapport with your photographer, ensure that their style matches your expectations and gives you the confidence that your photography needs and memories are in good hands. Finally, the professional images delivered from an E-Session are great for invitations, save the dates, and wedding favors. 

You wouldn’t buy a car without first test-driving it, would you…. would you?