-aromatic medium grind illy espresso coffee
-chunky chocolate chip cookies
-halequin intrigues and historical
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Before-and-After Family Portrait
Not every photo is perfect, and to try and get a perfect photo can result in losing that naturalness and spontaneity, not to mention the time spent. Often times, we get so caught up on soliciting a mood from our subjects that we forget the environment, props, and lighting all play a major role in making a photo keep-worthy. Below is the before-and-after showing procedures:
Our primary objective was to keep the baby engaged for that perfect moment, so while juggling that, I pushed the red cloth napkin in camera to add some visual interest. We'd just finished with our sushi dinner and so the dirty plate had not been collected. At the time, while James was occupied with the camera, I was calling attention to Haley to focus, and as I evaluated the situation, I had this feeling that the plate will cause me grief later. Sure enough! It showed up like a sore thumb, so I had to remove it in post. The lighting was quite low, causing the subjects to blur, particularly on Cynthia and baby Haley, so I sharpened them up a bit, more so on Haley as I would like to make her the center of focus.
Our primary objective was to keep the baby engaged for that perfect moment, so while juggling that, I pushed the red cloth napkin in camera to add some visual interest. We'd just finished with our sushi dinner and so the dirty plate had not been collected. At the time, while James was occupied with the camera, I was calling attention to Haley to focus, and as I evaluated the situation, I had this feeling that the plate will cause me grief later. Sure enough! It showed up like a sore thumb, so I had to remove it in post. The lighting was quite low, causing the subjects to blur, particularly on Cynthia and baby Haley, so I sharpened them up a bit, more so on Haley as I would like to make her the center of focus.
Haley and Family
James and I visited our friends recently to see how Haley has grown. She is starting to flip over on her belly, becoming more engaging with her eyes, and associating sounds with the movements on our lips. We went all out with our cameras and took many photos. Below are the few I chose to add some personal touches so as to remember those sweet moments.
I thought this 3/4 view will be useful for her parents to document her growth for the coming years. Love that shine on her lower lip.
Haley is beginning to form words, so while conserving energy from her recent flip, she decided to study the colorful shapes on the blanket instead.
I thought this 3/4 view will be useful for her parents to document her growth for the coming years. Love that shine on her lower lip.
Haley is beginning to form words, so while conserving energy from her recent flip, she decided to study the colorful shapes on the blanket instead. 
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Inspirations from Spain
Initially, I went to Spain with the thought of taking lots of photos of buildings and landscapes. As it turned out, I ended up with more shots of people than concrete. Below are some photos of inspiration to document my experiences:
A freeze-frame of a beautiful Spanish-style dancer at Plaza Mayor. As I watched her dance and observed her rhythms, I was rewarded with this calculated moment when she made her turn. If this photo was all I took for that day, I would have been just as happy!
A low angle shot of James running up the staircase, which shows a glimpse of Castle Montjuic. The cloudy, overcast sky, particularly from this angle, gives it an epic feel.
A couple, seemingly in love, displays adoration for each other in the public square. This scene captures the poetic moment of romance, especially through its shallow DOF blurring out the streetlamps in the backdrop.
Although pigeons are a dime a dozen, this photo stands out in my collection. I like the naturally desaturated colors, drawing our attention to its amber colored eye. This was taken during my visit to a Gothic cathedral under construction. It invoked an image of those scenes from the movies where we see pigeons fluttering away high up from the bell tower, giving me a feeling of being a part of the medieval times.
A freeze-frame of a beautiful Spanish-style dancer at Plaza Mayor. As I watched her dance and observed her rhythms, I was rewarded with this calculated moment when she made her turn. If this photo was all I took for that day, I would have been just as happy!
A low angle shot of James running up the staircase, which shows a glimpse of Castle Montjuic. The cloudy, overcast sky, particularly from this angle, gives it an epic feel. 
A couple, seemingly in love, displays adoration for each other in the public square. This scene captures the poetic moment of romance, especially through its shallow DOF blurring out the streetlamps in the backdrop.
Although pigeons are a dime a dozen, this photo stands out in my collection. I like the naturally desaturated colors, drawing our attention to its amber colored eye. This was taken during my visit to a Gothic cathedral under construction. It invoked an image of those scenes from the movies where we see pigeons fluttering away high up from the bell tower, giving me a feeling of being a part of the medieval times.
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