Weekly Challenge Week 4: Mirror

This one was tough. I'm not sure I did as well as I wanted to, but such is the life of a photographer...  I created this image hanging out while Matt was off skiing, using my goggles as a "mirror." 

Weekly Challenge - Week 3 - Land

I had a really hard time with this one. Well, specifically coming up with only one image. The challenge this week was "Land." It could be a landscape, or something having to do with land.

I went out for a run, as I am apt to do, and took my phone with me. It was GORGEOUS outside this particular morning. It was all dreary down in town, and it took everything I had to make myself go out and find a trail. Good thing I did. I found myself thinking this was a perfect opportunity to photograph this project. Granted, all I had was my cell phone, but as the camera it has is better than my first digital SLR, I figured it'd be good enough...

I think I stopped and photographed about 20 different times. The clouds were below me, and the city could barely be seen. Around every corner was another beautiful scene. Needless to say, it was NOT my fastest run time!

Here is the one I chose as my favorite:

New Year, New Challanges - weeks 1 and 2

I decided I need a challenge in my pursuit of photography. So, I found one of my favorite things. A list! A list of challenges put out there to better myself as a photographer. I'll post here every couple of weeks.  So, follow along, and tell me what you think!

Week 1: Rule of Thirds

Without getting too technical, the rule of thirds is one of the most basic of guidelines in photography, which states that the main subject in a photograph should be placed in either the top, bottom, right, or left thirds of an image.  

Here is my example:

Week 2:  SOOC

SOOC (straight out of camera) is the term for how an image looks after being downloaded from the camera without any edits whatsoever. No photographer I know will let a client see these, without at least minor adjustments. That being said, the more perfect an images comes from a camera, the better.

Mine:

Looks MUCH better with just basic edits in exposure:

Chasing "that" Shot...

How many times have we as photographers seen someone else's image and thought, "Man, THAT'S the image I want for my living room... I need to go take it!" only to try and try and try and never quite get it right...?

That has totally been me for the last few years living in Colorado. Ever since I saw that image of aspen trunks (I'm fairly certain you all know EXACTLY the shot I'm talking about...), I've been trying to take it myself. Geez. Fail after fail after epic fail. I've gotten some really pretty images of aspens, but it hasn't been THE shot.

Until now, I think. Finally, I think I might have nailed it... Until the next time I see "that" image and have to go chase it down.

Crankworx Colorado

I have had the biggest mental block in the planet over trying to figure out what to say on this blog post. This morning, I gave up after sitting at my computer for an hour looking at photographs of other people riding and not getting anywhere, I totally gave up and went mountain biking myself.

I STILL have total writer's block.

SO..... These images are from Crankworx Colorado, a huge mountain biking festival that takes place in Winter Park in July involving cross country races, slope style competitions, and this thing called the Intergalactic Pond Crossing...

We got there fairly early in the morning... Here's Winter Park:

Some of the bikes were priceless, really... Especially if you work at a bike shop like I do.

Then, we got to the serious stuff. These guys that compete slopestyle are freaking amazing.

There's always a cute pooch or two to throw in the mix...

...and the Intergalactic Pond Crossing. Riding a bike across 2x6's attached to floating styrofoam blocks... HYSTERICAL.

Hope you enjoyed! I certainly had a great day drinking beer and shooting pictures...

The other day, one of my friends asked me, "So, did you ever do anything with those pictures you took at the cyclocross race last fall?" Of course, I hadn't. So I did.

Cyclocross, for those of you who aren't quite sure what it is, is this slightly in

sane discipline within cycling where people basically take road bikes with slightly knobby tires and race around a course filled with obstacles, mud, and ruts. It's a mess. Bikes (and their owners) break on a regular basis. Drive trains get gunked up beyond recognition. Spectators tend to have beer for breakfast. It's quite a culture.

That being said, I have a few of my favorite images from the day to show...

Those pesky obstacles make for a lot of jumping off (and back on) the bikes.

...and much running with the bikes...

The faces are priceless...

Then there was that thing about culture... Dogs EVERYWHERE!

We're going to Crankworx this weekend, more cycling photographs to come!

Baby Pics!

This little guy was ADORABLE! And SO good. We made the poor baby lay on his back, on his tummy, on the floor, outside, and he never once complained. Not so much as a whimper! I had an awesome time photographing him, so thanks to Mom and Dad for that! I'm just gonna let the pictures speak for themselves...

LOVE baby feet!

Not the sharpest image of the session, but one of my favorites nonetheless. The dog was tipping me over as I shot, but I love the look on baby's face!