Sunday, February 22, 2009
And the (2nd place Best in Show) Winner is...
I just learned today that I placed first in the Architecture division of the 2009 Best in Show print competition put on by the Champaign County Camera Club, AND I also got 2nd place Best in Show! I am so thrilled!! Here's the shot that won (from my last blog entry)...
Thursday, February 12, 2009
I LOVE this building!
In December, Josh and I went on our very first trip to California together, and one of the things on my must-do list was go see the Walt Disney Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry. I had seen photos and absolutely loved the building and knew I wanted to photograph it. Here are a few of my favorites of the 45 shots I took of it that day.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
What's in my "bag"
Would you like to know what type of camera equipment I use? Well, today is your lucky day! Here is a run-down of what I use to create my photos.
I'm a Canon girl, and I currently own four DSLR camera bodies - a Rebel XT, 30D, 50D, and 5D. I got the Rebel back in 2005 and have been thrilled with what this entry level DSLR can do. The 30D was next and has seen a LOT of action shooting weddings and Disney trips. Last year I added the 5D, my first full frame DSLR, and this camera is just amazing! I recently picked up the 50D, and it will certainly be put to the test this year.
My lenses - Canon's 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5, 50mm f/1.8 II, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, 15mm f/2.8 fisheye, and 16-35mm f/2.8L II, and a lensbaby 2.0. I also have an EF 12 II extension tube which I've used with several of these lenses.
I have two Canon Speedlites - the 430EX II and the 580EX II which I use often with my Gary Fong diffusers. I also received an umbrella and light stand for Christmas that I plan to play with very soon. I will post the results here on the blog of course. I also have both Lastolite and Westcott reflectors. I have been thrilled with both!
I use a Giottos carbon fiber tripod with a Manfrotto 322RC2 grip action ball head for some portraits and for fireworks. I also have a Manfrotto monopod for when I need some stabilization, but not necessarily a tripod.
I have replaced my Canon camera straps with a strap made by Lowepro that is much more comfortable to wear. And attached to each camera strap is a nifty little Mickey Mouse microfiber lens cloth I picked up at Walt Disney World.
The majority of this, along with cable shutter releases, battery grips, synch cord, lens filters (Hoya & Tiffen if you're curious), extra batteries and chargers, and various other necessities fits into my Pelican case, which accompanies me on location shoots. If we drive on vacation, the case comes along in the van then too.
I have a Tamrac Adventure 7 backpack that I use for carrying around a camera, a few lenses, and accessories when we are visiting Disney parks, the Indy Zoo, or some other destination where it isn't practical or desirable to lug around a large case.
Well, there you have it. That's what I work with. I love to talk equipment, and I have a few items I'm planning to get before my next trip to Florida, so I'll post updates. There's a lot of cool camera stuff out there!
I'm a Canon girl, and I currently own four DSLR camera bodies - a Rebel XT, 30D, 50D, and 5D. I got the Rebel back in 2005 and have been thrilled with what this entry level DSLR can do. The 30D was next and has seen a LOT of action shooting weddings and Disney trips. Last year I added the 5D, my first full frame DSLR, and this camera is just amazing! I recently picked up the 50D, and it will certainly be put to the test this year.
My lenses - Canon's 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5, 50mm f/1.8 II, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, 15mm f/2.8 fisheye, and 16-35mm f/2.8L II, and a lensbaby 2.0. I also have an EF 12 II extension tube which I've used with several of these lenses.
I have two Canon Speedlites - the 430EX II and the 580EX II which I use often with my Gary Fong diffusers. I also received an umbrella and light stand for Christmas that I plan to play with very soon. I will post the results here on the blog of course. I also have both Lastolite and Westcott reflectors. I have been thrilled with both!
I use a Giottos carbon fiber tripod with a Manfrotto 322RC2 grip action ball head for some portraits and for fireworks. I also have a Manfrotto monopod for when I need some stabilization, but not necessarily a tripod.
I have replaced my Canon camera straps with a strap made by Lowepro that is much more comfortable to wear. And attached to each camera strap is a nifty little Mickey Mouse microfiber lens cloth I picked up at Walt Disney World.
The majority of this, along with cable shutter releases, battery grips, synch cord, lens filters (Hoya & Tiffen if you're curious), extra batteries and chargers, and various other necessities fits into my Pelican case, which accompanies me on location shoots. If we drive on vacation, the case comes along in the van then too.
I have a Tamrac Adventure 7 backpack that I use for carrying around a camera, a few lenses, and accessories when we are visiting Disney parks, the Indy Zoo, or some other destination where it isn't practical or desirable to lug around a large case.
Well, there you have it. That's what I work with. I love to talk equipment, and I have a few items I'm planning to get before my next trip to Florida, so I'll post updates. There's a lot of cool camera stuff out there!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
What the heck are the 'ers?
So I’ve been trying to decide what to write about for my very first blog entry. I’ve been so busy working on the website that I haven’t taken any photos in the past week, so I don’t have anything that new to share. Hopefully I can soon post some shots using the umbrella and stand I got for Christmas, but I haven’t been able to coordinate time with any willing volunteers yet. Maybe I’ll accomplish that sometime in the next couple of weeks.
So, for this entry I’ve decided to introduce you to our furry kids. Josh and I don’t have kids yet, so our beagle Jasper and our cat Oliver are our only “kids” at this point. We sometimes refer to them as “the ‘ers” (because both their names end in ‘er’) or simply “the fur”.
First up is Oliver, since he joined the family first, back in November of 2005. I have to say, I am not a cat person in general. I love all animals, but I have always had dogs (and once a snake), and I wanted a dog. However, we weren’t ready for a dog yet, and we visited PetSmart one evening with some friends who wanted to look at the kittens, and there he was. A log of orange and white fur. No, that's not a typo. I said L-O-G. I read the info sheet – fully de-clawed, neutered, male, about two and a half years old. I didn’t need the info sheet to tell me that this cat was LAZY. He was 14 pounds. He had short hair, but was fluffy and he was from the local humane society. I told Josh, who had been talking about getting a cat, that if everything worked out and I could select the litter box (I wanted fully automatic!), I would go for it. We called the shelter and learned that he was healthy, had no incidents of spraying or coughing up hairballs, and indeed would only play if he really wanted to. The only “issue” he had was that his food bowl could not be plastic because he was apparently allergic. He had broken out on his chin at the shelter, but it was almost cleared up. So we took the leap and brought him home (along with the top-of-the-line LitterMaid litterbox with optional “tent” enclosure). And who do you think he has become obsessed with – Josh, who wanted a cat and kept pushing until we got one, or me, who had to be convinced and had “conditions”? If you guessed me, you’re right. The cat follows me around, demands love from me, and has even been heard to say “mama”. (I swear!) And in fact, he is the BEST cat ever! He doesn’t climb on things he’s not supposed to, he doesn’t spray, and he hasn’t coughed up a single hairball since we’ve had him. He just wants to be loved, and he does like to play now that he’s lost some weight. We have him down to about 11 pounds now. He even plays with the dog! And here he is, our Oliver on Christmas day…
As for Jasper, she joined the family in June 2006. I wanted a puppy badly. Josh had wanted a beagle (tri-color to be exact) for years and wanted to name it Jasper. We found a breeder, and when it came time to pick from the litter, there were two tri-colors left – both females. So yes, we have a girl dog named Jasper. (We get a lot of questions about it in case you hadn’t guessed.) Actually her full AKC name is Oliver Payne’s Princess Jasper. She weighed three and a half pounds when we brought her home, and she is about 24 pounds now! She’s too cute for her own good, and she loves people and other animals. She is a bit stubborn to say the least, but overall she is a good dog. She has her Canine Good Citizen certificate, and we’ve been doing agility training with her since she was just under a year old. (As a form of exercise and entertainment for her) She loves it, but won’t be winning any awards any time soon. She does a pretty good job though, and how can you not love this face?
So, there you have it - the 'ers! And I'm gonna wrap it up now since they are both laying on me right at this very moment. Until next time...
~Lynda
So, for this entry I’ve decided to introduce you to our furry kids. Josh and I don’t have kids yet, so our beagle Jasper and our cat Oliver are our only “kids” at this point. We sometimes refer to them as “the ‘ers” (because both their names end in ‘er’) or simply “the fur”.
First up is Oliver, since he joined the family first, back in November of 2005. I have to say, I am not a cat person in general. I love all animals, but I have always had dogs (and once a snake), and I wanted a dog. However, we weren’t ready for a dog yet, and we visited PetSmart one evening with some friends who wanted to look at the kittens, and there he was. A log of orange and white fur. No, that's not a typo. I said L-O-G. I read the info sheet – fully de-clawed, neutered, male, about two and a half years old. I didn’t need the info sheet to tell me that this cat was LAZY. He was 14 pounds. He had short hair, but was fluffy and he was from the local humane society. I told Josh, who had been talking about getting a cat, that if everything worked out and I could select the litter box (I wanted fully automatic!), I would go for it. We called the shelter and learned that he was healthy, had no incidents of spraying or coughing up hairballs, and indeed would only play if he really wanted to. The only “issue” he had was that his food bowl could not be plastic because he was apparently allergic. He had broken out on his chin at the shelter, but it was almost cleared up. So we took the leap and brought him home (along with the top-of-the-line LitterMaid litterbox with optional “tent” enclosure). And who do you think he has become obsessed with – Josh, who wanted a cat and kept pushing until we got one, or me, who had to be convinced and had “conditions”? If you guessed me, you’re right. The cat follows me around, demands love from me, and has even been heard to say “mama”. (I swear!) And in fact, he is the BEST cat ever! He doesn’t climb on things he’s not supposed to, he doesn’t spray, and he hasn’t coughed up a single hairball since we’ve had him. He just wants to be loved, and he does like to play now that he’s lost some weight. We have him down to about 11 pounds now. He even plays with the dog! And here he is, our Oliver on Christmas day…
As for Jasper, she joined the family in June 2006. I wanted a puppy badly. Josh had wanted a beagle (tri-color to be exact) for years and wanted to name it Jasper. We found a breeder, and when it came time to pick from the litter, there were two tri-colors left – both females. So yes, we have a girl dog named Jasper. (We get a lot of questions about it in case you hadn’t guessed.) Actually her full AKC name is Oliver Payne’s Princess Jasper. She weighed three and a half pounds when we brought her home, and she is about 24 pounds now! She’s too cute for her own good, and she loves people and other animals. She is a bit stubborn to say the least, but overall she is a good dog. She has her Canine Good Citizen certificate, and we’ve been doing agility training with her since she was just under a year old. (As a form of exercise and entertainment for her) She loves it, but won’t be winning any awards any time soon. She does a pretty good job though, and how can you not love this face?
So, there you have it - the 'ers! And I'm gonna wrap it up now since they are both laying on me right at this very moment. Until next time...
~Lynda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
