In this post I will review two techniques I have talked about in previous
posts and give tips on how to combine them to create some fun and creative
photographs.
Lensball
A lensball is a fun way to break away from the normal photos and get a bit
creative. Here is a photo I took of a friend photographing the St. Louis
Arch, I took his photo through a lens ball that was sitting on a tripod
next to him.
On this post Crystal Photography Ball
, I show you basic techniques on using a lensball. These basic
techniques are the first steps in creating the combined technique you see in
the introductory photo.
Textured Backgrounds
Whenever you want the background to be different from your photo it is
quite simple to change backgrounds in Photoshop. Some backgrounds I
make myself and others I get online. Whichever method you choose, the
tips in this post will help you to change your background. Photoshop Texturing Techniques
The photo above is a shot of an African daisy put on a textured
background.
Combining Techniques
Now for the fun and creative part. When you take photos with a lensball
first of all the photo is upside down and second the background just never
seems to look right. At least mine usually doesn't. I was
contemplating this problem when I thought about my textured background
technique I love to use and decided I could apply it to my lensball
photos. Here is a photo I created using these combined techniques and
then the steps I followed to create the photo.
First I took a photo of my new Dipladenia plant and edited it in
Lightroom. I saved the photo on my desktop.
Next I took a photo of the same plant using my crystal photo ball. I
put the photo ball stand on a table right next to the plant and focused my
camera on the plant image inside the ball. I brought the photo into
Lightroom and inverted the photo so the image in the ball is right side
up.
Next I opened the first photo in Photoshop.
With the first photo open I clicked on File and Place Embedded in
Photoshop.
This brought the ball photo into photoshop covering the original
photo. I then used the Lasso tool to outline the ball and I clicked
on Create and Mask in the top bar.
Now I used the slider to get the effect that I wanted. I used the
transparency and the feather sliders. I next clicked done.
Now I click on the little square mask symbol at the bottom of the layers
column and again moved the sliders to get the desired effect.
Finally I used Save As and named my file and saved it as a JPeg file.
I do this procedure as second nature now, but it took me a lot of practice
before I got any results that I was happy with. I wish you much fun
and success in your quest for Creative Photography.
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I have photographed the St. Louis Arch at sunrise, in the morning and during the day but I had never photographed it at sunset and beyond. When our photography club decided to take a trip across the Mississippi and photograph the Arch from a park on the east side of the river I was ready to go. I wasn't sure what I was expecting but when we got there I saw this platform that provided a great overlook to photograph the Arch and the riverfront. The photos below show the ramp and members of our group lined up at the top of the platform eagerly awaiting the sun to set.
Tips for Nighttime Photography
Use a tripod...this will help eliminate camera shake in the low light. This is particularly important once the sun has set.
Don't put the horizon in the middle of the photo. Try getting it somewhere in the bottom third of the photo.
Shoot in aperture priority when the sun is still up and switch to manual once the sun sets.
Stay longer ( check next paragraph for reason why).
Try changing white balance to shade setting for more stunning colors.
Wait for night clouds. A partly cloudy sky is the best for sunsets.
Watch for birds. They can add interest to the photo.
Sunset in St. Louis
Search tips for night photography online and you will find a wealth of information. The tips above are a few that I thought were particularly good.
Staying after Sunset
When I am photographing in the evening, I see many photographers wait till sunset, take their photos, and then pack up and leave. If they do they will miss the beauty of the special lighting that often happens 20-30 minutes after sunset.
Right after sunset you will see some really pretty colors in the sky.
You will note in this photo, taken about 5 minutes after sunset that the sky has some pretty pinks and yellow's to it. On some evenings this can be even more pronounced, but I still think it was pretty in the photo above.
If you wait till all the colors have gone in the sky, you will then get to the "Blue Hour" where the sky turns a beautiful dark blue. Many people miss this because they are in too big a hurry to wait. It is definitely their loss. I have seen times where there is only a slight darkening of the blue and other times where it is a fantastic deep blue. It is worth waiting to see what the evening will bring.
In the case of the arch taken from the east, I also wanted to wait till all the lights were on in the buildings around the arch. The arch is usually lit up but at this time of year those lights were turned off so they didn't interfere with the migration of birds. Although I would have liked to see the lights on the arch, I will have to save that for another trip and I do believe it made the other lights on the city appear even brighter. This photo was taken 25 minutes after sunset.
See More on the St. Louis Arch
Here is a Review This post on the Arch showing photography at sunrise and during the daytime.
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A favorite technique of mine in Adobe Photoshop is texturing. The photo
above shows a photo of a flower with a textured background. This photo
is actually a combination of two different photographs that I shot. The
foreground is the daisy flower and the textured background is a photograph of
my windshield with ice on it. On this post I will review some of the
steps needed to create this photo and then show some other photographs I
created using this procedure.
Creating a Textured Background
There are many places online that you can buy textured backgrounds, but I
like to create my own using parts of photographs that I have taken.
Here are a few from my library. They include a couple of sky images, a
brick wall, fire (from my fireplace) and the icy windshield that I used in
the introductory photo.
Steps to Create Textured Photo Composite
The steps below are the ones I used to create my textured background
images. There are several different ways to do different procedures in
PS(Photoshop) but these are the ones I find easiest for me. I have
never taken a class on PS, but rather have taught myself through the use of
the tutorials on PS (great for the basics) and YouTube tutorials you can
find online for many different specialty techniques. Here then are the
steps used to create the photo like the one at the top of this post.
I first Open a background photo in PS. I used my icy windshield
background for the photo at the top of this post. I also always make a
duplicate copy of the background photo.
Next I click on file and then Place Embedded to select the photo that I
want in the forefront. In this case my daisy photo. The new photo
will come in on top of the background photo and I will then stretch or
reduce it to make it the same size as the background photo.
The next step is to pick out the area of the photo that you want to
highlight. In the case of the daisy photo I use the Quick Selection
tool to outline the main daisy. I then click the button at the
top that says Select and Mask.
This will open a new window that will give you the opportunity to use
sliders to bring in as much of the background texture as you want.
Play with the sliders till you get the desired effect and click done.
This will bring you back to the main screen where you will now
click the little square at the bottom of the layers column that adds the
layer mask.(when I first started I always got hung up because I forgot
this important step.)
Next you will tweak the sliders for the layer mask to get exactly the
effect you desire.
Now you just save your work and you have created a beautiful photo with a
textured background.
This took a lot of practice for me to get all the steps right so don't get
discouraged if at first you don't succeed.
Samples of my Textured Background Photos
Daisy with Brick Wall Texture
Bluebirds with Sky Texture Background
Candle in Crystal Ball with Fire textured background
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For Christmas, I received a Crystal Photography Ball. These balls have
become quite popular with photographers and I was anxious to get one and
try it out. The great thing about these balls is that they are a fun way
to try different techniques with your photography no matter what type of
camera you use. When I got mine for Christmas my nephew tried it
out with his iPhone with wonderful results. So whether you use a DSLR, a
mirrorless camera, a point and shoot or even a camera phone try out a
photography ball to add some new interest to your photos.
Taking Photos with a Crystal Photography Ball
I have found that it takes a bit of practice to get used to shooting with the
photography ball, but with a bit of practice you can get some interesting
shots.
Here are a few tips that may help you.
Try using a wide angle lens and get close to the ball.
For landscapes you may want to try a zoom lens.
Be sure to focus on the image in the ball
Be careful not to use the ball too long in bright sunlight...you could get
burned from the reflection.
Take care to keep your ball free of fingerprints. Bring a
cleaning cloth with you.
There are lots of tutorials on You Tube. Take a look at a few to get
additional ideas.
Editing Photos
One of the first things you will notice when you look at the photos you
have taken is that the image in the ball is upside down. There are
several things you can do in editing to correct this.
The easiest solution is to simply flip the entire image as you can see I
have done in this image. This works particularly well when the
background is blurry and you have lights in the background. Here is
one of my first photos with the photography ball.
Another solution would be to add a textured background to the
photo. I did that in the photo at the beginning of this post,
where I added a fire background to the candle in the ball.
A third solution is to flip just the ball in Photoshop or a similar
program. I have not quite mastered that technique yet, but you can
find lots of videos on YouTube to take you through that process.
Some of My Favorite Crystal Ball Images
Here are a few more images I have taken with my crystal ball. These are
some that I took while on a trip to Jupiter, Florida. I still have a
lot to learn, but I love the challenge.
A crystal photography ball can be rather inexpensive. Here is one
like the one I have with a clear stand and a pouch to keep it.
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For my birthday my husband bought me a new Sony Mirrorless camera. I was looking for something lightweight to use when I traveled. But I wanted the same capabilities of my Sony SLR. I had been hearing about the mirrorless cameras from fellow photographers and at a meeting last fall we had a speaker at our photo club that introduced us to mirrorless cameras and I was sold. A mirrorless camera combines the best of a DSLR(Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera and a lightweight compact body. It has the features of the DSLR without the mirrors which makes it a lightweight camera without sacrificing the quality.
Features of A6300
There are many features that I enjoy on the Sony A6300. Here are just a few of the ones that are important to me.
100-25,600 ISO range allowing you to take great photos even in low light settings.
4D focus systems which quickly locks in on your subject, helping to take crisp clear photos.
Continuous shooting at up to 11fps(frames per second)
WiFi, NFC, QR codes for easy file transfer
Tiltable 3inch LCD screen that tilts up or down for capturing high and low framing
An eyepiece cup that helps me to see clearly what I am photographing.
Settings that allow you to shoot in Auto, Scene, Full Manual and everything in between.
Movies in 4K movie recording
Learning to Use A6300
I am finding the A6300 very easy to use. Most of the features are similar to my DSLR so the learning curve was very easy. My husband bought me two lenses to go with my new camera a wide angle 16-55 and a telephoto in the 55-210 range. The photo below was taken during a cloudy day in a room with no lights turned on. I love the way the camera handles low light situations. For this photo I just set the camera to aperture priority F7.0 and shot away. The colors came out perfect with no adjustment needed.
On a recent trip to Florida, I was able to photograph birds at the pier with my new camera. In order to get some nice closeup shots I put on my 55-210 zoom lens. In this closeup of a brown colored pigeon I again used aperture priority and a F6.3 setting. I love the sharp photo, great colors and blurred background.
For photographs using my photography ball, I switched to a wider angle lens 16-55 mm. I again used aperture priority and was able to capture Jupiter lighthouse in my ball.
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I have been fascinated by woodpeckers for a long time, but I didn't realize there were so many different types of woodpeckers. This year I purchased a peanut feeder for my backyard. When I started to see different types of woodpeckers using the feeder I checked out information about woodpeckers both online and in my Backyard Birds guide. In this post I will show you photos and facts about the four types of woodpeckers that have visited my backyard.
Northern Flicker
The Northern Flicker is a very handsome bird. It has a brown back with black bars and a very distinct crescent of black on the chest. In flight the white rump is very conspicuous. These woodpeckers usually forage on the ground for food, but I have also seen them at my suet feeders.
Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpeckers are the most common ones that I see in my backyard. They visit year round and are fairly small birds. These small tubular looking woodpeckers are very delicate looking. They have crisp black and white plumage and the males have a red patch toward the back of the head. They have a larger look-alike cousin the Hairy Woodpecker.
Red-Bellied Woodpecker
The Red-Bellied Woodpecker is a large bird with zebra type stripes across the back. The red belly is really just a pink tinge across the white chest. The really red part is on the head. The male has a bright red cap that extends from the bill all the way down the nape. The female is similar to the male except that the red cap is only in the nape area.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
I have only seen this bird one day in my yard. I was able to capture photos from several angles and posted it on birding sites. The consensus was that it is a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. My bird book says that I probably caught it on its' migration south. These birds are rather large woodpeckers with a striped face pattern and a long white slash on the wing. The male has a red throat and forecrown. The female has white throat and red fore crown, so I would say the photo above is a male Yellow-bellied woodpecker.
Feeders for Woodpeckers
I have two types of feeders that I use to attract woodpeckers. The first is a cage like feeder that I fill with suet cakes. You can see a Northern Flicker enjoying a suet cake in the photo below.
This type of feeder is also visited by several other types of birds.
This year I purchased a peanut feeder and it has been very popular with both woodpeckers and nuthatches. This feeder is filled with unshelled peanuts and it is fun to watch the birds peck away till they get the nut out of the shell. This keeps them at the feeder longer and helps me to capture them with my camera. Below is a Red Breasted Nuthatch that visited the peanut feeder.
I purchased my peanut feeder on Amazon. You can get your own by following the link below.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I have long been a fan of Bluebirds but until this year I have not been able to capture any photographs that I really liked. During a very cold spell in January a group of Bluebirds visited our backyard and I was able to capture some nice photos. I had a camera set up on a tripod in front of our glass doors and I snapped away as the Bluebirds checked out our feeding spots. For those interested I am using a Sony A57 with a Tamron150-600 lens. My camera is set to A (aperture mode) and I'm using a 6.5 aperture in most of these photos.
Eastern Bluebird Identification
These birds are small thrush type birds with a round head and big belly.
The male Bluebirds are particularly bright in color as you can see in the photo above. They have a bright blue colored head and back along with their tail feathers. Their throat and chest are a bright rusty color.
The female bluebirds have the same color pattern as the males and they are a similar size, however their coloring is much more subdued. Their head appears an almost grayish color as you can see in the photo above.
Juvenile Bluebirds
The juvenile Bluebirds have spotting on their backs and chests and some blue beginning in their wings and chests.
Feeding Behavior and Diet
From spring to early fall the Bluebirds diets consist of mainly insects. In the winter they rely mainly on fruits. As you can see in the photo above they will also resort to seeds in the winter. I have found that if I do not clean out my flower containers after blooming season the Bluebirds and other birds like to rummage through the dead plants.
Nesting
Although Bluebirds will use a nest box they also like holes in old trees, particularly old woodpecker nests. They fill their nests with grass and other plant material. A Bluebird usually lays 4-5 eggs and they are inculpated by the female for 11-19 days. The fledgling birds leave the nest in about 19 days.
References
I gathered my information from several online sources as well as from my book Backyard Guide to the Birds. Here are my references.
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When we visited in June 2011, the library grounds were full of flowers.
We visited the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, as part of our 47th Wedding Anniversary celebration. The library is easy to access, since it's in a part of California that so far does not have the traffic problems of larger cities. You can find library hours and directions here. The driveway was long and curvy as it climbed to the library buildings at the top. This is what we saw when we got there.
The view below shows the other side of the entrance.
On the way up we passed this picnic area just before we got to the buildings. If you look toward the back of the photo below you will see part of the enormous parking lot. Parking is free, but some spaces require a long walk up to the building.
Picnic Area at Reagan Library
The Library Entrance through the Courtyard
This is the way to enter the courtyard that leads to the main entrance. You pass through the shadow into the light, where you see the fountain in the courtyard.
Through the Shadows and into the Bright Courtyard
Here is a better look at the fountain. You can pick up this view at Zazzle as a postcard, a puzzle, blank greeting card, magnet, or beverage coaster set. I show it here as a puzzle. You can click the image if you want to purchase it or see the other products.
As you approach the door, this statue of Ronald Reagan himself greets you.
Ronald Reagan Statue
Once inside the door, you can pay for your admission and proceed to the exhibits. There is an order to it. I went accidentally the wrong way, so I didn't see the displays in the order I should have. But it was still a wonderful walk through Reagan's life - personal, professional, and political. (Note: The docents were wonderfully helpful at getting me back to where I took the wrong turn.)
Ronald Reagan's Early Years
The library's archives reveal that Ronald Reagan grew up in a poor family. He just didn't realize it at the time. His father was a shoe salesman and the family didn't own a home. When young Ronald was 14 he got his first job - digging ditches. Later he worked as a lifeguard during the summers. He saved his money toward tuition to supplement his college scholarship for Eureka College.
Reagan was raised in Dixon, Illinois, and his mother was a devout Christian and a member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.) His father was Catholic. Nelle Reagan was known in her church as a prayer warrior. She maintained her ties to the Dixon church even after she moved to California. Her Bible is on display at the Reagan Library, along with many family photos and other family possessions in the exhibit on Reagan's early life.
Nelle Reagan's Bible
The Air Force One Pavilion
I think the most impressive exhibit was the Air Force One Pavilion. I was overwhelmed by the spaciousness of it when I walked in. Whereas most of the exhibits were enclosed by walls on both sides as you walked the path between them, the Pavilion displaying all the means of presidential transport was wide open and multistoried. Its glass outside walls allowed one to survey the surrounding valley as far as the eye could see. As you look at the photos of Air Force and Marine One, and gauge their size, you realize just how big this pavilion is to house it all. The library makes some space in the Pavilion available for public events.
Maine One
The photo below of Marine One shows you how large it is in comparison to the tables you see in the background that are often used at events.
Marine One
Below is a closer view of the front of the Marine One helicopter.
Another View of Marine One
Air Force One
Those of us who have only taken to the air in commercial planes can easily be impressed when we board Air Force One and see what those fly on private or special government planes are treated to. Air Force One is a flying office, command center, and a place to entertain guests and the press corps. Library visitors not only tour Air Force One, but they can also get their pictures taken as they exit. One cannot take pictures aboard the plane legally without official permission. The exterior is impressive enough!
Here's the front of Air Force One
Front of Air Force One
Below is the tail section of the jet that carried President Reagan and all who traveled with him. I took the photos from the second level of the Pavilion. At the back on the lower level you can see the mural depicting all the air transportation presidents have used.
Tail of Air Force One
I have included this official video from the library to give you a better view of the Pavilion. It takes a video to do it justice, but you really can't take it all in unless you actually visit. Honestly, it is truly awesome.
The Motorcade
The Pavilion also houses the land vehicles the President and those that protected him rode in. You will find President Reagan's 1984 Cadillac limousine and a "follow-up" or "chase" vehicle -- a 1986 Chevrolet Suburban. That vehicle handles on-site communications and transport for the agents protecting the President. I had not realized that when the Presidents travel outside the country, these secure vehicles are transported by air to wherever the President will be . Both vehicles are in the photo below. Please click to see a larger view.
Part of the Presidential Motorcade
I just had to add this photo with the limo's Gipper license plate. They sure keep the limousine shiny. It might as well be a mirror.
The "Gipper" License Plate
The Berlin Wall
Perhaps some best remember Ronald Reagan for his appeal in a speech: "Mister Gorbachev, tear down this wall." As we know, the wall finally did come down. One of the displays that really hit me was the reconstruction of part of the Berlin Wall. Here is one view of it. The hole is there for children to crawl through to explore.
Berlin Wall Exhibit
Here's a genuine piece of the wall that is displayed outside of the buildings so you can see both sides.
This is the drab side that would have faced inside the wall.
Genuine Berlin Wall Fragment
This is the other side, facing outside, where people drew pictures and wrote messages. I believe this part is particularly beautiful.
The More Artistic Side of the Berlin Wall Fragment
Learn more about Ronald Reagan in these books, or display his wisdom with this wall art.
Here is Reagan's famous "Tear down this wall" speech.
Last Photos
These photos didn't fit under the headings above. One exhibit reflects Reagan's love for horses. I'm not sure if it depicts his favorite horse, El Alamein, or not. I read that El Alamein was buried on Reagan's Santa Barbara Ranch. On the wall around this exhibit there is a life-size photo of Reagan riding his horse. That is not visible in this photo.
Reagan loved his horses.
A fitting image to complete this post is the final resting place of Ronald Wilson Reagan, who died on June 5, 2004. The lettering on the monument is too light to read in the photo, but this is what it says:
"I know in my heart that man is good That what is right will always eventually triumph And there is purpose and worth to each and every life"
I hope you have enjoyed this mini-tour of the Ronald Reagan Library. If you ever get the chance, I hope you will go see it. Some of the exhibits I didn't have room to mention here are very moving. There is a video of the attempted assassination, and other videos reveal how much Nancy and the President loved each other. The final one left me in tears. I hadn't thought to bring tissues, but a docent was handing them out after I finished watching that video.
Many exhibits deal with Reagan's relationships with the leaders of other nations. You will also see a full-size replica of the Oval Office with Reagan's desk. You can even get your picture taken behind Reagan's podium with his seal. Do you recognize those who who are listening?
If you visit the Reagan Presidential Library, be sure to leave enough time to enjoy it all. You should be able to get through all the exhibits in three to four hours. If you are hungry, there are two dining options available -- a cafe and a pub. You don't need to pay admission to visit the cafe, but the pub doesn't have an outside entrance for the public. You will also probably want to leave some time to walk the grounds.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”