Last Sunday I had the opportunity to go to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. I took my camera along, and was able to get a picture or two I was pleased with. The rest were all a part of the learning process. I spent the majority of the time playing with either my shutter speed or aperture settings, and as a result almost every single picture came out over exposed. The sad part is, I couldn't tell by looking at the display on the camera. The mistakes only became clear when I uploaded the images to my PC. Had I been able to see the mistakes I would have corrected with a new shot.
I would post the mistakes, but they frustrate me to no end, so I won't. Instead, here is a low-light shot of the Haunted Mansion's Chandelier. This was done in low light, and hand held.
1/13S f/4.0 ISO:3200
Canon EOS Rebel T2i
Taken in the Huanted Mansion at Disneyland in Anaheim, California
I happened to see this tractor meticulously plowing the fields behind my home, the dust rising and catching the late afternoon sunshine as I wandered into my hallway. I grabbed my camera and waited on the deck until I caught t he perfect moment.
It almost looks magical.
Almost.
I kept the foreground of the picture dark to help keep the emphasis on the dust. I also manually cropped the image. I do like to stay in "traditional" sized for portraits, but in nearly everything else, cropping to a nonstandard size can make a boring shot look great.
Until today I hadn't ever tried using my Canon EOS Rebel T2i's video function. The videos were taken inside a dimly lit room using my standard kit lens (EF-S 18-55mm). The camera performed beautifully in the low light, and the sound recording does a decent job. I will need to test out the conditions in bright sunlight.
My willing participant is ten year old Amelia. This little girl young lady is has the ability to sing a Capella, a feat I find extraordinary. My own singing, while not the worst in the world, is still terrible. I am amazed that at ten she has natural vibrato in her voice, but doesn't over do it. The song she is singing is "Stereo Hearts" by Gym Class Heroes, featuring Adam Levine's solo.
Remember Ducky from my last post? She is an aspiring photographer like myself and is now posting to her own blog called The Little Red Bird. I can't wait to see what she snaps!. When we met up at Disneyland, I had my camera and other gear with me. Part of the problem of aspiring to be a photographer? Getting your hands on some equipment to try it out. I happily handed over my camera and gear to Ducky, and she happily snapped away and produced some fantastic shots! Shots I never would have dreamt of! So here they are, in all their glory:
One of my favorite people in the whole of eternity. We met up at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Ducky is one of the most kind, vibrant, and genuine people I know. She always celebrates in triumph, no matter how small, and is an absolute sweetheart.
1/200s f/5.6 ISO: 100
Canon EOS Digital Rebel
August 21st, 2011 in Anaheim, CA
This Stormtrooper appeared while we waited in line for Star Tours. As people noticed, they quickly pulled out cell phones to snap pictures. The Stormtroopers hassled them and chastised them for the pictures. I caught this image at the perfect moment with the image on the guest's screen.
1/125s f/5.0 ISO: 100
Canon EOS Digital Rebel
August 21st, 2011 in Anaheim, CA
I've known this young lady for the entirety of her life, and for her tenth birthday we celebrated by dressing to the nines and having a photo-shoot at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California. This was my first location shoot, and extremely difficult due to immense crowds. These are the shots that made it to the final cut. Once again, the "Creative" setting was used to capture these shots, as it was quicker to set up with large crowds and a young model.
All photographs captured on August 13th, 2011 at the Getty Center with a Canon EOS Rebel T2i.
