Decorative Lamp
I saw these paper-like lamps in the local mall and loved them!
I saw these paper-like lamps in the local mall and loved them!
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Sep, 2015Views
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Steve_Thomas
October 09, 2015
Amazing! I have a shot of the same lamp (but I like yours better). Take a look if you get a chance. Audiophileman
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acglock
February 21, 2016
For yet a third version of this amazing shade, see my Gallery as well as Steve_Thomas's ! I found mine as a wall fixture in The Muse of Knoxville. I love the contrast here. I posted mine as a straight from the camera shot for a particular challenge, but love the drama of a black background!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at a mall in Houston, Texas. It's ironic this would be one of my best because my daughter, a very talented photographer, likes to drag me into the city for photos though I prefer nature and wildlife photography. Equally ironic is the fact that she did not take her camera out that day at all!Time
This was taken sometime in the afternoon indoors. The mall is full of fluorescent lights, which I find quite difficult. However, there were sky lights which let in natural light on occasion. This seemed to give me the balance I needed to make a good shot. And, it helped create shadows which gave the darker background.Lighting
This particular lamp was at a booth with many other lamps. It was not the brightest, nor was it the most colorful. There were shots I thought maybe had better contrast because lamps of different colors could be in one shot, but I enjoyed the dark hallway/walkway behind this particular shot as the lamp was separated from the others. I liked the dark contrast as a background over other lamps. I took several photos at different angels. I learned the hard way that it's better to have one too many than to stop too early wishing for another shot.Equipment
Ah. . . my equipment. My camera is a Nikon L100 which is probably close to 10 years old at this point. The scratches on the lens cause it to focus on the lens in about 40% of my photos. There's a photo on my profile entitled, "Focus Fail" in which you can see the scratches. One of my biggest challenges with my camera is simply getting it to focus on the subject of the photo rather than its own lens. Equally challenging is the fact that I seem to want to shoot wildlife with a lens that is only 75 mm. I do not own a tripod, but I will often take a knee or use something around me to steady the shot (like benches, etc.). I did not use a flash for this photo. I put the camera on the night landscape mode which decreases the shutter speed. While I've been learning about iso, shutter speed, aperture, I cannot manually change these things on my camera and thus do not have a solid understanding or use of the same at this point. I am extremely new to photography, probably just a couple of months now. I have a lot to learn, but I'm enjoying it a great deal. The challenge of getting a great shot is both encouraging and discouraging, but I press on hoping for "at least one really great shot." I'm not picky about subject either, I'd love a great shot of anything!Inspiration
Quite simply the unique quality of the lamp itself inspired me to take the photo. I found it stunning. And, unlike wildlife, it was cooperative and remained still for long periods of time. One of my goals is to capture photos that reflect what I see. It's easy to point a camera and capture something in a photo, but quite an art for that subject to look the way it does in my mind's eye. This is one of those rare photos in which I believe I captured the lamp as I saw it that day in the mall.Editing
Yes, I do basic post-processing. I use the free version of Fotor and/or the Viewbug software. I attempted to read a book about Photoshop, and my head began to hurt, so I decided to keep it simple while I'm learning. I usually crop, adjust contrast, brightness and exposure. However, it's important to note that on this particular photo I had learned to use the clone tool on Fotor, and I used it to darken areas around the lamp that were not all black. It enhanced the contrast and focus on the lamp.In my camera bag
I carry a bag with water, snacks, Deep Woods Off, extra batteries and a rag/towel to keep the lens clean. I also learned to take extra socks and shoes because I have limited zoom power and cannot change lenses. Therefore, I find myself off the beaten path quite often and soaking wet! Oh, and I take dog cookies for my dogs. They are my best photography partners because they are always up for running around in the bush.Feedback
I have two key points of advice: 1. Check for FIRE ANTS BEFORE lying on the ground to get a shot. 2. Keep on trying and don't give up! We all have unique styles, thoughts and vision and therefore no one should feel less about their work. I sometimes get a photo about which I feel good, but then compare myself to the finalists in contests. It's interesting how fast the feelings of self satisfaction disappear into negative feelings when I look at the best of the best. While I believe it's important to view others in an effort to grow and learn, it needs to stay balanced so that we do not lose hope in this art, or our own abilities.
