WyoGalPhotography

Growing in the Wind

COOLPIX S6200

settings

Aperture f/3.2 ISO 80 Shutter 1/2000

upload_date

Sep, 2013

Views

450

Likes

+29

Awards

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Exceptional Contrast

Absolute Masterpiece

Superior Skill

Magnificent Capture

Peer Award

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank

Top 20 rank week 2

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 3

Top 10 rank week 2

Top 10 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo one afternoon when I was at the dog park with my dog, Koda.

Time

It was early afternoon, probably around 1pm - 2pm.

Lighting

It was a sunny, bright, clear afternoon.

Equipment

My Nikon CoolPix point and shoot, S6200.

Inspiration

I took this photo a couple years ago when I was first starting to pursue my interest in photography. I always had an interest in photography but I never pursued it because I didn't think I had any talent or the ability to become a good photographer. Then one day I decided to go for it because I would never know if I didn't try and I didn't want to look back on my life someday and regret NOT doing something. I'm very familiar with the dog park - the scenery, the different times of day, and the different seasons because Koda and I go there all the time, so it was a natural place to start practicing. One thing I always did from the beginning, and still do, is explore every aspect, angle, and perspective of an area or subject. I spend a lot of time walking in circles and back-tracking. I turned around and saw this view, I really like the way it looked with the sun behind the middle tree and, since the trees didn't have leaves on them yet, you could tell how crooked they grow due to the Wyoming wind, and I liked the long shadows.

Editing

I didn't do any post-processing with the exception of opening it in Elements and putting that big, ugly watermark on the top left side of my image. I don't do that anymore.

In my camera bag

At this point in time, the only thing I had was my Nikon CoolPix and a spare battery. I eventually saved up my money and bought a Nikon D3200 which came with an 18-55mm Nikon lens. I saved up my money again and bought two refurbed lenses, an 18-105mm Nikon lens and a 55-300 Nikon lens. I have a lens hood and UV filter on each lens and I have a few ND filters for my 18-55mm lens. I always have a lens pen and microfiber cleaning cloth, and now I always have my Nikon CoolPix point and shoot in my camera bag too.

Feedback

I'm not much of a "tech talker" with respect to photography - if someone asks me about a specific setting, however, I can check my EXIF data and give that information to them. For this photo I believe I changed the settings to low-key and sepia tone and I believe you can use the same settings on a bridge camera. If you have a DSLR, to get the sunburst set your f-stop around f22. Also, I eventually learned that you should capture your photo in color and then convert it to sepia in post-processing. My best advice is, if you are interested in photography (or anything) pursue your interest and it's never too late to start. Also, I broke two photography rules when I captured this image - I was out shooting in the bright, mid-day sun and I shot into the sun. For those of us who shoot primarily outdoors, I think we kind of become "light snobs" - no, I'm not taking the photo because it's not the right light, the light is too harsh, etc. Yes, shooting at the golden hours can make for some spectacular photos - some places that look "blah" during the day can look very pretty at the golden hour. However, if we always wait for the golden hour, I think we're missing what could be could potentially be great, interesting images - unique, dramatic, long shadows, and so forth. We could also be missing a shot that has meaning to us, a memory or a feeling attached with the photo. Not every photo has to go into your portfolio and I think photography is supposed to be fun - it is for me, I love it! Don't be afraid to share your photos - I learn from critiques and from my mistakes, and I also learn by experimenting and you're probably not the only one who enjoys your "experiments". This photo sat on my hard drive for a long time before I decided to share it. I finally uploaded it to ViewBug, and just as I was about to delete from my gallery, I received a few Peer Recognitions. I was shocked and surprised! I was also very happy and I think it was a good learning lesson for me.

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WyoGalPhotography

WyoGalPhotography

Growing in the Wind

Behind The Lens

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