Greetings! I have a new website that will contain my blog as well as links and photo galleries. It is at http://tiptoncreative.com
This blog will remain, but there will be no updates to it in the future. Feel free to checkout my new site.
Latest
Nikon D600–Review Research
I’ve been researching for a main camera replacement for my Nikon D90. “Go full frame” is what I hear from a lot of photographers, but I don’t want to spend the $$$ to get there. A few days ago the Nikon D600 was announced. The description I’ve heard over and over again is that it is a mixture of the D800 and D7000. Oh yeah…and the lower price point makes it more appealing for a full frame camera.
Below are the reviews I have read/watched.
Nikon D600 Hands-On Review – via DigitalRev
Nikon D600 Review: Full Frame for the Masses? – via Ming Thien
Nikon D600 Review: Images This Spectacular Have Never Been So Cheap – via Gizmodo
Nikon D600 Review – via TechRadar
Nikon D600 Preview – via Steve’s DigiCams
The Nikon D600 Official Announcement – via Pixiq
Grand Tetons and the D600 – via the DP Review Forum
The D600 in the Studio – via the DP Review Forum
Getting Close With the D600 – via the DP Review Forum
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August 2012 Project–Closer
For August 2012, I decided to do a project containing close up and macro shots for a month. On most days, I did go out and take the photo. My goal was to improve my creativity and technique in the area of macro photography. Below are the photos that I received the most feedback from.
My CLOSER project on Google+ | Flickr | Facebook
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July 2012 Project–Shades of Grey
In July 2012, I decided to do a project containing only black & white shots for a month. On most days, I did go out and take the photo. There were a couple of days that I did pull a photo from my archives and converted it to black & white. My goal was to improve at producing better tones and contrast in my b&w photos. Below are the photos that I received the most feedback from.
My Shades of Grey project on Google+ | Flickr | Facebook
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Project Idea – Colors
I was reading a book I borrowed from a friend titled 50 Photo Projects, when I came across a project that sounded pretty cool. Shooting based on color…or gathering photos that have the same “dominant” color from your library. I used the collage templates mentioned in a previous post to gather sets of photos with a similar color set.
It is also interesting and inspiring to type different colors into the search on Flickr and explore the results.
Red – Blue – Green – Yellow – Orange – Purple – Pink
Projects are great for exercising creativity. I found that going through my library and grouping based on color was a worthwhile task.
Link Summary
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Sepia Tones in Photos
I ran across a good article from Light Stalking recently titled Why Sepia Photography Still Kicks Ass. It made me realize …there are so many ways to add a sepia tone to photos. Of course, some methods are better than others and everyone has their own opinion on what makes a better photo.
My favorite method that I have found so far is Sepia Toning action included with Photoshop. It does a pretty nice job.
Other photos converted using the Sepia Toning action
Below are other methods of converting to Sepia that I found in my research –
- Method 1 – Hue/Saturation adjustment layer
- Method 2 – Channel mixer/color filter
- Method 3 – Adjustments and variations
- Method 4 – Photo filter adjustment layer
- Method 5 – Gradient map adjustment layer
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Photo Collage Templates for Photoshop
My friend Katherine introduced me to some awesome storyboard templates from a company called GingerPixel. They are basically a set of PSD files that you open in Photoshop, add/arrange photos and save. The full instructions on downloading and using the templates can be found HERE. It can be a little time-consuming, but it is the easiest tool I have used to create collages.
There are eight different arrangements to chose from.
Below is a “Red” themed storyboard that I created using the Nine Square Grid template. The templates all have a white background. I played with the background color after flattening the file to a JPG image.
Link Summary
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A photograph is usually looked at – seldom looked into." -Ansel Adams
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My First Major Exhibition
Last weekend, as a part of Houston Fotofest, some of my work was displayed as Jomar Visions Studio.
The series is titled “Up a Tree”. The photos included in the theme were taken all around the Houston area. The good thing about the type of shots used is they can be taken anywhere, even in your backyard. As I mention in my series statement below, there is a unique view for every tree.
Series Statement
The photos in this series were all taken around the Houston area.
I think my interest in trees stem from childhood. My mom would always take me with her to visit my Grandparents’ grave sites, and the cemetery they rested in was full of big, beautiful oak trees. Of course, as a child, she had a difficult time keeping me away from them.
I took the photos for this series in the Fall, when the leaves are saturated with color, and Winter, when there are no leaves at all. The view I see when walking up to the trunk of a tree and looking up is unique from tree to tree. The texture of the bark, the network of limbs, the sky color all play a role in the uniqueness of the photograph.
To this day, when I see a big, beautiful oak tree, I think of the days I spent with my mom as a child.
My hope is that others will also see the uniqueness and beauty of the images in this series.
My Full “Up a Tree” Set on Google+ | Flickr
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“All life is of a past nature, photography enhances this fact.” – Patrick Summerfield
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March/April 2012 Events
Below are some events I am looking forward to over the next month or two:
1) Late this week, my friends – Katherine, Jeff and I will have our work displayed at Jomar Visions Galleries for Houston Fotofest [3/16-3/17].
2) My friend Katherine’s daughter Tessa will have a piece of art on display at the Art Alliance of Clear Lake for their "Young at Art" exhibit [3/22-4/5].
3) Several friends (Katherine, Robin, David & Lauro) from the League City Photo Group will have their work hung at the Art Alliance in Clear Lake for their "Fresh from the Bay" exhibit [3/22-4/5].
4) My friend Jeff will be a featured artist at RAW Houston’s Menagerie event [4/5]
5) My friends – Katherine, Jeff and I will have our work displayed at Texas A&M for the Fourth Annual Juried Art Exhibition at the Forsyth Center Galleries [4/21 - 8/19] .
I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have coming up as well as the opportunities for my friends! We all help each other grow and that means a lot to me!
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Additional Information
The Art Alliance of Clear Lake – Exhibit Schedule
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"The more you understand what inspires you, the more readily you can put yourself in it’s path." – David duChemin
Check out my About.Me page for my complete web presence
