Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Photography.
Concavity
We’ve all been put in a position where the perfect picture is immaculately played out in your head but you don’t have a photographer or steady tripod to fulfill your desires. That’s precisely what happened to me in this photo. My mom and brother are always in charge of taking pictures of me when we go on family trips and adventures but, sometimes, they don't cut it. They take selfies from odd angles. They have no perception of proportion or lighting and I always manage to look either 15 years older or younger than I actually am. Although I do appreciate their efforts, I’ve decided to take on the challenge of doing certain tasks myself. It was really hard to take this picture but it came out so well and I was super excited about it. It granted me the ultimate power of perseverance, too!
By deadnyce6 years ago in Photography
A Dash of Photoshop
It was a perfect, crisp fall evening in early November 2019. November 10th to be exact, the day my nephew Landon (my subject) turned 6 months old. I just got home from work and I had been talking with my sister all day about taking photos of my nephew for his big 6 months. We were sitting in my room trying to figure out what we wanted to do; have it inside on the woodland themed blanket that had 1-12 months sewn into it, have it inside with a big sheet just draping and we create a cute scene, we had so many ideas. While we were sitting in my room brainstorming I was looking outside and was thinking of ways I could make a dead, lifeless trees look good. I saw that there were a bunch of leaves, painted beautifully with yellow and orange colors and immediately, I knew I needed to make a pile so I could sit my nephew in the middle and get some adorable photos. I unfortunately couldn’t find a rake so I had to use a broom and swept the surrounding leaves into a big pile in an area that had the sun slowly setting in the background. I captured so many photos; some of him just in HDR, some in portrait mode (my personal favorite and what this photo was taken in), some of him falling, laughing, eating leaves, and this one. This one photo. The only photo I got of him looking at the camera and it is perfect. His hands softly raised with a soft gaze into the camera with a leaf pressed gently against his lips. Out of the hundreds of photos I have taken of him in his 9 months of life, this one photograph still remains my favorite. After Landon queued that our photoshoot was coming to an end (became a Kim kardashian crying face mess), I went inside and started browsing through the hundred photos I had just taken. Some bad, some good, some blurry. I then decided to go through the best and started editing. When it came to this photo, I knew I wanted to make Landon even more of the main focus and I wanted to enhance the portrait mode effect so I went into photoshop express and did just that. I blurred the background and foremost leaves more to focus more of the attention on Landon and his soft composure. I then went into my favorite app when it comes to photography,VSCO, so I could add a filter. I wanted something warm; something that highlighted the yellows in the leaves and the red in his plaid as well as complimenting the black, grey, and blue. The filter A4 did just that — and it added a touch of moodiness in the clouds behind that makes Landon pop even more. After playing with some other settings, I also decided to put the exposure down to -1.1, as well as bumping the contrast up +0.7. I sharpened up the photo a small amount as well just to to bring attention to Landon’s soft features and dark chocolate eyes. The moodiness of the background against the warmth and light of the subject along with the golden leaves makes a sort of glow on Landon and makes your eyes automatically drawn to him. His subtle gaze making the world seem still for just as long as you stare into his eyes. All of this possible with the little help of a phone with three cameras, a dash of photoshop and a sprinkle of VSCO.
By Kassie F.6 years ago in Photography
Balancing Effect
For this shot I used an iPhone XS. I have over the last 10 years jumped from Canon, Nikon, and Sony and Iphone. I love Sony cameras because they are Mirrorless and the iso is a force to be reconed with. I love thinking outside the box. I love to bring new things to photography not seen before. I’ve spent years developing my skill in photography and just recently have been receiving recognition. I teach others about photography whenever I get the chance. As an influencer I love inspiring others to pick up a camera and start shooting. This shot was created using 2 different glass balls that took over an hour of balancing just to get the perfect shot with the perfect amount of bokeh. I took a lot of pictures during this photo shoot trying to capture just the right lighting and with a fresh rainfall everything came together perfectly. There is no telling when and where the perfect shot is going to happen so as a photographer one thing I tell all my fans is to take pictures of anything and everything. Because one day you’ll be looking through your shots and you’ll see that one picture that stands out from the rest, and that I tell people is what to focus on. It’s a beautiful thing when everything comes together in the end for that one of a kind shot. It just takes time and dedication. But it’s worth every second. With the wide variety of cameras out there and the fact that cell phones keep getting better and better, more and more people are picking up photography. I love nothing more than being an influence to those beginners. Anything and everything I can do to help I will always try. I have over 1.4 million followers on Tiktok and Instagram and would love for a picture of mine to actually win a contest to show my followers and fan that it is possible if you just try. From portrait photography to Astrophotography it is all in my blood. Wherever I go I always have my camera ready to take an amazing shot. Sometimes it comes from the heart, other times it comes out of pure imagination and thought. A beautiful sunset to a full moon at night any moment is the perfect moment.
By Jesse Pedigo6 years ago in Photography
Waterfall Detour
My family is known for spontaneity, adventure, and hikes. This photo was taken on one of those many spontaneous adventurous hikes we have been on. As if I could not prove our commitment to these values any better, hiking in the middle of winter in the snow shows just that. On most Sundays when I spend time with my father, the first thing he always does is ask what I’m up to that day. If I reply that there is nothing on my schedule, it is fair game for him to decide what feat we will take on to seize the day. This particular time, he chose to take me and my sister to the Brandywine waterfall lookout. I have been there many times as a fellow Vancouverite, but only in the summer and never down below to the rushing rivers where you have to climb down the cliff side to see it. My father just bought four new pairs of snow shoes for the kinds of journeys he planned to take us on, and he took this as the perfect opportunity to put his money to good use! Since the waterfall can only be appreciated at an angle far away to the top right from the lookout, the only way to see the spectacular view was to ascend the trail, despite the ice and snow covering the ground. This is where the snow shoes were going to come in handy! We walked the first part up until the ice and snow became unbearable to walk over with the proper frilly hiking boots, which only gave us a few steps to spare free from the extra weight. When it came time we strapped on the snow shoes and continued down the trail that appeared somewhat steep and in my opinion risky, as I always seem to think hikes that go up or down are. We took our time maneuvering over frozen branches and rocks, and eventually made our way down to the level of the river, only to realize there were many groups of families that had the same idea. However when we met with them, they had told us they could not go any further due to the melting icicles falling down from dangerously high locations atop the cliff. They told us not to keep going, since these chunks of solid ice were the size of our heads or more, and at those heights the speed and weight would probably run down the cliff side and knock us out one by one, kinda like bowling pins. But a few pieces of falling ice was not enough to scare us into missing the grande finale view we had all been waiting for. The plan was to run past the one section that was surrounded by fallen icicles, and if we heard a chunk rolling down the hill we were to duck and cover our heads. It was a scary thought, but I tried my best not to think about the melting ice right above us. So we sprinted across the section of danger, and all survived safely further ahead where the danger section had ended. We had made it, and it was time to take our final steps towards the best view possible. I was famished at this point, as we had waited to eat until we got to our final destination, so at this point I was mostly excited to eat than to reach the waterfall itself. But once we got there, the view took us all by surprise as we were looking up at a gorgeously giant waterfall framed with icicles. The water kept running down the cliff, and fell right down into a whole in the ice that had once been a stream. Since we arrived a tad too late to see the sun completely illuminating the waterfall, we were still lucky enough to catch the golden lighting of sunset on the far wall of the cliff. We sat on the rocks by the waterfall in silence for a while scarfing down our sandwiches, and taking multiple photos from our phones. We hadn’t brought professional cameras, we didn’t know the view would be this amazing. We also prefer not to bring them, as that adds extra weight to the trip, and on the way up, everyone would regret bringing the damn thing as we have to rotate carrying it. But yet this gorgeous photo taken by my iPhone is enough to capture the view in its full glory.
By Veronica HD6 years ago in Photography
The Shoreline
This photo shows the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland engulfed in fog in the early morning. At the time (about a week ago, week ago) I was camping in a cabin near the bay (it was in walking distance) and it was freezing. My inspiration behind this photo was a step into the unknown; a fear I have always possessed. Over the past year or so, I have been taking a series of photos with the same message to overcome this fear of mine.
By James McKinney6 years ago in Photography
Capturing A Moment - The Power And The Peril Of Mobile Phone Photography
I started taking photographs to help me remember moments and to share them with people who weren't there to experience something with me. This, along with my fear of forgetting, drove me to visually document my everyday life as well as my epic adventures.
By Grumble Bee6 years ago in Photography
Planned Spontaneity
After almost nine months into a year of travel through Europe and Asia, I’ve found greater clarity when it comes to why I take a photo. There are the photos I take for the purposes of documentation and then there are the photos that I take to capture a specific moment in time, a feeling, a rush of movement or stillness. Some places transcend being captured in a single photo but I try anyway because they are so awe inspiring I want to remember a sliver of the feeling I had when I saw it with my own two eyes. That’s how I felt about the hike I took this summer in the Accursed Mountains of Northern Albania (Bjeshkët e Namuna; also known as the Albanian Alps).
By Aviv Lang6 years ago in Photography
easy morning
I had never seen a sunrise before that morning. June 24, 2019, 5:32 am. Throughout school I would always have horrible sleeps. I have been fortunate to be able to travel and explore the world, but this is also where I would catch up on sleep. Being in a relaxed atmosphere made sleepless nights go away. Being in a relaxed atmosphere allowed me to let go of the things I held onto in my chest. I have always wanted to wake up and see the sunrise, but I never was able to. I was never able to pull myself out of bed on time.
By Lexie MacKenzie6 years ago in Photography
Where else would you rather be?
It was the middle of winter on one of those dead-still days in Perth when the water looks like glass and you know that getting out on the water is the best thing you could possibly do. The temperature is around 10 degrees Celsius and the water temperature is cold.
By Lisa Ikin6 years ago in Photography
The Most Memorable Photos Usually Lie at the Edge of Your Comfort Zone
What would normally be a day-off hoarded in front of the computer playing catchup on personal projects became a memorable Saturday afternoon photo experiment. It was memorable because it got me out of my comfort zone both photographically and socially. It’s not that I don’t like being around people because I do. It’s that I can become withdrawn in group conversation quickly and find it difficult to keep conversations going. In the past I marched on, but slowly, usually erring on the side of comfort. That is in the past and not now, however. The moment I decided I was going to take the first leap out of my little comfort box was in a text message with my friend Caitlin about mobile photography and the labs hosted by the Apple Store. The one that piqued my interest in particular was, “Disrupting the Portrait” co-created with Christopher Anderson. I sometimes find it ironic that someone who isn’t great in social groups outside of their circle is drawn to portraiture as much as I am. People are interesting, especially when caught in an off-guard moment. Those are the fleeting mobile moments that add fuel to my urge to make photographs.
By Danielle Deutsch6 years ago in Photography
Into the Light
This photo was taken at a sad time in my life, yet it is the favorite picture I have ever taken on my phone. I was just walking up the street to go in the car to go visit a family member at the hospital when I glanced up and saw how perfectly the light from the sunset was shining behind the buildings surrounding me. I was just so mesmerized from this scene that I knew I had to take this photo despite the reason why I was outside in the first place and being in a rush. I quickly took this picture and ran to catch up with the rest of my family. We rushed into the car and drove off to go to the hospital. I was too focused on where we were going that I actually forgot I took this photo. My mind was full of so many things and with the silence that was filling the car, I felt like I was alone with my dark thoughts surrounding me. All I remember of that car ride was how I was starring out the car window, feeling as if I was surrounded by darkness, and forgetting about the world around me and the picture I just took. It was that moment that made me realize that there was no light to guide me out of this darkness and I was just alone. All of my dark thoughts were put on hold when I was awakened from my dark state when the car came to a stop and I was brought back into the real world. We got out of the car and went up to the hospital room where my grandpa was. It was not until when I actually got to the hospital that I looked at the photo and started to edit it. I captured this shot just using my IPhone's camera and edited it until I was satisfied using the edit options such as exposure, brightness, etc. It took me a while to edit this photo because I did not know what message I wanted it to show and it was very hard to concentrate at that time, but it eventually became the photo that it is today. Every time I look at this photo, it just brings me that sense of serene it brought me the day I took it and reminds me that even on the saddest days there will always be a light that will guide us out of the darkness. This is demonstrated by having some of the picture completely darkened out and everything gets clearer and clearer as you go up until you reach the light and everything is outlined for you which perfectly describes the state I was in when I took it. Going to a hospital to see my grandpa in the hospital really made me depressed and put me in a dark place. When I took this picture, it was like somehow the light from the sunset was telling me that everything will be okay and I will see the light soon that will guide me out of this darkness. A few days after, my grandpa was admitted out of the hospital to go back home with us since he got better and of course all of our spirits were lifted knowing that he was okay. If it wasn't for capturing this photo, I don't think I would have gotten through that experience and this photo continues to guide me towards the light whenever I get lost in the darkness. Little did I know while I was taking this was that this photo would eventually mean a lot to me.
By Renee Baghdady6 years ago in Photography
