Projecting Your Vision

Greetings, volks. Welcome to Hohenfels Volks, THE place for our place! Lovely weather, beautiful skies, and an abundance of time give rise for photo opportunities and exercises here.

We’re blessed in the Hohenfels area with such a variety of things to cater to all our interests, at least photographically. Many volks find the castles and historic locations to be the ticket for them, others love the country scenes, and still other volks love seeing the cities. We’re located where you can find something to interest you and fuel your creative fire.

Today we’re going to try to throw some fuel on your fire by revisiting the subject of projects. As we discussed in a previous post, projects can get you thinking and lead to some creative ideas and photos. We’re going to do a short post about getting a project going as an exercise this week.

The first step to completing your project is getting together some ideas thinking through an outline. It’s important to have a theme, something that will tie each image to the other images, and to the project as a whole. Some ideas for projects in the Hohenfels area are shooting only trees, shooting playgrounds, a series of stream shots, or even the local Rathauses. Once you have a general theme, narrow it down some. For instance, if you choose to shoot trees, limit yourself to small trees or something to narrow your scope to less than just “trees.”

Decide on what tools you want to use. Decide on what items you’ll be using in your photography, and put together a kit to bring along. Make sure you have the right tool for the job! If you decide to shoot bugs for instance, don’t use a 24mm wide-angle lens, unless your theme is little specks of bugs in a big scene. Planning now can save you some missed shots later.

Also, think of some limitations on your tools. Perhaps shooting without a flash or using only a prime lens. By adding some creative limitations, you boost your creativity by working with what you have. A very important limitation is limiting the edits you can perform in software. Limit yourself to adjusting levels, curves, brightness, contrast, and saturation. Include these limitations in your visualization, or you may be disappointed with your results. Most photo contests you’re likely to enter limit editing to those listed above. For the purposes of this article, we’re going to use those limitations to help us get the most of the tools we have.

Once all the above have been decided, it’s time to make of list of places where we can the shots to work our project. Know where you’re going, research the places and lighting. You should visit a couple times at different times of day. Know the lighting and knowing how we make the most of it gives you the ability to make your image inspire others.

With everything in place, it’s time to get out and start shooting. Add some variety within your theme by shooting black and white, shooting some color, and low light shots. Keeping to your theme will bring everything together.

Projects can be created for the weekend, for vacation, or even for special days and times. One of my friends, Jen, recently did a series of lighthouses. Her shots were great, and although they have edits like vignettes applied, show how beautiful the structures, and more importantly the locations, are. These things are a marvel for anyone who’s ever seen one, and Jen crafted some wonderful images that fit that to a t! Check out her blog, Jennifer O on our links page, you’ll definitely enjoy her work!

I’ll leave you with a couple shots from one of my on-going projects, featuring crosses and small chapels in our Hohenfels Area.


EI80, f/8, 1/60 Developed N-20% to control tonal range and contrast.
Crosses and Crenelations. Shot on film, exposed to bring the range near bright white on the walls and crenelations of the wall and developed to bring that back to a tone that holds detail. Even though that area is pushing white, the tonal range and detail are available.


ISO 125, f/8, 1/30
Castle and Cross. By shooting the sky at about m+1/3, then decreasing exposure by about 1/2 stop and applying an inverted s-curve to the image, the clouds, cross, and castle all add an element to the image, and create a decent balance.

I hope this inspires everyone to undertake a project of their own. A project can take on a life of its own, and can add some inspiration to your time behind the camera. It doesn't have to take all your photo time, but you may end up giving it a more than fair amount! Take care and enjoy the rest of the week!

Is there anything you’d like to see here? Do you have a question? Let us know what project you're working on! Share your thoughts here or at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. Of course, commenting on both Facebook and here is always appreciated, too! Don't forget, we're on Google+, too!

To Enter...

Greetings, volks. Welcome to Hohenfels Volks, THE place for our place! A great weekend slips into the past for those of here in Hohenfels, and a new week has begun.

This afternoon presented some great opportunities for shooting the stormy nature of the season; with high billowy clouds backlit by a sheet like layer of clouds cover. Dramatic skies are incredible photos, and for those willing to take the time, are quite rewarding.

Today we’re going to provide an intro to photo contests.

By now, most of you are doing good stuff with your cameras and making the photos you want. You’re getting great feedback from those who see your pics, and maybe some pointers, too. You should be feeling pretty good, which shows that you’re moving further than the camera thought you could when you were shooting in automatic modes.

A great way to move that feeling along and get some serious feedback is through photo contests. I’m sure some of you have entered online photo contests, and maybe even some juried contests. There are a couple different types, so we’re going to move along to a basic intro to the types you’re likely to encounter.

The first type is the public vote type. This type used to be held in galleries and libraries and occasionally still is. You submit a photo and the public votes on it according their idea of its merits. An offshoot of this type is the online poll. It’s an online posting of photos entered into the contest. These are voted on by the public at large, and may even be linked to your social media accounts. When linked to your social media, this type is often a popularity contest. AFN Bavaria has a monthly contest on their Facebook page that I have entered several times that serves as an example of this type.

The second type we’re going into today is the juried, or judged, type. You submit a work to the contest, then a judge or panel of photography and or art experts reviews all the works submitted. Voting by a panel or a decision by the judge determines the winner. Many of this type charge an entry fee, which goes to cover prizes and other items, such a book of all the finalists.

The popularity contest, or voting, type can be quite frustrating. It can also be incredibly rewarding. The frustration comes in when you don’t get many votes, and you notice the leaders have 100 of their social media friends voting for them. You’ll find that you get discouraged or put off by this. DON’T!!!! These contests are also a great way to get rewarding feedback. Even if no one comments on your work, by counting the tally of votes, and noting how may of those were from other than your friends, you can see how your photograph truly fared. You’ll soon notice that even though you don’t win, folks are responding to your photos, and isn’t that what it’s all about? If you get 20 votes, and 15 of those are from someone other than your friends, that means your photo made an impact on at least 15 viewers, a positive impact at that. Keep entering and keep trying, you’ll start feeling that the notice your image gets is all the reward you need.

The juried contests often offer large prizes, including whole camera kits, gold medals, and cash. These ones require entry fees and your image may not be accepted. Reputable contests, such as the Trierenberg Circuit, will include a catalog or book of all the finalists. Another feature of the reputable ones is that they do not require forfeiture of your rights. They may, however, require rights to use your work in connection with the contest. Bigger ones often refer those entries that are accepted to one of the photography associations for recognition and listing, as well.

In both cases, themes are often involved. When entering, make sure read all the fine print, but make sure to read the entire description of the themes. Not adhering to the theme can get your entry returned without further consideration for other areas where it might fit. These contests usually have some great works in them; so don’t be disappointed should you not win. The main objective is feedback, exposure, and the thrill of being in something beyond the basics of photography.

This post just touched upon some of the basics, there much more information online that can help you get started in choosing the right contest for you. For this week’s exercise, I hope everyone will enter a contest and be thrilled with the chance to share your work with the world!

Is there anything you’d like to see here? Do you have a question? Share your thoughts here or at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. Of course, commenting on both Facebook and here is always appreciated, too! Don't forget, we're on Google+, too!

Motivation

Greetings, volks. Welcome to Hohenfels Volks, THE place for our place!

Today we’re taking a trip into the realm of motivation. This can have a big impact on your images and art. We’ll be short today, and give you some time to get the shot.

We’ve discussed inspiration, which, on the surface, seems to have some connection with motivation. But, motivation involves more than being inspired, it involves your mindset and desire. Many Volks out there often have no motivation to go out and make photos; they’re busy with life, which is understandable.

A great way to get motivated to make photos is to bring your camera everywhere. In my case, I usually have one with me, whether it’s film or digital. Taking your camera everywhere gets you into the habit of looking for that magic light, of looking beyond the surface. It brings a bit of the itchy shutter finger, and the desire to shoot something that inspires us.

Part of getting motivated is to incorporate photography into activities you’re doing or plan to do, anyway. A good example is taking a walk, going out to get fresh air or burn calories. By having your camera, you can kill 2 birds with that desire to get out. Maybe it’s playtime with your child or a day trip with the family. Plan in advance some things you’d like to see, and that you’re likely to want a shot of. Then when you’re out playing, walking, or day tripping, you can get your photos and still accomplish your primary task.

Getting motivated is much easier when you combine the basic functions you’re doing, anyway, with your photography.

Here’s hoping the rest of your week is great, and you’re motivated to make a winning image!

Don’t forget to post any of your images you’d like to see here at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. Of course, commenting on both Facebook and here is always appreciated, too! Don't forget, we're on Google+, too!

The One That Got Away

Greetings, Hohenfels, welcome to Hohenfels Volks, THE place for our place. I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Today’s just going to be a thought for you. Something to mull over and think about when you’re going out to shoot. It’s called attention to detail. It’s something you need to practice, even when you’re visualizing your shot!

Yesterday was a long day! After work, I went over to the community tree lighting with the daughter, for her it was to see Santa, for me it was to take pics! Take pics I did, a whole lot! After getting a few shots, including some that couldn’t be redone, I discovered my IS was turned off on the lens I was using. That meant the pics I had shot at 1/30 were going to be slightly soft in the focus, and that also meant I was feeling a little down! After writing about IS in a previous post about lenses, I should have known better. D’OH!

Anyway, after kicking myself, and turning the IS back on, I went on to get some decent shots. After seeing Santa and some of our wonderful friends, we went to a little party for a friend’s birthday, and I shot a handful of keepers. Another thing I had forgotten was to bring the tripods and lighting mods, which meant more effort to get the light right, but the shots were worth it.

The point is, check your equipment before turning it on. Check it before you even begin thinking about using it. Check it as part of your visualizing; by seeing yourself take the actions to make your vision reality, you’re rehearsing the steps you need to succeed. It will make your pictures better and save you the shame of losing the one that didn’t get away until you snipped the line!

O.K., enough of that mourning the lost shots, remember to get your votes in for next week’s theme. We have a 4-way tie right now, and that means it’s my choice if we end the week that way! This week our theme is “Morning Moments.” I hope to see everyone participating! Get shooting and start posting at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. Of course, commenting here is always welcome, too!

Ride Along Shot- Proof of Zombies

Greetings, Hohenfels, welcome to another Monday and to Hohenfels Volks, THE place for our place.

Let’s start out this short week with a ride along shot. Today we’ll look at a photo I shot of one of our local beauties, Michelle.

Halloween night, the family going to our friends for a party and some of that good old trick or treating, followed by hot soup and warm friendship. I came big, knowing the holiday spirit that pervades our place during this time, camera, flashes, umbrella, reflectors, the whole nine yards. I expected to get some decent shots, but not too much. Boy, was I in for a surprise!

After seeing Michelle and the incredible costume she built, I knew there was a shot waiting to happen. She even scared some of the adults, which was really cool. She looked like something from a George Romero movie, and I thought that it would be fitting to take a couple pics to capture that feel. We went outside and I looked around for some great angles while visualizing several shots.


ISO 800, f/8, 1/80, 60mm, monochrome with green filter, RAW

As you can see, the shot I posted here was taken with me nearly on the ground. After taking a few pics to get started, I noticed the sun was flaring a little, washing out the sky. Switching over to monochrome and applying a green filter, I shot on. I knelt down and as I readied my camera and flash, Michelle started acted like a real zombie coming out of the ground. That was the one, as the green filter darkened her makeup, while allowing the scenery’s exposure to remain constant. Allowing the background to fade to darkness makes Michelle pop out and creates some negative space to frame our zombie. I think that this shot captures the feel of a Romero film, the kind of black and white film that brings back the late late shows we used to watch as kids.

Here’s one that’s washed out with the sky, that kind of sets the mood of the sun going down and the zombies rising.


ISO 800, f/8, 1/80, 28 mm, Monochrome with green filter, RAW

And here’s the color version of today’s ride along. Shooting in RAW mode allows all the color data to be preserved and used for several types of shots. Something to think about when you’re visualizing your scene. Sometimes your shot may look better with color, although for the Romero feel, black and white is necessary.


ISO 800, f/8, 1/80, 60mm, daylight balance, landscape picture style, RAW

Also today, we’re introducing a new feature. We’re going to do a weekly shot. Similar to the Internet craze of 365 shots, we’ll be posting a theme and giving you a week to post your shots to our Facebook page. After a week, we’ll choose a new them and post all the photos in a separate post here.

Well, that’s it for today. I’d like to offer special thanks to Michelle for allowing us to feature her photo here, for the incredible job she did making Halloween fun, and for being such a great friend. I’d also like to offer special thanks to Jennifer O for the theme a week suggestion. Always one to help out, her idea really hit the spot!

For our first theme, I thought we'd go with Thanksgiving, with a twist. Show us your thanksgiving, but be creative in your application of Depth of Field, covered here and here. Show us a turkey and the trimmings with a shallow DOF, or maybe that wine glass frame by a sharply focused turkey. Anything that keeps with the theme, remember to post a little comment with your photo, and let us ride along with you!

Remember to share your pics and post your questions at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page, and or by commenting here!

Around Hohenfels- Bamberg

Hello, Volks, welcome to Hohenfels Volks. Another weekend is rolling into Hohenfels, bringing cold, frost, and icy fog. I hope you’re staying warm and getting some great pics.

Today we’re traveling to Bamberg. Located on the Regnitz River, and near the Main River, this city is full of great sights and history. If you bring your camera, you’re almost guaranteed to bring back a winner!

The town started attracting notice about 902, and was under the authority of the Diocese of Würzburg. In about 1007, it became independent and for a while was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire.

Some of the sights to see are:
The Cathedral, which contains the tombs of emperor Henry II and Pope Clement II
The new Residenz, where the Bishops resided during the 17th century
The Old Town Hall built right in the middle of the Regnitz River
"Little Venice" which is a colony of cool old fishermen houses from the 19th century
Michaelsberg Abbey, which is no longer an abbey
Altenburg castle, a former residence of the bishops.

The Old Rathaus is very interesting to note, as it is smack in the middle of the river. It also cool because along the outsides of the building, statues and paintings seems to merge and come alive, as seen below.


ISO 400, 1/100, f/8
The statues in the wall seem to be coming out and alive!


ISO 400, 1/400, f/8
Dead in the middle of the river!

The cathedral is an amazing piece of work, and features the tombs of the Emperor, his wife, and Pope Clement II. The Gothic architecture and art are worth the time you spend in here. Removing many of the non-Gothic pieces to St Michaelsberg during the purification of the Dom back to its Gothic styling, allowed the church to maintain its original Gothic feel. Another feature of the cathedral is the “Bamberg Ritter,” a statue on one of the columns in the church. No one really knows who it is, but it serves as the symbol of the city. Make sure you bring a flash or 2, and shoot a little higher ISO to get the image that you want!


ISO 1600, 1/60, f/5.6
The Bamberg Ritter and surrounding features

Michaelsberg Abbey, on one the hills, presents an amazing view from below, and is even more impressive inside. The monastery is now a retirement home, restaurant, and brewery, but the church remains in use. This church is unusual and very impressive. It contains numerous skull, death, and skeleton statues and carvings, including one blowing bubbles! There are medicinal plants and herbs painted all along the high vaulted ceilings, as well. Inside you will find the Holy Grave Chapel, featuring a tomb for Jesus and other statuary throughout the small space. It’s amazing! You can touch the tomb of St Otto, and if you walk through it, they say your back pains will go away.


ISO 1600, 1/30, f/5.6
A tomb or marker of one of the bishops from the 30 years war, unusual style for a church!

I know this city, with its Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance styles will provide you with enough photos to make it more than an ordinary day out! Remember to share your pics and post your questions at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page, and or by commenting here!

Grilling...?

Hello, Volks! It was an incredibly cold morning here in Hohenfels. Dark, dank, and COLD! Of course, the sun managed to burn off the first bit of fog after a slow start, and once it got going, there was no stopping! After the burn off, it was blue skies and lovely breezes to fill the afternoon. Of course, with winter around the corner in Hohenfels and our surrounds, there were plenty of signs of Volks getting ready.

I barbecued some of my ribs this morning. I got off to a slow start, much like the sunshine, due to a lack of starter fluid. Once the coals were glowing, it was cooking time. Ribs getting smoke, the breezes through the falling leaves, and the magnificent aroma of meat on the grill made for a wonderful morning.

Of course, by now you’re asking what this has to do with photography. What does it have to do with making my pictures better and improving my art? How can talking about smoking ribs possibly relate to this blog? I’m sure some of you are saying, never mind that, what’s this crazy guy doing making barbecue in October, when it’s freezing?

Here’s your answer- it’s quite simple.

There is no time like now. When you think that doing something like photography or barbecue are limited to certain seasons, you limit yourself and your art. An adventurous attitude can lead to more than just great times, it can make magic in your photography.

During autumn, there is so much color. The trees change, the world gets ready for another long cold, and things look different. When you think about it, the sky seems clearer, you notice these things more. This is one of those times that getting out and taking the shot can make more winners than losers! Just remember to visualize your shot, and compose it well. Our part of the world can offer an open pair of eyes a lot to view and a ready camera can capture some majestic shots. See the light and see the color.

See it in your mind before your eyes do, then compose that long sought after shot of the leaves changing on the tress, or the blanket of yellow, red, and orange on the forest path. Take shots of the family playing in the leaves; show the frost and how it looks blue in shade and so white in the light. Put your eyes and mind to work, make your camera do the stuff that it does, and combine it all into a prize-winning pic. Look for fall photo contests and enter them, you might just win big and while you’re trying to win, you’re sharing your vision. Isn’t that part of the reason we got into photography in the first place?

Back to what this has to do with photography. The simple fact is, photography season is year round! Don't let the seasons stop you!

Enjoy your weekend. Don't forget to share your pics and questions by posting at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page, or by commenting here!

Around Hohenfels

Welcome to another Hohenfels Volks post.

“Location, location, location!” It’s something we hear all the time, in the movies, television, news, it’s an old saying that seems to be everywhere around us. In photography, the saying should be “Light, light, light!” Our medium requires light to work. However, like most things, just having light isn’t enough.

We’re going to talk about light in another post, which is why I led off with the location quote. Today, we’re talking about an excellent location for photographers! Hohenfels seems to be perfectly located for quick access to so many places. Bayreuth is no exception. Guess where we’re going.

Bayreuth is a city in Bavaria and is located north of Hohenfels and Amberg. It takes about 2 hours by train to get there. That includes a stop in Nuremberg. The city is home to quite a few historic sites and buildings, which provides an incredible array of photographic choices. Let’s mention a few and some of the challenges and nice things about shooting there.

First stop, the Opera House. It was built between 1744 and 1748 for Margravine Wilhelmine, sister of Frederick the Great. She composed music and created much of what is the beauty of Bayreuth. The details are incredible, the splendor and glory here just blow the mind! For the photographer to work here, an off camera flash or two, high ISOs, and wide apertures are very important. Shooting with one remotely triggered flash and an ISO of 1600 resulted in this image.


The Margravine's Opera Box
1/60 f/3.5 ISO 1600

Bayreuth is famous for its association with Wagner, the great German composer. They host a Wagner festival annually. His house is a lovely place for some photos, with great blocks, gardens, tomb, and ivy covered walls nearby! A great place for some truly nice outdoor shots at lower ISOs, and with some light cloud cover, you have a natural soft box to make for some pretty light!

The last place on this visit is the New Palace. Although the inside is incredible, photography isn’t allowed in the actual palace. The entry museums allow photography, though. The best shots here are to be had in the Palace Garden. With a lake through the middle, and rows of tree-covered paths, this is a place to recharge, and practice your shooting skills. The trees can make for challenging light, but knowing your settings and visualizing your shots can make for something great.


Placing the island just a touch higher than the middle of the frame, and allowing the lake shore to converge created a nice composition and created some depth. Turning my circular polarizer to allow the sky to reflect in the lake added a bit of light and balance.
1/60 f/8 ISO 400

There are more great places in Bayreuth. The king of them all is the Hermitage, but with all the photographic opportunities there, that’ll have wait for another post.

Bayreuth, definitely a place for the photographer in all of us! Give it a visit and you’ll be back for more!

Don't forget to leave a comment. Post your questions to our Hohenfels Volks Photo Club Facebook page.

Wishing you a great evening!