Fall color is here!

     The time is upon us and fading quickly, so lets get out there and make the best of it.  A few locations to think of for spectacular color and other interests such as waterfalls etc... Stub Stewart State park (Up by The town of Vernonia) - has good easy walking trails and a lot of color.  Oswald West State Park - usually has good color in the easy walking trails leading from the Hwy to the beach, and a lot of other interest.  Silver Falls State Park - gorgeous waterfalls and awesome color (be careful though, the trails can be steep and slippery this time of year). Japanese Gardens - It may be getting a little late for the best of the gardens color, but there should still be a lot of good opportunity (especially in the morning fog).  The Gorge Waterfalls - We all know this one.  Hood River apple orchards - this is the area behind Hood River with a great view (on a clear enough day) of Mt. Hood. Just drive around the roads in that area and look for apple orchards, barns and views of the mountain. 

     Don't forget the CPL, rain cover (for you and camera gear) and good walking shoes.  You may also want a split neutral density filter this time of year to help balance the brighter sky with darker foreground.  Have loads of fun and good shooting.

     Your camera gals!

Photos to go and places to see

First off I want to say congratulations to Krista and her new little bundle of joy, Ruby Mikala Beckner.

There are so many places to go to photograph it is time for some fun. The Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm is open. You will have great oportunities to get close-ups, work on depth of field, and maybe see some wooden shoes. Other places will be some of our local farms or gardens. The Library in McMinnville has a small natural garden that has a little path, so do some of the parks.

 With the spring coming on and more chances of odd rain here are a few little tid-bits to keep you going.

Circular Polarizers will be great to use to cut down on the white glare in the sky. It will cut through the glare in water to help get a great reflection too.

It would probably be a good idea to have a rain pouch in your gear bag so if you get caught in an April Shower you are ready!

Wear muck boots or old pants and don't be afraid to get in the mud or in the water. Remember, there are many ways to photograph the same scene.

Happy Shooting!
Shannon and Krista

Snow Time Tip!

With all the snow that we are supposed to be getting we thought that we would throw a couple of tips for photographing snow.

  1) Circular Polarizers are your best friend!
         They will help to remove the glare from the snow so that you can see more detail.

  2) Evaluative Metering is your WORST ENEMY!!
         In evaluative metering mode the meter will meter for the bright area's and therefore darken your exposure making your whites look dingy and dark.  To prevent this you will want to use center weighted metering or spot metering and meter in the mid-tones.  You may still need to use your exposure compensation to brighten your exposure depending on where you meter.

3) Lens hood
       This piece of equipment should be used to help prevent stray light from bouncing off the glass of your lens and/or sensor creating a washed out image or light orbs in your image.  Remember, snow is reflective and when illuminated can become just like a mirror and reflect light where you don't want it.

Comments

Hi everyone.
Just to let you know. At the end of the post you will see a "comments" button.  If you click on that it will allow you to post a comment.  It will not show up on the post but it will be sent to us and we can respond back.  If you have questions about an assignment, comments on an image, or anything please send us your thoughts!

Happy Shooting!

Shannon and Krista

Check out the Student Gallery!

Hi everyone!
 We wanted to let you know that we have our first images in our student gallery posted.  They are by Ann Shuler.  Thanks Ann for being the first! Have fun shooting!

Shannon and Krista

Session Cancelled

Hello all!
 We are sad to inform you that due to a lack of students we are having to cancel this eight week session of
"Basics of Photography".  If you were interested in the class or have questions please contact Krista or I, we also offer individualized tutoring and we will have workshops and Photo trips posted soon.

 Have a great day!

 Krista and Shannon

Classes starting soon!

Hello to all!  Our first class this session is starting on Friday, January 28th. If you have questions or need something before then let us know so we can get you set! Can't wait to see you!

 Shannon

Hello Hello Hello!

Welcome to the Concepts of Photography blog!  Here we will post information about photography, classes, or answer questions that may come up.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact Krista or I (Shannon) through our e-mail, conceptsofphotography@gmail.com.

Our course will consist of eight info packed weeks of photography instruction and hands on labs as well as a full day field trip.  The schedule is one night per week for our lesson on the fundamentals of photography and light and a lab on Sunday to put into practice what we have learned in the lesson.

Some of the key concepts that you are going to be learning are viewing and using the light in your photography, the vocabulary commonly used and how it applies to what you are doing, mood, content and a whole lot more!
 
 We are excited to meet you and to help you along your journey to be the photographer you want to be!

See you in class!