Little Miss Quinn...Again!

Well, OK...I promise, last one for a while! I'll be back with actual photography-laced postings this week.

Also, swing by after the 3rd for a little live-blogging from the City of Light!

The Q-bug Visits.

The Quinn Kirchers came for a visit yesterday. Had a great time! I didn't take all that many photos...too busy bonding with the little one. Rox will likely have more photos of the outside activities in the coming days. Here are a few indoor shots.

Speaking of the Cathedral...

Workin' for a Livin'

St Alban's over at the National Cathedral is getting a new addition. Here some of the guys take a break, grab a bite at the Roachcoach. No extra charge for the Salmonella!

My Accountant...Yet Again!

A couple more from the ongoing series:

Are You Experiencing Your Camera?

Thought I'd present a little comparison between relying on your camera's default, auto everything modes and taking some control yourself over the final image.

Today's cameras, no doubt, are sophisticated and advanced enough to almost always provide you with a good image. No matter what the lighting situation. Whether it be a bright sunny day at the beach or a candle lit dining room at home. The metering systems and the default settings in most dSLRs today are up to the task.

But there is so much more these cameras can do when you dig down deep inside the menus and start personalizing some of those settings!

Now...we've already blown the modeling budget for the year, so for today's comparison we had to rely on some flunky on the Kircher's Conceit staff.

First up...Nikon D200 at default settings. Auto white balance. Pop-up flash. Flunky.

This is a fine picture. Well exposed. The camera did a good job of metering, handling three different light sources (daylight, incandescent light, and flash.) But for my taste, I'd prefer a little less flash, and a little more saturation and contrast.

So...same camera and lighting situation but this time I dialed down the flash 3/4 of a stop, added a 1/2 CTO gel to it, pumped up the saturation--just a bit, don't want to look cartoonish--and added some contrast. And yes, all this can be done in the camera! (Who needs Photoshop?)

Anyway, here's the second shot.

I like the skin tone in this one more. I also like that it's hard to tell that a flash was even used. Just popped a little bit in there for the shadows.

Of course, people's tastes are different. You might be perfectly happy with what you are working with right now. You might like something altogether different. But know your camera's limits, its capabilities.

Much fun to be had! Cheers.

Wilson Bridge Project. Update.

Update... I knew that somewhere in my archives there were a couple more shots from the bridge! So... here you go!

So here's a view of the bridge you won't often see! I'm standing between the two spans. The span on the left is still under construction. The one on the right has traffic--obviously--zipping right along.

Nothing photographically interesting about it. Just thought I'd share another of the cool places I get to access with my job.

Hope all is well. Have a great weekend, everybody.

Interesting Light.

This is my pal Bob. We're enjoying a few pints at the Dubliner in DC with our better halves. That dappled look is from the pub lights reflecting off the Guinness mirror on the wall behind me. I waited for him to move just enough so the light was over his eye, then clicked away.

Keep your photography eyes open. Cool light is everywhere.