National Camera Day

National Camera Day was recently and I posted my first camera online, a Polaroid Land Swinger. What I should have posted was my recent purchase, an iGuide camera with Lidar. The iGuide is designed for working in real estate photography, producing floor plans with a virtual viewing experience. Pretty much what I do for the Federal Government, except all in one, one-stop-shop.

This is part of my retirement strategy, real estate, drone photography and virtual viewing experience. I will also include other services like portraiture, headshots, and regular flat/still photography. I might as include video. You always need a plan when you retired, this is mine. It might take a few years more at the Federal Government, and a few years on my own to develop a name and place in the industry, but I'm going to try.

My Polaroid Land Swinger camera.

IGuide camera with Lidar. Basically a Canon camera, infrared laser and storage and control unit.

The need to really work your subject

I generally find myself having one good view in my mind and then I’m finished with the subject. So, I’ve been trying to break that habit and work my subject. The first image is what I first saw when I view this flower. The second image is me working the subject, by changing my technique and reversing my approach.

The first image is lit with two small raw lights, lighting my subject and using F/32, to bring every thing into sharp focus. My second attempt is the reverse. I project my two lights through a clothe which soften the light and added some fill. My aperture was about F/5.6 and I focus in the center of the irise. I even flipped my image 180 degree because of the way I had to photograph the flower.

Controlling your lighting.

I’ve been working at my current photography job for too long. In law enforcement, you light your subject with even lighting to bring out the details. You try not to put emotions into your subject. You can tell my lighting isn’t the most creative, it’s basically cross lighting, with equal amounts from both sides. Some of that is because of a lack of proper equipment. That means, far enough reach for my tabletop lights. My next step is to diffuse my lighting setup and produce less stark, more indirect lighting on my subjects. Well here’s this week’s subject.

Keeping those skills up.

Trying to be creative during a pandemic.

My employer has us on 25% operational, which means, out of a five day work week, I work from home four days out of the week and one day in the office. Which would make you believe, that I have a lot of time on my hands. But for the last two months, I've been the acting supervisor for my program, tracking the time of my fellow photographers and reporting back to the unit chief. So far, so good, for my government day job.

But, when you're trying to be a creative photographer, working in a pandemic, your limited to were you can go and what you can photography. I decided to photograph small objects, like flowers. Colorful, small, flexible, and many different types to photograph. I decided to use my new Nikon D850 which I plan to use for my real estate business, landscapes, and now tabletop projects. So far, things are going fine. My first subject ended up well. Which you saw if you have been following my blog.

Now, the only trouble I have, is getting flowers that are flesh, but the local flower shops are closed, and the grocery store version, doesn't seem to last long. I should go around the neighborhood and clip buds, that I find, even from my neighbor’s plants. I could also, pay the price and order online. I send flowers to my long time girlfriend all the time, and they seem to last.

So, a long weekend is near, so I plan to do some more tabletop projects. I let you know what I do for the subject matter.