Summer Snaps 6

Today, I attended an outdoor photography workshop at Lanark in Millbrook, AL. Lanark is owned by the Alabama Wildlife Federation. I learned that I have lots to learn about fast action photography! I thoroughly enjoyed watching two trained field dogs, Jake (the Pointer) and Mojo (the Retriever).

Summer Snaps 5

In a continuing effort to see creatively and stretch my abilities as a photographer, I took this shot of my summer hat today.

Canon 5D with Canon Macro lens 100mm 1:2.8 USM
window light on right, gold reflector on left
Camera on tripod
ISO 100, 5 sec @ f/32
Lucis Art filters on separate layers in PSCS2 exposure & sculpture, opacity adjusted on layers

Summer Snaps 4

Yesterday was my 36th wedding anniversary (I married very young!!). These are the roses my husband gave me for the occasion.

Roses on white board with natural window light on the right, silver reflector on the left.
Canon 5D with Canon 100 mm macro 1:2.8 lens,
ISO 200
1/25 sec at f/2.8
Lightroom adjustments: Jack Davis WOW Lightroom preset Light Vignette #6, Fill Light +17, Clarity -100
Resized & sharpened in PSCS2 using a Craig's Action Production action



I was also inspired by a DigitalImageCafe.com Picture of the Day to try adding an old paper texture to a photograph. I pulled out one of my Cahaba River images to experiment with:



The image that inspired me to try this was captured and altered by an extremely talented photographer, Mel Brackstone. The image won in the Digital Art category today.

Summer Snaps 3

The underside of a begonia leaf taped to a sunny window.
Canon 5D with Canon Macro Lens EF 100mm 1:2.8 USM
Aperture Priority mode
1 sec @ f32
ISO 200

Summer Snaps 2

My daughter and I visited the Cahaba River National Wildlife Federation yesterday to view the Cahaba Lilies. While it was a delight to see the rare lilies in full bloom, some of my favorite images of the day came from other areas along the river shoals. Click here to learn more about the Cahaba Lilies.

Summer Snaps 1

I hope to use the summer to reconnect to other genres of photography that have been neglected as I have pursued portrait and wedding photography. I decided to start with this little fellow who startled me when I went outside this morning to pick some fresh flowers for the house.

Canon 5D with EF70-200mm f/2l8L IS USM
ISO 100
120 mm focal length
1/200 sec @ f/3.5
580 EX fill flash on -1 and Gary Fong LightSphere

Congratulations to Njauna and Darell

Njauna and Darell were married yesterday in a beautiful ceremony at Oak Street AME Zion Church in Montgomery. The reception followed at the Maxwell AFB Officers Club. It was a distinct honor to photograph their wedding as they are both members of the military who have served our country in Iraq as well as other stations. These are just a few of the images that will await their return from a honeymoon in Hawaii.

Collages and Ratios 1

Madeline's parents requested their collage in a 4x5 ratio. This does not limit them to a 4x5 print. In fact, the print can be ordered as an 8x10 or 16x20. Cropping, or the trimming of an image occurs when the image ratio and print ratio varies. So a collage ordered in a 4x5 ratio would have some cropping or trimming occur if ordered as a 5x5 print or as an 8x12 print. The final print size should be a major consideration when ordering a collage.

Collage Special - 7 days remaining

Newsletter subscribers received information on a May Collage Special. Only 7 days remain to take advantage of this special. If you can't find your newsletter with the information for ordering, please shoot me an email (info@diannapaulk.com). A special on Painted Portraits will be going out to subscribers on June 1st. See the link to the right to sign up for future newsletters.

Little Cutie

I couldn't resist taking a few natural light portraits when Grandbaby Elijah came over to visit earlier this week. His little outfit had "Little Cutie" embroidered on the front.

Welcome to Kyler

Kyler was joined in his newborn photo session by his curious cats and sweet cousin, Kaleb. The natural light coming through two large windows was wonderful!