Cades Cove This Weekend

I took my photography class to Cades Cove this weekend and as usual the place was beautiful. Most of the fall colors were on the ground from the high winds earlier this week. I had to get on my knees for this image. I used a 15mm fish eye lens at f-5.6 1/125 at ISO 200. This is early morning light that helps because of the low angle and warm temperture. The low angle with this wide angle lens helped show off the leaves on the ground.   

Artist at Work on Pellissippi's Campus

On one of my evening class field trips on the main campus at Pellissippi I found a student from an art class doing the same thing as my photography student, trying to capture interesting subjects in the fading light of the evening. Thanks to the windows of the building behind the drawing student I was able to show the sunset and the warm light from the sunset. I used a 17mm lens at f-5.6 at 1/30  ISO at 200 and white balance set for daylight ( the one with the little sun symbol ). Using a wide angle lens forces you to come in close to your subject which makes you image more intimate for the viewer.

Soup and Pumpkin Party

I think the reason you learn the rules of photography is so you can find ways to break those rule in order to produce interesting images. The way I broke the rules on this image was by moving the camera during the exposure. I used an exposure of 2 seconds to capture the light from the candles in the jack-o-lantern as I moved the camera. I did not use a flash but let the other parents taking pictures help light my image with their flashes. Exposure information- f-stop 5.6 shutter speed 2 seconds White Balance Day Light at ISO 400 with flash provided by other cameras on the scene.

Wet Weather at Market Square in Knoxville TN

With a 15mm wide angle I got down as low as I could without getting my knees wet. I got into a duck walk position trying to capture the sky reflecting off the rain covered walk way. The camera was set at ISO 400, f-5.6 at a shutter speed of 1/30. The conversion to black and white was done in Adobe Photoshop by using the red channel and converting to gray scale. Note of interest- I am working on a book that will take a select number of images which will include a more detailed explanation than is on the blog. The book will take image by image revealing what I learned by taking that particular image. The book will be out by the first of the year. I will announce it's release on this blog site.

Portrait of a Bald Eagle

When someone says portrait photography most people think of pictures of people not animals.The principles of good portrait photography also applies to good animal photography. In the case of this Bald Eagle I used a long lens 200mm and set the lens at a large lens opening f-2.8. The long lens helps you get close to the bird without disturbing him to the point of flight. With humans a long lens works in the same way by giving you and the person some comfortable space between you. The large opening of f-2.8 produces shallow depth of field to separate the eagle from the background which is the same thing you would do when photographing a person.

Middle Prong in Tremont Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This image was shot during the last Advance Photography field trip in Tremont. Exposure info: f-32 at 30 sec. ISO 200 lens 17mm. I needed to have every thing in focus so I chose the smallest lens opening possible. With this tiny lens opening I had to use a very slow shutter speed which caused the motion of the water to become smooth and almost fog like. A shutter speed of 1/30 or slower will show motion while extreme depth of field will is possible at f-32. I had to use a tripod because holding for 30 seconds and producing a sharp image is impossible. A good rule of thumb is your shutter speed should match your lens length in order to be able to hand hold your camera.

Starry Night on Foothills Parkway

I took my family up to Foothills Parkway tonight to star gaze and maybe see some of the fireworks at Booms Day in Knoxville. The fire works were too far away and were quite small but the stars were out in all of their glory. I shot this 30 second exposure with my camera on a tripod and lucked out in catching some traffic as it zoomed by. I was shooting with a 17mm wide angle at f-3.5 at ISO 1000. My white balance was set for  tungsten light to give the sky a blue color. It was a good clear night with a little bit of a chill in the air.

Another Duck at Dollywood

The sky and trees lite by evening light  reflecting off of the water created a nice background for this duck in Dollywood. I used a 200 mm telephoto lens at f-stop 2.8 and a shutter speed of 1/250. The large lens opening of f-2.8 helped put the background out of focus.
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Duck in Green Reflections

I was at Dollywood with my family and of course my camera when I saw these wild ducks in a pond next to one of the water rides. I am always looking for interesting subject whereever I am. In fact I like to find things in places that most people do not considered a great location for photography. The evening light helped the colors to pop. I used a 200mm telephoto lens with an f-stop of 2.8 which produced a shallow depth of field . The shutter speed was set at 1/250 to freeze the fast swimming duck. The lush green vegetation turned the pond into a colorful background for the duck.

Shadows in Dollywood

Shadows are so under rated in most peoples minds. I have had students showing me a photo and then start apologizing for the shadows! Some images can be all about shadows. This photo is an example of the subject being the shadow. As I walked behind my daughter and her friend I saw their long shadows in the evening light. Camera settings were f 3.5  1/250  ISO 400. I converted the RGB file to BW then changed it back to RGB and added  a warm tone using Adobe Photoshop.

Butterfly Swimmer Stop Action

High speed photography can capture things that happen so fast they are not seen by normal observation. Using a 200mm lens at f/2.8 with a shutter speed of 1/1000 I was able to capture the energy of the swimmer as he worked his way to a finish.

IR Photography With an Old Friend

Using my 11 year old D-1 Nikon I began taking infared images around my front yard. Using a 30 year old 24mm fixed Nikkor lens at 2.8 with a Hoya Infrared RM90 filter I was able to capture my 1991 Miata. My conclusion old is cool!

Insects Flying into the Pool Lights

I went to a summer swim meet last night. As I was leaving I noticed a flurry of activity in the lights around the pool. That bright round object in the sky is the moon. It was a hot and hunid night. Great for swimming and bugs! My camera was set at f-4 at 1/8 at ISO 1600.

Washington DC Sunset with Washington Monument

Using a 200mm lens in the evening light I was able to isolate the sky and the Washington Monument just before a stormy night. My photography class at Pellissippi will begin June 16 th.

Tall Building in Downtown Knoxville

Using a wide angle zoom I was able to convey the height of this buiding in Knoxville. I always work a subject. What I mean by that is shoot different angles and views so you have something to chose from when you start editing images. I have a photography class at Pellissippi this summer that starts June 16 th.

Pink Dogwood

Over the weekend I started walking around my yard with my camera in tow. The sun was too bright to take pictures. The colors seemed to be washed out. I decided to get shots of the harsh sunlight through the flower making the bloom a kind of light souce. Even in bad light don't give up. Look for dfferent angles of view.

Knoxville Building Reaching for the Sky First Tennessee

I love tall glass building because they are shinny and flashy. Well what I am really trying to said is how wonderful glass reflects. Moving in very close to this structure at a low angle I was able to show the extreme height as it reached toward the sky like a tree trying to find the sun . Distortion is what I was trying to get by moving in close.

Man's Best Friend Downtown Knoxville

Somtimes the light is just right. This image of a chocolate lab had the help of a cloudy sky. On a cloudy day the sun becomes this wonderful large light source that creates light that looks very much like studio lighting. With this even light the shadow details are incredable. I found this dog in the back of a truck on Gay Street in Downtown Knoxville. Notice the catch light (white refletion) in the dog 's eye. This same lighting can be duplicated in a studio using one large soft box overhead .

Tremont in the Spring

These are some of the images I shot during a field trip with my photography class to Tremount this past weekend. These were all taken in early morning light. This time of the day is great for photography because the sun is still low in the sky giving a nice warm and even tone light. As the sun gets higher in the sky the colors seem to fade making it hard to capture the beatiful colors of nature.

Tremont Along The River

This is a shot I made during my photography class this past weekend. In order to capture an image like this you must use a very small lens opening which in turn requires a very slow shutter speed. The small f-stop gives the subject enough depth of field to keep the reflections and rocks in focus. The slow shutter speed shows the motion of the water. Tech Info :  200mm Len  f-32 at 1 sec. 200 ISO and yes I used a tripod.

Witnessing for Christ

When I took this picture of graffiti at Market Square in Knoxville I did not realize there was a message or a sort of conversation on it. Check it out. This is a very creative way of witnessing for Christ and it could be life changing for some one. Technical info-- 15mm lens  f-5.6 at 1/125. This wide lens gives me some great distortion!     

Working an Image of a Leaf

Photography is like anything else. The harder you work the more you will get out of it. I like to tell my students to work an image.That means looking at all angles and views of a subject. Weather you are shooting people, landscapes or objects such as a leaf use your camera to study and record different views and angles. Get to know your subject through the images you make.The images on this post are of one leaf. Be brave shoot shoot shoot! This is the digital age of photography. In the film days I always had the sick feeling in the back of my mind how much is this shoot going to cost me. That fear is gone as I continually increase how many images I shot of one subject. Make sure when you find that next interesting subject get all the angles (low,high, front,back) and don't worry about those people that give you a funny look as you get down on you stomach to get that interesting angle.

Stop Action Swimmer

Sports photography can be approached in two different ways. Stop action (fast shutter speeds) or showing motion (slow shutter speeds) are the two different ways of capturing interesting sports images. In this picture of a swimmer I used a shutter speed of 1/500 to freeze the swimmer and the water revealing what the eyes could not see. When using shutter speeds of 1/60 or slower motion can be shown .

Indoor Shadows in Knoxville TN

Most of my favorite subjects are things I just happen to see.The early morning sun light coming through these windows created these dramatic shadows. I used a small lens opening f-16 so I could get sharp focus from one end of the composition the the other. Here is a good link that will help you understand f-stops and shutter speeds which make up what is call a proper exposure. PHOTOHEAD

Down Town Knoxville Looking Up

Most of the time a subject is more interesting in a not so normal angle. Using a wide angle lens and pointing upward I included two buildings which represents new and old architecture of Knoxville. Remember eye level can be boring when shooting pictures. Look for high or low positions that will show everyday subject in a different perspective.

Shadows and Reflections Inside as Well as Outside

I have found some of the most interesting subjects are reflections and shadows. This image is different in that it is indoors but the main reflection is from outside. I believe 95 % of photography is looking and finding what most people never notice. Next time you look at a tree don't just think there's a tree. Look at the tree as if this is the first tree you have ever seen. Look at the lines, shapes, and color that make a tree.

Fall Colors in Hardin Valley Knoxville

Fall colors in black and white can make very interesting subjects. In this image I extracted the red channel to turn this brightly colored tree into white. This is the same as using a red filter with black and film.

Great Light in Knoxville Tennessee

I believe you can get meaningful images no matter the location. If you are waiting for that exotic location with the incredible light to really shine as a photographer you might want to rethink your plans. If you are looking for great image opportunities look where you live . In everyday life you find and capture those interesting things that most people just walk by. One of my favorite photographers Jay Maisel loves shooting in his home town of New York. Here is an audio of him talking about where to find great subjects.
These fall colors were in the middle of  the downtown Knoxville on Henley Street. Maybe you will want to spend the money for a European vacation on some camera equipment.

More Cades Cove in the Rain

The only way to get this kind of image is to be in the pouring rain. I used a large lens opening f 2.8 to create shallow depth of field. I was using a tripod and an umbrella. The tripod was used to make it easier to hold the umbrella that kept the camera dry. I positioned my camera to get the most color in the background. Bad weather can mean great photography. Get out there!!

Rain in Cades Cove

Saturday at Cades Cove was rain and more rain just ask any of my  brave students. It was a great opportunity to avoid the normal crowds of fall color seekers and capture very interesting subjects. The rain never stoped during the entire field trip so shooting under the protection of umbrellas and the occasional cabin porch was a necessity. This image of the rain drops hitting a small stream close to the Mill had to be taken with a fast exposure( 1/250) in order to capture the circular patterns in the water. My Photography classes are offered every semester at Pellissippi State in Knoxville.

Fresh Home Grown at Market Square Knoxville

When I saw these peppers all I could think was COLOR.. Most subjects are color or black and white. This as you can see is all about color. I used a wide angle lens and moved in close to the peppers to make them the dominant part of the composition. The cloudy sky help give the scene a nice even light. I also set my white balance by reading off a white card with my camera.

The 180 Degree Rule in Knoxville Tennessee

This is the view 180 dregees from the Bijou image posted. I like to look and see what is 180 degrees from my first subject. Most of the time I find interesting compositions that way.

Bijou Theater in Knoxville Tn

There are some very old and interesting architecture in downtown Knoxville. This image of the Bijou was shot in evening light. One of the more modern building in the downtown area is across the street from the Bijou. The reflective light from this large glass and steel skyscraper created some intriguing light and shadow on the theater. Using a 17mm lens I pointed the camera upward to frame the building with the sign. To made the image black & white I saved the green channel then coverted to gray scale.

Ducks in Pond at Pellissippi State

This is another one I took during the class field trip at Pellissippi. The best light for outdoor photography is evening and morning . Why? The sun is lower in the sky giving warm light that illuminates at a lower angle creating more dramtic images. If this same kind of light happened all day it might be consider boring but the fleeting moment of this type of light makes it interesting to the viewer. Set that alarm and get up and try to arrive at interesting places at first light. Don't drink too much coffee because steady hand make sharp photos.

Yellow Line on Road

This is one of the images I took during my Basic Photography Class at Pellissippi State.I used a wide angle lens to exaggerate the long yellow line and held the camera unlevel to include more of the line. With the aid Adobe Photoshop I desaturated the photo to black and white leaving only the yellow line the original color.This is one of the roads going out of the college campus.My next class begins Oct. 22. This class concentrates more on the artistic side of digital photography. It also includes two field trips.

Sun Flower in Black & White

Some of my students discovered a garden of sunflowers on our field trip in class. I shot this with a zoom lens with it set on macro. The evening light was perfect because the low angle help create good shadows on the pedals of the flower. I converted to black and white by using the red channel and I added some warm tone after returning the image the an RGB file.

Clouds Over Harden Valley Knoxville

When using long lens you can actually compact visual information. In this image that I took during my Basic Photography Class at Pellissippi State. I used a 200mm telephoto lens. This helped simplify the composition by compacting the information making everything seem closer together. If you want mountains to look taller or even clouds like these to look bigger use a long lens. I also used the red channel to convert from color to B&W which helped produce a dark sky.

Kirk Cameron Preaching

I had an assignment to get some shots of Kirk Cameron when he spoke at a marriage conference in Knoxville. The image was also used on the front page of the Daily Times News Paper. My favorite link with Kirk Cameron is The Way of the Master. It's GREAT!!

Birds Over Parking Lot Light

I took my photography class on a field trip. All we did was go outside the classroom on the Pellissippi campus. I like to use this location because of the seemingly boring everyday subject matter and also because it is convenient. I noticed these birds roosting on top of the tall lights in the parking lot. One clap of the hands and they are off and flying. My point again is that we do not have to go to exotic places to find interesting subjects.

Blount County Library at Sunset

As I walked through the sculptures at the Greenbelt Park I look up and saw the colorful sky with the Blount County Public Library. I used a 200mm lens to crop in close.LynnFreeny.com

As The Crow Flies in Cades Cove

Here is another image I shoot in the pouring rain in Cades Cove with my photography class. I decided the crows flying route was more important than the horizon line. LynnFreeny.com