2012 January « Wally's Blog

Personal Best of 2011

Yes, I’m up to my eyebrows in editing but it’s getting done as quickly as my little sausage fingers will carry me!!

I’ve been slacking on the posts and remembered some time around this time last year, I did a blog post on my favorite pictures that I took through the year. Tonight’s blog post is just that… a trip down 2011′s memory lane via my pictures

As always, ENJOY!!!

Andrea and RJ Imbragulio's "gangsta" engagement shot

SuperBob the night that Ashes to Embers rocked the house along with Bella Rosa

I shot family portraits at church and this was my favorite family. I see them every week and never say hi. They don't know that I secretly think they're awesome lol.

J. Panzer needed a headshot for a band audition...

Steph and Sherman Hardesty's engagement pic

I built my first rifle, bought a house, and installed mahogany flooring. BOOM.

I went to DC with my brother and took pictures from the top of the washington monument before the earthquake lol

I shot my first baby (baby sean) in 2011

I shot PYM youth convention and got to see my pics from the year before made into a HUGE banner!

I shot my best friend's wedding! (and was best man AND lead worship lol)

I shot my first VIP who can't be named... I couldn't even post about the event. *sigh*

I bought my first house!!! It doesn't look ANYTHING like it did when I moved in

I shot my first actor (baltimore based local actor at that)

My first contraversial picture... according to those who love drama

I went crawling with the MD jeep club (another first for me)

Didn't I just shoot their engagement photos!? Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Imbragulio!!!

I shot a beautiful family just waiting for their dad to come home

I shot a friend's band on the cusp of becoming huge. Ashes to Embers!

The Slesingers. Yeah, they rock

Christmas with the Litvaks! (this is there little angel!)

And the last night of the year, I brough in the new year with a new family The Thiess'

I hope you enjoyed my 2011 as much as I did.

January 16, 2012 | Categories: Photography | Tags: 2011, 2011 recap | 10 Comments »

Up to my eyeballs in wedding pictures AND an answer for photographers who asked…

Yes, my eyes can only see pictures of the Thiess wedding. I eat, sleep, and dream them right now. lol.

I had a quick impromptu shoot this weekend when my best friend and his wife came into town though to break up my editing. I posted this picture on facebook:

The picture I posted to facebook....

and got a LOT of questions from fellow photogs on how I did this.

So on this rare occasion, I’m going to show you an UNEDITED, STRAIGHT-OUT-OF-CAMERA (SOOC) original of mine. Here we go…

SOOC

EXIF :

Nikon D7000 (manual mode of course)

1/320s

f/6.3

11mm

ISO 200

One off camera (right) SB600 @ 1/2 power manual mode

Cheapo yongnuo RF602 wireless system (which would sync to 1/400 with slight banding and 1/500 with half the frame banded)

Sun as key and hair second light.

11:00am-ish.

So as you can see from the SOOC and the FB posted pic, not toooooo much editing had to take place. I gave the original a bit more contrast by using an overlayed layer consisting of: the original image, duplicated, with high pass filter run, then desaturated, then overlay’ed to about 50%. It’s that easy.

The FINAL image I processed of it (BELOW) is how I like it and will print it. I just modified it slightly in Lightroom 3. A little desaturation, a smidge of sharpening, and a little curve boost for contrast.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I received all of my photographic learnings for free on the internet (and from a LOT of terribly butchered practicing) and I’m more than willing to give them away in the same manner .