Project 52 by Kris Harmon

[KHarmon]

Well....I finally got out on a storm this year. As usual, I got on the storm way too late and it was in the process of dying when I got there. Managed to get this one fair shot and a couple of others. Extremely frustrated....more storms this year but less opportunity to chase than the last couple of years.

I know someone will say something about the horizon, but in this case that is a natural terrain feature in this particular photo. The land on the right side is a low area rising to the right hand side of the photo.



20120732 -1 by KHarmon1971, on Flickr

KHarmon

[FrankMi]

I know someone will say something about the horizon, but in this case that is a natural terrain feature in this particular photo. The land on the right side is a low area rising to the right hand side of the photo.

LOL! Here is something to think about. The horizon is level but doesn't look like it is so what should you do? One option is to explain it to everyone that looks at the picture or..... Realize that perception is reality.

When I am working installing anything in a house, such as crown molding, chair rail, baseboard, even cabinets, often the floor, walls, or ceiling isn't level so I adjust the item I'm installing to look level and folks think it is correct. Sometimes if you make it right, it just looks wrong and raises questions! Strange world we live in but often, perception is reality because that is what folks believe is correct and base their actions on.

[KHarmon]

I meant to say it was rising to the left hand side of the photo, but in any case, when it comes to landscapes, sometimes I think there is too much emphasis put on the horizon being level. There are many terrains out there that have features that are not, in fact, level. If this was a picture taken on the plains, then yes, it should be level, but this was taken at the edge of the hill country in central texas and I'm not sure there is a level piece of ground within 200 miles of here.

KHarmon

[KHarmon]

Just finished reading a book by Life photographer Joe McNally. He mentioned something in the book that a portrait doesn't have to necessarily be a picture of someones face. I had never really thought about it before and I looked at some of his examples. Portrait, in his definition, can be someones hands, profile, back, anything that tells a story about that person. One thing I noticed about his portraits that didn't include the subjects face was that the crops were REALLY REALLY tight.

Using his example, I thought I would give it a try. My son and I went to the Texas Rangers vs. Minnesota Twins game on the last Sunday before the all-star break. I came up with this shot of Twins outfielder Denard Span.

Looking forward to hearing some comments on this....good, bad, or indifferent.


20120745 -2 by KHarmon1971, on Flickr

[Geoff F]

An interesting angle there, Kris.

For me, it comes together nicely; but I wonder if the white balance is correct. This is only a cheap monitor so I'm not certain but his skin does seem a fraction on the blue side.

[KHarmon]

An interesting angle there, Kris.

For me, it comes together nicely; but I wonder if the white balance is correct. This is only a cheap monitor so I'm not certain but his skin does seem a fraction on the blue side.

I noticed that as well. I intend to play with it some more tonight after work. This was a quick edit and crop and I played with the color a little. I do all of my work off of a lap top and it is hard for me to tell what is correct when it comes to color. I should have time between laundry and everything else tonight and tomorrow to get some more work done on it.

KHarmon

[KHarmon]

Worked on this picture some more.....did this treatment improve the image?


reedit by KHarmon1971, on Flickr

KHarmon

[Geoff F]

It looks more natural to me now.

[KHarmon]

There is an incredible population of whitetail deer in the area that I live in. All of the deer from this set live within the city limits of Copperas Cove Texas. There is a great concern that they may be becoming over populated and there is no easy solution to the problem. They are harmless for the most part, however automobile accidents with the deer has been an ever increasing problem.

I was able to get out and take numerous pictures of deer tonight because they are pretty tame and used to human interaction.

1. Two bucks is better than one.

Buck4 by KHarmon1971, on Flickr

2.Watching you, watching me, watching you....

Buck3 by KHarmon1971, on Flickr

3. "Hiding" in plain sight

Fawn4 by KHarmon1971, on Flickr

4. Young Buck portrait....

Buck1 by KHarmon1971, on Flickr

KHarmon

[FrankMi]

Beautiful set Kris! I particularly like the fawn image. Nice.

[KHarmon]

Beautiful set Kris! I particularly like the fawn image. Nice.

Thank you, the fawn is one of my favorites. I think I could probably still be out there taking pictures of him or her. The fawn thought it was hiding in the grass and refused to move and let me get to within 20 yards without buding.

KHarmon

[KHarmon]

Went out and took some more deer pictures tonight. I don't know what is wrong with me physically, but for some reason I have a heck of a time with camera shake. Taking deer pictures requires hand held shots and the time of day requires 1/30th to 1/100th a second exposure times and I had a lot of issues tonight. Here's the best of the group in my opinion.





KHarmon

[KHarmon]

For some reason, perhaps a lack of thunderstorms, I have been taking a lot of bug pictures. I don't have a dedicated macro lens and have been using a 55-250mm zoom lens to shoot close ups of bugs. At some point, I'm investing in a macro lens...but for now I will make do with what I have.

Not sure what kind of but this is....but he is perhaps acting as a passenger bus for ants.




Protecting the children. Ain't they cute????


KHarmon

[KHarmon]

Went out tonight on a storm, and has been the story of every other storm this year, I got on it as it was dying but managed to get a few lightning shots. Nothing cloud to ground, but a few cloud to cloud strikes.


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