San Francisco Cityscape... with a Fisheye view...

I love San Francisco! There is much to explore from the Golden Gate Bridge, the beautiful waterfront, the fabulous food, down to one of my favorite areas near the financial district - Chinatown. Dim sum and mooncakes, how wonderful is that? Chinatown is the largest outside of Asia and the opportunities for photography (and food) are endless. It's completely crowded which adds to the charm. Open markets, interesting storefronts, and activity everywhere.  I photographed this HDR photograph image early on a Sunday morning before the crowds filled the sidewalks. An 8mm circular fisheye lens creates an alternative just-for-fun point of view. The great thing about this lens is that by pointing it toward the sky, you capture the cityscape that completely surrounds you! I recommend using a tripod and right angle viewfinder so you don't have to "limbo" under the tripod to check the camera display. This is such a different point of view, rounding out your photography so to speak!

Nik HDR Efex Pro was used for creating the HDR image. It's helpful to start with the presets as a springboard, and follow up by fine tuning the image. All plug-in coupon codes are in the sidebar, please feel free to use them if they will help you. I am using a very small and politely "vintage" monitor until my real one is fixed, hopefully I'll be up and running soon!  Thanks.. and make great pictures! ~ Deb

Get Creative with Close-ups...

Many dSLR camera's and even compact camera's have a shooting mode for close-ups. This is a fun and creative way to take pictures! A great subject deserves a lot of exploration, such as this gift shop in downtown San Francisco.  I like to start with a wide angle view to tell the "whole story" and then move in for the wonderful details. There were paper lanterns, kites, and all kinds of interesting things inside the shop including this collection of happy Buddha's. I like the meaning behind the smiling Buddha, contentment, prosperity, luck and of course, happiness!

With this image, I focused on the first figure using a wide aperture, which allowed the rest of the composition to be portrayed as a soft and pleasing blur. Using a shallow depth of field lets the first figure stand out from the rest. The out of focus background plays a support role for the main subject, the happy Buddha. As a tripod and large camera wouldn't easily fit inside the store, a compact camera was the perfect solution for this fun close-up shot!  Make great pictures! ~ Deb

Love...

I like the message painted graffiti style that I found in San Francisco, California. It's colorful, creative, and I wanted to expand on the idea of painting by using a few creative techniques in Photoshop. I like Snap Art Stylize. It removes detail and adds marker type black lines in the composition. I added several layers of texture for a watercolor type look for more depth. The finishing touch was a layer of Rustic Grunge from Action FX that blends beautifully with the image, creating another subtle layer of interest with leaf and rose patterns. The element of adding textures can enrich and enhance an image, creating an entirely new look, plus it's just fun.  Make great pictures!

Banksy Art and Deb...

In downtown San Francisco exists a few pieces created by Banksy, the British urban artist. The much coveted art is covered with a sheet of acrylic to protect it from those trying to paint over it. It's much the badge of honor for the locals. The larger piece of this art shows a peace sign, a heart and the good doctor you see here. The prognosis is good, I will live to paint art in the style of RV's fishies again one day!
Tip - Put yourself in the picture! Do it! You'll wish you had years from now. Make great pictures...