Etched - Midvale

Shot on March 3rd in Midvale, Utah with a Nikon D90 and the 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. The image was shot at 45mm, 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO 200, using Aperture Priority Exposure mode. The image was minimally post processed using Lightroom 2.6.

I came across this wall during a quick lunchtime photowalk in Midvale with a few coworkers.  We try to get out during lunch one a month or so to unwind and let the creative juices flow.  This wall was completely shaded yet sat opposite a similar wall approximately 40 feet away (crazy large alley) that provided significant fill light. Seems like a great place for some natural light portraiture (even though it is just a brick wall).

The etching, texture, and levels of the bricks are the reason I made this image.  I hope you enjoy it!

An Attitude of….

Taken with Nikon D40 on January 15, 2010 at 1/250s, f/1.8, ISO 200, at 35mm.  Edited using Lightroom 2. Off camera flash at fired at 1/4 power through 60” umbrella at camera left with fill bounced off nearby wall.

Any thoughts on this self-portrait?

Garlic – Food and Kitchen Series

Taken on January 31, 2010 with a Nikon D40 at 1/80s, f/6.3, ISO 200, using manual exposure mode. Conversion to black and white and post processing using Lightroom 2.6.

When Julie and I were recently married we exclusively used dried minced garlic flakes for our cooking needs.  At some point we recognized how easy it is to use fresh garlic and haven’t looked back.  We love fresh garlic! 

If you’re using dried garlic, do yourself a favor; throw away the dried stuff, buy a garlic press, and keep a some fresh garlic on-hand.  It is a win-win situation, improving the taste of your meals and even looks good in the kitchen!

12th Black & White Statewide Competition

Rob and I have always enjoyed perusing art galleries. Two years ago Rob and I attended the Statewide Black & White Competition at the Eccles Community Arts Center in Ogden, Utah.  Little did I know at the time that I would have my own piece showing in the gallery two years later! Rock on!  

There were 302 works entered into the competition and 165 pieces were chosen to be included in the exhibition. The gallery held an artist reception and Rob and I went and viewed so many wonderful works of art. It just amazes me how much talent people possess!

Here’s the finished photo before I decided to enter it into the competition:

But since it was a black & white competition I needed to rework it a little. Then I cropped to an 8x10 and made a giclee canvas print. I decided on this bold, stark white frame in order to contrast with the grungy, depressing subject. I wanted the griminess to stand out.

The exhibit continues through March 27th.  Free Admission.

Valentine’s Day Gift Idea

This Saturday we’re offering a special Valentine’s Day opportunity. Give your sweetheart a fun portrait session! Just think about it…

Would he or she rather have this?

This?

Or THIS!!

That’s what I thought.

 

 

 

Valentine’s Special

30 minutes in-studio couple portrait session

10% off prints

Retouching of purchased prints

Digital web-sized files of purchased images

$25

 

 

This Saturday ONLY!!

Book your appointment soon by emailing rjsnow@rjsnowphotography.com

Jules’ Jewels

Okay, so I (Julie) wouldn’t exactly say I have jewels. I’ve never owned anything large or flashy, nor have I ever wanted to.  

The other day I got the itch to shoot and decided to use my jewelry against different textures around my house. When I started editing them I decided to go for a hyper-warm, 70’s vintage-y feel for most of them. I wanted to bring out the texture, wood grain and glowing light.

 

 

 

 

  

 

   

 

 

Come on Up

Taken with the Nikon D90 and 18-105mm lens on February 5th, 2010 at 1/25s, f/5.6, ISO 200, 90mm, using aperture priority exposure mode and processed in LR 2.6.

Since I live in Layton City and don’t know how long I’ll have the opportunity to live here I started a photographic series documenting nooks and crannies of Layton City. 

On the corner of Gentile and Main Street existed the Layton Trading Post. Most of the building has already been torn down as part of improvements to Main Street and a new I-15 Interchange (so excited for that). 

This image was made of the current exterior of the building taken from Gentile Street.  I made this image because of the strangeness of the scene. I love the colors (green, gray, and two tones of blue) and the red arrows indicating something about the door.  What do they mean?  I might like to find out but I think I’d have a hard time getting up there. 

Tip-or-Tech Tuesday – Point & Shoot Symbols/Settings

I copied this over from a news site and it was written by a National Geographic photographer. Sorry I don’t have a link, I couldn’t find it when I was ready to post this.

This is a quick and dirty guide for point & shoot cameras. Most people have one but don’t really know what all the symbols and settings are and how helpful they can be. Time to pull out your camera and experiment!

We’re not affiliated with Olympus…it’s just an example. 

Camera Symbols

Point-and-shoot photography is supposed to be simple, and knowing what the symbols on your digital camera mean will make it simpler.

• The icon of a flower signals the macro mode. It allows your camera to focus very closely.
• The lightning bolt icon controls the flash—either on, off or automatic when it senses limited light.
• The icon that looks like a clock is the self-timer mode.
• The "+/-" button allows you to override your camera's automatic exposure settings, to correct photos that are too light or too dark.
• The icon that looks like stacked photos allows you to take rapid-fire photos.

 

Automatic Settings

Your camera also likely has several automatic scene options, with settings for various specific locations.

• "Sports" has higher shutter speeds for fast-moving action shots.
• "Night" allows long exposures for limited lighting.
• The icon that looks like a mountain is for landscapes. This gives you the most in focus from foreground to background.
• "Portrait" throws background out of focus.

Blueberries – Food and Kitchen Series

 

Blueberries are fun aren’t they?  I mean look at them!  How fun is that?  For the longest time I’ve sort of avoided blueberries. They were always so chewy in dried form and even in all but the highest quality muffins I’m left with a feeling of malcontent.

This week Julie got some fresh blueberries and what a week it has been.  Julie and the kids made blueberry oat bread early in the week. Such a hearty bread. While eating this food full of protein and nature’s goodness I found myself taken by the blueberries. Shocking! Fresh blueberries are so juicy! 

This evening we made blueberry pancakes from scratch.  We always make our pancakes from scratch so that wasn’t entirely new; however, the blueberries were. We made these with sour cream added to the batter along with the egg whites beat entirely into submission. The kids weren’t thrilled but Julie and I have never had a better pancake!

So at the end of this life changing week blueberries are included on my list of “most desired fruit.” If anyone would like the recipe let us know. 

Egg – Kitchen Series

Julie and I both love food and cooking.  To celebrate food I am undertaking a series in 2010 on food itself and the tools in my kitchen that make food possible.  This series will be black and white on a seamless white background.  I hope you enjoy the melding of Snow Family passions.

My first subject is a large, cage-free, and brown egg (heaven).  Oh how I love eggs!  I’m the baker in the family and eggs are the glue that holds my favorite foods together!  A kitchen without eggs; A waste.

Please provide feedback on this image.  It was lit with a 60” umbrella on the right as a key and a 45” umbrella above, behind, and to the left as fill.  The egg is composed on the left of the frame and slightly towards the bottom to suggest the primordial importance I place on the egg.