Peter West Carey Photography

Tag: weekend experiment

  • Get Moody – Photography Basics – Weekend Experiment #3

    Get Moody – Photography Basics – Weekend Experiment #3

    Photography Basics - Weekend ExperimentThis weekend’s experiment is to find and shoot some moody images. It’s the best time of year as the seasons change and the mood is tending toward gloomy (Northern Hemisphere) or sunny (Southern Hemisphere).

    Weekly Recap

    We started this week learning about White Balance and how important it can be if you’re only shooting in JPEG mode. From there I listed out some thoughts that might run through your head while you’re taking a shot.

    Next was one of the most important features of any camera, large or small: Exposure Compensation. It helps you make all things right in the world when your camera wants to be average. Hand in hand with Exposure Compensation is reading your camera’s Histogram. It’s a bit funky, but useful.

    The week ended with a note about the Rule of Thirds which has been one of the most popular posts yet in this series. Be expecting more of those types of posts in the future in the Creative Ideas section starting soon.

    The Experiment

    This weekend I want to see some moody photos. Good mood, bad mood, it doesn’t matter.

    The important thing is to get out and get shooting! Look for how the light of a scene affects how you feel about it. It doesn’t need to be a fully sunny day, it can be a ray of light coming in through a window. Or a foggy morning with just a hint of activity.

    This subject is meant to be open to interpretation so you have a wide swath from which to choose.

    Inspiration

    I’ve selected some of my own moody photos to help kickstart your creative process.

    If you missed any of the Weekend Experiments, you can find them all here.

    Questions?  Pop ’em like Pez in the comments section below. or email me at peter@peterwestcarey.com.

    Photography Basics – A 43 Day Adventure, and its companion 40 Photography Experiments, are series written by professional photographer Peter West Carey. The series are designed to unravel the mysteries of photography, helping you can take better pictures. Subscribe here to receive all the updates and bonus material. Your comments are always welcome.

    Photo ToursIf you enjoy the series, consider learning photography first-hand on a professionally led international photo tour in Nepal or Bhutan. More information can be found at Far Horizon Photo Tours. 

     

  • Find Some Light – Photography Basics – Weekend Experiment #2

    Find Some Light – Photography Basics – Weekend Experiment #2

    Photography Basics - Weekend ExperimentToday I want you to find some light. Not just any light. I need you to find three different types of light.

    Recap

    Welcome to the weekend!

    This last week we covered a number of topics on how your camera works. We started the week completing the Exposure Triangle while covering Aperture and ISO (Shutter Speed was explained the week before). From there we touched on some much needed jargon explanation that will come up time and again as you dive more deeply into photography.

    Photography Experiment
    Death Valley National Park, California

    We ended the week explaining how your camera sees light and makes its choices for exposure. These are your metering modes. This section is vitally important to those starting out, so please reread it if you need to. Lastly we considered the different camera modes available and what they do.

    So far we have been leading up to understanding and capturing light. That is the heart of photography and the reason the art exists. Light and how it acts and reacts is part of most arts. The commercial world relies on it heavily as well, especially with today’s computer graphics in movies and video games. If the lighting isn’t right, the game looks fake.

    The Experiment

    To help you start seeing light, experimentation is vital.

    Photography Experiment
    Red Rocks National Recreation Area, Nevada, USA

    That’s why I want you to go out this weekend and photograph three different kinds of light.

    When you find light that you like, take a moment to not just shoot and move on. Look at the light. Where does it come from? Is it filtering through anything? If you move around the scene, does the light look different? How would you best set your camera to capture the light?

    Really take the time to think about how light is affecting your scene. Maybe come back to the same area later in the day and see how the light has changed (unless your scene is entirely lit by artificial lights).

    When you have finished, feel free to post your results in the comments section below. Post them on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, anywhere!  Then link to them in the comments section with your thoughts on search for light.

    What Different Kinds of Light Are There?

    Photography Experiment
    Ship Anchor, Panama Canal, Panama

    Let me count the ways:

    • Direct
    • Indirect
    • Reflected
    • Facing the light
    • Human-made
      • Fluorescent
      • LED
      • Incandescent
      • Daylight bulbs
      • Flash/strobe
      • Colored lights
    • Firelight
    • Candlelight
    • Moonlight
    • Auroras
    • Bioluminescence
    • SunlightQuestions?  Pop ’em like Pez in the comments section below. or email me at peter@peterwestcarey.com.

      Photography Basics – A 43 Day Adventure, and its companion 40 Photography Experiments, are series written by professional photographer Peter West Carey. The series are designed to unravel the mysteries of photography, helping you can take better pictures. Subscribe here to receive all the updates and bonus material. Your comments are always welcome.

      Photo ToursIf you enjoy the series, consider learning photography first-hand on a professionally led international photo tour in Nepal or Bhutan. More information can be found at Far Horizon Photo Tours. 

  • Speed & Light – Photography Basics – Weekend Experiment #1

    Speed & Light – Photography Basics – Weekend Experiment #1

    Welcome to the first weekend experiment of the Photography Basics course.

    The Experiment

    This weekend I want you to take one of two lessons from the week, Understanding Shutter Speed or The Number One Law Of All Photography , and dive into different ways to play with them.

    Blur things.

    Stop things.

    Light trails, can you make some?

    Look into and away from the light. What works best for you?

    To that end, I have some experiments pre-cooked for you to try if you haven’t already.

    Share Your Results

    It’s your choice, but take some time this weekend, even if it’s only 15 minutes, and get out there to photograph. The best way to learn photography is to do it, over and over.

    When you have shots you are okay with, please feel free to share them in the comments section below (just link to your photos on any platform). I’ll be glad to give feedback if you like (I’m a gentle critiquer).

    If you need some inspiration, I’ll leave some of my own photos regarding these topics right here:

    If you want to find other Weekend Experiments in this series, look over here.

    Questions?  Pop ’em like Pez in the comments section below. or email me at peter@peterwestcarey.com.

    Photography Basics – A 43 Day Adventure, and its companion 40 Photography Experiments, are series written by professional photographer Peter West Carey. The series are designed to unravel the mysteries of photography, helping you can take better pictures. Subscribe here to receive all the updates and bonus material. Your comments are always welcome.

    Photo ToursIf you enjoy the series, consider learning photography first-hand on a professionally led international photo tour in Nepal or Bhutan. More information can be found at Far Horizon Photo Tours.