By ‘colour in shadows’ I mean capturing how the contrast of bright light and shadows can project many shades of a colour onto and around an object. Shades of grey can be good!
How closely have you examined the shadows around you?
Come back tomorrow when photographer Catherine Just shares her story, and then on Monday for the final tip of Photography Fortnight.
This is the one drummed into me by my Dad, and oh so important.
However close you are, you could probably be closer.
Look at the difference between these shots – closest doesn’t always mean best, but it is always good to try it out:
How close do you dare to go?
Come back tomorrow for more tips!
We are surrounded by shapes – in nature, and in the man-made world. If you choose a shape and make a point of seeking it out, it is amazing where it turns up…
What shape are you going to look for?
Come back tomorrow for more tips!
This is a tip I learnt from the super-talented Susannah Conway. I didn’t realise how much difference it can make when you just turn a vertical or horizontal line into a diagonal – and now I do it all the time.
Why not start looking for diagonal lines in your world!
Come back tomorrow for an interview with photographers Christine Boyd and Xander Neal of Northern Ireland-based photography studio navyblur (and then back for more tips on Friday!)
How often do you check in with where you connect with the earth? We walk over hundreds of different surfaces every day which, paired with an interesting pair of shoes, can make a thoughtful image
Where have your feet taken you today?
Come back tomorrow for more tips!
Today’s shared story comes from healthy living coach Heather Lentz, who transformed her life and started doing what she loved after her car was hit by a drunk driver.
[Image courtesy of Heather Lentz]
On May 3, 2009, I was in a severe car accident caused by a drunk driver. As a result, I was hospitalized for 5 days and had brain shearing, internal bleeding, bruised kidney, bruised liver, rib fracture, fractured vertebrae, fractured tibia, cervical sprain, rotator cuff tear and extensive soft tissue damage. This was a major turning point in my life. I decided that something positive had to come from this accident, so I began to focus on healing myself. My goal was to get back to the condition I was in before the accident.
I started on a healing journey. I went to physical, occupational and speech therapy appointments almost every day for over a year. My pain slowly decreased and I began to get my range of motion back. I also quit smoking, quit drinking alcohol, quit drinking caffeine, quit drinking pop, started taking supplements everyday, started exercising, started walking 5Ks and lost 30 pounds. Even though I had experienced a lot of progress, I still had shoulder pain, back pain and constant headaches. I decided to look into other ways of healing. I began acupuncture and shiatsu massage.
I tried thai massage, cranial sacral massage, blocking, rolfing, yoga, hula-hooping and even colon hydrotherapy. My healing journey brought me to the Muskegon Yoga Center. I practiced as many days as I could and still continue to. As a result my muscle strength and flexibility have improved, as well as the connection with my body and my soul.
My goal has shifted, I want to be in better condition than I was in before the accident and in many ways, I already am.
At the Muskegon Yoga Center I was introduced to High Quality Supplements and a 5-Day, Low-Glycemic, High-Fiber, Sugar Cleanse. I wanted to get my cravings under control and lose more weight. I was amazed that after the first day my residual pain from the accident had greatly decreased. I also tried a Healthy Low-Glycemic Energy Drink and loved it. It gave me energy all day without the crash and was a nutritional alternative to high sugar energy drinks. Then I tried the Preservative-Free Skin Care and I couldn’t stop touching my face. The idea that my skin could be nourished with holistic products free from chemicals and parabens, fit right in with my plan to be healthier. I love these products so much and want to tell everyone about them.
When I discovered this company, it was like a light bulb went off. My passion is to help people heal and Be Healthy is my vehicle to do that.
People always tell me that I should write a book (maybe someday I will), honoring all the people who helped me heal along the way and include everything I have learned, how to deal with the insurance companies, what it takes to heal yourself and different modalities to get you there. I want to be an advocate for others, to teach them what I have learned. I no longer regret being in the accident, because it helped me change in ways I never would have. It was the Universe’s way of telling me that I needed to follow my passion and do what I love.
Although I am still on my healing journey, I am ready to take others along with me.
I unexpectedly ended up here in a place where I can do what I love…help others heal and Be Healthy. My business, We Be Healthy, is dedicated to supporting others in their journey towards a healthy lifestyle. I help you Be Healthy by sharing what I have learned – from low-glycemic cooking (and eating) to preservative-free skin care; from reducing your toxic load to creating a healthy home. I am not a doctor or nutritionist, but I have been through a life-changing event and learned a lot along the way.
I truly hope you will learn ways to make positive changes in your life and find a way to do what you love too!
Find out more about Heather and her business ‘We Be Healthy’ on her website or connect on Facebook.
The sky offers so many surprises – but sometimes we are so busy we forget to look up
Look up when you are out and about today – what do you see?
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Tomorrow 17-year old photographer Ffion Atkinson shares her story. More tips throughout the week!
We often notice only those things we choose to notice, and zone out thing we inherently dislike. Although I love sunny flowers, I am not generally a fan of bright yellow. So I went in search of it, and found so much waiting for me.
What is your least favourite colour? Where can you see it around you now?
Come back tomorrow for more tips!
Often we have a natural inclination to try to fit an entire object in the frame, however big that might be. Try to resist that sometimes (especially if photographing something quite ordinary), and go for bits of an object instead. Sometimes the results can surprise you – and end up much more artful. The image above is of part of a beautiful ceramic serving dish I found in Greece.
What ordinary things around you have beautiful parts?
Come back tomorrow for more tips!
This is one of the oldest ‘rules’ of photography, but it is so powerful when you consciously try to use it.
Imagine your viewfinder split into a 3×3 grid of nine same-sized rectangles. Try to place the subject of your photo along one of the dividing lines (above), or in a place where the grid lines intersect (below).
What rules do you like to break?
More tomorrow!