Day 10

Day 10- Picture Puzzle
I created this image by piecing together 6 individual photos.  I wanted to get a panoramic view of the stadium on this pretty evening.  When I attempt another photo like this, I will get a tripod so things fit together a little better.
Technical Info- 1600, f/3.5, 1/1600

Had to include this pretty nighttime shot of Downtown LA.  One more reason to buy a tripod!!
Technical Info- ISO 3200, f/5, 1/6

Day 9

Day 9- Hot Pepper
Just got home from a cooking class.  Loved the colors and contrast in this shot!
Technical Info- ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/125

Day 8

Day 8- Wildflowers
I love springtime when the wildflowers are in full bloom.  I pass several patches of these wildflowers everyday on my way to and from work.  I took a lot of wildflower shots and I don't love them, so I am hoping to sit in on a "Photographing Wildflowers" lecture this Saturday at SoCal Wildflower Fest. I expected wildflowers to be easy to photograph because of their natural beauty, but I think the problem is that they are so pretty that it is hard for me to capture that.  Challenges, challenges...more wildflower shots to come!
Technical Info- ISO 100, f/5, 1/640

Day 7

Day 7-Water Wheel

It was a hot day today and we set up some water things for the students to play with during recess. They loved to watch the water wheel quickly spin around when they poured water into the top.

To get this pick right I had to consider a fast shutter speed to "freeze" the spinning wheel and a large aperture to blur the background.  I also had to balance the two with the ISO to make sure the picture wasn't too light and wasn't too dark. This picture is nothing special, but I like that I was forced to "problem solve" with my camera's settings to get it right. It also inspired me to think of all the other "water" themed pictures I can take on this year long photo challenge.

Technical Info- ISO 400, f/4.5, 1/640

Day 6

Day 6- Cabbage

Everyday on my way to and from work, I pass growing crops. I love that even in Irvine suburbia there are still pockets of its agricultural roots. I love the colors in this picture. I probably should have waited until later in the day to take it because the sun was still high in the sky and harsh. This caused some of the leaves to be too light, but I love how the bright light made some of the leaves translucent and almost look like they are glowing. I really enjoy these agricultural shots and will probably feature many more of them in future blog posts. :-)

Technical Info- ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/320

Day 5

Day 5- Schoolyard Tree

I took this picture on the schoolyard at work today. I work as a teacher and spend a lot of time outdoors on our little yard. I'm sure over the course of this blog, I will take many pictures at various places around our school. I was attracted to this picture because I loved how the older little white leaves and new green branches stood out against the blue sky. I don't like this picture. It's missing something. Hopefully I will learn from it.

Technical Info- ISO 100, f/8, 1/320

Day 4

Day 4- Easter Bunday

Happy Easter everyone! This morning my dad and I went on a long walk in search of some Easter Bunnies! We often see bunnies on our nearby walking trail but for the first 2 miles of our walk we didn't see any. We turned around and headed home on the same route and this time, there were lots of bunnies! They must have been sleeping in!

Technical info- ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/50

For another bunny pic, click this link!

Day 3

Day 3- Old Town Orange

Today my friends and I had lunch in Old Town Orange. Despite taking many pictures, I wasn't really that pleased with any of them. Inspired by vintage postcards, I used Photoshop to doctor this picture. I added a bluer sky, boosted the color, and changed a sign that looked too modern. One of my favorite things about The Orange Circle is its nostalgic feel. You really feel like you've stepped back in time. I hope this vintage inspired picture is much more fun and interesting than the original. Here is the before and after!

To see the unedited pic, click this link!

Day 2

Day 2- Rock 'n' Bowl

My friends and I went Rock 'n' Bowling tonight. The bowling alley was dark, so in order to get a light enough picture, I had to do a longer exposure. The longer exposure caused the bowler to be out of focus. I think it actually ended up kind of cool looking. The bowler in the photo is our friend Shahen :-)

The photo's technical details- ISO 3200, f/4, 1/8

Day 1

Day 1 - Kensington

I am officially starting a 365 Day Photo Challenge! I am going to take and post a picture everyday for the next year. Hopefully this will help me to become more comfortable with all those crazy settings on my camera and make me an overall better photographer! Please post comments or suggestions! Picture 1 is of our dog Kensie :-) Also, if anyone needs any photographs taken of you, your family, food, pets, architecture, etc... please let me know! I would love to take some shots for you!!