PhotoYARD

Target Practice

2009-04-23T22:48:00.006-05:00

Ok, so I went on the road at Bachannal Carnival Road March last Sunday for a bit of target practice armed with a Nikon D60 and AF-S DX VR 55-200 mm lens.
Here are a few...

Lights Out

2009-03-16T20:08:00.002-05:00

It was lights out for these people when a Cement truck passed through their residential neighborhood and got caught in the light wires. In total 2 light poles were pulled down, one of which landed on this innocent car parked in the Apt. parking lot. I think Julian live next door too.

Fresh Fish!

2009-03-15T03:30:00.002-05:00

Fish Vendor earning a living at Little Ochie.

Smokin'

2009-02-07T07:28:00.005-05:00

This was very laborious to do but not knowing exactly what you are going to get was what made me take 116 shots of smoke. The images below are the same, the original is on black and I inverted it in Photoshop, overlayed a colour gradient and cropped a bit. See more smoke results at Smokin'
Tech Info: Nikon D300, Nikon 24 - 85mm lens, Aperture f/8, Shutter 1/160secs, ISO 500

More Smoke images:

character encountered at the Global Village, Dubai

2009-02-06T07:14:00.002-05:00

the burj revisited . . .

2009-02-06T07:09:00.003-05:00

The Day Usain Broke His Record

2009-01-24T14:03:00.002-05:00

jamaica celebrated!

Introducing Malory...

2008-12-07T11:30:00.003-05:00

Malory is a photo hobbyist, a Yardie who current resides in New York state. He used a Canon EOS 10D for this shot, Aperture f/5.6, shutter 1/45 at ISO250 and a 50mm focal length. We will be looking out a lot more for his work on Photoyard. Welcome Malory!!

just a puff...

2008-11-22T07:59:00.004-05:00

I am not advertising the stuff but you cannot dismiss the appeal. I dont smoke but i do like the smell of it. I scenario happened which was quite paradoxical. Picture a Jamaican with locks in a country that all they know of Jamaica is Bob Marley and weed. No one could believe that i dont smoke!

I did a series of pics which i called 'The weed effect' and these are a few.

Regular Joe

2008-10-12T22:33:00.036-05:00

Its weird the lessons that came to my head when drawn to a plant I met some time ago. He never gave me his name of course.. then I could easily be deemed mad.. but whom I chose to call Regular Joe. Quite a fellow he was, bursting out of the pavement in the middle of a church yard in St. Catherine Jamaica on a hot Saturday morning when I really should have been inside listening to the message being read at my friend's baby blessing...
Joe seems to have found himself in a spot, I'm sure his dreams of hanging out on the lawn had been dashed to pieces when he heard that he was not lawn grass, dang he was'nt even regular grass...

In Joe's mind he'll make the asphalt green and filled with flowers some day; and I'd like to think the same...

See the entire story on http://levill.blogspot.com/

Pocketwizard on SB-800/900 Setup

2008-09-23T08:49:00.000-05:00

Castleton, revisited

2008-09-15T19:15:00.009-05:00

PhotoYard has another newcomer, Samanth (yup somebody stole the ending of her name). She, Anique and I went to Castleton Gardens last Saturday. Samanth used my Nikon D200 mostly, and Anique had a Canon 40D, while I had the Nikon D300. Our main focus was composition and lighting. It was difficult to stick to the assignment I gave, to compose and shoot the lilies and toads from a totally different perspective. It gets pretty frustrating sometimes when you can't quite get the shot you want. We also played with the effects of fast & slow shutter speed, and panning. All in all it was a great day, and they did learn a lot. The photos below will tell...

The PhotoYardians

Salfrico's Photos

Samanth's Photos

Anique's Photos

three ran·dom of pho·tos of sum·mer

2008-09-14T22:08:00.011-05:00

OLYMPUS SP510UZ
F STOP: F/3.3
ISO: 87
FOCAL LENGTH: 12.8 mm

OLYMPUS SP510UZ
F STOP: F/5.6
ISO: 50
FOCAL LENGTH: 6.3 mm

OLYMPUS SP510UZ
F STOP: F/3.3
ISO: 125
FOCAL LENGTH: 14.9 mm

*All editted in Photoshop CS2

Hey, these are a few photos that I have recently took. Tell me what you think and don't hold back.

Regards,

AnX

The return of Reggae Falls

2008-09-07T22:51:00.005-05:00

Okay, I had taken some time out to edit the Reggae Falls photos. Nothing much done to them, just cropped and the colors tweaked with Lightroom. It was challenging getting good shots through the heavy mist from the fall so I doubt that I have even effectively captured a fraction of the beauty of this place!
So...here's the new set ;)

Desert Shoot with Joe McNally

2008-09-05T19:02:00.002-05:00

For those who want to use your speedlights for a creative shoot, you may learn a thing or 2 here. Watch...

Tamika & Vaughn Wedding

2008-08-06T15:00:00.009-05:00

After shooting my first official wedding here are some photos I truly love.Candle light dinner anyone?

In a ceremonial ritual Vaughn and Tamika drin ks freshly squeezed lime juice.YEP....OUCH!!!

Bridesmaid by the beach

Camera: Nikon D50, All photos edited in Photoshop CS3.

Wildlife

2008-07-16T18:22:00.004-05:00

On my journey through the deep, deep rural community of Darliston which is found in Westmorland, Jamaica, I stumbled on a striving wild life sanctuary. Armed with my Nikon D200 that was fitted with a Nikon 24-85mm lens, I immediately fell to the ground and captured these amazing pictures. Some required a real close encounter, but being the no fear photographer that I am, thats always an option....

The photos were edited in Apple's Aperture. As my first entry on PhotoYard, I would really appreciate some feedback!!

It's Been A While

2008-07-16T14:56:00.004-05:00

I've been meaning to put up a post for, oh, so long. Delinquent is my name.... (not really;-) Here are a couple of the latest emissions from the good ol' Nikon D80.
ISO100; 18mm focal length; f/5.6; 1/640s exposure; tweaked in Lightroom

ISO100; 135mm focal length; f/5.6; 1/200s exposure; tweaked in Lightroom (Strike a pose!!)

Burj Al Arab: Tower of the Arabs

2008-06-14T12:51:00.003-05:00

The interesting thing about this shot for me is that it was taken from a moving open-top tour bus, going about 50+ kph! This was the first of five shots of this scene. This one worked, the others did not. About 292 pictures taken that day. This is one of the better ones...

Tech Info:
Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikon VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G
Aperture: F5.6
Shutter: 1/8000s
ISO:200

Dover Raceway

2008-05-29T19:28:00.009-05:00

My first visit to Dover was artistically disappointing. I blame it on shortsightedness on my part by not getting a pass to move about freely, and probably being too scared to go close to the tracks for some great angles. Or probably am becoming lazy...

On a whole though the day was exciting as I settled to watch the races and enjoy the company I had.

Nikon D200, ISO320, Shutter 1/200, Nikon 80 - 200mm f/2.8 lens, Aperture f/10, Image RAW, edited with Apple's Aperture 2.0.

Orlando Photos Post #1

2008-04-10T17:04:00.007-05:00

So I made my very first trip to Orlando,while there I took some photos that really didn't look fabulous on camera but after applying a new technique I attained on my trip, I seem to have an overwhelming appreciation for them. (See Below).

Tech Info on Both Photos: Nikon D50, ISO 400, Shutter 1/150 at f7.1, 15-55mm lens, edited in Photoshop using Tone Mapping technique.

Respect The Elder

2008-04-08T15:56:00.004-05:00

Now I am a chap who grew up in the country and I mean deep country. I went to church back in the country, can I tell you I have not gone to a country church in a while. This is one of those churches where church starts at 9am and ends at 4pm.

Well I did not reach so early and I did not stay that long being a big man and all (smile) but leaving church this particular Sunday I saw this man that I simply had to take his picture.

Just wanted to share it with everyone seeing I have not posted any pictures in a while.

FINALLY GREW SOME BALLZZZZZ

2008-04-01T10:03:00.005-05:00

Greetings and salutation fellow PhotoYardies, I have finally taken a picture that sparked a bit of enthusiasm in me so I decided to share it with you all. Not being satisfied with the stage of photography I was at when I left Jamaica, I decided to enroll in school and study me some photography, starting from the grass roots of black and white/darkroom photography.

With that said take a look at a couple shots from a small depth of field assignment I am working on and let me know what you think...

Better Late Than Never

2008-03-29T10:35:00.008-05:00

Trekking along with the Photoyarders to Nanny Falls was nothing short of a great experience. The knowledge I (the prento that I am) gained along the way was invaluable... who knew that I could learn how to hillstart without running back in a hairpin turn, dodge cow itch, slide down a hill on my bum the right way, harness more power than the usual point and click interface afforded to me by my HP Photosmart 5.2 MP and last but not least adjust my shutter speed and aperture like you pro's. All in one day :)

Getting to the falls was worth every fearful drop let of sweat spent to get down the hillside but unfortunately, I didn't get any good full shots of the falls. However, I wanted to share some of the results of the lessons and tips I received from Naph and Salfrico on lighting and shutter-speed. These were taken using Naph's D50 (thanks fi di borrows, lol).

Liquid Sunshine @ Nanny Falls
Tech Specs: Nikon D50, Tamron 18-200mm lens, aperture f22, shutter 1/25 at ISO 200, Frame added in Photoshop CS3 and colours tweaked in Lightroom.

Cell Site in the Hills
Digicel.... Expect More, Get More :)
Tech Specs: Nikon D50, Tamron 18-200mm lens @ 102mm , aperture f13, shutter 1/500 at ISO 200, Frame added in Photoshop CS3 and colours tweaked in Lightroom.

Salfrico and Steffie @ Folly House
Tech Specs: Nikon D50, Tamron 18-200mm lens , aperture f6.3, shutter 1/100 at ISO 200, Frame added in Photoshop CS3 and colours tweaked in Lightroom.

Steffie @ Folly House
Tech Specs: Nikon D50, Tamron 18-200mm lens @ 56mm, aperture f7.1, shutter 1/125 at ISO 200, colours tweaked in Lightroom.

Writing on the Wall @ Folly House
Tech Specs: Nikon D50, Tamron 18-200mm lens @ 80mm, aperture f11, shutter 1/130, Frame added in Photoshop CS3 and colours tweaked in Lightroom.

Pan Di River, Pan Di Bank

2008-03-28T12:56:00.014-05:00

I did not take many photos on this trip to Nanny Falls, but here is my photo.

Nanny Falls - Portland

Tech info:NIKON D50, ISO200, Shutter Speed 1/50 at f/5.6, edited in Adobe Lightroom, Stitched and cropped in Photoshop CS3

More Nanny Falls

2008-03-27T09:02:00.008-05:00

Standing in the river, submerged to my chest, I snapped this image. My initial attempt was to highlight the interesting features of the rocks with the soft water flowing over it. It didn't work the way I wanted but I still like this photo. I also think that for a 1/4sec shot without a tripod in the middle of a river, this is darn sharp considering!!

Tech info: Nikon D200, Nikon 24 - 85 f/2.8 lens @ 35mm focal length, ISO100, aperture f/25, shutter 1/4sec to blur the waterfall, shot in RAW mode. Tweaked the saturation& definition in Apple's Aperture.

My First Time...

2008-03-26T19:21:00.017-05:00

Yup it was my first time trekin with the crazy photoyard crew lol. I had a blast hiking to Nanny Falls n all. The journey was long but worth the muscle.

As we learnt about shutter & aperture from the master himself lol, I captured this lush and tranquil hideaway.

I mounted my camera on Salfrico's tripod, and shutter released with the Nikon MC-36 remote. I also enhanced the image in Lightroom (yup u know how wi "Piece a Crap" users do) lol.

Tech Specs: Nikon D200, Nikon 18-55mm lens, 0.5x wide angle lens with macro, with a polarizing filter attached. Aperture: f/32, Shutter: 1.0sec, Focal length: 38mm, ISO: 100. Shot in RAW mode.

Stef @ Folly ruins

Tech Specs: Nikon D200, Nikon 24-85mm lens, Aperture: f/5.0, Shutter: 1/40sec, Focal length: 85mm, ISO: 100. Shot in RAW mode.

On The Maroon Trail

2008-03-24T22:37:00.023-05:00

Today PhotoYard hit the phototrail again. This time our travels took us to Moore Town, in the hills of Portland, Jamaica. Infamous for its rich history, especially that of Nanny (a Jamaican Heroine), Moore Town is one of the preserved maroon settlements in Jamaica. Click here to read more about Moore Town. We trekked through the hills and bush for about 25 minutes, which ended up at Nanny Falls, and spent quite some time there. New comers Alecia, André and Lavern were taught about use of shutter & aperture in regards to lighting, exposure and depth of field. Stephanie and Howie came for the ride but they totally enjoyed the day.

We stopped by Folly Ruins... yes a well photographed place I know, but there were some amongst us who actually never heard the story, nor seen the travesty. We were banned from taking photos of the lighthouse nearby though. The Port Authority rules! It was overall well spent day. And for those who didn't make it... YOU SUCK!!! hahah. Ok guys just kidding. You have some catching up to do. Later!!

Stef & Naphtale
Alecia, Lavern & Naphtale brushing some bun and cheese...
Howie & Stef
Eddie
Lavern & Naphtale, again...
Eddie
Its them again!
Alecia, Andre, Naphtale & Lavern
Ok you get the Picture!!!
Them!!
Them same ones!!
Thats me shooting a photo and looking sexy doing it!! hahah!
André shooting birds?
On the trail...
beat up and tired
Alecia with her new BIG Gun. Pose off like a PichoMan!!
Ok me again. Thats all folkes!

Tomorrow I am hoping the rest of the guys will post images they took today. Stay tuned!!

Eyes on the Moon

2008-03-04T17:58:00.005-05:00

Ok, so the eclipse was actually on Feb 20, 2008, but I'm just getting around to posting it now. Taken on a tennis court in Liguanea somewhere (we got lost trying to find it), Seymour, Kwame, Brian and I took a few shots, while Stephanie and Dezmarie tried to stay awake...

ISO 100, f/2.8, 1.60 sec exposure at 105mm.

ISO 100, f/5.6, 2 sec exposure, at 340mm. Looks like an eyeball doesn't it? :)

Painted Sunrise?

2008-02-14T17:14:00.005-05:00

Taken from a Penthouse balcony in Fort Pierce, Florida. Tech specs: Nikon D200, Nikon 24-85mm lens, aperture f/25, shutter 1/40 at ISO100. Colour tweaked and frame added in photoshop CS3.

Jouvert (carnival 08)

2008-02-10T22:32:00.000-05:00

Art of Photography (Learning to See)

2008-01-14T15:48:00.000-05:00

Hi guys Howard Moo Young one of Jamaica's Leading Photographers will be teaching some vital info on The Art of Photography at Mona Campus, UWI, starting this Saturday 19, January. I just found out about it yesterday and I have made the decision to go for it. I hope some of you guys can join me in the class as well.

For more details visit: http://summerschool.carimac.com/summer-school-course-descriptions/the-art-of-photography-learning-to-see

Lights, Camera, Bear!!

2008-01-06T20:39:00.000-05:00

Seymour's a bully!!!!! Him come ah mi yaad an' bad mi up fi put up picha!!! :-) Luv ya anyway hun!

This was the first time I was seeing a teddy bear (real size) being used as a tree ornament. So, using the coffee table as a tripod, I used my Nikon D80 with a 18-135mm lens, shutter 1/4 and aperture f/5.6 to capture this image. ISO setting was 1000.

This now was a light diplay at some forbidden place. Shot at a shutter speed of 1 sec. (handheld for 'effect' or something) with aperture f/20 and ISO 1000.

Cinderella Starlights

2008-01-06T17:50:00.000-05:00

Ok so Stef & I rang in the new year with Cinderella at her Castle in Disney's Magic Kingdom. The fireworks were deafening of course, coupled with the screams of the throng that gathered. I shot a few images with my Nikon D200 using the 24 - 85mm lens at f2.8. I used a shutter speed of 1/50, handheld with ISO3200. This resulting image is a composite of 3 photos, using Photoshop CS3

Lights of the Season

2008-01-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE

Wedding Photography in the Mayan Riviera

2007-12-13T17:18:00.000-05:00

Photographer: David Jay

Digital Photography Lesson - Skin tones part 2 of 4

2007-12-12T17:57:00.000-05:00

High Impact Lighting Trailer

2007-12-12T16:47:00.001-05:00

This is a trailer I found but I will be searching for the DVDs as it appears to have a lot to offer.

LiteDome xs Kit 1

2007-12-12T16:24:00.000-05:00

The LiteDome xs Kit comes with:
* LiteDome xs soft box
* Basic connector
* Adjustable Shoe Mount hardware - AC-B222SM

The LiteDome xs is lightweight and portable, giving you studio-quality lighting wherever you need it. Great for weddings and meetings where portability and great lighting are needed. The Adjustable Shoe Mount Hardware (AC-B222SM) allows you to connect your shoe-mount style flash to our LiteDome xs. Allows mounting to a camera bracket or a light stand. Use with our Shoe Mount Multiclamp (AC-BSWCP) for tilt capability when using a light stand. See more at this link Photoflex Products

Welcome Orville to PhotoYARD

2007-12-12T10:22:00.001-05:00

After viewing the previous blog about Orville's Nikon COOLPIX S7c Digital Camera and his hesitation to join the so called "big guns" at PhotoYARD , I immediately thought that he needs to grow some balls..LOL. no disrespect :) Seriously though, it doesn't matter what type of camera you have, it's how you use it and judging by the photos Seymour took with your cam I need not say more.
The photo I have above , I took it with a Sony DSC-W70 7.1mp. Sorry guys now Tech Info. I did multiple shots and ended up stitching them together to get this look.

An Ode To Orville...

2007-12-12T09:31:00.000-05:00

Sunday afternoon Stef and I spent some time with Orville & his darling wife Samrika. Orville is very much interested in becoming a member of PhotoYARD but complains that he has a Nikon COOLPIX S7c 7.1mp compact camera with WiFi, and wouldn't be able to 'match-up' as he calls it to the 'big guns' possessed by some club members. I took his digital camera and snapped the few photos posted here. Now you all can judge the images, and tell me what you think.

Note: Nikon has discontinued the COOLPIX S7c WiFi, in 2007

Tech Info: f/14.1, shutter 1/107, focal length 17mm. Most of these were shot in macro mode

"Pocomania Day"

2007-12-04T10:01:00.000-05:00

As a child growing up I was always fond of the Pocomania Movement in Jamaica. I remember in the 1980's seeing them parading in the streets of kingston in their bright rich colours beautifully cordinated with their tie heads, chanting and dancing to the beat of the drums. Lovindeer's song 'pocomania day' made me even more fascinated with them, I loved the colours they wore, their movements - "wheel an' tun' cause spirit inna mi"; the 'dip and fall back', all the african retentions mixed with christanity created this great cultural thing called Pocomania. My documentation took me to a small movement in Hermitage near August Town, it was a Wednesday afternoon- a healing service. Several people from the community turned up for a piece of the healing from the church leader, whom they referred to as 'daddy'. The service ended at around 9 p.m., I got some great photojouranlistic shots, experimenting in manual mode with my external flash. This was a very good experience me.

Washington, DC

2007-12-02T12:43:00.001-05:00

Last December Stef and I went to Washington. Even tho it was really cold, I pretty much enjoyed my visit. The national monuments were basically the highlights. When we stopped at the Lincoln Memorial, there were lots of people there, milling around and taking photographs. Amid the chaos, I saw this little girl and her teddy seemingly paying homage to one of US' great presidents. All else seem to melt away as I framed her wih a Tamron 18 - 200mm lens @ 18mm, used aperture f/3.5, shutter 1/40 with ISO400

This Mallard Drake came up to the edge of the Reflecting Pool east of the Lincoln Memorial. It kept following me along the side of the pool so I laid on the concrete and used a Tokina 80 - 400mm @ 200mm and framed its inquisitive face. Aperture f/6.3, Shutter 1/125, and ISO400.

Later that evening we stood across the Capitol's Reflecting Pool, and using a tripod, I shot this photo with a 30sec exposure, with f/11 aperture and ISO100

Busy Bugger

2007-11-29T13:14:00.001-05:00

Seriously, Seymour is right about those bees, they just wont stay still. Fortunately for me I ran down this bees one early morning last year when I first got my Nikon D50 at ma office. The cleaning lady and the security thought I was nuts.....LOL. Sorry Seymour but you didn't get to break my frame record of 270 (shot the entire 2Gig card to death) .

Metadata: Camera - NIKON D50, Apreture - f/5.6, Shutter - 800, ISO400, Nikon 18-55mm Lens, Cropped and edited in Adobe Photoshop.

lights, CAMERA, shoot!

2007-11-29T12:36:00.000-05:00

Photographers always have to come up with creative ways of coming up with a concept for cover albums or promotional pictures for recording artistes. I chose to use the artiste's surroundings , Portmore Empire shot was done at their studio in Pembrake Hall, while I chose the Waterfront for Easy Wayne. Coming up with the pose was somewhat of a challenge for me it took alot of trial and error; Easy Wayne's pose is his signature style; Portmore Empire shot (top right) is a reflective moment; the other portmore shot (below) was chic and stylish. Images where post produced in iPhoto.

(from top Left to right: Easy Wayne, Member of Portmore Empire; Below: First lady of Portmore Empire)

Early Worker

2007-11-29T10:33:00.000-05:00

Early this morning I went to the bank and in the parking lot there was a garden with lots of bees just flying around collecting pollen. I grabbed my camera, and shot a total of 104 photos. They were difficult to capture, and even with that amount of bees and photos, I still didn't get a perfect, dramatic shot. They just wouldn't keep still!! :)

Tech Info: Nikon D200, lens Nikon 24 - 85mm, aperture f/6.3, shutter 1/160, ISO100, focal length 85mm. Shot in RAW mode and contrast tweaked in Aperture.

Picture Perfect

2007-11-28T17:26:00.001-05:00

Sometimes we experiment for different effects etc. Whatever the result, its the trial and error that make us better, artists, designers and photographers. This is 5 month old Ellisa, superstar in the making, shot with a Nikon D200, 24 - 85mm lens, Aperture f/5.6, Shutter 1/80, ISO200. Then post production work done in Photoshop CS3.

Tishannia Beckford

2007-11-28T15:36:00.001-05:00

Sitting at my desk at work, Michelle (the cleaning lady) visited the office on her day off with her 7 month old daughter Tishannia. I immediately grabbed my camera and started blinding the poor child. With much delight she smiled the entire time, AWWWWWWWWWW...

Metadata: Camera - NIKON D50, Apreture - f/10, Shutter - 40, ISO400, Nikon 18-55mm Lens, Cropped and edited in Adobe Lightroom.

Baby Portrait

2007-11-28T13:10:00.000-05:00

My favorite subject matter these days are babies. They are cute, adorable, admirable and fun to work with! I caught little Johnathan gazing at his grandparents, so I zoomed in to get a nice head shot of him looking away. I converted the picture into Black and white and added a bit of contrast.

Tech info: Camera - Canon Rebel XT; lens Canon 28-80mm; aperture f/5.0; shutter 1/60; ISO400.fISO160; Focal Lenght 55.00mm; converted to Black & White in iPhoto

Parang at Lupinot

2007-11-27T00:04:00.000-05:00

Photojournalistic Wedding

2007-11-17T13:42:00.000-05:00

The best part of any wedding for me is capturing the excitement of the bride getting ready and off to be married. I too seem to share the anticipation of what is to come next. Its a rush for me, seriously! The photo below has a photojournalist feel. I converted it to black & white in iPhoto and added a blur to the edges, making the image more dramatic. Charlene being a beautiful bride helped a great deal. Her wedding has been my best wedding to date.

Tech info: Camera - Canon Rebel XT; Lens - Canon 28 - 80mm; Aperture f/3.5; Shutter 1/1250, ISO100

Red Haired Minx, Again...

2007-11-16T23:01:00.000-05:00

Nikon D200, aperture f/5.6, shutter 1/125, +1 exposure bias, ISO400, focal length 45mm

Restless Sea...

2007-11-16T22:49:00.001-05:00

Tech Info: Nikon D200 | aperture f/6.3 | shutter 1/500 | ISO160 | 18 - 200mm Tamron Lens @ 18mm. Colour & saturation adjusted in Aperture.

A Champ In Waiting...

2007-11-16T08:34:00.000-05:00

Tech info: Camera - Nikon D200; lens Tamron 18-200mm
photo 1. aperture f/5.6, shutter 1/200, ISO160.
photo 2. aperture f/8, shutter 1/200, ISO160, converted to Black & White in Aperture

Just a few

2007-11-12T21:13:00.000-05:00

Ok guys and girls not the greatest post but this should pass and get Salfrico off ma back for a lil until i get a "betta" post. Sometime sunday while immortalizing the lovely Stacey-Ann digitally, I found these some what uncommon creatures a couple of geese, a duck and lamb. Shot with a Nikon D50 with Tamron 18-200mm lens @200mm, shutter 1/500 sec, aperture f/6.3 and iso 400. Images cropped and edited in Aperture and Photoshop CS3 courtesy of Salfrico.

Leave your mark!

2007-11-10T21:01:00.000-05:00

The significance of a vote is sometimes not seen as such. I found the entire process in Trinidad and Tobago to be very much different from yard. They actually went out and voted! The majority of persons from the office came to work with stained fingers for they wanted to leave a mark on the entire political process. They felt proud of that right and they wore it with pride, black with red inked fingers. The image below captures the experience for me.

Sorry for not introducing myself to my fellow photo club members. Clayton Rhule is the name. I would consider myself one of the earlier members. Why we haven't met? Well I kinda got drafted to another Caribbean location. Til that time.

Logo Choice

2007-10-25T11:22:00.000-05:00

I like this one..... Mi Hand Middle Scratching Mi.

POST THEM PHOTOS GUYS!!

2007-10-25T09:26:00.000-05:00

Took this photo in my make shift studio...LOL I didn't quite get the look I was going for but I though posting this picture would get you guys going again. I soften his skin in Photoshop by duplicating the "Background" Layer then applied "Gaussian Blur" to it. Using a Black Mask on that same blurred layer I meticulously painted back all the areas I needed with a soft edge brush set at white. Look out for my "Do It Yourself Post" as I will be showing the steps.

Metadata: Camera - NIKON D50, Apreture - f/6.3, Shutter - 60, ISO200, Nikon 18-55mm Lens, Cropped and edited in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

2007-09-19T22:09:00.000-05:00

I like your version without the sun, didnt think of doing it that way before, but I think yours is too tight so I raised it a little more over the horizon. What you think?

EDDIE WEBSITE LAUNCH - Sept. 20th 2007

2007-09-19T21:33:00.000-05:00

OK Guys the suspense of the COUNTDOWN is over!

It has been a long and sometime exhausting journey for me to get my website up and running. I couldn't have done it without significant help from Webmaster Kevin Day for full site development, concept, scripting and many more, thanks a million Kevin, YOU A DI BEST!. Thanks to Jason Chang helping out out with my Guest Book, Respect. Real big ups to Seymour Watson-Grant (aka Salfrico) as well for taking me under his wings and teaching me the fundamentals of Photography. I can't believe that a year and a half has passed since I first started, I still have a lot to learn and things to achieve but with the help of my PHOTO YARD club members I do believe we all can grow together.

So without delay I present to you my Photography Website
www.emassiasphotography.com

Lets Support...

2007-09-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

Seaside Sunset

2007-09-19T13:42:00.000-05:00

I was at the waterfrfont downtown and saw this man just lying there watching the sunset and thought his silhouette would add interest to the picture.

I adjusted the colouring of the picture and cropped it so that the man would be more of the focus (do you think I cropped it too close losing balance in the picture?).

This pic was taken with my point and shoot camera DSC-W90 Sony 8.1 mega-pixels and was edited with the standard picture editor that comes with the camera.

I welcome your comments.

Logo, Revisited

2007-09-18T19:39:00.001-05:00

FiMi Logo Concepts

2007-09-14T11:06:00.000-05:00

Red Haired Minx

2007-09-12T22:39:00.000-05:00

Well ... I noticed that all the photos are of landscapes and stuff... so mi say ... whappen to d people. So my first post is a people :-)

My first post is my sister. I managed to capture her beauty one night before she went out on the town.... Seymour helped by tweaking it a bit using aperture which helped to enhance the shot.

What do you guys think?
Technical Info:
Camera: Canon
Model: Canon PowerShot S3 IS
ISO400
Exposure: 1/60 sec
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 30.2mm

Over-Saturation Explained

2007-09-10T15:12:00.001-05:00

Increasing a images color saturation can have very pleasing results and can be a handy step in Black & White Conversion for a more drastic effect. However, there are times when a part of an image may already have fairly bold color and adding further saturation can cause a loss in image quality.

Original Photo
Metadata: Camera - NIKON D50, Apreture - f/8, Shutter - 60, ISO400, Nikon 18-55mm Lens, Cropped and edited in Adobe Lightroom.

Below shows how over-saturation affect a photo.

Img. A - Edited photo with slight colour boost.

Img. B - Over-Saturated photo showing loss of detail.

N.B While it is possible to make a digital photo look better than the original by numerous photo editing techniques, it remains that any form of editing to a digital image will result in loss of data. It is up to you the editor to determine how much data you wish to loose.

Logo?

2007-09-10T13:11:00.001-05:00

I was begged to put make this post, and after much pleading and beseeching from Seymour I decided to just give in and accommodate him. Hahahah... So whey unnu tink bout this???!!

Sunset

2007-09-09T14:33:00.000-05:00

I have always been intrigued with the natural canvas that is the sky. The array of colours, the texture and shapes of the clouds I find very stimulating. A perfect day would be lying on my back outside (of course in the shade) from sunset to sunrise just watching the show that is put on for us. Peace and love!

Camera: Sony DSC-W90 (compact), Aperture: f/5.2, Shutter: 1/125, ISO400, Focal Length: 17mm. Colour contrast increased a bit in Photoshop CS3 for a more dramatic effect.

Nature's fascination in simple things

2007-09-07T18:05:00.000-05:00

Another shot from my study of plants in my garden, this picture made me feel special :). I am overwhelmed by its vast beauty a simple plant that one would on a regular day walk by without paying attention.

My focus was on the petals of this gracious looking plant, fused into it's environs. I think through the depth of field the petals seems to pop off the canvas. I look to forward to your comments on this photo.

Technical Information:

Camera: Nikon D80

Image Date: 9/3/07 3:55PM

Aperture: f/5

ISO400

Focal Length: 210mm

Flame On!

2007-09-06T09:18:00.000-05:00

Hey people. I am soliciting feedback on this photo. Tear it apart if you have to. Composition, Depth of field, point of interest... you name it. Click the photo if you need it enlarged...

Technical info: Shot with a Nikon D200, Tokina 80 - 400mm @ 400mm, ISO800, f/5.6, Shutter 1/1250, Exposure Bias +1

Fusion of nature's spectrum

2007-09-05T18:09:00.000-05:00

A photographer's dream, having the spectrum of color transcend its glory through the lens of your camera as the shutter opens to allow the greeting of light fused with a product of mother nature with its sparkle of color.

A breathtaking experience as you hit the lever to instruct your camera to capture the moment. Snap! and it is done, now you can't wait to download the freshly taken picture into aperture so as to examine the details of your very own captured frame in time.

Thorn Among Thieves

2007-09-04T21:18:00.000-05:00

After getting my Nikon d80 I have suddenly begun paying attention to the smaller things around me, the positive and negative shapes created by objects around us, the lush color of green, a thorn amongst the bush. This was a Cactus I saw growing in our garden and the extra eyes of my lens did not allow me to pass up the opportunity to give it some attention. The first post in my study of this remarkable structure.

Technical Information

Image date: 09/03/07 , 3:45p.m.

Aperture: f/4.8

ISO Speed Rating: ISO400

Focal Length (35mm): 277mm

Focal Length: 185mm

Camera Model: NIKON D80

Out of this World

2007-08-30T11:30:00.001-05:00

After a failed attempt to hijack Tamar's tripod, Seymour was the next victim, not only did I snatch a tripod I also scored a Tokina 80-400mm lens, sweet!!!. Seriously though, when I told Seymour that I wanted to take some night shots especially of the moon, he queried what lens I'd be using, knowing I only have a kit Nikon 18-55mm. He strongly suggested I borrow his 80-400mm. Good looking out Seymour!! My efforts would have been futile without the zoom capability of the Tokina. It took me a little while to truly grasp the power of the moon light(novice!!!), as I was way over exposed. A quick call to Seymour and he told me to under-expose the shots which worked like a charm.

Now for the technical bits:
Camera: Nikon D50,
Lens: Tokina 80 - 400mm @ 400mm,
Aperture f/11,
Shutter 1/500,
ISO1600
This photo was cropped and sharpened in Photoshop CS3

New Releases, Nikon & Canon

2007-08-29T09:18:00.000-05:00

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

The EOS-1Ds Mark III becomes the seventh Canon professional EOS-1D series digital SLR, although only the third of the 's' suffix sub-category which indicates a full frame sensor. Three years since the last EOS-1Ds, the Mark II, the Mark III pushes digital SLR resolution over the twenty megapixel barrier with specifically twenty-one-point-one million pixels (5616 x 3744) on its 36 x 24 mm (full 35 mm frame) sensor. Canon also claim to have increased the 'light gathering efficiency' of the sensor by reducing the amount of (wasted) space between microlenses, hence despite the resolution increase the Mark III still provides sensitivity up to ISO 3200 (with boost enabled).

The new Nikon D3, Full-Frame

It's here, after perhaps the longest period of speculation ever Nikon has lifted the covers on their first full-frame digital SLR, the new 12.1 megapixel D3.

The D3 is all about speed and sensitivity, twelve megapixels on a big CMOS chip means large photosites (8.45 µm pitch to be precise) and that adds up to base sensitivity of ISO 200 to 6400 with an additional two stop boost over that (up to ISO 25600). The other side of the speed story (apart from blistering AF and shutter lag) is that the D3 can shoot at nine frames per second with AF tracking or eleven frames per second without. Other headline features are a newly branded EXPEED image processor, a new 51-point AF sensor, color AF tracking, dual CF compartments (with UDMA support), an amazing 3.0" 922,000 pixel LCD monitor with Live View (including contrast detect auto-focus), HDMI video output and even a virtual horizon function which can tell you when you're holding the camera perfectly level. There's too much to fit here so we crammed as much as we can into a preview. The D3 will be available in November, at around US$5000.

The new Nikon D300

Just under two years since the D200 Nikon reveals the D300, the range of changes is so significant that it wouldn't be inappropriate to call it a 'compact D3' (less the full-frame sensor of course). From the top there's a new CMOS sensor with twelve megapixels, a new auto-focus sensor with 51-points (15 of which are cross-type sensitive), there's focus tracking by color, scene recognition, Picture Control presets, six frames per second continuous shooting (or eight frames per second with a battery pack), Compact Flash UDMA support, Live View (with contrast detect AF) and the mighty impressive 3.0" 922,000 pixel LCD monitor (oh and HDMI video output). It's an impressive list, the D200 was a fair step up from the D100, the D300 can be seen as just as big a step, certainly more than enough to make the competition sweat.

Up on the roof

2007-08-22T22:38:00.000-05:00

This was an experiment on night photography, shot from the roof of a building that shall remain nameless. * Names witheld to protect the guilty. Heheheh. Shot with Nikon D80, f/5.6, 6.0 sec, ISO250 on a tripod.

Photo-trekker

2007-08-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

Sunday, August 12, 2007. 7:30 a.m. (in deep sleep) my cell phone rang. It was Eddie, "Can i come for my lens???.....I'm outside". I rolled out of bed, literally, to give the gentleman his 'carouches' and ended up promising to go to his shoot. On my way there, lo and behold, Seymour called. He was on his way to New Castle with Naphtale....hmmm......take pictures....watch Eddie take pictures.... Seymour to the rescue! Brilliant mind that he is, he suggested that we all go and watch Eddie shoot then go a-trekking.

Anyhow, we never did get to New Castle, but we took lots of shots along the way. Here is a shot of Eddie in action and a resulting photo.

For this shot Eddie used a Nikon D50, sporting an 18-55mm lens, shutter 1/100, f/7.1 and ISO400. He also used an S-45 flash unit with umbrella as main light. Photoshop CS3 was used to get the monochromatic feel.

This is me trying to get a close up, using my Nikon D80 at 1/50 sec, f 5.6, ISO 250 along with +2 and +4 close up filters.

Both photos were shot with the same settings except 1/50 and 1/60 sec respectively. Minor tweaking to highlights were done in Photoshop.

Field Trip #2

2007-07-29T13:33:00.000-05:00

Saturday, July 28. 5:18 a.m. I awoke with a start to the low ring and intermittent buzzing of my cell phone. Tamar had awoken a hour earlier and was ensuring that I would be picking her up on time. 5:30 a.m. We went to get Patrice then headed to the Palisados strip.

This was PhotoYARD's second field trip, which originally scheduled for YS Falls but due to high 'apologies for absence' we changed the venue to New Castle, then ended up at Palisados. Tamar and Patrice basically practiced what they learned at the workshop 2 weeks before: Aperture + Shutter + ISO. They practiced using different lens and focal length as well. We also looked at Composition (rule Of Thirds) and proper camera handling. Thumbs up girls! Patrice was more excited because she actually practiced with a DSLR, a Nikon D50 that I hijacked from Naphtale... heheh

Even tho the low turn out was disappointing, we did have a good time. I will be posting some photos soon...

Digital Camera Magazine

2007-07-20T11:53:00.000-05:00

Hi guys. I sent a text around earlier but its worth being mentioned here. For those serious about photography, books & mags help greatly. One magazine is UK's Digital Camera. Awesome. Things are explained step by step. Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual Setting and (Light) Metering. Its not sold locally in our bookstores, its an online subscription, and investment worth making. Go to www.dcmag.co.uk even for the newsletter. I know I WONT be lendin out my set!!:D Thats how good these magazines are! The other magazines I subscribe to are ShutterBug and Outdoor Photographer. They can be obtained locally.

PhotoYARD Workshop # 1

2007-07-15T20:19:00.000-05:00

We had our first workshop this evening and I learned quite a few things. Firstly, let me just mention who were present: Toni, Tamar, Eddie, moi (Patrice) and of course our instructor, Seymour. Apologies for absence only came from Julian, Dayna, Kwame and Shauna.

The topics that were covered today were:

SLR (single lens reflex) vs TLR (Twin lens reflex)
Error of Parallax
Pentaprism
Shutter
Lens
Depth of Field
Aperture
ISO - International Standard Organization

Unfortunately we couldn't get to go into the Intro. of Photoshop, LightRoom and Apple's Aperture because the AC in the office conked out.

The workshop was pretty good, everyone interacted and asked questions and Seymour made sure to go through the stuff, illustrate on camera, and then gave us a quick pop quiz to cement all we learned.

Looking forward to the next workshop and our outing.... YS Falls, July 28!!

Later Peeps.

Congrats!

2007-07-10T08:04:00.000-05:00

Just want to "big-up" Eddie on his award in this year's JCDC/National Gallery Exhibitions. Hard work pays off they say, so we all will work harder this year to enter next year's exhibition, and go for GOLD!! Go Eddie! Big Up PhotoYARD!!

My JCDC 2007 National Gallery of Jamaica Entries

2007-07-04T12:43:00.000-05:00

ROOM FOR RENT - BRONZE MEDAL, 2007
Taken in Browns Town, St. Ann, with a NIKON D50, ISO400, Shutter Speed 1/640 at f/4, edited in P-Shop CS3.

WEARY TRAVELER - MERIT AWARDED, 2007
Bog Walk, St. Catherine on an early morning photo trek. I used my NIKON D50, with ISO400, Shutter Speed 1/50 at f/5.3, and edited in P-Shop CS3.

BEL AIR'S LEGACY - MERIT AWARDED, 2007
Taken in Kingston. NIKON D50, ISO400, Shutter Speed 1/200 at f/6.3, edited in P-Shop CS3.

AnX - the Castleton Experience

2007-06-30T10:57:00.001-05:00

olympus sp510uz, Aperture: f/3.3, ISO200, Focal length: 26.4 mm
olympus sp510uz, Aperture: f/3.4, ISO200, Local length: 39.9 mm

These shots were apart of an exercise in understanding composition and making the piece interesting - whether by the angle and the depth of field.

I found these 2 shots quite interesting, more so the later as it has a reversed depth of field. I'm not sure it if works however, I think if there were more leaves in the background (by changing the angle) it would have been a lot more successful. Tell me what you think.

The main studies of this trip was about composition, aperture and shutter speed. The 2 shots of a similar scene generated 2 different effects. The first one produced a silk type effect with the water by having the shutter being opened for a longer period of time. While the lower shot generated more of a 'real time' photograph.

nikon d200, lens: Tamron 18 - 200mm, aperture: f/25, shutter: 0.5 sec, iso:400

nikon d200, lens: Tamron 18 - 200mm, aperture: f/4.5, shutter: 1/100, iso: 400

Notice that in the specs for the latter shots differ in aperture and shutter speed. Where the greater the shutter speed the more of a blurred effect is created. While the lesser the aperture size the more light is let into the lens - and these two feature work in conjunction with each other to create better photography. All photos edited with Adobe Photoshop CS2

Kwame's Eye View

2007-06-21T00:31:00.000-05:00

I took this shot of some ferns using a large aperture to shorten the depth of field to blur the background. I thought that the shot would look more interesting in black and white so I edited it using Photoshop CS2.

Ye Ole Rusty Can
I saw this can looking very out of place on the lawn as if it was trying to be noticed so I noticed it and took a few shots. I liked the vibrant colour of the grass with the sun reflecting off it so I chose to leave it untouched. A short depth of field was also implemented here to show close blades of grass in sharp focus with the background blurred.

Depth-Of-Field Explained

2007-06-20T16:57:00.000-05:00

Ok Eddie... Valiant attempt but not quite. Depth of field in a nutshell is the area that is in focus behind and in front of the subject that you actually focus on. To read more on this, see Research Topics to the right side of this blog on Depth Of Field, Explained. Also watch this area for more tips and articles...

Da Fog Blog at Castleton

2007-06-20T09:39:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone. I totally enjoyed the PhotoYARD outing that we had on Saturday to Castleton Gardens. While at Castleton on a previous trip with Seymour, he showed me a few techniques. One of which was adjusting my shutter speed to take some nice pictures of the flowing river. Despite Seymour thinking I was avoiding the rest of the members. I merely set about to practice. Seen below is my shot showing slow shutter speed of the river water over rocks (Nikon D50, ISO400, Shutter 1/15 and f/16 with a Tamron 28 - 300mm lens).

Another technique that was taught at this meeting was Depth of field. Now I must admit I really haven’t grasped the technique as yet. In the foreground of the picture the leaves are blurred , at the middle of the picture the leaves are sharp and in the background the leaves are blurred . I believe the idea is to get the object of focus as sharp as possible while eliminating the surroundings… I think. LOL. Below is my Tamarind Tree shot of short Depth of Field (Nikon D50, ISO400, Shutter speed 1/250 and f6.3 with a Tamron 28 - 300mm lens).

All-in-all it was a great day. Looking forward for the next adventure.... Can someone say CLIFTON MOUNT.

The Digital Paradigm

2007-06-19T16:42:00.000-05:00

For those considering buying entry level digital SLR cameras, I would suggest that you do some indepth research and compare various brands thats are on the market. You will be making a decent investment so optimum care must be taken when selecting. Dont just go for a brand because its popular, look at performance, control, function, colour, resolution and yes cost.

In the above photo I have provided 2 popular brands that often times go neck to neck. The Canon Digital Rebel XTi/400D and the Nikon D80. Here are 2 side-by-side reviews I found, they are lengthy but useful. This is just a start for you. Don't be tied by it, be objective (click on the titles to read)... DC Views and Digital Phototography Review

Welcome To PhotoYARD!

2007-06-18T15:48:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody!! Welcome to the blog of PhotoYARD Digital Photography Club. Born out of the interest of a few aspiring Jamaican photographers who went and bought expensive digital photography equipment and actually wanted to make use of them, the Club convened September 2006, but we were only able to make our very first field trip on Saturday, June 16, 2007. In the photo above are (l-r) top row: Shawn, Dahema, Dayna, Naphtale, Salfrico; bottom row: Kwame, Julian, Eddie & Chad

PhotoYARD went to Castleton Gardens, St. Mary border. The first of many more adventures, and people falling camera first into the river, and Sandfly bites, right Kwame?!! Next time wear long pants or bring Bug Off!! Heheheh!! Despite all that I believe it was very productive, and we all learned a lot about Composition, Aperture, ISO, Shutter speed and combining all to create a well balanced photo with regards to lighting, as well as to create various photo effects.

Julian shot this blossom using a Nikon D200, ISO400, Shutter speed 1/60 and f11 with a Tokina 80 - 400mm lens

This blog was created for club members to share their photos, experience, personal growth, tips, etc. A melting pot for all of us to draw from. So please feel free to submit your names and email addresses to be added as contributors. I would encourage ALL club members to login, view, review, add photos with the technical details as well as add comments to posted blogs.

Well Ladies and Sirs, lets enjoy the Art Of Photography!!

Salfrico