Blog - Capture Life Through a Geek's Lens - Jeff Smallwood Photography

Aug 29, 2012

It took 3 months of planning and waiting, then twice I had to reschedule due to cloudy skies, but it finally worked out this morning. Sunrise alignment with Sandy Point Lighthouse, which is near Annapolis, MD on the Chesapeake Bay.

Jul 13, 2012

digital editing photography photoshop technique

How was the moving image created? You start by taking a series of photos using burst mode. Then use a little bit of Photoshop power and a few plugins with the technique I describe here to create your own moving photographs.

Apr 26, 2012

internet technique technology google software

Ever wondered how to make a bookmark automatically and permanently open in a new tab by default? By just clicking the link without any additional keystrokes, control-clicking or middle-mouse button clicking?

I'm all about efficiency when it comes to the browser. I've tried and migrated to just about all of them at one point or another, and the one that's stuck with me for the last couple years consistently is Google Chrome.

Apr 23, 2012

digital editing photography software technique

Just like life itself, macro photography teaches me that the deeper you look, the more you see. This month's Calvert Photography Club meeting included a presentation by Robert Tinari on close-up and macro photography. Although I've been dabbling in macro photography off and on for a few years, I learned some things and Robert presented some great images during his slideshow. Being inspired when you walk out of a room is a great feeling.

Misted Dandelion

Apr 9, 2012

digital editing photography technique

Children seem to naturally gravitate to yellow ones, and want to offer them as flowers. Whether you consider them a weed or just a part of the renewed growth of Spring, there's something whimsical and child-like about blowing on dandelions once they've gone to seed.

Break Through the Funk

Feb 7, 2012

opinion photography technique

I've been going through a period lately where I thought everything I took was crap. I was struggling to keep my eye and produce any shots I felt really confident about. A lot of scenes I was shooting just felt like lost opportunities once I looked at the results. In the past my reaction to feeling like this has been to back away, keep the camera out of sight and not push it. This worked before by allowing the creativity to come back on its own but I've never felt very positive about that approach.

Sticks and Stones

Dec 13, 2011

adventures photography technique

When I shoot during sunrises and sunsets I usually pay closest attention to the colors and expose for the sky. Bringing out those rare colors and cloud shapes can be a challenge and certainly makes for some beautiful photos. However, over the last year I've also grown to appreciate the structure, contrasts, and unique shapes that emerge from the environment when the light is coming at such a low angle. Regardless of colors, shooting for a longer exposure can bring a scene to life in a way that our eyes don't immediately see.

My Largest Panorama

Dec 3, 2011

photography technique

Full moon illumination, this was taken on the north east shore of Staniel Cay, in the Exuma Islands of the Bahamas. The specs are huge on this file and it brought my laptop to its knees.

Creating the Droste Effect

Oct 27, 2011

digital editing photography photoshop software technique

Have you ever pointed a video camera at the monitor where the live image is being displayed. Have you ever pointed your webcam at your computer screen and witnessed the screen in a screen in a screen ad infinitum? I know I used to do that all the time as a kid, always with a twinge of guilt that somehow the infinity point might break the screen, but here's how to do it all digitally.

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