Blitherings – Page 157 – Ink, Yarn & Beer

Lies

There is the purist in me that says a photograph should never be changed from what the camera took. To change it means I cannot take a picture in the first place.

Another part of me that realizes there is such creative potential in photography – especially digital photography. And, in some situations, it is the only thing that makes a dismal photo worth looking at. For me, color and contrast are always attractive. Together, both change mood, season, emotion, focal points.

Today, I went out to the local botanical garden around noon. There was not the least bit of interesting light, only shadows. I wanted to see what a new lens could do, and was too lazy to get out when the light is particularly nice (meaning get dressed and out the door before 7 a.m.!). The intention was to see how well the V1 does creating panoramic pictures on manual focus – important to learn as the camera is highly automated. A couple came out okay, but they were truly boring to the eye. So, color manipulation and such – the art of post processing.

Creativity or lying?

Off the Limb

Sade Reid

The meetup photo shoot went really well. The models were lovely, and the site, even though it was along a busy street, proved to be a perfect backdrop for the models.

The building has tall columns, long windows, and is completely white. It recalls a Southern plantation house on the front – but it is far from that – it’s an office building!

The building and the models’ clothing complemented one another quite nicely. The models were really fun to work with, and most of us got some pretty good pictures I think.

And, both cameras and all the lenses used worked out very nicely. No need to feel anxious. I do, think, it would have been good to bring the 70-300mm lens, for use with the D7000. The V1 handled itself quite well.

Out on a Limb

Anxiety Today I am doing a photo shoot with a local meetup group. There will be professional models and make up and lovely dresses. Because of my personal preferences, I am traveling light as far as camera gear. With 8-10 photographers scrambling for access, it seems like it could be almost a free-for-all, so it seems to be even more reasonable I do this.

Coming with me will be the Nikon D7000 with only one lens – the 85mm f1.8G. And to augment this, the Nikon V1 with a few lenses. Nothing else – no flashes, no reflectors. I want to focus on photography, not the peripherals of photography.

This is where the title of this post is coming from – I am out on a limb about using the V1 and a single lens on the DSLR. With a lot of gear, I feel I would go absolutely crazy with everything else, and everyone else. This is me – not other people. When I shoot alone, or one or two others, it is considerably less stressful for me, so more gear is okay. However, I feel I could miss out on some really good shots . . . but I also know my main focal points of this shoot. To try to do too many other things could decrease that concentration. I want to shoot portraits, and panorama portraits. The D7000 and 85mm are for this purpose. With the V1, I want to see what it can do under these circumstances with the 10mm f2.8, the 18mm f1.8, and the 30-110mm.

While these meetups are a little crazy, they are also a great learning experience. Seeing other photographers at work, meeting new people, and chatting about the process are always fascinating. Doing it myself, in the middle of it all, is a challenge. There are soooooo many times when I loved what I was seeing on the camera back, only for find my EV was -5 because of the dials on the top of the camera! Today, the goal is to NOT do that, and to only use the info seen on the back panel for adjustments . . . so, little goals, big goals, and a lot of anxiety because this is one shoot I really want to go perfectly!

Summer Baking

Plums

Summer fruit, summer dessert. Berries, nectarines, plums, grapes. Shortcake, pie, upside down cake, jam and jelly.

Fruit cannot be compromised by ingredients in any way, but flavors must be enhanced.

The focal point is fruit. Spices, juices, textures, subtle flavors all add to the experience. Ultimately, simplicity seems to be the best.

The problem is, most desserts are laden with fats, such as butter, and too much sugar. Where to compromise? What to make?

Upside down cake! Simple and easy, and with the right ingredients, neither too sweet, nor loaded with the “wrong” fats. Solution, then? An olive oil cake.

Summer Fruit Upside Down Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 9 inch circular cake pan. Fresh seasonal fruit – your choice! I used red plums, some ripe, some toward the green side – great sweet and sour combination. You could also do berries, strawberry-rhubarb combo, peaches, nectarines. In winter, go for apples and pears. Maybe add some chopped nuts or raisins in winter.

2-3 c. fresh fruit
2 T. white sugar
1 tsp. orange extract (I used Penzey’s)

Mix all of the above together, set aside. Stir occasionally, while creating the cake batter, if you think about it.

1.5 c. white or whole wheat flour
1/3 c. corn meal (yellow or white)
2 T baking powder
1/2 t salt

Mix together in a bowl. Set aside.

2/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange extract
3 large eggs
3/4 c. light brown sugar

Whisk all liquid, eggs, and sugar together till thoroughly blended.

Add 1/3 flour to oil-egg mixture, mixing thoroughly, but do not over mix. Continue adding 1/3 flour to mixture until all flour mixed in.

Spread fruit over bottom of pan. Spread cake batter over fruit. Bake in oven 20 minutes, check, turn pan if necessary. Bake another 20 – 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.

Remove baked cake from oven. Run knife around edge of cake in pan. Jiggle pan to loosen fruit at bottom. Place large plate over top of pan and invert. Knock on bottom of cake pan to loosen cake – I used a wooden spoon. Remove the pan and scoop anything sticking to the pan back onto the cake – don’t be shy, make sure to taste it, too!

Cool. Serve with whipped cream, creme fraiche, or yogurt.

Upside Down Cake

Looking Elsewhere

The visual elements of life never cease to intrigue me. Returning to painting – albeit more sporadically than I care for – reminds me of this. And this pulls into photography. Because I just purchased the Nikon FT-1 attachment for my Nikon 1 camera. I am now able to attach all my F-mount lenses to this small camera. I have a lovely older lens, an Elicar 55mm macro, which is capable of a 1:1 ratio. Given the crop factor of the Nikon 1, this multiplies my 55mm into about a 150mm equivalent.

Yesterday, having noodled around most of the day, I set up a vase of flowers and misted them with water. Then I started taking pictures. Even with LED lights, it was not easy to do because the light was fading, and I was outdoors. I needed my tripod. Nonetheless, I did get some good pictures. The bright colors were really satisfying – the pinks came out just beautifully, as can see in the picture above.

Using the same lens and camera, a few days earlier, after the sprinklers stopped, I took some pictures of my roses. Large water droplets covered the roses, and this white one, in particular, was really pretty. (FYI, it’s a Pope John Paul II, which is a mix of some white rose and Double Delight – and it has a lovely fragrance.)

I like the abstractions of macro photography. Getting into that secret, hidden world normal eyesight does not detect, is fascinating. Minute details become incredibly beautiful. And, it produces a new way of seeing, creating the desire to look more deeply. An intimate view of the world so easily overlooked.