Here are the images from the calendar I took. I think they turned out very good! Printing was done by www.overnightprints.com. Also I’m posting this with the mobile app. This should help me post more frequently but with smaller updates!

   Ok, I have been a little slow with the updates lately, but I’ve been busy! Here is a quick run down of all that has gone on in the past month. This will also serve as an overview for the next couple of posts. Well first off the Dodge Challenger calendar was finished, printed, and handed to me. I’ll post photos of it next time! After that, I received my new Nikon D7000… more on that later :) I visited New Orleans for a week. Again more on that later…. See the trend? :) I did game art for a friend on his thesis project. I then worked on the set for Home Creations and took set photography.

   I’ll condense my next post down into a more detailed update on some past projects I finished up. The Home Creations set photography will probably be it’s own post. I should have time this week to make the appropriate posts :) Again I apologize for being a bit late in my updates! More to come soon!

   So I have finally finished all the photos for Lance’s calendar! I had some that turned out really well! I am glad that I was given this opportunity. I was able to take a shot with portraiture (which I never really wanted to), and now I even consider doing more portraits in the future. I’m just glad that I can add these shots to my portfolio and hopefully get more work out of it!

   Also, I’m pretty sure that I’ve made up my mind to get the Nikon D7000. The only reason for me stating this is that I have an Amazon wishlist of all the accessories I want to buy for the Nikon already! Well I’m trying to decide what would be the best accessories to get for a wedding. Besides the camera obviously, I’m considering a prime lens, a flash, a telephoto lens, and possibly a battery grip (not really needed, but nice for the vertical functionality!). I’ll have to see where my funds are and what will give me the most bang for my buck.

   Lastly, I added an even newer music player to the right side of the page! I’m glad grooveshark made this cool widget. I’ll update it periodically with music that I’m listening to. For now, it consists of select songs from Enigma. I find these songs particularly haunting/mesmerizing. It really helps me zone out by transferring my thoughts to a completely different universe as these songs create lush soundscapes within my mind. I hope someone else can appreciate!

   So I was given the opportunity to try my hand at portraiture this fall. My friend Lance approached me in helping him out with a calendar featuring his newly bought Dodge Challenger along with some female friends. I have never really taken portraits before and was a little nervous, but I could not turn down the opportunity to get some experience. Also the photos below are the images I’ve finished editing, but I have a few more for the calendar that will go up once I have finished!

   Overall, I think that I did a good job. My ability as a photographer grew along with my portfolio. I am pretty nervous around people anyway, but forcing myself to interact with my subjects one on one was interesting. I loved the feeling of knowing that I was doing something right and seeing the image come together. The best feeling is when you are snapping the shutter and know without a doubt that those images are golden.

   Another challenge besides working with the subject was the light. I knew right off the bat that I wanted to shoot at that special “magic” hour right when the sun is setting. I really enjoy using natural lighting, especially when it’s diffused and evenly lights the entire photo. Those photos are particularly flexible within Photoshop, giving me the ability to play around and adjust the final image.
   The downside of shooting at this time of day, is that you don’t get much time before you lose all light. There was one day where we had four women ready for photos. To try and get four decent images of four women posing and taking turns all within an hour is pretty daunting. So we learned quickly not to overbook an evening of shooting.
   Speaking of lighting, I decided early that I wanted the winter months to feature cooler temp colors on the photos, while the summer months features warmer colors. Unfortunately some people dropped out, and we didn’t have enough models to go around. So while the idea worked well in my head, some of the women will be featured twice. This breaks what I was going for, but oh well; live and learn.

   I’m glad I helped out with this project. I think that it will really come in handy when I’m shooting a wedding in April. If anything, set photography and these portraits will logically assist me with wedding photography. It is like a blend of both. We’ll see when April rolls around!

   Also this was the last project using my Canon 30D. It is already sold! I feel slightly naked. It’s been a long time since I have been without a camera. Once my tax money arrives, I’ll be making the hard decision as to which camera I’ll purchase, the Canon 60D or the Nikon D7000…. hmmm.