~ania♥

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: ~ania♥!

"Choosing 2 favorite pictures seemed almost impossible to me. My favorites change as the time goes by, but finally I settled for these":

I really like this one... it's so autumny with lots of textures and contrasting smoothness and rich brown tones.


This one is just classic, simple - it's me..

1: How long have you been involved in photography?

Like most of us, I feel I've been taking pictures forever, but for the longest time they were just snapshots, snapshots of everything.... until a few years ago my husband basically forced me to change the way I understood photography by buying me my first digital SLR.

2: Equipment you use?

I'm a Canon girl all the way :) Currently using EOS 450D and all Canon lenses, favorite being 50mm f/1.4 and 100mm f/2.8

3: Mac or PC?

PC

4: What inspires you?

Life... things that surround me, little everyday objects, nature - a single leaf, flowers, light, shadows.
I love photographing the food I make - you'll find a lot of that on my photostream. And I have to say that I'm very much inspired by the Flickr community... I've learned so much since I uploaded my first picture just a year ago :)

5: Preferred subject matter?

Maybe I should be worried because I don't think I have one :) My photostream is a mishmash of every possible subject - lots of food, flowers, still life, buildings, leaves, insects etc.


6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.

One of those breathtaking, amazing landscapes :)

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?

No one, I just leave it for a while and then come back and take a fresh look at it - it usually helps.

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop

No formal training, everything I know I've learned by myself.

9: Plans for the future?

Nothing specific - travel a little, maybe find my dream landscape :) At some point I would like to join a local photography group, learn how to take a decent portrait...

10: In one word, describe your photography.

homey.

David HR

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: David HR!


View from the top of 'Levant Terril' at Mons in Belgium. A 'terril' is a hill made from mining waste. There are still a lot of them in the old mining regions like Mons, now being appreciated as green areas. For this shot I've used a ND1000 filter for a long exposure of 30 sec. One of my favorite! :)



This shot was taken at Blankenberge (July 2010) in Belgium when I was on the beach with my wife and children ... not with a ball but with my tripod :) This shot has been included in my new calendar 2011 with some of the photographs from Blankenberge (set: www.flickr.com/photos/hdr400d/sets/72157603572145158/with...

1: How long have you been involved in photography?

I started photography in 2007 with my first DSLR, a canon 400D with the kit lens and a Tamron 18-200mm XR Di-II. That's when I discovered HDR & DRI techniques on Flickr. I've used HDR for many of my photographs especially for the abandoned castle serie (set: www.flickr.com/photos/hdr400d/sets/72157602830114983/).

2: Equipment you use?

Previously the canon 400D and now the Canon 7D. My lenses are the tamron 18-200mm XR Di-II and the one I always use for landscapes: the wide angle Sigma 10-20mm. I've some ND filters (nd400, nd1000) for long exposures and some cokin and hitech filters (grad reverse 0.6 & 0.9). I should get the Singhray reverse gnd filter soon :) One thing I never forget: my tripod...I should get a new manfrotto soon.

3: Mac or PC?

I've never used a MAC but maybe one day... ;)

4: What inspires you?

Beauty and colors of the nature; the power in the sky and sea waves.

5: Preferred subject matter?

I've tried my cats, my children, my wife...even my fishes...but I still prefer landscapes & seascapes and sometimes abandoned places :)

6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.

A Real Storm...you know...something like a Hurricane...but we don't have that here in Europe... what I like in a storm is the power released into the sky and the beautiful clouds formation... and if you have the rays from the sun through the clouds...wow...just amazing :)

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?

Usually my wife.

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop

I am self taught and I've learned a lot from friends on Flickr.
Concerning photoshop, I've learn a lot from the Extreme Photoshop Training Course (4 DVD) released by Mark Monciardini.

9: Plans for the future?

Belgium is a very small country with no extraordinary landscapes but I would like to prove the contrary! I also like France, which is a very beautiful country with amazing landscapes. I therefore intend to travel a bit more in France.

Creating a website with my photographs is also in my plans.

10: In one word, describe your photography.

unusual :)

Jaap Verhoeven

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: Jaap Verhoeven!

Let me start saying that I’m very proud to be this weeks’ featured photographer! Thank you!
Jill was right: choosing two photos was the hardest part. I came up with these two. Please don’t ask me why. I don’t know. I just think these two are beautiful I guess…


I took this photo at home in my kitchen. The light comes from the north. This is really a very tiny flower. I like the light and the serenity. I like it’s vulnerability. The red stands out. It’s peaceful.


This photo was taken at home as well. No flash, natural light. It’s my daughter Lisa. So I think it’s a nice photo anyway…;-)

1: How long have you been involved in photography?
Well, like most people I’ve made photos for the largest part of my life. Snapshots.
Obviously, the way we all relate to photography has changed when photography went digital. The ease of use, the instant feedback from the display on your camera or from your computer display and the huge capacity on your memorycard allowing limitless shooting has changed everything. Not to mention the possibilities to show, share and edit your pictures. All this has been very stimulating for me to pick up photography more seriously. But hey, I’m still an amateur and I do this just for fun.

2: Equipment you use?
I use Nikon equipment. I have a Nikon D300 DSLR and I use Nikon lenses. When I’m travelling light I bring my Canon S95 point and shoot.

3: Mac or PC?
Definitely Mac. At work and at home. No question about it…

4: What inspires you?
A lot of things. Nature, colour, shapes, a ray of light. But when I’m walking around in a city or a museum I always find something that probably will end up in a nice image. So...what can I tell? Photography is my passion. I do not necessarily strive for technical perfection. I just try to create interesting images: images that are pleasureable to look at. Doing so, Photoshop is not a dirty word... But most important of all, I want to have fun making photos and I hope it shows in my work.

5: Preferred subject matter?
I really like macro. So I like to capture little details, drops, insects, flowers. But there is also a more practical explanation for this. I have a fulltime job, so there isn’t as much time for photography as I would like to. I can make a macro shot in my kitchen or in my backyard. I don’t have to travel doing this. I just pick up my camera and give it a try.

6: Name one thing you haven’t caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
Aurea Borealis.

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?
Time. I just back off for a little while.

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop
No. I’m an autodidact. So it’s all trial and error.

9: Plans for the future?
I don’t have any concrete plans in the near future. But I do have a wish list! I’d like to join up with a professional photographer and learn the tricks of the trade. I also would like to learn about studio photography, lighting, flash… There is a lot I don’t know…

10: In one word, describe your photography.
I have looked over my photos: a drop, a flower, a face, a ceiling, a tree. I would say ‘simple’.