WHAT ABOUT CONTRAST?

Left: contrast flat Right: too contrasty

I've seen a lot of photos recently where the contrast has made what could have been a great photo, a bad photo.  

Contrast is the variation between the light and dark areas of your photo.  Every photo has a level of contrast, which can be changed in various photo shop type applications.  When a photo has too much contrast there is a greater disparity between the dark and light areas of your photo, hence "too contrasty."  The result might be that the details of the white areas of your photo fade away.  The details in the dark areas might be so dark that you can't see anything, just black.  Going in the other direction might be that there isn't enough contrast so that the photo feels dull, the details are not crisp and everything has a monotone or flat feel.

If you only have a little point and shoot digital camera then make sure you have as much light as possible before you take the photo.  No matter what the lighting source, turn it all on.  Even if part of the lighting is from birthday cake candles, you still need more light.  Fat candles work better than thin candles and don't turn the lights off before you blow out the candles (which is what my family always did when I was a kid).  Always use the built in flash when indoors.  Sometimes even during a sunny day outdoors, you might still need the flash.  I use a flash when my subject is in the shade of a tree and it is a sunny day.  Maybe the subject has his back to the sun, then use the flash.  

So, turn on the lights, use the flash and look for good subjects that have a balance of contrast.

Happy snapping!

Slapped Cheek in our schools

Apparently there are a lot of sick kids around but you'd hardly know it until you see a rash and by then it's too late.  5th Disease, or Slapped Cheek as it is otherwise known, is running rampant through some Seattle schools.  There are aches and pains in joints, sore throats, tummy aches, a low grade on and off fever, and lastly the red cheeks (rash).  If you think your kid is just trying to get out of going to school and doesn't appear to be sick, then check further because it might be 5 th Disease.  Adults can get it too!

http://www.fifthdisease.org/

Good Things

There's nothing like seeing a little girl dressed as a Princess to make you feel good about life.  Sunshine, tiara's, pink dresses, fairy wands and the shoes, oh the shoes...