I have been abducted by Aliens!

... Alien Bees that is.  My two ab800s arrived today.  Easy to assemble.  Easy to learn settings.  The only hiccup was on my side with my Canon 60D. It does not have a sync port!   But, I dug around my speed light equipment and was able to use my radio trigger.  The light with the ab800 is incredibly bright and powerful.  I was instantly impressed.  Going to purchase a 22 inch Beauty Dish to get the most out of the light.  So far so good.  Will update.  

Glitter In The Sun...not exactly.

So, I wanted to try and test the Nikon d3100 with some fun shots of my friend Madi with sparkling glitter in her hair, on her face and skin...gently blowing "fairy dust" glitter from her palm.  The idea was to create motion with the glitter, catch the sun light and create some hippie-esk photos of Madi.  Maybe even add sunflower petals around her eyes with Photoshop? Madi arrived being simply beautiful as always.  Hair curled, makeup perfect.  Sweet, soft attitude...perfect glitter fairy.

With glitter applied strategically and Nikon in hand we found fun backdrops of ivy, wisteria, and willow in my backyard.

After many attempts, I decided I couldn't capture the motion of the glitter spray with the lens I had available (the Nikon d3100/18-55 lens) is a loan from a friend to try.  Shutter speed was 1250, aperture was 5.3 and it was a bright HOT sunny day.

Poor Madi was eaten alive by mosquitoes and so I took a few quick shots and called it a day.

Moral of story:  Some shots are not meant to be.

I did get some fun shots of Madi with the Nikon though.  She is extremely photogenic.  But the glitter looks like dandruff! Image

So I won't be posting on fb, but here is one so you can see how the Nikon d3100 did a great job on creating some sharp, strong contrast images.  They have a moody, hippie-esk feel which I adore.

Nikon d3100 test

Nikon d3100 test I heart eggplant images and i am test driving a Nikon d3100 a friend loaned me. Always been a Canon girl (current D60) but I may go over to Nikon. The d3100 is very light weight, fits in my hand really well and, after watching an instructional video on YouTube, I am able to easily work it. The 18-55 VR lens seems to be doing the trick. I really like the glass.

Russia, As I See It

Soon, I will have an exhibit of my Russia & Ukraine images entitled : Russia, As I See It.  I started this Photography blog as part of the exhibit and it has quickly turned into a way for me to study my images and  reflect on the entire processes.    Although it will always be about photography, there will be posts from my models sharing their perspectives.  

Please feel free to comment, suggest and share.  

Soon, ......................Image

"Like a Vermeer...

"Like a Vermeer, strongly lit from an invisible source, a voyeurs quiet perspective finding the joy of a human profile contour. Hot and cold, hip and retro with a fresh perspective.Enter Gina's experience and find the beauty overlooked. Open your mind like Dorothy when she landed in OZ, to a world of color and wonder, all orchestrated by Gina." - Carrie Chavers