Panning

Most of the time when you are taking pictures of moving objects your goal is to freeze the action to make a crisp sharp picture. Although, sometimes when you freeze a subject that we are used to seeing move it makes the picture have an odd feeling.  If you take a picture of a child on a carousel and freeze them when the horse gets to its highest point, then it looks like they were just sitting there when it was still.  Here is a tip to give the picture some movement and life.  Slow your shutter speed down, and pan with the movement.

For this to work, you have to focus on your subject and move with them at the same speed while the shutter is open.  Say your subject is moving from left to right.  Press your shutter button down half way to focus and start panning to the right with your subject.  Now press your shutter button down to take the picture while still following your subject.  You will not be able to see them through the view finder while the shutter is open so that's why it is important to start panning with them before you take the picture to get your speed right.  Another helpful tip is to keep panning with your subject after the shutter closes.  It's like a follow through when swinging a golf club or baseball bat.  You want to pan before, during, and after the exposure just like you want to swing through the ball.

Once you get this technique down you can apply it to all sorts of picture opportunities.  One last thing to keep in mind when doing this is framing your subject so that they have somewhere to go in the picture.  Again, if the subject is moving from left to right, frame them to the left side of the picture so there is more space on the right side.  This will help the effect by showing they are moving to the right side of the picture.

The E-Boys and Girl- Columbia, SC Children Photography

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about these guys and had some pictures from a shoot I did a couple of years ago.  Well they have grown and added a little sister to the mix.  It's always fun taking pictures of an energetic family like Elliotts.  They are a great family and I am honored for the opportunity to help them catch great memories.  Here are a few of the shots:

It's the Holiday Season

Well it's Christmas time again.  It's starting to get cold and people everywhere are excited for what this holiday season may bring them.  I have now been married for a year and a half and this is my second Christmas that I will celebrate with my wife at our house.  We have started a few traditions such as going to pick out our tree and swapping ornaments every year.  These are a few pictures of the Christmas tree hunt and our decorations. 

DIY: Framed White Board

This post really doesn't have too much to do with photography other then I took some pictures of a project I  did for Suzanne.  She wanted a dry erase board in our office so we could write things down that we needed to get done for the week.  I thought it was a great idea as I tend to forget a few things. Okay, everything.

I went to target and they had a few sizes and different kinds of dry erase boards to choose from.  However, they all looked like they belonged in a toy doll house.  I really didn't want to hang a crummy looking dry erase board in our office.  So, I cruised over to the home decorations department where I found some frames.  I decided that putting a frame around the dry erase board would make it look much nicer.  And it did!  Here is how I did it!

First you have to buy the materials:
8.5 in x 11 in Dry Erase Board
8 in x 10 in Picture Frame

Then you will need a few tools you probably have laying around the house:
Flat Head Screwdriver
Ruler
Sharpie
A Box Cutter (not pictured)
Tin Snips or an "Open It!" or some heavy Scissors

Now you are ready to start working.  First you have to remove the plastic frame from the dry erase board.  To do this, use the screwdriver to pry loose the corner of the frame.  Do this on the back side of the board so you don't scratch the writing surface. 

Next you need to take the frame apart.  Take the back cover off of the frame and set it aside.  You will need it later.

Now take everything out of the frame, even the glass.  Be careful as the edges of the glass are sharp.  Hold on to the cardboard as you may need it later to fill in behind the dry erase board.

After taking the frame apart measure the back opening.  Since this frame is an 8x10 the opening was slightly larger.  The width of the dry erase board was correct, luckily, but I had to cut the bottom in order for it to fit.  As pictured below I used the ruler to measure the 10 inches and made a line, on the back side, to follow for the cut.  Use the tin snips to make the cut.  

Then fit the dry erase board into the frame facing out.   Next you need to fill in the gap behind the board.  To do this use the cardboard you took out of the frame, though it may not be thick enough.  I used the cardboard that the dry erase board was originally attached to.  It was too thick, so I had to flatten it out a little on the kitchen counter.  Then put the back of the frame on and you are finished! 

Here is the final product!  Now we have a nice looking dry erase board to hang in the office.  And since it is in a frame it already has mounting hardware on the back!  All you need now is a nail to hang it on.  Try it out for yourself if you need to make lists to stay on track like me.  Its a very simple project.