Christmas Time = Bokeh Extravaganza

Ok kiddos, get out your primes.

You can pick up a 50mm f/1.8 for just about any mount for about $100 and it is just one of the best bang for your buck lens purchases a photographer can make.

Bokeh adds a little magic into your photos! Christmas time is the perfect time to grab some bokeh shots because there are lights in dark areas everywhere!

Pick a subject, like my friend Kris here, and give yourself a short depth of field by knocking that aperture down in the f/1.8-f/2 range. (You will have to compensate with a longer exposure time, so either skip the coffee for a steady hand or bring the tripod along.) (Or lean on something, be resourceful!) When you focus on your subject it will throw the background out of focus creating a bokeh effect if there are lights back there.

There is a much more scientific and accurate way of talking about this, but it's early, I have only had three cups of coffee, and I am just so excited about this photo that I couldn't wait another minute to tell you guys about it.

So put that 50mm prime on your Santa list and let's get some bokeh action going.

The shot I snapped above is at f/2 at 1/20th at 200ISO, D700+ 24mm f/1.4 prime.

Senior Portraits

Sometimes we're lucky enough to get handed that one perfect session. They are on time, they brought a few different changes of outfit, and when you threaten to tickle them they give you completely legitimate smiles.

This was the case with my Senior (Class of '11 Tomball High School!) from last Sunday. I was elated when he told me he brought his mascot uniform with him!

Hard Work

When you can look off towards the horizon and know that there is a goal out there that you need to accomplish, hard work and determination are the best ways to get there. They might not be the most fun, but you just have to push through.

I am lucky enough that my "work" is really fun, so keeping my head down and working towards my goals isn't so bad. =)

December has been a month full of family portraits, photos with Santa, cute kids, and helping a friend plan a wedding...... All while somehow managing to work on my vintage camera sales, planning my upcoming visit to Europe, and maintaining enough communication to make sure all of my friends are aware I am still around.

I am going to start the year out big by going to Copenhagen, Milan, Geneva, and Berlin, with a possible stay in Amsterdam. I have an unreasonably large amount of photo projects planned for myself! I will be sharing those completed projects one at a time as I complete them.

Hard work and determination brings the best result!

Turn Off Your Auto Focus For A While

I dare you!

It is time to go back to the roots some. I miss my SLR. I started shooting on a Pentax K-1000 that my mother gave me when I took my first photography class. (Twelve years ago, yuck, holy cow, let's not focus on that.)

Everything on that camera was manual! You set your shutter speed, your film speed (ISO for you no-film digital types) your f-stop, and last, but not least, you slaved over your completely manual focus lens. BUT!

When you finally got it all right down to the last detail, weren't those photos gorgeous? It's one thing to get your DSLR out and just go snap happy, but it is a totally different feeling when you know you are limited by the number of shots on your film so each one gets that extra bit of thought and planning that is unnecessary in digital photography.

I am a dinosaur.

Switching to primarily digital from film was painful. I just recently sold my Rolleiflex and I feel like I mailed one of my kids away. Painful!

We have to stick together, we dinosaurs, and find things that will help us cling to our roots and continue to have thoughtful and lovely shots with our seemingly endless supply of digital exposures.

So let's take a day, switch our lenses to M from AF, and see what happens.

Comment with some photos you took, I would love to see them!

Thanksgiving at the Waterway!

Night-Time Photography

There are so many things that make the night a magical time, so learning how to capture them with a camera is a must!

You just need a few supplies to get started:
-Camera with Manual Settings
-Tripod
-Beanbag

Shooting architecture at night is a great place to start. Since the buildings do not typically do a lot of moving it will allow you multiple chances to get just the right shot.

Start by picking a spot that offers up a little lighting. I recently had the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. and shoot some of the monuments. Set up your tripod and try to shoot for larger scenes, like landscapes, instead of smaller things, like people.

For the shot pictured above I used the settings f/3.5 with a 5" exposure. I still used a polarizing filter even though it was night time, and I am really pleased with the results.

Play around with length of exposure until you get what you are looking for. I try to stay low on my ISO ("Film Speed") to reduce grain, but if you are having a really hard time getting the image to show up then go ahead and increase it.

Long exposures let you capture fun effects like light streaks from passing cars and movement with light.


The tripod is great for shots that capture the whole area, but if you are looking for shots where you lay on the ground then get out your little beanbag. It may seem silly, but it is a great way to steady the camera while you are shooting when a tripod isn't an option.

I hope this helps! Have fun shooting :)

Not Your Mom's Maternity Photos

In the world of Mommy-Chic, there are no rules. Maternity portraits capture that tiny stretch of time when you are busy cooking up that little bun, and the style of portraits you go with can range from super traditional, to the wild and crazy, to the Hot-Momma-Chic. Whatever style your mommyness takes, you can be sure Constructive Tendencies Photography will capture it in a way that makes you go "Woah." Maternity session specials are happening right now, so get it while you can!