tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73500531617209552522024-03-12T22:54:07.147-07:00CamAbson photographyCamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-32824506180671169072009-12-28T12:48:00.000-08:002009-12-28T13:24:12.420-08:00An archeologist is born<span style="font-family:verdana;">I like to try something new here. Normally, when I get a new idea, I sit on it for months and tell no one about it. It needs time to grow and ripen. I often make small adjustments to it over time, or leave it as is for weeks and then change it dramatically. It all depends on so many things: Moods, models and MUA's I meet or work from others that I happen to see. It may even depend on things I read in the paper or see on tv. Or on the street for that matter.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://camabs.deviantart.com/art/crawling-out-89398837"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 67px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 100px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420395952514552274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysCVfJoFO2p8wLiPm4t8BvwLp4uXbUeBwFATigyEz_AT6zzzAIHY9Ob1uYDdNeWftorPKGbFMi52LtxnPmHQF2AggHAHt_kHL7oI1rinlN6z3RK4CTQPbiSnOgnOCOHfn20vBn4tHiNwZ/s400/gardener.jpg" /></span></a> <div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">This time, I'll do it a bit different. I will not just sit on the idea, I will share the developments with you, my readers. I will call the new idea 'the archeologist'. In fact, it is anything but new. Some time ago, I developed a whole series of shoots, called Earth people. For this series, I constructed a table where models could stand in, that would be covered with earth. I started the series, but I did only one of the shoots I designed, the Gardener. That shoot, featuring Nicky, worked out well, but I found that the static nature of the table did not work out well. So I abbandonned the idea.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">A couple of days ago, I was taking a shower, and somehow thought back of one of the themes of Earth people; the archeologist. Okay, the static table did not work out, but why abbandon the entire idea? If I find a nice backdrop and a couple of props, this would still be a great theme for a studio shoot. And think of a lighting plan of course. Think of how light falls inside a pyramid! Not that I've ever been in one, but we're talking clihces here, not realism.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;">That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on the developments in the coming weeks.</span></div>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-19224671281416568272009-11-12T03:32:00.000-08:002009-11-12T04:16:55.393-08:00Forbidden love<span style="font-family:verdana;">It is a classic, maybe even the classic, drama theme of all times. My former co-author at this blog devoted </span><a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/2008/10/forbidden-love.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">some of her deeper thoughts </span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">to the theme. I have been wanting to do a shoot inspired by the theme for a long time. But somehow, something held me back for no apparent reason. Silly? I guess so. But then I finally did the shoot, about a month ago, with ice and fire taking the role of two lovers that can´t be together. Cessy -by no means a cold person- was a convincing ice princess and Terence acted as a great fire prince. Awesome make up by </span><a href="http://www.ditischristine.nl/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Christine</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> and colored strobes finished the picture.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403186403765096306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWshf4Aku8I0vWYl3fMGTEw2YYUTWxdLRD-R5P10z-j1jkeLld0AUx8YnnN1NYNjuT9d1ibPtj8F74jnmsl8UlOEklvEPqa9gCe2npw8hAeXAO02PX2mTrO7XAKDHrxw1xFixkhVDcqa4r/s320/_MG_5839sq.jpg" /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />The picture in this article is the final shot from the shoot. The lighting is more dramatic in this shot than in the other picture from the shoot, marking the innevitable end of two lovers who will never be together. For ice will melt from fire and the melting water will put out the fire.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">To me, this shoot marks the end of an era. Maybe that’s why it took me so long to actually shoot it. I will turn towards a different style of model photography in the near future. Curious? So am I. I’m not nearly sure what it will look like, but there is change in the air. Just wait and see.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">See more from this shoot in my <a href="http://camabs.deviantart.com/gallery/#_featured">deviantArt gallery.</a><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-45424132327365719882009-09-01T00:29:00.000-07:002009-09-01T00:53:07.329-07:00Ada & Eve<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;">disclaimer 1: if you are easily insulted, stop reading now. This is just a story I made up. It ain't true, and there is no need to live by the rules of the story. The story by no means attacks your religions or beliefs, it's just a story. Neither is it anti-male or anti-female. If it has any mesage at all, the message is not to take internet blogs so seriously. ;)</span> <div><div><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;">disclaimer 2: the pitcure is inspired by the story and the ladies in the pictue are models. Any resemblence between the people in the story and the ladies in the picture is due to coincidence or careful castings and does not imply any thing about the private life of the models.</span></p><br /><a href="http://www.camera-absurda.nl/m12.html"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376402914398978274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Tx8Qnyb_w_hnLHdmx15OGVvlSV3tklsf99kq-1TfRiO9WLuklbRJNzgmjTiSuogty3FOB3tE5c4sM8gBnm_25YQxvGSxfoiLwUWifOwn7Nzr_aFOLyNLuyFcCCbuMATcqJCUBIjIFY2s/s320/_MG_4721.jpg" /></a> <p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This may come as a shock to you, but the story of how men fell from grace with God is not true. It was made up by people who are ashamed of the truth. Yes, we lived in Paradise, and yes, we were chased out. Metaphorically, that is. True, the story involves an apple, but the apple didn’t have anything to do with anything. Neither did the snake. This, you see, was paradise. And in paradise, snakes are nice and friendly creatures. No poison, no strangling, no lies nor deceit. Yes, it has a forked tongue, but who are we to judge an animal by its looks? We have no one to blame but ourselves.<br /><br />On the sixth day, God created men. Not a man, but men. Two women actually, Ada and Eve. Why women? Silly question. This is paradise. Who needs guys in paradise? Ada and Eve lived in paradise for many, many years and they were happy. They loved the flowers and the birds and all the other animals and they loved each other. Were thy lesbians, you ask? What a typical post-paradise thing to ask. Ada and Eve never wondered whether they were lesbian. They just loved each other. Period. Every now and then, Ada and Eve ate an apple or two. Not every day, as there weren’t any doctors in paradise anyway. And so many other fruits too choose from. But that’s not the point here.<br /><br />Ada and Eve were perfectly happy. Well, not perfectly, something seemed to be missing. So they started looking for whatever it was they were missing. And one day, Eve found a picture of a guy on some obscure website. Not knowing what that was, she called Ada: “Look! This is what we need. Let’s ask God a favor.”<br /><br />God, in all her wisdom, said no. But you know how women are. Ada and Eve kept nagging and nagging and nagging, until God finally gave in. She put Ada to sleep, removed her breasts and 80% of her brain and added some hairs and a penis. And that’s about it. No angels with flaming swords or anything. When Ada, now Adam, woke up, the place hadn’t changed a bit. But it wasn’t paradise anymore. Paradise was lost…</span></p><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div></div></div>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-84389449813673083762009-05-02T12:07:00.000-07:002009-05-02T12:52:14.997-07:00Finally: something new on CamerA AbsurdA<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55votuU_e-ZBJqeLs2gaDDZuTKDcNlL8gazcXBkUcKAWa4_yKL0rVtuNLIMRsG2I3O2qO4e5ZWWbm4_3LJ7pFVZVGTdU0HdFdLdeoC6fablvNZKzIV5yB33u1Rj1eBxyK9HUcGavghJRf/s1600-h/_MG_2046001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331315997592978066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55votuU_e-ZBJqeLs2gaDDZuTKDcNlL8gazcXBkUcKAWa4_yKL0rVtuNLIMRsG2I3O2qO4e5ZWWbm4_3LJ7pFVZVGTdU0HdFdLdeoC6fablvNZKzIV5yB33u1Rj1eBxyK9HUcGavghJRf/s320/_MG_2046001.jpg" border="0" /></a>I've been busy. You can tell that by the frequency of my postings here. You can tell that by my utter silence at most of the communities I visit and by the lack of new things on my main web site. I picked up shooting models again. Did a shoot in February, but that didn't work out. Not the right theme, not the right combination of people. Results were okay, but nothing spectacular. That's fine, these things happen.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">I had a large shoot planned, mid March. I had already found a location, the female model and the <a href="http://www.maydinbeauty.com/">Make up artist</a>. About a week before the shoot, I felt that the communication between me and the model wasn't great. I had to tell her no and find a new one on short notice. And I did. And a damned good one too! Ofcourse, we'll never know how it would have turned out with the other model, but working with <a href="http://www.nadinestephan.com/">Nadine</a> was just great! She hardly needs directions, knows rightaway what to do and has great expressions available. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">The shoot, labelled "Queen of the Reich" after the epic metal song, shows the contrast between the traditional horror view, with the damsel in distress, and the alternative approach, where the Queen rules the Realm of darkness. I like a little twist, you know. Both versions are online now, go <a href="http://www.camera-absurda.nl/">check 'm out</a>. Enjoy!</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>more:</strong></span><br /><a href="http://www.queensrychehistory.com/born.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Some fun facts about the song</span></a>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-76503475352056520862009-03-05T08:11:00.000-08:002009-03-05T09:41:02.241-08:00Modeling tips: feedback<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Look up </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedback"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">feedback in wikipedia</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, and you´ll find a rather technical and abstract story. This blog article is not technical or abstract. It looks at feedback you might want to recieve as a model, discussing why, how and where to get feedback, and how to receive it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Why?</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This is the simplest question. Feedback, if used right, can help you improve your performance. It is a very quick way to learn and greatly directed to your specific needs. If feedback is so great, you might ask, how come it is used so little in the modeling industry? That's because feedback does not come naturally, you'll have to organize it. Some agents do that, but not all of them do. Free lance models hardly ever do it. Why not start now?</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Where to get it?</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Who do you want feedback from? I would think you'dd like feedback from someone with experience in the business, who has seen many good and not-so-good models. Your agent? Yes, that's one person that fits the description. But there are more; every photographer, every make up artist and every styling artist fits that description. That means that potential feedback is all around you! You only need to get it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Internet communities are also a place to get good feedback, based on the pictures you post in the community. Do note though that some people tend to forget about nettiquette and some feedback may be very harsh. Don't let it get to you. Ignore the blunt ones and learn from the good ones.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>How?</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There is a catch though. Photographers are not very likely to give you feedback during the shoot. Right or wrong, they fear that feedback will influence the result of the shoot. So try to get feedback after the shoot, but tell the photographer in advance that you want feedback. That way, he (and the styling artist and the make-up artist) can look at you with different eyes and give you constructive feedback. In fact, he might even improve his directions as he looks different. When recieving feedback, be open to it. Sometimes, feedback may hit you hard at first and some people are a bit cruel in communicating feedback. Let's face it, photographers are not in the business because they are great communicators; their talent is photography. In any case, don't go all defensive (see links below for more tips), but listen, remember and use whatever you can use. I'm sure you'll get some great tips.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>More resources:</strong></span><br /><a href="http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/growth/feedback.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Giving and receiving feedback</span></a><br /><a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/sps/downloads/study_skills/11.pdf"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Giving and receiving feedback for academics, with practical implications for non-academics too (pdf)</span></a>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-86907169326519355452009-01-24T05:38:00.000-08:002009-01-24T07:28:17.093-08:00Photography tips: Bad weather<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Photographers are heavily biased towards nice weather. If we were to judge the word by pictures alone, we would be inclined to believe that we live under a clear blue sky for 90% of the time. Of course, we don't. Photographers just don't like getting wet, so they only go out when the weather is nice. Such a shame, since bad weather can be a very interesting subject.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Bad weather means bad light</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Unfortunately, that is true. You won't have much light and the light is pretty flat. But there are ways around that. You will probably still have enough light if you use a fast lense, and high ISO-values are not much of a problem for cloudy skies. Nevertheless, pick your weather carefully. Mixed weather (clouds with showers and some sunny spells) is best. It will give you better light and more spectacular clouds, with more depth in your pictures. If you're photographing a subject rather than just clouds, try to keep the sun behind you. Heavy clouds and backlight are not a good lighting combination for anything other than silhouettes.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25093010@N07/3221787961/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294877838267005602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 255px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 173px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZ0If47a9SoR4UmqAaV8ARqg6HN34JtPvUOm5Vs5kSVL057ZAM4IA4Pmwbcliy9N5j_n6cNWaSN5jN6gmp96JO3qvID6Ow3L-Bsa9QrDkEQILeZvPbItujckmDc0UtM0DpVVN84sGHKBE/s320/touchdown.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Post processing</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The flat light of a cloudy day implies a little extra work on post processing your pictures. The most important issue here is contrast. Look at the two versiona of the same picture to the left (click for larger versions). The picture is taken with a lens that renders good contrast. Nevertheless, the unedited (upper) pic is a bit flat. That's because of the flat light. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25093010@N07/3221787851/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294877835816128578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 255px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 173px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFM08FU4JL5-FRug16SSdFrF-uzvy0CluiXsQeOeodwmPk3EnO4KqGwHnYWGgF0hNd9tX8cezwi6Kxbek6ceNftf1sF0sR0eoF5jSX8_3QdzKTpB8ByzjBbzEgBJSRgrJkrvhdGMillic/s320/touchdownPP.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">All I did in post processing was adding three layers of level adjustments, creating more contrast, as well as the slight color change, that adds somewhat to the spookyness of the weather. Obviously, the very dark tones are applied to clouds rather than the foreground.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It's okay if your pics are a little darker than what would normally be considered correct exposure. After all, the message you are trying to convey is that of bad weather. This implies a little darkness. You can either do this in post processing or use exposure correction while shooting.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFM08FU4JL5-FRug16SSdFrF-uzvy0CluiXsQeOeodwmPk3EnO4KqGwHnYWGgF0hNd9tX8cezwi6Kxbek6ceNftf1sF0sR0eoF5jSX8_3QdzKTpB8ByzjBbzEgBJSRgrJkrvhdGMillic/s1600-h/touchdownPP.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></a> </div></div>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-9642590987171965322009-01-12T12:01:00.000-08:002009-01-12T12:20:28.898-08:00Photography tips: repetitions<a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/spiral-ramp-image2821822-resi301111"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290501275919338290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 255px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1-CBejW9W2pREio-jho-Z5U6iG9Uzi2mbE1pnJCAVwGLiVkVyJuNd5WGFpk8IHr69e33nZqjvgEHeABJ9wLGv5I4L0cp1ZAC1XBRNLu1HP1pbI6NtA1gAnvUFHwgp_3A9vHEm2I2US6r/s320/CRW_1726small.jpg" border="0" /></span></a> <div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Pretty much like the previous photography tip, this is an encouragement to go out and try rather than a tip. This time, I want to you to go out (or stay in) and look for anything repeating. Could be architecture, could be household equipment, could be anything.</span></div><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Repetitions are everywhere, you only have to recognize them. Looking for them and photographing them is a great practice and helps you train your mind and eye. Like with the previous tip, you don't need any specific gear. Any camera will do.</span></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></strong> </p><p><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Walk and watch</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The best vehicle for this type of photography is by foot. Just walk around and look around. Chances are you´ll see a reptition in no time. If you see one, shoot it. But wait. Don´t move on yet. Walk around the object, or move it about if it´s small enough. Try different viewpoints, get closer, get further away. Don´t just zoom if you have a zoom lens. This is not about focal length. Moving closer or further away changes your point of view. A flight of stairs looks entirely different from 10 meters away than from right beneath it. Explore this differences. The object will probably retain its repetitions, but their nature will change, and so will your picture. Have fun!</span></p>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-24303902819909943832009-01-09T03:46:00.000-08:002009-01-09T03:59:51.871-08:00Modeling tips: Hands!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This article is not about hand posing. Hand posing is an art in itself. This article is about posing in general and the position of the hand when you pose. Awkward? Maybe. Trivial? No way! Many models focus on so many things when they’re posing that they forget about their hands. That’s a petty. A misplaced hand can ruin a good picture, whereas a well-placed hand can make a picture work. Obviously, this is the photographers task, but why wouldn’t you look after your hands too?</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25093010@N07/2371821546/in/set-72157604291634650/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/2371821546_8f2f72596f_m.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Principles<br /></strong>The simplest principle is that the hand should not disturb the way you look. It should either be out of sight or nicely aligned with your arm (see picture to the left). For most shot, this principle is sufficient. Sometimes however, your hand needs to add to the emotion you’re expressing. This is the time to over-act. Dramatic poses can really be enhanced by large and even more dramatic gestures with one or both hands. Spread your fingers to draw attention to your hand. If the pose is more subtle, adjust the pose of your hand likewise, keeping your hands small and close to the body.<br /><br /><strong>Hold it!</strong><br />If you are using </span><a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/2008/09/modeling-tips-hold-on-to-your-props.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">props</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, you have an entirely different use for your hands. For inexperienced models, this is a great help. Holding a prop often helps you to put your hand in a natural position. But do keep in mind that this requires your attention as well. Hold the prop the way you would in real life. And practice in front of a mirror. That will make you understand the link between what you feel and hopw you look.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-8718129973410581662009-01-01T09:20:00.000-08:002009-01-01T09:45:11.366-08:00#100<a href="http://www.dreamstime.com/champagne-cork-imagefree3752137-resi301111"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 233px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 350px" alt="" src="http://freethumbs.dreamstime.com/375/big/free_3752137.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Happy New Year! I wish you all a very good 2009.</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But that's not the only joyful event today. This very article is artile #100 of this blog. Started in March, that boils down to an average of about 10 articles a month. Not quite the three articles a week I planned, but not too much below that target either. I hope you enjoy reading them and I do hope you keep coming back.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">To celebrate this milestone, I send this picture to the free section of Dreamstime. Registered Dreamstime-users can download the hi-res version without a watermark for free. <span style="font-size:78%;">Note that registration at Dreamstime is free as well</span>. Go to the free picture directly by clicking on the thumbnail in this article.</span>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-69488107970181059572008-12-29T00:37:00.000-08:002008-12-29T06:33:19.157-08:00Photography tips: puzzle macro<a href="http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/objects-equipment/3962591-wrench-front.php?id=3962591?refnum=Camabs"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285135330609471106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhL27MKlodYpoVVGtXOfn-V8W1BRdEHgBJEh6gGrksXQhYH9Cs23gTecRts-VmN8GwCQasHM4pbtFK4NGp5iahTuuOn8pAiE2uA8Po67VkhsW1SJbQCFgo-Zr_Ic7AWLi_EZlUfdE9XvA7/s320/CRW_2921sqsmall.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This is not so much a photography tip as it is an encouragement to have fun with your camera. Puzzle macros are very rewarding and you learn a lot from them at te same time. The concept is simple: take a picture so close that the viewer is unable to tell what the subject is. You don't need professional equipment to do it, just a macro function on your lens or camera and some creativity. And a subject ofcourse, but you'll find out that the world is full of subjects that you can use for this type of photography.</span><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Think lines and curves</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Puzzle macros are essentially abstract pictures. So forget about the function of your subject and look at it in terms of shapes. Try all kinds of angles and distances and watch your image change. Discover all the hidden lines and paterns. Change the direction of light if you can and watch your image change again. Experiment as much as you like, see how many different pictures you can get out of one single subject.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Learn while you have fun</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Puzzle macros are fun to do, but you'll learn from them too. You look through your lens at a very different way than you normally would and you see the effect of small changes. This will help you develop your skills and experience, no matter what your level is.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">more resources:</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.dpchallenge.com/challenge_results.php?CHALLENGE_ID=951">Results from DPChallenge on Puzzle macro</a> </span></div>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-14349443127365887872008-12-27T00:32:00.000-08:002008-12-27T00:57:16.695-08:00What were Nintendo thinking?<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I am the proud owner of a Nintendo Wii. In fact, I own a balance board as well. For those who don't know: the balance board is a board you stand on. It measures the force coming from both feet (i.e. your balance) and it enables you to do all kinds of games and sports (well, kind off).</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">One of the sports you can practice on a Wii balance board is skiing. I was really excited about this option, because I like skiing a lot. So I tried the slalom run. At a slow pace, all went well, but as soon as speeds wen up, I kept steering the wrong direction. Why? Because the guy that developed the program doesn't know anything about skiing. How do I know? Well, it's simple. If you are on a ski slope and you put all your weight on your right leg, what direction will you go? Left, anyone who has ever skied knows that. On the Wii Skii, you'll go right if you put your weight on your right leg. Exactly the other way around! At slow speeds, my mind can think around that, but at higher speeds, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_memory">muscle memory </a>takes over, and I start steering the right (wrong) way.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Okay, I know it's not as big a problem as climte change or world poverty, but what were Nintendo thinking? Does gravity work the other way around in Japan? Why on earth does a company invest millions in developing software without taking the tiny trouble to check whether the directions are correct? They even sell a separate disc containing ski-related games only. Who's going to buy that? Right, ski-fanatics. But they will get frustrated, since their muscle memory will send them the right (wrong) way.</span>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-64849868123324701942008-12-24T05:11:00.000-08:002008-12-24T05:40:00.858-08:00Modeling tips: look sexy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAL3Ysgaq6fXpYBSRAKLtzcDzXi36ekPWzx0yk-9dONONSqRS_QwQUZmtgfrLnwTHRQwCtm-LUEH46QUfY9-ujY9Ll7d2ZF7VN-TSeamogf2BesUNkeqUW0DbVki1yj9c0O_8qW5SVe2E/s1600-h/CRW_6456small.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283343904195952866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 255px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAL3Ysgaq6fXpYBSRAKLtzcDzXi36ekPWzx0yk-9dONONSqRS_QwQUZmtgfrLnwTHRQwCtm-LUEH46QUfY9-ujY9Ll7d2ZF7VN-TSeamogf2BesUNkeqUW0DbVki1yj9c0O_8qW5SVe2E/s320/CRW_6456small.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Sex sells. No need to be shy about that. Advertisers use models that look sexy to sell their products. If a model wants work, she (and he too) will need to be able to look sexy. And it has to show from the model's portfolio as well.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Who needs nudity?</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Don't go filling up your porfolio with naked pictures of yourself, that's not how it works. Nothing wrong whith nudity, but being naked and looking sexy is not the same thing. In fact, most of the good nudity photos are not even erotic, they are figurative. And you can look sexy with your clothes on, probably even sexier than you look naked. The suggestion of nudity can arouse more than actual nudity. Likewise, a seductive look can even make a close portrait look sexy.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Color code</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">There is ample annecdotical <em>and</em> scientific evidence that men associate the color red with sexy. So, red clothes and red lipstick will help you look sexy. Blushing cheeks help as well. Psychological tests have shown that even a red background adds to the sexieness of the person pictured. For male viewers that is, women tend to be less sensitive to this particular color association.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Feel sexy = look sexy</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">It sounds simple and it is. If you feel sexy, you will look sexy. I will make your looks more seductive and send natural blushes to your cheeks. So, forget about that photographer and anyone else in the studio and start thinking about the last time you felt particularly sexy. No matter what it is, as long as it works for you. DOn´t get carried away though.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Let mother nature help you</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Did you know that mother nature has a simple trick to help people reproduce? Women look sexier in the days after thier ovulation. That's when they are fertile, so that's when moter nature wants them to breed. So mother nature makes subtle changes to your looks during that fertile stage. They are hard to notice by themselves, but they do make you look sexy. So if you can, plan a sexy shoot halfway your period. <span style="font-size:78%;">sorry, this one is useless for male models.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-21901641421648860002008-12-10T09:21:00.000-08:002008-12-10T10:17:00.390-08:00Calendar Girls<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=3471127&rid=94872"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 255px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px" alt="" src="http://69.90.174.249/photos/display_pic_with_logo/94872/94872,1181246652,1.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Meet calendar girls Luka and Olivia from the nearby city farm. They are girls (sisters, in fact) and they are on a calendar. </span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">The calendar is sold by a Brittish publisher called <a href="http://www.avonsidepublishing.co.uk/">Avonside</a>. This particular picture was on a 2008 calendar on pigs.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Of course it´s pretty cool if people use your pics to put it on a calendar that is actually sold. Some people had 'my' pigs on their walls for an entire month! But there was a catch here. Avonside bought the picture (and many others) from <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery.mhtml?id=94872&rid=94872">Shutterstock</a> at the lowest available rate. These rates are very low, but they do not allow for reselling. Which is basically what you do when you put a picture on a calendar and sell the calendar. So Shutterstock send out their legal people to defend the rights of their submitters (and their own of course, microstock is no charity). Shutterstock and Avonside setteld the case and each photographer was paid properly for the use of their pictures.</span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">That's what I like about microstock agencies, such as Shutterstock. Yes, they get a substantial percentage of sales, but they take care of all the hassle. They provide the marketing so their subscribers get a much larger audience than they would through their own website. And if something goes wrong, they provide </span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">the legal support. Thanks guys!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-40395533974207646492008-12-07T08:32:00.000-08:002008-12-07T09:32:02.906-08:00Photography tips: exif data<a href="http://www.camera-absurda.nl/m05.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277090529801652146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 314px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhCGDDHVuGusrvEXz3mOYGP56xDMuVgjzfMPgvYFr5n7qW6A80w5pNBpnb280cuozgMKz_dNT-6gFTylUhRIe2tG_FEc78mCUrdYeHH-9W9DOt9gtHKPjekSOkEynqPyvRBV79Dra5ZnG/s320/salsa.jpg" border="0" /></span></a> <div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The pics on my site contain so-called exif-data. In fact, they contain only a small part of the actual exif-data, but its the part most people seem to be interested in. Among photographers, the word exif means information on camera type, lense type, focal length, ISO, aperture and shuttertime. Why do the pics on my site contain these data? Well, because people want that information. Why do they want to know? I haven't got a clue.</span></div><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Mmmm, that's not entirely true. I do have some sort of clue here, it just doesn't convince me. The point is, if you see something you like, you want to know how it's made. Well, some people do. We have two ways to find out. First: think, how <em>you </em>would make it. This approach will not give an exact reproduction, but you'll have fun doing it, learn a lot from it and develop a style of your own. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The second method is to copy the process. Hardly as much fun, no style of your own (but by mistake) and not too much learning either. But it will give a perfect reproduction? Of course not, silly. The exif information tells you only so much. The shuttertime and aperture reveal that I used a flash for this picture. But how many flashes? And at what lighting ratio? How were they placed? No way you can tell that from the exif data, but it's the lighting that brings out the texture, which in turn is essential for this pic. But even for daylight shots, the direction, intensity and hue of the avalaible light are not in the exif data.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Technical information only tells a small part of the story of the picture, and it's never the interesting part. Set-up, lighting, composition and timing are all far more important than shuttertime and aperture. Even postprocessing is more important. The only interesting thing about exif data is why on earth people think it's important enough to use the right mouse button.</span></p>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-83255357830160595272008-11-29T11:39:00.000-08:002008-11-29T11:44:27.206-08:00Who’s getting old?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir571OXQSrJJmdcPsFi3o7NZvFlgliK93Vuy23HOr0xGyTId3ACZeXbF_bX5caPUB4rGznJJpj9vQuM9PXD6_EFKQs_t2lvj_m6kPbqbyGKli65MjyhNYlCLd1raHI70ZNNqSyI1zEQjT9/s1600-h/heart01.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274167584798352082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 100px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir571OXQSrJJmdcPsFi3o7NZvFlgliK93Vuy23HOr0xGyTId3ACZeXbF_bX5caPUB4rGznJJpj9vQuM9PXD6_EFKQs_t2lvj_m6kPbqbyGKli65MjyhNYlCLd1raHI70ZNNqSyI1zEQjT9/s320/heart01.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Human age keeps puzzling me, you know. Told you before that kids take a full cat’s life to stand on their own feet. But adults are strange too. They do have an age, but it makes no sense. Some guy are –say- 20 and leave the impression of an old man. Others are going on 40 and are young and playful like a one-year-old. Cat, that is. It made me wonder, you know? And again, I chose the philosophical approach.<br /><br />Have you ever noted how a baby only recognizes the 20 cm around it? One year later, it recognizes an entire room and at 4, a kid has some knowledge of the street it lives in. At 16, a kid uses its entire city or region to live in. Adults spread their activities more and more, some travel around the world as if distances don’t exist. And then, by the end of their lives, they start retreating. In their villages at first, then in their nursing homes. At last, they will stay in their room, and even hardly get out of bed.<br /><br />It’s similar with friends. A baby has no friends, a toddler may have a couple, and a kid has a classroom full. In college and university, new friends are made easily and some working adults have so-called social networks. Then comes the parenting stage, again meeting new people, parents to other kids, and so on and so on. But then, let’s look at the elderly again. Their old friends die one by one, and they hardly ever make any new ones. The number reduces, call it countdown if you want to.<br /><br />The pattern is clear. Both in space and in number of friends. People start with nothing. And they end up with next to nothing too. In between, people have lots of space and friends. Low at one end, low at the other end, high in the middle. Doesn’t that sound like some kind of parabola? And parabola’s have a top bit, right? At this point, the increase turns into a decrease. And that, rather than your age, defines whether you’re getting old or not.<br /><br />Let me give you the bottom line: As long as the size of your world and your social network increase, you’re young. Once they start stabilizing, start to worry. You’re heading towards the downward sloping part. Your world gets smaller, the number of friends decreases: you are getting old, no matter what your age is.<br /><br />It’s just a matter of logic.<br /><br /></span>A cat called Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202620857978185899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-88497751660183060362008-11-22T23:57:00.000-08:002008-11-23T00:03:39.020-08:00Modeling tips: Be confident<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25093010@N07/3051613341/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271759879681257234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 255px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUvCqaCMW0vYBD7DeA-1IG_dQHsNavXKWhNBb_U_ONmiTvaERXjYfIi23sTNdbG2uMo2Ou44b76d6IxHZoILl413D4TcHfPjQzl2sca27Sy4LTEq1bZoTq1BmBpGe4hpEQ5sVgVuQyFyT/s320/CRW_9333small.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Confidence. If anything is important for models, confidence is. Without it, you won’t get far, no matter how pretty or talented you are. True, most people that are talented, become confident because of their talent. But this is not always true. For some, it’s easier than for others. Luckily, confidence can be trained, and this article may help you training it. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong>Kill that parrot<br /></strong>Did you know you have a parrot on your shoulder? The silly bird keeps telling you what other people think about you and he does so in a very negative voice. And you know what? The parrot is wrong 99% of the time. If your hair is a little bit out of shape for instance, the parrot will tell you that people think you look ridiculous. Wrong. Most people are far too busy with their own little problems to notice the minor things about your hair. Other people may notice it, but still think you look good, and yet other people might even like your new hairdo. Get rid of that parrot, stop worrying about what other people <em>might</em> think.<br /><br /><strong>Fool yourself<br /></strong>Your mind does not know the difference between imagination and real things. You can use that. Act as-if you were confident. Ask yourself how you would walk if you were confident, ask yourself how you would talk if you were confident. Act like that and you will become confident. Keep telling yourself you can do it. Sounds silly, doesn’t it? But it works, try it, you’ll be surprised.<br /><br /><strong>Stand tall and smile<br /></strong>You can do the same in body language. Stand with your feet slightly apart, take a deep breath and keep that position, straighten your back and neck. Now you look confident. And if you look confident, you’ll feel confident. People will treat you as if you were confident, thus building your confidence even further. Stop thinking this looks silly, it doesn’t. That’s just the parrot talking. Once you stand tall, put a smile on your face. Not a frozen one, just smile to people you pass by every now and then. Smiling people look better and get smiles in return, making you feel even better. And remember, smiles are free.<br /><br /><strong>Face your fears<br /></strong>Are you nervous about something in particular? Ask yourself “What’s the worst that could happen?”. Just go out and do it. Overcoming fear is the ultimate boost for your confidence. Defeat your fears, and you’ll feel inconvincible. </span><br /></span>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-13244394085140679682008-11-19T06:17:00.000-08:002008-11-19T07:05:51.402-08:00Photography tips: self portraits<a href="http://www.camera-absurda.nl/m08_01.html"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 255px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/3029844769_07b67b19b6_m.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Self portraits are among the most difficult and most rewarding types of photography. It provides you with an extremely patient model, capable of understanding all your problems and prepared to try all kinds of lighting setups and crazy ideas. He or she may not be particularly pretty or very experienced in posing, but will make up for it with flexibility, perseverance and dedication. And all of that for free, your model won’t even ask for prints. It does however require some skills and a lot of practice to get decent results from self portraits. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />The basics are the same as in the case of standard portraiture. Lighting, composition and expressions work out similar as in the case of photographing someone else. Likewise, self portraits require the same post processing steps as normal portraits, provided they are the same type of portraits.<br /><br /><strong>Use a tripod</strong><br />Here’s a pretty obvious tip: use a tripod. Yes, you can hold your camera at arm’s length and in some cases, this will yield a great self portrait. In most cases, it will only limit your possibilities. If you don’t have a tripod, put it on top of your wish list. It will open up a new world for you. In the meantime use something that’s sturdy and horizontal and has the required height.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><strong>Use a dummy<br /></strong>Once you’ve put your camera on the tripod, put a dummy in the place where you will be when shooting the portrait. Autofocus on the dummy, the set your camera or lens to manual focus and don’t move the camera. When ready, replace the dummy by yourself. Use a timer or a remote to trigger the shutter.<br /><br /><strong>Make it a little easier on yourself<br /></strong>Getting decent self portraits is hard enough as it is, so why not make it a little easier on yourself. First of all, frame the picture a little wider than you normally would. This gives you room to crop the picture afterwards if you weren’t in the exact position you should be. Likewise, do not use very wide apertures. If you do, your depth of field becomes small, and your exact position will become a very critical factor. Using a smaller aperture (higher f) will literally give you some breathing space.</span><br /></span>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-81540835113371425842008-11-17T13:11:00.000-08:002008-11-17T13:15:50.658-08:00Minor update of CamerA AbsurdA<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I recently did a major rehaul of my online portfolio </span><a href="http://www.camera-absurda.nl/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">CamerA AbsurdA</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, but didn´t add a `about`-section at that time. Now I did. The section also includes a couple of self portraits, including a brand new one, 'Loud Guy'. So, go check it out<span style="font-size:78%;"> comments welcome</span>.</span>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-78500770600285445392008-11-15T09:28:00.000-08:002008-11-29T11:37:19.164-08:00Modeling tips: care for your lips<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3YcxXJe4yBQrWpIF4YGtv3sMhPFzSkTxfPZ8YNQGM9yL82ctRKmq-nzbitIL5pC-54GH1ugW2RBQbbPX68K20RFegtz730zlQuCGfd8j8JCrc-JFoCioAGx8xW15XBR41-E5FxMPPZ0V/s1600-h/CRW_7655small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268939853867244882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 255px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3YcxXJe4yBQrWpIF4YGtv3sMhPFzSkTxfPZ8YNQGM9yL82ctRKmq-nzbitIL5pC-54GH1ugW2RBQbbPX68K20RFegtz730zlQuCGfd8j8JCrc-JFoCioAGx8xW15XBR41-E5FxMPPZ0V/s320/CRW_7655small.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Lips are important to models. Well-shaped and well-groomed lips can make a lasting impression and add to your sex-appeal. At the same time, lips are among the most exposed areas of your skin and very vulnerable at the same time. Your lips need good care, and it’s you who should provide it. The good thing is, it does not have to be expensive to be good.<br /><br /><strong>Protect them</strong><br />Lips need protection from the world around them, especially from heat, cold, sunburn and dry air. Petroleum jelly or Vaseline is a great and inexpensive protector and healer of dry skin in general and lips in particular. Use an old toothbrush to gently rub in the Vaseline a couple of times a day if you want to heal dried lips. You may want to mix the Vaseline with one or two tablespoons of a tasty (sweet or fresh) sauce, to enhance the flavor. For summer holidays or winter sports, use a lip balm with a high sun protection factor, as lips tend to burn badly in the sun.</span><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Caress them<br /></strong>Want to give your lips a good time? Mash a quarter of a ripe papaya to a juicy paste. Lie down on a towel and apply a generous amount to the lips and the skin around the lips. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes. Next rinse the paste off and apply Vaseline or lip balm. The exfoliating enzymes in papaya help to soften and refine lip lines.<br /><br /><strong>Make them work for you</strong><br />When applying lipstick, use a brush. It provides a more even distribution and will reduce the amount of lipstick used. Before applying your lipstick, apply foundation on the lips or use a lip liner. This prevents the lipstick from 'bleeding'. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If you have big lips, colors like purple, brown and bronze will look good on you. If you want to make them look smaller, make use of deep colors. They make the lips recede. Shiny lipstick on the other hand will accentuate the size of your lips. If your lips are small, apply a bit of lip gloss or Vaseline on the middle part of the bottom lip, and use light colors. This make your lips look bigger.<br /><br /><a href="http://teamsugar.com/group/1004178/blog/1088077">More tips</a> </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-77465237417094980882008-11-12T05:42:00.000-08:002008-11-12T07:27:44.021-08:00On monogamy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-6KJHS2ax1_Bee5pZO46myMsZtsLGw4Qn-BFASMP28Jp9sugRhdOP8m5jjhjOBXfI-ENDT1svIrp6lVhYSXIIB6BCbgaGmy5I_-rsraglvGJVN5pTvosOseMXwDScTPdFNgNqA8mfioT/s1600-h/heart01.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267766924740110802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 100px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-6KJHS2ax1_Bee5pZO46myMsZtsLGw4Qn-BFASMP28Jp9sugRhdOP8m5jjhjOBXfI-ENDT1svIrp6lVhYSXIIB6BCbgaGmy5I_-rsraglvGJVN5pTvosOseMXwDScTPdFNgNqA8mfioT/s320/heart01.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Okay. I'm keeping an <a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/2008/10/forbidden-love.html">old promise </a>here. And it's my pleasure. Monogamy and people is one of the most exciting philosophical issues I can think of. Sit down and make yourself comfortable, this is going to be a long article. You seated? Mmmmkay, let's go then.<br /><br />Some animals are monogamous, and some are not. Some birdies live together till death (or a cat) do them part. Other species, such as cats, don’t give a rat’s ass and mate whenever they feel the need, with whoever is around. Needless to say, that’s the evolutionary successful strategy, as sexual diversity prevents inbreeding. But then again, swans and the like are still on this earth, so there must be something right about monogamy too.<br /><br />But now for humans. Humans have a very ambiguous attitude towards monogamy. They do practice it, well most of them do, but they are hardly consistent. And I know why. Let’s first state the obvious: people cubs are awfully weak creatures. It takes them more than a year to even learn to walk. Well, more or less, wiggle would be a more appropriate description. What kind of evolutionary strategy is that? More than a year of immobility! I had a litter of eleven at my first birthday.<br /><br />Hmmmm, well, that may not be a very good example, but you get my point, right? It takes humans a full cat’s life to even become an independent being. That’s where the human male comes in. I mean, raising a litter in, say, 8 weeks is easy. A female will have no trouble doing that on her own, right? But 18 years is a different cup-a-tea. A woman needs a day off every now and then. And protection for her helpless cubs. So, human females need the human male to stay around. And that requires monogamy, since human males can not stay around at two families at the same time.<br /><br />Now that we have explained why humans are monogamous, let’s see why they deviate from their evolutionary successful behavior. Here’s why. The evolutionary successful behavior does not require the male (or the female) to be around all of the time. As long as a human does not have two full families, it’s okay. And then you guys invented birth control. With birth control, humans can lead the family life of a swan, and have the sex life of a cat at the same time. Or even that of a rabbit for that matter. And that’s where it all comes together. Humans are monogamous because they have to and inconsistent because they can.<br /><br />It's just a matter of logic.</span></div>A cat called Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202620857978185899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-31620031502316261682008-11-06T07:37:00.000-08:002008-11-06T08:02:51.827-08:00Photography tips: skiing<div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Once the calendar turns to November, my heart starts beating faster. The skiing season is about to arrive. Most Europeans postpone their skiing trip to February or even March, when the sun is stronger and the days are longer. Nevertheless, the skiing season opens (if it ever closes) mid-November in high stations, such as Tux, Tignes and Val Thorens. That’s why November makes my heart beat faster, though this year I will have to wait ‘till mid-December to actually go there.<br /><br />If you ever went on a skiing trip and took your camera, you might know how frustrating it can be. These majestic mountains, the steep slope you just managed to ski down from. They scream to be photographed, but once you get home, the magic’s gone. In fact, the magic is left behind in the mountains, not on the pictures. The mountains do not look so majestic, that slope does not look half as steep as it actually was and your superb skiing technique never shows on the pictures. Why? Because photographing snowy mountains is not as easy as it seems. These tips might help though.<br /><br /><strong>White balance</strong><br />First of all, get your white balance right. That’s the easiest tip, and you can actually do it in post processing if you <a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/search?q=raw">shoot in RAW</a>. If you don’t, the snow will look blueish, not white. Other things will look off too and you'll loose contrast.</span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div><br /><strong>Time of day </strong></div><div>Like with any type of photography, choose the right time of day, which is either early morning or late afternoon. Don't try shooting at midday, the high sun will flatten all detail, especially since things are all white anyway.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div><strong><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25093010@N07/3005306099/"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3189/3005306099_7b131f753e_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>Reference</strong><br />This is a general tip for landscape photography. Try to have some points of reference in the picture, prefereably in the front and the back. This makes it easier for the viewer to relate. This picture (click it for a larger version on Flickr)shows some loose snow in the front and rocks in the back, as well as the boundary of the slope. The latter gives the viewer a clear indication of how steep the slope really is.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Timing</strong></div><div>Skiing is a sport and in sport photography, timing is everything. And to time right at sports, you have to know the sport. Shooting exactly in the middle of turn is not going to give a great skiing picture, nor is shooting at a straight end. Breaking and finishing a turn are nice moments in term of spectacular snow clouds, whereas the body position is great at the start of a turn. Obviously, jumps are also great moments to shoot, not matter if they go right or wrong.</div><div> </div><div><a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/2008/06/photography-tips-get-down.html"><strong>Get down! </strong><br /></a>Choose a low angle, both for skiers and for mountains. Low angles will make slopes look steeper, will make mountains look higher and will make jumps and other actions much more impressive. It will also allow you more often to get some sky in your picture, providing the much wanted contrast of the bright blue against the clear white, especially if you use a <a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/2008/03/photography-tips-polarizing-filters.html">polarizer</a>.<br /></span></div>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-65349380309909938032008-11-04T08:04:00.000-08:002008-11-04T10:18:58.391-08:00Modelling tips: plan your career (3)<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25093010@N07/2513432826/in/set-72157604291634650/"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2217/2513432826_5a90126b3f_m.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/2008/10/modeling-tips-plan-your-career-1.html">Part 1</a> of this series was about making plans, <a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/2008/10/modeling-tips-plan-your-career-2.html">part 2 </a>about checking on them. Part 3 of planning your career is about deviating from your plans. This happens more often than not. In fact, plans sometimes seem to be made to be able to deviate from them. Why? Because plans involve the future, and the future is intrinsically unpredictable. Things can happen. Good things, bad things, things you never thought of. And if they happen, it may be wise to deviate from your plans.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Say you planned to start your career on the catwalk. Maybe later, you were thinking, you were going to switch to magazines. Then a magazine comes along, wanting to hire you for an editorial. Will you refuse because it doesn’t fit your plan? No you won’t. Assess the offer, and if it is any good, forget about the plan: deviate! If this happens once or twice, it’s okay to deviate, while in the meantime following the plan as, well, planned. If it occurs more often, you’ll have to think about changing the plan. You just might be more fit for magazines than for catwalks. Or maybe you are not, but coincidence has granted you a head start in magazines and you should grab the opportunity. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />How will you know when to deviate from your plans and when to change them? You won’t. There is no such thing as a golden rule here. You can ask other models and photographers around you what they think, but remember that they will give you opinions rather than facts. On the other hand, if five or six experienced people share the same opinion, it might as well be a good one. If you’re with an agency, go ask them. They know a lot, and your interest is their interest. Unless of course, you are with a catwalk-specialized agency. After collecting the opinions, make a choice. It may not be the right choice, but you’ll have to make one. It’s no use waiting for the ‘right’ information to come by, because you’ll never have enough information. Besides, the ‘right’ information has the peculiarity of coming buy <em>after </em>you made your decision. It always does.<br /><br />A couple of common-sense issues should be kept in mind though. If you’ve invested heavily in a catwalk career and it hasn’t paid off, ask yourself why. Is catwalk the right choice for you? Is it just too early for pay offs? Do you expect pay offs in the near future? Do they outweigh the benefits of switching to magazines? No easy answers here, I’m sorry. When in doubt, it’s okay to follow two tracks for say two, three months. If your catwalk pay efforts do not pay off in these months, or if magazines keep approaching you, you’ll know what to do. Don’t stay on two tracks for too long though, dividing your attention may distort your focus.</span><br /></span>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-49331027862219577952008-10-31T12:26:00.000-07:002008-10-31T14:56:25.073-07:00to have and not hold<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"Sadder still to watch it die than never to have known it..."</span><a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/search/label/cat"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263402226136612930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 100px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrsWxKw3j9kaXBqdp-qMdgdzrGQD1Xj1Mz4Geaz-oCYLsqiyg9qOPzcx2RHUhlFRCsGEBVXHLAa12-JrdUb8KudbMVUll9w7ZwH1HggqvOwFln8vyTTwsdHECirDFad_tZA7lnIieSvjDE/s320/heart01.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> That's a line from a song I heard recently, and it instantly turned on my phylosophical instinct. Is this true? Does it hold for all people and all 'its'? Having given birth to eleven kittens at the age of 1, I can tell you I do not at all miss my fertillity. But I can't compare to never having had it, now can I?</span><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If I were to ask it to an economist -like the Camabs guy-, he'dd rattle on about time preference of consumption. He would totally loose me and ten come to the conclusion that it's not true. If having something yields utility, having had it yields more utility than never ever having it. Sounds simple, that's how economists think. But now for actual people.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">What if one has a talent and looses it? Say a painter gets arthritis and can no longer paint. Sad, yes, but the paintings remain. Would it be different for an artist that has no materialized work? Say a musician that never recorded her work. True, that's pretty sad allright. But what about the memories and all the people recieving joy from that music in the past?</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And how about love? What if you have love and loose it? Would it be better than to never have known love at all? Damn sure it wouldn't! Yes, it hurts when it's over. For a while. Then it fades. But the memory remains (now isn't that some song too?) and the good things lasted a lot longer than the grief. For most loves that is, some peeps just can't do anything right.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now hold on, lets get real serious. No, I mean it. A real tough one. What about loosing a kid versus never having had one. Which one is worse? No doubt about it, loosing someone dear is tough. Loosing your kid is about as tough as it gets. That's what I think, I am lucky enough not to know for sure. But it's damn hard to imagine anything tougher than that, y'all agree. So, is this the case were it is sadder to have had than never ever had? No, wait. What does it imply? It implies that the life of the deceased kid did not have any positive value whatsoever. That can not be true. If its life, however short it was, is less important then the loss of that same life, then it was worth nothing. That's simply not right, and inconsistent on top of it. Therefore, logic tells us that it is never sadder to have had than to never had at all.</span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:78%;">A bit too heavy for you, this one? Go <a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/">here</a> to cheer up, and I'll promise a lighter blog next week.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span>A cat called Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202620857978185899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-23790774295585598342008-10-29T08:32:00.000-07:002008-10-29T10:16:21.337-07:00Photography tips: still life photography, a primer<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Still life photography is a genre by itself. Derived from the old masters and their paintings, photographers collect stuff to photograph it. The still life has no fixed rules of right and wrong and gives an incredible freedom in lighting and composition. Some things should however be kept in mind when trying to make a still life that stands out.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">A theme</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">A still life should be more than just a collection of thingies. The vast majority of great still lifes has a theme. It could be anything: a profession, a season, any activity. a song title, a color, the list is endless. The main point is, that the items in the still life should be presented in a theme, and be consistent within the theme. Cornucopia still lifes for instance implement abundance, so they require a lot of items. ICT still lifes would become inconsistent if done against a very natural or classical background.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 255px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px" alt="" src="http://69.90.174.253/photos/display_pic_with_logo/94872/94872,1187722259,3.jpg" border="0" />Table shots</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Most good still lifes are table shots. That is, the camera is at the same height as the scene is, or just a little higher. This camera standpoint provides a natural looking perspective, altough in real life, we would not look at most of these things horizontally. I do know of a couple of successful exceptions to this rule, so it's no fixed rule. Like always, deviating from the rules provides an extra handycap, but it <em>can </em>work out great.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Composition, background and lighting</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">The freedom in composing a still life is endless. One can use any composition rule, combine a couple of them or ignore them all together. Combinations of the rule of thirds with other rules are often used, but again, feel free to break the rules as you go.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Background and lighting are free too, but they should not attract too much attention and be consistent with the theme. Neutral backgrounds are okay, but if the still life has a nautical theme, why not use a nautical map as a background? If it is too distracting, use a <a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/2008/10/photography-tip-shallow-depth-of-field.html">shallow depth of field</a> to tune down it's presence. <a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/2008/03/photography-tips-white-backgrounds.html">White backgrounds </a>are fine too.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Still lifes often use light tents are a single light source that suggests natural light through a window (often using fill lights or reflectors as well). But if you feel backlight works better, why not give it a try? As long as all the relevant details are revealed properly and the lighting does not distract from the the, it's fine.</span>CamAbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05427021339771853786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7350053161720955252.post-6927449484624374532008-10-23T12:16:00.000-07:002008-10-23T22:19:55.825-07:00What a Relief!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzWHOXltPBjJRY0XzjUA-7hgLhL_sH7KRvOItisO_fyOPvKEFdtF2wAwyxxF7Ig4cYmh1m2Y2JnvFr-5qoX2Q-AxgPhQbG1Pac6z5iqCN-H3PRVDFDSM6WHyxWODr0Izbbpxm28D_t_Rk/s1600-h/heart01.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260431250589699698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 60px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 60px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzWHOXltPBjJRY0XzjUA-7hgLhL_sH7KRvOItisO_fyOPvKEFdtF2wAwyxxF7Ig4cYmh1m2Y2JnvFr-5qoX2Q-AxgPhQbG1Pac6z5iqCN-H3PRVDFDSM6WHyxWODr0Izbbpxm28D_t_Rk/s200/heart01.jpg" border="0" /></span></a> <div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You may have noticed I've been kinda quiet recently. I hope you have. 'cos it means you've missed me. Thank you, I love you too. The thing is, I've been kinda busy. Well, worried sick is a better word I guess. I've been worrying so hard, I couldn't find the time for philosophy. Not a single original thought has crossed my mind last week.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Why, you say? Here's why. The little camabs cub is why. Funny little fella, pretty dominant type too. Told you 'bout him earlier, <a href="http://camabs.blogspot.com/2008/09/alpha-male.html">remember</a>? He's got a running nose. Not just this week, but, like, forever. No wonder, human kids are weak. I'll tell you about that some day. So, the big camabs-guy took his son to the doctor. Sounds like a joke, right? It's not. It's the beginning of a nightmare. The doctor used the A-word: Allergy. Big deal you say? Not if you're a cat. Humans are overprotective of their kids, you know. If <em>they </em>are allergic, <em>we</em> have to go. And now the camabs cub was up for a blood test for kitty-allergy.</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">This morning, the camabs guy called the doctor. You know cats have fabulous ears, don't you? I could not believe mine. The kid is <strong>not</strong> allergic to cats! I get to stay at the camabs residence. Can't tell you how happy I am. Too excited to think right now, but once I get myself together, I'll devote my attention to philosophy again. See you then!</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div>A cat called Hearthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202620857978185899noreply@blogger.com0