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Stay At A Beautiful Cabin for the Weekend? Check.
See This Glimpse Of My Beautiful Weekend Getaway!
I don’t remember this lone tree being so beautiful in person, but wow. Look at how this turned out! It was a pretty cloudy weekend, but the clouds parted in just the right way for this picture. I brought down the highlights quite a bit and turned up the dehaze slider in Lightroom and voila! Just think of the metaphors that could be used thanks to this tree! Check out the tree in the picture associated with this article! Find me a tree like that one!
As I turned from the tree in that first picture, this was the view I saw behind me. Who wouldn’t want to getaway to a place with a view like this one? Just check out the reflections in the pond. Mmmhmmm.
Just in front of this pond was a small dock with a rope tied around one of the posts. I should have brought a boat for the weekend! Oh well. I have always loved boating. My dad was taking me sailing before I even learned to read. This dock brought back some beautiful memories. Water has always been a great getaway. My happy place. I even swam on a swim team for several years. My family used to call me a fish.
As far as the edits for this picture, I turned up the shadows, contrast, reds and oranges. I wanted the wood texture to pop.
I have always been a sucker for dock photography. I mean, just take a look at this one!
As I was walking down the road, I thought to myself, I need to getaway more often. Isn’t this dirt road so picturesque? That is the mountains of Idaho for you. Yes, please. One thing is for sure. It was a beautiful weekend for photography. Despite the clouds.
How to Photograph the Milky Way When Things Don’t Go As Planned
Here Are My Top Tips on How to Photograph the Milky Way:
These photos are from a fun photo shoot that I did with some friends a few nights back. We drove out to a park that was not as close to the city lights and it ended up being flooded. But, as you will see, we used this as an advantage for the first shot I took. Later in the post you will see what I learned about how to photography the milky way.
For the final shot you are seeing, I actually masked two photos together in Photoshop. For my first shot, I really liked the foreground and water, but the stars were not as spectacular. The first shot also did not feature the milky way which is what I really wanted. We were also located pretty close to a street lamp that was illuminating the area and making it more difficult to see the stars.
Later on, we decided to drive even further away from the lights and that is where the second shot comes into play. At the second location we had a wide-open view of the milky way.
In post, I was able to merge the two photos together using a mask in Photoshop. I also used the dodge and burn to lighten the areas that were already light (in the milky way) and darken the areas that were already dark. I did this to add a little more definition to the milky way.
Here are my original two shots:
If I were to do this photoshoot again, I would follow these steps.
How to Photograph the Milky Way:
- Plan ahead. Be sure to go out when there is no moon. This can mean that you either go when it is a new moon or you can go after the moon sets/before it rises. You can use apps like Photopills to see exactly where the milky way will show up and at what time.
- Foreground. Find something interesting and place it in your foreground. You can light paint it or leave it dark to get some cool silhouettes.
- Reflections. Look for water. This will allow you to get some cool reflections so that you can see even more stars!
- Curves. Use the curves adjustment layers in Photoshop to bring out some color in the milky way.
- Composite. If the milky way is not showing up at your first location. Move to a second location where you can see it better. Then, merge the two photos in Photoshop using a mask.
To learn more about the awesomeness of the milky way visit Wikipedia. To see an amazing example of a milky way with great definition check out this shot.
Here Are The Basics of Light Painting
Indoor Light Painting: It’s Easy and Fun
For all of the below pictures, my camera settings were mostly the same. The real key to light painting these was long exposure and a flashlight.
Leave your shutter open for a longer period of time.
For these photos I left it open for about 15 seconds.
Use a flashlight to shine a light on your product.
Get up really close to your subject. The closer you are, the more interesting the light will look in the final image. You will use your flashlight as you would a paint brush. Hence the name light painting. Be sure not to point the flashlight toward the camera. If you do you will end up with light trails that basically look like lines across your photo. You can pass directly in front of the camera while light painting because as long as the light is not hitting you, you will not be seen.
Be sure to keep Dave Black‘s advice in mind; “if you want to make your subject look interesting, only light part of it.”
Check out this crazy light painting photo. It is a different style but still cool!
Long Exposure: Friend or Foe?
I had never tried some of these long exposure techniques…
Long Exposure can be difficult to figure out at first, but it is so much fun. I took all three of these photos on an excursion I did a few weeks ago. There are many more photos from the excursion to come, but for now, here are just a few.
For the above picture I used a bicycle tire with some lights rigged on it (I call this a half orb) to sketch in the air behind Kayla. It was dark in the barn where we took this picture so I used a longer exposure and moved the half orb up and down while walking behind Kayla. I originally wanted her to be a silhouette, but when I bumped up the exposure in post, I loved the effect. There was some ambient light coming from behind me that lit up the barn and gave off some purple light. I also brought up the highlights so that it would be easier to see the half orb effect.
You may not believe it, but this picture was taken using a long exposure. Using a long exposure when taking picture of people can be hard. If they move too much, they will be blurry (as you saw in the picture of Kayla, although in that picture I was originally looking for a different effect). Their head is especially difficult to keep still. To combat this I used a speed light and flashed it once or twice on her face. I could then light pain the rest of her body without worrying as much about her movement. I got up really close to her with the light so that the light and shadows would be easier to see. This picture looked pretty amazing from the get go, so in post, I just boosted the clarity and saturation a bit.
For this shot I used a flashlight to light paint the foreground as well as the trees. There was also a flashlight that had been dropped in the water previously which improved the shot even more by showing the color of the water. I used a 30 second exposure for this shot so that I would be able to light paint and also see the stars.
As far as editing is concerned I began in Lightroom and brought up the shadow and fixed the colors. I then brought the photo into Photoshop and used a variety of adjustments to get the color to where I wanted it. I did also add some contrast using a black and white filter.
Long exposure is your friend! Don’t be afraid. Practice makes perfect, so give it a try!
If you are wanting to learn more about long exposure, check out this article by DigitalRev explaining “How to Set Up Your Camera For Long Exposure Photography.” You can also check out “Ultimate Guide to Long Expoure Photography” by Christian Hoiberg
USA Olympic Medals by the Numbers
The number of medals won by the USA in the Olympics.
For this project, I was to create an infographic with one stylized chart or graph, three vector graphics, and an attractive non-white background that added to the effectiveness of the infographic. It had to be between 550 px and 700 px wide so as to be more compatible with Pinterest.
My infographic is on the Olympics. Specifically, Olympic Medals won by the USA.
I began by doing some research and taking lots of notes.
Here is my first sketches. I was trying to figure out what kind of layout I wanted to do.
Then, I began to run some numbers trying to come up with the appropriate data.
More data, this time in digital form.
This is my second layout attempt.
Eventually I added more content than you see above thanks to some critique.
Then, I began sketching some icons.
I wanted to have an American flag in the background so I took this photo.
Here my first attempt. I used Adobe Illustrator to create the infographic below.
After lots and lots of critique, I came up with the final product that you see below. It was suggested to me to get rid of the flag in the background and to add more white space. It was also suggested that I change the color scheme and add a metal texture since this regards medals. After more feedback, I also added a drop shadow and section headings. I also fixed the logo at the bottom so that it would match the color scheme.
You can also find this infographic on my infographic Pinterest board.
Sources: I got all of the information and data from olympic.org.
Product Redesign of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day
I loved working on this Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day product redesign and then using this newly designed hand soap in my own home
Below is the Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day product I chose to redesign. I feel it is currently a little too wordy. There are also too many fonts and font variations. My mother has this very same product in one of her bathrooms and I am of the opinion that the bathroom would look a lot nicer if this hand soap was designed in a more minimalistic way.
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day targets homemakers and moms who want a good smelling product that works well but that is not filled with chemicals.
Here is my first sketch with a few notes on the side.
This is my first vector attempt. My final plan was to have the label be clear on a clear plastic soap dispenser with a black pump.
I later decided that using the original bottle would probably be cheaper for the company. In order to get the actual dimensions of every thing, I had to take the label of of the original bottle and use a measuring tape.
Here is my full vectorized product redesign!
Color Scheme:
I later had to make a few changes to correct some alignment and kearning issues thanks to some critique I received. I also got rid of the white circle by the recycle rabbit. Here it is.
Below is a side-by-side of the before and after (the original is on the left and my version on the right).
The final product redesign succeeds in being less wordy. This is great because homemakers and moms usually want their homes to look nice and this hand soap now adds instead of subtracts to the aesthetics of their home.
My favorite part about this whole project was the bar code! See why here!
Here is the website banner ad I created using this product:
To see another fabulous example of this type of project, check out Megan Bennett’s Minute Maid Product Redesign. You can also check out more of Mrs. Meyer’s hand soaps here.
Tell A Story With Your Product
Nothing Is Off Limits
For this conceptual product shot, I used the box to show that it was brand new. It also gave the product a more sleek and professional look. This even helped me to angle the straightener in a more flattering way than if I had just laid it flat. The swirls on the box give in a fun feminine touch.
Below is the original photo without any edits.
Here is a shot of my setup. I used the same plexiglass and speed lights for my shot of the hair straightener as I did for the below bottles of Jarritos Soda. I balanced the plexiglass between two benches so that I could also place a speed light underneath the glass.
The Do’s of Product Photography
Lighting, Placement, Style, and Creativity
Indoor Photography
Do use great lighting! For the following two pictures I used continuous lighting. Shooting produce is so fun but, beware, you will get hungry!
Do use things like this plexiglass for great placement! You can get pieces like this opaque one for pretty cheap. For the below two pictures I used a bunch of speed lights and even place one of the speed lights below the plexiglass.
Do incorporate your own style. Below I used a spray bottle to spray some water onto the bottles. For the picture of the book, I used a large piece of fur and stuck it underneath the book to add to the “fairy tale” theme.
Outdoor Photography
Do exercise creativity! Creativity can get your photography noticed.
How To Create A Believable Movie Poster
Make Yourself The Main Character For An Added Challenge
This was my first time creating a movie poster and it was a lot of fun! I am pregnant and thought it would be fun to do a movie where the main character is pregnant so that I could use myself as the main character. I chose the movie “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.”
I took the photo of myself in a shaded area near my home at golden hour (around the time of sunset). The light ended up working perfectly for the movie poster because there were no harsh shadows. The fun part of this photo shoot was that I was able to use some of these photos to announce my pregnancy to friends and family on social media thus killing two birds with one stone!
I used a DSLR to take the picture. I generally try to keep my photos at 200 or so iso to keep the quality high and the noise minimal. I used 200 iso here and a focal length of 50 mm.
For the background image I found a royalty free picture of a bedroom on unsplash.com. I used Photoshop to create the movie poster and was thus also able to use a clipping mask to cut myself out of the original image and put myself on the background of the bedroom.
Here are the original thumbnails:
To make the bedroom look realistic, I blurred it using the blur tool in Photoshop. Generally when you take a portrait where the camera is relatively close to the subject, the subject will be in focus and the background will be blurred.
Something that will make your movie poster look official is using this Movie Poster Font for the credits at the bottom of the poster. It is also important to choose two contrasting fonts. One for the title and one for the featured actors.
Beyond that, just be creative! You may have noticed that instead of saying something like “Coming November 2018,” I said “Due November 2018” to continue the theme of pregnancy. Creativity can take your Movie Poster to the next level.
To see another great example of a movie poster like this one, check out Sarah RodeBush’s post. You can also check out allposters.com to check out their movie poster collection and maybe even buy a poster from your favorite movie!
First Personal Logo I’ve Made That I Like
I created this personal logo for my husband and I to use
For this project I set out to create a personal logo that both my husband and I could use. I wanted to try something that was not solely type based and that was vector based using Adobe Illustrator. I am a photographer, videographer, graphic designer, and data analyst. Thus, I needed a logo that was versatile. My husband Justin and I sometimes work together so I needed something that could represent both of us. He is a mechanical engineer.
I started off with some sketches. I began trying to do something with a ‘J’ and an ‘L’ (for Justin and Loren).
What you see below are some of my first vector attempts.
After receiving feedback from my peers, I soon realized that what I had intended to be a ‘J’ and an ‘L’ were actually an ‘H.’ After that realization, I began with what you see below. I decided to just do my own initials to make things easier (Loren Yarrington).
Using the cursive versions of my initials I began to see an orca chasing some fish.
It was brought to my attention that most people could not tell what was going on with what you see above. The couldn’t see the orca until they had been told what it was. The ‘L’ and the ‘Y’ were also lost in the illustration. Eventually, after lots of critique, I decided to just ditch the orca altogether and stick with the fish.
The above logo had neither creative typography nor was it versatile. When viewed small, the fish were difficult to see.
I began again. I sought the advice of my peers and after some more sketching I found something with more creative potential using the Y of my last name.
Here is my vectorized version:
I feel like this represents my husband and I well. ‘Y’ is the first letter of our last name and the block letter seems to add masculinity to the femininity of the vine with leaves.
After some more critique, it was pointed out to me that the highlight on the ‘Y’ as well as the leaves were hard to see when small. So, I nixed the highlight and got rid of some of the leaves so that I could make the remaining leaves bigger. The result and final personal logo are what you see below.
Check out this blog post by Bogdan Sandu on how to create your own personal logo. I loved this lightbulb logo with the ‘r’ as the wires.
Photo book: Covers, Contents, Spread, Professional
Back cover on the left, Front Cover on the right:
Table of Contents:
Photo book Spread:
Professional Page:
Despite the fact that I was using an awesome tutorial from Caryn Esplin’s custom Images textbook, the front cover took me ages. I knew I wanted to use the picture of the water falls, but I could not figure out which method of using it (out of the multiple ways that I could do it) I liked best. I even did a poll on Instagram to help me figure out whether I should do a black cover or a white cover (people pretty much voted 50/50 so that didn’t end up being super helpful). Everything else went much more smoothly.
I designed all of this using a combination of Photoshop, Lightroom, and InDesign. I used Photoshop and Lightroom for the photo editing. I used Photoshop to design the front cover. InDesign was used for the overall layout design.
Try Experimenting With These 3 Different Types of Portraits
I had a lot of fun with these. I did some spot removal to remove the blemishes from my husband’s (pictured with our baby girl) face.
The next two pictures were done using the color replacement brush in Photoshop. The first one is the original (blueish gray shirt).
Post edits with color replacement brush:
Pictured below are some family friends with the father copying his daughter. I did make some color corrections to all of the photos on this post.
Below are some environmental portraits taken of some mechanical engineers in action. Pictured in blue is Clyde Riboldi and in green, Cody Greener.
About Loren
