Ingredients

About This Photo:
Aperture: f/5.0
Exposure: 1/50
Focal Length: 50mm
ISO: 1000
Lens: 50mm f/1.4

Every day, I make myself  green smoothie. The components will vary, but lately I'm digging on pineapple, lime, Fuji apple, stevia, and spinach (all combined with ice and water in the VitaMix, of course). Even when the cutting board is a bit of a mess (like this), I think the yellows and greens are so pretty -- especially with a turquoise cutting mat as a backdrop. For me, this translates to serious visual yum!

I tried shooting this setup from so many angles: getting down on the counter at eye level, shooting from above, and from either side. I think the only thing I didn't try was shooting from underneath. I think I like this angle and set-up the best, though I might have changed my mind if you ask me tomorrow.

I used a smaller aperture (f/5.0) than I typically do for this shot because food photo don't do well with a lot of bokeh. I bumped up the ISO to compensate so I wouldn't have to compromise on my shutter speed. One of the actions I took in post-processing was to use a cross-processing effect -- in my opinion, this really makes greens (as wells as yellows and blues) pop.

And now it makes me want another green smoothie.

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Lessons Learned or Affirmed:

• Experiment, experiment, experiment (angles, lighting, settings, compositions, etc). I'm posting one photo that I like. There were about three that were contender's for tonight's post out of the 45 or so that I took. Yeah. 45, and I got two or three that I really liked. Welcome to photography!
• Don't neglect the post-processing. Post-processing might not be able to take a photo from good to great, but it can make it look much more polished and enjoyable to look at. The actions I took for this photo were few and very simple, but made it took what I had and made it a little bit better. Take a look at the before and after:

It's all about the angle

About This Photo:
Aperture: f/1.4
Exposure: 1/40
Focal Length: 50mm
ISO: 640
Lens: 50mm f/1.4

I made a joke on Facebook today about how every time Austen's bib gets turned around, I imagine her as a baby superhero, ready to rescue the world from every disaster. So you know what that meant, right? 

I had to get some pictures of it!

I put her in her little bib -- er, cape, rather -- and set to work. Most of the photos I got didn't seem that interesting -- at least not until I was lying on the floor looking up at her. Changing the perspective from which I was viewing her made for a more interesting photo. Instead of looking down or at eye level, I was looking up at her, creating some additional drama -- perfect for that wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression of hers!

And quite appropriate for a larger-than-life superbaby, don't you think?

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Lessons Learned or Affirmed:

• When in doubt, change your perspective for a fresh take. Don't be afraid to lie on the ground for a good picture! When I changed my angle, it served to add some drama to the portrait. So fun!
• When a person is your subject, focus on the eyes for the best portrait. It just doesn't look right when the eyes are too soft or blurry.