Kutsuphoto

Today marks the finalizing of a simple photo contest among 2 fellow photogs and myself. It’s as simple as an 18 week long contest made up a contest each week. Each week will have a theme that is chosen among the three of us. Where the winner gets a nice free dinner out of the deal when I return to visit them in August.

The reason I’m starting this is because I feel like my photo skills are dropping and I need a friendly competition to get me going again. After numerous discussion with them it seems they are also not feeling challenged. So why not make it a little fun. Plus all of us have bought new things for our cameras that it feels we have not really been able to really use and test out it’s potential.

So now the pieces are set and the cogs will hopefully start turning!
We have put these few rules forth:

1. Must be taken that week (can not be an old photo) and by you (no asking someone to take the photo or hold the camera incase you are in the photo.)
2. The theme will be chosen on a rotating basis,(Luis, Brent, Jordan; comes out to be alphabetical after the first week)
3. Photoshopping kept down to a minimum, unless the theme calls for illustrations or photo manipulations.
4. A theme can’t be a place.
5. The week will run from Sunday night to the following Sunday.
6. The new weeks theme will also be announced on Sunday
7. You get one photo submission per week.
8. First place will get 2 points, second place will get 1, and third will get 0.
9. Judging will be by a third party person or group of people where no name is attached to the photos.

That keeps everyone pretty much on the same page. Every week I will post the submissions, the following weeks theme and the previous weeks winner.

Let’s see what we get!!!!

Just wanted to post a new picture I’ve been working on recently.

 

So I just started classes yesterday, Monday 12, not too bad. Japanese is pretty fun. However I’m not here to talk about classes, I’m here to talk about what I see.

Last week I went hiking for 3 hours, it was suppose to be a 1 hour hike..oh well. That’s what happens when you don’t read directions right.

We started getting lost in this neighborhood where someone redirected us to go through this graveyard…

After then, this nice grounds keeper got us back on the right track… at least what we thought was our right track. We started trekking up this trail alongside a road.

Now we never did reach our actual destination, which was a wild onsen next to a river. We did find a wild onsen though that was smaller but enjoyable just the same.

Apart from that we had a nice view from where we were sitting…

I still plan on going back to find the bigger nicer onsen though!

So, a friend of mine, Jonathan, recommended that I started doing Photoshop a week for next little bit. Basically until I leave for Japan. decision…..why not?!

So every Friday for the next 12 weeks or so I’ll be having photoshop week where I’ll work on a photoshop piece during the week and show off the creation at the end of the week.  Some weeks might be kind of pathetic or week and other weeks might be amazing (I hope). But none the less I’m going to do it!

How I think I’m going to do this is I’ll show three pictures, original/Base Photo, a middle photo, and a final picture.

From my last post I showed a portrait I took of Christian, well from the same shoot I created this week’s creation!

So this was week 1 kind of a last minute decision but let the photoshopping begin!

So, I fail. It’s ok but I’m sorry. I was actually going to keep it up but then I just busy again. On that note, I’ve been busy every since but I’m going to try to find FANTASTIC times like these and actually update my blog. Mainly because so much has gone on between now and the last time picture wise, I don’t know if the blog can really support how much I have to show. Ok that is kind of a lie but none the less I do have a lot to show. I decided to keep a few things for next blog post though.  Without further a do, what has been doing on!

So I took a few photographers to Lake Johnson to take some pictures. We walked around half of the lake first and then went into the paddle boats and went around and got some shots. It was a fun afternoon. out.

The Agromeck did a spread about lifeguards from N.C. State who were working in the area. I went to a local pool in Cary and got pictures of Christian being a life guard as part of the spread.

I visited my sister at the beginning of August while I was on break and I got to meet her cute little puppy, Cronus.  I wish I could remember what breed he was.

While I was driving after trying to take some pictures, I stopped by these falls located just off of Lassiter Mill road. I was frustrated so these shots and the place and general really calmed down. A place to check out if you’ve never been.

For a photo training I did few weeks ago, I took a series of shot to show focal length and what it does to a photo. That photo was taken with a 400mm. I took another few with a 300mm, 200mm, 85mm, 50mm and 28mm. They and I both stayed in the same place through each shot.

Junior setter Alex Smith during her game against Rutgers for the Crabtree Valley Marriott Classic. N.C. State lost 2-3.

The Society for Collegiate Journalist spray painted the outside of the Free Expression tunnel last wednesday night for Constitution Day on Thursday, Sept. 17.  We spray painted an American flag with words like constitution day, SCJ, 9/17/09, and We the people to make up the stripes.  and SCJ made up the stars.

A portrait of Nettie in Technician’s photo studio. Nothing really special about it, but a fun interesting shot none-the-less.

So one of the photographers I work with, Danny, took a Minolta 50mm f/1.4, shaved on the back and put a cap on the back that would fit with a Canon body.  The focusing distance is about 2″ or less.

So that’ s pretty much it for right now. I know that that is 14 pictures but I figure that iwll make up for a little bit…maybe :/ Be back soon!

o today ends my month hiatus. Why might I be on a hiatus, I do not know but it HAS ended. On a reality note, I have been consumed by Webassigns (if you do not know what they are, be happy) and Photos. Not in the sense of taking new photos but working as the Photo editor to manage the photos taken.
But onto the reason why I have this blog, these photos are going to range from 4th of July up until this water slide that was at my school yesterday. There is also an update picture from my previous post from the Train tracks.
I’ll start with the update. So, last time I showed off my HDR image of the train tracks.

I went back and redid the HDR and tone mapping, to see if I could get it better watching this interesting post from Matt Kloskowski from NAPP. I also took the time to actually do some important photoshop editiing.

I fee there is at least a more pleasing difference between the too.
I’ll continue on with my editing endeavors. I was making a background for a photo of mine, and realized the background that made was awesome but didn’t work with the photo. So I did some searching and found a photo that would work. And then there was happiness.

At the end of June I found out that this camp on my campus was dropping 50 lbs of silly putty from the top of our 11 story library. Can we say Happy Day. I grabbed my camera and was out there. As it turns out. When that much weight, when it reaches it’s terminal velocity, it’s elasticity can not stand up to the force and it explodes!

For the 4th of July, my friend and I ended up getting some fireworks and lit them in the back of her apartment complex. Taking pictures of each other and the fireworks all the while. The appending 4 of photos from our joyful explosions.

Just last week I was asked to take a picture of the Women’s rugby team, and after standing in the hot in pants for an hour I was able to go home with this.

Last but not least, on Wednesday the University Activities Board summer programs division got a waterslide to have in a field outside of where the paper is produced. So my friend and I set up a remote flash (because it was at 9 at night) to try and get pictures of people enjoying their slide down. This one guy was able to pop himself up on his feet once he hit the flat part and so the picture of him is right before he hit the back barrier which was right where I was sitting.

So the cool part from this event was the owner of the float got up with me and asked if I would shoot pictures for him.  This Tuesday I’ll be shooting pictures for his website. Once they are posted I will link it on here.

I’m hoping to try and not wait a month from my next post, but I can’t make any real promises.

So I have been taking pictures for the past 4.5 years, but I have never created a visual portfolio of my work. So to remedy that fact, I have put 164 photos that I have taken in the past 2.5 years into a gallery. There is a flash and html version. What I need any and all people viewing this post, I need you to email me ( Luis@kutsuphoto.com) or leave me a comment on this post which which ones are you favorite. Just give me the file name or number ( xx/164) that you like are worthy of existing in my portfolio. For people who know me on Twitter, facebook, etc. please feel free to leave comments on there.
This is extremely important for me to put together. Once I have gotten enough feedback I will post the gallery up here to show what were the favorites.

While doing looking through the pictures, things to consider: I’m a photojournalist and studio photographer.  So, look for good nature, news, studio, and feature type photos. I need something to display what I’m worth.

I’m appreciate any and all feedback in advance.

For the Flash Version!
For the HTML Version!

To end this post, I took some portraits of my friend, Eilene, recently so here is one of my favorites.

Until next time

So, I was going through my photos in Lightroom today, and I noticed that I did 4 photo shoots with the last 30 days. 3 of them were in the last week. I decided I might as well show my favorites from all of them as now that summer is coming around I’ve been able to start heading outside to take pictures.

The first of the 4 shoots, was a favor for a friend. She made/designed the Latin Dance groups dresses (she got a friend to help her make some of them).  So I took a pictures basically for her profile.

After that, I did another favor for a friend, this time it was taking a picture of her writing on another girls back. It turned out really cool. The model that she got I met that day and due to traffic my friend didn’t get there until after the other model got there. So the model and I took some pictures until my friend go there. This next picture is one that I took during that time.

This past Friday, a friend invited to me to go take pictures with her. We decided to go to the Arboretum. We walked around and ended up in one of the green houses. She let me borrow her macro lens. I was happy I was able to get some some water droplet photos.

Forth and file photo shoot was a fun. I made a new friend, Michelle, she put on her Yukata and Obi and we went to Pullen Park. We found this really cool bamboo section that we cused to great some nice Japanese style scenary to fit with the apparel. Oddly enough when we were leaving the area we ran into a worker at Pullen. Really nice guy, he apparently used to go hang out over by the Design school so we had a nice chat about that and finding peace in Raleigh. In the end I was glad we had a talk with him, because it just goes to show you never know what kind of conversation you can have with strangers.

That’s all the new pictures for now. I’ll probably upload some of my renders that I”m finishing up tonight and in the morning. I will also be going to the Carolina Hurricane game on Wednesday night to shoot for the Independent Weekly, so I’ll probably post a picture from that.

So what I have been working on for the past few weeks. Now I can go ahead and say that I know my designs/layout are the best. It’s something I’m working on, but I posted 2 things about my design before so I think I might as well do an update with what the final poster(s) looked like.

The first 2 posters are from my Ideation class. We were asked to reverse design a product. My product was the Philips Norelco G480 Beard trimmer. The main person was to look at a layout for a finished product.

Now Starts my Studio Projects. As they go through the projects and posters get less and less together/well designed. Now I loved each of my 3 projects this year. Just my last 2 need a little bit more developing, and by all means, these 3 projects aren’t done by my book and I will finish them. Like I’m going to actually create my chair (the first project) this summer, an d hopefully build my flashlight (last project) and I might 3-D print my watch (2nd project).
I, however, feel like I must give some sort of introduction for the 3 projects:
-Muji: This was a branding project were we were giving the brand Muji and were asked to design something that will fit/feel Muji. I decided to do a chair that dual performed as a chair, I have renders in previous posts.
-Environmental Awareness Project: We were giving a choice between personal medical discrete product, green fueling station, or identification object. I chose the ID and decided to design a watch that would use a chip to display and send your personal information, like at the airport or w/e. This would be to help create less of a need for a wallet. I think my problem with this one is I spent too much time on the vessel (The watch) and not enough time on personal use/the object itself. I still think it’s a cool watch though. The 3 pages show ideation, product, and then views.

-Elements: Our 3rd and final project was to take the element that we pulled from a hat (fire, water, air, earth) and create something that would be based or drawn from that. I designed a multipurpose light. Unfortunately I didn’t get to finish modeling it before critique so I will be finishing up that model with in the next few weeks.

Ok so first, I would like to say I’m sorry I’m behind on a regular post. I’ve been hoping to post stuff from a fashion show I went to last week and a photoshoot but has kept getting distracted. However this is about stuff I’ve found on the web lately.

Today I was on thephotoforum.com, it’s not the best forum for photography but I enjoy it and like to go on there every once and awhile. Now I go on there today and start poking around, seeing what people have newly posted and I stumble across this older but still be updated post. It’s about selective color. It was an assignments thread, and it was for this ongoing thread on selective photography. There were only 6 pages, so I quickly went through them. Much to my discovery, people DO NOT really know how to do selective color. Not really the process but the point. People would just bring back color in anything, like a portion of the skin in 1 spot on the arm. People don’t realize that selective color is meant to pop a subject out of a gray background, or at least that is what it does. The meaning behind what is colored can vary upon photography. Let this be said, I completely understand that this is very subjective; however, I feel that people are just doing it to do it which upsets me. I guess my lesson for anyone who enjoys selective photography, make sure there is a meaning behind what color (or color area) you choose and don’t try and make everything selective color. It’s a cool technique but an overdone one at that!

These are 2 selective colors that I’ve enjoyed from ThePhotoForum:

 

A few days ago, I was using the Stumble Upon add-on for Firefox (which I love) and I came across this website. Now I want to commend Jake Garn, he made his post very eye catching, and it seemed interesting. And it is! I do recommend anyone to read it. Now what got me was the Lazy Rule of thirds, mainly because I have been hearing about rule of thirds since I started doing photography and looking a more graphical world. This guy is now saying that this is lazy. I do want to critique that what he was using.  If you go to the website the first image, of the Golden mean in relation to the “Rule of Thirds”. I put that in quotes because last I checked that isn’t really the rule of thirds. that’s breaking a plan into 3 (not 9) equal parts. I can concede that the horizontal lines were not necessary for his post but he looks kind of stupid no even pointing that out, to me at least.
After reading through it though, I do agree that the golden mean (Fibonacci’s Curve) would better composition technique.  Mainly because it covers the flow of an image, and not just on a direction of an image, like the subject looking in or out of the frame and it seems more interesting than having a person directly in the center.
So Jake Garn I don’t like part of argument but not a bad idea (I know it’s not yours but yours is the first I’ve seen on it).