External Flash - Targus brand

It has been awhile since I have written one of these things but I figured now would be a good time to do so. After planning my own wedding and trying to find a photographer (which I found!! Woohoo! Traci Burke from Traci Burke Photography! Love her! ) and taking pictures for a Friend's daughter's 1 year birthday party; I realized I have been missing something with my portraits and that is some other type of light source besides my pop up flash on my Rebel Xti DSLR Camera especially when taking them outside of a studio setting at certain times of the day when natural light just doesn't work out for you.

So, I started to do some research on either getting a diffuser, reflector, or ring light for my camera. As I am sure other photographers find, half of the time when I need a flash in darker rooms and areas I don't need the direct light or flash as it tends to wash out the subject matter.

The other day, my soon to be husband and I were running errands and I told him about what I was searching for he told me about this External Flash at Target called Targus Electronic Flash. I went ahead and bought it because it was a deal I could not pass up but before I opened to try it out I had to do some research on the brand and what others thought. 

Well, most of the reviews said it was just that, a cheap Flash. They continued to read on to not waste your money but I took that as a challenge and for the price I had to test it out for myself just to see what it was like. 

I must say I am impressed and glad I took the challenge! I actually like it! It actually turned out not so bad for a $50 flash. I wouldn't pay any more for it though. It does allow you to angle the flash so you can have either direct flash or move it to 3 or 4 different angles including facing the ceiling (which is what I was looking for to begin with). It also seems to work pretty well with my camera. Most reviews read the shoe did not fit with their camera and that it was too light and fell off. Well it has a lock mechanism, so, I jiggled it after locking it into place and it was as snug as if it came with the camera originally. I was also concerned that it would run down the battery of my camera. Which it turned out it does not, as a matter of fact it uses its own battery source (2 AAs to be exact). Yes, the speed of the flash can act up at times but I found it better than the speed of the pop up flash that came with the Rebel Xti originally when it acts up.

Also, after taking a few test shots of a cross hung in a darkened hallway. They turned out pretty well for the price of the Flash. Yes, after you upload you will still have to make a few adjustments in your photo editing software(s) but it is very little compared to the editing you have to do if you do not have an external Flash. 

The picture composition I have posted with this blog shows 3 of the angles I tried out with the flash and just tweaked them a little after uploading (each with the same amount of editing so you can see the difference.)
As stated before, each image was taken in a dark hallway with only the light of this external flash. Number 1 is the power of the direct flash from the Targus external flash which you can see washes out the cross. Mind you, to take all three of these I was about 4-5 feet away from the subject matter. Number 2 was taken with the flash facing the ceiling which filled the hallway with enough light to see the cross but still too dark and muddy for my liking without editing it some more. Where as, Number 3 (which is the one I was going for from the three of them) was taken with the flash at a 75 - 60 degree angle and gave it more of a happy medium.

In all, after this tiny test shoot I am pretty impressed for the price and what it has to offer. I will eventually get a Speedlite external flash but I find the Targus is a good starter External Flash. :)

Now all I need is someone willing to be my muse to test this out for portraits! If you made it to the end of this blog and are looking for some portraits either for your portfolio or some nice family portraits for your mantle and are willing to try out my skills ;) Don't be afraid and contact me via email at CreateNovate@gmail.com! I'd love to get together and take your portrait!

Scott Kelby's 2nd Annual World Wide Photowalk 2009 & Playing with my images

On July 18Th,2009, I and many others around the world became participants of an international Photo walk. Where groups of photographers walked their local streets to shoot together, have fun, and learn new things from one another. You can discover more information about the walk at this site.

I was lucky enough to be a member and participant for the Walk in Delray Beach, FL. In our group we had about 23 that participated that day. Which after the first initial group meet up we broke off into smaller groups to walk the streets down Atlantic Ave. This was such a great experience and I was so proud of myself for even attending such an event. I got to meet some really nice people along the way. As well as, capturing some really great images in the end.

Even though the temperatures were blistering hot(Record Highs), I still enjoyed myself during and after the walk. When I came home and began to edit and revise my shots I realised just how hard the last portion of the walk was going to be.

You see not only was this an international photo walk but they were giving away prizes to the photographers with the images voted the best of the best. We had to pick two at most for the walk to enter into the competition by July 25Th, 2009. The first choice was easy but the second not so much. The first one was only easy because it was a winner from when it was first entered into my view finder, into the Camera's Compact Flash, presented onto the LCD screen, and later exposing itself onto my computer screen in black and white. It was an instant winner and my number one pick for the day based on SOOC (Straight out of Camera) shots. As for the second choice... I'm still not sure, as after I came home to edit and revise I found the more and more I did the harder it was getting for me to choose the right one. I've got it narrowed down to about 4 but from there its getting harder. They are all unique in their own right. So, it's getting down to being really nit picky about which one would be better for the competition in general. And that answer my friends, will have to be further discussed later when I can no longer upload. As I am still in decisive mode.

On a side note, I wanted to discuss an image on here that I did play with but will not be entered into the competition because I feel that the editing was tremendous. But tremendous and well worth the effort of displaying just not the right kind for the contest at hand. I put a lot of work into this one. The original image to me would have been one that was a throw away or mess with later as the focal range wasn't up to par and the composition though it had some interests it wasn't really what I was looking for.

So, by using PSP editing software I went in and played with the different layers trying to displace the in focus grass background which I felt did not belong there. And after playing with it and a mural image(I shot the same day), for hours, added in some coloring and Viola!
The first image is what I came up with after all that work. Which is what I was looking for in the first place. Something mystical and Fantasizing hypnotically. Something that resembled under the water as the mermaid was guarding her shells.

For some strange reason I seemed to be in fantasy land that day as most of my images I came up with have that mystical, fantasy land type feel to them. Has anyone else ever discovered this? That some days you come home to edit your images and find you subconsciously had some sort of theme going on in your head? Or that you come home disappointed that a shot you took didn't turn out as planned or after editing it came out so much better than the original in the first place? I surely have.

If you are curious and would like to see more of what I came up with that day you may have a go at this link.

In all, this experience was one I'll never forget and will definitely do again. :) As I completely enjoyed myself!

Personality Traits - Graphology - The study of the handwritten language

Can you read between the lines,
of what I place upon this paper
with this ball point pen?

As I have come forth with the knowledge,
of what there is to come next.

If you can read between the lines
of what I've placed upon this paper,
with this ball point pen,

Than you too; carry the knowledge of
what there is to come next.

-Kimberly

"Personality Traits"

Thank you Ana
for the inspiration! :D

Graphology by definition is the study of handwriting; Especially as a hidden clue to a person's character, personality, abilities, etc.

It involves studying everything but the words themselves placed on a piece of paper.
How the T's are crossed, I's are dotted, space in between each lettering, the gaps, the curves of each letter placed. It all tells your secrets, personality, and character of who you are as an individual.

Psychology is such an interesting subject. This piece, poem and image, was created after getting inspired by Ana. One of my contacts on Flickr. This piece is to express and be set as a portrait of sorts. Come solve my mystery and try to become your own graphologist and analyze me. :)

What does my writing say about me as a person. Do you believe it to be true?

Go ahead, Analyze yourself. Do you believe it to tell the truth about your personality?

Amazing what your hidden language can tell about yourself isn't it. ;)


Copyright © Kimberly Trundle (CreateNovate/Kimmy0883)

Tied Died Teddy

Tied Died Teddy.
Died Tied Teddy.
Teddy Died Tired.
Teddy Dried Tired.
Teddy Tired and Dried.

Poor Dreadful Tied Died Teddy.

- Kimberly Trundle

To view more of my work; Visit me on Flickr, Etsy, and Facebook. Links below. (Just copy and paste)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlytrundle/

http://www.createNovate.etsy.com

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Kimberly-Trundle-Kimberlys-Creative-Innovative-PhotographycreateNovate/93272590282

Copyright © Kimberly Trundle (CreateNovate)

Photogram study continued

Well I believe I have discovered and accomplished what I was looking for folks. After the study last time, I pulled out my old scanner and decided to do some experiments with it and try to get as close as I could to a photogram using digital equipment and softwares.

After much delay, I came about something that I find more intriguing about scanners verses making a photogram in the darkroom. In the darkroom you tend to get the shape and/or outline of an object on a black background which is hard to do with just a scanner. But I cracked the code and found out a way to come close to a photogram in a dark room but also achieving more details in the process, from a scanner versus a darkroom photogram.

I wasn't just trying to go after a close to traditional photogram that I could acheive in the darkroom. There was a method I used back in college that I wanted to explore some more. That process was taking a photogram and exposing an image on top to form a whole new realm and world. Making things pop.
I knew there had to be a way to approach such an image in digital format and there is! :)

I won't be going into much detail as to how I approached this image but you do need to know how to use a scanner, shadow box, and post processing softwares to create such an image and to be all around creative.

After the first image (up top) was produced on my scanner using a "shadow box" technique. I went into PSP9 software and played with layers and paint to place the other image on top. This is what came about.



I definitely acheived what I was going after and much more.

Digital Photogram - Study

Ok so today while working on my latest project I came up with this wild idea. Since most of my education and experience is in black and white darkroom development; I wondered if anyone ever tried or came close to trying to make photograms using digital equipment.

When I googled "Digital photograms" the first name to pop up was Harold Davis. Although his work is astounding and remarkable it wasn't exactly what I was going for. However, it did give me some insight as to what route to take when attempting my style and technique of approaching a classical photogram in a darkroom with a twist using digital softwares and equipments to acheive it.

This image is just one study that I came up with from a scanned image I already had available that I digitally transformed before hand just to try the technique out. So far I like what I started with. So, there shall be more studies to come.

More of an explaination of how I came about such a technique will be discussed in further blogs.

This is more like a sample and a "sketch in a sketch book", if you may, to remind me to do a further study.



Copyright © Kimberly Trundle (CreateNovate)

Etsy and Become my #1 fan on facebook :D

Ok I really need to get on myself and write on this thing. It's just so hard when you are busy creating and have nine million over websites and affiliations to attend to but I'll try my best to keep up on my blog here.

Anywho, I am writing this blog to let others know that may not know and happen to stop in on my blog that I am officially a part of the Etsy community. Please come by and check me out at createNovate.etsy.com and perhaps invest in a one of a kind piece made by me.

I also wanted to inform you that if you are on facebook to come look me up. I have a fan page for those that are interested in keeping in touch and being informed about all the things going on such as any special events, shows, shoots, etc. that come up. It's a place you can definitely go to find out what I've been up to.

http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?compose&id=93272590282#/pages/Kimberly-Trundle-Kimberlys-Creative-Innovative-PhotographycreateNovate/93272590282?ref=nf

And how to keep in contact. If all else fails you can always email me at trundle_kim@hotmail.com or check me out on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlytrundle/

Off to creating. :D