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The big tree in the back lot of my apartment complex grows a massive mushroom on it about this time every year. It probably doesn't bode well for the tree, but it makes a fun platform on which to put tiny plastic cats which were originally cupcake decorations.
Also, shooting something this small makes me wish I had been using an autofocus lens. A 50mm autofocus is definitely on my "buy before the year is out" list. That, and at least one more flash.
I realized quite late in the day that I needed to post up a photo for today, and the shots from the boudoir set I did on Wednesday (my first paying gig!) aren't ready yet, nor have I screened them with the client. So, as it turned out, Kathleen and I headed out to a nearby playground that we like to take walks through (and play on), but we had only about 20 minutes to get a shot off before a thunderstorm blew in. The thunder storm failed to really come our way, but it was threatening, and I didn't feel like having my equipment out, or be surrounded by a metal play structure, while there was lightning in the sky. Call me nervous.
I've been big into building my own fancy light augmentation tools lately. I could be spending many hundreds of dollars on professional tools, or I could just put together stuff for free or nearly free. Such is the case with this photo.
There are these things called "beauty dishes", which, as you might imagine, are meant to make girls look radiant and beautiful, or rather more so than usual. They're mostly out of my price range, and most of them are built for studio lights anyway, not little flashes like mine. So, I built one out of a turkey pan. Presto, awesome light. Took about 5 minutes to make.
Of course it helps to have people like Cammila on hand to let you experiment with all your new photo equipment, but hey, at least the hardware is easy to come by.
I love Ypsilanti, and it seems that I love it more and more every time I spend some time around the Depot Town area. Kathleen and I spent much of the day there on Saturday (lunch at Sidetrack, a trip to Shadow Art Fair at the Corner, and some reading at the Ugly Mug), and while we were around Depot Town I noticed how beautiful these old buildings really are. I just had to get a few shots of her posing in front of them.
I think I'll definitely be using these areas as backdrops for photo shoots in the future, so keep your eyes pealed.
This is a tribute to my water bottle. If you've ever seen me anywhere, then you've probably seen me with this water bottle. It's been dented, scuffed, inadvertantly slammed into the ground, it's become a projectile in my car during hard stops, and it's been left behind more than once.
But mostly, it's been loved.
The success the Tigers had in 2006 is fading into distant memory, but this year is looking pretty good. Therefore, during this All Star break, I'd like to pay a little tribute to the home team.
This is best viewed large and on a white background.
My buddy Christa got married last Friday to Ryan (not me, different Ryan, don't worry :P). These two have been together for years, and I've seen them go through fantastic times and rougher times (mostly from Christa's perspective, as I've only hung out with Ryan a hand full of times), and I know that this marriage will work out. I'm exceedingly happy for both of them :)
The second shot here was my favorite of the night, actually. Kesha, a bridesmaid and one of Christa's closest friends, caught the bouquet, much to her chagrin. I love the expressions both of these women are giving, and I love that you can get the "Yeah, this is real great, thanks" sarcastic tone from Kesha, even though she's definitely out of focus.
Ryan Hyde's photos are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
