point and shoot: the sun is bright in my eyes

ok, start playing the billionaires song....... now.  the billionaires - the end of summer song

this entry is an ode to a summer of new friends, the beauty that is romance and a camera that has provided me way too many hours of entertainment.  those pictured in this entry, i apologize, the pictures were too great to be left unshared

contrast 

may it be the simple differences between colors or hours on photoshop playing with curves, it is fun when the natural contrast occurs.  With that said, none of these pictures have been altered in any way (some of the pros out there may say, "well obviously" in response to the quality but hey, I like 'em).  the first picture can be completely be credited to the timing of the picture.  early slalom runs  at 6 am with a camp director and an entry level zoom lens.  the spray of the slalom in conjunction with the low angle of the sun really made this magical.

the next picture is not a stressed out employee at the camp impaling himself, rather an extremely zealous boat driver that somehow was holding himself up on the mop.  oh adam... anyways, really liked the frame of the barn and the reflection of the frame on the freshly mopped concrete.  a solid, random friggin pic.   

vantage point 

tilting and changing the level of your camera to get that "artistic" shot is and isn't as complicated as it sounds.  i'm still not sure what separates good from great pictures without outside editing but these past 2 months have taught me about vastness. if you

are able to make something look never-ending or illustrate how normally substantial items can be dwarfed in comparison to greater objects, then it is well used.  i think in both of these pictures, the wide angle zoom (less than 20mm) create both of the types of vastness.  both pictures have sentimental values but they also utilize angles and some contrast to create unique pictures. kudos to the guest photographer of

portraits

definitely my favorite type of pictures.  so much expression, focus really comes into play, and they really capture memories.  let us begin.

a simple focus adjustment takes mo into a tarantino or spaghetti western (though a little softer with the  plastic gun, but hardcore none the less).  the playfulness of the water gun while still having the one eye squinting and completely blue background really makes for a fun picture.  just to let you know mo, we will always support this. 

the lake norman's island was not only a kayak destination, but also a place of relaxation for all the staff.  here i really like the genuine smile from dj and the feeling of comfort that the island brought us (and yes the kids, too).  the lighting could be better as the contrast around the left side is not as strong but it still is a fun and candid picture.

next, we have mister cannon.  yes nick cannon, everyone (a little on the kosher side these days but still wild'n out). moving on from the inside jokes, the random face extracted from a "hey nick!" captured his personality in a white framed nutshell.  needless to say the plastic, $5, reflective sunglasses really do help add to the personality. as another camp picture, the camper in the background (is that kous kous?) helps support the spontaneity of nick and the randomness of the summer.  i feel the need to get a pair of the random colored sunglasses.  cheers mister cannon. 

finally we have one of my favorite pictures of the summer.  it was not staged. it was on the fourth of july. it was for all intents and purposes, an accident but it was awesome.  may it be the memories associated with it, the beauty of the subject or the sheer randomness its a fun picture with infinite explanations for why she's making that face.  guesses for why she's surprised/scared/whatever add it to the comments.  i am actually struggling to remember why she made that face. oh well. thanks sonia, minh, and red wine for a great photo.

here's to a great summer. share some memories with us.  please join us for one more summer. the sun is bright, the sun is bright in my eyes.  its only as bright as the colors it shows.