MatthewSaville's Xanga

Received laceration and puncture wounds...

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:51:04 GMT

Okay that sounded pretty serious. But when I tell you that I was attacked by a domestic cat, you may laugh and think I'm a sissy. Understandably, of course, until you see the pictures and then google "cat puncture bites"...

Apparently, cat bites, especially deep puncture wounds, are a very serious thing, and 80% of them result in severe, even dangerous infections. (Staph, Pasteurella, whatever that is...) So after spending a day doing nothing about it and then being informed of the severity by Rachel and her knowledgeable mother, I went in to an urgent care center this morning and got on some anti-biotics. I should be okay, but using my left arm / hand is pretty painful. And I have three separate events to shoot this week spread over four days, mostly all-day affairs. This is going to be interesting, please pray for me...

The first photo was taken just a few minutes after I was bit, and the second photo was taken last night before bed. You can see a faint red line underneath the actual red scratches; that's the infection traveling up my nerve towards my brain. Luckily the line never got further than my bicep before it subsided. This morning however the swollen red area was about twice as big as it was last night. But I was too busy calling back and forth between local walk-ins and my insurance provider to see where I could go and not pay an arm and a... haha no pun intended...

Even though I have my Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens back from Sigma service in New York, I'll spare you from any SUPER-close-up shots of the particular spot of concern. Suffice it to say that I'll have quite a scar.

Anyway, the short story is that a local cat (who is slightly mental) likes to come around our house and hang out in OUR cat's territory. He appears extremely friendly and he will come right up to our back porch screen door and look in, or lay around right in front of the door. But he is extremely hostile if approached, let alone touched. He was being stubborn and blocking out OUR aging, gentle cat, so I tried to shoo him away. It didn't go very well, obviously. Needless to say I now have a super-soaker with which to do any future shooing from a safe distance. Or optimally, I'll talk to the neighbor and they'll take him indoors again.

Take care,
=Matt=

Photo Workshop with ShutterbugTim...

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:46:08 GMT

Had a great time on Saturday attending Tim's Photography 101 workshop for DSLR users. Tim is a great guy with an incredible knack for both explaining things in simple terms and inspiring others to pursue something. (Did I mention he's a pastor?)

Let's play what's wrong, what's right, and what did I LEARN at the workshop?

Alright, so, here's what I notice about this picture that I've learned to do "right"...

~ Timing the shot to capture a fun (but hopefully not embarrasing) expression...

~ Framing the subject, or main point of focus, a little off -center, loosely following the rule of thirds...

~ Using line and movement to enhance the "action" in a still image...

~ Tilting the camera a little to play around with those lines and see how they affect the way one views the image...

~ Maintaining a shutter speed (the denominator number, but most cameras don't list shutter speeds as 1/60th, they just say "60") ...that is better than your focal length number, or focal length equivalent. (I shot at about 70mm, which is about equal to 100mm, so my shutter speed was about one 125th sec.; this barely gave me a sharp image cause I was a little hopped up on donuts lol... Usually in low-light situations up to 150mm I try and shoot at 250th sec...)

~ Using spot metering to make sure a subject (face) is properly exposed while completely disregarding the rest of the frame... (In this case, I'm letting the background blow out on purpose, and later this week for example, I'm going to use spot metering in a theater to properly expose actor's faces and let the background go to BLACK...)

~ Switching out of "auto white balance" and finding the proper custom white balance for increased control over the final image. (I often like to err on the warm side of things when photographing people, because warmth well, adds warmth? Haha...)

And, here's what, after attending the workshop, I am reminded to AVOID doing next time:

~ Avoid intersecting any part of people's heads with anything in the background. This is my number one pet-peeve about MY OWN imagery, actually. And I'm still working on it!

~ Blur the background as much as possible to enhance a sense of clarity in the subject- I wish I had an 85mm f/1.8 lens for this shot, it would have made quite a difference...

~ Don't ALWAYS tilt your camera just because you think it's artistic. This image would have worked perfectly fine, and maybe even looked better, if it were level.

Alright that's all I have time for at the moment, I gotta run! Sorry I haven't blogged in so long, and I'm sorry I haven't been able to schedule any photo get-togethers! I'm really dying to start HELPING other photographers, especially if there are some out there who are interested in the more hobby-ish things I'm interested, like landscape photography, nighttime photography, etc. etc. But alas, each month just keep filling WAY up with new work! I'm shooting children's theater three days this week and then a wedding this weekend. I'd better go buy some more memory cards!!!

Take care,
=Matt=

My Love...

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:02:52 GMT

"And I Love Her" - The Beatles

I love f/1.4 and grainy bokeh too, what can I say... And nope, no "FF" required, thank you very much, f/1.4 is all I need...

Take care,
=Matt=

[EDIT] Joy is back from Europe safe and sound, by the way. I might have forgotten to mention that. And I am elated to see her. Actually I'm heading out right now to spend the afternoon with he, before I work the next four days solid! Yep, when you're a photographer, there is no such thing as a weekend. You just grab free time wherever you can find it...

Speaking of BEING ALIVE, please do check out my friend Dan's Xanga. He was in a near-fatal car accident a couple weeks ago and he really could use some help. And he's got a mountain of medical and other bills to pay now, I think.

Summer Is Here...

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:37:17 GMT

Hello, blog. Sorry I have neglected you. I have been having too much fun living my REAL life. (And I've been runnig around like a beheaded chicken, getting ready for weddings this summer...)

As you may remember, I have said before that when I hang out with friends, my camera gets passed around and I lose track of who takes which photo...

Photo taken by Rachel, processing by myself.

Photo taken by Stephen, processing in BR CS3 by myself.

Photo taken by myself.

I can't promise that I'll have much time to blog this summer. I plan on enjoying my REAL life some more. And, I hope everyone ELSE does this, too. Go out, have fun, goof off, BE ALIVE.

Take care,
=Matt=

Pleasant Engagement Session Yesterday...

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:08:24 GMT

There's nothing like a lazy footpath in springtime and some late-afternoon backlighting. Throw in a fun, good-looking couple, and the pictures practically capture themselves...

Okay, the photos sure didn't EDIT themselves, though! I shot in RAW for both of these shots, processed them in Bridge CS3 using presets and a couple extra tweaks, then I used a couple PS Actions to burn, dodge etc. and add a little pop to the contrast here and there. Lately I've had the genius idea to "paint in contrast" like a brush, so that's exactly what I've been doing. Oh and of course on the second image here I used a texture and some actions designed for that as well. And my "blog action" that lets me put a frame, logo and image data on a webward-bound copy of each image.

As you can tell, I'm a little bit of a "perfect workflow" junkie!

Since that photoshop gibberish was geeky enough, CAMERA TALK will momentarily have the update on how almost ALL my gear is in for service. Do click on down and sympathize with me!

Take care, and have a great summer! Oh and speaking of summer! I believe I've managed to finalize some dates for night time photography workshops. THIS SATURDAY (June 7th) I may be doing a warm up run at a local lake or down at the beach, weather permitting, please do stay tuned in case you're local and interested! I DO BELIEVE the moon will be rising exactly at sunset, which is always a special treat...

=Matt=

Been Downhilling Lately...

Sat, 31 May 2008 15:59:22 GMT

What the heck is downhilling, you wonder? Allow me to show you why I used to be called "icrashonmyface" and have now been dubbed "gravity" by my new riding buddies.

Yeah, we like STEEP trails. And yes, I have since found, and begun to wear, my helmet. I'm off to ride "the chute" in Santiago Oaks today.

Take care,
=Matt=

Jumping For Joy...

Sun, 25 May 2008 19:58:37 GMT

NO processing other than boosting the contrast and clarity etc. a little bit. (Meaning, the color is out-of-camera...) See, I told you I was getting close to the perfect sepia with my D300! In fact, I may prefer these colors to the ones in my previous post, the sepia that was done in Bridge CS3... (I shot that headshot in RAW so I lost my in-camera processing for it. But I switched to JPG for this image, cause by then I had gotten the B&W / sepia pretty dialed...)

I used the orange color filter to take this this image, which helped darken greener tones and brighten warmer skin tones... I'm not sure which works better for human skin, the yellow, orange or red filter. (And it depends on the skin color too, I bet... But one thing's for sure, this is way better than the flat boring-ness that used to come out of digital cameras 5 years ago!

Take care all,
=Matt=

SUPER-Last Minute Photo Shoot in Laguna Niguel...

Fri, 23 May 2008 21:52:16 GMT

Talk about spur of the moment. At about noon-thirty today, a couple friends called me up and said hey, what're you doing at 2 PM? I was flexible, so I headed on down to Laguna Niguel and shot a few photos with a model "friend of a friend". Had a blast!

So yeah, that's what I do on days when thunder and lightning is predicted. A model shoot. It was awesome though! Thanks Janet, Jackie, Stephen and Tien for being so cool...

(Shot in RAW to assure the best highlight tonality in the clouds...)

I think I have finally perfected my SEPIA BRIDGE / LIGHTROOM PRESET! This 2nd image is about 5 seconds and 2-3 clicks away from the ORIGINAL... Oh, and I'm VERY close to getting this sepia IN-CAMERA, too! Very close. I just love the ridiculous amount of in-camera versatility that the D3 / D300 afford. Seven contrast levels, three brightness levels, five filter options, and TEN toning options with seven levels of saturation each. Yeah, its like in-camera photoshop...

Take care,
=Matt=

OC Fair Photography Competition

Wed, 21 May 2008 17:01:17 GMT

I know you're probably offended that I didn't consult you all first before entering images into this summer's OC fair photography competition. A part of me does want to have some friends "screen" my own judgment, and help me pick my "best" photos. I know all too well that my own taste is kinda quirky and definitely not mainstream, so having someone "keep me in check" and stop me from entering a weird abstract or boring photo might increase my chances of winning quite a bit. I've gotten funny looks for being VERY proud of photos as "boring" as THIS and THIS, even. I still AM very proud of those photos.

So another part of me just wants to pick the photos that mean the most to ME, because that is really the BOTTOM line when it comes to art. I don't want to cater to anyone, or submit a photo just because I (or we) think it has the "best chance" of winning. I would feel like I was selling out...

So, I just looked through my crop of recent photos, and picked the three that pulled at my own heart strings the most. We'll see what happens! Wish me luck! I have NOT had much luck with contests in the past, actually, so I'm not expecting much this time. Judges pick whichever photos THEY like, and judges always seem to have taste that isn't along my lines.

And no, sadly I was not able to re-create the vertical tidepool panorama. The tides / moon / weather just did not come together at any particular point recently. But I will continue to wait patiently for the right conditions! Anywho, here are my three entries:

(I did also consider the COLOR VERSION instead of this one. But I like this one more...)

(I did also consider THIS photo instead. But I just LIKE bees, cliche as they are... I also like back-lighting!)

(I also considered THIS photo of the moonrise over half-dome, but this one just touches me more. The B&W is so Ansel-cliche...)

So, there you have it, my weird, quirky taste. These are my absolute favorite photos from the past few months, the ones I am most proud of. I hope some like them as much as I do, but everyone is entitled to an opinion. If any of the photos are exhibited in the fair, I'll be sure to blog again, and if you're local I'd love to hang out at the fair some time! I got a bunch of free fair tickets for entering! (You have to pay to enter...)

By the way, if YOU want to enter, you CAN, they just extended the online submission deadline to June 1st! Click HERE...

Take care! Now, I'm off to go pick up Joy from LAX.
=Matt=

PS: Hey, local photographers! Stay tuned for an announcement concerning this summer's potential "night time photography" workshop! I'm going to have multiple dates, for multiple kinds of shooting situations, such as full moon, new moon, etc...

Texture Tuesday #7 And some bad news...

Wed, 21 May 2008 02:47:43 GMT

Okay, NON-BAD NEWS: Joy comes home tomorrow. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright, now the bad news: My trusty, beloved Sigma 150mm macro lens is going in for service. I've owned it (and abused it) for something like 3 years now, and I don't think it's ever been in for service. So, I'm pretty surprised that it, especially being a third-party lens, has held up this long. It's one of the sharpest lenses I've ever used, wide open at f/2.8 it looks better than many lenses do at f/5.6 or f/8. Just a stunning lens.

Lately it has started to over-expose images when shooting at f/2.8, and maybe under-expose ALL images at f/4 and beyond. It does this on multiple camera bodies. It has also been looking quite soft at f/2.8. It still has loads of resolution and renders details very well, but there is a distinct falloff in contrast and clarity between f/4 and f/2.8. It just looks different than it used to.

Of course it is still as stellar as ever at f/8 and f/11 where I use it to capture texture images, but I really bought the lens to use it at f/2.8, not f/8. So I'm shipping it off to Sigma, and hoping that any repair estimate (if even possible) isn't too pricey.

(I darkened the image a little in BR CS3, to keep the red channel from clipping in the upper left...)
(...But in general there is a serious, bizarre difference in brightness when I go from f/4 to f/2.8...)

I dunno, something's just not right. To the un-trained eye, this image might look fine. But the bokeh has a strange dreamy-ness to it that wasn't there before... Not that I don't mind extra softness in my background, I just want to know that my lens is working perfectly. And I'm very confident that it is not. Oh well. The bottom line is that Texture Tuesday may be put on hold for a few weeks, depending on how soon I get my lens back. I may be able to come up with something using my other lenses, but ironically I'm actually going to also send in my Nikon 17-55 2.8 for focus check, since I have about a month free right now before my summer weddings begin. The only lens I'll have for the next few weeks will be my Sigma 50-150 f/2.8. This should be interesting!

Multiple exposure, made in-camera, not sure if I like it but it was bizarre at least...

TEXTURE OF THE WEEK

If you want to download the texture of the week, CLICK HERE. It's free!
Then, CLICK HERE to view my complete fine art texture portfolio, or click HERE for details + FAQ.

Take care,
=Matt=