In the Park (and my front yard...)

So I wanted to show you some of my more recent photos... I took these in the park and in my yard yesterday morning. Click on any photo to see it up closer!

Hope you enjoyed these! Which one's your favorite?

Southwestern Coffee House Shoot

Contrasting Colors

So, this week in photography class we had to take photos of anything we wanted, but we had to have three shots: (1) a shot demonstrating contrasting colors, (2) a shot in Black and White, and (3) a shot demonstrating supporting elements.
I've been wanting to photograph coffee for a while now. I am pretty happy with how these turned out.


For my first shot, I wanted to take a photo of the yellow coffee cup against the navy blue background (orange and blue are contrasting colors, so yellow and blue creates a very pleasing combination). The thing was, I wanted the coffee cup steaming and hot so it would look inviting. Now, anyone who has tried to photograph steam will know that it is EXTREMELY difficult to work with! After looking up what to do online, I grabbed my lamp and set to work. I got a washcloth really wet, and then put in in the microwave until it was HOT. Then I stuck it behind the coffee cup so it looked like the coffee was steaming. Only one thing to go-- the lighting. Steam has to be backlit, so I had to take the shade off my lamp and put it behind the  blanket so it was illuminating the steam but not glaring on the cup or blanket. This shot was a CHALLENGE. But I think it was well worth it. :) And I know how to work with steam now.

B&W Photo

My next photo had to be in B&W. This is not the best photo I have ever taken, but it was really hard because I couldn't get the right lighting on it. B&W photos have to have really dramatic lighting to be effective, and a lamp just isn't going to create the contrast needed for a shot like this. That said, I do like the composition and elements.

Supporting Elements

And, last but certainly not least--- MY FAVORITE! There's something about this photo that's very inviting and warm. It makes me want to sit down and sip a cup of coffee... :)

Thanks for looking! I'd love to know which one was your favorite! :)