Pic of the Week

I love lotus. They are beautiful and have such perfect symbolism. I love this particular photo because, even though I took it, when I look at it... I can't tell if it's a photo or a painting...

Pic of the Week - June 29, 2010

So, it seems I've developed a bit of an obsession with feet recently. I've been taking lots of photos of feet, perhaps because I haven't seen my own in a couple of months. But I also haven't seen much of my waist, knee caps or dignity... so perhaps there's some other reason?

Yes, feet are incredibly expressive! The above feet are pruny little 4 year old feet, contemplating whether or not to get back in the cold pool for the rest of swim class. (they opted not too)

Check out the below pic. What does it say to you?



It said to me "nervous bride". Which was exactly what she was, and I just loved how her feet spoke her nervousness so poignantly.

And of course, who can resist teeny tiny feet.



These just say "bite me"... but like, in a good way. So cute. Some of my favorite photos out of baby portrait sessions involve teeny tiny feet.

So, there you have it. A little taste of my photography foot fetish. Hey, atleast I didn't post any pics of my own feet. You're welcome.

Photography 101 - How to Take a Great Self Portrait

Whether it be for Facebook, work, etc., seems we all need a good photo of ourselves at some point and there's not always someone around when we need them. So, here are some tips for taking a great self portrait, on your own, with your simple digital point and shoot camera.

Rule #1 - TURN OFF THE FLASH!I am not a fan of flash at all, for any photos really. And this is especially the case when you're taking a photo of yourself at close range. The flash will WAY over expose you, make you shiny, wonk up the coloring, etc., so just turn it off. If you don't know how to turn off the flash on your particular camera, Google it. Then, find yourself a nice window to sit in front of. Window lighting is by far the best lighting for portraits, which is why so many pro's use it for their photos. So, plop yourself down in front of a window with your flash disabled.

Rule #2 - Use Portrait ModeNowadays, many even basic model digital cameras have a "Portrait" mode to shoot in. This mode is normally shown as a picture of someone's profile. Don't have one? Do you have a picture of a flower? This is known as "macro" mode, and this would work as well. Both of these modes create a shallow depth of field, meaning that (if focused properly), the main subject is in sharp focus (that would be you) and then the background is blurred.

Rule #3 - Position Your CameraHold your camera as far away from you as possible and position the camera above you so that you have to look up slightly (but don't tilt your whole head, just lift your eyes so that they are looking into the lens). About 45 degrees and slightly off to the right or left, depending on which hand you're using to hold your camera.

Rule #4 - Shoot, Review, then ReshootSo, take that first shot. Then look at it. Notice what might not be working. Is it angled too high? Are you centered in the photo? Are you the largest part of the photo? (if not, you should be... zoom) Does your hand or camera block the natural lighting you're using leaving dark shadows on your face? Are your eyes in sharp focus? Take note of what works and what doesn't and then change your position, reshoot and review.

Do this until you find one you like. This process is made much easier with auto focus, so make sure you're using that if your camera has it. But it's not absolutely necessary... the below shot was taken with manual focus, it just took a bit more trial and error to get the focus right.



Have you noticed something about these photos? Yup... black and white. Most digi cameras have a black and white mode (and or you can modify them to be black and white once they're uploaded to your computer). Again, don't know how to do that for your camera model? Then Google it. I personally prefer black and white for portraits. So give it a whirl and see what you think.

Most of all, have fun, smile, try different expressions. Play. Photography is supposed to be fun, and it's only when your having fun that you'll like the results.



And last but not least, can't get a good photo? Live on Maui? Call me.

If you want a professional shot, hire a professional. I'm running half price specials on portrait shoots for a limited time.

Go to www.TrishBarkerPhotography.com and contact us to set up a photo shoot today!

Pic of the Week - 6/8/10

I soooo love this picture. Kids get so excited about their birthdays. I feel many things when that fateful day rolls around, but excitement tends not to be one of them. Such a shame how as we "grow up", we lose our sense of excitement.

So, this year I'm going to embrace my birthday, and I'm going to be happy and stoked that I'm turning another year older, bringing me (hopefully) more wisdom and more wonderful experiences with my friends and family.

Kids... such brilliant little sages. So glad I've got mine in my life!

Pic of the Week - May 31, 2010

We'll call this the Good Karma Chameleon. Because today, several good things happened (and I'd like to believe it's a result of Good Karma), and then this little beauty appeared in our garden. I've been wanting to take photos of a Chameleon for months now and haven't been able to find one.

So we'll just ignore the fact that I was sitting in the middle of a spiders nest while snapping photos of this lovely creature and that I was COVERED in baby spiders by the time I was done snapping and realized. It's amazing how fast an 8 month pregnant woman can move when the need calls...

Pic of the Week - May 25, 2010

So this weeks pic of the week is a flower, whose name escapes me. If anyone can remind me what these are called, I'd greatly appreciate it. This is another "side of the road" pitstop, which seems to be causing much distress to the locals.

I hope I never stop acting like a tourist. I almost always have my camera on, I randomly pull to the side of the road without warning and wave at the pissed off locals as they pass me by. I can see them mouthing "f-ing tourist", which I can understand, because my behavior is very tourist-esque, and I've got a serious lack-of-tan going on at the moment.

But I did not move to Maui so that I could become engrained in road rage and take my environment for granted. I came to Maui, because its ridiculously beautiful and the perfect place to raise my family. So to you locals, who seem to have lost your way a bit, take some advice from the pasty white psuedo tourist and instead of flicking me off, appreciate that I still look around and say "Damn I'm lucky to live here".

Pic of the Week - May 13, 2010

This weeks pic is from my marvelous drive home. Each day, I can choose to take the lower highway, or the upper highway. I tend to take whichever has the green light when I'm there, but from April to the end of May, whether the light is red or green, I opt for the upper highway. This is because the Jacarandas, my favorite trees that I first saw in South Africa 11 years ago, are in full bloom. They literally litter this road. Every turn is bursting with more purple.

Proof, that it definitely pays to "take the high road" every now and then...