Lighting, Camera, ACTIONS!

Lovers,

Many people ask me what my favorite part of photography is, and really, I don't have a favorite. I love all of it! I love setting up shoots. I love the planning - whether it is the hair, make-up, clothing, location, etc. I also love the part where you first see your images on the computer screen. The results. Another important part of photography is the editing. I love this part. This completes an image. I use Photoshop CS2 and Lightroom 2. I don't know what I'd do without these programs. These programs are just as necessary to the digital photographer as the darkroom is to a film photographer. What I do hate however, is when people try to use these programs to save bad photography. It is so important to figure out your camera. Read your manuals! Use the internet! The internet is full of so much easy information at hand to learn more about photography. I can always tell a new photography business - the images are always over-saturated, over-contrasted, and the highlights are way blown out. Don't fall into this trend! Once you master lighting and your camera settings, you can experience all the fun elements that photography offers: actions. Here is a list of websites with fantastic actions.

www.ittybittyactions.com
www.fallintoblue.com/actions/
www.gettotallyrad.com
www.wynonarobison.com/actions.html

All these websites, you will have to pay. In my eyes, it is totally worth it. It cuts down your editing time by half. For all those with a low budget - you can search www.deviantart.com through their actions for some freebies. Pay attention to the guidelines that each person sets - some people don't allow you to use their actions for commercial reasons. Respect each artist just as you want other people to respect your image copyrights on the web!

Blogs you should be following.

Hello again lovers.

This post is for all you young photographers, and young-at-heart photographers. I am just going to get straight to the point. Don't ever, ever, ever, ever, I mean everrrrr, let anyone tell you that you are too young. Some of my favorite photographers are almost 7 years younger than I, and I am only 23 . With photography, like any art, it isn't about your age or how much schooling you've had or what kind of equipment you have, it is about your passion and your artistic eye - you can't teach that. Don't let society make you feel like there is a certain checklist or criteria that you must follow. Discard those rules! Follow your passions.

“Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”

Hebbel

I started off as simply an admirer of photography. I would snoop around on DeviantArt.com and look at all kinds of art. This is an excellent site to browse and get inspiration or just as an artistic escape from reality. This is were I ran across Lara Jade. I fell in love with her work and have followed her ever since. I wanted to take photographs that good. I wanted to create that emotion in other people from a photograph that I've taken. I really wanted it.

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

Carl W. Buechner

Here are some blogs from photographers who have truly inspired me. Enjoy. Have any suggestions? Feel free to email me at beccayager@gmail.com.

Nirrimi - www.WELIVEYOUNG.blogspot.com

Lara Jade - www.larajade.co.uk/blog/

Ashley Lebedev - www.bottlebellphotography.blogspot.com/

Zhang Jingna - www.zemotion.blogspot.com/

Joey L - www.joeyl.com/blog/

Peace lovers.

The First Post!

Hello little world.

You have ran across the 'Radical Photog' blog. A place for all things photography and shiny. I receive emails and messages every day with questions on how or why I do my photography the way I do. I don't consider myself an expert, but I do have a lot of knowledge bubbling around - some of it not really knowledge, but a collection of typically useless thoughts. I wanted a place to splurge my opinion on the web, from local artists to major inspirations in my life. This blog is purely for fun, and maybe someone will learn something.