Category Archives: brphotography

Photography: And the Lies I Believed

“I T I S A L L A B O U T T H E M E G A P I X E L S”

It seems like I have always had a camera in my hand. I started with film and then as the digital came about kept upgrading as newer generations of cameras came on the market. My dad purchased a nicer digital camera after the birth of my first son in 2005. This sparked a new journey for me with photography. It looked like a DSLR but had a fixed zoom lens with 8-megapixels. Eight years ago 8mpx was really awesome and I thought thats how you choose a camera. It was a great camera for the year and half we lived in California.

The Truth: Of course cameras have advanced much in the last eight years. However you really should not get a camera solely on how many megapixels it has whether it is 2005 or 2013. Are you blowing up your photographs to a large size to produce wall art for your home? Or are you just sharing things on facebook and making small prints for family? Do you even print your photographs?

“I H A V E T O H A V E A F A N C Y C A M E R A”

I was in photography mode again with the birth of my second son in 2007. I met up with other military wives for photography outings and they had with them pricey DLSR cameras, interchangeable lenses, and light reflectors. I remember being in awe as I watched them photograph and listened as they talked about only shooting in manual. We would return from our photography outings and everyone would share the photos we took that day. I felt gutted seeing the amazing photographs the other military wives took of my own kids with their cameras. I was sold into the fact I had to have their camera to get photographs like that.

The Truth: You can put any camera in the hands of a photography pro and they will me probably produce amazing images or pieces of art. You can put the same cameras in the hand of an extreme novice who knows nothing of manual settings, lighting, or composition and you will probably have nothing but rubbish photos with no eye appeal, bad exposures, horrible white balance and subjects that are blurry.

“I H A V E T O H A V E A C A N O N”

When my husband and I started looking at DSLRs I was adamant about getting a Canon. Why? I was in love with the photography of a young fashion photographer from England and she used a Canon. In fact almost every photographer who shot fashion photography that I knew used Canon. There seemed no question in my mind. My husband however loved Nikon and had read up on how well they made their lenses. Our first DSLR was a D70. To be followed by the D200 and then the D700.

The Truth: A camera is a camera. It seems like the biggest competitors are Canon and Nikon, but you can buy a different model and still be a photographer. To me I equate it to whether you use a PC or a Mac. You can use both, switching between the two can be a bit challenging at first, and neither is really better than the other. I have a friend that shoots with her Pentax and loves it. It comes down to preference. After years of being a Nikon user I love the way it feels in my hands and the sound of the shutter. When I hold a friend’s Canon it feels so light like I’m holding a toy. I’m not saying I could not switch to Canon down the road. I am just not going to throw a fit about not owning a Canon like I would have back in 2007. I know better.

“A L L P H O T O G R A P H Y E Q U I P M E N T I S E X P E N S I VE ”
When we looked into getting a brand new camera I was scared. Scared by the dollar sign and the numbers following it when looking at camera bodies and lenses. I worked with other photographers as a hair and make up artist and I saw the types of equipment they used. Expensive lighting set ups, complex backdrops, and so many gadgets that the numbers just kept adding up in my mind until it got overwhelming. I would see the photographs these photographers were producing and compare it with ones photographers who had less were producing and to be honest they looked the same. Or the photographers who had less expensive equipment were producing better images.

The Truth: I hate to say it but photography is an expensive hobby. If you think otherwise you are sadly mistaken. However there are many tricks of the trade that you can pick up instead of cashing in for the next latest and greatest piece of equipment. We have bought all our cameras from other photographers off of Craiglist in Hawaii. When it comes other equipment you do have choices. You could buy a really large light reflector from a well known company and cut off your arm in the process. Or you could find a cheaper model on amazon or ebay for a much more affordable option. Or you can get creative and find other ways to bounce light on your subject. While I own three large reflectors (with multi sides of white, black, gold, and silver) I have used other things as well. Mirrors on the beach with the sunrise, windshield sun shades from my car, white poster board, and even natural light reflectors. What is a natural light reflector? Shoot your subjecting near a white surface like white stone steps or the white pillar of a building.

“P H O T O S H O P C A N F I X A N Y T H I N G ”

You get home and upload your photographs to your computer and realise that one shot you really wanted is over exposed. So you play around with it and eventually resort to putting it in black and white and still try to tweak the photograph. What is photoshop for if you cannot fix your wrongly executed photograph? Likewise that model that you did not meet before hand has shown up and bless her heart, but her skin is horrible. You shrug it off and assume that you can do what you can with lighting and then photoshop her skin in post processing.

The Truth: Photoshop is awesome. As is Lightroom. Actually if you are a photographer I recommend you use Lightroom before you put a photo in photoshop. While photoshop is more geared towards graphic design artists Light room is for photographers. Post processing has been around before the digital age and is the digital version of a photographer’s darkroom. In post processing you can take a great photograph and make it look amazing. You can take an SOOC (Straight Out Of the Camera) photograph that looks perfect and in post processing make it stellar! However you can take a bad photo and it will still look rubbish, or rubbish in a fancy dress, after post processing. There is a thing of being ‘too photoshopped’ and photoshop cannot fix everything. You want to aim to get the photo right in the camera. But do not dismiss post processing as a fad. It is an amazing tool in the hands of those who know what they are doing or have the time to play around with it to figure it out.

“I N E E D A N E X P E N S I V E D E G R E E”

Upon high school graduation I went off to a private Christian University to get a bachelor’s degree because is that not what everyone does? My passions? Theatre and moving abroad. So I majored in Theatre and minored in Missions. I remember hearing about the awesome photography course complete with use of the darkroom, but it was rumored to have filled up before the class began registration. I wish I had tried harder to smooze my way into that course because maybe my career in photography would have started sooner. But I assumed I needed a degree to become an adult.

The Truth: There are many photographers out there that do go to school and get degrees in photography. However thats not the only way to go about becoming a professional photographer. It was not until our third upgrade of DSLR and three years into my career that I took my first photography course focused on different types of lighting. I am self taught. That means I bought books, I looked online, and I picked the brains of all the photographers I knew or came into contact with while working as a hair and make up artist. Most importantly I took photographs. There is no better way to get better at something without practice. You do not even need someone else to photograph to get better. When I want to work on portraits I do self portrait photography. Otherwise I work on landscape and stock photography. If you are passionate about something and have something you want to do in your horizon do not not wait for it. Run toward your dreams and take photographs all the way there!

“I N E E D A N E X P E N S I V E C A M E R A”

We started off small and as we could we sold back our camera to other photographers and upgraded again. We have never bought a brand new camera which has saved us money. When I made the jump from the Nikon D200 to the Nikon D700 I could not figure out how I got by in photography before. I could shoot in bad lighting situations and still be able to produce quality images. As I held my D700 I heard about the next series of cameras in the line of Nikon, ones that were ‘better‘ and more expensive. I wondered if my need for the next best camera would ever dissipate

The Truth: You do need an expensive camera. Yes the cameras get better the more expensive they are but its not just about what camera body is in your hands. It is about the glass (the lens) and the quality of it. You could have a great camera and crap lens and not be any better off than someone with an okay camera and a really high quality lens. Lenses are not all made equal and they do not all do the same job. I use my 85mm for different shots than I would use my 50mm lens. Also a 50mm 2.8 differs from a 50mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.4. Do not believe me? Get all three 50mm lenses and test them out on the same shot to compare the differences. Or google it for a quicker answer. Expat life can be expensive when you start out and I sadly parted with my D700 to help us in our endeavors Going back to my D200 I felt very depressed about photography as a whole. It was hard for me personally to do something that felt like ‘taking a step back’. However it has helped me realise this is just another lie I have been lead to believe. Although my photographer eye can see a difference, it has pushed me as an artist to really work on my skills. These are not simple point and shoot cameras and I have been learning how to get the image I want from the D200 with the lenses I own. Which is the point. You can capture amazing images and create breath taking art with what you have. You just need to continue practicing and understand your camera like it is your best friend.

Behind the Scenes on a shoot with Bonnie Rose in Mililani, Hawaii

Y O U A S K & I A N S W E R

with Bonnie Rose on ‘Photography’

Q: Hello Bonnie! Do you have any recommendations for online photography courses or helpful websites for beginners? Thanks!

Yes! Hands down my favourite online resource is CreativeLive out of Seattle, WA. They offer free courses online with amazing photographers and its Live. Since the person who asked this lives in England, we are in the best timezone for watching these live photography courses. I could watch the repeat showing in morning before work or watch it live as it began after work. I recommend following CreativeLive on Twitter so you are always up to date with the new courses coming your way. I have been blessed to have watched a few of my favourite photographers that I have followed for years on Creative Live. They made that possible. I just wish I had known about them sooner.

More about Creative Live: http://www.creativelive.com/

Q: I need help picking a wide angle lens!

It really depends on what you want to use it for and your budget. For me I love prime lenses the best. The two I own are used way more often than any of my zoom lenses. I have the 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.4 for Nikon. As I shoot a lot of portraiture those two lenses have been my best friends. When I upgrade further I will get the 50mm 1.4 lens. However when we are traveling or sightseeing I find that those do not always cut it and I need a wide angle lens. I’ve been toying with whether I should get a 24mm or the 35mm. To be fair so far I have borrowed a zoom lens 17mm-35mm 2.8 and it has been my absolute favourite. I even loved the distortion it would cause to tall buildings before me when shooting at 17mm. It is really weighs a lot on preference as well. I recommend borrowing lenses (from friends or you can borrow lenses and cameras online) and testing them out for a day. Photography is not a cheap hobby or business and knowing for sure which lens you want to buy before you make the purchase is ideal.

***

I hope you have enjoyed this next installment of my Photography series.

If you have any questions make sure to comment!

Self Portrait: ‘From the Ashes’

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For those of you that will remember last year I did a Self Portrait Challenge to take one self portrait every week. It was a lot of fun and was something I was able to do while traveling through Europe as well. Being inspired by a few self portraits I was commissioned to do recently, I have decided to restart this again invite you all to be involved! I have created a link up which will start every Saturday and end every Friday night. You can link up to old or new self portraits as long as they are a self portrait you took of yourself. So set your self timers and get your tripods ready and I look forward to seeing your creative spirit come alive on the weekends. The self portrait ‘From the Ashes’ was one of the test shots on one of the self portrait concepts I was working on last week. I really liked this one and decided I would save it for this challenge. While I usually would have gone with the black eye shadow, I used actual charred wood from our back garden. A bit of inspiration taking from my sons who showed up in the house with faces covered in black one day. I took this one right next to our dining room window to take use of the natural light. I think the reason I like it so much is it reminds me of the Afgan girl photographed for the cover of National Geographic. Maybe it is because we both have hazel eyes. If you have not heard about Sharbat Gula‘s story, I recommend that you check it out.

DO YOU LOVE SELF PORTRAITS?

I try to do one every week and post on a Saturday.

If you would like to link up with me, add this button to your blog. I would love to see your photography!

*Image original to A Compass Rose blog by Bonnie Rose Photography

‘Crushed’ Bridal Self Portrait

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'Crushed' Self Portrait by Bonnie Rose Photography © 2013 All Rights Reserved

There are fifty days until our tenth wedding anniversary and vow renewal ceremony in the Snowdonia region of Wales. Final travel arrangements are being confirmed and my to do list is being prioritized. There has been one task that I have been putting off until ‘closer to the date’. My husband urged me this weekend to finally try on my wedding gown. It has been perserved in a box, inside another box for safe keeping since our wedding in 2003. In the last ten years it has been moved six times and lucky has never been lost or damaged. Taking the gown out of the box and feeling the smooth duchess satin, I was reminded just how much I loved this gown. I had fallen in love with the idea of it once I laid eyes on the blue sash gown by Amsale in my Knot magazine. Since it cost as much as my entire wedding budget I found a seamstress in town to make a replica for a fifth of the cost. Other than choosing to keep the sash the same colour of the gown it was a perfect comparison. I honestly could wear this gown every day for the rest of my life because it is that beautiful to me. I could never sell it and would love to see my future daughter wear it one day. Be it as a wedding gown, or repurposed for a baby.

Another reason I had been putting off trying it on was that there were three issues before me. Aside from having only worn it once ten years ago I have had two kids since that time. I also wore a full bridal corset that I no longer own as I sold shortly after the honeymoon. The third is that since Christmas I have not been eating a strict paleo diet and can tell that the carbs from bread, porridge and potatoes (chips/mash/roasted) have gone right to cover up my abs. When Ryan exclaimed, ‘Wow, its tiny!’ as he held up the gown for me I started to get worried. I stepped into it and held the bodice up to my chest as the final test awaited us. Could we get the zipper to go all the way up?

I cannot tell you the answer to that as the zipper broke in the process and my excitement about putting on my favourite gown plummeted with it. I attempted to make a status message or send a tweet about it but then canceled it as I was too heart broken. In six weeks and a couple days I am planning on wearing this gown and now I not only have to figure out where to get it pressed but how to fix the zipper. Not to mention I need to get a corset, keep all carbs away, and stick to Paleo until after we return from Wales.

So here I am with a a dress out of its perserved box and I will admit I am crushed that I do not know if I can now wear it. The practical part of me is saying that Ryan’s DIY idea of fixing the zipper himself will work out and that I will most definitely shed the carb baby I’m currently carrying before we get to Wales. The dress will fit. I hope to hold onto that shred of optimism

I will be honest that the last couple of days I have been pretty down about it. I lacked the motivation to take this photo at all and it took me two sessions of it on Tuesday to get my shot. The first time around I ended up just laying on the bed with my gown still on and taking a nap. The toll of it not fitting was not conducive to working with my creative needs. However, I got a few shots I liked in the second go around thankfully.

I like my self portraits to come across like paintings and this photograph I feel fits the bill. I love the gown, I am crushed that it will no longer zip, and my hair cascaded down in front of my face to hide the tears.

Photography: Mermaid Cove

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Day 31, Friday: A Vivid Memory

It was was the last Saturday in March of 2010 on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. I had just driven up from my home in Mililani where I had gotten model, Alysha ready in hair and make up. With glittery eyes and long red hair in waves she was now ready in wardrobe as my mermaid for the evening conceptual photo shoot. I had obtained the costume at a vintage store in Tucson, Arizona on a visit at my mum’s house and had only used it once for Halloween in 2008. Coincidentally Halloween that year had fallen on the night of my first photo exhibition in Honolulu and now it was being used again before my departure back to the mainland. I had a whole list of concepts I wanted to complete in the final months of my island life. While many male photographers were content with shooting just bikini clad models on the sandy beaches, I had my heart set on photographing a mermaid. Of course in my mind what mermaid photo shoot would be complete without a Prince Eric? So as we got out of the car we met Samart, our leading man to complete the vision.

On to the beach we went in one of my most favourite areas of North Shore for being secluded and devoid of tourists. I have almost always had this area to myself on my many drives to the area. With my camera and equipment and a bagful of props we started up the rocky cliffs for the first half of the shoot. It soon became the golden hour and the soft warm Hawaiian sunlight lit up Alysha and Samart as they portrayed my versions of Ariel and Eric. Which was good because the trade winds were having a field day with my light reflectors. While on many shoots I had the luxury of a photography assistant, today it was just the three of us. I remember before the shoot I had run down to the touristy section of walmart to pick up a collection of shells. These I had then hot glued onto fishing wire. This made it quite easy to display the smaller shells, with easy clean up since they were all attached to the same line. I had a few bigger shells and a nice starfish that I moved around the scene.

For the second part of the shoot I wanted to draw on the idea of Eric being shipwrecked and either saved or discovered by Ariel. I even had Eric catch Ariel in his net. We had a vintage table, originally from Russia, as our token piece of washed up wood. All in all it was a really fun shoot and I despite having a very small team for the day I got the images I was hoping to come away with from concept. All though my secret desire as a girl to become a mermaid was never realised, it was fun to orchestrate story I loved as a child. Thank you to Alysha and Samart for making my vision possible.

Here were my top favourite photographs from my concept shoot from ‘Mermaid Cove’.

Like that we are complete with the Blog Every Day in May challenge. If you would like to see my other posts for the month click the label/tag ‘maychallenge’ below. Thank you for joining me on this month long journey and I look forward to seeing you in June with my regularly scheduled posts about photography travel, third culture kids, and expats.

Self Portrait: ‘Unanswered’

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I took today’s self portrait before breakfast while my thoughts were focused around the basic human need of interaction with others. We were not put on this earth to be alone. While I love my personal time away from the world if I had no one to share it with my life would be void and without purpose.

I owe my fondest childhood memories, the stories that span across Europe, to my parents. The good and bad days of the past have formed me into who I am today. I have been told I got married as I was just a few months shy of turning twenty one. When I met my husband at Uni I had that moment of clarity that we would spend the rest of our lives together. Why wait years down the road to experience an inevitable life together. I always wanted a family to experience a world of travel together like I had with my parents. So we began our family and eventually found our way to return to Europe.

Sometimes it can be hard to keep the lines of communication open. Life can get busy and the world can push itself forward ahead in the priorities. However sometimes it can be as simple as remembering to make sure that ‘you’ are plugged in.

Photography: Colour Pop – Fashion Concept

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Hard to believe it is already Thursday and it is time for our weekly throwback. This is my Colour Pop photo shoot from Hawaii. I was working again with models Alysha and Kristen and with make up artist Krystle. We shot at a nearby playground where the hawaiian red dirt was prevalent and I liked the way it worked against Alysha’s red hair. Both models brought their own personality into the styling. It was a fun atmosphere, fun colours in the make up and a fun shoot.

Models: Alysha Busha & Kristen Elizabeth
Make up Artist: Krystle Teocson Parinas
Hairstylist & Photography: Bonnie Rose

Also want to give a mention to some of the lovely blogs

I have been following from my sidebar:

“Oh, hey. I’m Kate. I am a self-professed coffee addict. I am obsessed with flats, you will rarely find me in heels. I am NOT a natural redhead, but my hair IS naturally curly. I love cereal and would eat it every night for dinner if you let me, luckily my husband cooks. I also love a good dress with pockets. Oh, and I always ALWAYS return my shopping cart to the corral in the parking lot (I think this says a lot about a person’s character).” – A Peony for your Thoughts

“Hi, I’m Bella. I’m a mommy, a wifey, Tahitian dancer, and model. Currently on a mainland adventure with my Marine hubby. ” HI Life & Love blogs about fashion, beauty, nails, love, family, fitness, Aspergers, and Hawaii. – HI Life & Love

“Side Street Style is run by a creative couple – Laura and John. Laura is a freelance writer and trained photographer and is a snap happy girl. John is a traditional cut throat barber. We have an extended breastfed and co-sleeping toddler son, Mr A and he is awesome!” – Side Street Style

“He’s Jeremy, I’m Chelsea. We met, we fell in love, we got hitched, we decided to spend our lives traveling the world. Our current spot is as ESL teacehrs to adorable Korean kids that we love 95% of the time (they’re kids…other people’s kids…I think 95% is as good as it gets).” – Lost in Travels

“I’m Emily. I’m a Texas girl in a long relationship with a boy from England…yeaa!! Between finishing college, preparing for Tom to visit this summer and preparing to go back to Paris in the Spring, my life is a little hectic, but I love every second. Hope you enjoy everything you find here at Hopeful wondering!” – Hopeful Wondering

If you would like to have your button on the side bar read Sponsors & Swaps for more information.

* For information regarding the use of photography by Bonnie Rose and photographic services contact bonnie[at]bonnie-rose[dot]co[dot]uk

Self Portrait: ‘Into the Woods’

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My portrait for ‘Self Portrait Saturday’ found its backdrop in my sons’ room

after I checked on their progress of making their bed.

The house we rent is filled with unfinished wooden doors and

came with similar style wooded wardrobes and armoires.

They do not all necessarily match however.

Which gives as an eclectic look to work with

when it comes to instilling our own interior design.

(side note: Yes, I wear my sunnies in the house sometimes.

The prescription is better in these than my current frames

so if its light enough I tend to wear them.

Besides they are one of my favourite fashion accessories

as well as being practical.)

Sunglasses: Ray Ban Coat: Lux

* For information regarding the use of photography by Bonnie Rose and photographic services contact bonnie[at]bonnie-rose[dot]co[dot]uk