Spearfish Canyon

Between 30 to 60 million years ago breath taking Spearfish Canyon was formed. Now filled with Ponderous and Spruce Pine trees, the beautiful landscape makes for a good place to spend the day and snap a few photos. Along the drive through the Canyon there are a few places to stop and eat and many places to stop and capture that perfect picture. It could be a senior picture or a simple picture of the area.

Spearfish Canyon is naturally a beautiful place, with the waterfalls, plant life, and rock walls. In any season it makes an awesome place to take photos of all kinds, family photos, scenery photos, anything you can think of, Spearfish Canyon makes an amazing location. Just the other day I was in the canyon myself, doing senior pictures and taking photos just for fun. I noticed a lot of red vines that looked awesome and the red rock walls make for interesting pictures. The waterfalls and stream made some other great shots.

Developing Your Own Film

In this day and age most people have turned to digital photography. You can snap a picture and see how it turned out just a second later, automatically being developed all it needs is to be downloaded to a computer or printed at a local store like Wal-Mart. Some people still use traditional film where you don't know how your picture turned out till you get your film back. Most people who use film have to have it sent off in order for it to be developed. I fortunately know how to develop my own black and white film and have the resources to develop my black and white film through my high school photography class.

When developing your own film it can not be exposed to any light what so ever, not even safe lights. You use a black 'bag' with sleeves that has two layers to prevent light from getting in. First you get all of your tools that you will be using in the bag: roll of film, can opener, scissors, two film reels, and a film canister with a lid. You start off by taking the top off your roll of film using the can opener, you then cut of the ends of you roll of film. You then feed one end of film through an end of the film reel, you twist the wheel to get the film to wrap around the reel and you will be able to feel for the end of the film to know when to stop. You then put the film reel with the film in the bottom of the canister and the reel without film goes on top, this is used to keep the one with film on it so that it gets the full effect of the chemicals. After the film reels are in the canister and the lid is on tight you can open up your bag and take everything out and beginning using the chemicals to develop your film.

All your chemicals will be poured into the canister with your film, all liquid levels will be 10 ounces. You will start with a developer that is part chemical part water, it has to be between 63 and 73 degrees in order for it to work and it's temperature predicts how long it will be in the chemical, while in the chemical it must be under constant agitation, after completion dump out. The second chemical is Stop bath, which isn't really a chemical it's just water, you agitate the water in the canister for a minute, dump out when done. The fixer is the next chemical you will use, you poor it in for 5 minutes and agitate it for 30 seconds and then for 5 seconds every 30 seconds, save this chemical. The you will use hypo-clear for 1 and 1/2 minutes, you don't need to agitate this chemical, once again save this chemical when done using it. The next step is a 5 minute water bath, with the water constantly running, pour the water out when done. The last step is photo-flo, this chemical is used for a minute, save this cchemical. After the last chemical you can take your film out and take it off the reel and squeegee the film.

Senior Pictures

With the school year getting started and seniors coming down with ‘senioritis’ it’s time to take senior pictures. Every senior wants their photos to be unique and unlike anyone else’s’, in a small town that’s a little hard to do without spending a lot of money.  Different kinds of props can make a photo stand out and set it aside from other photos. Chairs and vehicles are most commonly used, while looking good there is a way to spice theses traditional props up. The best way to make these props pop is to change how you used them, instead of sitting on a chair try standing on it or leaning on it, when using your vehicle try positioning it an interesting angle in an interesting location, use it as a background prop and lean against it for something different.

If you are looking for something unique and different try looking at a second hand store for old picture frames and various other things that could make your picture stand out, such as an old wagon wheel or a cream canister. Antique stores also have some cool stuff you can use as props and sometimes you can get them for a reasonable price. Another way to make your picture stand out is by using farm equipment, both new and old, old vehicles that no longer work, and railroad tracks, they are everywhere and they give your photo a unique edge.

Composition

Good composition is the key to a great photo. In order  for a photo to be interesting it has to be made up of eye catching subjects in good placement. In photography there are eight rules of composition, the rule of thirds, negative space, frame within a frame, circle, triangle, rhythm, simplify, and leading lines.

The rule of thirds has to do with dividing your photo into nine squares and placing your subject at intersecting lines, having your subject off centered draws attention. Negative space is when the only thing in the picture is the subject and a simple background, typically solid and a dark color. Frame within a frame uses natural or placed objects on at least two sided of the photo to create a 'frame' and pulls the focus inward. A circle is an object that the eye is naturally drawn too, when placed in a photo it becomes the subject. A triangle is another shape that is naturally attracting so when a triangle or angles are put in a photo focus is pulled into the photo. When a pattern or rhythm is present attraction is natural and when just one object is slightly different it becomes the subject of the photo. Simplifying is when the photo has just the subject of attention in it, most other things are not present to take attention away from the subject. As humans we natural follow lines, leading lines are when lines of any sort direct attention to the subject.

Changing Colors

Fall is gracing us with its neutral colors makes for beautiful pictures. The opportunity for these pictures have increased in the Black Hills area. Spearfish Canyon is a good place to start, the rocky walls and waterfalls create a dynamic contrast with the colors being seen from the variety colors. Back roads in the area are another great photo opportunity. The dirt roads, fences, and crops produce a unique setting. This would be a great time to capture some original senior pictures, or family pictures.

Although some of the leaves are still green it creates a contrast that allows the Autumn colors to stand out. The sun lighting for capturing photos would be at about 7:30 am Mountain time and about 4:30 pm Mountain time. The sun will be mostly risen at this time, but it will still be a little low creating a glow. In the afternoon the sun will be preparing to set and it will create a golden glow. When taking pictures while the sun is rising or setting you have to be aware of your placement in order to keep shadow effects at a minimum and prevent your photo from being sun washed.

Welcome

Welcome! This blog will be informing you about photography. I will also be including some great photo opportunities in the area, and giving you some tips on how to capture a great photo.