Summer break | Day 2

Yesterday was a prime example of why I love carrying my camera around at all times! Sometimes you come back home with nothing, and other days you have a whole card full of images to play and experiment with. Stephanie (my girlfriend) and I bought had rough days so we decided to chill on her rooftop, which is one of my favorite spots. It's a 360 degree view of St. Louis city that never gets old! 

I brought my dslr, along with my flash just to play with. I'm not the biggest fan of flash lighting, as of right now, but I have to admit, you can get some really cool effects if you learn how to manipulate it. For instance, if you look slightly to the right of Stephanie's face in the 3rd image below, you'll notice the motion of her removing the comforter from over her head that was exposed by the light from the flash and a slow shutter speed. I love blurred motion, because it sometimes tell just a little more of the story.

I've been taking a slightly different approach in editing lately. I LOVE imitating the look & feel of film! It's something about the photographer's awareness, colors, faded blacks, grit and grain, all combined together, that is just visually appealing to me. I know the Polaroid look is something that's really in right now, but that still does not take away it's ability to intrigue me each time. I haven't been able to master it completely yet, but I'm getting there! It's takes a great level of craftsmenship to emulate the great photographers of the film era, but it's a craft that's very well worth exploring and recreating. Adobe Lightroom CC gives me so much creative range and control to acheive the look, or at least get close to it. 

I found it interesting enough to mention that my favorite image throughout this whole set was the single one that I took on my iPhone. That just goes to say that the most  expensive cameras and gear does not always create the best images! In my opinion the best photographers in images are filled with stories, emotion, or even pose a question. Knowing that, no matter what camera I use, I always adjust the settings to whatever I see fit to express the vibe of the image I'm trying to create or capture. Then hopefully the aesthetics will follow! 

Taken w/ my iPhone, edited w/ VSCOfilm (preset P4/Instant) 

Nikon D7000 shot w/ 35mm 1.8 @ f/1.8. When editing I raised the highlights to keep as Stephanie the main focus.