365 Project - Day 188

“Are we to paint what's on the face, what's inside the face, or what's behind it?”

~Pablo Picasso~

365 Project - Day 187

I couldn't resist taking a few more close ups with the lightscoop of one of my favorite subjects today and then because I enjoyed playing with the textures so much yesterday, I had to play some more today!

 

and I'm not sure how much I like this next one, but it was really fun to do and kind of reminded me of a fantasy picture. I used the same picture of Niklas and just added another texture on top of the last edit:

365 Project - Day 186

 

I am having a lot of fun right now editing pictures using textures. This picture was taken today (while still playing with my new lightscoop ;-)). 

Here is the original:

Couldn't resist doing another one in this style:

And I will add a bonus picture today. Last night I was goofing around with my camera and took a number of pictures of Mirko and Niklas enjoying their nutella bread (well not "nutella", but a generic brand of chocolate/nut spread):

365 Project - Day 185

Just testing out using the Lightscoop in different situations:

Edited picture of Mirko on the couch in the evening (no natural light coming in from windows).

Brianna and Niklas goofing around before bedtime (lots of movement, no natural light from window)

a sleepy Mira in the evening 

(she HATES flash pictures so was leery of the camera, didn't mind the light here at all though!)

Niklas this morning at breakfast. There is a window behind him so I usually have to position him so that the light from the window falls on him, or else I get super dark pictures of his face when not using a flash, or I use a flash and have the harsh shadows and the pin points in the eyes.

365 Project - Day 184

On the 25th of January I ordered a Lightscoop: http://www.lightscoop.com/buynow.html and today it arrived safe and sound in Germany! I have been busy testing it out and I must say that I am IMPRESSED! It slips nicely on the hot shoe and has a little mirror that directs the light from the pop up flash onto a ceiling or wall so that the subject is lit up from the reflected light and not from a bright flash blinding them! How great is that especially for the sensitive eyes of babies or small children!?

Just to show the difference clearly, here is a straight out of the camera shot (no editing done) using the normal pop up flash:

 

and here is a straight out of the camera shot using the Lightscoop: 

The picture at the top of the post is an edited version of this last picture. I have adjusted the curves, added a bit of contrast and cropped the picture. I love that using the Lightscoop lights up the subject without leaving the purple pin point lights in the eyes and without the harsh shadows of the normal pop up flash AND no more blinding light!!