develop on fridays :: week 3 | champaign-urbana photographer

Here we are at week 3 — I’ve finally caught up with the rest of the class!  This week’s assignment: look for unexpected light and get at least one shot you love using an unexpected light source.  I found this one to be easier than the first two assignments, mainly because at this point in my journey as a photographer I always shoot with all natural light (no flash, no strobes, simply whatever light is available at the time.)  So, since I’m always looking for interesting light, here are two shots from this week that are examples of light that was a bit “unexpected”…

First – my favorite – early morning (6am?) moonlight reflecting off the snow outside…

Next… candlelight (obviously)… and I think I need to start taking more pictures of Averhy for these assignments! These didn’t turn out quite how I visualized them, but I still like them — especially her scrunched-up eyes in the last shot.  Getting that last candle to go out can be quite a challenge!

All of these low-light shots are examples of the main reason I LOVE my Nikon D700 — it has amazing low-light high-ISO capabilities.  Yes, there’s noise in these shots, but it’s MUCH less than I’d get with my older camera. The first shot (above is) at ISO 3200, 1/160, f/1.8 handheld – while I’m also holding Eden on my hip!  The shots below are at ISO 1000, 1/100, f/1.8 handheld – and I purposely used a lower ISO because I wanted all the background to be totally dark.  Okay, now that I’m all caught up, these “develop on fridays” posts will become a regular Friday feature on the Sweet Pea Photography blog… so mark your calendars and check back every week to see what I’ve learned!